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Thread: Dunnottar Castle

  1. #1

    Dunnottar Castle



    Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dłn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope") is a fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven. The castle is spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse. The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace.

  2. #2
    The cold night air howled through the forest as a large man, bathed entirely in black robes moved effortlessly quiet through the foliage, utter silence left in his wake. Streaks of milky beams shone through the canopy above, a full moon casting its radiance upon the landscape. The perfect night for a hunt for all manners of predator. His gliding form came to a slow hault, and the man peered off into the distance. He could make out the form of a beast, hunched over the fallen carcass of a large animal, the area around illuminated with blood and moonlight. Silently, the figure drew his wickedly armored right hand from beneath his cloak. In a pinching motion, he tapped his index finger and thumb together, which caused a loud, metallic clink to echo through the otherwise silent forest. The beast in the distance halted its meal, then suddenly drew itself back onto its hind legs, a guttural snarl breaking the silence once more. A werewolf. A newbie werewolf, to be more precise. This was to be a quick hunt, which was good, because there was much work to be done on this night. A strong voice, with a chillingly sinister feel and echo to it began to speak from behind the raised hood of the robes:

    "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name."

    With another savage snarl, the werewolf immediately turned its attention to the man speaking. With a beastial roar, it darted from its spot straight towards the speaking figure.

    "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."

    The cloaked man stepped nimbly to the side, the werewolf sprinting past him and straight into a large tree. The werewolf reeled back, shaking off the confusion before turning to prepare itself for another assault.

    "Give us this day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."


    The werewolf wildly charged the man again. This time, however, the man drew back his right hand, and delivered an unforgiving right hook, catching the werewolf hard against the side of its head and knocking its large body almost effortlessly down, like another leaf upon the ground. The man turned and approached the werewolf. In an instant, he had pinned the mighty beast's arms beneath his feet, the muscles on the creature bulging as it tried in vain to raise its arms. The man's left hand shot from beneath his cloak, gripping the creature by the throat, holding it in place as it attempted to snap and bite.

    "And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil."


    The man balled up his right hand, and began to ruthlessly deal the werewolf blow after blow to its chest, the loud sound of metal breaking bone and tearing flesh echoing amidst the gargled howls of pain escaping the werewolf's mouth.

    "For Thine is the Kingdom,"

    The man pointed all of his wickedly scythed fingers straight out on his right hand, the silver etched all along sparkling brightly in the moonlight. He plummeted his hand into the werewolf's chest, causing it to gurgle a more weakened howl, blood spurting from its mouth. He withdrew his hand.

    "and the power,"

    He impaled the beast with his razor sharp hand again, the body going slightly limp underneath him, labored gasps escaped its mouth now. Again, he withdrew his hand.

    "and the glory,"

    Another fluid motion and the man had once again impaled the werewolf upon his hand. The movement from the creature had almost completely stopped, and the only audible sound now was a faint whining noise. The man withdrew his hand mercilessly again.

    "Forever..." He impaled and withdrew his hand again. "and ever."

    The man's hand curled into a fist, and with a sudden lunge if his body, he swung his destructive limb hard into the werewolf's head. He tightened the grip with his left hand as he did so. The sound of flesh ripping, bone snapping and blood spraying exploded into the air at once as the man's swing knocked the werewolf's head clean off its shoulders and a good 10 feet away from him. He stepped off the arms of the beast, and the body jerked twice, before falling forward with a plain thud, blood quickly pooling beneath it.

    "Amen."

    The man flicked his robes as he spun his body, walking away from the grisly carnage he had just left. There was, after all, much work left to be done this night. Silently resuming his glide through the forest, William Van Helsing was determined to carve a swathe of destruction in Scotland this night...and many following nights.
    Last edited by Tribal; 10-17-2017 at 01:15 AM.

  3. #3

    Exclamation

    It was to be another dull, uneventful night in the church for Viktor. That was perfectly fine for him, considering the moon was full this evening, and the last thing he wanted to do was bump into an elder werewolf, causing him to exert far more force than he was interested in at the time. He let out a content sigh as he allowed himself a lingering gaze at the rainbow of lights that cascaded from a stained glass window. Quill in hand, he finished putting the final touches on a piece of parchment. His duties as a deacon were finished this evening. It should have been done much sooner, but he found himself procrastinating for some odd reason today. He arranged his belongings on his desk quickly, blew out his small candle and silently made his way to his humble chambers.

    "Actually... I'm feeling a bit peckish. If I stick to inside the walls, I doubt I'll run into trouble." He sighed again, this time in a more dejected manner. "... Not like it would even matter if I ran into trouble.."

    He suddenly realized that meant he was going out! To eat no less. With a sudden burst of speed and renewed purpose, he zipped to his door, and fastened the latch securely. He grasped a hanging rod of steel on the door and nonchalantly bent it around the handle, further adding to the lock. He stepped to a patch of stone in his wall that seemed newer and cleaner than the rest of his room. He cracked his knuckles and proceeded to rapidly remove the heavy stones. In no time, he stood before an opening which led into a custom walk-in closet, just for him. Inside were dozens and dozens of expensive, lavish suits and outfits. He removed his deacon robes and began the task of picking something to wear. When he finally decided, he put the clothes on with an eager swiftness. Black felt with orange trim as a jacket, with matching pants and a white silk shirt. Black boots made from the skin of an unknown reptile, which had been purchased from a far off land. Not a single hat was in his closet, because they weren't his forte. He quickly sealed his hidden closet back up and stepped over to the window. Removing only a row of stones this time, he popped his window out from the wall, allowing him access outside. Leaning out, he peered out at the world in awe. Truly, it was a beautiful night. He stepped out of the window and gave his body upwards momentum, launching him straight up into the air. Nimbly catching the edge of the roof, he jerked hard, flinging him even higher into the cool night air. With a spin, he landed on the roof of the Church. "No more laziness today. Let's try to enjoy the night," he thought to himself. With a smirk of delight, he sprinted towards the edge of the roof, and threw himself far from it in an intense jump. Where was the first stop? He still had a whole night ahead of him. Viktor couldn't wait. The sweet taste of a woman's blood taunted him regularly and finally it was time to give in to that urge. The hunt was on.
    Last edited by Tribal; 10-17-2017 at 11:08 AM.

  4. #4
    Allowing himself to feel excited about hunting caused Viktor a brief pause. It was an act of evil that was necessary for him, but it was unjustifiable to feel excited about it. He closed his eyes, still poised atop the roof of the church and began to pray.

    "Lord, please forgive me. I know what I am about to do is evil.. Yet it is my only means to survive. I pray you will take mercy upon me, a loyal servant, for the act I am about to commit."

    Finishing his prayer, he opened his eyes and rose to his feet. It was time. He sprinted to the end of the roof and launched himself clear into the chilled night air. How to do this? Break into a home? Look for drunks wandering the street? Try to show restraint? Drain the target dry? But what of the body? Questions plagued his mind as he whistled towards the ground, which seemed to rise higher and higher to meet him. His feet slammed heavily into the ground, his knees bending to help him maintain his balance. Slow strides from his long legs moved his body into town.

    The streets were surprisingly busy considering the temperature and time, but it made no difference to him. More choices, more options, and to his disdain, more thrill. He could hear the heartbeats of everyone he passed. He could smell the blood pumping through their veins. Each person he passed smelled more delicious than the last. But he wanted to try to savor this feeling and moment. He didn't get to hunt often. He couldn't hunt often.

    "Why are so many people out this evening?" He thought to himself. Surely, they haven't all forgotten what a full moon means, have they? Impossible. Werewolves have been spotted as typical lately as birds in the sky. It had started to become a real epidemic. Suddenly, his feet froze in their tracks. There it was. There she was. Firey red hair, wrapped up in layers of brown robes. The sweet smell of liquor wafting around her. Jade green eyes and a gentle splash of freckles across her pale, innocent face. She appeared to be in her early 20s and was on her way out of a tavern. She must have been working, her blood was pumping at a normal pace, which means she hadn't been drinking. Why else would she be in a tavern? She's the one. His feet finding their purpose again, he quickly took steps to catch up to her. He followed her a while, adamantly looking around and admiring scenery. He didn't need to stare. He could hear her every move and smell her very life essence. Ordinarily he would drag out this moment. He would chat with her, lull her in with his charm rather than use typical tricks.. Not tonight. He couldn't wait, he simply had to have her. He placed his hand upon her shoulder and spun her to meet his serpent gaze.

    "Be silent. Come with me."

    A slow nod from the woman revealed that her mind belonged to him. He walked briskly between an alley and found himself behind a general store, closed for the night, dark, secluded. He turned to face the woman, content with his location.

    "Don't worry. I'll stop before it goes too far. I don't want to kill you."

    Hollow words that he knew were lies. He has to kill her. There's no way he could stop himself with prey that smelled so delectable. He would pray and feel the guilt later, but in this moment, his blood pumped in excitement.

    He jerked the top of the woman's robes down, exposing her flesh just above her cleavage. Without more than a second of pause, he sank his fangs into the woman's neck, the two long teeth piercing her jugular with ease and precision.

    "...Delicious.." the word whispered through his mind as he felt the warmth of her blood pouring into his mouth, which he happily began to drink down. The woman's body jerked in response and her lower lip trembled. Tears began to pool in the corners of her eyes as the man drained her more and more. Viktor's hands found themselves grasping her arms, pulling her body tight to his. More and more he gulped, each mouthful better than the last. He felt revigorated and alive. The woman slowly went limp in his grasp, consciousness slipping from her. The last time she would ever sleep. The faint thudding of her heart slowed to a stop as he began to pull less and less blood from her with each drain. She was finally gone, and completely drained.

    Withdrawing his fangs, Viktor paused, releasing the woman's body, which fell to the ground in a boring thud. Disposal was always the part he despised. Her death would easily and quickly be blamed on werewolves, but he had to be sure that she was never found for that to work. He lifted her up onto his shoulder, and made his way towards the church. He would stash her away in the catacombs for the night and bury her in the forest first thing in the morning. He didn't feel like the possibility of a confrontation with a werewolf in the forest. He liked the clothes he had on and he didn't want to risk them being torn up and ruined. This would work out well for him, since he had a long night of praying and repenting to do for the dark deed he had just committed.

  5. #5
    Viktor opened his eyes instinctively, it was morning. Early, the sun had yet to peek over the horizon. He pulled himself out of bed, and quickly threw on his deacon robes and attire. This had to be quick. He could dig a hole rather fast, but the trick was retrieving the body and getting it out of the walls without getting spotted. He opened his doors and left his chambers, a clear objective outlined for the start of his day.

    As he rounded the final flight of steps coming down from his room, he halted in his tracks, a single step to be taken remained. He couldn't move though. There, in the front of the church, upon a raised table typically used for funerals was the woman's corpse. Small flowers adorned her body, and she had been decorated and cleaned up almost as if she was to be buried soon. But... Why? Why was she here? He finished his step down into the main room of the church, and as he made his way around the corner, another chill froze him to a stop. Who...?

    "I killed six werewolves last night. I return in time to watch a murder.."

    Viktor could feel his heart begin to pound in his chest as the icy words ripped through the air and chilled him to his bones.

    "Then, to my severe distaste, I find the culprit return to a House of God. The very House of God that contracted me with a werewolf problem."

    "Sir, I'm afraid tha-"

    "Do NOT interrupt me again,
    monster. I despise violence in God's House, but I can be swayed to make an exception for a monster."


    Viktor felt his mouth snap shut, and the rest of his sentence trailed off into nothing.

    As I was saying. I watched you,
    vile being, as you drained a young woman of her very life,
    and I watched and waited. If there were more of your kind here, I wanted to find them and exterminate them all."


    William began to clink the thumb of his right hand slowly against the other fingers on his hand, starting with his index finger. With each, intimidating metallic clank, he paused about two seconds, then moved to the next finger. Upon reaching his pinky, he would start over with his index finger.

    "I will admit, I have not been surprised in a long time... But when I saw you return to the Church... We'll just say I considered that unique."

    With perfect unison in timing, William began to clink his left hands fingers in the same manner as his right, the metallic clink growing in volume slightly.

    "So I investigated. I watched. I retrieved your unfortunate victim, dressed her appropriately, prayed for her and then turned her over to God. Then, I decided I would ask the ones that requested my assistance... Everything I could about you."

    Viktor's heart lunged once more.
    "No... No no no... They know. They know!" his own voice filled his head. His blood surged. He could finally feel the frozen terror subsiding. Anger was beginning to come over him, finally.

    "So, I have to ask you personally, monster, before I drag you outside for all the priests you've been deceiving and the townsfolk that have been your unsuspecting meals... So they may watch as I rip you to pieces for the sake of all that is good and Holy... What makes you possibly want to work in and stay within a Church? I find it disgusting you can even step past the threshold.. But you don't actually believe that something like you would ever actually be allowed into Heaven, do you? Surely, you won't get surprise and amusement out of me in a single encounter."

    Viktor sat quietly a moment. The words ran through his brain. The question repeated itself. His secret exposed and his entire life ruined. He had to choose his next actions or words carefully.
    Last edited by Tribal; 10-23-2017 at 11:40 PM.

  6. #6
    Run back up the steps? No... Viktor could feel that this man wouldn't allow for something like that to happen. The air about him... Viktor wasn't used to being unnerved. Charging him was out of the question. Viktor excelled at defense, so an all out offense would be met mercilessly. Reasoning? That may work. Can this man even be reasoned with?.. Viktor thought that maybe, that was the only way out.

    "Well... Because I serve and love Our Father. I am completely devo-"

    "Fool."

    "... Devoted to the cause. I strive to make amends and atone for my si-..."

    Williams fingers suddenly stopped their insidious tapping, and he raised his right arm to signal Viktor's silence, which, Viktor accidentally complied with.

    "I've heard quite enough. Do not open your mouth again to spout ignorance in my direction."

    William took a defined step forward and Viktor took an instinctive step back.

    "Come. We're going outside now to put an end to this farce you have been living."

    Viktor opened his mouth to speak, but William tapped his index finger against his thumb again, hard, causing Viktor to hesitate from the noise.

    "Don't. I don't feel like explaining to you how foolish you are. You killed an innocent woman just to further your own survival. You ruined her family's lives. She had children, monster. Two. How many other lives have you ruined such as hers?"

    Viktor stayed fixed in place for a moment. His mind raced again.. He didn't think about if she had a family... Nor anyone he's ever feasted upon.

    "Furthermore," continued William, "thinking that you would ever be able to repent and ask for forgiveness while continuing to do it again and again... That sort of hypocrisy is an insult to the faith itself."

    William took another step forward, and again, Viktor took a step back.

    "I am sorry you ended up such an abomination. It was not your fault. However, I do God's work. That includes ridding the world of any slights that have been made against Him. I will pray when I end you.. But it will be for my own forgiveness. Words would be wasted upon a creature that could never belong in Heaven."

    William lunged this time rather than taking a single step. The speed astonished Viktor, the cold grasp of William's gauntlets digging into his neck as he felt his feet leave the church's floor.

    "Be grateful to me for ending you.
    There are others that wouldn't have been so kind and merciful. You would be an interesting specimen for a colleague of mine."


    William tightened his grip on Viktor's neck. Viktor gasped, his arms swinging and flailing against the large, cloaked body of his assailant, but to no avail. William turned on the spot, and carrying the vampire with one arm like he were simply a sack of wool, he walked to the door of the church. Outside waited a vast majority of the town, with all of the church's inhabitants standing upon the steps..

  7. #7
    The world spun and blurred for Viktor as he was hauled from the Church by the imposing form of William. Priests looked away in shame, people that once referred to him as family had turned their backs on him and were leaving him to his fate. He could feel anger swelling up inside him, more and more as he neared the center of the gathered crowd. With a casual flick of his wrist, William tossed Viktor to the dirt and then addressed the crowd.

    "For crimes against God and His faithful followers, I sentence you to death,...

    "Viktor." Viktor said, pushing himself up from the dirt.
    "My name is Viktor Aos Tepes. I am the son of Count Dracula himself."

    Shocked noises and protests erupted from the crowd, and Viktor rose to his feet.
    "And after I kill you, I'm going to kill all these traitorous mortals."

    Blood pumped through his veins. He could feel his power swelling. He could feel the strength within him growing. The sun wasn't over the wall yet. The light had not taken to the sky. He could do this, he just had to act quickly.

    "Ah. Your name is Viktor. I won't remember it."

    "We'll see..."

    Viktor lunged at the man with a blinding speed. As he swung his arm to strike the man, he felt a sudden chill, and then felt William's hands clamp around his head from behind.

    "Too slow."

    Viktor felt a sharp stinging sensation along his neck. He could hear flesh tear and bone snap. "Damn. This is gonna hurt..."

    William pulled upwards, a spray of blood and gore erupting from around his hands as he jerked Viktor's head clear from his shoulders. Viktors body continued to move, flailing a bit, before slumping down to its knees. William locked eyes with the vampires eyes. Why was this things last expression... A smirk? It had managed to cause a brief pause from William. He'd seen anger, happiness, sadness. He had seen frozen expressions of almost every emotion after a decapitation... But never one that seemed so confident. So cocky. With a return to reality, he let the head fall lazily from his hands, which hit the ground with a soft thud. It wasn't done. With a nod towards the onlookers, someone amongst them took the initiative to light a fire that had been prepared beforehand.

    With the fire roaring decently, William carelessly kicked the head into it. He reached down to grab the body off the ground. Grabbing an arm, he tore it off, throwing it into the fire like it was firewood. He repeated this action for the remaining three limbs, before tossing the torso into the fire.

    "I love the smell of evil burning as it should. Your town has been cleansed as thoroughly as I can manage, good people. I will be taking my leave tomorrow, I ask someone to stay and monitor the fire for the rest of the day. Someone else from the Order will be sent to monitor and assess the situation here on the next full moon."

    With a flick of his cloak, William turned on his heel, not waiting for a reply from anyone. He made his way towards a tavern he had set up shop in. What an eventful three days he had spent in this place. Werewolves and a single vampire. Such an unusual job for someone as skilled as him. He let these thoughts fade from his mind as he began to pray, his motionless glide putting him further and further from the smoldering remains of Viktor.
    Last edited by Tribal; 10-24-2017 at 01:09 AM.

  8. #8
    "Oww.. Sometimes this feels like an eternity all its own.."

    Viktor was nothing more than a few scraps of bone and a smoldering pile of ashes. Yet this was not his end. He was uncertain if there was ever even going to be an actual end for him. His consciousness almost floated, a limbo between life and death that he had tread more than a couple times in his existence. There was pain, so much pain. Excruciating torment that escalated to a level that it was almost like a pleasing, numb feeling. Almost. He was bad at offensive attacks and excelled at defensive attacks. He was angry though, infuriated. That man had questioned his very ideologies and beliefs.. And made him believe it. Of course he would lash out.

    This was an opponent he had no hope of defeating, though. He concentrated on different ways things could have happened, with the conclusion ultimately being the same each time. He could have willed his head back to his body the moment it left. The same for his limbs. He could have reattached them and climbed from the fire, a true demon to send the townsfolk into a terror... But at what end? The man, whom he had learned was named William in a conversation as he was in the flames, would have just continued to end him. Probably captured him and took him somewhere for someone to experiment on him. No. Painful as it was, patience and torment was necessary.

    The man that had volunteered to watch the fire finally let out an exhausted yawn. A small plume of smoke rose from the spot the vampire was. It was over and he was finally going home. He stood from his spot by the fire and began to walk away. It was finally time. Viktor briefly concentrated on putting himself back together. Ashes twisted and whirled as the transformation took place. From tiny ashes, strands of muscle erupted, weaving together in an elaborate spiderweb of a blob. Bone shards rose from the muscle, only to sink within. The blob contorted and shifted, taking the shape of a man. Skin overlapped the muscle and drew taunt around the form. Eyes erupted from the sockets, then reeled themselves back in. The features of Viktor's body and face returned to as they were before his demise, hair pouring out where it was previously and teeth ripping from his gums. Painful. The entire regeneration process seemed more painful than the death sometimes, especially in a circumstance such as this.

    Viktor sat up, a sickly pale color, with soot specking his naked form and different blobs of fluid and goo that result from regenerating dripping from his body. The whole process barely took him ten seconds. The man that had stood guard hadn't even made it 10 paces from the scene. Viktor opened his bloodshot eyes, an eerie red glow emanating from him in his starved and weakened form. He had to feed.

    Viktor jumped to his feet and charged the man, his feet silent as they made faster than average paces. In no time, he was upon the man, immediately snapping his neck. There would be nothing left. Blood, skin, organs, hair, everything would be consumed. He was more cannibal than vampire at this point, more closely to a werewolf than the vampire he was born as. He had to consume it all. He shoved his fangs carelessly into the man's neck and began to gulp hungrily. As he felt the blood begin to slow, he took a large bite of the flesh. He needed it all. He tossed the man to the ground and shoved his hands deep into his chest. Ripping the ribs back and feeling the flesh peel beneath his grip sent him deeper into his hunger. He ate the man's heart, savoring the explosion of blood that was inside the morsel. Bone chomped and snapped as he began eating the man's ribs. He continued, eating and eating until there was truly nothing left of the deceased man except for his shredded clothing and small patches of bloodied dirt.

    Viktor rose from the ground, breathing in near ecstasy, a trail of blood down from his lips to his lower abdomen. Clarity was returning from his maddened state of hunger. He had to get away from here. He would sneak into the church and gather as much of his precious clothing as he could, then he would flee. He didn't know where, but he knew anywhere would be better than where he had spent most of his life.

    He moved his naked body along the streets, staying in the shadows. As he reached the church, he quickly scaled up to his room. He pushed his way into the wall of his room, one stone at a time. With a heightened motivation, he revealed his secret wardrobe. Quickly throwing on one of his less lavish outfits, he packed his beloved clothing into a large sack he had stashed away. He had always known one day he may have to leave, just never in these circumstances. Concealing the secret closet again, he dropped his bag of clothing out the window, climbed out, sealed the window again, then leapt from the side of the building. Gathering up his belongings, he sprinted to the ramparts, scaled them, and jumped clear from the wall. He was going somewhere, but even he didn't know where.

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