The group reach the town of Scorchridge late in the afternoon. The town looks desolate and empty. The rain is falling hard from dark skies above as the group make to the nearest inn to seek refuge.
Upon entering they are greeted an empty pub, save for the proprietor, a half-orc man named Edwont. He is pleased to see the group since business has not been good since the Cassalanters have decided to shut themselves into their manor. People have went to investigate the manor, but no one has come back. The town has been on edge because people are starting to disappear, especially after nightfall.
The group say their are here to find out what is going on, as Ash drops a nice sack of gold for Edwont to stay the night. He is happy to finally have paying customers.
The group decide to rest for the night. Anakis is roused by a very soothing voice suggesting she come to him. She ‘sees’ the vision of a very handsome man beckoning her. She rises from her slumber and starts to make her way out of the room as Quin sees this. She questions the teifling, who seems to be in a sleepwalking state. Ash, taking watch, sees this odd behaviour and alerts the others as he moves to block the doorway that Anakis is heading towards.
The group finally snap Anakis from her sleepwalk as they hear a ruckus outside on the street. Ash peers out into the rainy muddy streets to see 2 vampires in combat with an elf. The Sunless Six exit onto the street to aid the elf. By the time the entire group get to the street, the vampires do not stand a chance, as they are felled. Anakis proceeds to stake the vampires with her Acacia Stake, turning their bodies into ashes. They then approach the Elf, who identifies himself as Perriguis, the vampire hunter. He is curious of the weapons the group wield, specifically Anakis’ Acacia Stake and Quin’s Soninblade. The group tell Perri they found them in the depths of the Sunless Citadel. Perri berates the group for disturbing the site and halfhandedly blames them for the release of the vampire Guilthias back onto the world. He tells the group that he believed the vampire has infected the Cassalanter and taken up residence in their manor. His suspicions were right, and the group just killed the vampiric versions of Victoro and Ammelia Cassalanter. Perri says he finds it suiting that the group should be aiding him in destroying Guilthias, as they were the ones to break the vampire’s containment in the tree of the Citadel. Brushing off Perri’s comments, the group decide to head up to the Manor in the morning with Perri to see if the vampire they are looking for does indeed reside there.
The Sunless Six wake the next day to a hearty meal prepared by Edwont and his wife Lyali. Edwont greets the group good luck and hopes to see them return soon. The day is a heavy overcast, with a thick mist running through the streets as they group make their way through town and up to the Cassalanter Manor on the top of the hill.
They investigate the ground and come to the conclusion that entering through the front is their best option. As Ash moves to threshold of the mansion, he is attacked by arrows on either side. He quickly pushes open the door to reveal a small entrance chamber with 2 suits of armor on either side. The armor animates and moves to attack the Tabaxi as the rest of the group make their way through the arrow gauntlet to aid their ally. They fell the armor, and move to enter further into the liar of the vampire.