Death in Baccau...harvest of blood. our followup to Enon Tor
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:41 am
crossposted from dragonsfoot.
This is my follow up game to the Beacon at Enon Tor. We began this one back in early August, but, due to work schedules, fair, family visits, ect., ect. haven't been able to finish it, yet.
I'm hoping to work something out in the next few weeks to get this one done as everyone seemed to have a really good time with it so far.
Death in a Baccau Harvest of Blood.
Baccau, Karameikos, world of Mystara
25 miles north or Dmitrov, on the northern border with the Vorloi estate.
350 villagers and local farmers. Over 2500 visitors for the Festival of Wine.
Light forest and farmland.
It is the yearly Festival of Wine, centered in the quiet village of Baccau on the northern border of the Dmitrov/Vorloi estates.
The Vine Druids are renowned for their winemaking and supply the festival each and every year.
This years festival is special. The Festival falls upon the three nights of the full moon, a powerful magical event which only occurs every few centuries. The wine and reveling will be wilder than ever!
The Player Characters:
Returning from the Beacon at Enon Tor are
Ben: playing a Fighter (whose friggin name I can never remember Grrrrrrr!) and a member of the Order of the Griffon. He is a sword and shield man and a Traladaran with a veeeeeeeeery thick almost Bela Lugosi accent. He has acquired a magic sword from the wizard Karthedon at Enon Tor.
Deb: playing Miranda, a mixed Thyatian/Traladar Wizard. Her father was a Thyatian who seduced her mother and left her. She wants him to acknowledge her existence. She has gained a few new spells in her spell book from the wizard Karthedon as a reward for her part in saving him.
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23249
DAY ONE:
Dmitrov
It has been a month since the adventure at Enon Tor and he PCs have been given rooms at the Black Lamb in in Dmitrov, paid for by Lord Dromilov who was most grateful for their saving the wizard Karthedon and restoring the beacon at Enon Tor.
Ben has resting, exploring the are, and practicing with his new magic sword.
Miranda has used this time to study with Karthedon and gain new spells for her spell book.
The dwarf cleric Kellak has departed for Highforge on family business.
Their rest is soon over. Lord Dromilov has returned to the north to deal with the goblin invasion and the PCs have been invited to attend the yearly festival of wine in Baccau as Dromilovs representatives. They are to travel there and attend the opening ceremonies as the Lords representatives and, after that, they have orders from Dromilov to enjoy themselves by feasting, dancing, and reveling as they see fit. They are given a letter stating they are the Lords representatives to the festival and is sealed with Lord Dromilovs seal.
Looking forward to a bit of vacation Ben and Cassandra set out after noon on horseback on the dirt road leading north to Baccau.
They have an uneventful journey. Its a nice sunny day, not too how, with a nice breeze. After a few hours they approach Baccau noticing the traffic on the road beginning to pick up as farmers and merchants head to the small village for the festival.
It is near dusk when they reach the outskirts of the village.
Topping a small hill, they can hear the music and laughter of the festival before they see the village of Baccau. It lies before them in a small valley with light forests to the north and east. Grassy plains and fields lie to the west and to the south, where the road winds through.
The entire village is surrounded by wagons, tents, and chaotic celebrating.
The village population couldnt be more then 300 normally but there are at least a few thousand people camped out here singing, dancing, drinking, and playing contests. Hundreds of merchants hawk food, wine, beer, clothing, armor, weapons, and almost any trinket imaginable.
Ribbons, wine casks, flowers, alters, icons, and revelers in masks are everywhere highlighted by lit torches as night approaches.
A few guards in chain mail wander in the crowd keeping a lookout for trouble and drinking a bit themselves.
Baccau
The PCs ride down the hill into the chaos.
They are soon drinking a bit and wandering around. Ben looks for food and Miranda looks for silk merchants.
They ask whats going on and where the ceremony will be held and are directed to the village square.
They make their way through the outer camp and enter the crowded village, heading for the square.
The center of the square has a large stone well with a stage covered in burgundy silk canopy and ribbons built around it. They see several men in burgundy cloaks and gold pendants surrounded by guards and what appear to be wealthy nobles or merchants. One man dressed in burgundy robes stands out from others. He is taller then the others and appears to be slender. His whitish-blone hair is long and flows freely. He is Cassius the High Druid.
They make their way towards the well but are intercepted by two men in burgundy Druids robes.
Ben tells them they are the Lords representatives and shows the sealed letter. The Druids explain he is about to begin the opening ceremony and cannot be interrupted by outsiders. The ceremony has been prepared all day and is quite tiring. He will leave for his chambers to rest after the ceremony and wont be available for the rest of the evening. They thank the PCs for attending and will mention they are here to the High Druid, perhaps he will seek them out tomorrow?
The druids then depart to help with the ceremony.
Waiting for the ceremony to commence Ben takes some more wine and food and Miranda spots a silk merchant and begins haggling.
After a few minutes the ceremony begins. The entire throng of revelers is packed into the town square and the surrounding block. There isnt room to move anywhere. Even the rooftops are covered in people.
Cassius begins the ceremony. Raising a cup of sacred wine to his lips he begins a long litany praising the Immortals, the crops, the land, and the revelers. He continues on about how this is a special festival this year, the full moon festival, falling only once every three hundred years.
As he is preaching the druids and servants move through the throng filling revelers cups with sacred wine.
As Cassius concludes he raises his sacred cup and intones for the others to drink with him as he salutes them, the land, and the full moon rising over the hills.
Everyone murmurs with him and drinks. Its the best wine the PCs have ever tasted. Its incredible stuff.
Then a gong is sounded by one of the druids and the ceremony is over. Cassius departs with the druids and guards and music and shouting starts up again as the festival will rock on through the night.
Ben happens to catch the eye of two dancing girls who come to him and try to get him to join them for a dance and drinks. Nearby four rough looking Thyaticn mercenaries are watching Ben with a lot of anger as the girls were paying attention to them until they spotted the Griffon Knight in his nice clothes and shiny Order badge pinned to his cloak.
Seeing the mercs and guessing whats going on he tries to disentangle himself from the girls and politely refuse their advances. But its too late. Their leader, with a curse, throws down his mug of wine and steps up to Bens face.
Hes a bit drunk but still capable of fighting.
Grabbing one of the girls roughly by the wrist the merc Captain snarls These are our women! Who do you think you are!
He then angrily pokes Bens Order badge. I dont care if youre one of the Griffon Knights or not! Nobody takes our women! Think youre bettern the rest of us do ya!
Ben tries to calm him down and reassure him that he wasnt stealing anybodies women and that its just a mistake when the Captain takes a swing at him and barely misses.
Ben decks the Captain and nearly breaks his nose. Blood squirts all over the Captains face.
Its on. The crowd clears a circle laughing and cheering.
Miranda, at a nearby stall, sees all of this and moves towards the circle, watching the other mercs and pulling out her wand of Magic Missiles just in case they try to slip a dagger into Bens back.
Ben and the Captain begin pummeling each other with shots to the face. Ben gets a few shots to his pretty face but he nearly kills the Captain, hitting him like a mule for three rounds straight. The Captain is barely on is feet and bleeding heavily from his now broken nose and mouth.
One of the mercs begins to stealthily draw his dagger and Miranda gets ready to start firing missiles when the several guardsmen arrive to break the fight up.
They have a mind to throw everyone in the jail until they spot Bens Order badge. You a Griffon Knight? one of them asks gruffly in Traladaran. Ben nods and they eye him carefully. They are all Traladaran and the fact that Ben is also Traladaran and a member of the Griffon Knights and by association a member of the Church of Karameikos makes him suspect to them.
Ben quickly produces the letter from Lord Dromilov with his seal on it. This impresses them greatly but they look like they are going to hassle Ben and Miranda a bit more.
Then a middle age Traladaran man steps out of the crowd towards them. He is dressed in plain but clean clothes and cloak. He is paunchy with white hair and a large white moustache. He grips a holy symbol from the Church of Traladar very tightly as he speaks to them, visibly nervous, eyes darting around the crowd.
I saw the whole thing. The mercenaries started it, the Knight was merely defending himself. It is not his fault. He and his companion have done nothing wrong.
The guard leader defers to the white-haired man, Very well Dannov, if you vouch for them we will let it go this time. Let us not have a repeat of this again.
Grumbling they clear the crowd and rush the mercs away form the PCs fast. Nobody gets jailed this time.
Once the guards are gone and the crowds attention is elsewhere he practically grabs the PCs hands.
I must speak to you! It is most important! Please! Come with me!
They ask who he is and what is going on.
I am Dannov, cleric of the villages church and owner of the Dancing Wolf Inn. Come let us go there. You can stay while you are in Baccau. We must discuss a very dangerous matter that we have been trying to bring to Lord Dromilovs attention.
He will answer no more questions there on the street. Only in his Inn.
They agree to follow him and they head across the square towards a large in with a painted sign over the door: a Dancing Wolf with a sliver of moon behind it.
Dannov leads them towards the alley way, heading for the basement door hoping that he can get the PCs inside the inn without anyone knowing.
Just as they reach the alley a bloody man staggers around the corner into Dannovs arms. With a small cry Dannov quickly drags him off the street into the alley. The PCs follow cautiously, sword and wand out, wary of an ambush or trouble.
The man is a Traladar in his 40s. His throat has been ripped open and he is soaked with blood. He manages to gasp Dannov once before his eyes roll up and he gasps his last breath.
White with horror and fear Dannov drops the body, eyes wild and grasping his holy symbol.
They are near! We must seek shelter! Come, help me with his body!
Ben grabs the feet as Dannov takes the shoulders. Miranda is on guard ready to blast anything with her wand of Magic Missiles. They go halfway down the alley to a set of stone steps leading to the basement door of the Dancing Wolf. Dannov unlocks the lock with an iron key and they enter the basement.
They lay the body behind some firewood and wine casks near the far wall. Dannov quickly locks the again.
Dannov is still shaken and tears are in his eyes. Blood is on the front of his shirt and hands.
Who is this, Ben asks.
He is Renaldo, he is my friend, Dannov replies. I am truly sorry to involve you in this but I knew you would help, I had to ask. You are a Griffon Knight! And Lord Dromilovs representatives. Oh thank the Immortals! I cannot trust many in the village. Who knows how many may be under Their power! We tried to send messages to Lord Dromilov for help but the messengers never returned. They must have killed the messengers!
Who are They , Miranda ask.
The vampires, Dannov replies.
Oh.
The Dancing Wolf Inn
He will answer no more questions for now. He insists they all go upstairs to a quiet table so they may talk further in safety.
They follow him up the basement steps into the kitchen on the main floor of the tavern. An old woman is stirring a pot of stew on an iron stove in the corner. She looks curiously at Dannov who instructs her to have one of the girls bring stew, cheese, and beer to the upstairs dining room. He then leads them out of kitchen door into the main tavern area which is packed with drinkers, card players, and musicians. He leads them through the throng, still fingering his holy symbol, to a set of stairs near a roaring fireplace. The stairs lead up to a second story. They reach the second story landing. Numbered guestrooms line the hallways. They go down a short hallway, turn left, and go down a longer hallway to an unmarked door at the end of the hall.
There is a holy symbol nailed over the doorway and a faint scent of garlic in the hallway.
Dannov opens the oak door to reveal a spacious 15deep x 50 wide dining room. A large long table with many chairs dominates the center of the room. A wood stove sits in the far right corner surrounded by firewood and cushioned chairs which are also placed in the other corners. Two windows are spaced wide apart on the far walls, grey curtains pulled closed, window sills lined with strings of garlic. Several oil lamps hanging on the walls light he room. A large candelabra is lighted on the table.
As Dannov and the PCs enter a thin, white grey haired man in grey plain clothes stands facing the wood stove, his back to the doorway. He inclines his head at the sound of the group entering.
Master is that you?
Yes, Luis, Dannov replies. We have guests, please come to meet them.
Luis turns around carefully. He is clean shaven and in his late 30s. His eyes are covered in thick white cataracts. He is blind.
Carefully picking his way around the table he approaches the party and bows in their direction.
Dannov directs him to go downstairs and make sure the girls bring the food and drink up in a timely fashion. Luis nods and makes his way down the hallway.
Dannov insists Ben and Miranda make themselves comfortable.
I promise you are safe in this room. I have holy symbols and garlic and have blessed this room myself. Stay in this room and you shall be fine. I will go to find Wulfgar the smithy. He can help me show you what is going on in our village. He is a friend and ally. You can trust him. I will return shortly.
Then the PCs are left alone.
Minutes later two tavern girls arrive with the food and beer. They quickly serve the two heroes and head back downstairs where the heavily drinking guests are heavy tippers this evening.
They dont have much appetite at this point but Ben sips the beer.
Twenty minutes later Dannov returns, wearing a clean shirt. He is followed into the room by a large muscled man in his 40s. He is a northerner with a large braided beard and long hair, both blonde and heavily shot with grey. His eyes are crystal blue and his skin is leathery and heavily tanned. He wears sooty leather clothing and a holy symbol of a silver hammer and crossed lightning bolts hangs from a leather thong around his neck.
Dannov introduces him as Wulfgar, the village smithy. He eyes the PCs with a nod before setting down and laying into the food and beer.
Dannov begins by telling of missing livestock several months ago on the outlying farms. In the months to follow a few children went missing and an occasional traveler would disappear between farms. Goblins and wolves were blamed. Finally a group of traveling merchants were attacked several weeks ago and a few were dragged off by wolves. The villagers and farmers had had enough. Lord Dromilov was notified and he and his guardsmen went to the north to deal with any goblins they could find.
The locals organized wolf hunts and bounties were placed on their skins by local merchants and nobles.
Wulfgar stops eating and eyeing the PCs begins his part of the tale.
I and my son Baltus were hunting wolves when we saw a woman in the woods, hiding behind a tree, watching us. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, pale with lips like crimson wine and a long black hair, like night. Beautiful she was.
Wulfgar spits on the floor in anger and disgust. Then he begins again.
We called her forth, telling her we would not harm her, but she refused. We thought she might be afraid but then we saw her eyes gleaming like diamonds. We started in fear and thats when she began to creep forward silently, like a wolf stalking a sheep.
We quickly withdrew. Baltus fired an arrow into her stomach but it did not seem to hurt her. She hissed at us like a snake and raised her arms over her head. A large pack of wolves swarmed from the woods around her and attacked us. We fought off the pack, cleaving many skulls, but Baltus fell. I retreated with his body. The woman had disappeared in the fight.
The PCs are wary at this point. They arent sure what to think. It could be vampires but they think it might be werewolves. Or something else entirely. (NOTE: this is partially my fault , a lot of times things in my games are not what they appear. They tend to get paranoid when I throw little mysteries at them. Even incredibly obvious mysteries. Theres almost always a twist. )
They begin to question Wulfgar.
Did you encounter her at night?
No, it was afternoon, but heavily clouded.
They are really doubtful at this point when Miranda hears a noise from the window behind her. She tells the others she heard something and everyone is on their feet, clutching weapons and holy symbols.
The curtain is pulled back to reveal nothing but the torchlight, music, and noise of revelers. The full moon shines in brightly. They begin to turn away when Ben notices something on the window pane. The partial print of a pair of lips, on the outside of the glass. They also see what looks like claw marks gouged on the outer window sill, as if something was perched there, listening.
They take the story more seriously after this.
They question Dannov and Wulfgar long into the night. They do not know much else, except they do not trust anyone that Dannov has not checked with his spells (detect undead) or with his holy symbol. Dannov also tells them an interesting bit of local lore.
Legend tells of a vampire outbreak hundreds of years ago but it was stopped and the vampires destroyed by a bard, Cayce, who used his golden harp to paralyze the undead. Cayce died in the heroic effort and was enshrined in a tomb somewhere in the northern woods. No one knows what happened to the harp but it is suspected to be buried with the hero.
After much discussion on the PCs parts they make plans for the next day. They want as much holy water as Dannov can supply from the church (about eight vials), some garlic, some stakes, and silver since they are unsure whether or not silver will hurt vampires. (NOTE: I havent let any layers see the Monsters and Treasure and Im very cryptic about changes made to monsters in C&C from previous editions of D&D.) They are told that legends conflict on this issue but better safe than sorry. Wulfgar will melt the silver and coat Bens magic sword (which I didnt bother to tell him would work fine, cause its magic, i think they were getting very concerned and maybe not thinking too clearly at this point. they're 5th level and i'm probably throwing a coven of vampires and god knows what else at them ), some smaller weapons, and several arrow and crossbow bolt heads.
The PCs became concerned where they were going to find so much silver but Dannov smiled and informed them that hey had indeed been hoarding as many silver coins and silverware the last month as he and Wulfgar could find. They are well stocked on silver.
Arming themselves they intend to make their way to the cemetery in the north woods and find the bards tomb, hoping to recover the golden harp to help fight the vampires.
At some point Ben realized: wait VAMPIRES! Poor dead Renaldo in the alley was killed by a bite! They were going to go stake and behead him but Dannov had already taken care of that task, the body still hidden in the basement. He did it with Wulfgar before this meeting. Thats why they were gone so long. He and Wulfgar will bury the mutilated body in the morning with a nice funeral for their friend.
The PCs are then shown to their rooms on the second floor. They are on the same hallway as Dannov, Luis, and Wulfgars rooms. All began sleeping close when they began to actively oppose the vampires.
The PCs are tucked in, holy items and garlic on their doors and windows, weapons and wands in hands and rest in preparation for the next days tasks.
Part two: Day Two i hope to post tomorrow. it was pretty wild. fighting undead harpies in a haunted graveyard. invading a haunted tomb.
lotsa stuff.
later.
_________________
Hey now,
I've stepped into the black
I say hey now
I wont be coming back
I say hey now
I've left it all behind
This is my follow up game to the Beacon at Enon Tor. We began this one back in early August, but, due to work schedules, fair, family visits, ect., ect. haven't been able to finish it, yet.
I'm hoping to work something out in the next few weeks to get this one done as everyone seemed to have a really good time with it so far.
Death in a Baccau Harvest of Blood.
Baccau, Karameikos, world of Mystara
25 miles north or Dmitrov, on the northern border with the Vorloi estate.
350 villagers and local farmers. Over 2500 visitors for the Festival of Wine.
Light forest and farmland.
It is the yearly Festival of Wine, centered in the quiet village of Baccau on the northern border of the Dmitrov/Vorloi estates.
The Vine Druids are renowned for their winemaking and supply the festival each and every year.
This years festival is special. The Festival falls upon the three nights of the full moon, a powerful magical event which only occurs every few centuries. The wine and reveling will be wilder than ever!
The Player Characters:
Returning from the Beacon at Enon Tor are
Ben: playing a Fighter (whose friggin name I can never remember Grrrrrrr!) and a member of the Order of the Griffon. He is a sword and shield man and a Traladaran with a veeeeeeeeery thick almost Bela Lugosi accent. He has acquired a magic sword from the wizard Karthedon at Enon Tor.
Deb: playing Miranda, a mixed Thyatian/Traladar Wizard. Her father was a Thyatian who seduced her mother and left her. She wants him to acknowledge her existence. She has gained a few new spells in her spell book from the wizard Karthedon as a reward for her part in saving him.
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23249
DAY ONE:
Dmitrov
It has been a month since the adventure at Enon Tor and he PCs have been given rooms at the Black Lamb in in Dmitrov, paid for by Lord Dromilov who was most grateful for their saving the wizard Karthedon and restoring the beacon at Enon Tor.
Ben has resting, exploring the are, and practicing with his new magic sword.
Miranda has used this time to study with Karthedon and gain new spells for her spell book.
The dwarf cleric Kellak has departed for Highforge on family business.
Their rest is soon over. Lord Dromilov has returned to the north to deal with the goblin invasion and the PCs have been invited to attend the yearly festival of wine in Baccau as Dromilovs representatives. They are to travel there and attend the opening ceremonies as the Lords representatives and, after that, they have orders from Dromilov to enjoy themselves by feasting, dancing, and reveling as they see fit. They are given a letter stating they are the Lords representatives to the festival and is sealed with Lord Dromilovs seal.
Looking forward to a bit of vacation Ben and Cassandra set out after noon on horseback on the dirt road leading north to Baccau.
They have an uneventful journey. Its a nice sunny day, not too how, with a nice breeze. After a few hours they approach Baccau noticing the traffic on the road beginning to pick up as farmers and merchants head to the small village for the festival.
It is near dusk when they reach the outskirts of the village.
Topping a small hill, they can hear the music and laughter of the festival before they see the village of Baccau. It lies before them in a small valley with light forests to the north and east. Grassy plains and fields lie to the west and to the south, where the road winds through.
The entire village is surrounded by wagons, tents, and chaotic celebrating.
The village population couldnt be more then 300 normally but there are at least a few thousand people camped out here singing, dancing, drinking, and playing contests. Hundreds of merchants hawk food, wine, beer, clothing, armor, weapons, and almost any trinket imaginable.
Ribbons, wine casks, flowers, alters, icons, and revelers in masks are everywhere highlighted by lit torches as night approaches.
A few guards in chain mail wander in the crowd keeping a lookout for trouble and drinking a bit themselves.
Baccau
The PCs ride down the hill into the chaos.
They are soon drinking a bit and wandering around. Ben looks for food and Miranda looks for silk merchants.
They ask whats going on and where the ceremony will be held and are directed to the village square.
They make their way through the outer camp and enter the crowded village, heading for the square.
The center of the square has a large stone well with a stage covered in burgundy silk canopy and ribbons built around it. They see several men in burgundy cloaks and gold pendants surrounded by guards and what appear to be wealthy nobles or merchants. One man dressed in burgundy robes stands out from others. He is taller then the others and appears to be slender. His whitish-blone hair is long and flows freely. He is Cassius the High Druid.
They make their way towards the well but are intercepted by two men in burgundy Druids robes.
Ben tells them they are the Lords representatives and shows the sealed letter. The Druids explain he is about to begin the opening ceremony and cannot be interrupted by outsiders. The ceremony has been prepared all day and is quite tiring. He will leave for his chambers to rest after the ceremony and wont be available for the rest of the evening. They thank the PCs for attending and will mention they are here to the High Druid, perhaps he will seek them out tomorrow?
The druids then depart to help with the ceremony.
Waiting for the ceremony to commence Ben takes some more wine and food and Miranda spots a silk merchant and begins haggling.
After a few minutes the ceremony begins. The entire throng of revelers is packed into the town square and the surrounding block. There isnt room to move anywhere. Even the rooftops are covered in people.
Cassius begins the ceremony. Raising a cup of sacred wine to his lips he begins a long litany praising the Immortals, the crops, the land, and the revelers. He continues on about how this is a special festival this year, the full moon festival, falling only once every three hundred years.
As he is preaching the druids and servants move through the throng filling revelers cups with sacred wine.
As Cassius concludes he raises his sacred cup and intones for the others to drink with him as he salutes them, the land, and the full moon rising over the hills.
Everyone murmurs with him and drinks. Its the best wine the PCs have ever tasted. Its incredible stuff.
Then a gong is sounded by one of the druids and the ceremony is over. Cassius departs with the druids and guards and music and shouting starts up again as the festival will rock on through the night.
Ben happens to catch the eye of two dancing girls who come to him and try to get him to join them for a dance and drinks. Nearby four rough looking Thyaticn mercenaries are watching Ben with a lot of anger as the girls were paying attention to them until they spotted the Griffon Knight in his nice clothes and shiny Order badge pinned to his cloak.
Seeing the mercs and guessing whats going on he tries to disentangle himself from the girls and politely refuse their advances. But its too late. Their leader, with a curse, throws down his mug of wine and steps up to Bens face.
Hes a bit drunk but still capable of fighting.
Grabbing one of the girls roughly by the wrist the merc Captain snarls These are our women! Who do you think you are!
He then angrily pokes Bens Order badge. I dont care if youre one of the Griffon Knights or not! Nobody takes our women! Think youre bettern the rest of us do ya!
Ben tries to calm him down and reassure him that he wasnt stealing anybodies women and that its just a mistake when the Captain takes a swing at him and barely misses.
Ben decks the Captain and nearly breaks his nose. Blood squirts all over the Captains face.
Its on. The crowd clears a circle laughing and cheering.
Miranda, at a nearby stall, sees all of this and moves towards the circle, watching the other mercs and pulling out her wand of Magic Missiles just in case they try to slip a dagger into Bens back.
Ben and the Captain begin pummeling each other with shots to the face. Ben gets a few shots to his pretty face but he nearly kills the Captain, hitting him like a mule for three rounds straight. The Captain is barely on is feet and bleeding heavily from his now broken nose and mouth.
One of the mercs begins to stealthily draw his dagger and Miranda gets ready to start firing missiles when the several guardsmen arrive to break the fight up.
They have a mind to throw everyone in the jail until they spot Bens Order badge. You a Griffon Knight? one of them asks gruffly in Traladaran. Ben nods and they eye him carefully. They are all Traladaran and the fact that Ben is also Traladaran and a member of the Griffon Knights and by association a member of the Church of Karameikos makes him suspect to them.
Ben quickly produces the letter from Lord Dromilov with his seal on it. This impresses them greatly but they look like they are going to hassle Ben and Miranda a bit more.
Then a middle age Traladaran man steps out of the crowd towards them. He is dressed in plain but clean clothes and cloak. He is paunchy with white hair and a large white moustache. He grips a holy symbol from the Church of Traladar very tightly as he speaks to them, visibly nervous, eyes darting around the crowd.
I saw the whole thing. The mercenaries started it, the Knight was merely defending himself. It is not his fault. He and his companion have done nothing wrong.
The guard leader defers to the white-haired man, Very well Dannov, if you vouch for them we will let it go this time. Let us not have a repeat of this again.
Grumbling they clear the crowd and rush the mercs away form the PCs fast. Nobody gets jailed this time.
Once the guards are gone and the crowds attention is elsewhere he practically grabs the PCs hands.
I must speak to you! It is most important! Please! Come with me!
They ask who he is and what is going on.
I am Dannov, cleric of the villages church and owner of the Dancing Wolf Inn. Come let us go there. You can stay while you are in Baccau. We must discuss a very dangerous matter that we have been trying to bring to Lord Dromilovs attention.
He will answer no more questions there on the street. Only in his Inn.
They agree to follow him and they head across the square towards a large in with a painted sign over the door: a Dancing Wolf with a sliver of moon behind it.
Dannov leads them towards the alley way, heading for the basement door hoping that he can get the PCs inside the inn without anyone knowing.
Just as they reach the alley a bloody man staggers around the corner into Dannovs arms. With a small cry Dannov quickly drags him off the street into the alley. The PCs follow cautiously, sword and wand out, wary of an ambush or trouble.
The man is a Traladar in his 40s. His throat has been ripped open and he is soaked with blood. He manages to gasp Dannov once before his eyes roll up and he gasps his last breath.
White with horror and fear Dannov drops the body, eyes wild and grasping his holy symbol.
They are near! We must seek shelter! Come, help me with his body!
Ben grabs the feet as Dannov takes the shoulders. Miranda is on guard ready to blast anything with her wand of Magic Missiles. They go halfway down the alley to a set of stone steps leading to the basement door of the Dancing Wolf. Dannov unlocks the lock with an iron key and they enter the basement.
They lay the body behind some firewood and wine casks near the far wall. Dannov quickly locks the again.
Dannov is still shaken and tears are in his eyes. Blood is on the front of his shirt and hands.
Who is this, Ben asks.
He is Renaldo, he is my friend, Dannov replies. I am truly sorry to involve you in this but I knew you would help, I had to ask. You are a Griffon Knight! And Lord Dromilovs representatives. Oh thank the Immortals! I cannot trust many in the village. Who knows how many may be under Their power! We tried to send messages to Lord Dromilov for help but the messengers never returned. They must have killed the messengers!
Who are They , Miranda ask.
The vampires, Dannov replies.
Oh.
The Dancing Wolf Inn
He will answer no more questions for now. He insists they all go upstairs to a quiet table so they may talk further in safety.
They follow him up the basement steps into the kitchen on the main floor of the tavern. An old woman is stirring a pot of stew on an iron stove in the corner. She looks curiously at Dannov who instructs her to have one of the girls bring stew, cheese, and beer to the upstairs dining room. He then leads them out of kitchen door into the main tavern area which is packed with drinkers, card players, and musicians. He leads them through the throng, still fingering his holy symbol, to a set of stairs near a roaring fireplace. The stairs lead up to a second story. They reach the second story landing. Numbered guestrooms line the hallways. They go down a short hallway, turn left, and go down a longer hallway to an unmarked door at the end of the hall.
There is a holy symbol nailed over the doorway and a faint scent of garlic in the hallway.
Dannov opens the oak door to reveal a spacious 15deep x 50 wide dining room. A large long table with many chairs dominates the center of the room. A wood stove sits in the far right corner surrounded by firewood and cushioned chairs which are also placed in the other corners. Two windows are spaced wide apart on the far walls, grey curtains pulled closed, window sills lined with strings of garlic. Several oil lamps hanging on the walls light he room. A large candelabra is lighted on the table.
As Dannov and the PCs enter a thin, white grey haired man in grey plain clothes stands facing the wood stove, his back to the doorway. He inclines his head at the sound of the group entering.
Master is that you?
Yes, Luis, Dannov replies. We have guests, please come to meet them.
Luis turns around carefully. He is clean shaven and in his late 30s. His eyes are covered in thick white cataracts. He is blind.
Carefully picking his way around the table he approaches the party and bows in their direction.
Dannov directs him to go downstairs and make sure the girls bring the food and drink up in a timely fashion. Luis nods and makes his way down the hallway.
Dannov insists Ben and Miranda make themselves comfortable.
I promise you are safe in this room. I have holy symbols and garlic and have blessed this room myself. Stay in this room and you shall be fine. I will go to find Wulfgar the smithy. He can help me show you what is going on in our village. He is a friend and ally. You can trust him. I will return shortly.
Then the PCs are left alone.
Minutes later two tavern girls arrive with the food and beer. They quickly serve the two heroes and head back downstairs where the heavily drinking guests are heavy tippers this evening.
They dont have much appetite at this point but Ben sips the beer.
Twenty minutes later Dannov returns, wearing a clean shirt. He is followed into the room by a large muscled man in his 40s. He is a northerner with a large braided beard and long hair, both blonde and heavily shot with grey. His eyes are crystal blue and his skin is leathery and heavily tanned. He wears sooty leather clothing and a holy symbol of a silver hammer and crossed lightning bolts hangs from a leather thong around his neck.
Dannov introduces him as Wulfgar, the village smithy. He eyes the PCs with a nod before setting down and laying into the food and beer.
Dannov begins by telling of missing livestock several months ago on the outlying farms. In the months to follow a few children went missing and an occasional traveler would disappear between farms. Goblins and wolves were blamed. Finally a group of traveling merchants were attacked several weeks ago and a few were dragged off by wolves. The villagers and farmers had had enough. Lord Dromilov was notified and he and his guardsmen went to the north to deal with any goblins they could find.
The locals organized wolf hunts and bounties were placed on their skins by local merchants and nobles.
Wulfgar stops eating and eyeing the PCs begins his part of the tale.
I and my son Baltus were hunting wolves when we saw a woman in the woods, hiding behind a tree, watching us. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, pale with lips like crimson wine and a long black hair, like night. Beautiful she was.
Wulfgar spits on the floor in anger and disgust. Then he begins again.
We called her forth, telling her we would not harm her, but she refused. We thought she might be afraid but then we saw her eyes gleaming like diamonds. We started in fear and thats when she began to creep forward silently, like a wolf stalking a sheep.
We quickly withdrew. Baltus fired an arrow into her stomach but it did not seem to hurt her. She hissed at us like a snake and raised her arms over her head. A large pack of wolves swarmed from the woods around her and attacked us. We fought off the pack, cleaving many skulls, but Baltus fell. I retreated with his body. The woman had disappeared in the fight.
The PCs are wary at this point. They arent sure what to think. It could be vampires but they think it might be werewolves. Or something else entirely. (NOTE: this is partially my fault , a lot of times things in my games are not what they appear. They tend to get paranoid when I throw little mysteries at them. Even incredibly obvious mysteries. Theres almost always a twist. )
They begin to question Wulfgar.
Did you encounter her at night?
No, it was afternoon, but heavily clouded.
They are really doubtful at this point when Miranda hears a noise from the window behind her. She tells the others she heard something and everyone is on their feet, clutching weapons and holy symbols.
The curtain is pulled back to reveal nothing but the torchlight, music, and noise of revelers. The full moon shines in brightly. They begin to turn away when Ben notices something on the window pane. The partial print of a pair of lips, on the outside of the glass. They also see what looks like claw marks gouged on the outer window sill, as if something was perched there, listening.
They take the story more seriously after this.
They question Dannov and Wulfgar long into the night. They do not know much else, except they do not trust anyone that Dannov has not checked with his spells (detect undead) or with his holy symbol. Dannov also tells them an interesting bit of local lore.
Legend tells of a vampire outbreak hundreds of years ago but it was stopped and the vampires destroyed by a bard, Cayce, who used his golden harp to paralyze the undead. Cayce died in the heroic effort and was enshrined in a tomb somewhere in the northern woods. No one knows what happened to the harp but it is suspected to be buried with the hero.
After much discussion on the PCs parts they make plans for the next day. They want as much holy water as Dannov can supply from the church (about eight vials), some garlic, some stakes, and silver since they are unsure whether or not silver will hurt vampires. (NOTE: I havent let any layers see the Monsters and Treasure and Im very cryptic about changes made to monsters in C&C from previous editions of D&D.) They are told that legends conflict on this issue but better safe than sorry. Wulfgar will melt the silver and coat Bens magic sword (which I didnt bother to tell him would work fine, cause its magic, i think they were getting very concerned and maybe not thinking too clearly at this point. they're 5th level and i'm probably throwing a coven of vampires and god knows what else at them ), some smaller weapons, and several arrow and crossbow bolt heads.
The PCs became concerned where they were going to find so much silver but Dannov smiled and informed them that hey had indeed been hoarding as many silver coins and silverware the last month as he and Wulfgar could find. They are well stocked on silver.
Arming themselves they intend to make their way to the cemetery in the north woods and find the bards tomb, hoping to recover the golden harp to help fight the vampires.
At some point Ben realized: wait VAMPIRES! Poor dead Renaldo in the alley was killed by a bite! They were going to go stake and behead him but Dannov had already taken care of that task, the body still hidden in the basement. He did it with Wulfgar before this meeting. Thats why they were gone so long. He and Wulfgar will bury the mutilated body in the morning with a nice funeral for their friend.
The PCs are then shown to their rooms on the second floor. They are on the same hallway as Dannov, Luis, and Wulfgars rooms. All began sleeping close when they began to actively oppose the vampires.
The PCs are tucked in, holy items and garlic on their doors and windows, weapons and wands in hands and rest in preparation for the next days tasks.
Part two: Day Two i hope to post tomorrow. it was pretty wild. fighting undead harpies in a haunted graveyard. invading a haunted tomb.
lotsa stuff.
later.
_________________
Hey now,
I've stepped into the black
I say hey now
I wont be coming back
I say hey now
I've left it all behind