Gashnag, the Black Prince.
There is more than one Strigoi Vampire ruling a small kingdom in the Border Princes, but the most famous of these is Gashnag, the Black Prince.[1a]
History[]
The Border Principalities are wild lands ruled over by dozens of robber barons and petty nobles. These small provinces war frequently, and are beset by the greenskins from the south. Yet there is one town, protected by a soaring dark citadel, which has survived trials and tribulations of the Borderlands for many centuries, outliving many of the longest-ruling dynasties of the region. This small kingdom is the domain of Gashnag, the Black Prince, scion of ancient Strygos.[2a] A child-in-darkness of Vorag, Gashnag is determined not to make the same mistakes of his sire.[1a] While other Vampires of the Strigoi claw an existence in the filth of old crypts, dreaming of glories past, Gashnag has raised himself from the sewers(quite literally). In him is reborn the ancient power of the Strigoi, or so he tells unthinking courtiers.[2a]
He rose to notoriety slowly, and he has borrowed from the Lahmians the gifts of subtle manipulation. Resisting his brethren’s taste for being worshipped as Gods, he has instead recast himself as a romantic hero.[1a] Through his agents, Gashnag has paid bards and troubadours to spread the tales of his greatness across the Old World and as far afield as Araby.[2a] The rumors say that he is under a terrible curse that causes him to appear beastly and savage but that he was once strikingly handsome.[1a] These fanciful tales speak of a dashing prince, disinherited from his fortune, who seeks a loved one to provide him with an heir. It is perhaps best not to speak of what Gashnag would do should a suitable lady of breeding declare her interest.[2a] Under the sobriquet "The Black Prince," he appears on his battlements only at night and sees no one but his closest advisors, ever-stoking the mystique that surrounds him.[1a]
Gashnag the Black Prince (7th Edition Artwork)
The realm of Gashnag has developed a sinister reputation amongst the other Border Princes. Wolf packs prowl its borders like patrols, and merchants who pass into the cursed lands never return. There are tales of foolhardy nobles who besieged the dark citadel, and even more tales of their grisly deaths. Though none of the townsfolk have seen them, hundreds of Crypt Ghouls haunt the catacombs of the citadel. By secret ways they move into and out of the castle to act as the court of the Black Prince, bringing news of the wider world and dispatched on errands of their dark lord. The wolves that prowl the realm of Gashnag answer his call too. No flocks of the local farmers have ever been harmed by these voracious packs, yet the livestock of rival towns seem to be plagued by their attacks.[2a]
Gashnag also saves all his violence for the enemies of his tiny kingdom, and the only time he does appear in public, his hideous form is hidden beneath a huge and heavy cloak as he swiftly rides to mete out justice or defend the borders. When a gang of Ogres from the Black Mountains began raiding villages under his protection, Gashnag immediately rode into the mountains alone. He returned the next night with a dozen heads on a spike, which he planted in the village square, so his people would know they were safe again. The combination of dedicated security and romantic allusions has caused the province to swell in population in recent years. If this continues, The Black Prince may very well succeed where his sire failed and return the Strigoi to a great power once again — and one far closer to the Empire.[1a]