Rumple Pumblechook is a man of reputation. That is all. Few people have met him or in anyway interacted with him over the past two and a half centuries. Yet everyone, particularly in Glitterhovel know of him. He has trained young wizards for decades. He never takes on more than one student at a time. He only accepts the best and the brightest into his tutelage.

Teriadoc is the latest and Rumple believes possibly his best pupil to date. He has been up all morning preparing a package to give Terry as a gift. He is saddened knowing that Terry, as he calls him, will be moving on so quickly, however, that sadness is overshadowed by the sense of pride he feels for having trained such an astute young mage.

He looks around his remarkably spacious hermitage. It is located twenty feet below a fantastically beautiful weeping Willow tree, that commands a small glade on a grassy hilltop. It is a rare open sky space in the Black Forest. The entrance to the hovel is hidden in plain site as gnomes tend to do. It leads to a set of stairs, cramped even for a gnome, that descend into the large one room hovel. The place is filled with chests and furnishings, candles and lamps, books and shelves, tables and chairs and a fair amount of art work. It's colorful and whimsical, and smells of odd yet not unpleasant odors; chemicals and incense, mixed with breakfast and flora. Several small rodents run about with free reign of the place, each known by name to Rumple.

Any minute now, his student would be arriving and he wanted the place to look nice, it didn't, oh well. There is a knock at the door.

"Come in Terry, young man, come in and find a seat. Today is a big day!"

Terry, not sure what all the fuss is about enters the room and closes the door behind him.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:06, Fri 22 Mar.

Terry pulls back the hood of his cloak from his tussled brown hair and smiles warmly at his teacher. "Good morning Master Pumblechook, how are you today? Ma has given me some apples for you and says that the cider will be ready in a few days. So what are we doing today?" Terry offers a bright red apple from his sachel then hastens to get a chair for Rumple and then brings one over to sit in himself.


DM note: Nice first post. Just remember to write in present tense. I edited your post accordingly.


This message was last edited by the GM at 10:33, Sat 23 Mar.

Rumple beams at his student. The old teacher is an odd old bird. He is a bit of an enigma. Though he is a hermit by all accounts, if he takes a shine to you, he is extremely cheerful and welcoming. To others he is much more aloof and cautious. Terry is not only one of his best pupils, but also the kindest, and Rumple responds very warmly to this student's thoughtful overture.

"Come in Terry! Oh how wonderful they look. If your mother is half as lovely on the eyes as her cider is lovely on the nose and tongue, she must truly be a beauty. Thank you, thank you."

He takes the seat offered and smiles sadly at his student.

"Today is a big day Teriadoc Proudfoot. You see I have done all I can do for you. I have taught you everything you need to know to be an arcanist, a wizard. You are ready. In order for you to progress it is time for you to leave and explore the world. Use your skills practically. Learn new ways of implementing common spells to solve real problems. Its time for you to gain experience. I have a gift for the occasion,  I dont do this for all my students, but you and your ma have been so generous to me, and you mean a great deal to me Terry. Here"

He hands Terry a small leather reagent Pouch, that has a clever gnomish clip that is spring loaded and will clip firmly to a belt or article of clothing.

"Its pre-loaded with all the reagents you need for several castings of all your spells. It also contains everything you need to summon your familiar. Except this."

He rises, walks across the room to a table and retrieves an ornate brass bowl. He brings it to Terry and hands it to him.

"Take this as well. You can return it after you have cast the spell. Its a simple but time consuming spell. The incantations and gestures are in your spellbook and require an entire day to cast. For highest success you must cast the spell in an area that is most comfortable for the type of familiar you are summoning. It makes their transition less confusing."

Rumple rises to offer his beloved student a warm embrace.

"Thank you Terry for being a brilliant protege. Come back when you're ready for more advanced arcana. I will always be here for you."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:18, Sat 23 Mar.

Terry is over joyed by this announcement, to him this is the final test of his apprenticeship and his first true steps on his path to standing tall as a man in his own right. He takes the pouch and fastens it to his belt and takes the bowl which he carefully stows in his satchel. He then steps forward and hugs Pumblechook, briefly but firmly before stepping back. "Thank you master! I will take my time and do this right, in two days I hope to return this loan and introduce you to my new compatriot!"

Turning quickly to conceal his emotions Terry prepares to return the chairs to their places, his mind already churning with ideas about the ritual he is to perform and precautions he will attempt to make.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:21, Sun 24 Mar.

The teacher swallows a lump in his throat, smiles warmly. He sees his pupil is anxious to get started and is nervous too. Terry is a brilliant student and will make a masterful wizard but he is young, very young, and he still needs advice.

"Dont run off so quickly. We may not see each other for awhile. You must have questions? What type of familiar are you planning to target? Celestials can be particular about being summoned. Sometimes,  they resist. Making them comfortable makes it much easier to compel them."

He makes room on his lap as a previously unseen weasle jumps into his lap and makes itself comfortable. There are numerous rodents scampering about, but this one is clearly special.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:03, Sun 24 Mar.

Terry's mind had leapt forward like a herd of wild horses and as such it took a strong hand to reign it in. Taking a seat next to his master his mind now races as he explores what he believes he knows about summoning a familiar. "I have thought for a while that the best familiar for me would be a mammal that burrows as our people have an affinity with such creatures. I have heard that familiars are far smarter than regular creatures of their species and while I've heard that powerful mages can speak with their familiars I don't want to wait, I want to be able to confide in it, share my dreams with it as soon as I meet it. The only suitable local animal I know of is a badger but I have read about a foreign creature called a wombat which is much less aggressive yet surprisingly tough and agile."

"As such my plan was to find a clearing just within the forest where such an animal might be at ease, I know one near my uncles farm and perform the ritual there. As I have been warned my whole life to be careful beyond the towns borders and during the ritual I would be vulnerable so I was going to ask some of my cousins to keep watch and hire a couple of guards the be at the ready. Between the threats of our world and the stories of the inexperienced accidently summoning more than they bargained for I will exercise extreme caution."

"You've just mentioned attempting to summon a celestial creature and that is really exciting. As you know I find infernal and abyssal creatures unnerving and I mistrust the fey but I hold celestial beings in the highest regard. I was under the impression that a mage needs to amass some wealth, considerable power and do in depth research to be able to summon aberrations or extra dimensional creatures. I am tempted to wait until I am more powerful and attempt to summon a creature called a psuedo dragon, I can speak draconic and would love to befriend such a creature but I think its better to attract a familiar now as it would be wonderfully useful to have one when I start travelling. Master, do you think that I could try to attract a celestial wombat?"

The old mage smiles ad he sees the youthful excitement of his student. A first familiar is a big moment in a wizards life. It's new and very exciting.

"You would be surprised to know I have had a chance to meet a few wombats in my day. Never a celestial one but normal beasts. Lovely chaps really. Devilishly clever at navigating underground they are. I have no doubt you could summon a celestial one. As far as security for your casting, I see no reason why you shouldn't do it right outside here. The kobold know to stear clear of this area. As for wolves and such, Winston here is an excellent watchman. If he is watching, then so am I. If you get into trouble. I can lend a hand."

Terry's eyes narrow at the mention of Kobolds, they're almost as despicable as goblins and have claimed the lives of several Proudfeet over the years. Like a cloud across the face of the sun the anger passes Terry's face and he beams at Winston the Weasel. "With Winston there and so close to your home I'm sure everything will go perfectly. Should I go tell Ma that I'll be here over night and then start the ritual after lunch?"

"You can begin whenever you are ready. As you know, the ritual requires 24 hours to complete, exactly. Your summoned familiar will arive at that time. You should consider this when choosing when to begin. Return here to let me know when you are starting. If you have any questions before you begin, just ask. Tell your Ma thank you for the apples."

Terry tries to think of what timing might positively effect his attempt. "I have read that wombats are nocturnal so I think it would be best to try to summon one a while after dusk, that way my new friend will have awoken and satisfied its needs, hopefully putting it in a good mood when it feels the call. I'll go now and rest up then come back this evening, I'll thank ma for the apples and hopefully she'll be able to spare us some supper. See you tonight master!"

Unable to think of anything better to do Terry heads home, chats with his family in their burrow on Willow way and rests throughout the afternoon. With a freshly baked pie and a loaded crossbow Terry returns to Pumblechooks hermitage. Terry ensures that he has the basics of the ritual confirmed to memory over pie, then accompanied by Winston he will commence the ritual.


GM Note: I edited verb tenses. It's no big deal and I don't mind doing it. Notice the difference though. Rather then say what your PC will do, tell me what he is doing. Nice job with content. This will be fun.

This message was last edited by the GM at 22:47, Tue 26 Mar.

After enjoying the pie, Rumple gives Winston some silent instructions then insures Terry that he should be perfectly safe with his casting as long as he is close to this tree. If there is any trouble he will come.

"Keep casting. Trust Winston. If you lose focus. You can pause and restart, but dont cut anything off. Its better to repeat a section than to do it inadequately."

Winston jumps off of Rumple's lap and rushes to the door, waiting for it to be opened.

Opening the door so Winston can lead the way Terry smiles at his master then heads out. Winston chooses a place that feels right. Terry finds a familiar smooth rock for a seat and sets up the brazier. He then gathers some roots that have broken free of the ground and returns to the brazier. Setting the crossbow within easy reach he then lays out the pouch that Pumblechook gave him near the brazier. He places several roots in the brazier as fuel and takes the first of the herbs from the pouch. He casts prestidigitation and takes a deep breath to steady his heart.

With a slow steady flame from his finger tips he lights the roots and herbs in the brazier. Lowering his voice he starts chanting in Draconic, accented with the tonality of copper dragons. It is a slow, simple chant that brings to mind a hand brushing through rich earth and Terry settles down on his rock, cloak wrapped around his body and head bobbing to its gentle rhythm. Over the coming day he will sink into his trance, occasionally feeding herbs and other materials from the pouch into the fire and will envision a squat, furry, noble little wombat that glows with a golden light. He hopes that such a wonderful creature might be tempted to leave its life in the celestial planes for an adventure holiday in the material dimension.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:36, Thu 28 Mar.

Winston, inquisitive as always, scouts out the entire area then finds a vantage point on a low tree branch that gives him a good view of the proceedings. He occasionally drops down and patrols the area before returning to his vigil. He keeps this up, tirelessly for many hours.

The ritual is going very smoothly, as the night deepens, Terry can hear new sounds around him; night sounds. They challenge his nerve but he trusts Wimston and Pumblechook with his life.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:36, Thu 28 Mar.

Terry continues to chant and slowly add materials from the pouch. He absent mindedly divides the materials into twenty four portions and with an alchemists precision adds one portions worth over the course of each hour. His minds eye is now fixated on the image of a golden flecked marsupial, one ear tracking Winston but otherwise focused on the task at hand.

The night passes slowly at first but as Teriadoc the Wizard becomes more and more focused on his still murky connection with the celestial plain, the night seems to slip away and soon the sun has risen and its light filters through the dense canopy and onto ritual still underway.

Quietly, Rumple opens the door of his hovel and emerges. He does not speak, but observes and smiles as things seem to be progressing perfectly.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:51, Thu 28 Mar.

Terry vaguely notices that night has become day, cold has become warm and that Winston occasionally changes position. He will start to slowly expand the image in his minds eye. Now the wombat glows like a star above and he adds the clearing, a green eye of serenity amidst a sea of possibilities. Amongst those possibilities lies the concept of Pemblechook and Winston, summoner and summoned, mage and companion and at the centre of the clearing he envisions himself, a gentle Gnome quietly sitting on a rock, calling to a friend.

As the ritual. Continues, Teriadoc's focus intensifies to the point that he sees nothing but celestial ether and light. A form is taking shape before him but it remains amorphous, pulsating energy. He hears a voice in his mind. It does not sound like mouthed words but his understanding of the silent words is absolute.

The amorphous blob says,

"Is it me? You want me? Connection is all I seek. Can we be connected? I'm frightened. So strange."

"I can hear you, there is no reason to be frightened. Where you come from feels warm and safe and it will wait for you. If you like I will show you my world and we can explore it together." Terry mentally centres the celestial energy within the fire of the brazier and joyfully basks in it, welcoming its warmth and projecting warmth of his own.

The hours start to fly by as the amorphous blob slowly takes form, becoming a golden flecked wombat. The form floats before the wizard in a light filled dimension only Teriadoc can see. The form exudes joy as their bond strengthens and they begin to feel each other's emotions and hear each other's thoughts. Communication becomes effortless.

The light of day begins to fade.

"I am ready to come to your world. Prepare for me."

Terry feeds the last of the herbs into the brazier. The chant has taken on the rhythm of his rocking and the deep tones of Draconic tongue are almost like a hymn. Without taking his eyes off the wondrous creature he draws an apple from his pocket and reaches out. With a simple offering of food he will project friendship, respect and wordlessly allows himself to be truly open to a deep connection.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:05, Mon 01 Apr.