There is a dark brooding part of the Interstice named the Dusk Woods, within this shadowy place near the border with The Ghyran Lush lies Valencourt Castle.
Valencourt Castle with its red hue to it’s walls, appears to be a shining beacon in the otherwise oppressive landscape. However, within the confines of the Castle’s walls resides pure horror to mortal eyes. Ranks of deathly silent Skeletons, shambling moans of recently dead brought back as Death Walkers, howls from prowling Dire wolves and the most equally impressive but deadly sight of the vampiric Blood Knights and their nightmare steeds.
This is indeed a stronghold for the Kastelai bloodline of Vampires, the most warlike of the Vampires of the mortal realms who have entered the Interstice in the name of Prince Vhordrai.
To be a mortal near the castle means you’re either in service to the Vampires, or your cattle. No one is safe.
Leading this warband of the Kastelai, is a monstrous Vengorian Lord know as Lady Katalina Valencourt. Once an incredibly beautiful Vampire as she was a mortal, Katalina came from a line of Vampires dedicated to marshal ability above any other traits of the Vampire dynasties. However, it was known for Katalina to use her female charms to win battles in the courts rather than battlefields as well, some saying she was more deadly here, than at war.
However as unmatched on the battlefield as she was, she strove to become even better. To that end she made a deal with an ancient being that saw her transform into the deadly form she is now. What she’s lost in Vampiric seduction she has now made up for with sheer deadly force. Her new form making her a tower of vampiric destruction to any who stand in the way of the Kastelai. This did come with some side effects, most clearly, her new bestial form turning her beauty into pure terror. Also often in the heat of battle she’ll lose her centuries of military acumen, and give in to her vampiric base desire’s and charge headlong towards the nearest mortal to feed.
Prince Vhordrai, seeing what a force Katalina was requested an audience with the new Vengorian Lord. It was here that he asked her to lead a force of Blood Knights into the pocket realm of the Interstice in his name to claim it for the Kastelai Dynasty.
