After checking with Detect Undead that her friends weren't actually vampires (yet...), Animir started making preparations to tackle one. She used Bless Water to infuse a flask of water with Nodonn's power, and equipped Dorlas with a potion of Cure Serious Wounds. Gripping the flask of blessed water and a torch in her shield-hand, and muttering a quick prayer to the Sure Swift Hand, she led her little army through the door into the crypt beyond.
The room beyond was dark, and a feeling of oppression flowed through it, originating in a figure waiting by a massive stone coffin. Although not physically large, the sense of presence radiated by this person was immense. It chuckled darkly. "You, little elf? You have come to challenge me? To match your puny godpowers against one of the Sons of Cain? Oh no. I have far to much to do to be disrupted." He pointed to Zada. "You!" he said, "destroy them."
The spell of the moment was broken, and everyone moved at once. Thorkil's crossbow sang, and a bolt streaked across to shatter on the vampire's forehead. He cursed. No mundane weapon would bite such a creature! Dorlas likewise found his hurled knife turned harmlessly aside. Animir lunged with Anvarna but then had to dance back as Zada struck at her with her short sword! The vampire had Dominated her and she was helpless to resist the command to kill her friends. Thorkil drew his own sword, and struck downwards sharply on Zada's, sending it spinning out of her hand and into a corner. Turning on him, she began to throw savage punches at the shorter dwarf.
Animir threw her flask of Holy Water, but missed. Turning to Zada, she cast a Protection from Evil at her, trying to block the domination excercised by the vampire; but Zada's native toughness allowed her to throw off the 'unwanted' magic!
"To me, Children of the Night!" cried the vampire, and Animir shuddered, wondering what terrors were to be added to their adversary's strength. There was a pregnant pause, and then from a crevice in the wall appeared... just two small and rather scraggy rats. The vampire looked a little disappointed!
At this point Animir remembered a pre-battle step she had forgotten. As Dorlas, now toting his magical shortsword, moved in to engage the vampire, she tumbled acrobatically back out of the battle, dodging as she did. Once clear, she dug the wand out of her pack and activated it to cast a Mage Armour. Meanwhile, Thorkil was struggling to get a grip on Zada to try and put her out of the fight without hurting her. She was rewarding him for his pains by battering him with her fists.
Dorlas was defending himself frantically, his shortsword having nowhere near the reach of the vampire's rapier, and blood was already leaking out of his leather armour in at least two places. As she watched, Animir saw the darting blade strike him again. Dorlas' face paled, and to her horror the elf noted that the vampire's palm was slick with blood. He had drained blood from Dorlas through the sword! Zada squirmed out of Thorkil's grip, swung around, and planted a haymaker on his chin. The dwarf spun around and crashed to the floor, out cold. Turning from him, she went to find her sword. Animir returned to the fray, but was unable to pierce the vampire's defence and could only watch as he wounded Dorlas again. Behind him, Zada hefted her sword ready to rejoin the battle.
Things looked bad...