The Vampire Lord Seth Estlow -Part 1Hruodulf von Wolfen had received a message from the Holy

Roman Emperor, Heinrich the Black. The young knight had ridden from of his homeland in the Black Forest, out of the state of Franken and northward, through Thringen. At last he came to the Imperial Palace at Goslar, in the state of Sachsen. As he approached the stately palace, he was met by a man in fine clothing. The man, it seemed, was only a servant. It struck young Hruodulf as very impressive that even the servants of the Imperial Palace were dressed in such regal finery. Ho there, Sir Knight, the man said. I will hold your steed while you go in to visit His Imperial Majesty. Very well, Hruodulf said, handing the man a couple of gold coins. Hruodulf dismounted and walked up the steps of the palace. As he approached the door, the guards hailed him. He told them his name and his lineage, and he was allowed entry. Hruodulf was led to the throne room of the Emperor by another man, and then he entered, and the Emperor and Empress sat upon their thrones there in majestic finery, adorned with silk, velvet, gold and gems, but this contrasted with their furrowed brows and the somber looks upon their faces. Greetings, Your Imperial Majesties, Hruodulf said, bowing low. I am Sir Hruodulf von Wolfen, of the von Wolfen clan of the Black Forest, in the kingdom of Franken. I was summoned here by official imperial summons? The Emperor and Empress continued to look very grave, and after a long silence, the Emperor finally addressed the young knight. Ah yes, Sir Hruodulf von Wolfen. Forgive me. We have been very distressed since our daughter was taken. Judith was such a nice girl, but she was taken from us by those hideous things What things, Imperial Majesty? Hruodulf asked. Please, call me Heinrich, the Emperor replied. The things that took my daughter they were like monstrous little dwarves. Do you know who they were working for? On their uniforms they wore the image of a creature that was colored red. The creature was part woman, part lion, part eagle and part dragon. Such a creature is depicted on the flag of Walderia. Walderia? Hruodulf repeated. Ive never heard of such a place. It is a state technically part of the Empire but operating independently. It is said that Adalhelm made a deal with the Pope which keeps the Empires forces out of that land but it seems they have taken our dear daughter Judith and now they will pay for such vile deeds! My clan has sworn loyalty to the Empire since the days of my forebear Gerulf, who was a loyal knight of Karl the Mighty. I will do as you wish, my Emperor. Very well, Heinrich said. I shall make it an official Imperial Command: Hruodulf von Wolfen, go to Walderia and retrieve my daughter Judith. As you desire, my Emperor, Hruodulf answered. Just tell me the way to Walderia and I shall go there.

I can do better than that, the Emperor said. I have a map. Emperor Heinrich handed Hruodulf a map to Walderia. Hruodulf saw that Walderia was bordered by Bhmen to the north and Bayern to the south. The Kingdom of Walderia is ruled by one Archduke Adalhelm von Waldstein, the Emperor explained. It is surrounded by the Kraftberg Mountains which isolate it from the rest of the Empire. Go now, and may God be with you. Hruodulf bowed once more and left the throne room. He found his way through winding and richly adorned halls, back to the entrance of the palace. He said farewell to the guards and saw the man who had taken his horse holding the beast by the reins upon the verdant field before the palace. He thanked the man and took the horse back, mounting the beast and riding it southward. The knight passed through the kingdom of Thringen once more, stopping to rest when he had to. He continued southward through Franken, and then turned southeastward, through the Nordgau. He rode along the river Donau, and at last, under a dark night sky, he came to the Kraftberg Mountains. The knight rode high into the mountains in the darkness. The first unusual thing he noticed about Walderia was the noise in the Kraftberg Mountains. A knight of lesser courage would have surely turned back, but Hruodulf rode on, despite the eerie sounds. He heard certain grunts and howls in the mountains, not like an animal, but certainly not human. He was not one to believe in faerie tales, but at this time, the thought of mountain trolls did not seem so far-fetched. Luckily, he was not attack by anything man, animal or other while he rode through those mountains. At last, still in the dark of night, the knight rode down from the mountains and into a large forest. Though the map showed how to get to Walderia, it did not show the layout of Walderia, so the brave knight was unsure as to what geographic features made up the state of Walderia, though he had spied from up in the mountains that several towns and a castle lay beyond this thick forest He had stopped to shop on the way to Walderia, so he did have a lantern in his pack. He lit it and raised it high in an effort to illuminate the dark woods ahead. As he rode on, he heard strange bird-calls followed by movement in the woods around him. He unsheathed his sword, but in mere moments he was distracted by a weird howl, and as he turned to look, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, and then everything went black When the knight came to he was tied to a tree. Before him there were half-a-dozen fur-clad savages around a bonfire in the midst of a village of grass huts. One of them, a large bearded man, crowned with ox horns, wearing a necklace of teeth and holding a huge wooden club, pointed toward him. Who sent you? the barbarian demanded in the Thiotish tongue. I am Sir Hruodulf, the knight explained. I was sent by the Emperor to retrieve his daughter from this land. So you are an enemy of Archduke Waldstein? the barbarian asked. If I must slay him to return Lady Judith to her father, then I will do so. The barbarian bellowed a loud, hearty laugh. Anyone willing to slay the Archduke is a friend of ours! Boys, untie the knight. Two youths with tangled hair stood up and cut the ropes that held Sir Hruodulf to the tree. The knight stretched and then sat by the fire. Now, who are you people?

We are the Wolfgeist tribe, the man answered. I am the chieftain, Grimhart. This forest is the Wulthuswald where our tribe has lived for many, many years. Why do you hate the Archduke so? Hruodulf asked. We have been in a blood feud with the Waldstein clan ever since Merjaz Walthusteinaz, the first Walderian king, slew my ancestor Theodulf nearly 900 years ago. Ever since then, the knights of the Waldstein clan have invaded our woods, looting and raping, and we have had to fight them off. The lords of the Waldstein line have no honor. Every single lord spawned from the Waldstein line is a bloody tyrant and deserves to be devoured by the hounds of Wuotan! Wuotan? the knight asked. You mean the Pagan God? The chief nodded silently. Then you are Pagans! How can I trust a word you say?! Be calm, knight, Grimhart said. The Waldstein lords worship things more ancient and evil than Wuotan and his brood. Do not concern yourself with our Gods. There are greater evils in the world. Very well, Hruodulf said. I will ignore your heathenry for now. There are more important issues at hand. How do I get to Waldsteins castle? East from here there is a city called Wodaswitu, Grimhart explained. From there you can find your way to Castle Waldstein very easily. I will have one of my warriors escort you out of the woods. The knight agreed to this. A long-haired youth stood up, clad in furs and armed with an axe and a bow. His face was painted, and though he was a beardless young man, he seemed quite fierce. He bowed to the knight. I am Baldric, son of Gerulf, the youth said. I will escort you to the edge of the woods, but no further. Men of the Wolfgeist clan put themselves in danger if they wander too far from the Wulthuswald. Thank you, Baldric, Hruodulf said politely. Now where is my horse? Grimhart made a bird-call, and a young Wolfgeist girl led the knights horse out of the woods, marked with paint and decorated with feathers. Im sorry, Hruodulf, Grimhart said. I allowed young Berhta to play with the horse. Berhta, give the knight his horse back! The girl frowned. But I wanted to keep the horse! I named him Gotfred, after my little brother! Hruodulf scratched his head. Well, I had not named him, the knight said. I suppose Gotfred is as good a name as any. He certainly looks like a Wolfgeist horse now Nonsense! Grimhart bellowed. Hes your horse. The Wolfgeist clan are no common horse-thieves. Berhta, give the man his horse! At last the little girl returned Hruodulfs horse to him, and then the knight rode east, followed by the young warrior Baldric on foot. Why do you not ride also? the knight asked. I do not ride horses. Men of my house keep both feet on the ground. The knight decided to not question the young warrior any further. They continued east until they were attacked by swarms of bats. Ride fast! Baldric cried out. Why? They are just bats!

They are Walderian bats! the young warrior explained. They feed on blood! Needless to say, Hruodulf found that quite alarming. He picked up his pace while the barbarian ran by his horses side. The knight had to wave his sword to scare the bats off. Even so, the creatures clung to his frightened horse Gotfred, weakening the beast. Luckily they reached the edge of the forest by dawn, and whatever bats still clung to the horse fled for cover from the suns light. The barbarian pointed across the field to a city that lay in the distance. That is Wodaswitu, Baldric said. From there you can find the road to the castle. I must return to my village. Goodbye.

-Part 2The grim young warrior turned and ran westward as the knight looked at the city in the distance. He rode eastward, across the field, to the edge of the city. He rode around the outside of the city wall until he spied a gate which stood unguarded. He entered the city and received strange looks from the peasants. He did not think this strange. After all, he was a foreign knight riding what looked to be a barbarians horse. As Hruodulf looked about, he saw that there were no churches. Apparently, Christianity had not yet made a significant impact on this land. From the looks of things, Walderia seemed a backward country indeed. No wonder no one here worshipped Christ yet! The land was isolated from the rest of Europe by the Kraftberg Mountains. The knight, no longer concerned, for the moment, with the religion of the land, sought out an inn where he might rest before setting out again. At last the knight spied out a decent inn in the town. He took his horse to the stables where he met the stable boy. He asked the lad to stable his horse until he returned, and to wash the paint off the beast. The knight paid in the coin of the Empire, but to the stable boy, gold was gold. The boy pocketed the substantial payment and smiled at the knight, agreeing to do as he was told. As for the knight, he approached the door of the inn and walked inside. Again he received strange looks as he was clearly a foreigner. He ignored the looks and paid the innkeeper in the gold coins of the Empire, and the innkeeper did not complain. The knight went to his room, stripped off his chainmail and removed his helmet, laying down upon the cheap straw mattress to rest. In his dreams he saw knights carrying shields depicting the symbol of Walderia the horrid she-beast. In his dreams, the knights fell upon the barbarians of the woods with fire and the sword. When the knights removed their helms, they appeared to be inhuman creatures, and they devoured the flesh and blood of the innocent. Hruodulf awoke in fright. It was the late afternoon and he could not rest anymore. He got up and put on his helmet and chainmail, buckled his sword belt and put on his shoes. He took up his pack which he had thrown carelessly on the floor, and walked downstairs. He ordered a meal of meat and potatoes with a cup of heady beer. After that, he asked the innkeeper where Castle Waldstein was. The innkeeper told him to take the southern road. Hruodulf thanked the man and left the inn, returning to the stables. His horse, no longer painted or wearing feathers, and looking like the steed of a civilized man, was there waiting for him. The knight took his horse and led it southward through the city. He found the southern gate of the city and mounted his steed. He rode along the southern route toward the castle he vaguely spied in the distance. Night fell as he reached the castle, and then the knight rode around the huge, ominous, gray structure. As he looked up, he spied the flag of Walderia, with its monstrous red creature. He came to the front gate of the castle where two guards stood. Ho there, men! the knight called. I would have audience with Archduke Adalhelm von Waldstein! The guards looked at each other and laughed. Why should we allow you inside? one guard asked. The Archduke is not expecting guests! Go on your way, knight! I will not leave until I have spoken to the Archduke! Hruodulf replied.

The guards whispered amongst themselves until, at last, one of them spoke to Sir Hruodulf once more: The Archduke cannot speak to you right now, but if you wait a moment, we can summon one of his representatives. The knight decided that, if he could not reach the Archduke for the time being, he had to express his concerns to this representative. Perhaps the representative would speak to the Archduke and the knight could have his demands satisfied. That is well, the knight said. Send for the Archdukes representative. The guard Hruodulf had just spoken to shook the portcullis. The wooden door behind it opened and an old man stood there. The guard whispered something to the old man, who closed the door and returned moments later with a pale, raven-haired young woman of unnatural beauty. She wore a gown of black velvet and her lips were blood red. Her eyes appeared wild and feral, and they were tinged with red. The knight got down from his horse to speak with the lady, kissing her hand. Now, who do I have the pleasure of meeting, milady? the knight asked. My name is Theresa, she answered. I am one of the Archdukes consorts. What may I do for you? I would like to enter the castle and speak with the Archduke. The woman laughed loudly. Oh, you will enter the castle She opened her hand revealing some kind of powder which she blew in the knights face. He instantly collapsed, unconscious. The lady finished her sentence: but you will never leave! The woman grasped the knight by the leg and dragged him into the castle. The portcullis slammed shut behind them. Hruodulf awoke in a daze. He shook his head in an effort to clear it, but everything remained hazy. In a few moments, however, his vision cleared. He looked around to find out he was in a cell with rusty iron bars. The walls of the place were drab gray stone, and as he looked about, he became aware of the remains of those not lucky enough to escape. As the knight clanked to his right, he spied a pretty young girl in what appeared to have been a royal gown, but now was filthy and tattered. You! the knight said, looking at the girl. Are you Judith, daughter of Emperor Heinrich the Black? Yes, the girl answered. Have you come here to save me? A look of hope glimmered in the young girls eyes. Yes, I was sent here to save you, the knight answered, but now Im still trying to think of a way to save myself. A look of disappointment appeared on the girls face. Dont worry, the knight said consolingly. Ill think of some way out. The knight sat in his cell pondering how to escape. Soon an ugly little man-thing came walking down the stairs. He was a hunchbacked, bowlegged little creature no more than three feet tall. His face was twisted and pale, and he wore ragged, filthy clothes. A ring of keys hung at his side. Hruodulf addressed him: You, sir! Yes, you! What is your name? I am called Nid, slave of the Waldstein clan. Why are you a slave? the knight asked.

My people, the Zwerge, once lived underground. While Merjaz, first of the Waldstein clan, was digging the foundations of his castle, he unearthed our colony. Since then, all the Zwerge of Walderia are slaves. Would you like to be free? the knight asked. Of course, Nid explained, we all would, but the Zwerge are all too cowardly to rebel against the Master! I will slay your master if you let me out of this dungeon, the knight said. If you kill the Master, we will all be free, the Zwerg said, but if you fail, I will be punished. How do I know you will slay the Master? I vow by all that is holy that I will slay the Archduke, the knight answered. Good, the Zwerg said, but you must know how to kill him. What many people do not know about the Archduke is that he is an Upir. What is an Upir? the knight asked. They are a powerful form of undead, the Zwerg explained. They cannot be killed through normal ways. The small creature reached into his belt pouch and drew forth a wooden tent peg and a small hammer. I have long been planning to kill the Master myself, he said, but I could never work up the nerve. To kill an Upir, the best ways are exposing them to sunlight, or drive a stake into their heart and then behead them. Your weapons have been placed not far away, and I saw that you have a sword. That should work well enough to cut the Masters head off. Now let me open your cell. The little manlike creature hobbled over to the lock and found the right key amongst his collection, unlocking the knights cell. The knight emerged from the cell and then turned to the small man-creature Nid, can you do me a favor? he asked. Unlock the girls cell, too. She is the daughter of an important man, and she was taken from her home by the Archdukes forces. I must bring her back. Oh yes, Nid replied. The girl was taken by the other Zwerge under the Masters orders. I will let her go since you say you will free us from the Master. The weird little creature hobbled over to Judiths cell and unlocked the door. She shook the little mans hand thanking him, and then she ran over to the knight, throwing her arms around him. Youve saved me! Were free! she exclaimed. Not quite yet, the knight replied. He turned toward Nid. Nid, can you lead us to von Waldstein? Yes I can, the man-creature said. I will take you to the Master so you can slay him and my people can be free once more. The Zwerg led the knight into a small room where his armor and sword were kept. The knight put on his chainmail and he sword belt. The Zwerg approached the stairs and leapt up three of four steps at a time, and the humans made their best effort to keep up.

-Part 3The worst thing, the Zwerg said as he led the humans down the hall, is that the Master makes us shave our beards. A Zwergs beard is his pride, and before the Masters father came, we all had beards. If you kill the Master, we will all be free to grow our beards again, like before. The knight and the girl followed close behind the little man, who seemed very excited. The girl seemed nervous. She did not appear to have complete faith in the knights capabilities. Truth be told, the knight did not appear to have complete faith in his own power. Still, he knew he had to slay the Archduke, or he and Judith would never leave the castle, nor would the Zwerge be free as he had promised. Nid led the humans down another hall and through a brief corridor to a spiral staircase. They struggled to keep up as Nid bounded up the steps. Soon they passed through another hallway, until at last they found themselves standing before a huge set of oaken doors carved with bloody scenes of battle. This is the doorway to the Masters throne room, Nid said. Good, the knight replied. Stay here and protect Judith. I will go in and fight the Archduke. Wish me luck. The knight threw the wooden doors open and entered the throne room. Tapestries depicting bloody battles covered the walls, and a red carpet led up a set of stairs to the dais where the Archduke satin an elegant golden throne. The Archduke was handsome and pale with long black hair, though his face wore a grim and haughty look. He wore a black cloak and a ruffled white shirt as well as leather breeches. He was adorned with fine golden jewelry, but his elegance was betrayed by the fires of wild hatred that continuously burned in his eyes. Ah, you are the knight that Theresa had placed in the dungeon with the girl, the Archduke said. It is a pity that that cursed Zwerg could not keep a better eye on you. I shall have to have him whipped. The knight unsheathed his sword. You will suffer for your crimes against the Empire, foul monster! The Upir or vampire laughed cruelly. The blood of brave men tastes especially savory, he said. I accept your challenge, knight. I am hungry but first, I would have you try your strength against my three consorts Theresa, Rosalinda, Katharina, come forth! With that, in a burst of foul-smelling smoke, Theresa appeared with two other female vampires, one a fiery redhead, and the other a fair-haired beauty. The three shedevils rushed at Hruodulf, but he drew forth his stake. The knight charged at Theresa, and with only the force of his left arm, he drove the stake into the dark-haired she-devil and then in one fluid movement he hacked her head off with his sword. Her body turned to dust and the young knight smiled. This is too easy, Waldstein! Next the fair-haired Katharina rushed at him, grabbing him by the hair and opening her fanged mouth wide. The knight thrust the stake into her heart and lopped her head off. She, too, became dust. The brave knight charged at red-headed Rosalinda. She grasped him in her iron grip and made ready to bite his neck. The hero broke free and drove the stake into her heart. After he sliced her head off, she too turned to dust.

That was nothing, the Archduke said. Compared to me, my consorts were mere childs play. Now I will show you the true power of an Upir Lord! The vampire rose to his feet and flew toward the hero, releasing an explosive ball of flame that knocked the knight onto the floor. Hruodulf quickly rose again and charged at the vampire. With a powerful backhand the vampire knocked the knight to the floor. Hahaha! You are doomed! the vampire mocked. The Wolfgeist tribe shall always be persecuted! The Zwerge shall never be free! The Emperors daughter will remain in my dungeon to rot! All Walderia shall forever remain under the boot of the allpowerful house of Waldstein! The knight climbed to his feet and wiped the blood from his lip. He raised his sword and charged the Archduke, who dissolved into a cloud of thick green gas. The knight coughed as the green gas gathered once more behind him, returning to the form of the Archduke. The knight turned and tackled the vampire, pinning him to the ground. Hruodulf took out his hammer, preparing to drive his stake into the heart of the vampire lord. Waldstein turned into a large bat, escaping from under the knight. He returned to his humanoid form and held his hand up. In a burst of flame a huge sword appeared in his hand. It was a massive zweihander etched with arcane letters. Ah, my ancestral weapon, the legendary sword Feaster! Adalhelm said with a cruel and hateful smile. The vampire lord grasped the sword with both hands and pressed it against the young knights throat. Now, before I dispatch you, brave knight, I would know what name you desire to be carved upon your tombstone. My name is Hruodulf von Wolfen, the knight answered. Von Wolfen? the vampire repeated. I know of your line. You were descended from the Wulfing clan. They were hereditary werewolves, but since the conversion of your people, the Wulfings have struggled to suppress their lupine nature, going about as regular men! The Wulfings, I believe, are descended from Othalawulfaz Wulfingaz the man who slew my father! The vampire raised his sword, preparing to hack through the knights throat, but he swiftly evaded the attack, ducking under the sword. With the pommel of his sword, the knight bashed Adalhelm in the face and kicked the sword out of his hands. At last he had the stake pressed against the vampires chest and was prepared to drive it in with the pommel of his sword. May God have mercy on your soul, the knight growled. I have no soul, the vampire retorted. Hruodulf drove the stake into the vampires heart, bashing the blunt end with the pommel of his sword. When it was lodged deep into the vampires chest, the hero drew his sword back and with one swift movement he sliced the monsters head off. The head of Adalhelm fell to the floor, and suddenly the monsters entire body transformed to ash. The brave knight, having finished his task, left the throne room, kicking the doors open, to find Nid and Judith still waiting by the door. Nid, your people are free, the knight said. Now you may grow your beards as long as you want. Lady Judith, youre coming with me. Were going back to your family at the Imperial Palace.

Nid walked off and Hruodulf made his way out of the castle, followed by Judith. They went outside the castle and found the Waldstein stables. The stableman was a Zwerg, and once Hruodulf told him that he had slain their master, he freely gave the horse back to the knight. Hruodulf climbed onto Gotfreds back, and then he pulled Judith up to sit behind him. They rode north to Wodaswitu where they rested at the inn before riding into the Wulthuswald. Hruodulf stopped to visit the Wolfgeist tribe, who were more than happy to hear that Adalhelm was dead. The knight and the maiden continued riding west and soon they were in the craggy Kraftberg Mountains. After riding through the mountains they found themselves riding along the Donau River once more. They continued northwest, passing through the Nordgau and into the kingdom of Franken. After that, they went north through Thringen, and at last entered the state of Sachsen where they finally came to the Imperial Palace at Goslar. When they arrived, the man was there to take Gotfred from the knight. Hruodulf and Judith dismounted and approached the doors of the Imperial Palace. The guards recognized Lady Judith and allowed the pair entry. The knight walked through the palace followed by the girl, and at last they came to the throne room of the Emperor. They threw the doors open and approached the thrones of the Emperor and the Empress. The two of them were overjoyed to see their daughter once more, and they rose from their thrones to tearfully embrace her. After that, the Emperor shook the knight's hand heartily. Thank you Hruodulf! I cannot think of how to repay this deed! Perhaps you would like to marry my daughter? I I must humbly decline, Your Imperial Majesty, the knight said. Shes a very lovely girl, but I do not feel like being married just yet! I still have many adventures ahead of me, and I kind of like being a bachelor and a knight-errant Fine! That is fine! the Emperor replied. And please, call me Heinrich! Now, would you perhaps prefer a monetary reward? I know I have plenty in the treasury to give you enough to but new mail, a shiny helm, a sharp sword whatever you wish! That is well, the knight said. I can always use more money. Very well, then! the Emperor replied. The knight was given vast amounts of coin which he used to buy a new house, new weapons and other such things. For many years after that adventure he roved the land in search of new and exciting quests, and eventually he did decide to marry. He did not wed the Emperors daughter, however, but a simple girl from the Black Forest. He fathered many children with her, but none were as great as his eldest son, the brave Wulfhelm, who had many of his own adventures. Of course, the shadow was not lifted from Walderia for long. Adalhelm had a son who took over the throne after his fathers death the cruel Rafael Vinzent von Waldstein. He made the Zwerge slaves once more, and oppressed the Wolfgeist clan as his father did, and Walderia was once again plunged into another long age of darkness

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