Captain Dasha of the Meer, longtime friend to Dawn, led a processional of mourners from Castle Britannia to the Court of Truth in Yew. Once there, she presided over the memorial and presented the eulogists.
The first to speak was Galen Knighthawke of the Legacy of the Fallen:
The evil's name was Blackthorn; an unnatural abomination, proof that the absence of Virtue, even if benign in intent, sooner or later devolves to evil.
Against this there stood a young lady, a lioness named Dawn. And, by her, the evil was vanquished.
The evil's name was The Shadowlords. Three accursed, demonic entities, physical manifestations of all that we strive not to be. Pride, first a city's and then a man's, allowed them entry into our world.
Against this there stood a young woman, a lioness named Dawn. And, by her, the evil was vanquished.
The evil's name was Lord Casca. A would-be ruler who represented our worst, not our best. A brutal tyrant and a tool of evils greater than he, he oppressed us, and killed us, and reduced our complex Virtues to simple, corrupt laws.
Against this there stood a young Queen, a lioness named Dawn. And, by her, the evil was vanquished.
The evil's name is Virtuebane. Attracted by Pride and encouraged by Ruin, he invades our cities, lures our people to his cause, kills those he cannot corrupt, harms our allies, awakens old and sleeping enemies, uses the petty Sins that all of us commit to mislead us about what, and who, we are.
Against this there stood a young Queen, a lioness named Dawn. And, now, she is no more.
For you, dear Queen, Heaven today is hung in black. And, for you, dear lady, we we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to vanquishing the last of the many evils you faced.
For a Kingdom, for freedom, for Virtue. But, mostly, for a lady.
There was a young Queen, a lioness named Dawn.
In peace may she sleep.
The next speaker was Chancellor DaKaren of the High Council of Britannia:
We first met Dawn as Yew sank into the mire of a disastrous spell. We watched as she courageously fought for her home. She didn't know the horrors soon to be faced on the true battlefield exposed in that struggle. Nor the destiny which would lead her on to slay the corrupted Blackthorn.
This warrior thought her battles won, her rest earned. She returned to Yew victorious. As it is with such things, her life moved on. She met a man. They married. They were happy.
Then, as shadows stretched across Britannia, Dawn returned to the public stage. She helped unify our fractured kingdom while forging friendships with new allies. The shadows fell before the light which graced our world anew.
This warrior thought her battles won, her rest earned. Alas, the people disagreed. "The throne," they cried. "It sits vacant. Lead us!" Dawn hadn't sought to rule, hadn't sought such power. Yet, she accepted, settling into an uneasy role as Warrior Queen.
The Bane Chosen arose, pawns of an ancient plot. Dawn refused to act hastily, choosing instead to cultivate her alliances. The Chosen struck out at her heart, luring away her beloved. Virtuebane tainted the bond between Dawn and her husband, turning their love into a weapon.
Dawn fell not to the blade, which pierced her heart, but to the pain which pierced her soul. A pain which now pierces each of ours. Dawn believed in Truth. Dawn believed in Love. Dawn believed in Courage. Dawn believed in you.
We mustn't see her death as the end, but as the beginning of our renewed struggle against the dark. We must find that bit of our Warrior Queen within ourselves to stem the tide of evil, to ensure that all Sosaria prevails to see the dawn of a new day.
The Queen's friend, a teary eyed Ricardo was the next to speak:
Dawn saw the world through honest eyes and the rest of us, with our shades of gray, were inspired to see it the same way. The whole world is diminished by the loss of such a person.
Dawn gave me a second chance, I am grateful to her for that. We must defeat Virtuebane, to honor her memory!
Rest in peace, milady.
Sherry the Mouse was the last to speak, her tiny voice filled with emotion:
I saw Dawn every day. I saw her when she came back from battle, bruised and exhausted. I saw her when she paced the floor of her office, dealing with paperwork she'd never wanted. I saw her when she went to sleep at night, staring at her miniature portrait of Ors, and knew she wished she could be back on their farm.
Dawn served her country with all her heart, with every hour of the day. She was a wonderful human being and a great friend. I shall remember her always and miss her much.
Dasha then called for a moment of silence to reflect the Queen's life. Afterwards, she excused herself to ready a 'riderless horse' to bring the sarcophagus to the gravesite.
Virtuebane chose that moment to interrupt the solemnity of the memorial by appearing behind Ricardo. "You have frustrated my efforts long enough, thief. Join your queen!" he roared before eviscerating the thief. As the archdaemon searched the corpse, brave citizen began pummeling him with spells and arrows.
For the first time, Virtuebane chose to physically engaged his enemies himself - probably only to show that their attacks were ineffective. With a mighty blow, the daemon laid out many of the mourners and fled from the courthouse.
Outside, he gloated over the killing of Ricardo and the retrieval of the Crystal of Duplicity. With a final smirk, he vanished - leaving behind a pack of blackrock golems.
When the golems were gone, Dasha returned with the steed and led the way to where Dawn would spend eternity. Just to the west of Empath Abbey, on a small peninsula, our Queen was laid to rest with her husband. The headstone reads:
Queen Dawn Of Britannia
Warrior Of Virtue And Bringer Of Hope
&
Ors, Her Beloved Consort
Reunited In Eternity
Warrior Of Virtue And Bringer Of Hope
&
Ors, Her Beloved Consort
Reunited In Eternity
May Queen Dawn be free of the evils which plagued her in life, may her soul forever be at peace.
