"If you are half the man they make you out to be, then you will have little problem in reclaiming my stolen property."
- —Carlotta de Villarias to Brunner the Bounty Hunter.[1a]
Countess Carlotta de Villarias is a young and eccentric Estalian noblewoman, in addition to possessing a timeless beauty that has been shaped throughout time by artists. However, the creature that calls itself Carlotta de Villarias is actually a Vampire, belonging to the ancestral clan of the Lahmia.[1a]
Carlotta has existed in the world since long before the formation of the Empire, and her origin can be traced back to the fiery sands that once housed the Nehekhara civilization. Her area of influence is Estalia, residing in Magritta, but she is rich enough to have properties in other territories and nations of the Old World.[1a]
Like the other members of this vampiric lineage, Carlotta has an unearthly beauty and arcane knowledge, which she uses to seduce men and form a legion of faithful servants and lapdogs—submissive slaves who would die for her, obeying her every whim in the hope that she will give them the gift that will allow them to join the court of the night. Carlotta only grants this privilege to those she finds interesting, which are usually very few.[1a]
Carlotta is a master of the art of seduction with the naked eye, but she is also arrogant and vain, and often kills those who show her the slightest slight. She especially dislikes men with enough willpower to resist her charms; although there are few occasions when the very old vampire woman meets a mortal who manages to deny her ethereal fascinations.[1a]
Although Carlotta has the strength and combat skills of vampires, she hates fighting, as the wrath of battle causes her to adopt the worst physical features of her species, spoiling her beauty. Thus, she prefers her lackeys to take care of the problem. Still, if she has no choice, she is a very dangerous adversary. When the situation demands it, she can grow claws and fangs and leap upon her enemies with the fury of a feral wolf.[1a]
Countless people have been consumed by her thirst through the ages.[1a]
History[]
Carlotta was born into the ancient civilization of Nehekhara. She received the Blood Kiss from Queen Neferata herself, the first of the Vampires and the founder of the Lahmia clan, learning all about vampiric powers and arcane abilities. She was with her mistress when the city of Lahmia was stormed and fell by the vengeful Nehekharan armies commanded by King Alcadizzar.[1a]
Although several vampires managed to escape, Carlotta and many others were captured by the soldiers of Nehb-ka-menthu, the Priest-King of Khareops, the City of Pillars. The King was fascinated by the power of necromancy developed by Nagash and the blood-drinking undead creatures; he longed to rise far beyond even eternal life and the supernatural power of vampires.[1a]
Over the course of many years, vampires gave up their secrets as the insane priest-king poked their bodies with salt, silver, and hawthorn. He bled them dry and drank the ichor of the vampires to eternalize his own life, and one by one they died until only Carlotta remained. She was only able to avoid that fate when Nagash's powers wiped out almost all living things in Nehekhara, including Nehb-ka-menthu, who was mummified by the last survivors of the city.[1a]
The vampire fled the dead city, surviving for months by drinking the blood of insects and Greenskins, until she reached the lands of men, reuniting with other vampiric survivors of her clan. Since then, she has regained her power and extended her influence for centuries, but she still fears that the accursed Nehb-ka-menthu will return from the dead to finish the work he began centuries ago.[1a]
Later, she retrieved Nehb-ka-menthu's sarcophagus and had his body brought to the city of Miragliano, only to lose it due to the betrayal of some of her subordinates. It was then that she hired Brunner the Bounty Hunter to track down Carandini, the necromancer who was in possession of the Mummy and destroy it once and for all.[1a]
Thanks to Brunner, the contessa managed to orchestrate an ambush on her ancient enemy. Yet when engaged, the Priest-King easily killed many of her minions and one of her thralls, the once-famous duellist of Miragliano, Relotto.[1a]
Torici, her other vampire thrall, quickly ordered the coachman of their coach to remove kerosene-filled lamps from the vehicle, anticipating their use as weapons. Meanwhile, the mummy advanced, casting a spell that caused one of the lanterns to explode, engulfing the coachman in flames and leading to his death in a nearby canal. Enraged, Torici threw another lantern at the mummy, dousing it in kerosene, but the lamp extinguished before it could ignite. As the mummy approached, Torici urged his mistress to flee and attacked the mummy with a wooden spoke, breaking it and stabbing the creature. However, the mummy overpowered Torici, killing him by ripping out his heart and tossing it at his mistress's feet, its expression taunting and triumphant.[1a]
Overcoming her initial fear, she fiercely attacked the mummy, but it overpowered her. The sight of her offspring being killed by the mummy broke her paralysis of fear, and she fought back with renewed fury. She threw a carriage wheel at the mummy, knocking it down temporarily. However, the mummy got up, unscathed by her attacks. The mummy pursued her, and in a twist of events, the horses bolted, tipping the coach over the mummy, briefly pinning it down. Then Brunner joined the fight, attacking the mummy initially with darts and then with his sword, setting it on fire with his pistol’s muzzle flash. Despite the flames, the mummy’s protective spells kept it from burning. The mummy advanced on Brunner, but de Villarias used the opportunity to impale it with a wooden stake. Though the mummy broke free, the internal flames consumed it from within.[1a]
In a desperate final act, the mummy grabbed de Villarias, attempting to drag her into its fiery demise. Brunner intervened, severing the mummy’s arm. The mummy finally crumbled into ash, leaving only burning bandages with glowing hieroglyphs, marking the end of the ancient priest-king.[1a]
After they had defeated the mummy Nehb-ka-menthu, de Villarias expressed relief but quickly resumed her arrogant demeanor. Sensing the threat from Brunner's ready sword and a wooden stake, she warned him against pushing his luck, but Brunner demanded his payment. Angered by his audacity, de Villarias contemplated killing him but was wary of his prowess.[1a]
Attempting to seduce him with promises of power and immortality, she tried to ensnare him, but Brunner resisted, insisting on his gold. Acknowledging his danger, de Villarias directed him to the money on her deceased thrall, Torici. Brunner collected the wealth and, with a veiled threat, indicated he expected more honesty in the future.[1a]
As she disappeared into the shadows, de Villarias warned him to avoid Estalia. Brunner, securing his spoils and the magical stake, watched her vanish and made his own way into the night, aware of the lingering threat she posed.
Palazzo de Villarias[]
She has a palazzo in the rich side of Miragliano where she lives occasionally with her household Ortez.[1a]
It is located in one of Miragliano’s most prosperous districts. It was in the very heart of the old city, and was protected from the sprawl around it by its own thick stone wall. Located as it was on a separate island from the warren-like maze of warehouses, shops, and taverns that catered to the merchant fleets and their crews.[1a]
Offspring[]
Carlotta de Villarias bestowed the Blood Kiss upon two exceptionally beautiful bodyguards, with Relotto serving as her brawn and Torici as her brain. These two thralls naturally complemented each other, though they barely tolerated each other, finding any occasion to embitter or humiliate the other.[1a]
The contessa employs a motley group of bewitched mercenaries, the kind of vermin Relotto had cut open in countless street duels. These men are devoted to the contessa, bound to her by supernaturally enforced chains of devotion and adoration. In the service of their mistress, these men would break before no enemy, no matter how terrible. Still, the vampires considered the mortal warriors with contempt as they addressed them.[1a]
Relotto[]
"I have to agree with the fop, if the bounty killer has failed, it may be dangerous here. My lady should not endanger herself so. Leave this to me, my lady. I can deal with a mere mortal."
- —Relotto to his mistress Carlotta de Villarias abouth the hiring of Brunner the Bounty Hunter.[1a]
Relotto was a tall, well-built man. Two hundred years ago, before Carlotta had taken a fancy to him, he had been the premier duellist in Miragliano. Even as a Vampire he still wore his heavy duelling cloak and still bore the light duelling rapier at his side. He also fought with a duelling sabre and a dagger.[1a]
He was blessed with supernatural strength. When he was in a pinched fight, he used both hands to strike with one of his hand weapons, an attack he had resorted to in the past when overcome by anger and red rage. In such a frenzy, he had once torn apart a bear with no more than his bare hands and unholy might.[1a]
Despite his strength, Relotto met his end at the hands of the mummy Nehb-ka-menthu. The mummy brought its cloth-wrapped foot crashing down upon Relotto’s head, grinding the vampire’s skull as a man might grind a beetle under his heel.[1a]
Torici[]
"I must observe, with all deference my lady, that I am also at a loss to understand why you hired a vulgar bounty killer instead of sending one of us to deal with this matter."
- —Torici to his mistress Carlotta de Villarias abouth the hiring of Brunner the Bounty Hunter.[1a]
Shorter than Relotto, but no less handsome, Torici wore a set of elegant clothes with large frilled cuffs. His elaborately trimmed tunic resembled those that might be worn to the elaborate balls held by the wealthiest of Tilea’s merchant princes when they were not making war against one another. Indeed, Torici had once been a fixture at such functions: a dashing, witty rogue who had a reputation for making even the coldest heart warm to him. Carlotta had been amused by his wit and clever observations on the world, and she had taken him so that he might continue to entertain her into the long night. Torici died in a fierce struggle with the mummy Nehb-ka-menthu. After urging his mistress to flee, Torici attacked the mummy with a wooden spoke from a coach's wheel. He struck the mummy's head, but the wood shattered upon impact with the creature's supernatural strength. Undeterred, Torici used the splintered end to gouge at the mummy's face. In response, the mummy punched through Torici's chest with its fist, ripping out the vampire's heart. Nehb-ka-menthu lifted the black, diseased heart and tossed it at the feet of Torici's mistress, mocking her with a sadistic smile as Torici died.[1a]