From the introduction: A very powerful archmage named Conjure infrequently sends invitations to lesser wizards to join him for a "discussion." These discussions usually coincide with the invited wizard's search for some difficult answer, an answer Conjure always seems to know. The tricky part is that Conjure is a bit of an elitist when it comes to magic, and believes that not every brash young spell-slinger necessarily deserves to wield such power. He believes that if any wizard desires to speak to him, that wizard should first pass a series of dangerous tests, specifically designed to destroy the simple, the foolish, or the unlucky.