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==Plot==
{{Hook|date=June 2019}}
''Bloodstained'' takes place in the early 19th Century and follows the [[protagonist]] Miriam, an [[orphan]] who was taken in by anthe [[Alchemist]]'s guildGuild and subjected to experiments thatwith causedemonically-powered crystals called Shards, granting her toincredible crystalizepower as a "Shardbinder" but causing her body to crystallize over time until she is completely consumed. Struggling to cope with her cruel transformation and fearing the resultloss of magi-crystalsher humanity, crystalizedMiriam demonicfinds energysolace in Gebel, beinga transplantedfellow Shardbinder who encourages her to never fall into despair, and Johannes, a student alchemist who is able to slow (but not fully prevent) the Shards' growing corruption on her body. ThePrior ordealto placedthe herbeginning inof athe tengame, yearthe comaAlchemists' Guild, awakeningfearing tothe findloss herof conditionsupport temporarilyas haltedthe by[[Industrial anRevolution]] alchemistswayed namedthe Johannespeople whointo waspursuing againstmaterial gain, used the guild'sShardbinders they created as a actcatalyst to summon demonsthe forces of Hell onto the Earth in what was supposed to theirbe a scare worldtactic, thoughbut hisinstead treatmentbrought canforth beuncontrollable averteddestruction. shouldGebel Miriamis assimilatesacrificed toowith manythe crystalother shardsShardbinders fromduring defeatedthe demonssummoning, but he alone survives.<ref name=ksMiriam, />meanwhile, does not take part as she falls into an unnatural slumber before she can be sacrificed.<ref name="characters miriam">{{cite web | url = https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iga/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | title = Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | publisher = [[Kickstarter]] | first = Koji | last = Igarashi | date = 11 May 2015 | accessdate = 11 May 2015 | quote = '''Miriam'''<br />Picked up as an orphan by an Alchemist at a young age, she became a host for the dark Alchemists' curse. Although the magi-crystals were fused with her body at a young age, for 10 years she lay sleeping while the curse matured to its full form. It was during this period that the demons arrived, meaning that she missed their appearance and awoke with a mild form of amnesia, not quite fully understanding what happened to her.<br />She is a woman of few words but strong of purpose. Her youth is deceiving, making her seem confrontational and quick to judge, though in reality she is constantly evaluating her next step. The pain she felt as an orphaned child fuels her compassionate desire to protect her loved ones and friends. | deadurl = no | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150602005746/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iga/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | archivedate = 2 June 2015 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> To
Ten preventyears later in the outbreakgame's ofpresent-day, demonsMiriam andawakens endfrom her slumber to learn that not only are the cursedemons whilestill retainingwalking heramong humanitythe Earth, Miriambut venturesthey intoare Demonbeing Castleled to confrontby Gebel, anotherwho ofhas killed off the alchemists'surviving magi-crystalGuild experimentsmembers whoand lostraised hisa humanitydemonic andcastle summonedcalled the demonsHellhold toas changehe wages a war on the worldhuman race.<ref name="characters gebel">{{cite web | url = https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iga/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | title = Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | publisher = [[Kickstarter]] | first = Koji | last = Igarashi | date = 11 May 2015 | accessdate = 11 May 2015 | quote = '''Gebel'''<br />Original host for the magi-crystal curse that summons demons to the planet. Gebel (JEE-bill) was the only one to survive its effects at such a high level. He destroyed the guild that created him, but in doing so realized he was no longer human and had no place on Earth. This in turn, led him to summon the demon castle from hell to appear on the planet.<br />It is said that his real purpose in summoning the castle was to give Miriam a place of her own, but as his Magi-crystal disease progressed, he soon forgot his own reasoning. The more he surrounded himself with hell-spawn, the quicker the magi-crystals engulfed his body. He continues to plot the downfall of man, and how to best convince (or use) Miriam to achieve his dark ambition. | deadurl = no | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150602005746/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iga/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | archivedate = 2 June 2015 | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="eurogamer">{{cite web | url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-05-11-castlevania-director-iga-announces-bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | title = Castlevania director Koji Igarashi announces Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | first = Jeffrey | last = Matulef | date = 11 May 2015 | accessdate = 11 May 2015 | publisher = [[Eurogamer]] | deadurl = no | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150514013936/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-05-11-castlevania-director-iga-announces-bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | archivedate = 14 May 2015 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Accompanied by Johannes, who left the Guild in opposition to the summoning, Miriam arrives in a small village destroyed by the demons. There she meets Johannes's friend Dominique, an [[exorcist]] sent by the Church who assists them by selling supplies and disposing of unneeded Shards. As Miriam begins her journey into the Hellhold, she confronts Alfred, a surviving member of the Alchemists' Guild who seeks to recover an ancient book used in the demon summoning, the Liber Logaeth, from Gebel. As his former student, Johannes deeply distrusts Alfred's motives and fears he may be making another mistake.<ref name="characters johannes">{{cite web | url = https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iga/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | title = Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | publisher = [[Kickstarter]] | first = Koji | last = Igarashi | date = 11 May 2015 | accessdate = 11 May 2015 | quote = '''Johannes'''<br />A member of the defunct Alchemist guild and Gebel's best friend. Johannes (yo-HAH-nis) was the only Alchemist who dissented with the plan to call demons to the earth to cement Alchemy as the prevalent philosophy. His rejection of the other Alchemists’ scheme is what kept him from sharing their fate. He has a vague understanding that Miriam's awakening and the demon castle’s appearance are no mere coincidence. | deadurl = no | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150602005746/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iga/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night | archivedate = 2 June 2015 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> She also crosses paths multiple times with Zangetsu, a demon hunter from the Far East who initially distrusts Miriam due to her Shardbinder powers having ties to demons, but over time begins to respect her strength. Zangetsu explains that he is seeking a demon named Gremory, who is continuously eluding him for fear of his power. He gives Miriam his katana thinking that Gremory will not expect her to be wielding it and drop her guard.
Miriam confronts Gebel in the Hellhold's throne room, and she attempts to reason with her old friend by reminding him that he was the one who taught her to never give up on her humanity. Though he briefly seems moved by her words, Gebel remains defiant and the two Shardbinders fight. Should Gebel be killed, he will thank Miriam for stopping him, but the game will immediately end as Miriam wonders if she made the right choice. Using Zangetsu's katana, Miriam instead exposes Gremory's hiding place in the throne room and she escapes. Freed from the demon's control, Gebel is only able to give Miriam his final apologies before the Shards in his body consume him completely. Alfred then arrives to steal the Liber Logaeth from them and flees.
Miriam chases Gremory and Alfred through a dimensional portal into Hell. Inside, she finds Alfred mortally wounded and the Liber Logaeth gone. As he dies, he explains that he was trying to use the Liber Logaeth as part of a spell he had cast throughout the Hellhold to destroy it. He also reveals that he was the one who put Miriam in her slumber ten years ago to sabotage the Guild's summoning, knowing her power as a Shardbinder was so immense that it would have brought even worse destruction than what was summoned had she been sacrificed.
Reuniting with Zangetsu, Miriam tracks down Gremory. Zangetsu uses his power to bind the demon in place, but he is seemingly killed in the process and so Miriam defeats Gremory alone. She then locates the Liber Logaeth and the one who stole it: Dominique. Craving the power to defy and destroy God for letting everybody die during the demon summoning ten years ago, Dominique reveals that she has turned herself into a Shardbinder through extensive study of Miriam and Gebel and uses the Liber Logaeth to summon Bael, the king of demons. Miriam banishes Dominique and Bael, and Johannes uses the Liber Logaeth to complete Alfred's spell and destroy the Hellhold.
As peace returns to the land, Miriam mourns the sacrifices made for her victory and wonders if the world will ever truly be free of the demons. Johannes tries to console Miriam with news that with the Liber Logaeth, he may have the means to permanently stop the Shards from consuming her body.
==Gameplay==
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