Welcome To Wintermoor

Just past the gates is a floating, many limbed creature, similar to an octopus however this beast has substantially more appendages.

As you approach it reaches down one of its many limbs to offer you a pamphlet.

Taking it you skim the pages, it presents several students enjoying the various facilities the academy provides.

You figure it’s in your best interest to actually read the pamphlet as opposed to skimming.

“Here in Wintermoor we prefer to be more flexible with our curriculum, consequently any student may visit any class within their learning level”

“Outside of classes there is much to do, explore the shops, where you can find anything you could ever want and more or why not sate your academic hunger at the library which is open at all hours?”

“For our more senior students, clubs are open once again offering everything from psychic chess, card wars, ship battles and more! Just ensure that these activities are performed within sight of our campus security which will serve as watcher”

“However in Wintermoor there are rules to be followed, most of which should be readily apparent but aside from those, students are strongly advised not to step foot on the islands around the academy grounds as we have no control over what happens out there.”

It’s odd that no one in the most prestigious magic academy in known existence has decided to take that control.

“For another, no student may carry a physical weapon while on academy grounds without the express permission of a faculty member”

“With that being said, welcome student to Wintermoor Academy!” And with that the pamphlet ends.

You stride through the entrance to a moderately sized town that encircles the academy, so far it seems your on the main avenue however you can see down the road you can see the secondary set of gates that marks the academy grounds themselves.

So you start walking, looking around with no small amount of wonderment, the architecture is everything mashed together, you see towers that stretch so far up that you cannot see the top of them, sturdy walls belonging more so to a castle then a college.

But you also find that many of the buildings are divergent from this standard, you spot pagodas and buildings gilded and serving more as an art piece than a defensible structures.

It seems like the academy town is a patchwork of cultures and purposes just as the student body are.

You pass by a wooden box shaped building that is comparatively small considering the towering spires that surround it.

Along the front of the building just above the primary window is a glamorous multicolored sign stating the stores name.

‘Glimbas Goods!’ You have to imagine that it’s some type of general store, you mark it down on the map you’ve started building in your head.

You continue on, occasionally noting places of interest when suddenly you spot it again.

That small wooden building with the multicolored sign, which is impossible, you’ve been walking in a straight line and somehow you find yourself in front of the very same building.

You move on, not really thinking you’ll get far but more to prove your theory correct.

You make it another 50 feet down the road when suddenly you find yourself in front of the general store.

With a huff you stamp up to the door and push your way inside, if this was some lame, cheesy show to drive business then it isn’t going to work on you.

Those thoughts were pushed out of mind as you push through the door and gaze at the interior.

The store was massive, especially considering its outside dimensions, the rows stretch on in all directions aside from the direction of the door.

Well… calling them rows would be charitable to say the least, the mounds of miscellaneous trinkets had grown so out of control that they’ve toppled over and been compacted into what was essentially a wall of stuff, creating a maze stretching from the front of the store into infinity it seems.

A bell above the door rings and from within the maze you hear a rustling, the tapping of small feet rapidly approaching your position.

Suddenly the noise stops, from atop the maze walls you spot a gnomish woman, seemingly in her early 20s

“Oh, hello! You’re a new face!” She says taking a seat at the edge of the wall, her feet dangling over the ledge.

![]https://imgur.com/gallery/XBZlWFf

“Uh… yeah… this place is….”

“Bigger on the inside? Yeah, I get that a lot, but hey, that’s magic BB! You love it!” She says kicking her legs.

“Like magic that prevents people from passing by your store?” You say somewhat pointedly.

Her face scrunches up in confusion for a moment before realization dawns on her face.

“Ahhhhh right, you’re new here… yeah that’s not my doing, it’s an academy thing, you wanna map? 5 goooooooooold?” She says leaning down over the ledge at you.

You were only able to take 25 gold with you from home, purchasing this map would seriously bite into your cash reserves but this academy is nonsensical with its layout.

As you mull it over in your mind she repeats her offer.