| “ | You knew all this would come to pass. It was my destiny to betray you. Because you needed me. Now, I drink the blood of your children, and they become my children. But I give them more than just eternal life, I give them what they crave most. All the pleasure you would deny them, forever. | „ |
| ~ Judas speaking to an image of Jesus |
Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, who was known for his betrayal to Christ. Judas alongside Brutus and Cassius form the Three Great Traitors. Judas was also revealed to be the first known traditional vampire and one that developed the aversion towards silver, sunlight, and holy crosses.
History[]
Background[]
Judas was born to Simon and Cyborea Iscariot and during a much later point in his life met and wedded Martha who became his wife. Much of what he did or experienced before he met Jesus is unknown though it is implied from the flashes of memories during his time in Hell that he had a troubled life and grew quite cynical and vindictive towards the world after the death of a person close to him.
Judas was appointed by Jesus to be one of his twelve apostles, however, despite being chosen by Jesus the latter warned that one, implying it to be Judas, was a "devil" among them. The warning proved to be true when the chief priests were looking for a way to arrest Jesus. They decided not to do so during the feast of the Passover, since they were afraid that people would riot; instead, they chose the night before the feast to arrest him. According to Luke's account, Satan entered Judas at this time.
Judas carried the disciples' money bag or box. The evangelist comments in John 12:5–6 that Judas spoke fine words about giving money to the poor, but the reality was "not that he cared for the poor, but that he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it." However, when Judas left the gathering of Jesus and his disciples with betrayal in mind, some of the disciples thought that Judas might have been leaving to buy supplies or on a charitable errand.
Betrayal and Death[]
Nevertheless, Judas betrayed Jesus for a bribe of "thirty pieces of silver" by identifying him with a kiss—"the kiss of Judas"—to arresting soldiers of the High Priest Caiaphas, who then turned Jesus over to Pontius Pilate's soldiers.
After Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death, Judas, realizing the atrocity of his betrayal, was overcome with remorse and fear. He went home to tell his wife, who was roasting a chicken on a spit over a charcoal fire, that he was going to kill himself, because he knew Jesus would rise from the dead and, when he did, he would punish him. Judas's wife laughed and told him that Jesus could no more rise from the dead than he could resurrect the chicken she was cooking. Immediately, the chicken was restored to life and began to crow frightening Judas. At the same time, Judas received a vision that the remaining apostles would stone hm to death.
In a vain bid to rectify his sins, Judas attempted to return the 30 pieces of silver to the priests, but they would not accept them because they were blood money, so he threw them on the ground and left. After they refused, Judas flung the coins into a temple, ventured into the Garden of Gethsemane and killed himself by hanging. The version more widely known is where Judas hangs himself. The other claims that Judas fell, split his stomach, and his entrails fell out. Regardless, his betrayal has become infamous enough for the name Judas to be used as a common term for a traitor of any kind, especially one that betrays a close ally.
Cursed Unlife[]
Even though there have been several variations regarding Judas' death and punishment by God there is a legend that dictates among the Hebrews that Judas instead suffered a fate even worse than death. In Limbo, Judas was visited by God who forbade him from escaping his well-deserved punishment through an easy death. God instead cursed Judas Iscariot as well as his ilk; since he took his own life and displayed it in front of the sun, the sun will turn against him and burn him to ash. Since he betrayed Jesus for silver, then silver shall betray him. And lastly, the holy cross of which Jesus was crucified will become a bane to him. The curse will take effect when the body of Judas will be visited by a man "born of dark blood". Since time is irrelevant in Hell, Judas was surprised and shocked to Jesus in Hell, and confronted him over knowing that this was always how it was going to end and he did not stop him to which Jesus confirmed as the truth. Judas, knowing he was but another villain in the tale of God, declared that he did not betray Jesus, but Jesus betrayed him.
Despite this declaration, Jesus held no anger or contempt towards Judas, admitting to him that he was blindly following the will of his Father to where he had forgotten to follow the words of his own mortal heart and spirit. As such, this blindness led him to damning millions, including Judas himself. When Jesus comes to terms with his own flaws and embraces himself as both man and divine he ascends to Heaven. Before he ascends, he tells Judas that no matter what happens, he will forgive him, and hopes that one day Judas forgives him in turn. Judas was left pondering on the events that transpired during his "brief" time in Hades only to see darkness enveloping him as God's curse began to take its effect on him.
The man who is born of dark blood is revealed to be none other than Hector van Neck, who was known by his ancient Egyptian name Akhenaten and was the first vampire to be sired by the ancient Turok-Han, as he approached the body of Judas Iscariot as it hung from the tree. Hector pitied the former apostle and was amused that he thought he could escape persecution through death, so Hector decided to perform a little experiment. He took the body down, slit his wrist, and let his blood drip into Judas' mouth and in the process revived Judas while also turning him into an unholy creature of the undead. Upon awakening, Judas was mortified and confused by his current predicament and initially mistook Hector for Satan. Hector informed him that he is no longer among the living but neither is he dead and further went on to say that he would fear the sun and the light of day and that he would roam the night. He continued by telling him that life is in the blood and that blood from living humans would be the only thing Judas would ever feed on again. Judas would eternally walk through the inverted law of God's kingdom by only drinking blood. Judas demanded an explanation of Hector's motivations behind his actions only for the vampire to scoff at him and wonder why should God have all the entertainment. Judas asked if this too was a punishment from God only for Hector to tell him that he could interpret this curse in whatever way he wants while quipping that he did the Almighty a favor.
Scarlet Brood[]
Hector then left but not before telling Judas that they will see one another again and the former apostle attempted to pick up the pieces of silver only to have them burn his hands at the touch; since he betrayed Jesus for silver then silver shall betray him. Judas Iscariot lived out the next thousand years living in darkness, avoiding the sun, and feeding on the blood of humans.
At an undisclosed period of time, Judas and Hector reunited with the former joining what would be known as the Scarlet Brood. Judas was convinced by Hector to join his coven and that with their power would remake the world in their image, further going on to say that the Son and the Almighty would not give their children all the pleasures of the world but once they take them as their own they will provide them with such pleasures and have it become a vampiric utopia. Judas immediately agreed and joined the Scarlet Brood with their first order of business is to resurrect the Blood God, Absalom.
Sometime during the 1800s, Judas Iscariot and the Scarlet Brood were preparing for the imminent resurrection of Absalom and seized control over the United India Company. They used the Company to covertly transport Nosferatu during their shipments, hiding them inside crates, with intent of preparing for the awakening of Absalom and infect the global population with vampires and other creatures of night. The Company would have the Nosferatu infect those of high positions and later using their political influence to suppress and move about plans of attacks from America to Britain as a means to resurrect the Blood God. However, they discovered that their plans would continually be hampered due to the rapid rise of the lycanthropic plague which was spreading across Europe.
Death and Torment[]
Judas would meet his end at the hands of Miguel, the werewolf that originally spread the growing lycanthropic plague across Europe in an attempt to destroy the humans. As the Company, as well as the Scarlet Brood, was being dismantled and defeated by the combined efforts of the Indian rebels alongside Abraham Van Helsing and Vitali Romanov with the aid of the lycanthropes that followed Vitali after defeating their pack leader, Judas encountered said pack leader who was Miguel himself inside Nikola Tesla's laboratory when Judas hunted him down in an attempt to kill him given that he was providing the allied forces the necessary equipment and weapons to destroy the vampires. The two engaged in a fierce battle throughout the laboratory, with Judas proving to be quite the formidable opponent given his heritage as the first traditional vampire especially after being sired by Hector.
Despite the ferocity of his attacks, Judas was overwhelmed by Miguel's monstrous power and was consequently defeated with Miguel beheading him with his sword. In the end, Judas was sentenced to the ninth circle of Hell, the circle of Treachery. Due to his actions, he has been labeled among the greatest traitors in history, along with Brutus and Cassius, the murderers of Caesar. All three have been sentenced to the ninth and final circle of Hell. Unlike the other traitors, who are frozen in ice, Judas, Brutus, and Cassius are eternally punished by being gnawed upon by the three heads of Satan. Judas, headfirst in Satan's middle head with his back raked by Satan's claws, suffers the worst punishment of the three.