Cult of Dracula

Progression Design: Cult of Dracula - Linda Turunen, 1800846

After the Re-Enchantment it didn’t take too long until people began to journey to Transylvania. They came asking questions, “*Has anyone seen him?*”, “*Where is he, he must be real!*”, “*Where can I find Count Dracula?*”. But no-one had seen the famous vampire, not yet.

But then, few months after the dust had settled a bit and immediate rush was over, after the last rays of sun had fallen below horizon, he arrived. Stepping out of a carriage drawn by black horses, accompanied by feral, snarling wolves there was a man. Tall, pale, dressed like an aristocrat, he walked calmly to the Bran Castle, and people flocked to him

## Introduction

Players will first hear of the cult on the streets of Cluj, which is the main hub of the region. The players can overhear travelers from all across the world talking about the Count, and how they were excited to meet him. There is also a ‘preacher’ of sorts, letting people know that the Count had finally chosen to grace us with his presence, an that you should travel to the city of Sighisoara, if you wanted to know more. There is a reverent tone to his explanation.

Interacting with the preacher will let the player ask more questions, and they will find out that the Count  had arrived few weeks ago and taken up residence in his old home, the castle Bran. The cult was open for new members if the player wished to join, but the preacher warns that only the most prestigious members of their order would get the honor of meeting the Count face-to-face. The preacher can also offer you directions and give you some history to the legend of Dracula, how Romania is special when it comes to supernatural because it sits on one of the earth's most powerful magnetic fields. Exiting the conversation will mark a new location on your map.

## Becoming a member

After the player makes their way from Cluj to Sighisoara, either by train or braving the wilds of Transylvania, they are able to find the famous house, now tourist attraction, Vlad Dracul House. There they are greeted by an american woman, Olivia Williams “Lilith” manning a counter who cheerfully welcomes you to the birthplace of Vlad Dracul, the Dracula.

The player can inquire why would she be in charge of this operation, to which she replies by explaining how many who had considered themselves vampires, or just fans of the vampiric lifestyle even before the Re-Enchantment, had come here after everything to meet the personal hero of theirs. The order was born from these many who came here to express their admiration.

Lilith will proceed to explain that if the player was interested in joining their society, they would have to prove their devotion by visiting the many Dracula themed locations in and around the city, that they couldn’t let just anyone into their ranks. This will add several Dracula themed attractions to the player’s map: a gift shop, a hotel, a cemetery and a now abandoned Dracula theme park. All locations offer more information about the legend of Dracula, and allow the player to fight enemies, meet NPCs belonging to the cult and discover what the organization is all about. Each location varies in difficulty, ranging from levels 5 to 15.

After the player returns to Lilith in Sighisoara she welcomes them into their society and tells them to expect an invitation soon, there is a masquerade coming up. The player will now get access to new quest board that has shorter missions and quests they can complete for the cult.

## Rising in the ranks

After the player reaches level 20, a letter will appear to their inbox, inviting them to a feast. Each quest is expected to provide an offering for the host. The letter names Mihai Grigorcea as the advisor in all matters concerning The Feast.

Mihai can be found in Cluj and he is able to provide the player with more information. He is an old romanian man, ex-professor of literature and a great admirer of Dracula, the book. He explains that the traditional offering at a feast hosted by Dracula is a virgin human, but there are other alternatives that can be considered. These range from old artefacts to beasts of great powers that live deep in the Carpathian Mountains and forests.

This will give the player multiple optional quests that all reward the player with one offering for the feast. The first will have the player hunting for a sacrifice in the city itself, it will involve a kidnapping, and subsequent pursuit by the local authorities. The second option is for the player to journey to the Snagov Monastery that is said to be the final resting place of lad Dracula, to retrieve an ancient family heirloom. The third option sends the player to the Eastern Carpathian Mountains where they will encounter a coven of witches in pursuit of an ancient deer to present at the feast.

After acquiring the offering the player is given more optional quests before the actual feast. They can find out more information about the order and it’s notable people and acquire a suitable outfit. The feast is an opportunity for the player to sneak around, use their charisma skills and other abilities to find clues and opportunities to better their status in the cult. At the end of the feast Count Dracula will make a brief appearance but the player will be unable to approach him directly. However they will be able to convince people to speak favorably to him about them or even send a note through a loyal servant about their wishes to meet with him.

## The Inner Circle

After the feast the player gets access to several higher level missions and raids, recommended for levels 25-35, that level up their prestige within the order. The quests taken and the choices made during the feast determine how fast the player is able to get the invitation to the Bran castle, where Count Dracula hopes to meet with them personally.

The castle will have ample opportunities for roleplaying and subterfuge. The player will be able to meet The Sisters, three powerful vampires who declare themselves as the family of Vlad Dracula.

The castle and it’s lands are free for the player to explore, as long as they are not spotted, and soon after arriving they will start to see that not all is quite how you would expect. There are hidden rooms with technology within the castle walls, well guarded and protected. The player can either talk, sneak or slaughter their way to the inner chambers of Count Dracula, where they will finally be able to get to the bottom of the cult.

There the player is able to learn that the man hailed as the Count Dracula, is not the legendary vampire afterall. He is undead, he is now a vampire, and he is a conman. Ilie Petrescu died in 1990s and found himself back alive after the Re-Enchantment. He returned back home to discover that everything had changed, himself included, but never one to back down from challenge he get to forming a plan. Using his newfound talents and natural charisma, he found some loyal allies and proceeded to present himself as the Count Dracula. He explains that it was never supposed to get this far, that it all kind of got out of hand very quickly.

Ilie offers the player a place in his inner circle; a lover or a sibling, or some other role to play in this plot of his, and a handsome reward if the player agrees to keep his secret. If the player decides to refuse, or attacks ‘Vlad Dracula’ a boss fight ensues between the player and the sisters circle, during which Ilie Petrescu disappears. The player will receive valuable rewards and resources from the castle, but the cult will turn hostile to the player after this, and will send occasional assassins their way. If player agrees to play along, they will unlock Ilie Petrescu, The Count dracula as an ally, and get access to further high level quests. The castle Bran will remain as a safe haven for the player and a source of resources.

Either way the player chooses, this concludes the main storyline of the Cult of Dracula.

## Additional Information

Players who chose to become vampires, or started their game in Cluj-Napoca might have additional dialogue choices or opportunities. They might also gain advantages or disadvantages in some interactions with the NPCs during this storyline.