Possessed with a hunger for powers beyond mortal ken, the villain known as the Unhallowed Coachman devised a plot to steal the throne of an entity known as the Pumpkin King. He knew the borders between the Pumpkin King's mysterious realm and the Prime are thinner as we near the approach of All Hallow's Eve. Using that knowledge, the Unhallowed Coachman deceived a group of unwitting participants outside Bargalha's Tavern in Galadon. Loud, friendly, and perfectly trustworthy, he easily duped them into lending their spiritual aid to his endeavor. Using a false will as evidence of his innocuous intent, the Coachman--his villainous nature disguised--told the well-intentioned heroes of his deceased relative's cryptic message, and how he must contact a lady from the beyond to solve the riddle.

Olleladaria, Krimzar, Ellania, Quivdereayeh, Truental, Laeris and others linked hands around an occult display set up by the Coachman and focused their intent as he recited an odd poem.

The pumpkin's bride be beckoned now
And shall be mine to keep
Uncouple her from holy vow
And may the bridegroom sleep
Forever more she shall remain
At my side to weep
Long as her heart is rent in twain
My vigor shall run deep

With a flash, the Pale Bride appeared, hovering above the table. The Coachman did not waste a second and pulled out a person-sized burlap sack, captured her within it, and fled the tavern. The heroes, bemused, wondered aloud what just occurred, some fearful that they were instrumental in some dark plot--and they were right.

After this transpired, the Pumpkin King--sans bride--felt his power wane. He went on a mad hunt for his beautiful wife, and turned Thera nearly upside-down in the process. All across the lands, his children escaped from their home, the Pumpkin Patch, and teased and tormented adventurers in the days leading to All Hallow's Eve. Some were brought to Thera by the Pumpkin King himself, and others found their way there by means of strange portals. Adventurers saw pumpkin fleshstalkers attack towns and cabals indiscriminately. Some folk witnessed pumpkin villagers jump free from their own shadows and dance away to devour innocent bystanders. The Pumpkin King himself visited Thera as well, half-mad and seeking in his way to make alliances. He played strange games with the people he met, offering them bizarre gifts, or turning them into pumpkins, or even sending them to his realm, the Pumpkin Patch, to be summarily executed by his fiercest child, the Reaper of the Fields.

While Therans puzzled over the pumpkin plague, the Unhallowed Coachman felt secure enough in his newfound power to visit the Inn of the Eternal Star and drink *heavily* while teasing the other patrons there about his intent. He made no attempt to disguise himself this time, and flaunted the fact that he'd kidnapped the Pumpkin King's bride.

Not long after, having siphoned enough power from the Pale Bride, the Unhallowed Coachman usurped the throne of the Pumpkin King, driving the king from his realm. Another plague of pumpkin monsters soon followed, and the Pumpkin King, in a last ditch effort to save his realm and his bride, sent adventurers in droves to the Pumpkin Patch, telling them to slay the Unhallowed Coachman and that he would reward them well. Faoceet, Clodomir, Reginold, Ompyis, Malgara, Gadorin, Xaxim, Hornsby and Gvazgos attempted to dodge the Reaper of the Fields and find the throne, but of the lot, only two survived to confront the Unhallowed Coachman--Hornsby and Faoceet. The Unhallowed Coachman teased them for a bit, until the Pale Bride pleaded for their aid, then the pair attacked.

The Unhallowed Coachman proved his cowardice. The moment he thought he might face defeat, he called his coach, drawn by two skeletal elk, to help him make his getaway. He delivered a vicious kick to the Pale Bride and sped away beyond the planes to rethink his tactics.

With the throne of the Pumpkin King once again unoccupied, the Pumpkin King appeared to take his rightful place. After comforting his traumatized lady and seating her upon the throne for some rest, he addressed his saviors, Hornsby and Faoceet. In the seat of his power, the Pumpkin King's sanity returned, and he promised to close off the passages through which his children found their way to Thera. He rewarded and thanked the Champion and Knight Victorious of the Pumpkin Patch and bade them return to the Prime plane with his blessing.