[hider=CHAMPION] [center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/RNLlso8.png[/img] [i]"I have seen nations and peoples reduced to ash and ghosts. It brought no pleasure, even to a heart as dark as mine."[/i] [h3][color=000000]N A M E[/color][/h3] Volkimir Sturmkirk Prince of Schattenwald [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Vampire [h3][color=000000]A B I L I T I E S[/color][/h3] As a vampire, Volkimir is at once much more and much less than a normal man. His strength and speed are both inhuman; far greater than what can be attained by common men. He can see in darkness just as well as in light, can hear a heartbeat from across a full feasting hall, and can smell a living bloodscent from a league away. If he so chooses, he can move in complete silence, become invisible, or fly through the air like a phantom of night. Neither age nor disease blights him, and his half-living flesh is greatly resistant to cold and poison. However, he is cursed to feed upon the lifeblood of mortals, requiring at least a human body's worth of blood every turn of the moon. Sunlight is his bane, searing his skin and punishing him with migraines should he come in direct contact with it. Silver nauseates him, and the sight of his own reflection fills him with delirium. Moonlight reflected in water or by a silver mirror inflicts Volkimir with temporary blindness, should it meet his eyes. Though he can recover from wounds faster than mortal men, any wound inflicted by silver or living wood festers rather than heal cleanly. [h3][color=000000]A G E[/color][/h3] Roughly 600 years old. [h3][color=000000]A P P E A R A N C E[/color][/h3] As an ageless vampire, Volkimir is considered to be an avatar of dark and forbidden beauty. Seen usually as a tallish man with the well-balanced build of an experienced warrior, Volkimir Sturmkirk is a striking figure to behold. His features are sharp and angular, balanced by his masculine brow and strong jawline. His eyes are the most distinctive feature of his face; their black sclera and golden, luminous irises are distinctly inhuman, and Volkimir's gaze is piercing and predatory. Sharp, white fangs are revealed whenever he smiles or speaks, and his incisor teeth seem unnaturally sharp and jagged. His hair hangs to the top of his shoulderblades, and is so fair that in most lighting it seems completely white. Volkimir's skin, while usually so pale as to seem translucent, takes on a sickly, ashen hue when exposed to sunlight, stripping away his last disguise of humanity. [h3][color=000000]S K I L L S[/color][/h3] Most mortals have but a few decades to practice their skills, whereas Volkimir has had centuries to perfect his own. He is a swordsman [i]par excellence[/i], wielding a bastard sword with inhuman power and grace. Having trained with countless warriors in faroff lands, he is familiar with a variety of unique martial arts. A manhunter by the merit of his cursed blood, he is just as well versed in the arts of tracking and stealth. His skill as a statesman and general are both profound, and he speaks many tongues both living and dead. Considering himself a master manipulator, Volkimir can twist the wills of mortals as easily as a puppets' strings. His many years spent traveling and exploring abroad have given him great knowledge of exotic cultures and their esoteric practices. [h3][color=000000]M A G I C[/color][/h3] By plumbing ancient ruins in distant corners of the world, Volkimir is master of many magical practices forgotten by mankind. His favored spells fall under the domain of "sangromancy," a rare and secretive school of black magic that specializes in manipulating flesh, bones and blood. As a sangromancer, Volkimir can raise undead servants, imbue himself or others with unnatural strength and vitality, sap and absorb the strength of others by draining their vital energies, induce rapid decay and entropy, create strange structures and objects from biological matter, mend wounded or blighted flesh and bone, or simply force the flesh of his enemies to turn to ash. One of the most advanced applications of this dark art is to willfully control the blood and musculature of a living creature, allowing Volkimir to turn anything that bleeds into a flesh puppet. Naturally, such an esoteric school of magic takes its toll on even Volkimir's inhuman constitution, but he has adopted the technique of consuming the life-force of others with his magic, thus forcing his enemies to be the fuel source of his magic. [h3][color=000000]W E A P O N S[/color][/h3] Almost as famous as the man himself is his legendary sword, Elbrus, the Bound Blade. While ornate in design and flawless in construction, Elbrus is quite unusual in having been forged of a metal not known to earthly smiths. The blade is seemingly unbreakable, with an edge as sharp as winter, and so dark in color that it appears to consume light rather than reflect it. Intensely magical, the sword absorbs the life-force of those it wounds, giving Volkimir a considerable advantage in lengthy duels. However, this is not a mere enchantment; Elbrus has bound within it a powerful demon, sealed within the sword countless ages ago by a holy warrior that gave his own life to contain the monster. The sword has an unspeakably unholy aura to those sensitive to such matters, and the demon whispers foul promises and fouler threats to anyone weak of will that comes to wield Elbrus. In his travels Volkimir acquired many other trappings and trinkets, relics of bygone eras. Remarkable is that the man has never crafted sorcerous weapons for his own use. Rather, he "borrows" his material strength from more ancient heroes, his ancestors and forebears. Such reappropriated artifacts include the Helvault, a mysterious meteorite rumored to imprison 108 different demons, and the spear Encarmine, told in myth to have been wielded by a dragon-slaying angel of ages past. [h3][color=000000]A R M O R[/color][/h3] Volkimir's "signature" attire strikes a balance between the practicality of adventuring clothes, the mystique of a dark magician and the regalia of a noble knight. A floor-length, ornate leather coat is worn over a enameled, ruby-encrusted breastplate. Engraved armor plates are set into the shoulders and forearms of the coat, the shins of his black, woolen trousers, and the toes of his thick-soled leather boots. His distinctive coat is apparently filled with numerous hidden pockets and compartments, and can deploy a hood to shield him from daylight. While said by some to contain the damned souls of every person that he has killed, in reality his accouterments are rather mundane. While it is of luxurious quality, it is simply steel, enamel and leather. More worth of rumors would be the large ruby embedded in the center of Volkimir's breastplate. Any life energies that Volkimir himself cannot contain within his own body, he stashes away in this sangromantic gemstone, saving the excess power for times of distress. In the numerous secretive compartments in Volkimir's coat he has stashed a variety of small trinkets found in his travels, miniature bottles containing potent potions and poisons, easily-concealed supplies such as blades, lockpicks and matches, several varieties of coinage, and small scrolls and books that he is fond of. [h3][color=000000]S T E E D[/color][/h3] The stables of Castle Sturmkirk breed a most peculiar variety of destrier. Thickly-built warhorses with fur as black as pitch, eyes that burn like coals, and mouths filled with vicious fangs. Some manner of horrific curse afflicts these animals, as they know no fear, cannot tire, spit boiling tar from their toothy maws, and hunger madly for human flesh. Normally vicious and impossible to control, they become docile, almost submissive, in the presence of vampires. Volkimir's personal steed is Stralucitor, a particularly vicious mare that will break her bonds to hunt down human children if tied down with anything less than iron chains. [h3][color=000000]B I O[/color][/h3] Schattenwald, once merely a modest province of jagged mountains, misty ravines and dense forests, is a cursed land. Legend holds that many centuries ago, a dread sorcerer known only as the Shadow Prince sold the souls of his people in exchange for immortality, and so turned Schattenwald's nobility into a brood of vampires. The land quickly became a nexus of darkness and evil, as the common folk of Schattenwald were cruelly oppressed by their inhuman lords, and monsters of all varieties sought refuge in the deep forests and mountain slopes. The land itself festered with gloom and despair, damned in the eyes of gods and men alike. Volkimir Sturmkirk ventured forth from his homeland after only two-hundred years of blood-soaked unlife. A scion of the ruling noble house of Schattenwald, he tired of the debauchery that made up their daily existence, and set off into the world in self-imposed exile. He sampled the multitude of customs and pleasures offered by exotic peoples around the world, and sought adventure in the ancient ruins of faroff lands. As he cared little for material wealth, he instead collected treasures of the mind; he learned and experienced all he could from those he met, and committed to memory the many secrets and forgotten lore he found in the darkest depths of tombs and catacombs. In time the art of magic became clear to him, as well as the way of the sword. After extensive travels, Volkimir returned to his homeland to find it teetering on the edge of calamity. The human population of Schattenwald bordering extinction, the vampire lords had turned their attention to their neighboring lands in order to sate their endless hunger. Volkimir saw that this course of action could only end in two ways: with his noble kin steadily conquering and eventually wiping out the human race, or his people being exterminated to end the threat they posed. To prevent either outcome, he mounted a force of his own, comprised of the most black-hearted mercenaries, scorned outlanders, and rogue monsters. He preemptively struck Schattenwald as they prepared for war, and with much guile and skill conquered the land that was already his birthright. His kin saw him as an usurper and a traitor, and the nations he saved never knew that they were in danger. Now Prince of Schattenwald by right of conquest, Volkimir set to work restoring a semblance of dignity and prosperity to his homeland. The few noble houses still loyal to him had their feeding tightly regulated, and a deal was struck with the remaining humans. In exchange for a modest tithe of blood, the vampire nobility would commit themselves to protecting their mortal vassals from the myriad horrors that had taken up residence in Schattenwald. Volkimir himself put great effort into allying, bargaining or binding the dark forces at work in the land. Institutions were established to train mortals in the skills of arms and magic to aid them better against evil. He sought not to exterminate the darkness in Schattenwald, but to bring it into balance. As decades passed, the population slowly recovered, and what was once a midnight-dark despair became a bittersweet twilight. Only in the last ten years has Volkimir managed to approach other nations diplomatically. As such, Schattenwald is now a loosely-affiliated member of the Moonsong Alliance. Its peasants sometimes meander into neighboring lands to hawk wares and crops, as well as such strange resources left behind by the monsters they slay. Schattenwalders are said to be a grim and somber people, but earnest and remarkably modest. With the recent crisis in Everstrine, Volkimir held back to observe as the other members of the alliance sent their forces forward. As their initial fleets were destoyed, Volkimir realized the gravity of the situation, and saw the threat it posed to the world at large. Assembling his finest warriors, the Prince of Schattenwald himself set forth to bring down the errant wizard Gargth. [/center] [/hider] [hider=REGIMENTS] [hider=The Death Company] [center] [img]http://media.wizards.com/2016/images/daily/c4rd4r7_0lFOZ7aiqZ.jpg[/img] [i]"Even if we cannot save this world, we shall be its bloody vengeance."[/i] [h3][color=000000]N A M E[/color][/h3] The Death Company [h3][color=000000]B A N N E R[/color][/h3] The myriad banners of the vampire houses loyal to Volkimir, each with their respective heraldry. [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Vampire [h3][color=000000]A B I L I T I E S[/color][/h3] As a legion of vampires, the Death Company is stronger, faster and more durable than a human warhost could ever be. Each soldier boasting centuries of experience, this force is vicious and lethal, able to overcome armies that exceed their number by orders of magnitude. However, this power comes at a cost. The Death Company is almost completely incapable of combat during the hours of daylight, and their bloodlust leaves them prone to causing tremendous collateral damage when fighting alongside humans. [h3][color=000000]S I Z E[/color][/h3] 100 Mounted Knights [h3][color=000000]S P E C I A L T Y[/color][/h3] Heavy Cavalry [h3][color=000000]A R M S A N D A R M O R[/color][/h3] Comprised of noble knights and their noble benefactors, the Death Company wields superb equipment, such as castle-forged steel and a variety of heraldic heirlooms. [h3][color=000000]S T E E D S[/color][/h3] A variety of undead horses, from the merely ghoulified, to the zombified or skeletal, to the vampire-steeds ridden by the knights of House Sturmkirk. [h3][color=000000]M A G I C[/color][/h3] The soldiers of the Death Company are mostly warriors rather than mages, but a few among them have some moderate command of shadowy forces such as necromancy and blood magic. This serves mostly to further their effectiveness at decimating enemy infantry. [/center] [hider=COMMANDER] [center] [img]http://media.wizards.com/2016/images/daily/c4rd4r7_3gU2ll5zKi.jpg[/img] [i]"As we muster for war, I have little patience for lethargy or recalcitrance."[/i] [h3][color=000000]N A M E[/color][/h3] Ioana Lurenbraum The Black Widow [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Vampire [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Roughly 400 years old. [h3][color=000000]A B I L I T I E S[/color][/h3] Ioana carries all of the same powers and weaknesses as the other members of her cursed race. Her bloodline in particular seems adept in the powers of flight and unnatural speed, and are particularly prone to bouts of violent bloodlust. [h3][color=000000]S K I L L S[/color][/h3] Having served as one of Volkimir's lieutenants in his conquest of Schattenwald, Ioana is well adjusted to his method of command, and is a formidable leader in her own right. A more formally trained warrior than Volkimir himself, her martial skills primarily reside in heavily-armored cavalry charges, but she is also an adept duelist. However, her discipline is not infallible, as she has been known to break ranks and leap from her steed to tear through her foes with claw and fang. [h3][color=000000]M A G I C[/color][/h3] Ioana is not a mage in any capacity, but is adept at the vampiric power of flight. [h3][color=000000]A R M S A N D A R M O R[/color][/h3] Ancient relics of House Lurenbraum accompany Ioana into battle. Fine steel armor, encrusted with blood rubies, as well as a massive, black broadsword named "Bloodsworn." While it does not carry any magical properties, Bloodsworn is a huge, somewhat crude weapon that embodies Ioana's savagery in battle. It is so heavy that it could not be wielded by anything less powerful than a vampire. [h3][color=000000]S T E E D[/color][/h3] Ioana rides a study, steadfast vampire horse named Dragoon. [/center] [/hider][/hider] [hider=The Twilight Knights] [center] [img]http://www.geekenstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Cathars-Crusade-Art-by-Karl-Kopinski-615x449.jpg[/img] [i]"We carried hope in Schattenwald's darkest hours. Now we carry that hope to Everstrine."[/i] [h3][color=000000]N A M E[/color][/h3] The Twilight Knights [h3][color=000000]B A N N E R[/color][/h3] The Twilight Knights carry the colors silver and red, alternating between device and field, and with a variety of symbols depending on their home province and knightly brotherhood. The most common symbol seen is that of the most numerous brotherhood: the twin-headed spear of the Havengul Riders. [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Human [h3][color=000000]A B I L I T I E S[/color][/h3] The Twilight Knights formed as a resistance movement in the years when Schattenwald's human population was nearing extinction, thanks to the abundance of monsters and other horrors lurking within their nation. They learned to fight against these evils as best they could with the means available to them, and aided towns and villages against attack. After Volkimir's conquest, they were supported by his regime to further strengthen the human settlements. They divided into various brotherhoods, each with distinct focuses such as the eradication of a particular variety of monster, or providing a specific service to people in need. [h3][color=000000]S I Z E[/color][/h3] 200 Riders, Men-at-Arms, Clerics and Rangers [h3][color=000000]S P E C I A L T Y[/color][/h3] Light Cavalry, Monster Slaying [h3][color=000000]A R M S A N D A R M O R[/color][/h3] Specialists in the field of monster hunting, the Twilight Knights tailor their equipment carefully to provide the greatest advantage against known threats. Silver, holy water, living wood and simple fire are common implements. Though better equipped than in their earliest days, they still carry an eclectic variety of weapons into battle, ranging from swords and spears, to whips and rapiers, and even crossbows and ballistae. Armor is similarly hodge-podge, as it is usually light to increase mobility. Riding coats and hats are common, and rigid armor is focused on such vital areas as the chest and neck. [h3][color=000000]S T E E D S[/color][/h3] The Twilight Knights, being citizen soldiers, primarily ride work and farming horses. Some rangers have coursers better suited for battle, but these are mostly used as outriders. However, it is said that a warrior of light that is pure of heart may be visited by a mysterious creature called a hippogriff. [h3][color=000000]M A G I C[/color][/h3] Clerical brotherhoods of the Twilight Knights (such as the Moonlight Sages) wield magics focused on dispelling curses, banishing spirits and demons, scouring the unholy and undead, and healing the sick and enfeebled. [/center] [hider=COMMANDER] [center] [img]http://media.wizards.com/2016/images/daily/c4rd4r7_LGIipLUBO6.jpg[/img] [i]"Salvation is not granted. It must be earned at the edge of a sword."[/i] [h3][color=000000]N A M E[/color][/h3] Thalia Traft The Steel Angel [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Human [h3][color=000000]A G E[/color][/h3] 24 [h3][color=000000]A B I L I T I E S[/color][/h3] Though life has greatly improved for the humans of Schattenwald, it is still not an easy existence. To survive, one must be willful and steadfast, with a hard heart and a discerning eye. [h3][color=000000]S K I L L S[/color][/h3] The leader of the Twilight Knight brotherhood called the Midnight Duelists, Thalia is an expert in hunting down roguish, deceptive creatures such as demons, vampires and shapeshifters. Despite her tender age, she is a highly skilled and naturally talented swordsman, and has never been bested in a duel. She is generally regarded as the leader of the Midnight Duelists (as the Twilight Knights have very little in the way of formal ranks), and has been accepted to be the acting leader of the Twilight Knights during this campaign. Despite her lack of experience or skill in commanding such large forces, she was appointed to this position by her peers for her inspiring presence and unshakable faith. [h3][color=000000]M A G I C[/color][/h3] Thalia has some magical ability, primarily in dispelling illusions, removing curses and binding incorporeal entities. [h3][color=000000]A R M S A N D A R M O R[/color][/h3] While her armor is a hodgepodge of various mantles passed down through the ranks of the Midnight Duelists, her sword is a genuine relic. A rapier of blessed silver, forged under a full moon, it is called "Moonveil," and inflicts particularly vicious wounds on foes of an unholy nature. [h3][color=000000]S T E E D[/color][/h3] Thalia is one of the mythic few to have been graced by the presence of such a pure and holy beast as a [url=http://www.artofmtg.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Hushwing-Gryff-MtG-Art.jpg]hippogriff[/url]. It possesses a calming aura to those near it, and is a steadfast foe of evil and corruption. It often sails through the air, on lookout for enemies, but it cannot fly while Thalia is mounted on it. While she does not know its name, Thalia has taken to calling the creature "Spring." [/center] [/hider][/hider] [hider=The Mondronen Wolfpack] [center] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/cf/7e/d6/cf7ed6267c870ee156b35d7c5c6d7f57.jpg[/img] [i]"We cast aside our fragile humanity, and embrace the ancient ferocity of the undying wild."[/i] [h3][color=000000]N A M E[/color][/h3] The Mondronen Wolfpack [h3][color=000000]B A N N E R[/color][/h3] The Wolfpack is heralded only the rising of the moon and their howls on the wind. [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Werewolf [h3][color=000000]A B I L I T I E S[/color][/h3] Monstrous fusions of man and beast, most werewolves only transform into their animalistic forms at night. Some resist the change, and others seek it out. The full moon inspires a transformation that cannot be kept at bay, and heightens their ravenous instincts to overwhelming levels. More experienced werewolves, often those that have experience with druidic magic, have full control over their transformations and instincts. In their beast-form, werewolves are horrifically powerful creatures, with claws capable of ripping through steel and strength enough to snap bones like twigs. They can regenerate from common wounds at an alarming speed, healing flesh wounds at a visible rate. Much like proper wolves, their senses are extremely sharp, and they can track a scent for many miles. Their endurance is unparalleled among living creatures, as they can run without stopping for a full night. However, they are ruled by their bestial instincts, which compel them to kill and destroy all in their path (though this can be curbed with a powerful enough Alpha leading their pack, or with strict discipline). Silver and wolfsbane are both repellant substances, poisonous to werewolves, and wounds inflicted by silver are horrifically painful and debilitating. Sufficient poisoning by these banes can force a transformed werewolf back into human form. [h3][color=000000]S I Z E[/color][/h3] 60-some Werewolves [h3][color=000000]S P E C I A L T Y[/color][/h3] Scouts, Vanguards [h3][color=000000]A R M S A N D A R M O R[/color][/h3] The Mondronen, as a cabal of druidic werewolves, have rejected their humanity and refuse to wield weapons, scarcely even wearing clothing. As they spend almost all of their time in wolf form, this is rarely an impediment. [h3][color=000000]S T E E D S[/color][/h3] Similarly, the Mondronen refuse any form of locomotion beyond their own four paws. [h3][color=000000]M A G I C[/color][/h3] The Mondronen practice numerous shamanic rituals and druidic arts, allowing them to commune with spirits of nature, exert moderate control over natural forces, and purify that which unnatural and corruptive. [/center] [hider=COMMANDER] [center] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/57/50/b0/5750b0b80c9f4e4a543d4db564f51e7e.jpg[/img] [i]"Seeds of new life take root in the soils of old."[/i] [h3][color=000000]N A M E[/color][/h3] Ulrich of Mondronen The Ancient Alpha [h3][color=000000]R A C E[/color][/h3] Werewolf [h3][color=000000]A G E[/color][/h3] ??? [h3][color=000000]A B I L I T I E S[/color][/h3] Perhaps the oldest werewolf in the world (one cannot say for sure, as even he has no idea how old he is), Ulrich is far from past his prime. His strength, speed and endurance are all still monstrous, and his mind has only sharpened with age, giving him deeper insights into the secrets of nature. His discipline and experience allow him almost complete control over both his transformations and his bestial instincts, which he can pass onto his pack by impressing these instincts upon them as their Alpha. [h3][color=000000]S K I L L S[/color][/h3] Having spent many years hunting and surviving in the wild, Ulrich is a survivalist without compare. While he has spent most of his life in Schattenwald, learning its terrain, fauna, and flora, he quickly adapts to new surroundings to put his experience to use. He is no less fierce in battle than his age would suggest, and his many scars tell of a lifetime of struggles for dominance and survival. As a revered elder and long-time pack leader, Ulrich is a font of wisdom and experience. Though his specific experiences are not always directly relevant, they often hold some deeper meaning that can be discerned through insight. [h3][color=000000]M A G I C[/color][/h3] A renowned druid, Ulrich is imbued with the spirit of the wild, which increases his ferocity and vitality greatly. Nature is home and guardian both to him, and he can shape its forces to meet his will. His abilities are often subtle, merely speeding or slightly diverting nature's intended course, or calling on natural entities for help and guidance. [h3][color=000000]A R M S A N D A R M O R[/color][/h3] Ulrich's fur, claws and teeth are enough for him. [h3][color=000000]S T E E D[/color][/h3] Once more, Ulrich is more than capable of keeping up (and often, well ahead) of Volkimir's host with the rest of his pack merely by running. [/center] [/hider][/hider][/hider]