Legacy of Kain: The Plot
The Intro
A young nobleman stops at a bar to sate his thirst. To his
dismay the barkeep is quite reluctant to serve him, noting the time and
the looming danger the night brings. Disheartened, the young nobleman,
Kain, resumes his journey. On the streets of the small town of Ziegturl
our unfortunate Kain is attacked and slain. He awakens in the underworld
where the Necromancer, Mortanius, offers Kain the chance to kill his
assassins. Kain accepts the offer without considering the cost, which was
the loss of his mortality in trade for an existence as a vampire.
The Cemetery
Kain will begin his odyssey in a crypt. This will
introduce you to the things to look out for. Kain's first spell, his
first artifact, and the other powerups to watch for. Each item will give
a description of what it is the first time you pick them up. The only
exception to this is the magic orb. These will replenish Kain's magic
level. The most difficult puzzle is figuring out how to open the doors.
Look for the lights on the wall. They will point out buttons that will
open the doors. Once Kain has left his mausoleum, he will be in the
cemetery. Kain should not discount this place. It holds many secrets
that can be exploited throughout the game. To exit the cemetery Kain must
proceed through the next mausoleum. Make note of places you couldn't go.
With added abilities these no longer remain barriers.
The Brigand Encounter
Once Kain leaves the cemetery he will want to seek
vengeance from those who killed him. After killing the brigands
Mortanius
will give you the first indication as to the complexity of your quest.
The Pillars
Kain will encounter the Pillars of Nosgoth on his Journey.
There, Ariel, the representative of the
pillar of balance will inform Kain
that the salvation of Nosgoth will would be in his best interest. After
leaving the pillars Kain will come upon a bat beacon. These will allow
him to fly around Nosgoth. To progress on to Nupraptor's Retreat,
Kain must get the Wolf form which is in a cave to the west of the Pillars.
There is also a mausoleum along the path which contains the light spell.
This spell is very useful in dark areas to reveal hidden enemies and
powerups.
Nupraptor
Nupraptor
represents the pillar of the mind. His madness was
caused by the murder of his beloved Ariel. To negotiate Nupraptors
retreat Kain will require several items. To actually gain entrance to the
retreat, Kain will require the Disguise form which can be found in the
Gypsy camp to the south of Wasserbund. Kain will also require the energy
bolt spell to trigger buttons that are out of his reach. The spell can be
found in a mausoleum to the south of Nactholm.
When confronting
Nupraptor, look for the purple orbs that fade in and out and allow Kain
passage. After defeating Nupraptor Kain will receive the mace, an
excellent weapon against humans but fairly ineffectual against the undead.
Coorhagen
After the head of Nupraptor has been returned to the Pillars,
Kain must go home to the city of Coorhagen. The city has been infested
with the plague since his departure. Kain must navigate the narrow alleys
of the city to reach Malek. In the city Kain will find the Bone Armour
and The Repel Shield. If Kain is observant he will also find the Hate
spell before he leaves the city.
Malek's Bastion
Before Kain can kill the remaining members of the circle
of nine he must defeat their protector.
Malek was cursed to be the
protector of the circle of nine for all eternity as well as the
representative of the pillar of conflict. The Repel Shield is very useful
here since the supply of blood is almost non-existent. Kain should budget
his magic and step lightly to avoid depleting his blood supply. When
fighting Malek Kain must hit him with a full combination swing. If Kain
is successful, Malek will fall apart. Repeat this until Malek rushes to
the north end of his battle room. He will cast a wall of magical force at
Kain, which means Kain should run to the teleporter at the south of the
room. Once out of harms way Kain will find Havoc and Malice. When used
properly these axes can be very powerful weapons.
The Oracle of Nosgoth
From all across Nosgoth, people seek audience with
the Oracle of Nosgoth.
He is said to have knowledge of past and future,
and many seek to find answers to their questions from him. Indeed, he is
a wise and benevolent man, proficient in the arts of divination and
prophecy. He will answer many of Kain's questions about the key players are,
and introduce Kain to future encounters. Along the path to the Oracle
Kain can find the Stun spell. Inside the crystal caves of the Oracle,
Kain will encounter odd creatures. Use your mace to break through some of
the barriers. They will reveal powerups. Also, keep the Energy Bolt
equipped to pursuade your enemies to let you pass. The crystal caves are
a labyrinth. Just proceed forward and try not to go backward. Kains'
path will cross over itself. If he constantly proceeds forward the path
will lead him to the Oracle.
Vorador
Vorador is a proud, arrogant, and
long lived vampire. He has
lived since ancient times, and seen the world grow from being young and
vibrant to sour and corrupt. He has feasted upon the teeming human cattle
of Nosgoth and learned everything there is to know about the world,
reading his victims thoughts as he preyed upon their blood. The great
vampire purges, brought to the world by the Sarafan, caused much suffering
to Vorador. The Sarafan murdered his friends, lovers, and his vampire
children and gave him a valid reason to hate the living. He fought back
once, destroying part of the Circle who supported the Sarafan, but it was
not enough. The purges eventually drove him into hiding, and so he became
lost to the world of Nosgoth.
To navigate the mansion Kain will require
several items. He will require mist form which is hidden in a keep in the
north near the caves of the Oracle. He will need the Control Mind
spell, the Flame Sword and the Blood Gout spell all of which are in the
swamp to the west of the mansion. There are also two Spirit Forges in the
swamp that could prove useful. The swamp and mansion are infested with
the lower forms of undead. The Bone Armour will keep those enemies at
bay. Kain should stay alert because there are plenty of hidden areas in
the mansion. Also, keep in mind that Vorador is a vampire and his mansion
is built to exploit the powers at a vampires disposal. Use the mind
control spell on the few humans inside - their bodies will help you
progress through the mansion.
Uschtenhiem
East of Vorador's Mansion is the small town of Uschtenhiem.
It is rumored that eons ago a powerful vampire known as Janos Audron once
lived here. It may require going to a place of the dead to reveal the
secrets of the dead.
The Dark Eden
At the northern end of Nosgoth, there are three wizards
who plan to reshape Nosgoth. Anarcrothe,
Bane and Dejoule
preside over the
Dark Eden. Along the road from Uschtenhiem there is a blood fountain that
Kain will need to visit. Once inside the Dark Eden Cathedral, Kain should
keep his antitoxin artifacts handy. Remember that poison blood is very
useful if cured. Also there are several doors that may seem impenetrable
but can be passed through using the Mist form. Kain will also find the
Spirit Death spell and the Flesh Amour. Use the Flesh Armour and the Axes
to fill your blood vile before you proceed to meet the wizards. Anarcrothe
will flee and call Malek. Kain will in turn call Vorador (with Vorador's ring)
to deal with
Malek and give chase to the remaining wizards. Use the Flame Sword
against Bane but make sure Kain has his Repel Shield on. Once Bane is
dead, Kain should turn his attention to Dejoule. Fire the Energy Bolt her
way to penetrate her shields. Keep those Energy Bank artifacts handy.
Avernus
Azimuth is an explorer of alien
realms. Her magic opens portals and doorways to other dimensions.
After the insanity struck, her magic was left intact, but her mind
was blasted into obscurity. She is now a raving lunatic that revels
in the pain and misfortune of others. The magic she indiscriminately
conjures has left the city of Avernus at the mercy of inhuman demons
and creatures that delight in spreading pain.
Along the path from the Dark Eden Kain may be fortunate enough to
find the Lightning spell. Once inside the gates of Avernus, there
will be a house to the east of the main gate. There will be a save
point in that house. Kain's goal is to get to the Cathedral and
destroy Azimuth. The Spirit Wrack spell is quite useful against
the demons and if Kain has enough Antitoxins, the Flesh Armour and
the Axes will keep Kain's blood vile full.
The cathedral exists in two planes of existence. Kain must travel
back and forth between these planes to navigate to the altar. Once
at the altar, Kain must rise to heaven to obtain the Soul Reaver
and then descend to Hell to obtain the Wraith Armour. When facing
off against Azimuth try to get behind her. One blow with the Soul
Reaver should eliminate her.
Willendorf
King Ottmar, the ruler of Willendorf,
resides in this sombre
area. For his daughter's birthday he held a contest to find the
greatest toy in the land. The contest was won by Elzevir the Dollmaker.
Elzevir asked only for a lock of the princess' hair which,
unbeknownst to the king, would be used to imprison the princess' soul.
Kain needs to retrieve the princess' soul so that Ottmar will mobilise his
army against the approaching army of the Nemesis.
The path will lead Kain to the
Provincial mines which will give him the ability to beguile the guards of
Willendorf and gain access to the city. Also, the last of the Blood
Fountains and a Spirit Forge are south of the city and will
prove quite useful later on. To pass on to the land of the Nemesis, where
Elzevir resides, Kain must use the underground passage in Willendorf
castle. In the foyer of the castle, there is a door on the west wall. In
that room Kain will find the passage.
Elzevir the Dollmaker
Elzevir imprisoned the soul of the
daughter of
King Ottmar. His reasons are unknown and open for speculation. The
Spirit Wrack spell is necessary to gain entrance to the Dollmaker's house.
The spell can be found to the North of Willendorf . There is a bat
beacon next to a group of tents, the spell is in a cave near there. Kain
will exit the underground passage next to a Nemesis keep. Use this area
to practice with the Beguile spell but be warned the Nemesis soldiers
are not as easily fooled as the armies of King Ottmar. Inside the Dollmaker's
house there are several areas where the Spirit Wrack spell comes in
handy, specifically, it can be used to control dolls that will flip
levers for Kain. The Chaos Armour can be useful here as the dolls will
fall apart when they hit Kain. The dolls will reconstitute if not
completely destroyed so the Energy Bolt spell and the Flame Sword are
quite handy. A warning for Kain, be careful with the Spirit Wrack spell,
it does not destroy the dolls' bodies. As well, Kain's enemies are not
fooled by the spell , they will attack the character that Kain is
controlling. When fighting Elzevir, bring out the big guns. Providing
you have enough magic, the Soul Reaver is best. When leaving the Dollmaker's, you may want to visit the Nemesis stronghold. The last Spirit
Forge lies to the north as well.
The Battle of the Last Stand
Once the Kain returns to Willendorf with
the princess' soul, King Ottmar will prepare for war with the Army of the
Nemesis. During the Last Battle, it is in Kain's best interest to try to constantly proceed
north. As far as what is the best weapon armour combination, you have to
remember that the nemesis army is human. The Flesh Armour and the Axes
will keep Kain well stocked with blood if used properly. However, if
spells are more to your taste use the Chaos Armour and the Mace in
conjunction with Blood shower is quite a powerful combination. If you
tend to keep spells as a last resort and prefer to go mano a mano with the
Nemesis army then use the Wraith armour and the Mace keep the Stun spell
handy for those tight squeezes.
The Past Nosgoth
After the Battle of the Last Stand, Kain will use the
Time Streaming Device. The device transports Kain to the past. After
killing a brigand, Kain receives a vision. Soon Kain will realise where
in time he is. He also realises that he can save Nosgoth by eliminating
King William the Just who would, in time,
become the Nemesis of Nosgoth.
The Stronghold of William the Just lies to the North. Save points are
scarce in this area so it's best to know exactly where they are. There
is one in the keep where Kain arrives in the past. There is a door on the
North wall of the keep just to the west of the main gate. In the city of
Stahlberg, there is a second save point. On the west side of the city
there is a gate. There is a house directly to the east of the gate with
an open door. In that house Kain will find another save point. The best
guards protect the stronghold so use similar tactics as with the Last Battle.
Be warned, the castle is not as wide open as a battle field and Kain can
get backed into a corner. Do not begin feeling omnipotent. Take each
attacker on as the come and do not rush into anything. The mace is a very
powerful weapon here. Also save up those Energy Bank artifacts, Kain will
need them when squaring off against King William.
The New Nosgoth
After defeating King William, Kain will once again be
transported in time. He has changed the progression of time and so things
are no longer the way they were when he left. With the death of their
beloved King the people have sworn to eliminate the land of vampires. A
groups of vampire hunters has been formed to accomplish this task. Kain
should backtrack to reach his ultimate goal. He should treat the vampire
hunters with the same care as the Nemesis army. Once out of the
stronghold Kain should continue to head south keeping in mind that the
people have changed but the places have not. Once Kain reaches the keep
where Moebius is executing Vorador he
will have to face off against
enemies from the past the present and the future. The Repel Shield is
your best bet here. The last enemy Kain will encounter is the future
version of himself. He will continually attempt to attack you from behind
so stay in the middle and try to anticipated his next move.
The Final Encounter with Mortanius
When Moebius is killed, Kain will be
called back to the pillars. There he will witness the death of Anarcrothe
at the hands of Mortanius, thus
confirming that Mortanius is not as friendly as he had originally presented
himself to be. With the rest of the pillars restored,
Mortanius is the only enemy left. The Flame Sword and the Repel Shield
will aid Kain in killing Mortanius. After defeating Mortanius, the Dark
Entity (Hash'ak'gik) rises from his body. When Kain faces the Dark Entity he
should use his Mist form for protection. When the Entity dives below
ground, change to mist to avoid being hit when the Entity pops back up.
When the Entity surfaces change back to Kain and attack the Entity with
either the Soul Reaver or the Flame sword. After Defeating the Dark
Entity the balance pillar is left to restore.
Kain has two choices,
he must decide to either sacrifice himself to restore balance to the world
and save Nosgoth, or sacrifice Nosgoth to maintain his afterlife as the
(new) most powerful entity in the land.
