When the autumn mists roll in over the fields and the first frost settles on the castle walls, the realm begins to change. Lanterns glow in every window, carved pumpkins grin from the battlements and old stories are told again around the fire. It is the season of returning, when the past draws close once more. With it come those who have been away from their castles for a long while.

For many nights the Wheel of Affluence has stood still in the shadows of the great hall, waiting. Dust has settled on its spokes and its golden rim has lost a little of its shine. The torches beside it have burned low. The servants who once polished it now pass by in silence. Yet the wheel does not forget. It remembers every lord and lady who once set it spinning, every hopeful turn and every cheer that rang through the hall when fortune smiled.

This Halloween, the wheel stirs again. Its creak echoes through empty corridors, past cold hearths and out across the realm on the autumn wind. It is calling for those who have not been seen on their thrones for some time. If your banners have been gathering dust and your gates have stood quiet, this call is meant for you.

Between Thursday 15.10 and Wednesday 21.10, selected returning lords and ladies of level 70 and above will find a personal Halloween surprise waiting for them when they log in. What lies behind it is for each of them to discover. We will only say that the wheel has been saving it with you in mind. No two lords will find quite the same thing.

This surprise appears only once and does not linger once it shows itself. Like a lantern flame on a windy night, it is there for a short while before it fades. The sooner you return, the more you can make of it. Do not leave it until the last day of the week.

Your castle has waited through the long nights of your absence. Its gates stand ready for their rightful ruler. When you return, take a moment to walk your walls, look over your stores and see who still flies your alliance’s colours. Every lord and lady who comes home brings a little more light back to the realm. Every throne filled again makes the season a little less dark.

Not every castle will receive this surprise. It is meant for those who have been away the longest, a welcome home for the ones the realm has missed. If you have kept your banners flying all along, we thank you for every night you have stood watch. You are the reason the lanterns never went out.

So light a lantern against the dark, gather your courage and ride home this week. The wheel is turning again. This time it is turning for you. We look forward to seeing you beside it.