Lair of the Vampire Report

General Summary

Previously: Between Death and Destruction
The party finds Argus Skeel in his coffin, but he awakened and the party had a desperate battle to keep him pinned down. Herdyr cast daylight on a candle and held it out, blocking the vampire's escape, while Tharg fended off the villain's claws while it skittered behind it's stone casket. Anathema used her fire arrows from Tharg's shoulders, then yelled for Herdyr to pass the candle closer.
With a surprise stumble, Anathema missed catching the spelled candle while clambering up to the ceiling and it landed, between the vampire's legs, causing him great damage and allowing Tharg to swing wildly around with his dragonslayer sword, decapitating the creature.
With only rags and an ominously foreboding piece of jewellery left (one that gave off very similar vibes to the unicorn horn,) the party ventured carefully into the next area. They discovered a shrine to Myrkul set on the north wall, with purplish darkness radiating from it and pushing against the sanctified illumination from the candle still holding the daylight spell.
With careful prayer, Herdyr worked to undedicate the shrine -an easier task now that Myrkul's main servant here is dead- and it became merely a human skull backed by a triangular wooden board painted black.
This room contained some items of more interest. In a small portable cabinet, Anathema discovered Skeel's personal library. A concerning letter was found with the books.
Many of the books seemed relatively new, and were concerned with local information and lore of the area. An older one, written in elvish, related the life and afterlife of a Lady Winterbreeze, (lit. 'Canowen Auglatha').
One of the books had many of it pages ripped out and others stained beyond legibility. The remaining section began with the verse of a poem, while much of the prose had been scrawled over with fanatical devotions to the writer's dark god.
"Myrkul is the lord of death
Of hopelessness and ending things
He'll come for all at their last breath
Lords and peasants, crooks and kings"
As well as the library, there are a couple of other containers. Three black onyx tiles (50gp each), and three smoky white chalcedony ovals (50gp) are embedded in the top of a dark-stained wooden box. Inside are a set of shackles, sized for a small creature. Nearby, in a canvas bag and heavily wrapped in rags is a needle sharp rapier.
Next: Wailing in the Dark
Campaign
Phandalin Campaign
Protagonists
Anathema Summerbrace
Her'dyr Greymoir
Tharg Who is Wise
Report Date
12 Jan 2024