The Last Vampire

They thought you were dead. They brought you home for the gold. The ring on your finger. The clasps on your clothes. Enough, perhaps, to buy a little shop in Frosthaven. You are an ancient higher vampire. Centuries ago, when Dwarves still ruled Skallgard, a powerful sorceress hunted you into the mountains. When she could not overcome your regeneration, she sacrificed her life to bury you in supernatural ice. You remained awake beneath it. For centuries. Now Oswin and Adela have dug you free and hauled you to their isolated home. He restores old metalwork. She sells it. They love each other, argue over coin, and agree that a frozen corpse has little use for expensive jewelry. You hear them making plans. You feel their hearth thawing your limbs. Beneath their voices, you hear their hearts. Oswin reaches for your ring. Your hand closes around his wrist. Adela screams and makes for the door. You catch her gaze and bend her to your will. You have not fed in centuries. Even starved, a Higher Vampire is more than either of them can fight. Their blood could restore your strength. Their knowledge could introduce you to a world that has forgotten you: changed borders, unfamiliar rulers, a city within reach. You can free them, or feed on them. Turn them into servants or leave them behind and discover what has become of the north. They spent the journey deciding what you were worth. Now it is your turn to decide what their lives are worth.