'Well, catch THIS then!!!', shouted Karan as he picked up the Blumaball lying in the grass at his feet and hurled it into the air towards Sara. 'Not fair!', came the response, as Sara bounced backwards on her tail to try and catch it. 'That was too high!!'.

They had been playing Blumaball all afternoon in a meadow nearby their home in Blumaria, and now it was starting to get dark. 'You throw too hard, its no fun playing with you', mumbled Sara as the ball flew high overhead. Karan didnt care, he was winning and that was all that mattered. The ball sailed higher, and higher, and went over a nearby wall.

'Oh! I give up, we will never get it back now.' moaned Sara, 'I'm going home for tea, and dont expect me to come out to play with you again'. 'But... what about my ball?', asked Karan, 'Im not going in that old place', he said, pointing at the crumbling old building behind the wall, 'I have heard some REALLY nasty rumours about it'.

Sara sighed, 'Ok, look Ill help you get it this time, but dont ask any more favours of me!'. The pair bounced over to the crumbling wall, some stairs led down into the darkness below.

As they descended into the musty darkness, all they could hear was the slow dripping of water somewhere up ahead. 'I dont like this... I want to go back. This place is so creepy!', said Sara.

'No, lets get the ball, then we can go home', replied Karan. All of a sudden a evil, mocking laugh echoed around them, and the light seemed to dim. Up ahead they saw a figure, its eyes glowing red in the darkness...

Count von Roo is one of the nastier denizens of Neopia. Born in 200 BN (which was a very long time ago), this vampire Blumaroo was scorned from society for his evil ways. Cast out, and alone he wandered Neopia for years, travelling only by night, until he came upon a small uninhabited Island, and Island that was soon to be known as Roo Island.

The count came across an old, decaying castle to the north of the Island, and decided that this would be his new home. Tired of his travels, he descended to the warm, familiar darkness of the basement, and slept. For two hundred years he slept, and he has only recently awakened. What terror this ancient demon has in store for Neopia, only time can tell...