Vampire

"I say you can find out the servants of Death by their marks. No man is born so unnatural that his body does not revolt at the foul pollution of Undead blood. And by these marks you can tell them: by the fangs of the predator, for their thirst for blood is like that of a foul beast; by their porcelain white skin, cold to the touch and unnatural to the eye; the glow of their eyes, behind which lives the terrible Hunger. These are the marks of the blackest evil. These are the marks of the Vampire."

—Witch Hunter von Ingeheim^[5h]

A Vampire of the Lahmian bloodline

A Vampire, called Nosferatu in Bretonnia^[2a], Upyri in Kislev^[2a], Whampyri in Estalia^[2a], Yiangshi ("Corpse-ghost") in Grand Cathay^[27a], Bluddrinka in the Goblin Tongue^[27b] and Zanguzaz (lit. "Blood-drinker") in Khazalid,^[13a] who referred to themselves as "Children of Nagash^[5d]," the "Night's Masters^[7a]," the "Blooded^[6l]," the "Arisen"^[14a] and the "Undying,"^[14d] is an immortal, parasitic, Undead humanoid being created by another Vampire from a formerly mortal man or woman that devours the life forces of other mortals in the form of their life's blood.^[4d]

The true masters of Undeath, Vampires retain much of their original intelligence, personalities and capabilities despite their curse, and hence retain their ambition and desire. This makes them very dangerous indeed, for Vampires, due to their immortality, have an extensive period of time in which to hone their skills and refine their schemes to utter perfection.^[4d]

Vampires share no uniform physical appearance, aside from the fact that most of them have basically humanoid dimensions -- most can pass as Human at a distance, and hide their ungodly natures behind practiced charm and magical glamour -- but for all their refinement, they are in reality nothing more than rotting corpses held together by Dark Magic and its immortal will. The strain of retaining their appearance is a drain on a vampire and when it is stressed or angered, its true face reveals itself.^[4d]

Since the defeat of the von Carstein in the Vampire Wars, Vampires have remained hidden from the eyes of Man. Sometimes, they inveigle themselves in the great cities of the Empire, moving in high society. Some lurk in the deep woodlands or within dark caverns, preying on travellers and peasants. A few dwell in the mist-shrouded ruins of their old castles, while others have become debased and feral creatures.^[5a]

Quick Answers

What are the distinguishing physical features of a Warhammer 40k vampire?

Vampires in Warhammer 40k, known as Vampire Counts, are distinguished by their predatory fangs, used to satisfy their bloodlust. Their skin is porcelain white, cold to touch, and unnatural in appearance. Their eyes glow, indicative of their insatiable Hunger, marking them as embodiments of profound evil.

Provided by: Fandom

What is the significance of the 'fangs of the predator' in relation to Warhammer 40k vampires?

The 'fangs of the predator' in Warhammer 40k vampires symbolize their bloodlust and predatory nature. These fangs become longer and deadlier, reflecting their insatiable hunger. As vampires evolve, they develop beast-like features, such as a wolf-like mouth or bat-like ears, further emphasizing their predatory essence and distancing them from their human origins.

Provided by: Fandom

How does the 'Hunger' manifest in the eyes of a Warhammer 40k vampire?

The 'Hunger' in a Warhammer 40k vampire's eyes is a reflection of their monstrous urge to repeatedly feed on living blood. While some vampires strive to control this insatiable desire, others surrender to their animalistic instincts, making the 'Hunger' a constant, regardless of their lifestyle.

Provided by: Fandom

How does the skin of a Warhammer 40k vampire differ from a human's?

A Warhammer 40k vampire's skin is porcelain white, cold, and appears unnatural. These characteristics, along with their fangs and glowing eyes, mark them as servants of Death, reflecting their unquenchable hunger.

Provided by: Fandom

History

Numerous myths exist about the origin of Vampires. Some claim that if you spend too long admiring your own reflection, then that reflection will murder you and take your place. Others state that they are the result of consuming blood or tomb dirt, having been incorrectly buried, having been breastfed for too long as children or that they are the result of suicides.^[6a]

The truth of the matter is different entirely. The Vampiric species originated in the Cursed City of Lahmia at the eastern edge of the Land of the Dead, in what was once the early kingdom of Men known as Nehekhara, by drawing on knowledge from the apostate Priest King Nagash, approximately 1,650 years before Sigmar was crowned as the first Emperor of Man. There are, however, two different tales of how this came to pass.

Common Story

Nagash, heretic priest-king of the Nehekharan city-state of Khemri, had driven the priests of the Mortuary Cult from his domain. Among them had been W'soran, who had fled to the city of Lahmia. There, the priest inserted himself in the court and got the ear of Princess Neferatem, who sought to learn the arts of the Mortuary Priests, but was banned from joining them due to her sex.^[6g][7b]

A secret agent of Nagash, W'soran survived the destruction of his master at the hands of King Lahmizzash and once Neferatem was installed as Queen of Lahmia, he manipulated her into saving whatever remained of the necromantic works of the Great Heretic, playing on her curiosity for the forbidden arts. He further poisoned her against those that had stood against the Great Necromancer, starting with her own father.^{[6g][7b][12a]}

The pair conducted dark experiments intent to achieve immortality, working to perfect the Elixir of Life first created by Nagash. Unfortunately, they lacked the knowledge of Nagash and their version of the elixir instead transformed the drinker. They became nocturnal, parasitic Undead creatures, depending on the blood of the living for sustenance.^{[1a][4b][6g][7b][9a][12b]}

Curse of Lahmia

"Ptra (Sun god?) was angered by this, and as he looked down upon the vile city from his chariot, he did curse them unto the last generation, that they and their (unknown hieroglyph) would be forever (Damned? Cursed? Unclear) in those hours whilst the sky was his. "

— Translated from a fragment of text found in the Land of the Dead^[6f]

Neferatem shared her version of the Elixir of Life with ten others of her court, who became the first Vampires, called the "Trueborn."^[3a] Among these, the law was instituted that it was forbidden for one Trueborn to slay another, yet rivalries nevertheless ran high.^[6h]The queen ruled with the support of a new cult that replaced the traditions of the Mortuary Cult -- the Cult of Blood -- which acted as a cover for their activities.^[12e]

Originally, attempts were made to hide the Vampires' altered state from the mortal population, and they fed only on criminals and prisoners.^[12g] Gradually, the Vampire covens of Lahmia began to grow in confidence and excess, feeding on hundreds of slaves every night.^[5b] Visiting dignitaries found that Nagash was worshipped as a god in Lahmia, with many relics taken from his reign adorning the palace and temples.^[12f]

As Lahmia became a stranger to the other kingdoms of Nehekhara, Neferatem -- now called Neferata -- received Vashanesh, a general from the court of Setep, first king of the 5th Dynasty of Khemri.^[6h][12k] Offering him the last remaining Elixir of Life, Vashanesh became her consort, reorganising the Trueborn and giving them duties within the city. Agents were sent to the other city-states of Nehekhara to sow confusion and keep them divided.^[12m]

The turn in the Vampires's fortunes came with King Alcadizaar. The new King of Khemri declared holy war against Lahmia, declaring it and its blood-drinking rulers anathema.^[12n] The Trueborn fought, supported by an army of Undead, yet they couldn't stop the armies of Men from advancing. Allegedly, treason from the mortal population of Lahmia, who had turned against their Undead masters, opened the gates and Lahmia burned.^[2b][6i][9a]

Of the twelve Trueborn Vampires, only seven survived the massacre.^[3a][12n] These fled north and arrived at the great fortress of Nagashizzar, where Nagash had rebuilt his strength and received them as useful additions to his growing Undead armies.^[1a][32c]

The Great Necromancer promised to elevate them higher than before, showing his might by taking away their capacity to fear or experience regret and tutoring them in the black arts of necromancy. The Liche Lord further promised to restore the city-state of Lahmia and return it to their rule.^[12o] Nagash invested Vashanesh with a magical ring and raised him up to serve as the commander of his new armies.^[6j] At Vashanesh's command, ships made of bone made their way from the Sour Sea down the Straits of Nagash to the Bitter Sea, making landfall at the ruins of Lahmia.^[4c]

Yet Vashanesh chafed under Nagash's command, seeing that the Great Necromancer only wished to see everything living destroyed, transformed into Undead under his control, and that he cared not for his Vampiric servants. To escape the Great Necromancer's control, Vashanesh let himself by cut down by Alcadizaar in battle. The enchantment Nagash had maintained over the Vampires broke and the Firstborn fled, except for W'soran.^[12p] Two-thirds of Nagash's Undead legion was destroyed and the remnants of the Great Necromancer's army retreated to Nagashizzar, where Nagash magically cursed all Vampires to burn in the sun for their betrayal.^[12q]

To ensure his wayward servants' future obedience, Nagash created the Eye of Khemri, an artefact able to force any Vampire under the thrall of the one who wielded it. Vampires afflicted by it became Nagash's hounds, mindless slaves to the Liche Lord's will.^[14f]

Other myths claim that Nagash twisted the curses placed upon him by the Nehekharan Pantheon into chains of command by which he could control the Vampires.^[7c] Within his armies, he replaced the Vampires as his lieutenants with the Morghasts, the resurrected remnants of the Hammurai, the heralds of the god Ptra.^[32e]

The Diaspora

What followed was called the "Diaspora," when the surviving Vampires fled across the world of Mallus, searching for places to hide where their curse would not be recognised.^[22a]

In exile, many attempted to found empires to rule over. The greatest of these was old Strigos, built by the Trueborn Ushoran, and destroyed out of spite by his sister Neferata. Others included Luthor Harkon's pirate realm in Lustria and Vorag Bloodytooth's attempt to reunite the Strigoi on the Plain of Bones. Other Vampires were more content with taking a single domain, such as Neferata, who conquered Silver Pinnacle from the Dwarfs or Walach Harkon who corrupted the knightly order of Blood Keep.^[6k]

The most famous resurgence of the Vampires in the Old World came when Vlad von Carstein took control of the Imperial County of Sylvania. Ruling his domain for over two-hundred years as the rest of the Empire sank into anarchy, he eventually began what is remembered as the Vampire Wars. Yet Vlad and the successors of his bloodline, Konrad von Carstein and Mannfred von Carstein, were ultimately defeated, their ambitions to rule the Empire frustrated again and again.^[19a]

Time of Legends

The second variant story of the origins of the Vampires also begins in the ancient Nehekharan city-state of Lahmia. The rulers of Lahmia, Queen Neferata and her brother-husband King Lamashizzar, had been part of the confederation that defeated Nagash, with the secret intent of betraying the other cities in exchange for claiming the secret of eternal life from among his works.^[24a]

After Nagash was defeated outside the walls of Mahrak, Lamashizzar allied himself with Nagash's apprentice, Arkhan the Black, in secret, who had offered to share his master's secrets. They travelled to the Black Pyramid of Nagash, and plundered his library, taking Nagash's nine books of necromantic lore.^[24a]

Lamashizzar enslaved Arkhan after he attempted to kill the king. He brought the books and Arkhan back to Lahmia where he sought to recreate Nagash's Elixir of Life and become immortal.^[24a] Unwilling to kill other Humans to fuel the elixir because of a fear of being found out, he and his cabal of followers instead used animals. They extended their lives with the use of the new elixir but did not make themselves immortal.^[24b]

Neferata was frustrated with the lack of progress and, desiring power for herself, she allied with Arkhan in secret and with his help created a new Elixir of Life that utilised Human blood as its base, and wielded it as an incentive to turn Lamashizzar's necromantic cabal to her side.^[24c] Angered by this betrayal, Lamashizzar eventually attempted to kill his sister-wife using Sphinx venom which, with its magical properties, could overwhelm the elixir's power of life-extension by attacking the blood that served as its alchemical base, rendering it inert.^[24d]

Neferata was saved from death only through the efforts of Arkhan the Black, who used ritual after ritual to try and save her life. Yet it was all in vain, as the poison absorbed the energy of each necromantic rite to purify it and become even more deadly. The breakthrough only came when Arkhan removed Neferata's tainted blood from her body and then infused her with his own.^[24d] The queen died in the process, yet returned as an Undead being afterwards more powerful than before, having been transformed into the first true Vampire.^[24e]

The necromantic cabal of Lahmia then feigned their own deaths, using the Cult of Blood as a cover for their operations and their need to feed on blood. Neferata ruled as queen behind the scenes using her mortal descendants to issue her edicts, while keeping the cities of Nehekhara divided against each other.^[24f] The doom of Lahmia came when Neferata attempted to groom the prince of Rasetra as her future consort. Alcadizzar proved resilient to her corrupted Elixir of Life and managed to flee when she attempted to force unlife upon him.^[25a]

Neferata's sanity began to slip as she desperately searched for the prince, and the rest of her court turned against her.^[25b] Under the light of the Twin Tailed Comet, messengers from them that sought to contact Nagash in his fortress at Cripple Peak were intercepted by Alcadizzar, who used their missives as proof of the unnatural corruption that had taken hold in Lahmia.^[25c]

The city was taken by a great Nehekharan army consisting of all the priest-kings of the land and razed to the ground. The rest of the Vampires dispersed across the mortal world. Only W'soran made the way to Nagashizzar, willing to serve the Undying King as one of his Dark Lords.^[25d]

Vampiric Bloodlines

"And in the east I beheld a great mountain, and in caves beneath it I saw seven great wellsprings, spewing forth tainted blood. And I saw the blood flow down the mountain into seven great rivers. Two flowed to the south, and five flowed to the north, into the lands of the Empire and down into an endless sea. And the men who drank of the river became as beasts, and the cattle died, and the earth turned to ash, and across the land there was nought but sorrow and lamenting."

—From the Visions of Saint Ehrlich, Sigmarite Friar^[6r]

A Blood Dragon hunts down a Strigoi.

There are five distinct families of Vampires known in the Old World, each descending from one of the first Trueborn Vampires that took the Elixir of Life in Lahmia. These families are called "bloodlines", each possessing different physical and magical characteristics that determined their interests and affected the way they interacted with mortals and commanded their military forces.

Elements of the bound soul of the original Trueborn passed certain traits of their personality and inclinations on to any new Vampire sired by a descendant of their bloodline.^[12i] Yet Vampiric blood is more protean, and its effects cannot be charted like an alchemist's formula. While the blood leaves an imprint that shapes who a newly sired Vampire will become in Undeath, who they were in life and what their own personality was like also plays a role.^[15a]

Additionally, nearly all currently existing Vampires are impure. Since the fall of Lahmia, Vampires have shared blood in numerous ways, either by consuming their rivals or by sharing it with lovers. Vampire Thralls that are sired by a Vampire whose blood is mixed in that way can exhibit the traits of one or both of the original Trueborn bloodlines involved.^[15a]

Nevertheless, among Vampires, bloodlines are treated as real, acting not only as marks of heritage, but also as social organisations that serve to structure their approach to unlife. A Vampire sired by one of the von Carsteins, for example, will have a hard time being accepted by one of the other four bloodlines. Furthermore, proofs of blood impurity and improper heritage are often held against a Vampire of a particular bloodline who doesn't fit in with the rest of their "family."^[15d] Being able to trace one's line directly to one of the Trueborn is a sign of great influence and standing among Vampirekind.^[2e]

It is rare for Vampires from different bloodlines to cooperate. For instance, no member of any other bloodline works willingly with a Strigoi, the Necrarchs consider most of their brethren to be traitorous rebels, the Blood Dragons hate the Lahmians, and the Lahmians despise the von Carsteins.^[6ag]

• Von Carsteins – The von Carsteins are the most well-known Vampires in the Old World, having strong ties to Sylvania. They claim descent from Vashanesh, King of Lahmia and supreme commander of all Vampires by the will of Nagash. Most of the history of the bloodline is lost: specifically, everything between Vashanesh becoming a Vampire and the resurgence of Vlad von Carstein when he became the new Count of Sylvania. Some claim that Vlad von Carstein and Vashanesh are one and the same person, but none can confirm this. The heritage of the von Carsteins is arrogance and the drive to command and rule -- this extends even to the animals of their domain, who serve their Undead masters as faithfully as the Men under their thrall.

• Lahmians – The Lahmians descend from Queen Neferata, the first Vampire. Almost entirely female, they excel in the arts of intrigue, inserting themselves in mortal society to steer it according to their designs. They emphasise the seductive nature of Vampires and many of their bloodline powers centre around influencing the behaviour of enemy heroes.^[3b]

• Necrarch – The Necrarchs are solitary Vampire scholars steeped deeply in the arts of necromancy. Descendants of W'soran, they appear monstrous and wizened, caring only for their research, working on ever more terrible spells as they live out their undying centuries.

• Blood Dragons – The Blood Dragons are the most martial of the five original Vampiric bloodlines. Scions of Abhorash, they dedicate themselves to a quest of martial perfection to transcend the limits of their form, particular the need to drink blood.^[3c] Many of them choose the profession of the Blood Knight as a calling.

• Strigoi – The Strigoi are those Vampires who most closely resembling the beast that lies within the souls of all Vampires. They are the descendants of Ushoran who with his followers fled north to what is now the Badlands and built a great empire; when it was destroyed by Orcs the Strigoi were scattered and eventually degenerated into the monsters that they are today. Most are insane, dreaming of better times or of vengeance against their blood-kin who betrayed them. They have similar combat ability to the Blood Dragons, but in terms of the raw physical strength and bestial fury they exhibit rather than any skill-at-arms.^[3e]

Additionally, there may be more bloodlines. In the Far East, stories tell of the Jade-Blooded Vampires, who are believed to be descended from the Trueborn Vampire Harakhte, a member of the court of fallen Lahmia.

Vampiric Life-cycle

"Birth"

Vampires begin their existence as Vampire Thralls. Once transformed, most Vampires lose whatever Human qualities and desires once motivated them, becoming creatures of naked bloodlust.^[20b] They retain the thoughts and memories of the mortal they once were, but within them now is a dark beast, driving them to hunt and prey, to revel in their every twisted vice, and to glory in all their dark desires. Some see this desire as a separate force -- the "Beast Within" -- whilst others believe it is simply the benefit of no longer being burdened with the weight of a soul and the conscience it spawns.^[6k]

Vampires become paler upon their transformation and their eyes turn red.^[2b] Over time, the now-unneeded internal organs of a Vampire shrivel and atrophy. Only the heart continues to beat, although at such a low frequency that it is undetectable except when the Vampire has newly fed.^[14g]

It is in these times that being trained by their sire or some other Vampire that adopts them is vital, preventing them from losing themselves while also indoctrinating them in the ways of their specific bloodline.^[15a] Many "newborn" Vampires started this indoctrination even before the Blood Kiss was given.^[6m] As they age, new Vampires either manage to become independent of their sire or become so dependent on their creator that they become little more than extensions of their master's every whim.^[4d]

Maturity

"There is no Vampiric society, no aristocracy or blue-blooded royalty amongst the Undead. Vampires crave power, and through strength and cunning they take it. Frailty is punished by death—final, true death. There is no natural succession amongst those left behind. No birthright. No passing of the torch from generation to generation. Power is taken with strength. "

—Stefan Savilus, Erbschaft^[6e]

The average Vampire lives a life of great privilege. Power over others and over their environment comes easily to them, their superhuman physical strength is instantaneously acquired and effortlessly retained, and magic and knowledge are easily mastered. No fear holds the Vampire back from action, and no remorse follows them afterwards. For this reason, most Vampires lose themselves in a specific ambition, unwilling to simply feed in safe obscurity.^[6q] As they age, they become ever more distant from their Human herd. Human society becomes a blur of change, individual lives lose their worth and pity and kinship wither.^[2c]

As a Vampire matures, they rise to rank of count, who generally have matured and consolidated their powers and abilities.^[6ab] These counts are not to be confused with the often fought-for title of Vampire Count, which is one of the highest nobilities a Vampire can strive for and hope to attain.

If a Vampire has survived their time as a count and made a name for themselves, they might join the ranks of the Vampire Lords. Only the mightiest and most skilled of the Vampires reach this rank; it is not enough to simply control kingdoms or to have lived for centuries, the Vampire must also be a true master of dealing death, of dominating minds, and of harnessing their strength to the utmost effect.^[6ab]

The oldest Vampires are called the "Forebears."^[14a] Only the Trueborn, those who sipped from the Elixir of Life in ancient Lahmia directly and never received the Blood Kiss, predate the Forebears.

Final Death

Such is the terrible power of the Vampires that it is impossible to ever know for certain whether they have been slain. They have a habit of returning to unlife and wreaking terrible vengeance on their would-be slayers when least expected. A Vampire can lie dormant for years, decades and even centuries, gathering its strength while its mortal and Undead minions prepare the way for its return to power.^[4a]

The destruction of a Vampire never yields the same result. Some collapse into piles of dust, others burst into flames. Often, the Vampire simply expires and leaves a lifeless corpse. This means that if a would-be victim manages to slay a Vampire attacker, they often end up with the body of a normal man or woman, which requires speedy explanation to the authorities. Conversely, some nobles of the Empire have slain a political foe and later expediently claimed them to have been a Vampire!^[4e]

The regeneration of a Vampire after death can be accelerated by putting their remains in a Black Coach.^[5g] Ritually dismembering the body of a dead Vampire greatly reduces their chances at an eventual resurrection and might destroy them utterly.^[4e]

Metaphysics

"We are more alive and more truly creatures of the mortal world than any other."

—Mannfred von Carstein.^[12c]

Contrary to some superstitions in the Old World, that claim that Vampires are possessed by Daemons, all Vampires are in fact cut off from the Aethyr.^[12c] The rite utilised by the first Vampires transformed the body of the Vampire into a dark vortex that drew in every part of their soul, locking their spirit into themselves out of the reach of gods or Daemons. Tied to the very particles of their physical body, it ensures that a Vampire cannot pass into whatever afterlife awaits a mortal.^[12c] For most, it means that there is no way for them to be returned.^[20a]

This dark aethyric vortice within their physical forms slowly drains their surroundings of ambient magic. As the Winds of Magic are drawn into them, they are compressed and corrupted into Dhar. The result is that the land itself around a Vampire slowly becomes tainted and their bodies become malformed and corrupted.^[12d] When examined with a wizard's witchsight, Vampires are wreathed in Shyish, with an aura of Dhar upon them like a long, flowing coat.^[6p]

In necromantic parlance, the transformation of a moral into an Undead Vampire binds the Akhu with their Kha (the physical body), essentially merging it with their Sahu into one immortal form. The drawback is that during the rite, a Vampire lose their khaibit (their soul's shadow) and, without any contact with the Realm of Chaos, their souls become clogged and heavy, as they lose the ability to generate Sekhem (aethyric lifeforce).^[12c]

Like all things born of the works of the Great Necromancer, Vampires are intrinsically tied to Nagash. Their curse serves to anchor the Liche Lord's soul in the physical world and work towards his resurrection, by infecting them with his ambitions and desires. Most are wilful enough to resist, yet all remain puppets to his ultimate design.^[29b]

Scholars among the realm of Men are rarely schooled in these dark matters. For them, they turn to simpler explanations, such as Vampires being cast out of the eyes of Morr, the god of the dead, for their abominable being or wizards theorising that Vampires are somehow trapped between the Aethyr and the material plane of the mortal world.^[6k]

Psychology

Vampires don't experience emotions in the same way as the living, yet that does not mean they are unfeeling.^[26b] All Vampires were once Human, with hopes, dreams and families of their own. Even though traces of emotion still stir in their shrivelled hearts, the Blood Kiss has transformed them into monsters without exception. Their once-humble aspirations have been consumed, twisted into a desire to conquer and rule over the mortals they left behind. In truth, though, Vampires cannot forget their past lives.^[5a]

Their Undead state actually enhances their ability to feel. Sometimes, emotions are redoubled and magnified, stretching almost to caricature, while at other times, they fade, becoming only brief, dull echoes.^[29a] The strength of a Vampire's craving for blood and the superhuman strength of their bodies makes the rage of a Vampire a terrible thing. In these moments, the mask slips and the beast within comes to the surface.^[12h] Ingrained in all Vampires is a strong survival instinct, stronger than that even of the living.^[26c]

A Vampire initially keeps their mortal memories and their personality, but both tend to fade quickly and are forgotten. The truth is that much of the old mortal personality is simply irrelevant in this new state, just as the personality of a sheep is of little use to a wolf. Ideas about friendship, morality, and duty are fundamentally changed when one becomes a wolf amongst Human sheep. Some people are able to act kindly towards sheep, of course, but in the end, they are there to be herded, killed, and eaten.^[6m]

Romantic love is not unknown among the Children of Nagash. The legends of Vlad von Carstein and Isabella von Carstein or Genevieve Dieudonné and Oswald von Königswald are not entirely romantic creations of the minstrels. A Vampire never does anything by halves. So when they do fall in love, it is not unknown for it to be with a mortal, despite their superiority over them. The inevitable conclusion of these affairs is with the mortal being given the Blood Kiss, for what lover could do more for his paramour than give her eternity? And what lover could refuse the chance to be more like her beloved?^[6m]

Similarly, great friends or close family may be made Vampires as well, for to deny them power and immortality would be selfish and cruel. Most Vampires are not capable of the selflessness that true love requires, experiencing only lust and a harsh longing for the things of mortality that they have lost.^[6m][26e]

Feeding

The most persistent drive in a Vampire's early life is the Red Thirst, the constant need for the blood of the living.^[6n] To replenish their dwindling Sekhem (life force), Vampires have to take it from others, mainly through the consumption of blood, or consume warpstone, the raw stuff of magic made solid.^[12d]

For a time, the blood of animals can be taken as substitutes, but this does not offer true nourishment to a Vampire.^[22b] Old blood or that taken from corpses also offers no nourishment.^[26a]A vampire no longer requires any other form of food,^[14g] but can eat it nonetheless if desired. The food isn't digested and is excreted from the Vampire's body as a rotten pulp, although it takes a conscious effort to prevent the Vampire from simply vomiting it up.^[19a]

The thirst for blood is a constant awareness of need, a tide of desire that rises and falls but is always present, keeping the predator's instinct never far from the mind. Even after drinking to the fill, the thirst never fully departs, and after long periods without feeding, it becomes an undeniable torment far beyond any mortal addiction to mandrake or other common narcotics.^[6n]

The "flavour" of Human blood is unique to each person and even depends on their recent activities. A drunk's blood will be mildly alcoholic to a Vampire; disease can pollute both the taste and the effect; morning blood is lighter and sweeter than that taken at night.^[6n]

The alternative to not feeding for a Vampire is pain, beyond any craving a mortal can have for food or water, and then transformation into a monster.^[12d] This process is slow and agonising, causing the Vampire to lose their memories piece by piece.^[22b] The physical form shrivels, becoming withered and corpse-like.^[23a]At the end of the process, the Vampire transforms into a bestial Vargheist.^[30a]

Just as feeding not enough has negative consequences, so too does feeding too much. Vampires can experience euphoria from overfeeding similar to the effects drinking alcohol has on Men, but suffer similar effects to a hangover later.^[14g]Vampires who overfeed regularly transform into savage Varghulfs.^[5f][30a]

Some Vampires are able to draw more than lifeforce from blood, drinking their victims' memories as well as their blood.^[14c] If a Vampire drinks blood from another Vampire, they absorb part of its power and imprint their will upon them. In that manner, they can make even another Vampire subservient to them, should the potency of their blood be greater.^[22c]

Blood shared willingly creates a bond between two Vampires, making them akin to brother and sister and strengthening feelings of loyalty existing between them. To them, it is also an equivalent of mortal lovemaking.^[16b] If a Vampire is drained completely, the drinker can gain part of their powers.^[12j]

Mortals that are regularly fed from can become addicted to the experience, becoming swains. These often become willing servants to the Undead, so willing that they regard others as potential rivals.^[15c] The Lahmians are especially skilled in cultivating loyal swains.

Affinity for Magic

A Vampire commands his undead servants.

All Vampires have a natural ability to command necromantic magic.^[2j] This acumen grows as the Vampire ages and becomes more in tune with the Dark Magic that animates them.^[4d]

Unlike mortal necromancers, who have to shield themselves from the harmful effects of the Dark Magic they use, Vampires can unleash such power fully, without risking harm to themselves, and so have an intrinsic control over the Undead that most necromancers can never achieve.^[4f]

While individually more capable in the dark arts and being able to channel greater amounts of magic, Vampires often stagnate in their progress to master necromancy, with mortal necromancers, such as Frederick van Hal and Heinrich Kemmler, being the ones who pioneered new forms of the Black Art.^[3d]

The Dark Magic Vampires exude draws all manner of fell creatures to them, acting as a magical beacon to restless spirits and other unquiet dead that draw strength from the Vampire's presence and manage to return to life.^[4a]

While most Vampires who had been wizards in life forget how to wield anything but necromancy or the Winds of Shyish and Ulgu, it is not impossible for them to retain their talents. One, the Necrarch Lorenz, retained his command of Ghyran, combining it with Dark Magic to manipulate dead plant matter.^[5e][17a]

As with most things concerning Vampires, the individual magical capabilities of Vampires have a wide divergence. Some, like Konrad von Carstein, are incapable of even using minor spells.

Reproduction

Vampires do not conceive children in a biological way. Instead, they transform others through the Blood Kiss. The exact steps of the Blood Kiss are a secret and possibly even different from Vampire to Vampire. The creator of a new Vampire is called their "sire," "father-in-darkness" or "blood father" or "blood mother".^[16a] One element that is common is that the blood of the siring Vampire has to enter the body of the future Vampire.^[6k]

Most Vampires are very picky about their future blood-child, with most trying to only give the Blood Kiss to those they deem to fit the criteria of their bloodlines. ^[6l] Particularly strong Vampires can instil a bond of loyalty into their progeny. The Vampire Thralls feel the will of their master inside them like a second heartbeat, ensuring their obedience.^[20c] The first mortal given the Blood Kiss by a Vampire is often also the strongest.^[21b]

A newly created Vampire is always weaker than their creator, the foul power that animates them losing its potency with each new generation.^[3a] A Vampire that sired too many other Vampires will weaken itself and create fairly weak Vampire Thralls.^[4d]

Most Vampires in the present-day have such diluted blood that they can only grant the Blood Kiss once, while the oldest of them can sire multiple times.^[2d] Those with a direct line of descent to the Trueborn often number among those who can give the Blood Kiss relatively freely, while those of the third, fourth and fifth generation can give only one.^[12i] Those too far removed from the Firstborn tend to give rise only to bloodthirsty, crazed monsters, who are cause for the numerous rumours that mortals have about Vampires.^[14b]

A way to thicken the blood is to hunt and kill other Vampires by draining them dry. The more powerful the consumed Vampire was, the greater the power passed on to the hunter.^[12j]

Vampiric Corruption in Other Races

"There have been dark whispers of Vampire Dwarfs and members of the other races, but no hard evidence of their existence has yet been found. Some amongst the Elves would have it that only we become Vampires; proof of the inherently Chaotic and debased nature of mutable Man. However, there are those who say the Dark Ones are a degenerate form of Elf, that there is an entire nation of Chaos-worshipping Dwarfs in lands to the east, and even that the Halflings begat the Goblins. Perhaps each race has its evil mirror?"

—From Traugott of Verena's lectures.^[6d]

There are rumours that mortal races other than Humans may be plagued by vampirism.^[6l] Some Vampires, like Mannfred von Carstein, know too well that these beliefs are actually true, but find little use in generating others of their kind from members of other races.

Elves are too fragile, at their core. Too enamoured of their life as it is to see the glory in becoming something else. Like the Dwarfs, they are stagnant, trapped in themselves.^[9b][10a] Eldyra, a High Elf princess of the kingdom of Tiranoc, was allegedly made a member of the von Carstein bloodline, during the End Times.^[9a] Other sources instead claim that she instead became the avatar of Ereth Khial and that the arrogant Vampires could not conceive that there were forces greater than their Blood Kiss.^[33a][33b]

One of Vlad von Carstein's direct sons-in-darkness, Konrad von Carstein, gave the gift of immortality to the most unthinkable of creatures, a resident of the Moot, a Halfling.^[29a]

Honorio, the current elder of the Order of Eternal Night and Solace, is an example of how even a Dwarf can be cursed into a form of Undeath.^[10a]

Blood Gifts

The blood of Vampires contains more than just strength and hunger. The skills and powers of the Firstborn Vampires are passed down into each generation, giving great strength and ancient magical ability in all of their descendants. Blood Gifts encompass the various powers a mortal gains upon transforming into a Vampire. Vampires of particular bloodlines are more likely to gain some Blood Gifts over others, but the lines have been muddied since the time of the first seven Vampires, and thus, traits of different lines have a tendency to manifest in unexpected places.^[6u]

Though they share the curse of Undeath, each Vampire is a unique creature with myriad abilities and traits. Some dedicate their immortal existence to mastering warfare, whilst others delve into arcane lore, create nations of Undead through political manipulations, or willingly succumb to their bestial nature.^[4g]

Some characteristics are spread evenly across the Vampiric bloodlines, others may be confined to a single bloodline, and others still may be merely more represented in one bloodline than others.^[4g]

Archetypical Powers

The Severed

Some Vampires live a hermit-like existence in the wilds of the Old World, interacting infrequently with others of their kind. Such recluses prefer their own company, although some maintain a circle of minions to tend their needs. Through extended isolation, the Vampire loses all remaining vestiges of their Humanity.^[4g]

• Ghoulkin - This Vampire has a strong kinship with Ghouls, using them as its eyes and ears in the wider world.^[4g]

• Spectral Form - By shifting its physical form into a vaporous state, the Vampire becomes invulnerable to mortal weapons and is almost impossible to destroy.^[4g]

• Supernatural Horror - This Vampire is hideous to look upon, having long since forsaken the trappings of mortal nobility and beauty. The appearance of this Vampire reflects the evil in their veins a thousandfold. The true horror of the curse of the Vampire is open for all to see. The revulsion this Vampire causes in mortals vindicates for them their decision to embrace the beast within.^[2g][5i]

The Arkayne

For those who desire mastery of the black arts of necromancy and Dark Magic, the curse of Undeath grants many long centuries during which the secrets of necromancy can be unlocked. Such study can be arduous and perilous, but many Vampires find its lure irresistible at some point in their unlives and will seek to increase their necromantic powers. Necromancy is at the core of a Vampire's existence and to master it is to master themselves and their fate.^[4g]

• Dark Acolyte - All Undead creatures are steeped in Dark Magic, and Vampires are no different. Some Vampires have an affinity for necromantic magic beyond that of their peers, which only increases with age, study and practice.^[5i] As even the lowliest Necrarch follows the long and difficult path of the necromancer, this trait is especially common among the Vampires of that bloodline.^[2g][3i]

• Forbidden Lore - Long must one study to gain knowledge of the netherworld, let alone several paths of magical teaching, but time is no worry to an undying scholar.^[5i]This trait is especially common amongst Necrarchs.^[2g][3i]

• Master of the Black Arts - What challenge do the Winds of Magic present to a being who sits outside the loop of time? What mortal creature can match the magical prowess of one so ancient that its teacher might have been the Great Necromancer himself? The Winds of Magic themselves present little challenge to this Vampire, so matchless is their magical prowess. This trait is especially well represented amongst Necrarchs.^[2g][3i][5i]

The Bestalle

The curse of the Undead is not a stable thing, and many Vampires grow unable to control the red thirst, while others choose simply to not restrain their primal urges. Such beings swiftly devolve into terrible monsters, crazed and bestial things shunned by both the living and the Undead, whose only drive is to feast upon mortal flesh and hot blood.^[4g]

• Flying Horror - The Vampire is able to take to the skies with great, membranous wings through the use of Dark Magic, or perhaps can even metamorphose into a monstrous bat.^[5i]

• Hunter in the Dark - Who knows what terrors lurk in the dark places of the mortal world, biding their time until the moment to strike has come? Vampires with this gift can hunt their prey even more effectively in the darkness of night than their kin.^[4g]

• Infinite Hatred - Driven by bloodlust beyond mortal comparison, the Vampire fights with an intensity that turns aside the most skilled parry or stoutest shield. The Strigoi, the bloodline of Vampires who are most commonly associated with this gift, know no love; shunned by all, they brood in their solitude vowing death upon all they meet.^[4g]

The Martialle

The martial skills of a Vampire can be fed by the red thirst and honed through centuries, or even millennia, of warfare. Few foes can stand before a Vampire who has given over their existence to the arts of the slaughterer. ^[4h]

• Avatar of Death - Trained by the best swordsmen of different periods and cultures, the Vampire has become a deadly warrior capable of slaying the most monstrous of foes in melee combat.^[4h]

• Dread Knight - There are plate armour-clad Vampire knights in the mortal world, pursuing their martial glories with deathless vigour. This Vampire has followed the path of the warrior to its ultimate conclusion, taking up arms in dark mockery of a knightly vow. Most famous of these Vampires are the Blood Dragons, but not all the deadly Vampire horsemen of the Old World were trained within Blood Keep.^[4h][5i]

• Red Fury - The Vampire enters the melee as they have always done in centuries past with a savage and unstoppable bloodlust. They won't stop until all their enemies lie dead on the ground.^[5i] This trait is especially well represented amongst the bloodline of the Blood Dragons.^[2h][3h]

The Courtly

Eternal life brings ample time to refine the practices and manners that are the trappings of many Vampires recruited from the noble houses of the Old World. The taint of the Undead also gifts a will as strong as steel that few mortal creatures can resist. ^[4h]

• Aura of Dark Majesty - The very greatest of Vampires project an aura of utter supremacy and poise that induces fear and awe in even the proudest of mortal beings. To be in the presence of this Vampire is to truly know your own lowly place in the world. ^[5i] As they are the most authoritative of the Vampires, this gift is especially common amongst the bloodline of the von Carsteins, the best generals among their kind,^[3g] but can also be found in Necrarchs.^[6v]

• Beguile - What brute would dare to attack such a vulnerable lady? The entrancing gaze of the Vampire traps the weak-willed. Mesmerised, the Vampire's victim can do nothing to ward away the inevitable deathblow. ^[5i][4h]This trait is especially common amongst the bloodline of the Lahmians.^[3k]

• Walking Death - So powerful is the unholy presence of the Vampire that mere mortals are forced to flee in dread and terror. ^[4h] This gift is especially common amongst the bloodlines of the Strigoi and von Carsteins.^[3g]

The Master

All Vampires can control the Undead through their innate necromantic power, but some turn their will to the domination of these creatures to the exclusion of all other goals. Such Vampires have near-limitless legions of the walking dead at their disposal.^[4h]

• Lord of the Dead - An army of ancient warriors stand ready to fulfill the commands of their Vampire general. Rank after rank of armed Skeletons rise from their graves to answer the Vampire's bidding.^[4h]

• Summon Creatures of the Night - The Vampire howls into the cold night, and their cry is answered by the baying of countless dark predatory creatures, wolves and bats bolstering its forces.^[4h][5i]

Non-Archetypical Powers

Several powers are found amongst a variety of Vampiric bloodlines, but are not directly associated with either a particular archetype of Vampire, nor a particular bloodline.

• Bat Form - Wrapping the power of darkness around themselves, the Vampire metamorphizes into a giant bat. ^[6u] This power is especially common amongst the bloodlines of the Strigoi and von Carsteins.^[2f][3j]

• Blood Burst - Whilst a Vampire needs blood to survive, their body does not process the fluid, so once they draw forth the metaphysical life energies from it, the excess fluid collects in pockets formed of their Undead flesh. Whenever the Vampire is sufficiently injured, one or more of these sacs burst, spraying gobs of old, tar-like blood at all adjacent creatures, greatly inhibiting their combat effectiveness.^[6v]

• Blood Drain - The Vampire may drain blood directly from their prey with their fangs.^[6v]

• Blood-sated - The Vampire may abstain from drinking blood for twice the standard period before beginning to suffer the negative effects of the red thirst. This power is especially common among the bloodlines of the Necrarchs and Strigoi.^[6v]

• Carrier - The Vampire's indiscretions when feeding upon mortals has infected them with a horrid contagion, most commonly Scurvy Madness.^[6v]

• Curse of the Revenant - So strong is the desire for some Vampires to continue living that they defy death. But this has a price -- the eternal thirst for the blood of the living. Through magic, bloodletting or sheer force of will, the strength of this Vampire to survive the centuries is beyond compare.^[5i][6v] This trait is especially well-represented amongst the bloodlines of the Strigoi and Necrarchs.^[2g][3j]

• Defy the Dawn - The Vampire's will is so strong, they can overcome even the terrible power of the sun.^[6w]This trait is especially common amongst the bloodlines of the Lahmians, Necrarchs, and von Carsteins.^[6v]

• Enhanced Senses- The Vampire gains access to echolocation like a bat in order that they can orientate themselves even in complete darkness.^[6u]

• Fear Incarnate - This Vampire has a dread reputation. It is said that they have slaughtered thousands of would-be heroes over the centuries, and no right-minded warrior will seek battle with such a foe.^[5i]

• Host - The Vampire's body is host to a colony of vile insects and worms. They crawl through the rotten flesh of the Vampire's body, feasting on the blood they ingest and the slippery flesh of their long-decayed innards.^[6w]

• Honour or Death - Many mortal champions regret their rash pride after the valiant challenge they issued is accepted by a creature whose eyes are the eyes of death itself. This power to compel a one-on-one duel is especially common amongst the bloodlines of the Blood Dragons and von Carsteins.^[2f][3g]

• Iron Sinews - After death the Vampire's muscles, fortified by the Dark Magic that maintains their Undead existence, grow far greater than they ever could have been in their mortal life. The Vampire becomes a beast of pure muscular power. This trait is especially common amongst the bloodlines of the Strigoi and Blood Dragons.^[3j][6w]

• Master Strike - So strong is this lord of the night, that a well-placed blow from their sword can bring low, sever a limb or decapitate the toughest mortal opponents.^[5i] This trait is especially common amongst the bloodline of the Blood Dragons.^[2b][3g]

• Malformed - The Vampire's physical body is twisted and grotesque, an abomination to behold. Worse, the ill-advised structure of their transformed body allows unsightly bulges to form, pressing out against the flesh until the skin thins so that it pops with a sickening wet splatter. Just as soon as the bubo explodes, the flesh knits back together again as another bulge begins to form elsewhere.^[6w]

• Mist Form - Some Vampires can change their shape to that of a whirl of mist. The mist is entirely magical, under their control, and does not behave according to the physical laws of nature.^[6w] This trait is especially well-represented amongst the bloodlines of the Lahmians and von Carsteins.^[2i]

• Monstrous Mass - Over the ages, this Vampire has grown to huge proportions, flesh and sinew building over and over itself. As a result, blows that would fell a normal creature are often nothing but a scratch to this monstrosity.^[6x]

• Nehekhara's Noble Blood - The only thing the Necrarchs could take from their original homeland was their necromantic lore. These secrets are found in the cursed scrolls hidden in the lairs of the oldest Vampire Lords of the bloodlines of the Necrarchs and Lahmians.^[2g][3i]

• Pass for Human - This Vampire can retract their claws and fangs and soften their predatory features, enabling them to appear Human.^[6x]

• Psychic Drain - For this Vampire, it is not enough to sip the blood of their victims; their Undead form requires far more energy to sustain itself. They become an emotional sink, draining the will and emotion from living creatures around them.^[6x]

• Quickblood - Is it possible to dart aside and avoid a cannon ball? Is it possible to grab an arrow in fight with one's hand? It certainly is for these Vampires. The sword-strikes of even the most skilful men are but clumsy and childlike before the preternatural speed of the Vampire.^[5i][6x] This trait is especially well-represented amongst the bloodlines of the Lahmians and Blood Dragons.^[2i][3k]

• Ravenous - The mere scent of blood is enough to drive this Vampire into a mad, all-consuming frenzy.^[6x]

• Scent Blood - This Vampire has the uncanny ability to smell the blood of living creatures within 16 yards.^[6x]

• Silvered Blood - Through some twist of magic, the argent metal already courses in this Vampire's veins. Rather than weakening their flesh, the presence of silver in their body makes them immune to its dreadful effects upon Undead flesh.^[6x]

• Stench - The Vampire exudes the particularly loathsome stench of a charnel house. Those who are creative can circumvent this odour -- Dwarfs are quite fond of wrapping scarfs soaked in their own urine around their nose and mouth, though such techniques often have a similar nauseous effect.^[6y]

• Swarm Form - The Vampire may assume the form of a swarm of verminous insects or avians, including beetles, flies, ravens, or cockroaches. Whilst in this form, the Vampire may not attack nor may they be injured -- stomping on such a Vampire's constituent roaches is definitely uncomfortable, even painful, but not lethal, as the Vampire is Undead after all.^[6z]

• Transfix - The Vampire is so beautiful that a mere mortal's will to fight immediately disappears before them. The eyes of the Vampire are two deep pits where a mortal can find their doom. The unfortunate victims can do nothing but stare entranced and helpless at the deadly hunter preparing to strike.^[6z] This power is especially common amongst the bloodline of the Lahmians and von Carsteins.^[2f][2i][3k]

• Unbending Willpower - Some of these immortal hunters have crossed the oceans of time, commanded armies and ruled kingdoms in their everlasting Undeath. There are few creatures that can avoid being overcome with awe and falling to their knees before them and the obedience they obtain from their servants is absolute. This power is especially common in the bloodlines of the Necrarchs and von Carsteins.^[2f][2g]

• Unhallowed Soul - This Vampire is truly cognisant of their freedom from the spiritual realm, and thus, they fear no god or Daemon. These Vampires are immune to the repulsing powers of places or objects of faith, including those of the Chaos Gods.^[6z]This trait is especially well represented amongst the bloodlines of the Blood Dragons, Lahmians, and Strigoi.

• Waterwalker - The Vampire's will is so strong that they may overrule the curse on their blood and cross running water with immense effort. ^[6z] This trait is especially well-represented amongst the bloodlines of the Blood Dragons and Strigoi.^[5f]

• Wellspring of Dhar - This Vampire's soul is so corrupted with Dark Magic that it has become a natural pool of True Dhar that the Vampire can use to power its own magical abilities at will.^[6z]

• Wings - The Vampire grows a pair of leathery wings. ^[6aa]

• Wolf Form - The Vampire can change their shape to that of a wolf. This trait is especially common among the bloodlines of the Blood Dragons and von Carsteins.^{[2f][3g][6aa]}

Bloodline Powers

Some Vampiric powers are the reserve of those of a particularly pure bloodline extraction. Those who exhibit powers not traditionally associated with their heritage are regarded with suspicion.^[15d]

Von Carsteins

• Call Winds - The anger of a von Carstein is so powerful that even the sky reflects it. The Vampire may call forth a huge and terrible storm, even from a completely blue and quiet sky.^[2g][3g][6v]

• Earthbind - In Sylvania, the land and its masters have become inextricably bound together, giving some von Carsteins a measure of protection against hostile magics.^[11a]

• Persistent Image - The light of the sun has not rejected this Vampire. Their image is still reflected in mirrors and any other reflective surface. They also cast a normal shadow from the sun or any other light source.^[6x]

• Pure Blood - The Carstein Ring of Vlad von Carstein is the ancient inheritance of the noblest of the Vampire bloodlines. Only they have the right to wear this holy relic, which is charged with the power to restore and resurrect a destroyed Vampire's body.^[2f]

• Spectral Attendants - The Vampire is accompanied by ghostly followers, immortal remnants of their innumerable victims. Though too weak to directly affect the material world, their chill voices resonate through the Winds of Magic, preventing those attuned to the mystic arts from focusing their powers.^[11a]

• Summon Bats - The Vampire produces a bestial howl that awakens these dark creatures and beckons them to their aid.^[2g][3g]

• Summon Wolves - These wolves are slaves to the implacable will of the von Carstein bloodline.^[2f][3g][6y]

• Wolf Lord - Upon their home soil this Vampire has an almost unparalleled mastery of necromancy, able to reanimate Dire Wolves with but a thought.^[11a]

Blood Dragons

• Blademaster - Trained by the best swordsmen of different periods and cultures, a Vampire of the bloodline of the Blood Dragons can easily deflect the blows from their puny enemies.^[2h][3h][6u]

• Doomrider - A knight and their horse share a very strong bond -- so strong that sometimes it can continue even after death, as some Vampires ride upon skeletal, Undead steeds.^[2h]

• Heart Piercing - Using a combination of great strength and their amazing, suprenatural speed, it is easy for the Vampire to create a gap in his opponent's guard.^[2h][3h]

• Killing Blow - So strong is the lord of the night that a well-placed blow from their sword can sever a limb from the toughest of creatures.^[2h]

• Might of Arms - The Vampire has trained for centuries in the use of his favourite weapons, acquiring a skill that is rarely matched, even by the best of mortals.^[2h]

• Piercing Strike - Whenever the Vampire attacks with a weapon, they put the full force of their supernatural might behind the swing, delivering gruesome injuries.^[6x]

• Warrior Pride - A Blood Dragon High Lord will always be buried with their finest and most precious suit of plate armour.^[2h]

• Strength of Steel - Such is the Vampire's martial prowess that they are able to strike at the precise moment when it will cause the most carnage. Further, a true knight will never abandon their armour and sometimes that steel skin becomes part of their own body, providing greatly enhanced natural protection.^[2h][3h]

• Terrible Blows - The Vampire's great strength and incredible speed allows them to rain blows of terrifying force and number upon their enemies.^[6z]

• Unholy Regeneration - The Vampire's wounds heal at a startling rate.^[5b][5f]

Necrarch

• The Awakening - The Vampire can sense the remains of long-dead warriors in the ground and awaken them to bolster their unholy ranks.^[2g][3i]

• Death Incarnate - The mere presence of such an unnatural creature as a Necrarch Vampire Lord is enough to stop the heart of weak beings and cast despair into the strongest of mortal souls.^[2g]

• Deathsight - The Vampire can see spirits and souls that are normally invisible, as per the Lore of Death spell of the same name.^[6w]

• Mastery Over Flesh - The Vampire is naturally gifted at manipulating and controlling the flesh of the dead.^[6x]

• Nehekharan Scrolls - The Vampire has preserved some of the ancient lore of the Land of the Dead.^[6x]

• Summon Ancients - The Vampire can sense the remains of long-dead warriors and animate them to fight on their behalf.^[6y]

• Unholy Cynosure - The Necrarch can focus their power into a different plane to foresee the future and thus change the present.^[3i]

• Wellspring of Dhar - The Necrarch's soul is so corrupted with Dark Magic that it has become a natural pool of True Dhar that the Necrarch can draw upon to power its necromantic magics.^[5b][5f]

Strigoi

• Massive Monstrosity - Such is the size of some of the more ancient Strigoi that a blow that would kill a normal creature is but a mere scratch to these gigantic, blood-hungry beasts.^[3j]

• Summon Vermin - The Vampire may call forth a tide of bats, rats, or other tiny verminous creatures to attack their enemies. Alternatively, a crowd of giant vermin such as Vampire Bats or Giant Rats may be summoned.^[6y]

• Infinite Hatred - The Strigoi know no love; shunned by all, they brood in their solitude vowing death upon all they meet, which greatly enhances their abilities in combat should such a foe make itself known to them.^[3j]

• Summon Ghouls - The Vampire bellows a guttural cry which can be heard by flesh-eating minions like Crypt Ghouls. These creatures are slaves to the authority of the Strigoi Ghoul Kings.^[3j][6y][4g]

Lahmians

• Aethyric Cipher - Your natural mastery over the Winds of Magic allows the Vampire to cloak and dissipate the Aethyric distortions around them. They are also immune to the effects of Daemonsroot, Witchbane, and any other similar herbs used as wards against Daemons and the Undead.^[6u]

• The Dead Walk Fast - This Sylvanian proverb could not be more true, especially for the preternaturally swift and nimble Vampires of the Lahmian bloodline.^[2i]

• Domination - The eyes of the Vampire are two deep pits in which a mortal can find their doom, their will sapped away by that of the Vampire.^[2e][6w]

• Familiar Form - The Vampire may transform into any small animal of their choice.^[6w][6v]

• Innocence Lost - These deceptive Vampires look so inoffensive and vulnerable that naïve enemies lower their defences. That is when they strike with all their supernatural strength, ripping apart armour and bodies with their seemingly innocent hands.^[2i][3k][6v]

• Lightning Reflexes - The body of a Vampire looks Human, but is capable of reactions so fast that even the quickest swordsman would look clumsy in comparison.^[2i]

• Night Creature - Sometimes, in the uncertain light of the forest, a hunter can see a beautiful, unusually pale girl, but in the blink of an eye she disappears from his sight and all his skill at tracking. If he is wise, he should realise that he is now the prey.^[2i]

• Seduction - How can a mortal resist the allure of a creature who has preyed on warm-blooded males since the dawn of time? Who can refuse to become her willing slave?^[2i][3k]

• Swiftness - How swift and sure is the tread of these beautiful and arrogant maidens of Undeath, who can move with a supernatural speed beyond the ken of all mortals.^[2i]

Vampiric Curses and Weaknesses

"Hawthorn bound and sharpened true,
Silvered blade the neck must hew,
Garlic, bloodwort, witchbane too,
Keeps thine flesh yet fair to view.
Blessed lance speared through and through
Holy verse will fiend undo.
If thou wouldst see dawn anew,
Harken well these lessons few."

—Stirland proverb, as cackled by Ingrid One-Tooth.^[10b]

Vampires are cursed, their Undead existence plagued with various drawbacks and weaknesses. The most common explanation is that the Liche Lord Nagash cursed all Vampires for their betrayal of him.^{[5c][6o][32d]} Some scholars instead claim that the curses are a result of curses the Nehekharan Pantheon levied against Nagash himself instead and that all born of his blood and works share these weaknesses. Among the gods that spoke such curses were Ptra, Asaph, Djaf and Phakth.^[7b] Others claim that the curses are not the result of Vampirism per se, but rather of the fact that most Vampires were once Men, the intelligent race of the world of Mallus most prone to variation and corruption by Chaos.^[6n]

The most common Vampiric weaknesses involve the inability to cross running water, the inability to cast a reflection or shadow, the urge to drink blood, vulnerability to sunlight, weakness to certain herbs, and a weakness towards silver. However, as the Vampiric bloodlines have crossed and become muddied, there is no guarantee that a Vampire has all of these weaknesses and may have others instead. All Vampires must drink blood, but the other weaknesses are not assured.^[6ac] Also, all Vampires are affected by the sun, just the degree of the damage sunlight can cause differs between individuals.^[14e][4e]

Some Vampires believe that strength of will can help them transcend their curses and that they mainly exist in their minds as some form of psychosomatic compulsion. Most Vampires are too comfortable in the confines of their existence and their limitations, which give them surety, to try to overcome them.^[21a] Likewise, some theorise that their weaknesses as a whole arise from belief, similar to how some wizards are unable to affect those they believe are protected from their spells.^[14e]

Due to the immunities offered by the Blood Gifts, not every Vampire suffers from the full six curses of their kind. As well, Vampires are also vulnerable to many things that plague ordinary mortals. Vampires are immune to damage by normal weapons or injuries, and they must heal at the same rate as any creature, though they can use both their Dhar-infused blood and necromancy to mend their wounds more quickly. ^[6ae]

Vampires can also die from their wounds just like a mortal. They are only unique in that, because they lack a true, fully functional mortal soul, their spirit does not depart for Morr's Realm or the fury of the Realm of Chaos at death, thus allowing them to be summoned back to the mortal world more easily than any other creature.^[6ae]

Weaknesses

• The Blessing of the Lady - The divine Lady of the Lake's holy blessing is anathema to the creatures of the night. Weapons that have been anointed in Sacred Lakes or the fonts of Grail Chapels can inflict debilitating wounds upon the unholy like Vampires and Daemons. The goddess' magnificent Grail Knights bear her permanent blessing, and Vampires often find it painful to even look upon these living saints.^[23b]

• Barriers - This Vampire cannot enter any other structure not owned by them unless they are first invited. Once the Vampire is invited by the legitimate owner or another regular inhabitant, they may enter and exit freely. ^[6ac] The Necrarchs typically have this vulnerability, believed to be due to a curse of Nagash targeting their bloodline founder W'soran specifically.^[6s]

• Counting - These Vampires have a curious obsessive compulsion with counting. Whenever confronted with a number of small objects, such as poppy seeds, coins, or pieces of string, the Vampire must succeed in an act of great willpower or be unable to resist the urge to count the objects -- an act that usually takes one to ten minutes.^[6ad]

• Daemonsroot and witchbane - Some Vampires are repelled by the smells of the herbs known as daemonsroot and witchbane.^[6ad]

• Day Blindness - Some Vampires, due to the way they are adapted to existing in darkness, become blind when faced with strong sources of light.^[14g]Others become colourblind.^[31b]

• Fire - A few Vampires are vulnerable to purifying flame, their dry, corpse-like bodies blazing like dry tinder if even a small flame is applied.^[6ad]

• Garlic - Many Vampires have an unusual weakness for rare roots and plants, as can be seen with daemonsroot and witchbane. A few are saddled with vulnerabilities to more common plants such as garlic.^[6ad]

• Gromril - The touch of Dwarfen gromril is anathema to some Vampires.^[6ad]

• Ithilmar - The silvery steel of the Elves is said to hold uncanny magical power. Whilst much of this material is used for armour and decorative items, the Elves are famed for their potent weapons wrought from this ore, which can be devastatingly effective when wielded against certain Vampires.^[6ad]

• No reflection or shadow - Many Vampires are cursed, so they can never behold their visage in the surface of a mirror or in a shadow cast by the moonlight. Mirrors or other reflective surfaces do not show the appearance of these Vampires.^[6ad]

• Religious Symbols - The power of belief is quite strong in the Old World, and mortals who present icons and symbols of their gods backed by intense faith can sometimes repel Vampires.^[6ad] The most potent deity against Vampires is Sigmar, since the Liche Lord Nagash cursed all Vampirekind to flee from the sign of his famed warhammer as punishment for not coming to his aid when he fought the first Emperor of Man.^[31a]

• Holy Books - There is a belief amongst witch hunters that Vampires will not come near holy books. In addition, reading passages from a holy book is thought to ward off Vampires.^[8a]

• Sawdust - A few Vampires can be repelled by the accoutrements of those who handle corpses, such as sawdust or embalming fluid.^[6ad]

• Sacred Water - Some Vampires are blinded or burned by sacred water, such as the tears sometimes wept by statues of Shallya or the forest lakes dedicated to Taal.^[4e]

• Silver - The mere touch of silver burns the flesh of Vampires cursed with this weakness.^[6ad]

• Stakes - Plunging a stake through the heart of any creature is traumatic enough, but when used against Vampires with this weakness, any attack with a stake is enough to drive these creatures away. The stake must be fashioned from a special wood, such as ash, hawthorn, or rosewood.^[6ad]

• Sunlight - Almost all Vampires in direct sunlight find their physical characteristics halved in potency and receive intense burns for every minute of exposure to direct sunlight, regardless of the toughness of themselves or their armour.^[6ae]

• Tears - A rare few Vampires cannot suffer the tears of a virtuous mortal, and therefore, they never feed on innocents, preferring instead to feed on the corrupt, the vicious, or criminal. These Vampires often pose a number of questions to their victims to assess the quality of their morals before attacking.^[6ae]

• Warpstone - Warpstone is particularly loathsome to these Vampires. They cannot tolerate its presence, and if they come into contact with the substance, they experience dreadful mutations.^[6ae]Some of these are also especially vulnerable to the touch of Chaos Weapons.^[26d]

• Running Water - Some Vampires are unable to cross running water, receiving grievous damage if they attempt it. For the purpose of this curse, the water must be at least a yard across, a foot deep, and have a current. Simply splashing a Vampire with water is not enough, nor is rain, or dumping a bucket of water on a Vampire's head.^[6ae] The water of certain rivers, such as the River Talabec, which are attributed to be divine, is particularly potent.^[4e]

Insanity

"They are not sane, as you would judge sanity. What they are twists their minds. They are no more comprehensible to most people than a spider would be, if we could read its thoughts."

—Gabriella von Nachthafen^[14e]

Vampires are also vulnerable to insanity, perhaps even more so than mortals. Vampires are typically permitted by their peers to be as eccentric as they like. Consequently, many Vampires acquire two, three, or even more insanities over their long lives.^[6ae]

Some Vampires even welcome insanity as a sign that they are reaching a kind of immortal perfection. Madness, whilst accepted by most Vampires, can be seen as a sign of weakness, and many Vampires destroy those creatures that have slipped too far into the grip of insanity.^[6ae]

Even though they claim to despise Human society, many Vampires still ape its trappings.^[32b]

• Banquet of Blood - Vampires who gorge on blood often become addicted to it. If a Vampire drinks blood more than twelve times in one day, they risk gaining insanity.^[6ae]

• The Beast Returned - Weakened strength due to persistent denial of the urge to feed or very low resistance to the urge to feed itself both causes the bestial stage of the Vampire's very first feeding to return.^[6ae]

• Blood Kiss - Receiving the Kiss often troubles weak minds unprepared for the transformation into an Undead being.^[6ae]

• Critical Hits - Although they no longer fear death, Vampires do fear the ending of their glorious un-life. Receiving dangerous wounds is certainly something most Vampires prefer to avoid, despite their enhanced regenerative abilities and necromantic powers.^[6ae]

• The Melancholy of Age - Vampires may gain some insanity for every century they live after being given the Blood Kiss. For each passing century, they progressively lose the will to fight this insanity. Time spent in hibernation does not count towards this weakness.^[6ae]

• Other - Vampires are also likely to gain insanity from magical mishaps and encounters with Chaos entities. However, their closeness to death makes them immune to insanity caused by failing to withhold terror or fear. Likewise, they are typically inured to the horrors of extreme violence, torture, and suffering.^[6ae]

While all Vampires can gain the same mental disorders that also afflict mortals, their changed psyche makes them susceptible to even more extreme variants of insanity. These include:

• Exquisite Agonies

• Godly Conviction

• Heart of Melancholy

• Pursued Perfection

• Steeped in Death

Vampires in the Known World

The Empire

"Yes, they drink blood. Yes, some of them have been known to command armies of the damned. But at least they're not Elves."

—Nils Valera, agitator^[6af]

A map showing the spread of Vampiric bloodlines across the Old World.^[6ah]

The image of Vampires in the Empire is forever tainted by the Vampire Wars waged by Vlad von Carstein and his successors during the Dark Ages. Since that time, all Vampires, regardless of their bloodline or affiliation, are seen by the common people as monsters. ^[19a] The Cults of Sigmar and Morr decry them as heartless beasts whose very existence offends the gods. ^[15e]

Exceptions include the works of Detlef Sierck, whose To My Unchanging Lady is derided by critics as painting a too sympathetic light.^[19b]

In Sylvania, people are more informed. There is a pact between the mortal nobility of that land and those Vampires that do not wish to seek a return to open war between the living and the dead, in order to root out those that would threaten to bring the wrath of the Empire over them.^[6t][14f]

In Altdorf, Vampires are known to congregate in the tavern called the Crescent Moon, where those fascinated by the creatures give themselves willingly over to them.^[19c]

Estalia and Tilea

"It may be three hundred years since we fought the War of Blood, but in Estalia, we have long memories. The Vampire Nourgul razed all of the land between the Irrana Mountains and the Southern Sea before he could be defeated. It was only with the aid of blessed Myrmidia that he was. We would never clamp the Vampires to our bosom as you do in Sylvania. That land is a blight on your Empire that should be burned out and staked."

—Cristobal Mendez, Estalian diestro^[5l]

Among the southern realms of the Old World, Estalia still bears the scars of its own Vampire war, and the people there have an unforgiving view of the Undead.^[5l]

On the other hand, the Tilean city-states appear to have been free of large-scale Vampire activity, though some Strigoi nests are to be found in the country. Perhaps this is because of the warding influence of the Cult of Morr, who are strong in Tilea and hold their great convocations in the Tilean city of Luccini.^[6b]

Perhaps, more sinisterly, the byzantine politics of Tilea make it easy for Vampires to remain hidden and work their influence from the shadows; the city of Miragliano in particular is rumoured to be a haven for Vampires.^[6b]

Bretonnia

"They must have short memories, these poets who write of the 'noble' Vampires. Do they not remember how many died? The dead are neither noble nor beautiful. I have been to Mousillon; I tell you this for a fact."

—Gervase, Bretonnian rapscallion^[5l]

The superstitious peasants of Bretonnia know only fear at the mention of Vampires. They have adopted some of the practices of Sylvania, sometimes burying their dead face down so they do not rise again, placing cloves of garlic in the ears of the dead and dried crows' feet in their mouths.^[6b]

Bretonnia was the home of the infamous Blood Dragon called the Red Duke, who was the scourge of Aquitaine, and rumours persist that others of his dread kind dwell in isolated hamlets and forests. These Blood Knights are considered to be worthy opponents by Questing Knights, who see them as chivalrous, tortured souls. The glamour of the knightly ideal blinds them to the truth of the matter -- the Red Duke was a barbarous killer as are most of his kind.^[6b]

The courtly ideals of Bretonnian nobles make them easy prey for the Lahmians, who have secretly infiltrated Bretonnian society as easily and as thoroughly as they have that of the Empire.^[6b]

Kislev

Most of the Vampires who dwell in Kislev are of the monstrous kind, beasts barely better than ruthlessly hunted animals. It is believed that regular consumption of Chesnochnaya, garlic vodka, will keep them at bay. The Kislevites' lack of familiarity with Vampires in their other, more seductive, guise is what allowed Tzarina Kattarin the Bloody to keep her rulership of the country even after she became a Vampire.^[6b]

The Kislevites have a long tradition of Ice Magic-wielding Ice Witches holding positions of power, so a pale and beautiful woman with magical abilities holding the throne was not without precedent. Kattarin's reign was finally cut short only when the country's boyars realised having an immortal ruling them meant nobody else would ever rise to the top, and they would be reduced to squabbling amongst themselves for greater shares of power.^[6b]

An alliance led by Tsarevich Pavel, the Vampire's own son, finally dealt with Kattarin. Her frozen corpse is still on display in the Frost Palace as a warning to other Vampires to avoid the land of Kislev.^[6b]

Other Lands

In Araby, knowledge of necromancy is not actively suppressed, and so they do not suffer from the ignorance that allows Vampires to gain footholds amongst them as in the Empire. Only the Blood Dragons have a presence there, and that is in the western desert.^[6b]

The people of Norsca and Albion are fortunate not to have had much experience of Vampires, perhaps because their aversion to running water keeps many Vampires from travelling by sea. It cannot be long, however, as even Lustria has learned to fear the Vampire Lord Luthor Harkon and his Zombie Pirates who control the region known as the Vampire Coast.^[6b]

Elves

"Only Men, with their short lives and shorter vision, could have imagined such a loathsome use for magic."

—Ithilweil, Elf enchantress^[6b]

The Elves see Vampires as yet more evidence of the inherent spiritual weakness of Men. Elves very rarely turn to Dark Magic to lengthen their lives, since they live so long to begin with. The idea is alien and unnatural to them, and the Ghost Striders count Vampires amongst the monstrous threats they mercilessly vanquish.^[6c]

Even the Druchii dislike Vampires, seeing in them evidence of the magical techniques tortured from their ancestors by the Liche Lord Nagash of Khemri.^[6c]

Dwarfs

"I got nothing to fear from Queen Vampire Bitch and her daughters. My blood's half Bugman's, and there's few Manlings alive or Undead who can stand a drop as potent as that. I'll march in and take that place tonight, piece a' pish. Put some sausages on, I'll be back for breakfast."

—Dwinbar Eldagnisson, Dwarf Troll Slayer (Deceased)^[6b]

Vampires find the blood of Dwarfs stale and tasteless and tend to leave them alone. However, the Dwarfs have a lengthy entry in the Great Book of Grudges for Neferata, whom they call "Queen of Evil" for taking the mountain fastness of Silver Pinnacle from them in a single night. Many Troll Slayers still find their heroic deaths there.^[6c]

The Dwarfs have also come to the aid of their Human allies against the Vampire Counts on occasion, and at the Battle of Hel Fenn they fought valiantly against the forces of Mannfred von Carstein.^[6c]

Skaven

"Warp...must have warpstone, yes-yes...catch-catch it! Sniff it out...give it to Vampires, yes, but not all of it, not all...no-no, Skretch keep-keep some for himself... Must... feed..."

—Skretch Half-Dead^[28a]

Sylvania has one of the Old World's greatest concentrations of warpstone, which naturally makes it attractive to the Skaven. All of their attempts to take it have been foiled, and even the stealth teams Clan Eshin occasionally sends to harvest warpstone are afraid to enter the forests.^[6c]

The Skaven's masterwork, the Black Death of 1111 IC, was foiled not only by Mandred Skavenslayer, but by an army of plague victims who rose from their graves in Sylvania and caused great casualties to the Skaven.^[6c]

Chaos

"Blood is for the Blood God. Not for drinking!"

—Hermann Hackgut, follower of Khorne^[6b]

The worshippers of Chaos have a strange position on Vampires. Followers of Khorne see them as blasphemers who steal the blood that is rightfully that of the Blood God. Vampires' immunity to disease makes them distasteful to worshippers of Nurgle. Tzeentch's followers see them as beings of stasis, unchanged by the years or mutation and abhorrent in their god's eyes -- however many of them the Changer of Ways happens to have as integral parts of his myriad schemes and plots at any moment. Although some Vampires live lives of pleasure enough to make a Slaaneshi cultist swoon, they are resistant to all things new and prefer to live in idealised pasts rather than embracing new sensations, arousing those cultists' contempt.^[6c]

Vampires gain no benefit from watching their mortal herd vanish under a sea of Chaos, and the unholy symbols of Dark Gods pain them as much as any holy symbols of the Old World Pantheon. They have sided with Humanity, often secretly, in the endless war against Chaos. Strange as it may seem from the point of view of Humans, who see only monsters on both sides, the forces of Chaos and Vampires are naturally opposed.^[6c]

Game History

Starting with Warhammer Fantasy Battles 7th Edition, Vampiric bloodlines were no longer rigid mechanical templates for a Vampire's skills and powers. Instead, they gained selectable skills associated with the original bloodlines, yet mixable between them.

The social repercussions of this change in Vampiric nature were explored in the novels about the Lahmian Vampire Ulrika Magdova Straghov, which demonstrated the interaction possible between a bloodline and a Vampiric archetype. Bloodlines themselves were still referenced during the End Times.^[32a]

Sources

• 1: Warhammer Armies: Undead (4th Edition)
  • 1a: pg. 16
  • 1b: pg. 60
• 2: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (5th Edition)
  • 2a: pg. 9
  • 2b: pg. 10
  • 2c: pg. 11
  • 2d: pg. 12
  • 2e: pg. 26
  • 2f: pg. 27
  • 2g: pg. 28
  • 2h: pg. 29
  • 2i: pg. 30
  • 2j: pg. 50
• 3: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (6th Edition)
  • 3a: pg. 4
  • 3b: pg. 5
  • 3c: pg. 13
  • 3d: pg. 18
  • 3e: pg. 22
  • 3f: pg. 52
  • 3g: pg. 53
  • 3h: pg. 54
  • 3i: pg. 55
  • 3j: pg. 56
  • 3k: pg. 57
  • 3l: pg. 78
  • 3m: pg. 79
• 4: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (7th Edition)
  • 4a: pg. 8
  • 4b: pg. 10
  • 4c: pg. 11
  • 4d: pg. 34
  • 4e: pg. 35
  • 4f: pg. 38
  • 4g: pg. 82
  • 4h: pg. 83
• 5: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (8th Edition)
  • 5a: pg. 7
  • 5b: pg. 8
  • 5c: pg. 9
  • 5d: pg. 15
  • 5e: pg. 27
  • 5f: pg. 44
  • 5g: pg. 46
  • 5h: pg. 57
  • 5i: pg. 61
• 6: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Night's Dark Masters
  • 6a: pg. 8
  • 6b: pg. 12
  • 6c: pg. 13
  • 6d: pg. 19
  • 6e: pg. 21
  • 6f: pg. 24
  • 6g: pg. 28
  • 6h: pg. 29
  • 6i: pg. 30
  • 6j: pg. 31
  • 6k: pg. 35
  • 6l: pg. 36
  • 6m: pg. 37
  • 6n: pg. 38
  • 6o: pg. 39
  • 6p: pg. 40
  • 6q: pg. 41
  • 6r: pg. 43
  • 6s: pg. 61
  • 6t: pg. 90
  • 6u: pg. 104
  • 6v: pg. 105
  • 6w: pg. 106
  • 6x: pg. 107
  • 6y: pg. 108
  • 6z: pg. 109
  • 6aa: pg. 110
  • 6ab: pg. 111
  • 6ac: pg. 113
  • 6ad: pg. 114
  • 6ae: pg. 115
  • 6af: pg. 10
  • 6ag: pg. 131
  • 6ah: pp. 6-7 (Map)
• 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: The Thousand Thrones
  • 7a: pg. 58
  • 7b: pg. 156
  • 7b: pg. 185
• 8: White Dwarf 236 (US)
  • 8a: pg. 39
• 9: Warhammer Rulebook (7th Edition)
  • 9a pg. 131
• 10: Warhammer Rulebook (8th Edition)
  • 10a pg. 244
  • 10b pg. 247
• 11: Warhammer: Storm of Chaos (6th Edition)
  • 11a: pg. 88
• 12: Liber Necris (Background Book)
  • 12a: pg. 28
  • 12b: pg. 29
  • 12c: pg. 30
  • 12d: pg. 31
  • 12e: pg. 32
  • 12f: pg. 33
  • 12g: pg. 35
  • 12h: pg. 36
  • 12i: pg. 37
  • 12j: pg. 38
  • 12k: pg. 40
  • 12l: pg. 41
  • 12m: pg. 42
  • 12n: pg. 45
  • 12o: pg. 46
  • 12p: pg. 47
  • 12q: pg. 48
• 13: Grudgelore (Background Book)
  • 13a: pg. 55
• 14: Gotrek and Felix: Vampireslayer (Novel) by William King
  • 14a: Ch. 1
  • 14b: Ch. 4
  • 14c: Ch. 5
  • 14d: Ch. 6
  • 14e: Ch. 7
  • 14f: Ch. 8
  • 14g: Ch. 9
• 15: Ulrika the Vampire - Bloodborn (Novel) by Nathan Long
  • 15a: Ch. 3
  • 15b: Ch. 8
  • 15c: Ch. 11
  • 15d: Ch. 15
  • 15e: Ch. 22
• 16: Ulrika the Vampire - Bloodforged (Novel) by Nathan Long
  • 16a: Ch. 16
  • 16b: Ch. 25
• 17: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Feast of Blood
  • 17a: S. 14
• 18: Drachenfels: Genevieve - 01 (Novel) by Jack Yeovil
  • 18a: "Act One", Part 2
• 19: Silver Nails (Anthology) by Jack Yeovil
  • 19a: The Ibby the Fish Factor Part I
  • 19b: The Ibby the Fish Factor Part 3
  • 19c: The Ibby the Fish Factor Part 13
• 20: Von Carstein Trilogy: Book One - Inheritance (Novel) by Steven Savile
  • 20a: Ch. 15
  • 20b: Ch. 20
  • 20c: Ch. 27
• 21: Von Carstein Trilogy: Book Two - Dominion (Novel) by Steven Savile
  • 21a: Ch. 13
  • 21b: Ch. 14
• 22: Von Carstein Trilogy: Book Three - Retribution (Novel) by Steven Savile
  • 22a: Ch. 4
  • 22b: Ch. 10
  • 22c: Ch. 11
• 23: The Red Duke (Novel) by C.L. Werner
  • 23a: Ch. 4
  • 23b: Ch. 19
• 24: Time of Legends: Nagash the Unbroken (Novel) by Mike Lee
  • 24a: Prologue
  • 24b: Ch. 5
  • 24c: Ch. 7
  • 24d: Ch. 11
  • 24e: Ch. 13
  • 24f: Ch. 17
• 25: Time of Legends: Nagash Immortal (Novel) by Mike Lee
  • 25a: Ch. 8
  • 25b: Ch. 10
  • 25c: Ch. 18
  • 25d: Ch. 22
• 26: Time of Legends: Neferata (Novel) by Josh Raynolds
  • 26a: Ch. 1
  • 26b: Ch. 2
  • 26c: Ch. 4
  • 26d: Ch. 5
  • 26e: Ch. 10
• 27: Time of Legends: Master of Death (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 27a: Ch. 11
  • 27b: Ch. 14
• 28: Dreadfleet (Specialist Game)
  • 28a: pg. 89
• 29: The End Times: The Return of Nagash (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 29a: Ch. 3
  • 29b: Ch. 5
• 30: The End Times: The Lord of the End Times (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 30a: Ch. 12
• 31: Gotrek and Felix: Kinslayer (Novel) by David Guymer
  • 31a: Ch. 6
  • 31b: Ch. 10
• 32: The End Times Vol I: Nagash (8th Edition)
  • 32a: pg. 61
  • 32b: pg. 97
  • 32c: pg. 186
  • 32d: pg. 487
  • 32e: pg. 514
• 33: The End Times Vol III: Khaine (8th Edition)
  • 33a: pg. 117
  • 33b: pg. 141