In February, at a meeting of towers at the old Aldonar fortress, the Dymwann laid down the law. After the Dymwann left there was an agreement from those towers assembled that another meeting should be held in some fifty days time to assess results of investigations concerning the Dymwann actions. The Towers were to decide what, if any, concerted actions should be taken. This is an account of that meeting.

We had been sent to an isolated way station to guard it whilst the meeting was progressing and provide it with security. At the station a member of the Wizards Concillium informed us that the meeting was happening at another, safer, location, and that he was going to construct a portal. The various peoples invited to the meeting would arrive and use the portal to get to the real meeting site – only some of those at the meeting would be coming here, others would travel from similar sites elsewhere. This was being done to secure the meeting site from the Dymwann and ensure it remained safe.

During the course of the first evening various people turned up. Whilst they were waiting to pass through we had some discussions concerning the meeting and they asked our opinions of the Dymwann. Most people played things very close to their chests, not revealing very much. We were harassed at some length by the roving undead in the area (ghouls, ghasts, fetches etc), however we acted well together combining our strengths effectively throwing back these undead without much of a problem.

A few incidents of note occurred over the course of the night. Firstly Onyx the puppet (and baby eater), who was initially with us under the control of High Priest Melkeron, was handed over to the representatives of Halmadons Heights, and taken away to be cured, despite the kind and generous offer of help made by Phaid on behalf of the Wolfhold Seers. Secondly Reader claimed to be the same person who had attended the previous meeting – putting paid to the doppleganger theory. We were very suspicious of him and his actions at that time (and now), and he refused to provide any explanations for these. When he became offended I took it upon myself to apologise for his treatment on behalf of Wolfhold, however nobody from the White Retreat or the Valley towers chose to do this.

Thirdly Stealth Nighthawk, favoured of Lolth, of House Tumdurgal conducted a full and thorough investigation into the mysterious illness that had afflicted Lord Eremor Shaderiver. In the course of the questioning Sorcerer Sargon, provided him with all the answers that Stealth needed as he had been present at the incident of cursing.

Emerging from the questioning, Sargon related the tale to us, a tale which implicated High Priest Lathrodec, Warrior Kalraan and several of the Chosen. Sargon then asked “Who is Eremor?” We were astonished that he did not know. After clarifying the situation for him, he understood why Stealth was asking these questions. It seems that the deaths of those involved are necessary to remove the curse – certain good High Priests expressed their satisfaction that High Priest Lathrodec was going to get his well deserved comeuppance. In the morning various groups set off to perform certain tasks. I accompanied a group that was going to meet some Morgothians, Morgothians that had information about the DarkWind. We spent most of the day battling undead and Dymwann as we searched for the Morgothians.

On the way we encountered a group of Azard-An. These Azard-An had acquired a spear, but this was no ordinary spear it was one of the four weapons forged to fight with Hate against the enemy. The Azard-An did not wish to be afflicted with the curse from the spear, so were willing to sell it to us, we made a down payment there and they agreed to meet later to collect the rest of the money.

The Morgothian High Priest Kyrion Rage, escorted by our old “friend” the Morgothian Anti-Paladin (one of the leaders of the Cult of Hate) Ashgar Raze, had some considerable knowledge concerning the DarkWind. I will summarise the critical points that we learnt about the DarkWind during our discourse.

The DarkWind is a constructed thing and does nothing directly other than “deliver” whatever it is charged with.

Currently that is an invocation of the Dymwann. It was constructed by the Morgothians with some aid from the Drow, but the only Morgothian who knew the rituals of creation and controlling had been lost and permanently slain some time ago. It is believed that he was “acquired” by the Dymwann and once made into undead had provided them with his specialised lore, giving the Dymwann power over the DarkWind. There are seven points of power on Orin Rakatha that can be used to control the DarkWind, two of those are centrally located, the other five being scattered about the perimeter of Orin Rakatha. Mastery of two of these points of power and performing the relevant rituals there would allow one to control the DarkWind, although clearly if someone else were to attempt to control it at the same time the control would be contested and the DarkWind would roam freely. Some other rituals needed to be performed every 24 hours to retain control of the DarkWind once it had been set loose. The DarkWind is tied in some way to the mists of Orin Rakatha. Returning to the way station we spoke to the others about the business that they had engaged in. They too had been successful, travelling through Dark Pass (a Dymwann stronghold area on the plane of the Sleeplesss Dead) and skirmishing with a Vampire, who had directed his servants not to attack Lord Ariakis.

We were informed by the Concillium wizard that the portal sites had all been under and that we must hold the portals for a while longer to ensure that everyone who was at the meeting was able to make their exit. We provided those at the meeting who came to visit us with a brief rundown and summary of the days events, including the new information on the DarkWind.

Apart from the relentless attacks of the Undead little else happened during the early night. The Azard-An came to collect their money, accompanied by a Dymwann necromancer (to provide them with protection from the undead) and Giles fought and won a duel with an undead Halmadonian Knight, freeing him from his undead state by defeating him in fair combat.

The groups of undead grew ever more powerful and numerous as time went on. We were trapped in the way station surrounded by a horde. These undead took a lot to kill, and their blows affected all, no matter what armour or protections were used. The pressure of the attacks continued to mount and as the Vampire joined, the battle grew fierce. Time and again the attacks came and we grew short of magic and power, but held our ground, determined to buy the time we needed. The Concillium wizard appeared, told us that we were going to be evacuated, and then performed the ritual to activate the portal, whilst we withstood the hardest attack yet. We barely managed to keep him safe and unharmed until he activated it. Mordar, I will note, held back the undead with his well timed Repels forcing the horde out of the door buying the time and space we needed. With the portal open and the attack pressing even harder we withdrew in good order with Nerak being the last out, holding the foe back. At the meeting site we were met by Galnin (a member of the fellowship of twelve and Hero), who was the only remaining person of note at the site, he gave us a briefing of the matters that had taken place and the decisions reached.

Of those assembled most had pledged themselves to an alliance, to be called the Free Towers Pact, whereby for the duration of the emergency with the Dymwann we put aside our mutual differences and combine our strengths to oppose the Dymwann. Reader remained neutral and did not join the alliance quickly pointing out that they did not join the Dymwann either. Azard-An did not join the alliance, claiming this was a Kalid trick to lure them where they could be annihilated – they retained the option to join later if the alliance proved to be true. The Wizards Concillium remained “officially” neutral, however they were willing to provide aid to the Free Towers Pact, in areas of communication and transportation. Those who have joined together to oppose the Dymwann are Annach Morannanil, Wolfhold, White Retreat, Valley Alliance, Kalid, Halmadons Heights, Bethellim, Dai-Fah-Dyne, Morgothians

Information had come to light that the Dymwann had been animating or summoning many powerful undead, these undead had been swearing their status to the Dymwann, and that the Dymwann now had enough Status to bid for five towers. The DarkWind was a powerful weapon perhaps the most deadly weapon the Dymwann had, this tool was raising up entire armies of undead, or embodying undead into those whose spirits were weakened. The first action of the Free Towers Pact would be to strike against the Point of Power, with the allies each sending forces against the differing points of power. I resolved to be one of those who would strike a blow against the Dymwann.

Draal, Priest of Lolth, Wolfhold Press