It began as a lighthearted contest beneath the vibrant lanterns of the Rose Stage: a simple game of stacking the college’s mischievous pest mascots to see which team could tower theirs the highest. Onlookers laughed and cheered as small pests clambered over each other, enlarging or vanishing without warning in response to clever illusions. Our investigatory group—always ready for the unexplained—joined in the festivities, unaware they were about to encounter something far more sinister than an overgrown mascot.
A collective hush fell over the crowd the instant a series of unsettling shrieks cut through the air. The stack of pests that had been teetering like a living pyramid suddenly fused together in a tangled mass of fur and sinew. In a heartbeat, it transformed into a snarling, multi-headed beast that combined the worst traits of lion, goat, and even a reptilian maw. Its roar echoed across the Rose Stage, shaking the rows of seats and sending startled students scrambling for cover.
In the chaos, the group fell into a sharp defensive formation, each member drawing upon their unique talents. Arcane fire lit the wooden platform as magical rays scorched the monster’s flank. The air crackled with energy—sometimes revealing swirling daggers that sliced at the creature’s hide, sometimes conjuring ghostly flames that forced it back. Every strike the group landed was met with snapping jaws or raking horns. The creature’s screams were deafening, but the group refused to yield.
Mid-battle, the beast lunged, narrowly missing a vital blow as it wrestled with one of the defenders. Embers and sparks flared, illuminating the fear frozen on each onlooker’s face. But that fear turned to awe as a decisive strike found its mark, unleashing a thunderous ripple of energy. The blast tore the chimera-like creature apart, sending it collapsing in an echoing roar. When the dust settled, what remained were countless ordinary pests scattering into the darkness, as if the abomination had never existed.
With the immediate threat gone, the group’s adrenaline still pulsed with urgency. This was not the first time they had witnessed ordinary objects or creatures unexpectedly morph into sources of danger at student gatherings. Whispers about hooded alchemists and arcane journals had trailed them across campus corridors. Rumors of a malevolent force experimenting with corrupt essences ran rampant, though no concrete proof had yet materialized. Around every corner, the group sensed the presence of someone—or something—deliberately setting these events into motion.
In the eerie stillness after the fight, their thoughts turned to the clues they’d uncovered in recent weeks. They recalled a swamp polluted by strange fluids, healing salves that became corrupted, and haunting markings on long-dead husks of creatures. While none of their discoveries pointed to a single culprit, each fragment of evidence hinted at a deliberate plot: some magic-wielding mind driven to unsettle the college, targeting gatherings of students time and again. The group could not help but feel they were being tested or, worse, toyed with.
Their discussion in the aftermath was tense and hushed. No one was quite certain how to proceed, only that this mystery seemed to lurk in the most unexpected corners of campus—especially when students gathered to celebrate, play, or study in peace. To stand guard forever was impossible, but to do nothing was unthinkable. They resolved to stay vigilant, to share knowledge with anyone who might guide them toward the truth, and to question more critically which forces might be lurking around each corner.
Even as they disbanded from the Rose Stage, their minds lingered on the next major event looming in their schedule: the famed Mage Tower contest, where the entire student body would gather for a grand display of magic and prowess. If a sinister hand was indeed orchestrating these bizarre attacks, it would almost certainly strike there, in front of the biggest audience possible. And this time, they vowed, they would be ready.
Those who had seen the incident on the Rose Stage still whispered nervously later that night, recounting the chilling moment when laughter turned to terror. As for our courageous investigators, they bore the weight of this secretive threat in every step they took back to their dorms. Little did they know just how close they were to crossing paths again with whatever presence lurked behind these unsettling incidents. Until then, they could only watch, prepare, and hope that their combined resolve would be enough to uncover—and withstand—the lurking darkness at Strixhaven.
Recap of Previous Activity Sudden Transformation of the Pest Stack Luna’s Attempt to Shrink the Creature The Chimera Monster Attacks Ophelia’s Scorching Ray Bob’s Warhammer Attempt Krenn’s Flaming Sphere Luna’s Ice Knife and Healing Support Additional Attacks by the Chimera Bob’s Booming Blade Krenn’s Cloud of Daggers Monster’s Defeat Aftermath and Investigation Planning Next Steps Advancement to Level 5Session Notes