ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

I cleared out most of Dreadfell, then took a break before tackling the Master. When I was descending again to get back to the Master, I got an escort quest on one of the levels I had already cleared. Naturally, it was easy...

This happens when the way between the entrance and the portal is blocked (usually by a door), in that case the escort won't spawn. It's most common in Dreadfell, so when you finish Reknor and have had less than 9 escorts, it's a good idea to go back and check.