(Inspired by the new movie Dracula: Untold, set in an alternative future.)
It is the year of our Lord 1605, nearly 200 years after Prince Vlad ousted the invading Ottoman Turks. None of his subjects know of his fate afterward. All they knew was that it was not their prince that returned, but his vassals, imbued with his vampire blood. Prince Vlad's heir was driven out of Castle Dracula and exiled, while the vassals debated and argued endlessly on who should inherit Dracula's castle and lands. Heated words soon gave way to a few blows and finally full-on conflict. The Prince's forces were split between the lords, they themselves turned by their master, and those lieutenants turned their own men, creating a chain of command and a tie of loyalty to the vassals.
The new vampire lords warred for centuries. They used their unholy powers to quickly take lands from mortal lords and kings, with them the mortal peasants who were used as blood cattle. They warred over slaves, necessary to feed their new immortal armies. The Church had noticed the rapid growth of vampires and begun training elite hunters to deal with them, armed with silver, crosses and stakes, the perfect weapon against the hellish lords of Transylvania. These Hunters barricaded the lands around Transylvania with trained hunters, adorned the walls with crosses inlaid with silver, and erected huge towers with a large silver cross, with a movable mirror to direct the sunlight at charging vampires.
Trapped inside their own kingdom, the vampire lords were left to their own devices, leading their immortal armies against each other for eternity. It seemed nothing would ever change, until one day one lord bested another, impaling his rival's heart. You were his subordinate, his second-in-command. The shock of his death nearly knocked you unconscious and sent the rest of your men fleeing in a frenzy. Through sheer willpower you crawled away into a shack and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Now having awoken, you step outside the shack to find the village you were charged with defending burnt down and looted. Corpses lay strewn across the ashen floor. The livestock were slaughtered and the fields trampled and razed. No signs of mortal life were to be seen. You are completely alone, without a master. Your men have abandoned you and you suffer from an incredibly painful headache, as well as memory loss.
What is my name? (Your name)
What year is it? (Your age)
I'm a... (male/female)
Before I swore allegiance, I was once a:
...nobleman's child. (Bonus to social skills and dealing with nobles.)
...soldier. (Bonus to fighting and dealing with soldiers.)
...merchant. (Bonus to trade and dealing with commoners.)
...student of the monastery. (Bonus to fighting Hunters and vampires.)
...traveler. (Bonus to all except fighting Hunters and Vampires. Everyone will be more wary of you as well.)
My master was:
...Baron Wilhelm, a warlord. (Bonus to recruiting and training soldiers.)
...Lord Dalas, the peoples' man. (Bonus to serfs and villages.)
...Duke Halmar, the wealthiest of lords. (Bonus to trade.)
...Count Olaf, with the purest bloodline. (Your vampire minions require less blood and can travel in daylight (as long as they wear fully covering robes.))
My goal is to:
...escape Transylvania. (Prepare to either sneak or siege the Holy Wall to break yourself out.)
...rule Transylvania. (Through diplomacy or war, convince the six remaining lords to bow down to you. They must be alive or replaced if they die.)
...free yourself from vampirism. (Kill all remaining lords and therefore their slaves.)