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#Post#: 97--------------------------------------------------
Kain Von Coorhagen
By: Gabriel Perrella Date: March 31, 2019, 8:24 am
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"Thirty years hence, I am presented with a dilemma - let's call
it a two-sided coin. If the coin falls one way, I sacrifice
myself and thus restore the Pillars. But as the last surviving
vampire in Nosgoth, this would mean the annihilation of our
species. If the coin lands on the reverse, I refuse the
sacrifice and thus doom the Pillars to an eternity of collapse.
Either way, the game is rigged. But suppose you throw a coin
enough times... suppose one day, it lands on its edge."
Name:
Kain Von Coorhagen
Age:
Unknown, Thousands of Years (Physically 30's)
Gender:
Male
Species:
Vampire
Relatives:
Unnamed Parents
Unnamed Siblings
Raziel ("Son"/Brought back to life as a Vampire by Kain)
Turel ("Son"/Brought back to life as a Vampire by Kain)
Dumah ("Son"/Brought back to life as a Vampire by Kain)
Rahab ("Son"/Brought back to life as a Vampire by Kain)
Zephon ("Son"/Brought back to life as a Vampire by Kain)
Melchiah ("Son"/Brought back to life as a Vampire by Kain)
Natural Abilities:
Claw Retraction
Enhanced Bite
Enhanced Durability
Enhanced Endurance
Enhanced Senses
Enhanced Speed
Enhanced Stamina
Enhanced Strength
Environmental Adaptation
Flight
Intangibility
Invisibility
Predator Instinct
Semi-Immortality
Shapeshifting
Supernatural Accuracy
Supernatural Agility
Supernatural Athleticism
Supernatural Awareness
Supernatural Balance
Supernatural Beauty
Supernatural Combat
Supernatural Dexterity
Supernatural Durability
Supernatural Endurance
Supernatural Flexibility
Supernatural Intelligence
Supernatural Leap
Supernatural Reflexes
Supernatural Regeneration
Supernatural Senses
Supernatural Speed
Supernatural Stamina
Supernatural Strength
Supernatural Wisdom
Powers:
All vampires in Nosgoth are stronger, faster, and more agile
than mortal men. In addition to their physical superiority,
vampires each have their own unique Dark Gift; a supernatural
power. Kain's Dark Gift was the ability to use surrounding mist
to assume a mist form, which allowed him to be virtually
invisible and intangible. He also had a fury ability where he
could use a single charged attack against an enemy. While he
acquired a number of abilities as a young vampire in Blood Omen,
defeat at the hands of the Sarafan Lord in Blood Omen 2, which
took two centuries to recover thanks to care from the Cabal,
made him lose most of his previous powers. Some speculate this
loss of power was a result of the Hylden weapon used against
him, as the Glyph technology was precisely designed to be used
against vampires.
In Blood Omen 2 when he woke from his slumber he retained his
mist and fury abilities. Like all vampires Kain could attain
weaker variations of other vampires Dark Gifts by drinking their
blood. By killing Faustus he gained the power to jump great
distances and to inhuman heights. By killing Marcus he acquired
the ability to charm the weak-willed and bend their minds to his
will. By killing Sebastian he acquired super-speed and often
used this ability to perform high speed combos on his enemies.
By drinking the blood of the Hylden Seer, his natural
telekinesis was heightened. By killing Magnus, he gained the
ability to immolate matter with pyrokinesis.
The many centuries after Blood Omen 2 had given Kain plenty of
time to evolve his powers. In Soul Reaver he had demonstrated
the ability to teleport. In Soul Reaver 2, in the opening we see
a display of physical strength far beyond Raziel, as well as
Kain showing off an ability to generate lightning in his palms.
In Defiance we see his telekinetic powers having evolved beyond
simply knocking opponents as now he could lift them and cast
them away. His mist ability had evolved where now he no longer
needed mist to assume the mist form. Another power he has
developed is the ability to shape shift into a swarm of bats to
travel quickly from one location to another-as most likely his
ability to teleport could possibly only be used for short
distances, this is never confirmed though.
Weaknesses:
Despite being stronger and hardier than humans, there were a
variety of ways to kill a vampire: Water burned a vampire's skin
like strong acid did to humans and immersion was fatal; Fire
'inflamed' and burnt vampire flesh and Fledglings were
vulnerable to sunlight. Otherwise, a vampire would have to be
impaled through a vital organ or have their head or heart
removed in order to kill them, any other damage they took would
be healed almost instantly as their flesh would simply knit
itself back together (an ability sustained by adequate blood
supplies).
Additionally, vampires are vulnerable to certain sound
frequencies: Marcus was incapacitated with pain upon hearing the
bells of Meridian's cathedral, while the humans within Kain's
Empire created the Silenced Cathedral, a stronghold created to
generate destructive soundwaves, to combat the vampires.
After death, a vampires soul is drawn into the Spectral Realm
where, after some time, it may adapt and become a Vampire
Wraith. It would contend for souls with other native species of
the realm such as the Sluagh. Vampire Wraiths are very agile and
quite powerful compared to most other Spectral species.
If the means through which a vampire is killed is reversed, a
Vampire Wraith may be able to re-enter their body, with the
added ability to cast an energy-siphoning band to their enemies
and draw upon their energies from afar. For example, if a
vampire was killed through impaling, the vampire could be
revived by simply removing the implement with which they were
impaled, allowing the skin to heal and reanimating the body.
Death through immolation, beheading and other more permanent
means that natural vampirism cannot adapt to were irreversible.
The Hylden utilized a special kind of magic, known as Glyph
magic, which was deadly to vampires as well. Glyph barriers
could be used to repel, injure, and imprison vampires.
Skills:
Master Strategist
Master Sorcerer
Master Alchemist
Master Engineer
Master Swordsman
Weapons:
Soul Reaver: The Reaver was originally an enchanted sword,
forged by Vorador at the Ancient Vampires' behest to destroy
their prophesied adversary, the Hylden champion. It could drain
its victims' blood, but was altered when it absorbed the soul of
the time-traveling wraith Raziel. Hereafter, Raziel's spirit
inhabited the blade, and it obtained the ability to devour the
souls of those it struck. Much later in Nosgoth's history, when
Kain attacked Raziel with the physical blade, it proved unable
to devour its younger self, and shattered, releasing Raziel's
soul (the Wraith Blade). The sword's passage through time is a
complicated one, and its existence has been, and will be,
entwined with Raziel's for all infinity within the Nosgoth
universe.
The Soul Reaver possessed many unique qualities beyond its
originally-intended purpose, such as the power to absorb the
souls of whatever the sword killed, use the elements of Fire,
Air, Water, Earth, Dark, Light and Lightning to empower itself,
it allowed Kain move at the speed of light and make clones of
himself, and to temporarily slow down time. As it acted as a
vessel for Raziel's soul, it could be used to decouple history,
creating paradoxes and new timelines if brought into proximity
with Raziel or another version of itself. Its power could only
be temporarily quelled by an artifact known as the Nexus Stone,
and it could be enhanced with magical powers by the Balance
Emblem. Most importantly, the physical Soul Reaver was the only
weapon in Nosgoth capable of harming the Elder God, damaging him
in both the Material and Spectral Realms. Thus, it was a vital
component in Kain's ambition to destroy the Elder and restore
the land.
Personality:
Kain is described as a cunning and relentless individual,
characterized by his heroism, ambition, nobility and fatalism,
who grows from wisely arrogant to arrogantly wise over the
centuries. Frequently regarded as "a petty noble" in life and
youth, he initially shuns vampirism and seeks to uncover a cure
- "reluctant to live the horror of an existence blighted by a
thirst for human blood". Over the course of Blood Omen: Legacy
of Kain, though, he grows to embrace his curse and the ideals of
Vorador - his father figure - and also becomes a misanthrope;
expressing disgust and a "growing disaffection for humankind"
and the Circle of Nine's machinations. Hastily accepting
Mortanius's offer of revenge, and desperate to prevent his
vampiric nature from consuming him, Kain fell into the role of
an "unwilling pawn", failing to forge his own path.
Having been wronged time and time again, he strives to escape
manipulation, engendering his desire to conquer all of Nosgoth
for his own - a quest that he eventually prevails in. His
fatalism and lust for power is fueled by Nupraptor's curse; as
the corrupt Balance Guardian, Kain realizes that "never again
could [he] give Nosgoth back her innocence". However, though he
possesses an obvious relish for bloodshed and brutality, he is
anything but stupid: the true cunning and subtlety of his
actions are only revealed to those smart enough to see past his
endless deceptions. Although Raziel initially perceives his own
execution at Kain's hands as the result of jealousy, Kain later
reveals that his supposed hatred of Raziel was a complex ruse,
part of his "cast at destiny"- a "quest for knowledge and
freedom". Only through Raziel's rebirth as a creature with free
will could Kain further his attempts to change history, and
revise their respective fates.
As a young vampire, Kain is cynical, and initially apathetic
about saving Nosgoth. Following his refusal to sacrifice
himself, though, he is internally burdened by his conscience,
shouldering a "mass of doubt and regret" in the knowledge that
"the fate of the world hangs dependent on the advisedness of
[his] every deed". This is balanced by his prevalent sense of
irony and dark humor; he raises the corpses of his Sarafan
enemies to unwittingly serve as his trusted lieutenants,
believing that "one must keep his friends close [...] and his
enemies even closer". Even so, Kain frequently shows strong
hints of compassion for his sons and others; throughout Legacy
of Kain: Defiance, he does everything within his power to secure
a resolution that he and Raziel "both can live with", and is
distraught and resistant at Raziel's ultimate sacrifice in his
name.
Though Kain possesses numerous character flaws, he appreciates
honesty to a fault, and - except when working covertly in Blood
Omen 2 - has never consciously lied to another individual
throughout the Legacy of Kain series, only telling half or
partial truths when necessary. As a monarch, he values loyalty,
and despises insubordination, arguing that "cowards and traitors
deserve no second thoughts, only their complete annihilation".
While his apparent lack of diplomacy seems to stem from his
short and violent temper, in reality it is a carefully
cultivated tool. Above all else, Kain's ultimate agenda - to
return the Pillars to the vampires and ensure Nosgoth's
restoration to glory - are partially moral and benevolent at the
very least, but he realizes his goal may be beyond his reach.
Only when purified – with "the hands of the prime mover exposed"
- does he receive "the first bitter taste" of hope.
Bio:
"I knew what ominous hour this was in Nosgoth's history. For
here was the event that had shaped my entire existence... I had
cast my fate, refusing the sacrifice, damning the Pillars, and
founding my doomed empire upon their ruins. I would raise the
Sarafan priests to be my closest lieutenants, and would one day
cast the strongest of them, my servant Raziel, into the abyss –
dealing one last hand to play against Fate. But in the end, had
it made any difference? Had I misread the signs, as Moebius told
me? In my arrogance, had I missed my cast at destiny?"
―Kain
Origins
A Weary Traveler
"Vae Victus - suffering to the conquered. Ironic that now I was
the one suffering. Not anything as pedestrian as physical pain.
Rather the cruel jab of impotent anger - the hunger for revenge.
I didn’t care if I was in Heaven or Hell - all I wanted was to
kill my assassins."
―Kain
Born a human in the pre-Blood Omen era, Kain - the son of an
aristocratic family - grew up oblivious of his own momentous
destiny within Nosgoth. Hailing from Coorhagen, the ambitious
yet unknown and directionless nobleman lived a privileged life,
in the shadow of a dying world. As he matured, he witnessed the
rise of the Legions of the Nemesis in the north, aware of the
impending threat they posed to the court of his allegiance, the
Lion Throne.
Kain roamed the land, but one fateful journey would spell his
demise. While he was a young man, thirty years old, he stopped
at a tavern in Ziegsturhl, but was unable to secure a place for
the night. "Forced to the road", he was ambushed by a band of
brigands and cruelly murdered, impaled on his assassin's sword.
Emerging trapped in the Underworld, still transfixed by his
enemy's blade, his soul was offered a chance for vengeance by
the Necromancer Mortanius, who guaranteed him "the blood [he
hungered] for". Tormented, desperate, and heedless of his
benefactor's ulterior motives, Kain recklessly accepted the
offer without a second thought.
Awakening "to the pain of a new existence" in his own mausoleum,
Kain realized the nature of his resurrection: he had been reborn
as a vampire, finding "no comfort, only malice" in the embrace
of the sun. Undeterred by hunger and weakness, he soon hunted
down his assassins, killing each one and sating himself on their
blood. Though certain that his quest was over, he was quickly
corrected by Mortanius, who assured him that "these fools were
merely the instruments of [his] murder, not the cause". Enticed
by the Necromancer's words, and determined to seek a cure for
the vampiric curse that afflicted him, Kain ventured to the
Pillars of Nosgoth.
The Fate of this World
"My murder at the hands of this beast drove my love Nupraptor
mad. Now he spreads misery and pain among the Circle, crumbling
the very foundation of Nosgoth. You must restore balance. You
must right the Pillars of Nosgoth."
―Ariel
When Kain arrived at the nine Pillars, he was met by the specter
of Ariel - the former Guardian of the Pillar of Balance - bound
there by the edifices' symbiotic corruption. Ariel told Kain
that "there is no cure for death. Only release", but instructed
him to destroy the sorcerers poisoning Nosgoth if he sought to
realize peace. The Circle of Nine - the Pillars' sworn Guardians
- had been driven to insanity by Nupraptor, the Mind Guardian
and Ariel's bereaved lover, and now spread misery throughout the
land. Though unconcerned for the fate of the world, Kain
silently accepted the task before him, beginning his quest as
the scourge of the Circle. As he departed, Ariel enigmatically
warned him to "beware the Unspoken".
Seeking to eliminate Nupraptor, Kain passed through the humans'
cities, commenting on Nosgoth's evident decay as he progressed,
and gradually adapted to his new abilities; he could wield
arcane spells, and could magically adopt the forms of the wolf
and the bat at will. From Vasserbünde, he observed Nupraptor's
Retreat, and resolved "to cut the cancer from its heart". After
a short battle, Kain was able to decapitate Nupraptor. He
returned to Ariel and placed her beloved's head before the
Pillar of the Mind, cleansing it of corruption.
Kain next targeted Malek, the Conflict Guardian and Ward of the
Circle. He returned to Coorhagen on his travels northward, with
"no delusions" as to the impending welcome; the city had been
struck by the Plague, offering him what he cynically described
as "a perfect homecoming". Upon flying to Malek's Bastion via
Bat Form, he found little respite in the harsh environment. He
battled his way to Malek, but after a brief combat, the Paladin
unleashed an unassailable spell of holy magic, forcing Kain to
retreat. The vampire knew he would need further guidance to
overcome his assailant, and, on Ariel's counsel, pursued the
wisdom of the Oracle of Nosgoth.
The Path to Hell
"A nobleman? Seeking wisdom? Death has taught you well."
―Moebius
In the Oracle's Cave, Kain refuted the elderly soothsayer's
cryptic philosophy, angrily willing "a pox upon [his] tricks and
babble", and demanding answers. Hinting at the plight of King
Ottmar of Willendorf and the quandary of the Legions of the
Nemesis, the Oracle explained that his path lay with that of
Vorador - the vampire who defeated Malek in battle, centuries
past. At Kain's urging, the old man steered him towards the
Termogent Forest, inviting him to follow the glow of the Ignis
Fatuus to Vorador's Mansion. He claimed it "lights the path to
Hell, nobleman. Your path".
Kain was simultaneously impressed and repulsed by Vorador's
decadent and luxurious tastes. The hedonistic elder vampire
provided him "something worse than Hell. A vision of what [he]
was becoming". Though Kain considered his newfound ally
"boorish" and a "decadent old fool", Vorador was congenial, and
quickly grew fond of the fledgling "despite [his] youthful
arrogance". He instructed Kain not to concern himself with the
affairs of man - the "cattle" - and offered him his Signet Ring,
to summon him if in need of aid.
Kain's resolve to find a cure was only strengthened by this
meeting. He now had "clear knowledge of what sort of monster
[he] would become if [he] let [his] curse consume [him]".
Traveling to Dark Eden, he pursued more of the Guardians; there,
he encountered Anarcrothe, Bane and DeJoule, the Guardians of
States, Nature and Energy, engaged in a plot "to twist the
world". Though Anarcrothe escaped his blade, calling upon Malek,
Kain was able to summon Vorador in retaliation, who overcame his
old enemy once and for all. With the subsequent deaths of Bane,
DeJoule and Malek, Kain restored three more of the Pillars.
One Wolf in the Pack
"Gift? Pah! Vorador thought my curse a blessing. That we were
gods and that mortals offered their blood as sacrifice so that
we could enjoy our supernatural powers. And somewhere deep
inside my new self I knew he was right. That mortal dreams were
prayers. Prayers to us - begging for our power."
―Kain
The autocratical city of Avernus, ruled by Azimuth the Planer,
was Kain's next destination. Within its walls, he encountered
demons setting the place, "paved in blood and flesh", on fire.
"What would have appalled in [his] life," he observed, "only
tempted [him] in death. Once [he] would have felt horror; now
only hunger remained". Diligently cutting a path through the
ruined metropolis to Avernus Cathedral, Kain could never have
predicted the gravitas behind the weapon he would discover
within. In the Cathedral's Heaven dungeon, he fatefully
discovered and claimed the legendary Soul Reaver - his
"kindred", he unwittingly mused.
Traversing the building, Kain confronted Azimuth, and with
"little trouble", felled her with a single blow from his
newfound blade. Before restoring the Pillar of Dimension, he -
not so coincidentally - recovered, from her person, a
time-streaming device. His attention diverted by Ariel towards
the Legions of the Nemesis, Kain chose to disregard Vorador's
counsel. Growing increasingly "embroiled in human events", he
accepted that he would need to explore the machinations of
Moebius - the Guardian of Time - if his quest was ever to reach
its end.
Drinking blood from the tomb of one of King Ottmar's forefathers
in the Provincial Mines, Kain utilized his newly gained Beguile
enchantment to adopt the visage of a living nobleman. His
audience with the beloved yet despondent Ottmar made his course
clear; he would need to reclaim the soul of the Princess of
Willendorf, trapped within a doll, from Elzevir the Dollmaker.
In exchange, Willendorf's Army of the Last Hope would aid him
against the Legions. After infiltrating the Dollmaker's in
northern Nosgoth, Kain returned to the court with the soul and
Elzevir's head; "Willendorf [was his], if [he] wished it".
The Tragic Hero
"The court of King Ottmar; shades of my former existence. Proud
and self absorbed, surrounded by all the finery of the realm.
Secure in their ignorance. As I walked among them I smirked
thinking of the carnage that would befall them at the hands of
the Legions of the Nemesis... the glorious flames, the
inevitable rape and pillage."
―Kain
Kain refused rulership of Willendorf; all he desired was
Ottmar's army, to vanquish the descending Legions in the north.
Ottmar immediately consented. Not long afterward, the Army of
Hope and the Legions of the Nemesis met in the Battle of the
Last Stand. Kain watched on as the "black tide" of his enemies
marched forward, sating his thirst "on warriors of Horde and
Hope alike" in the clamor. The fierce Nemesis armies "showed no
signs of subsiding", and killed Ottmar before long, routing
Willendorf's troops. Cornered and sure of defeat, Kain used his
only means of escape - the time-streaming device.
Swept away from the Blood Omen era, Kain found himself fifty
years in the past, in a time where the tyrannical Nemesis was
but a benevolent boy-king: William the Just. Killing and reading
the thoughts of a man-at-arms, he witnessed Moebius rallying
William's people for an "onslaught". An idea blossomed in Kain's
mind; if he assassinated William in this time, the Nemesis would
never rise to threaten Nosgoth. Infiltrating the stronghold of
William the Just, Kain overheard as Moebius warned William of
his approach, and provided him weapons before departing.
Kain battled William, who was - unexpectedly - armed with the
Soul Reaver. Though the battle was trying, Kain overwhelmed the
future Nemesis with his own version of the legendary sword,
breaking the blade of his enemy's Reaver and slaying William.
The historical paradox created a new, altered timeline as he
replenished his strength with the young king's blood. As
William's guards rushed into the room, Kain recovered a second
time-streaming device, which activated - sending him back to the
Blood Omen era. Even with Moebius's pawn "removed from the
game", Kain knew that there was "something amiss".
The Wreckage of History
"Aye - you have seen my plan, vampire, as I have seen your
destiny. The future says you die!"
―Moebius
Departing the ruined stronghold, Kain wandered south beyond
Stahlberg. He heard cheering and the scent of vampire blood, and
was dismayed to learn "the folly fell upon [his] own shoulders.
With their sainted King William dead by [his] hand, the people
of the land were consumed by a hunger all their own - for
vampire blood". Kain arrived at the scene just as Vorador, the
last of the era's vampires in this altered timeline, was
guillotined before a bloodthirsty mob at Moebius's command.
Kain now realized that Moebius had been the Oracle of Nosgoth;
he had been manipulated all along. "How much of my quest was of
his design?" he snarled. "Willendorf? The Battle of the Last
Stand? William the Just? Was this the trap he had fashioned for
me?" He fought off Vampire hunters, and battled the Time
Streamer himself. On his defeat, Moebius admitted to his role in
altering history, and warned Kain of his destiny: he would die.
Unconcerned, Kain answered "but I am dead", and beheaded
Moebius: "as are you".
Mortanius congratulated Kain and summoned him to the Pillars.
There, Kain witnessed a confrontation between the last of the
Guardians - Mortanius himself, Guardian of Death, and
Anarcrothe. Anarcrothe revealed that it was Mortanius who had
"had Kain killed and turned him into a monster", setting the
vampire upon the Circle. It had been "poisoned" by Nupraptor's
insanity; only in its destruction could Nosgoth be redeemed.
Mortanius killed Anarcrothe, and was confronted by Kain. The
Necromancer embraced his fate, but warned the "princeling" that
his death would "leave one more to take".
At My Whim
"I am the last Pillar. The only survivor of the Circle of Nine.
At my whim the world will be healed or damned. At my whim."
―Kain
On his defeat, Mortanius's flesh was transformed by the
"Unspoken" Ariel had warned Kain of: the Dark Entity, who had
murdered Ariel and orchestrated the corruption of the Pillars.
Kain battled and defeated the monster, and eight of the nine
Pillars stood restored. Finally, Ariel revealed the truth to
him. He himself, all along, had been an ordained member of the
Circle of Nine, its "only survivor": the Balance Guardian, born
as Ariel's successor upon her death.
At the moment of his birth, Kain had been corrupted by
Nupraptor's insanity; he too would need to die for the Pillars
to be restored. Ariel presented him a fateful decision:
sacrifice himself to redeem Nosgoth, but - as Nosgoth's last
surviving vampire - ensure the vampires' extinction - or refuse
the sacrifice, prolonging his own life and that of the vampire
race, but securing Nosgoth's damnation. Disgusted by the
machinations of the human sorcerers, Kain refused the sacrifice
and embraced his curse at last, triggering the collapse of the
Pillars.
Concluding with the epiphany that Vorador had been correct all
along - that vampires were "dark gods" whose duty was "to thin
the herd" - Kain established the unrestored Pillar of Balance as
his throne, the seat of his new empire. He set out to reclaim
his birthright to rule over all Nosgoth, but realized too late
that "the health of the Pillars was tied inextricably into the
health of the land. With the Pillars left unrestored, corruption
seeped slowly into the land like a poison, turning his empire
into an irredeemable wasteland".
"Once I embraced my powers I realized that Vorador was correct.
We are gods - dark gods - and it is our duty to thin the herd."
―Kain
A Solitary Man
"Kain is deified. The Clans tell tales of Him. Few know the
truth. He was mortal once, as were we all. However, His contempt
for humanity drove him to create me, and my brethren."
―Raziel
Five centuries after the collapse of the Pillars, Kain's
conquest of Nosgoth began in earnest: he had discovered a method
of raising vampires, and "his first act was to recruit a cadre".
Fostering an abject sense of contempt for the Sarafan and the
holy wars they had engendered in humanity, he indulged in a
well-calculated "blasphemous, private joke". Uncovering and
plundering the Tomb of the Sarafan, he breathed portions of his
soul energy into the ancient corpses of the six Sarafan
commanders there interred, one by one. Kain's "gift" of energy
drew their own souls back into their bodies: they were revived
as fledgling vampires, wholly ignorant of their Sarafan roots
due to the weathers of time.
The Council was formed. Under Kain's auspices, the reborn
Raziel, Turel, Dumah, Rahab, Zephon and Melchiah raised vampire
clans of their own, giving rise to a new generation of vampires.
Within a century, humanity was "thoroughly domesticated", and
the vampires' empire fully took hold, with Kain considered the
sovereign of all Nosgoth. Slaves were utilized to construct the
Sanctuary of the Clans - an appropriate shrine to commemorate
this "new renaissance" - around the Pillars. The Smokestack was
crafted to shield the land "from the poisonous effects of the
sun". As time passed, Kain's own history passed into tales and
legend; the emperor was deified by vampire worshippers, with
very few in Nosgoth aware of his origins as a mortal human.
Over the centuries, Kain and his vampire progeny pupated through
evolutionary hibernation, "becoming less human" and more divine.
Always, "Kain would enter the state of change and emerge with a
new gift. Some years after the master, [his sons'] evolution
would follow." One fateful day, however, a millennium after his
resurrection, Raziel surpassed Kain, growing a set of batlike
wings. Apparently acting on a "jealous whim", Kain violently
tore the newly fledged bones from Raziel's back before the
Council, ordering his firstborn to be cast into the Lake of the
Dead. Turel and Dumah obeyed his command as he turned away,
bearing Raziel into the Abyss without question.
The Full Gravity of Choice
"Conscience...? You dare to speak to me of conscience? Only when
you have felt the full gravity of choice should you dare
question my judgment! Your life's span is a flicker compared to
the mass of doubt and regret that I have borne since Mortanius
first turned me from the light... To know that the fate of the
world hangs dependent on the advisedness of my every deed -- can
you even begin to conceive what action you would take, in my
position?"
―Kain —
After Raziel's demise, Kain retreated even further from life in
Nosgoth, making himself "known only when he [saw] fit". He
intervened little in the affairs of his vampire descendants, who
became increasingly monstrous over their centuries of
devolution. With the passing of time, he had grown more and more
convinced of the irredeemable nature of the wasteland. He viewed
his empire, descending into chaos and "wracked with cataclysms",
as fundamentally "corrupt and failing". Though still bent on
ruling Nosgoth, he appreciated that restoring the Pillars, and
the health of the land, was crucial to his ambition.
Unbeknownst to Raziel, Kain had always been anticipating his
son's return from the Abyss. Five centuries after his execution
- roughly two millennia after the collapse of the Pillars -
Raziel was resurrected by the Elder God, and returned to
Nosgoth's Material Realm as a wraith, galvanized with rage
against his former master's "hypocrisy". By all appearances, it
seemed that Kain had had his clan eradicated, leaving behind
only "a world of fear". After slaying the highly-devolved
Melchiah, Raziel was able to gain entry to the Sanctuary of the
Clans, where he found Kain, clearly awaiting his arrival.
Raziel denounced Kain's "act of genocide" as "unconscionable",
but Kain remarked that "what [he had] made, [he could] also
destroy". Riled, he belittled Raziel's talk of conscience,
decrying that "only when you have felt the full gravity of
choice should you dare to question my judgment". When Raziel
stated that he would choose integrity in Kain's position, Kain
responded with laughter. He invited Raziel to "see what [had]
become of [their] empire" - to "witness the end of an age. The
clans, scattered to the corners of Nosgoth". Proclaiming that
both his empire and Raziel had "outlasted [their] usefulness",
he drew the Soul Reaver.
To Know the Future
"To know the future, Raziel - to see its paths and streams
tracing out into the infinite...
As a man, I could never have contained such forbidden truths.
But each of us is so much more than we once were. Do you not
feel with all your soul how we have become like gods? And as
such, are we not indivisible? As long as a single one of us
stands, we are legion..."
―Kain
A brief battle ensued, and Kain gained the upper hand, bringing
Raziel to his knees with magical lightning. He smashed the Soul
Reaver down against Raziel's body, and the blade, which was
believed indestructible, shattered on impact - unable to consume
its own soul, as Kain knew. Not stunned, but "strangely
satisfied with this shocking outcome", Kain disappeared with the
assurance that they were now "a step closer to [their]
destinies". Raziel was encouraged to destroy Kain by both Ariel
and the Elder God, and driven to even deeper indignation upon
learning of his Sarafan heritage.
Rahab claimed that Kain had forewarned him of his own
destruction, but only when Raziel pursued Kain to the
Chronoplast, having murdered four of his brothers, did the two
meet again. Kain joked that he imagined Raziel would have
arrived sooner, and revealed more of his motivations. He had
first stolen into the Chronoplast centuries ago, some time
before Raziel's execution, and saw Nosgoth's history and future:
"its paths and streams tracing out into the infinite" revealed
"forbidden truths" he could never have contained as an ordinary
man. Fatalistically certain that "free will is an illusion", and
resolute in the belief that "we each play out the parts fate has
written for us", he was now aware of the truth behind Moebius's
prediction. The future was always predestined, he argued,
activating the Chronoplast's mechanisms as he talked.
Raziel, focused only on vengeance, fought Kain, but Kain
effortlessly held him off. In response to Raziel's condemnation
of Kain's actions, Kain knowingly replied: "who better to serve
me than those whose passion transcends all notions of good and
evil"? He stated with confidence that the agenda of the Sarafan
had been the same as the Council's, mocking Raziel before
passing through the active Chronoplast portal, into the
pre-Blood Omen era of his birth. "Fate promises more twists
before this drama unfolds completely", he affirmed as Raziel
chased after him. When he emerged, Kain traveled to the
uncorrupted Pillars, certain that Raziel would follow.
Crude and Ill-conceived
"You said it yourself, Kain – there are only two sides to your
coin."
―Raziel
Warning Raziel not to trust in the designs of Moebius, Kain
addressed his former lieutenant moments before his own, human
birth. The Pillars stood "pristine, whole, and uncorrupted" as
he spoke, advising the wraith to "stay out of [Moebius]'s net".
Moebius had snatched Raziel from the time-stream and attempted
to conspire with him in Kain's murder; though Raziel distrusted
the Time-Streamer, he was prepared to slay Kain, believing that
"Balance [would] thus be restored to Nosgoth". Foreshadowing his
own fate, Kain divulged that he had "seen the beginning and the
end" of their story, and that the tale was "crude and
ill-conceived". He wished to "rewrite the ending of it".
Kain delayed Raziel, entreating for him to listen as he narrated
the corruption and collapse of the Pillars. Elsewhere in
Nosgoth, as Ariel died at the Dark Entity's hand, he urged
Raziel to "be still" - to "see this". Before their eyes, the
Pillars cracked and corroded, turning gray. The Elder Kain
tensed, absorbing the psychic attack of Nupraptor's insanity
once more. He regarded the repercussions of Ariel's
assassination as "expertly calculated", believing that the game
was "rigged". Raziel admonished his lack of courage, contending
that Kain's hand had "faltered when it came to the final
sacrifice", but the angered Kain challenged Raziel's own morals,
responded that he had counted on his "reckless indignation".
Analogizing his future dilemma at the Pillars to the fall of a
two-sided coin, Kain surprised Raziel by confirming that he,
too, wished the Pillars to be restored. He claimed that they
belonged to the vampires, and hinted at his quest to find a
"third option" - "a monumental secret, hidden in [Raziel]'s very
presence here". Raziel uniquely possessed free will due to his
resurrection; Kain wished to manipulate Raziel into triggering
further historical paradoxes, derailing Nosgoth's timeline in
hopes of reclaiming his original destiny. This "edge of the
coin" was his gambit against Moebius's artificial fate for him,
he suggested, before disappearing once more.
The Rapture and the Tragedy
"This is where we restore ourselves, Raziel, and reclaim our
intended destinies. It may yet be possible for me to assume my
role as Balance Guardian and return the Pillars to their
rightful inheritors –"
―Kain
n the same era, when Raziel returned to the Sarafan Stronghold
after obtaining the Light Reaver, he discovered the fresh corpse
of a vampire hunter swordsman; he knew that Kain was nearby.
Standing before the sarcophagus of William the Just, the Soul
Reaver laid across it, Kain assured Raziel that "everything is
decided here". He justified his sense of fatalism, explaining
that "history is irredeemable" - that their presence here did
not "alter history", that they had "always met here". Calmly
describing his murder of William the Just in a reverie, and
explaining the Reaver-convergence, he handed the material Soul
Reaver to Raziel.
Kain knew Moebius had been right: that he was historically
destined to die here, slain by Raziel.Realizing he had the power
to kill Kain, but not really intending to do so, Raziel
brandished the blade. Suddenly, the pull of history took hold,
trying to force the free-willed Raziel to strike Kain down. Kain
desperately appealed to Raziel to fight it. "This moment does
not have to be an ending", he argued: "it can become a prelude".
Raziel struggled to maintain control of the sword, and sundered
it downward, violently. Kain winced - sure that he had failed -
but, as the dust settled, they realized that the sword had
missed Kain by mere inches, embedded in William's sarcophagus.
In disbelief, his destiny altered, Kain could only issue a weak
joke: "poor William". Raziel's monumental refusal to kill Kain
at the Stronghold derailed the continuum of history again, which
was altered to form a third timeline. Recovering, Kain was sure
that they could "restore" themselves and "reclaim [their]
intended destinies" - that he could "assume [his] role as
Balance Guardian and return the Pillars to their rightful
inheritors". Disgusted at Kain's congratulations, Raziel stalked
away. Kain amicably urged him to discover his own truths, and
continued that "there is much more for you to unearth, if you
have the heart for the truth and the will to see it".
The Descent into Madness
"Well, they’re certainly trying to eliminate you, Kain, there
can be no doubt of that. I am assaulted relentlessly with
demands for your demise. Whatever it is that you’re plotting,
they’re scared to death of you. As for me, I suspect they made a
grave error when they allowed my unique resurrection. I don’t
think they know how to destroy me."
―Raziel
Kain met Raziel once again when they crossed time to reach the
post-Blood Omen era, a century after the Pillars' collapse.
Raziel's lust for vengeance was now somewhat tempered, and, with
good humor, they jested that there would be "no drama this time"
- Kain was simply biding his time. They stood before the
collapsed facade of Janos Audron's Retreat; Kain confirmed that
Janos Audron was the key to Raziel's destiny, but warned that
they were both "in great danger". They were "irritants" to be
eliminated, both historically and in the eyes of their enemies.
Though aware of these malevolent forces, Kain was still unsure
who was "pulling the strings", and advised Raziel to "tread very
carefully".
He traveled back in time to Nosgoth's early history, to coincide
with the slaughter of the Circle - planning a final dramatic
alteration to time. In the Stronghold's Chapter House, he
watched on with intense fascination as Raziel's destiny came
full circle. On killing his own, human former self, Raziel was
transfixed by the Reaver and the wraith blade, his soul being
drained away. Straining, he realized his torturous fate - he,
all along, had been the ravenous soul-devouring entity within
the blade. Kain approached, with intensity, and - amidst
Raziel's agonized condemnations - urged the wraith to "give in"
to the Reaver's pull.
As Raziel's strength failed, his soul hovering outside and
inside the sword, a moment of temporal distortion was generated:
the "edge of the coin". With a massive effort, Kain
paradoxically wrenched the Reaver from Raziel's body, postponing
his fate and changing history once again. Exhausted, but
triumphant, Kain cried that now Raziel was free to reclaim his
true destiny. However, as the timestream warped around them,
this third paradox replacing the third timeline with a fourth, a
look of dawning horror presented itself on Kain's face. New
memories bloomed and died as Kain's - and Nosgoth's - history
was revised, and he realized he "may have just made a terrible
mistake".
My Cast at DestinyEdit
"And then... a growing sense of vertigo, and the familiar
displacement –
– the paradoxical moment when my twinned soul hovered both
outside and inside the Reaver blade...This was the instant – the
glimmer of temporal distortion – Kain had been counting on all
along. This was the edge of the coin – the minute flicker of
probability upon which Kain had gambled everything."
―Raziel
History settled, but Kain remained awestruck and horrified,
realizing the fatal price that had been paid to restore Raziel's
future. "My god... the Hylden... we walked right into their
trap..." he whispered, aghast. With a sudden realization, he
attempted to warn Raziel not to revive Janos Audron. "Janos must
stay dead", he commanded, but his effort was futile. Drained to
the point of near-annihilation, Raziel sank into the depths of
the Spectral Realm, beyond Kain's sight. Still confounded by his
own folly, and frantically determined to prevent Janos's
resurrection, the Elder Kain collected the vacant Reaver blade
and departed.
The paradox Kain had triggered introduced severe revisions to
his past. Following the collapse of the Pillars, he had sought
to gain control of Nosgoth, but found that he did not yet
possess the means to raise vampires. At some point, he
encountered and allied with the mysteriously-resurrected
Vorador, who sired a new generation of vampires, providing him
with an army. Their exploits incited the rise of opposition: the
revived Sarafan order was formed, and a vampire-Sarafan war
ensued between both factions which endured for decades. Within
two centuries after the Pillars' fall, Kain and his army had
begun their path of conquest through southern Nosgoth, taking
Ziegsturhl, Freeport and Provance in quick succession.
At the battle of Meridian, Kain was betrayed by his lieutenant
Sebastian, whose ambush cost him the battle against his rival -
the Sarafan Lord. Defeated and knocked off a cliff to his
apparent demise, Kain was stripped of the Soul Reaver, his
ambitions thwarted. However - not for the first, or last, time -
he was not dead. His unconscious body, with "the barest thread
of life", was recovered by agents working for Vorador, and
nurtured. The Sarafan redoubled their purge, reducing the
vampire population to a small resistance movement known as the
Cabal. Two hundred years after his defeat, the Cabal -
distrustful of his ambitions, but driven by necessity - revived
Kain.
"My god... the Hylden... we walked right into their trap...
Raziel! Janos must stay dead!"
―Kain
Rewritten history
"From the shards of tattered dreams I rose, unwilling, tossed
upon tides of pain that flowed and ebbed, and left me –
searingly – awake, and – more revoltingly – alive."
―Kain
Awakening in a tower within Meridian, with his mind and memories
"in fragments, like shattered glass", Kain met Umah - one of the
Cabal's lieutenants - for the first time. Barely recalling his
past, and deprived of most of his skills, he was wary of
manipulation, but bent on destroying the Sarafan Lord and the
vampires who had pledged allegiance to his cause. Umah took him
through the Slums to feed, re-training him in combat, traversal
and the use of dark gifts as they went.
As they tried to enter the Lower City to meet her leader, they
were spotted by a glyph guard. Separated from Umah by a ward
gate, Kain was left to his own devices. Though he was "alone at
last, in a city changed beyond all recognition, in a land that
was under a curse", he conceded that the answers promised to him
in Sanctuary were currently preferable to going his own way. As
he made his way towards the Grand Hotel and through the
Smuggler's Den, he was unwittingly being followed by Faustus, a
former legionnaire in his army turned Sarafan agent.
Confronted near the entrance to the Lower City, Kain easily slew
the traitor, and proceeded impatiently towards his goal. On his
passage through the city, Kain encountered - but failed to
recognize - Sebastian, who was feeding messily on humans next to
the City Reformatory; the "sloppy butcher" escaped Kain after a
brief conversation. On reaching Sanctuary beneath Blue Lady
Curios, Kain finally discovered the identity of Cabal's leader:
it was Vorador himself. The two exchanged harsh words, somewhat
distrustful of one another, but united in their common goal to
eliminate the Sarafan. Before they could discuss much, an
injured Cabal vampire burst in, announcing that Umah had been
captured.
The Lust for Vengeance and Power
"How sickened I had become with weary admonitions of safety and
care. How I longed to rend the flesh of my one true enemy, how I
thirsted for the taste of his life's blood on my lips."
―Kain
Desiring the information Umah had obtained from the Industrial
Quarter, Kain agreed to infiltrate the Sarafan Keep, using "the
power to disguise [his] presence". Sent to the Upper City by
Vorador, he sought to meet with the Bishop of Meridian, who knew
of a way into the fortress. As he negotiated the streets, he
found his path blocked by Marcus - another "old friend" who had
offered himself to the Sarafan Lord's cause. Kain resisted
Marcus's attempts at controlling his mind, but the "novice"
succeeded in gleaning his objective - finding the Bishop.
Chasing him across the city and fending off Sarafan guards, Kain
stunned Marcus using the bells of Meridian Cathedral, then
killed him and saved the Bishop from his ensorcelment. Guided to
a secret entrance, he was able to infiltrate the Sarafan Keep.
Disregarding Vorador's warnings "of safety and care", he
breached the uppermost reaches of the building and freed Umah
from her chains. As they escaped, they were met by the Sarafan
Lord himself; Kain recognized the Soul Reaver, the "prize [he]
had won a lifetime ago". Incredulous that Kain still lived, the
Sarafan Lord blasted his old foe with a Reaver bolt, professing
that the vampire's "death [was] fated at [his] hands".
Enraged and eager to fight the Lord, Kain resisted Umah's
cautions. Before he could draw battle, Umah teleported the two
of them to safety in Sanctuary, where he admitted that his enemy
was "a touch more powerful than [he] expected". Umah revealed
her findings: she spoke of the Nexus Stone, an artifact the
Sarafan Lord had used to nullify the power of the Reaver in the
Battle of Meridian. Now understanding how his defeat in the war
had been facilitated, Kain resolved to steal the Stone from the
Industrial Quarter. In its Main Factory, he would cross paths
with Sebastian for the final time.
The Pathos of the Protagonist
"So I see. Kain, the disrupter. The pebble in the pond, who
destroys all he touches."
―The Seer
"Once again", Kain "began to feel the obligations of power, to
deal justice fairly to all". His memories were largely restored
by now; he knew Sebastian's visage in the light, and recalled
his betrayal. They battled for the Nexus Stone, and Kain emerged
victorious. He offered to spare Sebastian's life, but the dying
vampire refuted his mercy. Sebastian's final words warned him of
a Device buried beneath Meridian that would spell victory for
the Sarafan Lord. Disappointed in his betrayer - lamenting that
"not everyone shared [his] vision" - Kain claimed the Stone, and
narrowly survived the factory's destruction thanks to a Cabal
ally.
In the Canyons, Kain pursued the Seer for knowledge on the
Device. She claimed to know him "better than [he] knew
[himself]", presciently addressing him as "the pebble in the
pond". Although initially reluctant to help him, she quickly
sensed his conviction, and allowed him to drink her blood before
teleporting him to the Device. As Kain entered, he was greeted
by "a being whose existence was entwined with [his] far more
than [he] could ever imagine". The imprisoned Beast, though
monstrous, was complicit; it knew and admired Kain by
reputation, and assisted his plans to destroy the Device.
The Beast informed Kain of the Device's Builder, and he visited
the "timeless" Eternal Prison. He met the withered creature deep
within, and drank his blood, attaining the capacity to destroy
the superweapon. On his retreat from the hellish place, he was
dogged by a mad vampire, who forced him into combat before he
could leave. It transpired that this was Magnus, his former
champion, whom he had mistakenly considered another traitor. On
learning that Magnus had instead secretly tried (but failed) to
assassinate the Sarafan Lord before the Battle of Meridian, he
granted his "champion" an amicable death. "Go, my friend. Be
free. As the rest of us, living or dead, can never be", he
uttered.
Seared to Smoke and Ashes
"Vorador has told me all your stories, Kain. He said that you
would stop at nothing to achieve your great ambition: absolute
power. And when you control Nosgoth, are we to believe that you
would let us vampires live, and "do what we wish?" We are the
only ones who could stand in your way. No, you will have to hunt
us down and kill us, and how is that different from the rule of
the Sarafan Lord?"
―Umah
Descending into the Device, Kain managed to poison the Mass
within, and thus ensured the weapon's destruction. When he
returned, he found that the Beast, now unsuppressed, had
regained its true form: that of Janos Audron. Janos explained
Kain's folly: the Sarafan Lord was a leader among the Hylden, a
race which opposed the ancient vampires of yore, and were
banished to the Demon Realm with the summoning of the Pillars of
Nosgoth. When Kain had refused the sacrifice and destroyed the
Pillar of Balance, he had enabled this Hylden Lord to enter the
Material Realm and pursue his conquest of Nosgoth.
Returning to Sanctuary, the vampires convened. Janos compelled
Vorador to plan a final assault on the Hylden City, while Kain
and Umah traveled to the Wharves in hopes of deactivating the
City's shield. Kain was displeased by Umah's accompaniment, wary
of further treachery - he felt that "help offered when not
needed is usually no help at all". At the Wharves, Umah voiced
her doubts over Kain's potential empire, and stole the Nexus
Stone from him. Outraged, and mistakenly convinced that Umah,
like the other vampires he had slain, was a Sarafan spy, he
pursued and killed her for her treachery, lamenting that she
"could have been [his] queen".
Once at the Hylden City, Kain exchanged slander with the Hylden
Lord, shocking his adversary by producing the Nexus Stone. He
deactivated the Shield Generator, enabling Janos and Vorador to
teleport inside. An argument developed between Vorador and Kain
regarding Umah's fate, but as their dispute escalated, the
Hylden Lord attacked, temporarily disabling Janos and Vorador.
Kain was forced to progress alone, and soon reached the Hylden
Gate. There, the Hylden Lord commended his enemy's perseverance,
but refuted any affiliation with Umah. Denying his words, Kain
attacked.
To the Victor go the Spoils
"The war was over. And yet there was another still to be fought.
The cruel masters of Nosgoth, the Sarafan, now leaderless, still
had to be put down. There were cities to be rebuilt, and order
be restored. And a new rule, my rule, would then begin. To the
victor go the spoils. At last, Nosgoth would be mine."
―Kain
Unable to force the Hylden General back into the Demon Realm,
Kain "made [his] choice": he cast the Nexus Stone into the Gate,
ensuring that the Hylden invaders would perish, but forgoing his
protection against the Soul Reaver. They fought as the structure
collapsed, Kain holding his enemy at bay using his Immolate
powers. Just as the Reaver went sprawling, Janos Audron
teleported into the fray, and grappled with the Hylden leader,
but was cast into the Gate himself. Finally in possession of his
sword, Kain was able to dispatch the Hylden Lord. As the Gate
exploded, he strode away, contemplating Umah's distrust, and his
plans for empire.
Just as in previous iterations of history, Kain would raise the
long-deceased Sarafan warrior inquisitors a century later, and
dominated Nosgoth within a millennium. He came to believe he was
the mythological Scion of Balance; seeking a third option, he
would save Raziel from entering the Reaver at the pivotal moment
in the Sarafan Stronghold. However, in this fourth timeline,
with this revised history, the Elder Kain was compelled to
prevent Raziel from resurrecting Janos Audron. "Much more [was]
at stake in this" than Raziel knew: Kain felt that Janos's
resurrection would lead to an unacceptable resolution for their
respective fates.
Having failed to find Raziel in Nosgoth's early history, Kain
returned to the Stronghold a few years after the slaughter of
the Circle, hoping to extract information from Moebius. Inside,
he discovered and claimed the Balance Emblem. When he met
Moebius in his subterranean chamber, though, the Time-Streamer
gained the advantage, using his staff to disable the elder
vampire. Joking that it had been a long time, he berated the
incapacitated Kain, "still so arrogant after all these years".
He dismissed Kain's beliefs in the role of the Scion as
"messianic delusions", left him armed with the Reaver, and
exited.
That Myth of Vampire Prophecy
"There was a time when you might have heeded wise counsel when
it was offered. Now, your vanity has made you witless. You will
have to learn the truth for yourself."
―Moebius
Undeterred, Kain obtained the Flame fragment of the Balance
Emblem, and followed Moebius to the Stronghold's tower. He set
the agenda this time, using telekinesis to rip away Moebius's
Staff. Discussing Raziel's free will, Moebius chided Kain's
manipulation of history as "pathetic", assuring him that he had
"written [his] own death sentence": driven by fate or not,
Raziel would kill him. Before its end, Kain's interrogation
yielded an inkling of proof: Moebius sent him "west of the
Pillars", where he would find "a testament written in stone".
Dubious, Kain reflected that "stones, too, can lie".
At the Pillars, Kain considered his path. He happened upon the
Dimension fragment, and, following Moebius's directions, he was
able to find a vista overlooking a shrouded lake. With the
Balance Emblem, he cleared the waters' mists to reveal the
hidden Vampire Citadel at its heart. Therein, seeking
information on his own destiny as Scion of Balance as well as
Raziel's, he discovered a mural depicting two champions who
would determine the fate of Nosgoth: one aligned to the
vampires, the other to the Hylden. "The foretold outcome was
unambiguous: the vampire hero would fall."
Exploring the Citadel further, Kain unearthed an image of the
human revolt which divulged a "surprising discovery": Moebius
had led the revolt against the ancient vampires, which resulted
in their downfall. "Now I understood why Moebius hated me so
intensely", Kain commented: "I was the first vampire Guardian in
all these centuries – and he knew what my coming signified… or
perhaps I reminded him of all he had forsaken". With the
Lightning and Dimension fragments in tow, Kain proceeded to
unseal the Citadel's inner chamber, which proffered even further
revelations.
My Role as Scion of Balance
"'Woe to the conquered' - I have found the Heart of Darkness.
And you - go to oblivion."
―Raziel
Inspecting a mural depicting the Wheel of Fate, Kain was
suddenly addressed by an unfamiliar, disembodied voice.[56] It
was a being claiming to be "the Oracle of [his] ancestors",
offering him knowledge of his "creature".[57] It revealed that,
as Kain feared, Raziel had found Janos Audron's body in the
Blood Omen era and was journeying to Avernus in search of the
Heart of Darkness.[58] Summoning a portal, it offered to
transport Kain to the time of Raziel's arrival.[59] Kain knew
that the so-called Oracle was "not to be trusted", but resigned
himself to its help, fearing the implications of Raziel's
actions.[60]
Arriving at Avernus Cathedral at the appropriate hour, Kain
encountered Raziel, who was now also aware of the foretold
vampire and Hylden messiahs. Fuelled by influence from recently
devouring Turel's soul, Raziel believed he was the Hylden
champion, and - fearing his destiny to enter the Reaver, which
Kain possessed - was set on fighting Kain. Goaded, and believing
they were the "prophecied heroes", the two clashed. At length,
Raziel wounded Kain, and they gripped one another. Raziel's soul
began to drain out through Kain and into the Reaver blade,
astonishing them both.
Though Kain had "no intention" of imprisoning Raziel in the
sword, Raziel reacted with horror and rage. He tore his claw
into Kain's chest, aborting his absorption, and ripping out the
Heart of Darkness. "Woe to the conquered", Raziel cried,
condemning Kain to "go to oblivion". Stunned by agony and the
revelation that he had possessed Janos's heart all along, ever
since his resurrection at Mortanius's hands, Kain was powerless
to prevent Raziel from telekinetically blasting him backward.
Swallowed up into one of Avernus's dimensional rifts, Kain
disappeared, apparently slain.
However, unbeknownst to his enemies, Kain lived. Though robbed
of his heart, he soon awoke, alive and still armed with the
Reaver, in the Demon Realm. Haunted by the voices of several
Hylden and assailed by demons, he battled his way to a portal,
and emerged in the Material Realm in the Avernus Catacombs.
A Protector of Hope
"The two become one - both Soul Reavers - together - and the
Scion of Balance is healed. And I -- am not your enemy - not
your destroyer - I am, as before, your right hand. Your sword."
―Raziel
Unknowingly drawn by the pull of the activated Spirit Forge,
Kain returned to the Vampire Citadel in haste. There, he
discovered Moebius, recently resurrected from the battle with
Kain's younger self in this era. The Time-Streamer was shocked
by Kain's inexplicable survival, and his immunity to the Staff;
Kain delighted in his dismay, quipping that "I always was
considered heartless". He killed Moebius once again, sending the
old "deceiver" to the Spectral Realm. Soon afterward, as Kain
examined the Staff, Moebius's corpse rose again. Kain impaled it
on the Reaver just as it transformed, to his great distress: the
body was a vessel for Raziel.
Ultimately reaffirming his allegiance to a shocked Kain, Raziel
sacrificed himself to the Reaver. As his soul leeched into the
blade, he placed his right hand on Kain's chest, allowing the
wraith blade to disperse into his body.Its purifying energy
finally cleansed Kain of the corruption of the Pillars, healing
him of all injuries, and enabling him to see the "true enemy":
the oracle of the ancient vampires, now revealed as the Elder
God. As Raziel proclaimed himself "not [Kain's] enemy - not
[his] destroyer", but instead, as before, his "right hand. [His]
sword", his soul was drained completely, and the Soul Reaver was
formed.
Horrified by the monstrosity he faced, Kain slashed at the Elder
God, severing its tentacles. They skirmished briefly as the
Spirit Forge began to collapse, sundered by the "false god".
Defeating, but not destroying, the Elder, Kain teleported out of
the Forge, ignoring its threats: he advised it only to "burrow
deep". Safe, but melancholic, he looked out upon the landscape
of Nosgoth, and at the "smoldering wreck of the Pillars in the
distance". With his enemy revealed to him, and his goal made
clear, he could only reflect on Raziel's sacrifice and the gifts
it had bestowed; on the Soul Reaver, his newfound vision, and -
"most ironic of all" - how it had finally given him hope.
"Now, at last, the masks had fallen away. The strings of the
puppets had become visible, and the hands of the prime mover
exposed. Most ironic of all was the last gift that Raziel had
given me, more powerful than the sword that now held his soul,
more acute even than the vision his sacrifice had accorded me -
the first bitter taste of that terrible illusion: Hope."
―Kain
Current Story
With his goal in mind, Kain knew that it would be only a matter
of time before the Elder God restored himself, he would have to
find a way to destroy the Eldritch being for good, and how to
permanently deal with the Hylden. His search took him throughout
Nosgoth, to Moebius's many hideouts, but ultimately, he found
nothing.
Kain meditated on the matter, and he came to the conclusion that
only the past had the information he needed. To travel to the
past, Kain used one of Moebius's time-streamers.
Unfortunately, the machine malfunctioned, hurling Kain into an
entirely new place, a modern world with technologies that he did
not understand, but still, magic and supernatural beings existed
in there. But this setback would not stop Kain, who is still
resolved in finding a way to destroy the Elder God and the
Hylden, and reach his goal of restoring the Pillars of Nosgoth
for the Vampires. He would destroy everyone who stood in his way
back home, and he wo
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