Vanhaldenschlosse

The Vanhaldenschlosse (Vanhals' Castle in Reikspiel) was the seat of power of the Necromancer Frederick van Hal in Sylvania. Its uninhabited ruins lie in the Grim Wood in western Sylvania.^[3a]

Vanhal constructed his castle at a convergence line of magical power, with a large menhir made by prehuman hands at its heart. The site had already been befouled by the warpstone that had rained down from the sky in 1111 IC. Vanhal sought to create a permanent fulcrum that would magnify his arcane power a thousandfold.^[1a]

The structure was made after the designs of Hotekp, the chief architect of Settra the Imperishable, and would draw Dark Magic to Sylvania in a similar manner to the Black Pyramid of Nagash.^[1b]

Interior

Séance chamber

The séance chamber had seventeen angles, one for each of the gods of ancient Nehekhara, with twelve doors to allow the passage of the winds of the netherworld and a large mirror made of obsidian to allow sight into the underworld. The ground was etched with sixteen circles made out of intertwining glyphs, runes, pictograms and seals – with each ring only broken by a narrow door. When the circle was made complete with salpeter and myrrh, it offered protection from the entities Vanhal sought to summon – the least would demand only the two inner circles to be sealed, while all closed circles could ward off even the most powerful creature of the underworld. ^[1b]

Throne room

Vanhal's throne room was used by him to recuperate his strength. Surrounded by pre-Human dolmens, the throne was made from skulls piled up on each other and fused with magic, each inscribed with dark hieroglyphs and arcane glyphs, the eye sockets filled with warpstone. ^[2a]

Sources

• 1: The Black Plague: Blighted Empire (Novel) by C. L. Werner
  • 1a: Chapter Twelve
  • 1b: Chapter Thirteen
• 2: The Black Plague: Wolf of Sigmar (Novel) by C. L. Werner
  • 2a: Chapter Four
• 2: Night's Dark Masters - A Guide to Vampires (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay)
  • 2a: pg. 90