On the outskirts of Waterdeep, the members of Tobin’s Revenge come to terms with their interrogations at the hands of the Thayans and subsequent failure to secure the support of Thay. Not wanting to dwell too long on the potential consequences, the group moves towards the north perimeter of the city. Entering through the Field Ward, Seebo takes the opportunity to check on his friend Boq. He finds himself on the edge of immense worry as he approaches the now abandoned dwelling. It does not take long to find the parchment on the front door in which Boq lets any that care know he has moved himself and the animals to the outskirts of the Undercliff after the dragon attack.
Returning to the manor, most members barely stop to greet the staff as they seek their beds. The following day they report their activities in Thay to Lady Haventree. While disappointed, she more than understands the difficulties in dealing with the Thayans. She in return informs the group that the council has further investigated the lead in Xonthal. While the council still believes there is a good probability of a trap being set in Xonthal, they believe the benefit gained outweighs that threat. She produces the physical letter for the party to review. She also reveals that the method of receiving this information was through the Zhentarium. She has no love for the group but can acknowledge that if they have stepped out of the shadows, it cannot be taken for granted. There is a catch, the Zhentarium will be sending a representative with them to Xonthal.
Knowing it will take several days to prepare for their travel east, various members attend to different needs. Those that had their armor or weapons damaged during Seebo’s encounter with the gelatinous cube find replacements at local merchants. EKIM takes time to check in and continue his promotions of the small shrine located in the alley adjacent to the manor. Hupp ventures further out into the city in search of a smith that feels they can work with the dragon scales he has been able to collect. In the Trades Ward he finds a smith that will work the scales into armor for the price of 1000gp. Agreeing to the terms, Hupp leaves the smith to work knowing he will need to collect in a week or two his new armor.
A couple of evenings prior to departing the city, most of the group is gathered in the tavern of the manor for some food and relaxation. Dennis sits in the corner sorting through some books while enjoying his usual glass of a crisp white wine. The whole of the space suddenly grows cold as a figure approaches the main door. All in the party find themselves unable or unwilling to move. The figure approaches Dennis and in a raspy voice asks Dennis if he remembers. There is no doubt that Dennis recognizes this stranger as his former, dead, student. He declares out of surprise “Allen”. Unfazed by Dennis’ greeting it reaches out for his hand. Demanding that “he must remember,” Dennis is overcome by the penetrating cold before the figure silently walks back out of the tavern. He finds himself shaking off the feeling that something slight has changed but can put his mind to it. The rest of the evening is uneventful.
Departing Waterdeep after about a week in the city, Tobin’s Revenge again finds their south and east towards Parnast. During their travels, Dennis would occasionally lecture the group on the history of Xonthal and the mystery revolving around the magical tower, but most find it tedious and retain absolutely nothing of the potentially helpful nuggets of wisdom their resident professor holds in his mind. Their Zhentarium companion speaks very few words, but he does not fully shy away from socialization. Eventually it comes out that the Zhentarium is interested in acquiring the rights to Xonathal’s tower should the party find themselves in a position to provide. Their payment, pledge of support against the cult and further assistance as necessary. The true nature of the organization’s participation and openness with information is finally revealed.
From there, they travel south towards the Forgotten Forest. Eventually they crest a small rise to find the village of Xonthal below with the legendary mage’s tower in the center of the remnants of a large, overgrown hedge maze. They hole up in the local public house to rest from their travels and speak to the locals about the tower itself. The most they glean is that the villagers want nothing to do with the tower and mention that most that enter the maze never return. There are reports of cultists in the vicinity recently, including the tower itself.
The next morning the party makes their way to the entrance of the maze. All they see is a simple walking path curving to the right. Some members take the time to investigate to either side, but find no other entrance. Using a fly spell they also attempt some reconnaissance and a try of bypassing the maze itself. The view from the air is similar to that on the rise outside the village, overgrown, but oddly at the entrance itself and along the path inside the hedges are well maintained. As they begin to discuss their next steps a call comes from the balcony of the distant tower. A figure exclaims that the cult is onto the group, and he has taken steps to secure their goal. In his hand is a blue object. As he produces a second white object in his other hand trying to explain that they will need it to enter the tower, another figure appears and assaults their supposed informant. After a few moments the assailant is tossed over the balcony edge. A final call from them to hurry is made before the figure disappears back into the tower.
It is decided to get some scouting from Seebo’s homunculus and Dennis familiar, Big Jim. The two aids take off down the path and after almost an hour, fail to return. Seebo, unable to hold back any more, takes off down the path himself, quickly followed by the rest of the group. After walking for a handful of hours, always on the slight righthand curve, the first change comes into view. They enter a small opening in the uniform hedge line to reveal a sundial surrounded by multiple paths including the one from which they arrived. In this area they find both Monkie and Big Jim waiting. Taking a look around a few members quickly perceive that the shadow on the sundial, pointing down the path of which the tower is centered on over the hedges does not align with their shadows cast by the sun above. Leaving behind some markings the whole lot walks down the ‘indicated’ path.
Another handful of hours pass on the next path, this time curving to the left, before they arrive at another opening in the hedges. This opening looks exactly like the first, including the tower centered on the path opposite their arrival. In fact, some of the party members have noticed that the tower is always centered on the path ahead of their direction of travel, even with the curve. Belgwyn can only exclaim magic as Seebo makes attempts to map their course through the maze. Belgwyn does notice two differences in this opening. First, the markings they left behind are absent. She believes it is a different area. Second, the shadow on the sundial is now two. One points in the same direction (towards the tower), while the second points 90 degrees to the right and down the center of another path two over from the first. A short deliberation later, the group decides to follow the ‘second path’ down the right curving journey for about another 3 hours.
At the end of this path the party finds a long garden before them with an opening on the far side. In the middle is a shallow water fountain and lining both sides of the walking path are large flowers with white pearlescent objects in the center of their blooms. Groz makes an attempt to pick one of the flowers and finds the plant to be less than receptive to that. Immediately the party is attacked by vines and thorns from both sides. Several members are grappled and then slammed into each other repeatedly. Some resist the collisions, others stunned and useless. One by one the plants are cut down, each time dropping a white pearl on the ground. Eventually the party uses their heads, attacking from range, some with fire, at the aggressive but unmoving plants throughout the garden. In the end they have twelve pearls and a choice. They chose to continue on in the direction they were heading.
Only twenty minutes later they approach another sundial. The pearls they were carrying have somehow disappeared from the various pockets and pouches they had been stashed in. This sundial is oriented with two shadows exactly in the same directions, but once again, their trail markings are nowhere to be found. Wanting to check a theory that there are different sundials, the group walks down the same exact path they had just arrived on, believing they would make their way back to the garden. Twenty minutes later the path is still continuing on, much further than it should have taken to make their way back to the garden. They turn around, and 2 hours later find themselves back to the entrance to the maze. It has been half a day, the sun has set on the village, and all are tired. They return to the public house for another night of rest.
The next morning they re-enter the maze, this time walking for only 1 hour before approaching the first sundial. A single shadow pointing at the tower. They pick that path and find themselves shortly after again approaching a sundial. Two shadows. One pointing at the tower the other pointing two paths to the right at 90 degrees. They pick the path towards the tower this time. 3 hours later they find themselves in a new opening. The dirt walking path is replaced with carpet and set three to a side are six suits of armor on pedestals. Scattered across the carpet are various weapons and damaged armor. The suits are covered in moss and lichen, and there is another path opening on the far side. Having learned from the garden the group just passes through to the other side. Minutes later they approach the same, maybe different, but the same space with the suits of armor. Belgwyn annoyingly states, “Magic Maze.”
Session Date – 4 September 2026
Roster
- Belgwyn
- Dennis
- Divad
- EKIM
- Faris
- Groz
- Hupp
- Sariel
- Seebo