Black Staff Tower

A 10 story tall tall Tower located in the Oak Ward. The tower has a strange illusion about it in which unless you are standing right next to it you cannot see it unless you are explicitly looking for it and pass a perception DC of 13. The tower is made from obsidian and the front door can only be opened by casting a can trip on it.
Inside the walls are painted in many different bright colors and there are many paintings on the walls, portraits of all the previous guild members. A staircase on the side of the building goes up until the next floor. To gain entry onto the second floor you must cast a level 1 spell. to gain entry to the 3rd floor you must cast a 2nd level spell ect.
Dawn will be there to greet the players. If they wish to purchase spells she will sell them, if they wish to talk to the arhmage then she will tell them he is too busy ti speak with strangers off the street. She will tell them to ask the other members of the guild their questions. If they have already done so she will tell them that the archmage will only make time for someone who is an ally to the guild.

The Belgan Chapter

We have a chapter of mages in Belgan. They have reported an unusual amount of undead in the area and some strange interest in a ruin near guild. Knowing that you are all capable warriors we will trust you to go to their guild and help them out.

The war for independence

The mages guild is not directly involved int he war but Dawn can recommend them to the officers of the Vercengex army if they want to fight against the empire. She knows that the party isn't interested in fighting on the front lines, but the officers have some extra work that normal soldiers aren't able to handle.

Grime Cave and the Starlight flower

300g
Dawn needs a flower from Grime Cave. Some of the beehives in the city have been infected with a disease and she needs this flower to cure it. The flowers emits a certain radiant healing energy. If you travel to the deepest parts of Grime Cave you will be able to find the flower.

Danilo's Costume

150g Danilo Thann (Firbolg) Danilo was a young nobleman and aspiring Illusionist . He was about six feet tall and had wavy shoulder-length pale blond hair. Even among the nobles, Danilo's choice of clothing was considered "extravagantly ridiculous." He commonly wore clothes that suit his theme as a dandy and dilettante -- from suits of "walking grape" to the "Ruathym Adventurer garb." Whatever he wore, he was consistently found wearing the height of fashion among the Nobility of Springs Dawn Has need of a rare component for an extremely important enchantment. 2 lunar moth wings. Can be found in Aspen forest. The moth can only be found at night. flying up near the tree tops. Characters must make a DC 16 perception or nature check to find them. Then they figure out a way to get to the lunar moths and grab one. Characters do not learn until later that this is just to make an extremely extravagant costume for a ball

Verto (Teifling)

50g for each participant.
Verto has a spell which he has been working on. He has gone as far as he can with animal test and wants to move onto human trials but hasnt had any volunteers yet. Would you be willing to help me out? The spell can be.. potent so the more people who join the more you can share the load. No less than three people. The spell works by dripping a little of the Shadow fell into your spirit. Once this spell is perfected your body will fall unconscious but your spirit will be able to move through walls, fly, and see into the shadowfell. it will last for as long as I hold concentration on the spell. That is how it is supposed to work but Verto has only cast the spell on rabbits. and they seem to come out of it fine, if a little jumpy. He cant get any good information out of them.
He then takes them back to his quarters where he has the ritual already set up. He will ask them all to sit in chairs and he will cast the spell. This will send them straight to the shadow realm. which will be super dark and super scary and they will hear wacky sounds. They will be attacked by a nighthaunt. if they are defeated by it they will not make death saving throws. They will wake up and roll on the chart below. The effect will last three days. The fight with the nighthaunt will only last 5 rounds until the spell ends and the players are brought back to the
Roll d100 1-20: You have become albino. You gain Sunlight Sensitivity and Superior Darkvision.
21-40: Your eyes developed a reflective tapetum lucidum and they glow like a cat’s when light comes directly at you. Your dark vision is increased by 30 ft.
41-60:At a certain regular time of day (e.g. Midnight), you become ethereal for 1 minute. You are partially connected to the Shadowfell during this time.
61-80:You can possess people’s dreams, causing nightmares.
81-100:Beasts do not trust you and you have disadvantage on all animal handling checks. You have advantage on intimidation checks against beasts.
http://dndspeak.com/2018/05/100-shadowfell-side-effects/

Catnea's Paintings

Catnea is a Halfing with strawberry blonde hair. She is a enchantment wizard who maintains the paintings. Because these paintings are not humans they are very susceptible to invasion by spirits. Every once in a while a painting will become possessed and the poor mage is tormented by unwanted visitors. She takes the party to her study in which a painting is lying on a table A Teifling sitting on a chair in a gazebo next to a lake She pulls up the appropriate number of chairs Casts a spell on everyone so that they enter the painting Fight a level appropriate amount of wraiths and other spiritual enemies

Meeting the Archmage

If the party wants to see the archmage they will need to go through Dawn If they have done the Grime Cave quest, or two other BST quests she will allow them to see Locus. If they have been asking a lot of questions about the underdark, BE, kidnappings, thieves guild, etc then Dawn will take them onto the 3rd floor into a side room with many, many mirrors. Dawn will place each one of them in front of a mirror. The mirrors will react to what the characters say, gleaming bright if they are telling the truth or distorting the image if they are lying. She will ask them why they want to see the arch-mage. Why they want to go to the underdark. If they have any connections to the underdark. She will ask them if they're in league with Black Earth. As long as they don't fuck it up she will allow them to see the arch mage. She will have them stay in the mirror room for a moment. She will be gone nearly an hour while she explains to Locus whats up. Then she will come back and lead them to his office.
Whey walk in Locus will be working at his desk, transcribing an damaged, ancient book into a new blank boom. He is wearing a mask (see link below) over his face and a hood. the hood/cloak is made of very fine material, with beautiful abstract line work all over it. He asks the party what they would loke to know of him.
Locus knows about the Black Earth, that they have been sending their priests up to the surface to recruit people to their cause. They are covertly bringing the recruits underground by the hundreds. They are also in league with the theives guild. They are paying the thieves guild to capture high elves for them. I presume because high elf blood has natural and potent magical energy to it. He can only speculat eon what they are planning. Maybe they want to tal control of the underdark. Maybe they want to conquer the surface. Maybe they have some doomsday device. maybe they are trying to summon Lolth herself.
He knows about the Aspen forest Underdark entrence and about the Yawning Portal.
Locus asks that when the players get to the Underdark they meet up with a few mages he had sent down. They were investigating where the BE came from and what kind of magic they are using. Locus gives them the location of a temple to investigate.
He shares this information with the party because he wants the downfall of BE.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ca/9a/db/ca9adb9c2b5f12fea97a4d59f420f187.jpg

"Light the unknown"

Located in the Oak District

Type

Guild, Mages

Location

Springs Dawn

Archmage Locus is a high elf who hides his identity with a mask and hood.
Second in rank is Dawn, a firbolg druid. SHe is very involved with the bees of Springs Dawn. She wears a big jacket that is usually leaking sap or honey and there are often bees sleeping in her pockets.

Reward for defeating the BE.
Each spellcaster gets an amulet that gives them 1 extra level 2 spell slot per long rest. The non casters get an amulet that gives them 1 cantrip.