SoS: 1-Enslaved

The sound of crowds broke the mundane bustle of Otway's outer ward. Four sorry souls are ferried up onto one of the less crowded scaffolds: Aesyn Nymriel paladin of Silvanus, Roland druid mercenary from the Long Stride, Lefwin half-orc barbarian from Starfall Mines, and Hope tiefling warlock/harlot from Shiftgate. Moris, slave auctioneer, bartered Lefwin off for 5 gold and remaining three to an elderly human in the audience. That scarred and haggard man, Wayt, had their infernal torcs attuned and led his chattel onto an old cart headed down the Withering Road.   During their travels, Wayt lamented his intent hire mercenaries but could not afford them. Thus, he tasked his three recent purchases to pose as farmers while they help recover water for his town. Sentynel sprouted out of a ruined elven fort in the southern Long Stride. The desolate hamlet erected around the hill fort was struggling without a sustainable source of food or water. Arriving at Sentynel, the slaves met Callay, self-proclaimed mayor of Sentynel, who affirmed them as farmers placing them on Sentynel's fallowed wheat farm. As night fell, the crew investigated the parched well which had been Sentynel's only water source. Trails of dried mud and footprints led to a cavernous burrow. Taking its wooden plank door as a shield, Aesyn ventured inside spotting two goblin sentries nearby a fire. Through quick wits and use of his new shield, the crew cooked one goblin and pins one down. Unable to understand goblin tongue, they let the goblin run free.   At the burrow's terminus lay a shrine: a pool of poached water with old dragon bones nested in its center. Seated on a dais of muddied stone, a wretched hobgoblin whose skin appeared seared and crumbling screamed out for "More water". His goblin servants bucketed the shrine's water and splashed the creature who winced and grunted in relieved agony. The cursed, Lash the Bloodletter, revealed that his goblinoid band fled from the oncoming Scorch, a searing sandstorm of desiccated creatures fallen and reanimated. Most of his tribe fell victim with him soon to succumb to this "firesand sickness." The water, fortified with draconic bones, lessened the searing pain, and said its the least Callay could offer as his normal monetary offering had not occurred this month. Aesynn, challenging Lash's courage as a leader, enraged the hobgoblin who ripped himself from his throne just to collapse into ash. After a pregnant pause, the ash congealed into a horrid scorched creature which attacked the party.   After dispatching that seared beast and his goblin underlings, the party extracted dragon teeth from the shrine as well as pales of water to ferry back to Sentynel. Day broke and upon their return they discussed with Wayt their next moves...