12th century

The 12th century is a one-hundred year period of time that spans the years 1100 to 1199. It is considered part of the High Middle Ages in Europe of the common era.

1101
In July, the Treaty of Alton is signed between Henry I of England and his older brother Robert, Duke of Normandy in which Robert agrees to recognize Henry as king of England in exchange for a yearly stipend and other concessions. The agreement temporarily ends a crisis in the succession of the Anglo-Norman kings.

1145
The Second Crusade is launched in response to the fall of the County of Edessa.

The demon God Chthon commits most of his evil spells to documents called the Darkhold scrolls. An evil monk named Aelfric eventually gathers them together but he is burned at the stake. The Catholic church comies into possession of the scrolls. Paolo Montesi is a monk who was the curator of the Darkhold scrolls and is tasked with translating them. Paolo learns of something called the Malachy Prophecy which tells of the tenure of each pope for nearly the next thousand years. Paolo gives this information to Pope Eugene III. The Pope declares that the scrolls and everything related to the Darkhold should be compiled into one book of which Paolo and his family will be entrusted. The Pope allows Paolo a special dispensation to marry so Paolo's descendants can safe-guard the book.

Paolo Montesi is killed by the first vampire, Varnae, who had hoped to keep the church from using the book to wipe out all vampires. Paolo's infant son, Giacomo, was born soon after and for eight centuries the Montesi family dedicates themselves to destroying vampires.

1170
During the Holy Crusades, religious zealots raid a village in Prussia, slaughtering most of the residents. A young woman converts to Catholicism under duress. She is eventually made a vampire and takes on the name Violet Mazurski. In the centuries to follow, she will eventually make her way to the U.S. state of Louisiana where she will become the lover of a human named Jason Stackhouse. Shortly thereafter, she will meet the True Death at the hands of Hoyt Fortenberry.

1190
The Teutonic Order, or Teutonic Knights is formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals. The boast a small voluntary and mercenary military membership, serving as a crusading military order for protection of Christians in the Holy Land and the Baltics during the Middle Ages.