JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Quest
Through the abilities of Stands, it has been proven that there are an infinite number of universes existing in parallel with each other; no two are exactly alike, but some are so closely connected as to seem so at first glance. Only a small change here or there distinguishes some of these universes from each other. Sometimes, the difference is as seemingly small as the mere presence or absence of a single being, or said being merely performing a different action.
But any difference, no matter how small, can create another small change, and another. Eventually, even the most minor changes can cause a cascade that makes one universe more and more separated from ones that at first seemed virtually identical.
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London, England – 1888 A.D.
Peter Best had served as the head butler of Joestar Manor for decades now, a fact which he took great pride in – not merely that he was one of the most important servants to a distinguished and wealthy family, but of the character of the family he served – and in his time he had seen and welcomed guests of every kind. But this noble – who apparently held estates in both Italy and Transylvania, of all places – was something new to him. Not because of anything they had said, or their reasons for being here; those were normal enough. They were interested in a historical artifact in Lord Joestar's posession, and had come in hopes of seeing it. They even had a letter of introduction from one of Lord Joestar's many friendly acquaintances on the Continent vouching for their character and confirming that they were indeed...
[] Count Dion Belmont
[] Countess Dione Belmont
The first point of interest was their appearance. Though incredibly attractive and well-built, it was almost unnerving; they appeared completely free of flaws or blemishes, as though someone had brought life to a marble sculpture. Their clothes were of fine make and material, but were clearly made for hardship and travel, and most unusually, they wore a whip coiled at their waist.
Besides which, there was one trait in particular that simply couldn't help but strike Best as markedly strange...
[] Eyes
Those eyes burned with keen intelligence and betrayed their owner's racing thoughts. They seemed to take in and comprehend every minor detail with merely the barest sweep of their surroundings. And when they rested on Best, he felt almost as though his very soul was laid bare before them. A perturbing experience, to say the least.
[] Breathing
Best prided himself on being extremely observant and analytical; it served him well in serving to Lord Joestar's needs. And something was wrong with this noble's story. According to them, they had been forced to walk for several miles to reach Joestar Manor, and yet they didn't seem the least bit tired or short of breath. In fact, their breathing was as measured and steady as a metronome.
Clearing his throat, Best made his decision on what to do about this strange guest. "My deepest apologizes, but Lord Joestar is simply far too ill right now to receive any guests..."
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You barely pay attention as the butler tries to give you the brush-off. You've heard that Lord Joestar has been in failing health recently, but you know for a fact that he had a guest over just a few hours ago, so unless he's taken a turn for the worse in that short amount of time, he's at least well enough to talk. And frankly, even if he wasn't, you can't afford to take "no" for an answer.
If your contacts are right, one of the Stone Masks is here, in Lord Joestar's possession. You have no intention of letting some butler keep you from it. You've spent years searching for any leads on the Stone Masks.
The Belmonts are minor nobility who originated in Italy but eventually came to also hold lands in Transylvania through marriage; the name is old and well-off, but hardly noteworthy. There have been no great Belmont kings or generals or statesmen; few Belmonts will ever appear in history books, and those that do will be mere footnotes. This is largely because of the family's true occupation: hunting vampires and their lesser spawn.
For centuries, the Belmonts have known of the Stone Masks and the vampires they produce, and have fought against them. It was a nearly hopeless struggle at first: most Belmonts in those days met very short, violent ends at the hands of even weak vampire spawn, and only a few very clever (or simply very lucky) Belmonts managed to actually defeat their foes, usually by trapping or tricking the vampire into meeting the sunrise, whereupon it promptly burnt to ash.
It was only during the First Crusade, when one of your ancestors met a healer from the Orient while fighting in Anatolia, that the Belmonts became truly equipped to fight their self-appointed foes. From this healer, he learned of a technique called Hamon, or the Ripple, which allows one to channel the power of the sun itself simply through one's own breath. With this tool in hand, the Belmonts turned the tide. When the Belmonts first attained their lands in Transylvania, there were multiple Stone Masks there, and several vampires preying on its people. They are all gone now, but you know that there are more Stone Masks elsewhere in the world, and just as your ancestors did, you've been searching for them. It's the duty of the Belmonts. Few if any humans can achieve any appreciable proficiency with the Ripple, but it seems to run in your family line. Whether it be God or Fate, some force has given the Belmonts this power, and you have a duty to use it to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It is a lonely and dangerous destiny, but one that you must carry out; who would do so in your place?
The name comes from the musical group "Dion and the Belmonts." If you've played Fallout 4, you'll recognize Dion's biggest hit from his solo career, "The Wanderer." Since Dion was so close to Dio, and Belmont is... well, Belmont, I figured it was perfect for a JoJo quest about OC vampire hunters.
Much like the Castlevania games, it'll be a sort of dynastic thing where generations of the family throughout time will take on the protagonist's mantle, with both original adventures and ones that intersect with those of the Joestar family. So like the Zeppelis, the destiny of the Belmonts is tied to the Joestars. Just hope that said destiny isn't "die to give a Joestar the strength s/he needs to beat the big bad" like it is for the Zeppelis.
As for the "Eyes or Breathing" option, some clarification: both will have access to the Ripple. The difference is just in what skills Dion/Dione emphasizes; whether they rely more on their cunning in the vein of Joseph, or whether they're more dependent on their actual power and skill like Jonathan. Of course, either way they're still a JoJo character who isn't a one-off destined for a quick and messy death, so they'll be reasonably clever either way.
The famous whip Vampire Killer in this continuity was made from the fibers of an incredibly rare plant that a Belmont centuries ago discovered was a near-perfect conductor of Ripple energy, and so they harvested it and made them into a whip to fight vampires with. Centuries of having Ripple energy channeled through it has left its mark, and the whip is extremely resilient to damage, including from aging; the whip is in just as good a condition as when it was first made.
Dion/Dione isn't going to start with a Stand. I won't say it's
impossible for them to get a Stand during play, but it's not likely. Successors later on are much more likely to start with Stands or gain them through play.
The Spin exists, but knowledge of it is even rarer than that of the Ripple. Gyro Zeppeli doesn't exist, but there
is a distant branch of the Zeppeli family who are users of the Spin and once worked as royal executioners for the now-defunct Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
