The Court of the Nosferatu

"Jagde das Nosferatu. Finde die Nosferatu. Zerstöre das Nosferatu!" "Hunt the Nosferatu. Find the Nosferatu. Destroy the Nosferatu!"

Common phrase used by the Wizard Councils of Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Munich, and Berne; multiple allied Skinchanger packs and Witch Covens; die Mörder der Dunkelheit (Killers of the Dark and the Sorcerer Lords of Berlin and Vienna, 1830-1890, A. D.

Structure

Leading the Court of the Nosferatu is the Dread Lord Count Orlock, the Nosferatu. However, he was cursed to never spread Vampirism himself, only death, through his bites. Beneath him are his Barons and Vampire Knights.

Culture

Nosferatus can not spread Vampirism through their bites, only death. As such, Nosferatus are created via dark magic (many of it involving necromancy.) Because of the difficulty in creating Nosferatus, they tend to be rather cowardly, avoiding outright confrontation and open warfare, instead opting to use Ghouls and human Necromancers as their minions.

Public Agenda

The Court of the Nosferatu has been around since the medieval period, however the 1800s was the height of Count Orlock's power, when he ruled an underground Empire (composed mostly of minions and slaves) from the disputed holdings he had in Romania to the the shores of Scandinavia, and from Siberia to the Rhine, from the Bosphorous strait to the Baltic he ruled. But by 1900, that Empire had crumbled. A coalition of Human Sorcerers, Wizards, Witches, Skinchangers, and Monster Hunters had spent sixty years (since 1830) fighting against the Court of the Nosferatu, whether by freeing slaves, killing minions, or assassinating actual Nosferatus. While they sustained losses, Count Orlock realized too late that the Court could not replace Nosferatus faster than they could be slain, and this coupled with economic and strategic losses in Europe led him to give up all his European domains outside a few enclaves in Germany, Romania, Hungary, and his Russian domains. However, the rival Vampire Courts launched wars against him, seizing his Russian domains while stealing most of his Romanian and German lands, with his forces in Hungary outright ejected. From 1900, the Court of the Nosferatu has been increasingly focused simply on survival in the face of imminent extinction.

Assets

Money: O.9 Billion USD in certain Swiss bank accounts; 1.5 Billion USD in banks all over the world.

History

The Court of the Nosferatu began with Count Orlock, born Sir Badurad Aldrichsson, a minor lordling who achieved a knight hood in the Baltic Crusades (specifically, he was knighted after he rescued the knight he was squiring for from death in the aftermath of the Battle of Saule, which saw many Crusaders slain.) As a Knight, he fought as a Crusader in the Baltic Crusades for all his life until he lost his life at the Battle of the Ice against the Russians of Novgorod; he was killed by a Russian spearman as he was attempting to rally some of his retainers to continue the battle. After his death, his body was found by a Russian necromancer, known for his experiments with animating dead corpses. However, during the ritual, a vampire saw Sir Badurad's dead corpse walking, and foolish thought to make him a Vampire. He then bit the poor man, creating a new breed of Vampire in the process. Upon regaining consciousness, the unfortunate wretch slew his sire, then killed the Necromancer and drank his blood. The monster attempted to fight as a Crusader, but his nature as the First Nosferatu made it impossible. Finally giving in to despair, the Nosferatu declared himself Count Orlock, and his first mission was to locate the Necromancer's notes and with some experimentation, recreated the Ritual of the Creation of the Nosferatu, beginning his Court.

“pestem enim sumus. morte sumus” “We are the Plague. We are Deað.”

Founding Date

1280, A. D.

Type

Political, Faction / Party

Alternative Names

The Host of Orlok; The County of Nosferatu; the Vampire-Ghouls.

Demonym

Nosferatu Vampires