Topic: The naked chick that got sacrificed at the beginning of RoB

[Shiroi Koumori]

Now there's an image... oh wait, you mean he was defeated by them...

yeah yeah. I see the image. 

[Donvermicelli]

[Super Waffle]

K.

[coinilius]

On a somewhat related topic (related to the naked chick getting sacrificed at the beginning of RoB, not to Shaft getting the shaft)... where do these coffins with Dracula's remains inside them actually come from?  I mean, at the end of each game Dracula explodes or dissolves or disappears and then the castle falls down around him.  Do his minions dig through the rubble to collect his remains?  Are his remains meant to be in the coffin or is it just a symbolic thing?

[theplottwist]

On a somewhat related topic (related to the naked chick getting sacrificed at the beginning of RoB, not to Shaft getting the shaft)... where do these coffins with Dracula's remains inside them actually come from?  I mean, at the end of each game Dracula explodes or dissolves or disappears and then the castle falls down around him.  Do his minions dig through the rubble to collect his remains?  Are his remains meant to be in the coffin or is it just a symbolic thing?

In the japanese manual for Simon's Quest it is said that Dracula's remains get regenerated as the years go by, until they are ready for his revival. This might have to do with the amount of misery people undergo, thus restoring the remains.

Now, I presume these remains are then tracked down and gathered by the cultists to be placed inside a coffin/tomb, where then the cultists will perform a ritual to infuse Dracula's newly regenerated body with his soul.

The burning ritual performed by Simon was meant to destroy Dracula once and for all, but poor Simon didn't expect there to be a hidden sixth remain.

Important of note is that Dracula can be regenerated with as little as ONE remain, albeit very weak.

[coinilius]

In the japanese manual for Simon's Quest it is said that Dracula's remains get regenerated as the years go by, until they are ready for his revival. This might have to do with the amount of misery people undergo, thus restoring the remains.

Now, I presume these remains are then tracked down and gathered by the cultists to be placed inside a coffin/tomb, where then the cultists will perform a ritual to infuse Dracula's newly regenerated body with his soul.

The burning ritual performed by Simon was meant to destroy Dracula once and for all, but poor Simon didn't expect there to be a hidden sixth remain.

Important of note is that Dracula can be regenerated with as little as ONE remain, albeit very weak.

That is interesting... thanks for that theplottwist.  I already knew about the burning ritual and the hidden sixth remain, but wasn't aware of the idea that Dracula's remains would regenerate between appearances.  Where do they regenerate, though, do you suppose?  Are they like the Triforce and they scatter around the countryside, waiting to be collected by Dracula's followers?

[theplottwist]

That is interesting... thanks for that theplottwist.  I already knew about the burning ritual and the hidden sixth remain, but wasn't aware of the idea that Dracula's remains would regenerate between appearances.  Where do they regenerate, though, do you suppose?  Are they like the Triforce and they scatter around the countryside, waiting to be collected by Dracula's followers?

Yes I think they scatter around, but I'm not sure about the rules of WHERE do they scatter to.

You see, when Simon first destroyed Dracula, his remains appeared inside mansions. Then, after this, Maxim located them somewhere undisclosed. Then, after Dracula Wraith's destruction, Shaft located them, and when Richter destroyed Dracula, the remains scattered inside Dracula's Castle itself to be found by Alucard later.

The last we have seen of the remains are in Ecclesia. They're contained inside that vessel, and after this, there is no more mentions of them (EVEN THOUGH I think there are hints, but this is stretching it).

So, ultimatelly, we can't tell where will they appear. But regardless of this, I think the evil parties have some sort of ritual to locate them.

[coinilius]

Yeah, I figure there must be some kind of ritual or magic that allows the remains to be tracked down.  Though that raises the question of why the Belmont's never try to track down the remains themselves to try and preemptively destroy them.

On another tangent, I always thought that they missed a trick in Harmony of Dissonance by not making Maxim Mode a 'prequel' to the main game, with Maxim tracking down Dracula's remains.  Of course, by the nature of being an alternate mode it would have all had to take place within the castle from HoD  so that may not have ultimately made much sense.

[Donvermicelli]

That is interesting... thanks for that theplottwist.  I already knew about the burning ritual and the hidden sixth remain, but wasn't aware of the idea that Dracula's remains would regenerate between appearances.  Where do they regenerate, though, do you suppose?  Are they like the Triforce and they scatter around the countryside, waiting to be collected by Dracula's followers?

I surmised that they would appear in places where misery is concentrated most since the misery of the people regenerate them. This would be near castles of rulers that oppress their people or where great sickness has spread. In that sense the places where they appeared in the other video games make sense somewhat.

[zangetsu468]

Yeah, I figure there must be some kind of ritual or magic that allows the remains to be tracked down.  Though that raises the question of why the Belmont's never try to track down the remains themselves to try and preemptively destroy them.

On another tangent, I always thought that they missed a trick in Harmony of Dissonance by not making Maxim Mode a 'prequel' to the main game, with Maxim tracking down Dracula's remains.  Of course, by the nature of being an alternate mode it would have all had to take place within the castle from HoD  so that may not have ultimately made much sense.

Hang on though, Juste does find Dracula's remains in the HoD Castle, which means Maxim already brought them there beforehand. That or the Castle with the remains materialised prior, but I'm sure Maxim states that he'd found the remains. (see his quote below). Since Maxim and Dark Maxim speak repeatedly on Dracula's remains, I assumed Maxim collected the remains in Wallachia (mansions, countryside, etc and whereever) and brought them to the Castle himself. Maxim was indeed influenced by the power of the remains and Good Maxim at one point says to Juste:

Maxim: "Dracula's strength was so overwhelming"

Lydie was going to be the final sacrifice that merged the two Castles, and reinforce Dark Maxim's power according to Death:

Death: "He was born of my Lord, so of course he knows ways to reinforce his power."
Juste: "?! No, surely not... Lydie's blood.."
Death: "That Maiden will play an essential role in the completion of this castle."

Therefore, the remains' influence (Dracula's power) found a host (Maxim) who found a blood sacrifice (Lydie).

As to why the remains were spread throughout the Castle, I assume that either Dark Maxim did this to hamper Juste's quest (from entering the final chamber in Castle B) as they were no longer required. (It's not the same situation as CVII where they were being guarded in the mansions and Simon required Oak Stakes to break the seal upon them.) When Dark Maxim tears away from Good Maxim, the remains unknowingly would resonate with him, creating 'Dracula Wraith'.

[theplottwist]

As to why the remains were spread throughout the Castle, I assume that either Dark Maxim did this to hamper Juste's quest (from entering the final chamber in Castle B) as they were no longer required. (It's not the same situation as CVII where they were being guarded in the mansions and Simon required Oak Stakes to break the seal upon them.) When Dark Maxim tears away from Good Maxim, the remains unknowingly would resonate with him, creating 'Dracula Wraith'.

Yeah, Maxim found the remains, and then blacked out. When he awakened, the remains were gone and the castle had appeared. So it's implied Evil Maxim took over and hid them inside the castle.

Juste: What?! You found them?

Maxim: According to legend, it's still too early for Dracula's ressurection. It is not like anyone is cursed right now either. At    first, I was doubtful that I could find the remains... but I uncovered six parts, as if guided by a higher being...

Juste: That's impossible...

Maxim: I have little memory of what occured after that, but the remains have vanished. I do remember clearly though that Lydie was kidnapped...

[Shinobi]

Funny, before I thought that chick was Maria Renard when I saw the screenshot in 10th anniversary of Castlevania special in Gamepro magazine, a little info from that magazine is that you will save a girl named Maria Renard before she get sacrificed and I thought that naked chick to be sacrificed was her, turns out it was just someone else.

[coinilius]

Hang on though, Juste does find Dracula's remains in the HoD Castle, which means Maxim already brought them there beforehand. That or the Castle with the remains materialized prior, but I'm sure Maxim states that he'd found the remains. (see his quote below). Since Maxim and Dark Maxim speak repeatedly on Dracula's remains, I assumed Maxim collected the remains in Wallachia (mansions, countryside, etc and wherever) and brought them to the Castle himself. Maxim was indeed influenced by the power of the remains...

Er, yes, I wasn't trying to suggest that Maxim didn't find the remains prior to HoD, I assume that he sought them out around the Wallachian countryside, then Castle appeared, etc etc - I was just suggesting as well that I would have liked it if Maxim Mode had been presented as a 'prequel' story to the main HoD game... but I also realize that such a set up would probably not really make much sense, as because it's an alternate mode of HoD it would have had to have to take place in the Castle from HoD.

(For example, Maxim wanders through Wallachia, then the Castle would appear before him or something and he goes inside and collects the remains (exploring only Castle A, with no Castle B), ending with him being possessed and setting in motion the events of HoD)

It's more a topic for a thread of its own, but I just like it when the alternate character modes are presented with a bit of story of their own.

Funny, before I thought that chick was Maria Renard when I saw the screenshot in 10th anniversary of Castlevania special in Gamepro magazine, a little info from that magazine is that you will save a girl named Maria Renard before she get sacrificed and I thought that naked chick to be sacrificed was her, turns out it was just someone else.

Maybe the girl who is sacrificed is the sister of Victoria Florescu...   

[Shiroi Koumori]

Maybe the girl who is sacrificed is the sister of Victoria Florescu...   

Or it's Victoria herself.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Not sure if this was mentioned before... but in CV64, the lives of children are needed to bring him out of his Malus shell for full power (shown near the end).
In Legacy of Darkness, a woman gets sacrificed over the coffin just like in RoB to bring back Dracula's empty host body (which holds Dracula Ultimate and waits for the Power of the Wolf).