Topic: Castlevania Q&A

[uzo]

Who is Nathan Graves kin to?

It's never revealed. As a result of Circle of the Moon not being in the main story, instead being a side story, it has no known connection to any other game, hence we have no reference as to who Nathan's parents were.

Prior to that knowledge, when the game first released, I thought Nathan had to be an estranged son of Richter and Anette. I thought it was a really clever plot point, only to later know it meant dick all since it wasn't in the main storyline.

Why does Dracula's return happen a such random intervals?

Because the director of the games is not consistant and each of them respects "the timeline" to different degrees. Some of them don't give a shit and just want to make a game how they want to make it, and will use any date they feel like.

Why isn't there modern lighting throught the AoS/DoS games; i still break candles for some reason.

Check out the Village in DoS.

How come Death is able to make a return in many of the CV games but not enemies like Olrox or Beelzelbub?

Death is an entity that will always exist, and always recover. He cannot be 'killed'. The same can't be said for basically anyone who is not Death or Dracula. Hell, even Dracula was killed eventually.

How come Juste was the only Belmont who had traits from both parents i.e. ability to use tomes?

If you need a story explanation, then: It's a genetical gamble, and he won? IGA always stated he goes gameplay first, then fits a story to it. It's merely a product of him not using the same (or similar) gameplay mechanic again when a Belmont has been involved.

[The Puritan]

Who were the 'men in power' who gave Dracula's remains to Ecclesia?

Was Barlowe always evil or did working on Dominus corrupt him to it?

[theplottwist]

Why does Dracula's return happen a such random intervals?

This question always bothers me because it's been always clear for me that Dracula returns at quite consistent intervals, but this process can be bypassed through rituals.

1476 - His first appearance
~100 year timespan~
1576 - His second appearance. Christopher fails to defeat Dracula and he survives in hiding for 15 years possessing Soleyu later.
~115 year timespan~
1691 - His third appearance. Notice how the 15 years were correctly added to the timespan. Simon retrieves his remains and ressurrects him six years later.
~101 year timespan~
1792 - His fourth appearance. Granted, Dracula was brought back by Shaft, but remember how his corruption makes people work to bring him back? This can be one such tool of his to ressurrect.
~106 year timespan~
1897 - Fifth appearance, possibly Bram Stoker's story.
~109 year timespan~
1999 - Julius' final battle.

What I mean is that Dracula seems to be able to return only in dire situations OR after the ~100 years rule~, in which many periods coincide. Notice how the aberrant ressurrection periods happen very shortly after one that would fit inside the rule, and is generally done after Dracula employed a gamble before his death to ensure his early ressurrection.

Aberrant games would be Curse of Darkness, Simon's Quest, Harmony of Dissonance, Symphony of the Night, Portrait of Ruin, Order of Ecclesia.
In Curse of Darkness, Dracula's gamble is to curse the land so the people's anguish can bring him back. But we do see that a very complex plan by Isaac is done to bring the Castle back. Just after Isaac is dead, Death comes in and uses his body to bring Dracula back using the poisonous influence of the Curse within him. Notice that Dracula isn't back until this very point.
In Simon's Quest, Dracula gambles by cursing Simon with a wound on his back. I believe that Dracula knew Simon would try to bring him back to finish the curse, and so saw a chance to kill Simon later, since he couldn't when Simon was at his peak.
Harmony of Dissonance does not have Dracula in it.
Symphony carries on from Rondo. Shaft does all that gamble to bring Dracula back, and that also seems to be a case where Shaft knew all along Richter would defeat Dracula, and thus used it to bring Dracula back later.
In Portrait of Ruin, Dracula IS NOT alive until after Brauner is gone. Death brings him back through unknown means, but I'm willing to believe that this was an "opportunity" case. The Castle was up, Death was there, War and sorrow was raging on, thus Dracula came back. Either that, or having the Castle up brings Dracula back, and this was done by Brauner, who used his magic to have the Castle without Dracula in it. This is the second time Death does this: The castle is up, but Dracula is not there, thus Death goes and uses the opportunity to bring Dracula back at the last minute.
Order of Ecclesia happens somewhere in the 1800's. I cannot think of an argument here beyond the fact that Barlowe also went to great lengths to speed up Dracula's ressurrection.

My opinion is that his canon ressurrections are not as absurd as people make it to be. There are some very specific things going on that explain well how Dracula came back before his time. Specially the "Castle is up but Dracula is not, thus Death can do it".

Why isn't there modern lighting throught the AoS/DoS games; i still break candles for some reason.

Beyond Uzo's point, well... Dracula's castle is something frozen in time, man. It was made to look like a medieval castle, and it probably will always be. On Aria it's his castle, and on Dawn it's a replica (in which the village is possibly not part of the castle itself, adding more to the "timeless" sense when inside the castle itself).

How come Death is able to make a return in many of the CV games but not enemies like Olrox or Beelzelbub?

Death is Dracula's main man, dude. Also, the hero does never explore Dracula's castle in it's full. It's quite possible that there are bosses never fought xD

[X]

How come Death is able to make a return in many of the CV games but not enemies like Olrox or Beelzelbub?

Because Death is Death; The Grim reaper, Harvester of souls, Angel of Death, the horseman of Death who is one of four of the Apocalypse. As long as there is death, then Death himself will always exist. It's part of the natural order of finite life. However Death seems to have left behind his sacred duty to the whole when he joined on with Dracula. Some would consider Death to be a shinigam (death god) but Death from CV looks nothing like a shinigami. He looks like the European version where there is only one grim reaper; Death or Thanatos which is his name in Greek.

[Nagumo]

A classic:

Why does Dracula continue to be evil (in-universe) after Alucard basically redeemed him in SotN? Sadly, after 17 years we still don't have an answer to this.

[Claimh Solais]

Why does Dracula continue to be evil (in-universe) after Alucard basically redeemed him in SotN? Sadly, after 17 years we still don't have an answer to this.

I don't know where (can't find the link anymore), so I'm assuming it's fan speculation, but I read somewhere a long time ago that Dracula, when prematurely resurrected, doesn't return with all of his memories, due to the premature resurrection affecting him. I further speculated upon that, thinking that these effects were permanent, and thus he lost all memory of his time with his son.

That's my theory anyway. I dunno.

[BLOOD MONKEY]

I don't know where (can't find the link anymore), so I'm assuming it's fan speculation, but I read somewhere a long time ago that Dracula, when prematurely resurrected, doesn't return with all of his memories, due to the premature resurrection affecting him. I further speculated upon that, thinking that these effects were permanent, and thus he lost all memory of his time with his son.

That's my theory anyway. I dunno.

I actually think that's correct. Playing through the next CV Games, he is still a spiteful bastard like in CV 1,2,3,4, Adventure, and Legends.

Damn, I made an active thread.

[Nagumo]

I hope that's not true because that would be a pretty lame way of ignoring a scene of such importance...

Also, I've been listening to the radio drama for the first time, and I thought it was kind off amusing how they also ignore that scene in the recap. Makes me wonder if IGA just wrote himself in a corner there and decided to just no bring it up again.

[crisis]

why was that woman crying when talking to Alucard in the confessional in symphony

why was Eric's spirit trapped in the castle after he died

why did Alucard create the Spear to "compliment the power of the whip" when the whip has been doing it's job for centuries

why is there no Morris character in OoE when there should be 1

why does Victor's combat cross resemble Gabrian's when logically it should resemble Trevor's

what happened to the God/Devil masks

where does Dario run off to after he's stripped of his powers in DoS

if the military was involved in the Demon castle War of 1999, why does Soma think the tale of Dracula was "made up" when there's documented proof of the supernatural

why does Hugh think nathaniel's whip is so important

what is the contingency plan if a Belmont fails & is killed in the castle

why is Alucard wearing 18th century attire in the 15th century (legends)

why is alucard y Dracula blue-skinned(legends)

at what point were the Belmonts exiled from Romania, and why if they were Holy warriors

how did Dracula conduct taboo rituals in his demon fortress every night for centuries unnoticed

[BLOOD MONKEY]

why was that woman crying when talking to Alucard in the confessional in symphony

why was Eric's spirit trapped in the castle after he died

why did Alucard create the Spear to "compliment the power of the whip" when the whip has been doing it's job for centuries

why is there no Morris character in OoE when there should be 1

why does Victor's combat cross resemble Gabrian's when logically it should resemble Trevor's

what happened to the God/Devil masks

where does Dario run off to after he's stripped of his powers in DoS

if the military was involved in the Demon castle War of 1999, why does Soma think the tale of Dracula was "made up" when there's documented proof of the supernatural

why does Hugh think nathaniel's whip is so important

what is the contingency plan if a Belmont fails & is killed in the castle

why is Alucard wearing 18th century attire in the 15th century (legends)

why is alucard y Dracula blue-skinned(legends)

at what point were the Belmonts exiled from Romania, and why if they were Holy warriors

how did Dracula conduct taboo rituals in his demon fortress every night for centuries unnoticed

Because of Crisis, I limit you people to only 2 questions per post.

[Ratty]

why was that woman crying when talking to Alucard in the confessional in symphony

Presumably she was one of the many unhappy souls connected to and possibly trapped within the Castle.

why was Eric's spirit trapped in the castle after he died

I believe there's a comment about him choosing to stay to try and keep on top of things. Not positive.

why did Alucard create the Spear to "compliment the power of the whip" when the whip has been doing it's job for centuries

So that non-Belmonts like himself would have a powerful weapon in the fight against Dracula, presumably.

why is there no Morris character in OoE when there should be 1

Why? It's possible the Morris/Belmont connection was not even known to the Morris's of that time.

where does Dario run off to after he's stripped of his powers in DoS

Unclear, maybe one of the audio dramas explains it.

if the military was involved in the Demon castle War of 1999, why does Soma think the tale of Dracula was "made up" when there's documented proof of the supernatural

Your standard military/government cover-up.

why does Hugh think nathaniel's whip is so important

Because Hugh's family are caretakers of the whip. It's their job to take care of it so it's a big deal to him.

what is the contingency plan if a Belmont fails & is killed in the castle

Assuming there is ever a contingency plan that would depend on the particular Belmont/period I'm sure.

why is Alucard wearing 18th century attire in the 15th century (legends)

why is alucard y Dracula blue-skinned(legends)

Artistic license. Also you could say because that game takes place in an alternate reality. Depending how you prefer your head canon.

at what point were the Belmonts exiled from Romania, and why if they were Holy warriors

I don't remember an exact date if one is given. But it's because the common people feared their supernatural power.

how did Dracula conduct taboo rituals in his demon fortress every night for centuries unnoticed

I don't think there was ever a period where he operated for centuries at a time was there? In any case it's not so much that his misdeeds were unnoticed as that there were very few hunters powerful enough to stop him.

[Claimh Solais]

I hope that's not true because that would be a pretty lame way of ignoring a scene of such importance...

Also, I've been listening to the radio drama for the first time, and I thought it was kind off amusing how they also ignore that scene in the recap. Makes me wonder if IGA just wrote himself in a corner there and decided to just no bring it up again.

I wondered about the same thing when listening to the radio drama. Dracula was completely written out save for a generic stock scream.

at what point were the Belmonts exiled from Romania, and why if they were Holy warriors

People fear what they don't understand. I think that's pretty much all the explanation this question needs.

Case in point, Ys II: Castle in the Sky, Adol was feared as a harbinger of evil due to the fact that he knew there was a land outside of the continent of Ys, which the other people were oblivious to.

[X]

why was Eric's spirit trapped in the castle after he died

Eric Lecarde mentioned that he stayed behind due to regret. Regret of having lost his daughters over to Brauner. In order for Lecarde to remain without being lost he used magic to bind himself to Castlevania just before he died.

why does Hugh think nathaniel's whip is so important

Jealousy. Jealous at Nathan for being named Morris Baldwin's successor and receiving the Hunter whip by his own father rather then him. Hugh believes very strongly that it is the whip that grants Nathan his strength to bring down the tough monsters in Carmilla's castle, and because Nathan could never beat Hugh in training once.

[Koutei]

A classic:

Why does Dracula continue to be evil (in-universe) after Alucard basically redeemed him in SotN? Sadly, after 17 years we still don't have an answer to this.

IGA has already answered in 2000.
http://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/index.php/topic,4807.msg100104.html#msg100104

*Google Translate:
In the "Nocturne in the Moonlight" PS, Dracula I will perish with reform, but resurrected for some reason in the age of the later. Those who have been sealed in the Makai, because only the evil part is amplified, by performing a ritual of revival, such as followers of darkness is a look at the time, without the intention of Dracula himself, this is only evil intention but it seems that in order to revive. However, we wanted to give a complete rest to Dracula someday.

[theplottwist]

IGA has already answered in 2000.
http://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/index.php/topic,4807.msg100104.html#msg100104

*Google Translate:
In the "Nocturne in the Moonlight" PS, Dracula I will perish with reform, but resurrected for some reason in the age of the later. Those who have been sealed in the Makai, because only the evil part is amplified, by performing a ritual of revival, such as followers of darkness is a look at the time, without the intention of Dracula himself, this is only evil intention but it seems that in order to revive. However, we wanted to give a complete rest to Dracula someday.

So, by what I understood, the ritual to bring Dracula back corrupts Dracula's mind with evil/forces him to do his sorcerer's destructive bidding by amplifying his hatred enough for him to be recklessly evil?