Count Dagobert Morav was famous warrior in his youth. He led his Morav Lancers in many battles against the foes both human and demonic. He was guided by the idea to protect his home county by attacking evil at its roots. And he was successful. He waged his war for 20 years before he returned to his home, Morav Castle, as a men of forty-something years, intended to start a family and train his war-hounds.
On the first day of his return, his vassals presented themselves to him. That was when he met young Sebastiana. She was sixteen years old daughter of one of his landknights - and Dagobert was smitten with lust for her. He made an offer to his knight - a sack full of rubies for her brideprice - and in a fortnight the bells on Morav Cathedral were ringing in celebration of their marriage.
Sebastiana was a shy girl. Beautiful, but terrified of her strict older husband, the only thing she wanted was to fulfill her duty and give him a son. Soon she was pregnant with child, but Sebastiana was young and frail of health, so she miscarried.
The girl was devastated and Dagobert hid his grief by hunting and training his dogs. He was away on hunting trips for weeks at the time and Sebastiana grew lonely and afraid that her husbands will reject her.
One of her maids, a fey and gypsy woman who came to Morav Castle as Dagobert's camp follower, approached her mistress one night, talking about an old women who could help her to quicken with a child. Young Sebastiana went on Calvaria Hill, to the witches hut, and drank of strong herbs and potions, while watching the flames making shadows dance. The last of her delirious dreams that she remembered was a shadow with red-glowing eyes bending over her.
Soon, her belly swelled.
Dagobert was happy beyond words. He showered Sebastiana with jewels and silk, fulfilled her every wish. On the last day of the eight month of her pregnancy she went into labor. Dagobert was fearful because his wife was poor of health and she went into labor whole month ahead of time, so he paced in front of her rooms. Six hours later, he heard midwife screaming. He ran into his wife's room - and saw his child. It was a beautiful baby boy, the most beautiful baby he has ever seen, with wisps of silky black hair. But that was not all. The child was born with full set of sharp teeth and vampire-like fangs, dark-red eyes, small horns on his forehead and six finger and toes. The child was silent, watching the room around it with intelligent eyes.
Dagobert instantly realized what has happened. After all, he grew up listening to the stories of the Skull With. Maddened with grief, he drew his blade and stabbed his wife through the heart. When he drew his golden greatsword, named Justice, from his wife's body, the blade turned black and a single drop of blood fell from it - on the child's face, beneath his left eye. Almost instantly, the drop of blood solidified into a tear-like shape, that glinted as the purest of rubies.
Seeing what he has done, Dagobert threw away his sword, went to the tallest tower of his castle - and jumped.
On the day of his birth, young Damian lost both of his parents.
Soon after that, the county was confiscated by the crown. The castle remained Damians, since no one wanted to live there. Servants left the property and only an old warrior-priest remained. As Damian grew, priest instructed him in the ways of warriors and scholars, in humility and justice, and finally - in his family history. On the day of his 21st birthday, old priest presented to Damian his father's blackened sword and told him how his mother died and how his father died. Young man took the sword, renamed it Vengeance, and went to see the Skull Witch...
