The summons were sent out across Stygia.  All who were curious to the recent Darfari change in behavior were to visit Nebyet as soon as they could.  Those who wished to help protect Stygia and Set's people were to ride for the city walls as well.  Scholars, historians, soldiers, leaders, priests, anyone ... everyone was needed.

The Darfari had long been content to infest the Purple Lotus Swamp, encroaching further and further as the months turned into years.  Their cannibalistic behavior left blood stained across the dense foilage as the native animals and reptiles were consumed in the absence of human sacrifice.  But more recently, they have been attacking any who ride towards Nebyet as well as the city guards themselves.  Several guards have gone missing and a few visitors to the Golden City of Set have been wounded on their way in. 

There were quite a few that had gathered that night just inside the city gate.  Captain Meleos was there checking all who arrived for injuries and questioning them on Darfari activity.  Setep Udiya, Miss Safiyat, and Sir Khemiir from Xu'Set arrived, curious to what exactly the cannibalistic tribes had been up to.  A new face to Nebyet, Akanefer, arrived as well.  Malkah Abiah and Miss Sybaryss made their way to the main gate as a few others arrived.  Greeting the representatives of Xu'Set, the Malkah informed everyone there about what had befallen Nebyet recently and the many attacks that the Darfari had perpetrated upon the city. 

As they all conversed, there was a sudden loud thud upon the gates to the city.  The large wooden doors bowed inward as a crash was heard shortly afterward.  A loud, menacing roar pierced the night air, silencing the conversation of every soul in the city.  The loud banging of drums and whooping of many men rang out afterward.  Malkah Abiah bid Captain Meleos to run to the guard tower to find out what that horrid noise was.

Meleos rushed up the stairs of the tower to find the two guards there huddled in the corner, their faces gripped with shock.  "What happened out there?" he asked of them, but received no answer yet.  Watching their faces carefully, Meleos asked again, this time getting something that would begin the terrible events of the night.  The guards spoke frantically and nervously of a large, dark figure that approached the city from the shadows of the swamp.  This ... monster hurled several objects at the front gate before returned back from which it came.  They didn't watch to closely as fear gripped them and they huddled back.  After receiving their account, Meleos relieved them of duty and had them send for replacements for the night.

Meleos returned to the group below and informed Malkah Abiah of what the guards had told him.  The Malkah was horrified at what she heard and immediately ordered Meleos to take whoever was brave enough to investigate the events to do just that.  Suggesting that it would be better to use a rope to get down from the walls rather than open the front gate, the Malkah took the remaining people back to the library to try and decipher some runes and symbols that were recently discovered.  Perhaps they held some key to why the Darfari were acting as they had been.

Meleos took the scouting party up to the guard tower and they all slid down the side of the wall by rope.  Darrios, Udiya, Safiyat, Maxx, Izlana, Niterik, as well as Meleos crept slowly around the base of the tower, making their way to the front gate.  Being as cautious as they could, the scouting party neared the main gate.  Captain Meleos' nose twitched at the stench that filled the air as they grew closer.  Several pieces of shiny metal seemed to be piled up messily on top of ... some sort of meat.  He took the group closer to see exactly what it was that had been thrown against the main gate.

A gasp of horror echoed like a cannon's shot through the air.  The object that the dark figure had hurled against the gate was a mangled mess of flesh and armor.  Meleos recognized the armor as Nebyet's own.  These must be some of the missing guards.  Their limbs were ripped from their torsos and breastplates were crushed in.  Leggings were slashed and crushed as bits of bone poked through the heavy metal.  Meleos' eyes stared in horror over the mess as he looked higher, finally focusing on the skulls.  He knelt down and dropped his shield to the side, hand darting out to all but touch the bloody heads.  Bits of flesh were torn free from their skulls in places, cracks splintered over the bone.  A large symbol of an upside-down triangle with a line through it was scrawled into the skulls.

Meleos and the others looked on in horror for a few moments, several of them having to back away from the foul stench.  After some discussion, Meleos had Maxx and Darrios carrying the bodies inside the city and tell Malkah Abiah about the symbols on their skulls.  Meanwhile, the rest of the party continued on in the direction that the guards had said they saw the dark figure retreat to. 

They made their way further out into the swamp.  After just a short distance, they were attacked by what appeared to be a Darfari patrol.  It was quite odd indeed, the Darfari seemed to have the aid of a large red bird.  The group quickly dispatched of the patrol and hurried up behind a tree. 

The sound of hollering and whooping started to creep over the ridge nearby and the party halted by the tree.  Meleos looked quite nervous as the group was joined by Lovelyn and Neverlin.  He bid them all to stay put while he went to check out the noises.  Working towards the ridge, he slipped over it and slank down towards the small camp.  He saw quite a few Darfari dancing about a fire in a circle, whooping into the air in some primitive tongue.  A rock slipped from beneath his feet and drew the attention of some of the tribesmen who came running after Meleos.  He quickly darted back over the ridge and yelled for the others to come help. 

The scouting party managed to put down the pursuing Darfari and then decided to take yet a closer look at the camp.  They worked their way over the ridge and down towards the camp, throwing Darfari bodies to the side as they went.  As they worked their way further into the camp, large columns of green smoke were billowing from fires.  The green smoke filled the air, almost choking the scouting party as they inspected the camp.  They spied a Stygian woman at an altar and hurried up to try and rescue her.  But as they approached her, she lashed out at them and attacked them with the ferocity of a caged animal.  They had no choice but to lay her down.  Confused as to why one of their own would attack them, they didn't notice when several more Darfari showed up and attacked them.  Safiyat was injured badly in the attack but Meleos and the others managed to keep the Darfari at bay while Udiya snuck away with Safiyat. 

Giving the order to retreat, Meleos helped the others back towards the city, fighting off the pursuing Darfari until they lunged through the gates of Nebyet.  The Malkah and the others were near the front gate, looking over the broken bodies of the guards as they arrived.  Meleos recounted what had happened and bid the Malkah to help Safiyat with her injuries as he sank back against the city wall, catching his breath and steadying his nerves. 

When Meleos 'came to', it was being decided that an attack on the Darfari needed to be planned an organized over the next few days.  The Malkah asked Meleos to work with Khemiir of Xu'Set to do just that as everyone retired for the night, aching for the rest and peace of the night.