TTTB 06 - The Auction

The Auction had finally begun, and the hall was buzzing with excitement as the Evermeet people mingled with the other attendees. It was partially sponsored by the Convocation of the Moon, which meant that there were a lot of prestigious guests present, making it quite an event. After a short break, the mood in the room shifted as the auctioneer announced that the next items up for bidding were forbidden, dangerous, and illegal.

Red, who had been lurking around outside, tried to sneak into the hall unnoticed. However, the gaunt-looking and pale guards posted outside the door quickly caught sight of him. Despite this, Red managed to slip past them, and once inside, he realized that he could see in the dark much better than before.

The floating platforms in the room were packed with ten people each, magically powered and inscribed with intricate runes on the bottom. They had safeguards in place, and chain links extending up to the ceiling. The party quickly noticed that the right-hand side platform was spending more money than the left, causing quite the commotion.

The first item up for bidding was an assassin's creed bracer, which Ara managed to purchase for 1200. The second item was a magical brazier staff that could function as a torch or a tent, which Zurick snapped up for a mere 400.

The third item, a magic mood ring suit, did not interest the party. However, they couldn't resist the fourth item, a handheld device that emitted blue arcing energy and disrupted something, although they weren't sure what it did exactly. The party managed to acquire it for 400.

Next up was a thick red goodberry wine with four charges, each taking a minute to drink. The sixth item was a glass sword with an hourglass inside, forming a thin blade of sand. As Ara was bidding, he noticed movement at the top of the ceiling where two humongous bats were perched, watching everything.

The second half of the auction began, and the room was quieter now. Only six people remained on each platform, with around 70 attendees left in the hall. Starr, who had been quietly observing, was muttering to herself, listing off a series of spells she could use if things went awry.

The first item was twig blights, violently restrained by magic. The party decided to hold off on purchasing them. The second item was a pegasus chained to the ground, which Peregrin managed to acquire for a whopping 2300. 

The third item up for bidding was something that caught Ara's attention. It was a group of slaves who turned out to be Joanne's siblings. Ara managed to purchase them for 1200, hoping to reunite them with their sister.

The final item was an enslaved mermaid which the party opted not to purchase, but had Starr in frantic jitters, frantically reciting her escape plan.

Henk stumbled around, pretending to be drunk as he caused a ruckus at the event, but the party's antics were quickly stopped by the event staff. However, their troubles were far from over. As the team prepared to unleash a delayed fireball spell, they underestimated the impact it would have. The spell evaporated 30-40 high profile audience members indiscriminately, including men, women, and even children.

Just as the party was reeling from the catastrophic aftermath, the mistress of the mansion made her grand entrance. The Vampire Queen Elaine Valdore revealed herself and claimed her rightful place as the ruler of the night. As if things couldn't get any worse, Red transformed into a mass of shadows and an the dark spirit named Alberus enveloped her.

Despite the chaos surrounding them, Peregrin and Red joined forces to free the enslaved children, Ara's mother, and her younger sister, along with a majestic Pegasus. Meanwhile, Starr managed to unlock the mermaid's restraints and escape using a clever dimension door spell.

Just as they thought they had a moment to catch their breath, the Valdore knight and mage, Hanz Valdore and Franz Valdore, appeared with an urgent request for Elaine's presence in the basement. They claimed that the ritual required her attention, but the party suspected that something more sinister was at play.

In the ensuing fight, the team managed to take down Hanz and Franz, along with any other vampire spawn that crossed their path. However, Elaine managed to escape downstairs, leaving the party with more questions than answers.

As they regrouped and tried to make sense of what had just happened, Zurick picked up a skull and was immediately brain blasted. He received a location imprint in his mind, revealing a castle with translucent walls that faded in and out, situated under three moons in the sky.

Ara, in possession of a pendant from her mother, knew that it was time to activate the royal guard from Evermeet as an emergency measure. As if on cue, Henk's Atheromometer started beeping ominously, signalling that they had to give chase immediately.

After taking a moment to breathe, the party was ready to pursue Elaine down into the basement. But with the Vampire Queen on the loose and more dangers lurking around every corner, they knew that the journey ahead would not be easy.