Rowan

* Bard\_Class
* Bard Class/Eloquence
* Artificer\_Class
* Artificer Class/Alchemist

* Abilities
* Spells
* Items
* Backstory
* Setting & Lore
* Notes
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Tools and Languages.

* Piano, violin, flute, Alchemists Supplies, Thieves' tools, and Tinker's tools
* English, Latin, French, German, Gaelic, Old English / Norse runes

Silver Tongue.  When making Persuasion or Deception checks, you treat d20 rolls of 9 or lower as 10s instead.

Jack of All Trades.  Add half your proficiency bonus (+2) to any ability check that doesn't already add your proficiency.

Position of Privilege.  You are welcome in high society, and are treated like nobility by both high and low-class citizens. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.

Linguist.  You can create written ciphers. Others can’t decipher a code you create unless you teach them, they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal to your Intelligence score + your proficiency bonus), or they use magic to decipher it.

Ability Scores

* 8 10 10 14 14 15 (Point Buy)
* - - - +1 - +1 (Variant Human)
* - - - +1 - - (Linguist)
* - - - +2 - +2 (Ability Score Increase x2)
* 8 10 10 18 14 18

Race and Background Features

* +1 to two ability scores of your choice
* Proficiency in one skill, plus one feat (Linguist)
* One extra language
* Noble background: History, Persuasion, cards, one language, plus:
	+ Position of Privilege -- Thanks to your noble birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. The common folk and merchants make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure, and other people of high birth treat you as a member of the same social sphere. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.

Bard Class Features (Lv.6)

* Bardic Inspiration (d8) + Font of Inspiration (+ Unsettling Words + Unfailing Inspiration)
* 3 skills, plus Expertise(2) + Jack of All Trades
* Song of Rest (d6)
* Ability Score Improvement (CHA +2)
* Countercharm
* Silver Tongue

Artificer Class Features (Lv.4)

* Proficiency in Alchemists Supplies, thieves' tools, and tinker's tools
* Magical Tinkering
* Infuse Item
	+ Repeating Shot weapon (for buffing someone else's gun, gives +1 ATK/Dmg, ignores Loading, and "magical" ammo)
	+ Wand of Magic Detection (can cast Detect Magic 3x, recharges 1d3/day)
	+ Bag of Holding
	+ Goggles of Night (grants 60 feet of darkvision, or extends existing darkvision by 60)
* The Right Tool for the Job
* Ability Score Improvement (INT +2)
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## Artificer Spells

Prep Limit = INT + 2 (6)

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* Inventory
* Rucksack
* Ring of Forgetting
* Lucky Horseshoe
* Goggles of Night
* The Journal

## Inventory

* 20 of these are scientific works by Darwin, Mendel, Tesla, Curie, Gibbs, Pasteur, and other great scientists of the 19th century. Rowan has not read all of these yet.
* 10 of these are compilations of magical, alchemical, and occult knowledge from Rome, Europe, and Great Britain, compiled by Rowan and one of his ancestors -- Elizabeth Ann Newnham.
* 10 of these are books written BY the Newnham family, concerning their practices, habits, and observations.
* About 10 books on natural history and classification of mundane creatures and plants -- Audubon and Chambers are of particular note
* 10 are assorted journals and notebooks written by Rowan himself, detailing his observations and travels
* The remaining 20 books are all historical information, personal accounts, logbooks and yearbooks. Rowan cycles these out depending on his destination and mission, borrowing from libraries and archives local to his destination (and in London before he travels).

* 200 ft. of rope (25, 25, 50, 100)
* Small cookpot
* Folding pup tent
* 2 large canvas tarps
* 2 rainproof tarps
* Herbalism Kit (First Aid Kit)
* 1 bottle of cheap vodka
* Compass
* Map of the area, if obtainable
* 200 ft. of twine on a spool
* 10 Flares
* Lighter and matches
* Small bundle of Dry kindling
* 3 yards of cotton fabric, for misc use
* Bedroll
* 2 pillows
* Small folding easel
* Small sitting hammock

* Water canteens
* Jerky
* Hardtack
* Potatoes, garlic, onion

* Two small knives
* Machete
* Small lumber axe
* Revolver, plus 120 rounds of ammo
* Tinkers' tools, thieves' tools, alchemist's supplies
* Wooden flute

* Paper and notepads
* Sketchbook, charcoals, and watercolors
* 2 sets of fancy clothes
* 4 sets of normal clothes
* Soap and other toiletries
* A metal bucket
* Several glass sample jars of varying sizes

## Rucksack of Holding

This bag has an interior space considerably larger than its outside dimensions, roughly 2 feet in diameter at the mouth and 4 feet deep. The bag can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. The bag weighs 15 pounds, regardless of its contents. Retrieving an item from the bag requires an action.

If the bag is overloaded, pierced, or torn, it ruptures and is destroyed, and its contents are scattered in the Astral Plane. If the bag is turned inside out, its contents spill forth, unharmed, but the bag must be put right before it can be used again. Breathing creatures inside the bag can survive up to a number of minutes equal to 10 divided by the number of creatures (minimum 1 minute), after which time they begin to suffocate.

## Ring of Forgetting

A ring -- It's either something of your own choosing or was gifted to you by a SPCR member. This item is something that you have been told to never let out of your sight and never let another hold, once inspected or gifted by the previously mentioned Syndicate member. Do not let anyone know what this item is. You were told that it will help you find the creatures you seek and it has a few abilities you are able to activate: **Can only affect humans and does not work on Syndicate members.**

* Both abilities target all nonsyndicate creatures in a 20-ft cone.

* ----- *1 use per LR -- 1A -- any (nonSyndicate) creatures in 20-ft. cone*
 Humans automatically fail. On failed save, the target(s) becomes charmed by you for **1 min**. The person(s) **must be looking into the user's eyes**. The charmed target(s) eyes glaze over white and become incapacitated and unaware of their surroundings, though it can still hear you. If they take any damage or are targeted by another spell, this spell ends, and what has been said by the caster during this time takes effect. While this charm lasts, you can affect the **target’s memory of an event that it experienced within the last (1) hour and that lasted no more than 10 minutes**. You can permanently eliminate all memory of the event, allow the target to recall the event with perfect clarity and exacting detail, change its memory of the details of the event, or create a memory of some other event. **You must speak to the target to describe how its memories are affected**. Its mind fills in any gaps in the details of your description.

* ----- *3 uses per LR -- 1A -- any (nonSyndicate) creatures in 20-ft. cone*
 Roll 9d8 -- starting with the lowest hit points, those creatures fall asleep for 1 hour. Follows the rules of the Sleep*1st-level Enchantment*
**Casting Time:** 1 a
**Range:** 90 ft
**Components:** V,S,M
**Duration:** 1 min
20-ft rad 5d8+2d8/SL hp of conscious creatures fall asleep, starting with the lowest current hp crea spell.

## Lucky Horseshoe

A small coin-sized pin. Worn on his collar. As a reaction, when a creature that you can see rolls a d20, before the outcome is determined, you expend one use of Inspiration and store that roll in the Horseshoe pin, turning it points-up. It glows faintly. They reroll their d20 and determine their outcome.

As a reaction, when a creature rolls a d20 and you have a roll stored, you can turn the horseshoe pin upside down to force a creature to use your stored roll instead of what they rolled. This must be done before the outcome is determined. This expends the stored luck.

Abilities that allow a creature to re-roll their d20 (e.g. the Lucky feat, Legendary Resistances) apply after this ability is used.

## Goggles of Night

Darkvision 40 ft to the wearer. They have Yooperlite stuck in them. Wrought iron, very very old, set in a more "modern" leather strap like old welding goggles.

## The Journal

Pre full Syndicate initiate, you found a handwritten journal one night when a squeaky floorboard came loose and sat inside just below between the layers of wood. Untouched by rot, you never recognized the handwriting and it was too old to be any immediate family. Its first page reads:

“This will be found at the time it is needed. My understanding of magics will ensure that at least. Something is coming, but my knowledge on the texts came too early. I’ve written within my findings and many transcriptions of the texts that seemed important. I do not know if the texts speak of prophecies, or histories, but the meaning is clear to me. This “thing” poses a danger to all beings on our world and others. Good luck and I’m sorry. May The 7 protect you.”

This was originally written in a mix of runes, latin, and a few other languages, but it was easy enough to translate once the markings could be identified. Much of the book is filled with text in a variety of languages. Some sketches of plants and other things There are different religious texts quoted with notes on their supposed connection. Some notes allude to herbalism and spells, most of which are beyond what you know is possible.

But what’s most intriguing and illusive to you is that the latter half of the journal is filled with illegible symbols. A note at the start of this section states that the writer could not decipher them but recorded them exactly as they saw them in their travels. And research. Slid in between two of the pages is an even older piece of paper that has the same symbols, but sometimes when you look at it the marks almost move and change shape as if they were alive, but slumbering… breathing? This comes along with what you have concluded must be images of the moon. main page

###  Things Others Might Know

* Goes by "Rowan" (he/him)
* Is actually a baronet of a small piece of land in Wales. Might pull out his title where it is useful, but only then.
* Has social connections in London, and in a few other cities across England.
* He advertises himself as an amateur naturalist and historian... but beyond that public-facing description, he more specifically studies occult and magical things -- beasts, runes, arcane powers, ancient techniques and legends
* He's also a witch, though he doesn't use these powers publicly. You might have heard rumors that his family has historically also had similar abilities. He prefers to describe himself as an "alchemist" or "occultist" rather than a witch.
* Has a canvas-leather backpack which seems far bigger on the inside... you've seen him stow an impossible amount of books and outdoor gear in there
* When left to his own devices, Rowan travels around Britain and Ireland (and more recently, mainland Europe) to research magical creatures and history.

###  Backstory

* **Name:** Sir John Rowan Shelley (baronet of Wickwood, goes by Rowan)
* **Class:** probably Bard 7/8, Warlock or Artificer 3/2.
* **Family:**
	+ Father is Sir John Shelley V, deceased
	+ Mother is Lady Wilhelmina Newnham, now "the Dowager Lady Shelley"
	+ Magical lineage is passed from mother to child, he has a younger sister Holly who could continue the line
	+ Wickwood, the Newnham family estate, is currently in Lady Shelley's care while Rowan studies and travels.

* Rowan is bookish, has an aptitude for languages, history, and naturalism
* Got a bit of magical training as a child from his mother, to help him control the latent abilities. He also went to boarding school in London, and when he graduated he returned home and continued his studies.
* He's learned from his mother, and the family library, that the family land is part of an ancient contract with someone of the Faerie -- they are bound to be stewards of that land, and received in return the ability to harness energy from the world. He's read of old family contacts who had similar abilities, but not usually as strong as theirs.
* Recent generations of the Wickwood baronets have not nurtured their gifts as much, due to the witchcraft scare.
* Rowan has been bolder, and devoted a lot of time over the years since graduating school to learning, experimenting, and growing stronger.
* While most previous members of the family pushed the bounds of their personal knowledge and abilities, Rowan wants to explore possibilities beyond their estate -- whether there is truth to the legends of other creatures and esoterica, and how it relates to the family gift.

###  Involvement with the Syndicate

* Rowan likely read hints or accounts of their existence in the Wickwood library, but the Syndicate almost certainly has known about his family for a long time (I think we established that)
* They've maintained contact with most heirs of the family, they know the family's power.
	+ His mother, as I imagine her, might have done some work for them but only as favors owed, and not very far from home.
	+ She probably wouldn't say too much, I picture her as a very cryptic and reserved woman. Basically only teaching Rowan what she felt she had to.
* They might have reached out to him through some of his friends in London, or through an agent in one of the (2) naturalism/science societies that Rowan is part of.
* Rowan has been quite willing to take on Syndicate jobs for the chance that he will learn new things.
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###  Research and Interests

* Main interests (not in that order):
	+ The rules magic operates by
	+ The beasts of the world (mostly magical, but also lots of interest in nonmagical too)
	+ The truth behind the legends of druidic and pagan rites and traditions
* He kinda writes off Christianity as just a corrupt means to keep control of the populace, and their views on witchcraft haven't helped... though that may be a flawed perspective, if there's any truth to the satanistic practices of witches past...
	+ (idk if his family would have done much with that... at least, not recently)

Rowan's research into beasts started in Britain but gradually branched out. Mainland Europe is a logical next place to go, investigating the old growth forests there for any signs of faeries or werewolves or things like that. He's probably considering a trip to Greece, since Latin and a few translations from the Odyssey and Iliad were likely part of his classical education. He has a very academic approach to research. First he first reads a lot, then goes out and investigates, using magic and mundane means to track the patterns of the beasts he's trying to observe. Collecting bones/sheddings/fur/stool, making sketches and watercolors, talking to animals... Then, after such an excursion, he spends lots of time comparing his findings with the writings of other naturalists.

Beasts In Particular

* Terrestrial --- Unicorn, ogres, trolls, pixies, grindylows, goblins
* Aquatic --- Loch Ness Monster, Selkies, kelpies, draugr
* Undead --- Ghosts, banshees, draugr, vampires
* Flying --- Phoenixes, dragons, hippogriffs, griffons, ravens (as magical creatures)
* Fey? --- Pixies, elves, gnomes, boggles, brownies, phookas
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###  House Rules

 --- When you are above an enemy, you have 3/4 cover from them, and you gain a +2 to hit them.

###  Session Zero --- 10-5-2023

Other Players

* Skye ---- "Atka" -- tall native american wolf-mask barbarian
* Chelsey - "Anya" -- slight Scottish-irish gunslinger, elaborate dress
* Anne --- "Ruby Ainsley" -- long black dress, hat (wide brimmed) and scarf also black -- most of her body covered. Tidy, metal buttons is shiny. Darting eyes and sadness. Austere Victorian dress.
* Lars ---- "Stick" --

Over 300 years ago, Van Helsing defeated Dracula -- was a member of the Order of the Dragon. Was a hero in a battle, after his death strange things happened in the area. His body couldn't be found, symptoms of vampire in the area. Dr. Helsing, a Dutchman, had been researching creatures of myth and took some companions with him to hunt down the cause. Over 3 expeditions into the Transylvanian mountains. He was not a fighter, but surrounded himself with competent fighters. Members of the expedition went missing, and the last (on the 3rd) was found in pieces around the camp. A taunt. Van Helsing tried again, a fourth time -- able to track down Dracula, a newly-born higher vampire, needing massive amounts of blood to survive the transmutation. He antagonized them and claimed not to be Vlad Tepesh anymore, and taunted them as he played with them. Helsing fired a bolt tipped with silver and blessed by local priests, fired it and hit true. Dracula transformed to a batlike demon... as they killed him, he shouted in Latin, over and over "As was promised, they will come for me -- I will not perish, for my journey is just beginning". The fight took hours. As the sun touched his flesh he died, turned to ash soot and steam. Helsing returned home with the rest of his expedition, and they founded the Syndicate for Paranormal and Cryptozoological Research. They were once hundreds, but their numbers have dwindled... we are few now, but our job must still be done.

Today: Brasov. The birthplace of the order, in Romania. The largest wolf population in central Europe. Lots of legends, some may be true. Locals have lots of legends. Ureas -- giants slumbering beneath the mountain forests, waiting for their inevitable return.

Memory: ME! in the library. I pull out the journal from its hiding place, back of a shelf. Referencing several books. Runic rubbings, Magic is as easy as 1,2,3. Plus THE journal. And a King James Bible. I flip through the Journal. I come to the phrase, written in Latin in the Journal, but in English in the bible... "Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters, and they became blood..." Two figures come to the door, saying I'm poking around too much, I know too much and too little. I can't remember their apperarances... fuzzy to my mind. They seem familiar, but I can't recall them specifically. The strangest thing was that they were so late at night.

Present: I was dreaming. I wake, in a train car. Uncomfortable sleeper car. I'm here with Anya, she gets up as we arrive, pulls out the Syndicate Coin (we each have one) -- it has White Heather on one side, the letters SPCR around it, and on the other side the X+P (Chi-Ro) symbol. Pure silver. We also have a postcard, from Brasov -- the black church is circled.

* All the symbols the Syndicate uses for these coins are symbolic of good luck or protection for the wearer. More identification purposes... they change the symbols every couple of years.
* Coin's last symbol was a Gorgoneion before the white heather - gorgon head surrounded by 3 wings
* Chi-Ro is greek, shortened form of greek word for Christ.
* White heather is Apatropaeic magic -- luck magic. Meant as a good-luck warding. Grows in Scotland, people all over Europe use it as goodluck charm

We enter Brasov. Chilly, we took an overnight train. Foggy. I lend Anya my coat, she is cold. (Cuddles close to me) We strike out towards the center of town. Brasov is not yet part of Romania, still part of Austro-Hungarian empire. I use 2 Bardic Inspirations to help Anya with some rich lady's motorcar (she is quite rude, not worth it, poor footman). We walk for a ways... narrow encounter with a carriage in the street. Rowan uses prestidigitation to dry Anya from the puddle she stepped in. Anya warns Rowan not to be so obvious.

We get a good view of Castle Brann -- been there since 1388, now in disrepair. We know it's currently housing for foresters of Brasov... not really cared for. We continue following the rich lady's instructions, we reach the church. Light dusting of snow, last of the fall colors. We see two figures in front.......

SKYE + ANNE --- They arrived in Brasov a couple days ago. They step up to the front steps of the church, taking it in... we meet with them. They size us up, weirdly we don't exchange names but we all verify we're all there for the same reason with coins and postcards. We enter the church -- Atka opens it for us after my failed attempt. There's some clergy around, tidying after the morning service. One of them comes up to us and talks.... wants to know why we're here. I show the coin. They are like "Oh... go about your business I guess..." and point at another person near a confessional. We meet STICK, who is creepy. Their mosquitos only show up when we're close... might be hidden by Glimmer?

We are encouraged by the nosy clergy member to check the confessional. Stick checks the nearby confessional, finds a coin slot, and slots their coin in. The inside of the confessional descends towards the basement with Atka, Stick, and Ruby in tow. Rowan and Anya find another confessional and start descending a bit later. Ruby has a panic attack inside the confessional... Atka helps.

In the basement... our coins have return trays, we pick them up. Here, it's a vaulted ceiling. It's a laboratory for electrical (?) stuff. A bolt arcs between cages. (Used horseshoe stored roll here) A drudenfuss flag is hanging on the back wall -- upside down pentagram on a yellow field, over a blue river. Funny that this image is below a church.... LOL. Man there, wearing militaresque british clothing. Late 30s, confident, tired, tall. Holsters for guns, plus a rapier over the shoulder. "Good, you're all here. I'm Theodore Wallace, station operator here in Brasov." Faded scars on his forearms, also a couple of tattoos -- probably someone who served in the military. "three joined in one" in latin, meaning the UK. Probably pretty patriotic to get tattoos of it.

We go round and introduce ourselves again. He explains: Ungera, a village north of here, has villagers going missing with strange viscous clear liquid found at the sites. Strange nightmares being experienced by villagers. Similarities to vampires, and "bruxa"... shares similarities with an "alp". Sheer lack of subtlety implies succubi, also reminds of Druud. Looks back towards drudenfuss flag, might be correlation. They sent Gavril Lackenborn to the same site a few months back. Local farm animals were missing, he was local to the area. Wallace didn't go along, and Lackenborn phoned from Ungera saying he'd found remnants, maybe direwolf traces. Shouldve been an easy wrapup, but that was the last they'd heard of. He hopes we will do better, and he's gonna go along with us. (He seems tired and stressed... he's probably spread really thin over surrounding area too. Not overly anxious or worried at the moment, but sadness at the loss of Gavril. Seems concerned when he talks about that. Definitely out of the ordinary that he's going with us.) 3-hour horseback to a nearby village, there's a boatman there waiting to take us to Ungera.

Karpathian Goat --- little village nearby, a devil arrived in the form of a goat. It danced, caused the dead to rise and turn to ash, causing the locals distress. A local bishop chased it off with a stick. The bishop died, and his buttons turned from brass to silver and his stick turned to gold. One of his buttons is available to us, as an object we could take and use.

###  Session Two (Recap) --- 10-12-2023

* We split up the magic and mundane items that Theodore.
* We spend some time shopping for lunch supplies -- we buy a comically large sausage from an old lady, a couple other meats, some bread, and three cheeses. Jam as well.
* We spend some time travelling by riverboat -- 5-6 hrs. Rowan attempts to make friends with Atka, only gleans that she has hunted monsters in America, and she's from a tribe. Rowan also makes friends with Ruby, and they reference magic with each other subtly. Rowan believes she is a witch of some kind now... was NOT involved in Salem, thank goodness.
* We hear some commotion in the water, one of the crew is snatched
* 3 Rusalkas -- similar to Naiads, they are invisible to mundane humans.
* We start combat, get through 1 round...

###  Session Three (Recap) --- 10-19-2023

* Rowan hands Ruby his potion of Boldness.
* We successfully fight off the Rusalkas, but they parted the water around the boat and tore a hole in it.
	+ Ruby patched it with ice -- she seems to have magic, but chaotic?
	+ I explained it away with "science"... they bought it for the moment
* One of the crew died... I used the ring to cast Modify Memory on them -- they believe they ran into a rock, and their crewmate drowned while trying to free the boat from the rock.
* We disembark in the village -- Ungera -- and look for an inn. Stick goes off by himself, and finds a straaaange raven. Eyes are vacant and dead. We ask for directions, a fisherman directs us then says, cryptically... "Careful." (of what?) "I don't... know...?"
* We meet up at the inn and discuss the raven. Probably forcefully possessed, not transformed creature or willing servant.
* We walk in, there's an old woman with a music box......

###  Session Four --- 11-2-2023

* Older woman (50) has an apron, a towel -- the tavern is pretty dead inside, she's continually cranking at a music box. Seems tired.
	+ Doesn't even notice us till we speak to her directly... she asks why we're here -- remote, late, we are eclectic... Atka says "We are here to help, I am familiar with the spirits of the land and thought I could be of help."
	+ She seems hard to convince, but in no condition to argue... there's four others in here, they all seem tired and fidgety.
	+ Stick joins us, Anya stays outside to observe people patterns and get to know their habits for a while.
* Old woman returns with stew, name is Magdah. We ask her questions.
	+ Disappearances, yes, started 3 weeks ago. Too many to account for people leaving.
	+ Isabella was taken 3 days ago... her daughter. No more than 1 or 2 a night disappear.
	+ Village leader might know more... Grygori Lansten. Unofficial post, but generally trusted.
	+ Disappearances are "there one night, gone the next morning."
	+ Magdah hasn't had nightmares... till her daughter passed away that is.
* Anya has a lively conversation with the remaining two patrons -- a 45y.o. and a 20s aged guy, Livius Grozah. Plays some drinking games with them. Wants to talk to them about their nightmares tomorrow.
* Theodore asks after Gavril. Magdah has his stuff... he was in and out, then didn't come back after a while. We take it to distribute later.
* Rowan casts Suggestion and gives Magdah some painkillers to hopefully help her pass a good night's sleep.
* Gavril's Stuff:
	+ 3 small silver bars, 15 Romanian silver coins, steel pan with lots of pinpricks in the bottom, and a handwritten journal.
	+ Journal contains lots of random thoughts, findings, to-do lists, some in English and some in Romanian
	+ Something about all this doesn’t sit right with me. These disappearances are more than what I’ve been tracking could orchestrate. The canine is merely a pawn or unrelated coincidence... Something else out there. Intelligent. Some of the livestock were drained. I haven’t run into any lower Vampires in years around here. Shit, if it’s a Mula, Alp, or Bruxa this will be tricky. Investigating the townsfolk to learn more about the comings and goings of the locals. If it’s that intelligent it could be among them…
	+ Has a list of people he'd like to talk to... and nothing after that.
		- The Doctors - married doctor couple newer to town
		- The Elder - village leader
		- Katerina - herbalist
	+ Alps tan to the point of being ebony if out in the sun too long. They prefer to prey on sleeping people and creatures. Alps are always female, and have pointed ears in their humanoid form. Can force people to sleep.
	+ Bruxas are also female, sharp claws in their animal form, have piercing shriek which they let out from a distance. They sometimes sing.
	+ Mulas are always male. Not afraid of daylight, they usually feed at night. They can become invisible.
* Vampires -- What Rowan Knows
	+ Higher Vampires -- Dracula was supposed to be one. NOT affected by daylight. Do not go shiny. Vanishingly rare... most would never be discovered, going easily unnoticed in society. Myths about them being immortal.
	+ Normal Vampires -- NOT affected by daylight. Do not go shiny. Sentient. SOME of them can go disguised around normal people.
	+ Lower Vampires -- animalistic and brainless, thralls. Been converted partway, closer to zombies than people. Follow orders of their master. Also applies to creatures that exhibit vampiric qualities. These ARE affected by daylight.
	+ Most higher and normal vampires have a bestial and a humanoid form, there's a sliding scale of how strong each form is for different subtypes and individual vampire cases. Some vampires DO have some relation to sleep and dreams.
	+ "The Alp" - a mythological European creature that was mythically tied to sleep paralysis.
	+ In 300 years, there's been about 100 accounts of firsthand confirmed Normal Vampires by Syndicate members. There's probably a few dedicated Vampire Hunters in the Syndicate that run into more than the average amount.
	+ Vampires have ties to blood magic (probably) which has ties to demonic power (probably) so salt might have a deterring effect on them.
* We spend the night in the inn, and trap our rooms' windows with noisemakers. We set a watch, Rowan stays up to read (1 point of exhaustion).

###  Session Five --- 11-10-2023

* I lost all my notes for this because I DIDNT SAVE...
* Ruby and I snooped around, and found out that the guy who stayed over last night has marital issues... has a permanent room rented out here. His name is Alek, his wife is Krykski.
* We learned that Livius Drazkoi's parents are the doctors. Says they are people of science. He has a symbol carved / scratched into his neck. Same symbol from Rowan's book, this is a mysterious language that has ties to demons? Not a "good" or even a "neutral" language.
* We investigated the daughter's room... not a lot of evidence. Her shoes are still there... so she left without shoes. There are scratches around the windowsill from the outside. We suspect charms?? or compulsion.
* There's a set of symbols scratched above Isabella's door... says "Worthy".

###  Session Six --- 12-7-2023

* Rowan, Ruby, Atka are going to the doctors.
* Anya, Stick, and Theodore are team Necks.
* At the doctors' home, we come in and the woman doctor takes us back to examine us. She has Ruby stand and looks her up and down. She mentions she "has a knack for seeing what's wrong with people" and adds that Ruby's eyes "tell a story".
* She is defensive and doesn't believe anything has happened. They've been giving people sleeping medication, and none of the ones who've come to them have returned, she says proudly. (Maybe because the doctors don't take them seriously?)
* Says some people have rashes, but they've prescribed a topical cream. Her husband comes in. He seems like a man of science and learning. Ruby takes issue with his dismissiveness of superstition, and turns a tiny bit rude. "You should pay attention to what people SAY."
* Husband doctor believes Rowan is a perfect "up-n-coming doctor", seems to want to latch onto this image since his son didn't have any interest in the family business. Rowan... leans into this a bit. Asks about the people who have itches, to see if it "might be an infection from an insect bite".
	+ The doctors give us a list of people with scratches.
* Atka also sees jars that look homemade, among the more clinical jars of ingredients. She inquires, and apparently these have been obtained from the herbalist Katerina, who the doctors have little like for. She ALSO apparently labeled the ingredient bottles in the mystery language!!! The labels were ripped off mostly... but Rowan learned three letters.
* Anya and Stick hear a rumor of a lady sitting near someone's bed.
* Anya learns of 3 different homes where someone disappeared. Stick goes to investigate. Finds more runic carvings, scratches, and remnants of a syrupy colorless goop left on the pillow. The goop has a numbing / paralytic effect that spreads from any contact point.
* Stick also found tracks, leading roughly north from the windows on the houses. Barefoot humanoid footprints. He decides to follow for around an hour... runs into 3 little bats?
* We meet back up just before noon, and compare notes. MOST LIKELY an Alp....
	+ We've heard about the first house, heard there was a liquid, found the "Foul" inscriptions. We know there was a set of footprints leading north from the first house. Haven't heard anything from the second house.
	+ A raven watches us... flies off

###  Session Seven --- 12-14-2023

* We think Stick is taking too long... we go to the third house to find him. We see a trail leading away from the house. Benji (Anya's Dog) picks up trail of Stick's scent.
* Rowan finds a carving in one of the interior doorframes... the outer side of the bedroom door, WELL hidden. Says one of the things that I found last time.
* We follow the trail, blood and stuff. They don't really care about leaving traces or getting branches etc out of their way... as straight as they can.
* We find Stick, who found a guy at the river. Probably vampire spawn? Water burns them. Standing at a little stream, not moving, staying in the shadow. He heals passively.
* We discuss, we want to help them cross...
* Ruby had a vision where she DISAPPEARED from reality for a few seconds. She had a dream...
* We talked to a little shepherd boy who followed us. He wants to find his brother. We convince him to go back home, he will take us to the herbalist tomorrow.
* Stick uses his bugs to help the guy across. The guy struggled, looked around, and then continued on his merry straight path.
* We have an out of character scene where a couple of kids are running through the woods... boy is sick. Boy convulses, girl is dragged away by a hulking figure.

###  Session Eight --- 1-4-2024

* We decide to continue following the creature/villager/turned person. We aren't the quietest... but we wanna see if we can see its neck, and maybe still get away and follow it to its lair?
* COMBAT!
	+ Rowan uses a 1st-Lv. Spell for Hold Person
	+ Also an Inspiration for the Lucky Horseshoe
	+ Also a 4th-level spell for Bestow Curse
	+ Vampire spawn had writing in the secret language on its neck...
	+ It's hoarse calls attracted 3 phantom skeletons of romanian soldiers
	+ They spoke Romanian, said something like "You can't defeat him" and wanted us to leave. Turned to ash after death.
* Afterwards, we see a raven. Aine shoots it. Stick inspects... found a cloudy eye. Other eye normal. Aine keeps the eye, its cloudy all the way round.

###  Session Nine --- 1-25-2024

* We head back towards the village. Have dinner at the tavern -- stew and bread -- then retire for the night.
* Stick sleeps on the roof, Aine socializes, Theo stays in common room, Rowan/Atka/Ruby check bedroom doorframes and retire early.
	+ Nothing but scratches on one of the windows exterior. Must've been made before the warding jars.