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"Famous Vampires" Copyright (c) 1997 Simon E. Phipp
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# Famous Vampires

The Giant King of Neverdead
The Mistress of Light
The Vampire of Gork Hills

## The Giant King of Neverdead

Soon after Ralzakark had awakened Dorastor, a great Giant arrived, for what reason, nobody knows. He entered Dorastor and fought many creatures of chaos, trusting in his strength and size in combat. Eventually, he was attacked by a Demon who ripped his soul open. With his soul bleeding Power, the giant knew he was not only doomed, but would be annihilated very soon. In sorrow, he called out and was answered by a Vivamorti Mage who offered to preserve him and to negate the wound. Thus, this giant became a Vampire and remained in Dorastor.

When the city of Neverdead was created, the Giant Vampire joined its Council and was instrumental in establishing its strength - after all, a 15m giant is a formidable opponent, but when he has the strength of two and must be decapitated, impaled through the chest or burned to death, he becomes effectively unbeatable.

Over time, the Giant Vampire made himself King of Neverdead and ruled with an iron fist. He created the Undead Army to defend the city and established trading links with the rest of Dorastor. He made an alliance with Ralzakark, but wished to rule Dorastor himself. He made enemies of most of the Vampires in Dorastor by ordering that they should bow down to him and, when they refused, appearing in the midst of their conflicts, destroying their allies and friends.

The Giant had an especial hatred of the forces of light, for the Sunbright Spell caused him to experience a fear - unheard of amongst giants. He had a great dome built in the centre of Neverdead and lined the surface with gold. Now, light causing spells reflect off the dome, illuminating the city, whilst the giant sleeps beneath the dome. This desecration attracts many Yelmalions and other Dara Happans on a trail of vengeance, but all have succumbed to the Giant and his Mages.

The Giant King has a number of Swords of Humakt in slave collars who serve him. They have been gelded, blinded, made mute and must crawl over the giant, keeping him clean with pads attached to the stumps at their wrists. When they go mad, the Giant has their spirits bound as ghosts and their bodies raised as Zombie guardians - so much for Humakt's promise that his worshippers would not become undead.

## The Mistress of Light, Guardian of the Fires of Heaven

When Nysalor was created, several creatures of light descended from the halls of Heaven to serve him. One of these was a high-ranking Angel who bore the title of Mistress of Light, Guardian of the Fires of Heaven. During the GodTime, she was one of those charged with keeping the Fires of Heaven safe - the same fires which were used as part of the Skyburn. Over a period of time, the Mistress of Light became one of Nysalor's wives and bathed in his light.

As Arkat made his presence felt more strongly, many of Nysalor's people strengthened themselves by taking powers from Chaos. When the Mistress of Light saw that some had become Vampires, she was horrified and decided to ask her husband why they did this. He told her that if their natures were dark, they would become Evil Vampires, desecrators of Life, copies of Vivamort, but if their natures were of Light, they would become noble warriors to defend the Empire from Arkat and his army.

The Mistress of Light joined the cult of Vivamort to become a Warrior of Light and to prove that her Light Nature would triumph over the Darkness of Vivamort. She was wrong.

When Arkat invaded Dorastor, Nysalor bid several key followers to flee and to hide,. so they could return later and keep the Empire's Light safe for the future. One of these was the Mistress of Light. She fled to the remote land of Votankiland and slept in a crypt hidden in the hills.

When Balazar came to Votankiland, he began several rituals to cleanse the damage that Arkat had caused that place, on of these managed to awaken the Mistress of Light. She created a few followers and left for Dorastor.

In Dorasator, she met up with Ralzakark, another of those whom Nysalor had commanded to hide, who had returned many years before. Having renewed their acquaintances, the Mistress of Light took control of the Tower of Lead and turned it into a great fortress where she lives with a great following of Vampires, Mages and Adepts.

Recently, the Mistress of Light has been plotting with the Council of Neverdead to overthrow the Giant King because of his irrational outbursts and wild behaviour.

## The Vampire of Gork Hills

This being was created by the Mistress of Light when she awakened from her long sleep. When she returned to Dorastor, it remained behind to fight the forces of Yelmalio.

The Vampire of Gork Hills was a thorn in the side of the soldiers and people of Balazar for many years, coming from its mountain stronghold, attacking solitary herders or occasional citadel patrols. It was rumoured to have been destroyed recently, but is probably too good a character for that to have happened.

It is a solitary Vampire, not following the normal Vivamort conventions - death from him is normally silent and efficient, rather than drawn out and gloating.