Loose threads: A cabal of Undead and/or Worshippers of Zura, the Vampire Queen, were revealed to be plotting the isolation and subjugation of settlements; A member of said cabal, the Vampire responsible for the subjugation of this particular town, was not present when we raided their crypt, and still remains at large; A halfling woman, Prissolu, suspected to be allied with the Undead is also missing.
Participants: Cati, Gristlemaw, Klaus Schnee, Toma, Clayfang
Locations: A small village north of the Port
Short summary:
Vampires ravaged a local town.
Full Report
It was with the greatest shock and dismay that I found I had arrived at the briefing without the proper adventuring attire, made all the more apparent by the fashionable white winter coat that Toma had acquired! A small woman named Vum Gliss was giving the mission, but I just could not wait until I had redeemed my error, and found a willing though sleepy tailor with great haste!
Once so arrayed, I returned to learn what I could of our mission. Apparently a mysterious letter, as well as reports of people going mission had been gathered from a small fishing village to the north of the Port. No names were known, but a picture of a butterfly had been drawn on one of the letters, so obviously a lepidopterist had sent the letter. Desna’s luck was with me for remembering the word!
Learning everything there was to know, we set off. We arrived at the port in the evening, and decided it was time enough to head to the village, and set off along the road, despite knowing that undead might be prowling the area. It was here that we had our first important meeting. Fogdan, a catfolk from the fishing village who acted very nervous. When we told him our intentions, he asked how committed we were. In a show of light violence, Clayfang, my small kobold friend cut his own hand and spilled his own blood, to show we were ready to fight to the meaningless death if need be!
Fogdan cracked, and revealed that he was merely a pawn to lure travelers to their demise, and shouted that the ghouls were in the trees. A cunning trap indeed!
We fought them off bravely, with Cati destroying them very quickly, Klaus Schnee landing a couple of magic shots, and Toma blasting them with a sphere of lightning. Everyone upheld their ancestors honor bravely.
It was at that point Fogdan told us his woes. His wife taken, his daughter in danger, and the entire town being controlled by ghouls, with two vampire spawn that had intimidated and cajoled the townsfolk into doing their bidding. Everyone except his wife. Loytes had been the town leader and liaison for a time, and had been working to undermine these undead. She had even formulated a plan, but at the moment when she was to save the village, she was betrayed by one of her two friends and lieutenants, the town drunk, I mean guard captain, Cred Shik, and her assistant, Prissollu.
We visited both, and found Priss to be most annoying, while Cred was a complete mess, totally unbefitting a warrior. He was drowning himself in the tavern, when we were ambushed by ghouls, along with a more dangerous variant. We fought them off, though it was at this time we lost Klaus to the recallers, and the fight became very touch and go. But again, with good teamwork, and nerves of steel, and much bravery, we were able to overcome, but not without learning that these abominations were servants or creations of the Demon Lord Zura, the Vampire Queen.
With Cred free from the grasp of alcoholism (truly a demon worse than any I’ve read of), he told us where we could find these creatures of the night. With a little help from the townsfolk, we set off to their lair among the crypts.
I must indulge an aside, as I forgot to mention it earlier. But the daughter of Fogdan and Loytes, Folres, was a fiery spirit, very stupid and very brave. She was the one who invited us along, NOT a lepidopterist as I had surmised, and had we not arrived I am certain she would have rushed to her death, or worse, to save her mother. I commend her, and recommend her for a student scholarship in the guild…err, or something like that. She should be trained!
As we arrived at the crypts, we found a hulking orc archer, and a fighter with hatchet and sword and shield standing in our way. Offered the chance at redemption, they merely insulted us and called us food. So we advanced in good order, our formation tight, in order to overwhelm their defenses. Clayfang led the way, and was treated to multiple attacks, while Cati fell prey to a pit trap these beasts had prepared. I meanwhile sent Big Crow to harry the archer and keep him from raining down death on us, and it worked. As we advanced, I watched with great glee as the carrion bird and friend shoved the orc off his perch, sending crashing to the ground in a fit of rage and curses. As the orc returned to try to hurt my friend-bird, he was shoved off again, before Big Crow made off into the trees, a guerilla of the first order!
With our advance covered by the ugly bird, we were able to overwhelm and subdue the fighter, though a tricky bit of work from Clayfang knocked the vampire into the pit of his own making. As is written in the scriptures, “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone; it will roll back on him.” If these creatures of evil had ever read any holy book, I’m sure they would’ve learned something.
After felling Hatchet, we turned on Orc, and it was a simple matter to dispatch him.
Rushing into the crypt we found a place for them to sleep, and more disturbing of all, as I was told later by Toma, they were given specific instructions on how to subdue and subjugate a local population. Someone above these creatures had made a plan, and they were merely following it. But I had no eyes for that. All I could see was the poor, shriveled woman chained to the walls of the crypt. Exsanguinated almost to the last drop, our poor, brave Loytes had been used as food by the evil creatures. Thankfully we had arrived in time, though Toma’s case of ghoul fever was progressing rapidly, and something in the back of my head kept telling me it was time to end his suffering. But alas, I did not listen to such evil tidings, and instead we gave him all the information and papers and sent him home posthaste!
Loytes was reunited with Fogdan and Folres, and we escorted them back to the village, and then to the Port itself, before returning home.
I will give the report to my associates and see if anything has been missed. Otherwise, it is my recommendation that a general wanted by issued for the collaborator Prissollu, and that we send guild agents to any outlying villages that have not been heard from in a long time, to make sure this experiment is not repeated!
Thus ends my report!