1373 AD

Little is known concerning the whereabouts of the volume of The Iron Nail,  it was last rumored to be in the collection of  the wealthy eccentric Roderick Burgess who in 1947 fell prey to a mysterious coma that he never awakened. Roderick's library of ancient text and grimores were then passed on to his son, Alex who himself lapsed into the same trance as his late father and to this day has not awaken.  The library's location is now unknown. Speculation that it was sold off in pieces to various collectors has been dismissed but rumors persists of the volume of the Iron Nail, which is one of seven books entailing the history of Vampirism and a race of fallen beings known as Watchers,  surfacing here and there among the libraries of  collectors.  To this day no copy can be validated as the original but several forgeries have amused historians.  

The history concerning the tome is also vague  but we know  of its author Agustuv Gothe. Born the son of a German nobleman, Henrich Gothe who  imprisoned his son in a tower constructed in 1365 AD. The tower was literally encased in iron bands as was the heavy oaken door that was the only known entrance, thus the name the Tower of the Iron Nail, or Nagel von Eisen as it is known in its native tongue. The tower itself was destroyed in World War II by allied bombing raids upon Germany and there are no known photographs of the structure but there are drawings in some text and woodcuts depicting a tall tower standing alone in the courtyard of Henrich Court. Agustuv was born in 1340 and there is no record of his death or burial place. Henrich on the other hand died in 1368 AD of was written "a deep and black grief that ate him like consumption till he slept and rose no more." The tome was apparrently penned while Agustuv was imprisoned in the tower and smuggled out to a monk known as Giger who in turned embellished the volumes in the style of the time and included a bestiary of what has beeen said "rare and elegant art depicting the dark and unknown of the night in sinister frame that the ugly became enchanting to the eye and one could feel both repelled and entranced by the images."