Lo, the Herald of the Dawn

**"Lo, the Herald of the Dawn"** is the sixth session of The Last Enemy is Death. It took place on 03/05/2022.

## Synopsis

With Loremaster Bellorin Ruby-Eye dead, our heroes have but one lead to the being who perpetrated the invasion of Castle Astielle: the name *Gra'zahk.* They will soon find, however, that their efforts will not all go rewarded.

### Part I

#### No Rest for the Righteous

As Sovereign Marius Hadwyn III observes the chaos the party's battle with Bellorin Ruby-Eye has caused, Prince Dorian approaches his father, the sword Eclipse in hand. With reverence, he kneels before the Sovereign, offering him the sword, as he and the rest of the party attempt to explain what has happened tonight. They tell the Sovereign of the death of Alistan Arinson, of how the Loremaster had been taken control of by a powerful enemy known as Gra'zahk, and how it was by that possession that the invasion during the Feast of the Chosen Hero was possible in the first place. Prince Dorian further explains how he came into the possession of Eclipse, describing the dream he had had of Alistan's demise, and of the voice of The Everlight that had shepherded him to the sword.

Gravely, Marius Hadwyn tells his son to return the sword to its pedestal.

The Prince cannot. This is the burden he must now bear, for the sake of Astielle and all her people. In the memory of Alistan and Edarin both, this is the fate to which Dorian has damned himself, and he pleads with his father to accept this.

With grief and pain in his eyes, the Sovereign orders Prince Dorian to return the sword to its pedestal. He has lost enough family: the prince's mother, Edarin, Alistan. He cannot too lose his only son.

Again, the Prince refuses.

"Arrest them all," the Sovereign orders, his face wet with tears.

#### Escape

As the guards begin - albeit reluctantly - to converge upon the party, our heroes swing into action. As Prince Dorian and Hemlock attempt further to dissuade the Sovereign from his chosen course - to varying degrees of success - Arthur and Alioth secure an escape through the stained glass window of the temple, while Alana distracts the guards by summoning a friendly kitchen dog to knock them off their feet.

Once free of the temple, the party must navigate the castle proper in order to escape, and they do so stealthily, with Alana and Hemlock leading the party through the back passages and servant's halls to avoid the guards now frantically searching for them, while Arthur further confuses their pursuers by impersonating Captain Oreg, throwing the guards off their scent.

At the castle gates they must still find their way to freedom, and they do so via the strosas they were first given when setting out from Dawnhold. Alana tells everyone to split up, instructing them to meet her at an inn called the Drowned Bass, owned by a friend of hers that owes her a favor, and the party sets off, with the exception of Arthur, who impersonates the stablehand minding their strosas and plants misdirection for the guards so that they cannot find his friends.

### Part II

#### You Seen the News Today?

The party sans Arthur each make their way to the Drowned Bass, where Alana calls in her favor with the owner, who allows the party access to an underground hideout where the party will be able to rest for the night.

When the coast is clear, Arthur makes his way from the castle, but not to his friends at the Drowned Bass. Rather, he goes to the Warrens, a network of underground catacombs, sewer tunnels, and abandoned quarry systems that act as the covert base of operations for the thieves' guild he is a fledgling member of. There he meets Mo'at, the bouncer, who calls Raven, the guild member responsible for his induction into the family. At Arthur's request, Raven brings him to Pyrha, a triton who acts as the guild's alchemist and doctor, who appears to successfully rid Arthur of the insects still infesting his brain.

After a night's rest, Raven approaches Arthur with a copy of the morning paper in hand. The Dawn's Herald, one of Astielle's more prominent newspapers, has run a front page spread about the death of Champion of the Everlight and her Oracle, and about the kidnapping of Prince Dorian. It seems to Raven like Arthur and his friends could use a little bit of help.

Thanks to Arthur's newfound membership, that was something the Guild was ready to offer.