Welcome to the Campaign!

Each of you have received the following letter:

Dear friend,

I am Becklin Uth Viharin. I’ve heard much about you from our mutual friend, Ispin Greenshield. It grieves me to share the news that our dear friend Ispin passed away peacefully here at his home in Vogler. May fortune and the old gods protect his soul.

Ispin’s friends are holding a memorial for him in the manner he always wanted. It will take place here in Vogler on the eve of the Kingfisher Festival. I write to ask you to do Ispin one last honor and attend. Should you come, accommodations will be available at the Brass Crab.

Though the circumstances are sad, I am eager to meet you and, through our memories, to revel in the life of our great friend.

Becklin Uth Viharin
Knight of the Crown

You have set off to the town of Vogler, and will meet up with each other on the road and discover you are all friends of Ispin's.

Before opening that scene, I want to run a prelude with Tram Spidersilk alone.

Tram, shortly after receiving that letter you received another one inviting you to a magical test at a place called the Barb, and old ruined tower where aspiring mages are tested.  This is not the Test of High Sorcery, but a less deadly and simpler test to see your basic make up.

Tonight is an important night. Ahead rises the Barb: a jagged, half-ruined spire of gray stone. Many who aspire to join the Mages of High Sorcery have come here to prove their magical proficiency. The Barb is usually nothing more than a ruin, its construction predating the Cataclysm. But tonight, on the Night of the Eye, when Krynn’s three moons align, the ruin is alive with magic once more. Soft light shines from the archway leading into the structure.

Tram walks along the path and as it rises, into view comes the Barb. He stops and takes it all in. Everything has led up to this point. He takes a deep breath and presses on to the archway. 

The arch opens into a large atrium lit with flaming sconces and adorned by grand tapestries depicting Krynn’s three moons. Doors circle the room. The light of the moons cascades through broad windows high above. At the center of the room stands a serene-looking woman with long, gray hair and red robes. She nods as you enter.

"Welcome to the Barb, I am Rovina, your host. The Barb is a place of ancient power where, during the Night of the Eye, magic flares to life to test would-be mages."

Tram enters and his wide grin becomes a serious/peaceful face,  uncharacteristically for a Kender. He bows to the mage, working hard to contain his excitement. "Good evening. My name is Tram Spidersilk. I was invited to take the magical test." He stutters for a moment saying "Not THE Test... The Test of High Sorcery. No the other one." He finally catches himself and regains his composure. "Yes, I am here to take the test. My name is Tram..." He finally shuts up. ;-)

There are several doors around the room, you are led to one by Rovina and she speaks.

"To pass the night’s test, you must face the trial in one of the tower’s rooms, which are accessible only for the night."
"The trial requires magical talent but carries none of the dangers of the Test of High Sorcery. It provides a foundation for the real test."
"The goal is to complete the challenge presented in the room before the Night of the Eye ends."

She opens the door, revealing a glowing portal. "Enter when you are ready," she says.

Tram will say "Thank you" and goes through the door and portal with a smile.

Tram:

The door opens into a wide rotunda with black stone floors and walls carved with elaborate runes. The interior is empty save for a single pedestal at the room’s center. Atop the pedestal, an ornate key balances on its tip.

Behind you, the door you entered through vanishes. On the opposite side of the room, an identical, closed door appears.

Tram thinks to himself (NOTE: some words will probably escape his mouth) "OK, I made it. Now, she said... 'The trial requires magical talent'. And, I have to finish before the night ends. And something about danger. Danger can be fun. NO! stop that. I must focus." He surveys the room. He sees the door and the key. He thinks "That would be too easy, to just walk up grab the key and open the door. Unless the real test is on the other side of that door. Only one way to find out."

He decides to use Mage Hand. From where he is he reaches out with his magical hand to pick up the key. 

Unfortunately, you realize the room is bigger than you thought. It's about 100 feet across, so your mage hand winks out a bit more than halfway to the key.

He looks at his hand with disappointment. And starts to walk towards the key, keeping an eye out for any surprises. He walks to within 30' of the key. He will try that again. 

You run into an invisible wall 10 feet in front of you.. Feeling around a bit, you realize there are several walls around you, and it seems to be the start of a maze.

"Oh, neat; an invisible wall. Now, how to get around it."

(Did he encounter the wall with his mage hand or did it pass through?)

If the ground is dirt, first thing he will try is to tunnel under the maze using Mold earth to move the dirt

if it is stone, he will feel along the wall to navigate through it.

The mage hand passed through.

The ground is not loose earth, so mold earth has little to do.

(I rolled your investigation check for navigating the maze for efficiency as I don't want to bore the other players too much.)

After a number of minutes you conclude the maze is shifting in a pattern that you almost have figured out. It will take about 45 minutes to navigate to the center if your guess on the pattern is right. You are currently halfway between the pedestal and the door.

Hort, Kalindi: You meet up on a boat from Southern and Northern Ergoth.  You realize you are both traveling to Ispin's funeral. Feel free to RP your meeting.

Jushu, Matti: You meet up in a caravan moving north through Solamnia, roughly paralleling the Vingaard river. You also discover your shared destination. You can start RP as well.

Jsuhu, a middle aged half elf with long blond hair, approaches Matti. "Hello, my name is Jushu. What is yours? I heard that we, sadly, lost a mutual friend. Ispin. I knew him a long time ago, and I am gald to be getting the chance to meet his other friends. We didn't get to spend much time together, but he visited me and my family and taught me the basics of swordplay. How did you first meet him?"

(Good point - Forward with Brevity)

Investigation to continue: 14

If Tram feels it would be helpful he would definitely use Mage Hand again.

After he gets the key he will start in for the door. Investigation: 16

As Tram pauses, he realizes he is within range for mage hand on the key. As soon as it reaches the key and moves it, the walls of the maze shimmer with golden light and recede into the floor. He makes it to the door and the key opens it, revealing a portal.

"Yippy!"

Tram skips over to the door/portal, pauses to look one last time at the challenge he met and goes in. 

Quote from Charwoman_Gene >>

Hort, Kalindi: You meet up on a boat from Southern and Northern Ergoth.  You realize you are both traveling to Ispin's funeral. Feel free to RP your meeting.

 @Kalindi

Hort is stoically resisting the urge to throw up as they go skim over the waves, his hooved feen clacking against the wood trying to get his 'sea legs'. He looks up at Kalindi "I hate the water... You?"