The mood at the next meeting of the Council in Waterdeep is somber. All their gathered intelligence points toward the Cult nearing their endgame - the summoning of Tiamat at the Well of Dragons. The Council lords are gathering their armies, preparing for an assault on the Cult's stronghold. But one slim hope remains to disrupt the Cult's plans, before being forced to wage a costly battle at the Well of Dragons. A cultist named Iskander has contacted the Harpers, claiming to know where the green dragon mask is being studied by a group of mages. He fears for his life if Tiamat should return, and so wishes to defect. He will help retrieve the mask in exchange for his own safety. Though it seems unlikely that Iskander can be rescued, the Council feels that any chance to gain an advantage against the Cult must be investigated. So the adventurers are sent to Xonthal's Tower, an ancient mage's structure that is being used by the Cult's mages to study the mask. Villagers near the tower report seeing lights in the tower at night, and some even claim to have seen a dragon, but none of this can be confirmed. The tower is surrounded by a magical hedge maze. From above, it appears completely overgrown, but from ground level it seems like a pleasant, well-tended garden with many paths. Avoiding the maze seems impossible, as magical defenses defeat any attempt to go over or around. So the adventurers enter, hoping to find their way through to the tower. As they enter, a man appears on the tower and shouts a warning...the cult has discovered Iskander's plans to defect! The man yells something about meeting them in the dungeon below the tower, but then he is set upon from within the tower! A flash of steel and spellfire ends with the attacker toppling over the tower ledge and falling to the ground, while the man who spoke disappears back inside. The party moves quickly toward the tower in the maze...but unfortunately, the maze does not cooperate. Shadows point in odd directions, the tower itself seems to grow no closer, and they encounter several hazardous areas filled with dangerous creatures. Each encounter ends with the adventurers finding a gem that allows them to return to the starting area of the maze, near a large sundial. The shadows on the sundial do change over time, though, so perhaps they are making progress.