TEXT: BROKEN
  KNIVES ADVENTURE 
  CHARACTERS LEVEL 5
  BENEATH 
  THE MAZE 
  THE MAIZE 
  
  2
  THE MAZE  
  BENEATH THE 
  MAIZE
  “Be wary of blindly seeking adventure. 
  Sometimes it finds you...” -Tarric the Elder
  Introduction
  This document is for the Dungeon Master. 
  If you’re a player, read no further! It contains 
  a complete Dungeons & Dragons adventure. It 
  provides everything you need including: char-
  acter descriptions, lore, maps and monster 
  stat blocks.
  Running the Adventure
  The Maze Beneath the Maize is a 5th level 
  adventure for four to five characters. If your 
  group deviates, you will need to make adjust-
  ments. During the course of the adventure, 
  the players may advance to 6th level. If you 
  don’t use XP for your players, it’s recommend-
  ed they level up at the end of the adventure. 
  The adventure is set in the Forgotten Realms 
  setting near the town of Stawford. Stawford is 
  a sleepy little town with rich farmland be-
  tween it and mines burrowing into the moun-
  tains to the north. We created Stawford as a 
  blank slate for our adventures, so don’t feel 
  like you have to go in as a Forgotten Realms 
  expert. And if you are a Forgotten Realms 
  expert, please forgive any mistakes. But do let 
  us know so we don’t make them again.
  Background
  More than two centuries ago, a red wizard 
  by the name of Houn made a discovery that 
  shook the foundations of magic on Toril. Yet, 
  due to a considerable amount of effort on his 
  part, it never saw the light of day. The exact 
  nature of this discovery is unknown but it 
  involves the location of the skeletal fragments 
  of an ancient being. The weave, which governs 
  all magic on Toril, reacts strangely to the frag-
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  DM’S NOTE
  Houn is part of our ongoing series, 
  about the Aberrant Ancient. His actions 
  led to the creation of the maze, and the 
  players will meet him at the end of the 
  adventure. You can find more details on 
  Houn at: http://www.brokenknives.com/
  blog/the-aberrant-ancient
  Revelations
  This is a story with a mystery. 
  Who built the maze and why? 
  We’ve marked revelations about 
  the mystery in the text with an exclama-
  tion mark so you’ll be able to easily know 
  when to reveal information to the players 
  and when to keep it to yourself. Try not to 
  reveal anything to the players that they 
  couldn’t get from in-game knowledge.
  
  3
  ments. More information existed before Houn 
  destroyed his research and fled Thay. His cur-
  rent whereabouts are unknown but many of 
  his peers have attempted to track him down 
  and steal his research for themselves.
  To keep his trail muddled, Houn hid his 
  research in a room at the end of a labyrinth 
  and left a Guardian to keep it well secure. His 
  trail grew cold over the years but he enhanced 
  each Guardian with slivers of the Aberrant 
  Ancient’s bones. This meant they could stay 
  active for millennia. Houn built his labyrinth 
  near Stawford where the latent magical ener-
  gy from the fragment of the Ancient seeped 
  into the soil. This gave rise to huge crop yields 
  for the Therayle farm built atop it. The lab-
  yrinth would have probably been forgotten 
  until the Sundering happened. The region now 
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Houn and Chorin
  This adventure tells the tale of Houn 
  Blackhand and his assistant Chorin Ther-
  ayle. Both wizards met while training in 
  Thay. Despite the fact that Chorin was a 
  western outsider when they were young, 
  they soon became friendly rivals. Yet, due 
  to his painstaking study and natural talent, 
  Houn soon became the more powerful of 
  the two.
  Houn was an obsessive person. He kept 
  copious notes, perfect accounting and ex-
  tensive archives of information. He cata-
  loged everything he could discover about 
  the mysterious shards of bone. When Houn 
  reported his findings to his superiors, the 
  response was overwhelmingly positive. His 
  mentor assigned Houn his former class-
  mate, Chorin, as his assistant.
  But the more Houn delved into the pieces 
  of the Ancient, the more paranoid he be-
  came. He found his thoughts turning more 
  and more to concealment. If not his mentor, 
  surely his Zulkir would seize this power for 
  himself. How could Houn keep it secure? 
  He soon devised a series of complex meth-
  ods to obscure his research, entrusting the 
  cipher only to himself and Chorin.
  As more and more resources were si-
  phoned into Houn’s research, the two 
  wizards began scheming. With the help of 
  some of the funds, they purchased land a 
  few miles outside of Thay. They then built a 
  storeroom deep underground and sealed it, 
  making it only accessible by portal. Chorin 
  had the idea to purchase a plot of land in 
  the west, near Stawford, where he was born. 
  Here they hid the corresponding portal. 
  That plot of land would eventually pass to 
  his ancestor, Hugh Therayle.
  The research went well and Houn and 
  Chorin discovered how to manipulate the 
  power of the Ancient’s remains, greatly 
  amplifying the magic through the weave. 
  They also found that golems animated with 
  fragments of the ancient were vastly more 
  powerful than ones created by conventional 
  means. All of this was of course hidden from 
  Houn’s superiors. To his mentor and the rest 
  of the council, the usually stringent wiz-
  ard seemed sloppy, uncaring and forgetful. 
  Houn’s regular reports became infrequent 
  and full of redundant information. The Red 
  Wizards called a conclave to question Houn 
  and Chorin.
  
  4
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  is in a state of disarray.
  At the dead center of the chaos is the Ther-
  ayle farmstead built on top of the labyrinth. 
  The farm faces ruin and Hugh Therayle, the 
  current owner, is at wits end trying to rees-
  tablish even a modicum of control over the 
  disrupted land. Hugh has over forty laborers 
  to reshape the land, and is one of the wealth-
  iest farmers in the area. But when he saw the 
  ancient doorway jutting up from the middle of 
  his cornfield, he knew this wasn’t the type of 
  problem a plow could solve.
  Overview
  The Maze Beneath the Maize is a stand-
  alone adventure that takes the characters into 
  the wizard’s paranoid machinations. The maze 
  protects the information leading  to the rest-
  ing place of the Aberrant Ancient. Once the 
  characters enter the maze, they’ll need their 
  wits as well as their might as they’re attacked 
  by malignant oozes  see the party as a fresh 
  meal. If they make it to the pit and defeat the 
  ancient ooze dwelling there, they’ll have ev-
  erything needed to open the portal, assuming 
  of course they don’t meet a grim fate trying.
  The Adventure Begins
  The adventure begins as the player charac-
  ters arrive at Hugh Therayle’s farmhouse.
  The Therayle Farm
  Because of the high quality and quantity 
  of crop yield, the farm has always been the 
  subject of rumors. If the characters talk to the 
  workers around the farm they hear the follow-
  Adventure Hooks
  It’s recommended that you work with 
  your players to develop a strong and 
  compelling reason why the party makes 
  their way to the Therayle farm. Here are 
  a few ideas that might help:
  • 
  Word has spread into the surround-
  ing regions that Hugh Therayle, the 
  wealthy farmer, is offering a 1000g 
  purse for a simple task. He just 
  needs some strong arms to kill a 
  few slimes in a cavern beneath his 
  farm.
  • 
  A wily merchant, by the name of 
  Gregorio, that the players meet 
  on the road has heard rumors of 
  a great treasure. This treasure lies 
  beneath some old farmland near 
  Stawford. It’s just waiting there for 
  someone strong enough to claim it.
  • 
  A contact of one of the characters 
  has heard some stirrings. One of his 
  informants has trailed a Red Wizard 
  to the small rural town of Stawford. 
  There has to be something going 
  on.
  • 
  While passing the Therayle farm, 
  the characters meet some of the 
  laborers. The laborers, who are 
  taking a break from the heat of the 
  day, detail the issues the farm has 
  been facing. They also speak of the 
  strange finds in the fields, and their 
  employer’s need for help.
  DM’S NOTE
  For more on Gregorio, check out 
  http://www.dmsguild.com/prod-
  uct/180530/Gregorios-Traveling-Empori-
  um-and-Menagerie
  
  5
  ing:
  • 
  The farm was 
  the product of 
  an ancient pact 
  between Hugh’s 
  ancestor and 
  some outside 
  group. No one 
  knows what the 
  terms of the 
  agreement were. 
  (Hugh’s knowl-
  edge of this is 
  described on 
  page 9).
  • 
  The farm is 
  haunted. A couple of seasons ago, three 
  of the farmhands saw a lady in a blue 
  dress wandering around the fields at 
  night. She then disappeared into thin 
  air, seemingly swallowed up by the 
  land. (This is Nula, described on page 
  11).
  • 
  A beast wanders the farm at night. 
  Several laborers have seen it. It appears 
  to move unnaturally. Hugh has hired 
  Runir Kundenir, an elven hunter, to kill 
  it. (Runir is described on page 9).
  Hugh Therayle
  Hugh is a practical man. He’s not only a 
  farmer but also a business man. Although he 
  has plenty of other land now, his family built 
  their fortune on this land. He’s determined 
  to not let the farm fail during his generation, 
  yet he does realize he’s out of his depth. 
  Luckily, he has plenty of coin to hire the 
  problem out. He’s spread the word far and 
  wide about the ancient doorway. His offer is 
  simple, “Clear out the area of anything dan-
  gerous and take good notes, so they can fix 
  the sinkholes” and he’ll give the party 1000g. 
  He’s fairly firm on this but a hard Persua-
  sion (Charisma) check (DC 20) can increase 
  it to 1100g. If the party agrees he’ll provide 
  a quality meal and coin for a bed at the inn 
  for the night. In the morning he’ll hand over 
  a rough map of the area (see handouts in 
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  READ TO PLAYERS
  You knock at the door and a large man with a 
  bushy black beard and piercing eyes answers. 
  He takes a careful look at you before announc-
  ing “Ah, finally a group that looks like they 
  mean business.”
  
  6
  Appendix C) and wish them luck.
  When speaking as Hugh keep the following 
  in mind:
  • 
  Hugh is a man who likes to get down 
  to business. Years of hard work have 
  left him intolerant of empty words. 
  He indulges in basic pleasantries but 
  hates small talk beyond that point. The 
  exception is if you start talking about 
  one of his two passions: growing crops 
  and fine meals.
  • 
  Hugh is stressed out but tries to hide 
  it with humor. He’s worried the family 
  farm will fail with him.
  • 
  Hugh knows there’s something bad in 
  the maze beyond simple oozes but he 
  doesn’t want to let on it’s bad. He’s 
  afraid the party will ask for more gold, 
  or worse refuse the job.
  • 
  On Hugh’s Mantle is a golden bracelet. 
  If asked he’ll mention it was 
  found in the field by his father 
  over forty years ago. He had it 
  restored by an expert dwarven 
  craftsman on a visit to Waterdeep a few 
  years back. A successful history check 
  (DC 15) will reveal it as a design of the 
  people of Thay.
  The Maze
  This adventure doesn’t lend itself well to 
  theater of the mind style game play, at least 
  not the maze portion. It’s recommended you 
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  The Conclave
  Houn spun a beautiful half-truth and 
  admitted to his superiors that he had hit a 
  dead end with traditional research but he 
  had a plan. He requisitioned a massive div-
  ination ritual, requiring an agreement with 
  Yaphyll, the divination Zulkir at the time. 
  After weeks of negotiation, she reluctantly 
  agreed to send five top-ranking Diviners to 
  Houn’s laboratory to search for the source. 
  The ritual used a piece of the ancient 
  fragment as a conduit and was ultimately 
  successful. The location of the massive skull 
  of the Aberrant Ancient was implanted into 
  the minds of all the wizards. Then, Houn 
  and Chorin activated the myriad of contin-
  gency spells they had set during the weeks 
  of negotiation. None of the diviners left the 
  room alive.
  Unknown to Houn, Chorin performed a 
  magical rite after the slaughter, transform-
  ing a corpse to appear as his double. After 
  all, Chorin knew Houn was imbalanced. His 
  jealousy and nervous derangement made 
  him prone to outbursts and deeply suspi-
  cious of everyone, including Chorin. If Houn 
  went down, Chorin didn’t plan to be with 
  him. After their crime, Chorin and Houn 
  immediately began purging the records of 
  their findings and took all ancient fragments 
  with them. When the authorities in Thay 
  came upon the gruesome scene the next 
  morning they assumed that Houn had gone 
  mad and killed not only the diviners but his 
  assistant as well. When it was found that 
  Houn had fled the city, a manhunt began. 
  But it was too late, the two rogue wizards 
  were long gone.
  
  7
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  use one of several methods to help the play-
  ers keep track of where they are and not feel 
  too confused or overwhelmed.
  • 
  If you’re playing with a digital tabletop 
  that allows fog of war, you can use that 
  feature. We provide a high-resolution 
  version of the maze as part of this ad-
  venture.
  • 
  If you’re playing at an actual table, you 
  can use a combination of good notes 
  by the players (by design, the maze 
  lends itself well to graph paper), and 
  the “scraps of the map” handouts in 
  Appendix C. Hugh provides the first 
  fragment
  Environment of the Maze
  Houn’s maze is a dry and desiccated 
  construction deep under the Therayle farm. 
  The presence of the oozes keeps the halls 
  very clean and sterile. A lack of moisture and 
  insects makes the maze an almost clinical 
  seeming place. Houn used magic to carve the 
  maze giving the walls a seamless, smooth 
  texture throughout. The maze is mostly dark, 
  though a phosphorescent fungus that grows 
  in dry environments flourishes in sections 
  where he can find nutrients, such as in the 
  presence of oozes or near the bodies of their 
  victims.
  The Escape
  Houn and Chorin made their way west 
  to the Therayle farm to access their study 
  and retrieve the research they had hidden 
  there. Journeying through the maze they 
  used the portal to enter the study below 
  Thay. Once there, realizing that they had es-
  caped Thay with knowledge of the Aberrant 
  Ancient’s skull, Houn was happy for the first 
  time in ages. Chorin used the opportunity 
  to kill him.
  Taking the most important research, 
  Chorin headed to the location of the An-
  cient skull entombed in the heights of the 
  Spine of the World.
  The manhunt for Houn continued for 
  years until the maze was discovered. But a 
  massive guardian, powered by a shard of 
  the Ancient, protected the portal. After the 
  first few attempts were unsuccessful, the 
  Red Wizards were fragmented and thrown 
  into disarray during the Szass Tam incident. 
  The tale of Houn and the strange magical 
  effects he discovered was all but forgot-
  ten. The reference to the manhunt and the 
  hinting of great power would occasionally 
  entice a wizard to go searching for infor-
  mation on Houn but all lost the trail at the 
  maze.
  READ TO PLAYERS
  As you enter the ancient doorway, there’s a 
  musty odor in the air. The walls feel as though 
  they’re closing in on you, leading to a stifling 
  feeling. Now you have your first choice, which 
  way to go?
  
  8
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Areas of the Maze
  The following areas correspond to labels 
  on the map of the maze on page 8.
  1. Gelatinous Cube
  The Gelatinous Cube at the end of this 
  hallway has consumed a large clump of phos-
  phorescent fungus. This fungus floats in the 
  center of the cube giving off a faint glow and 
  acting as bait for an unwary adventurer. The 
  cube is invisible until touched, which gives 
  the “floating” glowing clump the look of magi-
  cal significance.
  2.Brekken, deceased Wizard
  Brekken was one of the first mages to enter 
  Houn’s maze. He fell victim to its denizens, 
  who have stripped him of both his posses-
  sions and flesh. All that remains are his bones 
  and a small metal scroll case clutched in his 
  skeletal fist. The case contains letters from his 
  superiors in Thay giving permission to hunt 
  down Houn. The letters name both the mys-
  terious creator of the labyrinth and the poor 
  deceased figure who clutches it. Additionally,  
  the case contains a scroll of speak with dead.
  3. Jaynsen, deceased Wizard
   Jaynsen was the Red Wizard who battled 
  ONE SQUARE = 10 FEET
  
  9
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  with the Guardian and defeated it but at the 
  cost of his own life. He still wears scraps 
  of his red robes and his body has become 
  desiccated and nearly mummified by the 
  environment of the maze. His personal effects 
  are rotting away and the only useful item he 
  possesses is the necklace around his neck, 
  the necklace of pseudopodal avoidance (See 
  sidebar).
  4. Remains of the Guardian
  Scattered bones and half melted, misshap-
  en armor are all that remain of Houn’s Guard-
  Hugh’s Ancestor 
  Whenever Chorin bought the land he 
  entrusted its care to his younger brother. It 
  was his son who discovered how fertile the 
  land was and started the farm. Since then it’s 
  passed from generation to generation. Most of 
  the knowledge of Chorin has been forgotten, 
  although if the players mention the name to 
  Hugh he would know it as a family name (it 
  is also his grandfather’s name), although he 
  wouldn’t know about the wizard.
  The Ol’ Elf (Runir Kundenir)
  Runir lives in a secluded part of the woods 
  to the northwest of the Therayle Farm. It’s 
  technically Hugh’s land, but Runir has lived 
  there since before Hugh was born. Runir is the 
  huntsman of Stawford, responsible for meat 
  production in a town of farmers and miners.  
  Runir isn’t very talkative. If asked about the 
  ancient doorway he’ll respond that he has 
  no intention of getting involved with “wizard 
  business” and if they’re smart, neither will 
  they. If they press him, he’ll tell them that 
  when he was young, he saw two men magical-
  ly carving tunnels beneath the land from the 
  woods, but that’s all he knows. If asked about 
  the beast he was hired to kill, he’ll say there’s 
  nothing remarkable about it, the laborers just 
  have “loose tongues and empty heads.”
  When speaking as Runir keep the following 
  in mind:
  • 
  Runir is 263 years old, but he’s been 
  near Stawford for most of his life.
  • 
  He’s brusk and always seems a bit tired.
  Runir’s Secret
  He witnessed a village youth 
  get murdered by Houn during 
  the creation of the maze. He also 
  knows that the Therayle family covered it up, 
  but Runir saw it happen from the tree line. 
  He’s never told anyone about what he saw, 
  and resents his cowardice regarding it. At this 
  point he feels like it wouldn’t do any good to 
  mention it. Besides, he likes Hugh. Runir will 
  never reveal this information to the charac-
  ters. But a spell such as detect thoughts will 
  reveal this secret.
  READ TO PLAYERS
   An old elf with long white hair opens the 
  door. He has a scar down his right cheek and 
  is dressed from head to toe in leather skins. 
  He looks at you with a skeptical eye before 
  asking ‘Who’re you?’”
  
  10
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  ian. The armor used to be plate armor of ethe-
  realness as per the item on page 185 of the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. The Guardian used 
  the armor to help move through the maze 
  and confront those who invaded it. But years 
  of abuse at the hand of acidic oozes and the 
  last battle with  Jaynsen have rendered it use-
  less. The glove of etherealness (see Sidebar) 
  is all that remains. If the players investigate 
  the remains of the Guardian, they will notice 
  a number of his bones are completely miss-
  ing, including his skull and one entire arm. 
  They will not find his aberrant shard in the 
  remains. The missing bones and the shard are 
  in the possession of Sthoth in area 5.
  5. The Pit
  The hallway ending at area 5 leads to the 
  pit where the monster Sthoth makes his 
  home. The room is a natural chamber about 
  40’ wide. The walls have collapsed in places 
  from the earthquakes that have plagued the 
  area. In the center of the room is a 7’ deep 
  pit where Sthoth rests. Unlike the rest of the 
  maze, this room is wet, dank and has fungus 
  growing throughout it. If a player falls in the 
  pit, they take no damage, but it’s covered in 
  Sthoth’s slime. When they enter the area or 
  end their turn there they must succeed on a 
  Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
  6. The Urn
  At the end of this hallway sits a large 
  stone urn, unsealed with the lid lying on 
  the ground beside it. The urn is decorated 
  with indecipherable runes, made up of very 
  loose, flowing shapes that look almost nat-
  urally occurring. The urn contains a small 
  2”, one way portal linking to an unknown 
  location. The urn is the source of the oozes 
  and jellies within the maze. Every so often, 
  an ooze slides through the portal, filling the 
  urn. When the party comes upon it, the urn 
  is filled with an ooze. Roll a d6 to determine 
  what kind of ooze or jelly is in the urn. 1-2 
  Habilis Ooze. 3-5 Ochre Jelly. 6 Gray Ooze. The 
  Glove of Etherealness
  This glove is scorched and marred by 
  magical fire and acidic oozes but some-
  how still functions. However, the glove 
  has a much diminished effect when not 
  matched with a fully functioning suit of 
  armor. The glove allows the wearer to 
  gain the effect of the etherealness spell 
  for one round (6 seconds). Once used, 
  the property of the glove can’t be used 
  again until the next dawn.
  Necklace of Pseudopodal  
  Avoidance
  The necklace of pseudopodal avoid-
  ance has three charges. As an action, 
  the wearer can use a charge to repel all 
  oozes in a 30 foot radius. Oozes affect-
  ed by the necklace behave as if they 
  are under the effects of a fear spell (no 
  saving throw). It regains these charges 
  every morning at dawn. Of note: Sthoth, 
  no longer a simple ooze, is immune to 
  the necklace.
  
  11
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  players must seal this urn to 
  collect the reward from Hugh. 
  Otherwise oozes will continue 
  to plague the maze. To seal the 
  urn requires an Arcana (Intel-
  ligence) check (DC 15) to trans-
  late the runes.
  7. Fadith, deceased Wizard
  Fadith is Azar Zurn’s appren-
  tice. He entered the maze with 
  Zurn and was killed by a Habi-
  lis Ooze which was then killed 
  by Zurn. Fadith’s body has 
  acidic burns over most of it; 
  and His clothing is still damp 
  and touched by slime from his encounter. He 
  has a piece of parchment in a small leather 
  case with a section of map to the maze and a 
  scroll of find traps. He wore a ring of entan-
  glement (see sidebar) which remains on his 
  burned and bloodied hands. 
  8. Nula, deceased Sorcerer 
  Nula found the maze somewhat recent-
  ly. After stopping at the Therayle farm and 
  feeling the power of the aberrant shard, she 
  ventured into the maze without preparation 
  and nearly made it to the portal room before 
  being attacked and succumbing to wounds. 
  Her body and bones have been picked clean 
  other than a silver necklace set with gems. 
  The necklace is mundane but worth 250gp.
  9. Portal Room
  The portal room is a large room split by 
  a 20’ deep chasm. A makeshift bridge made 
  of hastily nailed together planks crosses the 
  chasm near it’s narrowest point. Players may 
  Ring of Entanglement
  This wooden ring appears as a mass of 
  vines and thorns. While wearing this ring, 
  you can use an action to expend 1 of it’s 
  2 charges to cast entangle from it using 
  your spell save DC. Its charges replenish 
  every day at dawn.
  DM’S NOTE
  The Habilis Ooze is a new type of ooze 
  that is able to adapt and integrate new 
  sources of energy. It’s stat block and 
  powers are indicated on page 18.
  
  12
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  either jump the chasm with an 
  Athletics (Strength) check (DC 
  15) or cross the bridge with a 
  Acrobatics (Dexterity) check (DC 
  15). If they fail, they fall 20 feet, 
  take 2d6 damage, and must climb 
  to the top. Eight ornate pillars 
  stand in a circle around a glit-
  tering green portal. The portal 
  swirls with energy but will only 
  transport the group if an aber-
  rant shard is present. The recent 
  earthquakes that unearthed 
  the maze also caused rock falls 
  in the portal room, collapsing 
  the walls on one side. Azar Zurn 
  occupies the room, studying the portal and 
  attempting to activate it.
  The Treasures
  In the past, many red wizards had attempt-
  ed to navigate through the maze to find Houn. 
  Four of them met their fate in the ancient 
  maze, and although the oozes have destroyed 
  most of what they carried, some of it still 
  remains. Roll on the INDIVIDUAL TREASURE: 
  CHALLENGE 5-10 listed in the Dungeon Mas-
  ter’s Guide on Page 136 whenever you see a 
  treasure chest on the maze without a number. 
  If you don’t have access to the Dungeon Mas-
  ter’s Guide award 4d6 * 10 GP worth of gold 
  and gems.
  The Monsters
  Oozes infest the maze. Ochre Jellies, Gelat-
  inous Cubes and Habilis Oozes all wander the 
  maze.
  At the rock pit to the right of the maze lies 
  Sthoth, the bearer of the aberrant shard.
  Also Azar Zurn has made his way to the 
  portal room. Zurn is a young, though ambi-
  tious, red wizard who heard about the ancient 
  doorway and was cunning enough to realize 
  this might be a lead on Houn. All monster stat 
  blocks are provided in Appendix A or the D&D 
  Monster Manual.
  Skulls
  Whenever the characters come across a 
  DM’S NOTE
  Sthoth was created over decades, 
  whenever a Habilis Ooze happened to 
  come across the corpse of the Guardian. 
  He absorbed the fragment of the Ancient 
  that had powered him and began warp-
  ing into the creature he is today.
  
  13
  skull icon on the map without a number it 
  indicates a combat might happen. The first 
  time you come across such a skull roll a d4, 
  the second time roll a d6, after that roll a 
  d8 and compare to Table 1. This encounter 
  is designed for four 5th level characters, if 
  you have five 5th-level characters or four 
  6th-level characters add one to the result 
  rolled.
  Every 200 feet the adventurers travel they 
  have a chance of randomly encountering a 
  Habilis Ooze or Ochre Jelly. Roll a 1d20, if 
  you roll a 1 then they encounter a Habilis 
  Ooze and on a roll of 2 they encounter two 
  Ochre Jellies.
  Sthoth and the Pit
  Sthoth is similar in appearance to a large 
  ooze but slightly translucent and purple 
  colored. Within him, patterns ebb and flow, 
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  What the Dead Know
  If the players have the spell 
  or use a scroll to cast speak with 
  dead they may want to interview the de-
  ceased wizards in the maze. The following is 
  a list of facts and rumors the wizards know 
  about Houn and the maze. Additionally, 
  there are several items of recent history 
  known only to Fadith. All of the rumors 
  about Houn are false.
  • 
  A well respected Red Wizard Houn sud-
  denly became introverted, distrustful 
  and secretive. (Fact)
  • 
  Houn discovered a fount of magical 
  energy he sought to harness and be-
  come more powerful than his brethren. 
  (Fact)
  • 
  Houn fell in love with a beautiful mage 
  from Waterdeep. She was struck with a 
  sudden and deadly illness. He became 
  obsessed with finding the cure. (Ru-
  mor)
  • 
  Houn purged all of his research before 
  disappearing. (Fact)
  • 
  Houn fell victim to a magical plague 
  and began wasting away. (Rumor)
  • 
  Houn completed the magical workings 
  to make himself into a lich. (Rumor)
  • 
  Houn discovered something in the 
  Spine of the World mountains. (Fact)
  • 
  Houn fell victim to a magical working 
  he was attempting. He was obliterat-
  ed but fragments of him exist and are 
  charged with magical energy. (Rumor)
  • 
  Houn constructed an elaborate system 
  to obfuscate his travel. (Fact)
  • 
  Houn was hiding a source of immense 
  magic power. (Fact)
  • 
  Houn killed several high ranking red 
  wizards before leaving Thay. (Fact)
  • 
  What Fadith Knows
  Fadith knows only what was revealed to 
  him by Zurn and what he experienced in the 
  maze. All of the information Fadith knows is 
  true.
  • 
  Azar Zurn is following a faint trail left 
  by the wizard Houn.
  • 
  He heard of the doorway appearing 
  on the Therayle farm and suspected 
  it would help unravel the mystery of 
  Houn.
  • 
  There are no records of Houn’s work in 
  Thay. The wizard purged them all. Azar 
  Zurn discovered records of the man-
  hunt for Houn.
  • 
  Zurn assumed that Houn had stumbled 
  onto something important if the Red 
  Wizards were hunting him.
  • 
  Fadith was killed by a Habilis Ooze 
  when he wandered away from Zurn.
  • 
  Zurn believes something worse than 
  the Habilis Oozes stalks the maze.
  
  14
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  similar to the appearance of oil in water. His 
  pseudopods carry a small sliver –a piece of 
  the Ancient– pulses with green light. (See 
  Appendix B). His body claimed bones of the 
  guardian and Sthoth carries around the skull 
  to serve as his head. Sthoth is intelligent for 
  an ooze and can communicate telepathically 
  with other oozes in the maze. He is slow to 
  rouse and will not attack or take any actions 
  until the adventurers get within fifty feet of 
  the chamber.
  Azar Zurn and the Portal Room
  Azar Zurn has close cropped brown hair 
  with a goatee and intense green eyes that 
  glow whenever casting. He is young but 
  ambitious. Known as a prodigy by others of 
  his order, he has a reputation for tackling 
  problems others see as wastes of time and 
  getting results. Whenever Zurn heard of the 
  ancient doorway appearing, he realized it 
  was in the same area the manhunt for Houn 
  went cold. Zurn doesn’t care about the char-
  acters unless they have the aberrant shard 
  necessary to activate the portal. If they have 
  the shard, he will offer them 1000g for it (but 
  will go up to 2000g without much prodding). 
  If they refuse, he’ll ask if they mind just al-
  lowing him to borrow it to activate the portal. 
  Finally, as a last resort he’ll attack the party.
  When speaking as Zurn keep the following 
  in mind:
  • 
  He is intelligent and well spoken.
  • 
  He considers himself more clever than 
  others until shown otherwise.
  • 
  He won’t start a fight unless necessary, 
  and if he sees a fight is going poorly he 
  will not hesitate to retreat.
  Zurn’s Tactics
  Zurn is as ruthless as he is intelligent. He’ll 
  target the party member with the lowest hit 
  points or, if no one looks particularly bad 
  off, the healer. Then pick off the members 
  he deduces as casters before turning to the 
  beefier members of the party.
  ROLL
  RESULT
  1
  No Combat
  2
  No Combat
  3
  Ochre Jelly
  4
  Habilis Ooze
  5
  2 Ochre Jellies
  6
  Ochre Jelly and Habilis Ooze
  7
  3 Ochre Jellies
  8
  2 Habilis Ooze
  9
  Habilis Ooze and 2 Ochre Jellies
  TABLE 1
  READ TO PLAYERS
   A man in red robes is examining a swirling 
  portal. He walks through and appears un-
  harmed on the other side before turning calm-
  ly toward you and asking, “What business do 
  you have here?”
  
  15
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Resolution
  Depending on what the characters chose to 
  do there are different resolutions. Read the 
  following to determine what happens.
  Did they go through the portal?
  If yes read “Through the Portal” on this 
  page.
  Did they help Houn?:
  if yes: - Read “Helping Houn” on page 17. 
  The characters end up in the woods about two 
  days journey from Waterdeep.
  If no: - The characters return through the 
  portal and end up back in the Maze.
  Did they bargain with Azar Zurn, or did he 
  come into possession of the shard?
  If yes: Azar goes through the portal and re-
  turns shortly. He returns holding Houn’s skull. 
  He seems puzzled at first, then tosses it to the 
  ground annoyed. Houn mislead Azar him into 
  bringing his skull through the portal. Howev-
  er, it was a simple ruse to get Houn outside 
  the warded storeroom. As soon as he’s in the 
  maze, Houn will notice the players and, seeing 
  them as a lesser evil than Zurn, telepathically 
  ask for their help, pretending to be Chorin. If 
  Azar is questioned, he’ll simply say the portal 
  was a waste of time, but he thinks he can use 
  the shard to find Houn.
  Did they seal the urn?
  If yes: When they return to the farmhouse 
  Hugh gives them the reward agreed upon and 
  thanks them for the help.
  Through the Portal
  If the players enter the portal they will be 
  transported deep below Thay to the sealed 
  study built by Houn and Chorin. The study is 
  a mostly empty 20 foot square room. Shelves 
  line two walls and are heaped with dusty, 
  tattered parchment, the remains of Houn’s 
  research. A desk sits in the middle of the 
  room and seated at the desk is a mummi-
  fied corpse in faded red robes. The table is 
  covered in papers like the shelves. All of the 
  research left in the study is useless and can’t 
  be used to find the location of the skull.
  On the shelves the players find a scroll of 
  speak with dead, a scroll of light and a scroll 
  READ TO PLAYERS
   You step through the portal and find yourself 
  in a plain room with no windows or doors. 
  Shelves run along two walls of the room, 
  heaped in faded, crumbling parchment. A 
  simple wooden table and stool sits in the 
  middle of the room. A mummified corpse in 
  faded red robes sits on the stool, nicely pre-
  served in the dry, cool room. A stack of dusty 
  parchment written in a language you don’t 
  understand lies on the table. On one of the 
  pages you see an illustration of a skull, which 
  doesn’t seem particularly interesting until 
  you notice that the tiny speck next 
  to it is a man on a horse. Written in 
  common in the margins, you see two 
  words: for scale.
  
  16
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  of fabricate.
  The room has no natural exits. Characters 
  must exit via the portal which will only acti-
  vate for a bearer of an ancient bone shard. 
  When they exit, they find themselves no lon-
  ger in the maze, but in a wooded area.
  If the players cast speak with dead on the 
  corpse they can have a conversation with 
  the deceased Houn. If they do not have the 
  ability to cast speak with dead, remember it 
  is among the scrolls on the shelves. Houn 
  is cagey and deceitful and will try to mis-
  lead the players about who he is and what 
  he discovered. Do not reveal Houn’s name 
  or nature right away. Lead the players to 
  believe he is Chorin for as long as possible. 
  Refer to the notes that follow on how to play 
  this encounter.
  Playing Houn
  With his death, all of Houn’s paranoid 
  fears came to fruition. Portray him as deeply 
  suspicious, dodging and questioning. Houn 
  will avoid giving the players any useful 
  information for as long as possible and will 
  avoid using any names that could clue them 
  in. Houn’s ultimate goal is to convince the 
  players to undertake a dangerous mission 
  to revive him, so that he can seek revenge 
  on Chorin and take control of the powerful 
  skull.
  Houn will not mention that he knows the 
  location of the skull unless directly asked. 
  He will not mention the attack on the con-
  clave of red wizards. He has no knowledge 
  of the state the maze is currently in but 
  assumes the players bested his Guardian if 
  they found their way to the study.
  Play Houn in a manner that obscures the 
  fact that he isn’t Chorin. At least at first. 
  Make vague references to his distrust of 
  Chorin “I should have known he would kill 
  me, he became obsessed in his jealousy of 
  me. I was always the better wizard, even 
  when we were young.” If he is asked who he 
  is Houn answers vaguely like “merely a seek-
  er of knowledge and power,” or “a wizard of 
  no small ability.” If asked about his assistant 
  Houn refers to him as a “snake in the weeds” 
  or “that pitiful and wretched wizard”.
  If the players show Houn the fragment of 
  the Ancient, he will reluctantly relate the 
  story of his research. He will dodge ques-
  tions about the nature of the fragment’s 
  potential power and suggest it just “disturbs 
  the weave.”
  Houn won’t dodge direct questions. If 
  asked if he is Houn, he will admit it. If asked 
  about the drawing the of the skull, 
  he admits that there may be more 
  pieces of the Ancient still to be 
  HABILIS OOZE
  
  17
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  discovered. Once he is found out, Houn will 
  pressure the players to try and resurrect 
  him. He will offer to guide them to find the 
  skull. He will insinuate he can give them 
  great power. This is no deception. Houn can, 
  and will, gladly deliver on both of those 
  offers in exchange for their help. The only 
  thing he wants more than revenge on Chorin 
  is the power of the skull. Houn will not beg 
  though, he is too proud for that.
  Helping Houn
  If the players decide to help Houn. He will 
  suggest that they remove his head for ease of 
  carrying him along with them. Once they step 
  through the portal and into the woods, he 
  will describe to them to an area with a hid-
  den lock box that contains a ring that allows 
  the wearer to speak with dead once per day. 
  It also contains 1000g in a bag of holding. 
  At this point, Houn explains that the store-
  room was warded, trapping his spirit and 
  body within and that by bringing him outside 
  he will be able to begin to make “arrange-
  ments” for his resurrection. This concludes 
  the adventure. The story of Houn and Chorin 
  and the Aberrant Ancient will continue in The 
  Bones of the Wizard and The Skull Upon the 
  Heights.
  
  18
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Appendix A: Monsters
  Habilis Ooze
  The Habilis Ooze is a unique 
  creature that has the ability to 
  adapt to nearly any environment. 
  These oozes are blank templates 
  until they encounter outside stim-
  uli, at which point they gain new 
  abilities.
  Habilis Ooze 
  Medium ooze, unaligned
  Armor Class 7
  Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  5 (-3)
  16 (+3)
  1 (-5)
  6 (-2)
  1 (-5)
  Damage Immunities acid, slashing
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deaf-
  ened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. passive Perception 8
  Languages -
  Challenge 4 (1100 XP)
  Amorphous. The Habilis Ooze can move 
  through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide 
  without squeezing. 
  Natural Adaptation. When a Habilis Ooze is hit 
  by any type of damage, after taking damage 
  they gain resistance to that damage type at 
  the beginning of their next turn. In addition, 
  they gain the ability to deal damage of that 
  type.
  Actions 
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeon-
  ing damage + 12 acid damage or any other 
  type of damage the Habilis ooze can deal.
  Sthoth
  Large ooze, unaligned
  Armor Class 7
  Hit Points 102(12d10 + 36)
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  5 (-3)
  16 (+3)
  1 (-5)
  6 (-2)
  1 (-5)
  Damage Immunities acid, slashing
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deaf-
  ened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. passive Perception 8
  Languages -
  Challenge 7 (2900 XP)
  STHOTH
  
  19
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Amorphous. Sthoth can move through a space 
  as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
  Natural Adaptation. When Sthoth is hit by any 
  type of damage, after taking damage he gains 
  resistance to that damage type at the begin-
  ning of his next turn. In addition, he gains the 
  ability to deal damage of that type.
  Actions
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) blud-
  geoning damage + 12 acid damage or any 
  other type of damage Sthoth ooze can deal.
  Legendary Actions
  Sthoth can take 3 legendary actions, using 
  the Aberrant Surge option below. He can take 
  only one legendary action at a time and only 
  at the end of another creature’s turn . Sthoth 
  regains spent legendary actions at the start of 
  its turn.
  Aberrant Surge. Roll a d4.
  1: Nothing happens
  2: A pulse of green light emanates from St-
  hoth. Everyone in a 20 ft. radius must make 
  a DC 12 Constitution save or be blinded for 1 
  minute. Creatures can repeat the saving throw 
  at the end of each of their turns, ending the 
  effect on a success.
  3: A beam from the skull Sthoth carries shoots 
  out and hits a target. That target must make 
  a DC 12 Constitution save or be paralyzed for 
  1 minute. The target can repeat the saving 
  throw at the end of each of their turns, ending 
  the effect on a success.
  4: Sthoth makes a Pseudopod attack against a 
  target within range.
  Azar Zurn 
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 13 (16 with mage armor) Hit 
  Points 60 (11d8 + 11)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  11 (+1)
  18 (+4)
  13 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  Skills Arcana +7, Deception +5, Persuasion +5, 
  Stealth +6 Senses passive Perception 11
  Languages - Common, Draconic, Infernal, 
  Thayan 
  Challenge 6 (2300 XP)
  Special Equipment. Azar carries three scrolls: 
  speak with dead, greater invisibility and de-
  tect thoughts
  Spellcasting. Azar is a 11th level spellcaster. 
  His spellcasting ability in Intelligence (spell 
  save D 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). He has 
  the following spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at-will): fire bolt, minor illusion, 
  prestidigitation and chill touch.
  1st level (4 slots): shield, magic missile, mage 
  armor, charm person
  2nd level (3 slots): alter self, misty step, mirror 
  image
  3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, haste, fireball
  
  20
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  4th level (3 slots): Evard’s black tentacles, 
  polymorph
  5th level (2 slots): wall of force, conjure ele-
  mental
  6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability
  Actions
  Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 
  5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.
  Gelatinous Cube
  Large ooze, unaligned
  Armor Class 6
  Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40)
  Speed 15 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  3 (-4)
  20 (+5)
  1 (-5)
  6 (-2)
  1 (-5)
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deaf-
  ened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this 
  radius), passive Perception 8
  Languages —
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Ooze Cube. The cube takes up its entire space. 
  Other creatures can enter the space, but a 
  creature that does so is subjected to the 
  cube’s Engulf and has disadvantage on the 
  saving throw. Creatures inside the cube can 
  be seen but have total cover. A creature within 
  5 feet of the cube can take an action to pull 
  a creature or object out of the cube. Doing so 
  requires a successful DC 12 Strength check, 
  and the creature making the attempt takes 
  10 (3d6) acid damage. The cube can hold only 
  one Large creature or up to four Medium or 
  smaller creatures inside it at a time.
  Transparent. Even when the cube is in plain 
  sight, it takes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Per-
  ception) check to spot a cube that has neither 
  moved nor attacked. A creature that tries to 
  enter the cube’s space while unaware of the 
  cube is surprised by the cube.
  Actions
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) acid 
  damage.
  Engulf. The cube moves up to its speed. While 
  doing so, it can enter Large or smaller crea-
  tures’ spaces. Whenever the cube enters a 
  creature’s space, the creature must make a 
  DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful 
  save, the creature can choose to be pushed 5 
  feet back or to the side of the cube. A crea-
  ture that chooses not to be pushed suffers 
  the consequences of a failed saving throw. On 
  a failed save, the cube enters the creature’s 
  space, and the creature takes 10 (3d6) acid 
  damage and is engulfed. The engulfed crea-
  ture can’t breathe, is restrained, and takes 
  21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of 
  the cube’s turns. When the cube moves, the 
  engulfed creature moves with it. An engulfed 
  creature can try to escape by taking an action 
  to make a DC 12 Strength check. On a success, 
  the creature escapes and enters a space of its 
  choice within 5 feet of the cube.
  
  21
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Ochre Jelly
  Large ooze, unaligned
  Armor Class 8
  Hit Points 45 (6d10 + 12)
  Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  15(+2)
  6 (-2)
  14 (+2)
  2 (-4)
  6 (-2)
  1 (-5)
  Damage Resistances acid
  Damage Immunities lightning, slashing
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deaf-
  ened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this 
  radius), passive Perception 8
  Languages —
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Amorphous. The jelly can move through 
  a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without 
  squeezing.
  Spider Climb. The jelly can climb difficult 
  surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, 
  without needing to make an ability check.
  Actions
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) blud-
  geoning damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage.
  Reactions
  Split. When a jelly that is Medium or larger is 
  subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it 
  splits into two new jellies if it has at least 10 
  hit points. Each new jelly has hit points equal 
  to half the original jelly’s, rounded down. New 
  jellies are one size smaller than the original 
  jelly.
  
  22
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Appendix B: Aberrant Casting
  If casting a spell within 30 ft. of Sthoth (or the 
  aberrant shard), the caster must roll 2d6 and 
  consult the following table.
  ROLL
  RESULT
  2
  The spell fizzles and the slot is 
  consumed.
  3-4
  The spell functions as if you cast 
  it in a slot one lower. If this would 
  lower it to below its minimum slot 
  the spell fizzles.
  5-9
  The spell deals an additional 1d6 
  of damage if the spell deals dam-
  age or heals an additional 1d6 if it 
  heals.
  10-11
  The spell functions as if you cast it 
  in a spell slot one higher.
  12
   You cast the spell, but the slot is 
  not consumed.
  TABLE 2
  
  23
  THE MAZE BENEATH THE MAIZE
  Appendix C: Player Handouts
  Give these scraps of map to the players to 
  assist them in navigating the maze.
  To download the maps from this adventure 
  visit: http://www.brokenknives.com/maze-be-
  neath-maps
  Designers: Ryan Finegan  & Cody Ashby
  Art, Layout and Cartography: Ryan Finegan
  ©2016 Broken Knives. All rights reserved.
  BROKEN
  KNIVES
  brokenknives.com
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon 
  ampersand, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective 
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  contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such ma-
  terial is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon 
  Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2016 by Broken Knives 
  and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
  
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