Episode 1: The Salvaged Job

The white-haired goblin nods, though it still seems to second-guess itself. After a long moment, it says, "Very well.

"There is a tomb. Deep within the woods to the southeast of us." It points to the close-knit wall of trees nearby. "There is a foul and unnatural creature there. Destroy it, and I will lead you to the dog-men."

The white-haired goblin leans on its staff. "I will take you to the tomb, and wait for you there," it says. "You will do this, then?"

The white-haired goblin nods. "Very well," it says, and turns to lead you into the trees.

Before you reach the trees, you pass a few bodies, scaring away the crows. It is easy to see that these men were slain by blade and bow. However, some bodies appear relatively untouched save for a clean slash across their throats, as though they offered no resistance where they stood. These corpses appear lightly dressed for wilderness travel, retaining only thin shirts with cushion at the shoulders and trousers padded at the hips.

The white-haired goblin stops, turning to you all. "I do not know," it says. "If you would rather search for the dog-men and your wagon, I will not force you down this path." It waits for the cue to stop, or to continue.

The goblin looks at you all, then nods. It returns to the path and leads you deeper into the woods.

The forest is dense, thick with undergrowth and twisting trunks that grow close together. The canopy shuts out most of the sunlight and casts dark shadows through every branch and bough. The goblin leads you on a relatively direct path, its small size allowing it to squeeze under fallen logs and through narrow nests of roots and foliage. Coda himself finds little difficulty in keeping up, but the rest of you are often delayed in navigating around these pathways.

You have been traveling for several hours, and the forest begins to encroach into your personal space. The air becomes thick, as though time itself had been arrested and left to fester. There is a hint of peat, but a dank acidic taste overpowers the natural scent of the forest to create an odd and repulsive odor of decay. There is little light here as thick tree branches twist into a weave and block any view of the sky above, while curtains of moss drape downward in stillness.

Now the goblin slows his pace, mindful of the narrowing path. It steps carefully between tree roots, bare feet compressing the wet solidified carpet of fallen leaves. It is at this point that your horses express their nervousness, pulling their heads back and stamping the ground; it is becoming more difficult to get them to move forward. Maribel, however, remains calm, even as her ears are erect and rotate around.

At this point you are forced to secure your horses and Maribel to a nearby tree, as they cannot proceed any further. Indeed, the horses seem unwilling to go with you, resisting against any of your urgings.

The white-haired goblin says, "It is not much farther. Just beyond this next copse." It then disappears between two tree roots, slipping into shadow.

You make your way around and through the trees, and presently see the goblin standing next to two cairns made of chiseled and flattened slabs of rock. The cairns front a solid rise of earth and stone. This mound is topped by a singular tree, thick of trunk and crowed with a tangle of crooked branches adorned with hanging moss. The tree surrounds the mound with a network of dark roots, caressing it like a cage.

The goblin points to a small opening between the roots, where a gap in solid stone can be seen. Even Coda would have to crawl on his hands and knees to enter beyond. "I know not who or what made this," says the goblin, referring to the mound. "But what lies within is not for the realm of the living.

"I shall wait for you here. With your steeds, if that would ease your concerns."