by Derek Draven

Created on: January 26, 2009

It's Vampire vs. Werewolf for round 3 of the popular Underworld movie series, and this time we're treated to a backstory of just how the war of the Hollywood monsters truly started. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans ignores the present day setting of the first two films and dives back hundreds of years into the past. The ruling Vampire clan is at war with the first breed of Lycan Werewolves; mindless beasts who cannot ever regain their human form, and run wild across the countryside, slaughtering both human and Vampire alike. The nefarious Vampire elder Viktor is awake and in control of the Vampire clan, dispatching his Death Dealers into the countryside to pursue and thin the Lycan numbers. However, the Lycan population continues to grow through random and savage attacks, leaving the Vampires constantly on guard. That is until a Lycan gives birth to a baby boy who can control his change between man and beast, giving Viktor an opportunity to harness their brute strength for his own gains.

Viktor orders the boy raised under Vampire care as a blacksmith, and a source of Lycan mutant blood which he uses to transform normal humans into a new generation of Lycans which can act as protectors for Vampires during the daylight hours. This first of this new breed is Lucian. As he grows up, Lucian slowly begins to learn that he will forever be regarded as a slave under Vampiric rule. Meanwhile, Viktor plays an intricate game of politics with the human nobles of the surrounding kingdoms, earning their favor by protecting their lands from Lycan attack in order to gain access to their vast coffers of silver. The whole scheme begins to unravel when Viktor learns that Lucian has fallen in love and consorted with his precious daughter Sonja, a rebellious Death Dealer who does not share her father's scheming political ideals. Viktor's anger is enough for Lucian to plot an escape from the Vampire stronghold, taking with him a new breed of Lycan warrior. When Viktor learns of Sonja's betrayal and pregnancy by Lucian, he captures the Lycan warrior and forces to him to watch as Sonja is burnt alive by sunlight at the Vampire council's demand. Lucian becomes enraged, gathering his Lycan forces to attack and overrun the Vampire castle. He comes face to face with Viktor, squaring off in what he believes to be the final battle between the two. While Lucian basks in the heart of victory, he vows that this will be the beginning of a war between Vampires and Lycans that will end only when

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