The Family Business

**"The Family Business"** is the seventh episode of the The Last Enemy is Death. It took place on 03/12/2022.

## Synopsis

In the light of the events of the previous day, our heroes find themselves needing to get out of Dawnhold, fast. Luckily for them, the Dawnhold Thieves' Guild are willing to help their newest member and his friends. Will the party accept help from criminals? Can they?

### Part I

#### The Best Laid Plans

After a much-needed night's rest, the party in the Drowned Bass awaken and begin discussing their plans going forward. It is clear to all that they cannot stay in Dawnhold, not with the Sovereign after them, and plans are made to surreptitiously gather supplies for a long journey. They still have a lead in the form of Gra'zahk, one that must be investigated, but where? Sunflower offers forward the idea of the Bardic University of Kisore, a college where she formerly studied, which lies along the eastern coast of Astielle in the city of Northpoint. With no better choices, it is agreed, the decision finalized when Sage asks if the university hosts an orrery - a model of Te'om's solar system - that will allow the young Oracle to better divine the location of the Lich King's wards, as his predecessor, Edarin Allseer, could not before his death.

Sunflowerh attempts to reassure Sage that the party will not ask him to utilize his powers of foresight nor force him to do so without his agreement, but she is gently rebuffed: the young Oracle is grateful for the gesture, but all present know that he has little true say in the matter. None of them do.

The day goes by, with some members of the party making rounds around the city to gather supplies and purchase tools and equipment for the journey. Eventually, Arthur rejoins the party in the Drowned Bass, bringing with him the newspaper and the news that the thieves' guild has offered their assistance, so long as they all will agree to meet with the guildmaster himself, tonight. Reluctantly, the party agrees, though Alana is vocal in her dislike and distrust of the plan, threatening that she will abandon the party at the first sign of the guild acting against Sage, or indeed should she catch wind of the guild dealing in death.

The hour of their appointment draws near, and the party makes their way to rendezvous with Arthur outside one of the entrances to the Warrens. On the approach, however, Prince Dorian notices a figure atop a nearby roof, observing their movements. Pointing this out, the party splits again and enter the Warrens at two different entrances, meeting up underground before making their way to the headquarters of the guild proper.

#### Meeting the Family

Outside the guild entrance the rest of the party meets Raven, who introduces herself as being in "Mergers and Acquisitions". After brief introductions - including a moment of levity between the guild member and Sage, as she appears to pull a copper piece from behind the young Oracle's ear - Raven bids the party to follow her, as the guildmaster is awaiting them.

Leading them through the guild's hideout to a small mechanical elevator which brings them to a richly-decorated manor within the Trade Ward of Dawnhold, the party in introduced to the leader of the Dawnhold Thieves' Guild, a crystal dragonborn named Aramax.

Aramax is polite and cordial, respectfully addressing the Prince and offering the party wine over their business discussions. He takes no offense to Alana's insistence on inspecting the wine for poison, and appears calm and businesslike as he asks the party for the explanation of their plight and how they came to be in need of the Guilds' assistance. After confirming their story and showing a distinct interest in wishing to help our heroes however he can, he proposes a plan of action that both parties would find mutually beneficial: Aramax's private airship, the *Centurion,* is currently in drydock, having the elemental aspects empowering its sails re-bound. The *Centurion* is a magnificent vessel, and is likewise magnificently insured. Should the party manage to steal the airship while making it seem as though it had been destroyed in an elemental-based accident, the party would gain a mobile base of operations to assist them in their mission, and Aramax would gain a healthy windfall in the insurance money.

It is agreed.

### Part II

#### All in a Day's Work

To assist in their insurance fraud, Aramax gifts the party with a ruby, to which is bound an elemental aspect of fire. Alioth takes it and carefully tucks it away, and the party sets out for the Cotterell & Hathersage Airshipyard to commit white-collar crime.

Arriving at the drydock, the party makes and abandons several plans.

Eventually, frustrated at the lack of meaningful progress, Sunflower takes the elemental gem from Alioth and approaches the airshipyard, Dorian trailing behind her. With the magic of Eclipse guiding him, the prince manages to talk past the guards, directing them to leave and let the party pass. Flummoxed by the sudden appearance of the allegedly kidnapped heir, the guards do as instructed, allowing he and Sunflower access to the *Centurion*, where a magebinder is finishing up the process of rebiding the elementals to the sails.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Alana slip in after the two, corroborating their story and instructing the workers to leave. This story finds resistance in the drydock foreman, who is not impressed with their deception and threatens violence if the party does not leave. Thinking quickly, Alana manages to spin a new explanation that caters to the foreman's sense of patriotism and unease at the invasion during the Feast of the Chosen Hero. The party was working for the crown in order to investigate, and needed to commandeer a ship in order to discreetly cross the border to Sera Awen to corroborate a theory placing them responsible for the demonic invasion.

After some quick thinking on the part of the party, this deception fools the foreman, who agrees to leave the premises. As he and the rest of the workers leave, Alioth makes his own entrance to the drydock, intimidating the remaining guard by unintentionally threatening him. After the guard flees, Raven, who has joined the party as their airship pilot, begins preparations for takeoff, and Sunflower summons the fire elemental bound to the gemstone.

Amidst the chaos of their escape, Prince Dorian adds to the confusion of any would-be onlookers by calling out that his kidnappers were again after him, and the *Centurion* takes off into the night.