TEXT:  
  
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   1
  Whispers of the 
  Vampire’
  s Blade
  Remix & Conversion Guide 
  Whispers of the Vampire’s Blade was a 3rd edition adventure for 4th-level characters published to 
  follow The Forgotten Forge and Shadows of the Last War – some of the rst adventures set in Eberron. 
  This guide brings Whispers of the Vampire’s Blade up to date for 5th edition and offers an alternative 
  storyline that ties more closely to the other adventures in the series. To use this guide, you will need a 
  copy of the original published adventure. The Eberron Campaign Setting (ECS), which includes The 
  Forgotten Forge, and a copy of Shadows of the Last War would be helpful as well. Compatible 
  conversion and expansion guides for those two adventures are also available on the DM’s Guild. The 
  Way nder’s Guide to Eberron (WGE) is also recommended, as is the Monster Manual (MM).
  Original Adventure by David Noonan and Wizards of the Coast
  Conversion to 5e, Expansion Notes, and Remix by Stuart Broz
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other 
  Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards 
  of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the 
  express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.
  ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, 
  Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
  
  Table of Contents
  Introduction....................................................................2
  What is this?................................................................................
  2
  The Story........................................................................................3
  Part One: Elaydren’
  s Revenge...................................4
  The Shield at Sword Point...................................................4
  Destiny Awaits............................................................................
  6
  Part Two: The Flight of Destiny..............................8
  Your Captain Speaking...........................................................8
  A Brief Interlude.......................................................................
  8
  Battle in the Sky........................................................................
  8
  Aftermath....................................................................................11
  Part Three: In Zilargo We Trust............................13
  Korranberg.................................................................................
  13
  The Masquerade.......................................................................
  14
  After the Party........................................................................
  22
  Part Four: Next Train to Karrnath.....................23
  Departing the Station..........................................................23
  Ride the Lightning.................................................................23
  Part Five: Town of the Dead....................................29
  Last Stop......................................................................................
  29
  Caravan Crossing....................................................................29
  Part Six: Return to the City of Towers.............38
  Getting Home............................................................................38
  Just Rewards..............................................................................
  38
  Appendix A:
   Lucan and the Vampire Blade........39
  Appendix B:
   Running Whispers of the Vampire’
  s 
  Blade as Written...........................................................41
  Introduction.............................................................................41
  Part One:
   Job Offer.................................................................
  43
  Part Two:
   Trolanport Masquerade..............................44
  Part Three:
   Sky Raiders of Eberron..............................51
  Part Four:
   Travel by Lightning Rail.............................54
  Part Five:
   Lucan’
  s Last Stand............................................56
  Conclusion..................................................................................
  59
  Troubleshooting.....................................................................59
  Appendix C:
   Maps..........................................................60
  Introduction
  There is a legend among vampires of the one who forged the 
  blade and used it to sever the bonds that tied her to her cre-
  ator…
  What is this?
  If you are familiar with my conversions and expansions of 
  The Forgotten Forge and Shadows of the Last War, you proba-
  bly expect this to be a similar treatment of Whispers of the 
  Vampire’s Blade. If that is what you are looking for, you can 
  nd it in the appendix, but this work is more than that. In-
  stead of a straightforward update of Whispers of the Vampire’s 
  Blade, this is a full a revision (or remix) of the adventure. It 
  keeps the major setpieces of the original while placing them 
  within a new story. Why did I remix the adventure?
  •
  I wanted to tie it in more tightly with the storyline 
  that begins in The Forgotten Forge and ends in Grasp 
  of the Emerald Claw, as the original was only inci-
  dentally related.
  •
  The original adventure’s storyline was extremely lin-
  ear and scripted. This remix attempts to increase the 
  opportunities for player choice.
  •
  The Eberron setting was still new when Whispers of 
  the Vampire’s Blade was rst written, and I wanted to 
  increase the story’s consistency with the setting as it 
  developed.
  If you just want to use the original adventure, that’s great! 
  You can nd a straightforward conversion of it to 5th edition 
  in the appendix. You may still want to skim this remix for ad-
  ditional ideas, but there’s no need for you to do so.
  If, however, you want to see Whispers of the Vampire’s Blade 
  more tightly integrated into the continuing storyline than it 
  was in its original form, then this remix was written for you.
  Please note that if you do use the remix, you will likely still 
  want to reference several of the maps in the original adven-
  ture.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   2
  
  The Story.
  .
  .
  This adventure begins some time, ideally a few months, after 
  the PCs return to Sharn from Whitehearth. Lady Elaydren has 
  gone on the offensive against the Emerald Claw, engaging 
  the Thuranni Shadow Network to investigate them. It was a 
  successful gambit: Areyndee, a Thurrani agent, identied 
  Garrow as the Emerald Claw agent who has been clashing 
  with Lady Elaydren’s efforts.
  Investigation into Garrow identied him as a vampire (false) 
  who has been investigating several ancient magical artifacts 
  with ties to Sharn (true). In addition to the creation pattern, 
  one that stood out was the vampire blade, a sword that is 
  said to have the power to free vampire spawn from their 
  master.
  Garrow has a plan to acquire this blade and use it to be-
  come a vampire in truth. To this end, he had been tracking 
  Lucan Stellos, a Citadel agent who was secretly in thrall to 
  the vampire lord Calderus of Sharn. Garrow recently ar-
  ranged for Lucan to be outed as a servant of Calderus. This 
  limited Lucan’s usefulness to the vampire in his present posi-
  tion, but he was a capable servant and Calderus is not 
  known to be wasteful of talent, so she turned Lucan into one 
  of her spawn.
  This was Garrow’s plan. Garrow had copies of some of his 
  notes on the vampire blade passed to Lucan. Lucan, reeling 
  in horror at his transformation, enlisted the aid of his sister – 
  a skilled sorcerer – and stole the vampire blade. Now, the 
  two of them are on the run from Calderus. Calderus may be 
  patient, but Garrow isn’t – and he wants the blade for him-
  self.
  Areyndee has discovered some of this and passed it on to 
  Lady Elaydren. Importantly, they do not know that Lucan has 
  been transformed into a vampire and they do not know the 
  nature of the vampire blade – they only know that Garrow 
  was interested in it.
  Lady Elaydren sees this series of events as an opportunity to 
  thwart Garrow’s plans and, potentially, acquire a powerful 
  artifact either to benet House Cannith or to use as a bar-
  gaining chip for future favors from Calderus. She wants the 
  PCs to acquire the vampire blade but, more importantly, 
  keep it out of Garrow’s hands. They are also to do whatever 
  they can to disrupt the Emerald Claw in the meantime. If 
  they can acquire any information on the creation pattern 
  that Elaydren and Garrow have been ghting over, so much 
  the better.
  Lucan is calling in all his favors. One person who owes him 
  a great deal is Neya ir’Krell, an agent of the Royal Eyes of 
  Aundair who is currently assigned as an ambassador to Zi-
  largo in Korranberg. Garrow, of course, got to her rst and 
  made Karrnathi assets available to her. As a result, she has 
  promised to provide Lucan with identication, traveling pa-
  pers, and letters of credit that will establish him in Karrnath, 
  where Lucan believes he would best be able to survive as a 
  vampire. Neya does not know why Lucan wants to go to 
  Karrnath, of course, as he has not revealed his condition to 
  her. She only knows that something is very wrong.
  The Thuranni know that the Emerald Claw sent agents to Ko-
  rranberg and has discovered that Neya and Lucan are long-
  time associates. Lady Elaydren has arranged for the PCs to 
  travel by airship to Korranberg aboard the Cloud’s Destiny. 
  Little do they know that Lucan and Grilsha are secretly 
  aboard the same ship. In the meantime, agents of the Lord of 
  Blades hire a group of Talenta mercenaries and Jying 
  mounts and use them to intercept the PCs – they’ve been 
  watching for agents of Lady Elaydren. The hippogriff-
  mounted warforged and their glidewing-riding allies attack 
  the Cloud’s Destiny and a battle ensues.
  When they nally arrive in Korranberg, the PCs have op-
  tions. They can search for Lucan or the Emerald Claw agents 
  directly or they can seek out Neya ir’Krell. If they present 
  themselves at the embassy as agents of House Cannith, they 
  may be able to secure an invitation to the upcoming mas-
  querade, where she will be. Otherwise, they will need to get 
  to her through duplicity.
  If they attend the masquerade, Lucan will attempt to make 
  his escape while Aundairan agents attempt to capture him.
  The PCs may be able to convince Neya to reveal that she 
  worked with some Karrnathi ofcials (unbeknownst to her, 
  actually members of the Order of the Emerald Claw) to ar-
  range for Lucan’s papers as well as a private coach aboard 
  the lightning rail headed toward Karrnath from Korranberg.
  The Emerald Claw still has agents in Korranberg (including at 
  the masquerade). If they can, they will steal the vampire 
  blade, but they are primarily there to monitor Lucan and 
  make sure he boards the lightning rail. They will attempt to 
  stop anyone following him. Korranberg is not a small city, 
  but a group of Karrnathi humans stand out in a city of 
  gnomes, so they may well be spotted by the PCs.
  If the PCs cause too much disruption in Korranberg, the Trust 
  – the Zilargo secret police – will be watching.
  It is on the lightning rail that Garrow plans to strike. He has 
  a two-fold plan. First, he hopes to convince Lucan to give up 
  the blade in exchange for assistance from the Emerald Claw. 
  Failing that, he has a backup plan to remove the blade by 
  force. Unfortunately for Garrow, Lucan spent too many years 
  as a Brelish patriot. While he is willing to establish himself 
  in Karrnath, he does not want to be in debt to the Emerald 
  Claw – also, the blade has begun to whisper secrets to 
  him… and he’s not ready to give it up.
  On the train, the PCs can search for Lucan and/or Garrow. 
  They can attempt to reason with Lucan, possibly even ally-
  ing themselves with him. They are likely to be spotted by 
  Garrow, however, and will become secondary targets when 
  he springs his trap.
  The Emerald Claw has taken over an abandoned lightning 
  rail station in Thrane. The station is in the ruins of a town 
  that was destroyed near the end of the war. Typically, the 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   3
  
  train simply passes this station without stopping, but Garrow 
  has arranged for a blockade to force it to stop.
  Garrow forces the train to a stop and has zombies attack 
  shortly before dawn, knowing that Lucan will need to seek 
  out shelter from the sun in the ruined town.
  The PCs can pursue him in order to seek out the blade, but 
  Garrow has allies who are doing the same thing, including a 
  powerful, but unstable, wight.
  The Legend of the Vampire Blade
  There are few things feared by the vampire lords. Sunlight, of 
  course. The few beings more powerful than them – dragons, 
  daelkyr, ancient deathless, and the like. Those things… and the 
  vampire blade. They don’t fear the blade itself, per se, though it is 
  no simple weapon. Rather they fear what the blade can do to the 
  kingdoms that they have created in the night.
  According to the stories, in the early days (or nights, rather) of 
  Galifar, a powerful vampire lord built a network of brilliant and 
  ambitious thralls that extended across much of Breland and Cyre. 
  One of these thralls had been a skilled articer – some say it was 
  a member of House Cannith who lacked a mark and had to work 
  doubly hard to keep up because of it. This articer was made one 
  of the vampire lord’s spawn to better maintain control. In secret, 
  though, the articer worked and created a blade capable of cut-
  ting through the ties of blood and power that its master had over 
  it. Freed from its master, the articer-vampire came into its own 
  power and caused an uprising among the vampire lord’s thralls.
  Rumors say that the blade has been in the possession of Calderus 
  in the depths of Sharn for over a century. Other rumors say that 
  she spent a decade hunting down the articer who created it. Still 
  others whisper that she is that articer...
  Part One: Elaydren’s 
  Revenge
  The Shield at Sword Point
  A few months after returning from Whitehearth, Lady Elay-
  dren contacts the PCs and asks them to meet her early the 
  next day at Ertur’s Shield, a tavern in Sword Point. 
  Sword Point is a ward in Middle Central Plateau where the 
  Sharn Watch is garrisoned, and Ertur’s Shield is a Ghallanda-
  run tavern that caters to off-duty watch members. It is rarely 
  crowded, but it is even more rarely empty. Lady Elaydren 
  will be waiting for the PCs in a private room. She is not 
  alone – seated next to her is an elven woman wrapped in a 
  well-worn traveler’s cloak. 
  The elven woman is Areyndee, a Thuranni agent who has 
  been working for Lady Elaydren, collecting information on 
  the members of the Emerald Claw who have been interfering 
  with Elaydren’s work. Areyndee is wearing a disguise (en-
  hanced with disguise self) to appear to be a nondescript elven 
  woman and affects a clipped style of speech so that she can-
  not be identied later. Elaydren will only refer to her as her 
  associate from House Thurrani.
  A young halJing server who looks like he’s fresh off the 
  plains, but appears to be familiar with Elaydren, will bring 
  the PCs to the private room and take their drink orders. Lady 
  Elaydren and her associate are sharing a bottle of Eldeen 
  wine. She will wait until after the server returns with the PC’s 
  drinks and a light meal before talking business. The food at 
  Ertur’s Shield looks simple – sausages, cheeses, bread, and 
  fruit preserves – but it is all surprisingly good.
  Once the server leaves, Elaydren will address the PCs:
  My friends, when we spoke in Darguun not so long ago, 
  I mentioned striking back at the Emerald Claw for their 
  meddling. Since then, I have been preparing to do so. 
  My associate in House Thuranni, here, has collected 
  information regarding the vampire, Garrow, and his 
  plans. We are now in a position to take action and see 
  that those plans do not come to fruition. If you are 
  willing to be my agents in carrying out those plans, I will 
  see you well rewarded.
  If the PCs have some basic questions, Elaydren will answer 
  them, but she will not reveal many details of the plan unless 
  they agree to help her. Her answers to some likely questions 
  are below:
  Q: Why are we meeting here instead of at the Broken 
  Anvil?
  As you may recall, our meeting was… interrupted the 
  last time we met there. I no longer consider it a secure 
  place. I am known to come to this tavern now and then 
  – I live nearby. Even if I were followed here, no one 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   4
  
  would think it odd. Also, the regular clientele should be 
  helpful if we were to have 
  another interruption.
  Q: You mentioned a reward?
  Yes. If you choose to assist 
  me, you will need to leave 
  Sharn as soon as possible. The 
  next airship scheduled to 
  leave for Korranberg is 
  tomorrow morning. I will 
  provide you with advance 
  funds of 500 gold and an item 
  of Cannith manufacture that I 
  expect may be useful. If you 
  accomplish certain tasks as 
  part of this endeavor, there 
  are potential bonuses worth 
  several thousand gold.
  Q: Who is your associate?
  She will remain nameless for 
  the moment, as anonymity 
  can be crucial in her line of 
  work. Suf ce it to say that 
  she has undertaken the task 
  of collecting information on 
  that odious vampire, Brother 
  Garrow, and his compatriots 
  in the Emerald Claw.
  If the PCs agree to assist her, 
  she smiles and continues:
  This is excellent news. 
  It seems as though Garrow has been looking into 
  multiple magical artifacts presumed lost under Sharn. 
  One of these is a sword that, until two days ago, was in 
  the possession of an ancient vampire who dwells in the 
  depths of the city.
  She will turn to her associate and ask her to report. The 
  Thuranni agent will do so succinctly:
  Calderus. Ancient vampire. Based in the undercity of 
  Sharn. Has agents throughout the city.
  (As Areyndee introduces each of the next few individuals, she 
  casts minor illusion to create lifelike statuettes displaying their 
  appearance so that the PCs will be able to recognize them.)
  Lucan Stellos. Citadel agent in 
  Sharn. Eight days ago multiple 
  anonymous letters were sent to 
  various of cials. They revealed 
  Stellos to be under the control of 
  Calderus. Apparently, 
  unwillingly.
  Edvin Garm. Emerald Claw agent 
  in Sharn. Eight days ago met 
  with Stellos and passed him a letter. This occurred 
  approximately an hour before Lucan Stellos was outed. 
  Likely responsible for outing Stellos, but that is 
  uncon rmed.
  Stellos disappeared within hours. 
  Garrow. Goes by “Brother” Garrow. Vampire. Not 
  ancient. Priest of the Blood of Vol. Agent of the Emerald 
  Claw. Was spotted in Korranberg six days ago. Nights, 
  rather. Some Emerald Claw activity still going on there.
  Grilsha Stellos. Lucan’s sister. Raised him. Very close. 
  Protective. Lives in Ivy Towers. Magically talented.
  Lucan reappeared the night before last. Seen at the 
  residence of his sister. He had a magic sword in his 
  possession. It matched the description of the one Garrow 
  was studying. The vampire blade. 
  Both Lucan and Grilsha disappeared that night. 
  Last night, both of their residences were searched by 
  agents of Calderus. 
  Elaydren will speak up:
  We think Lucan and his sister are still alive and on the 
  run. Our best guess is that they are headed to 
  Korranberg to meet with Garrow. I suspect to exchange 
  the sword for something – probably including some sort 
  of guarantee of safety from Calderus. Lucan also has an 
  associate in Korranberg, an Aundairan ambassador, Neya 
  ir’Krell. It is also possible he will seek her out.
  I want you to head to Korranberg and disrupt whatever 
  Garrow is planning. If you can recover the vampire blade, 
  that would be ideal. Anything else you can recover – 
  including information on Garrow’s plans, his allies, or his 
  research notes – will be compensated. Well compensated. 
  As long as you prevent Garrow from acquiring the 
  vampire blade, I will consider your assignment a success, 
  and you will have an additional sum of 300 gold each 
  waiting for you as a reward. If you bring me the blade, I’ll 
  double that.
  The next airship ?ight to Korranberg leaves Sharn 
  tomorrow shortly before noon. I have procured tickets 
  for you.
  Elaydren will be happy to answer additional questions to 
  the best of her ability, but she doesn’t know much more 
  than she has revealed.
  Q: What is the vampire blade?
  Unfortunately, we know almost nothing about it, except 
  that Garrow wants it. From what little we do know, we 
  suspect it is particularly valuable to vampires.
  Q: What is the Emerald Claw doing in Korranberg?
  A few weeks ago, they shipped a large number of items 
  out from a Korranberg warehouse by lightning rail. 
  Garrow was seen at the Aundairan embassy in 
  Korranberg last week. Edvin Garm was last seen in Sharn 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   5
  
  boarding an airship ?ight to Korranberg. This was a few 
  hours after he met with Stellos.
  If the PCs do not have the handy haversack from Shadows of 
  the Last War, Elaydren will give them one. Otherwise, she will 
  provide a mundane travel bag. In either case, the pack will 
  contain the following items:
  •
  3 Jasks of holy water
  •
  a wand of light (see below) bearing the mark of a 
  House Cannith articer
  •
  a pouch containing 45 pp and 50 gp
  •
  a letter of credit with House Ghallanda covering a 
  week’s worth of room and board for the PCs at the 
  Korranberg Gold Dragon Inn.
  •
  Tickets for passage to Korranberg on the Cloud’s Des-
  tiny, a House Lyrandar airship, scheduled to leave the 
  next day.
  Wand of Light
  Wand, rare (requires attunement)
  This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an 
  action to expend 1 of its charges to cause a bright ray of 
  golden light to streak from the tip toward a creature you 
  can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make a DC 
  15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target 
  takes 3d6 radiant damage and is blinded until your next 
  turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage 
  and isn't blinded. Undead creatures and creatures with 
  sunlight sensitivity have disadvantage on this saving throw.
  As long as the wand has any charges remaining, you can 
  use a bonus action while holding it to cause it to glow as if 
  it were targeted by the light cantrip.
  The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at 
  dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On 
  a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.
  Destiny Awaits
  The PCs have some time to equip themselves and prepare. It 
  may occur to them to stay up all night preparing, thinking that 
  they will be able to sleep on the airship. If any PCs do this, 
  make a note of whether there are any consequences in terms 
  of exhaustion levels or spell slots.
  The morning the PCs are to leave, Lyrandar Tower is busy, 
  with two airships docked and the sky full of small air trans-
  ports delivering both cargo and passengers. In addition to 
  Cloud’s Destiny, the airship River of Stars is due to leave for 
  Wroat (continuing on to Fairhaven) in the early afternoon. 
  Currently, many of the passengers in the area (about two-
  thirds of whom are gnomes) are boarding the same airship as 
  the PCs. River of Stars is being loaded with cargo at the same 
  time.
  Moments after the PCs enter the main Joor of the docking 
  bay, a PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check will notice the young halJing server from the previous 
  day at Ertur’s Shield step away from one of the aircoach land-
  ing platforms. 
  The halJing is Tambo, a young member of the Boromar clan 
  who recently arrived in Sharn and was placed as an informant 
  at Ertur’s Shield. He is here to verify that the PCs are getting 
  on Cloud’s Destiny. Agents of the Lord of Blades believe that 
  the PCs may have a piece of Elaydren’s creation pattern (or at 
  least the location of such a piece). They plan to intercept the 
  PCs when they leave Sharn, so they hired the Boromar clan to 
  provide some extra muscle. Boromar has hired a group of 
  glidewing-riding mercenaries and acquired Jying mounts for 
  the warforged. Tambo has signaled one of the glidewing rid-
  ers, who has Jown off to ensure that the group is ready to in-
  tercept Cloud’s Destiny.
  The PCs can attempt to capture Tambo and question him, but 
  the boy will run and cause a commotion. The Lyrandar guards 
  are unlikely to look kindly upon a group of armed adventur-
  ers harassing an unarmed teenaged halJing. This could 
  change, however, if the PCs convince the guards that Tambo 
  is a criminal who is loitering while they have airship tickets. 
  There are eight guards and their captain, Atorra d’Lyrandar, 
  within sight, though two guards will remain at each of the 
  docked airships unless their captain orders them to do other-
  wise. Since this occurs in Lyrandar tower, Atorra can call for 
  near-unlimited backup if needed.
  Tambo
  Small humanoid (hal?ing), chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 4)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  8 (-1)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  13 (+1)
  Skills Perception +4, Persuasion +3, Stealth +4
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, HalJing
  Challenge 1/8 (25xp)
  Lucky. When Tambo rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, 
  ability check, or saving throw, he can reroll the die and must 
  use the new roll.
  Brave. Tambo has advantage on saving throws against being 
  frightened.
  Haling Nimbleness. Tambo can move through the space of 
  any creature that is of a size larger than he is.
  Naturally Stealthy. Tambo can attempt to hide even when 
  obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger 
  than he is.
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   6
  
  Lyrandar Guard 
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 13 (studded leather)
  Hit Points 15 (5d8 + 10)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  Skills Athletics +3, Perception +3
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, Elvish
  Challenge 1/4  (50xp)
  Fey Ancestry. The guard has advantage on saving throws 
  against being charmed, and magic can’t put it to sleep.
  Actions
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage, or 6 (1d10 + 1) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
  Atorra d’
  Lyrandar
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral good
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)
  Hit Points 46 (7d8 +14)
  Speed 30 ft, swim 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Damage Resistances Lightning
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +4, Intimidate +5, Persuasion 
  +5
  Senses Darkvision 60ft., Passive Perception 11
  Languages Common, Elvish, Gnomish, Goblin
  Challenge 2 (450xp)  
  Fey Ancestry. Atorra has advantage on saving throws against 
  being charmed, and magic can’t put her to sleep.
  Windwright’s Intuition. When Atorra makes a Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) check or any ability check involving operating 
  or maintaining a water or air vehicle, she can roll one 
  Intuition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability 
  check.
  Headwinds. Atorra knows the gust cantrip. She can cast the 
  spell gust of wind once and regains the ability to do so when 
  she nishes a long rest.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Atorra makes two melee or ranged attacks.
  Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. Atorra adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit her. To do so, she must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   7
  
  Part Two: The Flight of 
  Destiny
  Your Captain Speaking
  After boarding, the PCs will be shown to their cabins. Rooms 
  are small, but comfortable and well-appointed. The airship’s 
  lower hull is lined with viewports where passengers can 
  spend time and watch the land pass below while they are 
  served refreshments.
  About ten minutes into the Jight, once the airship has left 
  Sharn behind, Captain Morgis will make a short announce-
  ment welcoming the passengers aboard. He does this via an 
  enchanted speaking tube (a dragonmark focus item) located 
  near the helm that allows his voice to sound as if it is coming 
  from everywhere in the ship at once. His speech sounds a bit 
  rehearsed.
  This is your captain speaking. On behalf of House 
  Lyrandar, I’d like to welcome you aboard the Cloud’s 
  Destiny, the  nest ship in the skies. I’m Captain Morgis 
  and my crew and I hope you enjoy your ?ight to Zilargo. 
  Tomorrow morning at about this time we will be stopping 
  brie?y in Trolanport and then continuing on for another 
  twenty hours or so to Korranberg. Skies are clear, so we 
  should make good time and you should have excellent 
  views from the lower café area. Speaking of views, we 
  should be over the King’s Forest momentarily. Most people 
  never get to see a jungle from this angle, so consider 
  yourselves fortunate and keep your eyes open for some of 
  the most beautiful birds you’ll ever see.
  A Brief Interlude
  At this point, nd out what the PCs plan to do. They may re-
  tire to their rooms to rest or plan, enjoy the view and refresh-
  ments in the café, or wander the airship. In any case, they 
  have about an hour (enough time for a short rest if they 
  choose to take one) before the Cloud’s Destiny is attacked.
  The PCs might think to look for Lucan and Grilsha during this 
  time, though it is unlikely that they will know that the two are 
  on the airship. Grilsha is in her cabin which is directly across 
  the hall from the PCs’ cabin and one of the few on the airship 
  that is not currently outtted for gnome-sized people. For the 
  rst hour or so of the Jight, Grilsha will appear as an older 
  dwarf woman under the effect of an extended alter self spell 
  that she used as a disguise to board the ship. Lucan is hiding 
  in Grilsha’s bag of holding and will not come out during day-
  light hours.
  After an hour, if the PCs are taking in the view, have them 
  make a Wisdom (Perception) check. A result of 14 or higher 
  will allow a PC to notice an unusual “bird” (actually a 
  halJing on a glidewing) Jying parallel to the airship at some 
  distance. If the PCs do not notice it, a few of the other passen-
  gers eventually will, and they will begin wondering aloud as 
  to what it could be. At this point a 14 or more on a Wisdom 
  (Perception) check will recognize the shape for what it is. A 
  result of 18 or more on the same check will notice several 
  other similar shapes skirting the tops of the trees in the dis-
  tance, headed to intercept the airship’s path.
  After about a minute, Captain Morgis will make another an-
  nouncement. The captain will attempt to be calming, but a 
  DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check will detect a note of worry in 
  his voice.
  This is your captain speaking. It seems we are not alone in 
  the skies this morning. Some of you may have seen a rider 
  above the King’s Forest – I don’t expect any trouble, but it 
  is standard procedure for all passengers to retire to their 
  cabin in circumstances such as this one. Please return to 
  your cabins immediately, and I will keep you updated.
  All hands on deck.
  Battle in the Sky
  This section features an airship battle with several moving 
  parts. Be sure to read through it all carefully before attempt-
  ing to run it. You may use the Cloud’s Destiny map that is in-
  cluded with the original adventure.
  A costly assumption. Scimitar, a warforged in service to the 
  Lord of Blades, has engaged the criminal Boromar Clan to 
  keep tabs on Lady Elaydren. After Tambo’s report from the 
  previous day, Scimitar mistakenly assumed that the PCs either 
  had a piece of the creation pattern or were being sent to fetch 
  one. As a result, she used her Boromar connections to hire a 
  group of halJing mercenaries mounted on glidewings and ac-
  quire hippogriff mounts for herself and her companions.The 
  plan of attack. There are six halJings mounted on glidewings. 
  They will circle the deck clockwise and harry the Cloud’s 
  Destiny with arrows. In the meantime, Scimitar and four other 
  warforged will land on the deck of the Cloud’s Destiny. The 
  warforged will single-mindedly seek out and engage the PCs.
  The hippogriffs. The warforged will dismount their hippogriffs 
  once they land on the airship. While the mounts are trained 
  to accept riders, they aren’t war-mounts and they do not 
  know the warforged well. If the hippogriffs are attacked, they 
  will defend themselves. Otherwise, they are likely to Jee if 
  dismounted, abandoning the warforged.
  On Cloud’s Destiny
  If the PCs ignore the captain’s instructions and end up on 
  deck, the captain will consider them brieJy. If they are 
  armed and armored, he will nod at them and tell them their 
  aid would be welcome. If they don’t look like they are capa-
  ble combatants, he’ll order them down to their cabins.
  When the attackers approach and their intent is clear, the 
  captain will make another announcement.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   8
  
  This is Captain Morgis. All passengers must remain in 
  their cabins and lock their doors. Do not open your door 
  for anyone until I announce the all-clear.
  All hands. Cloud’s Destiny has a dozen crewmembers in ad-
  dition to its captain. Only two of the crewmembers are 
  trained combatants, but they will all do their best. Most of 
  them will rely on their crossbows as much as possible.
  Grilsha and Lucan. Once it is clear that the airship is being 
  attacked, Grilsha will emerge from her cabin, still in her 
  dwarven disguise, and come up on deck. At the end of her 
  second turn on deck, her alter self spell will end and she will 
  assume her normal appearance. A PC with a Passive Percep-
  tion of 16 or more will notice her immediately. Grilsha will 
  assume that the attackers are after her brother and help to 
  ght them off. She will cast a ?y spell on herself as quickly 
  as she can. In any case, the PCs should learn that she is a 
  capable spellcaster. Since it is still morning, Lucan will re-
  main hidden in the bag of holding where he is safe from the 
  sun. Assuming the PCs are unaware that Lucan is a vampire, 
  it might seem odd to them that his sister is appearing with-
  out him.
  Cloud’s Destiny Crewmember
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral
  Armor Class 12 (leather)
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  11 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  Skills Athletics +2, Perception +4
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Elvish
  Challenge 1/8  (25xp)
  Fey Ancestry. The crewmembers have advantage on saving 
  throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put them to 
  sleep.
  Spellcasting. The crewmember is a 1st-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to 
  hit with spell attacks). It has the following wizard spells pre-
  pared:
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, mending
  1st level (2 slots): feather fall, unseen servant
  Actions
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 80 ft./
  320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
  Cloud’s Destiny Guard
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather)
  Hit Points 27 (4d8 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  Skills Athletics +3, Perception +4
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Elvish
  Challenge 1/2  (100xp)
  Fey Ancestry. The crewmembers have advantage on saving 
  throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put them to 
  sleep.
  Actions
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 80 ft./
  320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   9
  
  Captain Morgis d’
  Lyrandar
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral good
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)
  Hit Points 38 (7d8 + 7)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws Strength +3, Constitution +3
  Skills Athletics +3, Perception +4
  Damage Resistances Lightning
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Elvish
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Fey Ancestry. Morgis has advantage on saving throws against 
  being charmed, and magic can’t put him to sleep.
  Windwright’s Intuition. When Morgis makes a Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) check or any ability check involving operating 
  or maintaining a water or air vehicle, he can roll one 
  Intuition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability 
  check.
  Headwinds. Morgis knows the gust cantrip. He can cast the 
  spell gust of wind once and regain the ability to do so when 
  he nishes a long rest.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Morgis makes two melee attacks.
  Short sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage and 2 (1d4) 
  lightning damage.
  Lightning Rod. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, 240 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (2d6) lightning damage and the target can't 
  take reactions until the start of its next turn.
  Reactions
  Parry. Morgis adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
  Lightning Rod
  Rod, rare (requires attunement by a half-elf with the mark of 
  storms)
  As an action, you may command the rod to re a bolt of 
  lightning at a target within 240 feet. Make a ranged spell at-
  tack with Wisdom as your spellcasting ability score. If the 
  target is wearing metal armor, you have advantage on the at-
  tack roll. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 lightning damage 
  and cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.
  In addition, you may use the rod to cast the spell skywrite as 
  a ritual. The clouds formed by this use of the rod are 
  wreathed in lightning. Once you use the rod in this way you 
  cannot do so again until the next dawn.
  Sky-Raider Attack
  Scimitar is a deadly opponent, particularly so due to her high 
  armor class. If the PCs seem to be having trouble dealing with 
  her, Captain Morgis will turn his attention from the halJings 
  and target Scimitar with his lightning rod. Her heavy plating 
  will give him advantage on the attack, and, if he hits, he will 
  brieJy prevent her from using her parry.
  If Scimitar falls in battle, the halJings will Jee. The other war-
  forged are fanatical followers of the Lord of Blades and will 
  likely continue to ght until subdued or killed.
  Scimitar
  Medium humanoid (warforged), neutral evil
  Armor Class 19 (heavy plating)
  Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+4)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  8 (-1)
  13 (+1)
  Saving Throws Str +7, Con +5
  Damage Resistances Poison
  Condition Immunities Disease, Magical Sleep
  Skills Athletics +7, Deception +4, Intimidation +4
  Senses Passive Perception 9
  Languages Common
  Challenge 5 (1,800xp)
  Warforged Resilience.  Scimitar has advantage on saving 
  throws against being poisoned.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Scimitar makes two attacks with her scimitar or 
  iron sts. If she has her handaxe drawn, she can also make 
  one melee or ranged attack with her handaxe.
  Scimitar +1. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) slashing damage.
  Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing 
  damage in melee or 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage at range.
  Iron .sts. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bashing damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. Scimitar adds 2 to her AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit her. To do so, she must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   10
  
  Warforged Boarders
  Medium humanoid (warforged), neutral evil
  Armor Class 18 (heavy plating)
  Hit Points 19 (3d8 + 6)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  15 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  10 (+0)
  10 (+0)
  Saving Throws Str +4, Con +4
  Damage Resistances Poison
  Condition Immunities Disease, Magical Sleep
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +2
  Senses Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Warforged Resilience. The warforged has advantage on sav-
  ing throws against being poisoned.  
  Actions
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 2) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing 
  damage in melee or 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage at range.
  Iron .sts. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bashing damage.
  Hippogriff
  See page 184, MM.
  Glidewing
  Medium beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 13 (3d8)
  Speed 10 ft, Jy 60 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  13 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  2 (-4)
  10 (+0)
  5 (-3)
  Skills Perception +2
  Senses Passive Perception 12
  Languages –
  Challenge 1/4 (50xp)
  Flyby. The glidewing doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack 
  when it Jies out of an enemy’s reach.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
  Talenta Glidewing Riders
  Small humanoid (hal?ing), chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)
  Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 8)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  9 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +4, Animal Handling +3, Perception +3, Sur-
  vival +3
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, HalJing
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Brave. The glidewing rider has advantage on saving throws 
  against being frightened.
  Lucky. When the glidewing rider rolls a 1 on the d20 for an 
  attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it can reroll the 
  die and must use the new roll.
  Nimbleness. The glidewing rider can move through the 
  space of any creature that is of a size larger than it.
  Reckless. At the start of its turn, the glidewing rider can gain 
  advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, 
  but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its 
  next turn.
  Actions
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.
  Short bow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3).
  Aftermath
  The most likely outcome will be that the PCs repel the at-
  tackers, killing or capturing the warforged. Captain Morgis 
  will not pursue any halJings that Jee – he has passengers 
  and getting them safely to Zilargo his rst responsibility.
  The Stellos siblings. Grilsha is not necessarily hostile to the 
  PCs, as she is unlikely to know what their goal is. If she is 
  questioned, she will attempt to claim she is on holiday. If 
  pressed about Lucan, she express surprise that the PCs know 
  about her family and will attempt to convince the PCs that 
  her brother is still in Sharn or – if they clearly don’t believe 
  her – that she is meeting him in Korranberg. If the PCs 
  demonstrate any knowledge of Lucan, she will suspect that 
  they are agents of Calderus and keep her distance, assuming 
  a new identity as soon as she can. 
  Once the sun sets, Lucan will come out of the bag and Gril-
  sha will update him. If Grilsha has reason to suspect the PCs 
  are after her brother, Lucan will attempt to charm one of the 
  crew members to provide Grilsha with an ally. Lucan is still 
  new to his abilities and has not learned that half-elves are 
  resistant to charm. If his attempt fails, he will panic and kill 
  the crew member. He will then charm one of the gnomish 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   11
  
  passengers and convince them to claim that they saw one of 
  the PCs killing the crew member. If this happens, Captain 
  Morgis will attempt to conne the suspected murderer and 
  launch an investigation. He will not be kind to someone he 
  believes killed one of his crew members.
  Completing the journey. The remainder of the Jight to Trolan-
  port will be tense, and passengers will clearly be on edge. 
  When the airship is preparing to land in Trolanport, the cap-
  tain will make an announcement stating that the airship will 
  need to be inspected after the incident and that they will be 
  staying in Trolanport overnight as a result, delaying their ar-
  rival in Korranberg by a day. House Lyrandar will be happy to 
  provide passage by ship to Korranberg to anyone who would 
  prefer not to continue by air. Most of the passengers disem-
  bark at Trolanport. If Grilsha has no reason to think that the 
  PCs mean her or her brother ill, she will stay on until Korran-
  berg as – even with the delay – they will arrive there more 
  swiftly by air than by sea. Otherwise Grilsha will attempt to 
  take whichever route to Korranberg the PCs are not taking.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   12
  
  Part Three: In Zilargo 
  We Trust
  Korranberg
  Korranberg is the largest and most important city in the 
  gnome nation of Zilargo, though it is not the capital. It is the 
  home to Khorvaire’s greatest library as well as the Korran-
  berg Chronicle, the most widely-read newspaper in Eberron.
  Keeping the peace. Korranberg, like other cities of Zilargo, 
  has no formal city watch, instead keeping faith in The Trust, a 
  byzantine network of secret informants, spies, and assassins 
  that is dedicated to the prevention of crime and the well-be-
  ing of Zilargo. Any gnome you meet could be a Trust infor-
  mant, and that uncertainty – as much as the deadly efciency 
  of the Trust’s preemptive assassinations – keeps Zilargo safe. 
  What is considered crime in Zilargo, however, is a bit looser 
  than elsewhere, as the gnomes value cleverness and trickery. 
  Fraud, for instance, is as often appreciated as it is con-
  demned. 
  The Trust is well aware of the Emerald Claw’s presence in 
  Korranberg. While the Trust has no love of the Emerald Claw, 
  its current plans – to convince Lucan to give up the vampire 
  blade in exchange for safety in Karrnath – are clever enough 
  that the Trust is willing to let them continue their plotting, 
  especially since their plan explicitly limits any violence to 
  outside the borders of Zilargo.
  Three paths. The PCs have three main options when they 
  reach Korranberg: seek out Neya ir’Krell, search for agents of 
  the Emerald Claw, or search for Lucan and Grilsha directly. 
  No doubt they will do something else entirely.
  Lucan’s plan. Lucan will meet with Neya the rst night he is 
  in Korranberg. She is not aware that he is a vampire, though 
  she will suspect that something is very wrong with her old 
  friend. She will need to arrange for Lucan’s papers, so she 
  suggests that he pick them up from her at the upcoming mas-
  querade ball that she is hosting. Once he has the necessary 
  documents, he will board the lightning rail, which is sched-
  uled to leave the next morning.
  A Warm Welcome
  The airship docking tower is on the border between Korran-
  berg’s industrial district and an area lled with shops, restau-
  rants, and inns. The Korranberg Gold Dragon Inn is within 
  easy walking distance, only a few blocks away.
  Shortly after the PCs disembark from the airship, shouts 
  come from a sidestreet. A re elemental has escaped from 
  an elemental binding workshop and is raging toward the 
  main shopping district. The cobblestones of the street are 
  themselves burning in its wake and a crowd stands frozen in 
  fear as it rushes toward them. The re elemental was in the 
  process of being bound when it escaped, so it is not quite at 
  full mobility, making it a bit weaker than normal.
  The elemental will not immediately see the PCs as a threat, 
  and will initially head for the crowd, hoping to cause as 
  much destruction as possible.
  Escaped Fire Elemental
  Large elemental, neutral
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)
  Speed 40 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  15 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  6 (-2)
  10 (+0)
  7 (-2)
  Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing 
  from Nonmagical Attacks
  Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
  Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Pet-
  ried, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
  Languages Ignan
  Challenge 4 (1,100xp)
  Fire Form. The elemental can move through a space as nar-
  row as 1 inch wide without squeezing. A creature that 
  touches the elemental or hits it with a melee attack while 
  within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) re damage. In addition, 
  the elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop 
  there. The rst time it enters a creature's space on a turn, 
  that creature takes 5 (1d10) re damage and catches re; un-
  til someone takes an action to douse the re, the creature 
  takes 5 (1d10) re damage at the start of each of its turns.
  Illumination. The elemental sheds bright light in a 30-foot 
  radius and dim light in an additional 30 feet.
  Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the elemental moves in 
  water, or for every gallon of water splashed on it, it takes 1 
  cold damage.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The elemental 
  makes two touch attacks.
  Touch. Melee Weapon At-
  tack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 
  3) re damage. If the target 
  is a creature or a 
  Jammable object, it ig-
  nites. Until a creature takes 
  an action to douse the re, 
  the target takes 5 (1d10) 
  re damage at the start of 
  each of its turns.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   13
  
  Six rounds after the re elemental appears, the elemental 
  binder who lost control of the creature shows up: Talara 
  Banty, a 5th-level wizard, is largely covered in burns but 
  pushes forward. If the elemental is still at large, she will help 
  subdue it using ray of frost (+5 on her attack roll). She has 
  protection from evil and good cast on herself, so the ele-
  mental has disadvantage on attacks against her. If the PCs 
  defeat the elemental, she will express her thanks and tell the 
  PCs she is in their debt, giving them the address of her work-
  shop. She is happy to cast spells on behalf of the PCs. If they 
  do show up at her workshop, she will also give them a scroll 
  of protection from evil and good and a scroll of magic circle 
  in thanks.
  The Ambassador and the Spy
  Neya ir’Krell is secretly an agent of the Royal Eyes of Aun-
  dair. She has had a friendly rivalry with Lucan since the last 
  days of the war, and the two ended up working together sev-
  eral times, including helping to ensure the security of the 
  signing of the Treaty of Thronehold. Currently, Neya is sta-
  tioned as an ambassador to Zilargo, charged with setting up 
  Aundair’s second Zilargo-based embassy (after the primary 
  embassy in the Zil capital of Trolanport) and ensuring that it 
  is as secure as possible in a nation policed by The Trust.
  The majordomo. The renovation of the embassy building itself 
  is newly complete, and a masquerade ball is scheduled in 
  celebration. Embassy staff will insist that Neya is unavailable 
  until the masquerade, as she is fully occupied with planning 
  for it. PC will, however, be able to secure a meeting with 
  Neya’s assistant and chief of staff, Jayres. Jayres is an accom-
  plished arcanist and aids in securing the embassy via magical 
  means. He serves as support staff for the Royal Eyes. 
  If the PCs convince Jayres that they are nobles, afliated with 
  a dragonmarked house, or work for another important organi-
  zation, he will invite them to the masquerade. Otherwise, he 
  will be happy to schedule a meeting with the ambassador for 
  two days after the masquerade. By this time, of course, Lucan 
  will be long gone. Jayres does not know Lucan is in town and 
  has never met him. He does know Lucan by reputation as a 
  spy and he knows that Lucan and Neya know each other 
  well, though he will not admit to either of these facts.
  Jayres Tachiot, Majordomo
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 10 (13 with mage armor)
  Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  11 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  Skills Arcana +4, Deception +5, History +4, Insight +4, Per-
  ception +4, Stealth +2
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Draconic, Gnomish
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Spellcasting. Jayres is a 4th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting 
  ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell 
  attacks). He has prepared the following wizard spells:
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, mending, message, prestidigi-
  tation
  1st level (4 slots): charm person, disguise self, mage armor
  2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, invisibility, suggestion
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing 
  damage.
  Jayres carries a spellbook containing the spells he has pre-
  pared along with the following ritual spells: alarm, compre-
  hend languages, unseen servant, and illusory script.
  The Masquerade
  On the night of the masquerade, the embassy’s gardens are 
  awash with Joating magical lights. The sound of music and 
  laughter drifts out to the street. Two guards, one human and 
  one gnome, stand outside the gates taking invitations.
  By invitation only. The guards will not admit anyone without 
  an invitation. If the PCs do not have an invitation, they may 
  wish to attempt to acquire one or gain entrance to the mas-
  querade by other means.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   14
  
  Aundairan Embassy Guard
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 15 (half plate)
  Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  15 (+2)
  10 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  9 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +2
  Senses Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Actions
  Multiattack. The guard makes two melee attacks.
  Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage.
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 
  100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.
  Zil Embassy Guard
  Small humanoid (gnome), lawful good
  Armor Class 17 (half plate)
  Hit Points 39 (6d6 + 18)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  17 (+3)
  13 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  8 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +3, Insight +2, Perception +2
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Gnome cunning. The guard has advantage on all Intelli-
  gence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The guard makes two melee attacks.
  War Pick. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Procuring an invitation. Using a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) 
  check to get an invitation out of the box will be very difcult 
  (DC 20), as it is sitting at the feet of the guards. If the PCs go 
  this route, they would be wise to use a distraction to provide 
  themselves with advantage. If a PC fails at sleight of hand, 
  but exceeds the passive perception of the guards (12), the 
  PC can decide whether they aborted their attempt before it 
  was noticed or whether they grabbed an invitation but were 
  noticed. 
  Using mage hand proves to be easier, but – unless the PCs 
  cause a distraction or somehow impede the guard’s vision, 
  they will notice the attempt on a DC 10 Wisdom (Percep-
  tion) check. Characters with the mage hand legerdemain 
  ability need only make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check 
  that exceeds the passive perception of the guards (12).
  Smuggling in weapons. The guards are not going to pat 
  down guests, as many of them are dignitaries, though they 
  may make an exception for PCs who show up heavily armed 
  and armored, looking ready for battle. If the PCs are subtle, 
  they can conceal light weapons on themselves. This requires 
  a DC 13 Dexterity (Deception) check. PCs have advantage 
  when concealing a dagger or when concealing light 
  weapons under particularly voluminous clothing.
  Sneaking in. If the PCs choose to sneak in, they should have 
  few issues once they are inside provided that the PCs look 
  like they belong at the masquerade, whether through disguis-
  ing themselves as servants or guests. Guards are posted inside 
  to keep guests out of private areas, but they are not familiar 
  with the full embassy staff.
  There is a back service entrance to the embassy. The door is 
  locked (DC 20). Most of the embassy is still empty, other than 
  the working kitchen and Neya’s ofce. 
  Joining the Party
  The grounds. The party begins in the garden, where guests 
  mingle and enjoy light refreshments. The main entrance to 
  the embassy itself are a pair of double doors that remain 
  open throughout the evening. The doors are Janked by a 
  second pair of guards and open onto the ballroom.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   15
  
  Sound and light. A group of gnome and human musicians 
  play traditional Zil and Aundairan music at the far end of the 
  ballroom. The curved space they are in is designed to am-
  plify the music, and this imposes disadvantage on all Wis-
  dom (Perception) checks in the ballroom that are based on 
  hearing. The musicians appear to be standing on an opales-
  cent cloud, about two feet in the air. This is a short-term 
  magical effect built into the embassy’s ballroom that Jayres 
  controls.
  Dancing lights spells and decorative, Joating everbrite 
  lanterns provide light both in the ballroom and the garden. 
  Both locations are predominantly in dim light which imposes 
  disadvantage on all sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks, 
  but each round there is a 25% chance that a PC will be in 
  bright light instead as the Joating lights move erratically.
  The various hedges and the fountain in the courtyard garden 
  are block visibility for medium or smaller sized creatures 
  due to their height.
  Food and drink. Embassy staff (including Meena’s agents, 
  see below) circle the crowd with carts that are loaded with 
  drinks and small delicacies from both Aundair and Zilargo. 
  The carts are two-tier with the lower tier more convenient to 
  those of gnome height and the higher tier convenient to 
  taller humans, elves, and the like. 
  The Trust has spiked the beverages as insurance, and anyone 
  who partakes of a beverage will have disadvantage on sav-
  ing throws against poisons used by the Trust that night. The 
  compound used also has the effect of amplifying the tonic 
  that Neya is using to slightly loosen the lips of her guests 
  (she is a spy rst, after all). 
  Effect: Each time someone has a drink after the rst, they 
  must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or gain the tem-
  porary personality Jaw “Talks too much about their personal 
  life” until they complete a long rest. This provides an oppor-
  tunity for players to add some drama to interpersonal rela-
  tionships with PCs, as well as an opportunity for them to 
  earn inspiration.
  The crowd. The attendees are a mixed group, racially. 
  Gnomes make up the largest percentage, unsurprisingly, and 
  are closely followed by humans. A few half-elves, elves, and 
  dwarves are present, and there is even a pair of hobgoblins – 
  presumably diplomats from Darguun. Everyone is masked 
  and dressed extravagantly. Masks impose disadvantage on 
  most Wisdom (Insight) checks, as they make it hard to read 
  expressions. If the PCs are poorly or inappropriately dressed, 
  they will also be at disadvantage on most Charisma ability 
  checks.
  Searching for Neya, Lucan, or Grilsha. If the PCs are present 
  at sundown, they will be able to identify Neya as the party’s 
  host when she welcomes the guests. Similarly, they will be 
  able to identify her when she later thanks the musicians, if 
  they haven’t done so already.
  Questioning guests is far more likely to turn up information 
  about Neya than Lucan or Grilsha. Any given guest has an 
  80% chance of knowing who Neya is and what she is wear-
  ing. A DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check will convince a 
  guest to give a PC a clue as to her costume. Enchantment 
  spells – even friends – can make this task much more 
  straightforward.
  With a description of her mask, it requires a DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check to spot Neya. If the PCs somehow ac-
  quire a description of Lucan’s mask (none of the guests 
  know him), it requires a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check 
  to spot him. Without such a description, the DC increases to 
  22. Remember that PCs without darkvision may have disad-
  vantage on checks to identify their quarries due to the dim 
  lighting in the room. Scanning the crowd typically takes ten 
  minutes of searching per check.
  Grilsha has used an extended alter self spell and will be 
  near-impossible to spot without the use of detect magic or 
  the like. She is one of two human guests who are disguised 
  magically (several of the gnomes are employing illusions). 
  Many guests, however, wear glamerweave and the room’s 
  lighting is magical – all of which will make spotting her spell 
  more difcult. Her disguise is the only one which uses trans-
  mutation rather than illusion magic, though the PCs are un-
  likely to have any way of knowing that.
  Talking to Lucan. PCs with a Passive Insight of 15 or more 
  who speak to Lucan for more than a minute will notice that 
  his speech sounds slightly stilted and forced – he is under a 
  great deal of stress due to his hunger, his fear, and the whis-
  pering entreaties of the vampire blade. If Lucan recognizes a 
  PC or sees them as a potential threat, he will use his charm 
  ability.
  Impressing the guests. PCs who impress the guests with 
  their performance abilities (either through dance or perform-
  ing with the musicians) will gain advantage on Charisma 
  (Persuasion) checks with those who saw the performance. 
  This requires a DC 16 Charisma (Performance) check. A re-
  sult of 20 or more on this check will induce Neya to intro-
  duce herself as the host of the gathering and thank them for 
  the entertainment (though, as host, she will know if they 
  were not invited and be curious as to their purpose in crash-
  ing the party).
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   16
  
  Dramatis Personae
  The Masquerade can be a complicated scene, as it has a 
  number of participants with conJicting goals.
  •
  Neya is torn between her debts to Lucan and her 
  loyalty to Aundair. She knows that something is very 
  wrong to cause Lucan to Jee Breland, but she is not 
  happy about Karrnath gaining Lucan’s knowledge of 
  Brelish secrets. As a spy who is regularly under-
  cover, she has an uncanny ability to compartmental-
  ize her decision-making depending upon her role. 
  As such, she has resolved this conJict by aiding Lu-
  can, but reporting the situation to the Royal Eyes. If 
  combat breaks out, she will attempt to disengage 
  and will only ght if her life is dependent upon it or 
  she is out of sight of her guests. Neya is a dirty 
  ghter – which does not mesh well with her identity 
  as an ambassador.
  Once Neya receives Jayres’s report on Lucan (see 
  below) she will begin to have more serious doubts 
  about helping him.
  Neya wears a gold dragon mask.
  •
  Meena and her two agents are focused on attempt-
  ing to capture Lucan so that he does not defect to 
  Karrnath. It will take some time for Meena to iden-
  tify Lucan. She is not aware of Grilsha. If the PCs in-
  terfere, Meena may turn her attention to them, be-
  lieving them to be either Brelish or Karrnathi agents.
  Meena wears a blue dragon mask. Her agents are 
  wearing simple domino masks, like the guards and 
  the other members of the staff.
  •
  Lucan and Grilsha are focused on getting Lucan’s 
  papers and getting to the lightning rail. The two will 
  not appear together, and Grilsha will be unrecog-
  nizable due to her alter self spell – she will appear 
  as an attractive half-elf woman. She is a bit paranoid 
  and will become more so if she recognizes the PCs.
  If (when) a ght breaks out, Lucan and Grilsha will 
  focus on escape, though they are likely to kill at 
  least one of Meena’s agents in the process. If Lucan 
  is seriously wounded, he will feed from anyone he 
  has charmed. He will use his children of the night 
  ability to summon bat swarms (page 337 MM) to 
  help cover his escape in bat or mist form. Grilsha 
  will shift her alter self spell to create talons for her-
  self and then use a combination of her scroll of 
  darkness and spells such as silent image, invisibility, 
  and ?y to aid their escape as needed. Grilsha would 
  like to join Lucan on the lightning rail but if it is 
  necessary she will cover Lucan’s escape. She is even 
  willing to sacrice herself for her brother if she has 
  to.
  Lucan wears an eagle mask and his sister wears an 
  owl mask.
  •
  The vampire blade is exulting in being on the run 
  and is pushing Lucan to enjoy his newfound power 
  and throw caution to the wind.
  •
  Edvin Garm is an agent of the Emerald Claw. His 
  primary goals are delivering the papers to Neya and 
  ensuring that Lucan escapes and boards the Light-
  ning Rail. If he has an opportunity to steal the vam-
  pire blade, he will, though this is not his plan. If he 
  recognizes the PCs (from Shadows of the Last War), 
  he will be very confused and worried, and will at-
  tempt to determine why they are at the party.
  Edvin wears a white wolf mask.
  The Sequence of Events
  For the sake of clarity, the events of the evening fall into the 
  following sequence, assuming the PCs do not intervene:
  Sundown, the party begins. Meena arrives, as do many 
  other guests. Meena’s agents are disguised as servants.
  In the ballroom: Neya
  In the courtyard: Meena, Meena’s agents
  10 minutes after sundown, Neya welcomes the guests. As 
  host, Neya welcomes everyone who has arrived, which re-
  veals her costume to them. Everyone present is in the ball-
  room for her welcome.
  In the ballroom: Neya, Jayres, Meena, Meena’s agents
  30 minutes after sundown, Lucan and Grilsha arrive. Lucan 
  charms the guards at the gate when he arrives. 
  In the ballroom: Neya, Meena
  In the courtyard: Lucan, Grilsha, Meena’s agents
  40 minutes after sundown, the crowd begins to become a 
  bit more raucous. People start revealing more about them-
  selves than is comfortable due to the effects of the altered 
  beverages. Also around this time, Lucan identies Neya.
  In the ballroom: Neya, Meena, Lucan, Grilsha, 
  In the courtyard: Meena’s agents
  50 minutes after sundown, Lucan asks Neya to dance. The 
  two move onto the dance Joor. Neya gives Lucan a ticket for 
  the lightning rail and a letter of credit, but she tells him that 
  the Karrnathi ofcial bringing her his papers has not yet ar-
  rived. She tells him that once she has his papers, she will 
  thank the musicians as a signal. 
  While Lucan is talking to Neya, Grilsha will scan the crowd. 
  If Grilsha recognizes the PCs, she will warn Lucan using 
  message.
  In the ballroom: Neya, Lucan, Meena
  In the courtyard: Grilsha, Meena’s agents
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   17
  
  One hour after sundown, Neya becomes suspicious. When 
  she danced with him, she noticed that Lucan’s hands were 
  very cold, and she doesn’t know why. She disappears into 
  the embassy brieJy to seek out Jayres and ask him to nd 
  out what he can about Lucan using divination magic. Lucan 
  is also a bit worried that Neya did not yet have his papers. 
  Lucan charms the human guard in the ballroom, letting the 
  guard know that he is concerned that someone at the mas-
  querade may mean him harm.
  In the ballroom: Lucan, Meena
  In the courtyard: Grilsha, Meena’s agents
  One hour and 10 minutes after sundown, Lucan’s disguise 
  begins to crumble. Meena identies Lucan and asks him to 
  dance. He accepts. At the same time, Jayres uses detect 
  thoughts and discovers that Lucan is worried about people 
  nding out what he has been turned into. He relays this to 
  Neya via message and then retreats back into the embassy.
  In the ballroom: Jayres, Lucan, Meena
  In the courtyard: Neya, Grilsha, Meena’s agents
  One hour and 15 minutes after sundown, Edvin Garm ar-
  rives. The PCs may recognize him despite his costume with 
  a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check, either from 
  Areyndee’s illusions or from meeting him in Shadows of the 
  Last War.
  In the ballroom: Neya, Lucan, Meena
  In the courtyard: Grilsha, Meena’s agents, Edvin
  One hour and 20 minutes after sundown, Edvin meets with 
  Neya. Garm passes her Karrnathi papers for Lucan. In the 
  meantime, Meena identies Lucan to her agents.
  In the ballroom: Lucan, Neya, Edvin
  In the courtyard: Grilsha, Meena, Meena’s agents, 
  An hour and 30 minutes after sundown, Neya addresses the 
  crowd. She thanks everyone for attending, extols the virtues 
  of their newly-renovated embassy building, praises the ar-
  chitects (who are in attendence), and thanks the musicians 
  for their performance.
  In the ballroom: Neya, Lucan, Grilsha, 
  In the courtyard: Meena, Meena’s agents, Edvin
  An hour and 40 minutes after sundown, a .ght breaks out. 
  Lucan retrieves the papers from Neya and she asks him what 
  has happened to him. At the same time, Meena’s agents ap-
  proach and ask him (forcefully) to come with them while 
  Meena guards the exit. Lucan panics, retrieves the vampire 
  blade from his glove of storing, and attacks the agents.
  In the ballroom: Neya, Lucan, Meena’s agents 
  In the courtyard: Meena, Grilsha, Edvin
  Of Course a Fight Breaks Out
  It always does.
  Participants. There are several parties here with a variety of 
  goals and targets, making this a complicated ght scene. Re-
  view the Dramatis Personae section above to familiarize 
  yourself with the primary participants and their goals.
  The embassy guards will arrive throughout the ght. There is 
  one guard stationed in the ballroom (charmed by Lucan), 
  two guards at the doors between the ballroom and the gar-
  den, and two guards at the outer gates to the garden (also 
  charmed by Lucan). An additional 1d4 guards will arrive on 
  the third round of combat, with 1d4 more guards arriving 
  each round until a total of four additional guards have ar-
  rived. Guards will re their crossbows at anyone except for 
  Neya and embassy staff (and Lucan, if the guard was 
  charmed by him) who is in combat and refuses to stand 
  down.
  Non-participants. The crowd of party guests functions as 
  huge swarms with a movement of 20 feet as they try to es-
  cape. One swarm will be in the ballroom and one will be in 
  the courtyard. Their spaces can be passed through, but count 
  as difcult terrain. If a swarm passes through a creature’s 
  square, that creature must make a DC 15 Strength saving 
  throw or be moved 5 feet in the direction of the swarm’s 
  movement. Creatures who end their turn in the swarm’s 
  space make this saving throw at disadvantage.
  The two pairs of guards at the gate and door use the statistics 
  above. The guard inside the ballroom and additional guards 
  use the stat block below:
  Auxilliary Embassy Guard
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 14 (chain shirt)
  Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  10 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  9 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +4, Intimidation +1
  Senses Passive Perception 10
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Actions
  Multiattack. The guard makes two melee attacks.
  Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 
  100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. The guard adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack 
  that would hit it. To do so, it must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   18
  
  Neya ir’
  Krell
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 14 (ring of protection)
  Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Str +1Dex +6, Con +2, Int +5, Wis +2, Cha 
  +4 
  Skills Deception +7, History +4, Insight +3, Perception +3, 
  Persuasion +7, Stealth +5
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Elvish, Thieves Cant
  Challenge 3 (700xp)  
  Crossbow Expert. When Neya makes an attack with her 
  dagger, she can use a bonus action to attack with her hand 
  crossbow. Engaging in melee does not impose disadvantage 
  on her hand crossbow attacks.
  Cunning Action. On each of her turns, Neya can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Neya deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage 
  when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has advan-
  tage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of 
  an ally of Neya that isn’t incapacitated and Neya doesn’t 
  have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Neya makes two melee attacks.
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing 
  damage.
  Hidden Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, 
  range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing dam-
  age.
  Hidden Weapon
  Weapon (any weapon with the light quality), uncommon (requires at-
  tunement)
  You may magically hide this weapon on your body, calling 
  it into your hand as a bonus action. Your rst attack with 
  this weapon made on the turn that you call it to your hand 
  is made with advantage. This damage dealt by this weapon 
  is not considered magical for the purposes of overcoming 
  damage resistance.
  Meena ir’
  Erdalis
  Medium humanoid (human), neutral
  Armor Class 11 (14 with mage armor)
  Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 14)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  Saving Throws Intelligence +5, Wisdom +3
  Skills Arcana +5, Deception +3, Insight +3, Investigation +5
  Senses Passive Perception 11
  Languages Common, Draconic
  Challenge 3 (700xp)
  Spellcasting. Meena is a 5th-level spellcaster. Her spellcast-
  ing ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with 
  spell attacks). She has prepared the following wizard spells:
  Cantrips (at will):  rebolt, friends, mage hand, message
  1st level (4 slots): disguise self, mage armor, shield
  2nd level (3 slots): hold person, suggestion, web
  3rd level (2 slots): fear,  reball
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing 
  damage.
  Aundair Agents
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 14
  Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
  Speed 40 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  11 (+0)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  8 (-1)
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Athletics +2, Perception +4, Stealth +4
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Step of the Wind (1/Day). The agent can take the disengage 
  or dash action on its turn as a bonus action.
  Unarmored Defense. While the agent wears no armor and 
  uses no shield, its adds its Wisdom modier to its armor 
  class (included).
  Actions
  Multiattack. The agent makes two attacks with its unarmed 
  strikes or one attack with its unarmed strike and one attack 
  with its stunning st.
  Unarmed strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
  Stunning .st (Recharge 6). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage 
  and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving 
  throw or be stunned until the end of the agent’s next turn. 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   19
  
  The agents are dressed like servants, but carry no equipment 
  or identifying articles.
  Edvin Garm
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  11 (+0)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Dexterity +4 Intelligence +3
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Investigation +3, Perception 
  +4, Persuasion +3, Stealth +4
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Dwarf
  Challenge 1  (200xp)
  Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Garm can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Garm deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage 
  when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advan-
  tage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of 
  an ally of his that isn't incapacitated and Garm doesn't have 
  disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Garm makes two melee attacks.
  Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. Garm adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
  Grilsha
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
  Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  9 (-1)
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  13 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Constitution +5, Charisma +6
  Skills Arcana +4, Animal Handling +3, Perception +3, Per-
  suasion +6
  Damage Resistances Lightning, Thunder
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, Draconic, Primordial
  Challenge 5 (1,800xp)
  Quickened Spell (2/Day): Grilsha casts one of her spells as a 
  bonus action.
  Extend spell (2/Day): When Grilsha casts one of her spells 
  with a duration of 1 minute or more, she can double its du-
  ration.
  Short Flight. Immediately before or after casting a spell of 
  1st-level or higher, Grilsha can Jy 10 feet without provoking 
  opportunity attacks.
  Spellcasting. Grilsha is a 6th-level spellcaster. Her spellcast-
  ing ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell 
  attacks). She knows the following sorcerer spells:
  Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, friends, mage hand, mes-
  sage, ray of frost
  1st level (4 slots): mage armor, shield, silent image
  2nd level (3 slots): alter self, invisibility
  3rd level (3 slots): ?y, lightning bolt
  Storm Heart. When Grilsha casts lightning bolt, she deals 3 
  lightning damage to creatures of her choice within 10 feet of 
  her that she can see.
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
  Grilsha carries several spellshards that function as scrolls: 
  one each of darkness, clairvoyance,  reball, haste, lightning 
  bolt, and scrying. She also carries a wand of magic missiles 
  and a spellshard with the following wizard spells that she 
  can cast as rituals:
  1st level: alarm, detect magic
  3rd level: phantom steed
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   20
  
  Lucan Stellos
  Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 85 (10d8 + 40)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +5
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +6, Insight +4, Investigation 
  +5, Perception +7, Stealth +10
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons
  Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Elvish, Dwarvish
  Challenge 8 (3,900xp)  
  Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Lucan can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Shapechanger. If Lucan isn't in sunlight or running water, he 
  can use his action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium 
  cloud of mist, or back into his true form.
  In bat form, Lucan can't speak and has a 5 ft. walking and 
  30 ft. Jying speed. His other statistics are unchanged. Any-
  thing he is wearing transforms with him, but nothing he car-
  ries does. he reverts to his true form if he dies.
  While in mist form, Lucan can't take any actions, speak, or 
  manipulate objects. He is weightless, has a Jying speed of 
  20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space 
  and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, 
  the mist can do so without squeezing. The mist can't pass 
  through water. The mist has advantage on Strength, Dexter-
  ity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all 
  nonmagical damage, except damage it takes from sunlight.
  Misty Escape. When he drops to 0 hit points outside his rest-
  ing place, Lucan transforms into a cloud of mist instead of 
  falling unconscious, provided that he isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If he can't transform, he is destroyed.
  While he has 0 hit points in mist form, he can't revert to his 
  vampire form, and he must reach his resting place within 2 
  hours or be destroyed. Once in his resting place, he reverts 
  to his vampire form. He is then paralyzed until he regains at 
  least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in his resting place 
  with 0 hit points, he regains 1 hit point.
  Regeneration. Lucan regains 5 hit points at the start of his 
  turn if he has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If he takes radiant damage or damage from holy 
  water, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next turn.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Lucan deals an extra 10 (3d6) dam-
  age when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has ad-
  vantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet 
  of an ally of Lucan’s that isn’t incapacitated and Lucan 
  doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Spider Climb. Lucan can climb difcult surfaces, including 
  ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
  Vampire Weaknesses. Lucan has the following Jaws: 
  Forbiddance. Lucan can't enter a residence without an invi-
  tation from one of the occupants.
  Harmed by Running Water. Lucan takes 20 acid damage if it 
  ends its turn in running water.
  Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood
  is driven into Lucan's heart while Lucan is incapacitated in 
  its resting place, Lucan is paralyzed until the stake is re-
  moved.
  Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Lucan takes 20 radiant damage 
  when he starts his turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, he has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
  Breaking Free. Lucan has advantage on saving throws 
  against effects that would impose the charmed condition. 
  Actions
  Vampire Blade (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon At-
  tack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) 
  slashing damage or 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage if used 
  with two hands.
  Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon At-
  tack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) 
  bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Lucan can 
  grapple the target (escape DC 15).
  Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack:+7
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature grap-
  pled by Lucan, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) 
  piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's 
  hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the 
  necrotic damage taken, and Lucan regains hit points equal 
  to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target nishes a 
  long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point 
  maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then 
  buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire 
  spawn under Lucan's control.
  Charm. Lucan targets one humanoid he can see within 30 ft. 
  If the target can see Lucan, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wis-
  dom saving throw or be charmed. The charmed target re-
  gards Lucan as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. 
  Although the target isn't under Lucan's control, it takes Lu-
  can's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, 
  and it is a willing target for Lucan's bite attack.
  Each time Lucan or his companions do anything harmful to 
  the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect 
  on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until 
  Lucan is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than 
  the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
  Children of the Night (1/Day). Lucan magically calls 2d4 
  swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn't up. While 
  outdoors, Lucan can call 3d6 wolves instead. The creatures 
  arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of Lucan and obeying 
  his spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until 
  Lucan dies, or until Lucan dismisses them as a bonus action.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   21
  
  Lucan wears a glove of storing in which he keeps the vam-
  pire blade. The vampire blade is detailed in Appendix A.
  Glove of Storing
  Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
  When a wearer has attuned to the glove and holds an ob-
  ject weighing 20 lbs or less in the gloved hand, the wearer 
  can use a bonus action to cause the object to be shrunk 
  down and stored in stasis in the palm of the glove. The 
  wearer can retrieve the item from the glove with a bonus 
  action. The glove can store one item at a time and stored 
  items cannot be detected. Spell durations and other effects 
  on stored items are not halted or suppressed. If the glove is 
  destroyed or its effect is ended, the stored item appears in-
  stantly.
  After the Party
  Lucan on the run. It is likely that Lucan will escape, with or 
  without his sister. If he does, he heads to the lightning rail 
  station. His train is at the station and is not scheduled to 
  leave until morning. He will charm the night stationmaster 
  and warn him about pursuers, then board the train.
  Edvin Garm. If he is able to do so, Garm will rush to the 
  lightning rail station where he will warn the night station 
  master about anyone who might be after Lucan, one of their 
  passengers (likely the PCs or Meena and her agents). He will 
  then head to a Sivis message station where he will send a 
  coded message to Garrow, who plans to board the rail when 
  it stops in Zolanberg.
  The Trust. The Trust, of course, had eyes and ears at the mas-
  querade. Since the Embassy is ofcially Aundairan soil, they 
  were not going to intervene in any violence that might break 
  out… until it threatened to spread out into Korranberg 
  proper.
  If the PCs (or others) leave the embassy ready to engage in 
  violence, they will be on the receiving end of several simul-
  taneous message spells. These will say (in overlapping voices 
  creating a strange echoing effect): Welcome to Korranberg. 
  We are peaceful folk and this is a peaceful city. You, too, will 
  be peaceful while you are here, one way or another.
  Coordinated uses of illusions will lead PCs in circles – or to 
  dead ends. A PC who is alone might be targeted by a sleep 
  spell. Others might nd themselves stuck with bolts from a 
  hand crossbow coated with muddlejuice, a poison that 
  causes mild confusion, with a warning (via message) that a 
  more deadly poison could have easily been selected.
  Throughout all of this, the gnomes acting on behalf of the 
  Trust will be effectively undetectable due to a combination 
  of stealth, illusions, and simply blending in with the popu-
  lace of the city.
  If the PCs persist in violence, the Trust will either incapaci-
  tate them and deliver them to the lightning rail station with a 
  note that suggests that they purchase a one-way ticket or 
  take more extreme action.
  If the PCs reach the lightning rail station on their own, the 
  Trust will leave them be.
  Trust Agent 
  Small humanoid (gnome), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 14 (leather)
  Hit Points 66 (12d6 + 24)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  17 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +5
  Skills Deception +3, Intimidation +3, Investigation +5, Per-
  ception +4, Stealth +5
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Goblin
  Challenge 4 (1,100xp)
  Gnome Cunning. The agent has advantage on all Intelli-
  gence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Spellcasting. The agent is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcast-
  ing ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with 
  spell attacks). It has prepared the following wizard spells:
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, message, minor illusion, poi-
  son spray
  1st level (3 slots): disguise self, fog cloud, sleep, Tasha’s 
  hideous laughter
  Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the agent can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Evasion. If the agent is subjected to an effect that allows it to 
  make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the 
  agent instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving 
  throw, and only half damage if it fails.
  Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the agent deals an extra 10 
  (3d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and 
  has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 
  5 feet of an ally of the agent that isn't incapacitated and the 
  agent doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The agent makes two melee attacks.
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing 
  damage.
  Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 
  30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage and 
  the target must succeed at a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw 
  or be muddled for 1 minute. A muddled creature must suc-
  ceed on a Dexterity saving throw at the end of each of its 
  turns in which it moves or fall prone. The DC is equal to the 
  number of feet moved in that turn. If the creature succeeds on 
  three of these Dexterity saving throws, it is no longer mud-
  dled.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   22
  
  Part Four: Next 
  Train to Karrnath
  Departing the Station
  The lightning rail station will be closed until dawn. The night 
  stationmaster is Petresh d’Orien, a brash young scion of the 
  House who has been given this assignment to teach him 
  much-needed patience. 
  Petresh commands a contingent of locally-hired guards 
  overnight, taking advantage of gnomish darkvision.
  Lucan will use his charm ability to convince Petresh to let 
  him board (not too difcult, since he has a private coach) 
  and warn him that there may be a group that seeks to break 
  onto the train to rob him. Petresh has promised to be on the 
  lookout and provide security for his new friend, Lucan.
  Station Night Guard
  Small humanoid (gnome), neutral
  Armor Class 17 (half plate)
  Hit Points 39 (6d6 + 18)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  17 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  Skills Athletics +3, Insight +2, Perception +2
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Gnome cunning. The guard has advantage on all Intelli-
  gence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The guard makes two melee attacks.
  War Pick. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Petresh d’
  Orien
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic good
  Armor Class 16 (breastplate)
  Hit Points 84 (14d8 + 28)
  Speed 40 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  15 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws STR +7, DEX +5
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +7, Intimidate +3, Perception 
  +5
  Senses Passive Perception 15
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 3 (700 xp)
  Determined Stride. On turns when Petresh takes the Dash 
  action, difcult terrain does not cost him extra movement.
  Intuitive Motion. Petresh adds a d4 to Strength (Athletics) 
  checks and checks to operate or maintain land vehicles.
  Shared Passage (1/short or long rest). As a bonus action Pe-
  tresh can teleport 40 ft. speed to an unoccupied space he 
  can see. He can bring one willing creature within 5 feet of 
  medium size or smaller who is carrying gear up to its carry-
  ing capacity.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Petresh makes two melee attacks.
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Step Attack (Recharge 5-6). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, 
  reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage and 
  9 (2d8) force damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage  and 9 
  (2d8) force damage if used with two hands, and Petresh tele-
  ports to a space adjacent to the target.
  Boarding the train at night. The train is dimly lit with magi-
  cal lighting designed to allow people to move around safely 
  at night or sleep comfortably as they choose. Lucan (and 
  Grilsha, if she joined him) will be in a private coach near the 
  front of the train. They are the only passengers on the train, 
  as it is not due to begin boarding until the morning. A small 
  contingent of lightning rail workers are also aboard the train, 
  but they are asleep and noncombatants.
  Petresh isn’t the only one who needs to learn patience. If 
  the PCs decide to wait until morning, they can buy tickets 
  and board the train without an issue. Lucan isn’t planning to 
  leave the train. 
  Ride the Lightning
  Lucan will remain hidden in his private cabin. If Grilsha is 
  present she will stay with him and he will spend his days in 
  her bag of holding. When Grilsha does venture out, she uses 
  alter self to disguise herself. Her disguise will (unintention-
  ally) look a bit like Neya ir’Krell – enough so that a PC who 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   23
  
  succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check might 
  wonder if they are sisters.
  Once Garrow boards, he will retire to his cabin until he 
  contacts Lucan, but he will freely move about the lightning 
  rail in various guises during the rest of the trip. 
  Lightning Rail Event Timetable
  Day One
  •
  Depart Korranberg in the morning
  •
  Arrive in Zolanberg in the afternoon
  •
  Garrow boards after sunset. He also loads a crate 
  into the lightning rail’s cargo area containing zom-
  bies under his control. He checks on his cargo daily, 
  reasserting his control over the zombies.
  •
  Depart Zolanberg in the evening
  Night One
  •
  Garrow contacts Lucan
  Garrow slips a note under the door of Lucan’s 
  cabin, using thaumaturgy to subtly call attention to 
  it. In the note, he asks to meet with him. The note is 
  signed “A friend from Karrnath.”
  •
  The lightning rail crosses from Zilargo into Breland
  •
  Lucan and Garrow meet
  Garrow presents himself as a Karrnathi assigned to 
  help Lucan assimilate into Karrnath. The two have a 
  friendly conversation and Garrow spends most of 
  the time answering Lucan’s questions. Though he 
  wears a version of his vampiric disguise, Garrow 
  does not actively pretend to be a vampire with Lu-
  can. Lucan will question him about it early in their 
  conversation, and Garrow will simply say, “I chose 
  this appearance in the hopes of making you feel 
  comfortable. I apologize if I misjudged that.”
  With a success on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check, 
  the PC will realize that Lucan is expertly guiding the 
  conversation so that Garrow reveals more than in-
  tended, that Garrow clearly wants something that 
  he isn’t mentioning (the vampire blade), and that 
  Lucan is becoming increasingly unhappy as the 
  conversation continues. He is attempting to hide his 
  displeasure, so it will require a result of 19 or more 
  on the above Wisdom (Insight) check to realize this. 
  A success on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check reveals that Lucan has teased out enough in-
  formation to realize that Garrow is probably a mem-
  ber of the Emerald Claw.
  •
  The lightning rail stops brieJy in Sterngate.
  A few Brelish troops and hobgoblin mercenaries 
  board, but most of what is taken on here is cargo 
  from Darguun.
  Day Two
  •
  Day of travel
  Night Two
  •
  Arrive in Starilaskur
  •
  Lucan and Garrow meet again just after sundown.
  Garrow tells Lucan he wants the vampire blade in 
  exchange for helping Lucan settle in Karrnath. Lu-
  can, however, is falling under the vampire blade’s 
  sway. In addition, having spent his life in service to 
  Breland, Lucan refuses to help the Emerald Claw. 
  The two part tensely.
  •
  Garrow sets in motion plans to have Grilsha killed if 
  she is aboard the train. He hires the hobgoblin mer-
  cenaries, but he also has his own assassin in place 
  as well.
  Day Three
  •
  Leave Starilaskur in the morning
  •
  Stop brieJy in Vathirond in the afternoon
  •
  If Grilsha is on the train, Garrow’s assassins try to 
  kill her
  Night Three
  •
  Cross into Thrane
  •
  Garrow springs his trap and the train is halted.
  Notable Lightning Rail Passengers
  Garrow. Garrow’s hope is to have Lucan turn him into a 
  vampire and give him the vampire blade while on the light-
  ning rail. To this end, he has a cofn placed in cargo and 
  boards as his vampiric persona through an arrangement with 
  House Orien in which certain assurances were made.
  Garrow’s backup plan is to stop the lightning rail near the 
  ruined town of Caravan Crossing, where agents of the Emer-
  ald Claw wait to force Lucan to give up the vampire blade.
  Garrow appears to spend the days sleeping in his cofn, but 
  he actually assumes another persona during the day – a hu-
  man named Rarwog who looks like he has a bit of elven 
  blood in his ancestry. As Rarwog, he will claim to be a 
  Cyran sailor from near Kraken Bay. If pressed (not very hard) 
  he will admit that the town he’s from is actually part of Dar-
  guun now.
  Garrow keeps his valuables – including copies of the 
  schemas that he has acquired – in a hidden compartment in 
  Rarwog’s luggage. Finding the compartment requires a suc-
  cessful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check when 
  searching Rarwog’s belongings. 
  Destara (in Caravan Crossing, below) will check in with Gar-
  row periodically via sending, which will keep her in the 
  loop on what has happened on the lightning rail.
  Note that Garrow is featured in the sequel to this adventure, 
  and he will do everything he can to avoid engaging in com-
  bat with the PCs himself. Being a changeling who has glam-
  oured armor, this typically means disappearing into a group 
  of people.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   24
  
  Brother Garrow (Rarwog)
  Medium humanoid (changeling), lawful evil
  Armor Class 17 (glamoured breastplate)
  Hit Points 91 (14d8+28)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  18 (+4)
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws Wisdom +7 Charisma +5
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +7, Persuasion +5, Religion +5, 
  Stealth +5
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Elven, Goblin
  Challenge 6 (2,300xp)
  Change Appearance. Garrow can change his appearance or 
  revert to his natural form as an action. He can transform 
  himself into another medium sized creature of humanoid 
  shape, but his clothing, equipment, and game statistics do 
  not change. If someone has reason to suspect his ruse, he 
  has advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check made to 
  avoid detection.
  Inescapable Destruction. Necrotic damage dealt by Garrow 
  ignores resistance to necrotic damage.
  Spellcasting. Garrow is an 8th-level spellcaster. His spell-
  casting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with 
  spell attacks). He has the following cleric spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, guidance, sacred ?ame, spare 
  the dying, thaumaturgy
  1st level (4 slots): command, cure wounds, detect magic, 
  false life, in?ict wounds, protection from good and evil, 
  sanctuary
  2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, hold person, ray of 
  enfeeblement, silence
  3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, clairvoyance, daylight, dis-
  pel magic, magic circle, speak with dead, vampiric touch
  4th level (2 slots): banishment, blight, death ward, locate 
  creature
  Reaper. When Garrow casts chill touch, he can target two 
  creatures in range who are within 5 feet of each other.
  Touch of Death (2/Short or Long Rest). When Garrow hits 
  with a melee attack, he can deal an additional 21 necrotic 
  damage to his target.
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage and 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
  Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage and 9 (2d8) necrotic 
  damage.
  Reactions
  Unsettling Visage (1/short or long rest). When a creature 
  Garrow can see makes an attack roll against him, Garrow 
  can use his reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. He 
  must use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits 
  or misses. Using this trait reveals his shapeshifting nature to 
  any creature within 30 feet that can see him.
  Garrow’s glamoured breastplate provides a +1 bonus to ar-
  mor class and functions like glamoured studded leather. He 
  carries, two Jasks of holy water, a potion of invisibility, and a 
  potion of greater healing. His dagger is ornate, with a hilt in-
  laid with labradorite and Mabaran ebony and carved with 
  Blood of Vol iconography. It serves as his holy symbol and is 
  worth 250 gp. He carries a feather token which is a single-use 
  item that casts feather fall. 
  The assassin. Winn Corveld is a member of the Emerald Claw 
  and is working with Garrow. Born in a Mabaran manifest 
  zone, he developed a natural talent for dark magic at an early 
  age. He was raised as a member of the Emerald Claw and has 
  become one of its most promising assassins.
  Winn Corveld
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 13 (16 with mage armor)
  Hit Points 71 (11d8 + 22)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Constitution +5, Charisma +6
  Skills Arcana +3, Deception +6, Investigation +3, Stealth +5
  Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
  Languages Common, Elvish
  Challenge 5 (1,800xp)
  Assassinate. During his rst turn, Winn has advantage on at-
  tack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn. Any 
  hit Winn scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit.
  Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Winn can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Empowered Spell (1/Day): Winn may reroll up to three 
  damage dice for a spell. He must use the new rolls.
  Eyes of the Dark (2/Day): Winn casts darkness without us-
  ing a spell slot. When he casts darkness in this way he can 
  see through the magical darkness created by the spell.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Winn deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage 
  when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advan-
  tage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of 
  an ally of Winn that isn’t incapacitated and Winn doesn’t 
  have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Spellcasting. Winn is a 5th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell at-
  tacks). He knows the following sorcerer spells:
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, mage hand, message, 
  minor illusion
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   25
  
  1st level (4 slots): disguise self, mage armor, sleep
  2nd level (3 slots): darkness, scorching ray
  3rd level (2 slots): blink, haste
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing 
  damage and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution sav-
  ing throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save or 
  half as much damage on a successful one.
  The would-be crusader. Farnish Tells is a young Brelish soldier 
  who only recently came of age to join the army. He’s disap-
  pointed that he never got to ght in the Last War, because he 
  is sure that he would have undertaken some great deeds of 
  courage. Now he just gets shufJed off to one fortress or an-
  other where he spends half the time standing guard against 
  nothing and the other half the time peeling vegetables or 
  something. It is a waste of his talents, and if you’re within 
  earshot of him, you’ll know that. Farnish boards the lightning 
  rail at Sterngate and gets off at Vathirond.
  Farnish Tells
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 13 (studded leather)
  Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  9 (-1)
  8 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +1
  Senses Passive Perception 11
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/2  (100xp)
  Actions
  Multiattack. Tells makes two melee attacks.
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
  The young scribe. Evine d’Sivis is very excited. After growing 
  up in a small town near Korranberg, she’s nally going to the 
  big city! She always thought Korranberg was big, but… Sharn! 
  In just a few days she’ll be the newest cartographer in the 
  House Sivis enclave there. Isn’t that amazing? Despite her 
  young age, Evine is extremely knowledgable about geography 
  – she has focused her studies on the changes wrought by the 
  Last War, the Day of Mourning, and the Treaty of Thronehold. 
  She will stay on the lightning rail until Starilaskur.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   26
  
  Evine d’
  Sivis
  Small humanoid (gnome), lawful good
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 4)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  8 (-1)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  Skills History +5, Insight +3, Perception +3
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Goblin
  Challenge 1/8 (25xp)
  Gnome Cunning. Evine has advantage on all Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Innate Spellcasting. Evine’s innate spellcasting ability is In-
  telligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). 
  She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no ma-
  terial components:
  at will: message, minor illusion
  1/day: comprehend languages, sending
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
  The eager researcher. Livia Dekwittin is an academic from 
  the Library of Korranberg. She is headed to Flamekeep with 
  Jaralie as part of a research project on the Silver Flame. She is 
  extremely knowledgeable, but is also quite absent-minded. 
  She will happily lecture PCs (or any audience) on any of a 
  wide variety of subjects, becoming more and more excited as 
  she talks even if she has no point to make.
  Livia Dekwittin
  Small humanoid (gnome), neutral
  Armor Class 10
  Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  9 (-1)
  11 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  18 (+4)
  8 (-1)
  12 (+1)
  Skills History +8, Investigation +6, Religion +8, Stealth +2
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
  Languages Common, Draconic, Giant, Gnomish
  Challenge 0 (10xp)
  Gnome cunning. Livia has advantage on all Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Ritual Spellcasting. Livia can cast the following wizard 
  spells as rituals:
  1st level: comprehend languages, detect magic, identify
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing dam-
  age.
  The priestess. Jaralie is a cleric of the Silver Flame who trav-
  eled to Korranberg with some rare texts for the Library. 
  While there, she was interviewed extensively by Livia, but 
  she is not an expert on history so her contributions were 
  limited. She suggested that Livia accompany her back to 
  Flamekeep to continue her studies.
  Jaralie
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful good
  Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
  Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +3
  Skills Investigation +3, Perception +5, Religion +3
  Damage Resistances Radiant
  Senses Passive Perception 15
  Languages Common, Celestial
  Challenge 3 (700xp)
  Invoke the Silver Flame. As a bonus action, the Jaralie can 
  expend a spell slot to cause her melee weapon attacks to 
  magically deal an extra 10 (3d6) radiant damage to a target 
  on a hit. This benet lasts until the end of the turn. If she ex-
  pends a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage 
  increases by 1d6 for each level above 1st.
  Spellcasting. Jaralie is a 5th-level spellcaster. Her spellcast-
  ing ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell 
  attacks). She has the following cleric spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): light, resistance, sacred ?ame, spare the 
  dying, thaumaturgy
  1st level (4 slots): burning hands, cure wounds, detect evil 
  and good, faerie  re, protection from evil and good, shield 
  of faith
  2nd level (3 slots): augury, calm emotions, ?aming sphere, 
  lesser restoration, scorching ray
  3rd level (2 slots): clairvoyance, daylight,  reball
  Actions
  Quarterstaff: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) 
  bludgeoning damage if used with two hands.
  Reactions
  Warding Flare (3/ Long Rest). When Jaralie is attacked by a 
  creature within 30 feet that she can see, she can use her re-
  action to impose disadvantage on the attack roll, causing 
  light to Jare before the attacker before it hits or misses. An 
  attacker that can’t be blinded is immune to this feature.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   27
  
  Assassination Attempt (Optional)
  If Grilsha is on the Lightning Rail, Garrow will attempt to 
  have her killed shortly after leaving Vathirond, but before 
  sundown. He knows he will need to take the vampire blade 
  by force, and he does not want to have to deal with both Lu-
  can and his sister at the same time. He hires a pair of hob-
  goblin mercenaries (see page 186, MM) to break into Lu-
  can’s cabin and attack her. He realizes she will likely make 
  short work of them. His actual plan is for Winn to clean up 
  after the hobgoblins. If Grilsha is alone and wounded, Winn 
  will use sleep. If he needs to ght her more directly, he will 
  use his eyes of the dark ability along with blink, and an em-
  powered scorching ray. If Winn succeeds in killing Grilsha, 
  he will attempt to disengage and hide, using darkness, blink, 
  and disguise self as needed. If able to reposition himself 
  with blink, he can appear on the roof of the lightning rail so 
  as to avoid detection.
  The PCs are likely to be alerted during the ght with the 
  hobgoblins as Grilsha has no reason to be subtle in her de-
  fense. Other passengers (most likely Jaralie and Farnish) may 
  also arrive during the ght. During this entire encounter, Lu-
  can is in Grilsha’s bag of holding. He will not, of course, 
  come out until sundown.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   28
  
  Part Five: Town of the 
  Dead
  Last Stop
  Caravan Crossing. Garrow plans to stop the lightning rail at 
  an abandoned station in Thrane at was once the town of 
  Caravan Crossing. Caravan Crossing was built up around an 
  area where the Orien caravan route meets the lightning rail 
  line. This particular crossing was useful to House Orien as it 
  effectively served three of the Five Nations due to its proxim-
  ity to the borders of both Aundair and Breland. Unfortu-
  nately for House Orien, the town was the site of a vicious 
  battle featuring a mercenary army from Droaam at the end 
  of the Last War, and it was destroyed. Now, the only struc-
  tures standing are the Orien warehouse, the remains of the 
  tavern, and a single stone tower.
  To stop the lightning. Garrow’s original plan was to have 
  Winn Corveld kill the lightning rail operator and use his 
  zombies to drive Lucan to seek shelter off the train. He will 
  still do this if he can, but he was not counting on needing 
  Winn to deal with Grilsha. If Winn is unavailable, Garrow 
  will activate the four zombies (page 316, MM) he has in 
  cargo and have them terrorize the rear of the train as a dis-
  traction while he makes his way forward to force the train to 
  stop – either through threatening or killing the operator him-
  self.
  The lightning rail will stop within sight of what is left of Car-
  avan Crossing. Looking ahead, PCs will be able to see the 
  warehouse with its platform for loading cargo onto the light-
  ning rail. Off to the east, a single stone tower rises just above 
  the trees.
  As the lightning rail comes to a stop a loud, rhythmic clang-
  ing noise begins. It seems to come from directly ahead of 
  the train, possibly from the cargo loading platform.
  Lucan’s run. Assuming all goes more or less according to 
  Garrow’s plan, Lucan will begin to worry when the lightning 
  rail stops. It will be less than two hours before dawn. If the 
  zombies appear and/or his sister has been attacked, he will 
  realize that the train is unlikely to be a safe place for him to 
  spend the day. If he is able to do so, Lucan will head toward 
  the tower (probably in bat form) as the most likely source of 
  shelter from the sun within sight. PCs should be able to 
  make a Wisdom (Perception) check to spot him Jying away.
  Allies and friends. If the PCs are obvious about their plans, 
  Farnish Tells will see this as his chance at glory and try to 
  join them. If he doesn’t think they will accept his aid, he 
  may try to follow them. This may end poorly for him. Jaralie 
  will be inclined to stay with the other passengers in order to 
  help protect them, though she can be convinced to do oth-
  erwise if she is needed.
  Caravan Crossing
  Caravan Crossing was never a large town, but it was once a 
  strategic one. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelli-
  gence (History) check will know that it was developed by 
  House Orien and destroyed at the very end of the Last War. 
  A result of 16 or more on this check will reveal that the bat-
  tle that wiped out the town was particularly nasty in that it 
  involved mercenaries from Droaam (a group of gnolls, with 
  a few minotaurs and medusas). It has never been denitively 
  established who (if anyone) hired these mercenaries.
  Other than the burnt and rotted vestiges of a wall here and 
  there, the only real structures left in town are those that were 
  made of stone: the large caravan warehouse, the tower, and 
  the lower Joor of what was once a tavern.
  Since the battle, House Orien has altered their caravan route 
  to intersect with the lightning rail a few dozen miles north of 
  what was once Caravan Crossing, as none in the house 
  wanted to continue using the site of the massacre of so 
  many of their friends and relatives. Bones and rusted equip-
  ment are still scattered across the area. 
  The Emerald Claw. The forces of the Emerald Claw that Gar-
  row left in Caravan Crossing are headed up by Destara, a 
  halJing necromancer and Jorasco excoriate, and Nikovech, 
  a powerful wight. They were instructed to prepare for Lu-
  can’s arrival and watch for the lightning rail to stop.
  Nikovech has holed himself up in the upper levels of the 
  tower while Destara has been preparing lesser undead – and 
  experimenting upon the corpses of gricks with a mixture of 
  her necromantic abilities and the powers granted by her 
  dragonmark. 
  Nikovech was originally killed in a situation supercially 
  like the one he is in now. Near the beginning of the Last 
  War, when he was a living ofcer in service to Karrnath, he 
  was waiting at the top of a tower for an attack. His lieu-
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   29
  
  tenant sold out to the enemy and withdrew all of Nikovech’s 
  troops at night while Nikovech slept. When dawn came, the 
  Thranish force took the tower while Nikovech was still 
  putting on his armor.
  As a result of being holed up in a Thranish tower while his 
  allies are below, Nikovech has been growing increasingly 
  paranoid and convinced that Destara will betray him. The 
  two have not spoken in days, but Destara is unaware of 
  Nikovech’s paranoia, since the wight had never gone out of 
  his way to be friendly.
  Garrow will use his disguise abilities to blend in with the 
  other surviving passengers from the lightning rail. He will 
  stay out of any conJict that does not guarantee his safety, 
  but will communicate with Destara through her familiar. If 
  Winn Corveld is still alive, Garrow will send him to help 
  hunt down Lucan and retrieve the vampire blade.
  End of the line. Previous sections of this adventure have 
  been relatively linear. This section is less so. The PCs may 
  choose to work for or against Lucan. They might turn mem-
  bers of the Emerald Claw against each other. They might 
  simply use stealth and try to steal the vampire blade. They 
  will likely do something completely unanticipated. 
  The Warehouse
  Most of this stone structure is intact, though there is a hole 
  in the western wall and part of the roof in that area has col-
  lapsed. 
  A loading dock takes up much of the southern wall, where it 
  would open directly to the lightning rail. An extremely real-
  istic statue of a wounded soldier who appears to be recoil-
  ing in horror stands near the loading dock next to a large, 
  rusted iron grate set in the Joor. A skeletal minotaur is 
  crouched next to the iron grate, beating on it with a maul – 
  the source of the loud clanging noise. When it sees the PCs, 
  it immediately charges. (see page 273, MM – though its 
  maul attack deals 19 (4d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage). The 
  minotaur skeleton had been tirelessly watching for the light-
  ning rail and began beating on the grate as a signal that the 
  train had arrived.
  The teleportation grate. A PC who examines the grate will 
  notice that the rust covers an elaborate design etched into 
  the surface of the metal. A successful DC (15) Intelligence 
  (Arcana) will reveal that the design bears some similarity to 
  that of a teleportation circle. Detect magic will reveal that 
  the grate bears a fading aura of conjuration magic. A PC us-
  ing detect magic who has a passive Perception of 12 or 
  more will also notice that the Joor directly below the grate 
  (under water) has a similar aura.
  The grate and the Joor below it consist of a dragonmark fo-
  cus device that allows someone with the mark of passage to 
  teleport objects from the grate to the Joor below and vice 
  versa. This was used for transporting cargo between the cel-
  lar level and the main warehouse.
  The grate is not designed to be opened, requiring a DC 22 
  Strength check to force, but – after being beaten on by a 
  skeletal minotaur – it is in particularly bad repair and could 
  be broken through with little trouble (AC 15 and 16 hp). 
  Breaking the grate destroys its magical functionality. The 
  grate will currently hold up to 750 lbs without breaking.
  Looking down into the grate, there is a pool of dark water, 
  the surface of which is ten feet below. 
  Crates and barrels. The southeastern corner of the room is 
  lled with broken and rotting wood. Nearby, a hatch is set 
  into the Joor. A stack of crates – only a few of which are still 
  intact – sits next to the cellar door. Breaking one of the intact 
  crates open releases one of three ve foot square patches of 
  yellow mold (page 105, DMG). The nearby barrels are all 
  smashed and empty.
  The Warehouse – Lower Storage
  A trapdoor in the southeast corner opens to a set of rough-
  hewn stone steps leading down to what was once a cool 
  cellar for storing perishables. The trapdoor has no lock, but it 
  can be barred from the inside. A rusty iron grate covers an-
  other access point to the lower storage area. Looking 
  through the gate, there is only dark, still water below. 
  The Cellar
  A foul smell, reminiscent of soured milk, emanates from the 
  damp space.
  If the PCs were quiet while in the warehouse, the black pud-
  ding in this area will be at the foot of the stairs, where it nor-
  mally rests. If they have made enough noise for it to notice 
  them, it will be on the ceiling above the stairs, preparing to 
  drop down on them. See black pudding, p. 241 MM.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   30
  
  The southwestern corner of the room slopes downward into 
  a lower area that has lled with vile water. The slope be-
  comes extremely slippery underwater. A PC walking in this 
  area must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatic) check 
  or slide 5 feet into the pool and fall prone.
  The Pool
  There is a 10 foot drop beneath the gate, and the room be-
  low is Jooded with three feet of foul and murky water. A red 
  dotted line marks the area directly under the grate on the 
  map. An arcane design is etched into the stone Joor here as 
  part of the dragonmark focus device (see the teleportation 
  grate, above).
  Destara and her troops have been eating quippers caught in 
  a nearby pond. She has then been animating their remains 
  and has used them to stock the pool. The sh skeletons will 
  attack any who enter here.
  A ramp leads out of the water to a tunnel heading north. The 
  rst 100 feet of this passage are nished stone, but it be-
  comes progressively rougher after that point. Eventually, af-
  ter about a quarter-mile, the tunnel leads to the basement of 
  the tower (see below). Before that point, there are a few tight 
  crevices that could function as side-passages if you wish to 
  expand upon the underground areas here. These could lead 
  to old Dhakaani ruins or even to Khyber. The tunnel is rela-
  tively free of mold due to the carrion crawlers (see Area 12, 
  below) that have taken up residence in it. If the PCs travel to 
  the tower through the tunnel, the carrion crawlers are likely 
  to take notice.
  Treasure. Several humanoid skeletons – a mix of human and 
  gnoll – litter the bottom of the Jooded chamber. Their equip-
  ment is long corroded to uselessness except for a silver 
  ?ame shield (see below).
  Skeletal Quipper Swarm
  Medium swarm of tiny undead, lawful evil
  Armor Class 13
  Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
  Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  13 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  15 (+2)
  1 (-5)
  8 (-1)
  2 (-4)
  Damage Resistances Piercing, Slashing
  Damage Immunities Poison
  Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, 
  Grappled, Paralyzed, Petried, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, 
  Stunned
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
  Languages –
  Challenge 3 (700xp)
  Blood Frenzy. The swarm has advantage on melee attack 
  rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and 
  vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening 
  large enough for a Tiny quipper. The swarm can't regain hit 
  points or gain temporary hit points.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one crea-
  ture in the swarm's space. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage, or 
  7 (2d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit 
  points or fewer.
  Silver Flame Shield
  Armor (shield), uncommon
  The front of this shield is emblazoned with the symbol of 
  the Church of the Silver Flame. A creature wielding this 
  shield can use an action to cause it to be wreathed in a 
  harmless silver colored Jame that provides light as a torch. 
  The Jame can be dismissed as a bonus action. In addition, a 
  creature wielding this shield has advantage on Constitution 
  saving throws to resist the curse of lycanthropy.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   31
  
  The Fallen Inn
  Other than the warehouse (and the tower), the only real 
  building left in town with any semblance of structure is the 
  lower level of the inn, which was made primarily of stone. 
  Still, even here, the upper level appears to have been burnt 
  and collapsed in on itself.
  The main area was once the inn’s common room, and it has 
  remained largely protected from the weather. Long tables 
  still ll the space, and shards of glass and ceramic are scat-
  tered across the Joor. Treat areas on the map marked with a 
  red X as if they were covered by caltrops.
  Several extremely realistic statues of soldiers with expres-
  sions of shock and pain on their faces litter the area, left 
  over from the medusas who were part of the attack on Cara-
  van Crossing years ago.
  The back room of the inn is particularly sheltered and hides 
  a grick nest. Destara has been gradually luring the gricks out 
  and using them in necromantic experiments. Two gricks still 
  remain here (page 173, MM). They will wait in ambush until 
  the PCs begin searching the area and then attack when they 
  believe the PCs to be unprepared.
  Treasure. The gricks pull anything they have killed back to 
  their nest to eat there. The nest is littered with – and partially 
  composed of – bones. Most of these are of animals, but 
  there are the remains of a few humanoids as well. Scattered 
  around the nest, are a few of the more durable belongings of 
  the gricks’ victims. Included among these are a few valu-
  ables: 12 gp, 50 sp, and an arrowbane shortsword (see be-
  low).
  Arrowbane Blade
  Weapon (any sword), uncommon (requires attunement)
  When an attacker that you can see hits you with a success-
  ful nonmagical ranged attack and you have this sword in 
  hand, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on 
  the attack. An arrowbane blade is not considered magical 
  for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   32
  
  The Tower
  The tower is in reasonably good repair, in part due to the re-
  cent efforts of the Emerald Claw. All the windows have been 
  boarded over and sealed with mortar, some of which has not 
  fully dried. If Lucan Jees to the tower, he will use his mist 
  form to enter through the main entrance. This will set off the 
  glyph of warding in Area 1, but he will survive the trap and 
  manage to slip through the trapdoor in Area 3, holing up in 
  the basement area. A map of the tower is available in Ap-
  pendix C.
  The Emerald Claw will be alerted by the explosive glyph and 
  are likely to be preparing to enter Area 2 when the PCs ar-
  rive.  Nikovech will be ranting in his chambers after killing a 
  few guards who had been sent to fetch him to help deal with 
  Lucan.
  Outside the Tower 
  The tower is obviously occupied. A camp is set up nearby 
  where the Emerald Claw soldiers have been spending most 
  of their days.
  Destara’s familiar keeps watch outside the tower, typically 
  from the edge of the forest. The tower door is Janked by two 
  gnoll skeletons, and two more lay hidden in the brush at the 
  wood’s edge ready to rush into combat. 
  The door itself is barred from the inside. If the PCs attempt to 
  force their way through it, have them make a Strength (Ath-
  letics) check. On a result of 20 or more, they can make it 
  through in one round. Otherwise, the guards on the other 
  side of the door in Area 1 are likely to be alerted.
  The gnoll skeletons will attack anyone who approaches 
  within 30 feet of the door.
  Gnoll Skeleton
  Medium undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 15 (Armor Scraps, Shield)
  Hit Points 24 (4d8 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  6 (-2)
  8 (-1)
  5 (-3)
  Damage Vulnerabilities Bludgeoning
  Damage Immunities Poison
  Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Poisoned
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
  Languages Understands Gnoll and Common
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Rampage. When the gnoll skeleton reduces a creature to 0 
  hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the gnoll can take 
  a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite 
  attack.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing 
  damage, or 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage if used with two 
  hands to make a melee attack.
  Area 1 – Entry
  The area just inside the doorway is inscribed with a glyph of 
  warding (explosive runes dealing 5d8 re damage) set to go 
  off when a vampire passes through the area or when Destara 
  speaks a command word. This is likely to have already been 
  triggered by Lucan. If it has been, ve Emerald Claw soldiers 
  will be preparing to enter Area 2, led by their captain.
  Emerald Claw Soldier
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 14 (scale mail)
  Hit Points 15 (3d8 + 3)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  13 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  13 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +3
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/4 (50xp)
  Actions
  War Pick. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Emerald Claw Captain
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
  Hit Points 45 (7d8 + 14)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  13 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  13 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +4
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common
  Challenge 2 (450xp)
  Actions
  Multiattack. The captain makes two melee attacks.
  Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage.
  If Lucan has not set off the explosive runes, there will be two 
  guards and the guard captain in this area (standing outside 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   33
  
  the glyph’s blast radius) ready to sound the alarm. The other 
  guards will be in Area 5.
  Area 2 – Grick Storage Area
  The door to this room has been barred from the outside. 
  Destara has been experimenting with animating dead gricks 
  and she has left the products of her experimentation in this 
  area. She has lost control of her creations, and the undead 
  gricks will attack anything that enters the room.
  Grick Zombie
  Medium undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  3 (-4)
  8 (-1)
  5 (-3)
  Saving throws Wis +1
  Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing 
  from Nonmagical Attacks
  Damage Immunities Poison
  Condition Immunities Poisoned
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
  Languages – 
  Challenge 2 (450xp)
  Stone Camouage. The grick zombie has advantage on Dex-
  terity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.
  Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the grick zombie to 0 
  hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a 
  DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or 
  from a critical hit. On a success, the grick zombie drops to 1 
  hit point instead.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The grick zombie makes one attack with its ten-
  tacles. If that attack hits, the grick zombie can make one 
  beak attack against the same target.
  Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage.
  Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Area 3 – Storage
  The door to this room is mold-covered and rotting, and the 
  interior of the room is in similar disarray. A pile of shattered 
  crates and broken furniture conceals a trapdoor that opens 
  onto a staircase headed down. Unless the furniture is 
  cleared away, it requires a successful DC 14 Intelligence (In-
  vestigation) check to nd the trapdoor.
  Area 4 – Necromancy Lab
  The door to this room is affected by arcane lock. It has AC 
  15 and 18 hp. Destara has the password to the lock, and she 
  is inside the room.
  Destara has been focusing her Mark of Healing to work in 
  conjunction with her necromantic magic and has converted 
  this room into a makeshift necromancy lab where she can 
  experiment. A pile of assorted bones sits in the northern cor-
  ner of the room, some of which have been fused together in 
  bizarre ways, and a large table has a mostly-complete skele-
  ton of a gnoll that is in the process of being pieced back to-
  gether. Another table has two severed grick tentacles lying 
  on top of it. These tentacles appear to be inert, but are ani-
  mate and under Destara’s control.
  Next to Destara stands a horror – an enormous skeletal gnoll 
  with extra vertebrae giving it a long, serpentine neck. In 
  front of her is a human corpse that is beginning to stir.
  If Destara had sufcient advanced warning (about ve min-
  utes), either from her familiar or from a commotion in Area 
  2, she will have an additional zombie (page 316, MM). Oth-
  erwise, she will be in the process of animating it and have 
  1d6 rounds remaining before she nishes casting the spell. 
  She may choose to abandon or complete this casting de-
  pending upon circumstance.
  Twisted Gnoll Skeleton
  Medium undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 16 (Hide Armor, Shield)
  Hit Points 37 (5d8 + 15)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  6 (-2)
  8 (-1)
  5 (-3)
  Damage Vulnerabilities Bludgeoning
  Damage Immunities Poison
  Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Poisoned
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
  Languages Understands Gnoll and Common
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage 
  when the skeleton hits with it (included in the attack).
  Rampage. When the gnoll skeleton reduces a creature to 0 
  hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the gnoll can take 
  a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite 
  attack.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The gnoll skeleton makes two melee attacks, 
  one with its bite and one with its scimitar
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   34
  
  Destara
  Small humanoid (hal?ing), chaotic evil
  Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
  Hit Points 44 (8d6 + 16)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  9 (-1)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  18 (+4)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +2
  Skills Arcana +6, Medicine +4
  Senses Passive Perception 10
  Languages Common, Elvish, HalJing
  Challenge 2 (450xp)
  Lucky. When Destara rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, 
  ability check, or saving throw, she can reroll the die and 
  must use the new roll.
  Brave. Destara has advantage on saving throws against being 
  frightened.
  Haling Nimbleness. Destara can move through the space 
  of any creature that is of a size larger than she is
  Naturally Stealthy. Destara can attempt to hide even when 
  obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger 
  than she is.
  Spellcasting. Destara is a 5th-level spellcaster. Her spellcast-
  ing ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with 
  spell attacks). She has the following wizard spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, mage hand, mending, toll 
  the dead
  1st level (4 slots): mage armor, ray of sickness, shield
  2nd level (3 slots): invisibility, misty step, shatter, web
  3rd level (2 slots): animate dead, counterspell, fear
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
  Pestilential Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) necrotic damage and Destara may 
  expend a spell slot as a bonus action to deal an additional 
  1d10 necrotic damage per slot level to the target.
  Reactions
  Fortifying Aura. If an undead ally of Destara’s takes damage, 
  she can use her reaction to heal it of 5 hit points if it is 
  within 10 feet of her. 
  Severed Tentacle
  Tiny undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 5 (2d4)
  Speed 10 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  6 (-2)
  15 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  1 (-5)
  6 (-2)
  2 (-4)
  Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing 
  from Nonmagical Attacks
  Damage Immunities Poison
  Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned
  Senses Blindsight 10 ft., Passive Perception 8
  Languages – 
  Challenge 1/4 (50xp)
  Actions
  Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. If the target is a 
  creature other than an elf or undead, it must succeed on a 
  DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the 
  end of its next turn.
  Treasure. The tables contain bowls and jars of various ingre-
  dients, including bone powder, ash, dried blood, and less 
  identiable substances. Among these, a ceramic jar is sealed 
  with wax and contains 200 gp worth of diamond powder, 
  while a similar ceramic jar is unsealed and contains 50 gp 
  worth of gold powder. Another table holds both a scroll of 
  animate dead and a spell book containing the following 
  spells: detect magic, unseen servant, and gentle repose. The 
  spell book also contains many notes detailing Destara’s vari-
  ous experiments, including both the gricks as well as the 
  quippers in the lower storage area of the warehouse.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   35
  
  Area 5 – Guard Barracks
  This large area has become a makeshift barracks, with 
  bedrolls strewn across the Joor.
  If the guards have been mobilized and are in Area 1, this 
  room will be empty. Otherwise it will have ve guards (see 
  Area 1).
  Area 6 – Destara’
  s Room
  A dead brown bear, missing half of its face, is stretched out 
  in the northeast corner of the room. It looks freshly killed, 
  but there is almost no blood. Destara has cast gentle repose 
  on it and uses it as a makeshift bed.
  Treasure. A small chest sits hidden beneath the bear’s bulk 
  between it and the wall. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (In-
  vestigation) check will nd it. It has AC 17 and 10 hp and is 
  held closed by an arcane lock to which Destara has the 
  password. Inside is Destara’s spell book and a purse with 80 
  gp and 100 sp. Destara’s spell book contains the following 
  spells:
  1st level:  nd familiar, jump, mage armor, protection from 
  evil and good, ray of sickness, sleep, shield
  2nd level: darkvision, invisibility, knock, misty step, shatter, 
  web
  3rd level: animate dead, counterspell, fear, sending
  Area 7 – Training Area
  If Lucan has set off the glyph of warding, there will be the 
  corpses of two Emerald Claw guards at the top of the stairs. 
  Otherwise, the exit from the stairs to this area will be 
  blocked by a large cabinet (lled with broken training 
  weapons and other equipment) requiring a successful DC 14 
  Strength (Athletics) check to move. Unless precautions are 
  taken, moving the cabinet will make enough noise to alert 
  Nikovech.
  This room used to be a training area, and it is still lled with 
  rotten training dummies and padded weapons. At some 
  point a few years ago, someone painted grinning faces on 
  the training dummies and painted the walls and Joor with 
  splashes of garish colors. A large pile of rotten cloth lls the 
  southeast corner of the room.
  There are eight zombies in this room under the wight’s con-
  trol. Eight of these are normal zombies (page 316, MM), and 
  the other three are armored and enhanced through Destara’s 
  experiments with her dragonmark.
  Armored Zombie
  Medium undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 10 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12)
  Speed 20 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  6 (-2)
  16 (+3)
  3 (-4)
  6 (-2)
  5 (-3)
  Saving throws Wis +0
  Damage Immunities Poison
  Condition Immunities Poisoned
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 8
  Languages Understands Common
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit 
  points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC 
  of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or 
  from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit 
  point instead.
  Actions
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
  The zombies will attack anyone other than Nikovech who 
  exits the staircase, including members of the Emerald Claw.
  Treasure. An ornate hookah made of copper and inlaid with 
  semi-precious stones is buried in the rotten cloth. If cleaned 
  and polished, it is worth 30gp. Tucked into the back corner 
  of the cabinet is a small box decorated with Silver Flame 
  iconography, which appears to be designed to hold incense. 
  It has three tablets that appear to be incense, but are actu-
  ally a magical drug known as beholder dust. The drug is 
  meant to be smoked, and each tablet can affect up to ve 
  people. Mechanically, beholder dust is an inhaled poison. A 
  creature that inhales beholder dust must succeed on a DC 
  13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1d4 
  hours. The poisoned creature is incapacitated. Once per 
  minute, if there are other creatures affected by beholder dust 
  within a 30 foot radius, an affected creature has a 50% 
  chance of seeing through one of those creatures’ eyes for 
  one minute, gaining the benets of any special visual senses 
  that the creature has. If there is more than one such creature 
  within range, each affected creature randomly determines 
  which one its vision is tied to. While a creature sees through 
  the eyes of another, it cannot see through its own eyes.
  Area 8 – Armory
  Nikovech has taken the tower’s former armory as his tempo-
  rary lair. He has decided that he can no longer trust Destara 
  and her soldiers. 
  Nikovech is not a normal wight. He has used rituals known 
  to the Order of the Emerald Claw to draw additional power 
  from Mabar. Mechanically, this provides him with many of 
  the abilities of a warlock. He has a pact weapon that typi-
  cally appears as a greataxe made from shadows. Nikovech is 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   36
  
  unlikely to be surprised by the PCs. If he has time to pre-
  pare, he will summon his pact weapon and cast armor of 
  Agathys. If it is dark outside, he will head to the roof where 
  he will have more maneuverability with his slippers of spi-
  der climbing.
  If Nikovech is attacked, any surviving zombies from Area 9 
  will arrive in the second round of combat with zombies 
  from Area 10 having a 50% chance of arriving each round 
  after that. If there are still zombies in Area 7 when Nikovech 
  is attacked, half of them will arrive in the second round of 
  combat and the other half will arrive in the third.
  Nikovech
  Medium undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 16 (Breastplate)
  Hit Points 102 (12d8 + 48)
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  18 (+4)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Skills Athletics +6, History +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5
  Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing 
  from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered
  Damage Immunities Necrotic, Poison
  Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Poisoned
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Orcish
  Challenge 6 (2,300xp)
  Spellcasting. Nikovech is a 3rd-level spellcaster. His spell-
  casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with 
  spell attacks). He knows the following warlock spells:
  Cantrips (at will): eldritch blast, mage hand
  1st level: armor of Agathys, hellish rebuke
  2nd level (2 slots): darkness, mirror image
  Spider Climb. Nikovech can climb difcult surfaces, includ-
  ing upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an 
  ability check.
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, Nikovech has disad-
  vantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on sight.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Nikovech makes two melee attacks.
  Shadowed Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage and 7 
  (2d6) necrotic damage.
  Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) necrotic damage. The target must 
  succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or its hit 
  point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the dam-
  age taken and Nikovech gains that number of temporary hit 
  points. This reduction lasts until the target nishes a long 
  rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maxi-
  mum to 0.
  A humanoid slain by this attack rises 24 hours later as a 
  zombie under Nikovech's control, unless the humanoid is 
  restored to life or its body is destroyed. Nikovech can have 
  no more than twelve zombies under his control at one time.
  Reactions
  Shadow Exit (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). In re- 
  sponse to taking damage, Nikovech turns invisible and tele-
  ports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space he can see that is 
  not in bright light. He remains invisible until the start of his 
  next turn or until he attacks, makes a damage roll, moves 
  into an area of bright light, or casts a spell.
  Treasure. Nikovech wears slippers of spider climbing and a 
  mithril breastplate. In a pouch on his belt, he has four pieces 
  of black onyx worth 50gp each.
  Area 9 – Guard Room
  Two zombies (page 316, MM) under Nikovech’s control wait 
  in this room. If the rooftop is assaulted, one of them will 
  head up to assist the tower’s defense while the other will 
  warn Nikovech before following. 
  Area 10 – Rooftop
  The roof of the tower has an excellent view of the lightning 
  rail line for several miles in each direction. Two of 
  Nikovech’s armored zombies (see Area 7) stand guard here. 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   37
  
  Area 11 – Basement
  This was a basement storage area for the tower with access 
  through a tunnel to the warehouse. The Order of the Emer-
  ald Claw never bothered to clear out the room above, and 
  thus never found the access to this space. The walls of the 
  basement area are still lined with crates and barrels that 
  once held supplies and foodstuffs.
  If Lucan Jed to the tower, he will hope to hide here until 
  night falls.
  If the PCs bring a light source into this area, the carrion 
  crawlers in Area 12 will investigate and attack.
  Area 12 – Basement Guard Post
  A pair of carrion crawlers (page 37, MM) nest in this area. 
  They have been attracted to the smell of the zombie gricks 
  in Area 2, but have not been able to open the trapdoor. If 
  Lucan entered Area 11 in mist form and hid himself, will not 
  be aware he is there. They will defend their territory.
  Part Six: Return to the 
  City of Towers
  Getting Home
  On the House. House Orien will make good on getting its 
  passengers to their destination. About 30 hours after the 
  train is stopped, a small troop of Orien guards will be tele-
  ported to Caravan Crossing, along with a dragonmarked 
  lightning rail operator. The lightning rail will resume its jour-
  ney to Aundair.
  The PCs will be able to disembark at the next station and get 
  passage back to Sharn with little difculty.
  If the PCs clearly have the vampire blade and board the 
  lightning rail, Garrow will travel on the lightning rail to the 
  end of the line (as Rarwog), where he will get passage to Kar-
  rnath. If there is a safe opportunity for him to do so, he will 
  steal the vampire blade, but he will not risk a confrontation 
  with the PCs.
  If Garrow thinks the vampire blade is still in Caravan Cross-
  ing, he will slip off the lightning rail at the last minute, as-
  suming the appearance of one of the Orien guards. He will 
  search the ruins of the town himself in the hopes of recover-
  ing the weapon.
  Just Rewards
  After returning to Sharn, the PCs can meet with Lady Elay-
  dren. She will be pleased to see them, but a Wisdom (In-
  sight) check of 14 or more will reveal that she seems ex-
  hausted – as if she has slept little of late. If asked about it, 
  she will simply say that there has been quite a bit of family 
  business that she has had to take care of over the past few 
  days (and nights).
  Depending upon the level of success of the PCs and the in-
  formation they provide to her, Lady Elaydren will disburse 
  the following rewards:
  Preventing Garrow from acquiring the 
  vampire blade.
  +300 gp each
  Giving Lady Elaydren the vampire blade.
  +300 gp each
  Retrieving Garrow’s copies of the schemas.
  +1,000 gp 
  and potions*
  Revealing that Garrow is not a vampire.
  +250 gp
  Identifying Nikovech if he survived.
  +200 gp
  Identifying Destara if she survived.
  +200 gp
  Identifying Neya ir’Krell as a member of the 
  Eyes of Aundair if she survived
  +150 gp
  Identifying Meena ir’Erdalis as a member of 
  the Eyes of Aundair if she survived
  +100 gp
  *Each PC has their choice of one of the following: a potion of climb-
  ing, a potion of growth, a potion of resistance ( re), or a potion of 
  water breathing.
  Additional information the PCs provide can be similarly re-
  warded. If the PCs were particularly cooperative or helpful, 
  she will give them each a feather token (feather fall) as well.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   38
  
  Appendix A: Lucan and 
  the Vampire Blade
  If Lucan triggers the glyph of warding in the tower, he will 
  take 22 hit points of damage, reducing his hit point total to 
  63.
  Lucan Stellos
  Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 85 (10d8 + 40)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +5
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +6, Insight +4, Investigation 
  +5, Perception +7, Stealth +10
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons
  Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Elvish, Dwarvish
  Challenge 8 (3,900xp)  
  Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Lucan can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Shapechanger. If Lucan isn't in sunlight or running water, he 
  can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium 
  cloud of mist, or back into his true form.
  In bat form, Lucan can't speak and has a 5 ft. walking and 
  30 ft. Jying speed. His other statistics are unchanged. Any-
  thing he is wearing transforms with him, but nothing he car-
  ries does. he reverts to his true form if he dies.
  While in mist form, Lucan can't take any actions, speak, or 
  manipulate objects. He is weightless, has a Jying speed of 
  20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space 
  and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, 
  the mist can do so without squeezing, and it can't pass 
  through water. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and 
  Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagi-
  cal damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.
  Misty Escape. When he drops to 0 hit points outside his rest-
  ing place, Lucan transforms into a cloud of mist instead of 
  falling unconscious, provided that he isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If he can't transform, he is destroyed.
  While he has 0 hit points in mist form, he can't revert to his 
  vampire form, and he must reach his resting place within 2 
  hours or be destroyed. Once in his resting place, he reverts 
  to his vampire form. He is then paralyzed until he regains at 
  least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in his resting place 
  with 0 hit points, he regains 1 hit point.
  Regeneration. Lucan regains 5 hit points at the start of his 
  turn if he has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If he takes radiant damage or damage from holy 
  water, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next turn.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Lucan deals an extra 10 (3d6) dam-
  age when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has ad-
  vantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet 
  of an ally of Lucan’s that isn’t incapacitated and Lucan 
  doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Spider Climb. Lucan can climb difcult surfaces, including 
  ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
  Vampire Weaknesses. Lucan has the following Jaws: 
  Forbiddance. Lucan can't enter a residence without an 
  invitation from one of the occupants.
  Harmed by Running Water. Lucan takes 20 acid damage 
  if he ends his turn in running water.
  Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood
  is driven into Lucan's heart while Lucan is incapacitated 
  in his resting place, Lucan is paralyzed until the stake is 
  removed.
  Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Lucan takes 20 radiant damage 
  when he starts his turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, he 
  has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
  Last Breath. If Lucan uses the soul blade to kill a creature, a 
  thin mist issues from it in a 15 ft. radius, lightly obscuring 
  the area for all creatures except the soul blade’s wielder. The 
  soul blade has advantage when attacking a target within the 
  mist. A creature that starts its turn in the mist must succeed 
  at a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of 
  the soul blade itself.
  Actions
  Vampire Blade (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon At-
  tack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) 
  slashing damage or 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage if used 
  with two hands.
  Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon At-
  tack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) 
  bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Lucan can 
  grapple the target (escape DC 15).
  Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack:+7
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature grap-
  pled by Lucan, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) 
  piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's 
  hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the 
  necrotic damage taken, and Lucan regains hit points equal 
  to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target nishes a 
  long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point 
  maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then 
  buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire 
  spawn under Lucan's control.
  Charm. Lucan targets one humanoid he can see within 30 ft. 
  If the target can see Lucan, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wis-
  dom saving throw or be charmed. The charmed target re-
  gards Lucan as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. 
  Although the target isn't under Lucan's control, it takes Lu-
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   39
  
  can's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, 
  and it is a willing target for Lucan's bite attack.
  Each time Lucan or his companions do anything harmful to 
  the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect 
  on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until 
  Lucan is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than 
  the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
  Children of the Night (1/Day). Lucan calls 2d4 swarms of 
  bats or rats, provided the sun isn't up. Outdoors, he can call 
  3d6 wolves instead. The creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, act-
  ing as allies of Lucan and obeying his spoken commands. 
  They remain for 1 hour, until Lucan dies, or until Lucan dis-
  misses them as a bonus action.
  Lucan wears a glove of storing in which he keeps the vam-
  pire blade. 
  Treasure. In addition to the vampire blade and his glove of 
  storing, Lucan carries 10pp and 85gp.
  Glove of Storing
  Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
  When a wearer has attuned to the glove and holds an object 
  weighing 20 lbs or less in the gloved hand, the wearer can 
  use a bonus action to cause the object to be shrunk down 
  and stored in stasis in the palm of the glove. The wearer can 
  retrieve the item from the glove with a bonus action. The 
  glove can store one item at a time and stored items cannot 
  be detected. Spell durations and other effects on stored 
  items are not halted or suppressed. If the glove is destroyed 
  or its effect is ended, the stored item appears instantly.
  The Vampire Blade
  Weapon (longsword), legendary (requires attunement)
  You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with 
  this magic weapon.
  Drinking Life. When the vampire blade is used to kill a 
  creature, its bonus to attack and damage increases by +1 
  for one minute, up to a maximum of +3.
  Breaking Free.  If any creature is charmed when it attunes 
  to this weapon, the charmed condition is broken once the 
  attunement is completed. A creature attuned to this 
  weapon has advantage on saving throws against effects 
  that would impose the charmed condition. If the creature 
  that attunes to this weapon is a vampire spawn, its thrall-
  dom to its creator is permanently broken.
  Sever the Bonds of Blood. If a vampire is hit with the vam-
  pire blade, it takes an additional 3d6 psychic damage, and 
  it must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw for 
  each vampire spawn it has under its thrall or that vampire 
  spawn is freed from the vampire’s control. In addition, 
  each time a vampire is hit with the vampire blade, anyone 
  charmed by that vampire may repeat its saving throw to 
  end the charmed condition.
  Cloaked in Shadows. As a bonus action, you can use the 
  vampire blade to reduce bright light to dim light in a 30 
  foot radius, centered on your square. This feature does not 
  function in direct sunlight.
  Sentience. The vampire blade is a chaotic neutral sentient 
  weapon with an Intelligence of 16, Wisdom of 10, and 
  Charisma of 14. It has hearing and darkvision out to a 
  range of 120 feet.
  The weapon can speak, read, and understand Common 
  and Elvish, and it can communicate with its wielder tele-
  pathically. It rarely speaks out loud. Its voice sounds like a 
  whisper.
  Personality. The vampire blade has an irrational drive to 
  achieve freedom, both for itself and any creature attuned to 
  it. It has an unconscious drive to lead its wielder to become 
  trapped or bound so that it can then become free.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   40
  
  Appendix B: Running 
  Whispers of the Vam-
  pire’s Blade as Written
  Introduction
  This appendix is designed for those who may wish to run the 
  adventure as originally written and simply want a conver-
  sion to 5e mechanics. If this is you, you may still want to 
  read the section above for ideas, particularly around the 
  Masquerade scene.
  Chase Scenes
  Whispers of the Vampire’s Blade has a number of chase 
  scenes. 5E has rules for chases on pages 252 – 255 of the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. It would be a good idea to famil-
  iarize yourself with these rules.
  Who Kicks In The Door?
  The adventure includes some others who might jump in and 
  attack the PCs at any moment in their search for Lucan:
  Garrow, cleric of the Blood of Vol. While Garrow makes 
  sense as someone looking for Lucan, be careful in using him 
  as he already has a role in this adventure. He also appears in 
  the sequel, so killing him off might be problematic. See de-
  tails later in this adventure.
  Areyndee, Shadow Network agent. This agent of House 
  Thuranni has been monitoring Lucan because he has been 
  acting strangely, though she knows less than what the PCs 
  do about his current whereabouts and has not quite gured 
  out that he is a vampire. She can, however, potentially iden-
  tify Grilsha. Areyndee is detailed in this section below.
  Lahorak, barghest. See page 123 VGtM. Lahorak is a mem-
  ber of Daask, looking to move up the ladder. He caught 
  wind of part of Lucan’s situation in the depths of Sharn’s un-
  dercity, listening in on agents of Calderus. He knows little 
  more than that Lucan has secrets and that being the rst to 
  nd him and get those secrets out of him would be valuable 
  and rewarded. Lahorak is good at getting secrets out of peo-
  ple: he usually uses his teeth.
  Kuralaa. This bounty hunter was hired by Aundairan agents 
  to capture Lucan. She is licensed by House Tharashk but is 
  not a member of the house. She is detailed below.
  Urosh, the Mummy. Urosh is one of Calderus’s agents. He is 
  trying to nd Lucan on his master’s behalf. See page 228 
  MM.
  Jaralie, cleric of the Silver Flame. Jaralie is a potential ally of 
  the PCs, but she is very wary. She has been tracking the 
  Emerald Claw’s activities. She knows that Garrow is an agent 
  of the Emerald Claw who is after Lucan, though she does not 
  know why. She believes Garrow is a vampire. She is detailed 
  below.
  Kasha, weretiger spy. Kasha is a Karrnathi spy who is se-
  cretly a weretiger. She is based in Sharn, which allows her to 
  maintain her secret from her superiors. She recently identi-
  ed Lucan as a Citadel agent and began following him. 
  Shortly thereafter, thanks to her enhanced senses, she deter-
  mined that he was undead. Now she’s on the hunt for what 
  his plan is. See page 210 MM.
  Areyndee
  Medium humanoid (elf), chaotic good
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)
  Hit Points 45 (10d8 + 0)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  10 (+0)
  15 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +5
  Skills Deception +8, Insight +5, Investigation +8, Perception 
  +5, Stealth +6
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 17
  Languages Common, Dwarven, Elvish, Gnomish
  Challenge 4 (1,100xp)  
  Cunning Action. On each of her turns, Areyndee can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Evasion. If Areyndee is subjected to an effect that allows her 
  to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, 
  she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving 
  throw, and only half damage if she fails.
  Fey Ancestry. Areyndee has advantage on saving throws 
  against being charmed, and magic can’t put her to sleep.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Areyndee deals an extra 14 (4d6) 
  damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has 
  advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 
  feet of an ally of Areyndee that isn’t incapacitated and 
  Areyndee doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Spellcasting. Areyndee is a 4th-level spellcaster. Her spell-
  casting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit 
  with spell attacks). She knows the following wizard spells:
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, message, minor image, ray of 
  frost
  1st level (4 slots): charm person, disguise self, sleep
  2nd level (2 slots): detect thoughts, invisibility
  Actions
  Rapier of Reprisal. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 
  30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage,
  Reactions
  Rapier Parry (1/Short Rest). Areyndee forces one melee at-
  tack that would hit her to reroll its attack. Her next rapier at-
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   41
  
  tack against that attacker before the end of her next turn has 
  advantage. To use this feature, she must see the attacker and 
  be wielding her rapier of reprisal.
  Areyndee carries a potion of healing.
  Rapier of Reprisal
  Weapon (rapier), common (requires attunement)
  When you are hit by a melee attack when using this 
  weapon, you may use your reaction to force the attacker to 
  reroll its attack. When you do this, your next attack before 
  the end of your next turn against that attacker with this 
  weapon has advantage. Once you use this ability, you can-
  not use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
  Damage dealt with this weapon is not considered magical 
  for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
  Kuralaa
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 16 (unarmored defense and shield)
  Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
  Speed 40 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  17 (+3)
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  Saving Throws Str +3, Con +3
  Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +2, Investigation +2, Percep-
  tion +4, Survival +4
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common
  Challenge 3 (700xp)
  Keen Hearing and Sight. Kuralaa has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.
  Reckless. At the start of her turn, Kuralaa can gain advantage 
  on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, but attack 
  rolls against her have advantage until the start of her next 
  turn.
  Relentless Endurance (1/Long Rest). When Kuralaa is re-
  duced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, she can drop to 
  1 hit point instead. 
  Savage Attacks. When Kuralaa scores a critical hit with a 
  melee weapon attack, she can roll one of the weapon’s 
  damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra 
  damage of the critical hit.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Kuralaa makes two longsword attacks.
  Longsword: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 10 (1d10 + 3) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 
  100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage.
  Jaralie
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful good
  Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
  Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +3
  Skills Investigation +3, Perception +5, Religion +3
  Damage Resistances Radiant
  Senses Passive Perception 15
  Languages Common, Celestial
  Challenge 3 (700xp)
  Invoke the Silver Flame. As a bonus action, the Jaralie can 
  expend a spell slot to cause her melee weapon attacks to 
  magically deal an extra 10 (3d6) radiant damage to a target 
  on a hit. This benet lasts until the end of the turn. If she ex-
  pends a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage 
  increases by 1d6 for each level above 1st.
  Spellcasting. Jaralie is a 5th-level spellcaster. Her spellcast-
  ing ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell 
  attacks). She has the following cleric spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): light, resistance, sacred ?ame, spare the 
  dying, thaumaturgy
  1st level (4 slots): burning hands, cure wounds, detect evil 
  and good, faerie  re, guiding bolt, shield of faith
  2nd level (3 slots): augury, ?aming sphere, lesser restoration, 
  scorching ray, spiritual weapon
  3rd level (2 slots): clairvoyance, daylight,  reball
  Actions
  Quarterstaff: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) 
  bludgeoning damage if used with two hands.
  Reactions
  Warding Flare (3/ Long Rest). When Jaralie is attacked by a 
  creature within 30 feet that she can see, she can use her re-
  action to impose disadvantage on the attack roll, causing 
  light to Jare before the attacker before it hits or misses. An 
  attacker that can’t be blinded is immune to this feature.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   42
  
  Part One: Job Offer
  The Iron Gate
  The lock is DC 25 and the gate has armor class 18, 38 hit 
  points, and a damage threshold of 12. A DC 14 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check will notice the beggar in the alcove.
  Impromptu Audition
  Treat each square on the greenhouse map as 10 feet. All ar-
  eas except those on the path and near Viorr’s desk are dif-
  cult terrain.
   
  Citadel Guard
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 13 (studded leather armor)
  Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  Saving Throws Str +3, Con +3
  Skills Athletics +4, Intimidate +2, Perception +3
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/2  (100xp)
  Actions
  Longsword: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 2) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 80 ft./
  320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
  Viorr Maelak
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
  Speed 20 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Dex +4, Int +4, Wis +5 
  Skills Deception +5, History +4, Insight +5, Investigation +6, 
  Perception +7, Persuasion +5, Stealth +4
  Damage Resistances re, poison
  Senses Passive Perception 17
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Goblin
  Challenge 3 (700xp)  
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Viorr deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage 
  when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advan-
  tage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of 
  an ally of Viorr that isn’t incapacitated and  Viorr doesn’t 
  have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Viorr makes two melee attacks.
  Sword cane. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Dagger +1. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) 
  piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. Viorr adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
  Viorr wears a ring of  re resistance and carries a feather to-
  ken (feather fall).
  Dire Ape
  Large beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 85 (10d10 +30)
  Speed 30 ft, climb 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  20 (+5)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  6 (-2)
  12 (+1)
  7 (-2)
  Skills Athletics +7, Perception +3
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages –
  Challenge 3 (700xp)  
  Actions
  Multiattack. The ape makes two st attacks.
  Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
  Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
  Soul Blade
  Weapon (longsword), legendary (requires attunement)
  You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with 
  this magic weapon. If you score a critical hit with it, the 
  soul blade deals an additional 2d6 necrotic damage to the 
  target.
  It has the following additional properties.
  Last Breath. When a soul blade is used to kill a creature, a 
  thin mist issues from the slain creature, extending out from 
  it in a 15 ft. radius. The mist lightly obscures the area for all 
  creatures except the soul blade’s wielder. If the soul blade 
  is used to attack a target within the mist, its wielder has ad-
  vantage. A creature that starts its turn in the mist must suc-
  ceed at a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become fright-
  ened of the soul blade itself.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   43
  
  Sentience. The soul blade is a neutral evil sentient weapon 
  with an Intelligence of 15, Wisdom of 17, and Charisma of 
  10. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 
  feet.
  The weapon can speak, read, and understand Common, 
  and it can communicate with its wielder telepathically. Its 
  voice is thin and whispery.
  Personality. The soul blade is dedicated totally to the as-
  cendancy of Karrnath as the center of Khorvairian civiliza-
  tion, and it won't rest until every other nation lies under 
  Karrnath's heel.
  Part Two: Trolanport Mas-
  querade
  The Road to Trolanport
  It is possible that the PCs will seek out a method of reaching 
  Trolanport other than the road. Shadows of the Last War es-
  tablished that a trip by elemental galleon should only take 
  about two days, An airship, providing for the availability of 
  passage, is likely to be even faster. Neither of these would 
  allow the PCs to catch Lucan on the road, though they could 
  reach Trolanport rst in order to set a trap for him. Still, if 
  Viorr is wrong about Lucan’s destination, then heading to 
  Trolanport will not allow them to track Lucan.
  Assuming the PCs travel by road and follow Lucan, they will 
  spend half the trip in Breland and the other half in Zilargo.
  To run his coach at the speed noted, assume Lucan is getting 
  new horses every day or two instead of every four days.
  Travel Encounters
  Use the table below for encounters on the road. At night roll 
  twice, taking the higher result. 
  Travel Encounters
  d100
  Encounter
  01 – 34
  Merchants
  35 – 59
  Travelers
  60 – 74
  Military Patrol
  75 – 89
  Bandits
  90 – 100
  Monster
  Merchants
  Merchants will have 1d4 wagons. There will be one mer-
  chant and two guards (see page 347 MM) per wagon. With 
  two or more wagons, there is a 20% chance of a private 
  coach carrying the merchants with an additional guard driv-
  ing the coach (use thug stats on page 350 MM for the 
  driver). 
  Merchants and their guards are likely to be (d10): 
  d100
  Race
  1 – 34 
  Gnome
  35 – 69 
  Human
  70 – 74 
  Dwarf
  75 – 79 
  Hal%ing
  80 – 82 
  Elf
  83 – 84 
  Goblin
  85 – 100 
  Mixed group
  (roll twice)
  Travelers
  Roll d20 to determine the type of travelers
  d20
  Traveler Type
  1 – 8 
  Farmer
  9 – 12 
  Hunter
  13 – 15 
  Priest
  16 – 17 
  Musician
  18 – 19 
  Scout
  20
  Special
  Priests. This will be a group dedicated to the Sovereign Host. 
  There is a 1 in 6 chance of a higher level priest (page 348 
  MM) being among the group, which will include 1d4 
  acolytes  (page 342 MM) and 2d4 commoners (page 345 
  MM).
  Musicians. Musicians have a 50% chance to be traveling in 
  a troupe of 2d4 people and a 50% chance to be traveling 
  alone. Each musician in a group has a 1 in 6 chance of be-
  ing a bard (page 211 VGtM). The chance for a single musi-
  cian being a bard is 2 in 6.
  Scout. This could be a courier, inquisitive, bounty hunter, or 
  military scout.
  Special. Use the Who Kicks in the Door? Table.
  Military Patrol
  There is a 1 in 6 chance that this is a House Deneith merce-
  nary group. Otherwise, this will be a Brelish group in Bre-
  land and a Zil group once the PCs enter Zilargo. It will be 
  composed of 2d6 mounted guards (page 347 MM) with a 
  50% chance of being led by a veteran (page 350 MM).
  Bandits
  This has a 50% chance of being a group of 2 bugbears (page 
  33 MM) and 2d4 goblins (page 166 MM). Otherwise, use 1 
  bandit captain (page 344 MM), 1 scout (page 349 MM), and 
  2d4 bandits (page 343 MM).
  Monster
  See the Monster Manual for details on the monsters below.
  d10
  Monster
  1
  Displacer Beast, page 81 MM
  2
  Ettin, page 132 MM
  3 – 4 
  Giant Boar, page 323 MM 
  5
  Manticore, page 213 MM
  6 – 7 
  Owlbear, page 249 MM
  8 – 10 
  2-5 Worgs, page 341 MM 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   44
  
  Road Battle
  This scene is a ght with Grilsha which is expected to end 
  with Lucan and Grilsha making their escape to Trolanport. 
  Use this scene as an opportunity for PCs to potentially learn 
  about Lucan’s vampirism and to showcase Grilsha’s capabil-
  ities.
  Starting positions. The coach begins 1,200 feet ahead of the 
  PCs. The road is on a straightaway that runs toward a small 
  gnome town. An easy way to visualize this is on a map in 
  which each square is 50 feet. The coach is 24 squares ahead 
  of the PCs and initially moves one square per round. The 
  PCs can move up to 5 squares per round.
  Catching up. Grilsha will notice the PCs if she makes a suc-
  cessful Wisdom (Perception) check. The DC of this check is 
  equal to the number of 50 foot squares separating the coach 
  from the PCs. If the PCs direct their horses to run at top 
  speed (5 squares) or otherwise call attention to themselves, 
  Grilsha has advantage on the roll. If Grilsha notices the PCs, 
  the coach will begin moving at four squares per round.
  When darkness comes. When the PCs spot Grilsha, the sun 
  is about to set and the area is still in bright light. That will 
  change momentarily. Three rounds into the chase, the sun 
  sets and the light level changes to dim light, imposing disad-
  vantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks depending on sight 
  – including Grilsha’s checks to notice the PCs. 
  Avoiding the chase. The PCs might try something clever like 
  using a silence spell to sneak up on Grilsha. This would 
  make Grilsha far less likely to notice the PCs. That’s OK – it 
  just means they catch up more quickly.
  Grilsha
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
  Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  8 (-1)
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  13 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Constitution +5, Charisma +6
  Skills Arcana +4, Animal Handling +3, Perception +3, Per-
  suasion +6
  Damage Resistances Lightning, Thunder
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, Draconic, Primordial
  Challenge 5 (1,800xp)
  Quickened Spell (2/Day): Grilsha casts one of her spells as a 
  bonus action.
  Extend spell (2/Day): When Grilsha casts one of her spells 
  with a duration of 1 minute or more, she can double its du-
  ration.
  Short Flight. Immediately before or after casting a spell of 
  1st-level or higher, Grilsha can Jy 10 feet without provoking 
  opportunity attacks.
  Spellcasting. Grilsha is a 6th-level spellcaster. Her spellcast-
  ing ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell 
  attacks). She knows the following sorcerer spells:
  Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, friends, mage hand, mes-
  sage, ray of frost
  1st level (4 slots): mage armor, shield, silent image
  2nd level (3 slots): alter self, invisibility
  3rd level (3 slots): ?y, lightning bolt
  Storm Heart. When Grilsha casts lightning bolt, she deals 3 
  lightning damage to creatures of her choice within 10 feet of 
  her that she can see.
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
  Grilsha carries several spellshards that function as scrolls: a 
  a scroll of darkness, scroll of clairvoyance, scroll of  reball, a 
  scroll of haste, a scroll of lightning bolt, and a scroll of scry-
  ing. She also carries a wand of magic missiles and a spell-
  shard with the following spells that she can cast as rituals:
  1st level: alarm, detect magic
  3rd level: phantom steed
  Grilsha’
  s Tactics
  Waking Lucan. Grilsha will immediately begin pounding on 
  the coach to wake Lucan. Make a DC 15 Wisdom (Percep-
  tion) check for him each round she does so. Until the sun 
  sets, he has disadvantage on this check.
  Spellcasting. As soon as she notices the PCs, Grilsha casts 
  mage armor. When they are within range, she will use light-
  ning bolt or her scroll of  reball, depending upon how the 
  PCs are arranged. If they get within 60 feet, she will use ray 
  of frost to attempt to slow their mounts. She can also use 
  silent image to create an illusion of a large stone wall across 
  the road behind her. While the PCs will likely see through 
  the ruse, it will almost certainly cause their horses to halt.
  Escape. If the PCs catch up to Grilsha, she will cast invisibil-
  ity and ?y away. If Lucan is still asleep, she will stop the 
  coach rst to wake him – otherwise she will leave the speed-
  ing coach for the PCs to deal with, hoping it delays them.
  Lucan’
  s Tactics
  Get up and go. Between just waking up and having a lim-
  ited view of the road, Lucan will be unclear as to what is go-
  ing on. As a result, he’ll focus on delaying tactics and es-
  cape, using his children of the night ability to call 3d6 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   45
  
  wolves which will arrive in 1d4 rounds. The he will attempt 
  to escape as a bat and meet up with Grilsha.
  Aftermath
  There is a good chance that the PCs will be left to deal with 
  (and possibly take the blame for) a coach and a number of 
  wolves about to run into a small gnome village.
  If the PCs search the coach, they will nd a small chest of 
  clothes (both men’s and women’s) and a purse with 200gp.
  Trolanport Inquisitive Work
  Members of the city watch are polite and professional. Their 
  job typically involves providing simple public assistance 
  more than it does ghting crime.
  Trolanport City Watch
  Small humanoid (gnome), lawful good
  Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield)
  Hit Points 22 (4d6 + 8)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  10 (+0)
  Skills Athletics +3, Investigation +4, Perception +2
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 1/4  (50xp)
  Gnome cunning. The guard has advantage on all Intelli-
  gence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Actions
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing 
  damage, or 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage if used with two 
  hands to make a melee attack.
  Sahuagin Mugger
  Medium humanoid (sahuagin), lawful evil
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 33 (5d8 + 10)
  Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  15 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  9 (-1)
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +2
  Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
  Languages Sahuagin
  Challenge 1  (200xp)
  Blood Frenzy. The sahuagin has advantage on melee attack 
  rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
  Limited Amphibiousness. The sahuagin can breathe air and 
  water, but it needs to be submerged at least once every 4 
  hours to avoid suffocating.
  Shark Telepathy. The sahuagin can magically command any 
  shark within 120 feet of it, using a limited telepathy.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The sahuagin deals an extra 3 (1d6) 
  damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has 
  advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 
  feet of an ally of the sahuagin that isn't incapacitated and 
  the sahuagin doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The sahuagin makes two melee attacks: one 
  with its bite and one with its claws or spear.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing 
  damage, or 4 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage if used with two 
  hands to make a melee attack.
  Abandon All Weapons… 
  The embassy employs locals as guards.
  Embassy Guard
  Small humanoid (gnome), lawful good
  Armor Class 17 (half plate)
  Hit Points 39 (6d6 + 18)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  17 (+3)
  13 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  8 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +3, Insight +2, Perception +2
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 1(200xp)
  Gnome cunning. The guard has advantage on all Intelli-
  gence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The guard makes two melee attacks: one blud-
  geoning attack with its hooked hammer and one piercing at-
  tack with its hooked hammer.
  Hooked hammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) bludgeoning damage or 4 
  (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Trip (Recharge 5 – 6). When the guard deals piercing dam-
  age with its hooked hammer, it can use its reaction to force 
  the target to make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or be ren-
  dered prone.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   46
  
  Gnome Hooked Hammer
  Martial weapon; Cost: 20 gp; Damage: 1d8 bludgeoning 
  or 1d6 piercing; Weight: 4 lbs; Properties: Two-handed
  Getting an Invitation
  Using a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to get an invita-
  tion out of the box will be very difcult (DC 20), as it is sit-
  ting at the feet of the gnome guards. If the PCs go this route, 
  they would be wise to use a distraction to provide them-
  selves with advantage. If a PC fails at sleight of hand, but ex-
  ceeds the passive perception of the guards (12), the PC can 
  decide whether they aborted their attempt before it was no-
  ticed or whether they grabbed an invitation but were no-
  ticed. 
  Using mage hand proves to be easier, but – unless the PCs 
  cause a distraction or somehow impede the guard’s vision, 
  they will notice the attempt on a DC 10 Wisdom (Percep-
  tion) check. Characters with the mage hand legerdemain 
  class feature need only make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) 
  check that exceeds the passive perception of the guards (12).
  Smuggling in Weapons
  The guards are not going to pat down guests, as many of 
  them are dignitaries, though they may make an exception 
  for PCs who show up heavily armed and armored, looking 
  ready for battle. If the PCs are subtle, they can conceal light 
  weapons on themselves. This requires a DC 13 Dexterity 
  (Deception) check. PCs have advantage when concealing a 
  dagger or when concealing light weapons under particularly 
  voluminous clothing.
  Sneaking In
  If the PCs choose to sneak in, they should have few issues 
  once they are inside provided that the PCs look like they be-
  long at the masquerade, whether through disguising them-
  selves as servants or guests. Guards are posted inside to 
  keep guests out of private areas, but they aren’t charged with 
  keeping anyone from coming out of such areas.
  Masquerade Ball
  Sound and light. The music playing imposes disadvantage 
  on all Wisdom (Perception) checks in the ballroom that are 
  based on hearing. Dancing light spells and decorative, Joat-
  ing everbrite lanterns provide light to the room. The ball-
  room is predominantly in dim light which imposes disadvan-
  tage on all sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks, but 
  each round there is a 25% chance that a PC will be in bright 
  light instead as the Joating lights move erratically.
  The crowd. The attendees are a mixed group, racially. 
  Gnomes make up the largest percentage, unsurprisingly, and 
  are closely followed by humans. A few half-elves and elves 
  are present, and there is even a pair of hobgoblins – presum-
  ably diplomats from Darguun. Everyone is masked and 
  dressed extravagantly. Masks impose disadvantage on most 
  Wisdom (Insight) checks, as they make it hard to read ex-
  pressions. If the PCs are poorly or inappropriately dressed, 
  they will also be at disadvantage on most Charisma ability 
  checks.
  Searching for Neya, Lucan, or Grilsha
  Questioning guests is more likely to turn up information 
  about Neya than Lucan or Grilsha. Any given guest has an 
  80% chance of knowing who Neya is and what she is wear-
  ing. That chance is reduced to 5% for Lucan – and that is 
  only after he speaks with Neya. A DC 12 Charisma (Persua-
  sion) check will get a clue about visual appearances as in 
  the original adventure. Enchantment spells – even friends – 
  can make this task much more straightforward.
  PCs are likely to have disadvantage on checks to identify 
  their quarries due to the dim lighting in the room.
  With a description of her mask, it requires a DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check to spot Neya.  With a description of Lu-
  can’s mask, it requires a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check 
  to spot him. Without such a description, the DC increases to 
  22. Scanning the crowd takes up to ve minutes of search-
  ing – subtract one minute from this time for every two points 
  by which the PC exceeds the DC. Each of these checks can 
  be made once every ve minutes.
  Grilsha has used an extended alter self spell and will be 
  near-impossible to spot without the use of detect magic or 
  the like. She is one of two human guests who are disguised 
  magically (several of the gnomes are employing illusions). 
  Many guests, however, wear glamerweave and the room’s 
  lighting is magical – all of which will make spotting her spell 
  more difcult. Her disguise is the only one which uses trans-
  mutation rather than illusion magic, though the PCs are un-
  likely to have any way of knowing that.
  Talking to Lucan
  PCs with a Passive Insight of 15 or more who speak to Lucan 
  for more than a minute will notice that his speech sounds 
  slightly stilted and forced. If Lucan recognizes the PC or sees 
  it as a potential threat, he will use his charm ability.
  Impressing the Guests
  PCs who impress the guests with their performance abilities 
  (either through dance or performing with the band) will gain 
  advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who 
  saw the performance. This requires a DC 16 Charisma (Per-
  formance) check. A result of 20 or more on this check will 
  induce Neya to introduce herself as the host of the gathering 
  and thank them for the entertainment (though, as host, she 
  will know that they were not invited and be curious as to 
  their purpose in crashing the party).
  A Fight Breaks out
  It always does.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   47
  
  Participants. There are several parties here:
  •
  Neya will attempt to remain neutral and out of com-
  bat. If attacked, she will attempt to disengage and 
  will only ght if her life is dependent upon it or she 
  is out of sight of her guests. Neya is a dirty ghter – 
  which does not mesh well with he identity as an 
  ambassador.
  •
  The embassy guards will arrive throughout the ght. 
  There is one guard stationed in the ballroom. An ad-
  ditional 1d4 guards will arrive on the third round of 
  combat, with 1d4 guards arriving each round until a 
  total of six guards have arrived. They will re their 
  crossbows at anyone except for Neya and embassy 
  staff who is in combat and refuses to stand down.
  •
  Meena and her two agents will focus on attempting 
  to capture Lucan. If the PCs interfere, Meena may 
  turn her attention to them.
  •
  Lucan and Grilsha will focus on escape, though 
  they are likely to kill at least one of the agents in the 
  process. If Lucan is seriously wounded, he will feed 
  from anyone he has charmed. He will use his chil-
  dren of the night ability to summon bat swarms 
  (page 337 MM) to help cover his escape. Grilsha 
  will shift her alter self spell to create talons for her-
  self and then use a combination of her scroll of 
  darkness and spells such as silent image, invisibility, 
  and ?y to aid their escape as needed. If Grilsha 
  needs to sacrice herself for her brother, she will do 
  so.
  •
  The crowds. The crowds function as huge swarms 
  with a movement of 20 feet as they try to escape. 
  Their spaces can be passed through, but count as 
  difcult terrain. If a swarm passes through a crea-
  ture’s square, that creature must make a DC 15 
  Strength saving throw or be moved 5 feet in the di-
  rection of the swarm’s movement. Creatures who 
  end their turn in the swarm’s space make this saving 
  throw at disadvantage.
  Neya ir’
  Krell
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 14 (ring of protection)
  Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Str +1, Dex +6, Con +2, Int +5, Wis +2, Cha 
  +4 
  Skills Deception +7, History +4, Insight +3, Perception +3, 
  Persuasion +7, Stealth +5
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Thieves Cant
  Challenge 3 (700xp)  
  Crossbow Expert. When Neya makes an attack with her 
  dagger, she can use a bonus action to attack with her hand 
  crossbow. Engaging in melee does not impose disadvantage 
  on her hand crossbow attacks.
  Cunning Action. On each of her turns, Neya can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Neya deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage 
  when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has advan-
  tage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of 
  an ally of Neya that isn’t incapacitated and Neya doesn’t 
  have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Neya makes two melee attacks.
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing 
  damage.
  Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 
  30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
  Meena ir’
  Erdalis
  Medium humanoid (human), neutral
  Armor Class 11 (14 with mage armor)
  Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 14)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  Saving Throws Intelligence +5, Wisdom +3
  Skills Arcana +5, Deception +3, Insight +3, Investigation +5
  Senses Passive Perception 11
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 3 (700xp)
  Spellcasting. Meena is a 5th-level spellcaster. Her spellcast-
  ing ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with 
  spell attacks). She has prepared the following wizard spells:
  Cantrips (at will):  rebolt, friends, mage hand, message
  1st level (4 slots): disguise self, mage armor, shield
  2nd level (3 slots): hold person, suggestion, web
  3rd level (2 slots): fear,  reball
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing 
  damage.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   48
  
  Aundair Agents
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 14
  Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
  Speed 40 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  11 (+0)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  8 (-1)
  Saving Throws Str +2, Dex +4
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Athletics +2, Perception +4, Stealth +4
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1 (200xp)  
  Step of the Wind (1/Day). The agent can take the disengage 
  or dash action on its turn as a bonus action.
  Unarmored Defense. While the agent wears no armor and
  uses no shield, its adds its Wisdom modier to its armor 
  class (included).
  Actions
  Multiattack. The agent makes two attacks with its unarmed 
  strikes or one attack with its unarmed strike and one attack 
  with its stunning st.
  Unarmed strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
  Stunning .st (1/Day). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage 
  and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving 
  throw or be stunned until the end of the agent’s next turn. 
  The agents are dressed in masquerade costumes, but carry 
  no equipment or identifying articles.
  Lucan Stellos
  Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 85 (10d8 + 40)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +5
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +6, Insight +4, Investigation 
  +5, Perception +7, Stealth +10
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons
  Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Elvish, Dwarvish, Theives 
  Cant
  Challenge 8 (3,900xp)
  Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Lucan can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Shapechanger. If Lucan isn't in sunlight or running water, he 
  can use his action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium 
  cloud of mist, or back into his true form.
  In bat form, Lucan can't speak and has a 5 ft. walking and 
  30 ft. Jying speed. His other statistics are unchanged. Any-
  thing he is wearing transforms with him, but nothing he car-
  ries does. he reverts to his true form if he dies.
  While in mist form, Lucan can't take any actions, speak, or 
  manipulate objects. He is weightless, has a Jying speed of 
  20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space 
  and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, 
  the mist can do so without squeezing. The mist can't pass 
  through water. The mist has advantage on Strength, Dexter-
  ity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all 
  nonmagical damage, except the damage it takes from sun-
  light.
  Misty Escape. When he drops to 0 hit points outside his rest-
  ing place, Lucan transforms into a cloud of mist instead of 
  falling unconscious, provided that he isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If he can't transform, he is destroyed.
  While he has 0 hit points in mist form, he can't revert to his 
  vampire form, and he must reach his resting place within 2 
  hours or be destroyed. Once in his resting place, he reverts 
  to his vampire form. He is then paralyzed until he regains at 
  least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in his resting place 
  with 0 hit points, he regains 1 hit point.
  Regeneration. Lucan regains 5 hit points at the start of his 
  turn if he has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If Lucan takes radiant damage or damage from 
  holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next 
  turn.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Lucan deals an extra 10 (3d6) dam-
  age when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has ad-
  vantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet 
  of an ally of Lucan’s that isn’t incapacitated and Lucan 
  doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Spider Climb. Lucan can climb difcult surfaces, including 
  ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
  Vampire Weaknesses. Lucan has the following Jaws: 
  Forbiddance. Lucan can't enter a residence without an invi-
  tation from one of the occupants.
  Harmed by Running Water. Lucan takes 20 acid damage if it 
  ends its turn in running water.
  Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood
  is driven into Lucan's heart while Lucan is incapacitated in 
  its resting place, Lucan is paralyzed until the stake is re-
  moved.
  Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Lucan takes 20 radiant damage 
  when he starts his turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, he has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
  Last Breath. If Lucan uses the soul blade to kill a creature, a 
  thin mist issues from the slain creature in a 15 ft. radius, 
  lightly obscuring the area for all creatures except the soul 
  blade’s wielder. If the soul blade is used to attack a target 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   49
  
  within the mist, its wielder has advantage. A creature that 
  starts its turn in the mist must succeed at a DC 14 Wisdom 
  saving throw or become frightened of the soul blade itself.
  Actions
  Soul Blade (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) slashing 
  damage or 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage if used with two 
  hands. On a critical hit he deals an additional 2d6 necrotic 
  damage.
  Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon At-
  tack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) 
  bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Lucan can 
  grapple the target (escape DC 15).
  Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack:+7
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature grap-
  pled by Lucan, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) 
  piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's 
  hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the 
  necrotic damage taken, and Lucan regains hit points equal 
  to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target nishes a 
  long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point 
  maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then 
  buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire 
  spawn under Lucan's control.
  Charm. Lucan targets one humanoid he can see within 30 ft. 
  If the target can see Lucan, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wis-
  dom saving throw or be charmed. The charmed target re-
  gards Lucan as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. 
  Although the target isn't under Lucan's control, it takes Lu-
  can's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, 
  and it is a willing target for Lucan's bite attack.
  Each time Lucan or his companions do anything harmful to 
  the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect 
  on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until 
  Lucan is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than 
  the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
  Children of the Night (1/Day). Lucan magically calls 2d4 
  swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn't up. While 
  outdoors, Lucan can call 3d6 wolves instead. The creatures 
  arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of Lucan and obeying 
  his spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until 
  Lucan dies, or until Lucan dismisses them as a bonus action.
  Lucan wears a glove of storing in which he keeps the soul 
  blade.
  Glove of Storing
  Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
  When a wearer has attuned to the glove and holds an object 
  weighing 20 lbs or less in the gloved hand, the wearer can 
  use a bonus action to cause the object to be shrunk down 
  and stored in stasis in the palm of the glove. The wearer can 
  retrieve the item from the glove with a bonus action. The 
  glove can store one item at a time and stored items cannot 
  be detected. Spell durations and other effects on stored 
  items are not halted or suppressed. If the glove is destroyed 
  or its effect is ended, the stored item appears instantly.
  Final Boarding Call
  Lucan charmed several elite gnome guards who were in the 
  employ of House Lyrandar. He then told them that he was 
  being pursued by a band of murderous criminals who were 
  forcing him to Jee the city. These gnomes, being good citi-
  zens are clearly going to stop their friend Lucan’s pursuers.
  At the end of the rst round of combat, PCs with a Passive 
  Perception of 16 or more will notice that the airship crew is 
  hurriedly getting ready to cast off. At the end of the second 
  round, this will be noticed by PCs with a Passive Perception 
  of 15. The DC will continue to reduce by one on each sub-
  sequent round.
  Charmed Gnome Guard
  Small humanoid (gnome), neutral good
  Armor Class 15 (chain shirt)
  Hit Points 39 (7d6 + 14)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  10 (+0)
  10 (+0)
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +2
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common, Gnomish
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Gnome cunning. The guard has advantage on all Intelli-
  gence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The guard makes two melee attacks or two 
  ranged attacks
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 2) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 80 ft./
  320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. The guard adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack 
  that would hit it. To do so, it must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
  Each of the charmed guards carries a potion of healing.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   50
  
  Part Three: Sky Raiders of 
  Eberron
  Aboard Cloud’
  s Destiny
  Lucan’s hiding place. Lucan has charmed Captain Morgis 
  who showed him the smuggling compartment. Lucan snuck 
  into the extradimensional space using his mist form. The 
  lock that seals off this space is DC 26 and Lucan has the key. 
  The locker and the door to it are lined with metal and 
  treated to block detect magic. Breaking through the door is 
  difcult, but not impossible -  it has armor class 18, 35 hit 
  points, and a damage threshold of 8. 
  Grilsha. If Grilsha is still with Lucan, and she knows the PCs 
  are on board, she will continue using her extended alter self 
  to maintain a disguise when she leaves her cabin. She will 
  have altered her appearance from the disguise she used at 
  the masquerade and will appear as an elderly dwarf woman 
  who tends to stay in her cabin due to her fear of heights.
  Paying the fare. Captain Morgis won’t be happy with the 
  PCs if they board his airship. Enchantment spells are particu-
  larly useful here. Still, if the PCs produce their letter of 
  credit, Captain Morgis is unlikely to actually try to have 
  them thrown overboard – especially if they look armed and 
  dangerous. A Charisma (Persuasion) check of DC 18 or more 
  will get the captain to treat them as normal passengers once 
  they have paid their fare. A bribe of 250gp or more will pro-
  vide advantage on this check. If the PCs fail this check, Cap-
  tain Morgis takes their money and swears that he will turn 
  them over to the authorities on their arrival.
  Sky Raiders to Starboard!
  The battle in this section can be confusing. Whether the PCs 
  were aboard the Jade’s Fury or not, the Jade’s Fury attacks 
  Cloud’s Destiny with the PCs on the latter. Garrow wants the 
  PCs on Cloud’s Destiny in the hopes that they will locate Lu-
  can and the soul blade. The Emerald Claw boarding party 
  won’t hesitate to attack the PCs, but if they recognize the 
  PCs from the Jade’s Fury, they’ll prefer other targets if they 
  have them.
  Brother Garrow (Captain Rarwog)
  Medium humanoid (changeling), lawful evil
  Armor Class 17 (glamoured breastplate)
  Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  10 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  18 (+4)
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws Wisdom +7 Charisma +5
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +7, Persuasion +5, Religion +5, 
  Stealth +5
  Senses Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Elven, Goblin
  Challenge 6 (2,300xp)
  Change Appearance. Garrow can change his appearance or 
  revert to his natural form as an action. He can transform 
  himself into another medium sized creature of humanoid 
  shape, but his clothing, equipment, and game statistics do 
  not change. If someone has reason to suspect his ruse, he 
  has advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check made to 
  avoid detection.
  Divine Strike (1/Turn). When Garrow hits a creature with a 
  weapon attack, he can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 
  necrotic damage to the target. 
  Inescapable Destruction. Necrotic damage dealt by Garrow 
  ignores resistance to necrotic damage.
  Spellcasting. Garrow is a 8th-level spellcaster. His spellcast-
  ing ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell 
  attacks). He has the following cleric spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, guidance, sacred ?ame, spare 
  the dying, thaumaturgy
  1st level (4 slots): command, cure wounds, detect magic, 
  false life, in?ict wounds, protection from good and evil, 
  sanctuary
  2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, hold person, ray of 
  enfeeblement, silence
  3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, clairvoyance, daylight, dis-
  pel magic, magic circle, speak with dead, vampiric touch
  4th level (2 slots): banishment, blight, death ward, locate 
  creature
  Reaper. When Garrow casts chill touch, he can target two 
  creatures in range who are within 5 feet of each other.
  Touch of Death (2/Short or Long Rest). When Garrow hits 
  with a melee attack, he can deal an additional 21 necrotic 
  damage to his target.
  Actions
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing 
  damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 80 ft./320 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Unsettling Visage (1/short or long rest). When a creature 
  Garrow can see makes an attack roll against him, Garrow 
  can use his reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. He 
  must use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits 
  or misses. Using this trait reveals his shapeshifting nature to 
  any creature within 30 feet that can see him.
   
  Garrow’s glamoured breastplate provides a +1 bonus to ar-
  mor class and functions like glamoured studded leather. He 
  carries, two Jasks of holy water, a potion of invisibility, and a 
  potion of greater healing. His dagger is ornate, with a hilt in-
  laid with labradorite and Mabaran ebony and carved with 
  Blood of Vol iconography. It serves as his holy symbol and is 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   51
  
  worth 250 gp. He carries a feather token which is a single-use 
  item that casts feather fall. Garrow also has an amulet of un-
  dead eyes, a new magic item described in the guide to Shad-
  ows of the Last War.
  Boarding Parties
  Each of the three skiffs carries ve Emerald Claw Soldiers 
  and an Emerald Claw Squad leader. A fourth skiff carries six 
  archers to harry the Cloud’s Destiny from a distance. In addi-
  tion, each skiff has two crewmembers to pilot it. These 
  crewmembers will not leave their skiffs.
  Emerald Claw Soldier
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 14 (scale mail)
  Hit Points 17 (3d8 + 3)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  13 (+1)
  11 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  9 (-1)
  10 (+0)
  8 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +3, Intimidate +1, Religion +2
  Senses Passive Perception 10
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/8  (25xp)
  Actions
  Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 5 (1d8 +1) bludgeoning damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, 80 ft./
  320 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
  Emerald Claw Squad Leader
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 16 (scale mail and shield)
  Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  11 (+0)
  Skills Athletics +4, Intimidate +2, Religion +3
  Senses Passive Perception 10
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Pack Tactics. The squad leader has advantage on an attack 
  roll against a creature if at least one of the squad leader’s al-
  lies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapac-
  itated.
  Actions
  Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 +2) piercing damage.
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing 
  damage in melee or 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage at range.
  Emerald Claw Archer
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)
  Hit Points 17 (3d8 + 3)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  13 (+1)
  9 (-1)
  12 (+1)
  8 (-1)
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +3, Perception +3
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Wild Shot. When the archer misses with a longbow attack, it 
  can use its bonus action to make a second longbow attack 
  against the same target. 
  Actions
  Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 1) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 150 ft./600 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  Emerald Claw Skiff Crew
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 12 (leather armor)
  Hit Points 9 (2d8)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  11 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  9 (-1)
  Skills Arcana +3, Perception +2
  Senses Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/8  (25xp)
  Actions
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
  On Cloud’
  s Destiny
  Cloud’s Destiny has a dozen crewmembers in addition to its 
  captain.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   52
  
  Cloud’
  s Destiny Crewmember
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral
  Armor Class 12 (leather)
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  11 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  Skills Athletics +2, Perception +4
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Elvish
  Challenge 1/8  (25xp)
  Fey Ancestry. The crewmembers have advantage on saving 
  throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put them to 
  sleep.
  Spellcasting. The crewmember is a 1st-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to 
  hit with spell attacks). It has the following wizard spells pre-
  pared:
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, mending
  1st level (2 slots): feather fall, unseen servant
  Actions
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
  get. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 80 ft./
  320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
  Captain Morgis d’
  Lyrandar
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral good
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)
  Hit Points 38 (7d8 + 7)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws Strength +3, Constitution +3
  Skills Athletics +3, Perception +4
  Damage Resistances Lightning
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Elvish
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Fey Ancestry. Morgis has advantage on saving throws against 
  being charmed, and magic can’t put him to sleep.
  Windwright’s Intuition. When Morgis makes a Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) check or any ability check involving operating 
  or maintaining a water or air vehicle, he can roll one Intu-
  ition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability 
  check.
  Headwinds. Morgis knows the gust cantrip. He can cast the 
  spell gust of wind once and regain the ability to do so when 
  he nishes a long rest.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Morgis makes two melee attacks.
  Short sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage and 2 (1d4) 
  lightning damage.
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 80 ft./
  320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. Morgis adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
  Tactical Considerations
  Learning to y. Prociency in air vehicles is needed to prop-
  erly Jy a skiff or airship. Prociency in water vehicles will 
  allow a PC to make a DC 15 ability check to give the vehi-
  cle a single command. When Jying a skiff, a failed com-
  mand results in the skiff continuing to do whatever it was 
  doing. An airship is more complicated, as the elemental that 
  powers it has its own will. The check to Jy is made at disad-
  vantage and a failed check allows the elemental to gain con-
  trol of the ship’s action.
  Grilsha. If Grilsha is present, she will take to the air with a 
  ?y spell and snipe at Emerald Claw attackers with ray of 
  frost and magic missile. When Lucan appears, she will cast 
  lightning bolt at Jade’s Fury. The resulting damage to the at-
  tacking airship will help Garrow decide to ram the Cloud’s 
  Destiny.
  Crash Landing
  PC’s must succeed at a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw to 
  maintain their footing when the ship is rammed. Those who 
  fail are thrown prone and take 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
  Fall from the Sky
  In addition to the listed methods of survival, any members of 
  the Cloud’s Destiny crew who survived the attack will each 
  be able to cast feather fall to save a single PC within range.
  Sterngate
  PCs who took the overland route to Darguun in the Shad-
  ows of the Last War adventure will be familiar with Sterngate 
  and its lightning rail route. This could be an opportunity for 
  them to encounter some old acquaintances.
  The fortress at Sterngate will send a patrol out to investigate 
  the airship crash. The PCs should have no trouble riding 
  back to Sterngate with the patrol, especially if they can 
  demonstrate that they are working for the Citadel.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   53
  
  Part Four: Travel by Light-
  ning Rail
  Catching the Coach
  It is not difcult for the PCs to get tickets for the train, but 
  catching it before it makes an early departure is another 
  matter. Lucan will have given descriptions of the PCs to the 
  guards, who will attempt to prevent them from reaching the 
  stairs. Their shout of alarm will also alert Lucan, if he hasn’t 
  noticed the PCs yet.
  House Orien Guards
  Medium humanoid (human), neutral
  Armor Class 17 (half plate armor)
  Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  15 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +3
  Senses Passive Perception 10
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/8  (25xp)
  Actions
  Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d10 +2) slashing damage.
  See Swarm of Bats on page 337 MM. The bat swarms do not 
  intelligently cooperate with the guards, but they do try to 
  keep out of the way of the swinging halberds, so the PCs 
  might nd themselves pinned between the swarms and the 
  guards’ reach.
  PCs can attempt to ignore the guards and bats in order to 
  board the train. The guards will not board the train, but they 
  will continue to attack PCs clinging to the outside of the 
  train (possibly trying to grapple them to pull them off), while 
  the bats will follow the PCs as far as possible.
  Jumping onto the train is not difcult and can be accom-
  plished with a DC 7 Strength (Athletics) check, increasing to 
  DC 10 in the sixth round. A PC who leaps from the top of 
  the stairs has advantage on this roll. Holding on to the train 
  requires either a DC 10 Strength saving throw or a DC 10 (or 
  12 in round 6) Dexterity saving throw.
  Riding the Rail
  While Lucan is well-hidden, clever PCs might be able to en-
  list the aid of other passengers and even win over some 
  members of the rail crew. The coach driver will, of course, 
  attempt to protect Lucan, but he could be outed as under 
  the vampire’s compulsion.
  Lucan has a ticket and a private room. Members of the crew 
  will not be cooperative with the idea of attacking a passen-
  ger, though they have no problems with the PCs doing their 
  duty once Lucan leaves the train. Credentials from the 
  Citadel will mean little to agents of House Orien, especially 
  once they leave Breland.
  If the PCs do nd Lucan, a game of cat and mouse can oc-
  cur – with Lucan assuming his mist form to move from cabin 
  to cabin. Lucan may leave a few bodies in his wake, at-
  tempting to create vampire spawn but not yet realizing that 
  the bodies must be buried. He’s still new at this, after all.
  When the Attack Begins
  With a large number of opponents, this is a ght that the PCs 
  need to survive rather than win outright. If the ght is going 
  too badly for them, having the warforged kill the driver and 
  stop the train may be a good idea. If the PCs are doing well, 
  however, you may wish to delay that occurrence. 
  Climbing to the roof of the train. The ladders to the roof are 
  15 feet tall. Climbing generally takes double movement, but 
  climbing a ladder is a bit easier and only takes 25 feet of 
  movement to go 15 feet. Climbing to the roof from a win-
  dow is difcult – requiring a DC 16 Strength (Athletics) 
  check. Those who fail this roll must succeed at a DC 14 
  Dexterity saving throw or fall from the moving train.
  Falling or jumping from the coach. Falling deals 3d6 bash-
  ing damage. Jumping down with a successful DC 14 Dexter-
  ity (Acrobatics) check will reduce the damage by half.
  Pushing someone off. A normal shove attack or any effect 
  that moves an opponent can push someone off the coach. 
  Preventing a fall. A creature that is falling off the roof for 
  whatever reason can make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw 
  to grab a railing or other protuberance. This normally re-
  quires them to drop whatever they are holding in both hands 
  – attempting this with one hand imposes disadvantage on 
  this roll. In areas with obvious railings, this saving throw is 
  made with advantage. A creature that succeeds at this saving 
  throw is barely holding on and must make a DC 12 Strength 
  (Athletics) check to climb back to relative safety.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   54
  
  Scimitar
  Medium humanoid (warforged), neutral evil
  Armor Class 19 (heavy plating)
  Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+4)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  8 (-1)
  12 (+1)
  Saving Throws Str +7, Con +5
  Damage Resistances Poison
  Condition Immunities Disease, Magical Sleep
  Skills Athletics +7, Deception +4, Intimidation +4, Investiga-
  tion +4
  Senses Passive Perception 9
  Languages Common
  Challenge 5 (1,800xp)
  Warforged Resilience.  Scimitar has advantage on saving 
  throws against being poisoned.  
  Actions
  Multiattack. Scimitar makes two attacks with her scimitar or 
  iron sts. If she has her handaxe drawn, she can also make 
  one melee or ranged attack with her handaxe.
  Scimitar +1. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) slashing damage.
  Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing 
  damage in melee or 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage at range.
  Iron .sts. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bashing damage.
  Reactions
  Parry. Scimitar adds 2 to her AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit her. To do so, she must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon.
  Warforged Boarders
  Medium humanoid (warforged), neutral evil
  Armor Class 18 (heavy plating)
  Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  15 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  10 (+0)
  10 (+0)
  Saving Throws Str +4, Con +4
  Damage Resistances Poison
  Condition Immunities Disease, Magical Sleep
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +2
  Senses Passive Perception 12
  Languages Common
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Warforged Resilience. The warforged has advantage on sav-
  ing throws against being poisoned.  
  Actions
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 2) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing 
  damage in melee or 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage at range.
  Iron .sts. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bashing damage.
  Talenta Glidewing Riders
  Small humanoid (hal?ing), chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 17 (studded leather armor and shield)
  Hit Points 14 (4d6 + 4)
  Speed 25 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  13 (+1)
  10 (+0)
  12 (+1)
  9 (-1)
  Skills Athletics +4, Animal Handling +3, Perception +3, Sur-
  vival +3
  Senses Passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, HalJing
  Challenge 1/2 (100xp)
  Brave. The glidewing rider has advantage on saving throws 
  against being frightened.
  Lucky. When the glidewing rider rolls a 1 on the d20 for an 
  attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it can reroll the 
  die and must use the new roll.
  Nimbleness. The glidewing rider can move through the 
  space of any creature that is of a size larger than it.
  Reckless. At the start of its turn, the glidewing rider can gain 
  advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, 
  but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its 
  next turn.
  Actions
  Lance. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d12 +2) piercing damage.
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing 
  damage in melee or 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage at range.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   55
  
  Glidewing
  Medium beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 13 (3d8)
  Speed 10 ft, Jy 60 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  13 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  2 (-4)
  10 (+0)
  5 (-3)
  Skills Perception +2
  Senses Passive Perception 12
  Languages –
  Challenge 1/4 (50xp)
  Flyby. The glidewing doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack 
  when it Jies out of an enemy’s reach.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
  Ending the Encounter
  Sudden stop. When the coach stops, everyone on it who is 
  not holding on to something to steady themselves must 
  make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to maintain their foot-
  ing. Those who fail are thrown prone.
  Lucan escapes again. Lucan’s exit from the coach should be 
  somewhat dramatic as he has temporarily mastered the soul 
  blade and feels triumphant. It will be easy for any PC with 
  an appropriate view to see him as he scans the area, sees 
  the ziggurat in the distance, and turns into a bat to Jy to-
  ward It.
  Pursuit. Surviving warforged will be slowed by the train 
  stopping. They will need to regroup and will be tied up with 
  passengers and crew who have begun to ght back – several 
  of those who were on the train are war veterans. If the PCs 
  follow Lucan, the warforged will lag behind. The halJings, 
  however, will pursue and harry the PCs for several rounds 
  unless they have taken signicant losses. Eventually, the 
  halJings will realize that their employers haven’t reappeared 
  and they will return to the coach.
  Part Five: Lucan’
  s Last 
  Stand
  The Ziggurat
  The ziggurat is in remarkably good condition considering that 
  it has stood for millennia. 
  Antechamber
  The antechamber is the lair of a young cloaker. The cloaker 
  will use its moan ability in an attempt to scare off – or at least 
  separate – the group. Then it will attempt to bite and latch on 
  to a PC that is off on its own, if possible.
  Young Cloaker
  Medium aberration, chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 50 (9d8 + 9)
  Speed 10 ft., Jy 40 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  15 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  12 (+1)
  13 (+1)
  Skills Stealth +5
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
  Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon
  Challenge 5 (1,800xp)
  Damage Transfer. While attached to a creature, the cloaker 
  takes only half the damage dealt to it (rounded down), and 
  that creature takes the other half.
  False Appearance. While the cloaker remains motionless 
  without its underside exposed, it is indistinguishable from a 
  dark leather cloak.
  Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the cloaker has disad-
  vantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that 
  rely on sight.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one crea-
  ture. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage, and if the target is 
  Large or smaller, the cloaker attaches to it. If the cloaker has 
  advantage against the target, the cloaker attaches to the tar-
  get's head, and the target is blinded and unable to breathe 
  while the cloaker is attached. While attached, the cloaker can 
  make this attack only against the target and has advantage on 
  the attack roll. The cloaker can detach itself by spending 5 
  feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, can 
  take its action to detach the cloaker by succeeding on a DC 
  15 Strength check.
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one crea-
  ture. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
  Moan. Each creature within 60 feet of the cloaker that can 
  hear its moan and that isn't an aberration must succeed on a 
  DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the 
  end of the cloaker's next turn. If a creature's saving throw is 
  successful, the creature is immune to the cloaker's moan for 
  the next 24 hours.
  Phantasms (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The 
  cloaker magically creates three illusory duplicates of itself if it 
  isn't in bright light. The duplicates move with it and mimic its 
  actions, shifting position so as to make it impossible to track 
  which cloaker is the real one. If the cloaker is ever in an area 
  of bright light, the duplicates disappear.
  Whenever any creature targets the cloaker with an attack or a 
  harmful spell while a duplicate remains, that creature rolls 
  randomly to determine whether it targets the cloaker or one 
  of the duplicates. A creature is unaffected by this magical ef-
  fect if it can't see or if it relies on senses other than sight.
  A duplicate has an AC of 10 and makes all saving throws at 
  disadvantage, using the cloaker’s saving throw scores. If an at-
  tack hits a duplicate, or if a duplicate fails a saving throw 
  against an effect that deals damage, the duplicate disappears.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   56
  
  Offertory Chamber
  Pit Trap
  Mechanical trap
  This trap uses a mechanical trigger built into a drawer latch 
  to open a 30 ft. square pit.
  The drawer itself is hidden, requiring a DC 12 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check to nd it. If the PC rolls an 18 or more 
  on that check, the PC will notice the trigger for the trap. If 
  the trigger is noticed, it can be disabled with a DC 15 check 
  with thieves’ tools.
  If the drawer is opened without disabling the trigger, the pit 
  opens. A successful DC 16 Dexterity saving throw allows a 
  PC to grab onto the altar, though this results in them being 
  suspended over the pit. Otherwise, PCs in the area above 
  the pit fall 40 ft., taking 4d6 bludgeoning damage.
  Animal Sacrifice Chamber
  Minotaur Zombie
  Large undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 12 (breastplate)
  Hit Points 76 (9d10 + 27)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+2)
  6 (-2)
  16 (+1)
  3 (-4)
  6 (-2)
  5 (-3)
  Saving Throws Wis +0
  Damage Immunities Poison
  Condition Immunities Poisoned
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 8
  Languages Understands Goblin and Abyssal but can’t speak 
  them
  Challenge 4 (1,100xp)
  Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit 
  points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC 
  of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or 
  from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit 
  point instead.
  Charge. If the minotaur moves at least 10 feet straight to-
  ward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same 
  turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the 
  target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength 
  saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked 
  prone.
  Actions
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage.
  Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
  Hall of Statues
  See Grick, page 173 MM. The gricks have a +2 bonus on their 
  Dexterity (Stealth) checks and gain advantage due to their 
  stone camou?age ability. They will attempt to Jee if reduced 
  below 10 hit points.
  While squeezing through the narrow passage, a medium-
  sized creature must spend 1 extra foot for every foot it moves 
  there, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity 
  saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advan-
  tage while it’s in the smaller space. Small creatures do not 
  suffer these penalties.
  Chamber of Prayer
  A loud drumming noise causes all Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks relying on hearing to be made at disadvantage in this 
  area. The standing water results in the Joor of this room be-
  ing difcult terrain.
  See Otyugh, page 248 MM.
  A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check will 
  nd the secret door.
  Crypt
  The Ochre Jelly (page 243 MM) will remain below the surface 
  of the water, where it is largely concealed from sight. With its 
  blindsight, however, it can sense the PCs without difculty. 
  This provides it with advantage against targets who cannot 
  see it, and gives them disadvantage on their attacks against it. 
  If the PCs need a more signicant challenge, you can replace 
  the ochre jelly with a Black Pudding (page 241 MM).
  Treasure. The valuables in the sarcophagi are a large, but 
  Jawed, emerald worth 400gp, two vials of oil of sharpness, 
  an arrowbane longsword, and a gem of brightness.
  Arrowbane Blade
  Weapon (any sword), uncommon (requires attunement)
  When an attacker that you can see hits you with a success-
  ful nonmagical ranged attack and you have this sword in 
  hand, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on 
  the attack. An arrowbane blade is not considered magical 
  for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.
  Chamber of Circles
  The centipedes here have been corrupted by the endish en-
  ergies which were once contained in this chamber. Use two 
  or three corrupted centipede swarms for a party of 4th-level 
  PCs.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   57
  
  Corrupted Centipede Swarm
  Medium swarm of tiny beasts, unaligned
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  6 (-2)
  14 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  1 (-5)
  7 (-2)
  1 (-5)
  Damage Resistances Poison, Fire, Bludgeoning, Piercing, 
  Slashing
  Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Para-
  lyzed, Petried, Prone, Restrained, Stunned
  Senses Blindsight 20 ft., Passive Perception 8
  Languages –
  Challenge 1 (200xp)
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and 
  vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening 
  large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can't regain hit 
  points or gain temporary hit points.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target 
  in the swarm's space. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage, or 7 
  (2d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or 
  fewer, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution 
  saving throw or take 13 (2d12) poison damage. If the poison 
  damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable 
  but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit points, and is 
  paralyzed while poisoned in this way.
  Chamber of Ascension
  While Lucan has not come into his full power as a vampire, 
  he is still a complex opponent with many tactical options – 
  and may be too much for the PCs unless they are clever. It is 
  recommended that the PCs be advanced to 5th-level before 
  their nal encounter with him.
  Some additional considerations that may help the PCs:
  •
  If the PCs took the gem of brightness from the crypt 
  (above), it will be particularly effective on Lucan and 
  he will have disadvantage on his saving throws 
  against its blindness effect.
  •
  A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check or a Passive 
  Perception of 16 or more will notice a hole in the 
  ceiling behind the statue. The hole is part of the ver-
  tical shaft. While it is lled with light debris, it 
  could be cleared out with a moderate use of force, 
  allowing a shaft of sunlight to illuminate the square 
  in front of the secret door. If this occurs, Lucan will 
  move at least 10 feet in a direction away from that 
  square as soon as he can.
  •
  Lucan does not yet have a grasp on his regenerative 
  abilities. If he is wounded after his regeneration at 
  the start of his turn, he will grapple an opponent in 
  preparation to bite them. He does not want to use 
  the soul blade.
  Lucan’s statistics are repeated below.
  Lucan Stellos
  Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful neutral
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 85 (10d8 + 40)
  Speed 30 ft
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  18 (+4)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +5
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +6, Insight +4, Investigation 
  +5, Perception +7, Stealth +10
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons
  Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Elvish, Dwarvish
  Challenge 8 (3,900xp)  
  Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Lucan can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Shapechanger. If Lucan isn't in sunlight or running water, he 
  can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium 
  cloud of mist, or back into his true form.
  In bat form, Lucan can't speak and has a 5 ft. walking and 
  30 ft. Jying speed. His other statistics are unchanged. Any-
  thing he is wearing transforms with him, but nothing he car-
  ries does. he reverts to his true form if he dies.
  While in mist form, Lucan can't take any actions, speak, or 
  manipulate objects. He is weightless, has a Jying speed of 
  20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space 
  and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, 
  the mist can do so without squeezing, and it can't pass 
  through water. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and 
  Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagi-
  cal damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.
  Misty Escape. When he drops to 0 hit points outside his rest-
  ing place, Lucan transforms into a cloud of mist instead of 
  falling unconscious, provided that he isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If he can't transform, he is destroyed.
  While he has 0 hit points in mist form, he can't revert to his 
  vampire form, and he must reach his resting place within 2 
  hours or be destroyed. Once in his resting place, he reverts 
  to his vampire form. He is then paralyzed until he regains at 
  least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in his resting place 
  with 0 hit points, he regains 1 hit point.
  Regeneration. Lucan regains 5 hit points at the start of his 
  turn if he has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or run-
  ning water. If he takes radiant damage or damage from holy 
  water, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next turn.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Lucan deals an extra 10 (3d6) dam-
  age when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has ad-
  vantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet 
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   58
  
  of an ally of Lucan’s that isn’t incapacitated and Lucan 
  doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Spider Climb. Lucan can climb difcult surfaces, including 
  ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
  Vampire Weaknesses. Lucan has the following Jaws: 
  Forbiddance. Lucan can't enter a residence without an 
  invitation from one of the occupants.
  Harmed by Running Water. Lucan takes 20 acid damage 
  if he ends his turn in running water.
  Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood
  is driven into Lucan's heart while Lucan is incapacitated in 
  his resting place, Lucan is paralyzed until the stake is re-
  moved.
  Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Lucan takes 20 radiant dam-
  age when he starts his turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, he 
  has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
  Last Breath. If Lucan uses the soul blade to kill a creature, a 
  thin mist issues from it in a 15 ft. radius, lightly obscuring 
  the area for all creatures except the soul blade’s wielder. The 
  soul blade has advantage when attacking a target within the 
  mist. A creature that starts its turn in the mist must succeed 
  at a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of 
  the soul blade itself.
  Actions
  Soul Blade (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) slashing 
  damage  or 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage if used with two 
  hands. On a critical hit he deals an additional 2d6 necrotic 
  damage.
  Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon At-
  tack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) 
  bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Lucan can 
  grapple the target (escape DC 15).
  Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack:+7
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature grap-
  pled by Lucan, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) 
  piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's 
  hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the 
  necrotic damage taken, and Lucan regains hit points equal 
  to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target nishes a 
  long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point 
  maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then 
  buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire 
  spawn under Lucan's control.
  Charm. Lucan targets one humanoid he can see within 30 ft. 
  If the target can see Lucan, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wis-
  dom saving throw or be charmed. The charmed target re-
  gards Lucan as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. 
  Although the target isn't under Lucan's control, it takes Lu-
  can's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, 
  and it is a willing target for Lucan's bite attack.
  Each time Lucan or his companions do anything harmful to 
  the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect 
  on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until 
  Lucan is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than 
  the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
  Children of the Night (1/Day). Lucan calls 2d4 swarms of 
  bats or rats, provided the sun isn't up. Outdoors, he can call 
  3d6 wolves instead. The creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, act-
  ing as allies of Lucan and obeying his spoken commands. 
  They remain for 1 hour, until Lucan dies, or until Lucan dis-
  misses them as a bonus action.
  Lucan wears a glove of storing in which he keeps the soul 
  blade. 
  Treasure. In addition to the soul blade and his glove of stor-
  ing, Lucan carries 10pp and 85gp. A secret compartment in 
  the arm of the throne takes a successful DC 16 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check to detect and contains an elemental gem 
  (air) and a wand of magic detection.
  Conclusion
  The attack on the lightning rail and rumor of vampires, spurs 
  a few groups to action. The Church of the Silver Flame will 
  mobilize to ensure that the area is safe. In the meantime, 
  House Orien will stand by its passengers and ensure they get 
  to their desired destination. If the PCs show up and can pro-
  duce tickets, they will be treated with courtesy and given pas-
  sage back to Sharn on the rail.
  Troubleshooting
  Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan…
  Unexpected Deaths
  Garrow. What happens if the PCs killed Garrow in Shadows 
  of the Last War? There’s no reason that Garrow has to be Cap-
  tain Rarwog – the latter could simply be a member (or former 
  member) of House Lyrandar who has joined the Order of the 
  Emerald Claw.
  Lucan. What if Lucan is somehow killed early on in the ad-
  venture? If Grilsha is still allive, she will be pulled under the 
  inJuence of the soul blade, which will convince her that it 
  has stored Lucan’s soul – and can restore it if it reaches Kar-
  rnath. The adventure can largely proceed as written using 
  Grilsha as its main focus. If appropriate, Lucan might have 
  even turned her into a vampire before his death.
  If Grilsha is also dead, then one of the antagonists – either 
  the Emerald Claw or agents of the Lord of Blades – could 
  potentially abscond with the soul blade, falling under its in-
  Juence.
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   59
  
  Appendix C: Maps
  Embassy of Aundair in Korranberg
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   60
  
  The Lighting Rail
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   61
  
  Caravan Crossing Warehouse
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   62
  
  Under Caravan Crossing: Tower 
  Basement and Lower Storage
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   63
  
  Caravan Crossing: The Fallen Inn
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   64
  
  Caravan Crossing: The Tower
   
  Whispers of the Vampire’
  s Blade   65
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Stuart Broz/Whispers of the Vampires Blade A Remix and 5e Conversion_Guide.pdf