The encounters detailed below were designed for a level 5 party.

The Hall of Challenges

1. Entrance – The archway leading into the hall is made of ancient volcanic stone,
carved with arcane glyphs and runes. Magic on this portal prevents the leaves, sand
and grass clippings from the area from entering the hall. On the party’s return, the
magical ward isn’t working and there are leaves in the entrance and on the stairs
down to area 2.
2. Antechamber – Guests here to meet one of the guild elders are invited down the
stairs to area 3. Those here for the challenge are ushered quickly through to area 9.
The chamber is bare stone, perfectly smooth through the use of magic, and there is
a slight depression in the form of a magic circle in the centre of the room (which
does nothing but make people nervous).
3. Memories Hall – This great hall’s ceiling is 35 feet above the floor and there is a
magically lit chandelier (continual light) at each end. 9 feet off the floor on each wall
is a ten foot deep niche, ten feet tall, that extends the length of the room and is
blocked from the room by fine metal bars. Behind these bars are wax dummies and
permanent illusions of some of the most famous members of the guild. Access to
these niches is by a secret door on each side (the bars can be swung open after
depressing a secret stone just behind them). These secret doors are hard to reach
because they are 9 feet off the ground. An assassin or three can hide nicely up there,
waiting amongst the images for the party to pass…
4. Library of Ell – This small library has a hardwood floor and a focused selection of
volumes about the history of the Kale (elves) and various treatises on Kale magics.
The stairs up to area 5 are carpetted and there is a padded chain that hangs across
them to indicate that visitors should not climb there. In the centre of the room is a
golden cage (hanging well over people’s heads – 15 feet off the floor and chained to
the ceiling) containing acockatrice. Of course, the cockatrice is free and angry when
the party returns. It can be met just about anywhere that will prove to be highly
inconvenient for the party.
5. Librarian – This is the quarters of the current guild librarian who acts as
caretaker here. If a member of the guild wishes to study in the Library of Ell, they
are given the position of librarian for the duration (although terms are measured in
months, not weeks or days). Depending on the magic user in question, the room can
be cluttered or bare… When the party returns, the librarian has been slain and his
blood coats his workroom. However he is not at rest, and attacks as a specter.
6. Office and Storage – This room us used as a catch-all. Sometimes it houses
another guild member studying at the Library of Ell. There is always a table and
several comfortable chairs here for going through books and scrolls from the library.
7. Office and Meeting Room – This room is used by guild members needing to
meet prospective members, local politicians and so on. It is ostentatiously appointed
with far too much gold and red in the decor. A larger-than-life statue of the first
grand master of the guild is in an alcove on one wall, and fights as a maximum hit
point Living Statue (Rock) when commanded by a guild member – and attacks
anyone entering this room when the party returns. The secret door to area 8 is only
used when a very exciting challenge is in progress and the librarian or other staff
want to get to the seats with haste.
8. Audience Room – These two rooms connected by a corridor are for guild
members watching the challenge in area 10. The Eastern antechamber is nicely
appointed with small tables and sofas, and is typically well-stocked with wine. The
Western platform looks down over area 10 thirty feet below, and has a set of
comfortable chairs. The doppelgangers are likely to make an appearance here when
the party is in area 10 when they return, sneaking around the circuit of rooms and
the secret door to remain out of sight until an encounter is needed to spice up the
action.
9. Tabard Hall – Those about to be tested don a guild tabbard in this room and are
offered a drink of wine before being ushered down the northern passage. Those here
to watch the show go down the southern passage. The southern passage has a door
to area 8 for most audience members, and also has two chairs and a platform at the
end to watch the proceedings in area 10, thirty feet below. Between the two chairs
up here is a lever that activates the portculis in area 11.
10. The Hall of Challenges – This oval room has a circular ramp that leads down
thirty feet around the outer perimeter of the chamber to a sandy floor. It is in this
hall that the prospective guild member must face down a challenger in a non-lethal
magical contest. This contest is automatically won if the character has researched
any new spells. Otherwise, winning the challenge requires that the character be able
to cast magic user spells, and a roll of 5+ on a d6, adding the character’s
Intelligence bonus to the roll, and 1/3 of the character’s level. When the party
returns, the guildmaster’s cooling body lies on the sand, surrounded by his blood.
11. Holding Area – For some challenges, magical beasts are used. This room is
secured from area 10 by a massive portculis that opens and closes using the lever in
area 9. There are five measly goblins in this room the first time the characters are in
the hall. But in reality, they are five doppelgangerswho have finally escaped and
slain the guildmaster and who now hope to take over the guild in his guise. When the
party returns, the portcullis is jammed and bent (destroyed by another wizard trying
to rescue the guildmaster) and cannot be closed.