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[Get of W'soran]

First Hand Nicoletto Viggiani de Remas

Full Name: Nicoletto Viggiani
Associated Names: The Exile
Titles: Colonel-Commandant of the Sylvanian Empire, Fencing Master of the Drakenhof Court, First Hand of the Triumvirate.
Age: 654 years old
Bloodline: Lahmian - Exile
Sire: Lady Akela
Generation: 3rd Generation
Place of Birth: Tilea – The City of Remas

Physical Description
Nicoletto is lean and tall with dark ponytail, appearing to be in his late twenties. He is considered to be breathtakingly handsome in a way that his pale pallor and dark hair accentuate. He is found to be often smiling in a warm and pleasant fashion.
Lately the Tilean has taken to wearing an emerald green knee length coat, a light grey waistcoat with a white undershirt, grey breeches, white boots and a white cravat.
Nicoletto is rarely seen without a rapier and parrying dagger of some sort. He usually carries a single shot pistol too.

Unlike many vampires Nicoletto does not turn bestial when enraged or utilizing his full vampiric prowess, rather his fangs simply elongate slightly and grey eyes turn blood red. His most monstrous attribute is that he may grow talons when needed.

Personality
Nicoletto is...unfocused. He has, to the minds of many vampires, wasted his immortality and shows little regret for it. He spends most of his existence simply following his whims.
Witty, sarcastic and rarely serious he is often found to be either amusing or annoying by his peers. The vampire rarely even makes the pretence of being brave and will swiftly flee a dangerous situation to save his own skin although he can be surprisingly headstrong when it comes to standing by those he trusts.
Widely considered charismatic by the company he keeps part of his charm seems to stem from his own obliviousness to his own physical perfection, often seeming shocked when people remark on it. Despite being a skilled socialite he shows discomfort around most true affection whether physical or emotional.
However behind his light hearted attitude there appears to be a darker more cynical side to the vampire which he tries to keep hidden.

Brief History
Nicoletto was born over six centuries ago to a wealthy but relativity lowly noble family of both Tilean and Estalian descent in Remas. As a third son he knew he had little in the way of prospects and so he left and used his substantial finances to duel, drink and whore his way across Tilea, his one claim to fame was when he won the Tilean Fencing Competition becoming the country's national Rapier Champion.
He travelled to the Empire a few years later as the Tilean Champion at a multi-discipline competition and came first place with the Rapier, although sounding impressive it was in truth quite easy as few other country's widely practiced with that weapon.
It was in the Imperial Capital that the young man met his unfortunate end. A pretty young girl he met at a cheap tavern and brought her back his rooms, it was there that she revealed her nature and killed him.

After awaking to his new unlife he learnt that the “pretty young girl” was in fact a vampire and one of great age and power who belonged to an organisation of others of her blood. His sire, a Lady called Akela, admitted that the group she belonged to had been watching the young lord for sometime as a possible aid in their plans and promised him great wealth and power beyond his mortal imaginings.
Following Akela back to Remas Nicoletto murdered his family and assumed control of the Viggiani and with his mistress's wealth and plots he soon became the dominant power in the city.

For the next 30 years Nicoletto played a reclusive nobleman and dictated policies and laws that would effect the entire political landscape of Tilea. Over this time he met a few of his sire's sisters but learnt little more than they were a group known as the sisterhood and that they stretched throughout the old world and possibly beyond.
In time Nicoletto “died” and his noble house was allowed to fall into ruin as was part of Akela's orders although the vampire knew nothing of the purpose behind his three decades of work except that it was part of “The Queen's” greater plans.
After his mortal persona's death his Mother-in-death told him that he was no longer needed and that he would be best of to leave Tilea and never to return, he could live out his life somewhere else if he wished so long as he stayed out of the Sisterhood's way, warning him that their reach was long and their wrath terrible. That night he fled Tilea.

Nicoletto wandered for a few years before ending up in Sylvania where he fought a duel with a Blood Dragon called Marc and was then accepted into the service of Baron Karl von Teuf, later the Baron would sponsor him for a tournament amongst the vampiric ranks where Nicoletto would prove his skill and be elevated to Fencing Master of the Drakenhof Court by Vlad von Carstein.
Nicoletto would accompany the army during the First Vampire War but didn't take part in much fighting except for those times when he had no other choice, he was known to travel freely between the armies of Vlad, Karl and Micrea out of boredom.
During the fall of Vlad at Altdorf the Lahmian went half-mad and joined the lost battle in an attempt to find and help his friends, along the way he found a wounded Karl and offered to take him back to Sylvania but the Baron refused.

The next few centuries were, what many others of his kind consider, a complete waste. He has lived amongst humans, as he enjoyed their company, wearing many different guises. He has been Mercenary Captain Ezio de Capro, Marozzo the Fencing instructor to one of the past Emperors as well as several other fencing masters to lesser nobility as this played on his single most useful skill, he was also the famous criminal Giovanni and several foreign Lords but ultimately he must abandon these identities whether due to his unchanging form or simple boredom.
Due to his reckless attitude and fascination with humanity he has been chased more than once by the servants of Sigmar, sometimes only escaping due to sheer luck.

However Nicoletto's life has not been the utter aimless mess that it appears, he has had one underlying purpose which he has so far fulfilled admirably, at least in his opinion. The thwarting of all the sisters of his bloodline. The Tilean has murdered countless Lahmians and their servants, even covens have fallen due to him although usually such acts are completed thanks to his manipulations of mortals rather than direction action. The biggest accomplishment of these actions is that he has not been identified by the Sisterhood because even with this ambition he has played it slow, only attacking when he's sure of victory and often assaulting low-level operatives such as their mortal servants.

The Lahmian has also went out of his way to forge relationships, for better or worst, with the various bloodlines.
In the past he served as the Fencing Master for Karl's Barony and later in Vlad's Court, duelled the Baron and his nephews Simon and Micrea in friendly bouts allowing him to meet those who would go on to forge the Triumvirate. Although not well known he had met Karl in Kislev where he assisted the son of Vlad with slaughtering the Lahmians there, covering the act up so the Sisterhood would never know what the two vampires had done.
He robbed the tower of the Necrarch Lord known as V'azrin the Eternal with the help of his rival Nekhlior and he's had a few encounters with the Blood Knights to varying degrees of success from sometimes having a fun duel to almost getting slaughtered. He's almost been killed by a few Strigoi, a bloodline which terrifies him and of course his hateful encounters with the Lahmians.

Lately he has grown bored once more and desires the company of his own kind, hearing of the defeat of Nagash he has travelled to visit his old friends in Sylvania to find them the new rulers of a growing vampiric kingdom. During a Great Council meeting where all three of the Triumvirate where present he sauntered into Drakenhof, sneaking or lying his way past the guards before meeting Dieter who recognised him and let the Lahmian in. Seeing his old friends he greeted them jovially, stating that Karl looked well, asked jokingly if Simon's swordsmanship had improved and wondered aloud if Micrea ever smiled.
Such an act would probably have went down poorly except for the Triumvirate's joy at seeing their old ally, aside from Micrea who had never had much time for the colourful duellist.Nicoletto has, for almost a decade now, reinstated as the Fencing Master for the von Carstein Court and was granted a commissioned rank in the military. It is said Simon wanted to give him both Land and a Title but had been convinced that it would be a poor decision to give a foreign Lahmian such titles until they could be sure of the loyalty from the von Carstein aristocracy.
In truth Nicoletto spends little time in Sylvania but instead is sent into unconquered human Cities to set up various persona's so that he may pretend to be a rich nobleman who can come and go at will whilst socializing with the upper ranks of society, his main role being an information-gatherer...a spy.

In this capacity he became the first "Hand of the Triumvirate" being inducted as a partial member of the Sylvanian Assassin's Order.

Basic Stats
Speed: 7 – A gift of his Blood.
Agility: 8 – Even in life Nicoletto was unusually swift, with his Lahmian heritage he has honed his speed to great heights.
Weapon Skill: 5 (8) - Nicoletto has specialised in various Rapier schools of swordsmanship.
Ballistic Skill: 4 – A little better than most mortals
Raw Strength: 4 – Supernaturally strong but weaker than most vampire Lords.
Technique Strength: 5 (8) – Specialised in the use of the rapier and certain off-hand weapons. Has instructed mortal and immortal alike in it's use.
Toughness: 4 – Tougher than a mere mortal but doesn't wear proper armour.
Tactical Knowledge: 2 – Nicoletto has played at being General and read many of the great works of tactics. He studied much but learnt little, the main reason being he simply doesn't care to be a good commander.


Magic
Magical Lores Known: Necromancy
Raw Magical Power: 3 – A moderate amount of power to draw on.
Magical Skill: 1 – Nicoletto was taught some minor skills by his sire but has been unable to progress much over the years. He tends to go for more flash than substance in his spells.

Technology
Aside from weapon maintenance, very little.

Skills
Skill set: Sneaking, Acting and Thievery
Skill level: 8
Description: Nicoletto has spent much of his time in the shadows, he would rather hide or flee than directly confront an opponent. The Lahmian also became a fantastic liar, frequently pretending to be what he is not. Finding his talents lay in this direction it didn't take long for the immoral Tilean to begin a tradition of simply stealing what he wanted.

Skill set: Persuasion
Skill level: 10
Description: Nicoletto is an intelligent sounding man and extremely attractive, these are aspects of himself that he soon learnt could be easily abused. Nicoletto will often use his charisma to get what he wants often relying on seduction when dealing with the opposite sex.

Weapon/Armour/Items

The Silver Blade
A thin long Rapier with a cup hilt in the Estalian fashion, it's blade glimmers with an inner light, stolen from the Gold College in Altdorf by the vampire on a whim.

The blade is enchanted to even pierce plate armour, something that a mundane rapier is useless against. It is particularly effective against the undead and is wonderfully light.

Main Gauche
A matching parrying dagger, enchanted by the von Carstein magi to make it resistant to other magical weapons.

A dagger carried to be used in conjunction with a rapier.
[Link for matched set image]

Pistol
An ornate pistol, a gift from Simon to his former fencing instructor.A basic single shot pistol which is nothing more than mundane.

The vampire tends to carry a small number of silver shot alongside with the usual ammunition, he keeps some powder on his body at all times.

Light Chainmail
The barest of mail to be wore beneath one's shirt.

This hidden armour has saved Nicoletto's life numerous times but it only protects against lesser attacks.

Signet Ring
A ring which bears a flying falcon, the sigil of a now dead family.

A basic ring, kept for sentimental reasons.

Blood Ring
A silver ring with a crimson gem of unknown origin.

The full extent and meaning of this ring is unknown.


Other Abilities

Amongst The Prey
Nicoletto has spent centuries amongst humans and knows how to emulate their behaviour, even if that is as simple as remembering to blink and breath, things many older vampire's forget.
Nicoletto is used to living with mortals and is a good actor in this regard.

Rapier Fencing Master
Nicoletto is a master of the Tilean and Estalian schools of Rapier swordsmanship. He can fight with Rapier and dagger, cloak, buckler and when necessary a second sword.
Having trained since birth at this and the only thing he has never grown bored with the vampire is highly skilled in this area. This area of study has also trained Nicoletto in brawling as sword-fights can often lead to such. In gaming terms, using a rapier style boosts his WS and TS to 8.

Feline Grace
Nicoletto describes himself as being quick like a cat and quiet like a shadow, he is more than proud of this. These skills have leant well to his role as an Assassin in the past.
Nicoletto has served more powerful undead as an assassin for centuries however it is a completely mundane skill.

Strengths
- Master Swordsman - As long as he has a rapier that is, with other weapons he is merely average for his age despite formal training in his homelands other fighting systems.
- Swift – The Lahmian Blood and Fencing training makes the vampire extremely quick.
- Improviser – Nicoletto is nothing if not imaginative, whether in combat or society he is quick to come up with solutions to his problems, often unusual and not always useful.
- Quiet – When required the Lahmian can be quite silent. This allowed him to find work as a spy or, if absolutely necessary, an assassin.
- Duelist – Nicoletto's skill with a blade shines in duels and urban environments.
- Charismatic – Handsome and charming Nicoletto often gets his way.
- Intelligent - Nicoletto is an extremely intelligent vampire.
- Manipulator - Many of his "victories" are those he's orchestrated by tricking others into fighting for him.

Weaknesses
- Somewhat Frail - Nicoletto does not have the usual Vampire Lord strength and endurance due to his bloodline.
-Coward – Nicoletto often declares that he is hero, he will swiftly retreat if he feels he is in too much danger, sometimes throwing away a chance at victory in the process.
-Aimless – The vampire has no true goals for his unlife and is easily distracted or confused about what he will do next.
-Boastful – Nicoletto likes to brag but rarely likes to back up his talk. This can lead to trouble for the mouthy vampire.
-No Mage – Despite his intelligence the vampire lacks the proper tutor, resources or focus to become a true mage.
-Unarmoured – Nicoletto refuses to wear anything more than the most meagre protection.
-No Soldier – The Lahmian's weapon of choice is not well suited for war and he must rely on it's enchantments against armoured enemies.
- Awkward – Nicoletto is deeply uncomfortable around those who show him any kind of affection.
- Hateful – Nicoletto despises the Lahmian sisterhood and will take any chance possible to hurt them.

 

[spineyrequiem]

Lady Konstanze Nightchill

Full name: Lady Konstanze Janina Natasja Bärbel Nightchill
Associated names: The Witch of Owingen, Lady Christa von Owingen, Alheid Silberlicht, Leopold Austen (she made a very pretty boy), Baroness Petra von Bögenhafen, Lady Silke von Kemperbad, Trudi the tavern wench, Veronika Fluche, acrobat extraordinaire! Lady Irmgard von Carroburg, the Leech of Stirland. These are the most recent/notable, there have been many others at various points.
Age: 243 (usually seems like an attractive woman in her late 30s or early 40s)
Sire: Countess Janina Fallir, the ‘Weeping Woman of Wolfenburg’ (deceased)
Generation: 5th
Place of Birth: Talabecland

Physical Description:
A woman of medium height who seems to have taken extremely well to middle age. She is thin and pale, with long dark hair normally braided into a pair of coils behind her head. Her face has a trio of small scratches running across it, passing over her small, impish nose. Her full mouth is normally slathered in red lipstick and curled into a vaguely coquettish smile. Her eyes are large and a piercing, near-white blue colour, made even larger with eyeliner and mascara. Her carriage holds suitcases with enough dresses to make tents for the entire Imperial army, and thus her clothing and mundane jewellery varies from day to day. As well as stunningly expensive ballgowns, she has a selection of riding/hunting clothes for rough days out.

Personality:
Like many Lahmians, she seems flirty, kind and pleasant to be around, especially if one is male. However, this conceals an iron-hard will and unbreakable survival instinct. At all times, her own life is the priority, and on more than one occasion she has sacrificed underlings, her comfort or the interests of the Sisterhood in order to protect it. After this come the interests of the Sisterhood; she has been pivotal in gaining influence in many of the Empire’s cities, and will do whatever is required, short of dying, for the good of the mission. She does care somewhat about underlings, but more about keeping them alive than keeping them happy, and she pushes them hard to achieve the best possible results. She requires the utmost loyalty, and tends to get this by making underlings psychologically dependent on her, blowing hot and cold so that they become desperate to please her and pathetically grateful for any thanks she might give them.

Brief History:
Konstanze was turned while the Sisterhood was expanding its reach in Talabecland, where she was staying as part of her travels as a Shadow Mage. A powerful sorceress with a long line of friendly contacts, she was a perfect recruit for the Sisterhood. Since then she has flitted around the Empire, wearing a thousand faces but usually at the top of the heap. However, as her aliases might imply this is not always the case; in Owingen, she was caught organising a necromancer cult and turning a local noble’s daughter, forcing her to flee into the sewers, where she was compelled to remain for two years by the Queen as a punishment for her failure. She spent most of that time dodging an alternately amorous and aggressive Strigoi who had claimed squatter’s rights on the sewer, and it is he that gave her her facial scars, the full extent of which are concealed by magic and makeup. After leaving the sewers (an action that involved setting fire to half the poor district), she quickly worked her way up again to become wife of one of the most influential men in the city, before her tragic and untimely death and move to Carroburg. She has picked up an extensive network of spies and servants over the years, and several of her personal servants come from families which have been in her service for generations. She continued to practice and build on her magical power after being turned and is frequently called upon to train necromantic cabals when a particular areas' Lahmians are lacking in that respect.

Basic Stats:
Speed: 6 (a combination of Lahmian blood and long-standing cowardice means she's got very, very good at running away)
Agility: 6 (again, being Lahmian helps. She's also spent time either disguised as a dancer or escaping at high speed through too-small tunnels, which has allowed her to further hone her skills. And, of course, when all else fails she'll slash repeatedly at the face before fleeing.)
Weapon Skill: 4 (she's learnt some fencing and hunting techniques to help fit into those courts where it's acceptable for a lady, and has been forced into frenzied close combats on a few occasions. Relies on a mixture of elegant duelling forms, dirty tricks and crazed slashing)
Ballistic Skill: 2 (she theoretically knows how to shoot, but rarely practices. Attempting to shoot on the run probably doesn't help matters)
Raw Strength: 4 (still stronger than a human, but contests of strength are not her forte)
Technique Strength: 4 (while she does vaguely know how to fight, none of her techniques apply her enhanced strength as much as they could)
Toughness: 4 (she's able to ignore pain when necessary and has a certain amount of help from her vampiric blood, but she still doesn't want to get hit)
Tactical Knowledge: 3 (she's commanded enough cabals and slept with enough generals that she has a vague idea how warfare works)

Magic:
Magical Lores known: Lore of Vampires (necromancy), Lore of Shadows, Lore of Beasts, Lore of Fire
Raw power: 6(7)
Magical Skill: 7 (with Shadows and Necromancy), 5 with Beasts and Fire.

Weapons/Armour/Items

Necklace of the Circle:
A platinum necklace, with five short chains hanging from the front. The one on the far left is unencumbered, but the other four have dusty blue beads attached to them which glow faintly. These contain the spirits of the five Necromancer Lords of the Circle, defeated around 150 years ago by the Lahmians and now turned into embittered Cairn Wraiths.
When a bead is broken, the spirit is released and attacks everything in sight, including Konstanze. Standard Cairn Wraith-ish stats, will stay in roughly the same area until killed.

Konstanze’s Carriage
A four-horse carriage of dark wood, with enough internal space for 4-6 occupants and seats on the outside for another four (two at each end). The roof is covered in luggage, and it has many secret compartments.
Among its inventory is a small forge and anvil, a flat-packed, padded coffin, eight ‘inactive’ Grave Guard armed with Great Axes, most of the bones and the axeheads packed into their ribcages hidden in various compartments, rolls of oil-cloth to create a tent around it and five saddles, one a side-saddle, for when travelling along paths too narrow for the coach. The carriage is enchanted to protect its occupants from fire, and at a command from Konstanze the wheels, traces, horses’ hooves and coachgirls’ weapons will burst into eldritch flames. Gravity seems to have a lesser effect on it and the horses, in the sense that while it will always come down, it won’t hit the ground especially hard.

Hunting Pistols:
A matched pair of finely-worked, silver-chased wheel-lock hunting pistols, given as a gift to Konstanze by a suitor some years ago. The name ‘Melissa’ is engraved onto the barrels.
For all intents and purposes, they are normal black powder pistols, fairly accurate due to their rifling (but not enough to save her poor aim). She rarely carries them, but they are on the coach ‘just in case’. She also has a small supply of silver/warpstone bullets for them, just in case she fancies shooting at ghosts.

Letta
A Brettonian Slant-Eared Rabbit, a large, thickset breed with drooping ears. She is mottled black and ginger, and frequently rides on her mistress’ shoulder.
Konstanze’s pet and familiar, she is occasionally used as an extra pair of eyes in places Konstanze can’t go. However, most of the time she’s just a normal rabbit who’s singularly unconcerned by vampires and all that they bring with them.

The Cage of the Mind
A golden ring, with a twisted sphere of gold wire in place of a jewel. Liquid strained through this sphere will cause undying love in the drinker. For a while, at least.
If anyone drinks a liquid which has been strained through this ring (or had the ring dipped into it), they will fall madly in love with Konstanze, willing to do anything to please her, for precisely seventeen minutes, forty-eight seconds from when the liquid last came into contact with the ring. Although they will not commit any acts against their basic nature, they will follow most orders and eagerly answer any questions. However, they will be aware of the ring’s control and be able to trace it directly to Konstanze, so when the time is up they will likely accuse her. Unless, of course, they’re ordered to keep drinking…

Strengths

Arch-Manipulator: Through seduction, psychology and sorcery, Konstanze is extremely good at making people do what she wants them to. Most of the time, she can even make them want it.

Sorceress: She’s really rather good at magic.

Lahmian Spy: In her unlife, she has worn a thousand masks and is very good at adopting a convincing disguise.

Spy network: The Lahmian Sisterhood keeps her up-to-date with current affairs, and many of her own thralls are also out collecting information. And, if necessary, she can call in favours.

Ruthless: She doesn’t care what it takes. She WILL survive.

Weaknesses

Not a warrior: The closest she’s ever come to a real war was when her carriage was nearly caught by an army pursuing her lover’s defeated force.

Not even a fighter: Although she will fight if trapped, the majority of the time she prefers to talk her way out or throw an underling towards the enemy and run like hell. For this reason, she is fairly unskilled for a vampire.

Coward: Will run at the first sign of trouble.

Narcissist: Thinks she’s perfect. In particular, thinks she’s cleverer than everyone else, which a lot of the time is not the case. Will remember insults forever, even if she laughs them off in public.

Additional Notes
The Waechner Sisters
Konstanze brings these three girls with her on the carriage as servants (they sit on the outside). All three are pale, pretty, dark-haired mortals in their late teens (the youngest is seventeen and the oldest nineteen). All are good at looking after horses (and rabbits), and they also act as maids and drive the coach. Sometimes, they also function as an impromptu snack. All have the following basic stats.
Speed: 3
Agility: 3
Weapon Skill: 2
Ballistic Skill: 2 (3)
Raw Strength: 3
Technique Strength: 2
Toughness: 2
Tactical Skill: 1
They wear either maid’s dresses or riding leathers reinforced with steel plates at the shoulders and chest. They are each armed with a short dagger, a hatchet and a double-barrelled, wheel-lock coach-gun (essentially a sawn-off shotgun), which due to its large spread brings their effective ballistic skill up to 3 (though note that the range is short).

The youngest, Amelie, is an extremely competent chef. Since this is effectively useless to a vampire, she is desperately trying to become less expendable by increasing her hairstyling skills. Klara, the middle sister acts as Konstanze’s personal secretary and painter, and has a portable bureau stashed on top of the coach. Elfriede, the eldest, is a competent blacksmith and farrier and has also learnt to maintain wheel-lock guns (normally a rather rare skill). The three are good singers and occasionally form a chamber trio when such is required.

The trio are somewhat unusual in the sense that they attract the winds of magic like a wizard, but for unknown reasons are unable to wield it. Being rather utilitarian, Konstanze draws off power from them, increasing her Raw Magical Power stat by one point when they are around.

 

[Malochai]

Mordecai von Carstein, the Blood Wolf of the Ulfwerenar​

Full Name: Mordecai von Carstein
Associated Names: Helmsmut Weisberg, Volkrad Weisberg, Volkrad Kroppen, Marc Strobl, The Crimson Wolf, Bloodmaw, Blood Wolf of
Age: 444
Bloodline: von Carstein
Sire: Erich von Carstein, get of Hans, get of Vlad
Generation: 4th
Place of Birth: Altdorf, Reikland

Physical Description

Mordecai is tall at just over six feet tall and could be considered handsome, with the pale porcelain features of a nobleman framed by lustrous black hair which he ties into a ponytail which reaches down between his shoulder blades, normally kept there with a golden band. He has a lean, lithe figure but disrobed his muscles are starkly defined; across the left of his chest there is a deep, ugly wound, the result of a fight against Norscan warriors. He has a few smaller, less obvious wounds scattered about his body from the numerous wars and battles he has been involved in, but nothing serious.
He tends to wear the standard clothing for a nobleman of the Empire; a tunic of crimson with slashes of black, trousers of black and leather gloves. Upon his left hand he wears a golden ring set with a ruby, given to him by Annabella before he fled her clutches in Altdorf, supposedly an artifact of Lahmia and Nehekhara

Personality

Mordecai is a von Carstein, and thus particularly assured of his right to rule over nigh everything but his elders within the dynasty, although he has some small respect for the other bloodlines and even humans (mainly due to their pigheaded determination to survive in a world of monsters). He is a furious warrior and revels in the fight, but otherwise can be reasonably diplomatic when the decision calls for it.

Brief History

Mordecai von Carstein was born Helmsmut Weisburg in Altdorf in 2103 I.C, second son of a noble in the court of the province’s Elector. As the wealthy, noble son of a wealthy city state he spent his time either luxuriating or playing at war, meaning that he developed some skill with a blade and was taught the basics of command, as befit his birth.

At the age of twenty two he met Erich Kruckenburg, a minor nobleman from a small town in the Reikland who had earned his place in Altdorf through military achievements. The two quickly became friendly and Erich began to circulate within the same circles as Helmsmut, until they saw each other most days - frequenting the same clubs and bordellos. Erich began to teach him how better to wield a sword; he showed promise when he dedicated himself to the craft. Less than a year later Erich had bestowed upon Helmsmut the Blood Kiss, revealing his true nature and inducting the Altdorder into the family von Carstein. Helmsmut took the name Mordecai von Carstein and fled the city with his sire, heading out into the Reikwald forest. For five years they travelled the southern Empire, until rumours reached them of power gathering once more in Sylvania, a name which had always held dread for Helmsmut (now Mordecai). Sending out creatures to investigate ahead of them, Erich led Mordecai slowly to the north-east, and finally passed over the Aver Reach and into Sylvania.

Thus began Mordecai’s service to Mannfred von Carstein, which lasted for twenty three years, the entirety of his war against the Empire of Man. In those years, Mordecai became a some-what respected general and a notable warrior, leading an army south through the Stir, Aver and Reiklands to join with Mannfred at Altdorf, having reaped a bloody toll of their own, but they retreated just the same as Mannfred and, with Erich, Mordecai fought at Hel Fenn only to be dragged away by his sire when he saw how the winds were blowing. Thus once more did the two vampires disappear into the forested heartland of the Empire, but the two quarrelled and soon parted ways, leaving Mordecai for the first time since his ascension masterless.

Indeed, he spent the next decade wandering aimlessly, first heading north and then west, reaching the Sea of Claws before deciding where he should go next. In the end he passed south through Axe Bite Pass and roamed the land of Bretonnia, before after around five decades passing through to Estalia. He spent over a century out of the Empire before heading northwards and joining the fight against the increased tribemen assaults from the north. Thus he was there when the hordes of Asavar Kul descended upon the realm of ice, and even in Praag when it was overrun; he only escaped through the use of the wind of Ulgu, and then it was a close call. He retreated south and joined up with the marching army of Magnus the Pious, thereupon taking the name of Marc Strobl and joining a Reikland force. Outside the walls of Kislev city he became a noted hero, slaying single handedly Kozoloh Flesh-Wearer and Draar Blood-Boil, champions of Slaanesh and Nurgle respectively. The name of Marc Strobl can still be heard in some tales of that time, although Mordecai ever laughs when he hears it, so far from the truth it has become.

After the War, when Kattarin was crowned Tzarina, he travelled north once more and stayed in Praag for a time until he became embroiled through no fault of his own in a Lahmian plot to gain more power over the recovering city. It was only for the sake of Velika Kiriyenko that he stayed, one of the Lahmian vampiress’. It took him six years to disentangle himself so complex was the Lahmian weave and he begged of Velika to accompany him, but she refused, and so instead of returning to the south he turned north and passed through the Troll Country and into Norsca, there becoming the terror of dozens of clans. They dubbed him the ‘Crimson Wolf’ and ‘Bloodmaw’, for his tendency to appear as a vast wolf with a gore-stained maw. He was there for a century and the local clan-lords payed him a tribute of flesh, both living and dead, to keep his fury from their gates. Those individuals who had sought to overthrow his rule or defied him were slaughtered and resurrected as a small garrison to defend his lair. With strength and powers beyond that even of a wolf his size, he managed to cow some of the Ulfwerenar, Norscan warriors bitten by a wolf with saliva tainted by warpstone which causes them to take on the form of the beast which cursed them. They became an honour guard of sorts who prowled his lands with him, an elite company of raiders who could transform at will. They were the terror of the Skaeling lands; taking what they would when they would. Drawn to these creatures, normal wolves began to follow them, and eventually a great pack answered to Mordecai, the Ulfwerenar his lieutenants.

Then, a new warlord arose in the north of his territory and managed to gather the others behind him, claiming they should not pay tribute to the Blood Wolf; it was a challenge sent by the gods to test them. In an epic clash Mordecai killed a dozen chieftains before being gravely wounded and fleeing with the remnants of his skeletal guard. His territory destroyed, Mordecai fled, although he still had a small guard of raised Norscans and some of the wolves who had gathered to him (although all the Ulfwerenar had died in the battle). Without anywhere else to go, Mordecai turned south. Few of the wolves survived the journey, falling foul of the creatures in the Troll Country and the hunts of the Kislevites.

He returned to the Reikwald for a time, gathering news and learning all that had happened in his absence before entering Altdorf as Volkrad Weisberg, a distant descendant of his older brothers line who had all long since left the capital. In this fashion he insinuated himself into the highest court in the land, and there, to his surprise, met Velika once more, although she now wore the name Annabella Lubrecht, recent widow of a noble gentleman. The two reconnected, albeit as secretly as they could, due to her place within the Sisterhood. Still, it was not secretly enough and her mistress, get of Neferata, First of Vampires and self appointed Queen of Night, soon learnt of the affair. Mordecai was overpowered as he slept away the day in his newly-purchased townhouse and taken to a small village in the heart of the Reikwald entirely under the thrall of the Sisterhood, and there kept and interrogated by the Lahmians. It was a year before they were sure he was under no orders to subvert the loyalties of their own, and even then they were loath to let him leave, and only Annabella's good standing with Neferata meant he could leave, after they had forced him to utter a pledge of loyalty to the Queen of Mysteries. Annabella was appointed to monitor his activites, and her good standing with the Queen was dependant upon his behaviour. Thus, he lived shackled as such for the next century or so, Annabella constantly watching him. He etched a place for himself in the military of the Emperor, becoming a warrior of some small renown, but even on campaign he knew he was not out of the Lahmian’s thoughts or beyond their sight.

Finally he could stand it no more and, after two years of contemplation, left the capital. He fled the length and breadth of the Empire, knowing that the Lahmians would be hot on his trail and on two occasions was he brought to battle by Annabella and her sisters; only his skill with Ulgu and the innate ability he had discovered long ago to control the beasts of the night saved him. Finally he boarded ship at Marienburg and left the Old World, hoping it would be enough to pass decades in Lustria until the Lahmians had been given time enough to become focussed once more on things they deemed important. When he arrived in the New World, Mordecai left for the deep jungles, returning only to the coastal settlements to feed. In time, he moved to the north and entered Naggaroth but the blood of the elves was bitter and not to his taste, the climate worse even than that of Lustria and so he returned to the south. It was when he entered Skeggi to feed that he heard tell of what had occured in the Old World, and immediately he sought passage back to his homeland, there planning to join the lords of undeath in their fight.

When he arrived, however, he couldn’t bring himself to immediately forsake the lands he had so often fought to defend and found himself caught between the desire to see the von Carsteins rule and to see the humans once more succeed against the direst of adversity. Thus, he spent the next five years watching the war from the sidelines, always staying far enough from the vampires that they wouldn’t recognise what he was or, if they were old enough to have been part of Mannfred’s war, recognise him for himself. He was in the Middle Mountains when word reached him, admittedly belatedly, of a gathering of vampires from all the bloodlines at Drakenhof. He immediately set out, only to find he had arrived too late. In his wolf form he scouted the trails of the vampires from Drakenhof and followed the one which led into the mountains, towards SIlver Pinnacle, merely for the presence of something which seemed more than vampiric and mortal to him. He was still days out from the Lahmian stronghold when he was caught in a magical trap, and a sneering vampiress appeared from the shadows. Annabella had finally trapped him, and took him towards the mountain to present him to her mistress as a traitor.

Basic Stats
Although not one of the most powerful vampires to be produced by the von Carstein dynasty, Mordecai is far from the least of them.

Speed: 5 (6)
Agility: 5 (6)
Weapon Skill: 5 (5)
Ballistic Skill: 5 (0)
Raw Strength: 4 (5)
Technique Strength: 6 (3)
Toughness: 4 (4)
Tactical Knowledge: 5 (2 - can direct his beasts of night)

Magic
As with all vampires, Mordecai has some innate ability with magic, but he has tutored with some of Mannfred’s most able acolytes in Drakenhof long before Magnus the Pious was born

Magical Lores: Necromancy, Shadow
Raw Magical Power: 4
Magical Skill: 4

Technology

Skillset: Black Powder Weapon Maintenance
Skill Level: 5

Skillset: Weapon Maintenance
Skill Level: 5

Skillset: Armour Maintenance
Skill Level: 5

Weapons / Armour / Items

The Red Fang
A longsword forged for him whilst he was fighting Mannfred’s war against the Empire centuries before, it seems to be coated in a layer of blood that refuses to dry, rippling and shimmering viscously in any light. It is imbued with minor enchantments of endurance and sharpness, but they are enough to make it damaging and deadly to daemons.
The Red Fang does not change Mordecai’s stats, although it is a magic weapon which allows it to kill daemons and other magical creatures

Armour - Steel Cuirass, Vambraces and Greaves, Padded Mail Tunic
This armour is entirely mundane, and is also old, but well maintained enough to protect the wearer against the attacks of mundane weapons; less so against magical attacks.
These items have no effect on Mordecai’s stats

Original von Meinkopt’s Micro-mainspring of Multitudinous Precipitation of Pernicious Lead (Repeater Pistol)
One of the first repeater pistols created by the engineer von Meinkopt, this weapon is old and antiquated, but just as well maintained as Mordecai’s armour. Although not Mordecai’s preferred method of killing, he is more than capable of using this weapon to deadly effect.
This item has no effect on Mordecai’s stats

Other Abilities

Wolf Form
Rumours have abounded for centuries about the powers of the von Carsteins, the ability to change their form at will into that of bat or beast. Mordecai proves these rumours true, and can at will take the shape of an immense wolf who is as tall at the shoulders as a tall mans chest, although it isn’t an instantaneous process
When in his wolf form, Mordecai has Speed 6, Agility 6, Weapon Skill 5, Ballistic Skill 0, Raw Strength 5, Technique Strength 3, Toughness 4 and Tactical Knowledge 3

Beasts of the Night
The wolves and bats of Sylvania are susceptible to the iron will of the vampires, and during his years being tutored by Erich and the other von Carsteins whilst he resided in Drakenhof, Mordecai learnt to bent them to his will, as well as those of other lands, those not accustomed to the will of the vampires being enforced upon them
Mordecai can summon to him packs of wolves or swarms of bats from the lands surrounding him and bend them to his purpose. This does require some concentration to begin with, but once summoned they will fight for him without direction

Strengths
- Can take the form of an immense wolf
- Can control the creatures of the night
- Competent warrior
- Reasonable commander and tactician

Weaknesses
- Been away from other vampires for a long time
- Contention between him and Lahmians, beyond the norm
- Can become absorbed in his killing or obsessed with a particular task
- Difficult to reason with when he’s in his wolf form, as his animalistic instincts become stronger

Additional Notes
- Has a complex relationship with Annabella Lubrecht
- Has respect for the humans, even though he sees them as cattle
- Despises Chaos for what it did during Asavar Kul’s Great War
- Fought in Mannfred’s war against the Empire, but not Konrad or Vlad’s

Timeline

2093 - Helmsmut Weisberg is born to Germund Weisburg of Reikland in the families Altdorf town house
2116 - At the age of 23 Helmut Weisberg is given the Blood Kiss by Erich von Carstein, who had fled Sylvania when Konrad had bloodily ended the brief tenure of Hans von Carstein, his sire, as head of the vampiric dynasty. Helmut, taking the name of Mordecai von Carstein, leaves Altdorf with his sire
2121 - Rumours begin to circulate of gathering evil once more in Sylvania; Erich and Mordecai travel to Castle Drakenhof and pledge their services to Mannfred
2122-2145 - Mannfred launches his war against The Empire; Erich and Mordecai are a part of his court and lead armies in his name through Stirland, Averland and eventually into the Reikland. During this time, Mordecai learns how to raise the dead and wield the wind of Ulgu at the feet of Mannfred’s favoured acolytes. At the Battle of Hel Fenn, Erich reads the omens as poor for the Sylvanian forces and drags Mordecai away. The two soon quarrel and part ways
2167 - Mordecai, for the first time in his life, passes through Axe Bite Pass and out of the Empire
2219 - After nearly fifty years of wandering ‘the land of chivalry’, Mordecai is convinced that many of the noblemen are wine-sodden cowards and their only redeeming feature is the nobility of the few who seem somehow to hold back the tide of darkness lurking within the forests and hidden places. He passes to the west and into northern Estalia
2292 - For the first time in over a century Mordecai returns to the Empire and hears rumours of the increased aggression from beyond Kislev
2293 - Mordecai enters the city of Kislev and the court of Tsar Alexis
2302 - The Great War Against Chaos begins, and Mordecai travels north to fight in Kislev against the barbarian hordes of the north. He is in Praag when it falls and only escaped through manipulation of Ulgu
2304 - Joining the host of Magnus ther Pious in disguise as Reiklander soldier Marc Strobl, Mordecai fought at the gates of Kislev when Asavar Kul’s forces were routed. He earned great renown that day, felling two champions of the Dark Gods
2309 - The reign of Tzarina Kattarin the Bloody begins, and in the city of Praag Mordecai becomes entangled in a plot of the Lahmians
2315-2404 - Finally having extricated himself from the Lahmians, Mordecai heads further north and beyond the Troll Country, into Norsca, where he starts terrorising the tribesmen, taking advantage of his ability to transform into a wolf. He earns himself the name ‘Bloodmaw’ and ‘Crimson Wolf’. Finally he is driven south and returns to the Empire and takes up residence in the Reikwald
2407-2408 - Mordecai kidnapped and held hostage in the Reikwald by the Lahmian Sisterhood. After he pledges to serve Neferata, he is allowed to go free, although a Lahmian is appointed to oversee him.
2511-2530 - During the events of the First Vampire Council, Mordecai was in the New World and as far north as Naggaroth, hoping that the Lahmian’s would lose the trail across the Great Ocean. He returned from the deep jungles of Lustria and heard the news of what had transpired in the Empire. Deeming it was time to return, Mordecai took ship and subdued the crew by feeding upon them. So passed months of reasonable peace for the vampire; only the occasional ship tried to give battle, and those he easily defeated
2532 - Having finally returned to the Empire, Mordecai was unsure how he should then proceed. He had assumed his loyalty would be with the vampires of the Triumvirate, but he had fought too often alongside the humans of the Empire to so easily turn on them
2537 - TVC II

 

[Hellwraith]

Full Name: Kamahl Morksvard
Associated Names: The Still One, The Watcher, Bloodfather, The Rotten, Battleborn
Age: 28
Bloodline: Human
Sire: None
Generation: None
Place of Birth: Valley of the Blind, Norsca


Physical Description:
Kamahl is a beast of a man, standing just over seven feet tall and is heavily muscled. He has dark green eyes that have specks of red floating in them. Because of this many thought that he was favored by Nurgle and Khorne. His hair is black and pulled back into a braid that stretches down to the middle of his back. He also has a thick black beard that is braided and ends at the top of his chest. The darkness of his hair makes his skin appear lighter than it is. He is horribly scarred on his arms and legs, and bears the rot of Nurgle on his abdomen. He wears a set of black platemail that is engraved with the signs of the many Chaos Gods and a heavy fur cloak.
Personality: Kamahl is a person of deep inner peace. It isn't always his first instinct to fight, but when he draws his weapon he is as vicious as a Bloodthirster in combat. His savage wrath is met only by his sharpened intellect and clear conscious. Being a Champion of Nurgle, Kamahl has an incredible pain tolerance. He respects the Gods of Chaos and identifies with all of them; Khorne for strength and ferocity, Nurgle for toughness and survivability, Tzeentch for the ability to reason and think clearly, and Slaanesh for speed and reflexes. In the later years of his life he became a Champion of Nurgle and follows Nurgle's commands unflinching.

History:
Kamahl was born to a small outcast tribe in the Valley of the Blind. It was a hard life for him from birth, he was born during a raid on his village by monsters from the Valley. His mother was slaughtered in front of him as a boy, and the tale was told later that the flecks of red that dotted his eyes were drops of her blood given to him by Khorne to give him bloodsight in battle. His tribe was saved by the might of his brothers, sisters, and his father. Bjorn Morksvard was a monster of a man, cunning, agile, and as ferocious a warrior as the Gods had ever seen.

Kamahl began training with a handful of different weapons ever since he could hold them, working from knives up to greatswords as he aged. His father trained him and by the age of five he had killed his first beast on his own while some warriors watched. It was clear to his father and the others of the tribe that he had an exceptional talent for combat, but he also shared his father's trait, being calm and peaceful.

During his rite to manhood, he was sent into the Valley of the Blind to survive on his own for a year. As the tradition states, if he was killed then he would be though of as less than a man, but return he did with a pair of chaos hand axes called Havoc and Malice. He also returned with a set of armor that he found in the crypt where he found the axes. The armor is called Fredsbevarare, Might of the North, little did he know that this was a lesser known set of armor that was worn by Morkar the Uniter. In order to obtain the treasure Kamahl had to kill a Yeti that had taken the cavern as it's home. Khorne smiled upon Kamahl and granted him extra strength for his great deed.
After returning from his rite of passage a man, his father began to teach him tactics for full scale battle. After all, if Kamahl was to lead the tribe in the future he must be prepared for war. Bjorn passed down ancient knowledge kept in the bloodline of Cormac Bloodaxe about the tactics of the Southern Men and the other tribes in the North. There were times when his father took him on scouting trips to watch battles from afar and would ask him questions about movements and strategies. It was here that his ability to command troops began.

His real ability to command troops came a few years after his initial teachings, a rival warband came into the Valley, hoping to secure more territory for their expanding clan. His father was killed during the fighting and the rest of his clan looked up to him. Taking a moment he closed his eyes and was granted a vision of blood. In this vision he saw how to win the battle, he took up his fathers sword, Serenity and took to the field with renewed vigor. He fought fiercely and broke through enemy lines to get to the enemy spellcaster, finishing him in one blow.

Then he came face to face with the greatest challenge of his youth. He stood upon the field, his arms and chest bearing dozens of cuts oozing blood, the blood from the sorcerer still dripping from his fathers blade. He saw the Ulfwerner, the leader of the other clan watching him as he ripped out the throat of one of his own as he smiled. Kamahl calmed his rage and focused it at that man. He knew that he couldn't be stopped, his fury was an avalanche and he was determined to bury this man.

Stepping forward the two locked blades. They exchanged blows, until the Ulfwerner got the better of Kamahl. The Ulfwerner's axe cut deep into Kamahl's abdomen, doubling him over. In that moment Kamahl pledged his life to the God Nurgle, asking him for the toughness to shrug off this wound and help him end the Ulfwerner. This is what happened. With a surge of energy Kamahl spun around with Serenity spinning in a wide arc, and cleaved the manbeast in half at his waist.

After the blizzard in the valley slowed, Kamahl's clan stood victorious, but it wasn't a good day. Kamahl's bloodline was destroyed. He was the last of his bloodline to survive, and some would say it is a miracle that he did survive. His abdomen bore a terrible gash that was drawing out his lifeblood, and his clan was crippled. Thousands were dead. The last sight before he collapsed was that of his fathers broken corpse embeded in the snow.

The next few weeks were hell on earth for Kamahl. The clan healer had been killed in the fighting so Kamahl was left to suffer through the wound. After the first few days and infection had taken hold and the wound began to rot. It caused him tremendous pain over the next few weeks and made him sick.

The part of the clan that had survived saw this as a sign from Nurgle. They offered things to the god of rot and pestilence, but the disease spread to anyone who attended Kamahl. After a few people had died Kamahl ordered the clan away. He picked another among them to lead and told them to leave him and find their own way.
He struggled with the pain, for days that seemed endless. Two days after the clan left, he crawled his way out of the longhouse and gathered some food that was left from the storehouse. He ate little and drank much in those days. Eventually Nurgle was pleased with the damage it had done to him, and how it mutated his appearance.
The rot had left his abdomen horribly bulged and disfigured with tough sinew. His arms and legs are also scarred deeply from the endeavor. Since Nurgle sent him through the crowning process to become one of his Champions, Kamahl has become inhumanly tough, able to breath through most of the pain inflicted on him.

Kamahl moved on after recovering from the disease and now makes his home in Black Blood Pass, just north east of Troll country.


Basics:
Speed: 4
Agility: 4 (5 when wielding Havoc and Malice)
Weapon Skill: 5 (7 when wielding Serenity)
Ballistic Skill: 0
Raw Strength: 5 (Kamahl was given a blessing of strength from Khorne after defeating a monstrous creature in the Valley of the Blind singlehandedly; See History)
Technique Strength: 5
Toughness: 6 (Champion of Nurgle; See History)
Tactical Knowledge: 4 (8 when preparing for a fight, see Bloodfather)
Magic – None

Items:

Havoc and Malice, Twin Chaos Axes

Havoc and Malice are Twin Chaos hand axes that Kamahl found deep in the Valley of the Blind. They were named for their great deeds of chaos, in battles over the countless Nordic hands they have crossed, for the amount of chaos caused and the amount of lives they have taken. No one has been able to tell him where they originated although their origin has been traced to at least 1000 years ago. These axes fill the wielder with a great battle sight, and increases the wielders ability to sense blows and avoid them.

Serenity, Blasphemy of Chaos
Two Handed Greatsword passed down through the generations of the Morksvard family. Was known before as War, Hand of Chaos before one of the more recent ancestors changed the ways of the tribe. Bjorn Morksvard became a man of fierce reason and didn't condone violence outside of the Gods' will. He climbed the peak of the tallest mountain and made a forge in the heart of Mount Barak deep within the Mountains of Hel. It was there that Bjorn reforged War, Hand of Chaos into what it is today. After returning, there was a division in the tribe and Bjorn was made to duel another man for possession of the tribe. Bjorn drew the sword he had reforged, Serenity he named it, in the hope that it would bring the him calm and purpose. He became aware of the calming effect of the blade as soon as it was in his hands. He dispatched the man easily. As it passed through the bloodline it was tested time and time again, until it was given the name Blasphemy of Chaos by the tribe and the Morksvard family was banished to the Valley of the Blind. This weapon isn't the first to be drawn in conflict, but it offers insight into the fight by sharpening the wielders mind when it is in hand.

Fredsbevarare, Might of the North
A second set of armor owned by Morkar the Uniter. Found by Kamahl with Havoc and Malice, deep within the Valley of the Blind. Has the marks of all four Chaos Gods engraved on this black Chaos Plate.


Skills:

Seamanship (Longboats): 8
Survival (Norsca): 8
Tracking (Norsca): 6
Fishing: 5
Hunting: 5

Abilities:

Nordic Blood
Kamahl is immune to cold and can see clearly in any type of weather involving snow, mist, or fog.

Bloodfather
Kamahl is blessed by Khorne and has visions of battles. Because of this and his early teachings by his father (See History), he is an unmatched Tactician. In spite of this, he has almost no experience as a battlefield commander, so is unsure in these situations.

Nurgle's Chosen
Kamahl went through a trial by Nurgle and emerged the Gods Champion. He bears the mark of Nurgle and is incredibly resistant to pain.


Strengths

Legacy of Bloodaxe:Kamahl has great strength of arms in physical melee.

Battleborn: Kamahl cannot be feared while in combat.

Serenity: Kamahl cannot lose his temper while Serenity, Blasphemy of Chaos is on his person.

Weaknesses

Bloodfather: This curse weakened Kamahl's mind against magic and as a side effect he became more susceptible to magic that effects the mind.

Hated by Tzeentch: Minions of Tzeentch seek out Kamahl because he wields Serenity, Blasphemy of Chaos. Kamahl always combats a minion or person of Tzeentch whenever he has the opportunity.

 

[Hellwraith]

Edited Weapon Skill