Vlad Țepeș

Name	Vlad Țepeș
Race	Vampire
Type	Progenitor
Faction	Nightbred
Premiere	Desideratum: Blood Bonds
Relative(s)	N/A

Vlad Țepeș

"Surely you are thirsty, have a sip. It’s very good."

Biography

Pre-Desideratum: Blood Bonds

Vlad Țepeș was born a mortal man, in 1430 A.D. and his father was Vlad II, Vlad Dracul. When he was twelve, his father was summoned to Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire. His brother, Radu, and he were held prisoner there, to assure his father’s loyalty to the sultan, Murad II. But, the most important things happened to him when he grew into a man. When Vlad came to rule, he took vengeance on those that had seen his father killed. He would not allow crimes to rule the land, and those that broke the law, quickly regretted it. He ruled Wallachia many times and he was also expelled from his throne on many occasions. He was chased from Poenari Castle, and his kingdom, by treachery. He was exiled and tracked, hounded by those in Europe that would see him dead. The only way that he and his closest supporters and retinue could survive was to hide inside the borders of the Ottoman Empire. However, though he escaped my enemies at home, he was now in the territory of Mehmed II, the sultan at the time. He had not given him tribute while in power, and thus, he was the sultan’s enemy.

Mehmed’s forces chased Vlad through the wilderness. Vlad’s supporters were slaughtered, and he was injured, and, as he fled, running through the desert, he happened upon ruins. Though they were far from the country, the ruins appeared Egyptian. He thought that he would hide there, but he could find no refuge. The sky overhead became darker, and only then, did he see the approaching army, yet it stopped, far from the ruins. Clearly, the soldiers could see Vlad’s torchlight in the darkness, they knew he was there, but they seemed too scared of the place to advance on him. As his wound bled, he looked down at the sand, and saw his blood, bead into small shapes and slide towards what looked to be an ancient doorway. Staggering towards it, he placed his hand upon the empty archway to steady himself.

With the touch of his bloodied hand, a portal, crimson and swirling, filled the empty space of the old stone doorway. Peering over his shoulder, he saw the Ottoman army still watching. Having nowhere else to go, he stepped forward into a less certain fate. Before him were pristine, black marble stairs as if they had been carved only yesterday. They descended to a chamber. In the center was a golden bust of a woman. She had no hair and in her mouth she bore two fangs- this was a bust of Nuit herself. In her massive hands she held an urn. Terrified, he made his way down the steps. Once near it, he could see the urn was filled with a red liquid- the blood of Nuit herself. He heard strange whispers in the chamber around him and called out to no answer. These disembodied voices, placed there by Nuit, urged him to open the bottle. Bewitched, terrified, and desperate, Vlad did. Like a fountain, the liquid rose into the air before him. It traveled up his legs and chest, pulling him to the ground.

The substance oozed into his wound, ears, eyes, nose and mouth. It filled his body, permeating his brain and bonded with him. Memories and knowledge belonging to ancients, and to the goddess, filled his consciousness with clarity. When his body finally moved again, he felt new and different. He was not dead or alive, and he rose from the sands and slaughtered the entire army that had surrounded the ruins before returning to Wallachia and reclaiming his throne. Now a Nightbred, he found that he needed the blood of humans, and that their blood empowered him, while subjugating them to an undead slavery. He was very cautious and particular about who he brought into his fold. One of the first people he turned was Ivor the Devious. Stephen the Great, his half brother, actually befriended and allied with Vlad Țepeș back when Vlad was still mortal. However, after Vlad became a Nightbred, Stephen’s views of him shifted completely.

And, it is at this crucial time, when the Ottoman Empire invaded, that the cunning Ivor made his move. He fled Moldavia, and went to Wallachia. He warned Vlad about Stephen’s treachery. If Vlad had followed his original plans he would have exposed himself to the human that he still considered an ally, but now he sent some 7,000 troops to the Moldovan border, and Stephen’s attempt to attack and destroy the vampire lord failed. In gratitude for Ivor’s treachery, he turned Ivor into a Nightbred. Ivor was already an entitled and mean spirit to begin with, and becoming immortal only made it worse. As Stephen was called “the Great,” Ivor became known as Ivor the Devious. In truth, Vlad had no idea that this man would lead to his own destruction.

Later, Vlad met the Countess Elizabeth Báthory in her youth when she married Ferenc Nádasdy. The couple married when she was 15 (and he was aged 19) at the palace of Vranov nad Topľou (Varannó in Hungarian) on 8 May 1575. Approximately 4,500 guests were invited to the wedding- one of which was Vlad himself as he had been pretending to be his own descendants for a century. He admired the brazen girl and he saw, even at her wedding, her penchant for inflicting pain and demanding respect. For a time, he concerned himself with his kingdom and lands. However, the Ottomans began invading again. With her husband away at war, Báthory managed business affairs and the estates. That role usually included responsibility for the Hungarian and Slovak people, even providing medical care. Vlad saw how shrewd the woman could be and grew impressed at her abilities to handle affairs on her own. He also marveled at how the woman seemed ageless, even as her husband showed signs of mortality, Elizabeth did not. Piquing the vampire's interest, he discovered that she had been bathing in the blood of vulnerable women, and then and there, Vlad was in love. Vlad had learned that while those he turned to Nightbred could not directly harm him or even disobey, the royals that he chose were superbly suited to politics and finding ways to attempt assassinations or other such issues.

However, he wanted her for himself, and so, he needed to break her before taking her. He set events in motion by first draining- but not killing her husband, Ferenc. Surprised that the man managed to last as long as he did, Vlad then watched as a power struggle unleashed. He had his minions leak the information about Báthory's baths. As word of Báthory's atrocities spread through the kingdom, Lutheran minister, István Magyari, made complaints against her, both publicly and at a court in Vienna. Vlad watched as the world of humanity did what it did best- react to fear, and within little time, Báthory was imprisoned, her lands ceased, and her estate sectioned off. Vlad ensured no public trial or execution would take place, detaining her in the castle of Csejte for the rest of her life. Her will broken, Vlad visited the woman on the evening of 20 August 1614. Hidden in the shadows of her room, his very presence gave off a feeling of cold death. Báthory complained to her bodyguard that her hands were cold and that the entire room seemed darker than usual, whereupon her guard replied “It's nothing, mistress. Just go lie down.” She went to sleep and was found dead the following morning for that night before, Vlad Țepeș drained her of her blood.

She awoke the next night into a whole new world. Vlad took her back to his castle and she learned that the entire government in the area was secretly being led by vampires. Vlad was known to her, but had been thought dead almost a century before she was born. He showered her in affection and gifts, the opposite of what she had been left with in mortal life, and the Countess fell in dark love with her savior, not knowing that Vlad was personally responsible for all the hardship that she had faced or even for the death of her husband, Ferenc Nádasdy, Elizabeth fell into Vlad’s arms. Eventually, she learned of Vlad’s plots and how he orchestrated the entire thing, but by then, more than a century had come and gone, and she had grown to respect such cruel and Machiavellian methods.

Vlad often fumed at the constant bickering between his domnitors, especially the Countess and Ivor. Ivor always saw her as manipulative and conniving and she always saw him as an oaf. However, as he watched Vlad fall in love with her, he saw weakness to exploit. One of his attempts to end Vlad almost came to fruition- but Báthory discovered the plot and thwarted it. The pair squabbled and feuded often, until Calis Van Gothen arrived with his group of hunters. Ivor fought, but was repelled by the invaders, running to Vlad to warn him. Báthory arrived not soon after, facing a similar fate at the hands of the heroic group. Vlad demanded that Báthory flee for her safety and return the following night, while also demanding that Ivor prove his strength and stand- and this did not sit well with Lord Ivor, however, he always sought opportunity.

Báthory did flee Poenari Castle as ordered, and in her absence, while Vlad prepared to fight the monster hunters, Ivor ordered the retreat of many different forces of the castle. He wanted to ensure that the hunters reached Vlad, for he knew that they alone had the greatest chance of destroying his master and freeing him- so that he could become a true lord of the Nightbred. Sure enough, thanks to the efforts of Theodore and Deborah Ravenhurst and Johann Conrad Dippel, the hunters did reach the throne room. Egotistical, Vlad verbally assaulted the crowd. However, when the fighting began, it eventually became clear that these hunters formed a very potent force. Ivor specifically noted the use of Deborah’s magical spells as these changed the entire outcome of the battle. As Vlad fell he screamed for aid, and his call urged Ivor’s Nightbred blood to obey, but the moment passed too quickly, and Ivor managed to resist long enough for Calis to land the death blow. The moment Vlad collapsed, Ivor felt some great pressure dissipate from his mind.

However, after his body died, the hunters found an oozing pile of bloody slime. They tried using magic and science to destroy the substance, but not even sunlight seemed capable. Having no other options, Calis used a pump, fabricated by Dippel, to collect the unholy substance. They placed the vile ooze into a puzzle box. This box was designed by Theodore as a brain teaser and blessed by the magical enchantments of Deborah so that only someone of the bloodlines of those present could possibly open the artifact.

Sealing the mechanized puzzle box with Dippel’s help, it was entrusted into the hands of the Ravenhursts to be locked into their magical vault where they sealed cursed objects located on their studies. The box could only be activated with a key. Dippel created a pocket watch, in which to hide the key. The watch required the user to press the top three times in a row, in order to retrieve what it held inside. Theodore took the pocket watch and the box to America. There, outside of Wakefield, New York, the husband and wife sealed the box into their subterranean vault. Theodore held the key, hidden within his watch, for the rest of his life.

After his demise, his son, Anaximanes Ravenhurst inherited the manor and the pocket watch. He knew of the trick on the watch, but he could never find a keyhole within the mansion that matched it. He eventually gained a butler and friend through the Irishman, Brone Lorcan. After being accused of the murder of Eleanora Blackwood, the reverend of the local town, Wakefield, formed a mob to chase him down and kill the man. Before he died, he entrusted the pocket watch to Brone and bade him to use the key if he could find the lock that it belonged to and knew that the entire sophisticated system was concocted to hide artifacts, one of which was the very puzzle box containing Vlad’s blood. Brone fled to the west coast to Portland, Oregon, and eventually became a Nightbred thanks to Ivor.

Desideratum: Blood Bonds

In Desideratum: Blood Bonds, Vlad is shown as Absinthe's blood suit, as well as made manifest in her mind. Vlad's appearance began because Brone refused to drink blood and became a nosferatu. Eleanora Blackwood, now also a vampire, warned Ivor that a Van Gothen would come to slay him. He sent Brone to find the woman and slay her, but instead, Brone befriended the woman. With his guidance, they went to the puzzle box and she opened it, releasing Vlad from his prison. After she touched the blood, it coursed over her body, threatening to take her over- flesh and mind, yet she fought to maintain control, and with Brone Lorcan's aid, managed to hold the blood in check. Vlad attempted many times to possess Absinthe and claim her, but when it finally became clear that Abby would kill herself rather than serve him, he agreed to a truce. The pair continued to work together, with Vlad purposely on his best behavior. Finally the night came when he would seek revenge and Absinthe prepared to attack the vampire lair.

That night, as the Nightbred prepared to summon the goddess, Ivor ordered an attack on the Night Stalkers at Sanctuary. The attack commenced just as Abby finished giving a speech. All the assemblage helped defend their home, except for Evelyn Addams. She conserved her power. It became clear that the legions of vampires were meant as a distraction to either defeat the hunters or hold them at bay while the conjuration of Nuit proceeded underground in the Shanghai Tunnels. Roy McCoy convinced Absinthe to leave and she and Eve went to the tunnels. Once there, they were met by an army of Bloodsworn Warriors and Blood Knights. The situation appeared hopeless until Eve conjured the Anax, and using her as a conduit, he brought forth hordes of Shadowed. The evil armies clashed in battle and Absinthe left to find another way into the passages below Portland. She blasted her way inside with a bomb procured from Hobs Hornswaggle at the House of Haggle, and made her way through the subterranean labyrinth.

Absinthe set about defeating any Nightbred who attacked her, but other evil forces had come to stop Ivor or steal the power of Nuit. Wight Lord Zawisza and Necrolord Ilihana Fernandez were defeated by Abby as she made her way to the summoning. She eventually faced off against the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, but because of Vlad’s interruptions, the skirmish ended in a draw. Still having feelings for the evil countess, he refused to allow Abby to kill her. However, Elizabeth made it clear that should they ever meet again, she would not hold back and would slay the hunter or enslave Vlad. Vlad then aided Absinthe in the fight against Sangwen Darkblood by manipulating the Blood Suit to form a spike and impale the blood witch. After that, Absinthe fought and defeated the Jiang Shi Twins as well. She then faced off against Eleanora, but the shadow magicks employed by the witch were too much for her. However, Evelyn Addams and the Anax arrived. Eleanora tricked them all, and the Anax was banished by Eve. Then Eve and Eleanora fought as Absinthe busied Nuit, herself, in battle, until Evelyn finally defeated Eleanora and banished Nuit back to the Outer Darkness.

Evelyn was incapacitated from battle, but Brone and Absinthe charged to Ivor’s throne room. There, Ivor and Clover awaited them. Ivor gave the pair an ultimatum and threatened to kill Clover, but Absinthe attacked and Brone managed to take his friend to safety. Then Ivor defeated Absinthe. However, as he gloated, Vlad gained control over Abby, making her his blood puppet. Now empowered by his unholy might, Vlad attacked Ivor using Abby’s body. Terrified, Ivor called upon his greatest power- the ability to transform into a bat creature. In the ensuing battle, both Ivor and Vlad were injured and Abby regained control over herself. Ivor reverted to his humanoid form, and this time, Absinthe drove an oaken stake into his heart. Clover ran to her master, but as his powers over her waned, she began drinking his blood. As Brone and Absinthe watched in horror, she sucked Ivor dry and became a Nightbred. Ivor died at the hands of his victim, a fitting end for a horrible monster. While this succeeded in giving Vlad the revenge that he had desired, he was left with mixed feelings over the countess and the fact that he was in love with Absinthe- who loved Brone Lorcan. Such passionate jealousy has led to countless calamities over the centuries.

Appearance

Vlad is currently a blood suit. When manifested in thoughts, he is an attractive young man with long black hair, grey skin, and piercing yellow eyes.

Abilities

• Unholy Strength
• Unholy Speed
• Expert Mesmerism
• Expert Cunning

Notes and Trivia

Vlad's blood has magical properties, allowing Absinthe to harm incorporeal creatures with blood bolts.

Gallery

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  Vlad and Abby discoursing information

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  Vlad before becoming a vampire