Vampire
More actions
| Vampire | |
|---|---|
| File:Von Carstein emblem.png Death is only the beginning |
|
| Founding | |
| Founded | Circa -1200 IC (Neferata drinks the first Elixir in Lahmia) |
| Founder | Neferata, Queen of Lahmia – the first true vampire |
| Current Leader | No single ruler; the Von Carstein dynasty (Vlad, Isabella, Mannfred) currently holds the most power |
| Geography | |
| Capital | None; Castle Drakenhof in Sylvania is the closest thing to a throne |
| Major Cities | Castle Drakenhof, Waldenhof, Nachthafen, Mourkain (ruined), Strygos (long fallen) |
| Regions | Sylvania, the Badlands, scattered courts across the Old World |
| Biology | |
| Lifespan | Immortal unless staked, beheaded, burned, or exposed to sunlight |
| Height | 170-200 cm (5′7″ - 6′7″); they were usually tall and noble in life |
| Culture | |
| Language | Classical Reikspiel, ancient Nehekharan, lingering accents from their mortal lands |
| Religion | None; they serve only their own thirst and ambition (though some still whisper to Nagash) |
| Government | |
| Government | Feudal courts of blood and betrayal; the strongest throat rules |
| Relations | |
| Allies | Necromancers, wights, ghouls, each other (until the knife goes in) |
| Enemies | The Empire, Dwarfs, High Elves, Kislev, Bretonnia, anyone with a stake and faith |
Vampirism originated as a corrupted form of attaining immortality through a mixture of necromancy and alchemical research concocted by the first vampire, Queen Neferata, with the aid of Nagash The Lich-King, and his most loyal servant, and later-ally of Neferata, Arkhan the Black.
Neferata would later brew her potion to be offered to ten others of her consorts, who'd later be responsible in forming the bloodlines we know today. (Only six bloodlines currently remain in the present timeline);
The Five Bloodlines
Von Carstein (Sylvania’s aristocrats)
Open rulers of Sylvania. Charismatic, proud, and theatrical, they treat the living as beloved (if tasty) cattle. Mortals in Sylvania often pay lower taxes to their vampire counts than to the Emperor, and many willingly offer blood for protection. Notable: Vlad von Carstein, Isabella, Mannfred, Konrad.
Lahmian (The Sisterhood of the Silver Pinnacle)
Mistresses of seduction and subterfuge. Neferata’s daughters infiltrate courts, temples, and merchant houses across the Old World. Half the noble houses of Tilea, the Empire, and Bretonnia unknowingly dance to Lahmian strings. They appear as flawless courtesans, advisors, or dowagers – never as monsters. Notable: Neferata the Queen of Mysteries, Ankhaten, Khemala.
Blood Dragon (The crimson knights)
Warrior-vampires cursed by Abhorash after he drank the blood of a dragon. Obsessed with martial perfection, they wander the world seeking worthy foes. In Bretonnia, slaying a Blood Dragon is the fastest path to knighthood – and the surest path to death. They wear ancient, blood-red armour and refuse to feed on innocents, believing only the blood of warriors strengthens them. Notable: Abhorash, Walach Harkon, The Red Duke.
Necrarch (The corpse-sages)
Withered, skeletal scholars who traded beauty for power. Obsessed with necromancy and forbidden lore, most dwell in crumbling towers in Nehekhara or the Badlands, surrounded by libraries of flayed skin. When they do move, it is to seize a single grimoire or relic that promises one more secret of death. Notable: Zacharias the Everliving, W’soran, Melkhior.
Strigoi (The monstrous exiles)
Degenerate, bat-like monstrosities shunned even by other vampires. Once the noble house of Ushoran in Strygos, they were betrayed and hunted to near extinction. Now they haunt ruins and graveyards, served by the wandering Strigany folk who revere them as “Ghoul Kings.” Their appearance is the most bestial of all bloodlines – winged, clawed, and utterly feral. Notable: Ushoran (long dead), Vorag Bloodytooth, Gashnag, Merovech.
Overview
Appearance
A vampire retains their previous form, with their only changes being their skin become ivory pale or deathly white, followed by their irises being red or foggy/milky white.
Average Lifespan: Immortal
Height Range: Depends on their before conversion race.
Culture & Society
- Regions: Sylvania, the Badlands, scattered courts across the Old World
- Culture: Depends on their bloodline.
- Names: Depends on their before conversion race.
- Religion: Due to their nature of undeath, a vampire's spirit cannot reach an afterlife, nor be influenced or absorbed by the Chaos Gods due to their soul being stuck into a limbo between their own body & Nagash.
Morality, Slavery, and Corruption
- Slavery: Practiced in the form of thralls and servants; humans and other mortals are bound through compulsion, blood magic, or fear rather than formal ownership.
- Non-consent sexual relationships: Common and often entwined with manipulation, seduction, and domination; vampires exploit mortals for pleasure, power, and control.
- Vulnerability to Chaos corruption: Moderate. Vampires are already unnatural and resistant to mortality, but hubris, obsession, or exposure to dark magic can still invite greater Chaos influence.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Strengths: Immortal, cunning, charismatic, and magically potent; expert manipulators and strategists; physically resilient.
- Weaknesses: Reliant on blood, susceptible to sunlight and holy magic; obsession and arrogance can blind them; often distrusted by other factions.
Relations with Other Races
| Category | Faction | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | Empire | Hostile |
| Bretonnia | Hostile | |
| Kislev | Hostile | |
| Sartosa | Neutral | |
| Araby | Neutral | |
| Cathay | Neutral | |
| Norsca | Neutral | |
| Elves | Asur (High Elves) | Hostile |
| Asrai (Wood Elves) | Hostile | |
| Druchii (Dark Elves) | Neutral | |
| Dwarfs | Dwarfs | Hostile |
| Chaos Dwarfs | Neutral | |
| Greenskins | Orcs | Neutral |
| Goblins | Neutral | |
| Monstrous | Ogre | Neutral |
| Beastmen | Neutral | |
| Affliction | Chaos | Neutral |
Gender Roles & Sexuality
Gender Roles
- Vampire society in Warhammer Fantasy is hierarchical and patriarchal/matriarchal depending on the bloodline and region. Power is concentrated in individuals with great age, magical ability, and influence.
- Nobility and Bloodlines: Male and female vampires alike can rise to prominence, with age, cunning, and magical skill determining status. Female vampires often wield power equal to or exceeding males, particularly in noble houses.
- Servants and Thralls: Vampires dominate humans, other creatures, and lesser undead as servants or soldiers. Gender hierarchy among thralls reflects vampire preference rather than societal norms.
- Vampire society values intelligence, ruthlessness, and charisma over gender; both males and females can be rulers, generals, or sorcerers.
Sexuality
- Vampires are highly sexualized beings, with sexuality often entwined with predation, power, and seduction. Erotic attraction is closely tied to **bloodlust and control**.
- Courtship and Seduction: Vampires may seduce mortals or other races to feed, dominate, or manipulate. Both male and female vampires use allure and eroticism strategically.
- Sexuality is intertwined with immortality, desire, and danger, creating a blend of eroticism and fear.
Attitudes toward Other Races (Sexualized)
- Vampires often sexualize other races as **predation, temptation, or dominance**, with erotic fascination tied to allure, danger, and exoticism:
- Humans: Mortals are the primary objects of sexualized predation. Vampires use seduction, charm, and erotic power to feed, manipulate, or dominate humans.
- Elves: Female elves are admired for beauty and grace; sexualized attraction is present but complicated by pride, skill, or magic. Male elves may be viewed as rivals or potential thralls.
- Dwarfs: Rarely sexualized due to aesthetics and temperament; male dwarfs are potential targets for domination, female dwarfs occasionally appear in rare eroticized fantasies.
- Greenskins: Orcs and goblins are rarely sexualized; interactions focus on feeding, manipulation, or dominance.
- Sexual attraction often intersects with **bloodlust, magical influence, and power dynamics**, making erotic encounters dangerous and manipulative.
Notable Cultural Nuances
- Vampire society is hierarchical, cunning, and power-driven, with gender secondary to age, magical ability, and influence.
- Sexuality is fluid, strategic, and intertwined with dominance, seduction, and predation.
- Attraction to other races is heavily filtered through danger, exoticism, and manipulation rather than mutual desire.
- Female vampires often wield enormous sexual and political power, particularly in aristocratic bloodlines, reflecting both allure and ruthlessness.