SCREAMSHOTS

Castlevania: Dark Abyss by Steve "Vortex" Krikorian PROLOGUE The year is 1814, it has been exactly twenty two years since the dark lord Dracula was banished by his only begotten son. The noble being known as Alucard, kept his word and much to Maria Renard’s dismay, sealed himself away deep underground. The expert vampire killer Richter Belmont of the famed Belmont lineage, was finally able to rest and marry his one true love Annette Renard. Out of their love came a son who they named Sasha Adrian Belmont. As Sasha grew, he was constantly reminded of his destiny and potential. Tales of his father and those of his ancestor’s many battles with the legions of Dracula, filled his childhood. By the time he reached 18, he was so tired of hearing all of the expectations of everyone he encountered along with his parents that he decided he had to get away and make his own place in the world where people didn’t know him. He decided to head out and make his fortune at sea. He dropped the Belmont surname and adopted the middle name of his hero, the mysterious Alucard. As Sasha Fahrenheit, the rebellious youth set out for the Black Sea, with his back turned upon his destiny and the whole of Romania itself. THE BEGINNING After a year at sea, Sasha returns hardened and far more aged than just one year. But the scene he returns to lacks the serenity of his youth. Monsters and undead creatures are raiding the city and marching through the streets. And in the distance, silhouetted by the pale moon, stands Castlevania, the house of Dracula risen again! Sasha rushes home as fast as his legs can take him. When he gets there, he finds his home has been turned into a giant bon fire that is being patrolled by armored skeletons. Lacking the stability to say or do anything, he is suddenly pulled aside into an alley by a villager who recognizes the young Belmont. Villager: "Lad, it’s good to see you, thank heaven above you’ve returned to us!" Sasha: "What happened to my home? What is going on???" Villager: "About six months ago that wretched Castle rose up again, your father tried to stop Dracula, but he is aging as am I and he apparently could not stop the bastard, we have not seen him since." "Your home was turned into a giant reminder to all of us who do not obey, he had a necromancer cast some sort of spell on the area, it never stops burning." Sasha: "And what of my mother!?!?" Villager: "I’m sorry lad, your mother was taken by the count himself. You see he always had eyes for her, I’m afraid this time, your father could not stop him…if only you were here" INTRO LEVEL 1 Sasha has to fight his way through the besieged village until he reaches his home which burns with an unholy aura. There he must face the first boss: Fire Salamander INTRO LEVEL 2 After the village, Sasha must traverse the rocky incline to the entrance of Castlevania which is guarded by the second boss: The Axe King (Basically a huge version of the familiar Axe Knight) CASTLEVANIA After the Axe King Sasha enters the castle, here the game truly begins. DRACULA’S PLAN Dracula returns this time a broken man in spirit. For the twenty two years he spent in hell, all he could think about was the betrayal by his own son whom he loved so dearly. He has learned of a ritual that can be performed that will open the Dark Abyss, an entrance to Hell itself and allow him to call forth a being of pure evil called the Orefyn. Dracula believes that this creature will somehow fill the void that Alucard once occupied and he will at last have a son he can be proud of. By his side stands the vampiress Annette that was once Sasha’s human mother. Now she stands by Dracula’s side ready and willing to assist in creating their new "family". OVERVIEW The game’s layout is much like Symphony of the Night and Circle of the Moon as are many of the game’s dynamics. Secret rooms exist to complete small percentages of the map as well as to guard power-ups. Save spots and warp areas work the same way. Items such as food and antidotes will be stored for later use. Sasha can acquire numerous items from enemies to add to his arsenal. He is able to equip his head, body, feet and both hands with some of the items he acquires throughout the game. He is also able to use numerous different weapons as well. Though he begins the game with the classic Vampire Killer whip, he can also use various different swords and other weapons. His time at sea taught him to be quite the swashbuckler, as it were, and since he has two hands Sasha can equip a sword and a whip at the same time. However, there are advantages to only holding one weapon at a time. There will be items that can be held in a hand such as rings and bracers that when pared with certain weapons will give them extra powers and abilities. They will be based on the powers of Fire, Ice, Thunder, Stone, Air, Light and Dark. For example, the "inferno ring" when paired with a certain whip will produce a flame whip…but with another whip or sword, it may allow the weapon to shoot fireballs or create a fire wave on the ground. There will be countless combinations and special attributes that can be added to weapons, this is the advantage to only holding one weapon at a time. Using these powers will use up magic, which can be refilled by accessing a save point or simply not using any magic and letting INT fill the bar up. The accessories for the head range from helmets to necklaces that have the abilities to boost different stats. Similarly the feet accessories will enhance different attributes, but depending on the item, they can also effect Sasha’s speed and the height of his jump. And the body will hold different types of clothes and armor that will increase his strength and defense. As Sasha treks through the castle he defeats many bosses and gains new abilities. These abilities will be similar to the ones in Circle of the Moon: Double Jump to access slightly higher platforms, a wall jump to access even higher areas and finally an ultimate high jump to propel Sasha as high as one needs to get. Other abilities will include an dash that will harm enemies and the ability to lash on to ledges with any whip. THE ROAD TO THE TRUE ENDING There will be many different ways to complete this game with many different endings. For instance near the end of the game, you must fight Sasha’s mother Annette as a boss. If you fight her straight out and defeat her, she will die and be mourned in the ending. However there is a way to save her. This you must do to access to true or best ending. First, you must defeat the boss: The Necromancer he is the first boss that Sasha has dialogue with. NECROMANCER: Ahhh, I can feel the blood in your veins…you are a Belmont! You must be the son of the old hunter. Do you like what I have done to your home??? It’s much warmer now, heehehehehahahaaa!!!!!!! SASHA: So, it was you. NECROMANCER: Yes, all for my master!!! Now, I shall set you ablaze as well, you shall pester the dark lord no further!!! SASHA: Enough! I will make you pay for your actions foul thing!!! Once you defeat the Necromancer and gain the ultimate high jump ability you must make your way to the far right edge of the castle’s OUTER WALL. There will be a long drop into another area (that will have already been discovered by this point) you must find the secret passage out of the castle by slashing at the wall on the way down. You can discover this at any point, but you will not be able to get anywhere if you do not posses the high jump. Once in the secret room, high jump out and to the left, (There is an entrance to go right as well, but at the moment, you cannot access that area.) you will have to make your way over the top of Castlevania now, which is a linear type of area like the initial two intro stages. Once all the way through you will drop off the edge and land outside the castle at the very end of the second intro stage where you fought the Axe King. You must backtrack through the stage (facing new enemies with new items to drop) until you reach your house, which is now no longer on fire. You must enter the house, on a shelf you will see a shining object, it is the Heart Locket the description for this item reads "a small locket that belonged to your mother, holds sentimental value." You must equip this on your head. On the surface, this item does not seem to do much for you, it increases your INT by 25 and your DEF by 10. However if you have this item when you fight Annette, the battle will be shorter because she will stop half way through and begin talking. ANNETTE: That…locket, why does it beckon me? SASHA: Mother!!! This locket was given to you on your wedding day by Father!! Please remember!!! ANNETTE: No! You are trying to confuse me, you will not succeed Vampire murderer!!! I have always been as I am now and Dracula is my one true love… SASHA: No! You were human once, you were…ARE my mother!!! ANNETTE: S’ Sasha??? SASHA: MOTHER!!! ANNETTE: My son…*sob*… God in heaven, what have I done??? SASHA: It was Dracula’s poison that bewitched you, I should have been there to stop all of this, your deeds fall on my shoulders. ANNETTE: Please Sasha there is no time!!! Take this key and find your father, he still lives in the dungeon!!! I don’t know how long my current state of mind will last, please go…I pray I will not betray you to the count but prepare for the worst my son, no matter what happens I love you. After accessing that dialogue and acquiring the dungeon key, you are now able to gain entrance to the most difficult area in the entire game THE LOST DUNGEON. At the end you will fight a boss The Executioner who is the most difficult boss in the game, harder even than Dracula himself. He will have two forms and methods of attack, the first will be with his bare hand, then he will eventually take enough damage and his hood will fall off revealing a revolting face with no nose, only an empty cavity filled with worms and he will use a giant axe. If you succeed in defeating him, you will be able to save Richter. RICHTER: Do my old eyes deceive me? My son, you have come at last! SASHA: Father, I am so sorry I was not there to stop all of this…but I am going to put it right and slay Dracula once and for all. RICHTER: At last you have accepted your destiny, I am proud of you my son. But you must listen to me now, the count may very well be untouchable if you do not act quickly. He plans to open the Dark Abyss and conjure up some wretched thing called the Orefyn. If he succeeds, the world may finally have it’s antichrist!!! SASHA: But why would he do such a thing??? In all of the stories you told me as a child, never once were Dracula’s ambitions so high!!! RICHTER: It is because of the love of a father, he was so scorned by Alucard’s betrayal 22 years ago that he feels he needs a new heir. Please my son, you must not face the Orefyn, you will surely perish at it’s vile hands. If you die, the world will have lost it’s only savior. SASHA: Then what should I do father? RICHTER: You must find the sleeping noble and awaken him, Alucard is the only being with the strength and powers to defeat the Orefyn. SASHA: But I thought that no one knew where Alucard sealed himself away, how will I find him??? RICHTER: That is not entirely true, there is one person who was with him until he sealed himself away from this world, your aunt Maria. You must find her, perhaps she still lives in her cottage east of this castle. SASHA: I will not fail you again father! There is a crack in the wall to the far right, if you break this it will lead you directly outside of the castle. Or you can travel back to the spot that leads to the top of the castle and go right (it will be accessible now) There is another linear stage that you must clear to get to a small village, there will only be one house you are able to enter but first, you must defeat the boss: The Cyclops and the legion of skeletons who are poking and prodding the small cottage. When you do you will be able to go inside, where you will find an empty room. There is a rug on the far right of the room, if you slash at it, it will reveal a secret passage. You travel down a very long staircase until you reach a room with a door. Go through the door and you will see Maria kneeling down behind some crates. MARIA: Sasha!!! It’s really you!!! SASHA: Are you alright Aunt Maria? MARIA: One Cyclops and some skeletons? Come now Sasha, I’ve survived much worse than all that!!! SASHA: Please dear aunt, I’ve just rescued father and he instructed me to find you. MARIA: Richter! He’s alive??? Thank God!!! SASHA: He told me of the count’s plan. Please I must find Alucard, he is the only one strong enough to defeat his evil. MARIA: Alucard? But I swore to him that I would never reveal his resting place… SASHA: Please you must tell me there is little time, if I cannot enlist Alucard’s assistance, there is little hope for any of us.   MARIA: …alright, (Maria pulls a switch that opens a secret door in her basement floor) he is deep underground, this is the only way to get to his resting place. You see I built this cottage above his sanctuary so that we could always be together…silly I know. Now hurry!!! SASHA: Thank you aunt Maria, I will see you soon. Now you will be able to access the final area ALUCARD’S SANCTUARY. This area is relatively short (though it features three stories) and has no boss but some very difficult enemies and a save spot. Eventually you will reach a room with a large wooden door. Enter the room and you will find a plane wooden casket with no décor of any kind. Slash at the casket to make a knocking sound, this will access more dialogue. SASHA: Alucard!!! I say awaken from your slumber, the world is in need of you again!!!! Suddenly the casket begins to tremble then it flies in the air and turns vertical, then it opens and the one true son of Dracula floats out and hovers in the air. ALUCARD: Who is it that has awakened me? What? Belmont??? SASHA: Yes, I am Sasha, son of Richter Belmont, and I have come to beg for your help in our most dire time of need. ALUCARD: …………... SASHA: Dracula has risen again and he plans to open the Dark Abyss and bring forth some hellish demon called the Orefyn into this world to adopt as his own son!!! Don’t you see, it is because of your transgressions that this has come to pass, please we need your help in defeating this hell beast or the world is doomed. ALUCARD: If it were not for my transgressions you would never have been born, boy. SASHA: I meant no disrespect, please we must move quickly. ALUCARD: No. We do not need to move at all, this is your fight, now leave this place. SASHA: But I thought… ALUCARD: You thought WHAT? That every time humanity needs a savior, they come to ME??? For over 400 years I have fought the forces of my father, and he will never learn and he will never stop. Just go home and leave me be. SASHA: I can’t believe my ears, this cannot be the man my father spoke so highly of throughout my childhood and this cannot be the man who has held my dear aunt’s heart for the past 22 years, all the stories were lies!!! A wise man once said, "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." I’ll stop Dracula even if I die in the process, never again will I turn my back on those who need me. Sasha Storms out of the room ALUCARD: His….aunt…….could it be…Maria? Father what have you done this time??? Sasha travels back up through ALUCARD’S SANCTUARY when he reaches the secret room in Maria’s basement she is not there. You must walk back up the stairs and you will find Maria sitting at her table, she gets up as you enter the room. MARIA: Sasha, is Alucard…….? SASHA: He is lost to us, this I must to do myself. Now you must make your way back to the castle. The only thing left to do is fight Dracula and complete the game. Upon entering Dracula’s throne room you will see him embracing a large floating portal which can only be the Dark Abyss. It remains there in the background for the entirety of the battle with Dracula. Before you actually fight Dracula there will be some dialogue. DRACULA: Who is this? Young Belmont? HAHAHAAA!!!!! I have already utterly defeated your father and gained a lovely new bride….er where is she? No matter, you shall pose no threat to me, and when my son is born my darkness will be all encompassing and limitless!!! SASHA: My father’s stories were true, you really are a blowhard!!! Why don’t you cease your babble and fight me!!! DRACULA: What?!?!? Well it seems that insolence is also transferred by generation. I will silence your lashing tongue… Have at you!!!! After defeating both of Dracula’s forms, he returns to his first form and falls to the ground. The room begins to shake. DRACULA: Heheheh, it’s still to late, your efforts were in vein BOY!!! Behold The Orefyn, my one true son!!!!!!!! Out of the portal emerges a huge monster, twice the height of the screen. This is the true final boss The Orefyn. Defeat the Orefyn and you will access the true and best ending.   THE TRUE ENDING When you defeat the Orefyn, it will flinch, then it will slash at Sasha who will be thrown against the far wall and become unconscious. The Monster will slowly walk over to him and will be about to make the final blow. Suddenly… VOICE of ALUCARD: Stop!!! DRACULA: Adrian!?!?!?? Camera pans right to reveal Alucard crouching in the window sill. ALUCARD: What have you done father? Do your ambitions know no bounds??? This world is better off without our kind…when will you know to stay in hell???   DRACULA: Never!!! I am as the wind, I will never cease!!! It is you who need to be instructed Adrian. Meet your new little brother…Orefyn defend your father!!!!! Now there is short sequence where Alucard fights the Orefyn, and eventually defeats it utterly, ultimately chopping off one of his arms. As the monster is blown back into the Dark Abyss, it grabs Dracula with it’s remaining hand and pulls him in…then the portal closes and the castle begins to crumble. Alucard grabs the limp body of Sasha Belmont and dives out a nearby window. Alucard floats down with Sasha and lands next to Maria, who is waiting and praying. The two watch as the Castle crumbles into the water. MARIA: Alucard, you did it, I knew you would!!! ALUCARD: Maria, still so trusting and still so… fair. MARIA: Alucard….I … ALUCARD: Please take this brave lad home, he needs a much deserved rest, tell his father that a good man could not stand by and do nothing while evil was about. Fare thee well sweet Maria. Maria takes Sasha back to his home, where Annette and Richter wait. ANNETTE: Maria, Sasha!!! You’ve returned safely, thank heaven! MARIA: No, thank Alucard…t’was he who saved us all. RICHTER: Alucard! I knew he would come through, thank you noble one. MARIA: Richter, he said that a good man could not stand by to let evil triumph. RICHTER: Heheh, I see, his very words from 22 years ago. Sasha begins to stir SASHA: What happened, where is Dracula??? Is the Orefyn??? MARIA: Dead, slain by Alucard, he saved you and brought you into my arms. SASHA: Alucard, he came through after all…and what of the Count? MARIA: Gone, back to hell I imagine…perhaps for good this time. SASHA: And mother, you are…human? ANNETTE: Yes my son, human again, when Dracula disappeared from this plane, his curse over me was broken. Thanks to you! RICHTER: My heart swells with pride, my son you have grown up to be the hero that you were born to become. Screen fades to black TEXT: "The next morning" Screen Fades back in to reveal Sasha running through the last section of ALUCARD’S SANCTUARY and through the large door. When he arrives in the next room he finds it completely empty. The casket and it’s base are gone. In it’s place, on the floor lie a small envelope with the name Sasha hand written on it. Sasha picks it up and opens the envelope, inside is a beautifully crafted golden cross necklace with a red garnet in the center. Sash turns it over in his hands and on the back is this inscription "Trevor ~1476". SASHA: What is this? How can this be??? Could this really have belonged to my great ancestor Trevor Belmont??? But that’s…. VOICE of ALUCARD: (from memory) ….For over 400 years I have fought the forces of my father….. SASHA: Incredible…. Sasha runs out of the room as the picture dissolves to that of a cliff overlooking his village and the sea. Sasha runs to the edge of the cliff and shouts       SASHA: Where ever you are Alucard, mankind owes you more debts than we could repay in a hundred lifetimes, for that I thank you!!! (under his breath) I always knew the stories were true. The clouds form Alucards face off in the distance, and the wind continues to blow, the picture fades and the credits role.   SECRET FEATURES When the credits finish rolling you are able to save the game automatically at the last save point. This will access two new modes of play. If you begin a new quest with the name TREVOR, you will be able to begin the game with the Trevor’s Cross item that was shown in the ending. It gives +500 to all stats and it gives you unlimited hearts and magic. Other than that, the game is the same. If you begin the game with the name ADRIAN, you will be able to go through the game as everyone’s favorite dampire Alucard. Alucard’s game will be much like Sasha’s only when you face Annette, she does not die and you then go on to fight Dracula and finally the Orefyn. Alucard has only one ending, that features some dialogue with Maria. ALUCARD’S ENDING As you face Dracula there is some initial dialogue ALUCARD: Dracula! I had hoped you learned your lesson last time, I was a fool. DRACULA: At last your eyes are open Adrian, come sit beside your father I am prepared to forgive your actions of 22 years ago. ALUCARD: NO! Never again will my eyes be clouded by your darkness, be gone father HAVE AT YOU!!! DRACULA: Ahahah, you are more like your father than you’d believe. Very well we shall dance this last time. After defeating both of Dracula’s forms, he returns to his first form and falls to the ground. The room begins to shake.   DRACULA: Heheheh, In vein t’was all in vein…Behold The Orefyn, my one true son!!!!!!!! Out of the portal emerges a huge monster, twice the height of the screen. This is the true final boss The Orefyn. Defeat the Orefyn and you will access Alucard’s only ending. After you defeat the Orefyn, there is a short sequence that you cannot control, Alucard chops off one of the beast’s arms. As the monster is blown back into the Dark Abyss, it grabs Dracula with it’s remaining hand and pulls him in…then the portal closes and the castle begins to crumble. DRACULA: NO!!! This cannot be, I must have an heir!!! ALUCARD: No, Dracula, you have no son. Alucard jumps out a nearby window, floats down to the ground and watches the castle crumble and fall into the sea. Alucard walks off to the left as the screen dissolves into a shot of him on a cliff. He stands there for a while then Maria runs up to him. MARIA: Alucard!!! ALUCARD: Maria… MARIA: I was afraid I would miss you. I wanted to thank you again, for everything… ALUCARD: T’was my duty, he is my father after all. MARIA: Oh Alucard, Maria falls into Alucard’s arms MARIA: I have missed you so, these past 22 years…please don’t leave me again! ALUCARD: Maria!! Please…I….I do not deserve such sentiment. MARIA: How can you think that? You are not the evil creature you believe yourself to be, …you are a good man…I could not …love you otherwise. ALUCARD: Love? It has been so long since… MARIA: Alucard, most of my life is behind me, please do not let me spend the remainder of it alone. ALUCARD: Look at the sea, by the moonlight it is so… Maria looks at Alucard and moves closer to him MARIA: Beautiful Alucard and Maria kiss, then he puts his arms round her and envelops her with his cloak. They look out at the sea and the screen fades to black and the credits roll.

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