The sun climbs toward its apex while Alton, Cook, and the Special Weapons and Tactics team gather between the tombs that surround the Bellemare Crypt. A massive polar bear, a woodforged, and the strix Alton had run into earlier address the group.

“We’re going with an aura of protection from evil on our front line.” The woodforged gestures with a sturdy little hammer. “If you count as evil for the purposes of spells you’ll want to keep to the back.”

The Special Weapons and Tactics team nods their understanding, and shuffle around to reorganize. Cook hangs back with the Crime Scene Investigation technicians who are slowly arriving behind the special police.

“For those of you still in the front line, I’m your cleric, Sunray Elm.” The woodforged wears ironwood plating that may have been harvested in Woodville here in the UNENS. It has several carved sigils of the Primarch inlaid with turquoise on its sturdy frame and each glows with a faint blue light.

“You’ll also need to follow the directions given by Yaotl Tetzin,” the woodforged gestures toward the strix, “She is our ranger and will be helping with any traps the vampire may have set.” The strix, for her part, is perched on a low fence, her wings resting low with feathers ruffling in the light breeze. She’s dressed all in black leather armor, with even her feathers dyed.

“And I’m here to take point.” The polar bear shifts, standing on her two feet to more obviously become a were-polar bear. She’s armored in mithril, which glints brightly in the sunlight. Tiny opal beads decorate her great mane of white hair. She wears the moon and stars crest of the goddess Luna on her breastplate. “My name is Aupti Kassuq, please just call me Aupti. It’s a pleasure to be working with you fine folks this beautiful day.” She smiles warmly at the group. It may be meant to be friendly, but instead it puts her mithril-enhanced teeth on overly bright display.

“Keep in mind that our goal is to disable and capture rather than actually kill or destroy the vampires inside,” Cook reminds the gathered crew from behind. “Keep your lethal weapons ready in case a hold fails, but try not to execute anyone.” Aupti looks skeptical, but Elm nods agreement. Many members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team belatedly and cautiously switch from their personal arms to hold batons, double checking the straps on their heavy shields as they prepare.

Tetzin makes a quick gesture and hops off the fence to glide to the door of the Bellemare Crypt. Elm and Aupti follow with practiced precision. Aupti falls to all fours to cover the ground quickly, but stays in her half form. Behind the professional adventurers the police fall into an orderly formation, making a shape approximating an arrow. The technically evil members of the police stick to the rear and take up perimeter duty.

The strix stands aside with bow drawn while Aupti barrels through the door. The thick wood explodes into splinters when her furry shoulder slams against it, and through it, her momentum bringing her into the room beyond. The thick curtain rips from its rod when she hits it, dropping to the floor and allowing the bright sunlight to stream into the crypt.

Elm raises its holy symbol and follows quick on the heels of its ursine comrade. Tetzin lets loose a black-fletched arrow into the room right behind them, catching a vampire directly in the mouth. Behind all three storm in the Special Weapons and Tactics team, Alton hurrying behind them.

The combination of Elm’s magic aura of protection against evil, the woodforged’s and Aupti’s holy symbols, and the bright midday sunlight now pouring from the doorway cause havoc among the vampires in the room. Several spawn drop to the ground and then try to claw their way out of the light. Others are simply stunned or dumbfounded by the surprise action. Those closest to the door do not have time to react before a Special Weapons and Tactics officer is on them, dispatching them into motionlessness with a quick whack with their hold monster batons.

The Blackfeather professionals charge toward the back of the room, expecting to find a master vampire in there somewhere. A few of the Spawn react fast enough to assume their gaseous forms and cloud the doorways to the side rooms with thick smoke.

Alton spots Adrien Bellemare amidst the chaos. She quickly grabs Tetzin’s arm and points out the master vampire before he can escape into a side room. Tetzin reacts quickly, loosing an arrow at the fleeing man and tagging him with a well placed hit.

To his credit, Bellemare also reacts quickly, and the floor quickly fills with the wriggling bodies of rats as vermin rush to his aid. While the three professionals coolly ignore the mass of vermin, many of the Special Weapons and Tactics team members are distracted. Alton hops up onto a chair to avoid the swarm just in time to spot a familiar face bull rushing through the door.

Sir Durandal has entered the fray, wielding his holy sword and shoving his shield into a vampire Spawn. Alton chooses not to worry about this new development, and instead follows when Tetzin hurls herself through the doorway to the side room in pursuit of the master vampire. Alton shouts, and catches Elm and Aupti’s attention, waving in the direction their ranger has run.

Aupti roars, a terrifying bellow of a truly animal sound. Thralls scatter, fleeing through the open doorway, and the rats follow closely behind. The only remaining combatants are the Spawn and the Special Weapons and Tactics team members still engaged. Many of the Spawn have fallen victim to the police batons’ hold monster spells. Several of the Special Weapons and Tactics team members have fallen victim to injuries incurred in the battle.

In this pause, Elm banishes the desecration, replacing it with a stationary version of her protection from evil spell. Aupti takes one more massive bite from one vampire’s midsection. Both disengage from combat and head in the direction that Tetzin disappeared.

Alton directs a Special Weapons and Tactics member to go send in the specialized Spawn holding team that Cook put together just this morning based on their research. In the other room, she finds that a Special Weapons and Tactics sorcerer has the few Spawn who’d managed to turn gaseous trapped. Upsettingly, Bellemare himself is not among them.

Luck grants Alton a brief glimpse of something undeniably suspicious on the floor. Spilled blood drains into a crack instead of pooling as she would expect. Tetzin is also missing from the scene.

Alton yanks the hidden door open, giving Aupti and Elm first crack at heading into the darkness below. She dives in after them, with a quick word for the Special Weapons and Tactics members left behind to guard the exit. The undertunnels welcome her like never before, not unlike sliding into the open throat of a great beast.