Author Topic: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?  (Read 39052 times)

Offline Kuroimaken

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Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« on: March 29, 2013, 09:08:22 AM »
Castlevania.

The dwellings of one Vlad Tepes Dracula. While not everyone is familiar with the first two names, the third can give the faintest of heart a swift demise from rumors and imagination alone.

Although, perhaps "dwelling" is a misnomer. The place is a huge fortress. For over 500 years, no one has successfully gone much farther beyond the front gates - and oh how they have tried.

Having been contacted by a number of agents, the group has been summoned to this nefarious locale. The skies above Castlevania are forever kept overcast by the darkest of clouds. The occasional flash lights the sky briefly to illuminate the very death that surrounds the gigantic castle and the winged skeletons and harpies that occasionally float near the towers. The road to the main gate is closely watched by impaled, desiccated, animated corpses commonly known as the Scarecrows - the unfortunate fate of those who dared openly cross Dracula by attempting to invade the fortress. Not quite undead, and not quite alive, the Scarecrows are something in between - a punishment as eternal as evil itself, their souls partially ripped from their bodies so they may retain a sense of agony but never quite regain function. Despite the efforts of many compassionate priests, these poor creatures are unable to gain eternal rest in any way. Their souls cannot be fully ripped from their bodies, and their bodies cannot be permanently destroyed. As the group approaches, the Scarecrows moan towards each other, in something that is neither quite language nor code - merely a form of communication to their masters.

Death itself awaits past the threshold of the gates. Her voice is raspy and drawn-out, echoing slightly off the walls despite her best efforts to keep it to a civil level.

"Ah, our guests arrive. Come - the Master awaits at the audience hall."

Gesturing towards a pathway with its scythe, Death leads the way.

"Please try not to stray far. The local residents of Castlevania cannot tell guests from food if one of their superiors is not nearby."
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Offline oslecamo

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2013, 09:40:35 AM »
A female jester clad in grey and red, wielding a silver rod with a star in a tip, makes an elaborate bow with a smirk before starting to follow.

"Certainly, I know it's futile to try to run away from the mistress of the deceased.
Or perhaps the master just wants to  ensure we arrive intact for his personal feast."

Offline ariasderros

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2013, 09:49:12 AM »
"Please try not to stray far. The local residents of Castlevania cannot tell guests from food if one of their superiors is not nearby."

"Gratitudes. I am sure these fair would be more staunch than my normal... cuisine."
Voice is somewhat... gravelly right now. (Think Ron Perlman. Because when I think "talking basilisk", I think of his voice.)
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The 4' tall creature is dressed in cloth that fully covers the body (See Pic in C.Sheet). All you can see is the face around the eyes, and the ends of its hands. The skin is currently covered in dark brown scales, but the eyes are red ovals, without pupils, irises, or lids.

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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2013, 09:53:08 AM »
A rhyming jester? How quaint. At least she seemed more interesting to talk with than the small thing in scales. A leper, perhaps? Disgusting.

"If we're here to be dinner, I must question my presence," the blonde said, amused by the thought that they'd been invited to be Dracula's meal, "I am hardly edible for one such as himself."

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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2013, 02:32:13 PM »
Suddenly a cloud of iridescent purple smoke billows through the door.  A low, thrumming beat begins almost at the edge of hearing, slowly growing louder until it can be discerned as the growling of a thrashing drum kit.  Next, chanting is added to the mix, a wild and chaotic mass of syllables that writhes beneath the surface of intelligibility. High-pitched string whine in, adding to the dissonant noise as the smoke billows higher and higher. 

The cacophony reaches a climax, and you know something big is about to happen.  Then, the music explodes into harmony as a tremendous chord rings out, detonating all of the smoke into clarity.  Standing framed in the vanishing mist is a tiny backlit figure, no more than three feet high, holding a pose.



As the sound slowly fades away into nothingness, the echoes resound in your mind -- nay, your very soul.  The light begins to return to its normal level, as the figure lifts his head and straightens.  The backlight shrinks until it encircles his head like a halo, and before it winks out, he speaks a single word: "'Sup."
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Offline Concerned Ninja Citizen

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2013, 06:10:37 PM »
As the smoke clears an imposing armored figure strides up. Spikes and skulls adorn the midnight blue plating and beneath the helm there is a faint glint of red. Two warriors flank the armored form, a hulking female orc and a lanky youth with a bow and a slight smirk.

The three walk deliberately over to the posing artist and stop directly in front of him. From the depths of the armor comes a voice which says:

"COWBELL!?" The voice is that of an excited teenage girl, "I totally saw you play once, you were like epic awesome! You had that whole town rocking, even the jackbooted thugs were singing along! And the next day they all  cast off their shackles and rose up against the tyrants! Ok, so like half the town got slaughtered before I killed all the thugs but it was totally the power of ROCK!" She turns and notices the others, "Oh, I'm Jinna by the way, hi everyone."

Offline VennDygrem

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2013, 08:21:10 PM »
At the back of the procession walks a bespectacled man of roughly average height for a human man, perhaps even somewhat taller than average. He seems to keep himself keenly neat with well-groomed, medium-length dark hair and finely tailored clothes, though his face betrays a bit of ragged scruff. Clearly he hasn't shaved in days, though this seems to be his only lapse in personal hygiene. His gaze wanders in what appears to be equal parts curiosity and boredom.

The man stops, and with the cane he is walking with, taps the cranium of a skull laying in the street before using the same to brush it out of his path.

"Dreadful business, this. Though I suppose it cannot be helped; when the Lord of Castlevania beckons, one answers the call. I'm not surprised that even the Dark Master of Night and King of the Undead has need of a man of Scientific pursuits."

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2013, 04:52:48 PM »
"COWBELL!?" The voice is that of an excited teenage girl, "I totally saw you play once, you were like epic awesome! You had that whole town rocking, even the jackbooted thugs were singing along! And the next day they all  cast off their shackles and rose up against the tyrants! Ok, so like half the town got slaughtered before I killed all the thugs but it was totally the power of ROCK!" She turns and notices the others, "Oh, I'm Jinna by the way, hi everyone."

The Artist Formerly Known As Cowbell shrugs noncommittally, as if such admiration is his due.  "Uh, yeah, that sounds like me."  His voice is surprisingly deep for such a small man.

He shoulders his guitar, which lets out a grating electric squeal. "Oh my gods, that thing is a chick?  High five!!"

Cowbell ignores the guitar, looking around at the decor, already bored. "Well at least this dude has awesome taste in music..."
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Offline InnaBinder

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2013, 05:56:33 PM »
The elf - slim even by their standards - who has just entered pushes back the hood of his mottled brown hood and makes a show of waving the smoke from his face and rubbing his finger in his ear, as if to clear it.

"Well, that was certainly. . . an entrance.  If the Lord of the Manor does indeed see fit to have us as dinner, rather than for dinner, at least the echos will last as long as the aftertaste.

For those who don't know - which I suspect is most of you - I'm Koeham."
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Offline Kuroimaken

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2013, 10:15:24 PM »
Death watched impassively as the motley crew assembled itself. Perhaps it was the whole 'her face is actually a skull' thing, but she didn't seem particularly bothered by their mannerisms.

They passed for sane in such a place.

She did have this to say, however.

"That you would believe yourselves somehow worthy of the Master's palate would be insulting if it weren't so clouded in naiveté.

No, you are neither invited for dinner or to be dinner. Were that somehow the case, you would know and willingly present your necks with a smile on your lips as you faced myself and the Master.

But it is not my place to describe your purpose."


Death's scythe hovered somewhere between and above her robes, like the weapon itself was material while its owner wasn't. It gleamed a pale blue, and wherever the light touched, not a single creature of Castlevania dared thread. The many skeletal servants and guards, as well as many animated suits of armor, both giant-sized and of the regular variety, merely stood at attention in the wake of Death's passage.

A long hallway with red carpeting later, the lot of you stood before the Lord of Vampires and monsters alike. The unliving deity, Vlad Tepes Dracula, the Count Impaler.

His presence was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The very knowledge of who he was would induce fear into the hearts of lesser men - standing before him as the group was now provoked a mix of adoration, desire and charm. Such was Dracula, a monster above all monsters, and yet something for which mere words failed horribly. The closest thing to that would be the fascination of a moth to an open flame, and even so, the moth seemed... fortunate by comparison.

"Welcome to Castlevania, all of you. Death, my faithful Rider, you may resume your duties now."

With a slight bow, the robed figure disappeared into the background.
Kami darou ga akuma darou ga, ore no michi ni tateru mono NASHI!!

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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2013, 11:17:00 PM »
Having looked at the halfling with a calculating expression on her face before following Death through the corridors and into the red carpeted hall. Red. She liked red: blood and fire were both very associated with red, even if fire was more of a golden colour. It's why she liked gold, too, expensive as it was. Not for any silly reason like social status--it just looked awesome. And fiery.

Upon their arrival in the hall, Elizabeth did something that no other person in the world could expect from her: she bowed. After all, even if he wasn't the closest thing to a living god, Dracula was a vampire of vast, untouchable power... and she could respect that sort of thing, as well as feel some kinship for it. Not to mention appreciate the clothing.

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Offline Concerned Ninja Citizen

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2013, 06:59:51 AM »
The armored figure went rigid as the Count began to speak. Seeming transfixed as by the sight of something truly horrible from which one cannot tear one's gaze, and perhaps does not want to.

As he finished, Jinna drew back her helmet, revealing a girl's face framed by bright pink hair. Her hands ran over and over an object concealed in the armor's chest plate.

Dracula! The Enemy, the Great Evil, devourer of life and soul, bringer of darkness. Venture not into his lair.

That was how the mantra went. They'd had it drummed into them in school: "Vampires = bad, Stay Away!"

Unfortunately for them, the more you told Jinna something was bad and she should never so much as glance in its direction, the more she wanted to go see what all the fuss was about. So here she was.

Fortunately for Jinna, the lessons hadn't stopped at "bad, stay away" as it was considered necessary to know one's enemy. The Order had quite the repository of knowledge on the Dark Prince and Jinna had learned those lessons well even if the "stay away" part hadn't stuck.

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Offline oslecamo

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2013, 11:23:35 AM »
Here he was finally. One of the main reasons there seemed to be so few laughter in this gray world.
Altough Claudia still had little idea on why they had been summoned here, what Dracula wanted of them.
No matter. Every good joke needs a good build-up, and she felt like the climax was still pretty far away.
Claudia didn't really expect she could make this one laugh in their first meeting. What would Dracula find funny to begin with?
So for now better to simply exchange some pleasantries, test the terrain for the rest of the performance.

Hail oh great Lord of Vampires and monsters alike
The unliving deity, calling for all of us humble seven
Vlad Tepes Dracula, none can hope to truly strike
The Count Impaler, most handsome under heaven!


Improvises Claudia along an even more elaborate bow she used for Death.

Offline ariasderros

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2013, 11:52:33 AM »
Here was a being who epitomized a level of power that was undauntable and incontestable. He wasn't just simply the kind of person that you recognized as the strongest and wished to fight him to develop their own strength. This being was beyond the strongest, challenging would be the most ridiculous thought ever, fighting him would be a sin. The last sin one would ever commit, if they were lucky.

Gojo lowers its head to this being, in absolute respect.
"That which the lord of all beckons for, he shall be granted. As but a denizen of your sufferance, I can but ask what is wished of me."
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Offline Kuroimaken

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2013, 10:53:47 AM »
The Lord's expression remains mostly unchanged. There is something unsettling about his gaze - before it, all of you feel as if your souls are laid bare. But for those with magical aptitude, it is clear there is no sorcery at work; it is something natural about Vlad Tepes' very presence and expression.

His gaze turned to Gojo first.

"You who'd seek to emulate me, raise your eyes. Without ambition, your dream will never be realized - and flattery ill suits one with such a goal. Respect and adulation are not one and the same."

With a slight wave, a ghostly image of a map projected itself, clearly marking the positions of each country's borders, and of several locations of import.

"As most of you are likely aware on some level, my country of Romania borders two different nations, one of which has been hostile towards me from its inception, the Belmont's Gottland. Feeble though their attempts may be, I do not underestimate their power and resolve - they have surprised me in the past, and I have endeavored not to let it happen again. Recently, however, something disturbing has arisen from my borders: reports of attacks by monsters on my borders, mysterious disappearances of local townsfolk. Neither of those are supposed to happen, as all monster activity in my territory ultimately responds to me and I strive to keep my eye on each and every last humanoid head of cattle within my borders.

I smell a ruse, something to force me to spend time and resources on an investigation corps that the enemy would see coming. The Belmonts are much too sanctimonious to resort to such methods, but perhaps they, too, tire of generations of conflict.

At any rate, this is why I am sending you. Your duty would be to inspect the border villages and report back to me. If you can avoid doing so revealing being under my employ, so much the better; this is a task that requires discretion first and foremost.

Any questions?"
« Last Edit: April 26, 2013, 11:00:04 AM by Kuroimaken »
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Offline oslecamo

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2013, 12:54:37 PM »
A question if I may, what would be your advise
Should we find any suspicious figures in action?
Do we bring back prisioners if the opportunity arises?
Or would keeping our cover be more to your satisfaction?





Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2013, 12:58:22 PM »
"What are your rulings on... mysterious disappearances?" the vampire questioned, not wanting to be deprived of sustenance whilst they sought out these creatures. It would be most annoying to be unable to feed.

Offline Kuroimaken

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #17 on: April 26, 2013, 02:15:46 PM »
"It's not exactly mysterious if I know you've been feeding. See if you can avoid killing the peasants. They give my local hands and eyes grief when their loved ones die, and it can be so... annoying.

As for suspicious figures, the priority is collecting information. Whether you collect them from dead agents or live ones makes little difference - but do try to use them in some capacity. Anyone operating this covertly is often seeking information themselves, and offering the wrong kind suits my purposes well."
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #18 on: April 26, 2013, 04:07:38 PM »
Cowbell plays a ringing chord, continuing to look around the room.  "Cool," he adds nonchalantly.  He's wondering why he came here, then remembers that the scary dude in the chair is a pretty big deal, and that getting on his good side can only help.
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Offline Kuroimaken

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Re: Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?
« Reply #19 on: April 26, 2013, 04:18:40 PM »
The room's accoustics are pretty much AWESOME.

Cowbell feels something in his pocket as he shifts his weight, and should he search it, he'll find a small card inside that he doesn't remember being there.

It's an autograph.

It reads:

"From a big fan,
Dracula"
Kami darou ga akuma darou ga, ore no michi ni tateru mono NASHI!!

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