DAY ONE

The only thing that might have been worse than the hell they'd been thrust into was their choking thirst.

A mob of zombies overtook the rescue wagon.  Luckily, a group of haphazard defenders were there to chop their leathery bodies to pieces.  Among them were a Tiefling Battlemind, a wizardly Deva Swordmage, and a Githzerai Seeker.  Leading their little team was one Marhanthas Kane, a valiant warrior of Haeromar whose inspiration had ultimately collected them together, in the midst of a death-filled wasteland, on a mission to a distressed town.

After smashing the first wave of walking corpses, the men found a wounded rescuer that had set out with an earlier party.  He was Grant, another imposing Cephyan, who said it was his quest to reclaim Morgancastle.

"I don't hate the Gods for their silence.

I hate them for damning us.

I journey now to reclaim my family.

Men must now fight for their own redemption."

He claimed interest in the distressed Folium because he was looking for one of the fallen town's inhabitants--Zoltar the Swift.  Zoltar was a Mystic and supposedly knew the secrets of getting into Tower Amalgaloth.  The Tower must have been the key to getting back Morgancastle.

Marhanthas Kane also became intrigued by the revelation that the great Zoltar was somewhere in the burning town.  The party went forth and investigated the many houses that were being burned to the ground, as it was out of character for the undead to raze buildings.  Commanding the hoary mob was a big cut-up brute wearing a stone mask.  After being accused of "heresy" by the weary Siroccans, he was stoned.  Just before his death, a most foul Vistari witch emerged and cursed the tortured Goliath and he became Griever, Shepherd of the Dead.

Griever continued to plague the party's efforts.  They soon discovered a source of water, and Zoltar, who sat in his minaret babbling to himself when they found him.  Marhanthas Kane suddenly was struck in the back by Griever's axe, and he fell to the earth dead.  They party, now leaderless, decided it would be best to return his body back to the Kane family.

Around the flaming village they encountered another familiar face.  Sethezrael, better known as Seth, seemed to be searching for something in the town.

"I act with little regard for what others expect of me.

I try and speak reason to them.

I can only destroy the veil of ignorance."

After killing Griever and scattering the Dead, the party yet again encountered Seth.  It was he who had incinerated the buildings amidst the chaos and rescue.  He finally found a hidden glowing sigil that burned hot the ground beneath one of the buildings.  Confused, the party asked about it.  Seth responded that his efforts were no different than theirs, that he sought an "Icon of Sin", just as the party sought things for their own personal enlightenment.

They all made their way back to Sirocco.  Grant seemed to be earnest enough about his desire to protect Zoltar and use his wisdom to enter Amalgaloth, but Seth's loyalties at this point still remained a mystery. They could not brand him as evil, as he did much good, but his methods were almost always without compassion, and brutal.