The small settlement of Port Hope sat on a tiny island just off the coast of Escha Island.  Connected to the larger island by a sturdy stone bridge, it was the only bastion of civilization for hundreds of miles in any direction.<br/><br/>Once a bustling town of more than three hundred, Port Hope had nearly been destroyed in repeated raids by all manner of unpleasant creature.  The fort that had once blocked the entrance to the bridge was nothing but a charred ruin, and many of the town's buildings had been burnt or otherwise damaged or destroyed.  The population was less than fifty now, organized under the leadership of the former mayor's daughter, a woman by the name of Jera.<br/><br/>The 'Blue Sprite' had docked at the only remaining pier that Port Hope still had standing.  The Captain, a grizzled veteran of a hundred battles that went by no other name or title, had completed the journey in record time to bring his cargo to the beleaguered settlement.<br/><br/>The Captain was waiting on the pier, overseeing the unloading of his ship and waiting for the various passengers to disembark.