Castlevania

One of Konami's biggest franchises is Castlevania, a game that debuted in 1986 about a hero who was destined to defeat Dracula. Castlevania has become a huge sensation stretching over 30 titles that deal with Dracula, which spans from 1000 AD to 2100 AD. The game is a standard action/adventure game were your hero is usally on a quest to ensure/defeat Dracula demise.

The entire saga begin after the Crusades, with a Mathias and Leon Belmont. Apparently an evil vampire lord had kidnapped Leon's wife and took her to his Castle in the Forest of Eternal Night. There he was given a whip known as "Vampire Killer" by Rinaldo Gandolfi, an Alchemist who was trapped in the forest as well. However, it was soon found out that Mathias had manipulated the chain of events that caused Leon's wife to to be taken by the vampire Walter. Leon managed to overcome Walter and his minions and destroyed the forest of Eternal Night. He vowed that day that he and his descendant would hunt down Mathias and bring him to justice for what he did.

Mathias, took on another name and traveled to Wallachia and take over the lands the belong to Vlad Tepes. Their he proclaimed himself Dracula, Lord of the Vampires and attempted to build an army to take over the world. During this time, Mathias allied himself with a number of demons and death itself and become much more than just a vampire.Yet he would be thwarted by Sonia Belmont.... centuries later he would rise again . . . . and be thwarted  by Trevor Belmont. . . . then Simon Belmont. . . . then by Richter Belmont . . .and so forth. Besides the Belmonts other Bloodlines would come to be a bane in Dracula's side such as the Belnades, Morris, and the LeCarde. There are also a number of other vampire hunter that have been drawn into the mix as well.

What gives this series campaign potential, is that the Dracula's fortress, Castlevania, exists outside of time/space in a special domain all its own. The fortress itself will reappear ever few centuries in the mountains of Wallachia, plaguing the world with a number of horrors from beyond. Within the fortress it is a huge expanse, and one can get easily lost. What is worse is the very nature of the fortress can warp itself trapping individuals in various points in time of its history. There is even a secondary inverted castle above the uppermost spire where Dracula truly resides. When the Castlevania disappears from Earth either by phasing out or being destroyed...it return to a place that is reminiscent of Wallachia. This domain contains a number of manors and villages which are isolated from the rest of the world.