------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unofficial Castlevania Timeline and Story ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ By James Haley DISCLAIMER: This is my own personal, completely unofficial version of the Castlevania timeline. I have remained as close as possible to the series canon, but have injected some of my own opinions and interpretations where they are easily allowed. Other fans have different but equally reasonable ideas, and I do not reject them as impossible -- indeed, I have adopted some of my ideas from other timelines, fan fiction, and secondary sources pertaining to the games. WARNING: This timeline contains complete spoilers for every game, so if you haven't played a particular game and wish to maintain its initial mystique, I recommend skipping its treatment here. ======================= Quick Timeline of Dates ======================= 1095 - Castlevania: Lament of Innocence c.1433 - Sonia Belmont is born 1450 - Castlevania Legends c.1462 - Death of Lisa and Rebirth of Vlad Dracula c.1474 - The War With Humanity 1476 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse 1479 - Castlevania: Curse of Darkness 1576 - Castlevania Adventures 1591 - Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge 1691 - Castlevania / Castlevania Chronicle 1693 - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest 1698 - Super Castlevania IV 1748 - Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance 1792 - Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (Dracula X: Rondo of Blood) c.1796 - Richter disappears 1797 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night c.1820 - Morris Baldwin seals Dracula away 1830 - Castlevania: Circle of the Moon 1844 - Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness - Cornell 1852 - Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness - Reinhardt, Carrie, Henry 1897 - Bram Stoker's Dracula 1917 - Castlevania: Bloodlines c.1999 - Julius Belmont leads the sealing of Castlevania into a solar eclipse 2035 - Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow 2036 - Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow See the end for a special section dealing with real historical connections to the Castlevania timeline! Also see the end for notes on retcons present in the official version of the timeline which are omitted here. This is an "inclusionist" timeline, which considers as many games canon as is possible, with the exception of several of the redundant versions of the original Castlevania, and the redundant (and terrible) SNES remake of Chi no Rondo. -- Full Story and Timeline --------------------------------------------------- ==== 1095 - Castlevania: Lament of Innocence ================================= It was the eleventh century, a time of descent for Europe into the Dark Ages where the power of monarchs evaporated and feudal lords arose to fill the vacuum of power. Within this chaotic framework, orders of knights arose to defend their realms with honor and valor. Even as the traditional powers declined, the Catholic Church found its own political power increasing. Seeking to solidify its control of society and put an end to the measureless petty bickering, the Gregorian Reforms were brought about. As part of these reforms, the knights were elevated to the role of protectors of the peace and the Church, and they were organized into tight companies. Amongst all these companies, one was said to be completely invincible: this was the company of one Leon Belmont and one Mathias Cronqvist. While Leon was courageous and unstoppable in battle, Mathias possessed an unparalleled tactical genius. These two men were never once defeated on the field of battle. Mathias, however, would find his ultimate challenge in life elsewhere. One day as he returned from battle victorious and prepared to celebrate with his wife, Elizabetha, he learned that she had passed away. His grief became so great that he could no longer stand, let alone fight, and he became totally bed- ridden. Soon the papacy launched its deadly campaigns against the Seljuk Turks and even the Orthodox Church known otherwise as the Crusades. Many knights were sent away never to return, and their strength was sapped. At the same time, as though to take advantage of this situation, a mysterious army of monsters arose in the forests of Wallachia and Transylvania, the very provinces which Leon's knights were assigned to protect. However, the Church would authorize no campaigns against enemies outside of its own political interests, and thus Leon found himself impotent in the face of grave danger. Not long after this crisis began, Mathias sent Leon a message: the monsters' point of origin was a dark castle known as "Eternal Night," and Leon's beloved fiancee, Sara Trantoul, had been kidnapped and taken there. Leon had no choice but to renounce his titles and set off to save her. Leon was soon surprised by an old man living in the forest near the castle. His name was Rinaldo Gandolfi, and he was a skilled alchemist. The man lead Leon back to his quaint cottage, where he told him of the source of the darkness -- the vampire Walter Bernhard, who possessed some unknown artifact of great power which made him practically invincible. To entertain himself, the fiend would take things of great value to vampire hunters, forcing them to battle to their dooms in hopeless duels atop the mist-enshrouded towers of Eternal Night. Walter tolerated Rinaldo's presence in his forest only because he felt Rinaldo's aid to the hunters made the fights more interesting. Before bidding Leon adieu, Rinaldo bequeathed to him two gifts. First, he gave him the powerful Whip of Alchemy, created through a fusion of Rinaldo's skills and the ancient instructions found in a tome which curiously came from the family library of none other than Mathias Cronqvist. Last but not least, Rinaldo channeled some of his power into Leon's gauntlet in order to allow the hunter to gain magical power. Finally, he informed Leon that to reach the upper levels of Walter's castle, he would have to release the seal by defeating the five guardians: Golem, Succubus, Medusa, and the Undead Parasite. Once Leon battled through the enormous lower reaches and defeated all five of the guardians, he met the lesser vampire known as Joachim Armster. Besting the immortal in battle, he learned of Walter's artifact, the Ebony Stone. One of alchemy's great lost creations, it could be combined with two others of its kind, the Philosopher's Stone and the Crimson Stone. With the former, it provided its possessor eternal youth, and so to the vampires it was unneeded. But with the latter, it would grant instead ultimate power. Unfortunately for the darklings, the Crimson Stone was thought to be lost forever. Rinaldo also informed Leon that his own daughter had been taken away by Walter, and so the two men now had a strong bond. Finally reaching the Pagoda of the Misty Moon, Leon confronted Walter, who appeared bearing Sara in arm. The vampire handed over the girl immediately, saying that she was no longer of any use. Enraged, Leon leaped into battle and landed a mighty blow on Walter with the whip, but the vampire merely scoffed at the effort and was not at all harmed. Walter challenged Leon to a moonlight duel on the uppermost floor before vanishing. Leon, seeing that Sara was hurt, rushed her back to Rinaldo. Rinaldo discerns that the unconscious Sara is still alive, but he discovers that Walter has bitten her and infected her with the curse of vampirism. Unless Leon could defeat Walter immediately, Sara would be doomed to transform into a creature of the night. Unfortunately, Leon lacked any means to damage Walter. This is when Rinaldo had an idea that to Leon seemed like madness. If Leon was to destroy Sara with the Whip of Alchemy, then the part of Walter which she carried would fuse with his rage and the power of the whip to form a new weapon which could utterly destroy the vampire. Leon could never bring himself to harm Sara, however, so it seemed hopeless. Unbeknownst to the men, Sara had regained consciousness and eavesdropped on their conversation. Realizing the hopelessness of her situation and the great opportunity now presented to save others from what would otherwise be her own dark fate, she volunteered to become a willing sacrifice. Leon was torn, but finally agreed. Coiling back the whip with grave sorrow and burning rage, he struck Sara a lethal blow, and as Rinaldo had predicted, the Whip of Alchemy was transformed into the Vampire Killer. Leon swore that he would have revenge for Sara, and raced back to confront Walter once more. The vampire was at first unimpressed, and goaded Leon by declaring that his actions were nothing less than a gift to the man, by which he received a weapon of great power. Walter was soon to be greatly impressed, however, as he was soundly defeated. Still proud and unable to accept his newfound weakness, Walter boasted that he would return even from death with his full strength. But, before Leon could finish him, the Grim Reaper suddenly appeared and extracted Walter's life force, who then offered it to Mathias, who appeared along with the fiend, bearing the Crimson Stone which he alone had recovered. Mathias explained to the bewildered Leon that the reason for all of this was Elizabetha. Mathias had fought tirelessly for God, but had not been spared the suffering of losing his wife, and he blamed God for her death. He declared, "For if limited life is God's decree, then I shall defy it!" He thought that Leon, having lost Sara, might also join him in eternal life, pointing out how Leon had destroyed Walter with his hatred. Leon countered that although he had struck down Walter with hatred, he did it so that others would live, which is what Sara wanted -- he did not believe that Elizabetha would be pleased with what Mathias had done. Mathias, disgusted, simply left and said to Death, "He's all yours." So Leon was locked in a fierce battle with Death, who drew him into the Chaotic Realm. Every bit as overconfident as Walter had been, Death did not believe the Vampire Killer could harm him. But, its universal power against darkness was proven, and Leon defeated the celestial being, who also bragged of his impending return. Leon, however, had a message for Death to bring to Mathias: "You have become a cursed being, and I will never forgive you. This whip and my kinsmen will destroy you someday. The Belmont clan will hunt the night!" The enormous power released by Death's defeat caused the castle to begin to crumble, and Leon narrowly escaped alive. Sunlight immediately began to return to the forest. Rinaldo, still in his cottage, saw a beam of sunlight shine through his window, and said, "So he did it." Meanwhile, Mathias went into hiding in foreign lands, where he continued to curse and defy God all his days. He took the title of "Lord of Vampires and King of the Night." So was born the first Dark Lord. This much is certain -- that Mathias Cronqvist would later play some unknown role in the rebirth of Count Dracula. A few speculate that Mathias himself became later known as Vlad Tepes, but others dismiss this possibility due to historical conflicts. Others point to the mechanism of reincarnation as it later manifests in Soma Cruz, who himself unknowingly possesses the Crimson Stone, and say that Vlad Tepes must have been a reincarnation of Mathias after he was somehow defeated. However, the sages shake their heads sadly, as only they know the explanation which truly makes sense... ==== c.1433 ================================================================== A girl named Sonia was born to the Belmont clan in the Romanian province of Transylvania. As this girl grew up, she learned that she had unusual super- natural abilities, including that of being able to sense spiritual beings unseen by others. She was trained in combat with a whip by her elders, and was told that her powers were not meant only for her own benefit, but for that of all people. ==== 1450 - Castlevania Legends ============================================== It was at this time that the Romanian prince Vlad III Dracula "Tepes" reached the height of his power, having earlier undertaken a dark transmigration from his human body which rendered him a vampire. Though he had not yet become the Dark Lord, his iron-fisted rule of the province of Wallachia now threatened to spread to neighboring provinces. Against him rose the Ottoman Turks, the Saxons, and the noble boyars of Hungary, none of whom were allied with the others, and the unrelenting blight of war was set upon the land from all sides. Now at the age of 17, Sonia met the enigmatic Alucard, the prodigal son of Dracula. The two spent a great deal of time together, and it is said that they fell in love. Alucard had only just begun to turn away from admiration of his father, and did not at first realize the role that Sonia had to play. However, through this meeting Sonia finally felt she had learned her true purpose, and that was to destroy the Dark Prince who threatened the serenity of Transylvania. Sonia set out for Dracula's castle with her whip in hand. On the way she met a mysterious spirit who challenged her to find five sacred objects which had been stolen away to the dark castle. She agreed to keep an eye out for them, feeling that this spirit was in genuine need. Once Sonia arrived at the castle, she battled through continuously until she reached the Keep, where she had expected to find Dracula himself enthroned. To her astonishment, she instead met Alucard, who was equally astonished to see her. Alucard did not want Sonia to be involved in the battle against his father, as he felt it was his own duty to deal with the transgressions of his bloodline. However, Sonia's determination to fight on was ferocious, and Alucard could tell that she would not willingly back down. In order to assure himself of her powers, he challenged her to battle. Once she had pushed the dhampir to his limit, he conceded that her power was greater than he had known, and stepped aside to let her face his father in his stead, for the time leaving his betrayal a secret. Sonia went on to find Dracula enthroned within the secret Ceremonial Chamber deep beneath the castle, the site where he had tortured, impaled, and drank the blood of countless victims. Vlad fruitlessly attempted to seduce the young girl into thralldom, saying there would be great merit in having her power at his disposal. The two then engaged in battle: the dance of righteous whip and darkling fire which would become an endlessly-repeating history of sorrow throughout the ages. Though Sonia bested the Dark Prince in battle, destroying his monsterous dragon-like incarnation, he warned her that victory was not so simple, and that as long as there was evil in the world, he would continue to rule. Sonia countered by stating that as long as the Belmont bloodline lived, Dracula could only be defeated time and time again. Not long after, Sonia gave birth to her child, Trevor, rumored by some to also be the son of Alucard, though the sages consider this unlikely due to the probable incompatibility of Belmont and vampiric blood. Sonia's sound defeat of Dracula created great fear amongst the people of Wallachia and Transylvania, and though they had been spared slavery and death, they chose to exile the Belmonts. Before leaving Wallachia, however, Sonia left the Vampire Killer whip and the five sacred relics she had found with the spirit she had earlier met, who now revealed himself as the Poltergeist King. The Belmonts left, but not with bitter hearts. Dracula, defeated but not destroyed, recalled his armies to the capital of Targoviste, where he needed their support against the unyielding onslaught of the Ottomans, who marched under the very same Sultan Mehmed II who had mentored Vlad in his youth, along with his own brother Radu the Handsome, who was the lover of the Sultan and coveted the Wallachian throne for himself. Through the selflessness and sacrifices of Sonia, Transylvania was spared from Dracula's Curse, but only for a time... [Note: This game's story has been revised in several non-critical points to make it almost completely consistent with both real history and with the greater Castlevania timeline. Differences include the idea that Dracula was already the Dark Lord in 1450, that he had already started his war with humanity, and that Sonia was the first Belmont to destroy Dracula as the Dark Lord. Sacrificing these already non-canon details renders a much more sensible -- and enriched -- timeline.] ==== c.1462 - Death of Lisa and Rebirth of Vlad Dracula ====================== In the year 1462, Dracula was forced to abdicate the throne of Wallachia in Targoviste. Implementing a war of attrition, crops and villages were burned, wells were poisoned, lepers and plague-bearers were released to mingle with the enemy, and entire towns of people were impaled until stakes rose about the city like a grim forest. So sickened was Sultan Mehmed at the sight of 30000 impaled men, women, and children encircling Targoviste that he abandoned the command of his men to Radu and immediately returned to Adrianople, unwilling to ever again march in battle. Dracula had fled for the blood-stained Poenari Castle, but could not bring his human wife Lisa or his son Alucard with him. It was at this time that Lisa was taken by the townspeople as she worked to cure them of disease and was burned as a witch. With her final words, Alucard was ultimately and forever turned against the wicked ways of his father. Even though he would have slaughtered all the humans at Lisa's execution in order to save her, she stayed his hand, showed them mercy, and surrendered her own life. Though high in the foot of the Carpathians, resting above the Riul Doamnei, Poenari proved itself assailable, and Vlad was forced to surrender. Inexplicably shown mercy by the invaders, he was allowed to escape with a large part of his army. Though Vlad was able to regroup and take back his throne within the year, he was tricked by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and taken prisoner. Brought to the city of Pest, Vlad eventually gained the trust of the King, and was given many priveleges unusual for a political prisoner. It must have been at this time that Matthias Corvinus revealed his true identity to Vlad Tepes, in an attempt to absorb his vampiric soul. However, while the details are unknown, it was Vlad who emerged victorious, and who now took for himself the title of Dark Lord and all its unfathomable power. ==== c.1474 - The War With Humanity ========================================== History records that in 1474, Matthias Corvinus sent Vlad Dracula together with his own kin, Stephen Bathory, and a regiment of soldiers to reclaim the Wallachian throne. In reality, it was Vlad Tepes alone who commanded this invasion, and swiftly he regained his old principality. This time, however, not human soldiers but the very creatures of Hell flowed from his castles and armories. An unholy and unstoppable power backed their every advance, and wicked men of all walks of life turned to their service, including the powerful Devil Forgemasters, Hector and Isaac. Sweeping across Eastern Europe like lightning, in due time this army would threaten to destroy the entire world. The kings and the Church pooled their meager forces to oppose the might of Dracula, but they continued to crumble one after the other. Eventually, however, the Forgemaster Hector fell in love with a woman named Rosaly, and this experience changed him forever. He forsook the power of Dracula and began to use his skills to aid humans in battle. The tide of the war began to slowly turn, opening a precious gap in Dracula's circles of defense. It was in this that the only hope for the world could come to pass. ==== 1476 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse ================================= A young Trevor Belmont, now in his prime as a vampire hunter, swiftly answered the urgent call to arms issued by the Church. Sneaking into Wallachia under cover of his cloak and the ever-present darkness, Trevor made his way to the very gates of Castlevania, the Dark Lord's foreboding manse. Trevor retrieved the Vampire Killer whip from the Poltergeist King, who had added his own blessings to it, making it a weapon of legend, and also learned about the relics his mother had recovered. They would enable him to use special magical weapons -- the dagger, cross, holy water, axe, and watch -- which he would find throughout Castlevania by releasing them from candles with the alchemic magic of the whip. On his way through the Wallachian countryside and the Demon Castle itself, Trevor rescued two fellow warriors. The first was Grant DaNasty, a member of the Danesti who were a rival clan of Tepes, who was a pirate by trade and could climb up walls and across ceilings while stealthfully throwing daggers. The second was the mysterious mage Sypha Belnades, who had been turned to stone by the Cyclops. Finally, Trevor met Alucard, who tested Trevor just as he had his mother, this time to be sure of the truth of his identity. The four warriors then continued the fight toward Dracula together. Trevor's power was so great that he was able to destroy Dracula and confine him to a hundred years' sleep, the longest time for which he could be entombed. Trevor is known to have married Sypha after his battles, who contributed her inherited magical abilities to further strengthen the Belmont bloodline. Also, recognizing the bravery and protective value of the Belmont clan, the people of Wallachia at last lifted their exile, and the clan returned to live in their native home. Because of all this, the Belmont name now became legendary. ==== 1479 - Castlevania: Curse of Darkness =================================== [Coming Soon] ==== 1576 - Castlevania Adventure ============================================ Christopher Belmont faces Dracula after his first 100 year sleep. Christopher proves to be nearly as powerful as his ancestor Sonia, rediscovering the power to unleash fire from the Vampire Killer whip, and battling to Dracula faster than any of his predecessors. However, Dracula now wisely feared the Belmont name and recognized this new, even greater power. So, he devised an ingenious plan he felt would guarantee his victory. He allowed Christopher to come to him and battle him with his full power, but before he could be vanquished, Dracula faded away to mist and hid in the shadows. Christopher, fully believing that he had undone the Dark Lord, never saw a small bat flying away from the crumbling ruins of Castlevania... ==== 1591 - Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge ================================ During the 15-year interlude, Christopher raised his son Soleiyu and began training him in the ways of the vampire killer. Christopher was very troubled, though, because it seemed that the power of Dracula had not faded as it should have. It was Soleiyu's birthday and Christopher had decided that the time had come for him to pass on the Vampire Killer whip and the title of "Vampire Killer" to his son, so a holy ritual was performed to confer upon Soleiyu these things, as well as many blessings. However, Christopher's worst nightmares came to life that night when he awoke to find his son missing. Dracula, following through on his plot, had kidnapped Soleiyu and planned to try to use the boy's powers against Christopher to put an end to the Belmont line forever. Soleiyu, scared and confused, lacking the full skills of a vampire hunter, easily succumbed to Dracula and became possessed by demons. Dracula desired to use Soleiyu's power to resurrect Castlevania, but his attempts failed. Instead, four castles were raised, each containing some aspect of the whole -- one of plant, one of cloud, one of rock, and one of crystal. Christopher battled through all four of these castles and destroyed their evil guardians. However, as soon as he had completed these arduous tasks, Dracula used the life forces of the vanquished guardians, combining them into one and bringing Castlevania fully back to the earthly plane. Unrelenting, Christopher proceeded on into the Demon Castle itself. Christopher was relieved when he met Soleiyu in the castle, but his relief quickly turned to horror when he saw that his son was possessed, and was challenging him to battle. Christopher had to be very careful, but at the same time, the battle was fierce. Finally defeating Soleiyu without destroying him, the boy returned to his senses and was freed from his possession by the magic of the Vampire Killer. With Soleiyu now safe, Christopher was able to turn his full rage against Dracula. He ultimately defeated the Dark Lord, and confined him to yet another 100 years of unpeaceful sleep. ==== 1691 - Castlevania / Castlevania Chronicle ============================== As the forces of evil strengthened once again, Dracula was freed from his sleep, and Castlevania appeared in Transylvania. Ready to face destiny was the young Simon Belmont. Though Simon was not as magically gifted as some of his predecessors, his skill and power with the whip were unsurpassed. And Simon would need every bit of his power and courage, as Dracula assembled the greatest undead army he had yet controlled. Diverse legions of creatures were lead by what we now consider classic icons of horror and myth -- Medusa, the legendary Gorgon; The Monster, a Frankensteinish creation who fought alongside an immortal hunchback fiend; and Akmodan, the undead mummy twins. Simon fought valiantly and won his way to the Count. Having failed to end the Belmont line through kidnapping and possession, Dracula now had a new plan, even more fiendish. If he failed in battle, he would curse Simon with a deadly infliction, sure to end the vampire hunter's life and the Belmont bloodline with it. Simon was successful in defeating Dracula; however, he was oblivious to the curse which was placed upon him, and returned to his vigilant watch of the countryside. ==== 1693 - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest ==================================== Two years had passed, but Simon's wounds, inflicted in the battle with the Dark Lord, had not healed. Rather, they were growing worse by the day, and Simon felt that they would soon kill him. Even worse, Dracula's power had again not seemed to fade, and a malaise had settled across the countryside. Heeding the warnings left to him by his ancestor Christopher, Simon began looking for signs of Dracula's survival. He found nothing conclusive, other than the nightly terror inflicted on residents of Transylvania by packs of undead monsters. One night, a maiden appeared before Simon and explained to him the curse. She also told him that she knew how to lift it. Ironically, in order to lift the curse, Simon himself would have to resurrect Dracula and destroy him again. The maiden left him with the whispered words of hope, "If you have the courage to risk your life, then you will find the strength to win again." She then vanished, leaving Simon to deal with his fate. Simon would soon learn that his task would be very long and difficult. In order to resurrect Dracula, he would need to find his five bodily remains -- the Rib, Heart, Eye, Nail, and Ring of Vlad -- and burn them in the ruins of Castlevania. Dracula, having anticipated an attempt by Simon to lift the curse, had instructed his followers to scatter these remains throughout Transylvania, and to guard them in ancient, dangerous mansions. Though it took a lot of work unusual for a Belmont -- buying and trading, searching for relics, and wandering the countryside battling for both money and experience -- Simon eventually discovered the five mansions and recovered Dracula's remains. Simon was dismayed to find that many people along the way blamed the Belmonts for the ongoing trouble, as if it was their power that made evil necessary, and not the other way around. However, those who were wise knew that Simon was not to blame, and understood that Dracula's curse was the cause of the problems. Undaunted by the negative attitudes of the people, Simon proceeded into the ruins of Castlevania. In a shallow basement not far from the once-elegant entrance hall, Simon chose an altar upon which to burn Dracula's remains. He watched in both awe and horror as the Count arose from the flames, zombified. Dracula's own plan had now backfired, and the Count was in a much weakened state. Simon was able to dispatch the Count quickly, and just as the maiden had promised, he felt his curse lift and his wounds begin to heal. Never again would a Belmont fall victim to such black magic. ==== 1698 - Super Castlevania IV ============================================= [ Important Note: Some consider this telling to be the same story as that told in "Castlevania," and that the battle described here was the same as that which occured in 1691. However, I believe there is a lot of evidence against this, including the original date for Castlevania II, the appearance of Dracula's grave in the introduction, details of Dracula's resurrection, and the forms taken by Castlevania (which more closely resemble that of Castlevania III than the original). Because of these factors, and my extreme fondness for Castlevania IV, I am ignoring the generic story attached to the game's startup sequence, and I am considering this telling to be a separate story of a third and final conflict between Simon and Dracula ] By this time, it had become a widespread legend that Dracula only arose once every 100 years. So, when Simon finally freed himself of his curse and the power of Dracula at last seemed to fade, no one was expecting the Count to return for a great deal of time, including Simon himself. The followers of evil had drastically different plans, however. Five years of peace had passed, but now they lusted for chaos. Bent on the full resurrection of their Dark Lord, they called together a great meeting in an abandoned abbey not far from where Castlevania's ruins still smouldered. They began dark incantations and performed many unholy rituals, culminating in human sacri- fice. As they poured the blood of their victim over their unholy altar, a malevolent storm blew in, shaking the walls of the abbey. Elsewhere, a great lightning bolt struck down from the clouds, destroying a grave stone upon which was a single word, so weathered that it could barely be read -- DRACULA. The Dark Lord wasted no time in reestablishing his full power, starting off by drinking the blood of some of the very worshippers who had brought about his resurrection. His full army was called to his castle and the surrounding areas. Medusa returned in her full form, the Monster was rebuilt from fresh corpses, and a new Akmodan, the elder brother of the fallen twins, was brought to life. They were joined by many other great abominations, and in short time, a legion of monsters was again overrunning Transylvania. The people, now fully confident in the power of Belmont, wasted no time. Once again, Simon Belmont was called upon to destroy Dracula. With only his whip and courage, he set out to restore peace to Transylvania. ==== 1748 - Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance =============================== 50 years had passed and Dracula had finally remained in deep slumber for what appeared would be another century. Simon's grandson, Juste Belmont, had been given the title of Vampire Killer and inherited the Vampire Killer whip from his father and his grandfather before him. When he had completed his training and received these status symbols, his long-time friend and training partner, Maxim Kischine, felt a sense of despair. While he was a powerful warrior and was capable of taking on nearly any of Dracula's minions, he could never become the chosen one to destroy Dracula himself. He longed to achieve this glory and to relieve his friend Juste of what he viewed as the ill fate of the Belmont blood. So, Maxim set out on a journey to further strengthen himself. While on his trip, Maxim thought about the stories he had heard about how Juste's grandfather Simon had gathered the remains of Dracula and burnt them to heal himself of a curse. Maxim came to believe that if he too were to undertake this task, his wishes would be granted -- he could defeat Dracula, and then Juste would never have to face the Prince of Darkness during his lifetime. So it was that Maxim set out on a quest to find the 5 Remains of Vlad. More than likely through some dark design unbeknownst to the man, Maxim was easily able to find the pieces within a year's time. He brought them together near the ruins of Castlevania and burned them, just as Simon had 50 years earlier. But Maxim, not armed with any holy relics or blessings, and not trained fully in the ways of the vampire killer, was unprepared for the dark forces that were unleashed. He was possessed by the spirit of Dracula, causing him to develop a split personality, one part good and the other evil. As a reflection of the inner turmoil within Maxim, Castlevania arose from the mists, but was itself split into two layers, one completely on the earthly plane, and another juxtaposed somewhere between Earth and a Hellish alter- reality. This duality was not obvious from without, and any who journeyed into the castle would be perplexed by it. Not long after, on a foggy night, Maxim appeared before Juste, beaten from head to toe, having lost all memory of the past year. The only thing he knew was that their mutual childhood friend Lydie Erlanger had been kid-napped, and that he believed he knew where she might be. Juste and Maxim set off into the Transylvanian countryside, and as they journeyed to the place that Maxim felt Lydie might be, the two men saw Castlevania emerge from the fog. Juste was not sure, but believed that this castle was indeed Dracula's from the beginning. The two entered, but Maxim quickly fell, exhausted from his injuries. Juste left him at the entrance and warned him to be very careful in the castle. As Juste journeyed through Castlevania, he met Maxim several times. At each meeting, Maxim seemed to be a different person, alternating between his normal self who was slowly regaining his memory, and his evil alterego, who seemed bent on keeping Juste from finding Lydie at any cost. Once Juste met with Death in the Clock Tower, the spectre impatiently explained to him the duality of the castle and of Maxim's souls. With these facts cleared up, Juste rushed even faster to locate and rescue Lydie. Finally meeting up with Maxim while the man was in his right mind, Maxim revealed that it had been his alterego who kidnapped Lydie. He gave Juste his treasured bracelet and told him that it could be used to open the door to the Castle Keep where Lydie was being safely hidden. Juste proceeded to the keep, but totally forgot about one important fact -- Death was trailing him. No sooner had he spoken to Lydie than had Death seized the girl, proclaiming her to be the perfect sacrifice to restore life to Dracula. Juste chased after Death, finally finding him in the lower reaches of the first of the two castles, but Lydie was no longer with him. Uncertain of her fate, Juste defeated Death and continued to search the castle. At last, he found a great fist in the keep holding an orb, and when he destroyed it, he magically sensed that a door had opened in the heart of both castles. Not knowing for sure in which castle he would find Lydie, Juste had to make a choice. He chose to re-enter the hellish castle and search there first. To his surprise, he had chosen correctly, for there he found both Maxim and Lydie. But, Maxim had fully succumbed to the power of Dracula and had bitten Lydie. It seemed that Juste was just a moment too late. Maxim challenged Juste to battle. Juste, knowing that his friend was still somewhere within the raging Maxim before him, chose to wear his friend's treasured bracelet along with his own. When the intense battle finally subsided, Maxim struggled hard against Dracula's control, changing violently between the two personalities with him. When the real Maxim realized that Juste was wearing his bracelet to honor him, he seized control of himself and would not allow Dracula to overtake him. Dracula, however, realized that Juste now possessed his remains. Declaring that he no longer needed Maxim as his puppet, he fled into the remains, which magically rose in the air and combined. Dracula was again alive, but in this state, having more or less resurrected himself, he was weaker than he had ever been before. Juste slayed the Dracula Wraith with vehement wrath, and he and Maxim fled the crumbling castle with the possibly dead Lydie in their arms. Once outside the castle, Juste noted that Lydie's wounds had faded and that it looked like she would regain consciousness. She awoke to find Maxim and Juste standing over her with concerned looks, but she had lost most of her memory of the events inside the castle. Maxim wanted to tell her the truth, but Juste felt it was better to keep her ignorant of what had happened. The two nearly came to blows over this disagreement, but Lydie played the peace- maker and settled them both down. Together, the three returned to Juste's home to talk about what had happened. ==== 1792 -- Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (Dracula X: Rondo of Blood) ==== Resurrected by the Dark Priest Shaft, Dracula immediately set about terror- izing Transylvania and plotting once again to rule the world. Deciding to play the kidnapping card again as he had long ago with Soleiyu, Dracula had his minions burn the town of Jova and seize several of its inhabitants, for use as leverage against any who would attack him. Key amongst those who were taken to the dark castle were Annette Renard, girlfriend of Richter Belmont, and her kid sister Maria. Richter Belmont, whose training had unleashed in him many before-unseen powers, was ready for the challenge, but was severely limited in what actions he could take because of the kidnappings. In order to attack Dracula with his full power, he would first need to rescue the kidnapped villagers and his girlfriend. He set about this task from the still-burning ruins of Jova, proceeding through the Transylvanian countryside and entering Castlevania. At long last, he found the villagers, Annette, and Maria locked away inside a deep dungeon. Freeing them, he then turned to battle Dracula. However, young Maria, who unbeknownst to most was magically gifted, refused to leave the castle, and instead intended to battle alongside Richter, using her ability to summon familiar spirits to aid him. Richter agreed, although it seemed like madness for a child to be in such a place, and together, the two battled ever onward. Once they reached the castle keep, Richter told Maria to leave the rest to him, as only he bore the Vampire Killer whip which would destroy the Dark Count. Maria agreed, but took up a position from which she could watch the battle. Richter approached the Count, who pridefully boasted the facts of his resurrection at the hands of humans, and stated that his rule of darkness was no more oppressive or enslaving than any religion. Richter's rage grew higher and higher, and finally, Dracula threw down his glass and declared that they had talked long enough. The two battled for what seemed like an eternity. Richter, using his special acrobatic combat skills and magical item crash abilities, made Dracula seem like no match. However, with one swift and unexpected move, Dracula obtained the upper hand and Richter was in trouble. Before the battle could turn sour, though, Maria burst from the shadows and summoned her four friendly animal spirits to give strength to Richter. With this newfound power coursing through him, the vampire hunter could not be defeated, and drove Dracula to his end. After watching Castlevania collapse once more, Richter and Maria returned to where the villagers had gathered and recounted their stories. Richter and Annette went on to be married and started a happy life together, not expecting any further trouble in the future. ==== c.1796 -- Richter disappears ============================================ Four years after Richter destroyed Dracula, an unholy full moon rose to shine on Transylvania. Richter set out to investigate this aura of evil, but vanished mysteriously under the glare, leaving no trace of his whereabouts. After Richter failed to return, Maria Renard immediately felt that something was wrong, and set out to search for her missing brother-in-law. ==== 1797 -- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ============================== Having searched for Richter for an entire year, Maria was nearing the end of her thus far fruitless efforts. As soon as she had felt despair, however, Castlevania suddenly materialized from the mist before her as if to point the way. She entered the dark castle and began exploring it alone, in search of any clues. Unbeknownst to anyone, Richter had been kidnapped by the Dark Priest Shaft, whose plan it was to use the Belmont in a plot to ensure Dracula's return and eternal rule. Controlling Richter magically, he made him into the lord of Castlevania, giving him full control of the demonic structure in Dracula's absence. This ensured that any who would come to challenge Dracula would have to face Richter first, and given the vampire hunter's supreme power, Shaft was certain that none could defeat him. At this same time, powerful forces were struggling for the soul of an ancient and powerful warrior. Sensing the violent shift in power that occured with Richter's forceful conversion to evil, and feeling the danger of a Transylvania bereft of a Belmont protector, Alucard, the half-human son of Dracula, awoke from his long sleep for the first time since aiding Trevor Belmont in 1476. Knowing, but fearing, what he had to do, he set off for Castlevania. Once there, Alucard soon met Maria. Not trusting her at first, he remained cold and distant. Soon, however, he learned that she was searching for Richter Belmont, whose disappearance was the ultimate cause of what Alucard had felt. He agreed to help Maria in her search for Richter. Alucard succeeded in finding Richter, but their meeting was not at all amicable. Richter, sitting in the Lord's seat of the Collisseum's ampitheater, proclaimed himself to be the lord of the castle, and summoned powerful demons to destroy Alucard. Confused, Alucard later found Maria and told her of what he had seen. Maria at first refused to believe him, and ran away to see for herself. Alucard continued to comb the castle for both relics and answers. Once he had obtained two special rings, he was able to open a door in the heart of the castle which lead to a mysterious ceremonial chamber. Within, he met Maria again, who told him that she had verified what he had earlier told her -- Richter had joined the enemy. However, Maria knew in her heart that Richter was strong and good, and would never willingly do such a thing. Believing that he must be under the control of some evil, she gave Alucard some special glasses she had found which could see through any illusion, and pleaded with him to save Richter. Telling her to pray for her friend's soul, he set out for the castle keep to confront the vampire killer. Fighting against a Belmont for no less than the third time, Alucard was truly amazed at how the power of the bloodline had increased over time. Using Holy Mail to deflect Richter's attacks, and a Holy Sword which could not damage the vampire hunter, Alucard held back the man's savage attacks long enough to put on the magical glasses and look for the illusion. Above Richter he spied a green spell orb, hovering in circles. Instantly recognizing the puppeteering magic that was at work, Alucard smashed the sphere with his Holy Sword even as Richter continued trying to destroy him. At last freed from control, Richter fell to the floor, confused and astonished. Maria came running to see what had transpired, and before the three of them appeared the specter of Shaft, proclaiming that the resurrection of Dracula was at hand. To their horror, the Dark Priest then summoned a twin Demon Castle from the sky, which hung pre- cariously from the clouds, inverted. Alucard felt the power of his father flowing from this new castle. After briefly introducing himself to Richter, he urged Maria to take him to safety, telling them to leave the defeat of Shaft and the destruction of Dracula to him. They complied, and Alucard grudgingly faced the prospect of having to fight his father once again. After an even longer quest in the inverted castle, during which Alucard faced almost all of his father's minions, including Medusa, The Monster, Akmodan II, Death, and the would-be successor to the throne of the underworld, Galamoth. Once he had explored every nook of the new castle and had retrieved the five remains of his father, he brought them to the heart of the castle, and the door to the inverted ceremonial room opened for him as the clock struck thirteen. Within, he confronted Shaft, who babbled on mindlessly about his desire for the rule of Chaos and the coming of eternal darkness. Alucard swiftly defeated the insane warlock, sending him to his ultimate doom. However, having brought the remains of Dracula into the ceremonial room, Alucard had unwittingly completed the acts necessary to resurrect his father, who swiftly appeared before him as darkness flooded from an evil eye. Alucard refused his father's futile offer to return to his service. Enraged as he always had been by his son's alliance with humans, Dracula revealed his true form and fought his son in an epic battle. When the combat subsided, it was Alucard who stood victorious. Even as Chaos began to envelop him, Dracula pleaded with Alucard to tell him the last words of Lisa, Alucard's mother, the last woman whom Dracula had ever loved. Alucard told him these words: "Do not despise humans, for theirs is already a hard lot. If you cannot live with them, at least do them no harm." He also told Dracula that Lisa said she would love him forever. Pleading in vain for the woman's forgiveness, perhaps finally feeling some form of regret his 400 years of ultimate sin, Dracula vanished in a flash of light. Alucard met Richter and Maria outside the ruins of the terrestrial castle. Richter apologized, blaming himself for making Alucard fight his own father. Alucard placed no blame on the man, however. He simply told him that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph was for good men to do nothing. He then proclaimed that he would return to sleep, in order to purge the world of his cursed bloodline. As he left, though, Richter asked Maria if she wanted to pursue the dhampir. With a moment's hesitation, she told Richter that she had grown to love Alucard, and could not let him leave her life. So Richter bid Maria farewell, and she chased after Alucard. Their fate, together or apart, remains unknown thus far. ==== c.1820 -- Morris Baldwin seals away Dracula ============================= Morris Baldwin, master vampire hunter, lead a group of warriors of Belmont blood, including the Graves family, against Dracula. But, having discovered the secret of how to seal away Castlevania and thus break Dracula's cycle of regeneration, they awaited the solar eclipse, then attacked Dracula together with their combined powers. The Graves battled valiantly during the fight with Dracula, but sadly, did not survive. Their young son Nathan was left an orphan, and was adopted by Morris, who raised the boy alongside his own son, Hugh. Unfortunately, the eclipse of 1820 was only brief and partial, and this together with the untimely death of the Graves left Morris' seal weakened. It could be broken, but not by Dracula alone. Unless some fiend arose and found out how to break the seal, it would remain... ==== 1830 -- Castlevania: Circle of the Moon ================================= 10 years had passed since Morris Baldwin placed his seal on the Dark Lord, and thus far it had remained unchallenged. Both Hugh and Nathan had grown into strong warriors, very nearly equal in their skills, with Hugh the superior of the two by a small margin. However, despite his demonstrated ability to outdo Nathan, Morris had favored Nathan, and had chosen him to inherit the Vampire Killer whip over his own son. This embittered Hugh, who then came to view Nathan purely as a rival and no longer as a friend or comrade. This was the state of affairs when the evil, fiendish Camilla, herself only recently resurrected from the dead, discovered the nature of Morris's seal, and set about breaking it in an old castle in Austria. Morris, Hugh, and Nathan quickly sensed a disturbance in nature, and rushed the great distance to Austria to stop the pending resuscitation. However, they arrived just moments too late. Camilla had broken the seal, and Dracula, though weakened by his 10 year confinement, was alive and well once again. Dracula knew he would need his full power swiftly though, and decided that it would be suitably ironic to use the power of his former captor in order to retrieve it. Casting Hugh and Nathan into a deep pit that lead to the lowest catacomb of the castle, Dracula took the startled Morris prisoner and awaited only the full moon to finish the ritual. Meanwhile, Hugh and Nathan recovered from their fall to find themselves lost in the depths of the castle, which the spirit of Castlevania had now settled over. Hugh, full of his own ego and of disdain for Nathan, told his counter- part to leave the castle as he would "only be in the way," and to leave the rescue of his father to him. Nathan let Hugh go ahead, but had no intentions of leaving. With the Vampire Killer whip in hand, he set forth on his adventure. Nathan faced many fierce challenges, but was also able to find a set of very powerful magic cards, which enabled him to cast powerful spells of all sorts. He learned to master the cards and used them to their fullest during his battle, increasing his strength dramatically over the course of his journey. However, Nathan encountered Hugh more than once, and each time his former comrade seemed less and less himself, and more and more of a bitter, jealous enemy. When Nathan was nearing the end of his quest and found himself in battle with Camilla, the demoness told him in no uncertain terms that his friend had given himself over to darkness. Nathan did not want to believe this, of course, but he knew that it fit with Hugh's recent irrational attitude perfectly. Once Nathan reached the highest room of the castle's observatory, he learned the truth for himself. Hugh stood before him ready to battle, proclaiming that Dracula had given him new power to defeat Nathan. The two former training partners now faced each other as enemies in a deadly battle. Hugh, though he fought with a sword, was an even match for Nathan physically. However, his blind rage and the darkness he had let into his heart proved to be his weak- nesses, and Nathan drove him beyond his own limit. Once Hugh finally conceded, the power of Dracula passed from him and he was left to see the folly of his own actions. Humiliated, he begged Nathan to forgive him and to save his father. Nathan was understanding and did not want to see Hugh like this, but Hugh simply asked him to allow him self-pity for the time being. Nathan seized the Last Key which would allow him to enter the Ceremonial Room, and rushed there quickly. He was just in time, as Dracula was preparing the final acts of the ritual to restore his power. He engaged the Prince of Darkness in battle just as all those who had come before him. Easily defeating Dracula in his human form, the demon fled to the Chaotic Realm, proclaiming his obvious need for more power. Hugh seized the opportunity to dash in and help Nathan release Morris. Hugh told Nathan to destroy Dracula, and that he would take Morris outside. Nathan agreed and stepped into the beam of unholy light into which Dracula had vanished. A collosal battle then began between Nathan and Dracula in demonic form. Nathan used his whip and his magic cards expertly, and dealt the dark Prince his end. Outside the castle, Nathan found Hugh with Morris, who was recovering from his injuries. Hugh, now having admitted his emotional weakness and having under- stood why Nathan had been chosen over him, was respectful and friendly, and was excited to rebegin his training with Nathan's help. Nathan was glad to have his old friend back. ==== 1844 -- Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness - Cornell ======================= Death, the evil witch Actrise, and the vampire Gilles de Rais resurrected Dracula with the sacrifice of a virgin in an old Wallachian castle on the land of the Oldrey manor. In a plot to give the Count a new, living body, they secured the help of a man-beast named Ortega, and used him to kidnap Ada, the sister of the man-beast Cornell who, through severe ascetic training, had learned to unleash the sealed man-beast power within him. The man-beasts had long ago decided to live peacefully with humans, and had sealed their powers away in order to prevent them from being abused. Cornell felt that it was possible to use his powers for the good of humanity, however. This is why he left on his journey of ascetic training. He returned only to find his village a lotus flower of flames. Tracking his sister's scent, he was eventually lead to the outskirts of the Oldrey manor. There he ran into Ortega, his old rival. Ortega made it clear immediately that it was he who had kidnapped Ada, in exchange for power given to him by Dracula. Cornell was astonished, asking the other man-beast if he had sold his soul to the Devil. Ortega only laughed and walked away. When Cornell finally reached the Oldrey manor, he found its occupants in distress. The master of the estate had been made a vampire by Gilles de Rais, and the madman was actively trying to turn the rest of his family, including his wife Mary and his young son Henry. Mary pleaded with Cornell to save her son, offering him a key he would need in exchange for the boy's safety. Cornell didn't need to be bribed, however, and gladly led the boy to safety through the manor's perilous garden maze, where The Monster himself had been promoted to master groundskeeper. Once in the castle, Cornell scaled the outer walls as a shortcut to the lofty towers, whose engineering was so crafty that they could be magically realign- ed, requiring every adventurer to take a different path. Cornell wasn't lucky. The towers were arranged such that he would have to pass through all six, including the Tower of Art, a trap designed to make him lose days in his quest by requiring him to travel forward 12 hours in time just to pass through each subsequent door. After braving all these challenges, he met Ortega one last time at the foot of the Clock Tower. Ortega was determined to settle his score with Cornell -- he had been deathly bitter about being defeated by his former friend many years ago. It was this bloodlust which led him to accept Dracula's offer. Now fully able to unlock his own man-beast potential through Dracula's power, Ortega transformed into a horrible lion-like chimera and savagely attacked Cornell. The battle was furious, and Cornell had to use his own wolf power to fully defeat Ortega. Once he had fallen and reverted to his human form, Ortega felt satisfied, but also horribly remorseful. He had faced Cornell with his full power, and had seen Cornell give everything he had to defeat him. But he had indeed sold his soul to the Devil, killing so many villagers and endangering Ada. There was now nothing he could do to help right his wrongs. Dracula's meddling could not hold the man-beast magic steady, and Ortega felt his powers spiraling out of control. Warning Cornell to keep back for his own safety, Ortega took the only option he had remaining, and cast himself from the high rooftop, exploding in a brilliant flash of light. Cornell was deeply saddened by everything that had occured, but knew that he had to press on. Cornell finally found Ada in the Clock Tower, with the direction that Ortega had provided him in his last breaths, but Death appeared and wrested her from his arms. The end-game was rapidly approaching, and the trio of evil-doers had Cornell almost exactly where they wanted him. Oblivious to their plans, Cornell proceeded to the Castle Keep and confronted Dracula, who was holding Ada prisoner in a magic crystal. Dracula tested Cornell's powers in battle and was impressed, but knew that to bring this battle to its conclusion, he would have to make Cornell falter. He attempted to shatter the man-beast by bringing to light the truth about Ada -- that she was not in fact Cornell's sister, but a survivor of the humans who had been killed by the man-beasts before they had made peace. Dracula accused Cornell of being nothing more than a shallow deceiver interested only in his own salvation. Cornell was indeed shaken by these words, unsure of how true they might be. However, he had little time to ponder them, as Dracula absorbed Ada into his body and transported Cornell away into the Chaotic Realm. There, Cornell fought a desperate battle against Dracula Ultimate. Finally achieving victory, Dracula began to sink into the dark mist. However, Cornell saw that Dracula was going to take Ada, still imprisoned in a crystal, into the underworld with him. Unable to penetrate the barriers of dark energy swirling around Dracula, Cornell finally willed his man-beast power to leave his body and to shatter the crystal imprisoning Ada. Before the man-beast soul could return, however, the dying Dracula grabbed it and pulled it down with him, leaving Cornell a mere mortal. Cornell and Ada later found Henry Oldrey, and the three left to rebuild their village. Cornell despaired over what Dracula had said for a while, but with the help of Ada, he realized that the vampire's words were untrue. He did love Ada and continued to care for her for the rest of his life. However, back in Castlevania, Death was completing the plan. Above the coffin of Dracula was Cornell's wolf soul, sealed in a crystal. Actrise was thrilled, stating that it was as much power as the crystal could possibly contain. With a wave of his scythe, Death used the power of the wolf soul to predestine the rebirth of Dracula in a mortal boy. ==== 1852 - Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness - Reinhardt, Carrie, Henry ======= The Vampire Killer was passed to Reinhardt Schneider, another man of Belmont blood to whom the ancestral name was lost, but not the fate which accompanied it. Having seen a Blood Moon rise, fulfilling a prophecy made by a priest of the Orthodox Church eight years before, he set out for the old castle. At the same time, a young girl named Carrie Fernandez also set her sites on Castlevania. A descendent of Sypha Belnades, most of her family had been killed many years ago in a raid by Dracula's minions, leaving her an orphan. Her adoptive family would meet the same fate. When the Blood Moon rose, she felt the calling of her bloodline and set out to destroy the Dark Lord herself. While these two brave warriors risked their lives battling against the Devil, the Church dispatched a lone soldier, equipped with a blessed rifle, to look for children who had been recently kidnapped by Dracula. That soldier's name was Henry Oldrey, the same who had earlier been rescued from certain doom by Cornell. He felt it was his duty to take up the role of his hero by rescuing the kidnapped children. As these three launched their assault on Castlevania, each found a different path and faced different challenges. Reinhardt encountered the lovely but cursed Rosa, a young woman who had been brought to the castle and was doomed to slowly become a vampire. Carrie was constantly harrassed by the witch Actrise, who was intimately familiar with the power of her bloodline, and tried to tempt Carrie into joining the side of evil. Henry succeeded in finding all the missing children in only seven days' time. There was one other child in the castle whom Henry did not meet, however -- a blue-haired, blue-eyed boy named Malus. Reinhardt and Carrie both had meetings with Malus, however. Each time they met him, his behavior grew more and more confusing. He changed from a lost, frightened child into a red-eyed maniac raving about the power of Dracula with little warning. Reinhardt would eventually be forced to battle Rosa by Death, who was using the maiden to torment the brave warrior. Atop the Clock Tower, just as several of Death's scythes were about to bury themselves into Reinhardt's chest, Rosa jumped in the way, taking the blow full-on. She died in Reinhardt's arms as he told her that God would forgive her. He then went on to destroy Death. Carrie would find herself locked in battle with Actrise at around the same time. Horrified by the witch's confession of sacrificing a hundred children to Dracula, including her own, Carrie destroyed her and at last felt she had vengeance for her family. It is unclear which of these two warriors went on to defeat Dracula at the top of the castle keep. What they both found out was that the boy Malus was not just a boy, but was actually the mortal reincarnation of Vlad Tepes himself. Malus morphed into the fullgrown Vlad before their eyes. He explained that the Dracula they thought they had defeated was a decoy -- the guardian of his sleeping spirit. He demanded that the warriors grovel at his feet like worms, but they refused. Even as the castle keep collapsed, the battle raged on. Eventually Vlad was defeated, and in his place was Malus, once again seeming to be a human boy. Reinhardt truly believed that Dracula had been banished from the boy's body, but just as he was about to offer a hand to him, blue flames burst up around the child. Reinhardt wheeled around to see Charlie Vincent, an eccentric old man who thought himself a master vampire hunter, clutching a bottle of holy water. "Don't you see? This child is Dracula himself!", he said. Malus's eyes again turned deep red and from his mouth Dracula's voice spoke abominations. Reinhardt and Carrie were spirited away into an alternate reality, where nothing could be seen but endless, unfeatured desert. Suddenly they each heard a terrible roar, and turned to see before them Dracula in dragon form. They succeeded in defeating Dracula, although the battle was epic. Dracula breathed columns of fire, summoned great flame dragons, hurled dangerous explosives, and sent shockwaves through the ground. In the end, both warriors had to turn away as Dracula, burning and sinking into a black pool, was consumed by a ray of unholy light, his ear piercing shrieks and bellowing roars the only audible sound. Both of the warriors were transported to different places, and they watched as Castlevania crumbled into the now purified lake that surrounded it. Reinhardt had achieved victory, but he despaired in the fact that the battle with evil would never end. Suddenly, a beam of light shone down upon him, and a single red rose fell near his feet. As he looked up, he saw Rosa before him, returned to life as a human. She embraced Reinhardt, and his sorrow was suddenly lifted from him. He told her that even though the battle against evil would last forever, it was the humans who would win because they had love, and they had hope in one another, and that the power of these together could defeat any evil. They went off to start a new life together. Carrie left to return to the nearby village. On the way, she asked the peasant giving her a ride to let her off at the bottom of a grassy hill. She went up to visit her mother's grave for the first time in a few years. After placing some beautiful flowers on the headstone, she turned and looked at the sky, and she felt truly happy at last, for she had avenged her family's deaths and had fulfilled her destiny in helping to destroy Dracula. She knew that somewhere, her mother was smiling down on her. ==== 1897 -- Bram Stoker's Dracula =========================================== Quincey Morris, an American citizen but Belmont by blood, and his friend Jonathan Harker destroyed Dracula after a dramatic chase took them from England to Romania under the leadership of the enigmatic Doctor Van Helsing. Dracula had traveled to England to find Jonathan's fiancee, Mina, who bore a striking resemblence to Dracula's first love, Elizabeta. It was the loss of this first love which had originally driven him to renounce God and become the Prince of Darkness. Though he had later married Lisa, Alucard's mother, he never forgot his first love or the pain of losing her. Jonathan had been sent to the Count's castle to close a real estate deal which the now-insane Renfield had failed to complete, and when Dracula saw a picture of the young man's fiancee, he was instantly overcome with obsession After seducing her and infecting her with the curse, Dracula took flight back to Transylvania. In an effort to draw him out, Van Helsing brought Mina to Romania and into the depths of the Demon Castle itself, as Quincey and the others attempted to head Dracula off. It was at the castle, just before dusk, that Quincey and Jonathan finally caught up with Dracula. Quincey dug his bowie knife into Dracula's chest, beginning the process of destroying him, but he was attacked by Dracula's gypsie servants, who inflicted mortal wounds upon him. He died shortly thereafter, leaving behind his young son John. ==== 1917 -- Castlevania: Bloodlines ========================================= Drolta Tzuentes, a naive witch practicing black magic, accidentally resur- rected the vampire countess Elizabeth Bartley. Bartley, who was the niece of Vlad Tepes, had been tried for vampirism and executed centuries earlier. Her cruelty was widely reknowned and had become the stuff of legends. It was said that she bathed in the blood of a virgin girl daily, in the belief that doing so would give her eternal youth. She was probably truly brought over to vampirism by her uncle, not long after he obtained his powers. Countess Bartley, yearning for power and the blood of innocents, set about to resurrect her uncle. John Morris, who had remained in Europe after the death of his father, soon learned of his Belmont heritage. Through various contacts, he learned of the family history, and most importantly, of the Vampire Killer whip, which was passed on to him at that point so that he could learn to use it. He feared the resurrection of Dracula, but also longed to avenge the death of his father. Not long after Elizabeth Bartley's resurrection, fiendish happenings began to occur in John's home town, where he lived along with his good friend, Eric Lecarde. Eric was newly married, and was just settling in to the life of a husband. Then one day, tragedy struck. Eric came home to find his wife missing. Alerting the local authorities, they lead him to Drolta, who had recently been arrested on complaints of animal sacrifice. She told him to look for the Countess. He set out at once, and when he found her, he also found his wife, newly made into a vampire. With terrible pain, he was forced to slay her. He warned the Countess that he would utterly destroy her, but she only laughed, mocking him, and then escaped as a cloud of mist. Eric found John as fast as he could, and the two set off together, following Countess Bartley on her mad quest through Europe. She was searching for the remnants of Dracula's minions, who she hoped would aid her in resurrecting the Count. Eric battled with his mystic heirloom Alcarde spear, and John wielded the mighty Vampire Killer with skill. Together, they defeated all the minions with whom Bartley had met, but it seemed they were always a step behind. Bartley eventually gained enough power and knowledge to resurrect her uncle. But as soon as she had completed her task, Eric and John caught up with her. After destroying her, they turned to Dracula and put an end to him. Eric avenged his wife, and John his father. The two warriors returned home to restart their lives on a new note. ==== c.1999 ================================================================== Julius Belmont, modern-day direct descendent of the Belmont clan, lead a group of warriors into Castlevania. Millennialist cult members planned to use the power of Dracula to bring to pass Nostradamus's prediction that the world would end at the end of the 20th century, and they had succeeded in resurrect- ing the Dark Lord. Having studied the annals of his predecessor Morris Baldwin, Julius believed it was possible to end forever Dracula's cycle of regeneration. Following the instructions left to him, he reformulated the great spell by which the spirit of Castlevania itself could be sealed away into a solar eclipse. After defeat- ing Dracula, he and the other warriors began the incantation. Though they were fighting against all odds, their work paid off. As the last total solar eclipse of the 20th century reached completion over Wallachia, the Demon Castle vanished from the earthly plane for what they hoped would be eternity. With the basis of his power locked away, Dracula could no longer be resur- rected on the earthly plane. His spirit would be locked away in Castlevania for as long as the seal remained. Thus the cycle of regeneration did indeed come to an end. Julius and the other warriors lost all memory of their lives and of what had happened as a result of the enormous powers they had employed and fought against. The Church and various governments worked together to try to cover up what had happened and to erase the history of Dracula, hoping that he had truly become nothing more than legend. ==== 2035 -- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow ===================================== Castlevania suddenly and mysteriously appeared in Japan during the first solar eclipse of the 21st century. Julius's seal was not entirely permanent, and the reappearance of Castlevania had been prophesized some time earlier. One of the believers in this prophecy was Graham Jones, leader and missionary of a new, mysterious cult. Soma Cruz, a European visiting Japan as an exchange student, was visiting the Hakuba Shrine with his childhood friend, Mina, to view the eclipse. The two were knocked unconscious as soon as they had entered the shrine. They awoke to find themselves within the demon castle. Soma immediately met the cold and powerful Genya Arikado, who claimed to be an intelligence agent. He helped fend off a sudden surprise attack at the castle gates, and explained to Soma where he was. He also told Soma that he had the ability to control monsters, which seriously confused him. Soma didn't fully believe what he was being told, but he seemed to sense that Arikado could be trusted. He was told to come to the master's chamber, and that all would be explained there. Of course, to reach the chamber, Soma would need to explore the entire castle. On his way, he met a variety of characters who had assembled there for various reasons. First, he met Graham Jones, who at first seemed cordial and friendly. He met Yoko Belnades, a descendent of Sypha, who had been dispatched by the Church to observe the eclipse. He met 'J', a man who had been suffering from amnesia since 1999. Finally, he met Hammer, a soldier sent by the mili- tary to investigate the castle. He had decided instead to go AWOL and set up a shop at the castle gates. During his journey, Soma learned that Graham believed himself to be the one who would inherit Dracula's power, according to the prophecy. When Soma told Graham of his power to rule over monsters, Graham went crazy and denied the possibility. When Soma next ran into Yoko, she told him that Soma's revelation had thrown Graham into a panic, and that his confusion and desperation would make him vulnerable. Yoko ran off to confront Graham on her own before Soma could even have a say. Before long, Soma found the two of them, and just in time to save Yoko from death by Graham's dagger. He had stabbed the young woman once already, and would surely have finished her off had Soma not appeared. Graham cursed him and fled to the castle's topmost floor. Soma gave chase after exploring the rest of the castle and collecting the souls which he needed to make his way to the uppermost areas. He chose the souls he would command for his battle against Graham by taking the advice of Genya Arikado to follow the three ancient tomes which he found in the castle. Upon entering the room with Graham, the man proclaimed himself Dracula, and accused Soma of grand theft for stealing the souls of his monsters. He said that Soma would receive the penalty of death, and thus their battle began. It seemed that if not for Soma, Graham truly would have become Dracula. However, after the "missionary" had turned into a horrible beast and Soma had put an end to his lunacy, he died shrieking that his defeat must mean that he was not Dracula after all. Soma was relieved in victory, believing for a moment that he had defeated Dracula and ended his resurrection, but then a foul aura surrounded him and an intense power flooded into his body, changing him. In horror, he realized that it was he who was truly destined to become Dracula. Genya Arikado, who was in actuality Alucard in disguise, felt the transfer of power, and he was there, ready to confront Soma. Though the power of Dracula had begun to enter Soma, Alucard was using his powers to slow the transfer and prevent its completion. He explained to the disheveled Soma that it was he who had brought him here intentionally, so that he could control Soma's transformation and help him battle against it. Soma was exasperated, but he knew that he had to fight to keep his own soul. Alucard revealed to him his one last hope. The source of Dracula's power lay in the Chaotic Realm, beyond a black door which only Dracula himself could open. Alucard told Soma that he would have to go to this place, and confront the pure source of Chaos. If Soma was to enter that place and lose, it would mean the return of Dracula. If he were to win, it would mean yet another reprieve from the Dark Lord's return. Soma set out for the mystic portal without hesitation. However, before he could enter through the gateway, he was stopped by Julius Belmont, who had earlier regained his memory and told Soma of his role in the sealing of Castlevania and of his fate in the battle against Dracula. Julius now knew that Soma was to become Dracula, but did not understand that he had not yet fully become the Dark Lord. So, the two were forced to battle. Soma did not wish to fight or injure Julius, and so he restrained his power. At the same time, Julius felt Soma's own soul within his body, and he did not attack with his full strength. When both of the men realized the futility of their struggle, they ceased the foolishness. Soma told Julius what was happening, and that he had to enter the portal to fight against his own fate. Julius understood completely. Before Soma left, he asked Julius a favor. He asked Julius to kill him if he were to lose his battle and return as Dracula. The vampire hunter replied that he would honor this request. So, Soma entered the portal to the Chaotic Realm, and fought through its bizarre, mind-numbing reality. When he at last reached the end, he faced Chaos itself. In an incredible battle for all the ages, he succeeded in defeating the cosmic force and prevented himself from becoming Dracula, but not without help from all his friends, who combined their powers to send him a message of hope. Once Soma won the battle, he and everyone else were transported back to the shrine. He awoke in Mina's arms, and she promised him that she would be there to help him should anything bad ever happen. As the solar eclipse passed, Castlevania faded away with it, and the terror which had so swifty descended was lifted away. Julius said that he felt the power of the Vampire Killer fade along with the castle, and said that he did not fully understand what it meant. Perhaps the weapon had fulfilled its full purpose and would no longer be needed. But perhaps, if the evil of Dracula someday returned, it too would reawaken... ==== 2036 -- Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow ===================================== [Coming Soon] ==== THE END? ================================================================ ==== Historical Connections ================================================== As many people already know, the Castlevania storyline contains many historical connections. --- A Short History of Vlad III Dracula "Tepes" --- -- Lineage -- First and foremost is the link to the actual Wallachian prince Vlad III Draculea (sometimes transliterated as Draculya, and usually now Anglicized as Dracula). His father, Vlad II, who was prince of Transylvania, had been made a member of the Order of the Dragon by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund in 1431. Dragon translates to Dracul in Romanian, which can, most interestingly, also mean Devil. Draculea is the title which was given to his son, born the same year, and literally means "Son of the Dragon/Devil". Vlad II had invaded Wallachia from Transylvania in 1437 in an effort to unseat the weak Danesti prince there who paid tribute to the Ottoman Turks. After a visit to the Turkish sultanate, Vlad Dracula and his brother, Radu the Handsome, were held hostage to ensure Vlad II's complicity. They would remain at the royal court for many years. Ten years later, Vlad II was assassinated along with his eldest son Mircea (named for his ancestor Mircea the Old, who was one of the most powerful princes of Wallachia) by order of the Romanian boyars, who were powerful nobles who elected the prince of Wallachia and who were allied with Hungary at this time. -- Vlad's First Rule -- In 1448, Dracula was released from the court of the Turkish sultan, while his brother stayed behind. He shortly arrived in Targoviste, which was the capital of Wallachia at that time, and declared himself prince. However, his reign at this time would be short, lasting only two months before he was forced into exile by the Hungarians, who returned their own puppet prince to the throne. However, one of his first acts while on the throne was to invite the boyars to a great feast. Confronting them as traitors and seeking revenge for the deaths of his father and brother, he had most of them impaled immediately. The rest were sent north to labor to the death rebuilding the old Poenari Castle, high above the Arges river. It was this castle which would become the true Castle Dracula. -- Vlad's Second Rule -- After extensive training, Vlad returned with a sizable army in 1456 and regained the Wallachian throne. He would remain in power until 1462, and it was during this time that his reputation as a cruel tyrant would grow. Because of his total intolerance of all crime and immorality, and his habit of impaling his enemies and criminals, he was given the name "Tepes," meaning "the Impaler." At this time, only his enemies dared to call him this. When Vlad was forced to retreat from Targoviste by the Turks, he instituted a scorched earth policy. Crops and villages were burned; wells were poisoned; and criminals, lepers, and plague-bearing men were released to mingle with the enemy. One Turk named Mahmud Pasha recorded the following: "For six leagues not a drop of water was to be found. The intensity of the heat caused by the scorching sun was so great that the armor seemed as if it would melt like a lighted candle." When the Turks finally reached Targoviste, they noted this: "Sultan Mehmed marched on for about five kilometers when he saw men impaled; the Sultan's army came across a field of stakes, about three kilometers long and one kilometer wide. And there were large stakes upon which he could see the impaled bodies of men, women, and children, about twenty-thousand of them... And the other Turks, seeing so many people impaled, were scared out of their wits." It is said that the Sultan was so sickened by this experience that he forsook the command of his troops, returned to Adrianople, and ever thereafter refused to take part in any battle. It is also said that Vlad's first wife leapt to her doom from a high tower of Poenari Castle when the Ottomans, under the command of no one other than Vlad's brother, Radu, laid siege to it and fired an arrow through a window, bearing with it a letter demanding immediate surrender. This legend is commonly used as the impetus for Vlad's conversion to vampirism in vampire literature, including Francis Ford Coppola's theatric adaptation of "Bram Stoker's Dracula." To this day, the area of the Arges river into which she fell is called the "Riul Doamnei," or "The Lady's River." -- Vlad's Final Rule -- Vlad Tepes resecured his throne during 1462, but he was tricked and imprisoned by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. He was forced to convert to Catholicism as a condition of his release, and he also took one of Corvinus's relatives, Ilona Szilágyi, as a new wife -- it is notable that she was kin of the Bathory clan as well. In 1474, Matthias decided that a strong Wallachia would help protect Hungary, and Vlad was given command of a contingent of soldiers. He left the city of Pest to invade Wallachia once more. Vlad would regain the Wallachian throne one final time in 1476, but he would fall in battle shortly thereafter. One legend says that as he climbed to the top of a hill to gain a better view of the carnage of battle, his own men mistook him for an enemy and attacked him with spears. It is rumored that his head was sent to Sultan Mehmed II as proof that Dracula, or as the Turks knew him, "Kaziglu Bey" (Impaler Prince), was truly dead. An excavation of Vlad Tepes' traditional grave in a Romanian abbey in 1931 found the grave to be mysteriously empty. Monks still keep a daily watch over the locale, however, giving honor to a man considered a national hero even in the absence of his remains. For more information on Vlad III Dracula, see the extensive encyclopedia article available at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_III_Dracula --- Correlations with Castlevania --- There are admittedly a number of problems with how the dates of Castlevania coincide with Dracula's actual periods of rule. Sonia was born around 1433, but the instruction booklet makes it sound as if Vlad Tepes is already in power and undead at that time, while the historical Vlad was only 17 when he first ruled Wallachia in 1448. Sonia fights Dracula in 1450, where the game's story says he is at the height of his power. This is actually the interregnum period for Dracula, after he was ousted in 1448, but before he returned in 1456 and reached what would be the height of his power. The Symphony of the Night instruction manual estimates Alucard's age in 1797 to be approximately 400 years. This would place Alucard's date of birth sometime around 1397, making him predate his father's real birth date by 34 years. It should be noted that Castlevania Legends is more or less consistent with this estimation, too. Alucard would be around 50 in 1450, but appears to be around 17. This is a typical rate of adolescent aging for a dhampir in most legends and stories. The historical Vlad Tepes' first wife leapt to her death from the high tower of Poenari Castle in 1462 when it was assailed by the Ottoman Turks. This wife and the story of her death are analogous to that which is explored in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, and not to Alucard's mother, who is said to be the only human that Dracula loved after becoming a vampire. This is a conflict which appears impossible to resolve in a simple manner. Vlad also took yet another wife after his imprisonment by Matthias Corvinus. Fortunately, the year 1476, in which Trevor Belmont fights Dracula, coincides perfectly with the end of Dracula's final actual reign. It could be said that, from a Castlevania point of view, the story of Vlad dying in battle against the Turks and having his head sent to the Sultan was just a cover story for the actual happenings. --- Solar Eclipses --- In the year 1999, the last total solar eclipse of the 20th century did indeed pass over parts of Romania, and reached totality there for around 5 minutes. Not only this, but it is, according to all the sites I have found, the ONLY total eclipse in this area in recorded history. Attention to this detail was a rather smart idea for the Castlevania story. However, the first total solar eclipse of the 21st century will NOT be in 2035 over Japan, which is an odd contrast in accuracy apparently used only as an excuse to use Japan as a setting for Aria of Sorrow. But, I have discovered something else even more interesting which has lead me to add some of my own ideas to the backstory for Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. According to various Internet sites, the longest partial solar eclipse over Romania between the 1200's and the 2300's was the 88% totality eclipse which occured on or around September 7, 1820 -- the very same year that Morris Baldwin sealed Dracula. Now, adding this to the thematic similarity with Aria of Sorrow, I believe there is a connection, even if not one intentionally added by the game designers. So, I have written my telling of the story such that it is Morris who discovered the method of sealing Castlevania, but that he was unable to fully carry out the ritual. This works perfectly because until the 1999 event, there would be no total eclipse in Romania. This conveniently ties in with my currently-in-progress fanfic, Castlevania: Crescent Moon Concerto. --- Names, Places, and People --- A lot of this is considered common knowledge among Castlevania fans, but this section wouldn't be complete without this information. * Mathias Cronqvist is believed to be derived from Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, who at first imprisoned Vlad Dracula, but later accepted him as a vassal lord, marrying to him one of his kin and eventually giving him a regiment of troops to attempt to retake Wallachia along with Stephen Bathory. * Warakiya, which is mentioned as a town in some Castlevania games, is derived from the name of the province which Vlad Tepes ruled, Wallachia. * The town of Veros is derived from Verossa, which is a historical town in Romania. I can't seem to find it on any modern maps, so I assume it no longer exists. Targovista, Dracula's former capital, does still exist, but it has changed a lot over the centuries. * Grant DaNasty's attempt at a funny last name is, as I mention in the timeline, derived from Danesti, the name of a clan which was rival to Vlad Tepes' line. I prefer to use this name for him, thinking that DaNasty would probably be a sort of nickname his pirate buddies gave him based on his actual clan affiliation. It fills in his character with a real motivation to be fighting Dracula. * Elizabeth Bartley is based on the historical figure, Erzabet Bathory. She was a Romanian countess, though no relation to Vlad Tepes, who is said to have bathed in the blood of young women in the belief that it would grant her eternal youth. She got into the habit of hiring servant girls for the express purpose of using them this way. * Drolta Tzuentes is based on Doroyotta Szentes, an actual historical accomplice of Erzabet Bathory who was accused of witchcraft. She, along with three other accomplices, was burned to death without a trial after the discovery of Bathory's torture and serial murder spree. * Gilles de Rais was a French nobleman and knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc. He was later put to trial and confessed to raping and killing children. He, like many of his colleagues, was put to death thereafter. * Though not previously mentioned here, the backstory for Castlevania Bloodlines implies that Elizabeth Bartley was involved in setting up the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in order to start the first World War as cover for her devious activities. --- Retcon Status (aka Anti-Igarashi Manifesto) --- Games which Igarashi has arbitrarily declared to have been retconned from the official storyline include the following: * Castlevania Legends Igarashi objects to the implied relationship between Sonia Belmont and Alucard. However, the US translation of the manual and game never state that their relationship was more than platonic, and certainly not that Sonia's child was Alucard's (let alone that Sonia's child is Trevor, although that is a reasonable, consistent assumption). These facts leave the details to the fans and should NOT be grounds for removal from the timeline. Igarashi also objects to the idea of a Belmont heroine, claiming it is both anachronistic and not acceptable to a predominately male fanbase. Apparently somewhat sexist, Igarashi did not then accept the usefulness of female characters except as fainting damsels in distress. The appearance and strong powers of Yoko Belnades in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow may point to a reversal in this unfortunate opinion, however. * Castlevania: Circle of the Moon I have never heard any explanation or justification for this game's retcon. Apparently rivalries between the now-defunct KCEK and KCET have led Igarashi to declare any game made by them non-canon, regardless of its quality. It is worthwhile to note that while Circle of the Moon received an overall warm reception from the fans, Igarashi publically complained that it had "many problems" in a game magazine interview, although he conveniently declined to elaborate on those alleged problems. His response to them was Harmony of Dissonance, which certainly had its own share of arguably much greater design issues. * Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness Continuing in his open contempt for KCEK and everything they made pertaining to Castlevania, Igarashi has completely retconned this game, including the quests of Cornell, Henry, Reinhardt, and Carrie. He stated without a single reservation in an interview that he HATED this game -- a very strong word to use about a product produced and endorsed by the company that employs him. It is ironic that it was Konami's own fault that the release of Legacy of Darkness was a failure and not KCEK's. The first release as "Castlevania" was terribly rushed and never should have happened. Konami's profiteeristic decision led to the shipping of a product that was virtually still in beta: it was rife with camera problems, poor stage design, and a terrible lack of promised features. This faux pas ensured that the vast improvements made in the later TRUE release would go mostly unappreciated by the fan base, a good portion of which regrettably ignored the second game on the principle of it being a rehash. Putting these things together, you begin to get a sense of not only the internal bickering and rivalries that were apparently present between KCEK and KCET, but also of Igarashi's bizarre need to purge the Castlevania universe of all influences but his own. I, along with a good number of other Castlevania fans, refuse to let these petty conflicts and self-righteous attitudes skew my own view of the timeline, and therefore I do not accept any of the aforementioned retcons. I prefer to offer alternate explanations, which are easy enough for the fans to formulate. Igarashi's incessant need to control these interpretations are what many fans sense as a totalitarian take-over and wish to resist. ==== FIN =====================================================================