There Must Be Something In the Water

The Tanglewood Manor had a small cellar lined with horrible metal cages. With no key hole visible, they recognized the bars were lined with the same blood-keyed spikes as the chest under Stoneblood Manor.

In the cages, they see Alora, but she tells them she is too weak to stand. The vampires have been draining their blood daily until they turn them into Thralls. Nira blesses the room, and three captives are revealed to be vampires already.

Hightown appears abandoned, but Nell Bund tells the group a strange story. There was a party at the manor and afterwards attendees didn't seem right. People were taken from the streets, including her twin sister Alora.

She says they carry lanterns that emit darkness and are attracted to noise. They seem to patrol the area. While the group hasn't met one yet, their exploration of the city was not without peril.

The group promised to return to help Leonora free Hightown.

This symbol has shown up several times now. Belladona saw it under the mountain, the goup found it on a deck of cards in the corrupt Shinze temple, and again in Thornyside, in the Hightown Church and Tanglewood Manor.

When dropping Nell Bund off at Lowtown, there were groups of people cloaked in pure black robes moving through the crowd. Midna suggested finding some black robes and trying to infiltrate the group. When they finally meet, the group is even sketchier in person. They claim to be followers of Liguaquide, that they are helping the town, and blessing the water. When the group attempts to heal the rown, they flee, but not before issue=ing a strange warning: The Devourer will have us all.

Blitherby's letter was quite suspicious. Now that Elaine's relationship to James as his fiance has been revealed, how does that impact the baron's death? Should James honor this contract or follow his heart? The group agreed to speak to the Tanglewoods, but when they arrive in Thornyside, the Lord and Lady are gone, and they are told that Elaine is not herself, though they have yet to find her.
Welben also informed the group that her parents are missing as well.

Alora gave the group critical information to help them breach Tanglewood Manor, and trhey managed to free her sister Nell as well as several other captives, though not all were so lucky.