Following the Cadaver Collector back to it’s point of origin our heroes discovered what best be described as a flying stone ferry of the dead. No longer having a need for the garishly ornate construct the party dismantled it post haste in a most violent fashion. However complications arose in the processes, two in particular. Shedinn’s blood lust went completely unchecked fighting the ship crew, by the time he regained cohesion the crew of the ship lay dead at his feet. Yewtindel had apparently taken a firm grasp upon his mind and was slowly eating it’s way inward. The other issue was that one of the crew men spontaneously combusted walking into sunlight.

The precarious burning man caught Celeste’s interest, as it would for most people hunting a vampire. A brief dramatic speech and some fiddling with sky ferry later and our heroes were flying straight into the subterranean belly of the beast. Darkness festered in every crack of the subterranean lair which was once probably a beautiful Ithlean structure. Trudging through the lair with little more than a thirst for murder Celeste led the party through a massive library. The echoing halls of the archive contained books and journals pertaining to any number of topics, demonic parasites, historic event documentation, shade lore. Varioth’s scholarly brain was abuzz with visions of the wonderful things that lay there just waiting for him. However time was short and patience were running thin so the party pressed forward into the proverbial tomb. Deeper still they past through blood letting chamber stained deep with the congealed blood of the freshly dead, only the stench separated Celeste from her vampire lord.

Entering the final chamber revealed an assortment of disturbing sights. Massive piles of undead littered the floor as Cadaver Collector fed them into massive meat grinder liquefying them into a fine pulp. A shadowy figure stood out at the alter on the far side of the room, Malik. Celeste called out to him in a fit of grief and rage and at that moment everything lurched to a stop. Aperntly Malik had discovered a process by which he could cure his vampirism, however given that the ritual in question was necrotic in nature… and also sacrilege to both Pelor and the Raven Queen, long story short they didn’t see eye to eye. Leon however also being a creature cursed by shadow and forced into a situation eerily similar to the vampire in question tried reason with Celeste on his behalf… Leon got bitch slapped pretty hard before the fight started.

Malik and Celeste’s alter top duel was perilous, their blades swung back and forth nearly eviscerating each other with every pass. Forbidden from interfering all the remaining members pf the Broken Dawn could do was helplessly stand by and hold back the encroaching horde of zombies, in a stroke of luck Varioth was able to knock the Cadaver Collector into the grinder crippling it. In a moment of weakness Malik faltered giving Celeste the opportunity to finish the quest she tasked herself with, and she did not disappoint. Skewering Malik through the chest with her scythe Celeste watched what little life was left in Malik drain from his eyes as he handed her a blood stained piece a parchment. At a loss for what to do next Celeste simply dropped to her knees and let slip a soul crushing sob. The sounds of absolute sorrow echoed throughout the dungeon briefly before being lost amongst the sounds of Malik’s flaming skull servant smashing around the room causing utter chaos.

Carrying away the newly re-bereaved Celeste the party made a hasty escape from the duel site. At a loss for what to do next out heroes took a minute to rest. Can our heroes escape the the cavernous vampire hive? Will Celeste find a new purpose in life? What secrets lay hidden on Malik’s last scroll? Next time…