The few men who remained healthy met to decide what to do. Too many were sick to make the trek to the lowlands, and it was doubtful that they had enough food to survive the winter.
It was then that Radu the Great stepped forward. He was a warrior of unparalleled skill and a scholar of great intelligence. He knew the tales, of how the Guirgiu had conquered the people of the mountain and put them to the sword. He also knew the legends of the mountain, of the ancient spirits that hid amongst its heights.
Radu claimed that the plague was a judgement by the ancient spirits of the Mountain. He told the gathering that the Guirgiu had been found wanting and all suffered for their folly. For their softness, the ancient spirits had punished them, rotting them from the inside out and cursing them with a living death.
The people were frightened and begged Radu to save them.
His plan was simple. For such a great plague, they would have to climb to the top of the mountain. Once their, they would bargin with the most powerful of the Ancients, toppling her from her throne if need be. In this way, they would not only save themselves, but ensure prosperity for their children and their children's children.
The only person who would go with Radu was a young man named Mir whose beard was stil thin with youth. Bidding farewell to his wife and newborn son, he gathered his supplies and joined Radu in climbing the mountain.
The trek up the Mountain was harsh. The North Wind tried to bury them in snow, while mischevious fey sought to lure them to disaster. Still Radu The Great and his young friend Mir climbed. The trials they faced are remembered to this day, and the epic songs and stories are told around the fire when the North Wind blows its fiercest.
Finally, Radu and Mir reached the top of the Mountain. There, they found the palace of the Mountain Queen and entered into her icy domain. She greated them in all her terrible beauty and beckoned for Radu to speak and tell her of the suffering of his people.
Radu's words warmed the Mountain Queen's frozen heart and a tear dropped from her eye. She told Radu how the save his people from the ravaging of the plague.
"The hands of the king are the hands of a healer. By taking the burden of your people unto yourself will you save them from the Crimson Death."
At her words, Radu paled. He had intended to come back a hero, not offer himself as a sacrificial lamb. Seeing his hesitance, the Mountain Queen realized that he was not the noble man she thought him to be. She recognized that he had seeked to dominate the Mountain, to stand above it and all its power. For his arrogance, she cursed him, transforming him into stone and making him part of the mountain itself, sending him deep below into its depths.
As she finished, a voice sounded from behind her. Mir, the young companion of Radu stepped forward and offered himself as the sacrifice. the Queen of the Mountain looked deep within his heart and saw his desire to save his wife and son.
Mir descended the mountain soon after. Gathering the people to him, he spoke of what had happened on the mountain, telling the tale as it is told to this day. He proclaimed that he would take the Crimson Death onto himself and swore that his bloodline would make the same sacrifice if ever the time came. The people swore that they would follow the children of Mircea, "The Merciful One", so long as the Mountain stood tall.
And so Mir did travel the land and take the Crimson Death upon his shoulders. He travelled back to the Mountain which he had dedicated to Radu, rolled a boulder in front of the cave so that none might find his diseased body, and let death overtake him.
But the story does not end there.
The Mircea line ruled with a light and fair hand for many generations. As time went on, a rot began to enter the bloodline. Few believed in the Sacrifice of Mir and the promise of their blood. They began to rule for their own gain and forgot their humble origins.
The worst of them came in the form of Ladislav Mircea. A greedy, hedonistic young man, he split his time between reveling in his wealth and dabbling in alchemy, trying to turn base metals into gold. Both pursuits were expensive ones, and quickly did he drain his lands coffers. In order to pay for his indulgences, he instead invoked a heavy tax upon his people, increasing their burdens to keep himself amused. He also ordered that Mount Radu be mined, so that its gold might swell his coffers further.
The mummified remains found within one of the caves scarred away many of the miners. Disgusted by their cowardice, Ladislav ordered his enforcers to throw the body into the river. Soon afterwards, the Crimson Death once again began to stalk the land. Ladislav discovered this fact while travelling through a village. He was taken with the beauty of a peasant girl he had seen from the window of his carriage. As his guards forced her into their wagon, a scream was heard. An old woman had entered into the final stages of the Crimson Death.
Ladislav knew at once what had to be done. He ordered the guards to burn down the village. Then he called his dearest friends to Castle Guirgiu, ordering to avoid the remains of the village. Finally, he locked the gate and decided to wait out the plague.
As the nobles kept themselves entertained, Ladislav kept a close watch on them. The instant any began to show signs of the slightest illness, they were promptly thrown over the walls. As he and his guests threw themselves into more and more debauched acts, the plague finally struck at Ladislav himself.
He quickly ordered for a round the clock masqueade, so that none would recognize that he was ill. Turning to his knowledge of alchemy, he tried to find a cure, having the guards steal partygoers to use as victims. Not only did the masqurade hide his sickness, but it also hid the disappearances.
But it was all for naught. As despair overtook him, Ladislav entered the ballroom. Dressed as a death in a long red robe, he called for a toast and waited for everyone to empty their cups. He then cursed the gathered nobles, claiming that they had betrayed him and brought the disease into his house. He claimed that they had killed him. Taking off his mask, he showed himself to be in the final dripping stages of the Crimson Death. As his guests screamed, he laughed and explained that he had poisoned the wine with drops of his own blood. If he was going to die, he was going to take them all with him, and the addition of his alchemy ensured that they would pass on before he did.
As the nobles at the masqurade began to die, the Mists rose up to embrace Sanguina.
Ladislav died and returned as a Vrykolaka that night, as did a number of his party guests. Unlike them, however, his mind is perfectly inact.
Hidesously deformed by undeath and disease, Ladislav requires that the masqurade continue. Any that enter his court are given costumes to wear, so that they might put his actions down to tradition and excentricity.
Like Strahd, Ladislav has faked his own "death" and replacement, though his people rarely take notice. The Crimson Death no longer ravages their land, so they assume that the original Ladislav finally fufilled his duty.
The heavy levy continues, though Ladislav is now completely engrossed in his study of alchemy to cure himself of his undeath. He has ordered that those that are unable to pay the taxes are to be brought to him to work off their debt. Most people who do find themselves cleaning and keeping Castle Guirgiu quickly become too weak and ill to continue. Some die while others are sent back home after having completed their service. These indentured servents becoming a source of food for Ladislav and his court, as well as providing a source of materials for his experiments.
Surprisingly, Ladislav has found several formula which restore his form to a more human appearance. Unfortunately, these formulas are expensive and are never permanent. In addition, Ladislav has discovered that he is building up an immunity to them, as it takes more and more for less results.
Ladislav avoids other people as much as possible, but keeps his enforcers well paid and gives them many freedoms. Otherwise, he deals very little with his subjects.
It should be noted that, on the night of the final masqurade, Ladislav's captured mistress escaped, completely untouched by the Crimson Death. The child that she carried, Ladislav's son, is the key to Ladislav's potions that temporarily return his humanity to him. His own bloodline is the key ingredient in these potions, though he does not yet understand why only certain people help him. The Mircea line does unknowingly continue and may still wipe the specter of disease from the land.
If their undead partiarch does not destroy them in his futile quest.
*****
I figure that its going to be at least three to four years before we see the Frozen Reaches in a Gazetteer. How is this for a history?
Please ignore the typos and rough patches. It is a first draft written just after waking up and I don't have time to go back and fix everything yet. I'll do that later over the course of a week.
