Session 0: In the Beginning ...

[Tribe of One]

Okay, let's get started! We'll begin our adventures some 10-15 years before your first adventure, during your shared childhood in the village.

We'll take things a step at a time, letting everyone post their result from a given step and flesh it out as needed. Feel free to mention potential NPCs or locations on the map as they come up, but when you see an icon (Map = location; Hand = NPC) you must add one or the other, although it doesn't necessarily have to tie in to your most recent roll.

This is also a good time to add connections between your characters. So, if your character was an orphan, perhaps one of the other characters' parents took you in, or your friends brought you food while you lived in the stables, etc. Also, take a look at the map and claim buildings as needed, or note when additional structures not pictured should be added.

Example post

What did your parents do in the village? What did you learn from them?

Tribe is a Would-Be Knight. (4): His family worked a small farm outside the village. Let's say it's the orchard on the north end of the map, between the village and the river. Tribe's family's last name is Sweet. His parents are alive, but his father has a crippled leg from a fall in the orchard -- now Tribe and his many younger siblings are the ones that climb the trees to pick the fruit. Tribe gets +2 Con, +1 Wis, +1 Cha and the Farming skill from his upbringing.

I'm supposed to add a location this turn. The orchard would be enough, but I'm going to add something to it -- when Tribe was a young boy, a man-sized hole opened up between the roots of the oldest tree in the orchard. On a dare, Tribe started to explore below with a rope tied around his waist. He heard the most beautiful music and was about to go further down when his father pulled him back up and then filled in the hole with river stones and mud mixed with holy water from the church.

For your first post:

What did your parents do in the village? What did you learn from them?

[Gamil]

Gamil is a transplant from his dwarven clan. His clan has been observing the humans since they first arrived in the area. Being recorders of history and now human history, Gamil was sent to record events first hand, so that records could be accurate and complete.

His arrival was welcomed by the barkeep John Smiles, who recognized Gamil as the son of famed storyteller and orator, Malcor. John's tavern and Inn, The Smiling Jack is one of a few two story buildings in town.

Gamil got an immediate job tasting John's homemade brews and was introduced to other members of town as he performed at The Smiling Jack every so often.

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[Pender Lumkiss]

Lelya Spriggin, Heir to the legendary Jack Spriggin.

“What did my parents do?” Oh you mean besides venturing to a castle in the sky, slaying Giants and beatimg back a darkness that would leave you shivering as if a cold frost had caked you. Lelya looked at the mountains beyond her families homestead. “Oh that is us right here.”


“My father, ya know Jack, used to take me up into the mountains yonder with our goats. It was hard work, tough work. He taught me the basics of survival. I even spent a night alone up there, just me and the goats.” Lelya smiled very proud of the seemingly unremarkable feat, “You would have to spend a night out there too... Alone to get what I mean. In the dead of night the mountain gets all foggy, and smells to high heven. Nothing happened cause I got my witts... But something, I swear something lives up there.”

[Neil]

What did your parents do in the village? What did you learn from them?

Neil is a Self-Taught Mage. (5): Your father was the local smith and taught you both hammer and bellows.

The town smithy is located on the northeast corner of the town marketplace. Neil grew up there with his father working the forge. As Neil grew older, his mind began absorbing knowledge like a sponge. In an attempt one part to silence Neil's constant questioning and one part to take advantage of his son's keen mind, Neil's father apprenticed him to the forge at a young age. Neil gains +2 Str, +1 Dex, +1 Cha and the Smithing skill from his apprenticeship.

Using scraps from the forge, Neil would often experiment with his metalworking. Some pieces were simply decorative and had no real use. Other pieces were attempts at creating something new and exciting. A few even worked, but his father disapproved of such wastefulness and insisted he focus on learning the trade properly.

---

On the edge of town near the wall there is an abandoned and crumbling tower. The townsfolk's rumors say that it used to be a wizard's tower years past. A superstitious lot, the townsfolk tend to give it a wide berth, so Neil would steal away to the tower to stash his various experiments away from his father's prying eyes. It was also the type of place a curious and foolhardy youth would enjoy exploring.

[Kaya]

Kaya was born on the road, entering the world in a Vistani vardo (a round-topped wagon). Her mother was a fortune-teller and once she was old enough, Kaya would entice giorgios (non-Vistanni) to come and have their fortune read thus allowing her to meet a wide range of people and hear their tales. She would also move through the crowd ensuring that the villagers' purses were noticeably lighter by the time the caravan departed.

When she arrived in the village, she did so with her own vardo and set it up on an empty patch of land. She first earned some coin by dancing at the Smiling Jack Tavern, including the Vistanni traditional evening dance the prastonata. Though the villagers were wary of her at first, and to a degree still are, she slowly gained acceptance for her skills as a healer.

[Vespernys du Lac]

Lady Vespernys du Lac’s parents are the Duke Girard and Duchess Eliane du Lac. They are the rulers of the local area. The family earned their title through force of arms, conquering and defending this area in the name of the southern kingdom, though those connections have long since grown tenuous as the south pulls back more and more from its frontier, leaving the Duke and Duchess to more or less independent governance, though they technically still owe nominal allegiance to the south. But that allegiance cannot any longer be trusted upon to produce the normal feudal obligations a lord owes to his vassals, and only occasionally does a courier come to the village from the south. As times have grown more lean, the Duke retains the taxes he should send south in country. No one has yet to complain.

This strength of arms has long been feted as a family trait, and indeed, Girard du Lac and his younger brother Cormac are strong warriors. But the rock of the family lineage is threatened by the fact that the duke has yet to produce a proper male heir, and with the recent disappearance of the presumptive heir, Cormac, this leaves Vespernys as the next in line for the ducal throne, for which she is woefully underprepared, as military and political lessons were not part of her upbringing, though she has secretly mastered them herself, and currently sits on the high seat in the ducal court.

The family initially lived in a proper stone keep (to the north of the map, across the bridge and the river, on a lake bordering the woods/Weald). This year, due to the increased upkeep costs on the keep, they have moved into the steward’s manor on the northwest side of the village. Because the manor is located right in the village, and the locals don’t have to trudge a mile up to the keep, Vespernys finds that instead of handling their problems locally, the villagers are much more keen to bring their legal squabbles to court.

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One of the ways Vespernys likes to rebel, besides playing with the bow, is going to the Smiling Jack Tavern and getting Kaya to teach her those sultry “foreign” dances she does, to her mother’s shock and horror. She always goes in disguise, both to the tavern or out with her bow, and she thinks know one knows, but I think it’s an amusing village “secret” that everyone is in on. But while such antics may be amusing in a young woman, they are becoming less so now that Vespernys is sitting on the high seat in the absence of her father, and there are rumblings that the woman should “know her place”.

[Halt]

"Halt! When you finish with the hay, come on in. Dinner's ready" Halts mother Lorain was a short, plump woman with auburn hair pulled up in a messy bun.

"Yes mama" A young, and still mostly respectful, Halt shouted back. He quickened his pace in his efforts to distribute hay to the horses in each stall. With 4 brothers and sisters, whoever was last to the dinner table often ended eating the scraps.

Gathered around the table, Halt's family was a noisy but polite bunch. Between the request for more bread or insistence that they must eat their cabbage, Halt's father Torlin noticed something on his son's face.

That's quite the gash Halt... What happened? Torlin asks, a slight suspicion in is tone that didn't go unnoticed by Halt. Luckily he had already prepared a story.

The Du Lac's mare got spooked when the Smith started banging on something right as I passed by the open door. I scratch my face on a tree limb before I was able to calm her down" Halt recites as he pointed eats his food, not making eye contact.

"Ah, I see... Well, she is a temperamental one that mare." Torlin's says, though if Halt were a little older and wiser he would know that his father didn't buy it for a second. "Not so different from the young Miss Du Lac herself if the rumors are true."

Halt misses the rest of his father's comments as he reflects on the events of the day. What had really happened would have gotten Halt extra chores. He had been playing in the Cauham Woods to the west of the village after dropping off the Du Lac's mare. He had come across a particularly tall fir and had climbed it until he breached the canopy completely. View unobstructed, he looked over the forest and spotted a clearing with a bright blue spring shining in the sun. He could barely make them out, but when he squinted he could see that there were diminutive figures playing in the spring. As soon as he spotted them though, they stopped. The one closest to his tree turned and - despite what must have been a mile of distance - looked up directly at where he was sitting in the branches. As soon as it's eyes were on his location he felt a pressure against his head, like a swelling wave from the sea.

Shocked, he let go of his perch and fell backward. It had only taken a few branches to stop his fall, but one had caught him in the face, leaving the scratch that his father saw. He climbed down as quickly as he could and ran all the way back to the village without any sign of whatever he had seen following him.

[Tribe of One]

Great posts so far! I think everyone but Janelle and Layna has weighed in -- those two can still add their info from the first question/background roll as we go.

Next post covers the 2nd and 3rd questions/rolls from your playbooks:

• How did you distinguish yourself as a child?
• The other PCs were your best friends. Who else befriended you while you were growing up?

Note, the 3rd question includes the hand icon, so you should include mention of an interesting NPC in the village -- this could be the person you befriended or someone else.

As before, feel free to make connections to parts of the village map or to other characters and their backstories.

Also, it looks like some of you already covered the content of questions 2 and 3 -- you can skip this post, or riff on something else interesting about your early time in the village. This is all campaign prep, so no pressure.
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[Jaenelle]

Jaenelle is a Student of the Dark Arts (2): Your father was an outcast, rightfully or not.

When a Tender dies without an heir (almost always the case), the young men of the village are called together to draw lots to determine who will become the new Tender. Jaenelle's father was at the upper end of the age range to be eligible, and was a widower with a daughter. Jaenelle inherited the job when her own father passed.

The town is superstitious; Tenders are generally seen as both necessary and strange. As a result, they live in the community, but are apart from it; most of their former friends will avoid them, and the tavern hall grows quiet for a moment when they enter. Business is conducted, when necessary, in short and clipped conversation. This is one reason Tenders are often short-lived; they find the sudden isolation hard, and many become bitter about their fate. Jaenelle is not so afflicted as her father was, though, as she grew up with this life as her norm. In some ways, she enjoys her outsider status as a result. Living this life has given her considerable self-sufficiency; she has +2 Int, +1 Wis, +1 Con,

The Tender, when selected, inherits the cottage at the eastern edge of the village. It's one of the few all-wood dwellings in the settlement, and is thus often in a state of disrepair. The roof currently is missing a large bit of thatch; it's not too bad right now, but she will need to get it fixed before the rainy season. It contains a locked chest, watertight, that has books to teach the new Tender how to perform their duties (the books have considerable illustration, in case the new Tender is illiterate, but there are also journals and such kept by those Tenders who knew how to read and write). The key to the chest is passed to the new Tender when lots are drawn.

Her cottage's proximity to the old "Wizard's Tower" made it almost a given that she would see Neil going to and from there, and occasionally the two youths would chat when their respective fathers were not paying attention. Neil's own curiosity led her to start reading the books in the Tender's chest long before she was expected to.

[Kaya]

As a child, Kaya was often able to go unnoticed by adults. This often enabled her to be in a position to eavesdrop and listen in on hushed conversations, leading her to hear things that weren't meant for her or others. She used to put this to good effect on giorgios, then feeding titbits to her mother to weave into her own fortune telling to tailor it for specific people.

As the caravan was often on the move, Kaya had to find other means of occupying her time during the long and wary hours that the vardo spent rattling along the roads. She started collecting bits of off-cuts from the wainwright, pieces that he had no use for and would've otherwise ended up as firewood. Then with a knife she used to spend hours practising carving these bits of wood, which the wainwright used to buy to use as decorative pieces on other wagons he made. It still brings a small amount of pride when she sees a vardo or another wagon sporting the carvings she'd done as a child.

[Vespernys du Lac]

It was hard not to be distinguished in the village when you were the lord’s daughter. There were the requisite occasions when Vespernys was stuffed into a gown and trotted out for official functions, forced to sit still and not pull at her hair in their too-tight braids wrapped around her head. As soon as she could, she would be out of the gown and into a common dress (for Vesper, common was a lot nicer than others) and climbing trees or playing in the stables or at the pond or -- and she got in trouble for this -- exploring the abandoned mine on the southwest side of the village (see map).

All that ended as she grew older, turning into a beautiful young woman. Then she was forced to stay in her pretty dresses. No more running around with the village boys. So she took to running around with her father’s men-at-arms.

Wanting to improve her strength to draw her bow and wield a sword, Vesper would sneak down from the keep, walk a mile to the village, and work the bellows for the blacksmith’s apprentice. The village smith wouldn’t tell tales to her mother like the keep’s smith might. She also learned to do simple jobs, like nails and things. It often left her sooty and dirty, but a quicky dip by moonlight in the pond would clean her up, and then she would hurry back to the keep to lie abed until noon like a proper lady. The blacksmith’s apprentice was a broad shouldered, muscled young woman Vesper’s age named Cesara Gomez. Vesper would give her tips on hair and makeup and how to be a lady, and often brought her old dresses to alter for her to wear, especially helpful when she wanted a beau.

[Tribe of One]

Bumping this post, and moving things along: If you haven't already, go ahead and post your results for the first three questions on your playbook, which typically are along the lines of:

• What did your parents do; what did you learn? (Note, this question includes a map icon, so you should mention a specific location for the map, such as where you grew up)
• How did you distinguish yourself as a child?
• Who else in the village befriended you? (This question includes a hand icon, so you should mention/create a specific NPC)

You can also post results for the remaining questions, which generally relate to how you learned your profession, an event involving a friend, and a special item or possession that is significant to you. Usually, the second question about your career will have a map icon, so include a related location for that one, and the final question will have a hand icon, so mention an NPC there.

No need to get super-detailed, here these backgrounds will help flesh out the setting, and the NPCs and locations all go on a table that I will use to make personal connections as your adventures unfold.

[Pender Lumkiss]

I used to go up into the nearby mountain with my dad and tend to our herd of sheep. I remember, we had some good laughs up in those misty mountains. My dad even built a cabin up there for when the weather was foul.

As a kid, I was always a good listener. I really was able to feel the pain of someone else's heart break, or the joy of an unexpected triumph. Folks just would sit down next to me knowing they had a friend that could share in their lives.

Next door there was this old Widow. Super creepy, frayed brown hair, a crooked nose, and spindly fingers. Miss Droolgoo I think her name was. My dad had me go over to her house and help out with chirses every week on Wednesday. Gosh, I hated it at first... Her house was filled with junk and weird baubles. But after a few months, I actually came to look forward to Wednesday because while I cleaned she would take a bauble down and tell me the story of how she had come by it. I don’t know if they were Tall tails but each story was a grand adventure that made me want the same.

[Jaenelle]

Second Question

7 You solved everyone else’s problems, and never mentioned your own.

Jaenelle's father started her training young. "Tending is more than just dealing with the dead. Making sure folks rest easy is an easier task when you help them take care of business in life, you see? So Tend to the living, too."

A curious side-effect of social invisibility--after awhile, people act as if you truly didn't exist. If you're observant, and patient, you can thus learn a great deal about your neighbors, simply because they let their guards down around you. So she would go about the town, observing and listening, seeing where there was need--particularly the sort of needs that people might die with regrets about.

Sometimes it was simple--give a little nudge to the lad who clearly has a crush on a young lady wo he never feels regret, or make sure someone checks in on Widow Helmsly from time to time so she doesn't die feeling alone and abandoned. Sometimes it was trickier--making sure the noble's former captain of the guard (a good woman, if perhaps rough around the edges) was passing by the house of Thomas Creighton when Thomas was deep in the bottle and laying into his wife and kids with his crook, for instance. Captain Macron had reacted much as her father told Jaenelle she would, stepping in and making it clear to the man that such behavior was unacceptable.

****************************

Third Question

The other player characters were your best friends. Who else in the village befriended you while you were growing up?
The grizzled mercenary who settled in town taught you a thing or two.

"Again!" Wooden sword in hand, Jaenelle complied with the one-eyed woman's command, going through the motions one after the other--parry, cut, parry, thrust. They'd been doing this for a few months, now, whenever Jaenelle could slip away across the bridge--the offer to train her had been made spontaneously, immediately following the incident with Creighton. "If yer gonna be stickin' your nose in other folks' business, lass, you need to make sure you can fend for yerself when they decide to return the favor." Jaenelle had blushed, a bit--she was used to the villagers at least pretending not to notice her, so being caught red-handed tweaking things left her a bit off-balance.

Alice Macron had retired only a few years ago, and then only at the lord's insistence. It was clear the old soldier was bored--taking a cottage outside the Wall was just tempting fate, for one, but thus far she'd managed well enough. When she realized Jaenelle had manipulated her into dealing with Creighton, she'd told the girl brusquely to come along, and the first session had started that day.

Jaenelle found the physical exertion a bit tiring, but at the same time, it was something new to her, and the novelty was enough to keep her coming back. She had some degree of talent, and could now go through a full sequence without ending up flat on her back (usually). She decided to try a more direct approach on a subject she'd previously only brought up tangentially.

"Next month's my fifteenth birthday, you know. I was wondering--when do you think I might be able to get a real sword?"

Macron cracked a crafty smirk. "Been feelin' your oats, eh? Well, as it so happens, I've got a little shopping expedition of sorts, in mind. It even ties in with your other duties, so your pa can't be too objectionable about it."

Jaenelle blinked in surprise. "A... shopping trip that deals with Tending? Okay, you've lost me."

The old woman just gave her creaky laugh. "Oh, don't worry, lass, you'll see in good time. Now.... Again!"

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Macron in her younger days:

[Vespernys du Lac]

The answers to Vesper's questions are on her character sheet, but here are the locations and NPCs:

Location: Temple to the Lord and Lady. Two story building with the round upper window southeast of the lord's manor/northeast of Kaya's wagon. Eldris and Dreya are the two main gods of the old kingdom that extended up into this area. They are usually referred to as the Lord and Lady by almost everyone. Lord Eldris represents law, civilization, the works of man, nobility, honor. His wife Lady Dreya represents nature, agriculture, fertility, the home, childbirth. They are by no means the only gods in the pantheon or worshiped by others. But most others usually fall into the "court" of the Lord and Lady, so that the temple has small shrines to others, or people have them in their homes.

NPC: Handmaid Dynia is the local priestess of the temple. She is relatively young, in her late twenties, and quite the eligible young lady, though so far she has refused the attentions of suitors. She is the niece of the previous priest, who passed last winter.

Handmaid Dynia

[Kaya]

As she blossomed into womanhood, Kaya began to be noticed and chased by some of the boys in the village. Whenever she danced at the Smiling Jack Tavern she regularly drew crowds of young men, many of whom would try their luck especially after a print or two inside of them. Kaya found these would-be drunken suitors useful as a bit of sweet talking on her part helped waggle tongues already loosened by drink and allowed her to learn some juicy gossip. Sweet talking was about as far as it went as anyone trying to push their luck soon found themselves being assisted out of the tavern.

She still missed life on the road with her caravan, though the old seer Madame Orla had tasked her with keeping watch over the village of Hirstwall against some grave threat. Kaya wasn't keen on the idea of settling down in one location, though the old seer was highly regarded in her tribe and it was out of respect that Kaya had agreed to do it. Though as a reminder of her people and her heritage she did have a curious silver amulet that had been passed down from mother to daughter for generations, its origins were lost to the sands of time and it bore carved runes that still remained a mystery to Kaya.

[Gamil]

As she blossomed into womanhood, Kaya began to be noticed and chased by some of the boys in the village. Whenever she danced at the Smiling Jack Tavern she regularly drew crowds of young men, many of whom would try their luck especially after a print or two inside of them. Kaya found these would-be drunken suitors useful as a bit of sweet talking on her part helped waggle tongues already loosened by drink and allowed her to learn some juicy gossip. Sweet talking was about as far as it went as anyone trying to push their luck soon found themselves being assisted out of the tavern.

Many a night, Gamil could be found working in the Smiling Jack. Many a night, it was he who would turn out the sorry love struck sots. He never said much to @Kaya about it but he was all ears when a good story would come by.

She still missed life on the road with her caravan, though the old seer Madame Orla had tasked her with keeping watch over the village of Hirstwall against some grave threat. Kaya wasn't keen on the idea of settling down in one location, though the old seer was highly regarded in her tribe and it was out of respect that Kaya had agreed to do it. Though as a reminder of her people and her heritage she did have a curious silver amulet that had been passed down from mother to daughter for generations, its origins were lost to the sands of time and it bore carved runes that still remained a mystery to Kaya.

Though Kaya never mentioned the charge from Madame Orla, he was surorised when Kaya's caravan left early one morning with Kaya waving from the doorstep of the Smiling Jack. There were times when he would catch Kaya fiddling with her silver amulet, which hung around her neck. The amulet looked fairly old and well worn, though Gamil detected the cuts of runes or glyphs in the polished silver surface.

Gamil just had not had the courage to ask Kaya about the locket.

[Neil]

Question 2
How did you distinguish yourself as a Child?
No secret escaped you. (+2 Int, +1 Dex)
This is covered by my first post; his great intellect let him pick up many skills and learn much knowledge. His tinkering only helped him learn more.

---

Question 3
The other player characters were your best friends. Who else in the village befriended you while you were growing up?
You are about to marry into the Miller’s family. (+2 Wis, +1 Str)

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Priscilla Miller was pretty but not unusually so. However, she had a huge heart and warm smile that made her the most beautiful of all to Neil. Normally an unreserved youth, he had a difficult time speaking plainly to Priscilla. Had she not taken the initiative, they may not be engaged today. She began finding ways to spend time with Neil, and he eventually caught on that there was opportunity for more than friendship.

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The Millers were an important family in the village, however, because not only did they mill and distribute the towns grain, their large storehouse had room for surplus. Much of the trade through the town went through the Miller and his storehouse. Marrying into the Miller family was a big deal, and at first Priscilla's father was not enthusiastic about their budding relationship.

Their love blossomed, and Neil would eventually ask the Miller for his daughter's hand in marriage. Neil proved himself worthy to the Priscilla's father. Not only was Neil a capable Smith, but the marriage between Neil and Priscilla would also bring the Smith and Miller families closer together - and potentially increase business.

Beyond that, Priscella's father spent time teaching Neil at the family's windmill outside town. In fact, Neil picked up a little bit of practically anything showed to him. Even Neil's magic could have its uses for a merchant. The old man came to acknowledge that Neil was a talented lad and worthy of his daughter. The two seemed happy with one another, so he caved and agreed to the engagement.

---

Question 4
Who wrote your precious book of magic?
Binodo, a great archmage from the Sunken Kingdom. (+3 Int, Skill: Forbidden Knowledge)

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While exploring the abandoned tower on the edge of town, Neil discovered shelves of books written in many different languages, some ancient. Somehow well-preserved, Neil picked one at random and began the long process of deciphering it. As he did so, he discovered that it was a tome of magic! The archmage Binodo from the ancient Sunken Kingdom penned the book, Binodo's Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Illusion.

Inside it were the secrets of magic. Neil had to work backwards from the translated fundamentals of illusion in order to teach himself how to call upon the forces of magic. Binodo's tome was meant to teach those who had already grasped the basics of magic. With a lot of experimentation and no small amount of talent, Neil was able to conjure his first Magelight.

From there, Neil shored up what he had taught himself then delved headfirst into Binodo's teachings. Illusion magic seemed to jump off the pages and into Neil's mind. Illusion was the only magic Neil knew, and although he was self-taught, the town gained itself a new wizard.

---

Question 5
What sort of mage was the author of the book?
A clever illusionist. You learned the following magics: the spell Greater Illusion, the ritual Wizard’s Mark, and the cantrip Glamour Weaving. (+2 Cha)
Mostly answered above, IMO. Also, the Sunken Kingdom as a location was introduced in the other thread. Little would be known of Binodo. From the book, he was able to clearly describe the principles of illusion magic (and detailed enough for Neil to teach himself the basics from an intermediate level book). He used a few witty examples for his students, too. But otherwise, Binodo and the Sunken Kingdom are both long gone.

---

Question 6
A spirit of Chaos was drawn by your power. How did you fight it off? The player to your right was there with you. (Layna)
You stood behind the wall of your power until it grew weak. The friend to your right learned a lot from your brave stand, and gains +1 Int. (+2 Int, Spell: Mystical Shield)

Layna was interested in seeing how Neil could use his illusion magic. The possibilities that exist between a skilled thief and an illusionist are probably endless. Eager to show off his magic, Neil innocently obliged her. They agreed to meet outside the wall at midnight.

Time got away from both of them, and the pair talked while Neil demonstrated his Illusion. The steady flow of magic attracted a terrible spirit of Chaos! Not a warrior nor skilled with any other school of magic, Neil defended Layla and himself through the only means at his disposal: Illusion.

Neil conjured up a veritable army of Laylas and Neils. The pair danced through the illusions, staying away from the spirit as it attacked and destroyed illusion after illusion. The effort eventually weakened it, and as the sun began to rise over the horizon the spirit of Chaos fled back into the woods.

---

Question 7
A real wizard from the south passed through the village when you came of age. What did he think of you?
He inducted you into his secret order. (+2 Wis, a Wizard's Staff)

The wizard was in town when rumors of Neil chasing off the spirit of Chaos spread. Intrigued, the wizard sought Neil out. The two discussed many things, and Neil demonstrated his illusion magic. Impressed by the younger man's talent, the wizard gave Neil a staff and inducted him into a secret order.

The order researched the magic of the woods and the wards that keep it at bay. Neil's home was located at the edge of the wood, so it was an ideal situation for an inductee. While exploring the woods and learning of its magic, the staff would gradually absorb ambient magic from the woods. However, it would also absorb magic from Neil. Once it was filled with the two magics, the staff would be complete. Once that day comes, the staff will prove him an active and productive member of the secret order, but it would also serve as a functional wizard's staff with some wonderful power at Neil's disposal.