The Duke

During the long and perilous ride north the party observes that the attacks plaguing the countryside surrounding lower beneath is also happening in other counties. The party makes all possible hast to the Blackrock citadel, travelling off the road but parallel to it to avoid the marauding bands of orcs, goblins, knolls, hobgoblins,  and countless other threats. Along the way they observe many razed villages and burnt out farmsteads, deeminging their sense of worry about the present situation. After a long haul the black mountain comes into view and the heroes arrive at the citadel. Behind its great walls lays a vast and cold city standing in the shadow of the mountain. At the foot of the black mountain, the Duke's keep emerges from the mountain side cutting a menacing figure over the city skyline.

The party immediately seeks an audience with the Duke. While waiting for the summons, the heroes  spend the day in the city, unnerved by the strange people and society. That evening they are summoned to the palace, where they are received warmly by the Duke's court as heroes who have braved great peril to save their fellow citizens. The party spends some time with the Duke's court, who seem very strange to them. Eventually the Duke arrives to meet the party with his wife Isabelle. After much back and forth, the Duke thanks the party for their service and tasks them to return to Lower Benneth on the morrow to inform the mayor of the Duke's pending arrival with an army to quell the monster uprising. They spent the night with the Duke's court drinking and making merry, falling deeper and deeper into a state of unusual and bewildering intoxication. Before retiring for the evening, the party is overwhelmed by their curiosity and asks the Duke point blank if he is vampire...