"That doesn't look good, boss. But I bet we know what happened to the Benefactor. Maybe we should go down in the basement now and see if he's still down there?"
"Well, that sheds some light on the situation. Our hag demanded something of this Benefactor, and didn't like the answer she received." Telvir speculates. "Shall we check the cellar for the Benefactor's remains? I suppose it's vaguely possible he survived and is hiding down there, but I doubt it, with so much time elapsed."
In jarring contrast to the cozy finery of the estate above, the basement consists of a single wide area of damp, unworked stone. Metal grates close off several shadowed alcoves around the room, but all the grates hang open. Shackles, chains, and other torture implements dangle from the ceiling. Rusty stains cover the stone floor, and a metallic smell lingers in the air. A mahogany-and-ebony coffin inlaid with glittering garnets rests along the eastern wall, its interior lined with blue velvet.
The shriveled corpse of the man you saw in the visions, who must be the Benefactor, is in the southeast corner of the room, a splintered wooden chair leg driven through his chest and his severed head lying in his lap. It is clear that he has been irrevocably destroyed.
Before you can investigate further, five hissing vampire spawn emerge from the shadowed alcoves around the room. They appear to be feral with hunger, and they bare their fangs as they rush towards you!
Cariad opens one hand in front of his face and puffs. His breath however swirls into a beam of power which surges through the basement.
In the wake of the irritating light that shatters the calm dark, the shadowy form of Aily follows, ducking under a swipe to stab into the guts of the withered pathetic thing.
HP 122/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
"Sorry, boss, I'm not going to be much of a meal," Humerus tells the spawn as he sets himself and then advances on the same spawn as Aily is stabbing. He grabs it and drives his fleshless fist into its mouth.
Clinch Strike (reaction) Your opponents can't slip your grasp without receiving further punishment. Make an unarmed melee Strike against the triggering creature (which successfully escapes your hold).
"Smoke, attack."
Telvir tears at the undead flesh of the spawn with his magic.
and
for
Humerus flinches at Telvir's words.
Ceceka falls in behind Humerus and, using the inherent reach of his weapon, assists the skeletal warrior in disposing of their hungry foes whilst staying far away from their fangs.
Telvir's spell is quite effective, stunning three of the vampire spawn as the magic rips into them! Smoke lunges at one of the other undead, his jaws tearing into their pale flesh. Ceceka slices at the same one, landing a hit, then Aily flanks and finishes it off, dropping it to the floor.
Caraid unleashes a beam of radiant light at two of the remaining vampires. It eradicates the one in the front while badly wounding the one in the back!
Humerus grabs one of the remaining vampires, then punches its face in with a powerful blow! It falls away from him.
Within moments, only two of the vampire spawn remain. After shaking off their stun, they rush at Aily and attack her, but the rogue nimbly dodges away!
HP 122/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
Humerus stomps his feet, then grabs another vampire, slamming his tibia into it and then tossing it away into the other side of the room!
Aily leaps back, then dives forward, feinting before finding the perfect place to stab her dagger into the pathetic spawn.
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Ceceka barks a mean-spirited laugh when the first of the spawn goes down, but he starts losing it when Caraid blasts another into Pharasma's arms with a ray of light. Cackling with glee, Ceceka continues the carnage.
Something or someone filled him with a particular hatred for all things vampiric. These spawns had it coming.
Smoke continues to snap at the spawn as Telvir casts another deadly spell.
for
for
The remaining vampire spawn fall quickly to your blades and fists. Though most of them remain lying where they fall, the final one dissolves into mist upon her destruction and flows into the nearby coffin.
Opening the coffin, you find the reconstituted vampire lying within, weak and emaciated. Her once-fine gown is stained and shredded. "Please, have mercy on me..." she gasps.
Aily looks askance at Ceceka as he truly gets into the killing of the spawn. If her hunch at why his blood had risen (and understands of course having served IT for some years), she wonders if the warrior will spill his dislike into the other members of their party with vampire blood.
The maid smiles at the notion of mercy "Tell us what happened here" she orders.
"I apologize for attacking you. We had been left down here for a long time, and we had grown restless and hungry. My name is Grella, the miller's daughter," the young vampire says. "I was born and raised here in Thornhearth. The Benefactor took a liking to me and he made me what I am now. The five of us were under his thrall. He kept us confined to the basement almost all of the time. But sometimes he would bring me to his study for lessons, or on moonlit walks in the garden. He could be cruel, but he could also be kind.
"I saw what happened to the Benefactor. A hag visited him, and he invited her in for dinner. I did not catch her name. He offered her blood, but she spat it out after just one sip. She yelled at him, and he challenged her to a duel. That is when she lunged at him, and I fled back down to the basement. I hid as she chased him down here, staked him through the heart, and severed his head before departing. It was horrible.
"I am sad that he is gone, but I am happy to be free of the Benefactor's control. Perhaps I could be a better benefactor to the people of Thornhearth. If you will allow me my continued existence."
"Well, you know the town, so I trust you know what you are getting yourself into." Telvir comments, dispassionately. "I would recommend training some independence into your charges. They are sadly lacking in even the most basic initiative."
"Did the hag say why she was visiting? If not, perhaps we could examine your former master's chamber for some hints to her motivations."
Grella weakly shakes her head. "Sorry, I don't know. But you are welcome to explore the rest of the manor for anything that might help you. I must rest and recover..."
When you approach the Benefactor's body, the eyes of the vampire's severed head suddenly pop open! He gasps, "Taviah, I don’t know what kind of creature you’ve become! I don’t even know what kind of creature he who made you is!" He lets out a strangled gasp, then his eyes close once more. It must have been a last bit of spiritual essence manifesting.
A keyring in the Benefactor's pocket holds keys to all the doors in the manor. The keys are mundane iron, but the keyring is a loop of braided platinum worth 100 gp. A loaded spiritsight crossbow lies discarded near his body.
You head upstairs and continue up the tower. The hall is lined with colorful old banners, coats of arms, and weapon stands. The collection contains a few useful items, including an old +1 resilient breastplate with a motif of thorny roses. One of the banners is sewn with gold thread and is worth 300 gp.
The large study at the top of the tower contains a single cushioned chair, a writing desk, and bookcases all carved of rare woods. Thousands of books on every subject imaginable fill the shelves and form precariously towering stacks on the floor.
The books piled everywhere are mostly on military history, military fiction, and agriculture. On the desk, though, is a book that appears different from the others in the room: a handwritten ledger bound with leather straps. The book contains hundreds of entries, all using the same basic format, listing names, birth dates, death dates, and a cause of death as “natural,” “other,” or “carelessness in feeding.” The entries go back 260 years and are all written in the same handwriting.
Unfortunately, you don't find any other clues about Iron Taviah or the purpose of her visit here.
Before Aily slides the coffin closed, she reminds the new vampire benefactor "Remember who gave you this mercy, my lady. Never forget." the last words whispered as the sliver of light disappears.
The comment about offering the blood makes Aily wonder.
Aily knows that the most common type of vampire, the moroi, feed on the blood of the living. However, there exist other, rarer forms of vampires who gain sustenance from other methods, including the jiang-shi who feed on breath or ki, and the vetalarnas who feed on thoughts and emotions.
"We should take these treasures for our trouble. The new Benefactor has the whole town to enrich herself."
After examining the ledger, he adds, "Living for so long, and destroyed after one meal with that returned hag. 'Carelessness in feeding' indeed."
"Sure thing, boss," Humerus agrees, collecting the items until his arms are overflowing. "I guess now we should go back to town and tell 'em they have a new lady boss?"
He continues to chatter as he walks back to town.
"So, what kind of undead do we think she is? And what turned her into an undead? Probably not a vampire, right, because one vampire would know another one. I always can tell a skeleton when I see one. Unless it's a mohrg. Sometimes that can be confusing because you don't know if it's a mohrg or someone just didn't do a very good job of becoming a skeleton. You know, because of the guts and ..."
When you finish exploring the estate, you find an anxious crowd waiting at the foot of the hill. The villagers pepper you with questions about what you discovered and whether the Benefactor will return. With the revelation of the vampire's destruction, the villagers nervously ask what will become of Thornhearth...
"While, unfortunately, the Benefactor has passed on, we have secured a new leader for you. She is the Benefactor's protégé and was schooled by him in all things. I'm sure she will be an effective leader for you. She is resting now after taking on this responsibility, but she will address you soon with orders." Telvir reassures the townspeople. "In the meantime, she wishes that you get something to eat."
"Boss, she didn't say anything about wanting them to eat," Humurus helpfully -- though quietly, at least -- points out.
Aily shoots the other servant with a glare, and raises a finger to her lips. Inwardly she doesn't care at all, since she is fairly certain the entire town will fall into ruin without direction, which the miller's daughter is probably unable to give effectively.
The villagers seem uncertain about Telvir's proclamation, but they are willing to give their new Benefactor a chance. They are happy to follow her "commands" to resume eating again. You feel confident that Thornhearth will now be a far less insular community with Grella in command.
The graveknight Seldeg has remained aloof and apart from you during your investigations here, but he nods in satisfaction once the situation has been resolved. Before you depart, one of the villagers who lives near the Benefactor's estate approaches you. "Now that the Benefactor commands us no longer, I can tell you what I saw. That visitor—the hulking woman—left the estate and headed south through the fields and into the forest. I saw her leave, though she was trying to keep to shadows and stay hidden. A trader once told me there’s a sort of village several days in the direction she went, a big market town in an old church. You might find her there.”
Seldeg nods. "He must mean the Hollow Flesh Market. It is a bustling trading post across the Axanir River to the south. Let us continue our pursuit."
Completely oblivious to Aily's glare -- or finger -- Humerus continues to chatter on.
"Sure, boss, whatever you say," he agrees with Seldeg.
Ceceka sighs in affirmation and readies himself for the journey. Once they're all on the move again, the warrior indulges the outgoing part of him and shares his thoughts with the others. "That went well."
You ride south from Thornhearth, crossing the Axanir River and into Geb's southern heartland. Seldeg's spirits lift as you approach the Hollow Flesh Market. He says he has several contacts here and can follow his own leads while you perform your investigations. He arranges for you to tie your mounts to a hitching post covered with creeping vines and dismisses his own mount with a quick wave of his hand.
Broken stone pillars, some leaning precariously against the weathered walls, stand guard over a marketplace within a cavernous structure resembling an open chest cavity. Ramshackle stalls shaded by tarps and scrap quilts offer an odd variety of goods: jewelry of polished bone, scrap metal, fresh lake clams, and stained funereal clothing are on display as enthusiastic merchants hawk their wares.
A sallow woman swaddled in dark robes beckons passersby to view her selection of unusual ingredients. Dark stitches run along her hands and face, as though she were sewn together from disparate pieces, and she reeks of embalming herbs. “Frogs’ eyes! Maidens’ fingerbones! Saltpeter!” she croaks in a gravelly voice. “Fresh-dug earthworms! The best quality and lowest prices you’ll get from here to Mechitar.”
Seldeg gives a small smile. “That’s Tholga; she’s a good contact to start asking around about Iron Taviah. Let me know if she tries to sell you weapons or armor. She’s owed some extreme—consequences—if she peddles so much as a dagger.” Seldeg turns away and is soon lost in the cramped maze of market stalls.
"Sure, boss, whatever you say," Humerus agrees.
He ambles over to Tholga and gives her what passes for a smile.
"Hey, boss, what are you selling?"
Aiy moves up next to Hunerus "What my colleague means is that our employers wish to purchase information. Eyes and nods point in your direction as the best source in the market."
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Ceceka lets Aily do the talking. Instead, he inspects the woman's wares. Frog eyes marinaded in oil and garlic are a perfect late afternoon bite, and they go especially well with imported Andoran white ale. Ah, the very thought of it makes him hungry. And a hungry Ceceka is a grumpy Ceceka.
"Talk, and we might buy your frogs' eyes as a bonus."
Tholga matches Humerus's gruesome grin. "I have magical ingredients and alchemical reagents. Crystals, herbs, and rare components for your recipes!"
She turns to Aily and Ceceka. "Yes, of course. I am happy to chat. Things have changed in the Market recently. Our long-standing traditions have gone by the wayside!" She looks around before lowering her voice and leaning forward. "There has been an outbreak of thoughtlessness. Some people have become more forgetful, unable to remember their associates or their tasks, or even where they are. It is very peculiar. I cannot guess what is behind it, but I know hardly anybody visits the levels beneath the market anymore."
She gives direction to the closest entrance—the Vine Steps at the market’s edge—but also suggests two other people who might know something about the thoughtlessness outbreak: a wandering druid named Apbaug and a scavenger named Luwen. Luwen has a stall around the corner, but Apbaug doesn’t have a specific stall as he likes to wander. Finding him might be a chore.
"Should we go down to those lower levels, boss?" Humerus asks Aily. He's completely forgotten about the two other people Tholga mentioned. Possibly due to the thoughtlessness plague? Possibly not, though...
"We gather more information first." Aily says simply. Looking toward the corner in question, trying to spot ambushes or eyes too focused on them.
If nothing presents herself, she buys a bag of the tastiest looking frog eyes from Tholga, slipping one past her lips. A soft pop, a slight pause as she considers the taste, then she passes the bag to Cecka.
"Luwen first?"
"Who, boss?"
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Aily opens her mouth to tell him, then closes it. She pats the big skeleton on the shoulder "It is unimportant." she points to about where the stall will be "We will be going that way, just follow."
Luwen is a half-elf man hawking odd trinkets recovered from the Mana Wastes up north. His eyes are all black, and the dark veins visible beneath his pale skin give him an unhealthy appearance. He takes a long swig from a flask, gives a few ragged coughs, then straightens his shirt and smiles as you draw near.
"Bits and baubles from the Spellscar Desert. Guns and ammo from Alkenstar. Look around, see if anything catches your eye."
"Rare goods. Do you ever have any trouble from other people in the market?" Telvir questions the merchant. "I heard some people had been acting strangely."
Humerus looks to see if there's anything that could catch his eyes. He's not sure where they are -- or even if they exist at all anymore -- but just in case.
"What kind of bits and baubles, boss?"
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"Take a look, my fleshless friend," Luwen says with a smile.
Luwen seems initially disinclined to answer Telvir, but with a bit of buttering up, the merchant agrees to talk. "Yeah, there's been a bit of oddness going on lately. There are a few market regulars who've just up and gone missing. Then there's the sad case of an orphan girl in Skull Promenade named Junissa. Poor thing. She does odd jobs around the market sometimes, but lately she just seems...lost. I hope she will be okay."
That doesn't sound good, boss," Humerus says. "Maybe we should go talk to her? What's the Skull Promenade?"
Luwen explains that Skull Promenade is an unfinished portion of the market designed to look like a massive head, but which now resembles a staved-in skull overgrown with creeping vines. He gives you a wrapped piece of candy. "If you see Junissa, please give her this and tell her Luwen is thinking about her," the merchant says gently.
"Sure," Humerus replies, popping the candy in his own mouth. Fortunately, it simply falls through and ricochets off his clavicle and sternum, tinkling along his ribs before hitting the ground.
"Ooops, sorry about that, boss."
He looks around. "Should we go find Julissa or Apbaug first, lady boss? I figure since we don't know where Apbaug is, let's go find Julissa, and maybe we'll run across Apbaug on the way. Though I don't know how we'll know if we see him, since we don't really know what he looks like, boss. Maybe we should go back and ask Tholga."
"This is a market, Humerus. I think we can assume most of the merchants want to be found." Telvir thinks. "I hate to be sidetracked by the soft feelings of a junk dealer, but perhaps finding the child first is the best idea."
You find Junissa in the Skull Promenade, just where Luwen said she would be. The young half-orc startles at your approach, but with soothing words and the offer of the candy, you are able to convince her that you are friends. When asked about recent events, the girl tells you her story:
"The big woman came into where we live, down in the catacombs near the Vine Steps. Most of us were sleeping, but she just ripped our door open and rushed in. She kept grabbing people, holding onto them and muttering about how hungry she was, but she didn’t eat them or anything. They just slumped down. I tried to hide, but she seemed to know right where I was. She grabbed me, and I felt my mind go funny and my memories start slipping away. I wriggled and escaped and hid in an iron chest we keep clothes in. I was sure she’d find me again, but she didn’t. It was like she couldn’t see where I was in the metal box. Eventually she left, but my friends were all either sleeping and wouldn’t wake up, or worse, started to twitch and move like zombies. I left as fast as I could."
"Sounds like you ran into a bogeyman, boss," Humerus suggests. "They're strange creatures, but as long as you stay in a metal box, you should be fine!"
As he waits for the others to weigh in, he hums a slightly mindless tune of his own.
"I could while away the hours / Conferrin' with the flowers, / Consulting with the rain..."
"So close, Humerous. Junissa, you should recover fully, in time. It may be a few weeks until you feel back to normal. Hiding in that box was a clever move." Telvir tries his best to be kind. "Have you heard of attacks like this anywhere else?"
After leaving the girl, Telvir explains that it is likely the large figure was a vetalarna, a vampire that feeds on memories.