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A caravanserai is an elaborate roadside inn that caters more to trade caravans than lone travelers. Such an establishment is typically a square structure with a wide entrance that permits the passage of wagons and beasts of burden into a large central courtyard. Within the walls are permanent rooms containing accommodations, a common room, food stores, and other comforts of the road. Caravanserais thus help support the flow of commerce, information, and people.
What would the ramifications be if a group of vampire lords secretly controlled such a place? How might entangled adventurers deal with the situation, with words or weapons?
For the DM....
Delyth Caravanserai
Delyth Caravanserai’s faded walls have greeted travelers for more then a century with flickering lanterns lit just after nightfall, snippets of exotic song, and the scent of the inn’s famous baths. Like typical caravanserais, Delyth is great walled square, and travelers must pay a fee based on party size to enter. The courtyard is open to the elements, and the inner wall is riddled with doors to stables, rooms for sleeping, and vaults for safeguarding valuable merchandise.
The most prominent area of that wall is Road Spirits, the caravanserai’s common taproom. It is here that travelers find bedchambers for rent, hearty meals and refreshing drinks, and trips to the caravanserai’s baths.
Otherwise, the courtyard encloses various merchant booths and a central well. Delyth merchants own many of the stalls and sell mainly travel supplies. Other booths come and go throughout the seasons.
Adventure Hooks
Characters can become entwined with the caravanserai in a variety of ways.
1. Traveling PCs chance to meet up with a caravan heading the same direction on the road. Merchants in the caravan offer the characters food and shelter in exchange for companionship and a few extra eyes to keep watch. After making some friends, the PCs arrive with the caravan at Delyth Caravanserai. Soon after, one of their new pals goes missing.
2. Mazh Frenkler, a wealthy cloth merchant, has a problem. His son, normally a responsible man, refuses to leave the Delyth Caravanserai. Now he seems to be “living like a wastrel,” asking his father for money and for a few servants to be sent to the caravanserai. Mazh instead sends the characters to investigate and bring back his son.
3. A slaving ring has long vexed the PCs’ patron. The patron learns of disappearances at the Delyth Caravanserai and sends the characters to carefully scrutinize the possibility that slavers operate there.
4. One of the PCs has an adventurous relative who takes rough jobs, such as caravan guard duty and the like. That relative is missing after traveling with a caravan that stopped over at the Delyth Caravanserai.
Investigation
PCs that have History might know about the caravanserai, and those with Streetwise can do a little legwork to find out similar information.
DC 10: Reveals the basic information provided under Delyth Caravanserai.
DC 15: Reveals names of important people working in the caravanserai. It also reveals that the caravanserai’s owners live under the place in a played-out opal mine.
DC 20: Reveals names of important people known to be currently staying in the caravanserai. It also reveals that the owner has been known as “Savasti” for more than a hundred years.
Stories circulate about how people staying at the caravanserai go missing, though most are roustabouts hired to work with or guard a caravan en-route. No one finds this particularly ominous—people go missing all the time. Hired hands have a way of drifting without notice from one job to another.
DC 25: Rumors do circulate that the supernatural is involved, perhaps in the form of ghouls, ghosts, or even vampires.
Vampires?
A successful Religion check can tell PCs more about vampires, as detailed in the Vampire entry of the Monster Manual.
Important People
Once characters have exhausted their information resources, the only way they can find out more is to explore the caravanserai and meet with its principle inhabitants.
Vernor Grimbold
Anyone who walks into Road Spirits meets the dwarf billeter and barkeep, Vernor Grimbold. He’s talkative, sometimes annoyingly so, and sleeps only about 6 hours a night. Vernor isn’t a vampire, and he has no deep knowledge of what’s going on in the caravanserai.
Social Encounter: Vernor responds favorably to Diplomacy, but he doesn’t take kindly to Intimidation. Those who successfully engage Vernor in a social encounter get an earful, including the fact that Blasius the Steward coordinates most day-to-day business of the caravanserai, and Vernor reports to him. Vernor also pokes fun at Jezlar Frenkler, a merchant’s son who has paid in advance for a room for the next several months. Jezlar seems to have become good friends with Bryn Delyth.
To particularly charming PCs, the dwarf volunteers the fact that Savasti Delyth is the descendant of the original founder of the caravanserai. Vernor mentions that he only rarely sees Savasti emerge from her home, which has one entrance in the Road Spirits and another in the caravanserai courtyard. He knows Savasti is a magician of some sort, and he attributes her lack of aging to whatever magical talents she possesses.
Vernor is quite proud that criminals and rowdies rarely stay long in the caravanserai. He claims that Savasti’s rules are strict, and that she sees to it that those who disturb the peace never come back again.
Blasius the Steward
Blasius is the senior servant of the caravanserai, in charge of supplies, the readiness of guest rooms, the quality of the baths, and every other element required to keep the caravanserai in business. He sees customers only by appointment, relying on others to take care of mundane dealings. Characters can get an audience with the busy butler if they’re clever enough to make their problems or requirements seem dire, or if they offer monetary inducement.
Blasius is a refined, elderly human who is unfailingly polite. He isn’t a vampire, but he knows Savasti and her son are. He loves Savasti, and he hopes to become a vampire himself before death comes for him.
Social Encounter: Blasius responds to Diplomacy and Intimidate. He won’t reveal the complete truth unless a sharp user of the Insight skill catches his half-truths and misleading statements. He knows the problems Savasti is having with her “son,” and he works to play the PCs against Bryn Delyth while securing his mistress’s safety and perhaps his own immortality.
If the PCs ask the right questions or threaten Blasius with serious injury, the steward reveals that Bryn is a vampire. He gives up another half truth—that Savasti wishes to be rid of Bryn but can’t bring herself to slay her “son,” whether or not he is a monster.
The steward has keys to all the caravanserai’s doors, and he’s willing to give the PCs those required to get into Bryn’s section of Savasti’s underground house. Explaining that Bryn gets up to some “unpleasantness” down there, he says the PCs should perhaps only descend by day. He also gives the PCs directions to Bryn’s burial chamber.
Blasius would rather die than give up Savasti to the swords of so-called heroes. However, he is willing to admit she’s a warlock and that she has a policy of being judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to criminals in the caravanserai.
Jezlar Frenkler
Jezlar is the key to a plot to wrest control of the caravanserai from Savasti and place it squarely in Bryn’s decadent hands. He has, in fact, asked his father to send servants and money, but he intends to convert those servants to his aims. He and Bryn are also plotting how Jezlar can take control of his father’s business. Jezlar hopes also to become a vampire lord.
A whip of a man, Jezlar is richly dressed and well armed. He’s a fair hand with a sword, but he’s not willing to die for anyone.
Social Encounter: Jezlar knows that Bryn and Savasti are vampires. He also knows Blasius is loyal to Savasti and that the steward has control of keys that could get anyone into the old opal mine where Savasti and Bryn lair. The truth is, Jezlar knows too much for such a weak link, but Bryn didn’t expect outside influence or interference.
Jezlar lies and demurs when confronted, and he tries to be clever in evading direct questions. Claiming he’s here trying to cement a business deal with Bryn (true enough), he staunchly refuses to leave. He’s quite savvy in negotiations and bluffing, but Intimidate can persuade him to give up information and possibly go back to his home, especially if he is threatened with bodily harm.
If the PCs convince Jezlar to go home, Bryn and his spawn attack the PCs to keep Jezlar at the caravanserai.
Bryn Delyth
Most caravanserai employees think Bryn is Savasti Delyth’s oldest son. He doesn’t actually do much but take advantage of the baths, the liquor, and the company at the caravanserai. Most nights Bryn can be found in Road Spirits.
Bryn is a vampire lord and a skilled rogue—Savasti turned him fifty years ago for companionship. Always a rake, Bryn chafes under his “mother’s” authority. He feeds on those he wants, keeps others as pets, and has, in Savasti’s eyes, become reckless.
Despite Bryn’s apparent lack of morals and loyalty, for now he does plan to give Jezlar the gift of immortality. He feels he can handle any future treachery from the cloth merchant.
Social Encounter: If the PCs confront Bryn, he laughs off their suggestions, offers to buy them drinks, and acts particularly friendly. However, if the characters make pointed accusations or ask informed questions, especially if they can show that Blasius or Savasti want him eliminated, Bryn willingly bargains.
He reveals his “mother’s” nature and tries to convince the PCs to free him from her control. He might even expose the whereabouts of Savasti’s resting place, as well as how to steal Blasius’s keys from the steward’s chambers. If it comes to it, Bryn can even be intimidated into breaking ties with Jezlar Frenkler, or at least feigning his intent to do so.
If the PCs attack Bryn inside Road Spirits, he calls for help—Jezlar, Vernor, and a few other bar patrons defend the vampire. Bryn then retreats, gathering his spawn to later murder the characters. Unlike Savasti, though, Bryn has no intention of honoring a peaceful arrangement. Even if the PCs slay Savasti and her loyalists, Bryn later attacks them to keep his plans with Jezlar alive and to protect the secret of the caravanserai.
Savasti Delyth
To most, Savasti is a descendent of the original founder of the caravanserai, operating it with her only son, Bryn. The truth is that Savasti Delyth is a vampire lord and a warlock of some power. She is the original founder of the caravanserai, so she is also a businesswoman.
In fact, she is an entrepreneur first and bloodsucker second. Her policy of taking only the wicked to feed upon has kept the caravanserai free of thugs and criminals for many years. Bryn’s foolishness has changed all that. He no longer feeds only on the corrupt. Savasti believes that soon his actions will negatively impact business.
It’s impossible to get a meeting with Savasti unless the PCs work through Blasius and suggest they know more than they should. Savasti has a regal air, and she is circumspect but polite. She seldom smiles.
Social Encounter: If the characters manage to arrange a meeting with Delyth Caravanserai’s mysterious owner, they find a woman who’s ready to deal. If they break into her home, Savasti appears almost immediately to confront the interlopers, a few vampire spawn lurking behind her. If she’s attacked, she flees deeper into her mine-turned-mansion, and the PCs have to fight through her servants. They have to face Bryn as well, if he hasn’t already been eliminated.
Savasti knows about Bryn’s exploits, but her lingering attachment to him has prevented her from acting until now. To her, the PCs’ inquiry is proof that Bryn’s actions are drawing attention. If the characters are successful in a social encounter with Savasti, she promises to “deal permanently” with Bryn, as well as to send Jezlar home if the characters care about that. The PCs needn’t do the deed, but she will allow them to if they wish. She and Blasius give the characters keys and directions to Bryn’s resting place. If this final deal is made and the bargain kept, the threat to innocent people presented by Delyth Caravanserai is resolved peaceably.
Roleplaying Vampire Lords
The transformation into a vampire lord doesn’t eliminate the goals and desires a creature had while living. Some aspirations are turned to darker purposes, while other wants are amplified into animalistic cravings. This means that in addition to an appetite for living blood, a vampire lord can be motivated by anything that moves a living creature of its kind. It merely has an eternity to bring its goals to fruition, though it might have no more patience than any living creature.
When creating or running a vampire lord as a villain or NPC, the creature’s desires should form the basis for its behavior in the game. Bryn, for instance, is self-indulgent and greedy, and he is willing to eliminate Savasti so he can have his way. Savasti, on the other hand, is a calculating monster who wishes to simply continue her immortal existence hidden from the world. Bryn is expendable when compared with that goal, but Savasti’s soft spot for him prevents her from murdering him outright. That is until proof that Bryn has brought danger to their home shows up in the form of the PCs. These complications make several story outcomes possible.
Such complications make vampire lords gripping villains, but they also make great monsters. The vampire lord the PCs mistakenly awaken deep within a dungeon doesn’t need much motivation beyond slaking its inhuman thirst. However, with a little planning, even this sort of vampire lord can be more fun and enduring as a threat. As you would for a more detailed vampire lord villain, plan escape routes, hidden allies, and even traps the vampire knows about. It might have additional burial sites it can retreat to if seriously wounded. From such an area it can plot its revenge or simply show up again to plague the living. Maybe someone even knows that the PCs are at fault for letting the vampire loose in the first place.
As with any intelligent foe in the D&D game, vampire lords are more entertaining if they seem motivated in ways that make sense. If they have getaway plans, at the very least a thrilling chase can ensue. A little thought given to the actions of your vampire lord, whether mere monster or detailed NPC, can go a long way toward increasing everyone’s fun.
For the PCs....
vs. Vampires
When dealing with vampire lords, planning is essential. Vampire lords are often entrenched among mortals, using society’s mores to cover their bloody habits. The clever among them leave few overt signs of their true nature, but a little work can uncover their dark secrets.
Look to the Past
Vampires live long, so rely on History to garner information. Give heed to legends where the same name frequently shows up. Look for relatives that seem to have similar looks, and pay attention to unusual deaths and disappearances. Suspect convenient heirs and generous patrons. If you don’t already know it, learn your enemy’s name so you can further your investigations using it.
Examine the Present
What you can’t discover from a library’s books and folktales, you might learn on the streets by asking the right people. If you know your quarry’s home, seek out those familiar with what goes on there. Ply old timers for stories surrounding the names you’ve discerned and share a drink with experts who are acquainted with your enemy’s businesses.
Streetwise helps with all these tasks.
Seek Spiritual Guidance
Religion teaches about life, death, and the undead. If none in your party is educated about such matters, find a sage who is. Learn the difference between a vampire lord and its spawn. Use the knowledge you gain to select tactics, weapons, and defenses.
Learn the Layout
If at all possible, learn the layout of your enemy’s abode. The most important place to locate beforehand, if you can, is where the vampire lord reposes during the day.
Find out Who’s Who
Vampire lords often establish themselves among other humanoid creatures, so it’s important to figure out who the bad guys are. It’s likely that many of the people surrounding the vampire are innocents who don’t know of the creature’s true nature. A little time and talk might even gain you an ally or two in your fight. At the very least, you could uncover a bit of information that gives you a strategic edge.
Put Word before Sword
Vampire lords are terrible foes, and sometimes it’s better to just cut one down rather than give the creature a chance to gain the upper hand. But if the monster seems willing or eager to talk, indulging in conversation might grant you the benefit of the creature’s knowledge. After all, immortality gives one the opportunity to learn a great deal.
Expect the Unexpected
Vampire lords are elite creatures that often have powers similar to those of a heroic individual. Although it’s possible a vampire lord is merely a foppish merchant prince, it’s likely that he’s instead a warlock or rogue.
Focus Fire
When you’re facing a vampire lord, focus your attacks on the vampire, no matter what other sinister distractions or lesser creatures might arise. The creature most likely to bring you an untimely end is the vampire. Once the vampire lord is down, many of its effects and powers will end, and you can then mop up its lackeys without much trouble.