Deep at the base of the world tree lies a prison of roots. Twisting corridors and interlocking chambers spread out in every direction composed of gnarled and tough world-tree fibers. This place was not built for beauty, or majesty, or enlightenment or conquest. It was made to contain things as old as the World Tree itself. This is a prison. Within these twisting corridors the four Primordial elements of creation lie contained.

Evidence of their confinement are everywhere. Still smoldering embers embedded into the roots glow a dull orange and provide shadowy illumination and burning floors. Boulders litter the path and sometimes landslides pour down to block paths. Some corridors are flooded to various degrees and in many places water trickles from the ceiling. Despite being a contained labyrinth a wind blows through the place, hard enough in some corridors to pick someone off their feet. This is a hostile, wild place, a reflection of the prisoners it contains.

Not all the dangers are passive as well. Elementals wander the corridors, they wage battles against one another and anything else they encounter. Near mindless things, these living embodiments of the earth, wind, fires and waters exist for existences sake, they care little for higher callings.

Finally, the labyrinth itself is a living thing. While roots for natural plants are slow to grow and spread, here the labyrinth is prone to bouts of shifting and change. Halls can open up in front of a traveler, or seal just as quickly. The thick roots are part of the World Tree itself and thus essentially impenetrable, for little else could contain something as powerful as the Primordials.

Tread carefully in these dangerous halls.

Rules of the Labyrinth of the Elements
-Travel in inherently dangerous
-The labyrinth will reshape itself
-Four Primordials reside here (Earth, fire, wind, water)

Appearing within the Labyrinth of the Elements, the God of Blood took in the surroundings slowly. It reminded him much of what he saw from the Astral Lounge, however the roots twisted and pulled to make corridors and paths across the realm. The primal elements could be felt and seen, with them their minor subjects and embodiments.

It was a dangerous realm, rightfully so. Serek saught to stay close to those he followed behind. Finding Jannik and Typh both before anything else.

Stepping through the jasper gate in the Astral Lounge, the newborn gods found themselves somewhere quite different than anywhere they'd been before. Enclosed on every side by gnarled roots, the place would have been pitch black where it not for smoldering embers intermittently scattered about. These were not an even distribution though, in some places the hall was left in total darkness, in others small fires illuminated stretches of the path.

The air was fresh despite being enclosed, gusts of wind would occasionally blow past, some of them enough to make one stagger if they were unprepared. There were a number of ambient noises. The creaking of roots, distant dripping water, the dull crackle of fire. Even a distant crash of something very heavy falling.

Jannik stepped in front of the group and looked about as curiously as the others. "Fascinating! I was only able to give the realm its purpose. Who knew it would end up looking like this!" He shared with the others. Raising a hand, white flames blossomed from his palm and the god became a living torch. It cast light about the area and dispelled any hint of shadows far more thoroughly than any mundane torch. "We could spend years hunting this place couldn't we?" he mused aloud. "Luckily that won't be necessary. I can feel our quarry, or rather I can feel some great flames, which is likely the same in this scenario! This way!" he said, and motioned for the others to follow.

Hopping from vine to vine, the wading through knee high water, the group squeezed through a tunnel that was nearly completely blocked by boulders. One thing was certain, these tunnels were not well suited for comfortable travel. The trip was going smoothly, slow downs aside, until they came to a tunnel where the floor dipped low and the path ahead was completely engulfed with water.

Jannik pulled a face, "It's probably no surprise, but I'm not a fan of swimming. But it seems this is the only way forward." Slipping into the water, the glowing fire remained bright even as it dipped below the water. A clear sign of its divine origin. The tunnel stretched far ahead into the distance. It seemed they would need to hold their breath. This wouldn't have been a concern, but halfway down the tunnel the waters began to froth and stir as several water elementals took notice of their passage and were displeased. Displeased indeed. This left a difficult decision. It was impossible to say how far this tunnel went underwater. For those gods with more mortal constraints (Any god under 4 Endurance) running out of air was a very real danger. But stopping and turning back meant fighting through these angered elementals. There were no easy choices to be had.

Note: If you ignore the elementals and choose to prioritize swimming to somewhere you can breath you'll take 3 damage as you're battered passing them. If you hold back to fight them, they'll only be able to be damaged by divine powers. You'll discover that normal blows won't hurt them.

Serek shielded his eyes from Jannik's brightness momentarily through a winged arm. After having adjusted from the dimmly lit embers and spaces of darkness, Serek peered at the change of light in their surroundings. "A long hunt within this realm would be quite welcome though. At least we do not need to stumble across the realm to find your quarry."

The journey and path ahead was one Serek took quietly, great watery jungles was a terrain familiar to him mostly. However the tight fits and watery tunnels were not one he had the pleasure of being accustomed to. Looking to Jannik though, Serek shrugged his shoulders. For a God of Fire being surrounded and submerged by their opposing element, Jannik gave pleasant surprise for staying lit aflame.

Which made him think how his own powers would react while submerged. Diving into the water with a deep practiced breath, Serek began his swim. The ever bleeding sutures leaked a trail of blood through the waters, making it murky around him.

It was however the disturbed waters stirring in a strong displeasure that halted the half crow deity. One Serek could understand, however one he would meet full on. Jannik was weak to fire as far as Serek understood, and Typh was not made for combat as they said. So instead, the God of Blood used his power to pull out more of his divine blood into the water. Hardening it to keep it tethered as he did, Serek swam into combat with the water elements without holding back. Trying his best to allow the others through unbarred by the waters.

Typh entered the strange labyrinth and took in his surroundings with a detached curiosity. He had stepped foot in three realms now and each was so different from one another. That was impressive all its own. However he couldn't say that he much appreciated the design of the realm. There was not enough sunlight and the breeze, that strange perpetual gust, did not carry the scent of sea-salt or warm sand. Only grit and ash. At least there was water, albeit not the crystal blue or wine dark waters of Aegos.

Wading through the flooded passages and cramped walkways he ended up having to rely on Providence as a true staff and not just a beautiful ornament. A fact that quickly soured his opinion of the realm further. A fact that was compounded again when they game upon a flooded section of tunnel with some manner of elemental in its depths.

"How unpleasant." he said to no one.

Raising his hand bestowed Typh's Favor to his allies. However, he remained in the rear. Away from conflict.

The Prince walked through the labyrinth with an unnatural grace. He very deftly made small but unnaturally precise hops across jagged rocks, uneven earth, and other such difficult terrain with an unnatural ease. And any plants, vines, and bits of earth mixed with such things flat out moved out of his way in an even more unnatural manner. As if they didn't dare want to impede him. But he practically danced across the uneven terrain like a dancer gliding across a stage.

The watery parts, however, elicited a few audible grumbles of displeasure from the Prince. He skirted across parts of the water unnaturally, as long as he kept moving of course, but not indefinitly and in the parts where they had to even he was forced to wade. And he hated it. The parts of the tunnel where lack of air became an issue actually concerned him, as his face made a grimace. But he had some ideas of they had needed air, and right now he was okay. For while he wasn't shrugging it off like Serek was the Prince was sturdier than a mere mortal.

However, like his lung capacity his patience was not without limit. As the elementals dared rear their heads to try and assault the group, the water suddenly began to ripple around the prince. And the rippling only began to increase in intensity.

"Filthy creatures. You dare bar the path of the gods? Such impudence!" the Prince said as suddenly large yellowish kelp-like plants sprang forth from the walls and bottom-soil of the watery save. They had multiple hollow sacs on them that started small, but the plants began to vibrate suddenly under the Prince's Manifested divine power as the water near the kelp churned and frothed while the sacs on the plants grew bigger, suddenly filling with more air as the Prince sped up their metabolic cycle immensely in moments.

The Prince held out a hand and one of the strands of kelp detached from the ground and swam over to him like a water snake, and gently wrapped itself around one of his arms. The Prince snorted out some air bubbles from his nose before placing a bulb to his mouth and breathing in clean air. He would not allow suffer the indignity of drowing at a time like this.

The other vines - there were at least 10 at this point now - suddenly grew in size unnaturally and began lashing out at the elementals. Sometimes, they struck the sides of the cave and gashes of stone and soil were torn out like they had been hit with a pick axe. These strands of increasingly-large kelp were obviously unnaturally strong under the Prince's direct power.

"Feed on them, my pets!" the Prince said as he gulped down another air bladder. In response, the vines proceeded to tear into the water elementals, and began to vibrate fiercely as they started sucking oxygen out of the elementals while churning and destabilizing their watery bodies before being drawn into the kelp and digested.

OOC: Bladder Kelp is a real life plant, believe it or not! And currently they are on crack under a manifested tier effect!

Annastarria looked around the newly-formed plane and nodded. "Most fascinating. The variety of life we find never ceases to wonder."

She followed the others and made note of the dizzying array of life and environments to be found here. Everything had something to teach and she was a very eager student.

She waited for a break in the battle between the Prince of Blossoms and the raging elementals before sliding gracefully into the water. She moved to stand behind him and watched closely as he unleashed his power, seeking to learn what he was capable of.

Within the submerged confines of the tunnel a short battle broke out as those gods already in the water responded to the assault by the elementals. Typh and Annastarria trailing at the rear of the group hadn't entered the water yet and watched as the waters ahead of them started to froth and bubble from the violence.

Below the water it was hard to make out precisely what was unfolding. At the lead of the party the water was transforming to steam as Jannik fought with his own attackers. Serek's flowing blood was hardening into solid coils like a chain and impeding the water elemental while plants had bloomed from nothing and were absorbing oxygen from the water and lashing with vines at the elementals. For their part the submerged gods were being slammed against the floor and ceiling, battered like debris caught in a waterfall.

-1 HP to Serek and the Prince of Blossoms

It was a brief bout of violence. The water elementals were dealt with quickly and gradually the waters stilled. At the lead Jannik, holding aloft his hand and the white divine flame, motioned to the others, then returned to swimming down the length of the tunnel. It proceeded another couple hundred feet, then emerged back into breathable oxygen.

The journey went for several days, enough time to that the gods with more mortal limitations required time to rest. Jannik was impatiently, but he could say little since he was amongst those tiring. With a snap of his fingers he ignited a cozy campfire. It warmed the bones and  seemed to set you at ease being near it. Sitting down beside the flame, Jannik put his palms towards the heat.

"So what plans do you all for the future?" He asked conversationally. "Aside from claiming my proper mantle as the only divine keeper of fire, I believe I'd like to create a museum. A place to gather all the wonders of our new world. It's a shame I had to spend the Essence to fashion this place, my what a whole realm of a museum might look like!" Jannik said, his eyes becoming distant as he imagined the notion. "But what of you my kin? I'm sure each of you has grand plans."

Prompt: Share some of your divine plans. (Or don't, but Jannik will take less of a liking to those who are secretive.)

Thrashed to and thro, through and against the underwater tunnel. Serek did not give in. Never letting up and neither did his sibling deities. As the waters calmed to their natural state within the Labyrinth. Serek unhardened the blood within the water, channeling it across and through he recollected not only his but that spilt by the other deities. Any that wasn't carried away and dispersed by the waters.

Following the steaming light that was Jannik out of the tunnel, Serek carried on without much complaint or worry. The days passed and with them some exhaustion. Of course, it was hard to tell if he was compared to others as he didn't complain and majority of his body either stayed hidden wrapped up in the burial shroud or ever bleeding. The more strenuous the activities across the journey and realm, the more his slowments seemed obvious to even him, and even more so apparent were those in company.

Cozying to the flame granted by Jannik, Serek made himself comfortable among the site. "In the early years, my people used these to ward off the beasts and predators of Shezmu, funny how with time that purpose had grown obsolete as did many things. Yet it brings such warmth and hearth to the flesh among other things."

Considering Jannik's question further, Serek Eztli had to flesh out his own goals for himself. He always had several ideas but never really a goal to strive for itself. With what the God of Blood discovered recently, he had found that goal. Serek figured his wording and if he should speak it even. Yet though his words were slightly cryptic, they were the truth, "I seek to ascended life above just flesh and blood, and then to transcend blood and flesh over life itself. To create an unending dream, a utopia equal to all of those who will eventually find themselves blessed with flesh and blood, no matter their differences."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:09, Wed 13 July 2022.

HP: 9/10

The Prince sighed in relief as the water elementals were literally torn apart by his creative use of flora and the environment combined with Serak's own more bloody tactics. When the fight was over, he snapped his fingers and small strands of some of the bladder kelp detached and swam through the water like a snake, and gently wrapped around one of the forearms of each god to form an easily portable air-bladder they could use for a gasp of fresh air if needed. The Prince pointed to a bladder and then his mouth to let the others know this was for air if needed.

In this way, the Prince would ensure none of their group risked drowning. Although it was still much more of a relief to be back on dry land outside of the tunnel again.

The Prince, regal in all things that he did, did his best to conceal his slowly growing fatigue. But eventually his movements began to slow and dull slightly after several days of hiking through the realm, and it was a blessed relief when Jannik decided to set up camp and make a camp fire.

The Prince noted Serek's oddly drained vitality, but said nothing of it. The Blood god has already proven himself to be sensitive of any scrutiny and The Prince decided that if Serek needed help, he would wait for the god to plead with him directly after his little tantrum back in the astral lounge. It was nice enough he gave him an air bladder, but for now he would remain more circumspect of the blood god and let him ask for help rather than be offered help, lest he accidentally offend or something.

"Sitting and enjoying the fire and taking in the scenery is good sometimes too. We can't just focus on the hunt. The journey is as important as the destination." the Prince said as the others gathered by the fire.

He looked at Jannik and considered.

"I haven't fully decided on my broad goals yet. However, like you claiming the mantle as the Sole God of Blossoms is an important ongoing goal for me. But that aside...I think I'd like to create some sort of interdimensional tea-house. Maybe I can even partner with Nytal on this. And it wouldn't just be normal brewed plants, but I'd offer special brews that could be acquired in exchange for some form of payment whose system I have yet to determine as this is all high-level in planning still. But a safe space to facilitate culture and civilized exchange while also adding an elegant and mystical touch to it all." the Prince replied.

"So I guess in short if you want ot make a museum and Serek wants to um...exalt blood or whatever he just said, I'm like to make a magical teahouse that can be frequented by everyone from gifted mortals to gods and everything in between."

Typh had reclused himself from much of the direct conflict but was pleased when their side emerged victorious. Of course such an outcome was largely a bygone conclusion. They were a host divinities after all. Not some group of hobbled mortal children. Still the day had hard on him so when the group all sat down beside the fire he used Providence to conjure food and drink for the group. It was modest affair, not like the great feasts he was used to but it was serviceable for the time.

Once was settled he considered the question brought by Jannik.

"I have recently awoken from a divine slumber in my realm and currently traveling with my twin divinity to see what my mortals have been up to in the interim. As a general statement of fact I tend to be quite hands off with the direction of my people and generally only intervene when a curiosity takes me or there is something warranted the direct intervention of a god. Thus far that has only happened once and it was the influence of another divinity taking the fore on an island they had recently settled.

In the long term I suppose I am interested in seeing how my people continue to develop. Especially now that the world is not purely benevolent."

A quiet night of divinities gathered around a humble campfire passed peacefully. Talk of ascending life and death, tea houses of brews and culture, and observing how life progressed with minimal interference. It was clear that the gods had a number of different views for how they would apply themselves. One of their number remained quiet, she kept her visions of the future to herself. Jannik did not press, but when it came time to retire for the night the God of Fire looked at his sibling with a trace of mistrust.

The next day they rose well rested, exceptionally so. Jannik's fire seemed to have done more than just warm their bones. With the energy of a weeklong rest they set back out through the twisting corridors of the labyrinth. Several more days passed, but the group was reinforced against the press of weariness. Then Jannik stopped at a cave that dropped straight down. A brilliant light was glowing up from below. "It seems we've arrived." Jannik announced. "Allow me a moment to thank each of you, it's been a pleasure to get to know you better and I'll remember your assistance in helping quash this lingering bit primordial fire. Once this affair is done, what do you say we discuss the matters of a pantheon?" Stroking a finger along his carefully manicured mustache thoughtfully, Jannik shook his head and came back to the present. "First, the matter at hand." Then they climbed down.

Descending several dozen feet, the cave opened up below, they dropped the last fifty feet to the floor below. The far end of the cavern was visible from where they'd landed. How could it not be? It looked like a window into the heart of a sun. Molten flames coiled and rolled upon themselves. Tendrils would emerge and pull the great body long and in their wake they left scorched black traces to mark their passage. This was the Primordial Fire. A living element. It did not possess higher thought or purpose. It existed and that was enough.

"Have at thee, fraud!" Jannik shouted. Raising a hand a whip of white fire materialized and he swept it at the creature. If it touched it was impossible to say, the fire blended in to the natural luminance of the Primordial. It did draw the elder fires attention though, the bulk shifted and the gods felt its attention on them. Jannik faltered and his hand wavered. "I... may I have miscalculated." He said uncertainly.

Then the Primordial slammed its bulk down and a wave of fire rolled across the cavern. Jannik spread his arms to shield those he'd asked to accompany him. It was not enough. The power of this living piece of creation was overwhelming, staggering. The gods had only met their mortals and other newborn gods. They had not realized that power such as this existed. Now they knew. They watched as Jannik dissolved as the fire rolled through him. But his effort hadn't been in vain. The God of Fire had buffered those flames in his effort to shield his allies.

OOC: You'll take 12 damage, -3 damage from Jannik's shield (He shielded all except for Annastarria) and then subtract your Essence from that.

As the scouring fires rolled across you it was clear there was no winning this fight. If this could even be called a fight. Jannik had underestimated what they were coming to face and they had been ill prepared. Woefully ill prepared. The God of Fire had already paid for his miscalculation with his life. This begged the question, would the others suffer the same cost?

Note: You'll have time to take another action before the Primordial acts again.