Post by Manah on Sept 7, 2011 11:32:44 GMT -5
SOMA CRUZ
Monster hunter, Reincarnation of Count Dracula
Soma's Theme
NOTE: The CAD is organized as follows:
Soma Cruz / Dracula (this is in case Soma ever succumbs to the dark powers that are in his soul and truly become the Dark Lord)
Other aliases: Dracula, The Dark Lord
Age: 20
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 146 lbs
Eye color: Blue / Yellow
Hair color: Silver-grey
Species: Human? (Reincarnation of Count Dracula)
ABILITIES
Int: 3 / 6
Str: 7 / 10
Agl: 5 / 8
Spd: 4 / 7
Dur: 6 / 9
HEALTH: 6 / 9
ENERGY: 24 / 42
REGEN: 11 / 18
ACTIONS
Close Combat: 6
(Str.bonus and Wpn.modifier/2 Wpn.modifiers)
-Efficient
-Hand-to-hand
-Powerful blows
-Martial Arts
-Archaic weapons
-Improvised weapons
-Fighting larger opponents
Ranged Combat: 7
(Str.bonus and Wpn.modifier/2 Wpn.modifiers)
-Efficient
-Thrown objects
-Archaic weapons
-Large objects
-Improvised weapons
-Handguns
-Thrown weapons
-Precise throw/shooting
Acrobatics: 4
(Agl.bonus)
*Red Bullet* Soul
-Allows Soma to "buy" a single new action with Offensive potential of up to 35 stones of value.
Example: Hellfire Demon's Soul (Force Blast [Hellfire type] 9, 2x damage, AP. Total value: 35w)
*Blue Guardian* Soul
-Allows Soma to "buy" a single new action with protective/alterating potential of up to 25 stones of value. Also allows for Summoning (one type of creature at once; "equipping" another Blue Guardian soul will "unsummon" summoned creatures) or Metamorphosis (Soma willpay stones to maintain the transformation).
SPECIAL: Soma may also use this action to teleport a single object per panel from Castlevania next to/onto him, or in his hand. This use of the power does not interfere with other uses of this action.
Example: Giant Bat's Soul (Metamorphosis 8, 1 form only (Giant Bat), +3 to Flight, +1 to Reflexive Dodge, +4 to Sonar Senses; will pay stones to maintain. Total value: 25w)
*Yellow Enchanted* Soul
-Allows Soma to increase any Ability, Action or Modifier numbers or to add new Actions-as-modifier/Modifiers, but the value must not exceeds 15w. This power is passive and never requires energy, and is usually used to increase something Soma is already good at.
Example: Falcon's Soul (Adds Targeting +4 and Enhanced Vision 6 (Long-range sight); total Value: 11w.)
Chaos Focus: 6
-As Iron Will; requires a panel of Preparation time
General Knowledge: 6
(Int.bonus)
-Tactical Lore
-Castlevania
-Dracula's knowledge, languages and memories
-The Dark Arts and the Occult
-Magic Seals
-Monsters and demons
-SPECIAL: Soma may use this action to perform special magical spells only the Chosen of Chaos may learn, called "Magic Seals". He may use those spells at a range of 2, and only against an unconscious opponent. If he can get enough stones in this action to beat the target's Durability+ Mental Defense, one of three effects will happen, at Soma's chocie. 1) Target dies and cannot be brought back to life ever, unless Soma breaks the seal himself. 2) Target wakes up, but cannot move or defend itself in any way for 1 minute (2 panels); during that time, it must answer Soma's questions to the best of its abilities and speaking only the truth. 3) The target remains unconscious for 1 hour or until the spell is somehow broken, whichever comes first.
Hobbies/Perform: 5
(Int.bonus)
-Guitar
-Chess
-Painting
-Drawing
-Piano/Organ
Social Skills/Leadership: 6
-Persuade
-Sarcasm/Humor
-Intimidate
-Monster Hunter
-Dracula
-The Dark Lord
MODIFIERS
The Power of Dominance: This is the main power Soma gained as the reincarnation of Dracula, aside from his more "physical" benefits. The Power of Dominance allows Soma to absorb the souls and the powers of the enemies he kills, and to use the powers of up to three souls at a time as long as they are of different types (Blue, Red, or Yellow). This gives him access to the three custom-made actions "Red Bullet Soul", "Blue Guardian Soul" and "Yellow Enchanted Soul". The reason why those powers are so versatile is that Soma has absorbed the souls of countless of demons and creatures in Castlevania in the last years, giving him access to nearly any power he wants, while still being restricted somehow in the power of each specific soul and the fact he may only use three at a time, one from each different type.
Immortality
-Soma will age physically until he reaches 30 years old, after which he will not change anymore.
Healing Factor / Accelerated Healing Factor
Animal Senses +2 / +5
-As a Wolf
Chosen of Chaos +2 / +5
-Soma/Dracula holds the power and a link to the primordial Chaos, making him almost tireless. This modifier acts as Deep Reserves and Energy Battery.
Dark Lord +2 / +5
-Adds to all actions.
Mental Defense +8 / Immunity
Magical Defense +4 / +8
Reflexive Dodge +3 / +5
Toughness +1 / +3 [No 2x damage, No AP]
Self-Contained Lifeform
Aura of Power/Terror +2 / +4
-Soma can allow his power to materialize itself as a visible aura around his body, inspiring awe and respect to those around him. This modifier adds to most uses of Social Skills, but Soma often turns it off because it also reveal the fact that he is not a simple human. Dracula's aura is based more on fear and is more powerful, although it only adds to uses of Social Skills such as Intimidate.
Dracula's Legacy
-As a special Reconstitute Self; if Soma Cruz is "killed", hundreds of dark souls will rush inside his unconscious body and awaken his dark alter ego, Dracula, for good. This process takes 1 panel and cannot be stopped by any means. If after that Dracula is killed, he will turn into ashes and disappear, only to be reborn 100 years later to once again wreak havoc on the world.
Wealth: 10+ (including Castlevania and all it holds. Soma's Wealth is mostly found inside Castlevania and protected by nasty traps and demons. It takes the form of currency from nearly all countries and centuries, one-of-a-kind pieces of art, rare jewelry, unique paintings, pretty much all types of armors and weapons, ancient artefacts and mystical talismans of power.)
CHALLENGES
-Psychological (-3; Very headstrong, most often won't change his mind once he's decided something.)
-Power dangerous to self (-3; if Soma loses control of his power or if he dies, he will become the evil count Dracula himself, becoming a terrible menace for all creatures in the world.)
-Compulsion to stick up for underdogs (-3; Soma is a very heroic young man who will always help those in need and defend the helpless.)
-Deadly enemies (-5; various. People and demons who want the Dark Lord to awaken, "heroes" who mistakenly think they can bring an end to Dracula's reign of terror by killing his reincarnation before he turns into the Dark Lord, mystics who recognize the dark nature of Soma's power and believe him to be evil. Both Soma and Dracula share this challenge.)
-Secret (-3; Soma prefers people not to know about his powers and the fact that he's the reincarnation of Dracula himself. If he can help it, he often tries to use his powers only as a last resort.)
-Special weaknesses (-3; Soma takes 2x damage from the legendary whip, Vampire Killer. -5; Dracula takes 2x damage from Vampire Killer, holy water and fire. Additionally, contact with a cross and/or garlic will make him suffer 1 additional red stone of damage per successful attack against him, which may lead to increased damage.)
-Psychological (-3; Deranged cruelty)
-Extreme vanity (-2; he is THE Dark Lord.)
EQUIPMENT
-White trenchcoat (+1 defense)
-Castlevania (actually, Castlevania isn't part of Soma's equipment; it is the actual Castle of Count Dracula. It is huge to say the least, and has over 250 rooms and dozens of secret passages. Wherever Soma goes, no matter in what era or what universe, Castlevania is always somewhere in the world, either on the highest peak of a mountain, on a remote island in a forgotten part of an ocean or in the deepest part of an ancient jungle or forest. It is always an hard-to-reach area, and the place in which Dracula's castle resides becomes slowly tainted by its dark power. Animals from the area grow in size and wickedness, it becomes easier to get lost when nearby the castle, strange voices and lights can be seen in the night, and odd disappearances occur in surrounding settlements/villages/cities if any. Wherever the castle is, people learn to get away from it. It is filled with various creatures and demons, traps and mysterious treasures which will lead potential treasure hunters more likely to their death than to glory and wealth. Soma Cruz can teleport back to the castle's throne room no matter where he is by spending 8 stones of Energy plus 1 per "passenger", and he always know when someone enters or leaves the castle. The castle cannot be destroyed as long as Dracula himself isn't.)
NOTE: As mentionned earlier, Soma can summon any object from Castlevania. This ranges from most known regular objects such as hammers, rope, chairs or whatever else to weapons and armor, as well as various artefacts. Among those are some of Soma's favorites (which he still mostly never summons because those items tend to draw too much attention at him):
Dracula's Tunic: This beautiful, yet sinister piece of clothing is actually enchanted with some of the darkest magics ever known to Man. It acts as a +3 [No AP] Indestructible armor, is lighter than common clothes and cannot be worn by anyone else but Soma/Dracula himself. When worn, it reduces the cost in energy of any Soul power as if the wearer had Efficient, and increases the maximal potential power of all three Souls by 10 stones.
The Chaos Ring: This wonderfully crafted ring bears a single red ruby, glowing in the dark like the eye of a demon. When worn, it increases Soma/Dracula's "Chosen of Chaos" and "Dark Lord" modifier by 2 and 1, respectively. The ring is indestructible and my only be worn by Soma/Dracula.
Death's Scythe: This terrible weapon is the weapon of Dracula's favorite servant, the frightening being known as Death. It is a large scythe made from the bones of dozens of humans, whose blade is extremely sharp and deadly. The scythe is a +6 AP weapon, deals 2x damage against living beings and gets half its weapon modifier (3) as a bonus when used against multiple opponents. The scythe is indestructible, and may only be wielded by Soma/Dracula, or Death himself.
==========================================================
STORY: Soma was studying in Japan in the year 2035, the year where the first solar eclipse of the twenty-first century was to occur, and he and Mina were on their way to see the astral event when fate stepped in: the two are transported into Dracula's castle itself. Immediately protective of Mina, Soma sets out into the castle to find an exit and save themselves from its demonic influence.
Soma encounters various other individuals that were drawn into the castle, and from them learns that Dracula is indeed dead, but that his castle seeks a new master. In battling the castle’s monsters he demonstrates an ability that he was not aware of possessing previously: The Power of Dominance, the ability to steal the souls of life forms and bend them to his will in various shapes and effects. This supernatural trait is a derivation of Dracula's primary power, the ability to command monsters. Through wielding this power and interacting with the others, Soma soon comes to realize a shocking revelation: his powers and Dracula's soul are one and the same -- Soma is the next incarnation of Dracula himself, and therefore may inherit Castlevania as its new lord and master.
Soma, obviously not content with the idea of becoming the new dark lord, encounters a deranged missionary named Graham Jones who believes himself to be the incarnation of Dracula, not Soma, because of his birth at the very moment Dracula was ultimately slain in the battle of 1999. But Soma, in demonstrating the power to rule over souls, becomes Graham’s target, and the two engage in a battle which Soma eventually wins – but in doing so, he absorbs a startling amount of the castle’s dark power and comes dangerously close to becoming Dracula himself. Soma then heeds the advice of Genya Arikado, a mysterious businessman who seemed to know more about Soma than even he did, and travels to a chaotic realm where he must confront the core of Chaos, the source of Dracula’s dark power, if he hopes to escape from his bonds with the castle. Soma receives encouraging words telepathically from his childhood friend Mina and his other friends which he had encountered over the course of his adventure in the castle, and is therefore able to defeat Chaos, retain his identity, resist Dracula's inheritance, and escape with everyone from Castlevania as it is drawn back into the eclipse. In conquering this personal challenge, Soma becomes more open and trusting to those around him, though his mysterious powers still reside within.
One year after this event, Soma Cruz is attacked in Hakuba city by the mysterious Celia Fortner, the priestess of a cult dedicated to the revival of Dracula. Celia disappears with the grim proclamation that Soma will be eliminated by any means necessary, so that she may take his power and revive the Lord of Darkness. Arikado assures Soma that he and his subordinates will handle the situation, but Soma is not willing to sit behind; He tracks Celia to her headquarters, a massive replica of Dracula's Castle, and once more wields the power of dominance to battle the summoned demons within.
Soma encounters Celia several times throughout his exploration, as well as two men, Dmitrii Blinov and Dario Bossi, who were born at the exact time of Dracula's 1999 destruction much like Graham Jones, and as such are candidates to receive the title and power of Dark Lord that Soma currently holds. Dmitrii and Dario attempt to kill him on separate occasions but are defeated, causing Celia to alter her strategy; she plans to draw out Dracula’s influence within Soma outward and mold him into the Dark Lord by playing on his emotions. Soma witnesses the apparent death of a captive Mina on Celia’s account, and his rage and drive for vengeance explode enough that he is about to become the new Dracula when Arikado saves him by revealing that it was Celia’s hoax.
Soma’s seismic shift of emotions allows for the self-revival of Dmitrii, whose soul resided in Soma after he was first bested in battle by the former, and he and Celia leave with the declaration that they have gone back to their original plan to simply kill Soma so that Dmitrii can become the new Dark Lord. Soma pursues them to the castle’s Abyss, where he witnesses Dmitrii sacrificing Celia and absorbing the powers of a calamitous demon, and the two are about to do battle when Dmitrii’s soul is overcome and his body explodes into the titanic, monstrous demon Menace which Soma destroys at length after a large-scale battle.
The dark power and souls of Menace suddenly rush into Soma’s body and nearly overwhelm him, once again causing him to come dangerously close to becoming the embodiment of the Dark Lord himself, but through sheer will he resists the influence and escapes the collapsing castle of Celia’s cult, where he rejoins all his friends and allies. Soma relates to Arikado a certain feeling of guilt he holds for not accepting the role of the Dark Lord, the role that is theologically necessary to be fulfilled in order for God to be truly good, but Arikado assures that though there may be need of a Dark Lord to fill that purpose in the future, there is no reason why it should only be him. Having conquered his final challenge, Soma is free to live his life as it is normally meant. It is, however, unknown if this will be the end of Soma's story...
Monster hunter, Reincarnation of Count Dracula
Soma's Theme
NOTE: The CAD is organized as follows:
Soma Cruz / Dracula (this is in case Soma ever succumbs to the dark powers that are in his soul and truly become the Dark Lord)
Other aliases: Dracula, The Dark Lord
Age: 20
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 146 lbs
Eye color: Blue / Yellow
Hair color: Silver-grey
Species: Human? (Reincarnation of Count Dracula)
ABILITIES
Int: 3 / 6
Str: 7 / 10
Agl: 5 / 8
Spd: 4 / 7
Dur: 6 / 9
HEALTH: 6 / 9
ENERGY: 24 / 42
REGEN: 11 / 18
ACTIONS
Close Combat: 6
(Str.bonus and Wpn.modifier/2 Wpn.modifiers)
-Efficient
-Hand-to-hand
-Powerful blows
-Martial Arts
-Archaic weapons
-Improvised weapons
-Fighting larger opponents
Ranged Combat: 7
(Str.bonus and Wpn.modifier/2 Wpn.modifiers)
-Efficient
-Thrown objects
-Archaic weapons
-Large objects
-Improvised weapons
-Handguns
-Thrown weapons
-Precise throw/shooting
Acrobatics: 4
(Agl.bonus)
*Red Bullet* Soul
-Allows Soma to "buy" a single new action with Offensive potential of up to 35 stones of value.
Example: Hellfire Demon's Soul (Force Blast [Hellfire type] 9, 2x damage, AP. Total value: 35w)
*Blue Guardian* Soul
-Allows Soma to "buy" a single new action with protective/alterating potential of up to 25 stones of value. Also allows for Summoning (one type of creature at once; "equipping" another Blue Guardian soul will "unsummon" summoned creatures) or Metamorphosis (Soma willpay stones to maintain the transformation).
SPECIAL: Soma may also use this action to teleport a single object per panel from Castlevania next to/onto him, or in his hand. This use of the power does not interfere with other uses of this action.
Example: Giant Bat's Soul (Metamorphosis 8, 1 form only (Giant Bat), +3 to Flight, +1 to Reflexive Dodge, +4 to Sonar Senses; will pay stones to maintain. Total value: 25w)
*Yellow Enchanted* Soul
-Allows Soma to increase any Ability, Action or Modifier numbers or to add new Actions-as-modifier/Modifiers, but the value must not exceeds 15w. This power is passive and never requires energy, and is usually used to increase something Soma is already good at.
Example: Falcon's Soul (Adds Targeting +4 and Enhanced Vision 6 (Long-range sight); total Value: 11w.)
Chaos Focus: 6
-As Iron Will; requires a panel of Preparation time
General Knowledge: 6
(Int.bonus)
-Tactical Lore
-Castlevania
-Dracula's knowledge, languages and memories
-The Dark Arts and the Occult
-Magic Seals
-Monsters and demons
-SPECIAL: Soma may use this action to perform special magical spells only the Chosen of Chaos may learn, called "Magic Seals". He may use those spells at a range of 2, and only against an unconscious opponent. If he can get enough stones in this action to beat the target's Durability+ Mental Defense, one of three effects will happen, at Soma's chocie. 1) Target dies and cannot be brought back to life ever, unless Soma breaks the seal himself. 2) Target wakes up, but cannot move or defend itself in any way for 1 minute (2 panels); during that time, it must answer Soma's questions to the best of its abilities and speaking only the truth. 3) The target remains unconscious for 1 hour or until the spell is somehow broken, whichever comes first.
Hobbies/Perform: 5
(Int.bonus)
-Guitar
-Chess
-Painting
-Drawing
-Piano/Organ
Social Skills/Leadership: 6
-Persuade
-Sarcasm/Humor
-Intimidate
-Monster Hunter
-Dracula
-The Dark Lord
MODIFIERS
The Power of Dominance: This is the main power Soma gained as the reincarnation of Dracula, aside from his more "physical" benefits. The Power of Dominance allows Soma to absorb the souls and the powers of the enemies he kills, and to use the powers of up to three souls at a time as long as they are of different types (Blue, Red, or Yellow). This gives him access to the three custom-made actions "Red Bullet Soul", "Blue Guardian Soul" and "Yellow Enchanted Soul". The reason why those powers are so versatile is that Soma has absorbed the souls of countless of demons and creatures in Castlevania in the last years, giving him access to nearly any power he wants, while still being restricted somehow in the power of each specific soul and the fact he may only use three at a time, one from each different type.
Immortality
-Soma will age physically until he reaches 30 years old, after which he will not change anymore.
Healing Factor / Accelerated Healing Factor
Animal Senses +2 / +5
-As a Wolf
Chosen of Chaos +2 / +5
-Soma/Dracula holds the power and a link to the primordial Chaos, making him almost tireless. This modifier acts as Deep Reserves and Energy Battery.
Dark Lord +2 / +5
-Adds to all actions.
Mental Defense +8 / Immunity
Magical Defense +4 / +8
Reflexive Dodge +3 / +5
Toughness +1 / +3 [No 2x damage, No AP]
Self-Contained Lifeform
Aura of Power/Terror +2 / +4
-Soma can allow his power to materialize itself as a visible aura around his body, inspiring awe and respect to those around him. This modifier adds to most uses of Social Skills, but Soma often turns it off because it also reveal the fact that he is not a simple human. Dracula's aura is based more on fear and is more powerful, although it only adds to uses of Social Skills such as Intimidate.
Dracula's Legacy
-As a special Reconstitute Self; if Soma Cruz is "killed", hundreds of dark souls will rush inside his unconscious body and awaken his dark alter ego, Dracula, for good. This process takes 1 panel and cannot be stopped by any means. If after that Dracula is killed, he will turn into ashes and disappear, only to be reborn 100 years later to once again wreak havoc on the world.
Wealth: 10+ (including Castlevania and all it holds. Soma's Wealth is mostly found inside Castlevania and protected by nasty traps and demons. It takes the form of currency from nearly all countries and centuries, one-of-a-kind pieces of art, rare jewelry, unique paintings, pretty much all types of armors and weapons, ancient artefacts and mystical talismans of power.)
CHALLENGES
-Psychological (-3; Very headstrong, most often won't change his mind once he's decided something.)
-Power dangerous to self (-3; if Soma loses control of his power or if he dies, he will become the evil count Dracula himself, becoming a terrible menace for all creatures in the world.)
-Compulsion to stick up for underdogs (-3; Soma is a very heroic young man who will always help those in need and defend the helpless.)
-Deadly enemies (-5; various. People and demons who want the Dark Lord to awaken, "heroes" who mistakenly think they can bring an end to Dracula's reign of terror by killing his reincarnation before he turns into the Dark Lord, mystics who recognize the dark nature of Soma's power and believe him to be evil. Both Soma and Dracula share this challenge.)
-Secret (-3; Soma prefers people not to know about his powers and the fact that he's the reincarnation of Dracula himself. If he can help it, he often tries to use his powers only as a last resort.)
-Special weaknesses (-3; Soma takes 2x damage from the legendary whip, Vampire Killer. -5; Dracula takes 2x damage from Vampire Killer, holy water and fire. Additionally, contact with a cross and/or garlic will make him suffer 1 additional red stone of damage per successful attack against him, which may lead to increased damage.)
-Psychological (-3; Deranged cruelty)
-Extreme vanity (-2; he is THE Dark Lord.)
EQUIPMENT
-White trenchcoat (+1 defense)
-Castlevania (actually, Castlevania isn't part of Soma's equipment; it is the actual Castle of Count Dracula. It is huge to say the least, and has over 250 rooms and dozens of secret passages. Wherever Soma goes, no matter in what era or what universe, Castlevania is always somewhere in the world, either on the highest peak of a mountain, on a remote island in a forgotten part of an ocean or in the deepest part of an ancient jungle or forest. It is always an hard-to-reach area, and the place in which Dracula's castle resides becomes slowly tainted by its dark power. Animals from the area grow in size and wickedness, it becomes easier to get lost when nearby the castle, strange voices and lights can be seen in the night, and odd disappearances occur in surrounding settlements/villages/cities if any. Wherever the castle is, people learn to get away from it. It is filled with various creatures and demons, traps and mysterious treasures which will lead potential treasure hunters more likely to their death than to glory and wealth. Soma Cruz can teleport back to the castle's throne room no matter where he is by spending 8 stones of Energy plus 1 per "passenger", and he always know when someone enters or leaves the castle. The castle cannot be destroyed as long as Dracula himself isn't.)
NOTE: As mentionned earlier, Soma can summon any object from Castlevania. This ranges from most known regular objects such as hammers, rope, chairs or whatever else to weapons and armor, as well as various artefacts. Among those are some of Soma's favorites (which he still mostly never summons because those items tend to draw too much attention at him):
Dracula's Tunic: This beautiful, yet sinister piece of clothing is actually enchanted with some of the darkest magics ever known to Man. It acts as a +3 [No AP] Indestructible armor, is lighter than common clothes and cannot be worn by anyone else but Soma/Dracula himself. When worn, it reduces the cost in energy of any Soul power as if the wearer had Efficient, and increases the maximal potential power of all three Souls by 10 stones.
The Chaos Ring: This wonderfully crafted ring bears a single red ruby, glowing in the dark like the eye of a demon. When worn, it increases Soma/Dracula's "Chosen of Chaos" and "Dark Lord" modifier by 2 and 1, respectively. The ring is indestructible and my only be worn by Soma/Dracula.
Death's Scythe: This terrible weapon is the weapon of Dracula's favorite servant, the frightening being known as Death. It is a large scythe made from the bones of dozens of humans, whose blade is extremely sharp and deadly. The scythe is a +6 AP weapon, deals 2x damage against living beings and gets half its weapon modifier (3) as a bonus when used against multiple opponents. The scythe is indestructible, and may only be wielded by Soma/Dracula, or Death himself.
==========================================================
STORY: Soma was studying in Japan in the year 2035, the year where the first solar eclipse of the twenty-first century was to occur, and he and Mina were on their way to see the astral event when fate stepped in: the two are transported into Dracula's castle itself. Immediately protective of Mina, Soma sets out into the castle to find an exit and save themselves from its demonic influence.
Soma encounters various other individuals that were drawn into the castle, and from them learns that Dracula is indeed dead, but that his castle seeks a new master. In battling the castle’s monsters he demonstrates an ability that he was not aware of possessing previously: The Power of Dominance, the ability to steal the souls of life forms and bend them to his will in various shapes and effects. This supernatural trait is a derivation of Dracula's primary power, the ability to command monsters. Through wielding this power and interacting with the others, Soma soon comes to realize a shocking revelation: his powers and Dracula's soul are one and the same -- Soma is the next incarnation of Dracula himself, and therefore may inherit Castlevania as its new lord and master.
Soma, obviously not content with the idea of becoming the new dark lord, encounters a deranged missionary named Graham Jones who believes himself to be the incarnation of Dracula, not Soma, because of his birth at the very moment Dracula was ultimately slain in the battle of 1999. But Soma, in demonstrating the power to rule over souls, becomes Graham’s target, and the two engage in a battle which Soma eventually wins – but in doing so, he absorbs a startling amount of the castle’s dark power and comes dangerously close to becoming Dracula himself. Soma then heeds the advice of Genya Arikado, a mysterious businessman who seemed to know more about Soma than even he did, and travels to a chaotic realm where he must confront the core of Chaos, the source of Dracula’s dark power, if he hopes to escape from his bonds with the castle. Soma receives encouraging words telepathically from his childhood friend Mina and his other friends which he had encountered over the course of his adventure in the castle, and is therefore able to defeat Chaos, retain his identity, resist Dracula's inheritance, and escape with everyone from Castlevania as it is drawn back into the eclipse. In conquering this personal challenge, Soma becomes more open and trusting to those around him, though his mysterious powers still reside within.
One year after this event, Soma Cruz is attacked in Hakuba city by the mysterious Celia Fortner, the priestess of a cult dedicated to the revival of Dracula. Celia disappears with the grim proclamation that Soma will be eliminated by any means necessary, so that she may take his power and revive the Lord of Darkness. Arikado assures Soma that he and his subordinates will handle the situation, but Soma is not willing to sit behind; He tracks Celia to her headquarters, a massive replica of Dracula's Castle, and once more wields the power of dominance to battle the summoned demons within.
Soma encounters Celia several times throughout his exploration, as well as two men, Dmitrii Blinov and Dario Bossi, who were born at the exact time of Dracula's 1999 destruction much like Graham Jones, and as such are candidates to receive the title and power of Dark Lord that Soma currently holds. Dmitrii and Dario attempt to kill him on separate occasions but are defeated, causing Celia to alter her strategy; she plans to draw out Dracula’s influence within Soma outward and mold him into the Dark Lord by playing on his emotions. Soma witnesses the apparent death of a captive Mina on Celia’s account, and his rage and drive for vengeance explode enough that he is about to become the new Dracula when Arikado saves him by revealing that it was Celia’s hoax.
Soma’s seismic shift of emotions allows for the self-revival of Dmitrii, whose soul resided in Soma after he was first bested in battle by the former, and he and Celia leave with the declaration that they have gone back to their original plan to simply kill Soma so that Dmitrii can become the new Dark Lord. Soma pursues them to the castle’s Abyss, where he witnesses Dmitrii sacrificing Celia and absorbing the powers of a calamitous demon, and the two are about to do battle when Dmitrii’s soul is overcome and his body explodes into the titanic, monstrous demon Menace which Soma destroys at length after a large-scale battle.
The dark power and souls of Menace suddenly rush into Soma’s body and nearly overwhelm him, once again causing him to come dangerously close to becoming the embodiment of the Dark Lord himself, but through sheer will he resists the influence and escapes the collapsing castle of Celia’s cult, where he rejoins all his friends and allies. Soma relates to Arikado a certain feeling of guilt he holds for not accepting the role of the Dark Lord, the role that is theologically necessary to be fulfilled in order for God to be truly good, but Arikado assures that though there may be need of a Dark Lord to fill that purpose in the future, there is no reason why it should only be him. Having conquered his final challenge, Soma is free to live his life as it is normally meant. It is, however, unknown if this will be the end of Soma's story...