Editing Isabella von Carstein (section)

==The Legend==

A long time ago, in the [[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Empire]] there was a land called [[Sylvania]]. Sylvania was known for two things: decadent nobility that bordered on [[Slaanesh|Slaaneshi]] debauchery and peasantry so oppressed that even [[Bretonnia|Bretonnian]] peasants would order them around with noses in the air (as befitting the French).

The Elector Count of the region was a man named Otto von Drak, a magic-less descendant of dark wizards known for being a batshit insane asshole who thought he was [[Valten|Sigmar reborn]] and would cheer himself up after a hard day of drinking and grousing about how shitty his homeland and everyone in it with having random servants and peasants tortured to death and impaled. Not exactly a sweet guy if you got to know him either, the only person he didn't dislike was his only child, his daughter Isabella von Drak. Isabella was a very beautiful woman, and a tomboy in her interests; though she rocked the traditional dresses she spurned the traditional hobbies of women (sewing, singing, cooking) because she liked traditional men's hobbies better (hunting, falconry, swordplay). Otto proved unable to have any other children, which caused a problem since law dictated only males could inherit Otto's position and he couldn't or wouldn't change the law so Isabella could be his heir. Even worse Otto deemed all eligible Sylvanian nobles unworthy of her with the exception of a single man who ended up committing suicide rather than being forced into marrying into that crazy family, and her flouting of cultural norms and Sylvania's bad rep abroad meant no foreign suitors wanted her.

As Otto’s lay on his deathbed his life slowly slipping away from him Isabella ever the dutiful daughter stayed by his side. Rather then use his remaining time to repent for all his actions Otto instead spent his time shunning the administrations of priests and cursing his misfortune, claiming famously he would rather marry Isabella von Drak to a [[Daemon]] than let his brother Leopold succeed him (or let the disgusting pervert marry Isabella). Not long after this, a man claiming to be a member of distant Empire nobility (with an accent that those of the court believed to be of [[Kislev]] origin) appeared and presented himself to Otto. He said his name was [[Vlad von Carstein]], and after giving his self-introduction asked to marry Isabella. Otto accepted out of desperation and his put-upon priest of [[Sigmar]], Victor Guttman, married them that night with Otto dead by morning. Leopold's body was also found, having mysteriously fallen off the highest tower at the von Drak estate around the same time making Isabella the last von Drak.

Vlad immediately dismissed Victor Guttman, and repurposed the von Drak chapel. This continued village to village, until the worship of Sigmar was all but gone from the realm barring peasant shrines. Although the Sylvanians distrusted him due to being a foreigner who had eccentric habits such as only coming out at night and dining alone, he gained popularity by purging the nobles that were incompetent or [[Chaos]] [[Cultist-chan|worshippers]] and ridding the land of bandits and outlaws. Peasants still disappeared from time to time, but for the first time Sylvania had a ruler who wouldn't decorate his fence with the heads of men, women, and children because he stubbed his toe or demand all of people's life savings in taxes. Vlad quickly became beloved by the masses, and with the disappearance of every embezzling nobleman Sylvania became more prosperous. What was once the poorest province became the wealthiest, and throughout the Empire jealousy and admiration were inspired at the mention of the name von Carstein. Anytime Vlad visited nobility that didn't die from mysterious disease during his stay (symptoms include bloodlessness and a broken neck) they would pick up his little eccentricities and be graciously given the right to consider themselves a member of his ever-expanding line. Previously well-behaved nobles would sometimes require a second visit if they saw this gift as an excuse to return to old family habits; these spoiled children would find themselves put in a time-out. In their family crypt. With boulders trapping them in. See: [[Vargheists]].

Having secured his position, Vlad and Isabella spent more and more time together. She knew he was a vampire from the start of course, but hated her position and her uncle so she sided with him from day one. She gave Vlad the names of the insubordinate nobles, he solved the problems. As time went on Isabella and Vlad grew closer.

She became very aware of herself aging next to him, realizing time was running out to be the same physical age category as her husband. She begged Vlad to vamp her, but he refused time and time again.

One night, while Vlad was away <strike>drinking enemies' blood like mixer shots</strike> paying a visit to his admirers (who tragically died while he was there) Isabella came down with tuberculosis and sent a message to her husband calling him to her deathbed. It's implied she may have instead poisoned herself, but either way Vlad crossed a nation in one night and from that point on, Isabella was a lady who enjoyed the night life. Shortly after this, the two of them visited a recalcitrant noble who turned out to be the leader of a secret [[Khorne|Khorne-worshipping cult]] and slaughtered them all, with Isabella sifting through the skinned faces of noblewomen like a shopaholic at a mall, and by this point the two were actually and fully in love with each other.

After two hundred years of ruling Sylvania and improving it, Vlad and Isabella saw their chance to seize power. The Empire was in a state of civil war as three different claimants to the throne warred. Vlad called a feast with mandatory attendance for the remaining nobles - both human and vampire - that could not be trusted to not fuck up when he turned his head. Isabella led the turned nobility in a feast of the remaining human nobility while Vlad stood on top of the tower Leopold fell to his death from and read from a Book of Nagash, raising the dead of Sylvania. Vlad and Isabella's army of zombies and skeletons marched alongside the living armies of Sylvania, loyal to the only masters they'd ever known (seen as liberators from the past tyrants).

Every army, city, town and village their armies encountered were given an ultimatum. Swear fealty to Vlad and be unharmed (although their cemetery would be emptied for reinforcements) or be slaughtered to the last and become reinforcements themselves. They were quick to deliver upon their promise and be gone whichever was chosen.

During one particular battle, Vlad was seemingly killed. When this happened the vampire Herman Posner fought his way to dominance of the undead and tried to claim a distraught Isabella as his bride but she refused him. Later that night Vlad unexpectedly returned and humbled Herman in a duel, and in the novel Isabella requested that she be the one to kill Herman, which Vlad granted. As it turned out Vlad had a magic ring which provided him with the ability to tether his spirit to the world basically making him unkillable. Learning this proved a great comfort to Isabella who from then on mostly stayed with their loyal Necromancers (who acted as something of a medic for the undead) and oversaw the welfare of the loyal vampires they ruled.

In the final battle at Altdorf, Vlad's only legitimate rival to the throne Ludwig was preparing to surrender when the Grand Theogonist (Sigmar pope) Wilhelm the 3rd was tipped off by the traitorous [[Mannfred von Carstein]] that Vlad's ring was the source of his invulnerability. After months of siege, Wilhelm sent the greatest thief of the age to steal Vlad's ring. During the following day’s battle, Wilhelm tackled Vlad off the ramparts of the city and they both fell on defensive stakes used by infantry, killing him permanently. Isabella, hearing what had happened, killed herself similarly to be with him. Ludwig's forces were withdrawn in order to deal with the invasion of the two remaining claimants, letting the remaining von Carsteins (notably [[Konrad von Carstein]] and [[Mannfred von Carstein]]) as well as the surviving undead retreat back to Sylvania.

===[[The End Times]]===
Vlad was resurrected by [[Nagash]] and declared to be the greatest vampire who had ever lived, much to Mannfred's frustration. Vlad then agreed to serve [[Nagash]] but only after getting him to swear to the condition that Isabella would be resurrected, proving that Vlad's only true motivation in life was Isabella. Later on Vlad actually DEFENDED Altdorf and was made official Elector Count of Sylvania in return for his service.

However before Vlad could celebrate by trying to get Nagash to honor his bargain with Vlad (which was about as likely as hell freezing over), Isabella was restored to unlife by the Dark God [[Nurgle]], who warped and twisted her into an ideal tool so Nurgle could have his vengeance against the undead. See Nurgle hated the fact they wouldn’t decay and hated the sterility of the undead as he loved to create life; particularly life that was harmful to the living. It's also implied he didn't like how Vlad saved her from disease which is what Nurgle is all about. So after raising her she was possessed by a daemon, and given a power that works against undead. It doesn't help that the daemon also twisted her memories and pushed the story that she was actually date-raped by Vlad and was his trophy wife rather than beloved partner, driving her mad and hateful against the Undead. In conjunction with the fact that most undead leaders, apart from Vlad, had either treated Isabella like dirt or meant nothing to her because she didn't know them (such as [[Krell]] and [[Arkhan the Black| Arkhan]]), this gave Isabella a burning hatred of other undead. What resulted was her becoming the only Lords choice for the Daemons of Chaos that wasn't larger than a brick shithouse (not counting the Grand Legion of the Everchosen army who also had normal-sized models).

Isabella alongside a now chaos aligned [[Drachenfels| Nameless Spirit]] (who at the time was possessing the body of [[Luthor Huss]]) later encountered Vlad in battle in Sylvania, and the daemon within Isabella offered Vlad a chance to be reunited with her by serving the Chaos Gods. Vlad showed badassitude worthy of [[Settra the Imperishable| Settra]], and refused to serve Chaos, showing immense horror at what they'd done to Isabella. After Vlad helped Huss free himself from the spirit possessing him the two fought alongside each other against the chaos horde until Isabella slit Huss’ throat. She then moved to kill Vlad, who put up no fight because he'd rather die than strike her down. Though she was possessed and her memories had been altered, something in her still recognized Vlad as the man she loved and thus she felt some regret for his death. Fortunately Vlad had his magic ring of resurrection so his death wasn’t permanent and after he finally revived he was free to try and save his wife again.

Isabella meanwhile was present at the battle of the Black Pyramid, her most notable feats being killing Arkhan (though he put up a serious fight and almost won) and distracting Nagash - who proved immune to her anti-undead powers - long enough for the Skaven to blow up the Black Pyramid.

In the end, Vlad and Isabella met again at the Battle of Middenheim, and despite their conditions both were united in their contempt of Mannfred. After a duel, Vlad gave Isabella his ring that kept him immortal right before killing both of them, sacrificing his own life so his love could be free. The ring's resurrection power brought Isabella back while death removed the demon. She was then discovered in a near-comatose state by Neferata (one theory is that Isabella knew what had happened, that she'd killed Vlad and that Vlad gave his unlife to save her, and was so horrified by this that she passed out), who carried her off to Castle Stierniste, where Nef and Khalida stood with the last few halflings and undead. Of course, everything was wiped out, but at the very least, both of them died as themselves.

Isabella and Vlad finally suffered a true death, as neither returned in [[Age of Sigmar]]. Their models were renamed as generic characters, and the only returning named von Carstein Vampire is their piece of shit son Mannfred, who is directly responsible for Isabella's death.