The Red Duke

hen came the day when the kings of Khemri forged the grand alliance. Their countless armies marched over the Worlds Edge Mountains and thus war came to Lahmia. For many long years Abhorash led the defence of his homeland and won many battles. But inch by inch, the vast armies of Khemri forced Abhorash back. Finally the gates of Lahmia itself were broken, and the ancient tombs, pyramids and high spires of Lahmia were toppled. Even the great library was burned down. Street by street, building by building, the Khemrian soldiers fought their way towards the Temple of Blood.

Here Abhorash led the bodyguard of Queen Neferata in a last, hopeless defence of the Temple of Blood, but as fires raged all around him he was forced to retreat. As the great Temple of Blood collapsed, the keening cry of Abhorash echoed throughout the city. He had failed as a warrior, and his beloved city was no more.

A Blood Dragon Vampire Lord leads the charge against the High Elf battleline.

Abhorash was irreversibly changed as he saw his beautiful city razed and his people slaughtered. He vowed to be the enemy of all Mankind for eternity. He turned his back to the lands of the South and fought his way through the blazing streets. While the other Vampire Lords collected as many treasures and riches from the ruins as they could, Abhorash took only his weapons and armour with him to exile. Four of his Vampiric minions followed him as they fought their way through the siege of Lahmia.

Mounted Blood Dragon

Few of the Vampires escaped the pursuit of the vengeful Khemrians. Abhorash did not join the other immortal aristocrats in their exile. He forsook their company, cursing them for their arrogance which had brought the armies of Khemri to the gates of Lahmia. Abhorash despised the other Vampires. To him, their lack of control made them little better than animals.

The Lord of Blood headed north with his disciples, seeking a sign which would give a new purpose to his existence. After many years he came to a mountain with a pinnacle wreathed in fire. Abhorash was strangely drawn to this lonely mountaintop and, ignoring the advice of his followers, he decided to scale the face.

As Abhorash reached the summit, a blood-red Dragon of immense size emerged from the crater and descended on the Vampire Lord. At the prospect of testing his martial abilities to the full, Abhorash drew his sword. For an entire night Abhorash and the great Wyrm fought and in the end the Vampire was victorious. As the Dragon lashed in its death-throes, Abhorash seized its throat with his fangs and drank deep. Intoxicated by the blood of the Dragon, Abhorash cast the broken carcass of the Red Dragon down from the mountaintop and emitted an exultant cry of victory. His search had ended. After drinking the blood of the Dragon, Abhorash no longer craved the vitae of men. He had found an escape from the curse of Vampirism. He had become the ultimate warrior, a man with the strength and powers of a Vampire, who had no need to hunt for blood.

Now he bid his vampiric minions to go forth and hone their martial skills, so when their prowess equalled his own they could also escape the curse of vampirism and became free of the predator inside them. Thus he told his cursed followers: I will watch you and when I decree that you are ready, I shall call you. Then he bid his warriors go forth and perfect their martial skills and find others worthy of joining his immortal warriors.

Since those days Abhorash’s immortal sons have called themselves Blood Dragons in the memory of the great Dragon vanquished by their mighty sire, and they have sought to perfect their martial abilities in order to be worthy enough to rejoin with their master.

To this day the Vampires of Abhorash’s bloodline believe that somewhere, in a dark and shadowy corner of the world where the face of sun is never seen, Abhorash waits for the return of his immortal sons to his mountain home.

The Blood Dragon Vampires took names and guises which would not raise suspicions and studied the languages men spoke in different corners of the world.

Blood Dragon

Of the Blood Dragons, many became infamous in the kingdoms of men. Walach of the house of Harkon, the favourite of Abhorash’s minions, travelled north, to the land which men called the Empire. Here he entered the gates of the Blood Keep and challenged the entire order of templars to battle. One by one he slew the knights and their men-at-arms. To those he found worthy he gave a portion of his blood and gifted them the curse of immortality.

He reigned over the Undead knights until Blood Keep was razed by the templars and witch hunters of the Empire. Though the knights of Blood Keep are by far the most famous of the Vampire knights, they are by no means the only sons of Abhorash. In the lands of Tilea, Estalia, Araby and Bretonnia there are also legends of Vampire knights. The most infamous of them was the legendary Red Duke, the scourge of Aquitaine. This mighty and fell Vampire Lord rose in the land of Bretonnia, and only after the fierce and bloody Battle of Ceren Fields did the ruler of Aquitaine vanquish the Undead legions of the Red Duke. But though his army was destroyed, the Red Duke escaped and was never caught, and many believe that he still lurks in the mountains or trackless forests of Bretonnia. And who can say where else Blood Dragons can be found? Perhaps in the guise of a proud hermit warrior living high in the mountains, perfecting his martial disciplines. How many matchless assassins hide ivory skin and the fangs of predators behind their masks? How many knights of the secluded templar orders are, in reality, immortal creatures of darkness? Blood Dragons can be found guarding places like bridges and fords, challenging all who pass by to test their mettle and hone their combat skills. Blood Dragons strive for perfection and they practice different fighting styles unceasingly. But the rage inside them rarely gives them peace. Thus Blood Dragons are brooding and permeated with the tragedy of the fallen greatness of man. Unlike the pernicious Vampire Lords of Sylvania, the Blood Dragons never attempted to gain supremacy over entire nations. Nor do they try to raise huge armies, preferring forces consisting of Wight men-at-arms to act as hideous parodies of the retinues of mortal nobles. The principles and ideals of the Blood Dragons are more concerned with the martial prowess of individuals, rather than attempting to create empires.

But when challenged to come to war, the Blood Dragons are terrible in their wrath. Though less powerful than many other lords of Undeath in the art of Necromancy, they can still summon Undead hordes to fight for them in the field of battle, and their prowess in combat is second to none.

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