By Draconis Blackthorne

he Transylvanian night is dark & cool, the sounds of a distant tempest flowing our way. I have been sent an invitation upon the Ethers, & have travelled through the dimensional vortex unto Archemis, the mysical land fashioned by one of the most notorious figures who ever lived - Vlad Tepes, Roumanian ruler & savior. He reigned with a blood-drenched talon, defeating & impaling any who defied His throne. A mighty warrior, He is remembered today as the mysterious inspirer of one Bram Stoker, who gave birth to modern-night tales of vampyric terror.

Living in the Etherial realm, one becomes the God of One's universe, & attains the omniscience of all existence. Past, present, & future are at once, only upon differentiating currents, running parallel to eachother. Thus, one may comprehend the thoughts & actions done by mortals upon any plain.

I frequently have the pleasure of paying a call on this Daemon-Brother, as I travel from Draconia unto Archemis. I am greeted at the castle doors by a servant, holding a lantern, clad in authentic Romanian attire. We have entered the controlled dimensional environment of Transylvania during the rule of Vlad Tepes.

The servant announces, "The Master is expecting you". Then turns & leads Me through the spacious chambres & hallways to a large, gloomy room, lit by candles on candlariums, a fine candleabra, torches, & the firelight of a glowing fireplace. Above the fireplace, hangs a painting of our host, in all His regal splendour. Tapestries hang upon the dark-grey stone walls, accompanied by assorted weaponry & a Code of Arms. The insignia of The Order Of The Dragon is displayed prominantly. In the center of the room, upon a richly emroidered persian rug, rests an ornate black table, carved with many intricate designs by skillful hands. At the end of this beautiful table, sits the Romanian Lord of Justice. He arises, & walks towards Me, outstretching His hand in salutation.

As I take it, He says in a heavy accent, "Welcome, Draconis. Sit, & make yourself comfortable." But naturally, I already was. "The Emperor looks well," I thought to Myself, as I contemplated woodcarvings I had seen in many Vampirology books. He is clad in fine clothes, a marvellous silken cape descending to the floor, medals adorning His vestment, & long, reddish-brown wavy hair descening across His shoulders & chest. Just as I remembered Him upon our last meeting.

We sit at the table, upon chairs equally fanciful, as a servant seves up wine & cake, both having faint coppery undertastes. Wolven howlings resound. He has graciously agreed to this rare interview for SHADOWMANTIA. After re-acquainting, & discussing the purpose of the visit, I take another drink from the artful silver goblet containing the wine, repleat with rubies & emeralds, & begin the interview...

DRACONIS BLACKTHORNE: How did you acquire the flattering nickname, "Vlad The Impaler?"

VLAD TEPES: It is from my exploits on the battlefield. From impaling my enemies for the protection of my country & people. I found it a very effective way to mentally defeat the foe. I often have gained victories by terrifying them in this manner, so that they turn back in a frightened, morbid contemplation. It seperates cowards from fools.

DB: Who qualifies to be impaled?

VT: I reserved this method for invaders, & criminals in my own province. I never would subject the decent of my people to such a fate. Enemies deserve to die in as horrible a way as possible, to send the strongest message to their king, that I am a more powerful force than they. They must die worse than dogs, & without dignity, for this is the nightmare of every warrior - to be humiliated & mutilated, & shown as the presumptuous fools that they are. To have gone into battle with the futile attempt to defeat me, that their vain efforts proved ineffectual against my might. The only thing proven is that I am a superior warlord. That is their greatest fear.

DB: How do you reconcile your warfare techniques with xianity?

VT: I do not. I keep my religion & my strategies seperate. Although, I believe that God gives me the strength, & the divine right to kill for his glory. At least that is what I used to think, before the simpering priests betrayed me with their words of deceit. I have since left the church. I understand God in my own way now. I send many souls to heaven & hell. I have also been called an "angel of death."

DB: Why did you call your militia, "The Order Of The Dragon?"

VT: Because the dragon is the strongest creature to have ever existed, throughout many cultures. The fiercest. It burns up any who stand in its way. It has both power AND wisdom, & this is the way I planned to operate.

DB: How do you deal with the crippled & diseased in your country?

VT: Many times, they have come seeking alms & shelter at the castle. They begged for relief from their unfortunate condition. I would invite them into a special building, to feast & to bathe. They tasted of revelry for many hours, & became drunken with much wine. Then quietly, as they slept, I ordered them to be burned. I gave them relief they wanted. I felt it was the most humanitarian solution.

DB: Agreed. What is a typical social visit like?

VT: Guests are received politely. As long as I am treated with respect, so shall they. But if they try my patience, I make them suffer. During war time, I dine in the courtyard amongst the dying, impaled bodies. The purpose of this is to make my victim's least painful, concious perceptions to be that of total & complete defeat. I often dip my bread in the warm blood of my victims, which has been collected in a bowl.

DB: The purpose of this, is to absorb the life-force, thus, multiplying one's Power.

VT: Yes. That is right. And it is very rare that anyone would share this practice with me, as you do.

{Draconis smiles ghoulishly}