Already had the idea, but I decided to rush it out for the votewar:
The Tale of Else von Carstein
(Or Beware of the Non-Living for Their Unnatural Charms can Tempt the Weak Willed)
Compiled from a sermon by Hermann the Pious
Born into the old family of the Sprunglesteins, in the city of Nuln, Else was always a considered to be the very picture of beauty in the society circles. Indeed her parents hoped that her beauty would secure a marriage to one of the other powerful families, their own having fallen on (relatively) hard times as late. As such they were overjoyed when a charming man by the name of Frederick from a long established family wooed Else with his charms and promises of a
long fruitful relationship.
Unfortunately Frederick turned out to be one of the 'daemon spawned bloodsuckers' of the Von Carstein family and on their wedding night Else was damned for all eternity.
Cursed though she was, Else was determined not to be just another trophy wife for all eternity. Over the next century she followed her husband into battle and observed carefully, as well as taking ample care of herself in combat at her husbands side. Yearning for recognition, she proposed several new tactical ideas to her husband, ideas of a more mobile hard hitting army, but he ignored her every time, too proud to acknowledge her and too mired in tradition to change. Eventually Else deemed she had stayed in his shadow long enough.
Striking a deal with one of her husbands retained Necromancers, Victor, she finally got her chance to be free when a fleeing Strigoi arrived on their territory. Taking his trusty skeleton guard Frederick went to see off his rival kin. But as combat was met he found his Invocations being countered by his wife and her new found ally and as his bodyguard crumbled to dust he found himself outmatched by the bestial Strigoi. Severely wounded, Frederick was cast down and in his final moments was shocked to find his magical ring that had always protected him had been replaced with a forgery.
Else laughed as she lead her knights in a charge against the Strigoi, its moment of triumph short lived as the ancient magic of the wight lances combined with the impact of the charge cut it down. Effective though they were she knew she had to recruit her army from a more skilled stock.
And so she took a retinue of knights with her as she set off westwards towards the land of knights and chivalry, Bretonnia. It was there that she would find her two future lieutenants, the first being the young errant Gioval de Grebaux….
(Or The Terrible Tale of Gioval the Obsessed)
Compiled from the well known Ballard by the group ‘Three Bards in Search of a Muse’
A bold and head strong young noble, Gioval de Grebaux was only just coming of age when he had his date with destiny. As a noble Gioval was a regular attendee at the feasts and banquets held by his Duke. It was at one such gathering that he was enamoured by the beauty of a visiting Empire noblewomen, one Else von Carstein.
Bolder than his comrades, who were cowed by her grace and allure, Gioval approached her and audaciously asked her to propose a quest for him that he might complete to earn her admiration. Initially taken back, Else quickly took a likening to this fearless knight and gave him what he sought. But no ordinary quest would do for one of her exquisiteness. Having heard tales of Bretonnia's mystical guardian, Else declared that if Gioval was to find the legendary Green Knight and best him in duel then he should seek her out at her Sylvanian castle and he could have her hand in marriage.
Shocked, but unwilling to lose face in front of his peers, Gioval accepted and stated he would start his quest immediately. It would be over two years till he finally got his chance.
While aiding a fellow errant in vanquishing an infection of foul beastmen, Gioval found himself surrounded and outnumbered until the Green Knight burst out of the forest and set about the beastly herd, slaughtering them in short order. After the battle was over Gioval declared his challenge his saviour. The Green Knight however dismissed him, until Gioval took the initiative and sliced off his sword arm. Disarmed though he was the Green Knight proceeded to parry Gioval’s next attack and then soundly thrashed the impetuous youth, before picking up his severed arm and disappearing as mysteriously as he had arrived.
For the first time in his life Gioval’s courage failed him, he could not bear thinking about journeying all the way to the Empire only to tell his beloved he had failed. But when he returned to the local village he saw a sign, an omen especially for him. Messengers had just arrived bearing the proclamation from the King that due to the massive forces of Chaos encroaching on their allies in the Empire, the kingdom of Bretonnia would be sending an army to their aid and that this was the time for any knight errant to prove his worth.
Believing this to be a portent, telling him to go to the home of the far flung women that he pined for, Gioval joined the mass Errant Army. During the Storm of Chaos, as it later became known, Gioval time and again proved himself, but turned down many offers of land, keeping faithful to his original quest. After the invasion was quashed and the army set off home, Gioval left to follow his own path.
Travelling deeper into the dark lands of Sylvania his stout heart kept him going, fighting off re-animated wolves and packs of carnivorous ghouls, until finally he reached the castle of the women he searched for. Finally seeing the women of his dreams after years away, Gioval fell to his knees and offered his most sincere apologies, beseeching her forgiveness for failing her. Having heard of the formidable warrior he had become, Else asked if he would be willing to accept her special aid in completing his quest. Not knowing of the damnation he was submitting himself to, Gioval accepted and took her hand, following her into the depths of her castle, where he was cursed for the rest of time.
Now Gioval leads an undead cohort of knights at the command of Else, obsessed with perfecting his martial skills, obsessed with finding the mythical guardian of Bretonnia, obsessed with proving himself worthy of Else’s affection.
(Also known as ‘Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, I’ll damned for all eternity’)
Compiled from the fable by comedian and morality tale author Guy de Carrote
Although Vidocq Faubert only met Else von Carstein late in his life he was already cursed, though this time by association. Meeting her for the first time at the same party where Gioval gained his quest, he offered her his hospitality in his castle should she ever require it, an offer that she took up when she passed through the area on her return journey. Delighted to see the beautiful seductress again, Vidocq was quick to accept her to his dinner table, especially so she could meet his wife, herself a woman of seemingly unnatural beauty from foreign lands. Though Vidocq was clearly under her spell, Else recognised his wife for what she was, one of her kindred, though a rival from the Lahmian bloodline.
Both initially greeted each other cordially, knowing that open battle was not in their best interests, as they each planned their own way of revealing the other. Luckily for Else her counterpart was a relatively young creature, and after weaving a wonderful tale of lies about his wife’s bloodline from back home, and the shocking news of the curse it was associated with, Else was able to focus Vidocq's blind rage and compel him to act. As the Lahmian fled Else comforted Vidocq. She brought him a glass of a wine that she had brought with her from her home, a wine of ‘excellent vintage’ that she had been saving for a special occasion and she proposed that freeing him from his wife’s witchery was just an occasion. Blinded by grief, rage and beauty Vidocq took the goblet and drunk deeply from the unnatural drink.
Cursed not for the first time, but for the second, from that night forth Vidocq was compelled to follow his mistress, with no thoughts of his own, his only desire to serve his ‘saviour’.