After two long months, the Heroes felt the pull of the Gather once more, and they traveled to the town of Coopersvale. During the month of September, a great storm had ravaged the area around Vel’Yadin and Coopersvale, and the magic did not call the Heroes.
The Kingdom has started announcing that the Queen is looking for leaders to step up in leadership positions. A meeting of the Heroes is expected to be called soon.
It is All Hallows, and the Kingdom is prepared, with the military in place all over Cerroneth ready to face the Undead that are sure to show up. No signs of an incursion have been seen as of yet, but the Kingdom is urging people to be prepared! Friday night, the heroes stood watchful and ready for the threat of invasion from the Plane of Necromancy, as comes every year. The Haunted House - prison of powerful True Undead - apparated as expected, and brave adventurers began entering in small groups hunting knowledge and riches.
Werewolves, large and savage, began to assault the Heroes in Coopersvale. The Heroes fought hard against them until their leader, a human joined the fray. His strength and resilience proved too much for the heroes, and he turned them back at every point. This went on for a long time until suddenly, the sky above seemed to crack and shatter. Thunder boomed across all of Cerroneth, and the werewolves fled the field of battle. The Heroes looked up to the sky to see new stars in new places. What happened to the stars? What happened to the sky?
Saturday morning the newest Heroes traveled to Stonespud on rumors of something putting their lumberjacks to sleep. Their forestry operation was at risk of collapse. Hunting for the source, the Heroes found a tribe of 3 foot tall Squirrel chipmunk men.. Squirrelmunks. After negotiating a peace with the tribal creatures, and clearing out a group of werewolves nearby, Stonespud was safe from the Squirrelmunk’s interference.
A strange visitor from a land far to the south travels into Coopersvale, hunting the source of the Lycanthrope smell that fills the area. Jabir of the Tlalli, a Troll and Rova hails from the kingdom of Atoyac, that seems to have displaced the Sanctuary home of the Carpathian refugees. The magical wall - the terror that has displaced so many of the people around our world seems to have disappeared - and the world around Cerroneth is strange and new.
Queen Mab and her sister Cherry the Necro Fairy succeeded in opening up the world of the Fey. Eryn, locked off from the world of Tyrra for so many long centuries lay open and vulnerable. King Oberon, furious at the incursion, attacked, but was ultimately defeated by the Heroes, and the fate of the world around them could be seen. After so long being ruled by the Court of Summer, the lands of Eryn were dry and barren. Heat-death from the unending summer has made Eryn an unwelcome sight.
Saturday afternoon, a dark obelisk appeared in town once again as Rune-covered undead began threatening the town. The Ghost Child tied to this powerful object seemed only to be quieted when the Heroes stitched together a small stuffed animal for her. When she was appeased, the Runed Undead dispersed from the area. This would prove to be the only Undead that the Heroes encountered the entire weekend. What a strange year this has been, nothing seems to be behaving the way it should, even All Hallows.
Werewolves continued to attack the Heroes in small numbers, with even some of the Heroes turned into the monsters and attacking their friends throughout the weekend. The Heroes gathered help and knowledge from many sources, including the Troll Rova, Jabir and friendly Werewolves such as Mythrilfang and William. Strange ritual sites that were flooding the area with Lycanthrope magic were sought out and destroyed, cleansing the air and magic around Coopersvale.
Sunday morning the newest Heroes were able to attend a private auction. Usually attended by only the most wealthy and connected of the underworld of Cerroneth, the young Heroes successfully infiltrated and were able to experience the power and wealth very few ever achieve on their own.
The growing stench of Werewolf became overpowering, as more and more of the crazed lycanthropes poured into town. The military in Vel’Yadin was busy fighting off a source of Runed undead inside the city itself near the Runesmith Archive, and it fell to the Heroes to fight off the largest and strongest army of Lycanthropes in recent history. During the battle, many heroes entered a trance and began walking into the woods towards the sound of savage fighting and howling in its depths. Breaking from the trance, they found themselves with feelings of terror and fear as the control they were under shattered. Soon, however, Wilhelm the Dark Alpha was sighted - bloodied and weakened by his battle with Mythrilfang. The Heroes poured into the woods to battle the Auburn Lycanthrope leader. Not one to go down easy, it took many heroes using their mightiest magic and skills to defeat him. Even while laying bleeding out, his body began regenerating. It took the application of Silver AND the rediscovered Wolf’s Bane recipe in massive amounts to finally end this monster's months-long rampage of the kingdom. The Heroes left the woods weary, but victorious.
...AFTER THE GATHER...
Queen Parissa Von Crimson never made it to the Gather, and the Heroes began to worry at her absence after such pressing and unsettling rumors.
Returning home around the Kingdom, the Heroes are seeing the aftermath of bloody battles. It seems that while the Heroes battled Wilhelm the Dark Alpha, thousands of citizens in every corner of Cerrroneth - refugees and rescued alike - transformed into savage werewolves and fell on their friends and family in savage brutal attacks.
Though the battles only lasted for a short while - less than half an hour by most accounts - the damage is staggering. Reports continue to pour into the Barons and Kingdom. Tens of thousands of citizens lay dead in the streets, in their homes, and in the forests of Cerroneth. While the Heroes faced the Dark Alpha, the citizens of Cerroneth faced the teeth and claws of mindless monsters bent on nothing less than massacre.
What, oh what would have happened if the Heroes had not risen to the threat as quickly as they did? I shudder to think of that possibility.
Over the past 5 days, 5 prominent citizens were murdered viciously in their homes. Only one witness was found. They said they heard someone yelling about money and an auction. If anyone has any information that may lead to helping find those responsible for this terrible deed, please find any guard in Velyadin to relay your info.
Ethule: Master Ezekial Jones, largest producer of alcohol in Cerroneth
Tiviril: Captain Heath Arlinsong, owner of merchant fleets used in shipping and receiving of fine goods
Haldras: Mistress Lucinda Helstrom, collector and seller of fine jewelry
Celibhar: Lady Emma Rita Rinaldwin, wealthy socialite who runs several textile mills throughout Cerroneth
Enclave: The Otho Margrip, well known art collector