Much like Frankenstein's famous monster, the Dark Universe is probably doomed to be remembered as a failed experiment cobbled together from spare parts, and a cautionary tale about the perils of playing God. As Universal Pictures found out the hard way: creating a universe is really hard, even if that universe happens to be fictional.
At best, Dracula Untold and The Mummy were just a pair of bland, forgettable fantasy films with a few neat ideas thrown in. At worst, they embody the most deplorable excesses of Hollywood's love affair with franchises and reboots, and they serve as a reminder that a "cinematic universe" isn't a magic bullet that guarantees massive success.
In case you forgot: Dracula Untold bombed so hard that the studio retroactively exiled it from the franchise (and they don't even like to admit that it was ever part of a franchise), and The Mummy put the name of the franchise in its opening credits before the franchise was even established.
But was this series always doomed to failure, or was it just flawed in its execution? Call me crazy, but I think there was the kernel of a great series in both of those movies, even as disappointing as they were.
A Dracula movie set in the Middle Ages, with historical details about the real Vlad Dracula thrown in? Awesome! A Mummy movie that's also a spy thriller, where Tom Cruise plays an undead superhero? Okay, that was stupid... But that room full of classic monster Easter Eggs was pretty cool, right?
So what happened? In short: a lot of things. Dracula Untold had a promising story, but I really think its premise ran into a big problem:
Origin stories are extremely hard to do well.
They're definitely not impossible (the rules of storytelling are more like guidelines, after all), but not every character can be improved with a definitive origin story.
It's one thing to make a feature-length origin story about an iconic hero like James Bond or Batman, since they're sympathetic characters whom we're meant to identify with. For anybody who's ever daydreamed about being a superhero or a secret agent, those fantasies instantly become a lot more vivid when we see a hero's human side, and we learn how they came to be; once we see that our heroes aren't so different from us, it's easier to imagine that we could be like them.
Monsters, though? Monsters are a different story. While most great villains have a human side, they usually become iconic because they embody something primal and archetypal that we find scary, and they derive their power from their mystery.
Moviegoers of the 1960s loved Ernst Stavro Blofeld because he embodied everything that they found scary about dictators on the far side of the Iron Curtain. Comic book fans love the Joker because he's the personification of chaos, and he embodies everything that we find scary about crime. And supernatural villains like Maleficent, the Wicked Witch of the West, and—yes—Dracula embody everything that we find scary about the occult.
That's probably why most James Bond fans loved it when Casino Royale explored Bond's origins, but hated it when Spectre tried to do the same for Blofeld. It's also probably why Batman fans loved it when Batman Begins explained how Bruce Wayne became Batman, but didn't mind that The Dark Knight explained almost nothing about the Joker. And it's probably why Maleficent and Oz the Great and Powerful got such lukewarm receptions when they tried to explain how Maleficent and the Wicked Witch became evil. When you explain too much about an iconic villain, you run the risk of robbing them of their mystique.
(That's also why I'm not so optimistic about the upcoming Joker origin movie, though I'll wait until it comes out before I criticize it)
The thing is, though...a prequel doesn't necessarily have to be an origin story. It's possible to shed some light on a character's past without devoting a whole story to explaining how they became the way they are. Case in point: compare the movie Hannibal Rising to the TV series Hannibal. They're both prequels to the Hannibal Lecter saga, but one was a critically panned box-office bomb, and the other was a critically praised cult classic with a devoted fandom. Why? There are a lot of reasons why—but for starters, one was devoted to "explaining" how Lecter became Lecter, and the other actually gives Lecter a chance to be Lecter.
Instead of just answering every single question about Lecter's past, Hannibal devotes its creative energy to being a genuinely solid crime drama with a strong dose of gothic horror, and it actually manages to stand on its own alongside The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon without being entirely defined by either of them. In a perfect world, that's the sort of prequel that Dracula Untold should have been: a solid supernatural horror story set in the Middle Ages, which could paved the way for the original Dracula without being entirely defined by it.
But what if we actually had gotten a Dracula prequel like that? And what if we had gotten a Mummy movie that logically built on its plot points, and set up the framework of a franchise without shoving it down our throats? And what if we had gotten, say, a Frankenstein movie and a Wolf Man movie that built on both of them, and set up an epic "monster mash" in the vein of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man or House of Dracula? What might those movies have looked like?
Well...
Dracula: Untold (2014)
Setting: Transylvania, 1473
As our movie opens, we're introduced to our protagonist: a handsome, dark-haired Prince who rules over a vast swath of territories in Eastern Europe, including Transylvania. A lifelong soldier, he's led his people to victory in dozens of battles, he always wears a suit of armor, and he can wield a sword as well as any of his loyal knights. If it helps, you can imagine imagine Luke Evans playing him.
But protagonist isn't Vlad Tepes (the man better known as "Dracula", or "Vlad the Impaler"). Instead, he's a different historical monarch: Matthias Corvinus, the King of Hungary. As any Dracula fan will tell you, Matthias Corvinus was arguably the single most important figure in the historical Dracula's life; a revered monarch who became legendary for his prowess in battle and his patronage of the arts, he was alternately an ally and rival of Prince Vlad of Wallachia, who fought alongside him against the Ottoman Empire. Here, Matthias is our hero, and Dracula is the villain of the story—as he should be.
Over the course of his three decades on the throne, Matthias has seen the world change, not always for the better. It's been twenty years since the great city of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II, spelling the end of the last vestiges of the Roman Empire. As the sultan's power grows, the lords and princes of Christian Europe fear that the religion of Islam will soon dominate the West. While all of this plays out, rumors spread of strange creatures hiding in the shadowy lands east of the Carpathian Mountains, where the brutal prince Vlad—called "Dracula", or "Son of the Beast"—holds sway over the kingdom of Wallachia.
While Mehmed's armies grow ever closer to the borders of Matthias' kingdom, Matthias answers a call for help from the province of Transylvania, where strange and terrible things are afoot. The corpses of peasants are turning up in the woods, completely drained of their blood; entire villages are vanishing without explanation; massive swarms of bats can be seen flying over the countryside in the dead of night; hunters regularly encounter enormous wolf-like creatures, which walk on two legs like men. Matthias realizes that his kingdom is falling under the sway of evil forces, and he must confront them.
Against the advice of his men, Matthias decides to lead a party of knights across the Carpathian Mountains to investigate the rash of mysterious deaths, knowing that his journey will lead him into the heart of Wallachia. As he and his men travel farther and farther from home, they find themselves fighting for their lives against ferocious werewolves and hostile villagers, and they soon realize why so many villagers are vanishing: someone is turning them into mindless vampires, and they're leaving their homes to seek fresh blood. After one deadly confrontation with a swarm of vampires, Matthias is forced to behead one of his own knights to prevent him from becoming one of them, and a local apothecary offers him some advice on how to kill a vampire.
After explaining how to ward off vampires with stakes and crucifixes, the apothecary tells Matthias the disturbing tale of Prince Vlad, who hasn't been seen outside of his castle in months. She explains that she was once a servant in the castle, but fled for her life after she witnessed Vlad drinking blood from a chalice in a disturbing occult ritual. She believes that the Prince has become a vampire, and that he has sworn allegiance to Lucifer in exchange for eternal life. Though Matthias doubts her story about Vlad being in league with Lucifer, he knows that the vampires must have a master, and believes that it might be Vlad.
But the apothecary's warning comes too late: Matthias and his party are ambushed and captured by vampires, who take them to Prince Vlad's castle. When Matthias awakes, he finds himself in chains in Vlad's throne room, and Vlad—played by Charles Dance—formally introduces himself. He informs Matthias that he no longer answers to his old name, and is now only "Dracula". With that, Matthias is forced to watch helplessly as Dracula fatally impales his comrades on wooden stakes, and Dracula's vampire servants eagerly gather their blood in a chalice and present it to their master. As Dracula sips from his chalice, he informs Matthias that the apothecary's story was true: he really is a servant of Lucifer. And now that he has a noble-born prince as a captive, he plans to sacrifice him to Lucifer, which will grant him enough power to make him unstoppable.
While Dracula prepares the sacrifice ritual, he throws Matthias into his dungeon to await his fate. But with quick thinking and a little bit of luck, Matthias manages to escape after one of Dracula's brides disobeys her master's orders and sneaks into the dungeons to take some of Matthias' blood for herself. Heeding the apothecary's advice, he manages to fight his way through legions of vampires, and rushes back to Dracula's throne room to confront him. Just as he does, Dracula speaks the incantation to summon his master Lucifer, and Matthias finds himself staring through a fiery portal into Hell—where he sees Lucifer staring right back at him.
Just at that moment, salvation arrives: the sultan's army is on the march, and they've reached Dracula's castle. As Matthias picks up his sword and engages Dracula in battle, a barrage of cannon-fire rings out, and the Ottoman army lays siege to the castle. Little by little, the castle begins to crumble, and Dracula falls into the dungeons, where he's buried under a pile of stone rubble. As the castle's walls fall, Matthias makes his escape and sets off for home.
Days later, as Matthias lays down to sleep beside his wife, he has a disturbing dream about Dracula—who is trapped in the dungeons of his ruined castle, but very much alive. In his dream, Dracula assures him that he will rise again, and he reminds Matthias that he's immortal; the next time he threatens the people of Transylvania, Matthias may not be alive to stop him...
The Mummy: Unconquered (2016)
Setting: Egypt, 1798
Our story picks up more than 300 years after the sultan's troops destroyed Castle Dracula. The year is 1798, and the Ottoman Empire still rules over much of Eastern Europe and the Middle East—including Egypt, where the Mamluk rulers Mourad and Ibrahim swear fealty to the sultan. After decades of war and revolutionary upheaval in Europe, rumors spread of an ambitious Corsican military officer, who has risen through the ranks of the French Army to become one of the most feared men on the Continent. Now, with an unparalleled fighting force at his command, he plans to set his sights on Egypt. His name? Napoleon Bonaparte.
Our protagonist is a young Egyptian man named Salim, who reluctantly answers the call to enlist in the Egyptian Army as Napoleon's forces march from Alexandria and make their move on Cairo. He is forced to leave his fiancee, Yasmin, whose father Mustafa is a renowned scholar who manages a library in Cairo. As he fights with the Egyptian Army in the Battle of the Pyramids, he narrowly escapes with his life as the French Army massacres his friends and comrades, and takes hundreds of Egyptian prisoners. Unbeknownst to him, though, Napoleon has more than conquest on his mind; he's looking for the long-lost Temple of Set, which supposedly houses a fabled ceremonial dagger that can make its bearer unstoppable in battle. With the Egyptian forces scattered, he and his army strike out into the desert to seek out the temple. One of his commanders is a certain German baron, whose name will become important later.
Eventually, Napoleon finds his way to the temple, which is half-buried in the desert sands, and nearly inaccessible. But against all odds, he fights his way to the heart of the temple and takes the dagger, though he begins to have his doubts about whether it will really bring him the power that he seeks. As he leaves the temple, he doesn't notice that something is stirring in a stone sarcophagus...
Exhausted from battle, Salim manages to make his way back to Yasmin and her father in Cairo, just as Napoleon's forces swarm the streets. Together, they plan to flee the city before more soldiers arrive, but Mustafa refuses to go with them, insisting that he can't leave his library. Before they can make their escape, the German baron forces his way into Mustafa's library and threatens him at knife-point. He tells him that Napoleon has found the dagger in the Temple of Set, but he suspects that there is a secret to claiming its power—and he believes that he'll find that secret in one of the books in Mustafa's library. Visibly terrified, Mustafa insists that there is no such secret, but he tells the baron that he must return the dagger to the temple.
"The Dagger of Set is no key to power—it's a safeguard against a great evil. There are shadowy forces lurking in the Temple of Set, and the dagger is the only thing keeping them back! Once it's removed..."
But his warning comes too late: a monstrous horde of giant scarabs swarms the city of Cairo, attacking and devouring everyone in their path. Salim and co. manage to escape from the baron, and they take shelter in the cellar of Mustafa's library. As they hide from the rampaging insects, Mustafa explains the full story of the Temple of Set.
In his younger days, Mustafa was a scholar in the court of the sultan, and he had the opportunity to learn many secrets in his palace library. While there, he learned the story of Imhotep, an infamous high priest from the New Kingdom of Egypt who made a pact with the evil god Set in exchange for eternal life and everlasting power. It's said that the Pharaoh had Imhotep mummified alive and sealed in his own temple when he grew too powerful, and he placed the enchanted dagger in the temple to prevent him from leaving. For centuries, the Temple of Set has remained abandoned, and Imhotep has remained dormant—but he's as alive as ever, and only needs an opportunity to free himself. To seal him back in his prison, the dagger must be returned to its rightful place in the temple
"Over 300 years ago, the sultan's army laid siege to a castle in the Carpathian Mountains. Something evil dwelt in its foundations, and they dared not set it free. There are places in the world where evil gathers like a deadly plague, awaiting the chance to spread. That castle was one such place. The Temple of Set is another."
Back in the Temple of Set, Imhotep—a grotesque, withered figure wrapped in bandages—rises from his sarcophagus and summons a massive army of reanimated corpses. As Imhotep and his army march on Cairo together, the scarabs continue to swarm the city, and Salim and Yasmin fight to survive as they look for the missing dagger. When Napoleon's forces spot the army of corpses marching through the desert, they gather in formation to fight them off, and Salim takes the opportunity to steal the dagger from Napoleon's camp. In a massive battle, Napoleon and the baron lead a cavalry charge against Imhotep's forces, distracting them just long enough for Salim and Yasmin to make their way to the temple to return the dagger.
In the climax, Yasmin and Salim infiltrate the Temple of Set and fight their way to the center of the massive structure while Imhotep attempts to chase them down. Moments before they return the dagger to its resting place, they have a blood-curdling encounter with Set himself, whom Imhotep has summoned as a witness to his return. As Set taunts our heroes, his face changes shape for one brief moment, and becomes the face of Lucifer; though the moment is fleeting, it instantly becomes clear that Set and Lucifer are the same being—meaning that Imhotep and Dracula are in thrall to the same master.
Against all odds, they manage to return the dagger just before Imhotep closes in on them. Imhotep cries out to his master Set to save him, but the god turns his back on him, coldly telling him that he's not worthy of his power if he can be foiled by a pair of lowly mortals. Meanwhile, Imhotep's undead soldiers crumble into dust as Napoleon's army holds them off. When the dust settles, the baron has been grievously injured in the fighting, and has lost his right leg.
With that, Salim and Yasmin settle down in Cairo to start a family together. Though Imhotep has been defeated, Napoleon's forces remain in Egypt, and Salim and Yasmin must face the harsh reality of living under foreign occupation. In the final scene, Napoleon sends the injured baron back to Germany for medical treatment, and thanks him for his fine service as he bids him farewell.
"You've fought well. Travel safely, Baron Von Frankenstein..."
Frankenstein: Unchained (2018)
Setting: Germany, 1820
A little over twenty years after Imhotep and his undead army were defeated in Egypt, the German nobleman Alphonse Von Frankenstein—a battle-hardened veteran of the Napoleonic Wars—has settled down and started a family. Haunted by his experiences in Egypt (which he refuses to speak about), he is known for his cold demeanor, and his children Victor and Elizabeth often have a strained relationship with him. Their relationship becomes even more difficult when Alphonse's wife Caroline suddenly dies of scarlet fever when Victor is just a child, causing Alphonse to become a chronically depressed recluse. A bookish child, Victor seeks solace in scientific texts, and soon becomes obsessed with esoteric disciplines like alchemy and mysticism; haunted by the loss of his mother, he is determined to find a way to conquer death through science, and believes that it might be possible to create life in a laboratory.
Though Elizabeth becomes concerned about her brother's mental state, Victor soon proves himself as a science prodigy, and he eventually receives an exclusive invitation to study medicine at Ingolstadt University, a prestigious German university with a rather ghoulish reputation. Though no one has ever been able to prove it, it's rumored that the students and faculty at Ingolstadt often perform grotesque experiments on live human test subjects. Supposedly, some of the students have even done research on how to resurrect the dead.
While studying at Ingolstadt, Victor soon becomes intrigued by the sprawling university and its many hidden places. As he soon learns, the school is also home to a highly exclusive secret society known as "Prodigium", whose members have access to the most jealously guarded texts and research in the school's inner sanctum. Victor exhaustively pursues his studies in science and medicine, and he finally gets his chance to join the ranks of Prodigium when his wealthy roommate Igor Waldman reveals that he is a member, and he tells Victor that he has been nominated for membership. Ecstatic, Victor accompanies Igor to attend Prodigium's initiation ritual on the night of a full moon, and he's finally given access to the secret library at the heart of Ingolstadt.
As the assembled members of Prodigium don hooded cloaks and gather around a circle of candles surrounding a mirror, Victor suddenly realizes—to his utter horror—that the group is actually an occult sect, and they regularly gather in the library for pagan rites and rituals. When the initiation ritual commences, the group begins chanting a prayer to a being known as "The Dark One", and they call Victor forward to join in. When he does, a mysterious black-eyed figure appears in the mirror and beckons to him; as he looks on, the figure's face changes, first becoming the face of Lucifer, then the face of Set. As Victor looks around at his surroundings, he realizes that the room is filled with antique art, including a set of Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting Imhotep, and an oil portrait of Dracula. Though Victor is terrified by all that he sees, Igor convinces him to stay, telling him that Prodigium has the resources to make his dreams a reality.
"I know that you have potential, Victor. You want to create life. Some might call you mad, but we understand. The power to create life shouldn't belong to God alone. You can lead the way into a new age. We'll be right behind you!"
Victor accepts his membership in Prodigium, giving him access to the laboratory in Ingolstadt's inner sanctum—where he has a fully stocked vault of chemicals and scientific equipment at his disposal, along with all of the cadavers and preserved organs that he could ever need. As he begins to experiment on human bodies, Igor moves into the lab to assist him, and he subtly encourages Victor when he begins to have doubts about the ethics of his work. Finally, many months later, Victor manages to piece together a complete human specimen from preserved body parts, and he and Igor prepare to use a lightning storm to bring the specimen to life. As the Creature comes to life on the laboratory slab, Victor—overcome with emotion—names it "Adam", reminded of the story of the Garden of Eden. But Igor rebukes Victor for invoking the Bible, and tells him that he shouldn't get too attached to the Creature. With that, the other members of Prodigium appear and drag the Creature into the crypts beneath the laboratory.
It turns out that Victor was always just a pawn in Prodigium's ultimate plan: creating a living vessel for their master, "The Dark One", that will allow him to cross into the mortal world and rule over humanity. Since the Creature is an artificially created being, he has no soul, making his body the perfect empty vessel for the Dark One's soul. Now that Victor's experiment has succeeded, they have only to wait until the next full moon to perform the summoning ritual.
Against all odds, the Creature successfully manages to escape from the crypts, and he flees into the Bavarian countryside. As Igor and his friends leave the university to hunt him down, Victor sets out to find the Creature before Prodigium does, determined to save him. Fortunately, he finds the Creature taking refuge in a local farmhouse, and he comforts him and brings him food. As the Creature takes shelter, Victor tells him that his true name is "Adam", and he promises that he won't let Prodigium take him. To his surprise, the Creature—Adam—speaks to him, revealing that he's intelligent and capable of understanding human speech. As they take the time to get to know each other, Victor resolves to smuggle him out of the country and take him where Prodigium can't hurt him.
Their moment of peace turns out to be fleeting; some of the local villagers are in league with Prodigium, and they tip Igor off about Victor's location. As Prodigium closes in, Adam fights back, revealing his superhuman strength as he kills six of Igor's goons with his bare hands. Finally, Victor and Adam manage to board a stagecoach, and a frantic chase ensues as they race through the countryside. After several days on the run, they manage to make it to the port of Hamburg, where Victor hopes to find Adam safe passage on a steamship. Unfortunately, Prodigium manages to head them off.
In a climactic final standoff with Igor, Victor sacrifices his life to save Adam as he boards his ship. As the ship pulls away from the port, Adam watches helplessly as his creator dies, and he promises that he'll make his sacrifice a worthy one.
In the final scene, back at the Frankenstein family estate, Elizabeth receives a letter written in handwriting that she doesn't recognize. As she reads it, she breaks down in tears as she learns that her beloved brother Victor has died, but the anonymous sender assures her that he died a noble man.
To her surprise, the letter doesn't come with a return address. As the sender cryptically remarks: "It's best that nobody find me..."
The Wolf Man: Untamed (2020)
Setting: America, 1862
A little over 40 years after the death of Victor Frankenstein, the United States has been split in two by the American Civil War, dividing many American families in the heartland. One such family is the Talbots, a family of poor farmers in rural Kansas, who find themselves caught in the middle of a clash between rival pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.
One fateful day in 1856, 15 year-old Lawrence Talbot is forced to watch helplessly as his father John Talbot is brutally executed by marauders after he's discovered sheltering slaves. Though he never learns the name of his father's killer, he remembers just one detail about the man: he was carrying a distinctive black walking stick with a silver wolf's head on the handle. Six years later, with the war in full-swing, he reluctantly joins the Union Army, and finds himself deployed to Tennessee to fight the Confederates at Shiloh.
During a frenzied exchange of gunfire, Lawrence suddenly recognizes one of the soldiers in the Confederate Army, and realizes—much to his horror—that it's the marauder who killed his father. Six years after killing John Talbot, the man has risen up the ranks of the Confederate Army, and he is now a decorated lieutenant in the service of Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest. Though he initially doubts his eyes, Lawrence's suspicions are confirmed when his comrades are called to pursue the retreating Confederates, and he discovers the black walking stick abandoned in the mud, complete with the distinctive wolf's head.
As Talbot and his comrades march through the war-torn countryside, they're eventually caught in a Confederate ambush, forcing Talbot and some of his friends to escape into a nearby forest. Fleeing deeper and deeper into the shadowed woods, they find themselves hopelessly lost when night falls. Before long, they hear a strange growling and snarling in the darkness—the telltale sounds of a wolf on the prowl. One by one, Talbot's companions are dragged off into the woods as the wolf hunts them down, and Talbot desperately tries to flee as he hears them being torn to shreds. He runs as fast as his legs will take him, but he can't outrun the wolf, and he passes out as it pounces on him from behind.
To his surprise, Talbot wakes up in a medical tent in a Confederate prison camp, and finds a surgeon tending to his wounds. The surgeon tells him that the Confederates found in the forest, the sole survivor of an apparent wolf attack. While all of his friends were mangled beyond recognition, Talbot got off with just a bite in the leg, and the wolf apparently left him before it could inflict further injuries.
Though the surgeon mends Talbot's leg wound, he tells Talbot that he has been taken as a prisoner of war, and he'll be held in the camp until further notice. Later, when a Confederate officer comes to interrogate him, Talbot learns that the black walking stick was confiscated during his capture; it turns out that its owner is Lieutenant Paul Montford, a well-known officer in the Tennessee Cavalry.
For days, Talbot languishes in the prison camp, growing progressively more angry at his captors as he endures repeated physical abuse and subsists on meager prison rations. Still, he vows to keep going, knowing that his father's killer is still out there.
Then a full moon rises...
As he watches the full moon rise over the countryside, Talbot suddenly feels thick hair growing all over his body, he feels his teeth growing longer and sharper, and he feels his hands and feet becoming razor-clawed paws. Overcome by feral rage, he lets out a mighty howl as he rips off the door of his holding pen. Roaring and snarling, he charges at the Confederate guards as they surround him and open fire, and he effortlessly tears through their ranks, biting and slashing at every soldier that dares cross him.
As the Rebels and the Union prisoners flee in terror, Talbot finally manages to fight his way to the officer who interrogated him. Pinning the helpless man to the ground, he snatches the black walking stick out of his hand. As he holds it in front of him, he snarls a single word:
"WHERE?!"
Terrified, the officer replies "Corinth Road!", and Talbot leaves him alive as he bounds off into the distance toward Corinth Road.
Sure enough, Montford and his men are making camp upcountry, near Corinth Road. As Talbot makes his way to the camp, the sun eventually rises, restoring his human form. Still, he charges forward, determined to kill Montford at all costs.
With his clothes shredded by his transformation, Talbot creeps into the camp when night falls again, and he manages to steal a spare Confederate uniform from a sleeping soldier's pack. In disguise, he sneaks into Montford's tent with a pistol in hand, prepared to shoot him on the spot.
To his surprise, Montford stays completely calm when he sees him, and gives him a knowing smile.
"I had a feeling you'd find me, one of these days. You never stop. Neither would I, if somebody had done to me what I did to you. Don't worry, Talbot. I don't blame you for turning that gun on me. An animal can't tame his instincts. I suppose only one of us is leaving this tent alive."
Confused, Talbot demands to know why Montford is accepting his fate so calmly.
"You've got the rage of a wild beast in you, son," Montford says. "So do I. That's why I let you live. Even a wolf can sense a kindred spirit."
Horrified, Talbot flashes back to the night in the forest when the wolf bit him, and he realizes that Montford was the wolf all along. Montford is a werewolf, and he carries the wolf-head cane because he came to terms with his beastly nature long ago, and now accepts it as a part of who he is. That night, he recognized Talbot as the son of the man he killed, and he chose to pass on his lycanthropy to him rather than killing him, believing that he deserved a chance to take his revenge.
As Talbot realizes the truth, Montford changes into his lupine form and prepares to fight him—since he has years of experience in using his abilities, and he no longer needs the power of the full moon to become a werewolf. Talbot futilely tries fight him off with his pistol, but Montford goads him on, telling him to surrender to the wolf's instincts and embrace his true self.
Flashing back to the night that his father was killed, Talbot finally loses control of his anger and feels his animalistic side overtaking his mind. As he becomes a werewolf again, he squares off with Montford in an epic one-on-one battle. He sustains multiple serious injuries in the fight, but ultimately manages to slash his throat with his claws, killing him.
Just at that moment, Talbot's Union comrades finally arrive at the camp after days of chasing the Confederates. When they find Talbot—now a werewolf—standing over Montford's bloodied corpse, they surround him and open fire. Now fully lost to his werewolf instincts, Talbot charges at his old friends, attacking them as ferociously as he attacked the Confederates.
After taking multiple bullet wounds, Talbot is finally forced to flee, but the Union soldiers pursue him through the forests. As word spreads of a wild beast on the loose, Talbot finds himself chased by more soldiers every day, and he's forced to flee into the Appalachian highlands to escape them. After weeks on the run, moving further north with every day, he eventually finds himself in the thick evergreen forests near the Canadian border, where the weather grows bitterly cold. Finally, after going days without food, Talbot reverts to his human form as he collapses in the forest from exhaustion, accepting that he can run no longer.
But as he waits to die, Talbot is approached by a tall figure in a battered leather overcoat, whose face is hidden by a thick hood. The mysterious figure gathers him in his arms and carries him off to a nearby cabin, where he wraps him in animal skins and brings him food.
As soon as Talbot wakes up, we get a good look at his rescuer, and we see that it's none other than Frankenstein's Creature! Forty decades after escaping Prodigium, the Creature is still alive and well, and living a life of seclusion in the Canadian wilderness.
As he regains his strength, Talbot breaks down in tears as he realizes what he did. He's gotten his revenge, but he fears that he's lost his humanity in the process.
"I'm a monster..." he sadly laments.
The Creature puts a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"They called me a monster once, too. But it doesn't matter. Even a monster has a soul, and even the most troubled soul can find redemption. You'll find yours too, even if the journey is longer than you'd like. There are darker things in this world than the empty space in your heart, friend."
Reflecting on all that he's seen and done, Talbot ventures outside the cabin and takes in the unspoiled beauty of the forest, realizing that the woods are now his only home. But as long as he has at least one friend, perhaps they're not such a bad home...
But after the credits roll, we see a mysterious dark-haired man creep through the shadowed pathways of the Carpathian Mountains, making his way towards the rubble of Castle Dracula. As he approaches the ruined castle, a familiar voice speaks to him from the depths of the castle's crypt. It's the voice of Dracula—who's still alive after all these years, and hungry for revenge.
"It's time, Renfield, he says. "The Dark One hungers for sacrifice. But he has other servants than me. Go to Egypt. In the Temple of Set, you'll find the one who will join us. With him on our side, the armies of the dead will be unstoppable!"
At the Mediterranean coast, Renfield boards a steamship headed for Egypt, and the screen goes dark...
TL;DR: The films are all set in different historical periods, building up to a four-way battle between Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy and Frankenstein's Monster. The overarching villain is a figure known as "The Dark One" (also known as "Lucifer" and "Set"), who lurks in the background.
Dracula Untold: In 15th century Transylvania, the warrior prince Matthias Corvinus embarks on a quest to confront his rival Vlad (aka "Dracula") after witnessing a series of vampire attacks, and he discovers that Vlad has pledged his soul to Lucifer in exchange for eternal life. In the finale, Vlad's castle is destroyed by the armies of the Ottoman sultan, temporarily defeating him.
The Mummy Unconquered: During Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt in 1798, French soldiers attempt to steal a powerful Egyptian artifact, but accidentally unleash the undead priest Imhotep and his army of mummies, who answer to the god Set. In the finale, Napoleon's army battles Imhotep's undead legions in a massive battle sequence, and one of Napoleon's German commanders is revealed to be Baron von Frankenstein.
Frankenstein Unchained: Baron von Frankenstein's son Victor leaves home to study medicine at the shady Ingolstadt University, where his roommate Igor Waldman invites him to join the clandestine mystic cult "Prodigium". When Victor creates his Creature (aka "Adam"), he discovers that Prodigium actually wants to use him as a living vessel for "The Dark One", who they worship. In the finale, Victor sacrifices himself to save Adam from Igor, and Adam flees Europe in a steamship.
The Wolf Man Untamed: During the American Civil War, Kansan farmboy Lawrence Talbot joins the Union Army in hopes of finding the Confederate soldier who killed his father, but he finds himself bitten by a werewolf while stranded in the woods during a battle. He ultimately gets the revenge that he seeks, but nearly loses his mind to his new animal instincts, forcing him to flee into the wilds of Canada to escape his old comrades. In the finale, he is taken in by a mysterious forest-dwelling hermit, who turns out to be Frankenstein's Creature.

Part 2 here - Part 3 here - Part 4 here

On Friday at 8pm UK time, Reading and Derby County will kick off the 127^th season of the English second division - also known as the Championship! 24 clubs will compete for 3 promotion spots to the Premier league (2 via automatic promotion and 1 via playoffs) and to avoid the 3 relegation spots to the third tier a.k.a League One.

Its looking like a really tight and competitive season. The league is absolutely full of ambitious player and managerial talent - the more time goes by the more it looks like a Premier League 2. If you want a competitive league with proper English football, that also has the spice of skilful players and forward thinking managers, it really is the place to go.

This is guide written by the fans who have come together on /Championship - an absolutely huge thanks to them. Do check out the sub, we try to keep it a good place to discuss the EFL, away from the rancid gloryhunting shithole that is /soccer (just kidding - I like this place). Lots going on, including a score predictor thread which is running all season.

This guide is in table order with the PL demoted sides first. Only 5 clubs today (because the Swansea one is a fucking novel and I can't fit any more in), the rest will be submitted tomorrow and Friday. Do bare in mind that not all the transfer news will be up to date as these guides were largely written a week ago. Point out to me if there are any clear errors with formatting or spelling.

Championship info, links and media

/Championship's 17/18 player of the season review

Season previews: The Guardian | Sky Sports | The Mirror
EFL focused podcasts: Not the Top 20 | The Totally Football League Show
The 17/18 table - Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham went up. Barnsley, Burton and Sunderland went down. This season West Brom, Swansea and Stoke join from the PL and Wigan, Blackburn and Rotherham join from League 1.
These are the bookies' favourites for promotion (via Oddschecker):

Club	Odds
Stoke	2.75
Middlesbrough	4
West Brom	4
Nottingham Forest	4.5
Leeds	4.75
Swansea	5

And relegation:

Club	Odds
Rotherham	2.2
Bolton	2.25
Ipswich	4.5
Reading	5
QPR	6
Hull	6

How to watch in the UK: Live rights are owned by Sky Sports. They are upping the number of televised matches this season. Reading v Derby on Friday is televised. The weekly highlights show previously on Channel 5 is moving to Quest TV, which apparently is on Freeview.
How to watch abroad: Depends, but in most territories, the iFollow Service is available, which is £110 to watch all a single club's matches. Bargain. I think the clubs that aren't on iFollow have their own similar streaming services.
Check out club Youtube channels - quite a few of them post extended highlights now with their own commentary, including Derby, Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday, Brentford and more. (You may need VPN to watch if you're abroad.)

Swansea City by RafiakaMacakaDirk and my_knob_is_gr8

Location: Swansea, Wales
Nickname: Swans, The Jacks
Major honours: Football League Cup (2013), Championship Play-off Winner (2011), League One Winners (1925, 1949, 2008)
17/18 finishing postion: 18th (Premier League)
Transfermarkt squad value: €115.5 mil NOTE: This number is as of July 22nd, when we still have Mawson (€15 mil), A. Ayew (€15 mil), Bony (€10 mil), Clucas (€8 mil) and Fernandez (€8 mil), who are all pretty much expected to be sold, or loaned out, before the season starts. Without all of these players except Bony (who's injured for a while so it makes it unlikely he'll be sold soon), the squad value would be around €70 mil.
Manager: Graham Potter joined the Swans on 11th June 2018. In 2010, he became head coach of Östersund, who were in the fourth tier of Swedish football. 5 years later, he got the club promoted into the Swedish top flight and in 2017, they won Svenska Cupen which qualified them for the Europa League where they managed to get through the group stage. He’s been applauded for what he did at Östersund and the way he managed to build the club up from nothing. The year after his success in the Europa league he signed a 3 year contract with Swansea.
Potter is well respected by The Swans and after a few years of poor managerial and financial decisions his appointment is seen as a step in the right direction to bringing us back to our old ways of being a well-run club. Potter has been recognised for his "progressive" and "unconventional" coaching methods. At Östersund, he encouraged his players and staff to engage in community activities, such as performing in theatre and music productions which was designed to take them out of their comfort zone. Potter describes his style of football on the pitch as "tactically flexible, attacking, and possession-based". At Östersund, he deployed a flexible 3–5–2 formation centred on ball possession.
Best player(s)/ talisman:With many of our best players being rumoured with a move away what good players that remain at the start of the season is yet to be seen.
Alfie Mawson is probably our standout player. He’s been amazing for us since we got him and was a bargain at about £3m. He’s great in the air and is just an all round tank. Keeping him will be a huge boost for us and should be solid in the championship.
Federico "El Pajaro" Fernandez has also been strong at the back with Alfie. The pair played with each other for the majority of last season and together became a solid unit. We will most likely sell him to reduce wages though.
Jordan Ayew put in a great shift last season and was our top goal scorer. His work rate was immense and was able to drop back and defend when needed. He’s fast, able to beat a man and a decent finisher. Sadly all these players are transfer targets for other clubs and might not even be here at the start of the season. If we can keep a lot of our players we should have a decent season but who knows who'll be left by the end of the window…
Rising star: Swansea’s U23 had a great season last year and with Potter wanting a young and fresh squad, a handful have moved up into the first team.
Our standout youngster, Oliver McBurnie, joined Barnsley on loan in January last season where he went on to win a Championship player of the month award after 6 goals in 8 games and went on to win Barnsley’s Player of the year award. While only 22, he’s struggled to break into our first team but will most likely be our main striker for the coming season. Be on the lookout for his long legs, miniature shinpads and ridiculous sock length! LEGS LEGS LEGS!!!
Connor Roberts performed well at RB last season and adapted quickly to the premier league where he battled Kyle Naughton to be in the starting line up and did great when given the chance. Decent at going forward and professional at the back. Hopefully potter puts him ahead of Naughton.
What happened last season?: What Happened last season?: After our great escape the season before and with Paul Clement at the helm there was optimism that the 17/18 season could be our turning point where we start rebuilding 'The Swansea Way". How wrong we were.
After a disastrous transfer window where we sold Sigurdsson and never replaced him and started panic buying the week before the transfer window closed we were left an obvious hole in our team. We had no creativity in midfield and no one could kick the ball into the box to save their life. And just to rub it in further Renato Sanches turned out to be more disappointing than Bob Bradley. With the team sitting bottom of the table Clement was sacked in late December.
Then along came the wise talking Carlos Carvalhal who managed to rebuild the confidence the team had lost. Our results took a turn for the good, beating Liverpool, Arsenal, Burnley and West Ham consecutively at home. He pulled us out of the relegation zone and things were looking good. However, the good times were quickly followed by the bad times. Our form turned and we didn’t win a single one of our last 9 matches. We were quickly relegated after pitifully losing to both Southampton and Stoke in our last 2 games of the season.
Highlights (Or lowlights):
The pass by Renato Sanches that summed up his and our season
Swansea City 3-1 Arsenal
Summer transfer business (so far): At the end of last season, it was clear we needed several transfers, both in and out. However, this would all depend on the manager we got.
Yan Dhanda (Free, Liverpool): A 19 year-old Midfielder, Yan Dhanda left Liverpool this summer and joined the Swans in a free, before we even hired Graham Potter. At one time one of the most promosing youngsters in Liverpool's Academy, injuries slowed down his progress, and ultimately made him fall behind other players. Citing lack of first-team playing time, Dhanda decided to join us this summer in hopes of getting regular playing time in the senior squad. Through 3 pre-season games, Dhanda has been one of the brighest and most impressive players in the squad, even scoring a game-winning goal and smashing a penalty in a shootout against Genoa. With our current injuries and shenanigans involved in our midfield, Dhanda has a good chance of becoming a starter and hopefully guide our midfield during the season.
Jordi Govea (Free, Real Madrid): Another 19 year-old from Ecuador, Jordi was the first signing under Potter. Not much can be said about the lad, but this is what Real Madrid had as his bio:

Jordi is an Ecuadorian defender who possess three key qualities for a player in his position: he's skilful, is able to go past a player and has a good shot on him. He's left footed and is able to send in good crosses on the run.

With Martin Olsson currently as our starting LB, and Kyle Naughton as the backup, the hope is that Jordi can develop on our U-23 squad and hopefully move up to the senior squad in coming years. Also the only man I've seen do a medical while wearing jeans (https://twitter.com/SwansOfficial/status/1015251916132057089)
Joel Asoro (€2 mil., Sunderland): Yet another 19 year-old, a Swedish winger who has represented his country in the younger levels, he was Potter's first senior signing. With world-class speed, and some impressive skills, Asoro was able to score 3 goals and get 2 assists last season in 26 apperances for Sunderland. While these numbers may seem a bit disappointing, many of these games were sub appearances on a very dysfunctional team. Along with Dhanda, Asoro has been one of the most impressive players during preseason, constantly beating his man with either speed or skills, and whipping in good balls to Legs. At the current rate, Asoro appears to have a good chance of starting on the right wing spot, with Nathan Dyer and Luciano Narsingh backing him up.
Predicted starting XI: NOTE: This is gonna be assuming Mawson, A. Ayew, Clucas, and Fernandez are all sold by the start of the season. If by some reason they end up staying, they are pretty much guaranteed to start. Based on the pre-season games so far, a lineup looking like this would be plausible, with Rodon most likely to be replaced by a CB (possibly Scott McKenna) when we buy one. Our second unit is looking something like this.
Best case scenario: Graham Potter is able to motivate and make sure our senior players (Fer, Carroll, etc.) stay fit, along with our youngsters being able to make an impact as expected, and also we retain Mawson, Fernandez, and Clucas, we can finish in the top 2 and get promoted automatically.
Worst case scenario: Our worst case scenario, and something many of us fear of happening, consists of primarily 3 things. 1. Graham Potter isn't given enough time to build an identity with our squad and is sacked by the midway point of the season by the greedy, dumb American owners. . 2. We end up not replacing the players we sold properly like last summer, therefore having a squad with holes everywhere and no chemistry. 3. Our youngsters such as Asoro, McBurnie, Dhanda and company don't pan out and progress at all, thefore becoming mediocre players. This would all culminate in us looking like Sunderland, and making relegation a probability.
Prediction: Realistically I see us selling Mawson and company in the last days before the season starts and not replacing them properly until later on. Because of this, as well as our current injuries with Fer and Clucas, I can see us initially struggling to build an identity but over time, we will start playing like Potter wants us and finishing the season strongly.
8th place, missing the play-offs by 4 points
What will happen to your closest rivals?: The scum that is known as Cardiff City will break the record for lowest points ever accumulated in a Premier League season, getting 5 points all from draws, and will therefore get relegated with 17 games to spare.

West Bromwich Albion by Joelwba

Location: The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, West Midlands
Nickname: The Baggies, The Throstles
Major honours: 1x League title, 1x League Cup, 5x FA Cup
17/18 finishing postion: 20th in Premier League (relegated)
Transfermarkt squad value: £101.16m
Manager: Darren Moore or Big Dave as he's known to Albion fans. A club icon as a player in the early 2000s, he returned to look after our U23 squad before being promoted to assistant manager by Alan Pardew in January. Following the end of Pardew's horrific reign, Moore took temporary charge with Albion facing inevitable relegation. He led us to wins over Newcastle, Spurs, Man Utd and a draw with Liverpool, somehow taking our futile battle for survival to the final week of the season. Following this he earned the head coach role permanently. Moore is loved among the Albion faithful, largely due to his reputation as a player here. He heavily favours a 4-4-2 formation and at the back end of last season, tended to soak up pressure and play on the counter attack. It will be interesting to see how his approach differs in a league where we are one of the favourites, not fighting to survive (hopefully)
Best player(s)/ talisman: It's an interesting situation for Albion currently. There are plenty of Premier League quality players still in the squad. A lot depends on if they are picked off before the deadline shuts. Chris Brunt is a club stalwart and likely to be reappointed as captain. He is adored by the fans and in my opinion will be an incredible asset in the championship. His set pieces alone will bring 10+ goals to the side. Kieran Gibbs is a high quality player who appears to be set to stay and should make a big difference. Jay Rodriguez, Craig Dawson, Salomon Rondon and Nacer Chadli should all make a big difference in this division IF they stay. In all honesty I expect to lose a few of the above. Sam Johnstone appears to be an astute signing to replace the outgoing Ben Foster.
Rising star: Sam Field he's one of our own! He looked completely at home against some of the top Premier League sides last campaign. A box-to-box midfielder, he's full of energy and looks so comfortable on the ball. I expect him to be a major part of our side this season, having just signed a new long-term deal.
Kyle Edwards is an exciting attacking midfielder who has been impressing in pre-season. He may have a part to play following a loan spell at Exeter last campaign.
Jonathon Leko looked like a potential world-beater when he first came through a couple of years back. A lightning quick winger full of tricks. A loan spell at Bristol City and limited appearances later he seems to be losing his way. Will be an interesting one to watch.
Finally, the enigma that is Olly Burke. After signing with us last summer for £15m, he failed to impress any of the four managers we had over the season. He looks exciting when he comes on, without any end product so far, and was unfairly blamed for a loss at West Ham by Alan 'Coward' Pardew. We all know the talent he's got. Hopefully we can see it this season.
What happened last season?: Let's not talk about it... We finally escaped the stranglehold of Tony Pulis, only to opt for the human joke that is Alan Pardew and duly hurtled towards relegation. Four of our players stole a taxi and then played (and lost) the following weekend.
Pardew was sacked about 3 months too late, and Moore took over, restoring pride with some notable wins over Man Utd and Spurs.
This season we also lost the great Cyrille Regis, and the outpouring of emotion and the coming together of the club during the weeks after his passing was something special.
Summer transfer business (so far): We started by releasing Claudio Yacob, Boaz Myhill and Gareth McAuley. Yacob and McAuley will be greatly missed but it is perhaps the right time for them to go.
Jonny Evans departed for Leicester for a cut-price £3m, Ben Foster left for Watford and James McClean has departed for Stoke City.
Sam Johnstone has been bought in to replace Foster, with Jonathon Bond arriving as backup. Kyle Bartley has joined from Swansea City and it appears that Harvey Barnes will soon be arriving on loan from Leicester.
Finally, James Morrison is currently out of contract but still with the club. His future is uncertain.
I am very happy with Johnstone and Bartley. It has been a quiet window for Albion so far but that is largely a good thing. The squad is packed with Premier League talent and the window is more about keeping hold of them.
There is major interest in Dawson and Rondon, along with interest in Rodriguez, Hegazi and Chadli. If any of the above go, then we would need to replace. Otherwise I would be happy with another striker and another CB.
It is also worth mentioning that every player in the Albion side suffered a 50% wage cut upon relegation which means that we are financially sound despite relegation, but may lead to more big names leaving.
Predicted starting XI: This is my best attempt. It will undoubtedly be 4-4-2. We may see Nyom in at right back and perhaps Barry in for Field.
Obviously about half of this side could leave, so we shall see.
Best case scenario: The bulk of the side remains and the quality in the side shines through as we breeze to automatic promotion.
Worst case scenario: The better players leave or do not put the effort in. Moore cannot transfer his great start into his first full season in management. We become embroiled in a relegation battle
Prediction: It will be somewhere in the middle. I'd like to think we'll go up automatically but I think play-offs are more likely. 6th
What will happen to your closest rivals?: Villa won't go down but will settle into mid-table, despite the recent takeover.
I think Wolves will do well in the PL, although I don't know how long Nuno will last before a big club comes in.

Stoke City by mrmariomaster

Location: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Nickname: The Potters
Stadium: bet365 Stadium, 30,089 seats
Major honours: 1972 League Cup
17/18 finishing position: 19th, Premier League
Squad value: £127.8 million
Manager: Gary Rowett signed from Derby in May. His honest attitude has brought lots of optimism to fans, who are looking forward to an overhaul of the Club. His style of play seems to change based on the squad he has available.
Best Player: Joe Allen was vital to the Club last season, giving us hope that we would avoid relegation. His massive new contract signed this summer shows how loyal and committed to the Club he is, and will be a vital player this season.
Rising star: Tom Edwards is a local lad who has won the Under 18 Player of the Year award twice in the Club. In the latter parts of last season he played some good first team football.
What happened last season: A pathetic attempt at a season that had been coming for a while under Mark Hughes. Paul Lambert was appointed in January, but a win rate of just 2 in 15 matches wasn’t enough for him to keep his job and miss out on the million pound bonus offered to him.
Transfer business so far: So far this has been a decent transfer window. Peter Etebo had an amazing World Cup for Nigeria and Benik Afobe looks really promising. Adam Federici has also been appointed to replace Lee Grant. Xherdan Shaqiri has left along with a few players like Stephen Ireland and Glen Johnson who will not be missed. Badou Ndiaye also looks to be on his way out, but it looks like Jack Butland will stay with us, which is massive. Perhaps most surprising are the new contracts signed by our 2 best players last season, Joe Allen and Moritz Bauer.
Predicted Line up: Here is our predicted squad. I’m not sure what formation we will have. EDIT: This is a new version, complete with our rumoured new signings and in the right formation.
Best case scenario: Stoke will finish top with an all-time Championship points record.
Worst case scenario: A mediocre start to the season will see Rowett sacked and Stoke with a disappointing mid-table finish.
Prediction: I think with our squad and our new manager, we will finish 1st.
What will happen to our closest rivals? Port Vale will be relegated to the Vanarama National League.

Aston Villa by trueschoolalumni

Location: Villa Park, Trinity Rd, Birmingham B6 6HE
Nickname: The Villans, The Villa, Prince William's Club, David "Twat" Cameron's Second Club.
Major honours: 7 First Division wins, 7 FA Cups, 5 League Cups, 1 European Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intertoto Cup
17/18 finishing postion: 4th
Transfermarkt squad value: £67.77m and dropping fast
Manager: Steve Bruce (for now). Former Man Utd playing legend who's been a fixture of English football for decades. He joined Villa in 2016 after successful runs at Hull, Sunderland (yes they were good once) and Birmingham City. A bit of a promotion specialist, he's taken Championship clubs up to the Premier League 4 times in the past and just missed out last season, losing 1-0 to Fulham in the Playoff Final. Tactically, he's fairly old school who prefers 4-4-2 or a 4-1-4-1, usually involving a big man up top. Fun fact: while managing Huddersfield in 1999 he wrote three novels, "Striker!", "Sweeper!" and "Defender!", which focus on main character Steve Barnes, a football manager. Barnes solves crime and takes on terrorists, and the books have become prized rarities. The Guardian's Football Weekly podcast managed to get a copy and read out some of the copy - suitably awful.
Best player(s)/ talisman: There's only one Jack Grealish. A Villa boy through and through, he's been with the club since 2001 (aged 6), and made his way into the first team in the 2013-14 season. He's been the centre of controversy a few times, most notably getting on the beers and passing out on a Tenerife street. Playing as a number 10, his quick feet and dribbling skills provide a number of goals and assists, as well as fouls. He probably went down a bit too easily when first in the Premier League, but time in the gym has noticeably toughened him up and he's a much more solid player as a result. One of the better players in the Championship, and due to Villa's abject finances, a transfer target for the likes of Leicester.
Rising star: Keinan Davis could possibly be it, potentially Andre Green and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy as well.
What happened last season?: Have you ever walked into a casino, spotted the roulette table and popped £10,000 on red? It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off. You've doubled your money if you win, but look like a right git if you lose. Villa figured this was a good way to approach 2017-18: spend millions on players, get in lots of loans, gamble everything on achieving promotion. After a so-so start, Bruce got the team playing well, stringing together a number of wins and moving through the playoff spots. Unfortunately they ran into a few teams playing out of their skin - champions Wolves ran away with the league and boasted a squad that included several Champions League players. Neil Warnock's Cardiff couldn't stop winning and grabbed the second automatic promotion. In the playoff final Villa came up against a Ryan Sessegnon-led Fulham and were just pipped at the post 1-0.
Summer transfer business (so far): It's one-way traffic, due to absolutely abysmal finances. Loan spells for Lewis Grabban, Robert Snodgrass, Josh Onomah and Sam Johnstone have all ended, which is almost the spine of the team (Johnstone in particular - he was arguably the best keeper in the Championship and personally bagged a number of wins). Plus clubs are circling to pick off whatever assets we have left (eg. Jack Grealish, James Chester). With no prospect of anyone new coming in, it looks like the youth academy will be getting a lot more game time.
Predicted starting XI: Possibly this, but half these players could be gone before the first match.
Best case scenario: Mid-table anonymity would have to be best case - Villa are a mess and could go down this time around.
Worst case scenario: Our finances are the real issue - they are dire. Villa need to find £9 million this month to avoid going into administration. Owner "Dr." Tony Xia is a billionaire, apparently, but tax bills went unpaid and the question remains if he's able to support the club as generously as he has in the past. Administration, points deductions and potentially relegation to League One are all real possibilities right now. It's not looking good.
Prediction: Due to financial irregularities in the 23 clubs above us, Villa will get into the Champions League and take out the likes of Atletico, Bayern and Real Madrid on the way to our second European Cup. "Taylor, Green, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball played in for Jack Grealish. Oh, it must be and it is! It's Keinan Davis!"
What will happen to your closest rivals?: Unfortunately the Scum managed to avoid League One in the final rounds of the season. Here's hoping they go one better. Agbonlahor to re-sign for one game: the Derby. And score the winner, again.

Middlesbrough by OneSmallHuman

Location: The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Founded: 1876
Nickname: The Boro (Or just Boro)
Major honours: The League cup 2003-2004 season
17/18 finishing position: 5th
Transfermarkt squad value: 79.34m
Manager: Tony Pulis became manager of us in late December 2017, replacing the sacked Garry Monk after a pretty lacklustre few months of the campaign (despite where our league position was). Pulis is known in England for being the man that is never relegated when in charge of someone in the top flight. We are all aware of Tony Pulis' style of football. You start by having a strong and massive defence and maximise your use of set pieces to gain an advantage. Pulis is a lover of all set piece plays, whether that is crossing the ball in from a corner or free kick, or launching a ball into the box from a throw in, they're all in his arsenal of weapons. 'Pulisball' as it is pretty much known. Pulis has achieved promotion from the championship once before with Stoke, and I hope he achieves it again with us this season
Best player(s)/ rising star: I mean, where else do I begin. Adama Traore. Arguably the best player in the championship on his day and is one of the most frightening dribblers in English football, maybe even world football. The winger is known for his speed and dribbling ability although is usually criticised for his lack of end product. Before last season I would've agreed, however 5 goals and 10 assists, with all but 2 assists coming before Pulis' arrival show the progression of the Spanish winger.
As for other members of the squad, Ben Gibson, the prodigal son. Boro through and through he's progressed into a commanding centre half with the ability to play out from the back thanks to Karanka. He gained attention and emerged as one of the few given credit after our disappointing premier league campaign but was only the subject of one bid upon our relegation, from now manager Tony Pulis. It remains to be seen whether he'll be here come the first game of the season, but I hope he will be.
As for future stars, Dael Fry, already has played 2 championship campaigns for us and looks as assured as a veteran of the game. Another centre half produced by our academy and he is being played in cdm this pre-season by Pulis, to add to his versatility. Hopefully a standout season for him, especially if Gibson does end up leaving. Finally, yes, he does always look as confused as images of him show.
What happened last season?: Well, the first half of the season was tragic under Monk. We played really poor football at times and looked like we hadn't defended a day in our lives. There was also no consistency in the team, we'd win one game then lose the next. A key theme under both managers however, was our inability to beat those around us in the table. After Pulis' appointment the results picked up and it ended with us finishing 5th in the table. We ultimately lost in the playoff semi finals to Aston Villa but honestly, we didn't think we'd even be in the top half around Christmas.
Summer transfer business (so far): Just the three deals to talk about so far. We've acquired Paddy McNair from Sunderland who looks like a decent player. He's been utilised in right back and midfield during pre-season so it looks like they'll be his positions for the season. I imagine he'll play alongside Clayts and Howson in a midfield three.
Aden Flint was signed from Bristol City and I think I'm in the minority when I say I don't like how much we paid for him. Obviously the man is a Pulis player but I'm a bit unsure about his defensive ability. That being said he's looked strong during pre-season and I'm sure Pulis will get the best out of him. Fabio departed our club for Nantes so we'll need more full back cover.
As for the rest of the window, I expect Gibson to leave but will be delighted if he doesn't. One of our strikers will also leave and Braithwaite should follow after his decent World Cup performances. We'll probably bring in a striker and a winger and hopefully hold onto Adama. That'd be a successful window in my eyes.
Predicted starting XI: My best guess The only other guess I could make is that Gibson might leave and then Ayala would start, but he's injured at this point in time. Britt might play over Gestede too if Pulis is feeling fancy.
Best case scenario: It has to be top of the pile right? It's not out of the question to imagine us up there and if everything clicks then we've got a chance. A defence that scores more than some teams' strikers, Adama channelling his inner Messi and finding consistency, Rudy/Britt/Bamford scoring for fun. It could be carnage.
Worst case scenario: I can't see us finishing outside the playoffs, if we did then that would be gut-wrenching. But if we did then that would most certainly be the worst. Realistically, it'd be losing in the playoffs... again, and if it were in the final again then god help me. Although saying this, now losing Bamford and maybe Traore will be a worst case scenario in itself, definitely if they're not replaced.
Prediction: Have to be confident, although it always kills me. 1st or 2nd. Tony Pulis and his nice white trainers carry us to the promise land. That being said, we never do it the easy way.
Best Match of Last Season Sorry Leeds fans, but it had to be. "Hattrick Bamford" as our Twitter account tweeted, 3-0 against Leeds with Adama running the show. Leeds clearly found some positive from the game as they're set to sign him off us. This was the sign of what we should've done more last season. Showed what Paddy could've been too if given an even more extended period in Striker by himself. Oh well.
What will happen to your closest rivals?: Who even are our closest rivals in this league? We're in geographical purgatory. Can't say Sunderland anymore so what? Leeds? Bielsa either turns them into the well oiled machine they hope for or he succumbs to the old Leeds ways and is sacked by December. As for the Mackems, probably promoted from League 1.

As always, lemme know if you see any typos!

• Prologue
• Start - Part 1 , Part 2

The First Casino

Section 1 – Himeji Survival Casino

With Iori’s know-how, we’ve set our sights on Osakabe’s casino. The section begins with a quote.

“---When people escape from reality, power unbeknownst to them surges forth.”
- By Princess Wall

From this statement, we move to a jungle.

???:
---This world is fun. Because there are no manuscripts.
---This world is cruel. Because there are manuscripts.
The speaker fires gunshots into the underbrush.
???:
Ahahahaha! So! Much! Fuuun!
Ammo from the sky. The howling of guns.
And this princess can stay far away from the the burden of manuscripts and the like with all the stuff to do here.
I mean.
Since the manuscripts never end, Osakabehime needs to keep escaping from the high-strung reality. A-duh.

Osakabehime, now an archer, stays hidden among the jungle foliage.

Osakabehime:
Survival games are the best. Having drinks once it’s over is the best.
Drinking some ice cold ciders, washing off your sweat with a hot shower, forgetting about manuscripts, and continuing on into the night as you please.
Aaahhh ---Vegas is the best!

Lancer Kiyo sneaks into frame.

Osakabehime:
Oh yeah, about those manuscripts…I probably won’t even have time for them.

Closer.

Osakabehime:
I’ve got a wishy-washy feeling that my stick in the mud, demonic editor (Kiyohi) is getting close.

Closer…

Osakabehime:
…But, try as she might. Nothing can tear me away from my escapist fantasy.

Almost at her back…

Osakabehime:
This princess, is gonna beat her in a flash, then I’ll keep having fun however I want!

Everything goes black…and we move back to our own group, still on main street.

Mash:
We’re finally here, Master.
Following her advice from before, we’ve found what has to be the casino she mentioned.
The one Iori-san told us about I mean. The [HIMEJI Survival Casino].
Since it’s called “HIMEJI”, it has to be Osakabehime’s.
Katsushika Hokusai:
Who’s that ye speak of? Ain’t they from my home country too?
Siegfried:
Indeed. But, whenever you mention Himeji...
You all tend to appear bothered in some way. Does it have something to do with the location?
[Well...we're just thinking about Okki ] [Well, there was the Čachtice Pyramid Himeji Castle incident...]

Option 1:

Katsushika Hokusai:
Really. Mayhaps Miyamoto Musashi is having drinks with them somewhere else then!
Miyamoto Iori:
…………

Option 2

Katsushika Hokusai:
Really. The famous Čachtice Pyramid Himeji Castle…
….
…No. Wait. What the heck is that?
Mash:
Err…
Seeing that building is making us dizzy, because of some past memories (trauma) from it...

Branch Merge

Miyamoto Iori:
W-Well, let’s not get wrapped up in whatever you mean. You have the chips we need to get in, right?
Then let’s get goin’! Let’s challenge them to a Swimsuit Swordmaster match!

You enter the HIMEJI, which is a mix of western style casinos with red carpet flooring and tables, but with Japanese sliding doors and architecture for everything else.

Mash:
So this is the HIMEJI casino…
The interior resembles a Japanese style, but it winds up as pretty off-putting.
Oh, but there’s slots, roulette, poker…and hanafuda too.
Fou:
Fo-u! Fo-u!
Mash:
Fou-san really loves hanafuda. But there’s someone over there already…is that Jaguar Man-san?
Jaguar Man:
Mu.
I wonder why looking at these hanafuda cards gives me such bizarre nostalgia pangs.
Sitonai:
Hmm, you’re right. Somehow, I feel it too…
It’s like, [A small feeling of nostalgia towards memories that didn't really matter]
Jaguar Man & Sitonai:
Fu fu fu…
Jaguar Man:
So, you throwing in the towel yet? How's one more match say to you?
Sitonai:
When I get involved with you, there’s a super big feeling of danger, but…
If I always got frightened like some puppy, then the goddesses inside me would complain!
Jaguar Man:
Kuhahahaha! That’s the spirit! Bring it on, complex Divine Spirit from icy lands!
Sitonai:
Bring! It! On!

The two of them bash together in a violent game of hanafuda.

Mash:
Huh?
I thought that if you didn’t have a Swimsuit, you couldn’t reyshift to Las Vegas…

[That’s what he said…]

Siegfried:
…I have my doubts too, but let’s shelf that for now.
What's more important right now is seeking out the manager of this casino, it's Swimsuit Swordmaster.

On the other side of the casino, Bartholomew and his pirates are waiting in front of Mecha Eli 2.

Eli Mark 2:
So, you have come to challenge this casino’s Swimsuit Swordmaster. Please take your ticket.
Mash:
There’s a huge line already…
Katsushika Hokusai:
Seems like she’s popular.
Mash:
Well, let’s go and let Osakabehime-san know we’re here, at least. Or maybe she did this to avoid stuff like that…

Kiyohime pops up again.

Kiyohime:
MA!
STER~!
<3 <3!

[…!] / [Morning. What’re you up to?]
Option 1:

Kiyohime:
Sorry to keep you waiting, Master~. Your love slave, Kiyohi is here (note)

Option 2:

Kiyohime:
GLARF!

Kiyohi spits up blood.

Kiyohime:
Fu, fufu…such wickedness, to be so assertive…it makes me want to avert my gaze, and thrust my spear at reality…
Mash:
(Up to no good then)

Branch merge

Kiyhoime:
Ah, I see there’s others with you. Could you have come here for the Swimsuit Swordmaster challenge?
Katsushika Hokusai:
A’ course! I, Katsushika Ōi…nay, the legendary Hokusai, has come to do just thus!
Kiyohime:
I'm loving the enthusiasm.
Mash:
Kiyohime-san, what’re you doing here?
Kiyohime:
…I came here to urge Okki to do her manuscripts, but she’s being persistent about this Swimsuit Swordmaster business.
Uuuu, I don’t want to have to keep covering for her alone like this…
Our Doujin Circle’s going to get renamed from [Princess x 2] into [Princess x 1]…
Mash:
Osakabehime-san is being difficult about her manuscripts here too then…
Well, if I were put under the same pressure she has for them, I’d probably feel the same way…
Kiyohime:
The only way to get her back on track with her manuscripts is to have her know the feeling of defeat as a Swordmaster.
But since I haven’t been able to get any party members…I’ve been in a rough spot.
Musashi Iori:
Well, that’s all fine now. Since we came here specifically to challenge Swimsuit Master Osakabehime.
We’ll make give her last words in a flash, then give you the chance to swoop in and have her do her manuscripts!
Siegfried:
(This dry, matter-of-fact attitude makes it undeniable that she’s Miyamoto Musashi…)
(But since she insisted on calling herself Iori for now, I shall keep calling her that. Yes)
Kiyohime:
Thank you all so much…
But, you have a [Letter of Challenge], right?

[“Letter of Challenge”?] / [I need more than chips?]

Kiyhoime:
Yes. To challenge a Swimsuit Swordmaster, you must present one as proof of skill to your opponent.
In other words, you must use an exclusive [Letter of Challenge] to face any of them.
Mash:
Now that you mention it, the Swimsuit Lion King mentioned something like that before…
Kiyohime:
…If you don’t have one, then how about you spend some time here and take in some Japanese sights?
There’s a lot to do aside from the Swimsuit Swordmaster fights. I recommend going on some serious sightseeing first, too.
Siegfried:
Hmph, you pose some truth in that.
Know the enemy, and know yourself --- Sun Tzu said that.
We should plan our moves forward as intellectually...yes, intellectually.

He pushes up his glasses.
[ (He pridefully, purposefully, said that so he could jiggle his glasses…!) ]

Gordolf:
Do Servants even need glasses?
…Actually, I don’t think he’s even worn them before now.
Da Vinchi:
Hmm, is it his attitude that’s bugging you? It’s because his WIS stat has gone up.
Gordolf:
I see…
…Hey, wait. We don’t even record a WIS stat, do we!?
Miyamoto Iori:
Anyway. Let’s do what we can about Osakabehime.
We should try to find out what kind of style she has as a Swimsuit Swordmaster before anything else.

Back inside the jungle…

Rushing Guy:
There’s two teams left. Go, go, go!
Impudent Guy:
Leave HP restoration to me!
Sharpshooter Guy:
I’ll take care of sniping!
Gang Member:
They won't even know what hit 'em’! We’ll wipe ya’ out in a jiffy!
Three Guys:
Shut up, moron!
Osakabehime:
Hello, valued customers~.

Osakabe shoots down the Gang man.

Gang Member:
Gue--!
Rushing Guy:
What’d we tell you!
Impudent Guy:
Stupid gang member dude!
Sharpshooter Guy:
Now I can snipe her though…

He gets hit before he can act!

Sharpshooter Guy:
Nowaah---!

From across the jungle, Summer Anne keeps her gun drawn.

Anne:
Too bad, you gotta be quicker than that ♪
Rushing Guy:
Geh, there’s only two of us now! It’s over---!
Impudent Guy:
It’s not too late to get away---!
Blackbeard:
C’mon, don’t say that, you guys are so buddy-buddy! Swoon~!

The two of them get taken down.

Announcer:
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: Swimsuit Swordmaster, Osakabehime~.
Osakabehime:
We won! Yea boi!
Anne:
Yay!

The two girls high five!

Blackbeard:
Yay!

Osakabe and Blackbeard do a secret handshake.

Osakabehime:
Bing bang bop.
Mark II:
…I was on shift. But I am grateful to have been able to conserve my energy.
Osakabehime:
It’s cool, it’s cool. Because you're our best soldier, Mecha Eli Mk. 2!
Mark II:
Praise through such an obvious statement is unnecessary…I will be returning to my prior duties at once now.
The heat index for battles in the secret village is high. I am rust-proof, but will conduct a routine service checkup before getting busier.

Mecha Eli flies away.

Osakabehime:
Fufu, fufufu, fufufufufu.
Whatever you do, it’ll be for protecting the peace of the world, and this princess!
I am Swimsuit Swordmaster, Osakabehime. I’ll take on anyone’s challenge!
All to eliminate the urge for manuscripts! I won’t be held back as the Champion---
And this summer vacay will never end!

Back in the casino…

Kiyohime:
…To summarize, Okki has shut her eyes away from the harsh reality of manuscripts and the like, and Kiyohi wants to do something about it.

[I sense a double lover’s...solution]

Kiyohime:
Honestly now. I'll have you know it's a school parody this time!
Mash:
School…?
Kiyohime:
Fufufu, but the manuscripts aren’t done yet, so it's still a dream. Yes, it’s only a dream (delusion)...
Master~, I beg you, lead a group to take down team HIMEJI!

[What else can I do…alright!]

Katsushika Hokusai:
A’ course! Our enemy is the Castle Yokai of Himeji Castle, Osakabehime!
We shall pull out all the stops for ‘em!
Heheh, dontcha’ worry, she’ll be just fine. I can metamorphasize my katana to beat her without a care.
This nymph has decisively foreseen herself as the strongest swordsman, and her katana’s gonna show wonders!
I shall use the clarity of my talents to compose a portrait of Futsu-no-Mitama, and crush evil with a glimmer!
Siegfried:
Actually, I think we should keep cool for a moment---
And find a place to stay.
Katsushika Hokusai:
(Kuooh….he keep cool! Of course he kept cool!)
(He saw through me so easily, again! …but yeah, we still need to do that…)

[Let’s do that!]

Siegfried:
Phew…as I thought, the clarity of these glasses allows me to strike through all with intellect.
Gordolf:
Did you notice somewhere earlier?
Actually, can you even make reservations normally on a trip like this?
Siegfried:
But how should we go about this---
Miyamoto Iori:
We could just sleep in a straight line outdoors…Servants should be able to do that easily, but…
Mash-san and [Guda] have some luggage with them, which makes things complicated...
…Mu?
Katsushika Hokusai:
Eh?
Was that…a flower petal…?

Flower petals burst in front of you!

Fou:
Fou, Kill Fo----u! (Translation: That smell hits you like a truck! And it’s so wasteful!)

Merlin appears, in a fresh new outfit for summer.

Mysterious Big Bro:
Hahahahaha, aloha. A-lo-haaaaaa!
Oops, my bad. We aren’t in Luluhawa for this one. What a shame. I wanted to enjoy myself somewhere tropical.
But I’m not overly fixated on that stuff. I already missed my chance to go to that, and I'm here in the now.
Yes. This time, the setting is Las Vegas. As such, I’ve put on a temporary outfit to suit the scene.
Hello, children. (English). Tonight makes for a perfectly fabulous, fateful rendezvous. Don’t you think?

[ (I get his point, but) ] / [Who’re you?]

Mysterious Big Bro:
I’m just some mysterious guy. Regardless, my existence can't actually get in your way.
Don’t see me as some enemy, or a spirit that can create Heroic Spirits. I only wish for you to call me your Mysterious Big Bro.
Siegfried:
He gives off no feelings of hostility, from my perspective.
Mysterious Big Bro:
Fufufu…I wouldn’t say that.
I have the capacity to be a temporary enemy, but you can relax, sine I’m just a nice big brother. Any problems?

[Why is your character portrait so dubious right now?]

Mash (Whispering): ^Senpai, ^manners…
Mysterious Big Bro:
Ah, if you happen to be looking for a place to say, I’ve got a big tip for you.
Go a little bit past here, and find the Gildalay Hotel.
There may still be openings at the condominiums.
And why would that be? The truth lies with the owner.
"If there's something you can do for me, then maybe I won't have a reason to deny you."
They might say something like that. Whew. Being able to use clairvoyance certainly is useful.
Mash:
O-okay then…
Mysterious Big Bro:
Although to win the favor of the owner, you might have a battle ahead of you, ok?
And more that will cost you quite a bit of QP to reach.
Siegfried:
We are grateful, Mysterious Big Bro. But why give us this information…?
Mysterious Big Bro:
Oh, this is nothing. I just want all of you guys to experience Las Vegas to the fullest.
I’ll find my fun in leading you guys there.
Fufufu…aside from you guys screwing around and having your shenanigans, I want to see that scary Swimsuit Lion King defeated…
Is that reason (bit) not enough? Fufufu…fufufu…fufufufufu…
Well, victory will be yours in the end. I’ll do my part to help in that.

With more flowers scattering, he disappears again.

Fou:
Fouuuuuu… (Translation: We should’ve beat you here while we had the chance…)
Miyamoto Iori:
……
Well, he didn’t seem like an enemy, so let’s take his words in pride.
Katsushika Hokusai:
Haah…?
That Big Bro was such a sight…Big Bro, right? Not actually a Big Sis?
Gordolf:
Fmph.
“You should hurry up if you want a hotel reservation.” That was obvious.
Also, did he mention a “Luluhawa”? Why do I feel like…I’ve heard of that…before…?

Following the advice, we move down main street to a golden hotel.

Mash:
T-this place would go neck and neck with Luluhawa’s hotel…!

[It’s spectacular…!]

Miyamoto Iori:
Oh man, there’s a pool! This place is too ritzy!
Siegfried:
Let us speak to the owner ASAP…hm?
???:
Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!
You mongrels are as foolish as ever to present yourselves so openly like this!

[That voice!] / [Oh, where’s D’eon and Dollarcent?]
Option 1:

Mash:
King Gilgamesh! It’s been a while.
Gilgamesh:
Umu. We haven’t seen each other since New York.
Mash:
Oh, where are the two you were with in Luluhawa…?
Gilgamesh:
D’eon is on duty at another casino, and Dollarcent lost herself in one as well.

Option 2:

Gilgamesh:
I respect your foolhardy venture to ask of them first, mongrel!
This and that happened, and right now, D’eon is on duty at another casino.
Dollercent saw herself more fitting for another casino also. Thus, she departed to be among the staff of the Pharoh casino.

Branch merge

Mash:
So you’re by yourself this time, King Gilgamesh…?
Gilgamesh:
Fool.
I am the owner of the Gildalay Hotel, the richest hotel in this Singularity, revered throughout Dazzling Las Vegas.
My resources and recruits hit the data cap…yes, I have earned my bragging rights through my quality control.

Gorgeous P flashbacks to his humble beginnings…

Astolfo:
I saw your recruitment flyers---! I don’t really know what it’s all about though!
Elizabeth:
I saw your flyers, and I think my singing would make this place better!
Red Hare:
I would be content with being paid in carrots! Wait, haven’t I done something like that already?

End flashback.

Prince of Lanling:
After many twists in turns, in the end, I was called to be the secretary this year.

[You chose the right guy…] / [I did see you as a secretary-type]
Option 1:

Prince of Lanling:
I am grateful to be here.

Option 2:

Gilgamesh:
Umu. Such is the reason for accepting him into my ranks at all.

Branch merge

Mash:
By the way, you don’t seem to be in a swimsuit, Prince of Lanling-san.
I thought that you weren’t able to reyshift into this Singularity unless you had one…
Prince of Lanling:
Hm? There’s no such restriction on this Singularity…

[Then…Yagyū-san…] / [He said you couldn’t unless you had one!]
You and Mash share a surprised look.

Mash:
Remember what he said!?
“…this Singularity needs a swimsuit befitting it”…that’s what Yagyū-san told us!
Miyamoti Iori:
That so…that old man’s really good at getting out of trouble…
Gilgamesh:
Well.
From my perspective, you lot have come to Vegas without even booking a reservation somewhere…
Naïve! How very naïve!
“We can make a killing in the Vegas casinos, right? Doors will open up for us with fat cash, right?”
Your lofty dreams are filled with naiveté! 100 out of 100 people would know better than to hope on such a sweet delusion!
Umu. But I’ll show some generosity in the spirit of summer vacation. Camping in Vegas would be harsh for you.
I shall allow it. You may stay at my hotel…so long as you defeat us in battle!
Mash:
A battle for lodging! It’ll be tough, but let’s do it, Master!
Gilgamesh:
Hahahahaha, it’s rare to see you so worked up, Shielder! Come to my side, Prince of Lanling!
Prince of Lanling:
Very well. Come, have at you---

Suddenly, the Prince’s cellphone goes off.

Prince of Lanling:
[Just a minute] (English). Ah, don’t worry, I’m alright to keep fighting.
Gilgamesh:
Fu…no matter where, my secretary will keep doing their very best!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
The battle begins with the Prince taking 2 turns of self-stun to answer his phone call, but eventually you beat him and Gorgeous P.

Gilgamesh:
…I’m a bit regretful that I gave your consent to take that call. Was it worth it for the stun?
Prince of Lanling:
Apologies. I am a leader who takes precedents for their work.
Gilgamesh:
…Tsk. That’s giving me memories as a ritual chieftan. Very well. I will go through with my special offer.
The ferocity in your eyes proved amusing to me, and so I will stay reliant with your whim.
With the space left by Dollarcent, I may have to watch my steps.
Prince of Lanling:
Come this way for your hotel ticket. An employee will explain the rest to you inside.
Please present this room key to her as well.
Gilgamesh:
The casino managers are Swimsuit Swordmasters, all of whom have obtained power in this reality from the Holy Grail.
…I take it you have you been negligent as usual then, mongrel?

Iori and Gorgeous P stare down each other for a moment.

Gilgamesh:
Now, be off with you.
I hope that you warm up to the matter of using QP for the casinos of this place.
Fuhahahaha!
Prince of Lanling:
Yes, hello? Ah, yes, regarding that matter---

The two of them leave.

Kiyohime:
Well then, Master~.
I’ll be waiting in the bedroom for you, so make sure you come alone, okay?
Siegfried:
(Without a second though…!)

[Everyone’s getting a single-type bed]

Kiyohime:
How wicked of you…but I can work with that!
Katsushika Hokusai:
Ah, mayhaps the hotel employees are Sahvants as well?
Let’s go check it out.

You enter the hotel, and get greeted by Tawawa Assassin!

???:
Welcome!
An overnight stay, is it an overnight stay? Apologies for any inconveniences!
I am this hotel’s concierge, Charlotte Corday.
Charlotte Corday:
……Wow, I said it right!
I’ve had to say it a bunch of times already, but it’s so hard to pronounce “Concierge” in Japanese!
Sometimes I say it wrong, like Kon-sheru-ju, or myon-mier-ju, or even Luminosité Eternelle! It’s just been gnawing away at me!
Ufufu, but getting it right may be a sign of good things to come.
Now then, let me direct you towards your condominium-type room. The bedroom has been made to accommodate you all.
We have food laid out for you, assembled with the most subtle of flavors, and…
If you wish to purchase anything else, please alert me.
There is a nearby supermarket, where you I can buy vegetables, meat, and fish for you, if you so please.
If anything inconveniences you, please just let me know!

[That was a mouthful…]

Siegfried:
She spoke with high vigor and energy that people refer to as, “Machine Gun Talk”.
First things first: let’s head for our bedroom and put all of our luggage down.
Everyone:
Agreed!

You enter your bedroom, which is an enormous, two-storied room with a private kitchen and winding staircase.

Katsushika Hokusai:
I wonder why the room is splendored in gold like this.
Why oh why. Havin’ so much of it ain’t in good taste.
Miyamoto Iori:
Ok, now then---
Siegfried:
Ah, please wait a moment. It’s almost time for my spy to return.
Miyamoto Iori:
Spy?

Fūma Kotarō appears out of nowhere.

Fūma Kotarō:
My Lord. My investigation is complete.

[Kotarō!] / [Kotarō-kun!]

Fūma Kotarō:
Hello.
Going by what Siegfried-dono told me, I went to, and gathered info, about the HIMEJI casino.

[Sorry for the off-season work…]

Fūma Kotarō:
Please, it’s nothing.
Aside from my Spiritron Outfit, I know the fun to be had is time-limited too.
…Ahem. I-In any case.
Firstly, let me explain to you the survival game based rules in the HIMEJI.
Teams are comprised of 4 people, with 20 teams in all.
Every team fights at once, and one with the last person standing is the winner.
Since it’s a brawl of Servants and enemies, reviving others is fundamentally barred.
Please take a look at these next.

He shows you pictures of a jungle, a desert, and a cityscape.

Fūma Kotarō:
The casino also has a [Zone] among the battlegrounds.
But over time, the [Zone] ---
[It gradually gets smaller?] / [What’s this “Zone”?]

Option 1:

Fūma Kotarō:
You guessed it.
Over time, the battleground shrinks, leaving the final competitors to clash whether they want to or not.

Option 2:

Fūma Kotarō:
Over time, it shrinks. It's a system designed to have the final competitors force to fight close by.

Branch merge

Fūma Kotarō:
Next up is the actual team HIMEJI, whose members are as follows.
Tampering her own Saint Graph to change to the Archer Class is the former hikikomori princess, Osakabehime.
Popping up in the jungle, city, and all other locations with bravado and shootouts, is the marksman Anne Bonny.
Big, scary, and would rather be cooling near the AC, is none other than that Servant. Blackbeard.
The goddess who shoots from the sky when she gets a chance, and kinda unfair? “Report her pls”, Mecha Eli Mk. 2.
Siegfried:
Aha. So all of them are gunslingers then? They’re quite fearsome enemies.
So far, we have Katsushika Hokusai and Miyamoto Iori as definite team members.
Mash should serve as a battle adviser as well, taking precedence as she fights with us.
Mash:
U-understood. I’ll give it my all.
Fūma Kotarō:
I’m very sorry, but unfortunately I still have other duties to perform…
But of course, all of my busywork is for the sake of my Lord.
Siegfried:
That just leaves me…
But I can only fight in close quarters combat. It would be better for us to find someone who is a long-range fighter.
I fiercely recommend recruiting someone else for this battle, and leave me aside for now.
Gordolf:
Umu. You want to have the most basic of basics with a balanced team.
Really we just need one more member…
Meuniere:
I know we keep saying it, but don’t get disheartened from the sudden problem, ok?
Miyamoto Iori:
Hmhmhmmm.
Well, maybe we can go and find a Servant to fit our needs among the ones who came to Vegas.
We should definitely look for an Archer…or maybe a local Caster that gets used a lot normally?
Siegfried:
Lancelot has that gatling gun, but he’s also a Berserker…
The problem is recruiting someone who’s also long distance. Cooperation is crucial too.
Miyamoto Iori:
Putting it together, an Archer is still our top priority. Let’s get out there and start looking before we change plans!

The group heads back out onto the strip, and we run into an old frenemy in his bartender outfit.

Moriarty:
Aww, sowwy! Joining you would mean tons of stress on my lower back, right?
Ah, and also…there’s that bit…about the event…needing…QP…

[Are you a bookmaker again?] / [Do you have anyone in mind then?]
Option 1:

Moriarty:
~Hum ♪
Perhaps an Archer with more than enough free time on their hands…
But nobody comes to mind when I say that…My memories gone foggy. Is it my age catching up?

Option 2:

Moriarty:
No, I'm sorry to say it, but this fifty-something old man is lacking in the friend department...
Yes, woefully lacking...

Branch merge

Katsushika Hokusai:
Lessee see, someone to join...my, are those the same flowers from earlier…?

With more petals bursting out of nowhere the Mage of Flowers reappears.

Mysterious Big Bro:
Hail and well met, travelers. It appears we meet again.
Oh, where’s Cath Pa-…Fou? Are they rolling around in the hotel to escape the heat?
Ahaha, I don’t have to worry about any sudden kicks then. I can safely set my scene of flowers.
Mash:
Mysterious Big Broski…! No, Mysterious Big Bro.
Do you happen to know an Archer that’ll join us?
Siegfried:
Actually, you can probably be an Archer, right?
Mysterious Big Bro:
Unfortunately, I can’t. Oh, but I can shoot swordbeams.
Miyamoto Iori:
(OOH…)
Mysterious Big Bro:
Regardless, there may be an Archer from Chaldea who would be happy to join you.
Maybe a sweet girl, who treats you like a grandchild---
Oops, that’s too big of a hint. Guess this is adieu for now, from Mysterious Big Bro.

With more flowers, he vanishes.
[A Grandchild…]

Mash:
I got it! I know who it is!

With Mash leading the way, we eventually run into Archer Helena.

Helena:
Aah, that sounds like fun! I’m in!

[Nice!]

Mash: Thank you very much, Helena-san.
Helena:
It’s fine, just leave it to granny!
As a Mahatma Archer, I’ll be sure to lead you all to victory!
Ah, but there’s one thing I’d like you to answer. What is Master going to do?
Mash:
Oh, that’s a good point. We need to figure out what to do about Master being needed on the battlefield.
Miyamoto Iori:
Hmm…what if we just label them as equipment?
[That’d be so cruel!] / [I…doubt that’d work?]
Miyamoto Iori:
The opinion’s mutual. But we’ll need you there with us to make sure we can really win.
Of course, we’ll totally keep your safety as the top priority, but the enemies---
Well, maybe since it’s your first time doing something like this, it’ll be fun! I have no doubts that you’ll be absolutely crucial to our win!
Mash:
I-I think I understand. With the confidence Iori-san has…alright.
Katsushika Hokusai:
Aye. There’s a great difference between havin’ ye on the rearguard or vanguard. And yer our precious pal, ain’tcha?
…Aint’cha?

Nod.

Katsushika Hokusai:
Nyahaha.
Siegfried:
Then its settled. Let’s go and practice some coordination tactics.
Lucky for us, the HIMEJI casino has it’s practice fields open for all use.
I think it’d be good of us to get our practice in, while we accumulate chips to purchase the [Letter of Challenge] as well.
Fūma Kotarō:
Very well. I’ll head out to HIMEJI and scout out info for stronger teams among the heads themselves.

Fūma shadowsteps away.

Helena:
That’s right.
Knowing your allies strengths is necessary for battle, so let’s have one too!
Katsushika Hokusai:
Aye, fine by me.
Ye have laid yer eyes upon the unequalled swordsman, Katsushika Ōi, and will bear witness to my clear talents with the blade!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
You have a friendly bout with Helena.

Helena:
That was so fun! Mhm, I have no issues with joining your team now!
C’mon, let’s go take down Osakabehime!
Let’s do our best, and nab that [Letter of Challenge] to challenge that Swimsuit Swordmaster!
Hey, hey, whoaaaa!

[Hey, hey, whoaaaa!!] / [………]
Option 2 only:

Helena:
**...**H-hey! You gotta do it too!
Hey, hey, whoaaaa! Hey, hey, whoaaaa!
Helena jumps up and down.
Miyamoto Iori:
She's hopping around like a cute lil' bunny!
...But, uh, let's keep in mind that she's mentally someone old!
In this world, I believe that appearances are important!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Much like Frankenstein's famous monster, the Dark Universe is probably doomed to be remembered as a failed experiment cobbled together from spare parts, and a cautionary tale about the perils of playing God. As Universal Pictures found out the hard way: creating a universe is really hard, even if that universe happens to be fictional.
At best, Dracula Untold and The Mummy were just a pair of bland, forgettable fantasy films with a few neat ideas thrown in. At worst, they embody the most deplorable excesses of Hollywood's love affair with franchises and reboots, and they serve as a reminder that a "cinematic universe" isn't a magic bullet that guarantees massive success.
In case you forgot: Dracula Untold bombed so hard that the studio retroactively exiled it from the franchise (and they don't even like to admit that it was ever part of a franchise), and The Mummy put the name of the franchise in its opening credits before the franchise was even established.
But was this series always doomed to failure, or was it just flawed in its execution? Call me crazy, but I think there was the kernel of a great series in both of those movies, even as disappointing as they were.
A Dracula movie set in the Middle Ages, with historical details about the real Vlad Dracula thrown in? Awesome! A Mummy movie that's also a spy thriller, where Tom Cruise plays an undead superhero? Okay, that was stupid... But that room full of classic monster Easter Eggs was pretty cool, right?
So what happened? In short: a lot of things. Dracula Untold had a promising story, but I really think its premise ran into a big problem:
Origin stories are extremely hard to do well.
They're definitely not impossible (the rules of storytelling are more like guidelines, after all), but not every character can be improved with a definitive origin story.
It's one thing to make a feature-length origin story about an iconic hero like James Bond or Batman, since they're sympathetic characters whom we're meant to identify with. For anybody who's ever daydreamed about being a superhero or a secret agent, those fantasies instantly become a lot more vivid when we see a hero's human side, and we learn how they came to be; once we see that our heroes aren't so different from us, it's easier to imagine that we could be like them.
Monsters, though? Monsters are a different story. While most great villains have a human side, they usually become iconic because they embody something primal and archetypal that we find scary, and they derive their power from their mystery.
Moviegoers of the 1960s loved Ernst Stavro Blofeld because he embodied everything that they found scary about dictators on the far side of the Iron Curtain. Comic book fans love the Joker because he's the living embodiment of chaos, and he represents everything that we find scary about crime. And supernatural villains like Maleficent, the Wicked Witch of the West, and—yes—Dracula embody everything that we find scary about the occult.
That's probably why most James Bond fans loved it when Casino Royale explored Bond's origins, but hated it when Spectre tried to do the same for Blofeld. It's also probably why Batman fans loved it when Batman Begins explained how Bruce Wayne became Batman, but didn't mind that The Dark Knight explained almost nothing about the Joker. And it's probably why Maleficent and Oz the Great and Powerful got such lukewarm receptions when they tried to explain how Maleficent and the Wicked Witch became evil. When you explain too much about an iconic villain, you run the risk of robbing them of their mystique.
(That's also why I'm not so optimistic about the upcoming Joker origin movie, though I'll wait until it comes out before I criticize it)
The thing is, though...a prequel doesn't necessarily have to be an origin story. It's possible to shed some light on a character's past without devoting a whole story to explaining how they became the way they are. Case in point: compare the movie Hannibal Rising to the TV series Hannibal. They're both prequels to the Hannibal Lecter saga, but one was a critically panned box-office bomb, and the other was a critically praised cult classic with a devoted fandom. Why? There are a lot of reasons why—but for starters, one was devoted to "explaining" how Lecter became Lecter, and the other actually gives Lecter a chance to be Lecter.
Instead of just answering every single question about Lecter's past, Hannibal devotes its creative energy to being a genuinely solid crime drama with a strong dose of gothic horror, and it actually manages to stand on its own alongside The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon without being entirely defined by either of them. In a perfect world, that's the sort of prequel that Dracula Untold should have been: a solid supernatural horror story set in the Middle Ages, which could paved the way for the original Dracula without being entirely defined by it.
But what if we actually had gotten a Dracula prequel like that? And what if we had gotten a Mummy movie that logically built on its plot points, and set up the framework of a franchise without shoving it down our throats? And what if we had gotten, say, a Frankenstein movie and a Wolf Man movie that built on both of them, and set up an epic "monster mash" in the vein of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man or House of Dracula? What might those movies have looked like?
Well...
Dracula: Untold (2014)
Setting: Transylvania, 1473
As our movie opens, we're introduced to our protagonist: a handsome, dark-haired Prince who rules over a vast swath of territories in Eastern Europe, including Transylvania. A lifelong soldier, he's led his people to victory in dozens of battles, he always wears a suit of armor, and he can wield a sword as well as any of his loyal knights. If it helps, you can imagine imagine Luke Evans playing him.
But protagonist isn't Vlad Tepes (the man better known as "Dracula", or "Vlad the Impaler"). Instead, he's a different historical monarch: Matthias Corvinus, the King of Hungary. As any Dracula fan will tell you, Matthias Corvinus was arguably the single most important figure in the historical Dracula's life; a revered monarch who became legendary for his prowess in battle and his patronage of the arts, he was alternately an ally and rival of Prince Vlad of Wallachia, who fought alongside him against the Ottoman Empire. Here, Matthias is our hero, and Dracula is the villain of the story—as he should be.
Over the course of his three decades on the throne, Matthias has seen the world change, not always for the better. It's been twenty years since the great city of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II, spelling the end of the last vestiges of the Roman Empire. As the sultan's power grows, the lords and princes of Christian Europe fear that the religion of Islam will soon dominate the West. While all of this plays out, rumors spread of strange creatures hiding in the shadowy lands east of the Carpathian Mountains, where the brutal prince Vlad—called "Dracula", or "Son of the Beast"—holds sway over the kingdom of Wallachia.
While Mehmed's armies grow ever closer to the borders of Matthias' kingdom, Matthias answers a call for help from the province of Transylvania, where strange and terrible things are afoot. The corpses of peasants are turning up in the woods, completely drained of their blood; entire villages are vanishing without explanation; massive swarms of bats can be seen flying over the countryside in the dead of night; hunters regularly encounter enormous wolf-like creatures, which walk on two legs like men. Matthias realizes that his kingdom is falling under the sway of evil forces, and he must confront them.
Against the advice of his men, Matthias decides to lead a party of knights across the Carpathian Mountains to investigate the rash of mysterious deaths, knowing that his journey will lead him into the heart of Wallachia. As he and his men travel farther and farther from home, they find themselves fighting for their lives against ferocious werewolves and hostile villagers, and they soon realize why so many villagers are vanishing: someone is turning them into mindless vampires, and they're leaving their homes to seek fresh blood. After one deadly confrontation with a swarm of vampires, Matthias is forced to behead one of his own knights to prevent him from becoming one of them, and a local apothecary offers him some advice on how to kill a vampire.
After explaining how to ward off vampires with stakes and crucifixes, the apothecary tells Matthias the disturbing tale of Prince Vlad, who hasn't been seen outside of his castle in months. She explains that she was once a servant in the castle, but fled for her life after she witnessed Vlad drinking blood from a chalice in a disturbing occult ritual. She believes that the Prince has become a vampire, and that he has sworn allegiance to Lucifer in exchange for eternal life. Though Matthias doubts her story about Vlad being in league with Lucifer, he knows that the vampires must have a master, and believes that it might be Vlad.
But the apothecary's warning comes too late: Matthias and his party are ambushed and captured by vampires, who take them to Prince Vlad's castle. When Matthias awakes, he finds himself in chains in Vlad's throne room, and Vlad—played by Charles Dance—formally introduces himself. He informs Matthias that he no longer answers to his old name, and is now only "Dracula". With that, Matthias is forced to watch helplessly as Dracula fatally impales his comrades on wooden stakes, and Dracula's vampire servants eagerly gather their blood in a chalice and present it to their master. As Dracula sips from his chalice, he informs Matthias that the apothecary's story was true: he really is a servant of Lucifer. And now that he has a noble-born prince as a captive, he plans to sacrifice him to Lucifer, which will grant him enough power to make him unstoppable.
While Dracula prepares the sacrifice ritual, he throws Matthias into his dungeon to await his fate. But with quick thinking and a little bit of luck, Matthias manages to escape after one of Dracula's brides disobeys her master's orders and sneaks into the dungeons to take some of Matthias' blood for herself. Heeding the apothecary's advice, he manages to fight his way through legions of vampires, and rushes back to Dracula's throne room to confront him. Just as he does, Dracula speaks the incantation to summon his master Lucifer, and Matthias finds himself staring through a fiery portal into Hell—where he sees Lucifer staring right back at him.
Just at that moment, salvation arrives: the sultan's army is on the march, and they've reached Dracula's castle. As Matthias picks up his sword and engages Dracula in battle, a barrage of cannon-fire rings out, and the Ottoman army lays siege to the castle. Little by little, the castle begins to crumble, and Dracula falls into the dungeons, where he's buried under a pile of stone rubble. As the castle's walls fall, Matthias makes his escape and sets off for home.
Days later, as Matthias lays down to sleep beside his wife, he has a disturbing dream about Dracula—who is trapped in the dungeons of his ruined castle, but very much alive. In his dream, Dracula assures him that he will rise again, and he reminds Matthias that he's immortal; the next time he threatens the people of Transylvania, Matthias may not be alive to stop him...
The Mummy: Unconquered (2016)
Setting: Egypt, 1798
Our story picks up more than 300 years after the sultan's troops destroyed Castle Dracula. The year is 1798, and the Ottoman Empire still rules over much of Eastern Europe and the Middle East—including Egypt, where the Mamluk rulers Mourad and Ibrahim swear fealty to the sultan. After decades of war and revolutionary upheaval in Europe, rumors spread of an ambitious Corsican military officer, who has risen through the ranks of the French Army to become one of the most feared men on the Continent. Now, with an unparalleled fighting force at his command, he plans to set his sights on Egypt. His name? Napoleon Bonaparte.
Our protagonist is a young Egyptian man named Salim, who reluctantly answers the call to enlist in the Egyptian Army as Napoleon's forces march from Alexandria and make their move on Cairo. He is forced to leave his fiancee, Yasmin, whose father Mustafa is a renowned scholar who manages a library in Cairo. As he fights with the Egyptian Army in the Battle of the Pyramids, he narrowly escapes with his life as the French Army massacres his friends and comrades, and takes hundreds of Egyptian prisoners. Unbeknownst to him, though, Napoleon has more than conquest on his mind; he's looking for the long-lost Temple of Set, which supposedly houses a fabled ceremonial dagger that can make its bearer unstoppable in battle. With the Egyptian forces scattered, he and his army strike out into the desert to seek out the temple. One of his commanders is a certain German baron, whose name will become important later.
Eventually, Napoleon finds his way to the temple, which is half-buried in the desert sands, and nearly inaccessible. But against all odds, he fights his way to the heart of the temple and takes the dagger, though he begins to have his doubts about whether it will really bring him the power that he seeks. As he leaves the temple, he doesn't notice that something is stirring in a stone sarcophagus...
Exhausted from battle, Salim manages to make his way back to Yasmin and her father in Cairo, just as Napoleon's forces swarm the streets. Together, they plan to flee the city before more soldiers arrive, but Mustafa refuses to go with them, insisting that he can't leave his library. Before they can make their escape, the German baron forces his way into Mustafa's library and threatens him at knife-point. He tells him that Napoleon has found the dagger in the Temple of Set, but he suspects that there is a secret to claiming its power—and he believes that he'll find that secret in one of the books in Mustafa's library. Visibly terrified, Mustafa insists that there is no such secret, but he tells the baron that he must return the dagger to the temple.
"The Dagger of Set is no key to power—it's a safeguard against a great evil. There are shadowy forces lurking in the Temple of Set, and the dagger is the only thing keeping them back! Once it's removed..."
But his warning comes too late: a monstrous horde of giant scarabs swarms the city of Cairo, attacking and devouring everyone in their path. Salim and co. manage to escape from the baron, and they take shelter in the cellar of Mustafa's library. As they hide from the rampaging insects, Mustafa explains the full story of the Temple of Set.
In his younger days, Mustafa was a scholar in the court of the sultan, and he had the opportunity to learn many secrets in his palace library. While there, he learned the story of Imhotep, an infamous high priest from the New Kingdom of Egypt who made a pact with the evil god Set in exchange for eternal life and everlasting power. It's said that the Pharaoh had Imhotep mummified alive and sealed in his own temple when he grew too powerful, and he placed the enchanted dagger in the temple to prevent him from leaving. For centuries, the Temple of Set has remained abandoned, and Imhotep has remained dormant—but he's as alive as ever, and only needs an opportunity to free himself. To seal him back in his prison, the dagger must be returned to its rightful place in the temple
"Over 300 years ago, the sultan's army laid siege to a castle in the Carpathian Mountains. Something evil dwelt in its foundations, and they dared not set it free. There are places in the world where evil gathers like a deadly plague, awaiting the chance to spread. That castle was one such place. The Temple of Set is another."
Back in the Temple of Set, Imhotep—a grotesque, withered figure wrapped in bandages—rises from his sarcophagus and summons a massive army of reanimated corpses. As Imhotep and his army march on Cairo together, the scarabs continue to swarm the city, and Salim and Yasmin fight to survive as they look for the missing dagger. When Napoleon's forces spot the army of corpses marching through the desert, they gather in formation to fight them off, and Salim takes the opportunity to steal the dagger from Napoleon's camp. In a massive battle, Napoleon and the baron lead a cavalry charge against Imhotep's forces, distracting them just long enough for Salim and Yasmin to make their way to the temple to return the dagger.
In the climax, Yasmin and Salim infiltrate the Temple of Set and fight their way to the center of the massive structure while Imhotep attempts to chase them down. Moments before they return the dagger to its resting place, they have a blood-curdling encounter with Set himself, whom Imhotep has summoned as a witness to his return. As Set taunts our heroes, his face changes shape for one brief moment, and becomes the face of Lucifer; though the moment is fleeting, it instantly becomes clear that Set and Lucifer are the same being—meaning that Imhotep and Dracula are in thrall to the same master.
Against all odds, they manage to return the dagger just before Imhotep closes in on them. Imhotep cries out to his master Set to save him, but the god turns his back on him, coldly telling him that he's not worthy of his power if he can be foiled by a pair of lowly mortals. Meanwhile, Imhotep's undead soldiers crumble into dust as Napoleon's army holds them off. When the dust settles, the baron has been grievously injured in the fighting, and has lost his right leg.
With that, Salim and Yasmin settle down in Cairo to start a family together. Though Imhotep has been defeated, Napoleon's forces remain in Egypt, and Salim and Yasmin must face the harsh reality of living under foreign occupation. In the final scene, Napoleon sends the injured baron back to Germany for medical treatment, and thanks him for his fine service as he bids him farewell.
"You've fought well. Travel safely, Baron Von Frankenstein..."
Frankenstein: Unchained (2018)
Setting: Germany, 1820
A little over twenty years after Imhotep and his undead army were defeated in Egypt, the German nobleman Alphonse Von Frankenstein—a battle-hardened veteran of the Napoleonic Wars—has settled down and started a family. Haunted by his experiences in Egypt (which he refuses to speak about), he is known for his cold demeanor, and his children Victor and Elizabeth often have a strained relationship with him. Their relationship becomes even more difficult when Alphonse's wife Caroline suddenly dies of scarlet fever when Victor is just a child, causing Alphonse to become a chronically depressed recluse. A bookish child, Victor seeks solace in scientific texts, and soon becomes obsessed with esoteric disciplines like alchemy and mysticism; haunted by the loss of his mother, he is determined to find a way to conquer death through science, and believes that it might be possible to create life in a laboratory.
Though Elizabeth becomes concerned about her brother's mental state, Victor soon proves himself as a science prodigy, and he eventually receives an exclusive invitation to study medicine at Ingolstadt University, a prestigious German university with a rather ghoulish reputation. Though no one has ever been able to prove it, it's rumored that the students and faculty at Ingolstadt often perform grotesque experiments on live human test subjects. Supposedly, some of the students have even done research on how to resurrect the dead.
While studying at Ingolstadt, Victor soon becomes intrigued by the sprawling university and its many hidden places. As he soon learns, the school is also home to a highly exclusive secret society known as "Prodigium", whose members have access to the most jealously guarded texts and research in the school's inner sanctum. Victor exhaustively pursues his studies in science and medicine, and he finally gets his chance to join the ranks of Prodigium when his wealthy roommate Igor Waldman reveals that he is a member, and he tells Victor that he has been nominated for membership. Ecstatic, Victor accompanies Igor to attend Prodigium's initiation ritual on the night of a full moon, and he's finally given access to the secret library at the heart of Ingolstadt.
As the assembled members of Prodigium don hooded cloaks and gather around a circle of candles surrounding a mirror, Victor suddenly realizes—to his utter horror—that the group is actually an occult sect, and they regularly gather in the library for pagan rites and rituals. When the initiation ritual commences, the group begins chanting a prayer to a being known as "The Dark One", and they call Victor forward to join in. When he does, a mysterious black-eyed figure appears in the mirror and beckons to him; as he looks on, the figure's face changes, first becoming the face of Lucifer, then the face of Set. As Victor looks around at his surroundings, he realizes that the room is filled with antique art, including a set of Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting Imhotep, and an oil portrait of Dracula. Though Victor is terrified by all that he sees, Igor convinces him to stay, telling him that Prodigium has the resources to make his dreams a reality.
"I know that you have potential, Victor. You want to create life. Some might call you mad, but we understand. The power to create life shouldn't belong to God alone. You can lead the way into a new age. We'll be right behind you!"
Victor accepts his membership in Prodigium, giving him access to the laboratory in Ingolstadt's inner sanctum—where he has a fully stocked vault of chemicals and scientific equipment at his disposal, along with all of the cadavers and preserved organs that he could ever need. As he begins to experiment on human bodies, Igor moves into the lab to assist him, and he subtly encourages Victor when he begins to have doubts about the ethics of his work. Finally, many months later, Victor manages to piece together a complete human specimen from preserved body parts, and he and Igor prepare to use a lightning storm to bring the specimen to life. As the Creature comes to life on the laboratory slab, Victor—overcome with emotion—names it "Adam", reminded of the story of the Garden of Eden. But Igor rebukes Victor for invoking the Bible, and tells him that he shouldn't get too attached to the Creature. With that, the other members of Prodigium appear and drag the Creature into the crypts beneath the laboratory.
It turns out that Victor was always just a pawn in Prodigium's ultimate plan: creating a living vessel for their master, "The Dark One", that will allow him to cross into the mortal world and rule over humanity. Since the Creature is an artificially created being, he has no soul, making his body the perfect empty vessel for the Dark One's soul. Now that Victor's experiment has succeeded, they have only to wait until the next full moon to perform the summoning ritual.
Against all odds, the Creature successfully manages to escape from the crypts, and he flees into the Bavarian countryside. As Igor and his friends leave the university to hunt him down, Victor sets out to find the Creature before Prodigium does, determined to save him. Fortunately, he finds the Creature taking refuge in a local farmhouse, and he comforts him and brings him food. As the Creature takes shelter, Victor tells him that his true name is "Adam", and he promises that he won't let Prodigium take him. To his surprise, the Creature—Adam—speaks to him, revealing that he's intelligent and capable of understanding human speech. As they take the time to get to know each other, Victor resolves to smuggle him out of the country and take him where Prodigium can't hurt him.
Their moment of peace turns out to be fleeting; some of the local villagers are in league with Prodigium, and they tip Igor off about Victor's location. As Prodigium closes in, Adam fights back, revealing his superhuman strength as he kills six of Igor's goons with his bare hands. Finally, Victor and Adam manage to board a stagecoach, and a frantic chase ensues as they race through the countryside. After several days on the run, they manage to make it to the port of Hamburg, where Victor hopes to find Adam safe passage on a steamship. Unfortunately, Prodigium manages to head them off.
In a climactic final standoff with Igor, Victor sacrifices his life to save Adam as he boards his ship. As the ship pulls away from the port, Adam watches helplessly as his creator dies, and he promises that he'll make his sacrifice a worthy one.
In the final scene, back at the Frankenstein family estate, Elizabeth receives a letter written in handwriting that she doesn't recognize. As she reads it, she breaks down in tears as she learns that her beloved brother Victor has died, but the anonymous sender assures her that he died a noble man.
To her surprise, the letter doesn't come with a return address. As the sender cryptically remarks: "It's best that nobody find me..."
The Wolf Man: Untamed (2020)
Setting: America, 1862
A little over 40 years after the death of Victor Frankenstein, the United States has been split in two by the American Civil War, dividing many American families in the heartland. One such family is the Talbots, a family of poor farmers in rural Kansas, who find themselves caught in the middle of a clash between rival pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.
One fateful day in 1856, 15 year-old Lawrence Talbot is forced to watch helplessly as his father John Talbot is brutally executed by marauders after he's discovered sheltering slaves. Though he never learns the name of his father's killer, he remembers just one detail about the man: he was carrying a distinctive black walking stick with a silver wolf's head on the handle. Six years later, with the war in full-swing, he reluctantly joins the Union Army, and finds himself deployed to Tennessee to fight the Confederates at Shiloh.
During a frenzied exchange of gunfire, Lawrence suddenly recognizes one of the soldiers in the Confederate Army, and realizes—much to his horror—that it's the marauder who killed his father. Six years after killing John Talbot, the man has risen up the ranks of the Confederate Army, and he is now a decorated lieutenant in the service of Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest. Though he initially doubts his eyes, Lawrence's suspicions are confirmed when his comrades are called to pursue the retreating Confederates, and he discovers the black walking stick abandoned in the mud, complete with the distinctive wolf's head.
As Talbot and his comrades march through the war-torn countryside, they're eventually caught in a Confederate ambush, forcing Talbot and some of his friends to escape into a nearby forest. Fleeing deeper and deeper into the shadowed woods, they find themselves hopelessly lost when night falls. Before long, they hear a strange growling and snarling in the darkness—the telltale sounds of a wolf on the prowl. One by one, Talbot's companions are dragged off into the woods as the wolf hunts them down, and Talbot desperately tries to flee as he hears them being torn to shreds. He runs as fast as his legs will take him, but he can't outrun the wolf, and he passes out as it pounces on him from behind.
To his surprise, Talbot wakes up in a medical tent in a Confederate prison camp, and finds a surgeon tending to his wounds. The surgeon tells him that the Confederates found in the forest, the sole survivor of an apparent wolf attack. While all of his friends were mangled beyond recognition, Talbot got off with just a bite in the leg, and the wolf apparently left him before it could inflict further injuries.
Though the surgeon mends Talbot's leg wound, he tells Talbot that he has been taken as a prisoner of war, and he'll be held in the camp until further notice. Later, when a Confederate officer comes to interrogate him, Talbot learns that the black walking stick was confiscated during his capture; it turns out that its owner is Lieutenant Paul Montford, a well-known officer in the Tennessee Cavalry.
For days, Talbot languishes in the prison camp, growing progressively more angry at his captors as he endures repeated physical abuse and subsists on meager prison rations. Still, he vows to keep going, knowing that his father's killer is still out there.
Then a full moon rises...
As he watches the full moon rise over the countryside, Talbot suddenly feels thick hair growing all over his body, he feels his teeth growing longer and sharper, and he feels his hands and feet becoming razor-clawed paws. Overcome by feral rage, he lets out a mighty howl as he rips off the door of his holding pen. Roaring and snarling, he charges at the Confederate guards as they surround him and open fire, and he effortlessly tears through their ranks, biting and slashing at every soldier that dares cross him.
As the Rebels and the Union prisoners flee in terror, Talbot finally manages to fight his way to the officer who interrogated him. Pinning the helpless man to the ground, he snatches the black walking stick out of his hand. As he holds it in front of him, he snarls a single word:
"WHERE?!"
Terrified, the officer replies "Corinth Road!", and Talbot leaves him alive as he bounds off into the distance toward Corinth Road.
Sure enough, Montford and his men are making camp upcountry, near Corinth Road. As Talbot makes his way to the camp, the sun eventually rises, restoring his human form. Still, he charges forward, determined to kill Montford at all costs.
With his clothes shredded by his transformation, Talbot creeps into the camp when night falls again, and he manages to steal a spare Confederate uniform from a sleeping soldier's pack. In disguise, he sneaks into Montford's tent with a pistol in hand, prepared to shoot him on the spot.
To his surprise, Montford stays completely calm when he sees him, and gives him a knowing smile.
"I had a feeling you'd find me, one of these days. You never stop. Neither would I, if somebody had done to me what I did to you. Don't worry, Talbot. I don't blame you for turning that gun on me. An animal can't tame his instincts. I suppose only one of us is leaving this tent alive."
Confused, Talbot demands to know why Montford is accepting his fate so calmly.
"You've got the rage of a wild beast in you, son," Montford says. "So do I. That's why I let you live. Even a wolf can sense a kindred spirit."
Horrified, Talbot flashes back to the night in the forest when the wolf bit him, and he realizes that Montford was the wolf all along. Montford is a werewolf, and he carries the wolf-head cane because he came to terms with his beastly nature long ago, and now accepts it as a part of who he is. That night, he recognized Talbot as the son of the man he killed, and he chose to pass on his lycanthropy to him rather than killing him, believing that he deserved a chance to take his revenge.
As Talbot realizes the truth, Montford changes into his lupine form and prepares to fight him—since he has years of experience in using his abilities, and he no longer needs the power of the full moon to become a werewolf. Talbot futilely tries fight him off with his pistol, but Montford goads him on, telling him to surrender to the wolf's instincts and embrace his true self.
Flashing back to the night that his father was killed, Talbot finally loses control of his anger and feels his animalistic side overtaking his mind. As he becomes a werewolf again, he squares off with Montford in an epic one-on-one battle. He sustains multiple serious injuries in the fight, but ultimately manages to slash his throat with his claws, killing him.
Just at that moment, Talbot's Union comrades finally arrive at the camp after days of chasing the Confederates. When they find Talbot—now a werewolf—standing over Montford's bloodied corpse, they surround him and open fire. Now fully lost to his werewolf instincts, Talbot charges at his old friends, attacking them as ferociously as he attacked the Confederates.
After taking multiple bullet wounds, Talbot is finally forced to flee, but the Union soldiers pursue him through the forests. As word spreads of a wild beast on the loose, Talbot finds himself chased by more soldiers every day, and he's forced to flee into the Appalachian highlands to escape them. After weeks on the run, moving further north with every day, he eventually finds himself in the thick evergreen forests near the Canadian border, where the weather grows bitterly cold. Finally, after going days without food, Talbot reverts to his human form as he collapses in the forest from exhaustion, accepting that he can run no longer.
But as he waits to die, Talbot is approached by a tall figure in a battered leather overcoat, whose face is hidden by a thick hood. The mysterious figure gathers him in his arms and carries him off to a nearby cabin, where he wraps him in animal skins and brings him food.
As soon as Talbot wakes up, we get a good look at his rescuer, and we see that it's none other than Frankenstein's Creature! Forty decades after escaping Prodigium, the Creature is still alive and well, and living a life of seclusion in the Canadian wilderness.
As he regains his strength, Talbot breaks down in tears as he realizes what he did. He's gotten his revenge, but he fears that he's lost his humanity in the process.
"I'm a monster..." he sadly laments.
The Creature puts a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"They called me a monster once, too. But it doesn't matter. Even a monster has a soul, and even the most troubled soul can find redemption. You'll find yours too, even if the journey is longer than you'd like. There are darker things in this world than the empty space in your heart, friend."
Reflecting on all that he's seen and done, Talbot ventures outside the cabin and takes in the unspoiled beauty of the forest, realizing that the woods are now his only home. But as long as he has at least one friend, perhaps they're not such a bad home...
But after the credits roll, we see a mysterious dark-haired man creep through the shadowed pathways of the Carpathian Mountains, making his way towards the rubble of Castle Dracula. As he approaches the ruined castle, a familiar voice speaks to him from the depths of the castle's crypt. It's the voice of Dracula—who's still alive after all these years, and hungry for revenge.
"It's time, Renfield, he says. "The Dark One hungers for sacrifice. But he has other servants than me. Go to Egypt. In the Temple of Set, you'll find the one who will join us. With him on our side, the armies of the dead will be unstoppable!"
Renfield boards a steamship headed for Egypt, and the screen goes dark...
TL;DR: The films are all set in different historical periods, building up to a four-way battle between Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy and Frankenstein's Monster in 1923. The overarching villain is a figure known as "The Dark One" (also known as "Lucifer" and "Set"), who lurks in the background before revealing himself in the finale.
Dracula Untold: In 15th century Transylvania, the warrior prince Matthias Corvinus embarks on a quest to confront his rival Vlad (aka "Dracula") after witnessing a series of vampire attacks, and he discovers that Vlad has pledged his soul to Lucifer in exchange for eternal life. In the finale, Vlad's castle is destroyed by the armies of the Ottoman sultan, temporarily defeating him.
The Mummy Unconquered: During Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt in 1798, French soldiers attempt to steal a powerful Egyptian artifact, but accidentally unleash the undead priest Imhotep and his army of mummies, who answer to the god Set. In the finale, Napoleon's army battles Imhotep's undead legions in a massive battle sequence, and one of Napoleon's German commanders is revealed to be Baron von Frankenstein.
Frankenstein Unchained: Baron von Frankenstein's son Victor leaves home to study medicine at the shady Ingolstadt University, where his roommate Igor Waldman invites him to join the clandestine mystic cult "Prodigium". When Victor creates his Creature (aka "Adam"), he discovers that Prodigium actually wants to use him as a living vessel for "The Dark One", who they worship. In the finale, Victor sacrifices himself to save Adam from Igor, and Adam flees Europe in a steamship.
The Wolf Man Untamed: During the American Civil War, Kansan farmboy Lawrence Talbot joins the Union Army in hopes of finding the Confederate soldier who killed his father, but he finds himself bit by a werewolf while stranded in the woods during a battle. He ultimately gets the revenge that he seeks, but nearly loses his mind to his new animal instincts, forcing him to flee into the wilds of Canada to escape his old comrades. In the finale, he is taken in by a mysterious forest-dwelling hermit, who turns out to be Frankenstein's Creature.