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LEGACY OF KAIN: DEFIANCE
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Legacy Of Kain: DEFIANCE (PC, PS2, Xbox)
Dark Chronicle Transcript
Email:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. PROLOGUE
2. MOEBIUS GAINS THE UPPER HAND
3. RAZIEL IN THE UNDERWORLD
4. KAIN SETTLES THE SCORE
5. MURAL: THE RAISING OF THE PILLARS
6. MURAL: THE VAMPIRES' PROPHESIED HERO
7. MURAL: SUMMONING OF THE GUARDIANS
8. MURAL: THE BLOOD CURSE
9. MURAL: THE FORGING OF THE REAVER
10. MURAL: THE DARK GIFT IS PASSED
11. ARIEL, SPECTER OF THE BALANCE GUARDIAN
12. MURAL: THE CHAMPION OF THE ADVERSARY RACE
13. MURAL: THE FALL OF THE VAMPIRE HERO
14. MURAL: RAZIEL RECOGNIZES THE ADVERSARY HERO
15. THE VAMPIRE VORADOR
16. VORADOR'S LAST COUNSEL
17. MURAL: THE HUMAN GUARDIANS REVOLT
18. MURAL: REDEEMER AND DESTROYER
19. THE ORACLE OF THE ANCIENT VAMPIRES
20. MURAL: THE WHEEL OF FATE
21. MURAL: HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY THE VICTORS
22. MURAL: THE HYLDEN MESSIAH
23. DARK RITES IN THE AVERNUS CATHEDRAL
24. MORTANIUS' REDEMPTION
25. TWO HEROES COLLIDE
26. MOEBIUS TRIUMPHANT
27. THE RESURRECTION OF JANOS AUDRON
28. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE REAVER
29. THE PILLARS TOPPLE
30. NO ESCAPE
31. KAIN AWAKES IN THE DEMON REALM
32. VENGEANCE AND SACRIFICE
33. EPILOGUE
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Copyright 2003 Orpheus.
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(1)
***PROLOGUE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KAIN:
Given the choice; whether to rule a corrupt and failing Empire, or to challenge
the fates for another throw, a better throw against one's destiny. What was a
king to do?
But does one ever truly have a choice? One can only match, move by move, the
machinations of fate, and thus defy the tyrannous stars.
(The time frame is shortly after the conclusion of Soul Reaver 2, Kain
apparently left the Sarafan stronghold after Raziel had almost been consumed by
the Blood Reaver. The scene pans from the night sky down to the horizon, and
the various towers of the Sarafan stronghold come into view. A flurry of
screeching bats descend onto the top of one of the towers, coalescing into
Kain's humanoid form. Kain drops below, and slinks towards a barred gate, on the
other side a Sarafan sentry stands guard, oblivious to Kain's approach.)
KAIN:
And so I returned to the sanctuary of my enemy. The fortress of the Sarafan
brotherhood, deemed impossible for any man to penetrate.
(Kain shifts into mist form and slips through the gate.)
KAIN:
(Laughing) Impossible for any man.
(With a deft move he seizes the sentry and breaks his neck, then sinks his teeth
into it, drinking deeply of his blood. Once his thirst is satiated, he raises
his head, his lips still caked with the Sarafan's blood, he wipes the blood from
his mouth, then continues to skulk towards a courtyard. He leans against the
wall as two guards pass.)
KAIN:
Deep within these walls, my prey awaited. Moebius, the Time streamer, deceiver
and eternal gamester, using living beings as his pawns.
SARAFAN SOLDIER 1:
In the end, we rooted out an entire nest of the fiends.
SARAFAN SOLDIER 2:
But we had swept that area already.
SARAFAN SOLDIER 1:
Not well enough, but no matter. We purged every last one of that group with
fire, may their souls now rest.
SARAFAN SOLDIER 2:
Lord Moebius will be pleased.
(Kain drops down a level.)
KAIN:
It was time for Moebius to answer a few questions. I hoped, for his sake, to
find him in a forthcoming mood.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(2)
***MOEBIUS GAINS THE UPPER HAND***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(After an arduous search of the stronghold, Kain discovers Moebius within a
subterranean cavern. He appears to be conversing with the Elder God, through a
cistern burrowed in the ground.)
MOEBIUS:
-- Yes....I understand....it will be done....the stage is set.
(Aware of Kain's approach.)
You needn't linger in the shadows, Kain. It has been a long time, hasn't it?
KAIN:
No banter, Moebius. You know why I'm here.
MOEBIUS:
Yes.... Raziel. You sought to introduce your own pawn into this game, and now
he's been swept from the board.
KAIN:
By your hand, I suspect. Where is he?
MOEBIUS:
Perhaps you should ask 'when'? (Sneering) How humiliating it must be for you to
come begging at my doorstep for answers.
KAIN:
Enough wordplay.
(Kain advances toward Moebius, the Soul Reaver in his hand.)
MOEBIUS:
Don't threaten me, Kain --
(Moebius activates his staff, and Kain crumples to the ground in agony, the Soul
Reaver falls, inches away from his grasp.)
MOEBIUS:
You see, I have the upper hand. How remarkable, that the great Kain should
succumb to the scepter's power like any common vampire.
(Moebius kneels beside Kain's prostate form.)
MOEBIUS:
Still so arrogant after all these years, thinking you've derived some brilliant
plan. You know nothing. You have read the signs, but misread their meaning. You
believe you are that myth of Vampire prophecy, the Scion of Balance, and that
Raziel holds the key to fulfilling your destiny. But your messianic delusions
have blinded you to Raziel's true nature. You have no idea what you've
unleashed. 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 pushes the reaver towards Kain with the heel of his boot)
MOEBIUS:
You'll be needing this. Your strength will return after I have departed. But by
then, you will have more urgent concerns than pursuing me. Perhaps, when we next
meet, you will have learned a little humility.
(Moebius leaves the room, a door sealing his exit. Kain regains his strength and
rises to his feet as shadowy creatures suddenly materialize in the air.)
KAIN:
These strange creatures seemed to manifest from the very shadows.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(3)
***RAZIEL IN THE UNDERWORLD***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(The underworld. Raziel is lying in pain at the 'feet' of the Elder God, whose
Eye bears down on him, the wraith blade remains twisted around Raziel's arm, a
bitter reminder of his inescapable destiny.)
ELDER GOD:
Surrender, Raziel. Abandon this petty rebellion. It was I who made you. Your
life had played out, and in my grace, I spared you. You are my reaper of souls.
You have no other purpose, no higher destiny- just this. Accept your calling,
Raziel. Let go of these vain hopes. Relinquish your will, and feed.
RAZIEL: (Striking at the ground with his fist.)
No.
ELDER GOD:
What do you profit from this defiance?
RAZIEL:
There's some grim satisfaction in infuriating you.
ELDER GOD:
My patience is eternal, Raziel. How many eons can you bear to languish here? The
Wheel of Fate must turn; all are redeemed in the cleansing agony of birth, death
and rebirth. This is the engine of life - the purifying rhythm of the universe
to which all souls are irresistibly drawn. Yours is a necessary and noble
function, Raziel.
RAZIEL:
Enough of your sermonizing! Are you trying to bore me into submission? Why must
this game go on? We both know what you are. You're no better than the vampires
you so despise; a voracious parasite, cloaking it's appetite in a shroud of
righteousness. I refuse to do your will.
ELDER GOD:
I can see into your heart, Raziel. It is not your will, but cowardice that keeps
you here.
RAZIEL:
How so?
ELDER GOD:
You know what fate awaits you when you leave the underworld. That phantom weapon
you bear is a constant reminder, isn't it? The sword is waiting for you out
there somewhere, and you tarry so as not to meet it.
RAZIEL: (To himself)
I could not deny it. As long as I lingered here, defying my captor, I was able
to postpone what I feared was my inevitable doom; to become the ravenous spirit
imprisoned in the Reaver blade. But that sentence was no worse than the
stalemate I now endured. Better to face one's destiny than cower from it.
ELDER GOD:
Harvester of Souls, I created you. And to this function, my Angel of Death, you
will return.
RAZIEL:
Enough. Yes, I submit.
ELDER GOD:
Very good. Indulge your hunger.
(The Elder God conjures forth a spirit, that Raziel promptly devours. He gasps
in relief, his breath tearing raggedly from his emasculated body.)
ELDER GOD:
Yes. Embrace your calling, Raziel. You will find that just as defiance has it's
price, so obedience has it's reward.
(In response, the Elder slides back a tendril, revealing a doorway from the
room.)
RAZIEL: (Rising to his feet.)
And submission is not always what it seems.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(4)
***KAIN SETTLES THE SCORE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain discovers Moebius within a Tower of the stronghold. He kicks the door in,
wood shards splintering at his entrance.)
MOEBIUS:
Here you are, at last. I see you found a fragment of the Balance Emblem. This
will be of even further use to you, if you can find the other three. Now, shall
we?
KAIN: (Uses his telekinetic powers to tear Moebius' staff from him and discard
it.) Yes. Let us continue our conversation.
(Kain reaches towards Moebius and seizes him telekinetically, raising him off
his feet and drawing Moebius before him. Moebius claws at his neck.)
KAIN:
But on a somewhat different footing. Now, what do you have to tell me, Moebius?
MOEBIUS:
You cannot kill me. We both know that is not how, or when, I die.
KAIN:
Death is not the only possible outcome.
(Kain clenches his fist, his grip on Moebius' throat tightens, and the Time
Streamer struggles for air.)
MOEBIUS:
Your delusion of fulfilling the Vampires' foolish prophecies have badly
distorted your judgment. And Raziel is not what you think.
KAIN:
You dare imagine what I think?!
(With a deft sweep of his arm, Kain flings Moebius across the room, he strikes
the wall and falls to his knees.)
MOEBIUS:
So, you prevented Raziel's soul from entering the Reaver. Do you believe for a
moment that by this you have averted your fate? Or his? Or that of Nosgoth
itself? Your manipulations are pathetic!
KAIN:
Yet Raziel retains his free will. And that's what frightens you isn't it,
Moebius? You cannot see his paths, and so you cannot control it.
MOEBIUS:
And neither can you. Yes, Raziel is shrouded from us, but we see the ripples of
his potential actions. And every path he might choose leads to the same outcome:
he will kill you, Kain. In sparing Raziel, you have written your own death
sentence.
KAIN:
You still have not answered the question I came to ask; where is Raziel?
(Kain hurls Moebius to the ground.)
MOEBIUS:
He is not, in a true sense, here. Not now.
KAIN:
Don't try my patience, Moebius. What have you done with him?
(Moebius rises to his feet, behind him, from the high vantage point of the
Tower's balcony, we can see the Pillars of Nosgoth, not yet corrupted, rising
above the landscape.)
MOEBIUS:
He is contained. In time, it may be safe to release him. His destiny must be
completed- he will enter the sword. But until that time, he is dangerous, far
more dangerous than you could understand.
KAIN:
And your incontrovertible evidence?
MOEBIUS:
The answers are plain, if you know where to look. Go west of the Pillars, there
you will find a testament written in stone.
(Moebius vanishes.)
KAIN: (To himself.)
But stones, too, can lie.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(5)
***MURAL: THE RAISING OF THE PILLARS***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel has escaped the Underworld, and finds himself 500 years past the
conclusion of Soul Reaver 2, he is now in the Blood Omen era. Although the Elder
has expunged all the conduits to the Material plane, Raziel inhabits the corpses
of the dead to reanimate his physical self. He discovers the Light forge, since
the Elder God has somehow destroyed all the of fonts needed to imbue the Reaver.
Within the Forge, he discovers a mural. This mural was illustrated with imagery
of the Pillars, and a battle, apparently between the Hylden and the Ancients.)
RAZIEL:
Throughout these ruins, I found murals depicting the seminal events of Vampire
history. These scenes commemorated a great war between the ancient Vampires and
their rivals. In triumph, they banished their adversaries from the world, and
raised the Pillars as the lock that binds them.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(6)
***MURAL: THE VAMPIRES' PROPHESIED HERO***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel discovers another mural, this one of one of the winged Ancients, the
Soul Reaver brandished in his grip.)
RAZIEL:
The image of the Reaver was inscribed throughout this place, always depicted
with reverence. The Vampires' holy weapon was borne by their prophesied hero,
for whom it was forged. But if this was to be my destiny, why had the Reaver
tried to consume me?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(7)
***MURAL: SUMMONING OF THE GUARDIANS***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Another mural, this one decorated with two Ancients side by side, the Pillars
between them in the background, and flanking them, are the symbols of each of
the Pillars, Mind, Dimension, Conflict, Nature, Balance, Energy, Time, States
and Death.)
RAZIEL:
This scene depicted the appointment of the original Vampire Guardians, each
summoned to serve when the Pillars were raised. Each Guardian is aligned to the
principle of the Pillar he serves, and the Balance Guardian is the axis of all.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(8)
***MURAL: THE BLOOD CURSE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(This mural is adorned with Ancients writhing in agony, some are plummeting from
the sky, some are impaling themselves with their blades and others are
contorting in terror, apparently consumed by the bloodlust. In the background of
the image, faint figures, that are unequivocally those of the Hylden, seem to
be releasing some form of arcane magicks upon the Ancients.)
RAZIEL:
In their defeat, the Vampires' enemy retaliated with a terrible curse,
afflicting the Vampires with a bloodthirst that turned their once noble race
into ravenous predators. This curse plunged the Vampires into despair, and
apparently drove many to madness and self annihilation. What was it that so
devastated them that they were driven to suicide?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(9)
***MURAL: THE FORGING OF THE REAVER***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(In this mural, a bare chested man works a forge, shaping the hilt and blade of
the Reaver into what it is to become.)
RAZIEL:
I sought to unravel the mystery of my fate, and in this image lay my first clue.
For this scene depicted the forging of the Reaver, the weapon destined to become
my prison, and I recognized its maker. The years had changed him, but this was
unmistakably the vampire Vorador, and in this era, he still lived. If I could
reach him before Moebius' mob hunted him down, he would provide the answers I
sought.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(10)
***MURAL: THE DARK GIFT IS PASSED ***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(This mural contains a group of humans, Vorador most prominent amongst them,
with two Ancients standing behind him.)
RAZIEL:
These images chronicled Vorador's creation. As I already knew, he had not been
born a vampire, but had been turned, by the infamous Janos Audron. But this
mural suggested that Vorador's origins were even more significant- apparently he
was the first human to whom the dark gift had been passed. This was the
Vampires' desperate bid to preserve their bloodline. For their enemies had
cursed them not only with blood- thirst, but with sterility, as well.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(11)
***ARIEL, SPECTER OF THE BALANCE GUARDIAN***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(To aid his search for Vorador, Raziel seeks out the previous Balance Guardian,
Ariel, whose spirit now haunts the Pillars of Nosgoth.)
RAZIEL:
Once again I beheld the Pillars of Nosgoth, crumbling in decay now, following
the corruption of the Circle. Here I would find Ariel, the specter of the
murdered Balance Guardian, and the last pure, undefiled member of the Guardian
Circle. Bound here upon her death, she was doomed to haunt these Pillars until
her successor fulfilled his terrible duty, and Balance was restored.
(The apparition of Ariel skirts from behind the Pillar, the once fair Balance
Guardian is now a twisted parody of her former beauty- the flesh has been torn
from half of her face, an empty socket occupies the space where once an eye
was.)
ARIEL:
What manner of creature approaches?
RAZIEL:
I know you well, Ariel, though you do not yet know me.
ARIEL:
I have no time for riddles, strange one.
RAZIEL:
All you have is time. I have come to seek your guidance.
ARIEL:
I counsel only one man, and you are not he. But you will know him soon. The
contagion of your kind is coming to an end.
RAZIEL:
My kind? What exactly do you think I am?
ARIEL:
Your name shall remain 'Unspoken', as decreed by our ancestors. You serve the
one who so brutally took my life and set this tragedy in motion. But even now,
hope is at work, Balance will be restored, and your kind will be expelled
forever.
RAZIEL:
You have pinned your hopes on Kain. He will disappoint you.
ARIEL:
What can you know of Kain?
RAZIEL:
More than you could ever fathom.
ARIEL:
He will do what he must when the time comes.
RAZIEL:
By choosing his own death? A sacrifice for the world? You don't know Kain very
well.
ARIEL:
I know what he is called to do. My faith sustains me.
RAZIEL:
Is it faith, or fear? You know that if Kain refuses the sacrifice, you will
never leave here. And you begin to suspect...
ARIEL:
I will not hear your poison, fiend.
RAZIEL:
Grant me the answers I require, and I will leave you to your pathetic delusions.
ARIEL:
Ask then.
RAZIEL:
I seek the vampire Vorador.
ARIEL:
To kill him, perhaps? Or to join him in death? But for Kain, he is the last of
his kind. Moebius' mob has done its work.
RAZIEL:
My reasons are my own.
ARIEL:
His refuge lies in the heart of the Termogent Forest. And may you molder there
together until the end comes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(12)
***MURAL: THE CHAMPION OF THE ADVERSARY RACE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel discovers yet another mural, this own depicting two figures, an Ancient
and an unidentifiable figure, locked in combat.)
RAZIEL:
These murals had suffered some damage. Once again I recognized the Vampires'
hero, but this scene revealed something new. For here they had also depicted his
destined adversary, now partially obscured, who seemed to bear a flaming sword.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(13)
***MURAL: THE FALL OF THE VAMPIRE HERO***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain discovers the stone tablet Moebius spoke of, which, combined with another
piece of the Balance emblem, leads him to the Vampire Citadel. Abandoned for
centuries, the ruins of the ancient Vampires' sanctuary have been long hidden
from the eyes of men. It was here that first Guardian Circle was called to serve
the Pillars, and from this citadel they governed the principles the Pillars
represent. The Citadel's chambers still resonate with arcane sorcery, and
restless spirits guard the Vampires' dark secrets, long buried here.)
(Kain discovers a mural, with two figures battling. A bronze skinned creature,
the Hylden champion, with bat like wings is impaling the champion of the
Vampires with a flaming sword.)
KAIN:
Here, no doubt, was the evidence Moebius wished me to have. For the vampires had
prophesied not one, but two champions. One destined to be Nosgoth's redeemer,
the other, it's destroyer. The Vampires' hero wielded the Reaver, forged for
this very purpose. His opponent was clearly the champion of their adversaries,
the Hylden, and brandished a flaming sword. The foretold outcome was
unambiguous: the Vampire hero would fall.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(14)
***MURAL: RAZIEL RECOGNIZES THE ADVERSARY HERO***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel discovers another mural of both heroes in battle.)
RAZIEL:
Here, the images were unadulterated, and their meaning ominously clear. The
Vampire hero, the bearer of the Reaver blade, was confronted by an adversary
worthy of his powers. The enemy race, long banished had a champion of their own,
with flaming eyes, and a fiery sword. The resemblance I bored to the adversary
mocked all my hopes. Had Kain been the Vampire hero of prophecy all along? Did
he suspect what I was? For if I was this foretold adversary, then Moebius was
right, and had always been right; I was destined to fight Kain, and destroy him.
Or be destroyed. What part did free will play in any of this...?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(15)
***THE VAMPIRE VORADOR***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel searched Vorador's enormous manor, finally discovering the aged Vampire
within a crypt. Raziel enters it, to find Vorador seated upon a dilapidated
throne, the bone blade clutched in his fist. Vorador recognizes Raziel from
their encounter in Soul Reaver 2.)
VORADOR:
So, our wretched little savior returns. Come to join the last pathetic battle of
the vampire race? But on which side, I wonder...
RAZIEL:
I've not come to fight you, Vorador.
VORADOR:
You don't know why you're here.
(Raziel approaches Vorador, who stops him with the point of his blade.)
RAZIEL:
I know this much: that you are the author of my fate, and as such, only you can
rewrite it.
VORADOR: (Laughing bitterly.)
You give me too much credit.
RAZIEL:
You forged the Reaver. I have seen the evidence.
VORADOR:
I was it's maker, yes.
RAZIEL:
Then you know it's purpose.
VORADOR:
No. Only the scraps of prophecy my master shared with me.
RAZIEL:
And do these scraps explain why you would forge a weapon to imprison your
savior?
VORADOR:
Ah, well then... it seems we have our answer. You've chosen your path.
RAZIEL:
I have chosen nothing. I've been deceived at every turn. You seem to know what I
am. Tell me.
VORADOR:
I thought I did, once. But now all the prophecies have failed. The Pillars are
corrupted... I am the last of my kind... and when Moebius' hunters find me, it
will have been for nothing.
RAZIEL:
You've forgotten about Kain.
VORADOR:
Ah, yes, Kain. I fear he shoulders a greater burden than he realizes. I cannot
help you, even if I was inclined to. I crafted the Reaver blade, but only at
the behest of my sire, Janos Audron. What sorcery he and the others laid on
the sword afterward, I cannot say.
RAZIEL:
Janos tried to give me the Reaver before he died. He said that it had been
forged for me. But what did he mean? As my weapon, or my prison?
VORADOR:
Perhaps you should ask him yourself.
RAZIEL:
Janos is here?
VORADOR:
In a manner of speaking.
(Vorador leads Raziel down to a lower chamber, inside, the room is laid out
like a holy altar. A myriad of lit candles surround the deceased body of Janos
Audron, his chest still gaping from the wound where Raziel and his Sarafan
brethren had torn the heart of darkness from. The body is exactly how it was,
500 years ago.)
VORADOR:
The greatest of us all, the father of our race. The Sarafan tore the heart from
his living body five centuries ago.
RAZIEL:
But there's no sign of decay. How is this possible after all these years?
VORADOR:
Somewhere, the Heart still beats. And while it does, the body will remain
preserved. If his heart could be restored, Janos might yet be raised.
RAZIEL:
And you haven't tried to recover it in all these years?
VORADOR:
Many times. But our enemies hid the Heart too well. It was taken as a trophy to
Avernus Cathedral centuries ago, where they christened it the
'Heart of Darkness'. Believing that it embodies the essence of our dark gift,
they hid the Heart away, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Our hands. Redeem
yourself, you may be our last hope. Perhaps you alone can find the Heart, if it
is meant to be found. If Janos can be resurrected, he will have all the answers
you require.
(Vorador reaches into his tunic and presents a key to Raziel.)
VORADOR:
This key will open your way to Avernus. But be advised, there are dark sorceries
at work in the cathedral. You must be on your guard.
(Vorador clasps his hands, and vanishes.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(16)
***VORADOR'S LAST COUNSEL***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel finds Vorador in the great library of his imposing manor.)
VORADOR:
Avernus is in flames. And with it, our hopes may evaporate.
RAZIEL:
How can I find the Heart in the midst of such chaos?
VORADOR:
You must act quickly. But beware, an ancient evil dwells within, long Unspoken
among our kind. Undoubtedly, this is the source of the corruption that infects
the Circle. If you are to succeed, you must resist its influence.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(17)
***MURAL: THE HUMAN GUARDIANS REVOLT***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain discovers a mural within one of the reaver forges. The mural is
partitioned into three portions, the first depicting two ancients aloft,
carrying human infants by their wrists. The second depicting a human child
receiving the dark gift, and the last that of the inevitable human rebellion.)
KAIN:
This history, in part, I knew already. How, as the Vampires began to die out,
the Pillars summoned human Guardians to fulfill their roles. It seemed the
ancient Vampires had adopted, and when necessary, abducted, the human Guardians,
and made vampires of them when they came of age. Until the humans rebelled
against their masters. And here I made a surprising discovery: it was Moebius
the Time Streamer and Mortanius, Guardian of Death, who led the bloody revolt.
Now I understood why Moebius hated me so intensely. 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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(18)
***MURAL: REDEEMER AND DESTROYER***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Imagery of the two champions battling once again.)
KAIN:
I was confronted again with depictions of the Vampires' champion, the bearer of
the Reaver blade. And here too, was his Hylden adversary, with blazing eyes
brandishing a flaming sword. Two heroes locked in combat which only one would
survive. But which one? These murals prophesied two possible outcomes. I didn't
know what Moebius was trying to concoct, but this all seemed too convenient...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(19)
***THE ORACLE OF THE ANCIENT VAMPIRES***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain finally unlocks the way into the inner sanctum of the Vampire citadel.
Within, he discovers another mural and an enigmatic well. The mural shows the
aftermath of the bloodcurse upon the ancients.)
KAIN:
For my ancient ancestors, the dark gift was clearly a curse, damning them to a
kind of spiritual purgatory. But why were they compelled to seal this chamber
so securely? Perhaps the lock was not meant to keep intruders out, but to
imprison something within...
(The pool within the well radiates an incandescent brilliance. The Elder God's
voice echoes from it.)
ELDER GOD:
Kain... Scion of Balance. Savior of Nosgoth.
KAIN:
What is this?
ELDER GOD:
Your arrival is foretold. The Fates have willed it.
KAIN:
Is that so.
ELDER GOD:
I am the Oracle of your ancestors. I can provide the answers you require. You
needn't speak; I know your mind. You seek knowledge of your creature, Raziel.
This I can offer, if you will look.
(An image of Raziel appears on the surface of the water.)
ELDER GOD:
He has found the body of Janos Audron. He journeys now to Avernus Cathedral to
seek the Heart of Darkness.
(The image shifts, now we see Raziel approaching the city of Avernus.)
ELDER GOD:
You know what this means...
KAIN:
And why would I trust your prophecies?
ELDER GOD:
These events are already written, just as you feared. But there is still time;
he can be stopped.
KAIN:
If Avernus is in flames, Raziel is five centuries beyond my reach.
ELDER GOD:
I may aid you in this regard as well. This portal will transport you in time to
the very hour that Raziel arrives in Avernus. This task is yours to carry out,
since it was you who made him what he is. When you are ready, you may pass
through.
KAIN:
I knew of course, that this 'Oracle' was not to be trusted. But in the end, what
choice did I have?
(Kain plunges into the well, to be propelled 500 years into the future, to the
Blood Omen era. He emerges to the inner chamber.)
KAIN:
This peculiar sensation was familiar to me, and the chamber did indeed appear
altered by time. In this regard, at least, the Oracle seemed to have been
truthful.
ELDER GOD:
I have delivered you faithfully to the very hour you desire. You know what must
be done, Kain. There is only one way to prevent Raziel from doing great harm.
KAIN:
He is not my enemy.
ELDER GOD:
But you are his...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(20)
***MURAL: THE WHEEL OF FATE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel discovers a mural of the ancient vampires, literally and figuratively
falling from grace, as they are consumed by the bloodcurse, many of them falling
upon their swords in desperation. A circular symbol decorates the backdrop of
the mural)
RAZIEL:
I had seen this symbol throughout these ruins. I should have realized what it
was they worshipped. Now there was no question. For this scene depicted the
ancient Vampires' torment and despair as their curse cast them from the Wheel of
Fate. So this was the God whose abandonment had driven them to madness and
suicide. Finally, I understood- it was not the blood- thirst, but their
immortality that was the true nature of their enemies' curse. The wisest,
strongest, most noble race- gulled by the voice of that old parasite. But I had
seen him, and whatever he was, he was no God.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(21)
***MURAL: HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY THE VICTORS***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Within the catacombs beneath Avernus Cathedral, Raziel discovers another mural,
this one apparently crafted by the Hylden race. In it, the Hylden and Ancients
battle, against blood red skies.)
RAZIEL:
History is written by the victors. Beneath the vaults of Avernus I discovered
scenes that told a familiar story, but from a very different point of view. This
was the work of the enemy race, and revealed what the Vampire histories had
conveniently omitted; how the noble Vampires, God- ridden and righteous, had
started the wars that would destroy both races, victor and vanquished alike.
Their adversaries opposed the Vampires' God, and refused to submit to the Wheel
of Fate, for this, they were banished. I now understood the poetic irony of
their curse. And my resemblance to the Vampires' enemy no longer seemed so
accidental.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(22)
***MURAL: THE HYLDEN MESSIAH***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Another mural beneath Avernus.)
RAZIEL:
The banished race foretold a hero who would deliver them from their oppressors,
and destroy the shackles of the Vampires' tyrannous God. The same hero that bore
the flaming sword. What game was this, where every player on the board claimed
the same pawn?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(23)
***DARK RITES IN THE AVERNUS CATHEDRAL***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Deeper into the catacombs, Raziel stumbles upon a huge ante chamber, and a
massive pit, where the gathered cult of Hash'Ak'Gik are embroiled in chant.)
CULT MOB:
Hash'ak'gik! Hash'ak'gik!
(Mortanius, the Pillar Guardian of Death stands on a platform overlooking the
pit.)
MORTANIUS:
Great Hash'ak'gik, we hear you.
CULT MOB:
We tremble and we obey.
MORTANIUS:
We offer this sacrifice upon the altar of the world.
CULT MOB:
The blood of our first born do we sacrifice to you.
RAZIEL:
In the depths of Avernus Cathedral I stumbled upon a bloody ritual. Was this the
source of the corruption that had overtaken the city?
MORTANIUS:
May this blood nourish you for all eternity.
CULT MOB:
Avert your wrath from us, great God.
MORTANIUS:
The wrath of Hash'ak'gik has once more been averted. Depart now, as ever, in his
service.
CULT MOB:
We tremble, and we obey. Praise to Hash'ak'gik, and ever praise! Hash'ak'gik!
Hash'ak'gik! Hash'ak'gik! Hash'ak'gik!
(Raziel peers over the edge of the pit.)
RAZIEL:
What was it that these deluded humans worshipped with such fervor? Was this the
dreaded 'Unspoken' that Vorador had warned me about?
(A bolt of telekinetic energy seizes Raziel, who plummets into the pit.)
RAZIEL:
Whatever so- called God inhabited this hideous pit, I was about to meet it.
(A enormous and grotesque creature slinks out of the darkness towards Raziel. It
bares it's ears and sniffs the air.)
CREATURE:
I smell no blood. Throat cut first, blood gouting, then it falls into the pit...
the sacrifice is rejected. You will know my wrath.
(The creature growls, and regards Raziel closely, sniffing at him
inquisitively.)
CREATURE:
Not possible. No. It could not be.
(The Soul Reaver coils around Raziel's arm and casts itself toward the creature.
RAZIEL:
Stand away, monster.
CREATURE:
No. That voice. Not possible. I know that voice... but he fell. The abyss, he
ended there.
RAZIEL:
I did not fall into the abyss.
CREATURE:
Oh, it remembers that, does it?
RAZIEL:
I was thrown in, by my own brethren.
CREATURE:
I heard what you did to them... and now, you have found me at last.
RAZIEL:
..Turel.
TUREL:
Turel. Yes. That was my name then.
(The creature is Turel, Raziel's absent brother from Soul Reaver 1. Apparently
Azimuth, the Planar guardian of the Pillars and Moebius had traveled forth in
time to acquire him, using him as a figurehead for the demon known as
Hash'ak'gik.)
RAZIEL:
The others were grotesque, but...
TUREL:
Yes. I am changed. I have become a God. Greater than you ever were, Raziel. You
were never a God. Greater even than Kain!
RAZIEL:
It is to you that these humans offer their blood sacrifices?
TUREL:
"Hash'ak'gik.... Hash'ak'gik...". Yes.
RAZIEL:
But how did this happen?
TUREL:
I was summoned. There was darkness, and great hunger. And then I was... found.
RAZIEL:
Why do you stay in this terrible place?
TUREL:
Why stay? Would I remain if I could get out?! While they hound me and tear at me
and...
(Turel writhes in agony, as he suddenly becomes possessed by various Hylden.)
HYLDEN 1 (Speaking through Turel):
The hour is at hand.
HYLDEN 2 (Speaking through Turel):
As it was foretold.
RAZIEL:
Turel?
HYLDEN 3 (Speaking through Turel):
Use his voice to command the disciples above.
HYLDEN 2 (Speaking through Turel):
We demand offerings to keep the host alive.
HYLDEN 1 (Speaking through Turel):
He has been a durable vessel, but he can takes us no further.
HYLDEN 2 (Speaking through Turel):
You must prevail, the champion of our enemy draws near.
(Turel breaks free of the possession.)
TUREL:
No! I must have blood- bring me blood, or feel the wrath of your God!
(To Raziel) You... yours... yes, it will strengthen me against them.
RAZIEL (Drawing the Wraith blade):
What are you doing?
TUREL:
No. No more questions. No more worship. Time to run. Time to scream. Time to
die.
(Raziel and Turel battle. Raziel eventually overcomes his misshapen brother.)
TUREL:
Yes. Now...
(Raziel raises the Wrath Blade, held poised for a fatal blow. After several
moments, he lowers the weapon, unwilling to strike down his brother.)
HYLDEN 1 (Speaking through Turel):
Go- speed your endeavor.
HYLDEN 2 (Speaking through Turel):
Face him and kill him.
HYLDEN 1 (Speaking through Turel):
Destroy the binding at last.
HYLDEN 3 (Speaking through Turel):
We shall all be...
(Turel's body and mind can sustain no more agony, he collapses in a heap,
uttering a final word as his death rattle.)
TUREL:
..free...
(Raziel absorbs Turel's vampiric evolutionary gift, imbuing him with a more
focused version of his telekinetic powers. Using his new found power, he is
able to climb out of the pit.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(24)
***MORTANIUS' REDEMPTION***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel enters Mortanius' chamber. Mortanius is communicating with the fledging
Kain, who, in accordance to the events of Blood Omen, has just decapitated
Moebius.)
MORTANIUS:
Come to me, my undead son. Make haste to the Pillars, the stage is set for the
grand finale. You will have your vengeance.
RAZIEL:
Mortanius.
MORTANIUS:
So, you have come out into the open, at last. The binding must be fragile
indeed. But you will find you are too late.
RAZIEL:
What am I too late for this time?
(Mortanius suddenly struggles to resist, as the Hylden lord, who is in
possession of his body, attempts to seize control.)
MORTANIUS:
No... no... not now...
(Mortanius recovers, and is able to shrug off the reins of the Hylden lord for
now.)
MORTANIUS:
You are too late for the victory you sought. I have beaten you after all.
RAZIEL:
You have mistaken my identity.
MORTANIUS:
Have I? You forget who schooled me in the ancient prophecies.
(Mortanius struggles again, but in vain this time, as the Hylden Lord is now
able to speak.)
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Mortanius):
This vessel speaks truly. You are indeed overdue. But it no longer matters in
the least. With or without you, we will prevail.
RAZIEL:
So, I finally meet the 'Unspoken'. And here it is nestled in the heart of the
Circle itself. Ironic.
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Mortanius):
(Laughing.) Poetic justice, to topple the foundations of the Pillars from
within, we shall have our revenge in full measure and for all time.
(Mortanius' body flails as he tries to regain control.)
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Mortanius):
Ah... this one has little strength left. One must not break him
(Mortanius finally is able to resurface. He staggers backward, the battle for
his mind has taxed him, both physically and mentally.)
MORTANIUS:
Your kind does not like to lose.
RAZIEL:
I seek the Heart of Darkness.
MORTANIUS:
Ah, now you think of that. But as I told you, you are too late. The Heart has
served its function. I have used it to set prophecy in motion. I created the
Champion foretold by my masters, who is destined to be your destroyer. The
Scion of Balance will save Nosgoth, the Pillars will return to Vampire
Guardianship as intended, and your race will be cast down forever.
RAZIEL:
Kain. You used the Heart of Darkness to create Kain.
MORTANIUS:
How else? I refused at first to believe the ancient myths. I thought that
vampires were simply a plague upon mankind, a pestilence we had to control. But
they were right, and we were wrong to overthrow them, Moebius and I. We didn't
understand what it was the Pillars were holding back. I have made my atonement.
I will continue to make it to the end, which will be soon now. But I know Kain
will set it right, he will restore Balance, and none too soon. My enemy is
growing stronger.
RAZIEL:
Where is the Heart of Darkness now? Did you destroy it?
MORTANIUS:
(Laughing bitterly.) You still don't understand, do you. You cannot make use of
it as long as Kain guards it with his life.
RAZIEL:
Kain has it? It is in Kain!
MORTANIUS:
Check and mate. This deed will redeem first me and then all of Nosgoth. It must,
I...
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Mortanius):
This one grows weak. But we will soon have a stronger vessel. The long awaited
hour approaches, our release is at hand.
MORTANIUS:
(Gasping) I must... finish it. Now...
(Mortanius vanishes, teleporting himself to the Pillars, where he goes to
confront and destroy Anacrothe, the Pillar Guardian of States.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(25)
***TWO HEROES COLLIDE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain arrives at Avernus Cathedral. He strides towards the great Altar, Soul
Reaver in hand, just as Raziel appears.)
RAZIEL:
Kain! Why is this no surprise?
KAIN:
Because our destinies run together, Raziel, like two rivers that have met and
can never be distinct again. At your every fatal turn, you will find me.
RAZIEL:
And the free will you said was mine, what has become of that?
KAIN:
You still have it. And that has everything to do with my presence here now.
RAZIEL:
It was your machinations that set my destiny in motion. The coin you tossed has
struck the earth. Now you must abide by its outcome.
KAIN:
The coin is still turning, Raziel. To reach the resolution we both can live
with, that will best serve our futures, Janos Audron must not be raised.
RAZIEL:
Because you do not wish it? Is my free will to be exercised only when it accords
with your whim?
KAIN:
There is much more at stake in this than you know.
RAZIEL:
Yes. And it is Janos who has the answers I desire.
KAIN:
You must trust me, Raziel. Our intentions, for Nosgoth, for our Futures, are not
so diverse.
RAZIEL:
"I must trust you", or...?
KAIN:
I have not come here to threaten you, Raziel.
RAZIEL:
You say that, while you hold in your hand the instrument of my doom?
KAIN:
I saved you from the Reaver once. (Kain sheathes the Soul Reaver) I have no
intention of imprisoning you within the blade.
RAZIEL:
At least not until the moment it serves your plans to do so.
KAIN:
You are not the only one at risk. I may carry the instrument of your
destruction, but I too, have taken a chance in coming here. Or haven't you
realized, you bear the only weapon that can kill me?
(Raziel summons forth the Wraith blade.)
RAZIEL:
Then you know what I am, and who you are?
KAIN:
I believe I do.
RAZIEL:
And still you think you can move me about like your pawn. Think again, Kain.
(Raziel swings his blade, Kain ducks beneath his wide arc.)
KAIN:
Take heed, Raziel.
RAZIEL:
Why? If we are who we are, then are we not destined to fight to the death, to
decide the fate of Nosgoth?
KAIN:
Don't be a fool! I will not fight you.
RAZIEL:
And that will be the prophesied heroes' battle? I win, because you will not
fight me?
(Raziel slashes at Kain once more, who deftly evades the blow.)
RAZIEL:
The mighty Kain, Scion of Balance, would- be savior of Nosgoth, surrenders
before the final battle even begins.
(Raziel leaps towards Kain, who uses Raziel's momentum to propel him away.)
KAIN:
(Brandishing the Reaver.) Very well. If this will make you see reason...
(The two battle, until Kain gains the upper hand, casting Raziel to the ground,
Kain steadies the point of his blade at Raziel's neck.)
KAIN:
Now, you will listen to me. The Heart of Darkness must remain undiscovered.
Great harm will come of its use.
RAZIEL:
You don't know where it is, do you?
KAIN:
No.
RAZIEL:
You never looked for it.
KAIN:
It doesn't matter, Raziel. Listen to me, you must understand that every creature
is bound to one predestined path. We are all shackled -
RAZIEL:
-- to the Wheel of Fate. Believe me, I know that even better than you do.
KAIN:
All but one. Because of your remaking, you are the one unbound creature, the one
among us all that truly has free will. You have a choice, Raziel.
RAZIEL:
Which I'm sure I must make at your direction. Your pawn has reached the end of
the board, Kain. And now my powers may even surpass yours.
(Raziel rises to his feet, unfettered by Kain, who slides his blade away.)
RAZIEL:
How ironic if the creature that you made should prove your own undoing. Now, we
finish this. Once and for all.
(Raziel summons the Wraith blade once more and they fight again, this time,
Raziel prevails, with a swipe of the blade, he sends Kain sprawling backwards.
Sensing his victory, Raziel springs towards Kain, raising the Wraith blade above
him to cleave his adversary in two. Kain recovers in time, and stops Raziel's
overhead blow. The two grapple, neither one able to break free from this
apparent stalemate, until they realize that through their contact, Raziel is
being absorbed into Kain's Soul Reaver. Raziel struggles to remove himself from
Kain's grip, but the Reaver's hold on him is too strong. Raziel weakens, and his
material body begins to fade.)
RAZIEL:
..You...
KAIN:
No. Raziel...
RAZIEL:
Vae Victis...
KAIN:
I didn't...
(With a final burst of strength, Raziel plunges his claws deep into Kain's
chest, and pulls forth the Heart of Darkness. He holds it aloft, his hideous
standard, as it continues to beat in his fist.)
RAZIEL:
"Woe to the conquered"! I have found the Heart of Darkness. And you go to
oblivion!
(Raziel hurls Kain's body backward with a telekinetic burst, before it can
strike the altar, it passes through a portal and vanishes.)
RAZIEL:
Kain was gone. The madness of this place had somehow fueled my rage, and as it
subsided. I felt no elation, no sense of victory. Only a calm certainty that we
had once again walked blindly into our enemies' trap. I couldn't be sure whether
Kain had truly intended to destroy me, and now it appeared, I would never know.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(26)
***MOEBIUS TRIUMPHANT***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel returns to Vorador's manor, finding Moebius and his mercenaries within.)
RAZIEL:
In my absence, the estate had been overrun with Moebius' soldiers. I hoped that
they had not yet found the entrance to the crypt, or discovered the body of
Janos. Of Vorador, there was no sign.
MOEBIUS:
Raziel, the conquering hero. I understand we are to offer congratulations. Kain,
at last, is dead.
RAZIEL:
I suppose you expect similar congratulations on the death of Vorador? Or has he
eluded you?
MOEBIUS:
We have him.
(Moebius throws Vorador's bone blade at Raziel's feet as if to accentuate his
point.)
MOEBIUS:
But not without a considerable price in blood.
RAZIEL:
That will have pleased him.
MOEBIUS:
Let it sustain him until his head is off, and every vampire in Nosgoth at last,
is dead.
RAZIEL:
And will that knowledge sustain you? You too are going to your death.
MOEBIUS:
For a true servant of the one God, death is never bitter. I will go, again at
peace with the knowledge that I have played my small part in our Master's plan.
Kain is at last destroyed, and you have carried out the deed. Which hero do you
think you are now? The Vampire savior? Or the other one? Have you at realized
yet that it didn't matter to us which one either of you thought you were, so
long as the result was the same in the end? And now Kain is dead. Really, I
cannot thank you enough.
RAZIEL:
So this has all been arranged, every step of the way. And Kain thought I truly
had free will.
MOEBIUS:
Oh, but you do. And there's the greatest triumph of all, to have compelled the
one player who could choose into doing exactly what we require. Well done,
faithful servant. And now, I have an execution to see to.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(27)
***THE RESURRECTION OF JANOS AUDRON***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel returns to the crypt where Janos Audron has been interred.)
RAZIEL: (Holding the Heart of Darkness in his hand)
This relic had come at so high a cost... my blood offering for the answers I
sought from this enigmatic corpse. It was the price of my freedom, for which
Kain had paid with his life.
(Raziel approaches the dais, and thrusts the Heart into Janos' chest.)
RAZIEL:
Had I journeyed so far and forsaken so much, only to have it end like this?
(For long seconds, nothing occurs. In frustration, Raziel raises his fist, as if
to strike life back into Janos' barren corpse. Suddenly, a scintillating light
enkindles, and is drawn into Janos. Janos gasps, with an intense breath.
The wound in his chest heals, and Janos sits up, in shock.)
JANOS AUDRON:
I... remember!
(Janos sees Raziel standing before him.)
JANOS AUDRON:
Raziel... the heir of prophecy. You came for the Reaver, just before the Sarafan
found me.
RAZIEL:
You've been entombed here for five centuries. Your murderers are long dead.
JANOS AUDRON:
Five hundred years? And Vorador...?
RAZIEL:
Also dead. Your bloodline is erased. The age of the vampires is coming to an
end.
JANOS AUDRON:
Then we must waste no time.
(Janos steps forward and places his hand upon Raziel's shoulder, who,
distrustfully, swats it aside.)
RAZIEL:
I'm not who you think I am, nor is this a benevolent act. I have questions that
apparently you alone can answer.
JANOS AUDRON:
Raziel, there are forces in this world that will strive to deceive you and
pervert your destiny. But you must believe; your arrival foretells the salvation
of the Vampire race.
RAZIEL:
Why then would the Vampires devise a weapon to consume and imprison their
savior?
JANOS AUDRON:
No... that cannot be...
RAZIEL:
While the blade yet exists, I am drawn inexorably toward my doom. It was you who
bound me to this fate. Only you can release me.
JANOS AUDRON:
Raziel, you have been misled. You are ordained by prophecy to wield the Reaver.
(Raziel calls forth the Wraith Blade, holding it before Janos, who recoils in
alarm.)
RAZIEL:
And so I do. Though not quite as though you'd envisioned.
JANOS AUDRON:
Redeemer and Destroyer... is it possible? Did I misread all the signs? It seems
your destiny is more labyrinthian than I had imagined. You must trust me,
Raziel. We may have very little time. I will convey you to the place where your
answers lie.
(Janos touches Raziel's shoulders and the two are teleported to the tower of the
Vampire Citadel.)
RAZIEL:
Where have you brought me?
JANOS AUDRON:
We are within the ancient citadel of the Vampire race, long ago defiled and
abandoned. This fortress endured through centuries of war against our great
enemy-
RAZIEL:
The Hylden.
JANOS AUDRON:
Yes. From this chamber we witnessed the summoning of the Pillars, and the
banishment of our adversaries from the land.
(Janos suddenly spies the Pillars on the horizon, already blackened and
corrupted.)
JANOS AUDRON:
This is a dire omen. The binding is in peril- the hour of prophecy is at hand.
RAZIEL:
It's too late. The Pillars are already damned.
JANOS AUDRON:
As long as a single one of us stands, there is still hope. The Pillars must not
remain under human guardianship. They are not competent to serve.
RAZIEL:
Why then did you allow the Pillars to fall into human hands?
JANOS AUDRON:
Raziel, there is no time-
RAZIEL:
I want answers. The world can end this instant, for all I care.
JANOS AUDRON:
Very well. The Hylden cursed us as they fell, afflicting our race with a
predatory blood- thirst. But with this transformation, came our enemies' true
revenge: immortality.
RAZIEL:
They liberated you from the Wheel of Fate.
JANOS AUDRON:
They imprisoned our souls in this flesh, expelling us from the purifying cycle
of death and rebirth.
RAZIEL:
And yet you passed the curse on.
JANOS AUDRON:
It was a necessary evil. Our immortality banished us from God's grace. He turned
his sight from us and fell silent. Many took their own lives, unable to bear the
separation from our God.
RAZIEL:
Not you, though.
JANOS AUDRON:
Curse or blessing, it is the price we pay to keep the Hylden banished from the
land. To sustain the binding, we had to preserve our bloodline. And so we passed
the dark gift to the human successors of our fallen guardians. They rebelled,
inevitably, refusing the curse and seizing the Pillars as their own. And so we
come to our present dilemma. While mankind governs the Pillars, the binding
decays. The Hylden strain against the barriers of their prison, scratching to
gain a foothold back into this world.
RAZIEL:
And what does all this mean to me?
JANOS AUDRON:
We stand at the threshold of a new eon, Raziel. And you are the fulcrum upon
which our destiny turns. Beneath this room lies our innermost sanctum. The outer
chamber has been opened. It appears events are already in motion. This token is
the key to the mysteries you seek. I cannot accompany you; you must face this
trial alone. If you prevail, you will have your answers.
(Janos removes the golden Ourabouras talisman from around his neck, and gives it
to Raziel.)
RAZIEL:
And if I fail the test?
JANOS AUDRON:
Then, you will not return.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(28)
***THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE REAVER***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel uses the Golden Ourabouras to gain entry to the Citadel's inner sanctum.
Within, he discovers the final Reaver Forge, the Spirit forge. However, the
Elder God is burrowed deep within the forge, and tries to impede Raziel's effort
to revive the forge. He fails, and the forge is activated, however, in so
doing, minor tremors begin to rock the foundation of the citadel every so often,
perhaps in the Elder God's rage. Ariel appears, pristine and beautiful, as she
was before her murder.)
ARIEL:
It is accomplished. The forge summons the spirit of every Balance Guardian to
itself, for this final purpose.
RAZIEL:
Ariel? You?
ARIEL:
Yes, Raziel, yet I am much more than I was. The veil is lifted from my sight. My
spirit, united with the souls of my predecessors, is drawn here now for the
final baptism of the blade. To restore Balance, the sword must be rendered pure
by Spirit. Release me, Raziel- the Soul Reaver has the power. Release us all.
For this we were called.
(Ariel extends her hand toward Raziel, who takes it warily. As their fingers
touch, Ariel is drawn, through Raziel, into the Wraith Blade. Ariel's voice
intonates in his mind.)
ARIEL:
You have done well, Raziel. But there is one more trial for you to bear. You
must unite what has been set asunder. Only then will the Scion of Balance be
armed for his true endeavor. Only then...
RAZIEL:
The Reaver now blazed with purifying flame. But far from being enlightened, I
found myself entangled in an even great web of mysteries. What had Janos
expected me to learn? And what of Ariel's cryptic message? If the sword was
endowed for the Scion of Balance, for Kain, and he was now dead, what hope
remained? I needed to find Janos, and soon. I dreaded to think what these
ominous rumblings might portend.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(29)
***THE PILLARS TOPPLE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel returns to the tower to find Janos, who stands at the edge of the room,
where part of the wall has crumbled, leaving behind an open tear. From it, he
watches the Pillars, as they continue to decay.)
RAZIEL:
Janos? What is this?
JANOS AUDRON:
The Binding is failing. All is lost.
RAZIEL: (To himself)
We had arrived at that cataclysmic moment, when a younger Kain faced his fateful
dilemma as Balance Guardian. Choosing self preservation over sacrifice, he
doomed the Pillars to eternal ruin.
JANOS AUDRON:
Raziel... there may yet be hope. There is one who will be called; you must seek
the Scion of Balance...
(An eruption of light interrupts him, as the Pillars finally begin to collapse.)
JANOS AUDRON:
Dear God!
(The Pillars are torn asunder, for an instant, their shattered remnants hang in
the air, then plummet toward the earth. Janos screams, nearly doubling over as
he
writhes in agony. When he recovers, his body and wings are lined with a web of
burning contours. His eyes glimmer with green light, indicating his possession
by
one of the Hylden.)
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
Ah, Raziel. We meet again. You have played your part flawlessly. It is
gratifying to attain both freedom and vengeance in a single stroke.
(Janos struggles to expel the Hylden Lord's presence.)
JANOS AUDRON:
No... you cannot...
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
This one is strong... good. My next move requires a more durable host. Mortals
are such fragile vessels. Willing or not, you have provided the instrument of
our victory.
RAZIEL:
I wouldn't celebrate just yet.
(Raziel draws the Wraith Blade)
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
You pathetic creature. You haven't got a clue. The seduction of the Circle and
possession of Mortanius; Ariel's muder; the corruption and collapse of the
Pillars; all orchestrated as prelude to this moment. We sought an incorruptible
vessel, and you provided one. We require the blood of our ancient enemy, and you
delivered Janos Audron, having first been lured to the Heart of Darkness. Best
of all, you murdered the Scion of Balance to get it. We've already won.
(Janos falls to his knees, Raziel rushes to his aid.)
JANOS AUDRON:
Raziel, you must not allow them to carry out their plan. Kill me, and you end it
now.
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
Suicidal, like the rest of them. Know your place, Raziel. The true hero plays
his role, and then steps aside.
(Janos steps past Raziel, who bars his path with the Reaver.)
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
(Laughing) You deluded ghoul. Do you so wish to die a martyr for the Vampires'
lost cause?
RAZIEL:
You're not leaving this chamber. I will destroy Janos if I have to.
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
Very well then. I'll indulge you...
(Raziel and Janos battle, with Raziel finally vanquishing the possessed Ancient.
With that, Janos crumples to the ground, blood frothing from his mouth.)
JANOS AUDRON:
Raziel... finish it, before he returns.
(Raziel stands over Janos' limp form and holds the Reaver, intending to plunge
it into the Vampire. After a moment of hesitation, he relents, unable to do it.
With this temporary respite, the Hylden Lord seizes control, and Janos soars
into the air. He hovers above Raziel.)
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
You should have listened to him.
(The Hylden Lord conjures two spheres of Telekinetic energy and hurls them at
Raziel, throwing back and to the ground. The Hylden Lord lands in front of
Raziel's prostate form, energy crackles between Janos' claws, then strikes
Raziel, bombarding him until he collapses in a heap, blue blood spraying the
stone floor.)
HYLDEN LORD (Speaking through Janos Audron):
Now it is finished. And thus a new epoch has its beginning.
(The Hylden Lord takes to the sky, as Raziel's physical body, no longer able to
hold itself together, deteriorates and vanishes.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(30)
***NO ESCAPE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Raziel awakens, to find himself in the spectral realm, before the Elder God at
the Spirit forge.)
ELDER GOD:
Do you see? However far you stray, you will always return to me. Surrender,
Raziel.
RAZIEL:
Never!
(Raziel lunges forth, striking at the Elder God's tendrils with the wraith
blade, to no effect, however.)
ELDER GOD:
(Laughing) You efforts are wasted, Raziel. That weapon you bear, however
endowed, remains only a wraith blade. It cannot touch me.
(Raziel ceases his barrage in frustration.)
RAZIEL:
I will not be your prisoner!
ELDER GOD:
You have no choice. Your task is fulfilled. Kain has been cleared from the
board, and this chamber made ready for my more malleable servants. There is
nothing more for you to do.
RAZIEL:
I refuse to bend my will.
ELDER GOD:
It has always been my will you satisfy! Never your own.
RAZIEL:
You parasitic fraud, you're forced to imprison me because I possess free will-
ELDER GOD:
You possess nothing! As you are undying, your soul cannot be returned to the
Wheel, but it may console you to abide here in eternity with me. Moebius, my
good servant, I call you to the place of our first meeting. Return to me here...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(31)
***KAIN AWAKES IN THE DEMON REALM***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain begins to awake. Apparently the nature of his role as the Scion Of Balance
allows him to survive, even without the Heart of Darkness. His surroundings are
unfamiliar; a red, hazed world. Thousands of whispering voices whirl around him.
This is the dimension to which the Hylden were exiled. Perhaps, the realm was
initially home to the demons, or did the Hylden slowly devolved into these
monstrous beings? Hyperventilating, Kain awakens at last.)
KAIN:
I awoke to find myself in a shadowy realm. A disquieting stillness lay where my
heart had been, the heart that had belonged to Janos Audron all along. How was
it possible that I still lived?
HYLDEN VOICES:
You are still fair of form, vampire.
HYLDEN VOICES:
That will go first.
HYLDEN VOICES:
This realm will render you hideous. You will go mad, and you will not know it.
KAIN:
What is this place?
HYLDEN VOICES:
Do you not think of this place every day, Vampire? Or are we truly forgotten?
HYLDEN VOICES:
We were forgotten.
HYLDEN VOICES:
This is the exile into which we were driven. But soon now, soon we will be free.
HYLDEN VOICES:
We will be free.
(Demons appear behind Kain. He destroys them, and escapes the realm, finding a
portal back to Avernus cathedral. Kain assumes bat form, and travels to the
Vampire Citadel, in search of Raziel.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(32)
***VENGEANCE AND SACRIFICE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain arrives at the top level of the Spirit forge. Gazing down below, he spies
Moebius, apparently resurrected by the Elder God after his murder at the hands
of the younger Kain of this era. Kain grins with a black humor, then leaps off
the platform, gliding down below.)
MOEBIUS:
-- the Hylden are merely an inconvenient consequence. They will be dealt with in
time.
(Kain lands softly behind Moebius, and unsheathes the Soul Reaver.)
MOEBIUS:
It is a small price to pay for Kain's death.
KAIN:
You're a bit premature.
(Moebius spins, coming face to face with Kain, the Time Streamer stares at the
Vampire in horror.)
MOEBIUS:
Kain?!
KAIN:
Is there a crack in your omniscience after all, Moebius?
(In desperation, Moebius invokes his staff repeatedly, each time inducing no
discernible effect.)
KAIN:
First your omniscience, and now your powers. You're slipping badly.
MOEBIUS:
This is not possible...
(Moebius cowers as Kain swats his staff to the ground. He grabs Moebius' right
hand, and forces it onto the hole in his chest.)
KAIN:
The part of me that staff affected is no longer in its place. But you already
knew that, didn't you?
(Kain releases his grip, and Moebius recoils in fear.)
KAIN:
I always was considered heartless. And now, Moebius, it is time.
MOEBIUS:
To kill me? Again? Your only solution, for every problem: kill-
KAIN:
This is not a debate. You see, this time, you have nothing that I want.
(With that, Kain seizes Moebius and impales him on the point of the Soul
Reaver.)
MOEBIUS:
You think this will matter? I serve One who has power over life and death.
KAIN:
Then go to him.
(Kain pushes Moebius off the blade, he falls to the ground, clutching at the
gash in his chest. As his blood pools beneath him, he speaks.)
MOEBIUS:
I am... his obedient, his devoted servant. Soon, all pain will fade, and my
Master will bring me life once more.
(Moebius dies. The scene shifts so that we see the Spectral realm. Moebius'
spirit rises from the ground, leaving his physical body behind. As he comes to
his feet, he does not realize Raziel standing behind him.)
MOEBIUS:
Master, my apologies, a momentary oversight. Somehow Kain still lives, and has
unexpectedly dispatched me. Make use of your good servant, and-
(Raziel draws the Wraith blade and impales Moebius' spirit from behind. Moebius
screams in pain.)
RAZIEL:
Go to your master, then. I release you to the Wheel.
(The Elder God appears before Moebius, who finally beholds the grotesque visage
of his 'God'.)
MOEBIUS:
Ohh... god... no...
RAZIEL:
Do you see it now? The monster that you served? Is this what you imagined when
you worshipped it?
MOEBIUS: (In agony)
No...!
RAZIEL:
And in that knowledge, go, and feed it. I release you.
(Raziel pulls the blade free from Moebius, and consumes Moebius' soul, who
screams until he is finally gone.)
ELDER GOD:
(Laughing) Your petty actions are irrelevant, Raziel. Moebius was a good
servant, but he was of no further use. His long life had run its course. You
see? Even when you rebel, you are doing my will.
RAZIEL:
Perhaps. But something has changed, hasn't it? You didn't foresee Kain's return.
ELDER GOD:
You have both traced your paths along the Wheel. This is where the journey ends.
RAZIEL:
You haven't the means to kill either one of us.
ELDER GOD:
Ah, but you can be stopped. And you will come to understand how oblivion can be
a mercy. You and Kain will spend eternity buried here together. Praying for the
merciful release of a death that will never come.
(Raziel turns away from the Elder.)
RAZIEL: (To himself)
But I was armed with newfound knowledge, and it burned within me.
(Raziel remembers Janos Audron's words:)
JANOS AUDRON:
..Redeemer and destroyer...
RAZIEL:
Moebius had never seen his master until the Soul Reaver purified his sight. Even
the ancient Vampires had no idea what it was they so righteously worshipped.
(Ariel's words resound in his mind.)
ARIEL:
..You must unite that which has been set asunder...
RAZIEL:
All the conflict and the strife throughout history, all the fear and hatred
served but one purpose: to keep my Master's Wheel turning. All souls were
prisoners, trapped in the pointless round of existence, leading distracted
blunted lives until death returned them, always in ignorance, to the Wheel.
KAIN:
..The coin is still turning...
RAZIEL:
But what hope had there been? One cannot fight the unseen.
ARIEL:
..Only then will the Scion of Balance be armed for his true endeavor...
ELDER GOD:
Despair, Raziel. There is no escape.
RAZIEL: (To himself)
It was then I knew what I had to do. I alone could end this.
(The scene returns to the material plane. Kain is inspecting Moebius' staff,
Moebius' lifeless body lies behind him. The body rises to it's feet.)
MOEBIUS:
Kain...
(In an instant, Kain slashes at Moebius, then impales him against a rock wall.)
KAIN:
Do you so enjoy death?
MOEBIUS:
-- Yes...
(Moebius' body is suddenly replaced with Raziel's.)
KAIN:
Raziel?! No!
(Kain struggles to pull the blade free of Raziel, who stops him.)
RAZIEL:
Yes... this is how...
KAIN:
No! Raziel!
RAZIEL:
The Soul Reaver, pure of all corruption... this is what it is for. This is what
I am for.
(Raziel touches Kain's chest, the energy of the Spirit Reaver courses through
him into Kain.)
RAZIEL:
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.
KAIN:
No, Raziel... this can't be the way...
RAZIEL:
And now you will see the true enemy...
(Raziel's head slumps back upon the wall, as he is absorbed into the physical
Reaver.)
KAIN:
Raziel...
(Now purified by the Spirit Reaver, Kain sees the Elder God.)
KAIN: (To himself)
And it was then I saw.
ELDER GOD:
So. I am revealed to you at last.
KAIN:
What in the hell...
ELDER GOD:
I am the origin of life, the devourer of death. I am the hub of the Wheel, the
purifying cycle to which all souls must be drawn.
KAIN: (To himself)
Had I condemned Raziel to this nightmare when I cast him into the abyss?
ELDER GOD:
You may ponder the futility of your ambitions as you spend a deathless eternity
beneath a mountain of rubble. You and your Soul Reaver will go equally mad as
the eons pass. The Citadel of the apostates will become your living tomb.
KAIN:
Your words are heartening.
(Kain strikes one of the Elder's tendrils with the Soul Reaver, cleaving it
apart in a shower of green fluid. The Elder howls in pain, and bars his primary
Eyestalk with several more tendrils.)
KAIN:
For you would not fear us, unless we could truly do you harm.
(Kain cuts through the tendrils as he stalks towards the Elder's Eye.)
ELDER GOD:
No! You are nothing!
KAIN:
False God! This is the end- the final turn of your Wheel.
(With the Soul Reaver, Kain defeats the ancient Being. As he does, the chamber
begins to crumble, debris and rubble collapse from the ceiling, threatening to
bury the chamber. Kain teleports to the top level of the Spirit Forge.)
ELDER GOD:
You cannot destroy me, Kain. I am the Engine of Life itself. The Wheel will
turn. The plague of your kind will be purged from this world. And on that
inevitable day, your wretched, stagnant soul will finally be mine!
KAIN:
In the meantime, you'd best burrow deep.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(33)
***EPILOGUE***
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Kain returns to the destroyed Tower of the Citadel, and gazes across the
landscape, at the Pillars, that lie in ruins.)
KAIN:
Now, at last, the masks had fallen away. The strings of the puppets had become
visible, and the hands of the prime mover had become exposed.
(Kain stares at the Soul Reaver.)
KAIN:
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 that his
sacrifice had accorded me. The first, bitter taste of that terrible illusion.
Hope.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THANKS:
Amy Hennig & Crew, for Legacy of Kain.
Ben Lincoln of www.thelostworlds.net for providing Q&A from Amy Hennig clearing
up certain portions of the storyline.
Neil Gaiman, just for being the best damned writer on the planet.
