The First Episode

The first day of the semester for the newly acquainted party.

### The Scavenger Hunt

The party arrive at the Biblioplex and take some time to personally explore the place that will be their second home away from home for the next four years before meeting up shortly before the announcement in the Hall of Oracles. After being introduced to the Biblioplex by a mysterious voice emanating from the Strixhaven Snarl, they are sent on an impromptu scavenger hunt and make quick work of it.

#### The Clues

* *Clue 1. You’ll forget all about any trouble or plight when you step forward and are ensnarled in light.*
* *Clue 2. Alumni commission works when they retire, seeking promising mages to inspire.*
* *Clue 3. Each group deserves a free treat for their investment—serve up this list and enjoy your refreshment.*
* *Clue 4. These leafy beds aren’t always what they seem—give them a pat and see what you glean.*
* *Clue 5. Some stars are ancient, enduring and bright, but others—maybe you!—are born on opening night.*

#### The Strixhaven Snarl

Lucca quickly deduced the first clue must be rferring to the pooled energy beneath the Strixhaven Snarl and directed the party towards it. Oskar put his hand in the light, was overwhelmed with magical energy for a moment and retracted his hand to find a *potion of healing* where it had once been empty. The clue magically crossed itself out.

#### The Art Gallery

The party then proceed to Lucca's deduction of the second clue led the party to the Art Gallery, where Beacon enjoyed an alumni's filter-mirror while Oskar pointedly avoids it and asks a moving portrait of Prismari to paint the party. They do so, and produce miniature paintings along with a pendant enchanted with an at-will *light* cantrip for each party member. Upon Jacky testing the magic of the pendant, the other first years on the Scavenger Hunt mob the echanted portrait to demand their own painting. The clue crosses itself out. Lucca slips away from the group to head to the next clue, the café, almost unnoticed. Jacky lets the party know Lucca has headed out of the gallery, after they all manage to work their way out of the mob.

#### The Biblioplex Cafe

First to arrive on the scene, Lucca sees the café is swamped with first years trying to acquire their next clue, their 'free treat' and that there is only a single employee behind the counter. He witnesses a particularly impatient green-haired girl steal a sandwich out from under the barista's hands and run away with an elf and owlin in tow. The party arrives shortly after. The group decides to prioritize helping the barista, and Oskar and Ruriel go behind the counter to assist. Lucca uses his *thaumaturgy* to cause a distraction and lead some students away. The grateful barista gives the group a concoction of her own making, a *quickaccino.* The clue crosses itself out.

#### The Amphitheatre

Ruriel leads the party to the amphitheatre where other scavenger hunters are putting on a poor performance in order to try satisfy clue 5, to the utter dismay of the crowd and disinterest of Quentillius, a member of the Playactor's Guild. Lucca realises they too shall have to put on an impromptu performance and eavesdropping on an argument between Larine, Hiran and Shuvadri. After some vague planning, the party takes to the stage and puts on a middling to good performance about love, loss and fruit before being interrupted by the scream of Tulip, a gnome who runs on stage to warn the crowd of a mimic in the form of a costume trunk before fainting.

The party quickly dispatch the mimic, which reverts back into a mundane trunk on its defeat. While Ruriel, Beacon and Quentillius keep the crowd from noticing the mimic was not part of the act, Oskar collects some of the acrid, viscous fluid leaking from the defeated trunk. Ruriel, on cursory inspection of the trunk, notices that this black fluid was seemingly slathered onto the inside of the trunk--it isn't immediately clear how someone could do that without anyone noticing, because it smells terrible.

With the performance wrapped up and the clue crossed off, the party bring both Tulip and the trunk backstage and leave Quentillius to apply a *potion of healing.*

#### The Garden Park

The party proceeds to their last clue at the gardens, but see that catching the shrub-dogs on foot will be a nigh impossible task due to their excitement. The party notices a nearby duo, Javenesh and Cadoras, who banter as Javenesh throws a ball for the shrub-dogs without even attempting to catch them. Taking note of the toy, Ruriel attempts to kick the ball in order to join in on the dogs's running and make himself an object to be chased, but fails spectularly and executes a flawless backflip to cover his mistake.

Jacky uses his *magical tinkering* to created a squeaky toy from rags and rubber bands in his backpack, which successfully lures the dogs in and allows the party enough time to win the Scavenger Hunt!

### Treasure

Each party member gained the following items during the Scavenger Hunt:-

* A pendant enchanted with an at-will *light* cantrip, from a portrait in the Art Gallery.
* A *quickaccino* (*potion of speed*) from the grateful barista at the Biblioplex café.
* A spell scroll of Heroism
* A Strixhaven theme travel mug (*magic item - bottle of boundless coffee*)!
* A *cuddly strixhaven mascot* of each of their respective potential colleges!
* A voucher for a free drink at the Bow’s End Tavern!
* +100 gold (per party member)

In addition to these items, Oskar in particular gained:-

* +2 gold from doing a surprisingly excellent job at the café.
* A *potion of healing* from dipping his hand into the well of magical energy below the Strixhaven Snarl.