Cadfael ap Llewelyn's page

There was no mistaking it. There was a vampire in the neighborhood. People disappearing wasn't THAT uncommon. Turning up with pin-sized holes in the neck definitely was, though. James had said so.

Kaiser leaned against the wall of the shantyhouse that served as the base of the Shingle Knights. James, are you absolutely certain?

The sorcerer sighed. Yes, there's no other monster that pulls something like this. Blood drain, only attacks at night, no mistaking it. Even my wizard friends agreed. Of course, none of them will pull their asses out of their school desks to help out. It's worth noting that the victims have all been young women, though.

And we don't know how to kill it, do we?

Not that I know of.

The gang had run off the occasional wererat and some ghouls looking for the bodies who occasionally turned up in the river, but a vampire was definitely something they needed to do their homework on.We need a priest. Get the boys getting oil and torches. Hopefully we can at least keep it from killing more people who can't defend themselves before we can kill it.

John Kaiser walked out to the street. The nearest temple he knew of was a few blocks away. A temple of Abadar. Unfortunately that would mean dealing with the clergy of the god of cities. Being a pretty well-established gang leader the more civilized parts of the city did not like him much. The neighborhood preacher, Father Kristoff especially took a disliking to him and his, saying they were responsible for so much violence in the city. They didn't know what he and his boys kept away.

As he turned a corner he ran into a small varisian woman who was singing a hymn while strumming an odd instrument. Oh. Excuse me.

Please, pardon me, it wasn't my intention to get in people's way, just to bring some music that the place may become more beautiful. Shaelyn requests that we do so. I guess you could say this is what I do.

Intrigued by the woman's words, Kaiser spoke with her for thirty minutes or so, learning that her name was Sister Samantha and that she was looking to open a chapel to Shaelyn nearby. She wasn't in charge of the project, only being an acolyte, but she was able to get him to see some old books on undead. Being a common tool of Zon-Kuthon, the churches of Shaelyn had some information. I don't want to trouble Sister Samantha with too much information, so I'll have to be discreet he convinced her that his interest in undead was to help a friend of his with his academe studies, and got the information he needed.

He came back and the gang laid out a plan. They hid in buildings, sleeping in shifts, waiting for someone to show up. It didn't work. The vampire never showed up. Irritated, John went back to the church, he didn't find anything useful. Back at the base He was throwing chairs, enraged.

John, calm down. James tried to get John's attention. We'll try again tonight.

They did, and just when the night was beginning, about 9 o'clock, there was a shout.

John! John! I thought your friend would want to know more! I found another book! It was Sister Samantha. Just when John was getting ready to go down to talk to her, something lept from the top of the building opposite. Sister Samantha heard the thing, and since she had been helping John, remembered to raise her holy symbol in time. Repelled, the vampire backed away, right where John and company wanted it.

As the vampire stepped into the center of the square, James rapelled down the side of a building and blasted it with fire. His spell wasn't tremendously effective, but the oil lacing the cobblestones was quite flammable and the vampire was soon doused in more by men in the building John came out of. The thing was infuriated, and went to attack the pair. Sister Samantha whacked it with her staff, but it pounced on her anyway. John managed to pull it off before it bit her, and threw it back into the street.

Back into the killing zone, the gang started their next phase. The square now well-lit, they began peppering it with arrows. Even a vampire feels it when it's shot repeatedly by 40 men. A well-placed kick from John knocked it back into what appeared to be a stagnant fountain, which was actually filled with acid, made by John and James. As it stood, ready to flee, Sister Samantha got a stake from her broken staff and went to stab it, but the monster's mail deflected it.

Possibly because it wanted to drain the cleric to speed it's recovery, the monster went to attack Sister Samantha again, making its last mistake. James blasted it with more ice, causing it to stagger back, leaving it's chest open. John took his sword

Sister, duck! John swung his sword as hard as he could, smashing it in the chest, devastating the acid-corroded armor. Sister Samantha then went and stuck the end of her quarterstaff in it's chest. It fell over forward. John and Samantha disposed of it permanently after that.

So, this is what I do. John gave a cheeky grin.

Sister Samantha shook her head. You of course know I can never officially help you, I don't have much power and if the abbot knew there were vampire attacks the chapel plans might be cancelled.

Thus John Kaiser came to the attention of a secretive organization bent on protecting Korvosa from monsters the general populace doesn't think exist.