Story Concept – RE Village: The Assassin
Thanks to @stealingyourstoats comment on my Alcina theory and her thoughts on the Dagger of Death’s Flower from RE Village, I got a new idea for a short story. She suggested the dagger may have been commissioned by another Dimitrescu. This is entirely possible, considering infighting within noble houses and the Dimitrescu crest is on a blade (at least in the concept art).
Anyway, it did make me think about the assassin, who would later search for the blade and try to kill Alcina with it. What if he was also a Dimitrescu? It would explain why he wasn’t drained of blood but properly laid to rest in a coffin. A coffin with the Dimitrescu crest on it.
Eugen Dimitrescu is one of the last members of his house, the Romanian line having died out before the Great War and the other line being in decline. Only he and his cousin Alcina remain (as far as “legitimate” heirs go). He knows she went to claim the old family castle in Romania and planned to revive the winery, having ended her singing career. But that was years ago.
Though they were never close, he is starting to worry, since he hasn’t heard from her in so long. Thus he travels to Romania and the village, having to cover the last stretch by horse. All the while he’s keeping a travel log/diary like Jonathan Harker. (I’m thinking about writing the story in first-person, so it feels a bit like you are reading his diary)
At the edge of the village he runs into Mr Heisenberg (Karl's father), who laments how the village has become more isolated and the cult that has taken over, advising Eugen not to linger. He himself is thinking about taking his family away while he still can, his own influence in the community waning.
On his way, Eugen notices how the villagers keep away from him and the religious paintings/imagery. He enters the castle, where he's greeted by a maid and is provided with tea while he waits. When Alcina joins him, he is shocked to see that she's taller than he recalls (not quite like in the game yet but a bit over 2 m / around 7 feet) and very pale-looking. Alcina is polite but not entirely pleased to see him. She is also not very forthcoming, telling him very little about what she's been doing. However, she does tell him that a woman called Mother Miranda has done wonders for her health condition, and she is doing much better now.
Since they both share the same condition, Alcina wants him to meet Mother Miranda as well, who should return in a few days. Eugen is wary, but decides to stay around in order to find out what is going on in this place.
Eugen is given a room for his stay and asked not to wander around at night. He finds this odd, but when he tries to ask the maids questions, they avoid answering or tell him they are not allowed to say. He sleeps with his gun in reach, exhausted from the long journey.
The next day Eugen takes a walk, not entirely comfortable in the castle, meeting Heisenberg again in the village. When he mentions potentially meeting Mother Miranda, Heisenberg urges him to leave, as she is the leader of the cult. Eugen asks why he's still around if it’s that dangerous, and Heisenberg confesses that his wife is expecting another child (leaving it up to the reader if this is Karl or a sibling). They must wait for the birth and for his wife to regain her strength – by then it’s going to be winter, making the journey impossible. So, they'll be stuck for at least another year. He can only hope the situation won't further deteriorate and they'll still be able to leave by then.
Later in the afternoon, Alcina shows him around parts of the castle and the vineyard, Eugen finding himself noting possible escape routes. He also catches a glimpse of a young, cloaked woman before getting distracted by a fly buzzing around him.
That night, Eugen investigates the castle alone and sees the three “daughters” (having no idea who or what they are) drag a maid into the dungeon. He follows, but to his horror sees Alcina directing them and torturing/experimenting on young women. He also witnesses her claws and healing abilities when the maid tries to fight back.
Horrified, but knowing his gun won’t be enough, he sneaks back to his room, trying to come up with a plan. Eugen considers taking Heisenberg’s advice to leave while he still can, however, he can’t bring himself to run away.
As he considers his options, he remembers the story about how House Dimitrescu split and the dagger someone in his family had commissioned – one coated with a poison potent enough to kill demons and monsters. After what he’s seen, he’s willing to give it a try.
The next day he asks Alcina about their family’s collection of weapons and armour, hoping to find the dagger among them. When he finds nothing but ordinary weapons, he tries asking the maids. But none of them seem to know the dagger he describes (only the design – he doesn’t tell them what it’s for).
Over lunch he writes in his diary about the Dagger of Death's Flowers. Worried someone might check his diary, he tears out the page and puts it in his pocket (loses it later during the search, which is how it becomes available for Ethan to find decades later).
While Alcina is occupied with her winery, Eugen continues his search. He’s approached by a maid, who has heard about the dagger, as the tale was told in her family across generations. She’s willing to help him if he helps her flee the village. Eugen agrees, especially after what he’s seen, and she helps him find the dagger, which was incorporated into a statue. He hides it on his person and plans to use it that evening when he meets Alcina.
Eugen gets his chance, but as he strikes, the three “daughters” interfere, hooking their blades into his limbs, pinning him down. Alcina is shocked and demands to know the reason for his betrayal. After he tells her, she finishes him with her claws, genuinely hurt by the assassination attempt. As Eugen dies, the dagger slips from his fingers.
Sometime later, Alcina has him dressed in a uniform (he is a WW2 vet) and put in a coffin within the chapel. Miranda is also present, remarking that it may be time to fully isolate the village until her work here is done, lest others try to interfere or harm their "true" family.
Note: The concept art says that clothes and hairstyles of the villagers are stuck in the 60s. Thus, I thought this story could take place in the 60s, having this event cause the already isolated village to completely cut contact with the outside world.
So yeah, let me know what you think.
Masterpost (for all things RE Village)
