A number of vampires appeared in Ashtan and began attacking the
populace. No sooner were they all slain than Arbothian townsfolk showed
up in the city. In a conference with many curious Aetolians, Mullswick
revealed that the vampires had struck his village first and that several
citzens had tried to follow the attackers once they left in order to
spread a warning, though they arrived too late. In addition, while
slaughtering Arbothians, the vampires had reveled in being free from the
control of Zsarachnor.

Some Aetolians quickly sought to speak with the mysterious Relovecs,
whose guards had been among the most successful defenders of Arbothia.
Though Mullswick alleged that Marcello Relovec was born in Enorian,
neither he nor his wife Cotelle could be found anywhere. A single
Relovec retainer showed up some time later to convey the couple's
absolute refusal to speak with anyone. The man was willing to discuss
the vampire attack but could shed no more light on the situation.

Undaunted, a few curious souls, led by Utansi Nebre'seir, pressed on
into the crypt of Azdun to speak with the vampire lord himself. He did
not immediately assault his interrogators but became quite irate when
faced with incomprehensible questioning. When Utansi and the brothers
Van and Alaron Larn at last explained the full story, Zsarachnor
informed them that they were entirely incorrect in their belief that he
had lost control of his minions and that he had ordered no such attack.

The meeting stood at an impasse until a shadowy construct whispered news
in Zsarachnor's ear, causing him to immediately change his position and
acknowledge that some of his vampires had severed their blood bond and
become sireless. The master of the crypt speculated that it had been a
side effect of the essence of Mystery that granted enlightenment to
Apocheznur, another of Zsarachnor's followers, some time earlier.
Whatever the cause, Zsarachnor warned that the freed vampires might be
dangerously unstable as a result of the severed link, though they
retained enough sanity to speak intelligible Aetolian at the time of the
attacks. As this condition is unprecedented, he could not say if their
condition would improve or if they would degenerate into mindless
beasts, but the vampire lord requested that his errant minions be
returned to him, dead or alive, for study. Some speculated that the now
truly rogue vampires no longer suffered the effects of sunlight, though
there was no strong evidence either way.

Penned by my hand on the 3rd of Niuran, in the year 137 MA.