These gigantic tombs became so frequent and enormous that the rulers blocked them all into the giant cities of the dead called Necropoli. Soon all of Nehekhara became preoccupied with death and the afterlife, building many huge temples and monuments to the dead. In his arrogance he vowed that the grave would not claim him and proclaimed that he would cheat death, setting his wisest and most powerful priests towards working on a means of preventing his passing. But Settra was unsatisfied, knowing that one day death would rob him of all he had accomplished. Under his inspired leadership and unparalleled ruthlessness, the many priest-kings of Nehekhara's city-states were conquered and forced to pay tribute and acknowledge Khemri as the greatest city of the land. Of all the kings of Nehekhara, none could match the splendour, cruelty and arrogance of Settra, the first Priest-King of the city-state of Khemri. Some two and a half thousand years before the birth of Sigmar, the ancient civilisation of Men known as Nehekhara dwelt along the banks of the great River Vitae.
Some Vampires, such as Countess Gabriella, are trying their best to prevent the start of another Vampire War, knowing full well that it would only lead to the unveiling and possible deaths of the last few Vampires in existence. Indeed, since the downfall of Vlad and Konrad von Carstein, the Vampire race as a whole is divided and often hides amongst the human population. Due to their unholy nature, and the Empire's Witch Hunters, Vampires are fewer in numbers then they were during the time of Nagash or the first few Vampire Wars. Regardless, none can totally outrun the primal instincts that now govern their evil existence. However, most older Vampires are far more subtle, and have learned to subsist on less and less fresh blood, until finally only needing to feed once every number of years. For the youngest Vampires, this is a terrible affliction that consumes their every thought and drives their actions, smothering all sense of rationality and reasoning, causing them to become rash, animalistic creatures that are easily caught and destroyed by Witch Hunters and other dedicated foes of the Night. The greatest curse of Queen Neferata's legacy is that they cannot subsist on normal food and drink in order to survive, the Vampire must feast upon the very lifeblood of mortal creatures, and it is only through this imbibing of fresh blood that they are able to preserve their power and their very unlife. Some Vampires do not even care to do that, and cast aside anything that disguises their true natures, appearing as rotting cadavers that glory in their inhumanity. Vampires share no uniform physical appearance, aside from the fact that most of them have basically humanoid dimensions - most can pass as human at a distance, and hide their ungodly natures behind charm and magical glamour - but for all their refinement, they are but rotting corpses held together by Dark Magic, and only those who feed well can maintain the illusion of beauty. For instance, the Brotherhood of Necrarchs strives to attain perfect knowledge of Necromancy and unsurpassed magical power, whereas the Lahmians possess luxury and decadence beyond any dream of avarice. The Vampire, for all its power and cunning, is ultimately a base, selfish creature driven by the same motivations of the mortals they deem themselves superior to. Since the downfall of Nagash, the only remaining power-faction of Vampires still currently dwelling within the Old World is that of the Vampire Counts, which is supposedly led by Mannfred von Carstein, last of the Sylvannian royal blood-line. This makes them very dangerous indeed, for Vampires, due to their immortality, have an extensive period of time in which to hone their skills and refine their schemes to utter perfection. The true masters of Undeath, they retain much of their original intelligence and capabilities despite their curse, and hence retain their ambition and desire. Though many lineages of this foul race now live in the rain-swept forests of the far north, their true origins lie within the once great civilisation of Nehekhara.
Vampires are immortal beings that have spread the loathsome curse of Undeath across the realms of Men for centuries. Johann van Hal, the Witch Hunter General. These are the marks of the blackest evil. And by these marks you can tell them: by the fangs of the predator, for their thirst for blood is like that of a foul beast by their porcelain white skin, cold to the touch and unnatural to the eye the glow of their eyes, behind which lives the terrible Hunger. No man is born so unnatural that his body does not revolt at the foul pollution of Undead blood. " I say you can find out the servants of Death by their marks.