"When Group 935 found the location of the ancient place I believed that humanity could use the power vested within it for a greater purpose. I was never so wrong in my unlifetime." -Edward Richtofen

Upon entering the familiar domain of northern France I took care to avoid any daytime work, and when I had the time I looked for Leopold. Unfortunately I was informed by another childe of his that our sire had gone into a deep slumber, which I didn't see as surprising seeing that he was a Methuselah. At least I knew he was still alive, but he was still intent on keeping the power of the ancient place out of human hands. I, on the other hand believed that the power could be used now, if not for humanity than for the Kindred.

Even though I would not do anything in the way of helping the army or Group 935 find the place, in time they would discover it, regardless of Leopold's wishes. When the German army discovered the church they eventually found the tunnels underneath and thus the excavation began. Leopold had woken from his torpor and was intent on stopping the kine from reaching the power of the ancient place. His efforts were in vain, however, as Maxis had already studied and recreated the ancient staff parts when the originals had gone missing. Not to mention the fact that they'd already dug up the divinium and were analyzing it.

His final effort was consoling with me to stop 935's excavation into the site, I replied as so "The kine found this power on their own, and besides you've only got yourself to blame you charged yourself with defending this place, but you obviously failed." His response to my answer was very...enraged, but he couldn't bring himself to kill me. To do so would raise suspicion in the ranks of the army and they would eventually trace my death to Leopold due to the fact that some of the soldiers were already my loyal ghouls. I remember his very final words to me before he left the kine and myself to dig into oblivion.

"I found much promise in you Edward back in the days of kings and queens, but now I see that time has changed you as well. You're just as corrupt as the kine have become with their new discoveries and rising powerlust. When the worst of the ancient place comes in its defense you will have only yourself to blame, for you too were once a protector of this power. Now I see that the young templar I once knew is gone and there is only left a cold-hearted, godless vampire left to the mind rot of time like so many before. Auf Wiedersehen, Edward, I hope that I never have to see your face for the rest of my unlife."

His words rang true when the kine dug too deep and further than I had ever gone when the tunnels were still very much intact seven centuries ago. It all happened at a rapid pace, the first wave were those of my templar brothers who in turn slaughtered those in the digsite and the men who'd become ill from the divinium turned into the degraded "walking dead". Even Maxis, who had resisted for so long had succumbed to the illness and I had no choice, but save his brain and thus the work done with the element. It was all too soon, I can remember thinking to myself, maybe I had been too close to the kine at too old of an age (vampirically speaking). That was when I found my new unofficial comrades, the descendants of the original three Templars of the Ancient Powers.

They looked almost exactly like their ancestors, give or take a few minor details. Tank Dempsey, descendant of Clarence Dempsey of Bath whose other descendants migrated to America. Nikolai Belinski, descendant of Baron Alexei Belinski and still full-blooded Russian, but with an incessant need for women. Takeo Masaki, descendant of Haru Masaki and still with the same quiet and strong demeanor of the Orient. It was like old times, if old times meant slaughtering hundreds of walking corpses intent on ripping you to shreds was anything like keeping infidels out of the catacombs of the church that lay close by.

Thankfully when the giant robot, Thor, tried to crush us in the labs it was a heavy cloud cover, meaning I could freely walk about without having to worry about turning to dust. Working with kine, however, meant keeping my true power covered which meant no using my supernatural strength or reflexes. We toiled for hours and even days that turned into weeks until we were able to stop the influx of walking dead and end the zombie onslaught at least for a couple of decades while the world healed. Of course I couldn't let the three go on with the knowledge of 935 so I had to use my powers at the last moment to wipe their memories to ensure Group 935's security.

As World War I ended the few decades reprieve was not kind to me, especially when I had to find Maxis a new body and had a very close call with Final Death when I unknowingly walked out into sunlight and was terribly wounded. When I healed I found myself aged another decade and thus it is why I look this way now. I didn't really mind though, I believe that the age just made me a bit more "vampiric" so to speak. Anyway as the events leading up to World War II went on my work with Maxis and Group 935 continued to progress until again my past caught up with me. My connections in Group 935 and the Illuminati forced me to unleash the zombies once more in order to "cleanse the world and start a new age of prosperity".

And it was at that moment when I obtained the note to kill Maxis that I became a true vampire in mind, no longer did I care for humans for they sought their own destruction and who was I to stop them. I gladly let loose the zombies once more and one fateful night in Shi No Numa, the little girl Samantha, she made a deal with me. If I played nice with her zombies and stuck to her game she would keep the sunlight from hurting me and allow me to work with the other three as we fought the undead. I agreed, but little did she know that I would take her place as the controller of the undead and therefore no longer be forced to the confines of my vampiric condition.

Through Shi No Numa we fought the walking dead, and through Der Riese, onto Kino Der Toten, then Ascension, Call of the Dead, Shangri-la, and finally to the Moon where I took my rightful place as master of the mindless dead.

"Now I rest here in the Aether, the ancient place and the ancient power that my sire and so many after him tried to protect from human hands. Ironic to know that the power they defended from the kine would fall to one of their own. And here I am, watching as the last pockets of humanity struggle for their survival, but of course they brought it on themselves. I just gave them a little nudge out the door, or should I say off the cliff. However, my vampire mind tends to weep, why I don't really know anymore. The Malkavian vampire blood has left me insane since I got it, but the voices don't trouble me anymore, however, their damage was already done...Hmph, looking at it all now ever since I was born and how I was so "Godless" it appears the tables have turned for I myself have become a god. I believe that my father looking up from the fiery chasms of Hell realizes the mistake he made when he made me resent all the works of the good Lord. All of this started with my struggle against the muddled minds of those who believed in a higher power, and without that distraction look what 'I' have become." -Edward Richtofen