There are few facts but much legend surrounding the A origins of this Vampire bloodline, destined to become the most powerful and important in the history of the Old World. It is known though that their zenith came when Vlad von Carstein took over the rulership of Sylvania.

Before the advent of Vlad and, in fact, since the beginning of historical record, Sylvania had always been referred to as a cursed and evil land. Its surface was covered for the most part by dark and dangerous forests, its soil poor and unproductive. It is a land where the darkest energies of magic flow strong. The dead long had the reputation of not resting easily there, as attested by the Sylvanian tradition of burying the dead deeply and face down so that it was, more difficult for them to dig their way to the surface. Rumours circulated in the Empire accusing the nefarious von Drak counts and many of the other Sylvanian nobles of being corrupt practitioners of the black arts, indeed those rumours were founded in reality. These vile noblemen built their castles at mystical points were the winds of dark magic concentrated to gather power for their iniquitous spells, and celebrated ancient rituals of death in their dank dungeons. The Sylvanian people were kept in a state of misery and superstitious ignorance and their squalid hamlets were dominated with ruthless cruelty.

Sylvania was a haven for necromancers expelled from the human kingdoms of the Old World. The Empire tolerated the presence of this accursed place only because the Sylvanians were, at least in theory, loyal to the Emperor. But this was to change. In the year 1797 Count Otto von Drak died without a male heir, but a mysterious stranger married his daughter, Isabella, and seized power over Sylvania. The name of the newcomer was Vlad von Carstein. The nobles of Sylvania at first did not recognise Vlad's authority, but were soon 'persuaded' to do otherwise. The best of them Vlad made into lesser Vampires so that they could form his bodyguard and be the generals of his army. The other Elector Counts witnessed the change without interfering, since the new Counts seemed far better lords than the former von Draks. Under Vlad's iron grip, Sylvania was transformed into an efficient province. Vlad ruled over it for two hundred years, using different names in different periods so as not to arouse suspicion over his unnatural longevity.

In 2010 Vlad revealed his true nature as a Vampire Lord and attacked Stirland at the head of a huge horde made of the Sylvanian regular army and countless legions of the living dead. The Wars of the Vampire Counts had Begun. Stirland and then Ostermark were devastated. Vlad turned his attention towards the heart of the Empire and for forty years his armies rampaged through that realm of Men. During this long period the fortunes of the war changed many times. More than once Vlad was cut down by a hero's blade or lucky cannon shot, and his army suffered severe casualties. Unfortunately for the Empire, the Vampire Count always wore a powerful magic ring that granted him amazing regenerative powers. Vlad always returned from, the netherworld and the victims of famine, pestilence and the war were always there to replenish the ranks of his armies.

In 2051, after a series of great victories, Vlad's army was immense. The Sylvanians reached Altdorf and laid siege to the greatest city of the Empire, The siege lasted months and the humans were losing all hope. When the last assault came, the Great Theogonist Wilhelm the Third faced Vlad himself on the battlements of Altdorf. Sensing that he could not win the duel, the Theogonist decided to sacrifice his own life in an attempt to destroy the Count. He let Vlad stab him with his sword and with his last strength he grabbed Vlad and dragged both of them off the walls. The two figures fell in an embrace of death and impaled themselves on one of the many stakes littering Altdorf's moat. Legends say that Vlad's ring had been stolen from him the night before by the greatest thief in the known world and that this man had been sent on that mission by the Theogonist himself. Others believe that the holy blood of the Theogonist, the living incarnation of Sigmar, stopped the Vampire from regenerating his mortal wound. Wherever the truth lies, that was the end of the greatest of the Vampire Counts of Sylvania. With Vlad gone, the Sylvanians were forced to retreat. Over half the Vampires were dead, but so great were the casualties inflicted on the men of Altdorf that no pursuit was possible.

Within an iron-bound ebony treasure chest, in the tattered remains of the black pavilion, were discovered von Carstein's copies of the Nine Books of Nagash and the Liber Mortis. These were hastily placed under lock and key within the Temple of Sigmar, The last casualty of the Battle of Altdorf was Isabella von Carstein. Apparently unable to face eternity without her husband, she impaled herself on a stake and shrivelled to dust before the eyes of the would-be Emperor Ludwig and his bodyguard. Ludwig would have used the time to press on into Sylvania and end the evil scourge forever, but the forces of the other two claimants to the throne joined against him. They feared that he might use his popularity as the surviving victor of the siege of Altdorf to press his own claim to the throne. That way the pernicious lords of Sylvania were granted an interval to regain their strength.

The remaining von Carstein vampires reached Sylvania where they hid to lick their wounds. Soon a bitter struggle ensued to decide who was to be the new Count after Vlad's demise. After years of strife, Konrad von Carstein prevailed.

Konrad was a mad and violent individual, feared by his servants as much as his enemies. He immediately launched another campaign against the Empire, in a vain attempt to emulate Vlad's victories. Far less skilled a tactician than his great predecessor, Konrad was stopped at the battle of the Four Armies in 2100 and finally defeated by a combined Dwarf and Empire force in the Battle of Grim Moor in 2121. The Count fell fighting against the Dwarf hero Grufbad and Helmar the soon to be Count of Marienburg.

The last of the Vampire Counts of Sylvania to threaten the Empire was Mannfred von Carstein. Suffice to say that eventually his evil plans were thwarted, and after Mannfred's defeat no von Carstein arose to claim the throne of Sylvania. Nowadays Sylvania is officially part of Stirland, but in reality is an abandoned territory, where the dead are still easily stirred from their slumber. Many attempts have been made to reclaim this cursed area, but even the promise of free land is often not enough to persuade people to settle there. The dark forests of Sylvania are still haunted by unspeakable horrors that prowl the night. The Sylvanian people have long ago learned not to venture out at night and to hang garlic and daemonbane on their windows. During the reign of Karl Franz of Altdorf, rumours are rising in the Empire of a new evil power being slowly reborn in Sylvania. Some say that Mannfred von Carstein has returned and is gathering huge hordes of the Undead once more. Others are sure that a new Count has come and begun to rebuild the ancient keep of Drakenhof Castle, the traditional capital of the von Carsteins.