Katarina Heydrich

The younger sister of the Vampire Lord Count Reiner Heydrich, Katarina Heydrich is a major antagonist in Vault of the Vampire and Revenge of the Vampire, the two Fighting Fantasy gamebooks that feature her brother as the main villain, and especially in the first one. Katarina is a very powerful anf extremely pretty witch, somehow inspired by Countess Erzebeth Bathory, as she uses the blood od young mainden in dark magic rituals that keeps her youth intact.

About Katarina Heydrich
Katarina is the third born and the only daughter among the four children of the unnamed Count Heydrich, who ruled over the county of Mortvania located in the far north of the continent of the Old World. At some point, her elder brother Siegfried Heydrich inherited the title of count, until he was murdered by Reiner Heydrich, the second son, who claimed the title. Katarina, who is as ambitious, malevolent and dangerous as Reiner got along quite well with him and therefore, she could enjoy a luxurious life in the castle, while the entire population of Mortvania, including their last brother Gunthar Heydrich, suffered Reiner's awful tyrany. Katarina soon became an accomplished sorceress and fighter. Wether she learnt how to fight on her own or she was taught to in spite of being a girl, because of her aristicratic origin is not known, though. As such, she had pretty much nothing to fear from her brother, even when Reiner became a vampire.

While Reiner swarmed the castle with monsters, tyranized his people and abducted young people on a regular basis to drink their blood, Katarina lived in her own quarters, sacrifizing the young captives that Reiner gave her, using her blood to retain her youth and her astonishing beauty. Because of this, at seventy-six years old, she still looked like a woman in her early thirties. She knew that she couldn't do anything against her vampire brother, who is much more powerful than her, so she contented herself with her life, keeping good relations with her brother, while secretely waiting for someone who could slay him, so that she could claim the title of countess.

Katarina is an highly powerful sorceress, mighty enough to not be harmed by conventional weapon, to curse anyone by speaking to them, to appear and disappear out of nowhere and animate objects among other things. Her most prominent power is her hypnotic gaze which she often use to compel people to do what she wants. She is highly intelligent, deceiptive and manipulative, she offers to help those who can serve her interest while making no mysteries of her real intentions and she always tries to take control of her foes, or at least to decieve them, fighting only when she has no other choice. Yet, Katarina does know to fight and never refuses a challenge. She uses a dagger in battle, with enough skill to fight on par with the most trained swordsmen.

In Vault of the Vampire
Katarina Heydrich is a major antagonist in Vault of the Vampire, in which she plays a role as big as her brother's. The gamebook sets the relation between the two equally evil siblings, with courtesy and brotherly friendship on one hand, ambition and defiance on the other hand.

The player of the gamebook is an adventurer who sneaks into the castle in order to kill the Count Reiner Heydrich. During this quest, when he comes close to Katarina's quarters he or she can either avoid to enter, which is the least dangerous choice, or meet the seducive but dangerous sorceress. Both Gunthar Heydrich and Lothar the castellan, two friendly characters who prove very helpful to the player, warn him/her to avoid any contact Katarina at any cost. Indeed, Katarina Heydrich greets the player friendly and offers to help him/her to kill Reiner, though he/she must remain extremely weary.

If the player owns the Book of Swords in which Reiner magically sealed Nightstar, Siegfried's magical sword, she offers to unseal it, in exchange of killing Lothar the castellan for her, as she cannot stand the presence of such a helpful and benevolent man under her roof. If the player doesn't own the Book of Sword, she will tell him/her to get the holy stake that Lothar owns, blattantly lying about the fact that Lothar would never give it willingly and must be killed. If the player refuses, Katarina will try to compel him/her magically, which needs a high number of Faith points to be overcome. In case of failure, the player will have no other choice than to go and kill Lothar. If the player only feigns to accept, he/she will fall prey to Katarina's dark magic, losing 4 stamina points (life points) upon speaking to Lothar, given that no-one betrays the sorceress without paying the price. The player never gains anything in accepting Katarina's bargain, as Reiner's counterspell proves too much even for Katarina's vast knowledge of dark magic and the Book of Swords will vanish, destroying any hope for the player to ever gain Nightstar. If the player attacks Katarina, he/she needs a magical sword, otherwise he/she is doomed. Katarina is a powerful enemy with 10 points of skill, (level of power) who vanishes after being struck four times, but if the player wins this battle, he/she will gain a life-potion.

Final Battle
When the player successfully destroys the fearsome Count Reiner Heydrich, Katarina appears before him/her, intending to get rid of him/her and claim the title of countess of Mortvania. She tries to brainwash the player and make him/her her slave and once again only a high number of Faith points can prevent this. At this point of the game, the player should have enough Faith points not to be bothered but if Katarina has met the player and succeded in compelling him/her, she will be advantaged. On the other hand, if the player managed to resist, she will be disadvantaged. Katarina is nothing as dangerous as her vampire brother (who had 13 in skill, one point over the maximum) but she is still a dangerous enemy with 10 in skill and 10 in stamina. Moreover, she takes advantage of the player's weakened state after the tremendous battle against Reiner. As a living being, she doesn't fear holy water and the powerful Jandor's Lighting spell, and the power up provided by the sword Nighstar is lower against her. If the player has gained Siegfried's magical sword and chainmail, Katarina will pose little threat.

Upon dying, Katarina reverts to her real aspect of an ugly old hag, deprived of her artificial youth.