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Christopher Melville August Plot Update 2014 7/30/2014
Plot Update- All Leagues
The Vampires are Dieing
For centuries in Roekron, since the dawn of the Fourth Age, the land has been plagued
by vampires. Their Dark Cities have sprung up again and again, first in Celendil, the city of
the Elves, then in Krodigros capital city of the Dwarves, and lastly, in Serpenton, the old seat
of the Wizards Trade Order. Now at last, they have taken a mighty blow that has them on the
brink of total destruction! It is said that in Roekron and Teriock alike, only one out of ten of
the vampires survived this event, a destruction of a power that was at their core.
To understand how this kinds of devastation was possible, it is first important to
understand the nature of vampires. Beings of darkness and shadow, they are powered by an
inversion of their previous light and love. They are extremely powerful and able to control
vast numbers of people due to their tapping into a chain of energy which starts with the first
Elder Vampire and then branches down, sustaining each. This power structure however, is not
without it’s flaws,
because like one being,
if the head is destroyed,
the rest of the body will
die. So it is, that
Broden, the most
ancient vampire of
those plaguing the
known world, and the
creator of all the other
known vampire Dark
Cities, has been destroyed, and with him, hosts of his spawn. It had been theorized that killing
the source might destroy many of the vampires in the chain, but with the creation of new Elder
Vampires, it was not known if this was still true. It is now confirmed that indeed the power of
the central lord still holds a great sway over the vampire legions as the shrouds over the Dark

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Christopher Melville August Plot Update 2014 7/30/2014
City and Roekron faltered during the last week of Seventhmoon and has now vanished all
together. People are now investigating what this means for the remaining vampires and what
their powers still are.
Investigation of how Broden was killed are still being made, but setting much of the
gossip aside, there are a few confirmed event that seem to have been central to his demise.
Most evidence points to members of the Shadow Order, a secret group of vampire hunters,
battling Broden somewhere in Illionass. The exact details of the battle have not been
confirmed but a few reports state that Broden was summoned by magic to into a duel and a
Dark Angel guarded him, and that an old women battled him, and that a Angel of Light
guarded her. Some reports state that the Illionass Knights, an ancient order of defenders of
Roekron were also on the scene and battled as well. Though the details of how and where are
not clear, it is very clear that Broden was destroyed by a powerful Exorcism spell and that this
is what released his power over the vampires across the world and is currently causing them to
die rapidly. Who this mysterious woman was and where she might strike next is unknown but
the presence of such a powerful and deadly force has many more hopeful and emboldened in
their battles against the darkness.
The Beacon is Lit
Perhaps as a sign of
support, or as a warning
to others, there are reports
that a large tower of
stones stands just north of
Menonass now,
constructed by the ancient
Red Dragon that calls the
ruins it’s home, and that
the top of the tower burns

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Christopher Melville August Plot Update 2014 7/30/2014
with a fierce dragon fire that can be seen all the way into the Andionion valley. The beacon is
lit, and a war to win back territory from the now reeling Dark Cities is underway.
In the past week, Sinthrea has mobilized what little troops she still has and has begun
heavy attacks on the Grim. Pinicle also appears to have mobilized a large number of soldiers,
but mostly mages from their school to assist with magic attacks and protection of the troops
that are going into battle. Amir has moved many of it’s troops up the river and is staging them
for an attack through Dsesnor to Serpenton et Necrenef. The dwarves in Svoduln seem to be
helping in their own way, with rumors that an agreement has been reached between Sinthrea
and Queen Thresa Svod that the dwarves will keep Dagdoeth from pushing any advantage in
the north while the vampires are dealt with in the south. There are rumors of some of the
great mages, such as Laura Whitelocks and Celani Newform, formerly of the Wizards Trade
Order, as well as many of the Pinicle mages, planning to attack the Elder Vampire Wall
directly in a battle that will certainly be the stuff of legend should it come to pass.
Some troubling news appears to be Temnor becoming more active, suffering a great
many cases of “sudden illness” in their high courts, it appears Temnor was greatly infiltrated
by vampires. They do not appear to be planning on idly standing by during this war, but look
to be making moves to either support the Dark City. Whether they will do so directly or
indirectly by battling against Dsesnor and Amir, or by taking territory from the Grim for their
own, is unknown. The powerful Litch Rhysic, who returned to Stormwatcher Tower almost
thirty years ago is now more complete,
and what he will do with complete
control of Temnor is anyone’s guess.
Similarly, Blackspire has been
perhaps the quickest to react to the
crisis. Leaping on the sudden break
usual focused discipline of the Grim,
horde of Blackspire troops swept down
the mountains and into Grim territory,

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Christopher Melville August Plot Update 2014 7/30/2014
and battles are being waged all across regions previously deep behind enemy lines.
Dagdeoth is strangely silent. There are no reports of any changes in their activities with
this sudden upset. It has been theorized that Dagdeoth, with its powerful undead controlling
minions could likely step in as an alternate power source for the vampires, much as Olicust
did during the Bone Breaker Rebellion, wresting control of the Dark Guard Sky Knights from
the circle of Litches known as the Bone Machine. Why Olicust and the Dark Council choose
not to assist the vampires is unknown, but many historians recall a time when there was civil
war between Broden’s Dark City, and Dagdeoth. Watching Dagdeoths now, with it’s
calculated inaction has many thinking there is no love lost between these two groups, and that
Dagdeoth wishes to watch the vampires die knowing they could have saved them, out of some
cruel sense of justice or revenge.
The State of Vampire’s Now
Little is known about what powers vampires have retained during this great collapse,
but a few pieces of information have escaped that are indeed encouraging if they are to be
believed. All of the Sired by Vampires, the lowest order of the vampire chain, appear to have
died en mass! Many passed on to their gods but the
few that did not are being recovered and returned to
their families. There is a great deal more Beast
Vampires about, as it would appear that the remaining
vampire legions are having trouble staying at their full
power level during this crisis. Those that have survived
seem to have undergone general reduction of status in
the vampire hierarchy. Another change appears to be a
wild hunger which has many officials warning
adventurers to use extreme caution if confronting
suspected vampires. Those that have survived are
desperate to stay alive and thus far more likely to be
ruthless, deadly, and thorough in their dealings with
those who have already attempted to challenge them. At least one small troop of elite Rangers

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Christopher Melville August Plot Update 2014 7/30/2014
from Amir have lost their lives, Morganti, to one enraged vampire, who left only half a dozen
survivors, those who counted themselves fortunate to have been mana drained to death early
in the fight. The remaining eighteen of their comrades were not so lucky.
Further speculation has been made on the state of the Elder Vampires themselves. At
first there were no accounts at all of their presence and some theorized that they were dead as
well, but recently reports have come back from the front lines that both of the known Elder
Vampires (one in Roekron and the other in Teriock) have been seen directing troops and battle
plans from the ethereal plane. These sightings are not attributed to chance, as it seems the
Elders wish to make it clear that they remain in control even with their great losses and that
they will not be deterred. Many still hope, that this still points to some insecurity within the
Elders, suggesting that if they feel the need to make their presence known, then they must
indeed be needed to boost the moral of their
troops directly, having lost the ability to do this
from the safety of their fortress.
When asked about the events, the High Queen
Sinthrea replied in her characteristically odd
form of address;
There is no shadow cast that does not predict the position
of the light.
There is no movement made that does not reveal the
dance.
We now stand on the cliffs before the sea
And the horizon is bathed in light.
Is it the dawn that be see before us?
Ah, to know what direction we face!
It may be we merely observe the last embers of the day
disappearing heralding the coming of the fullness of night.
Do we cast ourselves now into the golden morning?
Or tumble into a deeper unseen darkness of doubt?
Alas, it is all in where we stand
And moreover, whether one is want to fear the night at all.