Session Twenty One

***From where you stand, the remains of two dead vampire spawn sprawled at your feet, you can hear the sounds of people screaming and fighting outside as the other four hungry undead seek easier prey among the townsfolk. The shop is quiet now, and the floor further inside this room is littered with soil and shards of wood from where they had burst out of the crates they were hidden inside. Ismark stands in the doorway, looking paler than usual as he surveys what remains of the situation and sees the state all of you are in.***

 The Party

* Alyssandra, the Human Paladin/Warlock.
* Dakira, the Dragonborn Bard.
* Devi, the Drow Paladin.
* Tansy, the Tiefling Light Cleric.

## Pandemonium

While the rest of the party was gathering themselves after the battle with the vampire spawn, Devi jumped out the window after the rest of them, telling them to keep looking for the bones while she helped with the ones outside, much to the surprise of everyone within the shop. Dakira, heavily wounded, asked Alyssandra what they should do now, and Alyssandra replied that she did not know, but they should just keep looking for the bones. Noticing Dakira's wounds, Alyssandra offered her healing, and between that and the potion of healing Ismark offered, she was better.

The party began to search the room, shifting slats of wood aside and digging through the crates. After a few minutes, however, they found nothing. The sounds of the attack outside getting to him, Ismark kicked one of the crates in frustration and said he doubted the bones were even here. Tansy wondered if the man had lied, and even wanted them to die to the vampire spawn. Alyssandra said she did not know, and began to search through the room and the crates again, the rest of the party following her example, continuing to turn over the room in search of the bones.

Outside, Devi had found evidence that the vampire spawn had rampaged through the stockyard while the party had been occupied, and begun to search for the vampire spawn themselves. Going west into town, she followed a scattered trail of fallen bodies to an intersection where she could hear the sounds of fighting and a scream that was abruptly cut off. She took this road immediately, and found herself in the town's square. Here, she saw a number of dead bodies, including one guardsman, and the vampire spawn responsible, who was circling around the two remaining guards. Upon noticing the newcomer, the vampire spawn grinned.

### Persistence

After again coming up with nothing except wood, nails, and assorted tools, the party decided the bones were not there. Tansy suggested trying the other room, which Ismark and Alyssandra agreed was the best option, as there was nothing here unless the man had turned them invisible. The four left the room for the one across the hall, finding themselves in a dusty room with a small table, a smaller window, and the walls lined with shelves and cupboards. They set themselves to searching through the room. The continued sounds from the town under attack were getting to them, however, causing them to be distracted and clumsy, opening the same cupboard twice on occasion and almost tripping over the chairs while trying to maneuver around each other.

Meanwhile, Devi was occupied with the vampire spawn at the town square, watching him easily strike down the pair of guards before turning on her. Though Devi's sword was strong and her armor stronger, the vampire spawn appeared to barely register the blows. He laughed at her as whatever wounds she made would immediately begin to knit closed before her eyes, leaving no trace of the damage she had caused. As the situation worsened, Devi realized she would not be able to outrun the vampire spawn even if she fled, and so stood her ground.

Their search proved fruitless, and they found no sign of the bones. Alarmed at the noise from outside, Tansy looked out the small window, but was unable to see anything but the backs of houses across the way. Also unsettled by both the loss of Merletta and the commotion outside, Alyssandra suggested that they leave the bones for now and instead go try to find Devi, adding that she would have sent Merletta after her if she could. Tansy agreed, saying that it was hardly like the bones would die if they went to help someone. Ismark asked if they knew where she went, but Dakira said she probably had not gotten far, and they could at least help people along the way if they didn't find her.

### Pursuit

The party retreated back downstairs, taking the side door out into Vallaki. The dozens of ravens circling overhead added their cries to what had receded into an ambient hum of cacophony, and the signs that the vampire spawn had torn through the stockyard were many and obvious, from the broken windows to the painted wagon having been knocked onto its side. Moving through the stockyard and back onto the main road, the party noted that the gate to the east had been shut. Ismark anxiously wondered aloud if they should tell the guards that the vampire spawn can climb walls, so do not need the gates. The party agreed, and Tansy asked Ismark if he would like to go tell them while they went searching for Devi, but Ismark said that he thought it was a bad idea to go talk to the guards after the guard captain said he was wanted within Vallaki. Deciding he would be safer with them, the party continued into the town, following the trail of bodies.

As they walked, Alyssandra and Tansy noticed a figure further along the road, which they found to be a vampire spawn who was jumping and running along the rooftops, laughing as he terrorized the citizens inside the houses. He only stopped long enough to take off his coat and shove it down the chimney of one of the houses. His route carried him closer and closer to the party, and when he noticed them, he grinned and jumped down to face them. That he needed to move to reach them proved his undoing, as the party used ranged attacks to wear him down before he was able to strike, and his unlife was finally ended by a swing of Ismark's sword.

## Things Gained

* One unconscious comrade.
* One more dead vampire spawn.
* Not the bones.

## Developments

Devi has gone unconscious for the first time.

The party has defeated three out of the six vampire spawn.

The party has not acquired the bones.