Vampiric Undead: Difference between revisions

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Vampiric Undead

Setting:	Age of Fantasy
Games:	Age of Fantasy, Age of Fantasy: Skirmish, Age of Fantasy: Regiments, Age of Fantasy: Quest
Species:	Vampires

The Vampiric Undead are legions of monsters and spirits led by powerful vampire Lords. These lords use their dark magic to raise and control the bodies and spirits of the dead, and lead them to battle.

The Vampire Lords are members of the nobility from the western steppes who embraced necromancy after they were abandoned by the Empire during the Havoc Wars. Once they understood the secret of immortality, they attempted to betray their patrons and were cursed with undeath. This curse has only made the Vampire Lords more bitter and cruel as they rule brutally over their fearful subjects.

History

The Origin of the Marches

The Western Marches emerged as a mountainous and forested region that served as a natural border between the early Human Empire, the southern sea, and the western steppes. Its rugged terrain and dense forests made settlement difficult, turning it into a refuge for displaced peoples, defeated tribes, and exiled communities.

Over the centuries, various groups settled in the area, including the Wurmvelk, Nedzorites, Black Wings, and Danvals, which led to recurring conflicts over territorial occupation. This process gave rise to a fragmented structure of small domains ruled by warlords, whose authority depended on military strength. Continuous territorial disputes consolidated a warlike culture and a reputation for violence.

The warriors of the Marches were distinguished by their use of intimidating symbols and by the spread of tales and songs that exalted the brutality of their leaders, many of whom remain in collective memory. At the same time, the forest assumed a central role: large-scale logging attempts failed due to its vastness, the presence of hostile creatures, and the shortage of labor. This led to a forced coexistence in which peasants avoided entering the woods while nobles patrolled its borders. However, not all adhered to these boundaries, as marginalized communities formed forest tribes known as the Volshoboz, or “Wolfkin” who used the dense wilderness as both refuge and base of operations for raiding.

Establishment of the Viceroyalty

As the Western Marches struggled with internal conflicts, the Human Empire rose into a dominant power whose influence reached the region through trade. Eastern lords prospered from Imperial commerce, while others were left at a disadvantage, fueling raids and reprisals. This unrest provided the Empire with justification to intervene, and annexation soon followed, though local elites retained much of the administration while paying tribute to a distant sovereign.

Two centuries later, resistance emerged under Fevrig Nedzoroz, Margrave of Kamzan Lake. After years of secret preparations, he launched the "Dark Solstice", eliminating much of the pro-Imperial nobility and leading a three-year war that unified most of the Marches under his control.

At the same time, the Empire was weakened by rebellions and a massive daemonic invasion. Forced to negotiate, the Emperor granted the Marches autonomy in exchange for Fevrig’s support. Thus, the Western Marches became a self-governing state under Fevrig I, who then marched east with the largest army the Marches had ever assembled, heralding the beginning of the Havoc Wars.

The Rise of the Vampiric Marches

The people of the Western Marches were seasoned warriors, but the Havoc Wars brought unprecedented devastation. Fevrig I and his vassals fought alongside Imperial forces on the northern frontier, retaking cities, ambushing demons, and countering hostile northern tribes. Despite their brutal tactics and fearsome reputation, the Havoc forces continued to advance, leaving provinces in ruins and threatening the Marches further with Ogre invasions from the west.

During the Battle of the Red Road, Fevrig I was killed while leading a desperate charge, and his son assumed the title as Fevrig II. He immediately declared secession from the Empire, consolidating the remaining lords and focusing on eliminating demonic forces, though new threats loomed. At this critical moment, a mysterious wizard known as Shradzotezyaban, or “the Stranger,” arrived, offering his power to raise the dead in defense of the Marches.

With the Stranger’s necromantic army, Fevrig II repelled the Ogre horde in the Mortodzan Hecatomb and temporarily secured the Marches. However, the Stranger’s ultimate goal was to use the Marches in a ritual to grant eternal life for himself and his masters. Fevrig II betrayed him, killing the Stranger and corrupting the ritual, unleashing a curse that transformed nobles into Vampires, forest tribes into Werewolves, and the land itself into a realm of undeath.

This catastrophe marked the beginning of the Vremyasag, the Era of Thirst, during which the Western Marches became known as the Vampiric Marches. Fevrig III later rose to power, mastering the curse, consolidating the undead aristocracy, and stabilizing human populations through the ritual known as the King’s Gift (Kiralkya). He crowned himself King of the Vampiric Marches, establishing a new order while preparing for eventual expansion beyond the Marches.

Consolidation of the Undead Aristocracy

Fevrig III sought to bring stability to the cursed land and mold it into a formidable state. Protecting the dwindling Human population was crucial, both as subjects and as sustenance for the Vampires.

Together with his Necromancers, he devised the King’s Gift, a ritual allowing Vampires to share a fragment of undeath with mortal servants. The peasants, called Leczapoye or the Drained, wore collars through which their lords drew a “reasonable” blood tax. The annual Dogozmenye ceremony reinforced the bond between Drained and master.

Resistance arose, but most Vampires adopted the system, recognizing its benefits. Fevrig III granted his vassals autonomy, requiring only loyalty and the maintenance of standing armies. Even the Volshoboz—Werewolves—fell under the King’s authority, regaining partial consciousness and organizing into packs, though they remained subservient to Vampires in war.

Through fear, force, and diplomacy, Fevrig III achieved unprecedented control over the aristocracy. Open rebellion was rare, but some nobles remained exiled or hidden in lands corrupted by the Curse, where necromantic energies ran unchecked. The King maintained authority by fostering intrigue and division among his vassals.

Expansion of the Vampiric Marches

Fevrig III’s ambitions extended beyond ruling the Marches; he aimed to rebuild and expand the Human Empire under his banner. He invested heavily in necromantic research, recruiting scholars and mages across Tyria to Kamzan Castle, which became a vast center of study, laboratories, and libraries dedicated to understanding and harnessing the Curse.

A key focus was the Monoliths established by the Stranger, investigating their role in amplifying undeath and shaping the land. While many experiments failed—destroying villages or creating unstable vortexes—some succeeded, establishing remote Vampiric Undead colonies. Arcane amulets and sarcophagi fashioned from Monolith stone allowed Vampires to channel the Curse in combat or for recovery.

Political realities tempered these ambitions. Vassals remained scheming, requiring the King to maintain a balance of fear, diplomacy, and ritual. Nevertheless, the Vampiric Marches became a land of undeath where Humans, Vampires, and Werewolves were bound by ritual, coercion, and dependence.

The Marches served as both a bastion and a laboratory for Fevrig III’s ultimate goal: a dominion of undeath from which he could extend his influence beyond the cursed borders, shaping Tyria according to his will.