Adventure 1: Into The Night
Part 2: Dungeons and Dhampirs
The entrance hallway was fairly narrow, but not so much as to force them to walk in single file. The group plodded inside, tracking mud and rainwater over the expensive-looking, but already worn and faded old carpet. Ahead was what seemed to be a small entrance hall with a stairway climbing to a balcony overlooking the room from the floor above.
Before the entrance hall though, was a door on their left. The group exchanged glances, silently agreeing that this would be their first stop. The half-orc went first, opening the door quickly, sword ready, only to find a room devoid of life. Only three tattered beds and two old desks occupied the room.
The group entered slowly, scanning carefully for anything out of the ordinary, but saw nothing. The beds were unoccupied, and the desks had a few hard, dried out stubs of candles, wrinkled parchment, and a book. Nothing living appeared to be in the room.
“This seems as good a place as any to begin waiting out the storm” the elf said, striding to the smaller desk and looking at the mess of junk scattered upon it for a moment.
“Right” Fay agreed, “And thank you all for your help getting in here. My name’s Fay by the way.”
“We all needed to be in the same place” the half-orc commented. “I wouldn’t call that helping so much as convenient.”
“Just accept the thanks” the pale woman muttered, “And I don’t believe you said your name.”
“Neither did you kid” the green man drawled, “And nor will I. Lately I go by Graves, and if you call me something, that should be it. My real name’s nobody’s business but mine.”
“Since you insist” the pale woman said, “I am Carmilla.”
The young human girl sat down on one of the beds opposite the door. “Black Pepper” she chimed in.
“Is that a fake name as well?” Carmilla asked. But the girl closed her eyes and said nothing. What might have been a trace of a smirk crossed her face.
“Ah, I didn’t mean to be the final one” the elf said last, looking up from the desk. “I am Sorrel, at your service for the time being.”
The group made themselves comfortable leaning on walls and sitting on beds for a while. Graves rubbed a cloth over his sword, cleaning it, as Sorrel read a book he’d produced from his pack. Black Pepper twiddled her thumbs, Fay hummed to herself, and Carmilla picked up the lone book sitting on the larger desk and flipped through it.
After a few minutes she carefully closed the book and slipped it into her own bag. She then glanced around nonchalantly before speaking. “Would anyone care to join me in a little exploration of our shelter?” she asked.
“Gods yes” Black Pepper groaned, springing up from the bed she was on. “Sitting around is not my idea of fun.”
“Sure, I’ll come too” Fay agreed.
“Why not” Sorrel added with a smile.
“If you’re all going exploring, it’s best for me to come along” Graves said last. “I have a vested interest in not dying in here, and safety in numbers will help with that.” With that he slung his greatsword over his shoulder. “Better let me walk in front” he added, “No offense, but none of you look suited for the front of the line.”
“Lead on” Carmilla agreed, following him out. The others then followed her.
“Up?” Black Pepper asked when they arrived at the slightly wider entrance hall with its grand staircase.
“I don’t think so” Carmilla said, shaking her head. “There are doors though, let’s try one of those.”
There were indeed two doors, one on each side of the staircase. Graves walked to the one on the right and pulled it open slowly, peering into the room beyond. “It’s an empty hallway” he told the others after a moment, “I don’t see anything dangerous.”
This hall had a wood floor, with a similar carpet to the one in the entranceway running down its center. To their left the hallway turned sharply to the left, and an old but impressive piano sat in the corner of the bend.
Fay Perform (Keyboard): 23
Fay’s face lit up at the sight of the piano and she happily dashed over to it, lightly tracing her hands over the keys and then sitting on the small bench in front of it. “Can you play?” Sorrel asked, following her over, to which she responded with a short but intricate melody. “Impressive” he commented, “That was good.”
Fay smiled and stood up, she and Sorrel then moved back to rejoin the group only to be stopped by the sound of a haunting piano melody being played behind them. They turned and there was nobody at the piano, but it was playing nonetheless. Fay took a step forwards and nearly tripped over the piano bench which had somehow moved to the middle of the hallway!
Fay stepped back and the bench hopped forwards. The others moved up to see it as well.
“I think you have a fan” Black Pepper laughed as Fay stepped back and the bench followed once again.
“I could smash it” Graves muttered, “It’s probably stop moving then.”
“No!” Fay replied, “It’s not doing anything to hurt us.” She turned back to the bench and pointed at it. “Stay” she ordered before taking another step back. The bench recoiled as she reached the top of the descending stairs, and hopped frantically back until it had returned to the corner of the room with the piano.
“Not upstairs” Grave commented, “Then how about down?”
“Yes” Carmilla agreed.
“Weapons out then” the half-orc said. There’s something down there that’s scary to an inanimate object. Best be on guard.”
The basement was dirty with worn stone walls, a hard-packed mud floor, and torches lining the walls at occasional intervals. The stairs came down in a tiny room with only a narrow hallway directly ahead of them, which curved to the right after several feet. Graves went in first, followed by Carmilla, Black Pepper, Fay, and then finally Sorrel.
It was only after the hall turned and then opened up again into a wider, but still cramped room did they realize where they were. It was a crypt. A single stone slab extended from the far wall, upon which lay an unmoving man.
Graves and Carmilla managed to keep their cool, but Black Pepper did not, exclaiming “Eep, dead body!” as she entered the room and saw the man.
She was proved wrong however when the body sat up! The man was extremely pale with blond hair and white eyes, and wore an old suit that looked as though it had seen better days. “Ugh” he groaned, “You humans are relentless. I try to get some sleep in my own home and-” he stopped mid sentence and then sighed.
“No helping it” he muttered, “At least you look fresh. Well, most of you anyways.” He got to his feet, still standing on the elevated stone slab. “You’ll forgive me of course” he said, getting to his feet. “A lust for blood is a lust for blood, and rather hard for a Dhampir such as myself to control as I’m sure you understand.”
“Freak” Black Pepper muttered.
Initiative Order:
26 Enemy Dhampir
21 Black Pepper
20 Fay
19 Carmilla
8 Graves
5 Sorrel
Enemy Dhampir Attack: 22
Damage: 6
“What was that?” The man snapped, “Fine, you can go first!” He snatched a knife from the belt at his waist and lunged at Black Pepper, slashing her across her already exposed midriff!
Black Pepper Attack: 20
Damage: 5
“Jerk” she grunted, not retreating from the attack but instead catching him in the side with her morningstar. “Die!”
Fay Attack: 17
Damage: 4
Fay was directly beside Black Pepper on her left, and adjacent to the attacking man as well, so she took the opportunity to slash at him with a claw, which tore open a bloody new wound across his mouth and chin!
Carmilla Attack: 13
Carmilla sidestepped slightly, moving slightly away and in a direction that would put her behind the man, but not so far as to attract his attention. She already had a dagger in each hand, and so flung one of them at him from the distance of a few feet, but missed, her blade clinking uselessly off the wall beside his head.
Graves Attack: 11
Graves stepped forwards next and swung his sword, but found it dodged easily by the dhampir, who barely needed to glance at it before sidestepping just out of the blade’s path.
Finally; Sorrel, who was still in the narrow hallway behind Fay and unable to properly see the action could do nothing but remain in place in dismay.
Enemy Dhampir Channel Neg Energy: 3
Fay Will Save, DC 14: 12
Black Pepper Will Save, DC 14: 12
Graves Will Save, DC 14: 17
Sorrel Will Save, DC 14: 20
The Dhampir grinned and the air around him glowed and flickered for a moment as a pulse of pain spread out among them. He sighed in contentment however as the dark energy soothed him. “You can’t defeat me” he muttered, “Resistance is futile.”
Black Pepper Attack: 20
Damage: 9
“No you’re futile!” Black Pepper yelled back at him, jabbing with her weapon and striking a blow to his stomach! The man recoiled and choked up a bit of blood, but still smirked. “Don’t you see” he chuckled between gasps for air, “I can just heal myself and hurt you all in the same move. I’m invincible!”
Fay Attack: 16
“What if we take you down before you do it again” Fay commented, swinging at him. “No” was the only response he gave, catching her arm momentarily before knocking it aside.
Carmilla Attack: 19
Damage: 8
Suddenly though, then man’s eyes widened, and he fell to his knees with a look of pain on his face. Behind him stood Carmilla, her dagger dripping with his blood. “There” she gasped, “He’s done!”
*The PCs advance to 2nd level!*
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