Book 1

Chapter 1

The Magaambya’s newest students must undertake an unusual interview
before settling into their dormitory and meeting their peers. A week of
service projects ends with a formal introduction ceremony, but gremlin
saboteurs disrupt the preparations and try to make a quick end of the
heroes’ academic careers.

In this chapter, the heroes arrive at the Magaambya as new students. They
engage in a curious introductory interview with the kindly Takulu Ot before
getting a tour of their dormitory. For each of the following five days, the
heroes engage in service projects keyed to one of the Magaambya’s five
branches: Rain-Scribes, Tempest-Sun Mages, Cascade Bearers, Emerald Boughs,
and Uzunjati. After these five days of service, the heroes are scheduled
for the Introduction Ceremony. A gremlin attack disrupts this event and
hints at larger problems at the Magaambya.

Key Moments:

• The heroes meet Teacher Takulu Ot for an introduction to the school and
  a magical interview.
• A tour of the Spire Dormitory where the heroes will stay as students
  leads to an introduction of the dorm’s residents: Anchor Root, Chizire, Esi
  Djana, Haibram Thodja, Ignaci Caanterells, Mariama Keitana, Noxolo, Okiro
  Obiyo, and Strands-of-Glowing-Dawn Tzeniwe.

Chapter 2

Settling into their class routines, the heroes perform service missions to
gain favor with some of the Magaambya’s teachers. Throughout these
missions, the heroes learn about an unusually high amount of insect
activity at the school. During their solemn First Masking ceremony, giant
insects burst from the walls and attack.

In this chapter, the heroes embark upon their first of many semesters of
academic work. Their lessons are broken up with directives to help several
teachers as well as opportunities to get to know their fellow initiates.
During these tasks, the heroes discover that several infestations of
insects have afflicted the Magaambya. This infestation reaches its height
at the heroes’ First Masking ceremony, when they formally advance from
initiates to attendants. Several enormous insects attack the ceremony to
disrupt it, and the heroes have the opportunity to demonstrate their valor
in front of their teachers and peers.

Key Moments:

• The heroes explore the Magaambya and discover the openly kept secret of
  tunnels that connect various parts of the campus.
• Teacher Ot tasks the students with reclaiming some scrolls and books
  from the old, abandoned Tree-Stump Library.
• The Startday Tournament takes place, and the heroes go up against the
  incorrigible leshies from the Leshy Gardens on campus. After a hard-fought
  battle, the heroes emerge as the victors!
• Each hero created a mask representing an animal or other aspect that is
  a representation of the hero’s personality and connection to the world.

Chapter 3

The insect attack during the First Masking reveals a sprawling warren
of caves and tunnels beneath the school. The heroes receive the task of
exploring the most distant and ostensibly safest tunnels, but they end up
face‑to‑face with the vengeful ex‑student behind the recent attacks.

After the insect attack at the end of the previous chapter, the teachers
and students must all pitch in to explore the maze of passages beneath the
school. The heroes are assigned a distant, and presumably safe, set of
caverns beneath Archhorn Library, but within these passages, the vengeful
oread Stone Ghost and his gremlin minions work to expand the tunnels and
prepare more attacks. The heroes can defeat Stone Ghost and learn that he
was, in an earlier life, a cruel student expelled from the university. The
aftermath of the insect attack and the discoveries beneath Archhorn Library
hint at greater dangers. The sudden arrival of new anadi students promises
some answers, but the heroes must first defend them against hungry
griffons.

Key Moments:

• The heroes rescued their Spire Dormitory peers in the bug-infested
  tunnels, leading them out of the dark and to safety. Ignaci, Okoro, and
  Tzeniwe were extremely grateful for the rescue, and Ignaci (who was
  gravely injured) made a full recovery.
• After defeating Stone Ghost, the heroes discovered the connection between
  the gremlin and insect attacks, both of which were instigated by the
  deranged ex-student.
• In a perilous and heated battle, the heroes and Teacher Ot defended a
  group of Anadi from gryphons. Thanks to their quick actions, the Anadi
  were saved and joined the Magaambya as students.

Book 2

Chapter 1

The wise and influential teacher Janatimo returns to the Magaambya with
questions about the heroes’ recent experiences and successes. He suggests
the heroes find out more about what recently brought a group of anadi
seekers to the school and discover why a pair of griffons tried to make a
meal of them.

In this chapter, Teacher Janatimo returns from abroad. He’s interested in
the heroes, based largely on Takulu Ot’s reports of their successes. Taking
the heroes under his wing, Janatimo asks them to investigate two unresolved
mysteries. First, they must question the anadi students about what’s drawn
them to the school, which uncovers a serpentfolk plot and reveals further
clues the heroes can’t yet answer. Second, they must investigate a rare-
animal shop where the griffons were once caged. This site presents several
dangers and opportunities to collect hints about a criminal organization
that the heroes will face in the near future.

Key Moments:

• The heroes investigated the Hababe building’s storeroom after learning
  more about the Anadi and the gryphons that attacked them. Inside the
  storeroom were lurking several unexpected threats: two serpentfolk
  pretending to be students, a wood golem crafted from wood with detailed
  carvings, and a pair of deadly snakes. Within the storeroom was evidence
  that someone had been experimenting with strong acid and various mining
  and stone working tools.
• At the exotic animal lot, the heroes found evidence of one or more
  grippli that appeared to have broken into some of the animal cages,
  including thieves’ tools specifically designed for a grippli’s long
  fingers.

Chapter 2

The heroes are elevated to the rank of conversants, which means they’re
not only responsible for representing the Magaambya in Nantambu, but
also poised to handle its citizens’ most unusual problems. Several service
missions reveal that the city—and the Magaambya—have some powerful
and sinister enemies.

The heroes become conversants and are assigned a variety of missions
throughout Nantambu that appear distinct, though many are connected behind
the scenes.

Key Moments:

• After advancing to the rank of conversants, the heroes started aiding the
  school and the community in and around Nantambu with various important
  tasks:

1. Tracking down a distributor and a wholesaler of alchemical
   ingredients connected to several dangerous explosions round campus.
2. Aiding a potter with flooding in and around his building (though it
   eventually succumbed and collapsed).
3. Investigating a series of thefts involving musicians and performers
   around Nantabmu which seemed to point towards a gang of criminals.
4. Investigation of said criminals which lead to the apprehension of some
   lizardfolk, an elf, and the unfortunate death of a human thug.
5. An introspective diversion with Teacher Janatimo in the form of a
   tall tale storytelling contest, where the hero’s took first prize.
6. Visiting an unfortunate elf with a home haunted by a restless
   poltergeist, which was connected to an old and unresolved murder involving
   the poltergeist’s former partner in crime. More connections to grippli
   and a missing rainbow-colored animal figurine.
7. Purging the Carnivorous Gardens of an infestation of out-of-control
   oozes introduced by the unwitting actions of the garden’s caretaker.
8. Investigating the campus after a series of arsonist fires damaged
   several buildings (but before anyone had been injured). Scorched markings
   on the buildings spelled out “Pay your debts.” This lead to the disgruntled
   sorcerer Fire-Pot Ubanu, holed up in his forge outside of town, and
   protected by several dangerous minotaurs and a hellhound pet. After
   subduing Ubanu, the students discovered the root of his grudge against the
   Magaambya and resolved it rather diplomatically, convincing Teacher Janatimo
   that Ubanu deserved a chance to be a student, if he can control his anger.
9. Relocating a pair of dangerous jungle drakes to a more suitable location
   away from Nantambu, saving a local’s sheep farm from devastation.
10. Tracking down and dealing with the criminal gang lead by the grippli
    Froglegs. The gang had been behind many of the unusual events around town,
    and Frogleg’s underlings were mostly grippli as well, and accounts for
    several reported sightings of grippli up to no good. The heroes captured
    the criminal leader and most of her henchmen and turned them over to face
    justice.
11. Seeking out the woodcarver Goana at the request of Janatimo in order to
    bring several commissioned carvings back to the school. Moments after
    arriving, Goana and the heroes were attacked by an elf assassin and his
    giant eagle. The elf commented that there could be no witnesses suffered to
    live. In the end, the heroes protected Goana and defeated the assassin.
    After questioning Goana about the attack and anything she might have done
    to instigate it, it was discovered that she had carved several pieces for
    the Magistrate-Mayor Asanda, including parts likely used to create a wood
    golem–the very same golem the heroes faced at the Hababe building.

Chapter 3

The heroes have ascertained that all is not right with Magistrate-Mayor
Asanda, and they must enter his flooded manor to learn more. There,
they find serpentfolk infiltrators who once sought to steal a Magaambyan
secret, but now plot to take over Nantambu’s government!

In this chapter, the heroes follow up on the clues pointing to something
unusual going on at Magistrate-Mayor Asanda’s manor. They investigate, only
to find the manor filled with monsters and serpentfolk, including the
scheming serpentfolk Salathiss perfecting his disguise as the magistrate-
mayor. Upon proving their value to the city by rescuing Asanda and
completing their coursework, the heroes graduate to become teachers of the
Magaambya.

Key Moments:

• After ariving at Asanda’s flooded manor, the heroes came face-to-face
  with several serpentfolk guards and a human that tried to dissuade them from
  investigating the manor or speaking with Asanda. The human was actually a
  serpentfolk in disguise, and a battle ensued.
• The manor was infested with snakes, serpentfolk, and other dangers–yet
  the heroes bravely went on the offensive and infiltrated the building by
  force. After luring away a particularly dangerous creature, the group found
  Asanda’s personal quarters where he had been imprisoned by the invading
  serpentfolk. After a fight with the guards and breaking down the bedroom
  door, the heroes managed to rescue Asanda and exfiltrate him to safety.

Aftermath and Conclusion of Book 3

After rescuing Asanda, he sent a joint group of Chime-Ringers and trained
staff and students from the Magaambya to deal with the remaining threats
and serpentfolk at the mayor’s manner. The taskforce was able to apprehend
and question the invaders, revealing the following:

• Magistrate-Mayor Asanda confirmed that a serpentfolk mastermind named
  Salathiss was responsible for his capture and had been impersonating him
  for months using magic and other disguises. Salathiss had infiltrated the
  local government and was using Asanda’s name and power for his own
  nafarious purposes.
• One of Salathiss’ henchmen, named Syrith, is a skilled shapeshifter and
  helped Salathiss perfect his performance as Asanda. Syrith has grown bored
  of Salthiss’ obsession, and spilled the beans on the whole operation:

1. Salathiss had been devoting a lot of effort studying “the egg.” He
   didn’t know what the egg is or does, but had several fanciful ideas.
2. Salathiss couldn’t access the egg any longer. Thus, he was focused on
   stealing Asanda’s identity in order to leverage the magistrate-mayor’s
   power and clout to further his agenda.
3. Salathiss himself seemed confused about who he was and seemed to have
   formed split personalities, half himself and half his pretended version of
   Asanda.

• Luckily, Salthiss kept multiple journals, which revealed the following
  additional information, some of which is likely speculation:

1. The “egg” is a powerful artifact of unknown ability and power. It
   has so far proven impervious to damage.
2. The “egg” seems to have the unusual ability to lure and agitate
   insects, gremlins, and other pests. This explains a lot of the activity
   around the Magaambya, as at the time, the “egg” was located on the opposite
   side of the northern wall in the Hababe storeroom. It also may have an
   effect on Anadi, due to their connection to arachnids.
3. Salathiss had been using magic to pass through the stone and into some
   kind of clandestine laboratory where the “egg” was being kept. The lab
   turned out to be run by Teacher Koride Ulawa.

• After Janatimo and the heroes approached Koride, she admitted to having
  discovered the egg on campus in an old and disused section of the school’s
  archive of unusual objects.
• Koride seemed surpised about much of this revelation, and was unaware of
  the serpentfolk’s involvement. She acknowledges that the “egg” may be
  dangerous, and that it should likely be destroyed. However, all attempts
  to crack, break, or use other methods to open or peer into the “egg” have
  failed. She plans to turn her investigations into discovering a method to
  dispose of the “egg” and render the Magaambya safe once again from its
  strange influence.