Topic: Castlevania: Umbra of Sorrow (1999 Fan Project)

[X]

So you did in fact add a new character to the roster eh? I kinda figured that's where you were going.

[VladCT]

She did not!

The detail I'm omitting for now has exclusivelly to do with herself. It's merely a character trait that led her to teach Julius something special -- which ultimatelly led him to sparing Soma.

? :V

[theplottwist]

So you did in fact add a new character to the roster eh? I kinda figured that's where you were going.

Yes.

Even though I wanted to keep it at a minimum, the character was meant to become Curtis Lang's ancestor and link him to someone in Julius' past. It could be one of the Lecarde sisters, but then, by 1999 they would be much too old to have a child. If one of them was going to have a child anyway, why not place this child in the plot as an adult? That's where Cecilia came in.

That's not to say the sisters are not appearing in any way or being mentioned. They are, just not in the main plot.

? :V

Well, Mercy can only get you so far when fighting the incarnation of Dracula, and in 1999 he learned to not give Dracula ANY chances. Julius can't afford to *SPARE a foe who has the potential to doom the world, but it was his time spent with Cecilia that made him able to see beyond the obvious and stop doing what he was taught to do.

It's not a HUUUUUGE deal. It's only a character trait that is transmitted to Julius.

[Lelygax]

Off-topic: I think that you already know, but a lot of your old hosted images doesn't appear properly anymore, instead appearing a "Ezimba" thing. (like some on page 17 on this thread and another ones in another threads).

On-topic:

The detail I'm omitting for now has exclusivelly to do with herself. It's merely a character trait that led her to teach Julius something special -- which ultimatelly led him to sparing Soma.

Cecilia taught him to not let violence cloud his intuition and not always trust what his eyes tell him.

She taught Julius to sense or somehow see if someone is good, right? It have something to do with  being able too see a soul color? After all Julius could sense Dracula and Soma inside the same body while fighting remembering Holy Glasses' ability a little (even her description does remind me of this item)

Tell me if Im being too intrusive and you really doesn't want to reveal it.

[X]

After all Julius could sense Dracula and Soma inside the same body while fighting remembering Holy Glasses' ability a little (even her description does remind me of this item)

Dracula and Soma are not two separate entities sharing the same body, and that's impossible from a spiritual standpoint since only one soul can inhibit a body at anytime. Soma is Dracula reincarnated unto a new life. A lot of people seem to make this mistake, and it is understandable given the vagueness of IGA's writing at times. Of course I also blame the American localization as they like to put a spin on things as they've done before. Anyways, bottom line--Soma and Dracula are one and the same spirit.

[theplottwist]

Off-topic: I think that you already know, but a lot of your old hosted images doesn't appear properly anymore, instead appearing a "Ezimba" thing. (like some on page 17 on this thread and another ones in another threads).

I'm aware of this. I'm using IMGUR now. The images that have disappeared are not really relevant at this point in time, but if someone wants to see what the vanished image was, I can restore it.

On-topic:
She taught Julius to sense or somehow see if someone is good, right? It have something to do with  being able too see a soul color? After all Julius could sense Dracula and Soma inside the same body while fighting remembering Holy Glasses' ability a little (even her description does remind me of this item)

Tell me if Im being too intrusive and you really doesn't want to reveal it.

Yep, that's what she taught him - sensibility, more or less. Your analogy of the Holy Glasses is what I was thinking of. Were Richter or Simon in place of Julius, they'd not take second chances and would slay Soma right there and then and second chances be damned. Dracula is not a subject to be triffled with.

When fighting Soma, Julius expresses that there is nothing he can say that will stop him - this is something learned from Jonathan. Evil WILL try to trick you if you keep listening to it. Dracula did it himself, and the Belmonts were never phazed by his words.

But Julius still sensed Soma inside, and decided to stop. He has gone through this before, and having learned what he did from Cecilia is what made him stop.

Though this still doesn't respond what is this character trait of hers

And as X said above, Soma's and Dracula's soul are one and the same. Julius' line is more about two sides of the same soul fighting for control of the body.

Aria's script says that there are two "spirits" inside Soma. "Spirit" in the Castlevania context may mean "intention" or "character" because we know a soul in this same context is what inbues one with life.

If we go by greek terminology, Soul (psyche, mind, personality) is what inbues one with will, while Spirit (pneuma, breath, air) is what inbues one with life, and this doesn't fit too much with the context above. But, if we go by medieval philosophy, then Pneuma fits more with the "awareness" and "sense of self" meanings while Psyche (turning into Anima) becomes more like what gives you life, and this is more like what Castlevania shows us. It fits with the fact that the hero is called "Soma" which means "Body."

I'm oversimplifying things for the sake of the thread because I could go the entire day explaining how these terms changed over time (and how psyche and pneuma meant basically the exact same thing in greek), but you catch my drift. I have studied the differences between the three because they play an integral role on the plot's ending

And this is not even getting to the fact that Shinto -- a belief system mentioned to have importance to Castlevania -- ALSO has differences between Soul and Spirit (one human is comprised of one spirit and FOUR souls).

[Lelygax]

Dracula and Soma are not two separate entities sharing the same body, and that's impossible from a spiritual standpoint since only one soul can inhibit a body at anytime. Soma is Dracula reincarnated unto a new life. A lot of people seem to make this mistake, and it is understandable given the vagueness of IGA's writing at times. Of course I also blame the American localization as they like to put a spin on things as they've done before. Anyways, bottom line--Soma and Dracula are one and the same spirit.

First of all a "spiritual standpoint" don't ever applies to game or movies since they are a work of fiction (and possession in media doesn't "throws" the other soul away of his body).

It may have sounded as if I'm saying that Dracula was possessing Soma's body. Now, I wasn't even trying to say that xD
I could explain but plot did it already better than I could:

Yes, Soma's and Dracula's soul are one and the same. Julius' line is more about two sides of the same soul fighting for control of the body.

That is what I meant, he could see Soma and Dracula because of that, his inner good (Soma) and his inner evil (Dracula).

I'm aware of this. I'm using IMGUR now. The images that have disappeared are not really relevant at this point in time, but if someone wants to see what the vanished image was, I can restore it.

I would like if possible, since some are fanart that people are praising and I can't see it :-/

Yep, that's what she taught him - sensibility. Were, say, Richter or Simon in place of Julius, he'd not take second chances and would slay Soma right there and then and second chances be damned.

Though this stil doesn't respond what is this character trait of hers

Well, I wouldn't say for sure Richter or Simon, but Trevor surely attacked Hector without thinking 2 times LOL

About her character traits I'll give 3 shots: She was a vampire at some time (half-vampire counts)? She was some kind of bandit? She have or had some kind of disease?

edit: forget everything, now its obvious to me, it can only be it! She is

(click to show/hide)

blind. This way she doesn't see with her eyes, but with the eyes of her heart

[theplottwist]

I would like if possible, since some are fanart that people are praising and I can't see it :-/

The artwork for the project are all available in the first page under the "Concept Art" spoiler tag

Well, I wouldn't say for sure Richter or Simon, but Trevor surely attacked Hector without thinking 2 times LOL

Very good example. Trevor only stopped because he noticed Hector was too weak to be who he said he was, and not because he noticed Hector was in fact good or something like that. Very good example indeed.

edit: forget everything, now its obvious to me, it can only be it! She is

(click to show/hide)

blind. This way she doesn't see with her eyes, but with the eyes of her heart

Bingo! That's exactly it!

This is not inherited from anyone nor has any special reason - she was born like this, but it didn't stop her from becoming an accomplished swordsman.

[Lelygax]

The artwork for the project are all available in the first page under the "Concept Art" spoiler tag

Very good example. Trevor only stopped because he noticed Hector was too weak to be who he said he was, and not because he noticed Hector was in fact good or something like that. Very good example indeed.

Bingo! That's exactly it!

This is not inherited from anyone nor has any special reason - she was born like this, but it didn't stop her from becoming an accomplished swordsman.

Cool! I did it! Thanks for letting me know
About the images, I think I was saying those from another thread about enemy and boss designs, but if it was going to be difficult or a hassle to show, forget it, I can live without seeing it.

[theplottwist]

Cool! I did it! Thanks for letting me know
About the images, I think I was saying those from another thread about enemy and boss designs, but if it was going to be difficult or a hassle to show, forget it, I can live without seeing it.

You mean sprites? I have not posted many sprites for this project. I posted only one which was this one:


There are only a few other monsters which are posted over the Spritework Request & Showcase Thread though some of them were made mostly for exercise purposes, while the only confirmed one is the Jabberwock. This guy:

[Lelygax]

Mula sem cabeça/Headless mule hehe, even IGA wants to include this one, I read it on a interview. But I already saw these 2, I was talking about these:  http://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/index.php/topic,3650.msg184253.html#msg184253

[theplottwist]

Mula sem cabeça/Headless mule hehe, even IGA wants to include this one, I read it on a interview. But I already saw these 2, I was talking about these:  http://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/index.php/topic,3650.msg184253.html#msg184253

Ah yes. The first one is a collection of minor enemies:


The second one are two original monsters, Roachman and Flyman:

[Lelygax]

They are gorgeous, Roachman  is based from Terraformars and Flyman from the movie? Also these werewolf and zombies are revamps from CV2 and CV3? I don't remember seeing a minotaur prisoner, so it was technically a new sub-type of monster too, his undead/dying version looks good too.

[theplottwist]

They are gorgeous, Roachman  is based from Terraformars and Flyman from the movie? Also these werewolf and zombies are revamps from CV2 and CV3? I don't remember seeing a minotaur prisoner, so it was technically a new sub-type of monster too, his undead/dying version looks good too.

Roachman comes from Kafka's "The Metamorphosis." Flyman comes from the movie, yes. The werewolves and zombies I did from my head, so they're not revamps, though I will admit the zombies look a little like CV3 zombies.

I was planning on having two types of minotaurs: Prisoner type and Fighter type. Prisoner fights by rushing towards you and swinging his iron ball around. Fighter fights using an axe or hammer

[Lelygax]

If you're accepting ideas, maybe this prisoner could break free when you kills the fleaman like Ouroboros in SotN and then start using the chained ball with his hands (helping the player or an enemy with alternate attack pattern like Owl Knight)