There were names on placards, secured to the two slabs, where the now lifeless sister wife vampires lay.  One read Thalia and the other, Lucretia.  After looting the bodies,(Lucretia had been wearing a bronze helm on her head and Pax tried it on, to see if it had any magical properties.  After a few minutes, when nothing seemed to have happened, she took it off and put it in her backpack.) we first tried to burn them but the chamber quickly filled up with smoke.  So we decided to drag them into the alley outside the library. As soon as we were sure that they had turned to ash, we went back inside and as we were passing through the skull room.  Jerro’s gaze fell on the skull with ruby eyes.  He picked it up.

 

“What do you think you’re doing bub?”  Asked Grizzle.  “Didn’t you see what happened to me the last time?  That skull is dangerous!”

 

“Didn’t you notice them, on the back wall in the other room?”  The wizard motioned for us to follow him back into the slab chamber.  “These.”  He drew our attention to two holes about 10 feet apart, almost hidden by an ornate tapestry.  “I just realized these rubies.” And to Grizzle’s horror he plucked them from the sockets as he spoke.  “Might fit perfectly into these holes.”  He deftly affixed the gems to the wall.

 

There was a low creaking sound as the panel slid back revealing (you guessed it) yet another secret room.  This one was barely an alcove; it contained a stone box flanked by two torch stands, both held a lit torch.  On the top of the box was carved letters from an ancient language.  Lastly, the box was secured by two bronze bands.

 

“No one go in there!”  Roared Grizzlegar.  “How could you do that, without discussing it with us first?!”  He fumed at Jerro, who just looked at him sheepishly.  “We need a plan.  You do realize what that thing is don’t you.  It’s a sarcophagus!  That must be the third vampire wife!  We need some kind of weapon.  Look, what’s in there?”

 

He was pointing at the trunk I had been sitting on.  I got up and examined it.  “I think it has a needle protecting the lock.”  I told him.

 

“But surely you could get around that.”  Said Grizzle.

 

“Yeah.” Piped up Pax

 

“Yeah.”  Echoed Jerro.

 

“You shut up!”  We all scolded the wizard.

 

All of my companions knew I was an ex Paladin candidate, but apparently they had also heard from the crew that I had spent my childhood surrounded by some of the most fiendish pirates ever to grace Thunder Rift.  I had picked up quite a few tricks from them.  So, against my better judgment, I picked the lock.  It opened but I was pierced by the needle.  I sat back down on one of the slabs and sulked while the rest of them rummaged through the trunk.

 

Pax had found a book.  She thumbed through it then set it down and slid it across the floor.  It landed at my feet so I picked it up and started to read.  The name of the book was:  A Historie of the Vampyres of Crag Island.

 

“What’s with all this bronze?”  Grizzle was saying.  “Bronze straps on the sarcophagus, bronze torch stands and now these bronze swords.  Maybe bronze can protect us from the vampire.”

 

“Ooh, look what I found.”  Jerro pulled a pair of smelly fisherman’s boots from the bottom of the trunk.

 

“Get those things away from me this instant!”  Commanded the gnome.

 

“Listen to this.”  I started reading from the book.  “The name of the first vampire was Leore.  She made a pauper fisherman her husband.  She turned him into a vampire and the two of them grew rich while they were practicing the tenants of the ancient vampire religion. They were happy like that for many years.  But one day her husband betrayed her by turning two milk maids that he had had his eye on into vampires, making them his wives.

 

“Thalia and Lucretia.”  Mused Pax.

 

“So it would seem.  And the husband must be the other vampire we killed.”

 

“I know what we can do!”  Grizzle interrupted my story.  “Don’t you have a spell that will float even heavy objects into the air?”

 

“Why, yes I do.” Said Jerro.  “But I didn’t prepare it today.”

 

“You’re absolutely worthless you know that?”  And to vent his frustration, the gnome picked up one of the bronze swords, ran into the alcove and slammed it down on one of the bronze straps, then threw the crumpled sword into the corner.

 

“Ahhh!”  He yelled.  OK everyone come in here.  Were going to try to push this thing out into the sunlight   Then we can find a way to open it and turn Leore into a pile of cinders.”

 

It took twenty minutes before Grizzlegar was willing to admit defeat.

 

“So, I guess we try something else.”  Said the gnome.  He picked up the long sword with the garnets in the hilt and stood over the sarcophagus.

 

“If we’re really going to meet Leore, I want some protection.”  Jerro conjured a small black terrier that started nipping at my heels.

 

“You call that protection?”  I asked.

 

“It’s better than nothing.”

 

Grizzle raised the long sword and brought it down hard.  The first strap showed signs of giving.  Another swing and the first band fell to the floor.  Two more quick swings and the second joined its mate.  Now all that stood between us and the ancient vampire was a three inch slab of stone.  Grizzlegar started pushing and we all ended up helping him.  Finally the slab slipped over the side and fell to the ground. 

 

A sumptuously dressed woman lay in the sarcophagus.  We all stood over her with our weapons poised and ready to strike at the first sign of movement. She opened her eyes and before we could react, she had dissolved into a gaseous mist that lingered in the air above our heads.  The mist started to move out of the alcove and first Grizzle and then all of us followed it.

 

She reformed herself between the two slabs and said something in an ancient tongue.  I stepped forward and asked.  “Are you Leore?”

 

The vampire tilted her head a moment then said in Common.  ”I am.  I was asking, where are Thelia and Lucretia?

 

“They are both dead, we killed them. But I suppose you would be pleased with that.”  I answered her.

 

“Indeed I am.  They were the ones who trapped me in that room.  If you are the ones who killed them, I owe you a great debt.”

 

“We killed your husband too.”

 

“You probably think yourself brave for telling me that.  The truth is, he had strayed so far from my people’s ways that I barely knew him.  And that was long before his wives locked me away.”

 

Leore had an immediate need for blood, so Jerro offered her his dog.  I was glad to find that there was still enough of the Paladin in me that I had to look away, as did Pax. 

 

Grizzle was staring at Jerro.

 

“It’s not like I was attached to the thing.”  Said Jerro.

 

Grizzle just shook his head.

 

When Leore had drained it, the little creature evaporated into nothingness.

 

“Oh, we have some of the things we took off the wives you might like to see.”  Said Pax.

 

Leore was happy to have her slippers and necklace back.  And then Pax brought out the helm.

 

“That’s the great helmet of my people.  We wear it to draw closer to the Dark Gods of the Night; chiefly Eldrith. The connection is almost telepathic.”

 

Pax didn’t look well at all. So I put my hand on her shoulder and whispered:  “I’m sure Kord doesn’t mind.”  This didn’t seem to bring her any comfort.

 

It was now almost noon and Leore cautioned us that even though she had decided to let us go free, for liberating her from her prison.  Once night fell, the compulsion to drink blood would be so strong, if we remained in the village, we might end up her victims.

 

As I said she cautioned us, but she continued to talk, telling us stories from her long history, as if she were trying to keep us until nightfall.  In her ramblings, she did confirm my suspicion that the gray potion the villagers drank to be ageless was made from the ash in the urn from the next room.  She also mentioned a sister, who lived in a tower and was probably either dead or gone from this region. As for all the bronze, that was just the only metal available during Leore’s time. We finally had to tell her that we wanted to sell some things in the village before we left, and she let us go.

 

The merchant we found in the village would only agree to buy our five most expensive items and only then because of Grizzle’s intimidating personality.  We left the village around 3:00pm and headed North toward Rocky Harbor.

 

We came upon a tower.

 

My first thought was this might be Leore’s sister’s home.  But it seemed abandoned.  Pax of course wanted to search it.  We were attacked on the ground floor by five skeletons who jumped out of crates scattered there.  After what seemed like an eternity, we defeated them and continued on our way to Rocky Harbor. 

 

As night fell we found a clearing that had the remnants of an old campfire.  We would stay here for the night.  Grizzlegar took the first watch and I would take the second.  Nothing happened during Grizzle’s watch and nothing happened on my watch. But at dawn, I noticed a column of smoke to the South roughly in the direction of Leore’s village.

 

“I think the village is on fire.”  I said as I woke up Grizzle.

 

“What?!”

 

“Look to the South.”

 

“If it’s a fire it’s a small one.”

 

“What do you think?”

 

The Gnome heaved a heavy sigh and said.  “I guess we’re going back to check on the village.”

 

We took a path that avoided the tower, and by noon we were back in the village.  From several of the villagers we learned that Leore had burned the library to the ground last night.  She had also taken credit for killing the dragon, her husband and her two sister wives.  The upshot of this was that the village was free now.  They no longer had to make sacrifices or hold newcomers here against their will.  They were happy.   I was a little taken aback by this   I know it was probably her natural charisma, but I had really started to like Leore and this seemed like a bit of a betrayal.  But as Grizzlegar pointed out:

 

“Who cares who gets credit for what at this point?  The villagers are happy.  There’s nothing for us to do and we need to get out of here, so we can get off this island.”

 

We again took the path that avoided the tower and by nightfall were back at the clearing.  This time we decided not to stay but to push on to Rocky Harbor.  We reached the port by 9:00pm.

 

All we wanted after journeying all day was a place to eat and sleep.  There seemed to be some kind of celebration going on at the Pixxie and Lynx Inn.  As we entered we noticed that quite a few of the patrons were wearing yellow cloaks with sunbursts.  A bard was singing in the tavern and we were asked to join the festivities and enjoy as much of the food as we liked from the many buffets spread out around the room.  We took full advantage of this.

 

One of the patrons pointed out a ranger standing at the bar who was said to be looking for adventurers to go on some kind of mission he had planned.  Pax and I went up to the bar to talk to him.  I noticed he had a sea captain’s badge on his tunic which probably meant he had a boat somewhere in the harbor.  I was about to ask him about the mission when I heard Pax ask him instead:

 

“So what is this celebration about?”

 

“Oh, we are celebrating the second anniversary of the Yellow Cloaks bringing their religion to Crag Island.  They are the ones who united the humans and the Drow.”  The ranger said proudly.

 

“Drow!?”  Jerro had just joined us at the bar.  “Elves do not associate with those Lloth spider followers!  He stormed out of the Inn.

 

The music stopped.

 

The ranger turned away from us.  Grizzlegar came up and started pushing us toward the exit

 

When we had gotten outside and were able to catch up with Jerro, Grizzle roared:  “Are you out of your mind?!!!”

 

“The Drow are the lowest life form ever to crawl out of the muck and I spit in the face of that spider bi@#t!!!” Jerro said heedlessly.

 

“Shut up!!!  Shut up!!!  Shut up!!!”  Yelled Grizzle.

 

But it was too late.

 

We were surrounded by what appeared to be the entire patronage of The Pixxie and Lynx.  There was a brief thought of making a fight of it, but we all relented (Jerro did hurl a few more epithets) and allowed them to take us to the brig .  We were greeted with a surprise when we got there.

 

Malador and Surak were already languishing in a makeshift cell, which we were promply thrown into.

 

“You don’t know how many times I wished I’d have a chance to punch your lights out, Swabby.”  Said Grizzle to Malador.

 

“Well if Tarmikos the Sailorman there would have done his job right, you might not have had the pleasure.  As it was that raft of his broke up almost as soon as we left the lagoon.  We were detained by those Yellow Cloak goons and they tossed us in here”

 

Knowing hot-headed Malador, I was sure there was more to the story and he had done (or said) something stupid, but I kept my mouth shut.  I was thinking that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to get some sleep, when Pax started taunting the guards.  They had taken all of our weapons and personal effects away, so when one of the guards stepped close enough in response to Pax, she made a grab for his spear and was able to get it away from him and toss it to Grizzle.

 

Surak was actually small enough to get though the bars and attack the second guard, while Malador made a run at the bars and almost knocked the door off its hinges.  I grabbed the third guard and tried to strangle him, and then I saw he had the keys so I grabbed them.  We were able to get the door open and Pax ran out and found our stash of weapons.  She threw me the dagger and I almost slit the throat of the man I had been holding but thought better of it and hit him over the head with the hilt instead.  In a matter of minutes all three guards were down and we had time to catch our breaths.

 

A plan was forming in my head, but the first part of that plan was making sure the men we were just trying to kill, didn’t die.