Rath Dalcassian

> "I despise parasites. Little leeches, bleeding the people dry. You've tasted enough blood. Now, you taste steel." - Rath Dalcassian
>
>

## Rath Dál gCais

### Occupation

Royal Knight (Former), Bodyguard to the Emperor (Former), Vampire Hunter

## Appearances

### Settings

Rotten Empire

Rath Dalcassian is a knight errant. He is commonly known as the Bloody Black Knight, a moniker earned for the bloodshed at the hamlet of Red River, as well as by several other such names. Vampire Knight, Knight of the Black Hand, Butcher of Red River, Leech Hunter, the Oldest Knight, and many more. Historians theorize that Rath has been seen at least as far back as three hundred years before the modern day, making him easily one of the oldest living vampires in Theatony.

Despite this, very little is known about the enigmatic vampire. It is not known who Rath Dalcassian was before he became a vampire, it is not known why he hunts his own kind, it is not known what type of vampire he is, nor is it known why he massacred the populace of Red River so many years ago.

### Life Before the Curse

Very little information is preserved from the time before the rise of vampirism, five hundred years ago. In the days of the Old Empire, Rath was a knight in the employ of Emperor Allan. He followed Allan from the Heriuic Isles as his bodyguard and childhood friend.

Much as he had done in his homeland, Rath proved himself to be a capable and gallant knight, winning many tournaments and having many honors bestowed upon him. Being honorable, handsome, and in a prestigious position; Rath found himself the object of many noble ladies' attentions. For his part, he disdained the company of the nobility. Rath considered most nobles of the Empire to be vipers, preferring instead to keep the company of either his liege's entourage of Heriuic nobles or to visit lower class inns and taverns in disguise.

Despite his best efforts, Rath often found himself drawn into courtly politics, largely as emotional support for Emperor Allan. The Hieruic prince was often overwhelmed by the political dealings of the Empire and frequently invited his countrymen to assist him with his political decisions. As a consequence, Rath found himself spending much time in the company of not only the Emperor, but also the reigning Empress Katarine, and the two became friends. At the time, gossip was that the two were carrying on an affair behind the back of Emperor Allan, but in truth, Rath felt no attraction to the Empress. In a private letter to Emperor Allan, he confessed that he believed the Empress to be far more dangerous than any of the snakes of the Diet.

And he was right.

### The Dawn of Vampirism

When Empress Katarine and her fellow conspirators lured Emperor Allan to an isolated retreat, Katarine pulled Rath aside to explain the situation to him. Upon hearing the Empress' words, Rath was paralyzed, unsure of what to do or how to proceed. In the end; he was unable to decide whether to betray Katarine and reveal her plot or to betray Allan and keep quiet. Either choice would have him violating his vows as a knight, and thus his decision was made for him. Rath numbly went along with the other conspirators and participated in the Stranger's Rite.

Twisted into a vampire by the ritualized murder of his liege, Rath fled and isolated himself from the world. For three months, Rath disappeared, barely clinging to life from his stubborn refusal to feed on the blood of the innocent. During this time, Empress Katarine and the Seven Progenitors ran roughshod over the Empire, turning many and devouring more in an orgy of blood.

Eventually, despite his efforts to remain away from civilization, news reached Rath about the state of the Empire. Overwhelmed by guilt, he was unable to remain in hiding, and began to make his presence known. Having been so long without food, his immunity to sunlight left him, and he theorized that Katarine was likewise vulnerable. Making contact with and collaborating with Master Landebert, the court wizard to the Empress, the pair devised a plan to do something about the violence.

Luring Katarine to the ruins of Raachburg, then the capital of the Empire, Rath and his supporters did battle with the Empress and her entourage. Many brave souls perished there, beneath Raachburg, luring the Empress into the jaws of the trap. In the end, Rath was forced into single combat with Empress Katarine, a battle that nearly ended in his defeat. It was only through the sacrifice of Master Landebert's life that their plan was successful, trapping Katarine behind a wall of light. There she would remain, theoretically until the end of time, and Rath ignored her cries of rage as he left the catacombs. He was the only survivor to escape on either side.