DRACULA-THE PROFILE

DRACULA-THE PROFILE

Birthplace: Principality of Wallachia

Year of birth: 1432

Eye color: Deep blue

Skin color: Pale white, can become a healthier color when large amounts of blood are consumed.

Hair color: Black.

Height: 6 feet, 4 inches

Abilities: Can change shape at will; is able to take on the appearance of another person if he has sampled their blood. Can walk through closed doorways or windows. Broad psychic powers, including telemetry, telekinesis, and mind reading. Can only read the minds of those with weak wills or his feedings. Able to generate powerful energy blasts. Hypnotic abilities. Able to enter dreams of those whom he has enchanted. Invisibility. Invincible to all but wooden weapons. Healing. Is able to transport himself metaphysically by traveling on moonbeams. Limited teleportation abilities. Great physical strength. Significantly faster than normal humans. Excellent tracking abilities.

Can see in the dark.

History: Except for two well known periods of his existence, Prince Vlad Dracula's past is shrouded in mystery. After his "death" in 1476, he dropped out of sight, appearing at strange times and vanishing just as quickly. In the 400 years that he spent in the shadows, he attained a cult status among many of the world's vampires. Though he was out of sight, he was by no means inactive. In 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte related how he had seen a "tall man with mighty eyes, staring at the offensive with a grim, yet approving look."

It was also reported by several French, British, and Turkish commanders during the Crimean War that some shadowy figure had been sighted around the same time as important maps had vanished from their tents. Reports of his presence in various places around the world range far and wide, and very often the sightings by vampirologists are confirmed by glances at drawings made up by descriptions in books.

Analysis: If it was true that Prince Dracula was present at the Crimean War and engaged in spy activities, it can be assumed that bitterness toward the country of Turkey remains. As a young boy, Vlad Dracula was abducted, and held hostage to force his father, Vlad Dracul, to pay an annual tribute of up to 10,000 gold ducats. During his stay, Dracula was enraged as his brother, Radu the Handsome, prostituted himself to the Sultan Mahmed I of the Turkish Empire. As a result, Dracula's usual affection for his younger brother became cold, bitter hatred. A pattern soon emerged where Radu, after a night of romance with either the Sultan or Crown Prince, would return to their room, to find Vlad waiting for him. Dracula would then grab Radu, rip off his shirt, hurl him onto the bed, and then savagely beat his younger brother across the back with a wooden cane. During this, Radu would scream for mercy, which only enraged Dracula, who hated screaming. The time came when Radu would burst into tears when the Sultan or Crown Prince went to him.

Dracula was released a few years later. But his hatred toward the Turks remained.

As a Warlord he used terror tactics, impaling prisoners and putting them up around his capital. His dark sense of humor was evident, as he reserved larger stakes for Turkish commanders. He pioneered germ warfare, ordering lepers and plague victims to mix with Turkish soldiers. Dracula often led raiding parties himself, attacking Turkish forces and then fleeing into the forest before they could rally against him. Toward the end of the war, he came terribly close to killing the Sultan, Mahmed the Conqueror himself.

Soon, Dracula had defeated an army of 60,000 to 100,000 with only 30,000 troops, peasants who were mobilized for war. However, Radu soon invaded Wallachia again with an army of Wallachian traitors.

Dracula was overthrown, imprisoned by the King of Hungary for over eleven years, and then regained the throne with help from the Pope. To gain this aid, however, Dracula had to convert to Catholicism, from his Eastern Orthodox heritage. In 1476, he was found by priests in a marsh, beheaded, near Snagov in Wallachia. His murderers were never found.

And that contributed to his change…

Dracula is not an ordinary vampire. He is a rare case called the Fallen; a race of vampires that rise from the grave if their murders are not solved. Their undead brethren, not only because of their special abilities revere the Fallen, but because it is said the Hand of God Himself raises them. A rash of savage killings that spread through Wallachia when Dracula's head was put into his coffin probably show what Dracula believes of the legend.

However, despite his great cruelties of the past, Dracula is capable of sympathy.

He also has a great sense of honor, and loyalty to those who need his help. A military genius of his day, Dracula uses whatever tools he has to their fullest. Prince Dracula has also fathered a certain Anime character (But I'm getting ahead of myself, heh-heh.).

By his side is often Bruno, his close friend in life; Lord Ruthven, a trusted British comrade who carries out the Prince's orders ruthlessly, and Constantia, his first vampiric sire. Also not far behind is his younger brother, Radu. The two remain enemies, and often draw others into their violent conflict.