Damien Dawnthorne

Damien Dawnthorne.

Damien Dawnthorne, also known as the Harbinger, was a human ranger and one of the fabled plane-splitters. Known for his skill with a bow, his defense of the wastelands, and his bond with the silver dragon Céleste, Damien joined Ysimgrov's quest to split the planes alongside Felurian, Murchadh Morganw, Mishakal Atalanta, Frances, and Mrs. Raffles. Despite his suspicions towards Ysimgrov, Damien did not anticipate the extent of his and Felurian's betrayal, and was cast into the Shadowfell by the now-divine Ysimgrov, where he died. Even a millennium later, however, Damien is remembered fondly by those, such as Felurian, who remember his patience, dedication, and selflessness. Damien debuted in the episode "The Plane-Splitters, Part 1."

## Description and Personality

In battle, Damien relied on stealth and speed to keep a good distance between himself and his enemies. His skill with a bow was generally enough to down his enemies before they can get close, and his ability to move through most environments without hindrance made him an extremely versatile combatant. Damien also had access to an array of spells, including *Silence,* which he often used to level the playing field against magically-inclined opponents. Damien's only real weaknesses in battle were his lack of large-scale offensive abilities, making fights against multiple, powerful foes more difficult, and his relative weakness in close combat against more powerful monsters and warriors. Even so, Damien's adaptability generally helped him fight on his own terms, and his experience was helpful in mitigating the challenges posed by more physically powerful opponents.

Physically, Damien was typical of a human of his time, standing slightly over six feet tall and weighing just over 170 pounds. He was lean and grizzled, giving off an aura of competence and experience, and his fighting prowess was not dulled by his advancing age. Damien only had a left arm, eye and ear, having lost the others in a conflict with the Demon Lord Orcus. His undamaged eye was blue and his hair white, though the latter was due to his age, his original hair color being unknown. Damien walked with poise and grace; his footfalls rarely made a sound, and his feet seemed not to leave the ground when he moved. He wore a black, sleeveless vest and a mithril undershirt, and the rest of his attire was black to better conceal his movements. Damien wore a white goatee and had pale skin which grew wrinkled towards the end of his life, but he retained his good looks until his eventual death in the Shadowfell.

Damien was reserved, stoic, and dedicated to protecting the wastelands. He had a great degree of confidence in his own skills, but rarely underestimated an opponent. Suspicious by nature, Damien almost immediately began to suspect Ysimgrov of ulterior motives, though the extent of his treachery eluded the ranger. Damien was highly intelligent and extremely cautious, never picking a fight he wasn't confident of winning. Beneath his staid exterior, however, lay concealed a deep and abiding grief for the loss of Céleste, Damien's one true love. Damien rarely revealed this hidden side to him; of all the plane-splitters, only Felurian caught a glimpse of Damien's pain. Above all, however, Damien was selfless, more than willing to sacrifice himself for a cause he believed in. He attempted to do so to prevent Ysimgrov from acquiring all six divine hearts, but was ultimately thwarted by Felurian and Ysimgrov. Nevertheless, Damien's selflessness was an inspiration even to those who, like Felurian, looked down on what they viewed as naiveté; centuries later, his sacrifices as the Harbinger are commemorated in Felurian's Kingdom of Amaris.

## Relationships

### Céleste

Céleste was Damien's first and only love, and together they defended travelers across the wastes from daemons and fey alike. A silver dragon, she shared many adventures with the ranger until her disappearance during an attack by the daemon lord Orcus. Damien was heartbroken by her apparent death; though he eventually recovered enough to continue serving as the Harbinger, Damien was never again able to feel the sort of love he felt with Céleste, as he implied to Felurian at Ysimgrov's court. Already reserved, Céleste's disappearance pushed Damien further into his shell, and by the time he met the other plane-splitters, Damien had already become used to the solitude forced upon him.

### Ysimgrov

Damien had little regard and less trust for Ysimgrov, whom he saw as a gloryhound with ulterior motives. Damien attempted to stop and question Ysimgrov several times, once going so far as to try to kill him, but both times was convinced by the other plane-splitters not to finish off the hapless wizard. His suspicions were proven correct when Ysimgrov betrayed the others during the plane-split, and Damien was eventually cast into the Shadowfell by the power-mad aarakocra, alongside Mrs. Raffles.

### Felurian

Damien had an odd relationship with Felurian. He turned down her advances out of hand. The two continued to develop friendlier relations during their time together, and each developed a respect for the other as they bore witness to each other's capabilities. That did not prevent Felurian from betraying Damien alongside the rest of the plane-splitters, resulting in his banishment to the Shadowfell and eventual lonely death. It is unclear what Damien thought of Felurian after her betrayal; though she retained a certain affection for the ranger, he, the victim of her treachery, might have had other thoughts. The truth, whatever it was, died with Damien.

### Frances

Damien had fewer interactions with Frances than with his sister, but the two seemed to have a mutual respect for each other before the latter joined his sister and betrayed the other plane-splitters. Depending on when Frances developed planewalking, it is possible he was able to meet with Damien before his death, but this remains pure speculation, and the status of their relationship at the time of Damien's death remains unknown.

### Murchadh Morganw

Damien and Murchadh Morganw had several fundamental differences of character that hindered the development of a true friendship between the two. Murchadh's respect for Damien's dragonriding and combat skills was evident from the beginning, and Damien was similarly respectful of the King of Eíre's reputed deeds, but Damien's reserved and thoughtful nature contrasted poorly with Murchadh's open, action-oriented personality. Still, it is telling that Damien and Murchadh were the final two plane-splitters standing against Ysimgrov and Felurian. Damien was horrified by Murchadh's fate at Ysimgrov's hands.

### Mrs. Raffles

Of all the plane-splitters, Damien had the fewest interactions with Mrs. Raffles. The enigmatic woman and the solitary ranger shared a mutually-quiet nature and an apparent dislike for social interaction. However, the two were banished to the Shadowfell by Ysimgrov together, and it is therefore likely that they developed some sort of relationship in the time before Damien's death there, though what form it took is currently unknown.

## Equipment

* Heart-Seeker, a magic bow granted alongside his divine heart
* A stone ring with a blue gem that casts *Mage Hand* to help Damien use his bow
* Leather half-mask
* Mithril undershirt
* Various unspecified weapons and tools

## Trivia

* Damien is the third ranger player character to be introduced in the Wish Campaign.
* Damien is the only one of the plane-splitters confirmed to have died after the events of Ysimgrov's betrayal.
* Damien is the only character introduced to be an amputee.
* Despite his death, Damien is arguably one of the most influential of the plane-splitters in the modern day. His experience with Céleste had a direct impact on the relationship between Rhogar and Felurian, and much of the latter's kingdom is based on Damien's legacy.
* Damien was the oldest of the plane-splitters at the time of their adventure together.