Episode 1: A Helping Hand

"I don't know!" snaps the woman, beginning to move in the direction you all came from. "Anywhere, but there!"

The woman does not stop. "I ain't sticking around to find out!" she says as she passes by some of you, heading up the trail. She seems interested in putting as much distance as possible between herself and the village.

As you leave the woman to her fate, you all proceed down the trail through the woods.

Haesh spies no soldiers in proximity. It seems that as the party travels closer to the village, the dragonborn have swept through the buildings and are collected on the beach, leaving the outlying buildings empty and currently unguarded.

You finally reach the perimeter of the village, stopping just short of the treeline. You can see the gathered crowd surrounded by armored soldiers, and the large dragon sitting regally in the shallow water. You also spy the cloaked figure, though you are unable to see this person's features as they're wrapped in the dark shadow of the hood.

There is movement from the edge of the sand. Two dragonborn are carrying the Skipper between them, each supporting the old woman with gauntlets hooked under the arms. Without the blanket, you notice that the Skipper is missing part of her right arm and left leg. There are clean, unsoiled wrappings at the elbow and knee.

The soldiers carry the Skipper with care, inasmuch as can be done while also holding spears. They bring her into the corral, past the kneeling villagers, and place her gently to a seated position before the cloaked figure. It appears, however, that the Skipper has trouble staying upright, and the dragonborn try their best to help before settling themselves at her flank with their arms supporting her back.

For a moment, the Skipper stares at the cloaked figure, before she finally says something you are unable to hear. If there is a response, the cloaked figure makes no movement. After a pause, the Skipper says something else.

The Skipper appears attentive, inasmuch as she can appear being held upright by two large dragonborn in armor. She nods her head, and says something, continuing a conversation. The figure atop the dragon says something very briefly, and the Skipper replies.

After a pause, the black dragon roars, causing the villagers on the beach to cower and cover their ears. With powerful flaps of its wings, it takes to the air. Sand and mist swirl around everyone, and even the dragonborn soldiers shield and avert their eyes.

Through it all, the cloaked figure remains still. The thrusts of air part the cloak briefly, and you spy a lean and distinctly feminine form dressed in what appears to be a simple shirt, trousers tucked into soft boots, and a robe draped around her waist. More detail is impossible to catch through the swirling debris, and the hood remains over her head.

The dragon gains altitude, then propels itself through the sky in your direction. You tuck yourselves against the trees as it passes overhead, flying towards where you last saw The Red Cutter.

While waiting for Haesh to divulge his observations, you all see the corral of villagers begin to break up. Families are escorted one-by-one to their homes by a pair of dragonborn soldiers until the Skipper is the last to be taken away. The other dragonborn disperse throughout the village once more, but this time it is apparent that they are taking up perimeter positions along the outlying homes. A final two dragonborn stand near the large flat panels that have been left on the beach, presumably to guard their means of arcane access.

The cloaked figure watches all this until she stands alone. She reaches into a small bag at her waist and brings out a plain-looking stone the size of her palm. Now with an unimpeded view, you can see a little more detail and notice her arm is taut with lean muscle, with a decorative band of red and black leather around her bicep. A red and black vambrace of similar design sits around her forearm, and black fingerless gloves surround her hands.

She brings the small stone to the dark interior of her hood, and the gesture reveals a bit of gentle and youthful jawline supporting dark-painted lips and a small nose. The figure seems to speak into the stone briefly, then pause. She replaces the stone into her bag, and the cloak falls around her to conceal her form once again. She walks into the village, disappearing from your view behind a few houses.

You manage to sneak into the village without much trouble, as the draconic presence is very thin thanks to their small numbers. It also appears that the soldiers are more concerned with ensuring that the villagers remain in place.

Reaching the Skipper's house, you see that there is only one dragonborn guard standing at the base of the stairs. You navigate around the back of the house and find the Skipper lying in her bed. She is unharmed and in good health (as good as any elderly person might be without an arm and leg, at least), and is quite surprised to see you.

She seems to instinctively understand your need for stealth, and whispers her conversation. "Boys, it isn't hard to see you aren't in league with Caer Tan. I don't know who you are, but don't worry; I appreciate the help and you've proven yourselves more than anyone else that came before. We won't forget what you've done.

"I'm glad you found the Ottosens. It's a shame they lost Darick and his dad, but at least Nina and her boy are alive. And, thank you for ridding us of those underground monsters. We never explored the caves around here; of course, I reckon things would have been a lot worse had we stumbled upon them without being prepared. But now we should be safe, especially with all them soldiers."

The Skipper seems to think it a joke, regarding Caer Tan's presence. "I somehow doubt they're here because of our messages for help, but I don't know what they want. That little lady said they got reports of strange occurences, but she wasn't specific as to what; just said that they'll be here a while to make sure things are safe, whatever that means."

You cannot help but think back to your encounter with the illithids, and their claims of working against Caer Tan. Are the dragons here because of you, or because of them?

While you speak with the Skipper, the Red Cutter is brought back to the lagoon under the watchful eye of the dragon. The cloaked figure returns to the beach, boards the ship with several dragonborn soldiers, and speaks to Captain Yokgrumli. Once again, you are unable to see what the figure says, but from Yokgrumli's answers you gather that she is asking what the Red Cutter is doing here.

"Aye, just transporting cargo to Wystone," Yokgrumli answers. "Jyehm Cay is a good spot to resupply, and we can maybe get a bit of trade done... Naw, ain't got no passengers no more; we was attacked by pirates out on the open water. Lost some of me crew as well trying to fight 'em off... Well, we ain't been back in port to report it, ma'am, though I'm happy to inform you now about them fish-men and their harpoons. Nasty bit of business, that, and what's worse is I can't get paid for the fare... That's right, sahuagin pirates. Set upon me boat during a storm several days back... No, I didn't see no colors. They just came in right off the squalls, leaping up from the waves... Yeah, me first mate can show you where on the map.

"Actually, I was wondering, if it's all right with you, ma'am, sometimes we get young folk wanting to see the world, sign up as crew. Maybe some of these folk here might like to join on. I mean, assumin' we's free to go, of course..."

It takes some time as the figure conducts an investigation of the Red Cutter, and some contraband is found in secret storage compartments, but evidently Caer Tan considers the crime to be minor enough that only the cargo is confiscated. Eventually, the Red Cutter is released from custody. Permission is also granted for crew to be hired, and the cloaked figure turns her attention to the outlying farms, taking two soldiers with her outside the village proper.

You take the opportunity to put yourselves amongst the villagers, using clothes from the Skipper's house for disguise and packing your weapons and armor in the crates marked as supplies for the Red Cutter. Word has apparently spread of your rescue of the Ottosens, who have also returned, and many secretly give their thanks and pledge their support in whatever way they can.

This support comes soon enough. As the Red Cutter prepares to depart, you are at the front of the line to be hired as crew. The dragonborn soldiers question you, but the villagers vouch for you as residents of Whitburn and you have no trouble boarding the ship. Your equipment is hidden amidst barrels of water and crates of rice and salted fish, and presently you are once again underway across the ocean.

The Red Cutter actually does journey to Wystone in order to fulfill her legitimate contract to deliver cargo, but once free of that obligation, Captain Yokgrumli gladly provides passage back to Eglar. You all pull your weight and assist the crew, and your return voyage sees no trouble from sahuagin pirates or ghost ships.

You return to The Arcadian Rose and report back to Rhiann. She expresses concern about the presence of illithids and their activities, but she doesn't seem surprised. "There are elements out there whose methods are more extreme than others," she says. "I'm glad you managed to stop them. We already have enough trouble with Caer Tan propaganda painting us as terrorists. It sounds as though the village is grateful for the help, even though the dragons showed up later. We can only hope the villagers know the difference."

Morena serves you a hot meal of ginger snapper and spiced cider, accompanied by rye bread with smoky cheese. Precipe even delivers a tray of berry tarts, freshly baked.

"Get some rest," continues Rhiann, wiping down the counter. "If you need some supplies, you're familiar with Orecloak and his store, or you can let me know if there are... other items you're looking for.

"Your next job is going to take you to the Trackless Barren. We have a cell there in the desert; sort of a forward post where agents can rest or resupply, as well as maintain observations of the wilderness. You'll accompany a few others there. Just do what they need you to do, but also keep your own eyes open for whatever is going on, and let me know."

Naozar:
A small group of Turami adventurers arrive, and Rhiann identifies them as Pale agents that are destined for the desert. As you prepare to leave, Morena hands you a small pouch filled with coin and a hefty gem (150 gold and a diamond worth 50 gp). You take a chartered boat out of Eglar for The Tower of the Fallen, then journey on foot through The Desert of the Lost before entering the Trackless Barren.

The adventurers are experienced desert travelers and you pick up the basics for surviving in the harsh terrain; they also teach you some advanced tricks and techniques (you now have Advantage on any Survival checks related to the desert). Under their guidance, you arrive at the camp without encounter.

The first thing you notice about the camp is that it is set within the cliff walls of large mesa, with small portals covered in rock-colored canvas leading to chambers carved from the very rock. This camp is clearly camouflaged not only from casual sight on the ground, but also from the air. All fires for heat and cooking are inside and use a top-down method of wood and kindling to minimize smoke.

The second thing you notice is that the permanent residents are goblins. You see and meet a few humans, half-elves, and even a goliath wandering about, but like your escort they are adventurers that work for the Pale and their presence is temporary.

The goblins do speak a halting and stilted Common, but once they realize you speak Goblin they flood you with questions about the outside world and foist you with the finest goblin cuisine (as per goblinoid standards, that is). You learn that these goblins are a tribe that embrace peace and try to live off the land through sustainability and avoiding the larger and more-aggressive clans.

They are led by an old goblin named Caraw-Chuwk, who unfortunately isn't there; he led a scavenging party into the desert and did not return with them. Those that did return say that they came upon a raided caravan and were grabbing leftover material and supplies (they came home with many pieces of wood and canvas) when a group of tall people came with weapons. Caraw-Chuwk intervened and negotiated a means for the goblins to leave safely, but he himself had to stay with the tall ones to do "something."

While the camp waits for the return of their leader, you are given odd jobs to occupy your time. The goblins ask you to clean, help keep watch, and (most often) translate for the other tall folk in the camp. You are also asked to not wander about the desert, as there are numerous dangers from desert beasts and dog-men. Otherwise, the goblins busy themselves with maintaining the camp, cooking, and tending to small gardens.

One last thing. If anyone comes by looking for a Dwiz Valeft, you need to find Caraw-Chuwk.