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"This land is my home, my birthright. The wind and rain are my allies. The trees and stones are my foot soldiers. The very earth will rise up against you should you try to take it from me. And my people will feast on your bones."

—Mannfred von Carstein, the Lord of Sylvania.[9g]
Mannfred von Carstein

Mannfred von Carstein, Vampire Lord of the von Carstein bloodline, wielding the Sword of Unholy Power and wearing the Armour of Templehof.

Mannfred von Carstein, known in his younger years as "Mannfred the Acolyte," ruling as "Mannfred the Last,"[9d] self-styled as "Master of the Black Arts,"[8a] "Lord of Sylvania," "True Inheritor of the Line of Vashanesh," "Heir to the Throne of Lahmia," "He who is Destined to unite all the Realms of Men under His Rightful Sovereignty,"[16a] and known as the "Pale Count" among his Strigany servants,[11e] is the most cunning and magically gifted surviving Vampire Lord of the von Carstein bloodline.

Mannfred claims the hereditary title as the Vampire Count of Sylvania, a title that is only given to the first of his bloodline. Imbued with staggering magical power, Mannfred von Carstein has managed, through sheer ambition and willpower, to accumulate all the spells from the lore of necromancy after spending the better part of a century collecting the forbidden knowledge from the sand-encrusted libraries of ancient Nehekhara. Like many of his vampiric kind, Mannfred has led the armies of Sylvania to war on many occasions, his mastery of the necromantic arts sustaining his army far beyond their normal potential.[1g]

In addition to his necromantic abilities, Mannfred von Carstein is also a highly-skilled swordsman. In battle, Mannfred carries his ancient Sword of Unholy Power, a powerful two-handed greatsword that allows the bearer to absorb and drink the blood of the slain, giving him the ability to rejuvenate himself while amplifying his control over the Winds of Magic. He also wears the Armour of Templehof, an ancient suit of plate armour that protects the bearer from harm and further enhances Mannfred's already extraordinary endurance.[1g]

Befitting a lord of his status, Mannfred von Carstein is an extremely cunning politician. He knows full well the extent and complexity of his position as a Vampire Count, for although he claims dominion from all the von Carsteins, he knows that each of his subjects are far too fiercely independent to properly control. Thus, Mannfred needs to be a cunning creature as well as a warrior; using bribery, assassination, and diplomacy rather than outright conquest to secure the allegiance of his many rebellious subjects.[1g]

Out of all the Vampires of the first bloodline, Mannfred held a greater claim to his sire's throne than any other contender, but chose to remain in the shadows, letting the other claimants destroy themselves before he assumed full control of Sylvania. This combination of magic, cunning, and martial skill makes Mannfred a foe who will continue to leave a nightmarish mark upon the annals of the Empire's history for many years to come.[1g]

Yet for all this, Mannfred lacks the vision and true genius of his predecessor Vlad von Carstein. It is perhaps the only thing he lacks. If Mannfred has a flaw, it is his need to understand. He could have easily destroyed Konrad von Carstein at any point and attacked the Empire whilst they were still reeling from Vlad's advance; his delay in order to appear non-threatening and to get the most accurate view of his history and the political situation allowed the Cult of Sigmar the time required to discover the only way to defeat him. However, Mannfred also possesses the rarest of qualities in the powerful -- the ability to recognise his own mistakes and learn from them.[9e]

History[]

"Vlad brought me into this life. It was a long time ago, longer than I care to remember, and a long way from this ruined burg. He saw something in me he liked, a ghost of himself perhaps? Only he could say for sure. He may not have loved me the most - that honour I feel sure went to Isabella - but he certainly loved me longest."

—Mannfred von Carstein.[14a]

Mannfred von Carstein was sired and transformed into a Vampire Thrall by Vlad von Carstein in the days before his arrival at Drakenhof Castle and his marriage to the count's daughter, Isabella von Drak. According to his own words, Mannfred was born in a palace as the son of a king.[24d]

First Vampire War (2010 to 2051 IC)[]

Mannfred 8e

Artistic rendition of Mannfred von Carstein on a Winged Nightmare.

During Vlad's invasion of the Empire, Mannfred helped his war effort by destroying the ruling family of Nuln in a single night's bloodfest.[1a] After his mission was accomplished, Mannfred felt that his time of servitude to Vlad was done and plotted to aid in his assassination. Mannfred wanted the power of the Vampire Count for himself, but he knew that he wasn't strong enough to challenge Vlad in combat. He informed the Grand Theogonist Wilhelm III at Altdorf about the secret of the Count's immortality.[17c] The priest then set out an elaborate trap to catch the best thief of this very age: Felix Mann. When they finally caught him robbing the Imperial Counting House, they gave him a simple choice: rob Vlad von Carstein's signet ring or be hanged for his crimes. His reward for the theft would be payment enough to start a living elsewhere. Felix accepted the theft and, with a little aid from Mannfred von Carstein, robbed the count of his most precious belonging.[13a]

When the Count awakened to find his ring missing, his anger was uncontrollable. In one frantic attack, Vlad threw everything he had against Altdorf. There on the battlements he confronted Wilhelm III and eventually overcame him. However, with his last breath, the Great Theogonist threw himself against the Undead Count and both fell off the city walls. While the fall wouldn't have killed a vampire as powerful as Vlad, they both fell on a wooden stake, the Vampire trapped beneath the corpse of the holy man. With the death of Vlad, his army dissolved and the Altdorfers rejoiced, for the horrors of the First Vampire War were finally over.[1a]

In the immediate aftermath, Felix Mann, wanting to claim his reward, discovered that with no physical proof of the deal he had with the Grand Theogonist, nobody would believe he had committed a theft on behalf of a holy man. Wronged and angered, Felix stole one of Vlad's Books of Nagash. However, while fleeing from the Sigmarites, he became conscious that someone was following him from the shadows. When Felix was finally cornered by the stranger in a back alley, he tried to buy him off with the dead Count's signet ring. The stranger, who was in fact Mannfred von Carstein, severed both wrists of the thief, took the ring and the book and left Felix for dead.[13b]

Second Vampire War (2094-2121 IC)[]

"It seems to me that life is like a fast-flowing stream, and the mortals upon the world are like sticks and leaves caught helpless in its grip, dragged on through life, age, and into death. But we, the children of blood, have stepped beyond the river, rooted outside of its urging flow, standing as stones whilst life and time pass by. Thus we see all things come and go, empires rise and fall, all things once strong become weak. All things, of course, save ourselves. "

—Mannfred von Carstein.[9c]

After Vlad’s destruction, Mannfred returned to Nuln, accompanied by Skellan. Eradicating the remains of the Liebowitz family that ruled the city-state, he turned to study the Book of Nagash in his possession. Realizing the depths of its authors’ knowledge, Mannfred decided to make journey to Nehekhara to truly immerse himself in the study of the Dark Arts, leaving Jon Skellan as his agent in the court of Konrad von Carstein. When asked why he did not simply betray Konrad and seize power for himself, Mannfred did not reveal his intentions. Instead, he simply reminded Jon Skellan that should he attempt to usurp power for himself, the next Von Carstein he would face would be Mannfred himself.[1a][14b] He further sent the hedge mage Nevin Kantor to Castle Drakenhof to be trained as a necromancer, gaining a foothold in Konrad’s cadre of spellcasters.[14c]

With his mission accomplished, Mannfred engaged in a pilgrimage to centres of necromantic lore and power. He entered the ruins of Castle Drachenfels, journeyed to the ruins of Lahmia and wrested the secrets of the liche priests from bone-dry papyrus. In Nagashizzar, he made pacts with creatures too unspeakable to name.[23x]

Third Vampire War (2124-2145 IC)[]

Undead armies Mannfred

The undead armies of Mannfred von Carstein march.

"Was Vashanesh not husband of Neferata? Did he not sup of the elixir at her side, sharing blood with your queen? Those ties, no matter how much we might profess otherwise in our anger and arrogance, cannot be broken. They are the ties that bind. They are the threads that make us who we are. It has always been so."

—Mannfred von Carstein, seeking the aid of the Lahmians. [15c]

With the death of Konrad during the Second Vampire War, the last contender for Vlad's position was Mannfred von Carstein. Whilst Vlad was the most powerful and Konrad was the most violent and bloodthirsty, Mannfred was by far the most cunning and magically gifted of the entire bloodline. [1b]

Sailing up the Reik, Mannfred displaced the vampire that had taken up residence in Drakenhof Castle after Konrad’s death, one of his get called Nadasdy, flaying her alive and stripping the flesh from her bones for taking his place.[15b] After Mannfred returned to Castle Drakenhof to acquire and cement his claim as the new Vampire Count, he refurbished the castle and added his own tomes to the dark library beneath that had been assembled by Vlad and Konrad. With the last of the first von Carstein bloodline dead, Mannfred became the undisputed ruler of Sylvania.[1b] He invited his competitors to Templehof and slew them all under the flag of truce. His mixed his rivals’ ashes with cursed iron, forging himself a new armour that added their strength to his own.[23x]

For a full decade afterwards, Mannfred von Carstein bided his time wisely and allowed the Imperial contenders to believe that the threat posed by Sylvania was truly over. Where Vlad had ruled through his iron will and raw power, and Konrad reigned with fear, Mannfred used his necromantic prowess and devious manipulations to forge his new Undead armies. He sought out Vampires from beyond the borders of Sylvania and bribed, coerced and flattered them into joining his new retinue. He spent many long months in the wilderness of the Empire, rousing spirits and Wights from their decrepit tombs. When a vicious civil war once again wracked the Empire, Mannfred deemed it was time to finally strike.[1b][2a]

Using the tunnels of the Under-Empire, Mannfred dispersed his troops across the Empire, slaughtering the Skaven that inhabited them and raising them for his undead army.[15d] His Undead legions crossed the Sylvanian border in the depths of winter, as the cold does little harm to the flesh of the dead. With the summer campaigning season over, the armies of the Elector Counts were already disbanded and wholly unprepared for the sudden assault. Mannfred's armies marched through the snow towards Altdorf, putting to the sword any living men they met and raising the corpses to swell the ranks of Mannfred's horde.

In the infamous Winter War of 2132 IC, Mannfred defeated several hastily assembled Imperial armies that attempted to block his path. Victory followed victory and soon the dark rumour of Mannfred's coming was enough to send villagers fleeing from their homes only to freeze to death in the snow. When Mannfred's massive legions reached Altdorf, they found the city seemingly undefended.[1b][5a]

Triumph filled Mannfred. He looked set to become not a Vampire Count but a Vampire Emperor, achieving what both Vlad and Konrad had failed to do. Then the Grand Theogonist, Kurt III, appeared on the battlements of the city. The Sigmarite high priest had brought forth the evil Liber Mortis from the deepest locked vaults of his temple, and he began to recite the Great Spell of Unbinding from its pages. As the incantation continued, Mannfred's power over his minions began to weaken. Seeing his followers crumbling to dust, Mannfred ordered a hasty retreat, for the hidden Imperial armies within Altdorf were mobilising for a massive counter-attack.[1a][5a] [4a][15f]

Undeterred, Mannfred marched his army along the River Reik downstream and into the port-city Marienburg, capturing several large vessels along the way and manning them with the raised corpses of their crews. Mannfred's initial plan was the lay siege to the port city and then sail his Zombie fleet through Marienburg's primary rivers and canals that split the city in half and attack from the river ports. In desperation, the entire city was roused to the defence, and in time, the first Undead assault upon the ports was repulsed.[5a] Furthermore, the Marienburgers gained the aid of the Asur, including the Archmage Finreir. Finreir came to the Old World because he felt an ancient evil steered Mannfred, which he identified as the slumbering spirit of Nagash.[14e] Unable to make a beachhead within the riverways, Mannfred began construction of massive siege towers and catapults within the outskirts of the city. However, scouts had reported to Mannfred that a massive Imperial army was hounding them all the way from the city of Altdorf. Realising he couldn't win this siege, Mannfred promptly retreated.[1c]

So began a long cat-and-mouse chase that encircled the entire Empire of Man, with neither side entirely sure which one was the cat. At Horstenbad, the army of Ostermark was able to surround and ambush Mannfred as his army wound its way along the forest road, destroying nearly half of his forces. Yet Mannfred escaped the slaughter and within the month had seized the town of Felph and created a new army. On and on the campaign raged, with neither side able to secure the ultimate victory. Twice, Mannfred was forced to retreat to Sylvania in order to escape pursuit from his relentless enemies.[1c]

Determined not to make the same mistakes as they had before, the nobility of the Empire had sworn a truce among themselves to finally rid the Empire of Man of the Vampire threat once and for all. United under a righteous cause, the entire military might of the Empire was brought to bear with forces being mustered from all the Grand Provinces for the Sylvanian campaign. To settle past grudges, the High King of the Dwarfs had also sent in armies of heavily armoured warriors into the fighting. Wave after wave of Imperial armies streamed into the Sylvanian borders like a massive flood, and soon the relentless Imperials had forced Mannfred into a pitched battle known famously as the Battle of Hel Fenn.[1c]

Mannfred at Hel Fenn

Mannfred von Carstein at Hel Fenn.

Mannfred's army was vast, his necromantic power having raised a legion of Zombies from the muddy depths of Hel Fenn itself. Mannfred's unliving host continued to retreat deeper into the swamps, drawing the exhausted Imperial armies onwards into the filth and gloom. Yet Mannfred had not accounted for the determination of their foes. Tirelessly, the Imperial and Dwarfen armies hounded Mannfred like bloodthirsty wolves until finally he was brought into battle at the eastern reach of the marshlands, where the warriors of the Empire and the Dwarfs fought with grim resolve.[1c] Mannfred attempted to reach the location where he had hid the Carstein Ring in order to gain access to its restorative powers, but, to his horror, discovered that someone had taken the ring from its hiding place.[14g]

Faced with an all or nothing situation, Mannfred hoped to defeat the armies of the dwarfs and the Men of the Empire separately before they could unite into a larger force. While the numerical odds were at his favour, the vampire was fell for the cunning strategy of double envelopment used by Elector Count Martin and crashed the undead army from three sides.[18b] Mannfred saw that victory was beyond him and attempted to flee. Elector Count Martin of Stirland, mounted upon a majestic Griffon, gave chase and caught Mannfred at the very edge of the swamps, near Shadow Lake.[18b] Though the Elector Count was wounded badly, his Runefang cleaved great gouges into Mannfred's flesh and the Vampire's mangled corpse sank into the depths of the swamp. Despite a long search, neither Man nor Dwarf ever located Mannfred's body. Thus ended the reign of Mannfred, the last of the von Carsteins and the final end of the Vampires Wars once and for all.[1a][14g]

Resurrection (2505 IC)[]

"I urge your Holiness to alert his Majesty the Emperor to the danger. If I am right, we are all in dire peril, and it will be only a matter of time before the armies of the vile Undead strike west against Stirland and Ostland, as they did three hundred years ago."

—Witch Hunter Captain Gunther Stahlberg, in a letter to the Grand Theogonist written while in Sylvania.[3a]

"My lord von Carstein, we recovered this letter before it could reach the safety of Stirland. I felt that your lordship would find it amusing."

—Writing found on the previously quoted letter.[3a]

Although Mannfred truly died upon the Battle of Hel Fenn,[24b] an odd turn of events came about that returned him from the grave. A Necromancer by the name of Hermann Schtillman, a former member of the Necromancer Order of the Charnel Congress attempted to resurrect Mannfred as an act of revenge for his banishment.[1d][5b]

Just as the Necromancer was about to sacrifice a virgin soul for his ritual, Schtillman was suddenly killed by a pursuing group of hunters, of which included the famous duo Gotrek and Felix. As the hunting party foolishly left his body intact instead of burning it, the blood of the Necromancer dripped loosely from his corpse and flowed into the roots of a tree from which Mannfred's body laid. As Schtillman had never lain with a woman, his blood qualified as virgin and thus enabled the ritual to work.[16][5c]

With enough blood entering his body, Mannfred was able to rise once more. Mannfred, hell-bent on taking the Imperial throne for himself and ruling over the Old World, even if it took an eternity to do so, has bided his time since his defeat at Hel Fenn.[4a][5d] [24b] The would-be sacrificial victim, Ariette, became the first of the newest generation of von Carsteins.[9d]

Felix Jaeger, in My Travels With Gotrek, tells of his encounters with Vampires in Sylvania, but many details of the story are hard to believe and impossible to verify. Jaeger is a known agitator, outlaw, and adventurer whose word counts for little. To confuse matters, the story was adapted by Wilhelm Konig for the verse drama Vampireslayer, which contradicts Jaeger’s account on several points and is set a good twenty years later. [9a]

Dark Omen[]

"Kill them, my slaves..."

—Mannfred von Carstein.[12]

At some point after his resurrection, Mannfred allied himself with the newly risen Dread King, a former Dark Lord of Nagash. The Vampire Lord began a mining operation underneath Drakenhof in search of Warpstone for his master. However, he soon made the mistake of kidnapping a young noblewoman, who was revealed to be the cousin of none other than Karl Franz himself. Having sworn an oath to protect her, the army of the famed Grudgebringers delved into the Vampire's mines, where they clashed with his undead hordes in a fierce battle. The Emperor's cousin was ultimately rescued, and Mannfred himself was believed once more to be slain. [12]

End Times[]

Breaking Allies[]

Following his re-emergence, Mannfred learned of the time an alliance of Dwarfs, Elves and Men had repelled the Chaos-worshipping tribes of the Kurgan. It became clear to Mannfred that with these three great races united against them, even the famously deadly armies of the Dark Gods could be held at bay. Mannfred would not make the same mistake, for he desired the Old World for himself He intended to drive a wedge between the elder races and, in breaking the bond of trust between the races of Elf, Dwarf and Man, weaken the Old World's military capacity to the point where it was ripe for conquest by his Undead hordes.[1d]

Over the years leading up to his re-emergence, Mannfred travelled far and wide to secure allies. His studies with the disciples of Nagash in the ruins of Lahmia completed, Mannfred's magical abilities had never been stronger. Yet the von Carstein's plans were ambitious indeed. In return for their secrets, Mannfred had sworn a dread pact with the corrupted wraith-wizards that yet served Nagash in the South - a pact to aid them in their goal of summoning the Great Necromancer once more and bringing a new order to the world.[1d]

The von Carsteins had secretly been working towards this same goal for centuries, gathering the relics of Nagash's reign unto their castles. Though great progress had been made, their efforts had ultimately fallen short for in truth, Nagash had become more like a god than a man and his spirit was beyond even the abilities of the Vampire Counts to bring to the mortal realm. It would take the rituals of ancient Nehekhara combined with the sacrifice of a powerful and innocent soul to achieve a true resurrection. Mannfred, in his genius, saw a way to hasten the return of Nagash and seriously weaken those who would stand against him in one stroke.[1d]

Mannfred travelled northwards from the deserts of Nehekhara into the lands of fair Bretonnia - often travelling incognito, but occasionally summoning the dead from local cemeteries to fight beside him when the territorial knights of that land gathered to drive him out. In the Grey Mountains, he arranged a meeting with Heinrich Kemmler, the Lichemaster. Under a full moon, surrounded by mist-shrouded barrows, the Lichemaster agreed to Mannfred's plan. The embittered Necromancer would take any chance to grind the civilisation he had left behind into dust. War would come to the forces of order once more.[1d]

In the wake of the Chaos invasions, the High Elf King, Finubar, had agreed to parley with the High King of the Dwarfs, Thorgrim Grudgebearer, and cement their alliance in the years to come. Secretly, each sought to secure their own position, and impress upon the other that they were more than powerful enough to prevail if the alliance turned sour. When Aliathra, daughter of Phoenix King Finubar and Everqueen Alarielle, went on a diplomatic trip to increase relations between Dwarfs and High Elves, Mannfred and Kemmler aroused the Greenskin Tribes of the World’s Edge Mountains, while having their own undead armies in the reserve.[1d]

Once the delegation of the elves left Karaz-a-Karak, with an honour guard of dwarfs under Thane Orgrimm, the Greenskins attacked the delegation. When the combined forces had cut down half of the attackers, Mannfred and Kemmler struck, assaulting the delegation from the rear. Kemmler raised the fallen Greenskins to continue the assault.[1e]

As the battle turned, Kemmler used his magic to raise the fallen dwarfs to attack the delegation, forcing the elves to flee.The consort of Aliathra, Prince Yluthian, was badly injured by Mannfred himself during an aerial battle, and Aliathra was knocked out and taken in the claws of a Terrorgheist.[1f]

Faced with an uproar from their respective nobles, Finubar and Thorgrim decided on a shared military expedition. Everqueen Alarielle assured Finubar that her daughter still lived. A great assembly of elven heroes, lead by the twins Tyrion and Teclis, and accompanied by Eltharion of Yvresse, Eldyra of Tiranoc, Ystranna of Avelorn and Belannaer of Saphery.[7a]

Thanks to Teclis’ magic, they located Aliathra in the labyrinths of Nagashizzar, where Mannfred attempted a vile ritual. Tyrion broke into his fortress of Nagashizzar, found the unresponsive Aliathra, and rode out with her. As his men were leaving they witnessed an enormous Undead army rising up out of the ground from all directions as far as the eye could see. Tyrion led the elves as they tried and fight their way out before some unexpected help came.[6a][7a]

High King Thorgrim cared little about the Elves' well-being but since it was a matter of honour, he gathered an army and followed Mannfred all the way to Nagashizzar. The Dwarfs hit the rear of Mannfred's army just as the Elves hit the front. They killed the necromancers that kept bringing back the undead, but Mannfred recaptured Aliathra when Tyrion was distracted and used his magic to flee with her. Tyrion, distraught by this, blamed Thorgrim for their failures in rescuing the Elven Princess.[6a]

In a surprising show of tolerance and peacekeeping, Thorgrim stood his ground, knowing that his people held the moral ground in this confrontation and to rekindle the War of the Beards would have lead to only more misery. Instead, the High King told Tyrion that the next time he tried to rescue Aliathra, the Dwarfs would not be there to aid them, and soon marched off with his army towards Karak Eight Peaks.[6a]

Crusade of Sigmar’s Blood[]

In 2522 IC, Mannfred made way to Altdorf. Throwing the bloodless corpse of Gunther Stahlberg, a Witch Hunter dispatched by Volkmar the Grim to investigate rumours of the resurgence of the Vampire Counts, through the stained-glass roof of the Great Atrium. Attached to the corpse was a declaration of independence of Sylvania, along with a formulation of Mannfred’s claim to the Imperial Throne. Soon after, the Cult of Sigmar discovered that the vaults of the Great Cathedral had been opened and the Crown of Sorcery had been stolen.[11a]

Volkmar the Grim marshalled a great force to destroy the vampiric menace before it could threaten the Empire. Bolstered by forces from Stirland and Talabecland, the army was nonetheless a small force, as the increasing activity of Chaos Marauders in the north bound most of the Empires military.[11b] At Konigstein Tower, the crusade defeated Mannfreds minion Helman Ghorst.[11c]

Mannfred, meanwhile, enacted his own plans. Using a ritual unearthed from the books of Nagash, he cast a shroud of perpetual darkness over Sylvania, as a first step to form his own realm of undeath. [11d] Strigany loyal to him harried the crusade, yet from captiuves, Volkmar learned that Mannfred had hidden himself in Swartzhafen.[11e]

As the forces of the Empire and vampire engaged, a group of hierophants uncovered ths ource of Mannfred’s ritual in Vargravia. Mannfred fled, seeking to draw Volkmar to his capital at Castle Sternieste. [11g] The Battle of the Barrows ended with Balthasar Gelt, Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic, erecting a wall of faith around Sylvania after receiving a coded call for aid from a Luminark. While the majority of the undead was destroyed, Volkmar was trapped on the other side of the wall and was captured by Mannfred.[11h]

Transformation of Sylvania[]

"I have no equal. I am Mannfred von Carstein, first, last and only. And I cannot abide weakness. I have begun something. And I would have my servants at my disposal, rather than traipsing off, pursuing their own petty goals when they should be pursuing mine."

—Mannfred von Carstein addressing his rebellious blood-cousin Tomas von Carstein.[24a]

With the blood of nine holy people at his behest, Mannfred enacted a ritual that transformed Sylvania into a domain of death. Among the sacrifices were Aliathra, Volkmar and the Fay Enchantress, who had been delivered to Mannfred through a dark pact made with the Briarmaven Drycha.[23a]

Sylvania became a land shrouded in perpetual darkness, where the dead rose and vampires could stride across the land unperturbed by the curses lain on their kind. Furthermore, Divine Magic was unable to be called upon while on its ground. Yet Mannfred’s victory was spoiled – as the ritual was completed, Sylvania was locked into a wall of faith, powered by relics Mannfred himself had buried at the Sylvanian borders in order to banish their holiness from his domain. The Vampire Lord suspected the work of the Supreme Patriarch of the Empire behind this, but soon found that the enchantment was too subtle and enduring to have been formed by human minds.[23b]

Many necromancers and vampires from the rest of the Old World flocked to Sylvania, only to find that they were trapped in its confines. Among them was Arkhan the Black, principal servant of Nagash the Accursed. When Mannfred confronted the Liche at Valsborg Bridge, he was offered a place at Nagash’s side if he would submit to his rule. At first, Mannfred violently rejected the thought of serving another, causing the true masters of the dark arts to fight each other.[23c] While Mannfred had the might of the transformed Sylvania at his hand and could have easily crushed the intruder, doing so would have undone the magic he had invested in the land to transform it. So he agreed toa truce, with the intention of harnessing and binding the resurrected spirit of Nagash to his will.[23d]

Quest for the Artifacts of Nagash[]

Mannfred Nagash

Mannfred von Carstein.

"This world is mine. It did not belong to Vlad and it does not belong to Nagash or the Dark Gods. It was promised to me in my cradle, and I will have what I am owed."

—Mannfred von Carstein addressing his rebellious cousin-in-blood Markos von Carstein.[24d]

Convening in Castle Sternieste, Mannfred showed Arkhan his successes. Seven of the Nine Books of Nagash were in his possession, as well as the Crown of Sorcery, the Claw of Nagash and the nine prisoners Mannfred used to power his ritual. Arkhan provided the two missing tomes of the original work of the Great Necromancer, but informed Mannfred that three relics were still missing: The Fellblade which had killed Nagash following the Great Ritual, as well as the Staff and the armour of Nagash. In exchange for Mannfreds aid in retrieving them, Arkhan would show him a way through the Wall of Faith.[23e]

Sacrificing Lupio Blaze, a Knight of the Blazing Sun, the Liche anointed Mannfreds banner so that an army marching under it would be able to cross the wall.[23f] It was decided that Arkhan would turn west to Bretonnia to find the Staff, while Mannfred was to travel to Mad Dog Pass and take the Fellblade from the warrens of Clan Mordkin.[23g]

Crossing the Black Mountains into the lands of the Border Princes, Mannfred was secure that his army of the dead would give no cause for suspicion. The warlords of this land were accustomed to use mercenaries to fight their wars of dominance and many were willing to draw on darker forces to gain an edge over a rival.[23h] Yet when he crossed the Hvargir Forest, he found the land overrun by Skaven. Interrogating the spirits of the slain, he learned that the armies of the Under-Empire spilled to the surface. Tilea had already fallen, with Estalia and the Border Princedoms being the next target. Seeing no time to tarry, Mannfred pressed south, destroying any Skaven armies that crossed him until he managed to cross the Skull River.[23i]

At the warren of Clan Mordkin, Mannfred’s undead hordes met the Skaven. Although the war machines of the Warlord Clan enacted a bloody tribute, Mannfred managed to reanimate a fallen dragon the Skaven had slain millennia ago, called Ithragar the Firewyrm, and whose bones they had used to construct their warren. With the undead dragon under his command, Mannfred faced Warlord Feskit and managed to overpower him, despite the Warlord wielding the dreaded Fellblade.[23j] Weakened from battle, he was beset by his cousin-in-blood Markos von Carstein, who believed that Mannfred’s mad scheme to bring back Nagash would doom their line. Despite his own wounds, Mannfred managed to defeat Markos and return to Sylvania.[24d]

Back at Castle Sternieste, both Arkhan and Mannfred added the relics they had gained to the collection. All that was missing was the Black Armour of Morikhane, which was hidden at Heldenhame Keep at the border of Sylvania. Mannfred was displeased - the sacrifice of Lupio Blaze had weakened the enchantment woven into Sylvania and the Vampire Lord knew that, in a few months, it would collapse.[23k] Calling upon all his servants, Mannfred marched against Heldenhame, bringing its walls down thanks to spies placed in the castle’s ranks and brought the armour under his control. [23l]

With the fall of Heldenhame, the races of Order were alerted that something was brewing in Sylvania. In Altdorf, Hans Leitdorf, surviving Grand Master of the Knights of Sigmar's Blood, brought the news of the keep’s fall and requested aid. While Emperor Karl Franz was distracted by the war against Chaos in the north, he instead delegated Leitdorf to a trio of Asur that had journeyed to the Old World, seeking to take vengeance against von Carstein and save the Everchild. The Asur army, lead by Eltharion the Grim, Belannaer of the White Tower and Eldyra of Tiranoc, pledged themselves to Leitdorf’s quest to destroy Mannfred von Carstein. At the same time, an army from Talsyn, lead by Araloth, the Champion of the Mage Queen Ariel, marched against Sylvania. The Queen of Athel Loren had foreseen dark consequences for the world should Nagash return and had sent her forces to aid the prevention of whatever the undead of Sylvania were plotting.[23m] In the east, King Ungrim Ironfist of Karak Kadrin saw the great evil that was wrought in Sylvania and marched his forces to stop whatever it was the von Carsteins attempted. [23n] And on behest of the Dark Gods, Malagor the Dark Omen lead a great brayherd from the north, not knowing the reason for the command of the gods, yet obeying nonetheless.[23o]

With five armies marching against his realm, Mannfred knew that time was of the essence. He was aided by the fact that only the Asur and the Men of the Empire worked together. From Arkhan, Mannfred learned that the ritual to resurrect Nagash would be held on Geheimnisnacht 2524 IC, at the stone circle known as the Nine Daemons.[23p] The Beastmen and Dwarfs fought each other at the Battle of the Red Cairn, with the throng of Karak Kadrin victorious, yet unable to come to the aid of the other forces. The Wood Elf host vanished without trace. So it was only the armies of the Men and Asur that met the undead. Hans Leitdorf and his troops engaged the army of Mannfred, while the Asur attempted to stop Arkhans ritual.[23q]

Mannfred himself hoped to reach the Nine Daemons quickly, in order to wrest control over Nagash in the moment of weakness during his return before the Great Necromancer could bring his whole strength against him to bear. Seeing that the High elf army threatened his plan, he abandoned his forces to come to Arkhans aid. He defeated Eldyra and killed Belannaer by placing a compulsion on one of his bodyguards. [23r]

As the ritual neared its completion, Eltharion knew he could not save Aliathra and thus attempted to at least thwart whatever evil the two undead planned. He engaged Mannfred von Carstein in a duel, with his skill and experience outpacing the vampire’s brute strength. After crippling Mannfred’s arm, the vampire desperately attempted to kill the Warden of Tor Yvresse with summoned bolts of death magic, but the Asur was saved by his loyal mount, the Griffon Stormwing. Eltharion used this moment to breach the ritual circle and engage Arkhan, leaving Mannfred behind. [23s]

Yet Eltharion was too late. The ritual was way underway and Arkhan simply disintegrated the High Elf into dust. With all sacrifices being done, the spirit of Nagash entered the tormented body of Volkmar the Grim, transforming his flesh into a mass of dark magic that was used by Nagash to enter the world in his full glory. [23t]

Mortarch of Night[]

Mannfred-End Times

Mannfred von Carstein empowered as Mortarch of Night.

"You said Nagash was not a man, but a disease that afflicted any who dared use his works. A pestilence of the mind and soul, infecting those who sought to use his power. And maybe he is. But just as he used a plague to wipe the Great Land from the ledger of history, I will use him to clean off the world and remake it in my image. His Great Work shall be superseded by mine, and I shall do what you never could- what Ushoran and Neferata never could. I will seat myself on the throne of the world and rule unto eternity. My people will worship me as a god and I shall serve them as a king ought."

—Mannfred von Carstein conversing with Vlad von Carstein’s spirit.[24d]

Having helped resurrect Nagash, Mannfred was rewarded with more power, the title of Mortarch and a mighty Dread Abyssal steed called Ashigorath. The vampire did so because, after Nagash had ripped Shyish from the Great Vortex and chained it into the soil of Sylvania, this was the only way to reclaim a portion of his original might and perhaps salvage some of his schemes.[23u]

Yet when Nagash read the Vampire's mind and found treachery and deceit, Mannfred was punished with the resurrection of Vlad von Carstein, who had served as his general once before. Despite being weakened and unarmed, the returned patriarch of the von Carstein bloodline managed to defeat Mannfred in single combat. Vlad's return caused nearly all of Mannfred's supporters to abandon his cause and aid the true ruler of the Von Carstein Bloodline. Vlad was also made a Mortarch and dispatched by Nagash to help keep the Chaos Host of Archaon occupied while Nagash enacted his own plan to conquer the world and become the only true god in existence.[23u]

Subjugation of Nehekhara[]

When Nagash launched his invasion of Nehekhara, Mannfred joined forces with Luthor Harkon, attacking Zandri's land army while Luthor attacked its navy. Advancing the River Mortis to reach Khemri, he found himself frustrated by Harkon’s insistence of raiding. Mannfred duelled the Tomb King Behedesh and was nearly killed, but his lieutenant saved him twice over, stabbing the Tomb King in the back which led to his eventual death by means of a curse.[23v]

Mannfred was less active for the remainder of the war, but was horrified when Nagash reclaimed the Black Pyramid, devoured the essence of Usirian and conquered the Tomb Kings at Khemri and was witness to the humiliation of Settra the Imperishable. He mused that if he had allied with Settra, he may have been able to stop Nagash from reaching such unprecedented power.[23w]

War against the Dark Gods[]

With the armies of the Dark Gods advancing further and further south, Mannfred found his standing in Nagash's court dropping as a result of his own double-dealings.[25a] The Great Necromancer had relocated his Black Pyramid into Sylvania and effectively deposed Mannfred as lord of that land. Despite his anger at becoming a servant in his own domain, Mannfred knew that he was in no position to challenge Nagash.[25b]

When Vlad von Carstein abandoned the cause of the Great Necromancer to aid the defense of the Empire in Averheim, Mannfred brought the news to his master, seeking to curry favour. In return, he was granted Vlad’s command of the northern border, as the Great Necromancer saw nothing of value in him except naked ambition.[25b] There, Mannfred lead his armies against the forces of Nurgle, for whom Sylvania was a special affront. At Grim Moor, he and Luthor Harkon fought against the traitorous Nameless who had cast his lot with the Chaos Gods as Nagash had not fulfilled his end of the bargain.[25c] The disembodied spirit of Constant Drachenfels wrested the control of his undead army from him and Mannfred barely escaped with his unlife. Command over the remaining army went back to the returned Vlad von Carstein, with Mannfred being placed in a subordinate role.[25d]

During the following battle, Mannfred attempted to regain control over his undead while fighting the daemonic legions of Nurgle, slaying a Great Unclean One, yet decided to flee once he beheld Isabella von Carstein. When Luthor Harkon tried to save himself by grasping the Dread Abyssals' flank, Mannfred hacked off his hand, unwilling to allow a rival to survive and leaving Harkon to die.[25e]

Upon his return to the Black Pyramid, he found the armies of Nagash mustered under the command of Arkhan the Black. The Liche King relieved Mannfred of his duties, sending him to parlay with Neferata to come to her masters aid. The Queen of Mysteries accepted, under the condition that Nagash would restore her cousin Khalida.[25f] During the Battle of the Black Pyramid, Mannfred did not fight himself, instead sending his skeletal legions to combat the Nurglite horde.[25g] After the Skaven had destroyed the Black Pyramid, Mannfred hurried to his masters side as the Great Necromancer decided to at last enter an alliance with the other Incarnates. To his anger, Nagash transferred stewardship of Sylvania to Neferata.[25h]

Mannfred was sent as Nagash’s envoy to the court of Malekith and the other Incarnates in Athel Loren to announce Nagash's wish to parley.[25i] As a token of goodwill, the Great Necromancer offered the architect of the death of Aliathra. At first Mannfred believed he meant Arkhan, only to be thrown off Ashigorath and put in chains. This convinced Tyrion and Alarielle, the Incarnates of Light and Life, to give Nagash the benefit of doubt.[25j]

Mannfred was imprisoned in a cage at the Eternal Glade, his essence drained away by the Oak of Ages to feed the forest. On the second day, Vlad von Carstein arrived to see the fate of his traitorous offspring. Showing Mannfred the Carstein Ring on his finger, he left afterwards, satisifed with Mannfred's impotent howls of rage.[25k]

Final Betrayal[]

"Whether just or cruel, a true ruler believes in something greater than himself. A tyrant believes only in himself."

—Vlad von Carstein addresses his rebellious offspring.[25o]

Unfortunately for the world, this would not be the end of Mannfred. Be'lakor, fresh from his first defeat at the hands of the Incarnates, sneaked into the realm of Athel Loren to cause confusion. He encountered Mannfred, who wished to exchange his freedom for selling out Lileath to Be'lakor.[25l] Before he left the Athel Loren, the Vampire Lord gave the Bretonnians' leader, Jerrod of Asareux, the truth of his goddess, having learned it years agos from a brief alliance with Drycha. It was an act of pettiness and malice against those who had believed themselves to be superior to him. Cursing the day he had ever thought to resurrect Nagash, Mannfred went to Middenheims' ruins in order to join Archaon.[25m]

Yet even with Mannfred's apparent allegiance, Archaon knew better than to trust the treacherous Vampire. Mannfred, once more without any allies, came to reget his decision until the arrival of the Incarnates. Seeking to kill his sire Vlad von Carstein who had accompained Nagash, Mannfred joined the Chaos host.[25n] Yet the confrontation between the two did not come to pass, as Vlad sacrificed himself to free Isabellas' soul from the grasp of Nurgle.[25p] Before they parted, Vlad imparted a last lesson on his offspring and Mannfred, unsure what to do, went into the bowels of Middenheim where Archaon had enacted a great ritual to open a Chaos Gate and destroy the world. Originally convinced to take a stand against the forces of Chaos, Mannfred warred between his wounded pride and the noble intentions of his sire.[25q]

In the end, Mannfred chose to continue his long tradition of betrayal, pettiness and arrogance, stabbing Balthasar Gelt in the back. The magical backlash stripped the powers of the other Incarnates, driving Mannfred insane and, more importantly for Mannfred, killed Teclis. Tyrion saw Mannfred, the murderer of both his daughter and brother, and swung his Sunfang with all his might, heaving the Vampire high before golden fire engulfed Mannfred, turning him into cinders. Despite his death, the damage was done and the Incarnates could no longer control the rift, which spiralled out of control, consuming the world and everyone in it.[25r]

Storm of Chaos[]

Warhammer-Template-Spoilers
Attention, Empire Citizens!
This article or this section of the article contains information regarding the Storm of Chaos campaign and its aftermath, which is now considered a non-canon, alternate timeline.


"If I cannot gain wisdom from my defeats then I surely am not worthy of immortality."

—Mannfred von Carstein[17b]

In the alternate timeline of the Known World in which the Storm of Chaos unfolded rather than the End Times, in 2505 IC, after almost 400 years, Mannfred returned from the grave animated by the blood of a necromancer. In secret, he began to consolidate his power in Sylvania. Stories began to circulate about pale nobles who took over the lands seized by the Stirlanders after the victorious battle on the Hel Fenn. However, it was only during the Storm of Chaos that the truth about Manfred's return came out. [9b]

Mannfred von Carstein 6e

Mannfred von Carstein leading his undead army.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Empire fought against Archaon's hordes in 2522 Manfred emerged from the shadows and took over Sylvania declaring its secession from the Empire. The few Imperial troops were massacred or retreated to Stirland along with a host of civilian refugees, but it was Chaos that proved to be the real threat.[19a]

Several smaller bands of Chaos broke away from the army of Vardek Crom after his fruitless attempt to defeat the dwarfs of Karak Kadrin, venturing into Sylvania. Against them stood legions of reanimated corpses as an expression of the rage of a land defiled by invaders. Angered by the passage of the Chaos hordes and at the same time aware of the threat to his future larder which was the Empire, Manfred set out for war faster than he had previously intended.[19a] His armies arrived at Sokh right after the armies of the Empire and the warhost of Archaon had separated, slaughtering the armies of Chaos and raising them as his slaves. Faced with an enemy he could not defeat in his battered state and still reeling from his wounds suffered after his defeat at the hands of the Black Orc Grimgor Ironhide, Archaon had no other choice but to run.[19a]

Following Archaon's defeat and flight into the Middle Mountains, Mannfred pressed on to Middenheim, raising the fallen warriors of both the Chaos army and the defenders of the Empire as his servants. When he stood before the battered City of the White Wolf, his force eclipsed those of the Everchosen. Addressing the people of Middenheim, he demanded their surrender, stating that his main motivation for fighting Chaos was the ensure his “cattle” would remain where he wanted them to be. On the battlements, he was met by Volkmar the Grim.[20b]

Mannfred’s army had been raised before he was fully prepared. The Imperial army, though it suffered losses, was united as one, and behind him in Sylvania the remaining forces of Vardek Crom were threatening to sweep down from the mountains like a dark tidal wave. Faced with a grand theogonist as forceful as the one who slew Vlad, and mindful of the lesson of Ushoran and the fall of Strigos, Mannfred turned his army and returned to Sylvania to cement his power.[9b] He planned to grow his strength by supping on the essence of the other bloodlines to make their strengths his own.[17b]

Among the common people of Sylvania, Mannfred was greeted as a liberator. His victories over the forces of Chaos earned him many supporters, who would gladly return to von Carstein rule, despite the cost. [9b] Rumours are that Mannfred plans to claim the entirety of Stirland,[10a] with many seeing him as a saviour who protected the Empire from destruction at the Everchosens’ hands.[10b] After the remaining armies of Vardek Crom finally managed to penetrate Peak Pass in 2523 IC, they were slaughtered to a man, with their corpses raised by Mannfred to bolster his already formidable army.[2c]

Appearance[]

Initially, Mannfred has been described as a handsome, tall man with deep set eyes and long black hair.[4b] When Mannfred revealed himself at the height of his power, his appearance was far more horrifying - his face became contorted and corpse-like, and his scalp writhed with magical energy. [1g]

Vampiric Powers[]

Unlike many vampires, Mannfred was not as much afflicted by Nagash’s curse against sunlight. As long as he rested in a handful of dirt drawn from the site where he had received the Blood Kiss (a place known only to him and Vlad) and was well fed in blood, he could resist sunlight.[15a] Among his abilities are to command the weather as well as the wild beasts of the land.[3b] His other abilities are to cloak his aethyric presence to appear as a mortal, transform his flesh into mist and to traverse running water.[9f] He also exhibited the ability to transform into a wolf.[14b]

Wargear[]

  • Armour of Templehof - A product of twisted sorcery, this suit of plate armour magically fuses with the wearer, giving him tremendous endurance.[1g]
  • Ebony Staff - The Ebony Staff, also known as the Black Staff of Undeath, is a powerful tool of evil. Mannfred risked everything to retrieve it from a Chaos servant's fortress.[3b]
  • Cloak of Darkness - This mantle has been enchanted by Mannfred himself and is one of the most potent magical defences ever created.[3b]

Miniatures[]

Videos[]

Canon Conflict[]

While The End Times: Nagash stated that Mannfred von Carstein, rather than dying at Hel Fenn, survived and worked his will from the shadows, every other source, including the End Times novel The Return of Nagash, state that he died and was later resurrected. The lore for Warhammer: The Old World also states that all of the members of the von Carstein bloodline died (for a given value of dead). [21]

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (8th Edition)
    • 1a: pg. 13
    • 1b: pg. 14
    • 1c: pg. 15
    • 1d: pg. 16
    • 1e: pg. 17
    • 1f: pg. 18
    • 1g: pg. 56
  • 2: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (7th Edition)
    • 2a: pg. 17
    • 2b: pg. 18
    • 2c: pg. 31
    • 2d: pg. 60
  • 3: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (6th Edition)
    • 3a: pg. 9
    • 3b: pg. 70
  • 4: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (5th Edition)
    • 4a: pg. 25
    • 4b: pg. 73
  • 5: Warhammer Armies: Undead (4th Edition)
    • 5a: pg. 29
    • 5b: pg. 67
    • 5c: pg. 68
    • 5d: pg. 69
  • 6: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (8th Edition)
    • 6a: pg. 19
  • 7: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (8th Edition)
    • 7a: pg. 33
  • 8: Warhammer Fantasy Battles Rulebook (8th Edition)
    • 8a: pg. 251
  • 9: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Night's Dark Masters (RPG)
    • 9a: pg. 11
    • 9b: pg. 34
    • 9c: pg. 42
    • 9d: pg. 81
    • 9e: pg. 82
    • 9f: pg. 83
    • 9g: pg. 135
  • 10: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: The Thousand Thrones (RPG)
  • 11: Sigmar's Blood (8th Edition)
  • 12: Warhammer: Dark Omen
  • 13: Von Carstein Trilogy: Book One - Inheritance (Novel) by Steven Savile
  • 14: Von Carstein Trilogy: Book Two - Dominion (Novel) by Steven Savile
  • 15: Von Carstein Trilogy: Book Three - Retribution (Novel) by Steven Savile
  • 16: Gotrek and Felix: Charnel Congress (Novella) by Josh Reynolds
  • 17: Liber Necris (Background Book)
  • 18: The Empire at War (Background Book)
  • 19: Warhammer: Storm of Chaos (Supplement)
  • 20: Darkness Rising - A Complete History of the Storm of Chaos (Background Book)
  • 21: Warhammer Community - Old World Development Diary – The Main Factions Revealed
  • 22: White Dwarf 236 (US)
  • 23: The End Times: Nagash (8th Edition)
  • 24: The Return of Nagash (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
  • 25: The End Times: Archaon (8th Edition)

Gallery[]

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