Have you ever had a nightmare so bad that you wake up screaming and gasping all while in a cold sweat? But once you are awake you calm down after a moment of realizing that it was all a dream and you can move on with your day. Well, for some Avalonians this was not the case. Some had nightmares so frightening that their physical hearts stopped. They awoke so weak it was as if they could parish at any moment. It was quite puzzling. Why had this happened to them, and why not to all of Avalon? Speculations were being thrown around as they gathered at the Five Lions Inn on Friday night. While they talked and theorized a familiar power filled the room. On the floor a portal starts to swirl and open. Out of the portal vines, akin to pumpkin vines, started slithering upwards and with a flourish they revealed a pumpkin headed being. 

The younger Avalonians that were around drew their weapons immediately. Squire Wolfclaw quickly gave the order to stand down and explained that this frightening being is known as Samhain the Fae Lord of Terror and despite his name he would not hurt anyone. Other seasoned Heroes added to her reassurances which  calmed the young ones. 

 Samhain took a seat and asked for someone with authority to speak with which is typical. Lord Thomas of the Dale and the Squire were the first to speak with him. Sergeant Petrilli, who is the Ambassador for the Fae, also joined the conversation. Samhain went on to tell the heroes that he was not to blame for the heart stopping nightmares and it  was a being called The Nightmare eternal who was responsible. This being was trying to ascend into a higher position of power and that is what drew Samhain out of his realm and into ours. Samhain didn’t like that someone was  stomping all over his territory of Terror. At least the nightmares he gave didn’t stop someone’s heart. So, he gave the heroes some information that would help them gain the advantage against the Nightmare Eternal. According to the Fae Lord, Avalon had to obtain a total of five items that would awaken and anchor another being called The Legacy. This particular Fae being is what is called a Title and held a power so immense it rivaled that of the Dragons and the Hierarchs. Samhain said that The Legacy would be able to get rid of or at the very least stop the Nightmare Eternal. He said that three of the five items would be known to Avalon in opportunistic ways to locate and obtain. The remaining two items Avalon had to figure out on their own and that these items would hold a symbolic meaning towards their goal of awakening The Legacy. 

Naturally, there were some folks that were skeptical of this man and his information. There has been a lot of Fae activity lately and none of it was good. Weariness was to be expected. Thankfully there was one that could confirm the truthfulness of Samhain and that was Hunter. Not only is Hunter a trustworthy hero but he is also a Knight of Terror for Samhain and had been 9for quite some time. He stood there in the huddle and confirmed that this being can be trusted with what information he was giving the people of Avalon. 

Now, Samhain did have some words of caution. If the five items were not found by Sunday of the gathering then the Nightmare Eternal will not stop delivering its nightmares and will make them much more lethal. With that, the pumpkin headed being vanished in a flourish of vines. 

With that information Avalon prepped and kept their eyes and ears open for the items they sought. 

Throughout the day Saturday they were visited by a variety of fae but they didn’t seem to hold any real information on the objects. Instead they shouted and cheered for or against The Legacy. Another one was going on about the Handmaiden becoming a duchess of some kind. This was concerning on more than one level because if the Handmaiden were to gain more power from the awakening of The Legacy it would be disastrous for the elven races and Avalon. But another rumor started floating around that if The Legacy is to be awoken then it may deal with the Handmaiden and knock her down a few pegs, so to speak. 

As the afternoon approached the heroes were no closer to finding these “opportunistic” three items and theories were being discussed about the other two. Then another fae popped out of a portal claiming to be a diviner. Finally, maybe some questions could be answered. And they were and some heroes sat in on the divinations. What they discovered is that the three items were things used in the act of divination itself. Now the heroes knew what to look for. 

So as the day went, missions went out that ended up producing findings of a pendulum, crystal ball and a deck of tarot cards that bore the likeness of some of the heroes. These were all tools of divination. 

With these in hand it was time for Avalon to figure out the remaining two items and they had to be symbolic in nature. They had to be something that represented a legacy of their own and of Avalon. There were many debates and theories thrown around until feast. The noble body of Avalon had held meetings and discussions about two particular items but there was a fear because they didn’t know what might happen to these items. The items in questions were two swords of great history that have been around nearly since the founding of Avalon, the Sword of Islewatch and the Sword of the Dale. Both swords have a deep rich history and legacy of boosting the morale for the respective baronies and leading battles against the forces of Evil.

The choice, as difficult as it was, was made. The swords would represent the last two items. 

Soon after a red illuminating light started shining from the field outside of the inn. That did not bode well. 

The host, led by Squire Dogfang, headed out to the fight and on their way they were met with fire engulfed fae and demons. A powerful being that was assumed to be the Nightmare Eternal was suddenly on the field with another known to some as Captain Howls. 

The fight went on and ended up in the field where the red light was originating. The earth was dancing with flames. It was not too long after the host arrived that the items pulsated and drew together. The Nightmare Eternal cried out as a newcomer appeared on the field and then it split in half. The darkness of the eternal was all but ripped away from the light side. Captain Howls and the darkness disappeared as The Legacy took form. The rest of the enemies were dealt with leaving Avalo stunned by a being they had never seen before, and they have seen a lot. 

A tall ethereal creature donned in white with a halo of light around its head, a black cloth around its eyes and carrying a scepter. A being called The Legacy certainly held its own symbology of justice. 

The host brought him back to the inn and over the next couple of hours, The Legacy spoke with any heroes and he only spoke in whispers. Many things were said like “the Handmaiden, is not just that, a handmaiden.” to “The Handmaiden is destined to be the duchess.” He was also offering to tell people their own futures and destinies. Thankfully no one took him up on that. There were plenty of Avalonians that had literally seen and experienced a future and did not wish to relive that. 

But anyway, Avalon succeeded in dealing with the Nightmare Eternal and now folks can have a nice peaceful sleep. But it wasn’t going to be a long one. They learned that the Arctic Wind that rolled through last moon was not from a demon lord that escaped Hell. In fact, they discovered it was an unseated Heirarch that was let out. Evil indeed and with it out it seems that it wants an eternal Winter. As the days went on to what is supposed to be Spring the unnatural cold did not leave. 

Now Avalon has to travel north to the Lands of Ice and Snow to try and send this Evil to once it came, straight back to Hell.