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Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Dracula Untold
Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
Biographical information
Aliases

Caligula
Master Vampire

Gender

Male

Species

Human (formerly)
Vampire

Status

Undead

Age

2,000+

Born

August 31, 12 AD

Died

January 24, 41 AD

Cause of Death

Assassination

Killed By

Roman Senate

From

Rome

Occupation

Roman Emperor (formerly)

Relations
Appearance
Portrayed By

Charles Dance

Source

Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as Caligula, is an essential character of Dracula Untold. He is the first vampire to be recorded in history, perhaps the progenitor of the vampire race. Unlike other vampires, he had less of a human appearance, with all his teeth being fangs and his fingernails being sharp like claws. He was once mortal but made a Faustian deal with a demon (perhaps one of the demons of Lucifer/Satan) he had summoned from Hell. In exchange for his service and possibly his soul, the demon let Gaius drink its blood, becoming a vampire.

Gaius was betrayed by his sire and imprisoned in Broken Tooth Mountain where he remained for centuries; until the Middle Ages when he was freed by Vlad III Tepes.

Biography[]

Before becoming a vampire, Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, or Caligula, was the Emperor of Rome between 37 and 41 AD. As an Emperor, Gaius earned his legacy as an insane tyrant from his reputation of cruelty, sadism, extravagance, and sexual perversity. Probably between his ascent to the throne and his supposed death at the hands of the Senate, Gaius summoned a demon from Hell to make a Faustian blood-pact in exchange for power and immortality becoming the first known vampire in history. The demon fulfilled it's part of the deal but later betrayed him and cursed Gaius to spend eternity in Broken Tooth Mountain, feeding on travelers to satiate his thirst for human blood. Presumably from the lack of regular victims to feed on, Gaius became monstrous in appearance, with all of his teeth becoming fangs and his fingernails becoming sharp like claws.

Events of Dracula Untold[]

Late Middle Ages[]

After centuries in which he is still locked in the peak of the broken tooth and having fed on the travelers who crept into his cave, in the late Middle Ages, Vlad III of Tepes, along with two men, went into his cave to explore and saw all the bones shattered, and Vlad believed that the Turks had never done such a thing, that there was a creature of the cave. Just then, Gaius brutally attacked the two men who accompanied Vlad, but the latter managed to wound him and when Gaius tried to attack Vlad again, the latter took his sword and pointed it at him, causing Gaius to stop. Gaius, seeing that Vlad was laying in sunshine, retreats to the cave, allowing Vlad to escape.

Return of Vlad and Pact with Caligula[]

The next day, Gaius saw Vlad return, surprising him, since no one had ever returned to him and Vlad, seeing so many skeletons, saw that no one had ever had the privilege to leave; and Gaius said that even he will not have the courage to do so and enjoyed tormenting him with his superhuman speed, until he was finally face to face with him. Gaius, first, having removed his sword with a lazy wave of his hand, inspected Vlad, feeling his emotions, and realized that, while all the men who entered his cave emanated fear, Vlad felt hope. Gaius immediately told Vlad to hide the silver from his sight, as it wounds him, and asked why Vlad crawled to him in search of hope and the latter said that he came to him looking for help out of pure desperation, because the Turks threaten to destroy his kingdom and that by using a power like his he would be able to stop them, saving his people and his family, in the process.

Gaius admired his nobility of soul, describing who he was by his names, and that Dracula meant "Son of the Devil", but Vlad said that Dracula meant "Son of the Dragon", "Protector of the Innocents". Gaius asked him if his people knew how many innocents he killed and if they were hundreds, to which he said yes, but Gaius, seeing the lie in him, forced him to tell him the truth, threatening him to gut him from belly to head and forcing him to eating his intestines and grabbing him by the throat, pushing him to the wall. Vlad then said that there were thousands of people he killed and said that he felt nothing: no remorse, no horror, no power, which was a greater crime than the act itself and Gaius asked Vlad why does he spill blood if not just for the fun of it and the latter said that he does it because men do not fear the sword, but fear monsters and that they fled from them. Vlad mentioned that in the past he only impaled one village, saving ten to be feared and said, above all, that there are times when people don't need a hero, but need a monster, in times of desperation.

Gaius then answered him if he knows what it means to be a monster. Vlad did not reply, but Gaius, with a sharp fingernail, scratched Vlad's neck to lick his blood, as if he wanted to see his thoughts through it. Gaius replied that he may have no idea, but that he would soon understand. The latter told that for centuries the rotten walls of this cave were his refuge, because the demon who transformed him into this creature condemned him in it, deceiving and betraying him, in the process and that he had waited an eternity for a man to arrive. with his strength, his talents, an indomitable willpower and that he was a man worthy of darkness and its powers.

He also told him that if Gaius himself had been his salvation for Vlad, the latter would have been his; so he took a skull, broke it, and bites his own arm, letting out his blood to give to Vlad, asking him to drink it. He explained to him that his blood would give him the strength of 100 men, the speed of a shooting star, dominion over the night and all its creatures, he will see and hear with their senses and that he would be healed of serious injuries. Vlad asked him what the price was to pay and Gaius told him that, after he drank his blood, he will have a very voracious and insatiable thirst for blood, but he told him that, if he resisted for three days, he would once again be a mortal, having proved his power and saved his people, but if he succumbed to thirst, he would remain a vampire for eternity, telling him it would be better for him not to visit him, and he would be freed from the curse of the demon who held him prisoner, having finally offered the darkness a worthy replacement.

He also replied that he would become a paladin, like him, a scourge on earth destined to destroy everything he loves, such as lands, his people and his family and Vlad swore to him that he would die, rather than kill them, to which Gaius agrees and also said that he could have unleashed his wrath and rage against the one who betrayed him and that he would call him to serve him, making him his pawn in his immortal game of revenge, but Vlad said he was not a game for him; but Gaius said he couldn't help it and said there was no other way to endure eternity and that it would be the ultimate game: Light versus dark, hope versus despair and that the whole world hangs in the balance, waiting to decide the fate that awaits him. Vlad then said, drinking his blood, that he would have the pleasure of disappointing him immensely. The latter, feeling bad, said what was happening to him and Gaius, turning his back on him, said he was dying, the first step of the transformation into a Vampire.

Liberation from the curse[]

Gaius, for the rest of the film, is never seen, until Vlad's third and final day as a vampire and waited at the exit of the cave, hoping that Vlad would give in to his complete transformation into a vampire, which happened because Vlad, at the behest of Mirena, because she was dying and their son was kidnapped by Mehmed II, he bit the latter in the neck to drink her blood, thus completing his transformation into a vampire and breaking the curse that held Gaius prisoner, allowing this last to appear for the first time in centuries in the world and regain his human aspect.

Present Day[]

Gaius, after surviving for many centuries and traveling the world, while in a London bar, saw in the distance Vlad talking and chatting with Mina Murray, the reincarnation of his beloved wife Mirena, and decided to take matters into his own hands with him and the pact they had made 5 centuries ago: that he would help him destroy the demon that condemned him to live in that cave for so many years.

Personality[]

Gaius is an immensely powerful vampire whose chief motivation is to seek vengeance on his traitorous sire for his imprisonment. He seems detached from the affairs of the mortal world, only concerned with his vengeance. However, having lived long enough to witness for himself both the best and worst of what humanity, the world and even life itself has to offer, the entity has no tolerance for being lied to by those he considers as literal lesser mortals, as seen by how he reacted when he sensed that Vlad was omitting from him some knowledge concerning the extent of the latter's kills before seeking the former in his own cave, pinning Vlad against one of the walls there and threatening to end him then and there if he lied to him again. But on the other hand, Gaius seems to acknowledge and even respect those who intentionally approach him with determination and courage, seeing how he did not immediately kill Vlad when Gaius deduced that he came to him for a reason and even took his time in listening to what the visitor has to say, and was almost sympathetic when Vlad reveals the lives he took without emotion felt, as he slew them, was a transgression far worse than the murders he committed. This all led to the vampire deeming Vlad as a worthy candidate to turn, but not before respecting him enough to give him options: to either become a being like his sire or to retain vampirism for a while and wait it out until Vlad regains his humanity, or not at all.

Powers and Abilities[]

Powers[]

  • Vampire physiology: Gaius has all of the powers of a vampire; albeit likely at a far heightened level.
    • Immortality: Gaius no longer has a lifespan nor does he age or decay, as he is over 2,000 years old. If the vampires are damaged, any damage they take will disappear instantly as if there was no damage the next moment. Gaius's undead life also makes him immune to diseases, viruses and general diseases.
    • Superhuman strength: Gaius described his strength and the strength of vampires in general; as that; of a hundred men. He easily overpowered the then-human Vlad, pinning him against a rock and threatening to disembowel him.
    • Accelerated healing factor: Gaius's undead flesh and body is regenerated and restored in seconds if any damage is done to it.
    • Superhuman speed: Gaius described his speed and the speed of vampires in general; as that; of a falling star.
    • Metamorphosis: As a vampire, Gaius can morph his appearance to a less human, feral, rapidly changing form; allowing him to make his fingertips sharp or making his flesh, inhumanly elastic, stretching his jaws and tongue several inches.
    • Weather control: As a full vampire; Gaius can form instant dark storm clouds to shield himself from the sun.
    • Superhuman senses: As; with all vampires, Gaius had inhuman senses, being; able to hear heartbeats and sense movement from several yards away and having a sonar like perspective, see clearly in pitch darkness and through the living bodies, seeing the blood vessels and organs moving.
    • Vampirism: Gaius possess the power to turn other humans; into vampires; by; allowing them to ingest his blood; which will seemingly poison and rapidly kill them and cause them to have monstrous dreams with images of the people they love the most being in danger or dying, a possible premonition of what would happen if they gave into their thirst and predatory animals; with vampiric red eyes and some glimpses of a vampires clawed hands and teeth. They will then awaken in another place hours later and will adjust to their new traits and senses. If they do not drink blood for the span of three days, they will become human again; by the morning of the last day. If they do drink blood, their condition will be irreversible and all consuming as they will have the power to influence the weather, far less humanity and moral capability, and an intense fear for Christian ornaments; such as a crucifix, which they perceive as glowing red and having an intense light. To them, being around it is like being near a large and intense fire or light.

Weaknesses[]

  • Silver: The very sight of silver makes Gaius Caesar weak as seen when his vision was blurred and distorted. He could not stand being an inch near it. Other vampires burn when touched with silver, along with reducing their strength and speed, and impairing their vision. Silver in large amounts could be able to reduce his strength and speed, and impair his vision, making him physically as weak as a human.
  • Sunlight: Prolonged exposure will deteriorate and disintegrate Gaius into a charred, corps like figure similar to a thousand year old fossil; although he will regenerate if he is exposed to blood.
  • Wood: Sharp wood to the heart can weaken/kill Gaius, causing him and whatever he wears to rapidly decompose and disintegrate, along with the clothes he wears, as if time is accelerated on him. He will then end up a fossil like, corpse with tatter cloth that was once his clothes.
  • Crucifixes - A crucifix can keep most full vampires away and has a similar affect to silver. However, since Gaius is the first vampire in existence, the effects of the crucifix most likely do not affect him.
  • Bloodlust - Vampires are driven by an eternal, damning thirst for living human blood, causing them to have trouble being in close proximity to humans, especially being in their personal space. Gaius (apparently) suffered no real negative effect from the blood lust; likely either due to his age or to the fact that he had spent so long trapped alone within the mountains where fresh blood was in such short supply.

Former weaknesses[]

  • Limited mobility: Gaius was bound to Broken Tooth Cave by his demonic sire. Only by siring another and having said person complete the transformation would he be able to leave the cave. When Vlad drank his dying wife's blood to complete his transformation; this curse was broken, and Gaius was able to leave the cave and venture back into the world.

Gallery[]

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