Dr. Aculus (1428–2019) was a suspect in the murder investigation of partygoer Lucy Winters in Blood Lust (Case #1 of Supernatural Investigations) and a quasi-suspect in The Curse of Black Ridge (Case #3 of Supernatural Investigations) before being murdered in Immortal Combat (Case #5 of Supernatural Investigations).
Profile
Dr Aculus was the 591-year-old leader of the US vampire coven. He had balding black hair, a mustache and a beard, as well as wrinkles across his forehead and chin. He wore a black suit jacket with a brown floral patterned collar and brown lining. He wore this over a white shirt, a maroon waistcoat with gold buttons and a deep ruby ascot with black patterns. It is known that Aculus drank Bloody Mary.
| Height | 6'0" |
|---|---|
| Age | 591 |
| Weight | 162 lbs |
| Eyes | brown |
| Blood | O+ |
Events of Criminal Case
Blood Lust
Dr Aculus became a suspect after Gwen and the player found his walking stick at the crime scene. Upon being told about the murder, he claimed not to know the victim. He then asked the team if they were accusing him of murder, despite all of his peace talks with Chief Arrow. When Gwen asked him why his walking stick was at the scene of the crime, he explained that he had sought the serenity of the graveyard. He then mentioned a noisy crypt party that cut his walk short, prompting Gwen and the player to investigate the party.
Dr Aculus was spoken to again about his portrait of the victim in which he had described her as a threat. He revealed that the victim had somehow learned that vampires were real, putting his coven in danger. When Gwen suggested that Lucy's death was convenient for him, Aculus said that the death benefited no one as violence bred violence.
Dr Aculus was found to be innocent after the team incarcerated DJ Blood for Lucy's murder. Gwen and the player brought DJ Blood before Aculus, who sentenced him to be sent to his ancestral castle and imprisoned in the dungeons for fifty years.
Later, Priya and the player confronted Dr Aculus about the disappearance of partygoer Mina Reynolds, suspecting her to have been kidnapped by a vampire. He refused to give the team a list of all known vampires in order to respect his coven's privacy, but pledged that he would help to find Mina.
The Curse of Black Ridge
After arresting Jeremy Cross' killer, Gwen and the player (per Felix) learned about an elixir of invincibility for vampires, leading them to believe that Mina Reynolds had been kidnapped for her virgin blood. They interrogated Dr Aculus about the elixir, who claimed that it was a legend. After Gwen presented him with proof that the elixir was real, Aculus implored that his coven would not engage in "such foolhardy behavior" and told the team that he would redouble his search for the wayward vampire.
Murder details
Aculus' headless body was found by Gwen and the player in his mansion's ballroom. Ben assumed the murder weapon as a sword before finding traces of deer blood on his shoulder. Due to no deer blood in Aculus' stomach, Ben confirmed that the killer drank deer blood.
Later, the player and Luke, who took Gwen's position due to her injury, found the bloody sword used to behead Aculus inside a locked cabinet. Per Priya, there were traces of Eternal Youth moisturizer on the sword. As Aculus' body did not show any traces of the said moisturizer, Priya concluded that the killer used Eternal Youth moisturizer.
Soon after, Aculus' head was found by Priya and Hope inside his bedroom, prompting the team to investigate the scene.
Relationship with suspects
Aculus threw away vampire Eric Zwart's Deathday gift, a wine bottle, into the trash, referring to him as a disappointing child and constantly criticizing his actions. Meanwhile, vampire Bathsheba was frustrated as Aculus had killed her original coven and lied to her about it. Aculus billed vampire Fabien de la Mort as a threat, suspecting him of being the rogue vampire due to his interest in the virgins. Moreover, Aculus did not approve vampire Pierce Cromwell's plan to seduce his ex-girlfriend Gwen at the ball. After Aculus' death, vampire Roxanne Vega, the new coven leader, toasted his death and claimed herself to be better than Aculus in leading the coven.
Killer and motives
The killer turned out to be Eric, who was also the rogue vampire.
Eric told the team that he started making the invincibility elixir partly to prove his worth as a vampire to Dr Aculus, who had always underestimated him due to his age. When Dr Aculus learned of Eric's plans, he tried to get him to stop. Eric then beheaded Aculus so he could continue on with his plans. Taking the elixir in front of the team, Luke pierced his heart with a stake dipped in Mina Reynolds' blood, reducing him to ashes.
Trivia
- At 591 years old, Aculus is the second oldest victim in the game.
- He bears a resemblance to Count Dracula, the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula.
- He might also have been inspired by the 15th-century Wallachian Prince, Vlad the Impaler.
- Aculus is one of the non-human victims in the game.
Case appearances
- Blood Lust (Case #1 of Supernatural Investigations)
- One Bigfoot in the Grave (Case #2 of Supernatural Investigations; mentioned)
- The Curse of Black Ridge (Case #3 of Supernatural Investigations)
- Hour of the Wolf (Case #4 of Supernatural Investigations; mentioned)
- Immortal Combat (Case #5 of Supernatural Investigations)
- Bad Vibes (Case #6 of Supernatural Investigations; mentioned)
- Gut Out (Case #7 of Supernatural Investigations; mentioned)
- The Ghost of Murders Past (Case #10 of Supernatural Investigations; mentioned)
- Niagara Fallen (Case #22 of Supernatural Investigations; mentioned)
