genessia | [VIdeo]

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[VIdeo]

Greetings citizens of Everglade. I am Vlad Dracula Tepes, lord of Castlevania. I realize that I have been rather... quiet as of late, however this last week I have learned of something I can simply not abide by. It has become public knowledge at this point that the Mayor's office here in Everglade has been the subject of some rather... shady dealings, to put it mildly.

For those unaware of the situation, it appears that the former mayor was the target of some extortion, and while there are no concrete links, it would seem that Guardian Grell Sutcliff benefited from such extortion, and the current mayor is little more than a lackey installed to answer to her.

I have never been one to enjoy puppeteers, and as such I believe it is time for a change. What Everglade needs is a leader that will stand strong for the policies that benefit Everglade, and can stand independently from the Guardian's office. As such, I am formally announcing my candidacy for Everglade's mayoral position in the next general election.

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Uh, Vlad, are you sure about this? You did kind of just make it rain blood and demon fetuses here. With Lisa here to temper you I don't doubt you'd do the job well, but... People can be kind of slow to forget things like that.

...Then again, you might have won some votes from the monster side with that too. Just remember that a mayoral seat isn't the same as a feudal lord's, I guess is what I mean to say.

Oh, I am very sure of this. This place needs my leadership. What do you know about the barrier that protects this place?

It's generated here in Everglade, by the... fear, I think, of the residents? Could be emotions in general. I haven't looked into it too deeply, I've been more interested in probing at it with alchemy to see if there was an actual substance to it that could be replicated under controlled circumstances.

Indeed. Fear powers this realm. But as of late, things have become... stagnant. Normalcy breeds complacency. Every day the people of this place grow accustomed to the terrors that lurk, the weaker the barrier becomes.

And who better to remind them what to fear than the Demon Emperor himself?

The problem is balance. If they become too frightened, you risk rebellion - and this place has people strong enough to oppose you and your legions without holy relics like the Vampire Killer. Even if it didn't, fear without hope becomes fatalistic complacence, which would turn into the same situation we currently have. To quote an oxymoron from my end of the timeline, 'The beatings will continue until morale improves.' It doesn't work out very well in practice.

In short, you need either a puppet hero... or a puppet politician.

[There's an amused chuckle.]

So what you're saying is that I need a Belmont. Though you do have a point. When they have a savior to put their hopes in the people are far more apt to fall into fearful obedience. Every time I am resurrected, all talk of mustering an army to oppose me fall silent as soon as a Belmont rears their head.

More or less, yes. We seem to be a bit short on Belmonts here, though. Someone else would have to step into the role, and I for one am not about to volunteer. It needs to be someone who doesn't know you as well as I do - someone who doesn't know that you have the power to regenerate outside this place's powers.

...Preferably not someone who can just kill you outright, though, which is a surprisingly long list here.

[Naoki blinks at the video. Dracula as in THE Dracula? Well it was hard not to believe. Even his demons were unaware of what Dracula looked like in their world, let alone if he exists.]

...I never thought I would see Dracula running for mayor. You are THE Dracula right?

No one else would be stupid enough to claim my name, so yes. I am.

If you ignore the fact that the former Mayor, not his assistant Mayor that took over, would do or say anything that someone that looked like you told them to do. Or that his erratic behavior started with him letting you have your monster army run amok at night after you paid him a visit with a bunch of them in tow. Then yeah, you probably never enjoy puppeteers and care immensely for Everglade.

I led a peaceful demonstration to present concerns the citizens had with the then mayor's policies. I will admit that he seemed distracted at the time, but it was his assistant that assured me that he would be fine.

However, I doubt that is what you were implying, without evidence. All I have done has been in the interest of Everglade.

A peaceful demonstration doesn't lead to your monster army occupying the city and killing anyone that is out at night.

Regardless. You're the one believed to have been manipulating the Mayor. That is literally the reason Grell and Cobblepot are in hot water now because the people believe the assistant Mayor was blamed for something you did. Were you not aware of that?

Now that is truly an outlandish claim. For starters, if I had such powers, why have I not exercised it on others? Why restrict myself to one person? I dare say between that sort of power and the martial might my castle can muster I would've had this place conquered within a month of my arrival.

Secondly, my army cannot leave the premises of Castlevania without my aid as they do not possess an amulet like you and I, and there are plenty of people I'm sure that can testify that I've not left my castle more than a handful of times since that policy was instated. If you require an 'unbiased' account, seek out Soma Cruz. The boy and I are connected... but neither of us are happy about that situation.

Lastly, if Sutcliff and Cobblepot were covering for something I supposedly did, then what benefit would I stand to gain from making this announcement? I would already have both the Mayor and Guardian's offices in my pocket as it were.

Again, you offer no evidence, simply wild conjecture. I suggest you rethink your assumptions, Guardian Haller.

First, The Mayor literally started his video when he instated the changes with “Lord Vlad Tepes of Castlevania came to the Mayor’s office of Everglade with his army in tow.” He said he was thrilled to have your support and the support of your army and claimed you to be the one that liberated the Mayor’s office from the control of the Guardians. Others are even aware of you going to the Mayor’s office with your army, so it’s not like there is no one that can back it up. Maybe the way the Sub-Archways work are different now, but that isn’t something we dreamed.

Second, I never said they were covering for you. I believe that if they did what people think they did, then they were completely unaware of the situation. Just like I believe you were completely oblivious to the fact that you were implicated in controlling the Mayor or that the people believe you did, otherwise you would have addressed that initially instead of not saying anything about it at all. I am not making assumptions and wild conjecture, just merely telling you what has been presented and what people believe.

But I think we are done here. I think this conversation will just be you saying “this and that” isn’t true. Good evening, Vlad.

So.... I've been thinking of moving into Everglade once my free time is up at the Commons. To be helpful to a future citizen and voter, mind telling me a bit more about the place?

[He smirks at the creature's visage. He'd fit in right at home with Everglade.]

I would heartily suggest taking residence in Everglade. The population of Everglade caters more toward the monstrous and inhuman like you and I. It is truly a paradise of refuge against the slings and arrows that we would suffer in other cities.

So there are more monsters there?

Oh, indeed. Just among the denizens of my castle, there are plenty of the inhuman among our ranks.

[He turns the camera away from him to show a pair of armed skeletons, a massive warg curled up in the corner of the room, and a lizardman walking through the frame.]

Seems just like home then.

I'll have to check the place out.

I'm sure that Everglade would welcome one such as yourself with open arms.

[This is the most unimpressed lich ever.]

Good luck with that.

But I'll absolutely pass on the whole... voting for you thing.

[Vlad will mirror that level of impressed.]

Very well. I'll be sure to make a note of your... 'support.'

[Eh, she doesn't care if this isn't private anymore, just going to lower her illusion spell for the time being and just grin at him.]

Good luck with your little shitfest. [And that is absolutely the skeleton lich flipping him off.]

Dracula... Where have I heard that name before...?

[Says the pink vampire, who is thinking too hard. Granted, Eliot does purposefully wipe his memory of unpleasant things. The history of his world's historical Dracula is not a happy memory.]

Well. It's honorable of you to run for office. I hope I'm not too ignorant in asking, but are you from this 'world' of Genessia? Or do outsiders get involved in politics here?

I am not, no. The 'outsiders' such as us take a rather large role in shaping the future of this place.

I see... Then being passive is inexcusable behavior on my part, huh...?

Do all of the cities here hold elections like this?

That is not for me to say. Society requires people at every level and strata. Where you fit into that is your own choice.

They do, though usually the only elections that are contested are for the office of Guradian, that was specifically created for those of us outsiders.

Interesting. I wasn't aware, so thank you.

I can't say I've ever been good at politics back home. I'm more of a pawn than anything. The most I can do is support those elected, I suppose. I wish you well.

I appreciate your support.

I'd like to hear more details about Ms Sutcliff's actions...?

[There's a bit of a smirk.]

Ironically, aside from installing her stooge, she's done very little. However this place has been far too... stagnant.

Well, it seems she's getting the blame for... everything. [ She's wondering if this can end with herself as Guardian. ]

Indeed it does. An unexpected ripple that I intend to fan into a tsunami.

[ How interesting for this to come from someone whose name has been implicated in this mess as well. But pointing that out would be completely unnecessary antagonizing at this point, so Cassian just looks politely interested. ]

Yes, I have heard of these charges. May I ask what your intentions as mayor are, beyond replacing a candidate you consider unfit for the position?

I would seek to restore balance between the monstrous and human populations, while strengthening the barrier that keeps us safe.

Honorable goals, all of them.

I look forward to observing your campaign.

Thank you, Guaridan Andor.

I didn't know you could just declare you're running for mayor whenever you wanted whether there's an election or not.

Why would there be a restriction? It would seem most logical to announce such candidacy far ahead of the election proper so that the people have the time to educate themselves about what each candidate stands for.

[The books he's procured from the library on political science has been fascinating to the feudal lord it would seem.]

...Is this "mayoral" election held at a different time from the City Guardian elections?

I believe they do, having taken a cursory glance at when Cobblepot and Schnee assumed their respective offices.

Interesting. Good luck with that. I have visited Everglade several times, but it's difficult to comprehend what's going on there when most of what I hear are rumors and accusations.

Although there is one thing I have heard. I have heard that Everglade is the source of the barriers that keep the spirits out, and I'm told that there are people who can craft equipment to help ward them off. Would you know anything about that?

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