Dead Apostle
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In the Nasuverse, there are 2 types of vampires: True Ancestors and "normal vampires". The True Ancestors were created as copies of Crimson Moon Brunestud to rule over humanity. However, the copies were flawed because the original was flawed. All True Ancestors had a psychological desire to drink blood, akin to a bloodlust, and the True Ancestors needed to use most of their power to suppress this bloodlust. Other than that, they could be said to be a perfect race, immortal and unchanging. Those True Ancestors who drank blood "fell", they could no longer control their desire for blood and became vampires that preyed on humanity.
Those who were bitten by a True Ancestor became the 2nd type of vampire, that needed to drink blood to survive. Although they were immortal, their body degenerated at a much faster rate than humans, and they needed to drink blood to get the genetic material to sustain their body. They could also use the parts of beasts to replace portions of their body to strengthen it. This is not like surgery in which one replaces the limb with another, but a method where they take the body part and assimilate it as part of their body, so that in all appearances it looks like part of the normal human body. Aside from being bitten by a True Ancestor, there were also powerful sorcerers who achieved immortality through magical research, but became vampires in the process, needing to drink blood to sustain their decaying body.
A Dead Apostle is sometimes a vauge term used to refer to an exceptionally powerful vampire, but the most common usage seems to refer to anyone on the list of the 27 Dead Apostles. The original list was made up of 27 fallen True Ancestors, but over time some were killed, disappeared, etc. Much of this information is from second hand sources, through posts by English fans who are also Japanese literate, and may have errors resulting from mis-translation, mis-interpretation or omission of critical facts. The original source are official side material by Type-Moon that will not be translated into English.
The Dead Apostles usually have extensive territory and vampire/ghoul followers. Most seem to live in European castles as a form of tradition. Several, such as Nero Chaos are exceptions to this.
[edit] The list of the 27 Dead Apostles at the time of Tsukihime
Entries marked with a ??? are those that have not been announed, and are generally presumed by fans to be empty slots.
1. Primate Murder
2. The Dark Six
3. Crimson Moon Brunestud AKA Type-Moon, currently deceased
5. ORT AKA Type-Mercury
6. Rizo-Waal Strout AKA "Black Knight" Strout
7. Einnashe AKA The forest of Einnashe
8. Fina-Blood Svelten AKA "White Knight" Svelten
9. Altrouge Brunestud AKA The Black Princess of the Dead Apostles
10. Nrvnqsr Chaos AKA Nero Chaos
11. Stanrobe Calhin AKA "The City Devourer"
12. ???
13. TATARI AKA Night of the Wallachia
14. Van-Fem AKA Demon Castle Van-Fem
15. Rita Rozay-en
16. Gransurg Black-more AKA Lord of the Black Wing and also The Moon devourer
17. Trhvmn Ortenrosse AKA Lord of the White Wing
18. Enhance AKA Knight of Vengeance
19. ???
20. Merm Solomon AKA #5 of the Burial Agency and the "Crown"
21. Sumire
22. ???
23. ???
24. El Nahat
25. ???
26. ???
27. Caubac Alcatraz AKA The Dead Apostle of the Millennium Lock
[edit] Primate Murder
A demonic dog created by Gaia, the world, as a weapon against Humanity. Altrouge Brunestud somehow managed to obtain its services, how is unknown. It is said that if Primate Murder ever started attacking humanity en-masse, Alaya would need to dispatch 7 Counter Guardians to hold it down. For reference purposes, Dark Sakura in Fate/stay night's Heaven's Feel scenario is near the level of a Counter Guardian, and was practically invincible. Archer is also a Counter Guardian.
[edit] The Dark Six
Referred to as "The Six Diadems of Darkness". No one really knows whether it is an object, a person, or a group of objects/people. Supposed to be regenerating. Supposedly, Tsukihime 2 will focus on the Dead Apostle's attempt to perform a ritual to bring The Dark Six back to power and unite the Dead Apostles.
[edit] Crimson Moon Brunestud
AKA Type-Moon, the supreme being of the Moon, and the being that the True Ancestors were based off. Wanted to rule over Earth and Humanity, and thus became an enemy of both Gaia and Alaya. Was killed when attempting to crash the Moon into the Earth and Zelretch sneak attacked him. As the Crimson Moon never bothered to learn Magic, which is the realisation of miracles, he was taken by surprise and killed.
[edit] Wizard Marshal Zelretch
One of the 5 magicians in modern day capable of wielding True Magic, the wielder of the Kaleidoscope magic which controls alternative dimensions/possibilities. Also can be considered Arcueid Brunestud's surrogate grandfather. Killed the Crimson Moon to stop him from crashing the Moon into the planet, but had his blood sucked in the process and became a Dead Apostle. Due to his age he can no longer use Kaleidoscope magic extensively. Notorious member of the Mage's Association known for taking promising students and traumatizing them with extremely harsh training, and was also responsible for founding the Fuyuki Holy Grail wars as sort of a "project" for his students, Zōken Makiri, Nagato Tōsaka, and Justica von Einzbern. Currently assumed to be travelling through alternative dimensions. It is not known whether he drinks blood to sustain his decaying body. He makes an appearance in Fate/stay night, in the Heaven's feel scenario in which Rin Tohsaka uses his sword.
[edit] ORT
AKA Type-Mercury, the ultimate being of Mercury. Supposed to be the strongest being in the universe in terms of brute force. Fell to Earth in South America before the death of Jesus Christ , presumably from a meteor. The previous #5 Dead Apostle attempted to capture it for research and was instantly killed with a single blow. Has a permanent Reality Marble, "Crystal Valley", presumed to re-create the environment on Mercury. Presumed to look somewhat like a giant spider, and is rumored to have blood sucking tendencies.
[edit] Rizo-Waal Strout
AKA "Black Knight" Strout. One of the bodyguards for the Black Princess of the Dead Apostles, Altrouge Brunestud. Wields the demonic sword Neardark AKA "True Demon Neardark". Also one of the oldest 3 Dead Apostles and has his immortality from a time curse.
[edit] Einnashe
AKA "The forest of Einnashe". Einnashe in his previous form was targeted by Arcueid Brunestud when she was exterminating fallen True Ancestors 800 years ago. However, he had a superb hypnotizing ability, similar to "memory re-modelling", and managed to convince her that there was no Dead Apostle named "Einnashe". However, there was a powerful sorcerer, Ren's original master, who knew how to sink thoughts into the subconscious, making them impossible to re-call and also to modify. With his help Arcueid managed to kill him and his entire clan. However, she made a mistake. She left his body underneath a huge carnivorous plant that drank his blood. The tree eventually transformed into the Forest of Einnashe and his permanent Reality Marble allows him to control every tree within its radius and also dominates all mana in the area, preventing others from using any form of sorcery or magic.
The forest is about 50 kilometers wide, but is constantly in motion so it is very difficult to find the true center, which is rumoured to be a giant tree that makes a fruit containing the blood of thousands of animals and can grant immortality, and also be used to stave off a True Ancestor's bloodlust. He wakes about once every 50 years to go on a rampage and wipes out all animal life within it, even entire towns. The church sends forces to destroy it every time, but it is impossible to destroy one of the top 10 Dead Apostles with ordinary concepts, and they fail every time. Aside from the church, there are many other organizations that try to send in their own people to kill Einnashe, negotiate with him, or capture him for their own purposes, but they also fail every time as Einnashe doesn't distinguish between potential friends or foes, all that enter the forest are simply food to him. It may also be that he is simply not sentinient anymore and simply exists based on the instinctive impusle to drink blood every 50 years for survival.
In a side story set a few years after the events in Tsukihime, the director of the burial agency sends Ciel on a suicide mission to kill Einnashe as she is no longer immortal after Roa's death. Tohno Shiki also enters the forest, to seek the fruit in order to stop Arcueid Brunestud's bloodlust from getting out of control. The ending is ambiguous, but it is implied that Einnashe is finally killed. It is unknown whether Shiki gets the fruit or not.
[edit] Fina-Blood Svelten
AKA "White Knight" Svelten. Also one of the bodyguards for the Black Princess of the Dead Apostles, Altrouge Brunestud. Has a Reality Marble named "Parade", but it is unknown what this does. Is also the captain of a ghost ship and likes to suck the blood of young boys, and is on bad terms with Rita Rozay-en
[edit] Altrouge Brunestud
AKA The Black Princess of the Dead Apostles, just as Arcueid Brunestud is the White Princess of the True Ancestors. One of the original True Ancestors that fell, and is often considered the "sister" of Arcueid, although what their exact relationship is is unknown. Also the one who turned TATARI into an indestructible phenomenon that takes the form of people's fears with a contract that will expire the next time the Red Moon (literally, a blood red moon that appears in the sky) appears, which is once every 1000 years. Is presumed to have the Marble Phantasm.
[edit] Nrvnqsr Chaos
AKA Nero Chaos. His name is based on a word play, Nrvnqsr when translated into Hebrew letters adds up to the number 666, and he has 666 beasts in him. His name as a human was Fabro Rowan.[1] His body is mostly made up of chaos with no definite form, and it is speculated that if he had continued to add more beasts he would eventually become an existence with no individuality, sort of like a coral reef. It is impossible to kill him unless you destroy all 666 of his beasts at once, as he will simply continue to regenerate otherwise. This ability comes from his Reality Marble "Lair of the Beast King", and Roa taught him another way to use it, "Soil of Genesis", which is a large chunk of chaos that functions as a cage that will absorb whatever is caught in it, and supposedly requires the same power as one needs to destroy a continent to destroy. Achieved his immortality through magical research.
He was defeated by Shiki Tohno in Tsukihime.
[edit] Stanrobe Calhin
AKA "The City Devourer", defeated by the church but remains as an untouchable ghost that is rumoured to still have the power to destroy everything around it, and has 200 more years until his existence runs out.
[edit] ???
Unknown, presumed empty
[edit] TATARI
AKA Night of Wallachia. TATARI translates to "Curse", and he is an indestructible phenomenon that takes the form of people's fears. The church gave him the name of "Night of the Wallachia" because the first form he took was that of the deceased Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler as he more commonly known, and re-enacted the killings that Vlad did. Is the main Antagonist in Melty Blood where it is revealed he made the contract with Altrouge Brunestud in order to buy time to achieve the Sixth Magic, which all other alchemists who have tried to do so have gone insane, and which Arcueid Brunestud insists is impossible to achieve. If killed as phenomenon will return in 10 years, and was originally Sion Eltnam Altasia's ancestor, and was the one who partially turned her into a vampire.
He was defeated by Shiki Tohno. in Melty Blood.
[edit] Van-Fem
AKA Demon Castle Van-Fem. Is a puppet master that controls 7 gigantic golems as castles. His 5th castle "Motley" was destroyed by Fina-Blood Svelten in a war between them, and ever since then he hates Altrouge Brunestud's group.
[edit] Rita Rozay-en
Calls herself an artist. Formally inherited her castle from her vampiric parent, and is selfish/arrogant because of that. Supposedly holds a blood bath party every night, but how this can be covered up is questionable. Friends with Sumire, they have made a promise that if they were to die, they would do so by killing each other.
[edit] Gransurg Black-more
AKA Lord of the Black Wing and also The Moon Devourer. Achieved his immortality through magical research. Has a reality marble called "Nevermore" that is only effective against things that are already dead, such as vampires. He used this to wipe out the previous #16 true ancestor and his entire clan, and take his spot. Currently sealed by the church and supposedly looks like a giant Crow.
[edit] Trhvmn Ortenrosse
AKA Lord of the White Wing. Achieved his immortality through magical research, and has the most territory among the Dead Apostles. Can be considered the "leader" of the Dead Apostles, although such a term is incredibly loose. Was the one to suggest the game of hunting down the True Ancestors, and is currently in a feud with Altrouge Brunestud, who is also at the top of the Dead Apostles.
[edit] Enchance
AKA Knight of Vengeance. A vampire who only recently became a Dead Apostle, named "Enchance" because of his sword, which he received from his master. Supposedly not even a full vampire. Hates the Dead Apostles and is trying to hunt all of them down. Also has a gun, the Holy Crematal Artillery Scripture, that is owned by the church. As he is part vampire and part human, his right arm that uses the sword decays every time he uses it, and his left arm decays every time he uses the gun. Rumoured to be a key figure in Tsukihime 2
[edit] ???
Unknown, presumed empty
[edit] Merm Solomon
Holds the seat of #5 in the Burial Agency, and is also known as the "Crown". Likes collecting the world's magical treasures, and joined the Burial Agency to get close to all the magical treasures that the church has. Was originally a small boy in a village with an ability to communicate with animals and realise people's desires. To stop him from running away, the other villages cut off his arms and legs and kept him locked up as a tool. One day the Crimson Moon passed by and was intrigued by the boy, so he made a deal with the villagers where the villagers would try to kill him. The villagers used Merm to summon many beasts, but the Crimson Moon killed them all, then he killed the villagers and turned Merm into a Dead Apostle, and Merm has been a staunch follower of him ever since. Merm created the 4 Great Imaginary Demon Beasts to serve as his arms and legs, his right arm is that of a giant whale and his left hand gives him the image of a priest so as to conceal his real identity within the church. Only Ciel and Narbarek, the directory of the Burial Agency knows what his true form is. Is also a fan of Arcueid Brunestud, and may even have a crush on her. Seems to switch between a good and cruel personality, in the "Forest of Einnashe" side story, he ate the watcher that was sent to keep an eye on Ciel and shrugged it off as no big deal. Is unknown how the church deals with his need to drink blood to survive.
[edit] Sumire
Supposedly a Dead Apostle that spends her time drunk while living underwater, although how she manages to ingest alcohol while underwater remains to be seen. She has a castle but it remains empty as she does not use it. Rumoured to be able to use Marble Phantasm.
[edit] ???
Unknown, presumed empty
[edit] ???
Unknown, presumed empty
[edit] El Nahat
A weird vampire that can be described as refractively dis-ordered. Has an ability to kill any opponent, but will force him to spend the next few decades regenerating his body. Currently sealed by the church as the Alien Stomach World Scripture, the most potent artifact that the Burial Agency has against the Dead Apostles.
[edit] ???
Unknown, presumed empty
[edit] ???
Unknown, presumed empty
[edit] Caubac Alcatraz
AKA The Dead Apostle of the Millennium Lock, a vampire who got his immortality through magical research, and is friends with Wizard Marshal Zelretch. He created a labyrinth to protect his ideal terminal, Holy Scripture Triten, but accidentally got himself trapped inside of it and hasn't been seen since. Supposedly looks like a padlock. It is unknown how he has managed to survive without drinking blood for hundreds of years, or whether he still exists at all.
[edit] Ranking structure
The only certain requirement to get on the list of the 27 Dead Apostles seems to be "Whether the current Dead Apostles want you to". One needs to achieve immortality, usually through magical research or being bitten by a vampire. Although Roa was bitten by Arcueid Brunestud, a true ancestor, he is not on the list supposedly because the rest of the Dead Apostles do not consider his goals to match theirs, as stated by Nrvnqsr Chaos in Tsukihime. However quite a few entries on the list clearly do not have matching goals with the rest, Wizard Marshal Zelretch, Enchance and Merm Solomon oppose the rest of the Dead Apostles, and ORT's main goal seems to be hiding in a cave and doing nothing. The order in which the Dead Apostles are ranked, supposedly by the church, in terms of how much threat they pose to humanity also has some inconsistencies, Primate Murder makes sense as the #1 threat to humanity, but why Wizard Marshal Zelretch ranks as #4 even though he is almost never seen because he is in an alternative dimension as opposed to the very real threat of Altrouge Brunestud and her gang remain un-explained.
[edit] References
- ^ Type-Moon/Tsukihime Project (w), Sasakishonen (p,i). Tsukihime v2 October 2005 DrMaster Publications Inc. (75/2). ISBN 1-59796-076-4.
