Sunday, January 14, 653 AU

• In the morning, they take the train to Eth’Alorei and walk south to Tel’Arrise. They arrive in the early afternoon. The guards at the gate recognize them, and tell them that the duchess would like to speak with them. As they are escorted to the hall, they notice that the townspeople are quieter and more fearful than they were yesterday.
• Aurelia knows that the duchess, Kellia Dorlan, is half-elven—her family was selected to rule Tel’Arisse by the Castalian government after they incorporated Amyanthalas and the former royal family abdicated in disgust. She’s not particularly well-liked by the other noble houses here.
• The guards say that there was an attack last night. Elion Faeris, a noble, was found in his bedchamber last night, drained entirely of blood. There were signs of a struggle. The council was actually planning on sending for the Dawnbringers, so it’s fortunate that the Dawnbringers arrived on their own.
• They’re led to the council chamber in Tel’Arisse’s Great Hall, where around two dozen nobles are arguing with each other in loud, angry voices. Kellia Dorlan silences them as the Dawnbringers enter, welcoming them, thanking them for saving Camus (the matter was brought to her attention last evening) and asking whether they’ve heard of the vampire attack.
• The party inform the nobles about their time in the Shadowfell, their rescue of Camus, and their plan to find Tasar, Camus’s vampire spawn friend. Various nobles raise their voices, instigated by one named Tanatus Kalanto, in support of instituting a curfew and martial law. Another elf stands up, looking quite weak and pale, which is strange because he can’t be past middle age. He says that Crystalport has dealt with a lich, a dragon, a hydra, and who knows what else in the past few months, and that they cannot allow Tel’Arisse to suffer the same fate. There have been disappearances in Tel’Arisse for weeks, and he is sure it’s also the work of vampire spawn. He seems to be the leader of the city guard, Ferunus Talos.
• Kellia adjourns the meeting, and invites the Dawnbringers to her sitting room. From Kellia they learn:
  • Over the past month, there have been eight disappearances. No pattern. News was suppressed.
  • Last night, Elion Faeris, one of Kellia’s few supporters, was found dead, drained of blood.
  • The noble who first called for martial law, Tanatus Kalanto, is one of Kellia’s most vocal opponents.
  • Kellia fears civil unrest like what Crystalport experienced with the Wood Scorpions.
  • Ferunas’s wife, Marenora, belongs to the Heirel family in whose crypt they found the shadow crossing.
• Qhask wonders if the shadow crossing is in the Heirel Mausoleum for a reason. Maybe they’re in on it? Aurelia realizes something. Marenora and Ferunus Talos… M. and F. Talos!!! The rings that were controlling the zombies! Are they secret necromancers?
• They decide to inform Kellia of their suspicion. She wouldn’t be surprised if Marenora was involved somehow—she’s quite eccentric—but Ferunus is loyal to the city and has never acted strangely, as far as she knows. (…until the marriage, Valya hears her think via a surreptitious detect thoughts.)
• Valya shows Kellia the ring they found. Valya asks what Marenora looks like, and Kellia says she likes large hats and black silks—that matches the necromancer they encountered in Silverdale.
• This morning, Camus stopped talking to them, as if he was threatened. They decide their best course of action is to destroy the shadow crossing and cut off any contact between the vampires and Lord Desmond.
• They also learn that Rhenzemi Poshre is currently in the Tel’Arisse jail—he was making absurd demands from the nobles and everyone just assumed he was a spy from Rinasash (the drow city in the Underdark). Ferunus is even pushing for his execution.

⁂

• They head to the Heirel Mausoleum to close the shadow crossing. They are given a hard time by the two city guards posted at the gate, who claim that one of them will need to escort the party due to recent vandalism. They get to the mausoleum and notice it’s now padlocked. Valya gets rid of the guard with a suggestion, and they break the lock.
• Three guards approach—they know the party must have cast a spell on the other guard, since he suddenly left his duty for no reason. Valya scares the guards away with major image, making them think a monster bursts out of the mausoleum.
• Inside the mausoleum, everything is as they left it. Aurelia walks toward the corner where the shadow crossing is, but is ambushed by two vampire spawn, one of whom is a proficient spellcaster. During the fight, she casts circle of death from a scroll. Aurelia is knocked out, but the vampire is dismayed that it didn’t kill everyone.
• The vampire spawns surrender, and Qhask ties them up as best as he can. They say that they’re Lord Desmond’s spawn, sent through the shadow crossing and told to obey Marenora. There are eight total vampire spawn in Tel’Arisse—they usually hide in the secret sub-basement of the Heirel estate, the entrance to which is hidden behind a wardrobe in the basement. There are also at least fifty zombies down there, which the Heirel family has been accumulating for years. The vampires don’t know if Ferunas is being controlled, or whether there are other necromancers in the city. They’ve been kept in the basement for a few years before finally being let out to “play” a month ago.
• These two vampires are named Marjorie and Alfeous. The other vampires are Tasar, Ireus, Uzhora, Vuganis, Graxon, and Othar. Vuganis and Graxon are very old and much more powerful than Marjorie and Alfeous.
• Aurelia casts continual flame on the shadow crossing, and the vampire spawn are distraught. They say they aren’t aware of any other shadow crossings in the city.
• Aurelia begins healing her injuries with a healer’s kit. Suddenly, Marjorie stands up, having slipped her bonds during the questioning, and casts dimension door. She and Alfeous vanish. The party dashes back outside, but they don’t see anything—they could be hiding in any of the other mausoleums in the cemetery.

⁂

• The sun is setting at this point. They return to the Grand Hall and speak to Kellia to report that they destroyed the vampire spawn, and that there are eight vampire spawn and at least fifty zombies in the basement under the Heirel estate.
• They debate whether Ferunus is complicit or if he’s being controlled by Marenora, or if he’s totally unaware of what’s going on. Aurelia wonders if he’s under a curse and whether she can remove it.
• Kellia can’t offer them much help, since the city guard and half the nobles are against her, but she has a few spell scrolls she can spare. They take a scroll of cure wounds.
• Valya asks if they have more… illicit magical items. She say no, but that she knows Ferunus has been acquiring scrolls through a contact at the Crystalport thieves’ guild, stockpiling them for an emergency at the guardhouse. The party finds this concerning.
• Aurelia casts a sending to Sqreeth, asking to meet with the contact in Tel’Arisse. Sqreeth responds, telling them to meet the contact at the Tel’Arisse Gazette offices in one hour.

⁂

• They meet with the contact, a human named Datara, who, for 50 gp, informs them that Ferunus has purchased, among other things:
  • four scrolls of enlarge/reduce,
  • one scroll of rope trick,
  • four scrolls of fireball,
  • five scrolls of hold person,
  • four scrolls of suggestion,
  • one scroll of mass suggestion,
  • and one scroll of dominate person.
• He had to go to the Gemran Empire for those last three, as they’re highly illegal. He also says that he didn’t go through Ferunus directly, but through his lieutenant Richdorr.
• He doesn’t have any scrolls on his person for sale, but he has some information, which he is willing to exchange for 20 gp. He reveals that he also sold them an amulet that protects the undead from being turned.
• Finally, he sells the party a potion of pugilism for 75 gp and two potions of greater healing for 50 gp each.

⁂

• Since the vampires escaped, Marenora almost certainly knows the party is onto her. They debate whether to go to the Heirel estate to take care of the vampires and zombies, to the Talos estate to speak with Ferunus, or to the guard house to steal the scrolls.
• Valya uses the deck of oracles to ask about their plan:
  • If we go to the Talos estate now, will we find Ferunus without his wife?
  • No.
• They decide to go to the Heirel estate. It’s night now. As they approach, Aurelia notices eyes on the roof. There are vampire spawn up there, keeping watch. They sneak into the yard, keeping to the trees, and head for a side door. It’s guarded, but they cast suggestion to get rid of the guards and enter, finding themselves in a kitchen. They’re surprised by guards from another room. They tell them to drop their weapons, and Ferunus is there. He accuses the party of being petty thieves here to steal from his wife’s estate, as she warned him they would. He has guards who can corroborate that the party broke into the Heirel family mausoleum earlier in the afternoon.
• The party insist that there’s a secret basement filled with undead. Ferunus sends a guard down to humor them, and the guard finds the secret door behind the wardrobe just as they said.
• Ferunus summons Marenora from another room, and she’s definitely the necromancer they saw in Silverdale. She’s just as flamboyant and eccentric as she was then. They all go down into the basement—Marenora says the secret room is just her family vault, which the party is looking for because they’re thieves.
• Marenora opens the door, which has a combination lock, and it’s clearly just a treasure vault, lined with shelves on which rest various boxes and art objects.
• Valya casts detect thoughts, and Marenora is thinking that the party are idiots. Valya accusingly asks Marenora where the zombies are, and Marenora insists that there aren’t any—Valya hears Marenora think of a false floor. Valya mentions the false floor, and Marenora thinks “shit, not the false floor!”
• Valya teleports past Marenora and begins searching for a false floor. The guards begin trying to fight the party once Valya casts a spell. Valya searches, and is pretty sure there is no false floor. “It’s here, I know it!” shouts Valya in frustration. Marenora thinks “What an obedient little puppet! And thank you for getting rid of the shadow crossing.” So she knew her mind was being read!
• In the basement are the party, Marenora, Ferunus, and about a dozen guards. Outwardly, Marenora pretends to be scared and hides behind Ferunus. Valya reads Ferunus’s mind, and he’s thinking that if the party doesn’t surrender, he’ll have his guards use lethal force. Damned adventurers!
• During the fight, Qhask shoots at Marenora, who uses shield to defend herself. Aurelia, in a rage, warns the guards to leave, but they don’t. She casts dawn, which does not kill Marenora but does kill seven guards. Ferunus calls Aurelia a monster and a slaughterer. All but one of the remaining guards flee, and Marenora says “Oh, Ferunus, I can save us!” and taps him on the shoulder. Before casting dimension door, she looks directly at Valya and smiles. They vanish.
• The remaining guard, still afraid, screams at Aurelia for killing all the guards and shooting at his boss’s wife. He calls the party murderers, urges them to turn themselves in and, knowing he’s no match for them, rush after the other guards. Aurelia is in shock.
• Adding insult to injury, Aurelia gets a sending: Nice seeing you again! I’m surprised you played your part so well. You are public enemy number one—loose cannons. I adore your energy!

⁂

• They decide to give the basement a thorough search before the guards return with reinforcements. Surprisingly, they do find another secret door below the basement stairs, leading down into the dark.
• The stairs end in a door with the Heirel family crest carved into the stone. Beyond the door is a fetid chamber with many jail cells. In the cells are dozens of zombies. Aurelia is about to cast radiance of the dawn, but Valya suggests they use this as evidence to exonerate themselves. They search the other rooms down here while they wait for the guards to return. They find several beds, but there are no vampire spawn down her right now.
• A few minutes later, the guards arrive, led by the Ferunas. He’s shocked to see so many zombies. The party were… right? He’s also surprised to discover his wife can cast such powerful magic. They speculate that Marenora has been poisoning Ferunus to keep him weak and pliable. He suggests they convene the council first thing at dawn to present the evidence.
• Aurelia casts sending, contacting Vaeri, high priestess of the temple in Eth’Alorei, asking for help. She replies that they’ll send a party to Tel’Arisse at first light.
• They use their raven figurine to send a message to Duchess Kellia, informing her of the developments.
• They decide to stay the night in the basement to make sure no one comes to destroy the evidence. Ferunus joins them—they’re worried what Marenora will do now that he suspects her. But he says that when the city is secure, Aurelia will answer for the deaths of the seven guards.
• They sleep for the night, with double guard duty.

⁂

• In the middle of the night, Marenora descends the stairs—the guards try attacking her, but their weapons go right through her. Valya suspects this isn’t actually Marenora, but a projection produced by the spell mislead.
• Marenora says she’s come to thank the party for everything they’ve done. She wanted to get out from under Lord Desmond’s influence, and the party closed the shadow crossing for her. And they killed Tharruk, so she’s free from her obligations to him, too. Had Tharruk won, she’d be second in command at best. But now she will rule Tel’Arisse, and no one can stop her. The remaining guard are all under her sway, and believe the party are murderous thieves.
• Ferunus asks her why she’s doing this, and Marenora says she’s doing it because it’s fun. She’s especially going to have fun playing cat and mouse with the party. Her original plan was for them to make fools of themselves in the basement and then get arrested, but she had no idea Aurelia was such a bloodthirsty, violent person! She was hoping they wouldn’t actually find the zombies, but it’s fine—the only people on the party’s side are the duchess, Ferunus, and a handful of guards, while Marenora has the rest of the city guard and most of the nobility.
• Marenora vanishes. Ferunus doubts that the city guard would betray him, but it turns out he had no idea they were stockpiling spell scrolls—his lieutenant Richdorr must have done it behind his back. Now he knows why Marenora was manipulating him into pushing for martial law.
• They cast lesser restoration on Ferunus, and he feels slightly better—he must have been being poisoned by Esme, his nurse. Now that he thinks of it, Esme was hired by Marenora.

Monday, January 15, 653 AU

• The next morning, Valya stays behind to guard the zombies in the basement while the rest of them sneak out of the Heirel estate and see there are guards patrolling the streets, and very few civilians. Ferunus is dismayed—it seems the guard are acting without his orders.
• They sneak to the temple of Soleil, careful to avoid any city guard, and are met by the priest, Hashek, who gives them some news:
  • This morning, at dawn, the city guard came around ordering a city-wide curfew.
  • A delegation from the temple of Eth’Alorei was turned away at the north gate of the city.
  • Camus, the child they rescued, came last night, saying he wouldn’t sleep outside the protection of a temple.
  • Witnesses say the duchess was taken from her estate by the town guard and brought to the guard house in chains.
• They inform Hashek of the coup. Giving him a brief summary of what’s happened. Aurelia hopes they can let the delegation from Eth’Alorei into the city if they can make it to the north gate.
• They decide to head to the north gate.

⁂

• As they head north they approach the main square, where there appears to be some sort of riot. Someone is being led to the gallows—Rhenzemi Poshre. People are shouting that he’s a spy and that he’s responsible for the vampire attacks. Bill and Qhask shoot arrows and successfully cut the rope, saving Rhenzemi, but the town guard attack the party.
• Joining the fight from the crowd is a cloaked and hooded figure—a vampire spawn, judging by their supernatural speed and strength. The battle is tough, and the vampire spawn is clearly one of the powerful ones Marjorie and Alfeous mentioned. Disturbingly, the guards seem to tolerate the presence of the vampire. They manage to kill the vampire with a guiding bolt from Aurelia, and the rest of the guards run away under the onslaught of William. Among the vampire’s clothing, they find a creepy amulet shaped like a scarab—possibly the one that prevents undead from being turned?
• Meanwhile, in the Heirel estate, Marjorie tries to invisibly sneak past Valya. Valya notices, but not before Marjorie unlocks a cell and releases a half-dozen zombies. Valya manages to kill Marjorie, stabbing her through the heart while she’s incapacitated from Tasha’s hideous laughter. She easily dispatches the few remaining escaped zombies. Valya finds a spell scroll of hold person and a spell scroll of suggestion on Marjorie, along with 23 gp.
• They continue north toward the gate… ❦