Heralds - E9 Summary

**The Heralds of Wayinar: Episode 9 - Fractures**

**Cast (In order of appearance)**

Player                                                   Role

Russel E. Welch III                            Dungeon Master

Ariel Quinn                                         Rosara

Brad Marsh                                         Obi

Josh Jenkins                                      Vano

Nick Little                                       Cendrillion

Bryan Henery                                   Azathell

Russell greets us counting to nine, joking about not having a teleprompter. He plugs Questline as our sponsor who hosts our maps. We then jump into the chaos.

The party has been plunged into darkness for several heartbeats, their ears ringing from the thunder over the mountains. As their ears clear from ringing, they discover Ilsa crying in Dolben's arms. She and Dolben attempt to console the child as Vano scans the area to see where the sounds came from. His answer is everywhere; the thundering seems to have been all around them in sync with the darkness.

Cendrillon joins the couple consoling the baby and offers magic to soothe the child. Russell calls for a ‘hippy shit’ roll to see if this magic works, and according to the dice, it did. The Prime's presence soothes the baby. Cendrillon then guides the group to move forward on their walk up the mountain path. Dolben knows of a trail due to his history with the mining business and helps guide them onto the correct trail. He seems unsure and holding back information, Rosara calls him out on it, and everyone agrees they are doing this for the child.

The group exits the jungle on the rocky path by mid-morning, and they decide to stop and take a short rest. Obi gathers firewood as Vano checks to see if the area is clear.

In the distance, he sees the mountain has been hit by the large meteorite, clearing some of the land. He also spots the tiny spot of Himplethorn. He reports his findings to the group.

Rosara, in the meantime, has started setting out rations for the party. She asks Cenderillion if he required a cat to eat as rumour has it he likes to eat cats. With a smile, he declines her offer. Dolben asks, after putting Ilsa in a bundle of moss, if there is any truth to that rumour as one of the local ladies has been missing her cat. Cendrillon says that he did not eat that local missing cat.

Rosara then asks about the Primes, specifically, where the rest of them are. She explains that she and her companions have never seen them before. Cendrillon explains that they stay in Kal-Uys, and they start to discuss the settlement; she never visited the Nov Ra settlement on its borders. Dolben interrupts, realizing that Rosara is Nov Romaran and should not be here in these lands. She lets him know that she isn't on a military quest here.

Obi seems visibly uncomfortable through this conversation, and Vano intrudes on the conversation by asking why a Prime has left their continent. The conversation shifts and the party asks Cenderillion why he travelled from Kal-Uys to Jvar-VunGal. He expresses that he doesn't know why he was led here. They ask if his people follow the Ancients. This triggers a memory for Vano.

Cenderlion lectures on the path of 'Balance' and how he does believe in the Ancients. He speaks of the natural order of things and how everyone must strive for balance. With a mouth full of food, Obi calls him out, asking who gave him the right to be judge, jury, and executioner of other people's destiny. Cendrillon explains that no one did and that life and death are arbitrary. He explains that he doesn't care if the child lives or dies. Dolben isn't too upset by his statements as he expects such things from the Prime. Cendrillon accuses Rosara of not asking the right questions. He explains that the only important thing is restoring balance, and the child has to be saved so that Dolben's wife will finally go to the grave and no longer walk the lands between life and death, disturbing the balance. Dolben, upset at the mention of his dead wife, gets up and kicks the fire in anger. He launches into a fit, angrily explaining how it's nice to have help with his daughter, but all of this talk hurts his head. He is confused on why a Nov Romaran is here, a Prime is talking about his dead wife, an Oakenishen, and a pirate are all here helping.

Obi, in response, jumps into the conversation in frustration and shows a green vile. He explains that he was here to get answers about his mentor. He explains that the Observers offered to give him hints if he went on their quest. He shoves the vial of streak to them, accusing Rosara of knowing that her empire is built on the drug. While she is confused, Vano explains that the soldiers use streak for long marches and campaigns to juice themselves up. Obi accuses Rosara of not knowing that she is mixed up because of her privilege. She contends that it's because she made a mistake, and the Observers promised her to fix it. Vano and Obi agree that they have all made mistakes and that the Observers used that to drag them in.

Cendrillon asks who the Observers are. Obi struggles to speak of Gritzern, explaining that he had been their guide through the past weeks, that the Observers oversaw them and guided them to this place, the puppeteers behind the scenes, pulling their strings. Obi then asks Cenderillion if anything pulled him on his path here.

Vano talks about his time in Oakenish, about getting good at war. He regrets becoming so good at it and at killing children. Dolben confronts him. He has run from Oakenish, but Oaknish never lets one go and has followed him. Dolben reminds them what the Mad God-King does to deserters. He begins to fear what Vano has brought to them and raises his voice. Cendrillon casts command to calm him down and makes the man settle. Vano agrees that he is a monster.

Cenderllion says that none of this matters. He calls out Rosara as a crusader that's never been in a fight, Obi a drug addict and cooker trying to find their way in the world, and Vano as a broken warrior who no longer wishes to fight. He says that they care too much about themselves in their world and not the world in which they live. He goes as far as to say that Romar was just a normal Edwane, nothing as sacred as she believes.

Rosara stands up and defends Romar. Dolban calls out Cenderillion's cheap shots at the group, saying that Primes brought the Breaking. Cenderlion continues his lecture, saying that each of these chosen Heralds could break free from their bonds of suffering if they choose to find balance within themselves, that good and evil, hate and love, darkness and light are arbitrary in the grand scheme of things.

Dolben scoffs at Cenderillion, saying he doesn't care about the big picture, just the life of his daughter. Cendrillon points out that they all do and want to help. Vano asks Dolben if he still wants their help in all of this, knowing what he does now.

He asks Cenderillion if he would have conspired with Shadzog. Cenderllion answers that everyone is conditioned to believe the myth that the Primes brought the breaking by joining  Shadzog.

The group discusses The Breaking, and we learn about it from Obi's stories of Kyboor. Obi explains that he learned that the people of Tekinesh used to roam the world beyond the horizon for adventure, but then the Breaking happened. The Heralds fought the Primes who had aligned with Shedzog, and after everyone's ass got kicked, the people of Tekinesh were no longer free to roam the world in search of adventure. He explains that he heard of the Herald called Kyboor, a free-spirited adventurer, and that's who his mentor aspired to be like.

Vano explains that the three of them have the blood of the Heralds running through them. Dolben doesn't believe them because the Heralds were brave and noble, and these three are not.

Rosara points out that with Gritzern gone, they have no direction and will help Dolben get his daughter to the city, and at some point, the Observers will give them their next steps.

Dolben asks if the Observers will just let them help him; if so, he is thankful for the help. He then asks Cenderillion why he is confident that Rosara is the descendant of the herald Romar, that Cenderillion said he could see it in her face.

Cendrillon points to the gold markings that only come from the blood of Romar. Dolben swears.

The episode ends with Russell's epilogue. He talks about the roller coaster of emotions, how questions are answered, but new ones come out. He reminds the viewers of the showtimes during the week. He hints at a new sponsorship coming soon. He plugs premium, and the premium only show is coming soon. He thanks the subscribers and viewers for being there. He ends the show reminding us that chaos awaits us in the dark.