All vampires inherit the characteristics and traits of their forefathers. The Blood Dragon vampires are the greatest warriors amongst the lords of Undeath, for the first of their family was Abhorash, the Lord of Blood, and the supreme warrior amongst the nobles of Lahmia. All of these vampire knights share some of the blighted and tragic destiny of their ancestors.

From the citizens of Lahmia, the best, strongest, most intelligent and most beautiful were chosen to join Neferata and the Master vampires in their damnation. There was a warrior in Lahmia, the greatest amongst the captain's of the King's guard. Handsome, strong and virtuous, Abhorash, as was his name, was a matchless fighter, and soon caught the eye of Neferata, the Queen of Lahmia. He was summoned before the mistress of the Temple of Blood, and given a cup to drink in honour of his Queen. When he touched the cup to his lips, he knew that his fate was sealed, and immortality gripped him as he drank. His mind filled with visions of death and blood, as the Elixir of Life, as it had been called, flowed within him. Soon the rays of the sun started to sear his skin, and he no longer felt the need for meat nor ale. Instead, a terrible thirst for the blood of his brother men started to plague him. Long Abhorash fought the urge to prey upon his people, but the Necromancy of Nagash was strong, and as each day went by, Abhorash became weaker, and the sorcery more powerful. He succumbed, and in a single night he slew twelve men and women, draining them of blood. Blinded by a red rage, he only fully understood what had happened after the deed was done.

Abhorash wept tears of blood for the murdered, and from that day on he travelled, alone in the desert, preying upon the nomad tribes instead of his own people. He vowed to learn a discipline, to keep his raging thirst under control, and practiced hard the way of the warrior, to harness his supernaturally gifted strength. He rose quickly in the ranks of the Lahmian nobles, until he became the overlord of them all, second only to Neferata. He was titled the Lord of Blood, and he busied himself with bringing law and order to the kingdom. While Lahmia was in many ways a city of nightmares, where ivory-faced aristocrats hunted for blood during night, there was at least, peace in the kingdom. Laws were upheld, and bandits were kept in check. The officials were so terrified of their immortal rulers, that corruption and bribery became unknown in Lahmia.

However, the Lords of Lahmia frequently broke the laws set down by Abhorash, and hunted for blood in the lands of other kings, and gradually, the neighbouring kingdoms of Numas, Zandri and Resetra rose against the Lahmians, in a bid to exterminate the fanged menace which stalked their realms. The Kings forged a grand alliance, and countless armies over the World's Edge Mountains, and the battle was taken to Lahmia. For many long years Abhorash led the defence of his homeland, but inch by inch, the vast armies sent against them drove the Lahmians back. Finally the gates of the Lahmia were broken, and the ancient pyramids, tombs and temples were toppled. The libraries and public-houses were burned to the ground, and the Khemrian soldiers fought their way towards the Temple of Blood, a last bastion of defence for the nobles and their families.

Here Abhorash led the bodyguard of Queen Neferata, in a last hopeless defence of the Temple, but as the fires raged around him, and the masonry shattered, and he was forced to retreat. As the great temple collapsed, Abhorash's mournful cry echoed throughout the city. He had failed as a warrior, and his beloved home was razed before his tear-filled eyes.

Abhorash vowed a bitter enmity against humanity and all living things, seeking to torment and destroy them for all eternity. He turned his back on the ruins of Lahmia, and left the city, cutting down any who would try to stop him. While the other vampires collected as many treasures and riches that they could, from the rubble, Abhorash took only his weapons and armour. Few of the other Nobles escaped the pursuit of the vengeful Khemrians, but Abhorash forsook even these, shunning their company, and cursing their arrogance which had brought the armies of Khemri to Lahmia. In his eyes, they were no better than animals.

The Lord of Blood headed north with his disciples, his sons and brothers, seeking a new omen which would guide him in his quest against the living. After many years, he came to a mountain with a pinnacle bathed in flame. Abhorash was drawn to this lonely mountaintop, and ignoring the advice of his followers, he scaled the face. As he reached the summit, a blood-red Dragon of immense size emerged from the crater and descended upon the vampire. At the prospect of testing his martial abilities to the full, Abhorash drew his sword. For an entire night he duelled with the great Serpent, and in the end, he was victorious. As the Dragon lashed and spasmed in its death-throes, Abhorash seized its throat with his fangs, and drank deeply. Intoxicated, Abhorash cast the broken carcass from the peak, and emitted an exultant cry of victory. His search had ended, and his thirst now eternally quenched. After drinking the blood of the Dragon, he no longer craved the vitae of men. He had found an escape from vampirism, and had became the ultimate warrior, a man with all the strength and power of a vampire, who had no need for blood.

Blood Dragons

Then he bid his vampiric minions to go forth, and hone their own martial skills, so when their prowess equalled his own, they too could escape the curse of vampirism, and become free of the predator within them. Since those days, Abhorash's immortal disciples have called themselves the Blood Dragons, in the memory of their mighty sire's victory, and they have sought to perfect their skills, and be found worthy of re-joining their beloved master. It is whispered that Abhorash is now at rest, in some dark and shadowy corner of the World, which the sun cannot gaze upon. He will awaken only when his students return, and only if they are worthy. The Blood Dragon vampires took names and guises which would not raise suspicions in the societies which they had joined, and studied the martial arts of all over the World, seeking that elusive perfection. Of the Blood Dragons, many became infamous in the kingdoms of Men.

Walach of the House of Harkon, the favourite of Abhorash's minions, travelled north, to the land which men called The Empire. Here he entered the gates of what would soon to be known as Blood Keep, and challenged the entire order of Templars to battle. One by one, he slew them all, the knights and their men-at-arms. To those in which he found worthy opposition, he gifted them the curse of immortality with his blood. Walach rules over the undead knights, in a kingdom of terror, where his will is enforced by immortal warriors. Every hundred years the Blood Knights gather at this Keep to feast, recount their deeds and battles, and renew their oaths of fealty to Walach, in a parody of their mortal knightly tradition. One day Walach will lead them once more to war.

Though the knights of Blood Keep are by far the most famous of the Blood Dragons, they are by no means the only sons of Abhorash. In the lands of Tilea, Estalia, Araby, Cypria and Bretonnia, there are also legends of Vampiric warrior knights. The most infamous of these was the legendary Red Duke, the scourge of Aquitaine. This fell Lord rose in the land of Bretonnia, and only after a fierce and bloody battle at the Ceren Fields, did the Grail Knights finally vanquish the Duke's armies, though he himself escaped. Many believe that he still lurks in the forests or mountains of Bretonnia, while others say that he had fled to Lustria.

Who can say where else Blood Dragons can be found? Perhaps in the guise of a proud hermit warrior, living alone in the mountains, honing his skill with a blade. How many matchless assassins of various Guilds hide fangs and ivory skin behind their masks? How many knights of the secluded Templar orders are, in reality, immortal creatures of darkness? Blood Dragons have been known to guard fords and bridges, challenging all who seek to pass, testing their mettle and their own martial prowess. Unlike the pernicious vampires of Sylvania, the Blood Dragons never attempted to gain supremacy over entire nations. Nor do they try to raise huge armies against their enemies, preferring instead to travel alone, perhaps with a retinue of fallen warriors, hideous parodies of their past bodyguards. The principles of the Blood Dragons are utterly individualistic.

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Blood Dragon vampire; image copyright © 2002 Games Workshop.

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