Arc 3 - Episode 001

All The Cards

1st of Alta'orn, 1266

Night, storming with heavy rain

The group, along with Ripley begin to make their way from Temple of Erathis to the castle inhabited by The Countess. Along the way, Maddy suggests Masoka remove the armor that they presume belongs to The Countess and he does.

Fang members line the path to the castle and near the top several cages filled with former Fang members sit.
Ripley gives instructions and allows the party to enter the castle but does not follow.
Inside, the fireplace roars to life and a banquet of food greets the group. Masoka partakes but the rest are wary and they slowly make their way toward the second floor as the sound of music fills the hall.

On the second floor the group is met with a set of double doors. As Donovan opens them, sight of a ghoulish band, dressed impeccably and playing a rousing waltz style song greet them. Two figures move around the room in a dance. One graceful, one trying and failing to keep up.

When the party enters, the man dancing is dropped thoughtlessly to the ground in a heap and The Countess introduces herself. Amvin, for some reason, introduces the group as The Fearless Titans, on a mission from Winterhaven to discover the source of trouble in Donhurst.

The Countess invites everyone to sit and a child, clearly turned when he was very young, peeks out from behind her chair.
Discussions of what is to become of Donhurst turn tense as The Countess gives her proclamation that she will be ruling over the city with Ripley as the new mayor. Residents will be allowed to return but a number of them will turn themselves in at the castle as a trade to keep the rest of the residents safe.
This news is met with reluctance and as a point of good faith, the group asks for the injured dancer to be allowed to leave, and possibly Eric, the child.
The Countess takes this news poorly, killing the man and demanding all leave her home with news of the deal, and are allowed to take the corpse as well as Eric with them.

The group quickly leaves town headed back to Aubrey to leave Eric in the care of the other vampires who reside there.
After an hour or so, something loud starts crashing through the brush toward them. A muddy, dirty, crazed Trent lurches forward, grabbing Maddy and begging for them to help him escape.