Vampire Royal Family

The Vampires that The One Below All has employed since the early days of man have a Royal Family to rule them. Whether this was done because Vlad, the First King of Vampires was used to a courtly way of doing things, or because there was a need for multiple leaders is unknown.

The Current royals are the 6th generation, with holdovers like Vlad who founded them, and Iskander from the 5th generation

### Fifth Generation

From what the party has heard the fifth generation of Vampire Royals were very effective. Most of the system they battle against was built by this generation, orchestrating the shadow government that controlled Tharsis, the Grimmwaldian Civil war, and other such events.

###### Pendragon

Pendragon Verdammter was the fifth king of the Vampires, seen as cool, calculating and in an odd sense 'righteous'. He led the Vampires through many turmoils and battles, and when a part of Etria burned due to Kimberton Wumbersnuntches son sacrificing himself too early, he did what he could to save his people.

Sacrificing himself and taking the brunt of the attack, he believed that he would be destroyed. He was wrong. By taking all the energy himself it got infused into him, forcefully conscripting him into the Circle of Slumber. He seems to remember his former allegiances, but can't seem to act on them in any willing way. A slave to Etria and an advisor to the sages now. For a period of time Ela was in his possession.

###### Iskander

Iskander Verdammter is the only survivor from the fifth generation that is still with the Vampires. He served well during the Grimmwaldian Civil War, though was near fatally injured by an angel of Agito while he was fending off a group of high level adventurers. Ever since then he has been slowly reconstituting himself.

Not much is known of Iskander, though it has been revealed that he for some time he has been experimenting on Angels, corrupting them. Currently he has been placed in charge of Naw

### Sixth Generation

###### Solomon

Solomon Verdammter is the sixth king of the Vampires. He displays a 'devil may care' attitude, content to spend his days as Vampire King partying and enjoying time with his new family. Willing to let the old plans made by Pendragon and his generation to lead them to their end goal of freeing Lagaard.

However when the Party began to rebel against the Vampires and started causing problems for them, Solomon noticed. Taking it upon himself to make new plans. Solomon at some point went to the White Claw and talked with their leader and 'goddess' Dirge. Eventually the two came to an agreement and the factions became aligned, resulting in the Rainmaker being captured prepared for Sacrifice.

Solomon was quite proud of this, exclaiming about how he and his generation were the first of the vampires to ever successful capture a God. However because of this he fell into old habits, content to party with his family instead of sending over vampires to aid Dirge and the White Claw. When the party freed the God of the Sky and killed Dirge though, Solomon snapped

Murdering the entirety of the Ceresian church outside of Saith and hanging their bodies on display, it is hard to tell if this was just because CD-7 had gone there once, or if this had a deeper meaning. That 'peace' was dead.

As King of the Vampires, Solomon is extremely powerful, able to manipulate not just his blood, but all creatures blood. As is his royal right. Despite how powerful this ability is (Able to force allies to attack each other, fling people up into the air, cause heart attacks) he doesn't use it much outside of cheap manipulations. Solomon carries around a rather powerful rifle made out of cordis metal and totes himself as a 'sniper'. Though in reality he just uses his power to toss people in front of his bullets.

###### Beowulf

Beowulf Verdammter is similar to Solomon in his apparent lack of care for their overall goal. He appears to be content with just lazing about, eating, and daydreaming. However that changed when he was sent to Wyth to ensure the deaths of the party. However his laziness persisted wven with this important task, choosing not to chase after the party several times and instead leave the heavy duty work to his underlings.

Eventually the party decided to hunt the royal instead of have him show up randomly. Luring him to a Darby's with the false promise of curly fries, they ambushed him, bring him down into the sewers where they could dump him out of the city. The large party overwhelming him with numbers and status effects, however that changed when he became enraged, screaming and shouting. Energy from the Ley Crystal within the city shot out and entered him powering him up and making him unable to be stunned

The party narrowly managed to push him down the vent, putting a stunned CD-7 on top and casting arcane lock on it to make sure he couldn't get back in. Eventually Beowulf gave up and left, presumably returning home.

This instance of embarrassment has proved to do what once seemed impossible: Motivate Beowulf. Hating the party for what they did to him, he tracked down 'Team Birdbrain' as they were going through the Forest of Etria. They narrowly managed to stay out of view before teleporting back to Saith. Later Beowulf would be seen by Team Devilspawn during Vampire Christmas. CD-7 attempted to extend an olive branch by giving him a coupon for a free bucket of chicken at the Quacking Griffon, to which he accepted, apparently forgiving CD-7, but not the rest of the party

Beowulf was last seen at the Quacking Griffon making good on that promise of free chicken. It was apparent to CD-7 that Beowulf was not well, his skin looking brittle and the vampire appearing sickly.

Beowulfs ability is Blood Armor, able to surround himself in his blood making him very hard to hit, very fast, and very hard hitting.

###### Nero

Nero Verdammter is similar to her brothers in their lackadaisical attitude, content to let old plans work out for them. However she's much more high energy then Beowulf. An artist at heart, she sees beauty in most things and loves to hear stories of grandeur. Heroes going off to slay dragons and save fair maidens, overcoming the odds and living to fight another day. She spends most days at her theater in Drei, hosting plays that boast such stories.

The party first ran into her when they were at the Copper Bucks base. They had taken a shipment of divine items that the vampires needed and Nero need to retrieve them. To stop the fight from escalating the party offered up the items in exchange for their lives, which Nero happily obliged.

At some point Nero captured Bram, a pilgrim from Logre and a friend of Vigdis'. She kept him in her theater and made him fight against hoards of monsters for the amusment of the vampires and to be the 'hero' of her plays.

Nero appears to be the only member of the Verdammter family to have a bodyguard, constantly under the watchful eye of 'She Who Dines With Death'

Neros power allows her to send out her blood as slashing tendrils, injecting it into her enemies veins and manipulating them through it.

###### Nikolai

Nikolai Verdammter is very odd when compared to most of her family. She is very quiet and shy, not speaking up that much. When Team Devilspawn first went to Drei she approached Vigdis and told her of a 'vision' she had for her family.

When the party returned to Drei to free Bram and grab a piece of Daora she intercepted them, apparently having seen their attempted actions in her visions. She informed them that their mission wouldn't go well, they'd be caught, and Solomon would not be appeased by their offerings. They would die as the royals and a swarm of vampires descended on them. However she said she could help with that, on the condition that they never kill any of her family. The party agreed

Nikolai appears to be kind and caring, using her authority as a Royal to send out vampires to gather cursed objects and people, returning them to her so she can study them and keep them out of harms way. In the case of the cursed people, she hopes to cure them. She loves her family very much, grateful that Lagaard gave her this second life and gave her this family

Nikolai is a seer who can see into the future though she admits its usually just disaster she sees. It is unknown if this is a power that Lagaard has given her as a royal, or if she's always had it.

#### Notes

At the current moment the party does not know about any of the lives the Royals had before they were taken by Lagaard, with exception to Vlad.