Vladimir

Vladimir was one of the four original Vampire Kings, reigning over the North of the continent.
== Biography ==
In time immemorial, four Vampires gained the ability to shackle spirits. These four (Vladimir, Swayne, Hastings and Lockhart) became the Vampire Kings and used their power to wipe out all other Vampires and then divide the continent among them - Vladimir in the North, Swayne in the West, Hastings in the South and Lockhart in the East. They then began warring amongst themselves for shackles, naturally.
Vladimir had a tendency to take mortal lovers for a time, and one of these was a half-Giant named Cornello. However, by the time he reached his mid-40s, Vladimir realised that he was more attached to Cornello than the norm and did not wish to see him die of old age.
He did not want to create a new Vampire, having seen the results of Swayne turning Alyssa, but the only other way to grant Cornello immortality was either to wait for the Oluana Spring to be ready to discharge (which would take another 40 years) or to make him a lieutenant, and there were no pleasant lieutenancies on offer (he would have to be either skeletal or incorporeal). After much deliberation, Vladimir turned Cornello in secret.
Vladimir was eventually killed by Rygax, who led a successful rebellion against him. However, Cornello returned and swiftly rebound the majority of Vladimir's spirits before they could be taken to safety, as the forces protecting them were only expecting attacks from the other Kings' territories, not from within.
These events must have happened after the Dead Wars, as the anti-VK bolts referred to Vladimir rather than Cornello. It is, after all, unlikely that the Ytarrans would not notice something so massive as the overthrow of one of the Kings.
== Errata ==
* Vladimir was incorrectly referred to as "the Cold" in Extras #54, when this is in fact Lockhart's epithet (see Discord 28th March 2020 1:42 GMT).
== Minions ==
* Baron Deathmoor
* Voyvoda
* Wendigo