Von Carstein - Minor Von Carsteins

Minor Von Carsteins

Isabella von Carstein A darkly beautiful woman, she was the daughter of the insane Otto von Drak, and Vlad's wife. She was described as being extremely beautiful, but cruel and malicious. Vlad married her to seize control of Sylvania, while Isabella agreed to the match so that she would still have some power, which she would lose were her domineering uncle, Leopold to succeed her father. However, what started as a marriage of convenience swiftly blossomed into unholy love; Vlad's vampiric allure was irresistible to her (and in Dominion, Mannfred von Carstein claims that of all Vlad's followers, Isabella was the one he loved most) and before long, the pair were inseparable. It is implied that Isabella was the only person Vlad trusted, and the only person who could calm him when he was enraged. When she was dying of a wasting sickness, Isabella begged her husband to let her join him in undeath. Though he refused many times, Vlad eventually consented and made her a vampire.

It is implied in Inheritance that vampirism drove Isabella insane, that she became a power-hungry maniac obsessed with her beauty and retaining it. She accompanied Vlad on his campaign of conquest and, upon his death in Altdorf, committed suicide rather than continue through eternity without her beloved husband.

Jerek von Carstein Sired by Vlad in Inheritance, he is the last Vampire created by Vlad before his demise. Once Jerek Kruger, a noble and proud man who served as Grand Master of the Knights of the White Wolf, he once slew Vlad in combat, only for Vlad to rise again and claim vengeance a year later. Atop a temple spire in Middenheim, he and Vlad dueled again, resulting in Jerek Kruger becoming Jerek von Carstein, the youngest of Vlad's twisted mockery of family.

While Vampirisim turned Konrad into a beast who kills for blood, Jerek maintained his once-honourable heart. When Pieter leads an assault upon Nuln, Jerek quickly resents his 'brother' labelling him a monster after witnessing his acts of wanton slaughter. Jerek gleaned useful information from one of Konrad's pet Necromancers however, learning the secret of Vlad's immortality: his signet ring. Jerek resolved to find and destroy it, travelling to Altdorf and even exhuming the bodies of Wilhelm and Vlad. He did not find the ring and despaired: the thief who took the ring was lost to him, and all he could do was hope that it would remain lost.

Losing his will to fight, disgusted by his own brethren, Jerek considered himself as neither human nor Vampire but torn between the two. He claimed Konrad was beyond help and that his kingdom would be the same as Vlad's - carrion birds fighting for scraps. Jerek was not killed as Konrad believed, and returned at the Battle of Grim Moor, where he aided in the human victory. He continued to thwart the Von Carstein line, thwarting Mannfred's alliances and continually seeking the cursed Carstein ring. At Hel Fenn he tore off Mannfred's left hand, which bore the Carstein Ring, leaving him easy prey for Martin of Stirland. Jerek took the Von Carstein Ring with him, and was sealed up with it in an unknown location by Kallad, the ring's guardian for all eternity. As Kallad bricked Jerek Kruger up in the darkness, he acknowledged that the creature before him was a man and not an undead beast, remarking on Jerek's incredible humanity even after losing his soul. Presumably the Von Carstein Ring remains lost to this day.

Fritz von Carstein Another of Konrad's brethren. He held power through a harem of beautiful female vampires to do his will. He sent assassins in a failed attempt to murder Konrad in his sleep, before being forced to flee. In battle with the White Wolves outside Middenheim, Fritz's force gained the upper hand, only for Skellan to betray Firtz, cutting him down with a silver arrow. His last words told that Mannfred sent his regards and that in time all his brothers would join him. Fritz's heart was cut out by the Grand Master of the White Wolves and fed to the dogs of Middenheim.

Pieter von Carstein Regressed after the defeat at Altdorf and the flight into the Drakwald. Konrad describes him as the runt of the Von Carstein litter, reduced to sneaking around looking for scraps like an animal. Not long after Hans had been butchered, Pieter was sent to lead an army to Nuln and destroy it. Pieter was no leader, and was too proud to heed Jerek's military counsel, resulting in a disastrously prolonged siege. In revenge, Jerek allowed the Witch Hunter Van Hal to spring a trap on Fritz in his coffin, destroying him. Pieter's black heart was later cut out and devoured by Jerek himself.

Hans von Carstein The most enigmatic and least successful Von Carstein Hans loathed Jerek and Konrad with a passion, eventually challenging Konrad to a duel. This proves a grave mistake: the much more skilled Konrad toys with Hans before decapitating his sibling and tossing his remains on a hearth fire.

Constantin von Carstein Not a true von Carstein as such, but allowed to carry the name. Konrad explains the differences between Jerek and Constantin to a prisoner: while Jerek has his Von Carstein name by right of blood, Constantin has it by right of conquest. Put to work by Konrad in the library, he composes an epic ballad, rewriting history to make his Master seem noble, heroic and benevolent - all the things Konrad was not. Constantin was still working in the library after Konrad's death when a curious Mannfred von Carstein found him: terrified of suffering Konrad's wrath, Constantin had remained in the library and had forgotten to feed on blood. Realising that Constantin had gone insane from lack of blood for an untold length of time, Mannfred performed a rare act of mercy and swiftly put the deranged Constantin out of his misery.

Mehlinger von Carstein A purebred, if weaker von Carstein, Meglinger was Jerek's closest friend and ally in life and was Vampirised by Jerek himself after his return to Middenheim. Upon receiving the Blood Kiss, Mehlinger's personality shifted inexorably towards the darkness. Mehlinger seemed to resent his former friend and was glad of his new powers, believing he could finally step out of Jerek's shadow at last. In Jerek's view, he would have risen fast amongst the Arisen. Unfortunately for him he was decapitated outside Nuln only moments after Jerek had finished consuming Pieter's heart.

Nyklaus von Carstein Ignored the squabbles of his brethren and sought greater power. He found the source of the power he needed in the Galleon's Graveyard. He raised thousands of undead and used them in a ritual that translocated his castle and the rock is sat on into the cursed waters. He took the wreckages of ships and turned his castle into a seafaring vessel, known as the Bloody Reaver. He took upon the new name of Count Noctilus and commanded the Dreadfleet.

Onursal Not confirmed as a Von Carstein, he was one of Konrad's Hamaya and may have been sired by the Blood Count himself, given that he was depicted as stubbornly loyal to him despite his madness. Onursal was the 2nd foremost of the Hamaya behind their leader Jerek, as he was supposedly the strongest among them. For all his power he was slain in combat with the Dwarf Kallad Stormwarden, who smashed his rune-axe through the Vampire's spine, opening his ribcage with the force of the blow.