Not much had changed in the Royal Palace since the start of this whole ordeal. Unbeknownst to the residents of the august Capital, this was about to change.

The messenger came at the crack of dawn on a haggard black horse. His mount was bleeding at the mouth and sore at the sides for being given the ride of its life. The rider himself looked half scared of his own shadow. He told the city guards that he had barely slept or eaten since his hasty departure from Fineby a few days prior.

He had on him a message - that he insisted he would give no one but the King or the Chancellor. A lowly commoner asking for an audience with either of the two most powerful individuals in the Kingdom was, to put it mildly, a breach of courtesy and decorum. But the guards saw the look in his eyes and passed on his request for an audience without much friction. The man had seen something - and it had driven him half-mad with fear. Certainly, it had made him ride his horse almost to the death to cover two hundred kilometres in a couple of days.

An hour after sunset the man handed a sheaf of worn papers to Quentin Redfield, after which he was given a room near the stables on order of the Chancellor himself.

Meanwhile, Redfield called for a meeting of the Council. As usual, an invitation was not extended to the King. Sancho was in bed, blissfully unaware of the happenings around him.

Tall, thin windows allowed plenty of morning light to wash upon the central hardwood table and its occupants. Notably absent was Marshal Bluewater who was leading the campaign North. Also missing was Adrian Whitestone - his attendance was not of import.

Thus the only three in attendance were: Chancellor Redfield, Spymaster Whitemoss and the Royal Scholar Clementine Clearwater. The Chancellor wordlessly passed the documents to Evans Whitemoss. Whitemoss was an unexpressive man - but his visage subtly got grimmer as he read the contents.

He passed the papers to Clementine. The Scholar read and reread the papers twice and thrice.

The following is a written record of the conversation between Baron Brownmound of Fineby and Charl - Sergeant-at-arms of the North gate - transcribed verbatim by Andrew - lowly Clerk of Fineby - with the use of the divine spell [draft].

Baron: Now that the clerk is here, tell me exactly what occurred - that we may compare our assailants.

Sergeant: It was about three hours after sunset by my reckoning. It appeared the Usurper was about to attack so the men were on edge. But such a course of action would have been reckless so we didn’t raise the alarm. The out of nowhere these…these Things came at us. They materialized from the shadows and attacked.

Clerk: A more concrete definition if you please…

S: You don’t understand. I cannot describe them. You have to see them to believe, to understand…

C: Yes, but there are bound to be sceptics at-

Baron: Andrew, the man is frazzled leave him be. We don’t have much time before the roof crashes down on our heads. So please sergeant, I strongly suggest you cut down on superfluous descriptions and convey as much information as possible.

S: Of course, my lord. The pack of them attacked the barracks. We didn’t know how many - it was chaos.

Baron: Did these things perhaps eat your men?

S: No. They just took them into the gloom of the night. It was only until later that I found where they had been taken…

C: Please, sir, try to maintain chronology.

S: Right. We regrouped and barricaded ourselves within the armoury. We had lost half our number to those things. We were able to figure out that those things hated fire - so we armed ourselves with torches and shields. I and my men devised a plan: make it across the yard to the stables, then a group of riders would send out our call for aid as we fought those things to ensure their safe travels. Things went smoothly as we had made the right assumption; those things hated fire. We crossed the yard in a tight circle formation with torches all around us. That was when our luck ran out and things went downhill. The horses had been let free and had run away before we even got there. Presumably when we were stuck in the armoury.

Baron: I see; those things are intelligent.

S: Apparently so. We were in the middle of considering our next move when it broke through the window. It happened fast - I am not sure of what exactly happened, but somebody dropped their torch and ignited the straw; place went up like a box of tinders. We had to run out - we were disorganized. They picked us off; it was chaotic. I-I had to… I had no choice…

Baron: Relax, Sergeant, no one is judging you. Just tell your tale.

S: I had to run. My men- I

Baron: You fled in the chaos and left them. An understandable course of action. Neither I nor my clerk has the time or authority to pass judgement. So continue…

S: I didn’t know where I was going. Those things made attempts to grab me, but I dodged.

C: And these things had supernatural abilities - and you were able to explain.

S: Are you questioning my integrity?

Baron: It seems to me you were being corralled; like cattle.

S: I-I suppose so. The only way forward was to go up those walls and onto the ramparts in the face of the heavy rain. That’s when I came upon her.

Baron: A creature like the one on the estate?

S: Yes, my lord.

Baron: Tell me in precise detail what you saw.

S: I couldn’t see too well through the torrent, but there were bodies everywhere I stepped. Drained bodies - black and hollow - like their souls had been sucked out…

Baron: Calm down sir, you’ve shown admirable bravery getting this far. Tell us what you saw that we might warn others; that our fate may not become theirs.

S: In the middle of it all I saw her…

Baron: It is not of our kind. Don’t think of it as such…

S: It was right there. In the middle of it all. It had long red hair to the waist - and at its neck- at its neck…

Baron: An unfortunate soul was trapped in its jaws. I have seen this first hand. Please continue…

S: It dropped him like a sack of meat - and then it looked at me

Baron: Yes, and? Now is not the time to get distracted. You seem confused. Did it do something to you?

S: No- I mean, yes. I am unsure. It had green eyes the colour of Jade. I could have sworn they were glowing. One moment I was terrified to my core, with every fibre of my being screaming at me to run. And the next moment - I was peaceful. I felt like I was at home. Yawning in the afternoon sun…

C: But it was the dead of night with a torrent the likes of which haven’t been seen in a decade.

Baron: Easy, Clerk. Are you certain this is what you remember?

S: Yes, I am certain.

Baron: Some sort of mind manipulation, then. Tell us more.

S: A tide of calm washed over me. I-I can remember the moment vividly. She - I mean, it - spoke to me. A lengthy monologue. I for some reason cannot remember her words…

C: Didn’t you just say you remember the moment vividly?

S: Yes, but more like how it felt in the moment. She said a lot.

Baron: Did you ask its name?

S: The thought never crossed my mind. And what she said - it felt like she made a lot of sense - I can’t properly explain it…

Baron: Do you remember any of what it said?

S: She called herself a Vampire.

Baron: Have you heard of such before?

C: I’m afraid not - and I am very well-read.

Baron: I see. Then we’re dealing with the worst type of foe - one of which we do not know enough.

S: She said that she feels sleepy without blood. She fears that if she goes for an extended period without it she will fall asleep for centuries.

C: Impossible.

Baron: What else do you remember it saying?

S: She - thanked me. For-for my men…

Baron: Keep it together.

S: She said she’ll take the city with the blood they gave her. She-she…

Baron: What did it do?

S: She told me to give you a message. I just remembered now. She told me to tell you that she is coming to Ginawaine.

C: What sway does it think a Baron holds over the Capital?

Baron: It wasn’t for me. I am meant to pass it on. That is why the other Vampire has not yet killed us. Or maybe they just want to crush my spirit.

C: My Lord! This room is warded, how could it find us?

Baron: Oh it knows we’re here. I can feel it in my veins. Please, sir, do continue.

S: I don’t remember anything after that. Your men found me in a ditch. I have no recollection of how I got there.

Baron: Yes you were wet and bedraggled. Did it feed on you?

S: No - I don’t remember.

Baron: Check his neck.

[I find two minuscule pricks, easily missable to an untrained eye. I tell the Baron so.]

C: He might be infected with some sort of disease. It sent him here knowing you’d see to him personally. Thus sealing your fate.

S: No please, I swear…

Baron: Calm down. I suspect that we all know this is the last dawn we ever see. We are not getting out of here alive. So it matters not whether he is infected or not.

S: No, my lord. I can’t die here.

Baron: Then I release you. See if you can get past the inferno outside and the demon upstairs.

[Sergeant Charl leaves without decorum, scampering out of the safe room into the heat outside.]

Baron: We need to get this information to the King.

C: I meant to ask you earlier, my lord. But how? We can only wait here until it is safe. Someone will come for us.

Baron: If help does indeed come, we don’t know whether they will vanquish the Vampires. Beneath my seat is a crawl space that leads into a shaft. It’s big enough for a large child, so it’ll be a tough squeeze. But the stone is thick and porous. It should muffle your noise. Once outside find someone to get to the Capital and the Northward marching army of the Marshal.

C: It will be done.

Baron: See that it is. Now it is time to write my account. Write exactly what I say.

I am Brandon Brownmound, Baron of the City of Fineby. Several aspects of my tale mirror that of the unfortunate sergeant, I will do my best to remain brief. At a similar time to the North Gate, we were fell upon by an unseen malevolent force. Unlike the North Gate, however, our assailant was a singular individual; a creature we now know to refer to as a Vampire.

It looked to be a girl in her late teens or early twenties. A local - given her complexion and blonde hair. When it came upon the room my wife and I were sleeping I cast the divine spell [Cease] which should have stopped a normal heart from beating. The spell had no effect. I did not detect any sort of pushback to the spell - thus I can infer this creature has no beating heart. Either that, or it has a level of Divine magic wholly unfamiliar to me. Given the nature of its attack, I am strongly inclined to believe the former.

It tore through my household like a hurricane, causing chaos and pandemonium. All attempts to fight it were rebuffed. It is impervious to any sort of steel or wooden weapon we have. The more I threw at it, the more people died. Their deaths are on my conscience, and I do not mean to outlive them long.

I hid in this Saferoom beneath my estate where it is warded from anything Arcane. I was joined by my Clerk and Sergeant Charl - where the man did his best to recount his ordeals. He has been through a lot. But so have we all. Outside my door, the Vampire has set my home on fire. I can feel the heat through the ancient wood. Not long before this place, my family estate, come crashing down on our heads.

Mine are only words of supplication. We pray that all who read this and subsequent copies be forewarned of the danger Fineby is mired in. That is all.

Postscript by Andrew:

I followed the Baron’s instructions and made it out soiled but unscathed. It is a few minutes to sunsrise and the sky overhead has been darkened by scores of the monsters the sergeant’s men faced. There is general fear and panic in the city. I have found riders who will take copies of these documents south. I can only pray that at least one of them makes it.

Clementine drew a breath after reading the missive. There was no doubt about it; this was Druscilla and Penelope.

“You seem troubled.” The Chancellor said to her. “Something on your mind?”

She wanted to spill her guts and come forth with everything she knew. About how Druscilla had been right there in the city and in her own home. About how she subsisted solely on human blood. About what an unnatural and powerful abomination she truly was. But the words caught in her scholarly throat, and a pang of pain shot through her skull like someone was driving an axe through it.

“The paper… did they do something to the paper?” The chancellor sounded agitated; unlike his usual self. For good reason too.

Clementine saw blood was running from her nose and onto the paper - mingling with the words of despair and doom. “I need a bit of rest is all…”

“And deprive us of your skills? An undead abomination is threatening our city and you want a bit of rest??”

“I am useless to you in such a state.” Give me time and I’ll try and break Druscilla’s charm.

“Bah! Fine. The meeting is adjourned till noon. Till then, kindly get rid of the messenger, Spymaster Whitemoss. Discreetly please.”

To Clementine’s surprise, the spymaster responded. “Discretion can only take us so far. It is only a matter of time until the entire populace knows of this.”

“And there’s bound to be refugees.” The Chancellor pinched his nose. “Fine. Let it be known Clementine, we need your knowledge. We need to find out how to defeat these things…these Vampires. What is their weakness? What do they want from us? How do we stop them??”

Quentin Redfield was oblivious to the fact that Clementine had been looking for the answers long before this fateful day.