Something is up.

Reports are being made of new concentrations of undead groups heading into the wilderness. Those who try and follow them are more likely to not be seen again than able to make reports. Soldiers of the Empire are no longer guarding the evil towns that have sworn to the Empire: local troops have taken their spots. And the local troops are but children and old humanoids: where are the young men and women? I need more information, my sources have dried up.

Farevil told me that his dark elf spy was found out and barely escaped with his life. We are now sheltering him in Fayspires, as no one would expect a dark elf to hide there. So we have lost our inside link to the plans of Solrath.

Even the Chef has no information as to what is going on with the Empire. Ruinwick told him that the Empire found other sources from its own areas and no longer needs to buy resources from him. So that possible espionage option has dried up.

Feravel has gone to visit his fellow paladins at the Temple of Light to compare notes. Sightings in the desert east of Freeport have been made by Resistance members of new concentrations of the Undead.

I will scout for this new undead threat if I find anything I shall send word.

After talking to the Knights at the Temple of Light, I took a small group out to travel the parched desert wastes to the east to view for myself what was happening with the local undead population. What we found was that the entire population of undead monsters was...gone. Even the undead guardians around the pools of the oasis had disappeared.

No ghouls, no mangy curs...nothing. I tried to talk to the Madmen around the leaning tower by Freeport, but they just gibbered and moaned and pointed to the west. Their facial expressions were that of madness and fear, but my local guide assured me that that is the normal appearance of these poor blighted souls.

The graveyards around Freeport also showed signs of disruption. With the permission of the local cleric's guild, we opened a few graves and found...nothing. No decaying corpses, no remains...just empty graves and coffins.

I will send Baelthal around to check on other undead areas and grave sites. Is the Empire making a new push?

I also tried speaking with the madmen (to a lesser extint) and highwaymen near freeport and I found it easier to get infomation out of them through bribery. My journey led me to a group of Nashiers who only reffered to themselves as nashier they all seemed to carry tasty fruit and food with them. Upon further questioning, one of them mentioned the Empire to be in a sad economic state. Perhaps the rumors of the empire recently employing undead is true. I'd imagine they require less pay, work more hours and perhaps wouldn't need as many supplies as regular living men and women.

This will require further investigation though and I am currently on my way to speak with a group of Tak Ciz guardians who claim to have spotted an undead caravan heading towards haz.  I will report back shortly.

  Upon entering the city I was almost immediately attacked by a group of elven warriors, I decided it's best to not kill them so I fought my way to the middle of the city where I met with a rather aged and weary looking treant, Elderaan or something. He and a Elven women wearing a spirit makers robe and an interestingly crafted leather tunic commanded the troops to stop their assualt.  Elderaan then asked me what brought me,  a shadowknight of bertox here to their fair city. I responded by telling him about the rumors of a new undead threat and my investigation to uncover the truth and also that I do not serve bertox (My commander in charge is Duke Morthalis).

 The treant told me that a neighboring group of rowdy bandits that frequently sold herbs to the Empire's cooks had been quiet as of late and that there may infact be a connection between my investigation and there uncharacteristic behavior has of late. So after waving goodbye to the elven warriors and the wise treant I departed out their city and decided to climb to the top of a nearby hill for a better view of the surrounding area.

 When I made it to the top in the distance,  I noticed a set of pillars that the bandits of this area were known to gather at. However I began to yawn and decided perhaps I needed some shut eye.  In the morning I will continue onward but for now the time had come to get some rest.  

The Empire has moved into Wyndhaven. Tranier sent in a group of his elite soldiers to 'persuade' the town's citizens that it was in their best interested to 'join the Empire'. Our resistance leader mysteriously disappeared, and his troope was overwhelmed at the beginning, taken captive then hidden on one of the rafts outside the town til the coup was done.

Now there is a major enclave of Empire troops stationed at Wyndhaven, and hordes of undeads are swarming the mountains to the east and north of the village. Feravel took reports and decided that the Resistance would not be able to throw out the Empire without greatly endangering the innocent townsfolk, so he has told me to go and canvas the neutral towns to show them that the Empire is going to swarm over us all unless we can band together.

I will start off in the morning, and head to the general area of Baga Village, the closest neighbor to Wyndhaven, and likely the next in line to be absorbed. After all, they already have a high number of undeads around their village: Solrath would have easy pickings to take them on. I wonder if the Empire is going after the nonwalled cities first?