It had been a year since Gale of Waterdeep, now known as Professor Gale Dekarios, had returned home, hailed as a hero for his part in the defeat of the Netherbrain and the cult of the Absolute. The old Gale would have leaned into the fame and the hero worship, relished it even, but this Gale just wanted to live a quiet life with his books and his tressym, perhaps even settle down and have a family of his own if anyone were to catch his fancy.

Nighttime walks along the beach were part of his routine now. He enjoyed the peace and quiet with the moon and stars above him. During one such walk, something caught the wizard's eye. Moonlight shining on iridescent scales just at the waterline. Stepping closer, he realized that what he was looking at was a merperson, injured and seemingly unconscious, lying in the sand as waves lapped gently at their body. He had never seen one up close, and he would have indulged scientific curiosity were it not for the state of the poor thing. Without a second thought, Gale knelt beside the beautiful creature and waved his hand, muttering an incantation to teleport them both back to his tower, where he gently lifted them into the bathtub.

"What to do?" Gale murmured to himself. "Saltwater, yes?" He filled the tub with water and a copious amount of salt before beginning to tend to the creature's injuries. As he did so, Tara, the tressym entered the room, pausing as she surveyed the scene before her.

"Mr Dekarios, kindly explain to me why there is a sea creature in your bathtub!" she demanded with an indignant flutter of her wings.

Gale was just about to explain when the creature began to stir and their eyes fluttered open.