Scions of the night, vampires live among the prey they feed on; the presence of a vampire often causes chaos and panic. A vampire’s lair is not for the weak-hearted.

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Outside the Lair

Vegetation is twisted as if is somehow in pain. Much of it is also horribly discoloured.
Hollow-eyed beggars snarl at passersby. Investigations reveal all have puncture marks on their necks.
Rotting wooden beams and crumbling stonework adds to the aura of decay hanging over the vampire’s house.
Dozens of cats sit silently on rooftops watching passersby as if the people were mice.

What’s Going On?

Vegetation is twisted as if is somehow in pain. Much of it is also horribly discoloured.
Hollow-eyed beggars snarl at passersby. Investigations reveal all have puncture marks on their necks.
Rotting wooden beams and crumbling stonework adds to the aura of decay hanging over the vampire’s house.
Dozens of cats sit silently on rooftops watching passersby as if the people were mice.

Major Lair Features

Dozens of small holes pierce the crypt’s walls in a random pattern. (The holes enable the vampire to move about in its gaseous form).
Many paintings of the vampire line the walls; the various styles span centuries of work. Many hang in ornate frames, and all are wired to the wall.
The glass from many broken mirrors litters the floor. Glass crunches underfoot, making moving silently tricky.
The eyes of a large portrait seem to follow intruders as they move about. (The eyes are hollow and lead to a wall niche holding the vampire’s coffin).

Minor Lair Features

The grinning skulls of the vampire’s many victims rest on shelves and tables throughout the crypt.
Crystal chalices contain small traces of dried blood rest in wall niches.
A picture painted in dyed blood on human skin depicts a landscape covered in blood and the vampire as king.
Ripped and rotten poems dedicated to the vampire’s true love cover a table’s top.

Vampire’s Appearance

Wearing worker’s clothes and muddy boots the vampire mixes with people easily. The vampire has a ready smile and a strong—perhaps too strong—handshake.
Wearing a long white wedding dress and a gold tiara the vampire regards humans and their ilk as nothing more than slaves and food.
Muttering to herself, the grey-haired old woman hobbles around looking nothing like a powerful vampire. The hobbling is an act.
A massive brute in crimson armour, the vampire wears an open-faced helm to terrify his victims. His black eyes blaze with unholy fury and hunger.

Treasure

This extensive collection of silver and gold coins from many countries dates back over a century. They fill three large coffers.
This ornate standing sarcophagus contains the mummy of the vampire’s ancient enemy. The sarcophagus is sealed shut with thick iron bands.
This barb-bladed sword of black metal screams as it cleaves living flesh.
Crafted from the pelts of thousands of rats and bats stitched onto human skin this cloak enables its wearer to shift form in the same manner as a vampire.

Trinkets & Trash

Dried blood splatters this tattered, crimson lining from an expensive cloak.
This jagged shard of glass is wrapped with rags to create a crude weapon.
Dried blood covers this shredded child’s lace dress. The dress hangs from a hook in the ceiling.
An intricate map shows how to get across the town without crossing any water.

Credit

This is a short system-neutral extract from Monstrous Lair #29: Vampire’s Crypt by Steve Hood.

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