Dawn, Part One

Carly Strait

McKenzie Wilkes

A multiclass appears. Trust is used. An enemy is slain. Opportunity is granted. Rejection stings. A meeting with the assembly looms.

## Summary

The episode spans the the final hours of the funeral for the murdered Red Dagger Division members, and the hours directly after. It begins in the wee hours of the morning, towards the end of the twelve-hour vigil that is a part of the Caerleon funeral rites.

**At the Hospital:** Kai Abadite visits Marjiani Kulamarsh after the failed arrest attempt of the Despara-possessed Xjomari and his ensuing attacks on Gjina Horogall and Roshan Morig. Following Lyco Sidae's orders, she convinces Marjiani not to speak to the police authorities, and instead to return to the Greenhouse. Marjiani, still ignorant of the struggle between Despara the Shroud Assembly, agrees only after significant persuasion and a promise of immediate action to find Xjomari and help her friends.

**In the Castle:** After receiving a letter of warning from Phibi Valpip in the previous episode, Griana Arande attempts to scout out the castle to ensure the safety of the Planesbreaker that is located in the Castle. As she does so, she spots several conversations happening:

* Griana overhears Wyatt Abent disparaging the Rose Family to a subordinate. She shoots him a nasty look and he returns it.
* Griana speaks to Archmage Lavinia and Raf regarding her concerns. Lavinia is cold (perhaps due to the recent betrayal from Griana's former associate Phibi) and leaves the conversation. Raf remains to hear out Griana's concerns and reassure her that the Planesbreaker is in an exceedingly safe location. She refuses to allow Griana to know where it is or otherwise access it, reminding her that she is a known associate of Phibi Valpip and not even a full member of The Shroud Assembly yet.
* Griana speaks to Lyco Sidae and Aelizia Aedan, who are having a heated disagreement on whether or not to share recent intelligence about a recent event with the shroud. Aelizia wants to hold a meeting about it, while Lyco does not. Aelizia overrides Lyco, telling Griana about the event in question: The Despara completely burnt down a large thieves guild and everyone in it. Fifty feathers were left on the scene, and they theorize that it is one feather for every person they've taken over. Aelizia calls for a meeting two hours from then. She invites Griana, and tells Griana she can invite the others, but cautions her about inviting Kai Abadite, voicing her concerns about Kai's allegiances and tasks Griana with determining if Kai should be invited (i.e., can be trusted).

**In the Streets:** Zil Nire and Mavis Maymont fight the Despara-possessed Xjomari. Together they weaken him, and Mavis kills him by slitting his throat. They drag his body back to the apartments. Zil temporarily stabilizes Roshan with chest compressions and then also brings him into the apartments.

**At the Funeral:** As dawn approaches, Dylan Rose prepares to end her vigil. Wyatt Abent, father of Hyland Abent and enemy of the Rose family, approaches her and says some hollow words about Dylan and Hyland's supposed feud. Dylan denies them having a feud, insisting that they had a respectful working relationship, and that she would have done anything to protect Hyland. Dylan's father Fernando scrambles to come over in time to interrupt the conversation, but he acts too late, and the first light of dawn appears, triggering the start of the funeral procession to the Royal Cemetery in the Burnfort Ruins. Dylan walks with Fernando and Griana by her side and her other three dads following behind. Her dads invite her and Griana for breakfast, but they reschedule for brunch because they need to attend a meeting with the Shroud Assembly in an hour.

**Back at the Greenhouse:** Kai brings Marjiani to the Greenhouse, where Aelizia and Lyco pretend to not know about the situation, and Aelizia takes her in the other room to calm her nerves and take her statement. Dylan and Griana return as well, hoping to find the others and invite them to the upcoming Shroud Assembly meeting. that morning. The entire party rejoins one another in their shared apartment, where they discover Zil and Mavis with Xjomari's corpse and Roshan's on his last legs, still unconscious. As Dylan examines Roshan's condition, the others spot her tattoo and they discuss her dream-like encounter with Becca. She touches Roshan, the tattoo lights up, and she inadvertantly casts "Cure Wounds" on Roshan, who awakes. Zil quickly disguises Xjomari's dead body with an invisibility spell and Mavis hides the blood-splattered floor so as not to alarm him before he is removed from the room by Lyco and Lucas. Shortly after, Kai goes downstairs to get updates from Lukas. She learns that Marjiani's memory is being modified and that Mairila was apprehended (despite an attempt to avert capture by taking a cyanide pill).

Up in the apartment, Dylan and Mavis have a heart-to-heart, as Dylan reassures her that she is trustworthy despite now having a Trueguard tattoo. Zil touches base with Grianna and then visits Mavis, attempting to connect with her and finish the conversation what was interrupted by Lukas after their dance, but Mavis is cold towards them and Zil leaves, rejected. Dylan tried to comfort Zil in the last minutes before the meeting.