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Prison of the Last Vampire | 5th-Level Fifth Edition Adventure

Added 2021-06-14 22:11:14 +0000 UTC

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The tower of an ancient order has suddenly appeared with its vampire prisoner still inside.

Prison of the Last Vampire

Prison of the Last Vampire is a Fifth Edition adventure for three to six characters of 5th- to 7th-level, optimized for a party of four 5th-level characters. After hundreds of years, a powerful illusion has finally faded, revealing a withered stone tower in the midst of a fetid swamp. The tower is the last vestige of an ancient feud between a family of vampires and the faction that hunted them known as the Bright Wardens. At the top of the tower is the last remaining member of the vampire family, imprisoned by powerful magic and suffering under the weight of his own immortality. What secrets await within the tower, and is the vampire inside at risk of escaping now that the magic shrouding the structure has faded? This adventure takes place in the realm of Bastion in the Freelands campaign setting, but can easily be placed in any setting with a swamp that contains old ruins.

Background

Hundreds of years ago, a network of large settlements occupied the lands now known as Blackmire Swamp. Though they were relatively prosperous, they lived in fear of the Kristoph vampire family that preyed upon their people. After years of offerings and acts of service to the vampires in the hopes of staving off their hunger, some of the people grew tired of the Kristophs' wanton murder and reign of tyranny. They founded the Bright Wardens—a collective of holy warriors dedicated to the defense of their lands and the resistance against the Kristoph vampire family. For years, the Bright Wardens were nothing but a minor nuisance to the vampires, as their numbers were small and their skills lacking. But as time progressed and the Bright Wardens grew stronger, they soon began to threaten the Kristophs' influence over the territory. The vampires went into hiding, taking great pains to conceal their presence and continue their feeding while avoiding the watch of the Wardens. Gradually, the vampires fell as they were procedurally hunted down and slaughtered one by one. Eventually, the last vampire that remained was Heskel Kristoph, the patriarch of the family and the mastermind behind their murders. Deciding that death was too charitable a punishment for the monster, they bound him with an imprisonment spell and promised that he would spend an eternity in confinement. Only by word of the leader of the Bright Wardens, who is designated as such through their wielding of the sword of calhain, may Heskel ever be released.

The tower where Kristoph is imprisoned was not the only Bright Warden holding during the conflict, though it was their primary base of operations. Now, it is the last standing vestige of the ancient feud against the vampires. After the Bright Wardens defeated the Kristophs, there was little further need for their organization. As the last remaining members aged, they cloaked the tower where Heskel was imprisoned with powerful illusion magic so that he would remain hidden away in obscurity. The illusion has now finally faded, revealing the tower to Blackmire Swamp. Since then, an oni named Suto, supported by his flock of gargoyles, has found the tower. Suto has learned of the vampire confined within and has been draining and drinking Heskel's blood, hoping to take the gift of vampirism for himself. Suto has been bleeding Heskel for over a week now, savoring every drop of blood and taunting Heskel throughout the process. Meanwhile, he has ordered his gargoyles to bring him living captives so that he may attempt to create his own vampire spawn. Three people have since gone missing from the small village of Brezet, and the villagers are growing increasingly concerned.