Meanwhile Alyx, in a suicide bid after the slaughter of the Dayan people, randomly dreamshifts using Gray's Dark Sea chair to find magic items. This could lead her absolutely anywhere into any sort of danger or trap.

After failing to get herself killed, Alyx decides to go and kill a lot of Ulak's instead. It is on one of these excursions that she encounters Luratus the Goblin Shaman who drives her away.

Amazingly though the Monarch escapes by using his portable mirror to shift away.

Keltz Sintire wins the Tournament of Favours in Gost Arnan.

The battle proves to be a swift one with 6 Ghoul-wyverns, Chief Murphil of the Ulaks and the Goblin Blindit dying along the way. Elias manages to disarm Kurakal, knocking Woethorn from his grasp, grabbing the sword mid-flight and then running the Necromancer through in one fluid movement.

Just as this occurs Alyx is struck a lethal blow. She calls upon the Angel of Death to smite her enemies but the cost is her own soul. Recognising this, Gray steps between the Angel and Alyx's unconscious body saying "You can't have her."

The Angel of Death, a Shield maiden of Akaila, stops, stares at Gray and nods before vanishing.

Ross enters the mind of his Blue sword for the first time.

Working for Queen Kitara again, Gray dreamshifts 5 Suraanese fire mages to the city of her enemies, Esiador. The leader of the mages is Hi Chi Ke; who intends on setting some major fires across the city to keep the Priest's of Emonra busy.

Gray goes on to buy and release four slaves from the slave market. Anu, Riella and Kelt are quite normal but Merrinique proves to be quite unique - an extremely intelligent and quick learning young girl.
On the way back home Gray is shot in the head by two crossbow bolts, fired by an unknown assassin.

Ross and Celese visit Anstice, the Witch of Naskor, seeking recruits for Merlendy's dwindling forces. They also investigate reports of a nearby Temple to Greyog, overlorded by a Vampire called Mephisto. While they are exploring and asking questions 16 men (hired by Dobran the High Priest of Arun) attack the hut in a bid to kill the witch. The men prove no match for Elias, Ross and Gray.
Afterwards Anstice reminds Ross that "a storm is coming."
As the Lord of Merlendy is walking around Naskor he spies a young half-elven girl curled up in a muddy hole. He befriends her, learns her name is Keely and takes her back to Merlendy with him.
Ross becomes Keely's guardian.

3pm. Ross meets with Tuton, Centel and Rance of the Temple of Lurienn in Naskor. It seems strange to have a Temple dedicated to Law in a town of thieves.
They learn that Naskor has a new King of Thieves - the previous King, Rex Felis has just recently been ousted but no one seems to know where he is.

It seems as if everyone is out to kill Anstice today as the moment the sun goes down, three of Mephisto's fledgling Vampires attack her hut. After a very hard fight, Ross manages to drive them back but breaks a sweat defending against their supernatural speed and ferocity.

It is obvious that they need to attack Mephisto (the new King of Naskor) as quickly as possible. If Mephisto is given enough time he will undoubtedly move his crypt or muster a larger undead force.
Using Mercy to locate Rex Felis, Ross approaches the ousted King of Thieves and forms an alliance. Gray, Ross, Elias and Rex then attack Mephisto's Temple, slaughtering him and all his vampires.

In the mood for killing, Gray returns to Gost Yaroch, finds out who "killed" him with the crossbow bolts a few days earlier and locates their hideaway. Storming the house (14-17 View Street) in his ethereal body he passes completely unseen among the assassins, killing their spirits one by one until they're all dead - a Doman's justice is a hard justice.
Alyx kills Lucifel, leader of the assassins.

Leaving the house, Gray spies a man spying on him from an alley opposite. He rushes the man and grabs his wrist but as he does so, he feels the man's unearthly power - This is no ordinary man but an Immortal called Lintas of the Messenger God Lluthe. Unable to escape the Doman's half immortal grasp, Lintas is forced to divulge some delicate information about the fighting in Elondil.

Alyx nicks Lord Draygol's treasure chest. She sits outside Gray's vault counting the money.

Ceraph enters the World
Kerri Dhwen gives birth to Ceraph - the first ever being to have a balanced positive and negative spirit. 

By order of "The Mask", four Death Watch attack Adunathel in the Forest of Leah. Ashar arrives and saves her.
*Note - Ashar speaks with the "pretend" Mask, tells him to send the Death Watch and then turns up save Aduna.*
Aduna (typically suspicious of everyone and everything) gives Ashar "the Aduna look".

Secret plots.
General North and Basharat hold a banquet. North secretly plots with Basharat (whom he knows deals with chaos), intending on overthrowing western Daas and the currupt Church of Emonra. Though Basharat isn't aware of it, North is acting on behalf of Queen Kitara - to kill Basharat, blame the entire massacre on Chaos and remove the ruling line of Western Daas. He hatched the plan with her but in order to preserve her position and throne after the terrible slaughter and keep her eligible to rule the whole of Daas, she underwent a magical memory wipe - Kitara now knows nothing of the plan.

In an unprecedented event, Alyx is actually visited by a facet of the Lord of Law - Rouse himself.
Rouse refers to Alyx as "the daughter of daughters," Kitara as "the Daughter of Regals" and Gray as "the Son of Orthank."
Gray and Alyx are lent some items by the Eldar for use in their battle against Laylak;- among these items are the Circlet's of Lend.
Tempest arranges to meet one of the Death Watch on Urben Knoll. When he arrives he is confronted by the Death Watch Kheva Kavair. Unbeknownst to anyone, Ashar and Aduna are hidden at the base of the hill, awaiting arrival of "The Mask".
After a brief verbal exchange, Tempest calls forth the Raven spirit and plunges his Raven dagger into Kheva's heart. Tempest then drives off the wraiths, Chule and Dothdray before also driving off the Mask (who shifts in at a run to combat Tempest).

Aduna does not believe it when the Mask is so easily defeated. She still suspects Ashar of orchestrating the whole thing - and she'd be right. What she still fails to understand is why - Ashar desires Aduna's unique spirit and will sacrifice anything to obtain it - but it must come to him willingly.

Later that night, Master Kastian of the Crucible "concerts" a crude and uneffective attack on Merlendy. Afterwards he retires to his room for 3 days to recover. Istar visits him, calls him a "fool" for wasting so much magical energy and slaps him to the ground.

Tombs is later killed by Azakarious the Lich and a stray lightning bolt.
Again, Ashar turns up to help Aduna and her friends escape the Lich's skeletons but the Lich is still furious at the sudden intrusions. When Gray goes back to see him in his Bone Temple later that night, Azakarious manages to kill the Doman moments before Alyx shatters the Lich's bone egg and slays him with the sword Woethorn.
*Note - Ashar later bases his daughter's growth inside a Dragon egg upon Azakarious experiments with the Bone Egg ritual. Ashar had a deal going with the Lich - hence he knew where the Lich was and what it was capable of.*

Sir Myrr Awnsark and Niclaus Ranier arrive from Elandia as volunteers to join the Merlendy Resistance.

Celese astrally scouts the Mordarkian coven's sanctuary in Wolden Wood, Esia. She discovers an intricate network of interwoven trees and branches under the control of the wood witch - Mona.
Ross, Celese and Aran, Lord of Cats, stay a while in Wolden wood, contemplating their attack on Mordark. After several hours, Aran heads north for Dina's wood and a bit of help.

Aduna begins to understand Ashar's train of thought.

Gray reincarnates - again.
Ross is officially declared Lord of Merlendy under a new flag of 7 blue stars and a blue sword.

Aran of Daya sees the Lady Lyssa (of Rats) being taken as a prisoner back to Laylak. Hating her for everything she has helped do to his people he pounces and kills her. At the last moment she actually thanks him - preferring death over being one of Laylak's pet.

Ross pays a visit to Gost Arnan and Queen Arilanne - just to check how she's doing.

North lends his sword Need to the High Doman of Wan so that 50 of North's Elite guard can be smuggled from Gost Yaroch and into the Palace of Esiador, unnoticed. *Note - With the troops in place and Basharat summoning his Demons, North's plan to destroy the royal line of Esiador nears completion.

Mercy gives Ross a gift - her latest mental creation, a Circlet of Vision.

Hector and Issabelle are in Dis, raising a rebellion.

K'Dina - Witch of Arun and North kill Twillin Darkhaven and Valadan Lord of Stars.
Ashar intervenes to prevent North killing a now pregnant Adunathel. North is in a rage after killing Valadan and fails to realize who Aduna is.
Ross and 10 of the Mengale Elves visit Prince Niethan in the Moon Mountains, trying to form an alliance.

Back in Merlendy - when Ross hears of the Daas incident he shakes his head - "I don't know what games they're playing up there but now is not the time to fighting amongst ourselves!"

North arrives after a hard ride in the Corflamme Mountains. There he meets with Corskaire the Ancient Red Dragon and shelters within her protective aura - He intends on waiting for everything to blow over, his days in Esium nearly at an end.

Torquil - North's headman and close friend in the Elite Guard - leads the survivors of the Palace attack force west, into Berthain. North has told them to rendezvous with him in Lanth.

8pm. Laylak, overjoyed at the attack on Esiador and internal conflicts, rubs salt in the wound by bombing the Palace. He manages to kill the mourning Princess Cedene and about 100 priests of various religions.

Gray - guessing something is amiss and that North couldn't have turned against Kitara (he has vital information about the plan written in one of his scrolls) goes Astral to prevent the Lady Mercy from reading his mind. His body remains behind in an Esiadorn cell - accused of plotting to kill the King and Queen.

The Battle of the Gap of Lune
The Elves of the Moon defend against Chief Bara-Dunnel's 900 Kaomi warriors of the Kerinarkul tribe whose Shaman's conjure terrifying illusions.
Ross, Avalon, Arwen, Layonas, Eeranas and Elias fight fiercely alongside Niethan, Champion Artegel, Gornun the swift and Injael the elven Mage.
The Elves win.

The Crucible lose their "spy in the sky" spell above Merlendy again when Ross spots it floating around.
However this spy spell has a sting - The Crucible fire a magical Flesh to Stone arrow through it that hits Hethcanter in the shoulder. He resists its magic but has to be carried away and healed.

That same night, Hivic, a Crucible spy (planted inside Merlendy two weeks before) lets off a fireball inside Merlendy's main hall. Amazingly no one is harmed except Hivic - who fumble's the spell and blows himself up.

Aduna and Kethry spend the night at Maiden Fort. As the Fort is being attacked by Ogres, Aduna shifts herself ethereally (so that the ogres cannot sense her) and kills them all with her magical Wolf dagger.

Alyx busts Gray out of prison. The Doman isn't happy as by leaving he is declaring himself a criminal, but as Alyx says "What good are you doing here? The Queen needs you out there, not rotting in a cell."

Anfalas of the Eldar Council is assassinated by the Elandia Coven of Mordark whilst traveling back to the Elven forest of Alinor.

Ashar takes the Ghost Ihlahn to The Spirit Forge, to anchor her spirit to the body of a comatose elven woman.
He makes out it is the Spirit Forge that does it when in fact it is Ashar.

Annoyed at Mercy treating him like a child, Gray sends the Spirit Foe to "scare" her. But things turn bad when Foe gets a little carried away and nearly kills her.

Meanwhile in the Underdeeps, Alyx continues trying to make Pacts and alliances with some of Eldahar's more darker races. One such pact is with Shigri Tarbos; King of Serpents - allowing her to call upon the Serpent King's most fearsome creature, The Shon Kus.
She also recruits the Troska Molem - a hideous 2 headed troll.

After being asked by Kdina, North gives Ceraph the sword Starbringer. North gives her some training with the sword before she meets Skarro, Corskaire's dragon young. Corskaire wishes to leave Esium and take her young east to Weyr - Especially as Weyr will be a lot safer.

Aduna and Kethry arrive at Sordrall and meet Lord Jackal. Aduna is not impressed as Jackal comes across as a complete lunatic.

Kit is forced to give up the child to ensure its safety. She entrusts it to Adric Ravenarr, her long lost lover. 
He takes it into the wilds.

Gray stumbles upon a strange Golden room whilst dreamshifting.
Later he and Hethcanter explore a huge tunnel under Darksea - a tunnel that heads north for many miles.

Elsewhere, Laylak's forces attack and take the town of Eifrond, killing General Thresher, the Lady Megan and 120 men.
That same night, Laylak attacks and takes Garfrond, killing another 180 people securing Esia's border with Yarili and closing the main east west road. Now nothing can enter Esia from the east without meeting his undead first.

Tess removes the ODE from Marvek's secret vault and installs it in Merlendy. The ODE lights up Merlendy's Nails - adding Artificial Intelligence to Merlendy's defenses.

6am. Tempest enters Esium and fireballs Temple Road and Laylak's barracks. Then using his stealth abilities to hide himself and Rou Felis, the young girl thief backstabs the traitor General Vardin.

Hethcanter and Gray find a strange canoe that transports them at tremendous velocity, northwards through Darksea's giant tunnel. When the canoe eventually stops (after several hours) they find themselves faced by yet another Jixiliah. Managing to bypass the creature with some creativity, they step outside into southern Suraan.

The entire area around the tunnel's entrance seems to be obscured by some sort subtle magic. Hethcanter says "The duration on this ritual must be extremely long - whoever did this must have been very powerful."

They decide to explore for a bit. It isn't long before they encounter strange beast men attacking a man and a woman. They drive the beasts off and meet Theras and Ariene - two druids from Kane. The druids are being hunted by Shubi Jensu, a Suraanese Mage who can transform humans into half beasts.
Gray shifts the druids back to the forest of Silverwood in Kane. He stays there a while, feeling depressed.

Back in he city of Esium, Jahn Elwell is crucified in the main square by order of the new Wraith King - Laylak. Laylak issues a proclaimation that Jahn is in fact the traitor Lord Ross - enemy of the people.
Stumbling across this facade, the Lady Mercy informs the real Ross who asks her to rescue Jahn and bring him to Merlendy. This she does, leaving the illusion of a flaming blue sword behind to great effect.

Gray is healed by The Lady of Silverwood. Afterwards he sits in on a celebration and meets the Eldar Gideon - visiting with an elven maid called Tinera.

The Mordarkian Covens score big.
Eldar Melantyrss is assassinated by the Elandian Coven of Mordark when she visits her friend, Corlys of Euranda. When Elluva and the Qual hear of her death, they turn Quiverin loose.

Midnight
Laylak invokes the Lord's of the Living Dark, calling upon their power and ever growing negative energy. A dark wave over 1000 feet in height sweeps across the 7 states of Esium. As it does the Immortals of Elondil react in retaliation by using this window of opportunity to perform countless miracles.
Coinciding with the Dark wave, the Living Dark begins its assault on Elondil - crashing waves of negative energy against Elondil's holy walls.

Gray's prayers at the Hill of Wan are answered - he is immortal again.

Two stars fall over the Grandthorn mountains - they are the first of the Orion's Stones.

As the Doom Bell arrives in Eastern Daas, just east of Gray's cliff side house, the Living Dark ceases its attack on Elondil and follows in swift pursuit.
Unable to manifest itself directly, the Dark summons Laylak (its one true servant) to the scene instead.
Gray, Elias and Estarriah (Elias' sentient sword) defend the bell, buying the Immortals time to strengthen their defenses. After defending the bell for several seconds, the Immortals summon it back to Heaven and send forth their newly mustered Angels to battle the Dark.

Merlendy attacks Neath - home of the Pale men. Ross slays Airik of Mordar (who is just visiting) and Layonas of Mengale slays Salateen the Dark elf.
Princess Gwendoline's (of Esia) soul is recovered, trapped inside a jury rigged Heartstone.

Laylak goes on another "kill and be happy" trip to the land of Kroon. There is pounces on Lord Graf (who is in the bath at the time) and throttles him.

Ross and Mercy broadcast a message over the Catacombs - "Wraith's of Laylak. I am Lord Ross, your judge and doom."

The Suraanese Fire Mages (whom Gray and Kitara smuggled into Esiador to wreak havoc), turn on Gost Yaroch, setting huge fires throughout the city. Furious at their betrayal, Kitara pinpoints their locations and accompanies Gray to kill them. *Note - Kitara doesn't want anyone else to know about her connection to the mages as this would jeopardize her plans to unite eastern and western Daas.

Whilst waiting for Ihlahn to come out of the forge, Aduna makes a startling discovery - an imprisoned Eldar Qual called Nearward.
Imprisoned by his own people for being a little on the mad side, Nearward flaunts his tremendous creativity and other mental powers by creating stunning illusions to impress both Aduna and Ihlahn.
Ihlahn (now appearing as an elf girl) finds Nearward fascinating.

Seeing an army of Doomalkim, Goblins, Black Gnomes, Ogres and Trolls beginning to gather around the Catacombs, Hethcanter decides to take a tremendous risk. Using his knowledge of earth magic he begins casting an Earthquake ritual, but as the ritual is far beyond his capabilites (he is 12th level, it is 18th) the chance of him dying is something like 19% !

The Death Watch continue their assassinations - designed to bring down the Lord's of Yarili. This time the target is Lord Jansel of Yeen who is killed in his sleep.

Fimer Thrace of Skel is washed ashore on Ashar's island after his prison ship is wrecked on rocks.

Kethry is handed safely over to Holoah, High Priestess of Luna in Esiador.
General Brook and his troops arrive at Merlendy, seeking sanctuary. He is devastated to learn of Foleas' death.

Fimer Thrace is dropped off at Merlendy in a sack. It soon becomes apparent that Fimer is no ordinary refugee but instead someone from a far off country with a very special curse / blessing.

Gray receives a second visitation from the mysterious Gainsay, Mage of Damorkand. Representing the Table of Magic, Gainsay once again attempts to make an alliance between the Doman and the Table of Eternity - Gray has none of it.

New life - New purpose
The Artificial intelligence manufactured by Marvek of the Pentacle (called the Ode) names itself Hollis and achieves independant thought thanks to Mercy injecting her own memories into its core as well as a piece of her own mind. Hollis chooses a form similar to Mercy's, that of a young, attractive, blonde haired female.

Inside the castle, Istar steps towards a dragon made breach and raises his Aegis Staff. With a sky splitting flash and clap of deafening thunder Istar calls down a searing bolt of lightning to blast Erskallion from the sky. The Dragon's mortally injured bulk crashes to the earth, flattening dozens of shocked Doomalkim on impact.

Without lingering, Corskairre shadow jump's with North to Weyr - the two of them, dragon and King of Kings never seen in Esium again.

In for a penny... The Shadows attack
3pm. Kashaxig opens the Gates of Shadow, unleashing shadows upon Gost Arnan, Caer Kemmel, Gost Yaroch and Gost Eyedem, Esiador, Cabal and Legion. Mercy and Hollis locate each Gate and teleport Ross into a position to close them. However before Ross can close them all with his Blue sword, there are many deaths.

Due mainly to Ross' appearance by illusion as a towering 100 foot high heroic figure over Gost Arnan and Gost Yaroch, his fame also grows to fearsome proportions.

Kitara's ascension
Laylak and his wraith lord Marghoul, shift in and attack Kitara in her own Palace chambers. Erecting one of Lullreth Crume's impenetrable Evil seals, Laylak nearly succeeds in taking Kitara's life but is foiled at the last moment by his nemesis, the rather bothersome, short, bald and immortal High Doman of Wan.

Blasted onto his last legs the Doman's body gives up the ghost and is about to send his soul soaring to Elondil when by fate Kitara throws herself over the Doman's body to absorb another lethal blow with her protections. The resulting turn of events sets the whole of Heaven a buzz.

Banishing Laylak with a Circle of True light, Kitara activate a one use Save spell, (a powerful, yet random spell) in an attempt to save both herself and the Doman. However the save spell links Kitara's soul to the Doman's, even if ever so briefly causing the following to occur - As the Doman's half immortal soul soars upwards to Elondil, it drags Kitara's 100% mortal soul up with it, straight through Lullreth's seal.

Kitara finds herself (physically and spiritually) in Elondil - Home of the Gods with no way to get back. What's more, she finds herself faced by the Gods of Esium themselves who in turn, stare in amazement at the first ever mortal to stand inside Elondil within a physical body.

5pm.
Urgot Fanda stands before a devastated Istar and whinges about his people dying in the earthquake. Istar cuts the Lizard King in two.

8pm.
Gray and Kitara return from Elondil - both with no memory of what occurred there.
A quick check of her physical body and Kitara ascertains she has suddenly become pregnant.
Gray and Kitara become convinced the child is something holy.

Merlendy is forewarned (by their resident seeress) of an impending attack by Dream demons. Sure enough, later that night, Dread - Prince of the Nightmare Stalkers attempts to enter and kill the heads of Merlendy in their dreams. Dread's stalkers fail to isolate and overcome their victims, turning to dream dust as a result.

Immediately after the Doman's speech, divine power is channeled through his half immortal form and the Twilight of Ka'Shaxig banished from the sky.
Kitara is mobbed by the other relgions, demanding to know who Aslan is and what she has to do with him.

Nearward - loyalist Qual to Orion and complete lunatic is set free by Adunathel and Ashar. He demonstrates his monstrous creativity metafunction by conjuring several immense illusions; one illusion is of 1000 armored soldiers marching by.

Weird trips through Alternate Esium's
After dawn.
Aduna, Kethry and Ihlahn embark on a journey into Eldahar's ID's (alternate realities) to retrieve Mist and her Moon symbol sword.

Adunathel wakes up in an alternate Esium as High Priestess of the Living Dark. She takes a walk around her huge cathedral and is about to give a speech when the Merlendy resistance burst in and "kill" her.

Next Aduna wakes up in the Forest of Leah. She quickly discovers she is happily married with a young daughter. Being happy proves too much for Aduna's innate depression.

Sarial arrives in Merlendy to give a morale raising speech.

In Esiador Gray terrorizes Me'Gad the Prophet when the prophet bad mouth's Wan and Aslan.
Kitara meets with the Relgious heads of Gost Yaroch. What she has to say proves too hard for many to swallow. Many of the heads cannot believe she has been to Elondil and back, or that she is carrying a divinely conceived child. It is more likely the child of General North as it is no secret he and Kitara were in a relationship.

Just as several of the High Priests and Priestess' are about to leave, Kitara's head and hands blaze in a nimbus of blue fire. She says, "You may turn away from me, but turn away from Aslan and he will remember."

3pm. Bakshe's underwater ship, the "Sea Witch" surfaces in Gost Yaroch's royal bay. As amazement spreads throughout the city, Gray rushes to the scene, dons Alyx's boots of waterwalking and crosses to investigate. He doesn't get far though, his spiritual energy disrupted by the water beneath his feet.

Prince Bakshe is welcomed by Queen Kitara. Within the hour he has a private audience with Aquadine of Ailam and the Queen to discuss Bekan Rula and the sudden reappearance of Sea Ghouls near his sea city of Optia.

Dusk.
Alyx trades with the spirit of Akaila, Secrets. She learns about the Grey Forge.
Using the Moonstone, Alyx and Grey scry Taramon the Mask in his Deathwatch HQ, speaking with his mysterious disembodied master.

Later they witness the Mask dream shifting to the top of the Tower of 3 chimes in Gost Arnan.