Introduction

This adventure, designed for three to seven 1st-level characters, is the first in a series of four adventures. It is set in Spelljammer Academy on the island of Nimbral, many miles southwest of the Chultan peninsula in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.

Background
Welcome to Spelljammer Academy! Promising recruits are trained here under the tutelage of experienced spelljammers, who prepare fledgling spacefarers for the perils of Wildspace and the Astral Sea. Cadets learn the finer points of ship-to-ship combat, space exploration, and (in some cases) clandestine operations. The newest batch of recruits has just arrived after a long, arduous sea voyage, but there’s still much to do! Although it’s business as usual at Spelljammer Academy, the new cadets soon learn that strange things are afoot.

The purpose of this adventure is to introduce the characters to Spelljammer Academy and foreshadow an unknown threat.

Overview
This adventure takes approximately two hours to play and is split into three parts:

Part 1: Welcome to Wildspace! The recruits undertake a quick combat trial on the Simulations Deck, so that academy personnel can assess their skills.

Part 2: Academy Orientation. After the simulation, the new cadets receive a crash course on the academy’s purpose and general layout, as they complete a laundry list of tasks to acclimate to their new home.

Part 3: Intruder Alert! The cadets deliver a crate of supplies to Mirt the Merciless, the head of the academy, but discover that their cargo contains a deadly surprise.

Adventure Hooks
All the characters have volunteered, for whatever reason, to join Spelljammer Academy: a shadowy enclave of spellcasters and swords-for-hire situated on the remote and mysterious island of Nimbral. While the characters are still encouraged to develop backstories, they should be looking for adventure with few long-term bonds to tie them to their homelands. The campaign takes the characters to the stars and beyond, and there might be no coming back afterward!

Orientation throws the characters right into the action. To maximize the impact of part 1 of the adventure, you might choose to downplay initial introductions and discussion of the characters’ backstories, bringing up any connections between the characters only after the adventure’s initial encounter has been resolved.