Droughtman's Maze

This article is about the quest version of Droughtman's Maze (from 2012 and earlier). For the microtransaction runs, see Droughtman's Challenge.

Official Description

Can you survive the great race through Droughtman's Maze? Are You Ready To Accept The Challenge?

"Don't pass this one up. I had a blast (and made plenty of plats) as a runner, as a blocker, and by betting. You don't need to set a huge block of time aside, there's plenty to figure out, and you don't need to be 40th circle to succeed." - Bractos

"Droughtman's Maze was the most fun I've had in years! Well, as far as DragonRealms is concerned anyway. <g> The competition was intense, the prizes were amazing, and the maze itself was superb from dead end to deadly trap!" - Steinn Rockwall

See what others have to say about Droughtman's Challenge!

After years of travelling the countryside, Droughtman has returned with a devious and exciting adventure for all!

What is it, you ask?

Droughtman has answers:

"If you dare to accept my call, you'll enter my Maze as one of ten contestants whose task is simple, yet as twisted as the very walls that surround you! Abandoning all your supplies, you'll be given a survival kit containing (among other things) a random melee weapon, a random ranged weapon, some random healing herbs or potions, a random piece of protective armor or a shield, and a mysterious blue wand (No licking or eating the wands! The Management is not responsible for any injuries!)

"Into the Maze you'll go, seeking your way to the Golden Arch. Along the way, you'll find several colored doors. When you start your journey, some will block your path and others will be wide open, at least until someone pulls one of the many colored levers you'll find around the Maze! Some levers will open doors that were closed! Some levers will close doors that were open! Some levers will not only open some doors, but also close others, too! But remember, while you're pulling levers trying to open the right doors that lead you to glory, nine other people are doing the same thing! Strategy and cunning are key!

"Key? I almost forgot! To get through the Golden Arch, you'll need to find a golden key. In various places throughout the Maze, you'll find ropes dangling from the ceiling. Give one a pull, if you feel lucky, and you just might get a key! Then again, who knows what else might happen!

"One important word! Death is but an inconvenience here, since dying will merely move you back to the beginning of the maze. In truth, victory will likely favor the fleet of foot and nimble of mind, although I'm sure that the strong of body will do everything they can to slow them down!

"Everyone will be on equal footing inside the maze. There are no special advantages for the old and powerful, just as there are none for the young and weak! There's no hiding, no windows, not much mana, and no peering from room to room allowed!

"This is a Challenge worthy of true Champions and Heroes as the gods truly intended... skill, cunning, and brains are just as important (if not more-so) as brute force."

So what it is that makes all this worth while?

EVERYONE WINS!

That's right! Everyone who steps up and accepts the challenge will win. No one will walk away empty handed! When each Challenge is over, everyone gets to select a specially sealed prize box! Once you figure out how to open it, you'll find wonders and delights inside! The prizes will range from simple to elaborate, magical to mundane, uncommon to VERY rare and no two people will get the same thing! EVERYONE GETS SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

"What sort of prizes are you talking about, you might ask? Well, good people, I've made some deals and filled my wagon with prizes from dozens of merchants and shops across the lands, some whom you've not seen since you were children!"

"Bows from the fabled fletcher himself, Renshear! A tunnler's axe. A mirror blade. A marnet. A snake charm. Winged boots. Masks from Sable. Toys from Jetto. Clothing from Edword. Goodies from Demosel. Items from Anthyl. Old items from my very own vault. Jewelry from Immokokkon. Spellbooks and cases. Vouchers for alterations. And that's just to name a few!"

THERE'S OVER ONE THOUSAND PRIZE BOXES WAITING TO BE CLAIMED!

"But some prizes boxes are even more special! A few lucky folks will get my specially commissioned Grab-Bags, filled to capacity with prizes for the Paladin, trinkets for the Trader, baubles for the Bard, riches for the Ranger, booty for the Barbarian! We've got special Grab-Bags just waiting to be found for members of all the official Guilds, not to mention a few things that would suit a Commoner, too! Sure, you might get something meant for another guild, but given the contents of these bags, you'll have no trouble finding a buyer for any of it!"

Winners of the first round will automatically move to Round Two where again, all the participants will walk away with ANOTHER PRIZE!

Winners from Round Two move to the Finals, where once again, everyone gets a prize, but the WINNER of the final round wins so much more!

THEY WIN THE GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE!!

Including:

• Alteration Vouchers from multiple Merchants
• A fully customized Boat
• A full customized, multi-room home (location negotiable)
• A special item from Droughtman
• Glory, Fortune, Joy, and Fame!

There will also be Observation Decks, just like in the new Arenas, allowing people to watch and place bets on the winners of each run! This way, those of you who are scared and want to see what it's like before entering can watch and work up your strategy (and your nerve!), or you can just sit around and place bets and have fun that way, too!

Lose your first time through? Want to try again? SIGN UP FOR ANOTHER TICKET! ENTER AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE! That's right! You'll get another prize, too! Yes, you can sign up for as many runs through the maze as you want in advance!

Prime 2012 Run Details

• All runners get a prize.
• Winners of the first 10 runs get extra pull a free quest ticket (up to a $20 value), and advance to the final round.
• Final round contestants all get a prize at the end, and the Grand Prize Winner will get a total of 5 pulls from the loot pile, a portable trash bucket, 1 free quest ticket (up to a $20 value) and 1 Admit One ticket to Hollow Eve 2012.

Plat 2012 Run Details

• All runners get a prize.
• Winners get extra pull.
• Because the same players can go on each run, there is no final run.

Quest Messaging

Barely audible, you hear a voice behind you say, "Don't forget! You have an appointment in the Maze today. Don't worry about your things. I'll make sure they're taken care of. I'll also handle your transportation, too. All you need to do is be ready to have some fun!"

Suddenly, your vision becomes cloudy. Through the haze, you see several levers and doors. A hand reaches out and pulls a lever of a certain color and you notice that some of the same colored doors open and some of them close. The hand pulls the lever again and the same doors close or open again. As the hand continues, you notice that some levers open and close lots of doors and some levers open and close only a few doors. Likewise, you can see that the blue levers only manipulate the blue doors, the green levers only manipulate the green doors, the red levers only manipulate the red doors, and the white levers only manipulate the white doors. Almost as if sensing your understanding, the hand gives you a thumbs-up and the vision fades.

Your vision becomes cloudy again and you see the hand return, reaching out to pull on a rope hanging from the ceiling. A golden key falls to the ground and the hand quickly grabs it and holds it up triumphantly as the rope disappears and reappears off to your left. The disembodied hand balances the key on a finger and hovers over to a large golden arch. With a wave and a thumbs-up, the hand passes through the arch with a flash and your vision clears.

Once again, your vision is obscured by a mist and the hand returns, this time with a few floating backpacks in tow. Opening the flap on each backpack, the hand rummages through the contents and holds each of its finds up for you to see before tossing it into the mist. You see that, among other things, each backpack contains some herbs, some sort of melee weapon, some sort of ranged weapon, some sort of armor, and an odd blue wand. Another hand floats past, and the first hand waves the wand at it quickly, freezing it in place. With another thumbs-up from your new friend, the scene fades and your vision becomes clear again.

Maps

• Partial Map of Droughtman's Maze

Winners

2004

• January 28 (Prime): Windreaper

2012

• May (Prime): Valynn

Prizes

Unknown Year

• Scarlet canvas backpack with thick black leather straps
  • scarlet cashmere cavalier's cloak
  • soft scarlet calfskin moneybelt with a carved onyx buckle

• onyx-hilted bastard sword with a wave-shaped blade

405 prizes won

• tattered oilcloth pouch embroidered in blood-red thread
  • blood-red cloak emblazoned across the back with the image of an upraised clenched fist
    • ceremonial gold-hilted robe dagger
  • blood red ruby with a cat's eye flaw in the center
  • polished black marble ring with blood-red inclusions
  • heavy-banded sterling silver ring embracing a blood red ruby
• soft golden spidersilk haversack trimmed with mother-of-pearl beads forming an elegant unicorn
  • golden silk robe trimmed with mother-of-pearl beads and decorated with an exquisite unicorn made of pearls
  • white leather sandals adorned with pure gold beads forming an exquisite unicorn
  • earrings of pearls strung together to form a rearing unicorn
  • golden linen pouch adorned with mother-of-pearl beads and clasped with a large gold unicorn
  • silk wrapped headband dangling tiny beads
• large multi-faceted black box decorated with an intricate maze-like pattern
• charcoal suede hip pouch with a stylized hematite flame clasp
  • glacier emerald
  • starlight ruby
• rowan plaque
• 30 volume audrualm ingot
• flower cloak
• flower skirt
• serrated metal kudalata instructions
• charm bracelet (full name?)
• blood-red voucher
• dirt-stained pouch embroided with a single sigil
• 10 volume silversteel bar
• egg carton
  • 12 2 volume vardite "eggs"
• intricately engraved haralun katana with an ornate smokewood handle
• serrated metal recade instructions
• burnt-orange vardite warhorn fashioned to resemble flames erupting from a dragon's maw
• vine-like silver armband adorned with silk leaves
• 20 volume vardite ingot
• carved onyx box
  • heavy silver-inlaid bracelet
  • tarnished silver halo
  • rich blue brocade cloak with a deeply cowled hood
  • slender platinum girdle inset with a trio of perfect black diamonds
  • long black leathern wings that hang in sweeping tatters
  • thin-soled velvet slippers with spiraling straps
  • midnight blue gown of delicate spidersilk with a fitted black bodice
• rough iron case engraved with a maze pattern
• leather-wrapped gnarled ironwood staff capped with a wide band of polished silver with three inset gemstone spheres
• lightweight repeating crossbow of burled walnut set with an engraved brass boltplate
• thin jade ring
• rune-covered blue backpack
• purple-scaled bellows
• chess board
• ironwood bootlegger's crate reinforced with steel bands
• smokewood-handled broom with sleek white leather grips
• green sack
  • white cashmere scarf
  • green velvet slippers
  • supple velvet gown
  • emerald and platinum ring
  • emerald and silver ring
  • silver and emerald diadem
• large multi-faceted black box decorated with an intricate maze-like pattern (deposit/withdraw mobile bank)
• wide black headband of soft velvet (hides bundles, armor, and weapons)
• heliotrope silk skirt embroidered with an intricate pattern of knotwork vibrant roses (flower skirt)
• spidersilk scrip
  • Abadremi figurine
  • Indaremi figurine
  • Pozremi figurine
  • Buremi figurine
  • Puremi figurine
  • Nuscilremi figurine
  • Caidremi figurine
  • Mesremi figurine
  • Ongsaremi figurine
• mistwood distaff
• large crystalline egg set with cambrinth
• wine-stained shadesatin rug edged in golden fringe
• stout glass halfling accented with cambrinth features
• tiny Halfling figurine
• tyrium nose ring
• taupe spidersilk haversack studded with platinum beads and platinum musical notes embedded along the edges
  • exquisite diamond choker with an etched crystal musical note
  • gold wren-shaped earrings inset with diamonds
  • beige linen pouch adorned with diamonds and sapphires forming a wren in flight
  • brown leather boots studded with platinum musical notes encircling the top hem and adorned with diamond wren buckles
  • soft taupe silk robe decorated with platinum musical notes along the hem and clasped with a diamond wren
  • tiny tyrium ring
• sunset orange thigh pouch sewn with a jeweled tiger lily
  • radiant red silk wrap marbled at each end with a flush of sunset hues
  • flame-carved fire opal periapt
• fine silk belt dyed deep green with a gold buckle
• thick gold-inlaid bracelet
• sleek broom of polished diamondwood
• bright yellow ball
• fragile crystal circlet of a white hue
• blue box
  • twilight sapphire and platinum pendant
  • sequin edged scarf of fluid sapphire silk
  • delicate platinum bracelet
  • twilight sapphire and platinum ring
  • string of sapphire prayer beads
  • tiny forget-me-nots made from sapphire silk strung together in a wristlet
• nijare
• 10 volume silversteel
• 20 volume vardite
• 30 volume audrualm
• blue watersilk pouch embroidered with the image of an orlog
• pudgy glass pig with large cambrinth pieces
• pewter horse with a blackened mane
• damascus haralun katana with an silk-wrapped hilt
• intricate wooden medallion
• silvery spidersilk satchel accented by some pure white swan feathers
  • ivory unicorn mask
  • polished platinum amulet inset with a twilight-hued sapphire unicorn
  • long white hooded robe embroidered with the image of a running unicorn outlined in gold thread with a long silver mane and tail flowing back behind it
  • carved blue agate unicorn cameo brooch framed in gold
  • white velvet unicorn doll with a gold-threaded horn
  • creamy white silk tunic edged with a border of embroidered golden unicorns along the hem and sleeves
  • twisted cambrinth rod resembling a unicorn's horn
  • polished golden bastard sword carved with the spiraling pattern of a unicorn's horn
  • ivory-hilted scimitar engraved with prancing unicorns along the blade
• battle-scarred war harness
  • boar-hide handwraps studded with vicious spikes
  • bone amulet hung from stained sinew
  • bone warhorn with crimson-stained etchings
• orichalcum nose ring
• white sapphire bloom
• tiny green humming bird charm with blue tipped feathers
• serrated kudalata instructions
• serrated recade instructions
• deeply gouged pine case
  • gooey samatak
• spiraled blacksmith's hammer with a mistwood haft
• colorful knit sack
  • small silver-wrapped shoebox
• tan leather haversack
  • ornate glass mirror embedded with tiny gold suns eclipsed by inky moonstone shards
  • dangling crescentic moonstone earrings
  • small touchstone
  • shimmering moonstone fae slipper pin with a brushed silver stem
  • vivid red gown of fine spidersilk decorated with tiny groupings of onyx beads along its square neckline
• platinum nose ring adorned with tiny ruby shards
• red and blue ball
• slim glaes armband studded with gems
• leather-wrapped gnarled ironwood staff capped with a wide band of polished silver with three inset gemstone spheres
• silverweave debt collection bag
  • reinforced goldweave gem pouch woven with midnight diamond chips
  • thick platinum ring set with a smooth blue-green dwalgim
  • debt collector's seal suspended from a heavy platinum chain
  • gold inlaid carving knife set with a brilliant emerald
• silver leather haversack
  • set of obsidian-black field armor inlaid with strands of gold and platinum
  • elegantly draped greatcloak of soft black leather
  • pair of highly polished boots with golden heels
  • smooth obsidian box
    • obsidian skull-shaped earrings