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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carlo-One" data-source="post: 8531107" data-attributes="member: 7015827">The three retreated back to the crossroads, where they located the wizard. Shanni excitedly announced they had defeated the stone man, while the others explained that they had found the throne room of the lord of the place. The four went through the secret door and Aerikoth was shown where they defeated the guardian creature.They paused briefly at the large metal door at the end of the hall, then stepped through into a large, darkened chamber. Shortly afterwards, a hissing, female voice echoed across it, telling them to approach the throne when they were ready. This prompted a short discussion among the four adventurers regarding whether they were, in fact, ready. Having decided that they were, although perhaps some were worried as well, they made their way across the room and approached a dais. Shanni chose to lurk in the shadows behind, as the others stepped forward.In front of them, a helmeted male figure sat on a throne, with a female vampire mage to his side, both of them flanked by large, completely armored undead warriors. Dermot slightly awkwardly greeted the enthroned figure, who was then asked by his companion if she could converse with them. Assent was given via an imperious gesture.The vampire mage began by asking for what they had come to that realm. Dermot, gaining confidence, folded his arms and declared that they were from Westgate, where they had heard word of the Night King’s rising from beneath its streets. He asked if they knew that name. In response, the female vampire hissed and turned to her companion, saying that they spoke of the outcast.For the first time the vampire lord spoke, in a dry voice sounding both youthful and infinitely world-weary, asking about the Night King, as his consort warned that the adventurers might be his servants, sent to destroy them. Darrow wondered out loud that it was not the vampire lord stealing folk off of city streets, as Dermot and Darrow denied being anyone’s servants. In response to the dwarf, the vampire lord stated dryly that his people subsisted off the detritus of the wilderness in this day, having no wish to be nearer to the city. He then observed that they seemed to have problems with the Night King.The vampire lord explained that the original Night King, Orlak, had departed the necropolis two millennia ago, determined to increase his power in the Dragon Coast by conquering and enslaving the other races. The lord at the time had counseled against this and had been imprisoned for his impertinence. As he had feared, Orlak was defeated eventually and the vampiric secrets of their people revealed. It had taken centuries to recover from that and reduced their standing, the vampire lord continued, voice rising and falling melodiously, but dry as the desert air.Darrow observed that someone had taken up the Night King’s mantle, perhaps one of his progeny. As her companion spoke, Shanni continued to lurk while fiddling with her quiver, selecting something specific. As the dwarf ceased speaking, he was answered by the lord, who revealed that a vampire nest indeed had survived, deep below the city of Westgate. It had lived within their traditions and none knew of it. Until now, that is, as the new self-styled Night King, who was a turned human wizard, had upset the balance again. (Astounding! If true - one should never simply believe the evil undead - this explains a great deal, both about the original conquest of Westgate by vampires, as well as what had occurred to bring them to the surface of the city again after so much time. The history of Westgate has Orlak simply appearing from nothing and conquering the city, when of course he had to have come from somewhere. --C)</blockquote>

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