Upper Labyrinth
The Upper Labyrinth is described as part of the boundary between the Decenarian and Centenarian communities within a concent. An avout expects to be summoned there as the Centenarians prepare for their rare opening, suggesting that it serves as a controlled interface between maths rather than an open corridor.
Role and Function
- Separates the Decenarian Math from the Centenarian Math.
- Used for formal, controlled communication with the Centenarians in the lead‑up to their Apert.
- Access involves reaching a grate in a dark room, behind which a Hundreder poses questions; the exchange supports Centenarian preparations for opening their gate.
Notable Features
- A labyrinthine approach culminating at a barred grate.
- The interview setting is explicitly described as a dark room, underscoring its controlled and secluded nature.
Context and Status
- Mentioned in connection with the long‑cycle opening of the Centenarian Gate, when the Hundreders plan their rare interactions beyond their walls.
- Its use is attested by a Decenarian teacher who anticipates being called there in the years preceding that opening.
- Recollections identify Fraa Paphlagon as a senior avout who entered the Upper Labyrinth many years earlier (about twenty‑two years prior), with his treatises circulated shortly before that entry during a Decennial Apert.
No broader layout or detailed map of the labyrinth is provided; only its boundary role and the interview-through-a-grate practice are described.
Summary:
A section of the labyrinth within the concent that separates the Decenarian Math from the Centenarian Math. It is used for controlled exchanges with the Centenarians, including questioning across a grate in preparation for the Centenarian Gate and their rare Apert.
First seen:
Part 1: Provener - Chapter 5: Mystagogue
Part 1: Provener - Chapter 5: Mystagogue
Most recently seen:
Part 5: Voco - Chapter 21: Lineage
Part 5: Voco - Chapter 21: Lineage
Known as:
The Upper Labyrinth
The Upper Labyrinth