Renee does know the Vampires are creatures of the shadows, fogs and night. The were born(?) before the Sun ever rose and feared it like most of Morgoth’s creatures.
So the options I think we have are.
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Set up camp here and wait to see if it returns
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Scout the surrounding areas to find the Orc tribes.
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Let Riglo scout around by himself while we stay here
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Head back to Minas Tirith and do some research.
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Head back to the main group and let Caramir decide.
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Split up so some remain here and some go Orc tracking.
Any other options?
I think this covers it!
Ghân comments:
Option 1 has some party support (complete with a ‘hide’).
Option 2 is not as good as Option 3.
Option 4 is Ghân’s preference.
Option 5 is weedy. 
Option 6 is risky. 
Ummm, Ghan, Where did everybody else go. 
Elfstan is just hiding in the shadows waiting for the Big Folk to decide what we’re doing. He’s weighed in with his 2cp already.
Gil Gandel is busy in real life (the Vikings campaign is on hold )
I did not realize **Gil-Gandel ** was detained. I am on short internet rations this week so expect less of me than normal.
**Thoroncir ** I think is still on vacation too. It appears to be that time of year.
Hmm, a creature of Night, well my suggestion is as follows given the time of day.
We keep an eye on this place tonight to see if this creature exists, from a distance of course. Tomorrow, we look round to see if we can locate the Orc tribes and get an idea of what is in this area.
Once we know what we are, or possibly are not, dealing with we either retreat for wiser counsel or handle the matters ourselves.
Any comments?
Well Miron would be much, much more comfortable if his hawk wasn’t in the air during the stakeout.
Something important to decide on is the placement of our scouts: do we put the whole party in one place, in the blind, or do we find a likely target for the critter and spread our three stealthy party members out? I for one would prefer the group in a nice, defendable single group.
Well, as the general idea is to watch and not engage, so I don’t think your hawk has to be in the air.
I would suggest a couple of the more stealthy members of the party keeping watch from a single place but not interfering in what is going on. The rest of the party should retire somewhere distant but not totally out of range.
Brin: I agree, trail and report back. We should not engage. King Ellesar should know of an ancient evil in his lands.
Ghân’s animal friend, Brownie the Owl, can keep watch at night as well.
Fitting in an extra watch around this area as well as keeping the camp safe is quite tricky. I don’t know how Gil-Gandel does it.
Given that it is a creature of Night it is likely to come in the second watch.
So my suggestion is that during that time, Brin and Elfstan keep an eye on the camp and I will head forward to check it out with either Miron or Gil-Gandel depending who is up at that time. I think having Fang and Missie alert will be of great help and having Brownie flying around fairly invaluable as an alert.
Of course, with a Vampire around, there is probably nothing in the area that would be of danger anyway, apart from itself.
Any comments?
Fang needs his sleep!
Brownie won’t be flying around, because that’s what vampires do. He’ll be in a tree.
I’m back! Had a great river cruise with my family in the Pacific Northwest.
Thoroncir has already, of course, thanked his comrades for entrusting the magical armor and bow to him. He will do his best to put them to good use.
He listens carefully to what Renee says about vampires, and nods. “When I was a boy I learned about them from a loremaster in Linhir. There are very few references to them in the ancient texts. As the Lady Renee said, Luthien once took the form of a vampire; her name was Thuringwethil.” He looks off into the distance, remembering a childhood lesson memorized long before. “In the tale of Beren and Luthien is written, ‘She was the messenger of Sauron, and was wont to fly in vampire’s form to Angband; and her great fingered wings were barbed at each joint’s end with an iron claw.’ Earlier, when Beren’s great hound Huan badly wounded Sauron, the Dark Lord ‘took the form of a vampire, great as a dark cloud across the moon, and he fled, dripping blood from his throat upon the trees, and came to Taur-nu-Fuin, and dwelt there, filling it with horror.’”
He rubs his chin grimly. “I do know anything about the extent of a vampire’s powers, nor do I recall ever hearing what weapons or spells have particular effectiveness against them, but I suspect we may soon find out. I think we should send word to Prince Caramir as to what we’ve learned so far, but otherwise agree with my estimable Hobbit friend Mulligan as to our next steps.”
Quoted passages are from The Silmarillion, “Of Beren and Luthien” (pp. 207 and 211 of my 2002 DelRey paperback edition).
:smack: Last nongreen paragraph: “I do not know anything…”
So does Mulligan
Brownie in a tree should be fine.
Apart from that does it make sense? It is not like we are planning an ambush.
That should be fine, although I’m a bit worried about separating our scouts from the main force; if it’s an ancient vampire I’m assuming it has a fair chance of detecting us in spite of any attempt made to conceal ourselves, and if the worst case scenario is that it detects and preemptively attacks part of the group, I’d feel more comfortable having the entire party fight it at once.
I needed a quick summary of the final decision.
Who is racing back to Caramir?
What is the camp plan as far as hiding and watches?
I think I see what the party wants, but I see enough cross statements to leave too many gray areas.
Ok all, correct me if I am wrong
Caramir: Will be heading back to inform him after we have found something. So nobody yet.
Camp plan: Set up camp some distance away. A secondary hide some way between the pit and the camp so the pit is visible but hopefully far enough away that people there will not be spotted. I wonder if we are more likely to hear or feel its presence than see it?
Rota as above with the split of guards during the middle watch. Brownie to be in a tree nearby. I somehow doubt Fang will be sleeping while it is around.
After all, how hard is it to miss an 8’ tall winged monstrosity by moonlight? 
Any better suggestions, add to this and let everyone know.