Session 27

November 7th

As the party hurries back to the nearest inn before sundown, they stop in their tracks when they see a man laying in a ditch off the road. To their collective surprise, he isn't injured, and seems to have just been laying there recreationally. The bard introduces himself from Faust and it's quickly made apparent they're plucky, chipper, and eager to tag along with the three of them. They're all of different minds; Ophelia wants nothing to do with Faust, Della seems tentatively willing to offer an escort to bring Faust to Altenheim, and Eden sees no problem letting Faust at least help with killing the dawn drinker. Ophelia seethes about it but Eden tells Faust he can help them at least with the monsters, and from there they can decide what to do.

They make it to the inn, barely in time, but before the sun sets. Before anyone else can pay for beds, Faust puts down coin to cover all of them. Once again, Ophelia is seething, but Eden and Della graciously accept their kindness. After eating Eden moves by the fire to sit and knit. Della joins him and tries gently to ask about the seraphs, if Eden trusts them, if he trusts Enoch. Eden seems reluctant to comment on them and doesn't elaborate. After some awkward back and forth, Della leaves.

Della watches Faust from afar before bed. It's only now Della notices the old, strange mask, strapped to his hip that seems to have been altered multiple times. Ophelia, less tactful, asks outright what's up with the "fucked up mask". Faust replies, a little strangely, that it's a memento from home.

November 8th

With mixed feelings all around, they depart the next morning back to the cave. They retrace their steps into the cave, traveling deeper until they come across a larger cavern woth an orn worm in it. Della, leading them, notices the ledge before a small drop into rushing water is extremely unstable. The only way across seems to be the rock the worm is standing on. In a rare moment, Ophelia casts speak with animals to try and dissuade the orn worm from trying to hurt them. They have a bit of back and forth, but Ophelia convinces it that it would be best to let them kill the dawn drinker, lest the worm's prey flee due to the dying fauna in the area. The beast warns them to walk along the edges of the path before them.

As soon as they cross the water, their lights are snuffed out.

It only takes a brief few moments of exploring to find one more rock all, and beyond it, a strange rumbling that seems to be the target of their quest. Della and Basil scape the rock first, before helping everyone else up, all while the dawn drinker draws in closer. Without a moment to spare, the party attacks the beast. The battle is brutal, but ultimately brief. When Eden kills the monster, it burns up where it stands, leaving behind only ash.