Story

The Demon Castle Wars begins before Aria of Sorrow, shortly after Julius Belmont kills Dracula and the ritual which seals the vampire's castle into an eclipse realm is performed in 1999. The scene is fully playable, as an homage to the intro scene in Symphony where Richter kills Dracula.

Fast forward to the year 2000. After Dracula's death, the entire vampire race starts weakening. His death caused vampires everywhere to lose their powers, and the race is slowly dying. One of Dracula's immediate progeny decides to return to his sire's old home to find the key to restoring this lost power. Along with his own vampiric daughter, they somehow find a way to travel between the dimensions and enter the castle, which is now locked in the eclipse.

If you've played through Aria, you'll know that the Demon Castle Wars were the battles that took place in eastern Europe throughout the first quarter of the 21st century (read: hasn't happened yet). Well, the two characters realize that their presence in the castle is not without price, and they are the ones who will inadvertently start these wars. Restoring their race means triggering a war that will see them hunted down to near extinction.

Characters

First of all, neither of the two main characters has a set name yet. I am absolutely terrible at naming characters, and naming them will probably be the very last thing I do with this game. I am open to suggestion though, so if you have any ideas and don't mind contributing them, send me an e-mail. Don't worry, I'll give you credit if I decide to use them.

Member 1 - A four hundred year old tyrant who ruled baronies across Western Europe in his mortal days. Killed and reborn in the time of Christopher Belmont, [Member 1] was created by Dracula to spread his influence across the new world, thus giving the vampire lord an edge against the mortals who hunted him. Though he served his sire well, [Member 1] was absent from his lord's side during Belmont's assult, and never encountered the legendary vampire hunter.

After his sire's death, [Member 1] spawned small vampiric cults in Western Europe before moving on to the Americas. There, he began a new empire of the dead beneath the veil of human society. Crowning himself as king of the western dead, [Member 1] rules the vampiric territories of the new world. The cities themselves are his kingdom; the urban slums are his feeding grounds, the gangland ghettos his battlefield, and the commercial skyscrapers his modern castles. His supernatural power grew alongside his hidden army, granting him the powers of a blood god.

[Member 1] was the first vampire in America to feel the effects of Dracula's death. Since then, his powers have continually weakened, leaving him in a state little stronger than a hapless mortal. [Member 1] knows his race is dying. He sees his subjects weakening day by day, forced to constantly feed to remain on par with the human herds. Believing the cure to this extinction to exist inside Dracula's old home, he sets out to find a way to break the barrier between realms so that he may enter the eclipse and break this deadly curse. [Member 1] ventures back to Castlevania not only to reclaim his power and his position as Lord of the Night, but to save his dying people.

Member 2 - Orphan, thief, murderess, blood goddess. As a child in the early 1900's, she grew up in the cold streets of urban America. She had little memory of her parents or what happened to them, and she feared the stories of abuse and neglect stemming from the local orphanages. With no family, no friends, and nowhere to turn for help, it was a constant struggle just to stay alive. Even basic necessities like food and shelter were hard to come by, yet she managed to survive.

Eventually she attracted the attention of a great vampire lord. [Member 1] watched over her from afar, revealing himself only after months of observation. He was impressed with this child's aptitude for survival. Over time, this fascination grew into obession. While this infatuation might be mistaken for what mortals call love, it was both more and less than that. [Member 1] watched over [Member 2] for several years as she grew up, often seeking her company, and even acting in her defense when necessary. Upon her coming of age, [Member 1] brought her into the world of the undead.

[Member 2] joined her sire in ruling the dead. She was his queen, his enforcer, his right hand, but never his slave. She was way too strong for that. Under [Member 1]'s tutelage, [Member 2]'s power over the blood grew stronger than many vampires twice her age. She learned the ways and the power of the undead, while still keeping one foot in the mortal world, learning the arts and sciences of humanity. Because of this connection to life, she never gained the cruel habits of her sire. She is as bloodthirsty as any vampire, and can kill without remorse, but she is not a monster yet.

[Member 2] felt the echoes of Dracula's death a few days after her sire's powers began to wane, and soon after, she began to suffer the same debilitating curse. It was [Member 2] who discovered a way to split the wall between the realms, allowing them to find her grandsire's castle. Now she joins her sire in the quest to save the undead from total annihilation.

Seymore - Although he never reveals his origins, Seymore's appearance and mannerisms suggest a fairly recent vampiric rebirth. He claims to be the caretaker of the castle, though who appointed him this task is anyone's guess. Considering that all other vampiric nobles have either fled the castle or were murdered before it was sealed, the main characters view him with great suspicion. [Member 1] especially holds an obvious hatred for this upstart. Not only has Seymore invaded his beloved sire's former home, but as heir to Dracula's throne, the castle rightfully belongs to [Member 1].

Character "Classes"

Both characters will have a list of unique battle forms to choose from, each with it's own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. Fighting in these "classes" will eventually reawaken dark powers that have lain dormant in the character's blood since the Curse stole their power.

Member 1

Guardian
Inspired from Castlevania's signature gold-plated knights, the Guardian focuses heavily on physical defense. This heavy tank hits hard as well, but is slow and bulky. (This class was formerly referred to as "Warrior," but the name was changed to bring a little bit more of the world of Castlevania into the game.)
Sample Ability: Shield - The Guardian's signiture move stripped right out of the side scrollers creates a force shield that blocks any and all attacks for a single round.

Dark Priest
Healers are for the living. The Dark Priest instead focuses on stealing enemy souls and using them against other enemies, as well as for defense.
Sample Ability: Soul Fire - Channel stolen souls into deadly fireballs in this direct damage spell.

Berzerker

Member 2

Gunner
A more modern basic attack class. The Gunner is quick on the draw and strikes vital targets for maximum damage. It's weakness lies in it's low defense and lack of magic power.
Sample Ability: Charge Shot - By charging a bullet with dark energy, the Gunner can cause more damage than the weapon would normally allow.

Witch
The Witch is the obligatory direct damage spellcaster, using elemental spells to strike down enemies with certain vulnerabilities. It's weakness lies in physical combat, and it's ability to attack and take damage.
Sample Ability: Fire - A basic fire ball spell. It is extra deadly to undead and plant-based enemies.

Alchemist
Assassin

Systems and Battle

Combat revolves around a heavily modified DBS (default battle system) optimized mainly for appearance and a more cinematic feel. In addition to regular weapon attacks, players will employ a number of battle tactics, such as using traditional Castlevania sub-weapons, combat skills fueled by dark power, and arcane black magic spells. (I'm toying with the idea of summons right now, but that all depends on whether the system will let me pull it off the way I want.)

There are only two characters, so it has a greater emphasis on survival. Also, I have exchanged Magic Points for Blood Points, so feeding from certain enemies restores BP. Vampires, being dead, can only be healed by using their own blood, so healing items are out the window. The only healing abilities are self targeted. True to Castlevania tradition, save points also restore health and blood (magic), but I space them out far enough to where the player can't rely on them constantly.

There is one shop in the game, where you can buy tons of different items (via multiple choice commands before merchant scripts). The shop itself is also an Easter egg. It's a little treat from an earlier game...