You start out in a small village called  by the locals "Graylon" after it's first settler who started this village some 50 years ago. To the far north are mountains (about 150 miles away) and to the north and east are open empty planes that parts of have been turned into farming area. To the west is the sea some 20 miles away. Then lastly to the south is the forest only about 5 miles away. The forest goes on for as far as anyone cares to go. This village is actively expanding and is becoming part of a trade route (the role played in the trade route is a simple rest stop). The citizens of Graylon are happy and for the most part healthy, their herds of cows prosper from the open grassy planes (the cow has a partly religious aspect to it), and all is well. You have all been hired by a small caravan to transport goods along the trade route that passes through Graylon and your service has ended there.

Alston Badger Mekkvar has joined, he offers wizardly (Warlocky?) protection to the goods.

Alright! We will start when at least 1 or 2 more people join!

henery Dont I already have a character made in the campaign?

the campaign is different w/ play by post

Yep so get a level one character and then we'll start. If other people you know want to join they could join later. Here's the link to send 'em. https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/69654-the-beholders-treasure

Alright let's start just now.

You are all walking near the center of the village, the great fountain. It is the pride of the people of Graylon, not much other small towns can afford a masterpiece such as this. You all then see a lady covered in rags up on the bottom rim of the fountain ranting "The end is upon us! These are the days prophesied by old! The cows have been taken in the night! You must listen to me before the time has come that it's to late!" by then people have formed a crowd yelling at her and a few even throwing old tomatoes. Then another person, a man with long blond hair, a straight nose, good teeth, and fair skin steps up and pushes her aside then with a wink he starts mending the damage she did, "It is true that cows, especially those owned by Mr. Hawkins," he points to a fat jolly man with black hair and a clean shaven face "have been disappearing. But also Mr. Hawkins chin has nearly doubled, and his weight tripled, eh?" This earns a good hearted laugh from the crowd. "I William Graylon will have some people investigate these mysteries. The one of Mr. Hawkins weight and the one of his cows missing!" Then he hops down from the fountain and Mr. Hawkins slaps him on the back, says something, and chuckles to himself. Willaim Graylon then walks away only stopping to bow down comically low before a lady, his nose almost touching the ground, kiss the hand of that lady, whose face goes red, then continues away with a wink. The crowd then disperses slowly, some people going of in pairs or trios.

i walk up to tomato lady and ask about "prophecies of old"

She is shuffling away but you manage to find and catch up to her. She points a crooked finger with a long nail attached at the end at you and says "You-You are dragon touched and god touched and-and demon touched? Oh no you take your power from Tiamat!" She pulls out a bag of salt and makes a ring of salt around herself in the blink of an eye. Then she calmly says "Ohh yes. The prophecies, you must not be from around here, everyone knows about them here. You see Graylons eldest daughter was  an oracle. She was always in that room of hers sprouting prophecies. Some of them were written down but most were lost in that old room. Ohh yes the prophecies of old." Then she looks directly at the sun with a far away look in her eye.

"Which prophecies are about missing cows?" I then pour a drop of holy water on my hand (I dont want to waste it) "Im good, see? Woudnt i get burned by this if i was some sort of demon?"

She unknowingly steps out of the circle of salt and says "Well you know how these prophecies are. They are quite hard to interpret but one of them goes like this." She pulls out a long yellowed and slightly burned scroll from within her clothes and reads "When the theft of the bovines is dismissed by the descendant of the founder of the Village of Cattle in the fruit blossom season you will know that the the Many Eyed One has awaken from his lair in Mount Creenal" She stares at you and solemnly says "Bovine theft has happened. William is a descendant of Graylon and has denied the theft. It is the season were the fruit trees are blossoming. The Beholder has awakened."

"Do you know which beholder it is? If im gonna address this threat [(muttered) I might be the only one who can], then im gonna need to know if its The Xanathar or just a crusty eyed spectacle beholder." (i will continue transporting goods, then address this threat unless my relay has ended)    "Also how do you know its a beholder? coudnt it just be a gibbering mouther?" 

She sighs and explains "It is a Beholder, we know this because other prophecies speak of a Beholder. The beholders name is Zazakal the Red. He will be the death of us all."

(Your caravan duty has ended) (Right now moon is a waning crescent, you have approximately 12 days until new moon once it gets there you'll be possessed for one to three days)(Do you want to not be possessed during the day during the new moon or will you still be possessed?)

(ill be possessed during the day.) "Do you perchance have a map? im not familiar with mount creenal." (if you want, just say like, north)

She seems to be getting impatient with all of theses questions, and quickly answers "The mountains are some hundred and a half hundred to the north. In between here and there is some forest, plain, and you might even cross into a desert. You could try to get the Graylons to lend you there family's map, but it's something of an heirloom so you don't have much luck. Oh well good bye." Then she walks away humming an eerie song with her ragged clothes swinging back and forth. She walks south. (You are in the middle of the town by the fountain. The fountain is at a crossroads, one to the north, south, east, and west. The town mainly only has these roads)

 i start to graylons, if there is an apocathary on the way, i buy 1 minor healing potion, assuming i have money from caravan duty, if not i fish some coins from the fountain, (16 on a d20 for fishing, if you care about that stuff), if there are no further interuptions, i then knock on graylons house, pushing my luck because of this;

There is no apothecary (this is a small town) there is only an older man who sells some herbs and spices (medical and flavoring) out of his open fronted shop (/market stall).  You look around and see William stepping inside a large house along the norther road.  (You and Logan[if he joins] each have 46 silver pieces from the caravan duty it was 50 but money was spent of food and lodging)

I buy enough herbs to heal 1d4, a gram of salt, and then knock on the door of the larger house.