Vance's Academy of Adventure

[bwatford]

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VANCE'S ACADEMY OF ADVENTURE

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The below is a summary of your time at the Academy of Adventure, which should help you write appropriate backstories. All characters attended the academy together and were part of the same adventuring team while at the school.

 

The Academy
No finer training can be found, either up or down the Sword Coast, than that of Headmaster Vance’s Academy Of Adventure. The academy is located near the northwestern edge of Lurkwood and falls under the protective shield of nearby Mirabar. Despite its remote location, it is well known throughout the Realms for its quality instruction. As such, it serves as a coveted recruitment pool for many factions such as the Emerald Conclave and Zhentarim.

The school is primarily attended by young adults, although there are also older students as well as the occasional child prodigy. Tuition is expensive, although it is often reduced or waived for promising students. There are a number of ways the characters might have been admitted to the academy. These include:

• The characters might have paid their tuition in full, particularly if they come from a wealthy family.
• The characters might be there because someone from their family is a famous academy alumnus.
• The characters might be there under the sponsorship of a specific faction or mysterious benefactor.
• The characters might have stolen or forged an invitation.

There is much to be learned at the Academy of Adventure, both in and out of the classroom. The curriculum
includes two semesters of instruction. The first semester is focused on combat and the martial arts. The second semester is focused on honing the abilities most useful to an adventurer. Each semester is followed by an exam. In addition to these exams, there are ample extracurricular opportunities. The school year concludes with a comprehensive final exam and graduation.

 

 

Your Training

Semester 1: Swords and Sorcery
The characters attend lectures and training exercises about offense, defense, and strategy.

Semester 2: The Supplementary Soft Arts
The characters continue their training and get the opportunity to put their training to the test by rescuing an imprisoned mage as part of the semester exam.

Comprehensive Final Exam
As their training ends, the characters must prepare for their final exam; stopping the high priest Kalarel from summoning a terrible beast in the Chamber of the Shadow Rift.

Graduation
With their exams behind them, the characters are now ready to graduate. You do remember graduating, don't you? It is all quite a little hazy as you wake up this morning. Is it morning? Where am I?

Your new adventure begins.......

 

Vance's Academy of Adventure

 

[bwatford]

Vignette #1

Group memory returning:

The group remembers each team being promised an individualized graduation and being instructed to arrive at the Pit of Trials at a scheduled time. At midnight due to some convergence in the constellations. 

Yes, you could remember now, two of your instructors Rogahn and Zelligar had told you that this year’s graduation would take place in the evening due to a rare, once-in-a-lifetime, astrological occurrence. The constellation Oghma’s Celestial Scroll will be ascendant, crowned only by a star known as Sune’s Radiance. Rumors had circulated throughout the school that four out of five heroic legends, including Khelben Blackstaff himself, graduated under this fortunate conjunction.

You remember arriving at midnight, the Pit was circled by dozens of robed, motionless figures. Headmaster Vance stood before the circle of runes that you had been to many times for exams and test.  He had beckoned you to enter the circle, he started to speak..... 

The memory is still fuzzy after that....
 

[bwatford]

Headmaster Vance began to speak....

“You have come far in your development and proven yourselves to be apt students with great potential. You have learned all that we can teach you and it is now time for you to leave this university behind and start life anew. Yet, before doing so, we must always remember that just as strength comes only from suffering, so too, life comes only from death.”

At these words, four shadowy figures approached the ring from the opposite side. They step into the ring as the Headmaster continues,

“To graduate, you must perform one last feat. You must earn the life that lies before you. Make no mistake. This is no illusion. This is ‘kill or be killed.’” At these final words, the Headmaster steps outside of the ring. As he does, the runes flare to life, creating a barrier about the arena.

“LIFE ONLY THROUGH DEATH.
KILL OR BE KILLED!”

Again, the memory fades and now being more confused than ever.....

[bwatford]

... You remember the battle versus the shadowy figures that had been set against you at the graduation ceremony. 'One last test' Headmaster Vance had said.  The battle began in earnest, but you remember when the first shadowy figure fell. The shadow that surrounded the figure fell and laying there on the ground was a female lightfoot halfling that you recognized.  You had killed Lidda, the halfling was always fidgety and easily distracted but she had become the friend of your group, as had all the group calling themselves the Iconics. 

You remembered Lidda would often fall asleep in class as she was naturally nocturnal. She particularly enjoyed practicing her sneak attack and routinely hid herself in unusual places, pouncing on passersby while yelling in her comically high-pitched voice, “Sneak attack!”

Now the halfling laid at your feet, dead, as the rest of the shadowy illusion faded the rest of the Iconics, Jozan, Mialee, and Tordek now stood in the place of the shadowy figures you were fighting moments ago.

NO!!!!..... THIS CAN'T BE......

Mialee uttered the words as she looked down at her fallen sister in arms "Why?" As the remaining Iconics screamed in rage and pressed the attack.... 

Again, the memory fades and you are left with only fragments....