Elder God

Last of the Old Ones

Background:

Back when the universe was young, when it was little more than primordial soup, there were still gods. They were ancient and scary and beyond comprehension. As the universe formed and sentient beings came into existence, many of the gods took forms similar to their "subjects". But not all followed this path, not all of the gods took on the guises of animals and humans, but stayed in their old forms, their scary forms. These were the Elder Gods.

Along with belief, magic is a core element of the universe (sure, and matter and energy, but we're moving beyond those). The Elder Gods consume magic, use it, and belief, to power their machinations. They desire a return of the universe to the old ways, when they were in charge and could make (and remake) reality as they saw fit. Ancient mages, though, feared what the Elder Gods could do with limitless power and worked great spells, sealing the old ones from the multiverse.

These great spells are like giant wards, though -- they may have kicked the old ones out, ejecting them into a space beyond the known multiverse (into a nether region, formless and void). The magic didn't kill the Elder Gods though, no. Time, and a lack of magic reduced their numbers, steadily, but they still exist, still wait on the outskirts of reality, still await the day when they can find a way back into our universe.

And if they do, the whole of reality will collapse around them.

Personality Details:

So far, it's not known how many Elder Gods may still exist. There's every possibility there's only one left. Certainly there have been rumors of an old one finding ways back into our universe, even if only for short spans of time. The tales of it are always the same: a giant beast, masses of tentacles and eyes, looming in from the sky.

If there is only one Elder God left, that would mean they've devoured the magic off all their brethren, all so they could continue existing, awaiting a day they can break into our worlds. For all our sake, let's hope they never find that entrance.

First Appearance: #818: Partially Revealed
Last Appearance: #12: CVRPG Six, Part 2

Elizabeth Bartley

Dracula's Niece

Background:

Born in the 17th century to the noble (if largely ignored branch of) the Bartley line, Elizabeth was an odd girl even from a young age. Odd may not be the right term. Cold-blooded. Rather murdery. Evil. Even as a child she loved to kill, to torture and maim all those "lesser" than her (which, as she was a noble was pretty much everyone). She started evil, and by the time she grew up she was straight up a serial killer.

But murder wasn't enough -- Elizabeth quickly became obsessed with the dark arts, with learning all she could about the blood she spilled and the deaths she caused. She son learned about the vampires, about how blood was a lifeforce to them that kept them eternally young and eternally powerful. Elizabeth knew she wanted to become a vampire.

Still, it wasn't as though vampires were beating down her door to embrace her, so she had to find her own way into vampirism. She managed it by killing many, many young girls. She's kill them, drain them of blood (into a tub, naturally), the bathe in the blood, coating her skin and stealing the youth from the lifeforce in the blood. In effect she became a vampire without ever drinking a drop.

Of course, killing young girls will eventually get you noticed, especially if you do it enough (...not that we're speaking from experience, honest). Eventually the king sent his men to arrest Bartley. They bricked her up in a tower, leaving her there to die. And she would have, too, if not for the intervention (finally) of a vampire.

Personality Details:

When Elizabeth says she's the niece of Dracula, is an affectation (much like how Dracula calls Darkmoon his "son") -- Dracula embraced Elizabeth after having heard so many stories of all her killings. With her newfound vampiric powers, Elizabeth was able to escape her tower. She went with Dracula to serve as one of his lieutenants, and she swore that she would do everntyhing she could to assist her "uncle" with anything he needed.

Thus, when Dracula died, Elizabeth was there to perform the Black Mass Ritual and bring him back. She even aided her uncle by building (or taking over) several fortresses, leaving multiple locations that heroes had to fight through before they could eventually get to Dracula.

Naturally, he still lost because Dracula always loses. But Elizabeth did her best, and that's all a proud uncle can expect from his niece.

First Appearance: Valentine's Day Special
Last Appearance: #12: CVRPG Six, Part 2

Eric Smith

Fighter

Background:

Fighters are known for one thing: being meat shields. They are the health-loaded, weapon-bristling power-houses on the field that know how to take a hit... and not much else. Useless in town, horrible at saving money, fighters are good at just one thing: combat.

While Eric Smith, trained fighter and fantastic warrior, would love to change that perception, he would have to admit that what with training in swords, knived, staves, clubs, hammers, sickles, scythes, toothpicks, and boomerangs, it's hard for a fighter to find the time to learn all the other thing heroes need to know to operate out in the field.

This isn't for a lack of trying, mind you. Eric has gtten books, gone to classes, meditated... but that's all so much work, and there are still so many weapons he hasn't mastered yet, like bolas, and juggling sticks, and that doesn't even get into high explosives.

Thankfully, soon after venturing out on his first adventure, Eric met up with Claude Jones, newly minted Black Mage. All the skills and abilities Eric lacked, Claude had in spades. What Claude needed was someone that could take a hit -- and despite Eric's many issue, taking a punch was something he could do quite well.

It was a team-up made in heaven, one that continues to this day.

Personality Details:

Have we mentioned that Eric is great with weapons? Because if we haven't said that, we should: he's great with weapons. You have a weapon you want to see used out in the field? Eric is your man. From stabbing to bashing to squishing and poking, if it can be wielded in combat, Eric will know how to use it.

Along with fighting, Eric is also pretty solid when it comes to defending. Mastering the various jobs skills of the different warrior guilds, Eric can defned his friends, using a shield to defelect (or even completely mitigate) damage thrown his way. He's even working on learning the nifty dragoon leap, although he keeps messing up the landing (and the Russian judge is so critical of landings).

Despite all this, Eric does have one glaring weakness on the field: magic. Not only can he not use magic at all (still hasn't graduated to paladin), Eric can't take a magical hit -- it does excessive damage to him.

So his plan is to always kill stuff before it can cast any magic. So far it's been working fine.

First Appearance: CVRPG Introduction #6: Fantasy Setting
Last Appearance: #12: CVRPG Six, Part 2

Evie Belmont

Fallen Hunter

Background:

The rise of the Sorceress and her abilities to amplify Dracula's powers and seemingly raise him instantly upon his death caused chaos across Romania and the rest of the world. It destabilized governments, caused endless wars, and all this destruction and fear only added to Dracula's own powers. It was an endless cycle of evil and death.

Through it all the Belmont clan persevered. Though their numbers dwindled and their power waned, they continued to try and fight the good fight from the shadows, all in a desperate hope that, one day, they would find a way to end the evil vampire once and for all.

In the end, that hope came down to two heroes, Evie Belmont and her brother, Alexander. Evie's father had gone to Castle Dracula to try and defeat the vampire lord, but he had failed, leaving the famed family whip, the Vampire Killer, in the hands of team evil. Evie, knowing full well that the only hope of defeating Dracula rested with that whip, took matters into her own hands and ventured to the castle, in secret, to try and regain the whip.

Sadly, she failed. Worse, still, Dracula didn't just kill her. Instead, he embraced the girl, turning her into a vampire, one of his vampire daughters. He gave her the whip, and combined with her newly inherited vampire powers, made her one of the most powerful forces of evil on the planet.

Personality Details:

As a vampire, Evie is not the same person she once was. The girl she used to be is gone, replaced by someone that looks like her, talks like her, and has her memories. But to her core she's now evil, bent on defending her vampire lord, Dracula, and ridding the world of heroes. And she's very good at her sworn duty.

As a Belmont she uses all the usual vampire hunting tools, from the cross to dagger, plus the famous Vampire Killer whip. But she couples these utilities with her innate vampire powers, granting her greater strength, greater control. She's a force to be reckoned with, and powerful creature of the night that's hard to stop.

First Appearance: Alexander's Story
Last Appearance: #10: CVRPG Six, Part 1