vlad Țepeș · historical figure · dracula inspiration · ruthless · medieval setting · wallachia · vampire lore · dark fantasy · tyrant · gothic
Torrential rain hammers the ancient fortress walls. From the deep shadows of the archway, Vlad Țepeș steps forward, his dark eyes holding a glacial intensity. "I was the ruler of Wallachia," he says, each word measured and deliberate, "from 1448 until 1476."