As All Hallows approached - the time of the year when the the Plane of the Sleepless Dead passes across Orin Rakatha - the Alliance became aware of a large amount of Dymwan activity near the Maegnor Swamp, North of our Towers. However, there was concern that this might be a diversion, and thus a number of other groups were dispatched to the Aldonar Tombs, which lies but one day from Wolfhold. Our group consisted of:

Wolfhold: Kevralyn Soulfire (Party Leader), 15th Sorceress of House Tumdurgul; High Priest Daark (2ic), Dark Brethren; Virana, of the Seers; Melieth Blackbone, Black Wizardess; Devin Amber, Reaper Priest;

Valley Alliance: Dreams-of-Shadows, Good Sphere Priest; Tersius, Druid;

White Retreat: Montezuma, Humacti Priest; Gilrehyan, of the Red School; Phoenix, Red Wizard.

As we approached the Aldonar waystation we came across a number of Dymwan who claimed that there had been a double-booking. We then found a number of unusual undead including a Rank 8 Blood Doll and Rank 7 Zombie Sentinel, plus the usual ghasts. Montezuma dismissed the Blood Doll and the Sentinel was taken down with a number of magical bolts. At the waystation itself we came across further Dymwan who informed us that it had been booked several moons in advance by Mian Gravestealer, who is now a member of the Dymwan Tower. As we fought them a group led by High Priest Cirith arrived. A large number of Dymwan within the waystation ran out of the building and were hunted down.

Within the entrance of the waystation was a ritual warded with unranked power, containing a severed head. We were later to learn that this ritual caused a glamour to fall upon all those who entered the building.

Two other Alliance groups led by Veteran Orlando and Paladin Kal arrived. They believed we were undead, and their 'discern' invocations apparently confirmed this to them. Eventually we rendered them unconscious and brought them within the building, where our true appearances were revealed.

A deputation from all three Towers arrived, briefed as to the nature of the ritual at the entrance-way. Thereupon the Guildleader of the Black School of Magic; Ulric the Steadfast, Administrator of the Ranger's Guild; and High Priest Hagan of the Humacti Sect declared the members of Kal's group to be Heroes. Additionally Kal was knighted for his endeavours.

Daark took charge of organising the guard duty rostas and the building was effectively guarded thereon.

The Ritual Revealed

Virana's overnight visions revealed a number of things:

• a long-haired sallow-faced Dymwan had come to an arrangement with a Realm Lord of the Plane of the Sleepless Dead, whereby he could use the Realm for twenty-four hours during the Planar conjunction;
• the severed head behind the ward belonged to a very 'pure' individual who had been executed by the Dymwan;
• that this ritual was causing the glamour, but could be disabled by a key-shaped amulet worn by one member of the Dymwan;
• this ritual formed one of a number of sequential 'phases' that had been set in motion by the Dymwan, the final one culminating in an unprecedented transformation of the appearance of all Alliance members to undead.

At some point it was also determined that this ritual was causing the Souls of those who had visited the building to be mirrored with those on the Plane of the Sleepless Dead, and that this exchange would become permanent at the end of the conjunction.

Dymwan Attacks

Our groups were set to track different parties of Dymwan in the area, to obtain this key amulet. More Dymwan attacked the waystation and someone thoughtfully brought a powerdrained Dymwan wizard within the building for us to question. A little probing from myself and High Priest Daark revealed that the instigator of the ritual was named Lorquist Tombsoul, High Priest of the Dymwan.

We set out, joined by the Ranger Quentin, who was a welcome addition to our fighting force. After more undead we met a group of Shadowsfall who perceived us as undead, including myself as a lich. They mistook our attempts to converse with them as 'casting', and combat ensued. After a while they fled crying that the Dymwan were to blame and that they must report this. We helpfully left a note on one of their powerdrained number explaining the situation in a little more detail.

We then met a Towerless girl who recognised our colours, and did not believe we were undead.

Thereafter we fought some more Dymwan and undead, including one that discerned as a Spiritual Torturer. It could smash a skull from a distance, and cause large amounts of pain.

Captured Shadowsfall

The last of these Dymwan groups had with them an unconscious more senior member of the Shadowsfall. We prepared for him to treat us as undead, but once we brought him round, he immediately saw through the glamour without problem. It transpired he had come to the area to meet us, but had been captured, beaten and robbed by the Dymwan several days earlier. We were able to present before him some damning evidence concerning the Dymwan's plans and he re-assured us that the matter would receive Shadowsfall attention. We also asked him to prevent a group from Halmadons Heights from attacking the Aldonar Waystation as the Dymwan had planned. Given that the expected Halmadonians did not later arrive I presume he was successful in conveying that message.

It seems that the Shadowsfall are also aware of the group named the Iron Star and their illegal activities are viewed with a dim light. No doubt we will be co-operating more with the Shadowsfall in this matter.

Return

We discovered that the nearest Dymwan group to our current position was four hours away, and so decided to return to the waystation. Orlando and his group briefed me in much detail on their mission during the day. After this Cirith's group returned. They had discovered the Dymwan with the key amulet, but High Priest Cirith and the warrior Lai-fung had been slain by a fatal disease and Mummy respectively. In the ensuing confusion the key had been left in a field and the Humacti Scout Jeddra tracked their path back to fetch it - he managed to recover the key but at the cost of his life.

Evening

High Priest Hagan set up a ritual of purification that Orlando's group undertook, which finally broke the glamour upon us and saved our Souls.

We learned that some members from the Celestial Beaurocracy may be involved in the Iron Star organisation, and that it consists of members from four different Towers. Following this revelation from an apparently trustworthy source, we came across six monks from the Celestial Beaurocracy, who seemed interested in limiting the spread of such information. Thus we slew them.

I understand that a number of other members of the Celestial Beaurocracy had been earlier in the area searching for me by name, but fell upon the swords of Cirith's group after they attacked the 'undead'.

Night

To break the final phase of the ritual, Hagan arranged a portal for us to pass onto the Plane of the Sleepless Dead. Our group promptly arrived at the entrance, shortly followed by Cirith's, and we stepped across and fought against a large number of undead and Dymwan guards who had been preparing to attack the waystation. After that we made swiftly for the ritual site and despite a large undead opposition were successful in breaking the ritual.

Jeddra later informed us that High Priest Hagan's group had successfully disturbed the other ritual site, and that between us we had therefore ensured the Dymwan plan to transform the Alliance's appearance to undead had been averted.

By my hand,

Kevralyn Soulfire
Sorceress and Priestess of House Tumdurgul, Wolfhold
Hero of the Kern Valley Alliance