[Royal Guard] Guard Report - The Hanged Man

[Kel Russell]

There appears to be a great disturbance in Drache.

While taking a moment to warm myself with a mug of cider at the
BlkDragon, I ran into Armsman Trayin and Sergeant Torwegg.  Trayin
left to continue her patrol of the BlkDragon district, while I
continuted my respite with Sergeant Torwegg.

After some conversation with the Sergeant, a strange person started to
stare at the two of us.  Upon further questioning by Sergeant Torwegg,
it was revealed that the apparent fellow knew the location of a body. 
The Sergeant ordered myself and Spell-Corporal Kane Jhinn to accompany
this fellow to his find while the Sergeant himself went to return to
his paperwork.

S-C Jhinn and I did as ordered, going with the witness to the Forest
Preserve to find a mutilated corpse of an unnamed nobleman, his organs
removed and displayed on the blood-soaked ground in such a fashion as
to suspect the divining of the future from his entrails.

In hopes to see, I lit my staff, only to attract the attention of
Armsman Kirin Arnis (ooc: might have spelled the last name wrong) atop
his horse.  The Armsman came to us and offered his assistance.  Upon
further investigation of the scene, a creature made itself known.  At
the end of the report is a full description of the creature.

It attacked our informant, knocking him to the ground.  I tried to
push him away with a simple Gust of Wind spell, but only succeeded in
carrying the beast along with him.  S-C Jhinn fired some missiles at
the creature as it leapt toward the informant.

Armsman Kirin took it upon himself to call upon his god and display a
sound blow with his hammer to the ground just near the creature and
the fallen informant.  I recognised the spell as one used to smite
evil creatures.  Those of goodness are unharmed.  The creature was not
harmed, but the informant was.

S-C Jhinn's spell, the missiles, all missed save one and it did
minimal damage.  The beast leapt at me and managed to get ahold of my
neck, and I found myself with an unwanted bit of costume jewelry.  The
surprise caused me to stumble back and fall into the blood that had
turned some of the ground into a muddy mess.  S-C Jhinn kicked at the
beast and it seemed to die, allowing Armsman Kirin to get it from
around my neck, and allowing me to breathe.

It was then painfully apparent that Armsman Kirin's spell, the Smite
Evil, had effected the informant.  It was revealed that the informant
was a vampire.

S-C Jhinn shackled the vampire with the Null Magic Shackles.  The
vampire made known that it was not a man, but a woman by the name of
Brook.  She had short-cropped hair and wore finery that only the
nobles, like the one hanging in the tree, could afford.  Her eyes were
blue.  She had just moved to Drache and had come with her friend of
whose name she would not say.  We assume it was a man.

Armsman Kirin then started to minister the beliefs of Tyr, and began,
with the agreement of Brook, that we should let the vampire go.  She
had led us to the body, passing up many chances to kill us all without
anyone knowing about it.  She clained she never killed, and she only
took the blood of the willing, a kiss as she called it, that some even
anticipated.  My faith to the guard spoke against this, as did S-C
Jhinn's.

However, it was the collective decision of the three of us to release
Brook due to her services to the Crown by revealing the location of
the body as well as a much more sinister plot.  We all three, as Royal
Guards, felt the situation was more important than the vampire.  It
was warned, however, that should we ever see Brook again, she would
not be shown mercy twice.  A favour for a favour that the three of us
are willing to accept the repercussions of.

In conclusion, Armsman Kirin took possession of the monster, revealed
to be an enchanted doll.  The body was gone back to and removed from
the tree, drawings of the scene were done, and are included with this
report.  The body of the disembowled noble, as well as the organs that
could be salvaged, are in the appropriate place in the Guardhouse.

Lachlan Brewer
Spell-Corporal
Wharf Garrison
Cleric of Lathander
Student of the Arcane
-- 
-Kel