Sylvania

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Sylvania is a province in the east of The Empire, infamous as being the home of the Von Carstein bloodline of Vampires, Vlad von Carstein being the first to take up his abode there. It was a cursed stretch of land even before the arrival of the Vampire counts, covered in Forests, hills and swamps. The land was infertile, the rulers corrupt and the people poor. Because of this Sylvania was not home to a large population. Many years ago, Sylvania had its own armies, with red, purple and black uniforms. These days it can hardly provide a militia. The land is littered with crumbling castles, like Castle Drakenhof which was the seat of the vampire counts. During the reign of the Vampire counts the dead rose from their sleep and stalked the land. Zombies and skeletons rose from their graves, wraiths haunted the hills and ghouls walked in the forests. The simple peasants sheltered terrified in their villages while those who passed away walked around their homes and farms.

Even many years after the defeat of Mannfred von Carstein at the Battle of Hel Fenn and its following annexxion by the State of Stirland, Sylvania remains a cursed region where tribes of Ghouls lurk and a watchful presence remains in Castle Drackenhof.

[edit] Major Events

Wizards claim the wind of Dark magic blows strong in Sylvania. For as long one can remember evil tales have been told of Sylvania.

Records tell about the Strigoi seeking refuge in the haunted lands of Sylvania after been driven out Mourkain by the Greenskins. Here, the Strigoi and the Vampires, already in Sylvania and thought to be the first of the von Carstein lineage, met. The Strigoi were attacked and driven into hiding. One of them was Vorag Bloodytooth who gathered a host of Ghouls around -400 IC and took them south toward Mourkain.

The oldest recorded incidence dates back to 1111 IC when the Great Plague swept through the Empire. During the night of Geheimnisnacht, 1111, a hail of meteors rained down on Sylvania. An ill-omen that would proof profetic. Even the Skaven dared not venture into the forest of Sylvania for fear of the Undead stalking the land, a sight never before seen in Sylvania. Frederick van Hal (later Vanhal) seized the opportunity and bounded the undead to his will, conquering the land that would later become Sylvania and building Vanhaldenschlosse. Vanhal was assassinated by his apprentice Lothar von Diehl, who was later himself driven out Vanhaldenschlosse by a band of knights let by Vanhal's spirit. Lacking a master, the undead remained stalking the land but were easy victims to the Humans, Skaven and Orcs.

Sylvania never recovered from the Plague, the uneasiness of their dead not helping the matter. The area was shunned and repeadetly struck by plagues and famine. It is probably during these times of starvation, the inbred hamlets of Sylvania took to eating the corpses of their ancestors. The most fanatic degenerated into Ghouls.

The von Drak house ruled over Sylvania from Castle Drakenhof. They were thin-blooded, decadent and lazy, half-hearted in the pursuit of their feudal duties and had a history of congenital idiocy and insanity. They were one of the few houses, maybe the only ones, who didn't sent at least one representative to accompany the crusades in Araby. Many were evil- hearted, oppressive and thoroughly corrupt, little better than bandits, who fought and raided amongst each other or were cowards with no taste for war or other noble pursuits. Under their "rule", Sylvania became a haven of renegade evil sorcerers who were drawn to the pool of Dark magic gathering in the backwater province and could pursuit their studies unhindered by authorities.

Many Witch Hunters or Templars came and purged a part of the land. The nobles mostly ignored such affairs. Grand Theogonist Jurgen the sixth eventually called for a crusade against Sylvania. Unfortunatly, the Empire had other business to attent to, as three searate claimants tried to settle who had the most right to become the next emperor and Sylvania was left as it was.

In 1797 IC, Otto von Drak, last of the mad von Drak Counts, died and his daughter, Isabella von Drak married the outsider Vlad von Carstein. Thus the rule of Sylvania fell into the hands of the Vampire Counts. With an iron hand -his opposers died mysterious deads- Vlad and Isabella returned order to the neglected land. Laws were kept, the guilty punished and bandits kept down. Over two centuries, the aristocracy of Sylvania was either murdered or infected with the curse of Vampirism. More and more witch hunters were drawn to Sylvania, many never to return. The temples of Sigmar were closed and watchposts were set up along the border, few allowed to pass. Sylvania became a land apart.

In 2010, Vlad von Carstein started the War of the Vampire Counts and led the regular army of Sylvania along side his undead forces to conquer the Empire. For fourty years he and his vampire underlings roamed the Empire, but he was eventually defeated at Altdorf. The surviving vampires retreated to Sylvania. Ludwig, count of Altdorf and one of the three claimants to the throne, would have pursuit them to end the threat once and for all, if he hadn't been occupied at thwarting the other two claimants of killing him. Thus, the pernicious lords of Sylvania were granted and interval to regather their strength.

But there were five vampires who claimed to be the heir to Vlad. Each given the Blood Kiss by Vlad himself, none had a higher claim than the other. Fritz, Hans, Pieter, Konrad and Mannfred fought each other. Fritz was killed during a siege on Middenheim, Hans died at the hands of Konrad during a fight over who was the thoughest, Pieter was captured in his coffin by the witch hunter Helmut van Hal, Mannfred waited at the side line and studied necromancy, even travelling to the Land of the Dead to further his knowledge. Konrad gathered an undead force and roamed the Empire but was killed at the Battle of Grim Moor in 2121. Eventually, it was Mannfred that prevailed.

Mannfred, the undisputed ruler of Sylvania after Konrad's dead, did nothing for a full decade, bidding his time, letting the Impirial throne think the threat of Sylvania was over. Once the Empire was wracked by civil war once again -the dispute of the three emperors not settled yet- Mannfred's undead legions crossed the Sylvanian border in the winter of 2032 to start the infamous Winter War. Eventually, Mannfred was driven back into the Sylvanian forests. This time, the Empire, together with the Dwarfs did pursuit him into the cursed land. At the Battle of Hel Fenn, Mannfred was cut down, his body lost in a great swamp never to be found. It was 2145 IC.

For having defeated Mannfred, the Count of Stirland, Martin, claimed all of Sylvania and added it to his domain. Since no-one else actually wanted the acursed land, no-one gainsaid him. Ever since, Sylvania has been a part of Stirland.

[edit] Sources

• Warhammer Armies: Undead, Games Workshop, 1994
• Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts, Games Workshop, 2001
• White Dwarf No. 257 and 276, Games Workshop