[Game Thread] Chapter 0: Honours for Hubris?

[Avelestar]

You awake a little after dawn, to a soft rapping at the door of your private bedroom. A small scrap of paper is slipped under the door, and sits on the plush carpet. Hubris looks around his room, bleary-eyed, it's one of the nicest rooms at the academy, granted to him because of both his year level and his noble heritage. The younger students all share dorms, or double bedrooms and it's only those students in their final year of study who are privileged enough to have a private room. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Hubris walks over to the note and picks it up.

It begins with "Good morning Hubris, I trust you enjoyed last night's celebration.", penned in the immaculate handwriting. You smile, remembering the award ceremony and the private party after...a few glasses of wine, and arm in arm with one of the pretty noblewomen who turned up. Today is your last day at the academy...indeed they want you cleared out of the room by ten! Pushing the thoughts from your mind, you read on.

Each year, one graduating student is selected to undertake one last exam that if passed grants one last teaching, and a gift from the university. It is not always the highest scoring student, or the one who shows the most potential but the one who is level headed, and can adapt to any situation. This year Hubris Rathanoir, the staff have selected you. I will be expecting you in my quarters within the hour, and you are to tell no-one of this. Breakfast will be available, and I would advise you bring every scroll, spellbook and magic item you own.

~ Aramil Nailo, Headmaster of the House of the Dragon

OOC: This is your private solo thread, a chance to play with your character a little bit, and a reason for him/her to be known enough to be contacted in the first part of the Savage Tide path.

[Redoak]

Rubbing the specks of sleepsand from the corners of his eyes Hubris taken aback that he was chosen. "I must get prepared!" he exclaimed as he dashed over to his wardrobe and began pulling out his robes and other wizardly attire.

Memorizing his daily spells and double checking his robe closed right to left in the graduate, rather than student manner. He gathers his staff and dagger and puts his backpack strap over one shoulder, then turns to slowly survey the room for one last time. In a flash the memories of the last few years come flooding back to him.

The daily comraderie and lessons with his teachers. The cantrip mishaps of his first year, the drudgery of Scroll Scribing 101. Stolen embraces with servant girls and female students. The most conflicted memory is discovering his bastard birth and gaining/losing a father in one tragic moment. Overcoming that night and moving through the emotional pain not the least of the accomplishments he can be proud of in his brief life.


"Toward the dawn our gaze ever turns, and the setting sun always at our backs." he whispers one of James favorite sayings.

I will honor both my fathers with the life I lead he resolves as he closes the door gently and makes his way resolutely to Headmaster Nailos' quarters, steeling his will for whatever may come next.

[Avelestar]

You arrive at the headmaster's room right on the hour, and rap politely on his door. It swings open at your touch, and you see Eramil sitting on a comfy chair within the room. He nods for you to enter, and you close the door quietly behind you. "Good morning Hubris, please take a seat. Breakfast will be here shortly." He heats up a pot of tea, a very simple but useful spell, and pours two cups, offering you the first. You exchange polite conversation for a few minutes, until breakfast finally arrives. It's fairly light, a few pieces of heavily buttered bread and some freshly cooked eggs.

Mopping a few stray crumbs from his beard, Eramil turns to face you, his elven features still sharp and attractive even at his great age. "Congratulations on your graduation young Hubris, now shall we get down to business?" He removes the breakfast tray, and produces a scroll with two blank spaces at the bottom for signatures. Reading through the scroll shows that it's a contract....that in the event of death or bodily harm you and your family waive all rights to sue, or take any compensation from the House of the Dragon. The two spaces are for your signature, and that of the headmaster.

"This final exam is a direct test of not just your skill with magic, but how you can apply it in different situations...of the capabilities of your mind to work out complex puzzles. However it can be extremely dangerous, and some graduates have been killed." Eramil looks genuinely saddened by these losses, as if he carries each of their souls heavily on his heart. "If you decide to undertake this test and succeed you will earn one final lesson with me and your choice of a number of scrolls from my personal library. However once you have started the test, you can not leave until it is complete." This last part really intrigues you, every student talks about the rare and forbidden knowledge the headmaster has stored away in his personal library...but none have ever seen, or know the location of his collection.

[Redoak]

Taking in this information slowly Hubris takes a moment and weighs his options here. Turning down this opportunity goes against everything he tries to stand for, the pursuit of knowledge and living life to its fullest. If he expired during this test his family would surely feel immense grief at not only losing a son, but the only scion of a noble house.
A slow smile spreads on his handsome face, a smile that has charmed many of his friends. Taking up his backpack he removes his ivory and Mother of Pearl inlaid calligraphy set. Dipping a quill into an inkpot on the Headmasters table, he formally signs his name to the contract.


"The honor that the Academy has bestowed upon me with this selection cannot be refused, I would do it for that reward alone. However a chance to gaze into your renowned and rumoured library, now that sir is a prize I covet with no shame at all."
taking his dagger and signet ring out nest he places them next to the contract.

"I would ask a small favor though Master Nailo, that if I do fall in this test..that my mother be given my dagger. And my signet ring be returned to my father, could you do that for me?"

[Avelestar]

Eramil nods his approval, asking to borrow the quill. Neatly he signs his name, and the scrawlings of the two of you glows golden for a moment then lie still. "Your name has been forever engraved in the honour roll here Hubris, all that remains now is to wether a success or fail is written next to it." He stands, beckoning you to do the same and waits until you have packed away your gear before he shakes your hand, promising to take care of the dagger and ring should you fail. He winks at you, and grips your hand tighter. Instinctively you close your eyes, and you can hear the noise of rushing air all around you, suddenly it stops with a soft pop and you open your eyes again.

The headmaster has transported the pair of you to another place, but you're unsure as to where. Is it still inside the academy grounds somewhere, hell is it even in Sasserine still? The air feels...odd, slightly heavier than usual as if it wasn't composed of quite the same material as that of what you're accustomed to. You breathe in cautiously, testing the air and your head begins to feel a bit lighter than usual, your vision spinning very slightly. Eramil releases your hand, and speaks to you quickly and sternly.

"Okay Hubris as you've already guessed this place is different, the air isn't really poisonous, but it's just lacking in vital components for our bodies. In roughly ten minutes you'll start to feel more and more dizzy, after twenty minutes you'll be gulping in air like a fish on land, after thirty..." The old man trails off, but it's very obvious what he means. "Behind you is a series of chambers, at the end of which is a device that will teleport you back to my room. Remember, this isn't just a test of your magic, the strength of your mind, body and soul will be poked, prodded and possibly torn open. Best of luck!" Aramil disappears suddenly, but without a flash of light or poof of smoke...he never was one for showy, fancy looking effects.

Looking around you see that you are in a small room, roughly twenty feet by twenty feet, however the roof is open and sun shines in....but the walls seem to go up into the sky indefinitely, no chance of climbing them and skipping a room! You turn around and face a plain looking wooden door, the sun now shining directly onto your back. Best to get started, before the atmosphere begins to take effect on you.

OOC: At current the strange atmosphere has no adverse affects on you, but with time you will need to start making Fort checks (I will ask for these), and if you fail will take penalties to certain stats and abilities. The sun overhead provides perfect illumination of every room, it always seems to be directly overhead, and there is never any shadows in the rooms unless otherwise noted. You also still have the dagger and ring in your possession, Aramil intends to teleport back and take them if you should fail. P.S. Wow this is fun!

[Redoak]

A resolute Hubris scans the door, realizing this is a test that doesn't reward a hesitant man. He looks for a lock and then checks for some sign that it is trapped in some way.

Dice Perception:

(as this is an older post, these rolls are interpreted by the older (more basic) dice roller code)
d20+4:	(2) + 4	Total = 6

[Avelestar]

The door is a plain wooden one, with a black ivory handle. You can see no visible traps or locks, and their is also no trace of any magical aura. Perhaps the first door is free?

OOC: >1 minute has elapsed

[Redoak]

Opening the door with a firm resolve, Hubris takes a step into into the doorway and gazes around.

[Avelestar]

You open the door, and walk into another room much like the first. It's small, has stone floors and the impossible high walls with an open ceiling. "Welcome Hubris, this is the first part of your exam. Before you sit three animals, you must pick one and take it with you to the end of the exam. If it dies, so do you." says a disembodied voice, deep and booming. In front of you are indeed three animals, a puppy, a kitten and an owlet. All look only just old enough to be walking on their own, and look up at you with expectant eyes. "Beware however, as you progress through the exam your animal will grow..." says the voice, but the end seems cut off, was there something left unsaid?

[Redoak]

Wondering to himself the significance of the animals, Hubris decides to choose the Owlet. An ancient symbol of wisdom, the Owl was once a companion of Wee-Jas. Tucking the owlet into his outer vest pocket, he moves towards the next door and examines it. If it is safe he moves on, mindful of the fatal time limit.

Dice Perception:

(as this is an older post, these rolls are interpreted by the older (more basic) dice roller code)
d20+4:	(15) + 4	Total = 19

[Avelestar]

Hubris can see nothing amiss with the door, and opens it. Again he walks into another similarly styled room, the sun glaring down onto his back. "So you have chosen the beast of intelligence, as was expected." comes the voice again, with a quiet laugh at the end of it. "Your task in this room, is to leave it." Well that's easy you think, the door's right over....****. Before your eyes a lush forest shimmers into view, seeming to stretch in all directions for a fair distance. However the wall behind you is still of stone, but the door is sealed shut.

There's a soft hooting sound, and the owl strains against your vest pocket. It pulls itself out, and half flies, half falls to the ground at your feet. You notice the little guy has gained in size, and has lost about half of his soft baby feathers, replaced by sleeker looking ones, designed for flight. He looks up at you expectantly, as if it was your fault he fell out. Incase he increases in size again, you decide to place him on your shoulder. Looking around you spot something between the trees ahead....it looks like a body, and the clothes it's wearing are strangely familiar...

OOC: 2 Minutes have elapsed

[Redoak]

"Illusions and distorted perceptions can kill as quickly as the most potent death magic." the words of Gnorf Goldbuttons the Master of Illusion at the Academy always liked to say.
The lessons of his education still fresh in his mind Hubris advances cautiously, holding firmly onto his self image in his mind to try and ward off any triggered illusion spells that may be placed ahead. With his quarterstaff held out defensively he prods the body to try and identify the nature of this test.

[Avelestar]

The body doesn't react at all, no nasty traps, it doesn't turn into some big creature, or anything else horrible. As you've moved closer, you do notice a huge red swelling on the bodies neck...and the shape and colour of it's hair send a shiver down your spine...

[Redoak]

The red swelling denotes some kind of poisonous bite, perhaps from a creature. Assuming from his own VAGUE internal innuendo this is his own body, perhaps a foreshadowing of whats to come...

[Avelestar]

It is indeed Hubris' own body, and the young wizard can't help but feel a little freaked out...but that's probably the purpose of the body, and he tries to clear his head before moving on. Turning around, you see that the stone wall with the door you entered is still present, but to the left of the sealed door is a symbol of a spider cut into the stone, about the size of your hand. Some sort of keyhole perhaps?