The Ruined Citadel

cy 4850, Arrogan 22nd - 27th

The deserted rocky steppes of Vartan Olniak stretch out for miles before the two elves. Amblay the Marraq sorcerer, Aravan, the Elenorian warrior, are joined by two others: Graz Tak, a thief from the Jandraki Coast, and Axe, a Nadir nomad with a huge greataxe. Since the two elves have flown from the north they are without horses. Axe – a nomad – is accustomed to finding such beasts, particularly in the land of the Tileans who, like him, are a nomadic people.

Before long the Tileans make themselves known. Twenty riders approach the party. Tileans riding camels are all around them, the nomads take a particular interest in Amblay and to a man they make a strange gesture of salute in his presence. Fustor, their leader, explains the affinity between Tileans and Marraqs. The Darims expanded their lands decades ago and swallowed Tirros Tilean (now South Darim). The dispossessed people sought sanctuary south and became nomadic. A few Marraqs aided the Tileans and a bond of friendship exists between them.

Fustor tells them of the ruins of Hurlis to the southwest (the party reveal their desire to go there)…once the capital of the Tileans it fell into ruin after the Darim attacked. Now it is reputedly haunted, few of the Tileans dare to travel there in fear of the hidden dangers. The Tilean leader does not try to dissuade them from Hurlis and sends riders forward to gather horses for them.

Hours later the party have fresh horses from a Tilean called Mofas. Amblay casts Stoneskin on the nomad as payment for his trouble…he then casts it on the entire party. They continue southwest. A regular series of tremors – minor earthquakes – occur at seemingly regular intervals. As the days pass (and they turn south) the tremors become more powerful though not strong enough to give them problems.

At first light the party see the gold and red uniforms of a Darim patrol. Twenty horses ride in to investigate. Amongst the Darim is a quiet Darklander who lurks behind the leader of the soldiers – a man called Yastrey. Unlike the Tileans Yastrey tries to persuade them to turn from their present course and head north to more civilised lands. After a brief conversation the party ride on south.

An hour after noon they spot a hundred vultures circling something in the distance. Upon investigation they find an adolescent Tilean stripped bare to the waist struggling to survive in the wilds. Axe tends to him with the Nadir survival techniques he has learnt in the wilds. It is the Nadir that notices the anaemic nature of the young lad; also visible are two small puncture wounds in his wrist. Amblay and Axe exchange worried glances. No telepathy is necessary both suspect the same thing…vampires.

Axe comforts Hosul before twisting his head sharply – the neck snaps instantly and the boy is dead. The party burn the body thoroughly.

Night falls and the ruined citadel can be seen in the distance, only two leagues away. They camp outside not wishing to enter Hurlis in darkness. At midnight they are disturbed by a figure moving slowly toward them. The stench and shambling nature of the creature is sickening; flesh hangs from its skeletal frame and flies buzz around it as it approaches. Amblay hurls a fireball at it but misses. The rest of the party stalk the creature carefully. Aravan is upon the shambling creature with her longsword – the Blade of Menace – and she carves chunks of putrid flesh from it. But there is more to the beast…it wails in an inhuman tongue and both Axe and Graz Tak are gripped by its powerful mind. Realising that the creature is turning his companions against him Amblay casts fly and hovers above the melee, his powerful Marraq telepathy focuses on the creature.

The fight is ugly and confusing. Axe tries to attack Aravan as Amblay wrestles with the creature’s mind. A couple of magic missiles pepper the shambling foe until Amblay turns his mind control against the Nadir…eventually he breaks the hold upon his friends and turns the combat decisively in their favour. Once slain the party burn the creature into ashes…

Next morning they warily enter the citadel of Hurlis and notice the sudden drop in temperature. Amblay sends his familiar bat down a narrow opening in the rubble and through it’s eyes he sees a shadowy figure. Grey hair, translucent skin that seems to glow with an inner light, the man is unrecognisable – neither elf nor human. Axe and Aravan decide to crawl through the gap and meet him. Amblay tries to latch onto the man’s mind but encounters a thought shield.

The grey haired creature greets the two warriors with an almost lascivious smile; his dark brown eyes seem to stare directly into their souls. He is urbane but dangerous. He tells them he is a Daywalker – a legacy of Barrios – forced to live off rats in a desolate citadel. He offers them a deal; power for just a pint of their fresh blood. Naturally they decline. Another small tremor seals the crawl-hole they entered from. Axe and Aravan heft their magical longswords and move in on the vampire.

Aravan drives a forceful blow across Dathor’s skull and the blade opens a deep gash in the creature’s skull. Axe attacks from behind, his own blade bites deep into ribcage. Little blood flows, the Daywalker spins rapidly and attacks. Aravan fends off a backhand swipe but Axe is not so lucky; the Daywalker grabs him by the throat and raises him off the ground with superhuman strength.

Amblay senses the battle below but is powerless to aid his companions. He searches – initially in vain – to find the mind behind the thought shield.

Meanwhile Axe remains in the torturous grip of the monster who wishes to squeeze the Nadir into unconsciousness and feast on him later. With Axe immobilised the Daywalker casts dispel magic to break the stoneskin and Aravan feels vulnerable. She fights bravely and viciously, her blade making small cuts to the creature. When Dathor catches her sword arm she knows she has to react quickly or die. She lightning draws her shortsword with her left hand and draws it across the beast’s abdomen to open a gaping wound. To her dismay the gash closes quickly – the Daywalker is unaffected by non-magical weapons.

Axe finally falls into unconsciousness and Dathor lets him fall to the ground, now able to concentrate entirely on the woman before him.

At that moment Amblay gets a grip on Dathor’s mind. The Marraq grips his foe with a major control and Dathor releases Aravan’s hand as Amblay drags him up to the surface.

As Dathor is brought slowly to the rubble-strewn streets Aravan puts Axe over her shoulder and climbs quickly into the street. The powerful Daywalker remains in the firm grip of Amblay’s mind – the Marraq draws him slowly into the daylight whereupon he draws back the darkbow. Dathor is unable to twitch.

The first shot is decisive. It penetrates the Daywalker’s skull and fells him. Aravan is already moving having witnessed at first hand the regenerative powers of the vampire. She hacks savagely at the beast’s throat and decapitates him instantly. As Axe stirs from unconsciousness Amblay hurls a fireball at the fallen undead and the body blazes furiously in the morning light. He kicks the head onto the fire and the four companions stand back to watch the blaze. The temperature all over the citadel rises, as if the fire burns away the influence of Dathor forever…