First Contact

Scenes

Basic Idea

The two adventurers need to find a raid to join. There will be no raid left, but just before the meeting ends, the Magiseekers will enter the office of Professor van Gaevin, wanting to ask specifics on the expedition to the Nature Spirits home. In that talk, the duo convinces the professor to let them join in on the expedition. He eventually agrees together with the Magiseekers agreement (maybe a small test of strength is in order here to test the capabilities of the two). After that, the Magiseekers, an additional Biologist, Beastiarian, Professor van Gaevin and Professor Iothar and the two will set out in the early next morning to meet the Nature Spirit Gil and his tribe in the Foreverglade. On the way there, there could be an ambush by the Shadowbound on the convoy. Once at the bounds of where the Nature Spirits normally have their concealment spells up, the entire city has been revealed, and the Nature Spirit Gil greets the arrivals. The convoy has been specially invited to meet the nature spirits in good will at the day of the marriage between the Nature Spirit Princess Fyunn and the Tree of Life Yalrath. On this day, the Princess will fuze with the tree to become the new light and guidance for the nature spirits. A huge feast is prepared for this day as a dowry towards nature accepting the princess. As the ceremony starts, the Princess rises up to greet the Tree of Life, and as she does so, Professor Cyrus Valeric Iothar hurls a spell towards the princess, killing her instantly. Everyone, including van Geavin is shocked at this and the nature spirits immediately turn to attack Iothar, who starts attacking every Nature Spirit he sees. The party must defeat Iothar in order to safe the Spirits. After defeating him, a treaty is pledged in which the nature spirits will keep their autonomy in the fog but will not seek further aggression against the mainland for now.

Intro

You are second year students in the Rox Academy, currently in talks with a Botanical Research Professor: Professor McOrdean.

Opening Scene

Sir "Surname", you and your partner have yet to show any proactivity towards your midterm raid selection. I am afraid, that if you do not come up with something fast, I see no way, other than to fail you in my class. I am very disappointed. Even though your exceptional strength brought you this far, without any self accountability, you will not make it a semester longer.

As I already told you before, you can head to Professor van Geavins office for some open raids, but I think in the timeframe that is left, the possibility of you being out of luck is very high. Nonetheless, hope dies last, even in this world. If there aren't any more questions, you'll have to excuse me, my lecture is starting.

Professor van Gaevin

As you walk up to the office of Professor van Gaevin, you stand before a huge double sided brass door, in which the words "Professor van Gaevin" are incribed. Additionally, a paragraph under his name reads: "To Succeed, you need a initiative and strength. One comes from steeling the body, and one from steeling the mind.".

You know this text field as the "Daily Wisdom", which is a specifically crafted piece of artifice by the Professor to display a new piece of wisdom every morning.

You enter the office and are immediately greeted by van Gaevin with a "Please take a seat."

The room itself is huge. The main desk stands in the middle of the office, with four chairs infront of it. As you walk in, you can see several unfinished research projects on various chalk boards to your left and right. On the back end of the room is one long desk on which various trinkets, herbs, potions and more are stored, seemingly without any order.

"So what seems to be the matter?"

As you suddenly hear a *knock* *knock* *knock* on the door.

"Come in!", as a known face to you two steps through the door. A blonde autumn seasoned eladrin with quick determined steps enters the office with three companions in tow. A Person you never personally talked to but have heard much about as one of the rising stars in the Soulventures, third year students Kate Lyra Langridge.

"Miss Langridge, what can I do for you, as you see, I am currently in a conversation with my second year studenty."

"Yes Professor, I just wanted to confirm some details on tomorrows raid."

"As I've said many times, it's not a raid Ms. Langridge, it is a meeting and a festivity."

"So why then did Professor Iothar tell us to come equipped to the teeth? It seemed this will be another Expo Raid performance."

"He said what? That damned... I will have a talk with him, but didn't you read the Questdescription, it said "to meet the Spirits on hopefully friendly terms"

"I don't know what the fuck kind of communication is happening between you two, respectfully, Professor, but I will not unpack anymore. I travel lightly anyway. Our Slaughterer will maybe lose an axe or two and we should be fine."

"Language Miss Langridge. We talked about this. But yes, I trust you will be adequately equipped for this journey."

"And you're sure we are enough people to meet the new species? I know you said it was supposed to be friendly, but what if it isn't? I trust in my Soulventures abilities and mine of all, but additional hands could be appreciated, especially with *them* making more moves lately.

"But the expedition is set to be tomorrow. I am not opposed to more hands on deck, but I fear there won't be anyone with the flexibility to accompany us, especially because normally for such a task, there is at least three days of preparation allotted..."

The Road

What to talk about

The Nature Spirits: How were they discovered, what communication has been going on, and the fact that there is a marriage going on there.

About Kate and the Magiseekers: What is Kates overall goal, what are the Magiseekers doing, what has Kate accomplished already?

About the Professors: The stances of both profeessors on the situation, how both are in terms of teaching style or personality, what both have accomplished.

Other random stuff, such as the Expo Raids, the Foreverglade or other landmarks.

The Ambush

Backdrop

As you approach the well known Foreverglade, you can see the lush tree line neatly in order blocking your view to the inside. The mixed forest is theorized as the biggest one of its kind currently known to man. There have been countless expeditions into these wilds to date but none were as significant as making contact with the first intelligent species. The carriage ever presses on into the forest. previous groups have been sent into the forest to pave ways for smaller convoys to make their way into these woods. As you drive a few minutes inside the forest, the carriagee finally stops, and after a few seconds the voice up front sounds: "From here on out, you need to walk!".

As the first person exits the carriage, suddenly, two daggers fly towards "that person" and the driver who now stands beside the doors lashes out to kill. Please roll initiative.

See DNDBeyond Encounter for this section!

Arrival

After defeating the Shadowbound, the entire convoy stalk walking towards the designated place on foot. After another twenty minutes of walking, you come to the Worlds Edge, indicated by the last Warding Light installed in the forest. Beyond this point, you would be entirely at the mercy of this world, would there not be a glowing green floating ball of light greeting you.

"Hello Cleardweller Ones! Gil's name is Gil! And you must be those we call the Cleardweller Ones! Please, come with Gil to greet Nature Ones.", the ball of light, now revealed as a Nature Spirit, speaks. Their skin is teal blue and their body is overgrown with leaves and branches, eminating an orange light. Its eyes offer a similar glow and seem interested and eager.

"Gil is very happy you could make it to Nature Ones Wedding Ceremony! Bride One will be most pleased! Don't worry, all Nature Ones are looking forward to meeting Cleardweller Ones. Follow Gil!"

Gil leads you further into the forest and almost instantly, it feels like the thick veil the Fog prrovides is lifted, and instead, a clearing surrounded by the pure essence of nature stretches out in front of you. A dozen wooden houses or so reveal themselves, all woven from a conglomeration of trees, which in a twisted sense could pass as naturally occuring phenomenon would they so wanted it to be. Lots of lights swirl around, in every hue possible, bickering amongst themselves. The streets are decked out with colorful flowers, which your Nature Spirit Guide explains: "Flowers are out as gifts for Tree One. Nature ones gift them to Tree One on behalf of Bride One. Flowers will be taken once the ceremony is underway, along with other gifts."

The excited spirit leads your party to a small house, whose door is a thicket of branches that start to rustle and move as Gil approaches it. They magically make way and he bids you inside. All but the halfling Slaughterer that is part of Kates Soulventure need to bow in order to enter. Inside, the view of an almost normal tavern greets you, only that instead of the normal lamps, many dancing lights are swirling over the way too small desks, playing a faint tune that resembles muffled humming. There is a huge bar top with lots of unknown foods and drinks being consumed out of wooden bowls and cups without any cutlery. It seems the Nature Spirit customers are conjuring the food to be absorbed by their bodies.

"Here Cleaerdweller Ones can make yourselves at home! Cleardweller Ones can sleep here as well, the big marriage will commence tomorrow."

"Greeting One! Didn't Greeting One read the text from Research Ones? Cleardweller Ones say tomorrow to the next Morningday and Nightday together!", the bartender leaps across the counter, looking almost identical to Gil aside from ticker branches on their body and a more fierce red glow in their eyes.

"Excuse Greeting One, Cleardweller Ones, this is Kirst, Nature Ones call me Pouring One. The ceremony is indeed tomorrow for Nature Ones, but for Cleardweller Ones, it is called evening. If Cleardweller Ones need sleep, rest can be found here", as Kirst points upward and you see beyond the dancing lights a nest of many hammocks woven from some sort of string,impossible to hold anyone of yourr size and weight.

Things found inside the city

Flora/Fauna Related

Glowing Mushrooms: They emit sounds when touched.
Camoplants Plants: Colorful Plants that change color upon being approached, blending into their surroundings.
Whisperplants: Huge vines that dance and repeat what they hear from the spirits day to day
Memory Flowers: Small crackling flowers overflowing with irregular magiks. When touched, they show pictures of their point of view from the past.
Glimmering Fauna: Not all lights here are from Nature Spirits. Many glimmering firefly-like insects and butterflies are whirring all around, some of which are employed by the spirits to carry small things in a big group from one place to another.
New Fish Species: In some of the bodies of water, unknown fish are present, some of which are intelligent and form shapes together to display a symbol to watchers.

City Related

Walking Statues: Wooden statues that seem woven by the same magic the houses were made of. They walk around the town peaceful and don't seem to be agressive at all. Some spirits are also seen in conversation with them.
Floating Waters: The big open streets have many water fountains consistent of only a pool where the water falls back into. The actual fountains flow water upwards forming intricate patterns in the air before falling back into the pool gently.
Many Spirits: The town has many interesting spirits that are all equally as excited that you are here as you are seeing them. They often are trying to come over to talk but are too afraid to do so.
Goods Exchange: There isn't really a marketplace to buy goods with coin. The spirits here seem to live in tranquility, taking and leaving whatever arbitrary thing they want here. The market is made up of small groves before which tables of various miscellaneous things are displayed, with a spirit that stands behind them.
Enchanting Music: The entire town is veiled in a tune of relaxing music. Should the party follow the tunes, they would come across a group of spirits playing instruments never before seen with nothing but seemingly their magical abilities.
Mystical Workshops: There are two workshops in town in which multiple spirits are working on magical trinkets all made from natural ressources. If talked to, the party can learn that these are for tomorrow. More gifts to the life tree.

Tomorrow

The evening is drawing near, and you all are found by the "Greeting One" Gil to escort you to the festivities. Everyone is here but Professor van Gaevin.

"Cleardweller Ones! Gil hopes you had a good rest. Bride One is already eagerly awaiting the presents of Cleardweller Ones. Please follow Gil to the ceremony."

Gil leads you a ways outside of the main city into the forest, where immediately another clearing is revelaed where before there definitely wasn't one. In there, multiple huge tables are set up, even for Ignotas standards, all decked out with delicious looking food. Many tables were already getting filled and the main table on which unmistakebly, the Princess was sitting at, had a few empty seats still available.

"Please, take a seat here, next to Royal Ones.", Gil gestures, taking his seat in his own chair.

You sit down and are greeted by the Princess herself.

"Estemmed Cleardweller Ones. Fyunn's name is Fyunn, but today Fyunn is called Bride One. Fyunn welcomes you to these festivities and hopes everything was to Cleardweller Ones pleasing."

During this time, Profeessor Iothar is still looking very uncomfortable and not at all enjoying himself.

The Highlight

After talking, drinking and eating for a while, the Princess suddenly looks up and says: "He time has come." She stands up gracefully from her seat and starts to levitate, glowing in a beautiful green hue. THe music has mostly stopped, as everyone starts getting up to cast some sort of ritual. All the foods and drinks start to float as well and are transported through a communal effort towards the tree right behind the Princess that definitely was not there before. A huge tree bark that is being decked out with all the valuables before seen throughout the town. Magical artifacts, trinkets, food, drinks, clothing, straight magical currents. Everything, like on command, is being flung past you in an impressive show of magic. You all look in awe over at thePrincess that is now several feet above your heads in the air, being sucked into the tree of life Yalrath. A socket within the tree is opened up. Here is where the Princess should reside for her time ruling over the spirits.

And while there is a bit of murmuring, give me a Perception check (DC17) (those who make it can see and/or hear Professor Iothars mouth moving and murmuring something)

But before you can even process what you hear from the side of your Professor, a streak of dark light is shot towards the Princess, meeting her right at her chest area. Before any words can escape any Spirits mouth, or yours in that matter of fact, the soon-to-be-queen falls to the ground ungracefully, with an audible *thunk*. Her body, lifeless. Only after the fall, can your minds trace the streak of darkness back to its source, which was right next to you, "Player Name".

"These imbeciled wanna-be people. Acting all high and mighty, but they are all nothing but beasts that have plaagued Ignotas since before day one! Can't you see my students?! Are you this blind? Kill them! Now! Now that we have them all right here!"

Professor Iothar exclaims, screaming atop of his lungs, still holding out his grimoire through which the killing spell was released. Now, every spirit is in disarray and disbelief, and before anyone can even think of any response to the antics of your Professor or the feelings of the Spirits, please roll initiative.

The Big Fight

This fight is detailed on DnDBeyond, refer to these pages then. But keep the following things in mind:

The party can choose which side they want to be on. The professor will summon more helpers should the party turn against him.

Aftermath

Should the Party Kill the Spirits

"Well done my students. I'll be sure to tell the tale of the brave warriors of the academy that single handedly defeated an entire race of evil spirits."

And so on...

Should the Party Kill Professor Iothar

"I... can't believe this... Why would Evil One do such a thing? Why are humans this cruel...", Gil says

Talk with Gil and the tribe and form a treaty together where the spirits can keep their autonomy but humans are allowed to visit certain areas supervised, and spirits can enter the liberated world freely.