The Beginning Begins is the first episode of season 1, Fantasy High.
The cast introduces their characters for the first time and navigates their first day of freshman year at Aguefort Adventuring Academy. They meet various students and faculty, end up in detention together, and prepare to face their first villain.
Introduction[]
"Welcome one and all to Dimension 20. Our cast of players will assume the role of heroic adventurers embarking on a dangerous quest. Our story takes place in the world of Spyre. Spyre mostly conforms to your expectations for a world of swords and sorcery with one notable exception, and that's Elmville. Elmville is a little town in a nation called Solace. Solace may be home to elves, orcs, dwarfs, and gnomes, but it resembles more of a 1950s through 1980s America. There are several schools in Elmville, but our story begins at the Aguefort Adventuring Academy, the world's premiere training ground for would-be heroes. Our story begins with six freshmen on their first day of school, and the first bell's just about to ring. Without any further ado, Dimension 20 proudly presents... Fantasy High!"
Synopsis[]
At Seacaster Manor, half-elf fighter Fabian Seacaster practices his fencing skills with his instructor, Herzon, as his mother, Hallariel Seacaster, watches. Fabian's father, Bill Seacaster, advises Fabian to immediately beat up the biggest and meanest student at school to establish his dominance. Bill also gives him a letter jacket for the bloodrush team, the Aguefort Owlbears, despite the fact that Fabian is not officially on the team yet. Bill informs him that, although Fabian will have to try out as a formality, he has bribed the coach to secure Fabian a spot on the team.
At the Applebees Residence in Elm Valley, human cleric Kristen Applebees prays to Helio, the corn god. Her parents, Mac and Donna Applebees, enter and briefly discuss Kristen's status as a chosen follower of Helio. Mac and Donna express their concern over Kristen's choice to attend Aguefort and encourage her to reconsider Sun Peak, a religious school. Kristen, after calling out her parents for their racist views against non-human races, insists that she wants to attend Aguefort so that she can meet different kinds of people. Begrudgingly accepting her decision, her parents drive her and her brothers, Bucky, Bricker and Cork, to school.
At the Thistlespring Tree in Little Branch, adopted half-orc barbarian Gorgug Thistlespring listens to music and worries about his first day of school as he sits on his broken bed. His gnomish parents, Wilma and Digby, interrupt him and try to cheer him up. Shy and awkward, Gorgug expresses his worries about making friends and the rages he has begun to experience, but his ever-optimistic parents do their best to settle his fears. They fix Gorgug's bed, sing him a song, and give him a metal flower that he can use to make a new friend on his first day.
At the Abernant Home in Clearbrook, high-elf wizard Adaine Abernant eats at the breakfast table with her father, Angwyn, her mother, Arianwen, and her older sister, Aelwyn. Angwyn, the Elvish Ambassador to Solace, mentions the death of the Elven Oracle, which ultimately leads to a fight between Adaine and the rest of her family. Adaine is criticized for her lack of acceptance into Hudol, the prestigious wizard school that Aelwyn attends; Adaine had a panic attack and failed the entrance exam, forcing her to attend Aguefort. Before Adaine leaves, her father gives her an arcane focus - a giant, heavy, glass orb - that she can use at Aguefort for her practical spellcasting. As they leave for school, Aelwyn advises Adaine to steal a book from the restricted section of the library so that she can be accepted into a secret society. Adaine, still angry at Aelwyn, casts Tasha's Hideous Laughter on her, but the spell backfires and hits Adaine instead.
In the run-down Strongtower Luxury Apartments, located in Ballaster, goblin rogue Riz Gukgak continues his investigation into the disappearance of his babysitter, Penny Luckstone. Penny's disappearance is one of four recent cases of female Aguefort students going missing. He reveals that this is why he's especially interested in going to Aguefort; he's eager to search for clues at the school. His mom, Sklonda, arrives home from her late shift as a detective and confronts him about his lack of sleep. She makes them breakfast and gives Riz some advice on making friends, encouraging him to be more casual when interacting with his peers. This advice doesn't seem to get through to Riz as he leaves for school.
At the Faeth Home, tiefling bard Fig Faeth practices bass in her room, hoping to avoid going to school on her first day. Once a happy, popular girl who dressed in bright colors, Fig underwent a dramatic personality change when she sprouted horns and learned that her elven father, Gilear, was not her real father; her mother had an affair with a devil. As this secret destroyed both her parents' marriage and her identity, Fig's style and attitude drastically altered. Now, she dresses in punk clothing, listens to angry music, and is argumentative and rebellious. Fig gets into an argument with her mother, Sandra Lynn, as Sandra Lynn tries to force Fig to go to school. Fig tries to make Sandra Lynn tell her who her father is but ultimately fails. Fig disguises herself as Sandra Lynn and tries to trick Gilear into taking her to meet her father, but he sees through her disguise and drops her off at school.
The members of the party all arrive at the front steps of Aguefort. Fabian, remembering what his father said about dominance, identifies Gorgug as the largest student present and immediately confronts him. Gorgug offers Fabian his metal flower, but Fabian punches him. Kristen tries to intervene and calm Gorgug down, but he goes into a rage and hits Fabian twice as hard. The fight is broken up when Vice Principal Goldenhoard arrives and gives them both detention.
Fig, seeing the commotion, sneaks into the teacher's lounge and tries to steal from the refrigerator in an attempt to get kicked out. She finds a snack and tries to eat it, but Goldenhoard finds her and gives her detention. Fig rejoices, thinking that she's been suspended, but deflates when she realizes she still has to stay at school. The bell rings and everyone files into the gym for the opening day assembly.
Riz meets Penelope Everpetal and Dayne Blayde, two popular seniors who are campaigning to reinstate the tradition of Prom King and Queen. Riz tries to become friends with them but gets dunked into a trashcan and nicknamed "The Ball" by bully Ragh Barkrock. Adaine meets Penelope and unsuccessfully tries to give Penelope her giant, glass orb. Kristen finds Coach Daybreak, a fellow member of her church. While they're talking, a drow goth named Zayn Darkshadow mocks her and knocks her to the ground, sending her bible flying out of her hands.
At the opening assembly, Principal Arthur Aguefort welcomes everyone to Aguefort in a strange, rambling speech about heroism and adventuring. He ends the speech by instructing the students to go to their first classes of the day. Fig skips bard class, finds Lunch Lady Doreen, and tries to become her apprentice. Doreen is nonplussed at first, but Fig plays the drums and ultimately wins her over. They bond, but Doreen convinces Fig to at least try out the classes that Aguefort has to offer.
Adaine walks by the library and remembers her sister's advice to steal a book from the restricted section. She uses Mage Hand to steal a book called "Watches and Wards". She successfully gets the book but immediately has a panic attack in the hallway. Kristen tries to help but accidentally makes Adaine's orb glow with bright light, attracting the attention of Goldenhoard. Adaine immediately confesses to stealing the book. Goldenhoard gives her detention - reluctantly, as he realizes that she's having a panic attack - and instructs Kristen to bring the book to Arthur Aguefort's office.
Fabian goes onto the Bloodrush Field to try out for the Owlbears. Dayne Blayde and Ragh Barkrock, already members of the bloodrush team, immediately dislike Fabian because of his father's reputation as criminal and the fact that Fabian already has a bloodrush jacket. Coach Daybreak, however, is willing to give him a chance to try out. Fabian, cocky and confident as ever, does well in tryouts but decides to take the ball for himself instead of passing to a teammate. He is utterly surprised when Coach Daybreak tells him he didn't make the team. Fabian confronts Daybreak, reminding him of his father's bribe. Daybreak, enraged, tells Fabian that he "has no heart" and that he will never be an Owlbear. He ends his speech by giving Fabian his second detention of the day.
Riz searches for the rogue teacher as a part of his freshman initiation. He becomes distracted when he sees student Sam Nightingale in the parking lot speaking to an older tiefling greaser named Johnny Spells. Riz inserts himself into the conversation and tries to become friends with the couple, largely failing. Penelope Everpetal, Sam's best friend, appears and asks Sam if they can speak privately. Johnny Spells leaves and Riz follows the girls inside.
Penelope and Sam enter the girls' locker room to talk. Riz finds a Dwarven student named Ostentatia Wallace and asks her to go into the locker room and spy on them for him. She agrees to do it in exchange for a teabag stolen from Principal Arthur Aguefort's office. Riz breaks into the office and finds Goldenhoard there. He manages to steal the teabag and escape, but Goldenhoard gives him detention. He returns to Ostentatia and gives her the teabag. She keeps her word and enters the locker room to spy on Penelope and Sam.
Before lunch, Principal Aguefort gives the students the rest of the afternoon to make new friends and create an adventuring party in a tradition known as the "Day of Fellowship". Fabian, Gorgug, Fig, Adaine, and Riz are not allowed to participate in the festivities and are forced to go to detention instead. Coach Daybreak finds Kristen and asks her if she'd like to join an adventuring party with other Helio-worshipping kids; Kristen declines and tells Daybreak that she wants to meet people that are really different from herself. She sees the "bad kids" - the five students being sent to detention - and decides that she wants to hang out with them. Despite Daybreak's reluctance, Kristen convinces him to help her by giving her detention so that she can join the other kids in detention. He gives her detention for "bearing false witness", which concerns their Helioic religion and isn't actually a disciplinary issue, but it gets Kristen into detention.
As they go to lunch, everyone in the group shares what they did to get detention. They get to the lunch line and await a gross meal of creamed corn and tuna surprise. Ragh approaches the group in the lunch line, steals Kristen's bible, and throws it into a vat of creamed corn. Adaine uses Mage Hand to retrieve the book.
After school, the party heads to detention. There, they meet the school's guidance counselor, Mr. Gibbons. Goldenhoard gives them a lecture on how all of them (except for Kristen) are troublemakers. Mr. Gibbons tries to encourage the students to talk about why they got themselves into detention, with mixed results. Suddenly, they hear a scream from down the hallway. The group runs into the cafeteria and finds several Corn Gremlins, a Corn Ooze, and Lunch Lady Doreen, who seems to be possessed by evil magic.
Locations[]
- Seacaster Manor
- Applebees Residence
- Thistlespring Tree
- Abernant Home
- Strongtower Luxury Apartments
- Faeth Home
- Aguefort Adventuring Academy
- Bloodrush Field
Featured Characters[]
The Bad Kids[]
New[]
Mentioned[]
- Cathilda
- Helio
- Pastor Amelia
- Elven Oracle
- Penny Luckstone
- Riz's Dad
- The Nightmare King
- The Aguefort Rogue Teacher