Blood at Dralkard Manor

Blood at Dralkard Manor, a Pathfinder Society scenario written by Shane Cottom, Steven T. Helt, and Joshua J. Frost for tier 1-7, was released in November 2008 and retired from organized play on March 29, 2010.

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Venture-Captain Juberto Savarre plans to retire soon and he's set his sights on spooky Dralkard Manor in southern Andoran. With the locals swapping tales of hauntings and missing persons, Savarre sends Pathfinders in to uncover the truth. Are the stories just tall tales or will the Pathfinders find themselves drenched in blood at Dralkard Manor?

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Scenario overview

Level	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
Location(s)	Andoran

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Background

A generation prior to 4708 AR, Master Algrim Dralkard and his wife Lady Nessa Dralkard were a celebrated couple in Andoren society who owned the Dralkard Vineyards on the southeastern coast of Aspo Bay, near the town of Alvis, close to the border of Cheliax. They lived in Dralkard Manor on the vineyard grounds.

Algrim Dralkard found a scroll while searching the belongings of his great-great-grandfather, who had lived in Egorian and was connected to House Thrune¹.

He unwisely used the scroll in an attempt to impress his peers, with the result that he accidentally summoned a vargouille. The vargouille infected Lady Nessa before Algrim was able to kill it.

The following evening, Nessa transformed into a vargouille herself. Algrim locked the monster in his study, and lost in his anguish, he left a note explaining events in a fireproof locker, set fire to the second floor of his house, and locked himself in the room with the vargouille who had once been his wife to await their mutual cremation.

However, a sudden coastal storm doused the fire before it could destroy the entire house, leading to Nessa's survival and Algrim's own transformation into a vargouille. The house was left abandoned with the two surviving vargouilles trapped in its study.

Adventure

In 4708 AR, Pathfinder Society Venture-Captain Juberto Savarre plans to buy the ruined Dralkard Manor for his retirement but has heard it is haunted. He commissions a group of Pathfinders to inspect the property prior to its sale.

Upon arrival, the Pathfinders are initially led to believe that the house is indeed haunted. However, it is actually inhabited by a small group of cultists² recently expelled from Alvis, and the "hauntings" are the work of the cult's illusionist, Rale. Their leader Niccum has discovered the vargouilles and plans to use them to infect local villagers and create a small army of monsters.

The Pathfinders confront Rale and his ally Belya. Niccum eventually returns to the mansion from a mission to capture Sheriff Eraltis of Alvis in revenge for their expulsion, and he challenges the Pathfinders to battle with the backing of at least one unnamed cultist.

At some point during these events, the Pathfinders might discover and defeat the vargouilles in the study, and find Algrim's note explaining the events of the past in the fireproof lockbox on the ruined second storey.

Recurring characters, concepts, and locations

The following characters, concepts, or locations can be found in this scenario, but also significantly appear in the publications listed below:

Map support

Blood at Dralkard Manor uses one custom map.

References

↑ The text describes Algrim's great-great-grandfather as "a Dralkard of the silver Dralkard line, a now extinct branch of the Dralkard family", but it is unclear how the branch could have been extinct prior to Algrim's death if Algrim was the man's great-great-grandson.
↑ The module never specifies what this cult is or who it worships.

[1] The text describes Algrim's great-great-grandfather as "a Dralkard of the silver Dralkard line, a now extinct branch of the Dralkard family", but it is unclear how the branch could have been extinct prior to Algrim's death if Algrim was the man's great-great-grandson.

[2] The module never specifies what this cult is or who it worships.

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