Drudoc was around the outskirts nearing evening when she heard rumors of a group that had headed west and failed to return. In addition to those rumors were the growing number of vampire attacks around the area. To her it had grown to a breaking point and something had to be soon done or the area would fall under there heels, something she was going to allow if she could help it.
Drudoc gathered what supplies she could and headed off west to search for the missing group confident that they had simply taken shelter somewhere for night fall. She noticed a cave off to the west just beyond the orphanage and after preparing herself for danger considering the time entered cautiously. She looked about the cave noting the dark damp nature to it and allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness. This took only a few seconds but in that short time span she suddenly felt the wisps and pain of blades pierce her chest back and other areas.
Drudoc staggered under the blow hearing a serious of hisses around her and she just had the strength to cough out. "Shit." before darkness overcame her.
In the darkness Drudoc neither saw nor felt nothing. She floated in an empty waste and void everywhere she looked she saw nothing but blackness. Suddenly though she felt a searing pain course through her form then something even greater as she felt a tug on her spirit and a light rushed to meet her.
Drudoc gapsed in pain suddenly feeling a tightness around her jugular and blood seeping from her throat area. "Wha?!?" she said in confusion as she barely could move at the moment with the scroll tube stuck into her jugular. Slowly though comprehension seeped into her mind and she realized she was leaning back against an altar and around her were the wooden forms of coffins and chests. "Return to your stations! Leave these three to me." A man said though Drudoc soon felt and reconized him for what he really was as well as his companions. A vampire.
Drudoc had by this time made her way to her feet taking note of two others around near where she was both slowly getting to there feet as well. One was a human who she didnt reconize the other a dwarf who after a moment his name came to her. "Turinor...wha.." Drudoc started to say but soon felt a searing pain course through her skull.
"SIT!" the vampire priest commanded.
The sudden pain had caught Drudoc off guard and she felt her body against its own will sit down again. Both the human and Turinor did as well in turn.
"Ah...now then..." the vampire said with a sneer that chilled Drudoc to her bones. "You two will feed the slaves and lesser ones." He said looking to the human and turinor. The priest walked to Drudoc then and laughed slightly. "You though...my dear Drudoc...you will feed me..."
Drudoc felt parzlazed with fear at his words but a part of her briefly thought. "Should I be honored or scared shitless that he knows my name and what I do?"
The vampire stared at her for a moment before turning away from her. Drudoc considered trying to resist and take hostile action against him but decided then that for the moment it would be wiser to bide her time. "Choose your battles.." She thought recalling a piece of advice someone once told her.
"Now then my mortal slaves. As I am sure all three of you can realize by now you are under my complete control. You may resist at times but in the end you will be mine to do with as I please." The vampire said turning to face each of them.
Drudoc took note how both Turinor and the human kept trying to resist the vampire's words and commands as time went on each seeming more drained with each effort there after. "Stop resisting me!" The vampire commanded and Drudoc despite her passive nature till this point felt a searing pain enter through her mind again. This time though she was ready for it and fought off the command. She though acted defeated and slumped her body to the ground in a submissive posture. Drudoc took note of the others seeming to have lost there own battles and do similarly.
"Now each of you will serve me I shall command favors and tasks of you in time and you WILL do them." The vampire said. During this though Drudoc had used her will of effort to move her hands to the vials of holy water she kept on her belt. Her movements were so slight that she was certain the vampire didnt notice. So into toying with the human and Turinor that he was. Finally Drudoc took aim of the vial and tossed it at the vampire landing it head on into his chest and watching with satisfaction as he cried out in pain and hissed at her.
"I still got teeth vampire...." Drudoc said making to go for another action but suddenly found to her horror that her mind had seized up.
"You will stop resisting girl!" the vampire said as he shook off the effects of the holy water.
Drudoc though had sensed his fear at her sudden resistance could very well taste it in the air. She summoned up another burst of mental will power and shook off the command taking a defensive posture and started to chant calling forth a burst of searing light from her hand and aimed it at the vampire. "Forget it!" She said as she left lose her magic energies.
The blast struck true hitting across his face directly and blasting away a portion of his face and skin. "You will stop girl!" he screamed crying in pain. Again Drudoc's mind was assualted by pain from his command but she once more fought it off and gripped her holy symbol tightly. "In the morninglords light I call upon you foul vampire to turn away from his righteous light!" She said deifiently and with a burst of holy sunlight from her symbol watched in satisfaction as the vampire turned and screamed ran from the room.
For the moment Drudoc felt her mind was her own but could see both men's own minds were not. She had the chance to flee but yet she was stayed by the fact she couldnt leave two men to die or worse by the vampires hands. "Its a war of attrition..." She said with a heavy sigh awaiting for the vampires return. "...and one I'm going to lose in the long run."
It was only moments later when the vampire returned his face healed but heavily scarred. Drudoc gave a defient grin but then notice his chantings and hand movements. "AH SHIT!" She cried as she ducked behind a rock pillar only taking the side effects of the hammer like blow of magic. She wasnt harmed or stunned by it but knew she had to act fast.
Then she heard the gasp of pain by the human man and glanced out and noted that the vampire priest had him by the neck tightly gripped. "Come out girl...or this man dies!" He said tighting his grip and to Drudoc's ears hearing the slow snapping of bone and muscle.
She glanced to the dwarf hoping that maybe his mind might be also his owns and saw to her satisfactoin that he had gotten an hold of his weapons and shield and healed much of his wounds. "COME OUT GIRL!" he cried again this time searing pain blasting through Drudoc's mind. She was prepared for it though and was able to sum up the will to resist the command if she wanted but decided against it.
With a heavy resignated sigh she came out from the pillar willingly noting the look of satisfaction as the vampire realized she wasnt resisting. ".....Good girl." He said.
"I wont allow others to be killed because of my resistance." She said hanging her head
"I'll only get one shot at this." She thought as she took a deep breath. "Morninglord forgive me for what I'm about to do but please let it work." She thought.
Summoning up another burst of mental will her head snapped up and eyed the human mans back before the vampire could stop her she called upon another burst of searing light and fired it into the mans back. Drudoc's hope was to kill the man sparing him the suffering of slavery by the vampires hand and removing the threat of his own death by the vampire which was impeding Drudoc's will to resist. On one level it was unneeded but to Drudoc's mind it was her only choice.
The man though was a bit tougher then he looked even in his weakened state and took the blow crying out. "IT BURNS!" Before slumping forward losing consiousness for the moment. Turinor looked at Drudoc in stunned silenence seeming not to belive her actions.
Drudoc though felt the searing pain in her head double then causing her to stagger back and slump against the rock pillar. "ARGH!" She cried as the pain lanced through her mind.
"YOU WILL SUBMIT DRUDOC!" the vampire cried adding to her pain by tossing the human at her and slamming it into her hard.
Drudoc groggily crawled out from under neath the man as he slowly came around. The vampire though continued his ranting. "I am 2300 years old you foolish hin! I killed hundreds of people like you and in some cases bent those same people to my will. STOP RESISTING or you will find a far harsher treatment then this!"
Pain lanced through her at his words and Drudoc could barely make out his words. She did though catch his age and with that final word Drudoc willingly let her defensive barriers of her mind collapse. She couldnt fight one so old, one that had also grown so strong. Her posture reflectedt his and the vampire realized he'd finally one. Drudoc knew that in all seriousness she was the only one of the three that had any real chance of defeating the vampire. Turinor was more an axe man then a priest, and the human man was clearly a simple sellsword not trained to resist such things.
Drudoc though sensed the one thing that she was sure the others couldnt mainly due to her connections to the land. "The sun rises soon." she thought
This though already had seemed to cross the vampires mind as she in turn thought it and eyed her. "None of you will tell others about what has happened to you. Do you understand!" the vampire commanded.
Pain racked her brain again and Drudoc was tired and exhausted from her resistance. Part of her just wanted to give up and submit fully to the vampire. But stubborn pride and being a part of something far greater took hold of her ragged mind and she resisted. Still she had to convince the vampire he'd won. Standing slowly keeping her head cowed and posture one of defeat she leaned against the rock pillar as if drained of any fighting spirit. "I understand....after all you are so much stronger then I. Your age and wisdom far surpass my own and your knowledge of magics obviously defeats me in any true fight. I willingly submit to your will." She said in a defeated tone.
Her words seemed to take hold against the vampire and he nodded seeming to her belive her. "Good girl." He said. Drudoc took note that the others seemed to try and resist but could easily tell it was a hopeless battle for them and they dutifully nodded.
The vampire came over then and savagedly ripped the scroll cases out of there jugulars and Drudoc was quick to heal each of there wounds before blood loss would cause them to pass out.
The vampire then eyed each. "You shall see me around." HE said then looked at Drudoc with an evil sneer. In her mind Drudoc felt the words echo in her mind. "Especially you."
With heavy effort Drudoc found her staff and leaned on it heavily and she exited the cave into the first rays of the sun. As they hit her though she felt a warmth spread through her and her heart livened and she faintly smiled. For her efforts and trials Drudoc could feel that the morninglord had graced her once more with further blessings. And to her also seemed to further strength her mind.
In halfling she muttered. "This old hin still has teeth. And maybe not now, nor soon, but eventually you shall face the wrath of the dawn." She said with determination.
It was soon washed away though as she felt the icy grip enter her mind and the words echo thorugh her. "...Perhaps, or is it you that will face judgement?" All that followed then was an echoing laugh in her mind.
OOC: Thanks to Threstral for that event even if i did take a few writing liberties with what happened and in the order they occured