The Examination
Order
of Shadows is our first "Tale of Gaiden,"
which I describe an isolated storyline unrelated to the main series. With the
number of game platforms increasing by the year as the industry expands and
developers' dependence on big-name titles ever-growing, it was bound to happen
that they'd eventually run out of space and resort to breaking the lineage with
tales that branch into alternate realities and what-if scenarios. I say this
not from failing to fit together the pieces and falling back on process of elimination
but by taking to heart the words of game-director Tyrone Rodriguez: "Officially,
Order of Chaos is considered a 'gaiden' or side story to the Castlevania
canon."
So where does it fit in?
Rodriguez only gives us a vague time-period of "the late 1600s," which
would overlap with the adventures or at least the early life of Simon
Belmont, who took up the challenge in 1691. It would make sense to plug it in
somewhere around the date of 1640, which would be the midpoint where there exists
a one-hundred-year gap between titles (Belmont's Revenge and Castlevania);
however, this would serve to justify it as a main-series title where the developers
were only looking for "gaiden" status--perhaps because Konami has
other plans for this specific time-period. That the description for Desmond's
"Doves" sub-weapon is "Pets used by a family friend for protection"
speaks that Order of Shadows' universe, whether alternate or not, is
at least somewhat consistent with the main universe.
More so than any undead
nightmare, Count Dracula's greatest ally in this world is any of the corrupted
humans whose inexplicable craving for darkness would beckon the return of its
prince. Fitting the bill was Rohan Krause, who desperately wanted to resurrect
the Dark Lord for nefarious means. Years after a series of altercations with
the Belmont family, the members of which he hated, Krause started a group called
"The Order," an organization that welcomed wicked men and women who
sought to strengthen themselves by aligning with the dark spirits. The Order's
ultimate goal was to raise Count Dracula from the underworld in the hope that
he would grant them greater power and eternal life. The Order's disciple's worked
night and day to construct a mansion from where they'd put into action their
plot. The dark spirits sensing their master's return, the mansion was suddenly
graced by the appearance of monsters, whose legions began terrorizing the countryside
as Dracula's forces always had.
Enter
siblings Desmond, Zoe and Dolores, the culmination of the Belmont bloodline.
While the young trio was highly aware of Krause's considerable power and his
past deeds (or at least a version of events whose telling had Krause
pegged as a family rival), more urgent to them was the knowledge that The Order
was attempting to resurrect Count Dracula. They hurried to The Order's mansion
in search of the Sacrificial Altar, the location from which the unholy incantation
was to commence. They decided to split up, with Desmond clearing the mansion
of evil souls while sisters Zoe and Dolores search for the altar's precise location
and a "special item" as spoken of by Giovanni, a family friend (it
had gone missing as a result of their parents' untimely passing, believed to
be the result of natural causes).
After Desmond slew the
Twin Bats, a pair of mansion guardians, Zoe appeared before him in a hurried
state. Her main concern was his health, which was holding up despite his observation
that the mansion foes were getting more powerful as he plowed deeper into the
sinister hellhole. Of importance were the sisters' findings: While exploring
the mansion halls, which Zoe described as interconnected, they located a den-like
cave whose secret passage was probably a direct path to the altar, itself, if
not to an entirely separate estate; more useful was their procuring of an enchanted
gauntlet, the "item" about which Giovanni had spoken. The gauntlet,
Giovanni confided in the sisters, was tied to Belmont legend; for Desmond, this
meant he could now harness the power of alchemy and specifically a series of
spells.
Desmond entered the mansion's
Inner Sanctum only to find his sisters waiting, their mood more downcast. The
sisters' search yielded one last find, a rather painful truth: They were all
lied to. Untold sources (most likely fallen Order members) revealed to the sisters
that Krause was not just a simple Belmont-family antagonist--it was he
who was responsible for their parents' deaths all those years ago. Why this
secret was kept from them was to the now-mature heroes an obvious omission of
fact and yet somewhat understandable--they realized that knowledge of such an
incident could have very well clouded their better judgment and season their
training with anger, vengeance, and other unwanted ingredients. The sisters
decided to head back to the mansion, to continue their investigation; the final
encounter was better left in Desmond's hands, they felt, and they before leaving
made known to their brother the wish to see Krause taken down once and for all.
Desmond
finished off the mansion's last line of defense and breached the Sacrificial
Altar, before which stood Rohan Krause. The callous Krause, pleased to see Desmond
in possession of the Vampire Killer whip, taunted, "Do you think you can
stop Lord Dracula's return?" He questioned further, wondering about the
youth's motivation: "Are you here for revenge?" After pondering the
question, the focused warrior finally responded, "No--vengeance isn't what
compels me. Sorry to disappoint you, Rohan." He was only there for the
job, the point of which hit a cord with Krause, who knew a true Belmont
when he saw one. "The whip didn't save your father then, and it
won't save you now!" Krause prefaced his declaration of war, playing
upon his actions of twenty years prior.
Krause could not defeat
the worthy Belmont descendant, whose power was now fully realized. Defeat for
Krause, who hoped to stand at Dracula's side, wasn't ultimate disappointment,
for he spoke confidently that it was too late--by through his own death offering
up a sacrifice of his highly sufficient blood, Krause would be able to complete
the final stage of the ritual; the Count would be revived 
and
"could never be stopped," according to the bitter Krause, who promised
with his last breath that he'd see Desmond's parents "in the underworld."
Bothered not by any of these misguided notions, Desmond rushed to the castle
keep, where indeed a freshly risen Dracula stood steadfast.
"Please forgive my
appearance," the somewhat depleted Dark Lord begged, for he didn't expect
to return so soon. Dracula was glad that Krause through his sacrifice was able
precipitate his return, but not to overcredit the man, the Count cryptically
suggested that Desmond was somehow a willing partner; this confounded Desmond,
who rejected any and all subtext. "Enough!" he yelled, tiring of Dracula's
spin and ready for battle. Dracula, whose new goal was to consume the hero's
life-force, was more than willing to oblige, setting in motion the final encounter.
True to his lineage, the
able Desmond brought the Count to his knees. To Desmond's surprise, sisters
Zoe and Dolores, fearing for his safety, emerged from the throne room's entrance,
rejoining him on this, the grandest stage. Defeated again, Dracula could only
mutter empty threats, swearing that neither Desmond or his ancestors would ever
truly vanquish him; this belief would be his only relic. It was all over
but for one final strike of the Vampire Killer, a thunderous snap that sent
back to the underworld its most popular tenant. Exhausted from the day's events,
the siblings agreed that it was time to head home.
As he exited the mansion,
Desmond could feel a looming presence, a strange sense registering in his brain.
Days after the incident, he returned to the mansion to spy--to calm his fears
of any residual activity. Oddly, the mansion stood firm, not a stone crumbled.
Desmond could only wonder what powerful evil was preventing its banishment if
not for Dracula's. He continued to survey the mansion from a nearby mountain
cliff, the answers for now escaping him.
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