Dead Dragons - Iteration 2

This is the plot overview and musings for Dead Dragons, book 1 of the Flameshield trilogy.
Overall plot arc of the book should be as follows:
Rehl's Arc: After choosing to spare the last of the dragons, Rehl shirks all responsibility and instead retreats on himself, brooding about what he's done, and how his life now lacks meaning. He's lost purpose, and the thought is driving him crazy. Was he too good? Did he make a mistake? Who was he to determine right and wrong? This all runs around his head and he doesn't know what to think any more. Unfortunately, this wallowing/introspection doesn't get the bills paid. His marriage is strained and his daughter is chasing all sorts of one-off schemes to fix things. The only real revenue htey have is having Rehl serve as a mascot during the Festival of Burning. As a mascot, he brings in steadily less money year over year until finally he's lost everything. He's up shit creek. He's offered a job to gather a single surviving dragon egg, and he refuses. (un)Fortunately, his daughter finds out about this, and she accepts on his behalf. He's super grumpy about this, but she says that they have to do something or the manor will fail. He acquiesces. He also decides he wants to steal the egg, I think. I'm not 100% sure how he's feeling about it right now.
Either way, this breathes some life into Rehl because he gets to plan something else. He formulates a structure and expects everybody to fall into place. His daughter will upset the plan by wanting to make sure she is part of it, which infuriates him to no end, but he'll ultimately acquiesce and let her be a part of it. He tries to engage Mad Maggs, but finds himself alone. There is still one dragon egg left, and this guy wants it. He said that it's deep within a cave. "It never reached first flame. It's effectively a dead dragon." Maggs: "It wasn't the great beasts we butchered all those years ago, my old friend. It was us. There's nothing left for us. WE are the Dead Dragons." All of those who might have been involved have left him. He forces Cogs into it, and Cogs's niece agrees to help. Likewise, the hired muscle for the Caravan is willing to support. Rehl gets his expedition together, and they go to collect. The note is scrawled in Todron's hand; notes on where the last of the dragon eggs might be found.
Expedition into dragon country isn't easy (and the money is going to have already acknowledged this. He's tried a few trips in, and they ended with disaster). Rehl is going ot lead the expedition, and it's a doozy. I'd like a lot of the features of the mainland story be found within the Dragon Wilds. This sounds like a good name, actually. So yeah, The Dragon Wilds.
They takes Cogs's ship on over, and land at Gracepoint, or something equally symbolic and fun. They begin their expedition into the place, and pass a few towns. They'll begin the expedition into the wilderness. We should see Guy/Mark/Whatever his name is challenge Rehl on almost everything as they get going, but Rehl should prove the superior thought most of the time. I'd go with half the book, Mark challenges, and half the book, Mark accepts. Book 2, Mark should have something akin to Hero Worship going on. Cogs brings a bag of tricks along the way, with his niece being his apprentice; she does most of the heavily lifting and side tasks for him while he grumbles.
They'll have a plan actually of refueling at Gracepoint and then pushing on deeper, but when they arrive, Cogs will note that the Purelight has gone out, and they can't find where they are going without those beacons being lit. As such, it's up to Rehl and his team to travel overland, bit by bit, and get them turned on. The money is going to want a much faster (less costly) journey: Can't we just skip the whole airship things and go deeper; Rehl is too practical for that kind of thinking. Why take the risk? There's no time pressure on this mission. The egg isn't going anywhere, is it? Rehl wins out on this one and they take it slow and steady, creeping closer until they get where they are going. The money will actually accompany on the first leg, and opt to take the next two from the airship, as the ground path was crazy unsafe. Rehl thinks this is for the best. I'd like to have a good situation where dude causes them some serious problems.


Amryn's Arc
I've probably written this one out beyond written out. She's an orphan dragon girl who the mayor of the town suspects is a dragon, and seeks to have her killed. As such, she escapes with a friend of hers (also a dragon, I'm thinking?). Sudoth is a Shaman, controller of magics beyond those controlled by the Pael. During their escape, she ends up in the Flamecolumn or whatever name I can give it, and gets LIT, achieving First Flame. This makes her feel ill of all things, and Sudoth thinks she's concocted some sort of sickness. He's trying to get her across the islands, ideally getting out of the Dragon Wilds completely, but certainly as far as away as he can.
Along the way, they'll make it to a nearby town, and face danger there. This plot isn't terribly interesting, so I need a cool character; somebody the reader will be really interested in that will grab the attention. Or a really nice set-piece goes as far as location. Something that will inspire/intimidate. I'm thinking some kind of crazy cliffs/mountains that they need to go up. And maybe they get a guide that is going to poison them? Leave them for dead? Lead them astray and then attempt to blackmail them. I actually like this a great deal; they pick up a guide that can help get them from point A to point B in exchange for osmething. He'll ask for an heirloom from Amaryn, but she'll decline, he'll settle for something less. Then along the way he is going to lead them into worse and worse locales, until finally he blackmails them; they pay him the thing, or he leaves them there. They'll agree, but it ultimately doesn't matter because dude gets eaten by nature, leaving them lost, alone, and in a very dangerous istuation. Great chapter break, hey?
They'll get out of this situation when she goes second flame. This freaks the f* out of the incoming danger, since they've lived Dragon-free for years and years. She burns away their risk, and then they are able to travel again, but now she's seeming really sick... Like, radiating heat kind of sick. Sudoth will work hard to help her get going, but he knows they really need to get to a town. They'll reach the town, and find the whole place has been overgrown and overrun by plant matter. This is another huge set-back for them. Now what are they supposed to do? Where are they supposed to go? This town has lost its foothold. I'd like this to be the moment they turn towards heading for the Temple of the Dragonscarred.

Plot points/Scenes

Amaryn
Amaryn is verbally attacked by the Mayor of the town, who seeks her destruction. Amaryn has to run and escape him. She is accompanied by a friend. Together, they are trying to avoid him, and tragically (for the Mayor anyways),

Plot type

Book Overview

Parent Plot

Flameshield Trilogy