The Firejolt Café was abuzz with the excited chatter of students, the clinking of ceramic mugs, and the subtle hum of magical energy that permeated the campus of Strixhaven. The air was rich with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, a perfect setting for the frog race that had quickly become a highlight of the semester.

Luna, her iridescent wings shimmering in the café’s ambient light, fluttered about nervously. She had run out of first-level spell slots, a fact that gnawed at the back of her mind. Undeterred, she cast her gaze towards her frog, a small green creature that seemed more interested in the flies buzzing around than the race itself. With a gentle whisper and a subtle gesture, she used her Beast Bond ability to communicate with it, urging it forward with promises of delicious treats.

Krenn Smith, ever the methodical wizard, stood to the side, his half-elf features composed in deep concentration. He conjured an illusion of a hawk with Prestidigitation, hoping to spur his frog forward with fear. The creature, seeing the menacing bird, leaped ahead in a panicked frenzy. Krenn’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction as his frog gained ground on the others.

Meanwhile, Bob, the sturdy dwarf fighter, found himself embroiled in a different kind of competition. Spotting a random student who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz,” Bob couldn’t resist the urge to heckle. His booming voice echoed through the café, causing the student to falter and his frog to hop only a short distance. Bob’s laughter was infectious, though it did little to mask the competitive spirit that burned within him.

Ophelia, her human sorcerer’s eyes alight with determination, watched the chaos unfold. With a quick incantation, she cast Minor Illusion, aiming to scare Luna’s frog and disrupt her progress. The illusion took form, but Luna, quick to react, used Tensor’s Floating Disk to place her frog on it, flying forward with determination. Yet, the weight of her actions slowed her down, keeping her frog at a frustrating 20-foot distance.

As the race neared its climax, Krenn continued to use Mage Hand to move his frog, outpacing the others with calculated precision. Bob’s heckling became even more fervent, a strange mix of intimidation and humor that left the random student flustered. The finish line loomed, and Krenn, sensing the opportunity for victory, cast Grease on the track, sparing only his lane. The spell caused Ophelia’s cat, carrying its own frog, to slip and slow down, allowing Krenn’s frog to cross the finish line first.

The café erupted in cheers as Krenn was awarded 30 gold pieces, but the victory was short-lived. Suddenly, the frogs began to grow, their bodies expanding to the size of small ponies. The jubilant atmosphere turned to chaos as the giant amphibians started hopping towards the characters, their eyes filled with a predatory gleam.

Luna’s frog, now a towering beast, lunged at Ophelia but missed, its massive jaws snapping shut inches from her. Ophelia retaliated with a Firebolt, but the spell went wide, leaving her vulnerable. Another frog, coached by Krenn, tried to bite him but failed. Bob, seeing the danger, decided to run back to the beginning of the track, but the frogs were relentless.

Krenn managed to hit one of the frogs with a Firebolt, its fiery impact causing the creature to slow. Luna, tapping into her druidic instincts, made an Animal Handling check. She realized the frogs were under a magical compulsion. With a soothing voice and her Beast Bond ability, she promised her frog treats, calming it down and causing it to shrink back to normal size.

The battle raged on. Ophelia’s cat, now swallowed by a giant frog, seemed lost. Bob, using his athletics skill, grabbed one of the frogs, holding it tight as it struggled. Krenn cast Burning Hands on the frog that had swallowed the cat, the intense heat causing it to shrink and release its prey.

As the last of the giant frogs were subdued, the café fell silent. The once-proud frogs were now back to their original sizes, their clothing torn to shreds. Bob noticed a black goo on his hands, a substance that seemed eerily familiar. The group recalled a previous encounter with a similar goo, speculating about a possible link between the chest they had found and the sudden transformation of the frogs.

They debated their next steps, considering whether to report the incident to higher authorities or investigate further. The presence of many witnesses complicated their decision. An investigation check revealed no additional clues, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.

Luna observed the café, noting that the other students and patrons seemed unusually indifferent to the chaos. A perception check revealed that they were actively ignoring the group’s activities, a curious detail that added to the mystery.

The group concluded that there were no suspicious individuals in the café. They discussed the possibility of reporting the incident to Professor Sharpbeak at the Biblioplex, a key administrator and guidance counselor, who might provide some answers.

As the session drew to a close, the group reflected on the strange events. The frogs, the black goo, and the indifferent students all pointed to a deeper mystery. They knew that their journey at Strixhaven was just beginning, with classes to attend, clubs to join, and secrets to uncover.

With a mixture of curiosity and determination, they looked forward to their next adventure, ready to face whatever challenges the magical college had in store for them.

Session Notes
  • The group discusses Shannon’s absence, noting she might be busy unpacking from a camping trip.
  • Barbara suggests proceeding without Shannon, assuming she won’t be able to join.
  • The group talks about playing the game together using laptops and video calls.
  • Seward mentions the difficulty of finding his phone and the inconvenience of walking to get it.
  • The group reminisces about a previous session where they participated in a frog race at the Firejolt Café.
  • Barbara reminds Bill that Bob didn’t want to race a frog.
  • The group discusses the appearance of a random student who looks like the Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz.”
  • Brian confirms he will play for Shannon’s character, Ophelia.
  • The group experiences technical difficulties with their character sheets and inventory management.
  • Barbara’s character, Luna, realizes she is out of first-level spell slots and decides to use her cantrips and Beast Bond ability.
  • Luna uses her Beast Bond to communicate with her frog, encouraging it to jump towards a fly.
  • Krenn Smith, played by Seward, uses Prestidigitation to create an illusion of a hawk to scare his frog forward.
  • Brian explains the limitations of Prestidigitation, and Krenn makes a performance check to mimic a hawk.
  • Krenn’s frog hops forward in fear of the illusory hawk.
  • The random student struggles to encourage his frog, which hops only a short distance.
  • Bob, played by Bill, decides to heckle the random student, making an intimidation check.
  • Luna attempts to grab Ophelia’s cat, which is carrying a frog, using an athletics or acrobatics check.
  • Ophelia, played by Brian, retaliates by casting Minor Illusion to scare Luna’s frog.
  • Krenn continues to use Mage Hand to advance his frog 30 feet.
  • The random student, seeing others use magic, also uses Mage Hand to move his frog.
  • Bob continues to heckle the random student, making another intimidation check.
  • Luna uses Tensor’s Floating Disk to place her frog on it and starts running or flying forward.
  • Luna, played by Barbara, is unable to run farther due to having cast a spell and picked up a frog, maintaining a 20-foot distance from it.
  • The DM, Brian, indicates that Ophelia, played by Shannon, is surging her cat forward.
  • Krenn Smith, played by Seward, continues using Mage Hand to move his frog forward.
  • The race is close between Krenn and Ophelia, with a student also participating.
  • Bob, played by Bill, attempts to heckle himself, leading to a humorous moment where he questions his heckling abilities.
  • Luna runs forward as fast as she can, but her frog remains 20 feet behind her.
  • The DM asks Krenn if he wants to interfere with the race, and Krenn decides to cast Grease on the track, except for his lane.
  • The Grease spell causes Ophelia’s cat to slow down, allowing Krenn’s frog to cross the finish line first.
  • Krenn wins the race, and the DM announces a roll-off between Luna and another student for third place.
  • Luna decides to perform an Animal Handling check to get her frog over the finish line.
  • Bob attempts to heckle a student to interfere with their progress.
  • The DM describes the scene of cheering and betting among the students as Krenn is congratulated and awarded 30 gold pieces.
  • Suddenly, the frogs grow to the size of small ponies, causing chaos as they start hopping towards the characters.
  • The DM calls for initiative rolls as the giant frogs begin attacking.
  • The first giant frog, previously carried by Ophelia’s cat, tries to bite the cat but misses.
  • Luna’s frog, now giant, hops past her and attempts to bite Ophelia but also misses.
  • Ophelia retaliates with a Firebolt spell but misses.
  • Another giant frog, coached by Krenn, tries to bite him but misses.
  • Bob decides to run away from the frogs, heading back to the beginning of the track.
  • Krenn successfully hits a frog with a Firebolt, slowing it down.
  • Luna makes an Animal Handling check and realizes the frogs are under a magical compulsion.
  • Luna attempts to calm her frog using her Beast Bond ability, promising it treats for its efforts.
  • Luna successfully calms her frog with a high Animal Handling roll, speaking to it and offering rewards.
  • Luna communicates with a frog, initially feeling its anger and hearing its thoughts about getting flies. She manages to calm it down by offering flies, causing it to shrink back to normal size.
  • Another frog chases after Ophelia’s cat, biting it and pulling it into its mouth with its tongue.
  • Ophelia attempts to shoot a fireball at the frog but misses.
  • A frog near Krenn tries to bite him but misses.
  • Bob starts running away from a frog that chases him. He decides to engage in combat and tries to calm the frog down by grabbing it.
  • Bob successfully grabs the frog using his athletics skill.
  • Krenn uses a firebolt on a frog, hitting it and causing it to shrink back to its original size.
  • Luna attempts to use her quarterstaff to free Ophelia’s cat from the frog’s mouth but rolls a one, failing in her attempt.
  • The frog Bob is holding tries to bite him but fails due to Bob’s strong grip.
  • Ophelia tries another firebolt, hitting the frog but not causing significant damage.
  • The frog swallows Ophelia’s cat, making it disappear from sight.
  • Bob attempts to calm the frog he’s holding by making an animal handling check with advantage and succeeds, causing the frog to shrink back to normal size.
  • Krenn uses burning hands on the frog that swallowed the cat, causing it to shrink back to normal size and release the cat.
  • The combat ends with all frogs subdued and shrunk back to their normal sizes.
  • The frogs’ clothing (suspenders, cloak, hat) is torn to shreds due to their transformation.
  • Bob puts down the frog he was holding, noticing black goo on his hands.
  • The group discusses the black goo, recalling it from a previous encounter with a chest.
  • They speculate about a possible link between the chest and the frogs, considering the goo as a common factor.
  • Bob washes his hands, removing the black goo.
  • The group considers reporting the incident to higher authorities or investigating further.
  • They find that all the frogs have some of the oily substance on them, which wasn’t noticed during the race.
  • The group debates whether to continue investigating or report the incident, noting the presence of many witnesses.
  • They attempt an investigation check but find no additional clues or evidence in the area.
  • The session ends with the group uncertain about why the frogs became giant and aggressive.
  • The group discusses the uncertainty of what triggered the events with the frogs and the trunk, considering various possibilities such as a time delay, a command word, or magic.
  • Seward notes that other students were racing frogs without incident, suggesting the problem was unique to their group.
  • Barbara observes that the café is now empty of other students and patrons, except for a few baristas and some people in a back lounge area who seem to be ignoring the commotion.
  • Barbara rolls a perception check and gets a 19. She observes that the other people in the café are actively ignoring the group’s activities, focusing on their own tasks.
  • The group concludes that there are no suspicious individuals in the café.
  • Barbara mentions that there is no swamp or body of water nearby where the frogs could have come from, though Brian points out there is a river and a lake on campus.
  • The group considers reporting the incident to the head of the college or a security force.
  • Seward suggests questioning people around the café for information on where to report the incident.
  • Brian notes that people in the café are not overly concerned about the frog attack, suggesting that strange occurrences are not unusual at Strixhaven.
  • The group learns that Professor Sharpbeak at the Biblioplex is a key administrator and guidance counselor, and is likely the best person to report the incident to.
  • Seward speculates that the frog attack could have been a test or part of an orientation activity.
  • Brian confirms that the frogs and trunk were real and not illusions, though no one was harmed.
  • The group discusses their next steps, including attending classes, checking into their rooms, and possibly searching for more information about the frogs.
  • Brian explains that the current events are part of the campaign’s introduction and that more will be revealed over time.
  • The group will have the opportunity to choose classes, join clubs, and get jobs on campus in future sessions.
  • Brian mentions that taking classes will involve tests at the end of the term, which will affect the characters’ progress and abilities.
  • Seward expresses interest in obtaining a potion or poison-making textbook.
  • Bill notices that the fireplaces in the Firejolt Café map are animated, which the group finds amusing.
  • The session ends with some light-hearted banter and the group looking forward to the next session.