October 2, 2000

"Time is not on our side! If things continue on their current path, we are all doomed!"

Gideon looked around the Zaikhal meeting hall, nearly bored to tears. They had been ranting on about the dreaded Hopeslayer for hours. Who cared about the Hopeslayer anyway? If this Bael'Zharon was going to arrive, wouldn't he have gotten here already?

Gideon stood, throwing his hands up in the air in disgust. "Why don't you people live a little! Other things are out there besides those Shadows and their shiny floating crystals." The chatter in the room stopped almost instantly. Shocked faces regarded Gideon incredulously.

"I imagine that most of you probably don't know this, but we do have other enemies besides them. Any creature with a weapon or spell can kill you, and I assure you, there are creatures other than Shadows capable of wielding both.

"The monsters all over Dereth are getting better organized. Little camps of mosswarts have begun appearing on the countryside, which means we may start seeing monster fortifications in the near future."

Gideon shouldered his crossbow and began to walk toward the exit portal.

"And in case you've forgotten, it is harvest time -- grain and pumpkins are being harvested under the glowing, watchful eyes of scarecrows. There is a keg in every town, and a festive feel to the air. Speaking of which, I know it has probably been quite a while since any of you have seen a member of the opposite sex, but they are out there you know. Live a little.

"And it probably wouldn't hurt for you to dress a little better, too. I hear they have some new outfits that might even make scholars look good."

And with that, Gideon exited the meeting hall, leaving a stunned silence behind him.

October 10, 2000

As fall colors arrive in Dereth, so too do other startling changes. Many autumnal additions have been more than welcome -- consider the pumpkin pie, the new dresses, and smiling jack-o-lanterns.

Other changes bode far less than well. Scarecrows have been seen in Dereth, yet ones far more lifelike than any farmer has ever managed to construct. These scarecrows, like the snowmen before them, seem to have taken on a life all their own. What's even worse is that the Virindi puppeteers express a certain interest in the craft, and once the Virindi are involved, no season can be celebrated freely. . .

After the fall of Arwic and Tufa to the devastating attacks of the Shadow Spires, many a hero rallied to raid the ancient Empyrean storehouses, destroying three more pieces of Bael'Zharon's crystal prison. As if in appreciation, vendors of all remaining towns have begun selling festive steins, for use at celebratory kegs of beer. In addition, and in accordance with an old Isparian holiday, other vendors have begun to craft previously discarded monster heads into truly horrifying masks. Yet even with the loss of two towns, few have succumbed to lengthy mourning. Many have, in fact, put their energies into the resettlement of a previously abandoned town. . . yet resettled in such a way so as not to attract the high-level magic as might have caused the destruction of Arwic. Xarabydun prospers again, promising an oasis for travelers crossing the desert sands, as well as further mystery for those exploring the secrets lying beneath.

Still, can it be said that the season is truly joyous? One brave party claimed to have discerned the location of a mosswart hideout needing to be cleansed from the land. And yet, however prepared these adventurers seemed, with their maps and gear and careful provisioning, none have managed as of yet to find their way back to town.

After the defeat of the Vestibule crystals, the Shadow Spires continue their mercurial shifting, sinking slowly to the ground. Adding true danger to the rampant speculations, fearsome creatures have been spotted, and certain areas have gained an almost feverish increase in the rate of monsters spawning there.