# The Crusade of Blood?



## TrevorGage (Mar 1, 2020)

The year is 1727 of the Imperial Calendar and in the lands of chivalry and knightly honour the sun has set with the sister moons Mannslieb and Morrslieb rise high into the dark sky with the darker of the sisters, Morrslieb, casting a vile green glow over the land revealing an ancient lichen covered castle nestled between the towering peaks of the Grey Mountains and the ancient wood of Forest of Loren. There is nothing but deathly silence sounding this castle as all things living long since abandoned the surrounding lands and villages when its current master took up residence there some four hundred years ago. But while nothing living has inhabited the castle for hundreds of years it does not mean it’s abandoned as those traveling by will see shadowy forms upon its ramparts and dark silhouettes stalk through the fire light halls of the keep itself as the undead do the bidding of their master, Mordred Von Drakenblood.

As Mannslieb and Morrslieb slowly make their way across the night’s sky the castle is a hub of activity as those undead bound to the will of their master do his bidding by preparing for Mordred’s “Crusade of Blood” against the lands of Bretonnia to retrieve several artefacts linked back to the original homeland of the vampire race and dreaded artefacts created by necromancers in a forgotten age too powerful to destroy but to dangerous to leave unguarded and finally the recovery of the skeleton of a long dead Carmine dragon that is so saturated with the Winds of Death it calls out to those that wish to master it. And so it is that when Mordred called you answered his summons to join him in this crusade of blood for such reasons as finding nothing but pure bloodshed to sate your first for battle and destruction, the gathering of powerful magical artefacts, serving the liege-lord who sired you and freed you from the bonds of mortality or even repaying an old debt that you owe.Upon the Eastern Rampart stand seven lords of Undeath gazing out towards the Grey Mountains with six of them stood a few feet behind the seven and while each of them is a paragon of might and fighting prowess in their own right is the one who stands apart from the group of six standing together that is perhaps the most terrifying vampire in the entire keep, Mordred Von Drakenblood, with his shoulder length black hair left to tumble down behind his ears to reveal a snow white hauntingly handsome face with high cheek bones and piercing red eyes that stare out into the darkness, fully armoured in his black and red warplate which with ever slight movement black wisps of dark magic rise from the gaps between each plate and at his side is sheathed the dreaded Black Blade of Mordred which is said to rival that of the might Runefangs of the Empire but while Mordred is terrifying in his own right when he stands with those who are the true ‘Sons of Mordred’ then nothing living or dead will be able to stand in his or their way and all of the vampires bar one that stand behind him can call him their ‘Father-in-Darkness’.

The First among these are oldest of the group is Hienrick Von Drakenblood who was Mordred’s adopted son in life and most loyal follower in Undeath, standing a just under six foot in height Hienrick wears dark silver plate armour sculpted to perfectly to match his own physical form which when combined with his snow white skin makes him seem like a white marble statue of a young elven god that belongs in some temple in the elven homelands, while Hienrick like his ‘father’ is unearthly handsome his features are largely concealed by a blood red scarp wrapped around the lower features of his face concealing everything from his nose down as his scarlet eyes peer out through the strands of his shoulder length white hair that now seems to have taken on an ethereal blue tint. Standing to Hienrick’s right is the second oldest of Mordred’s sons: Ulric Von Drakenblood once the youngest son of a Brettonian Duke Ulric stands at just over six feet in height and is perhaps the strongest vampire in terms of physical strength in the entire castle save for the fallen knight: Klaus, his younger ‘brother’ Tyreal and his ‘Father’ Mordred. Wrapped around his black and crimson coloured armour are two monstrous bat like wings which are currently folded close to his body like a cape hiding the sword sheathed at his side and upon his head keeping back his shoulder length hair sits a silver coloured circlet with a deep emerald gem set in the middle of it.

Next among the sons of Mordred is Gaelen Von Drakenblood, third eldest of the five true ‘sons’, like his brother Ulric he stands just over six foot with long dark hair held at bay by a golden circlet with a deep crimson gem set into its center. Like Ulric he wears armour of a deep crimson and black but while Ulric is a almost a hulking mass of muscle Gaelen is lithe and as quick as a serpent as other than his Father is the quickest vampire in the entire castle. As Gaelen stands beside Ulric it is clear these two ‘brothers’ have little love for each other as to Gaelen, Ulric is little more than an uncouth barbarian even though Ulric comes from the noble hands of Bretonnia and Gaelen from the unforgiving lands of Kislev. Standing to the right of Gaelen is the fourth of Mordred’s sons, the almost feral looking Tyreal Von Drakenblood whose wild yet relatively short black hair and blood shot crimson eyes make him look like his grip on self control could snap at any moment and he would then take his blade to what ever finds itself within reach. Standing a little shorter than his three older brothers Tyreal like them is armoured in the colors of their Lord and Father though his armour sports many spikes and blade like additions that still have dried blood on them yet to be removed.

The fifth and youngest son of Mordred is Khalidel Von Drakenblood though while he is the youngest stands as tall as Ulric and Gaelen and whose physical build is only slightly larger than his older brother Gaelen. With shoulder length raven black hair he unlike Gaelen and Ulric does not have a circlet to keep it held at bay which could either be a sign of Mordred’s disapproval or Khalidel simply doesn’t care about such things. Khalidel is the only one of the Sons of Mordred not to wear a suit of plate armour but instead chooses to wear a form fitting suit of mail crafted by the dwarves long ago which gives him an impressive and district appearance compared to his brothers yet also seems to isolate him, of all of his children Khalidel is the only one who seems to both hate and respect Mordred for cursing him with vampirism.

Though while there are five sons of Mordred there are six vampires stood behind him and the six vampire is one who Mordred considers being more of a son to him than Khalidel and his name is: Radu Von Carstien. Radu like most of those Blood Dragons around him stands he stands a little over six feet, has shoulder length raven-black hair that falls lazily around a perfect snow white face so it isn’t surprising that Radu is often thought of actually being a six Sons of Mordred by the other vampires in the castle that are not of Mordred’s or Elizabeth’s Bloodline. Like all the others save Khalidel, Radu is armoured in his armour of black plates covered in blood red roses but while he shares the bloodline of the Von Carsteins upon the shield strapped across his back is the heraldry of an roaring dragons head entwined around a black blade, the symbol of the Von Drakenblood house hold which shows he is favored by Mordred and atleast tolerated in his presence more than other vampires not of his blood line.


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