Page 160 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

LEVEL 12: MAZE LEVEL

HE MAZE LEVEL IS DESIGNED FOR FOUR 12TH-LEVEL will use them to clear out and secure the warrens. To
characters, and characters who defeat the this end, Drivvin is devising a ritual to summon and
monsters on this level should gain enough XP control a goristro demon. By passing the goristro off as
to advance halfway to 13th level. Baphomet, the demon lord of minotaurs, he hopes to
win the minotaurs' obedience. But Drivvin has recently
WHAT DWELLS HERE? realized that his arcane knowledge is not sufficient to
allow him to perfect the ritual-and he's afraid of admit-
This level is a battleground between drow of
ting his inadequacy to his sister.
House Freth and a tribe of minotaurs. The minotaurs
The nature of the characters' prior association with
hold sway over a maze of tunnels riddled with magi-
House Auvryndar might affect how members of House
cal effects and traps, while the drow occupy the caves
Freth view them. If the characters collaborated with
around an elegant fortress called Spiderwatch Keep- a
House Auvryndar and this fact becomes known to the
staging ground for House Freth's goal of conquering all
leaders of House Freth, all future encounters with mem-
of Undermountain.
bers of House Freth are likely to be hostile.
Hostilities between the drow and the minotaurs have
recently abated, in the wake of devastating losses on SHADOWDUSK EMISSARIES
both sides. Drivvin Freth, a drow archmage, hopes to Two low-ranking members of the Shadowdusk family
use this respite to his house's advantage by summoning (see level 22) arrived at Spiderwatch Keep a few days
a goristro demon that will force the minotaurs to submit ago, claiming to be emissaries from Shadowdusk Hold
to House Freth's control. who were seeking an alliance with House Freth. Tendra
Nightblade and Mateen Shadowdusk have been feted
H OUSE FRETH
and flattered by Erelal Freth since they arrived. The
From their dark bastion, the leaders of the house strive drow priestess recognizes the potential benefit of an al-
to keep their enemies, House Auvryndar (see level 10), liance, although she is also trying to ascertain whether
from conquering the Troglodyte Warrens (level 11). Shadowdusk Hold has made similar overtures to House
Leading the effort is Erelal Freth, a drow priestess of Auvryndar.
Lolth. Her older brother Drivvin works at her side. What Erelal doesn't realize is that House Shadowdusk
Erelal has communed with Lolth and believes that the has no interest in an alliance, and Tendra and Maleen
key to securing the Troglodyte Warrens begins with the have come to the Maze Level on a secret mission. Be-
capitulation of the minotaurs on the Maze Level. Once holden to Halaster Blackcloak, the Shadowdusks have
the minotaurs are subservient to House Freth, the drow been ordered to convince Drivvin Freth to accept an

LEVEL 12 I MAZE LEVEL
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