The Spawn of the Vampire Vine

"And I believe I remember you, Ylkwa - but I thought I already saw you leave the Forest? Someone wearing your robes, and your crocodile mask, came through the Door several hours ago.

"They hastened to leave, refusing all payment. I assumed something traumatic had happened in the Forest, leading to madness. I didn't want to get involved in that, so I didn't press them."

One of the robed figures descends down and disdainfully discards their raiment. Underneath, you see a skeleton yellowed and crumbling with age, furry with discolored moss. Between its ribs you see an ugly red and yellow flower resting, supported on thick, throbbing stems.

Ylkwa is unconscious while the vine-masked skeleton gathers up their robes and puts them on, before proceeding to show itself off in an almost mocking manner. Finally, it takes the crocodile skull and places it on its head. Thus accoutered, it leaves the gold-encrusted bottle of wine by Ylkwa, taking the blood back to the upper branches of the tree, leaving the poison by the base of the trunk.

"A fight?

"Oh, yes. There was a terrible scuffle outside today! Late this afternoon.

"I was helping a customer look through the catalog of books from the Old World, when one of her attendants came in, calling for her, and she ran outside.

"They dragged someone into a carriage and pulled out of the square, kicking up mud like you wouldn't believe!"

"Bad business to run afoul of those with wealth in the Free City. I wonder what the poor soul did."

If Ylkwa returns to the market in the day, they might notice something interesting: not all of the apparently normal humans are Living Creatures.

But there are only a couple of these exceptions, including a familiar creature standing inside an ivory shop, speaking to the proprietor, negotiating for something. It wears a crocodile skull on its head.

The imposter tarries awhile in the shop. It seems particularly interested in the decorative mounted horns and skulls of the smaller whales and narwhals brought back to Sturmport as a byproduct of the whaling industry.

Eventually, it seems to bid the proprietor farewell, and then departs, heading back to the part of the market where the bookstore is.

The imposter will approach the door of the antiques shop facing the bookstore.

The imposter knocks seven times on the door.

A man with a goatee and wire frame glasses (the proprietor) opens the door and lets the imposter in.

They go into the back of the antiques shop.

Something printed on receipt paper is inserted under the cover. The note says:

*In the Ebersfarb courtyard, a strange new plant grows.*

*Do you know what this is?*

*There is a crude drawing of a cutting of a vine wrapped around a trellis, with a large flower, familiar and ugly, hanging off it.*

"a stranger left through our door, I think it was related to the Vampire tree. It sought to escape and a noble family on the other side caught it. What could the vampire tree hope to do with that, did it try to escape or did it want to bring more pray, or blood and dreams to it?"

"All those things, no doubt. Propogation is ever the end of many cursed and undead things.

"But the Vampire Vine has been sessile at Hangman's Tree for many a long age. We have not had much chance to interact. It has not been very active in its machinations - until, presumably, it learned of the Door and acquired a disguise.

"I admit I do not fully say I can understand its plans. And my view into your realm is limited to mere inferences based on those of it who enter here."