[Lets Play] Legacy of Kain series

[Coyote's Own]

So here the thread in which I chronicle my insane attempt at playing through all of the LoK games after another.

I have to confess to being a massive LoK fan (otherwise i would have not attempted this) and a also a Kain fanboy (which might show during the thread).


Anyway here we go:

Legacy of Kain

Part I- Blood Omen

Chapter I - Of Vengeance and Pillars

A few words of introduction:

The land/continent/world in which LoK takes place is called Nosgoth. Here's a map of it (a scan of the map that was included in a special edition of BO1). It not really clear if Nosgoth is a single country or rather a continent.

Let's start with the intro

The slaughteries are the Cricle of nine, the most powerful mages in Nosgoth and the guardians of the Nine Pillars with sustain Nosgoth.
The slaughterer (the guy with a spock ears and a dental problem) was Vorador, probably the most powerful vampire in Nosgoth (at the time).
These scenes take place 500 years before the game starts.
The women stabbed in the back is Ariel. We will learn her story enought (this scene takes place close to 30 years before the game starts).


our hero (Kain) has nice chat with the innkeeper:

Barkeep
The tavern’s closing - best be on your way, stranger.

Kain
What, no mug of ale for a weary traveler from distant Coorhagen? I can reward you well, for I am of noble blood.

Barkeep
I stay open for no man in these dark times. Things come with the night that no sane man would welcome.

Kain
And so I left - cold of heart and soul. Forced to the road, and the long, bitter night.



Outside Kain is greeted by some of the locals, who seem to recognize him:
[IMG][/IMG]
Brigand
That’s him!
(You actually can't get out is since the apple cart is blocking the way. The assailants keep coming. Once I spend good 10 minutes on this segment. )

Assassin
End it - now!
(THe image doesn't show that clearly, and neither does the animation, but Kain is actually killed by his own sword which is pretty neat IMO)

The End.

Didn't I say this game was awesome. A first part of series.

Yeah i know it's a pretty bad joke. Let's forget it, and move on.

We find Kain in the afterworld. Doesn't that bone-clad guy looks familiar?


Kain
I awoke to the pain of a new existence, in a dank womb of darkness and decay.
(As side note I wonder if someone dug Kain up, which is highly probable, or if he simply was ressurected before they manage bury him.)

Now we have a moment to look at out inventory (which is usually worth while since Kain has an interesting and/or witty comment for each piece of equipment, spell etc):


Iron Sword
Forged by the Serioli, the legendary weapon masters of Nosgoth, this blade will serve me well, in life and beyond.

Iron Armor
As it was borne from hellfire, forged by the Necromancer’s magic, my armor resists fire and provides me with strong defense.

As Kain sticks his nose out of the coffin he finds his first spell:


Sanctuary
The Sanctuary spell enables me to travel to my crypt, where the soil of my grave provides me respite. I often resort to this when I am weak and need nourishment.

We also meet the first person since the ressurection:

He reacts rather violently to Kain presence.

Unlife seems to have an beneficial influence on kain swordmans ship since now he can perform a double slash (which he couldn't while he was still alive).

A few step futher we find this curious device.

The Heart of Darkness
Reputed to have been ripped from the chest of the greatest vampire to have ever existed, Janos Audron, the Heart of Darkness restores vampiric unlife. Life is precious, Janos discovered - as it was torn throbbing and bleeding from his own body.
(The HoDs, as we will see hunderds of these buggers, is basically a life up in Blood Omen. In resurrects at the spot when you die, and you can use it to gain a little blood. Both the HoD, singular, and Janos will become important plot part in further games)

Moving fruther thought the mausoleum we find other curious things:

Blood Vial
This ancient vial bears with it a dark gift indeed - for with it, my life force is increased.
People chained to the wall are one of our main sources of nourishment. They're also the source of one most repeated quotes in the game: Help me kind sir.
Taking in to account their numerousness, I've come to the conclusion that bondage play in damp dungeons and crypts is the favorite pastime o Nogothites.

Continued in the next post...

[Killfalcon]

I love these games. I can *hear* Simon Templeman's voice just from reading the item descriptions.

[The SkaerKrow]

VAE VICTUS!

(What?? It's catchy)

[Coyote's Own]

On other other side of the corridor we find another bondage enthusiasts, and a magical rune:

[IMG][/IMG]
Rune Pyramid
These ancient symbols of power contain raw magical energy, which increases my own capacity to summon energy for the spawning of spells.

And walking out of the corridor we find a...

radioactive skeleton. These things even explode when you touch them. I'm guessing Nosgoth is accepting refugees form Castlevania. no wonder the graverobbers are on the edge. The purple orb behind the skeleton refills Kain's mana.

Next to the Nuclear undead, kain finds this curious obelisk:
[IMG][/IMG
Within the walls of these chambers I could find respite. And, if I so chose, resume my journey when my weariness abated.

Yup it's a save point.


Kain finally gets out of the crypt
The world had changed to my eyes. I had not expected such cruelty from the light. For in the embrace of the sun, I could find no comfort, only malice. This would change in time for the worse, along with other things.
Sunlight weakens the Nosgothic vampires but does not hurt them.
Water however:

When rainfall comes, vampires are wise to find shelter from its acidic touch.

As you can seen we're going to explore, another ofcrypt. Welcome to the fascinating world of Nosgothic graveyards.

And inside we find some graverobbers, some more radioactive skeletons and a puzzle:
[IMG][/IMG]

and some more bondage enthusiast:



Stumbling out of the crypt

Kain
Hunger and weakness are no bar to vengeance’s call. I would find my slayers and send them back whence I came.

Kain has a chance meeting with his slayers


Brigands - upon seeing Kain resurrected

What trickery is this?

There he is!

I thought we killed you, bastard!

We put you down once - we can do it again!

Kain
Their sneering faces were forever etched upon my memory. I had crossed death for this moment. My mind was empty save for one thought: I would kill.

But after killing the his assailants, Kain is again contacted by Mortanius (the Necromancer):

Kain
There is no greater release than that from vengeance sated. With my assassins dead, my quest was over.

Mortanius
‘Tis not over Kain. These fools were merely the instruments of your murder, not the cause. Look to their masters. Look to the Pillars, and gain way to the Fortress of the Mind . . .

[Coyote's Own]

Moving onward toward the pillars Kain stubbles upon th town in which he was killed:


Kain
This was where the bloody deed of my murder took place. I would not be kind to residents that lurk here. They would taste my steel and I their blood

And so Kain takes beings his slaughter:




Having reduced the Ziegsturhl population Kain moves on towards the pillars.

The Necromancer had offered me no warning as to what my resurrection would entail, and yet I must confess, in my haste, I had not sought one. Was his gift a curse? I would seek the Pillars for an answer.
(If you haven't noticed those red triangles active dialogs)

He meets some <s.Happy meal on legs</s> bandits on the way:

(Those purple hooded guy throw knives)

And stops to enjoy the beauty of Nosgoth supernatural wonders

The Pillars of Nosgoth. Even in life, few sights have moved me such as this. I marveled that such beauty should grace our dying world.
(We will be seen the pillars quite often. the only LoK games that does not include them is Blood omen 2, which actually is the weakest of the lot)

Kain arrives at the Pillars, seek answers:


There he meets Ariel (you should remember her form the intro)


Nupraptor, with his blind act of vengeance threatened to destroy all of Nosgoth.

Each Circle member was bonded to the Pillar he served. The Pillars reflected the mental state of their servants, and as the minds of the Circle degenerated and descended further into dementia, the Pillars crumbled.

To restore them, each member of the Circle had to die, and the artifact that served as their link to the Pillar had to be returned.

Only when all the Pillars were restored, did Ariel claim my curse would end. And so my hunt for Nupraptor began.

And so as any RPG character would, Kain set out on his homicidal quest.

End of Chapter I

[Coyote's Own]

Originally Posted by Killfalcon

I love these games. I can *hear* Simon Templeman's voice just from reading the item descriptions.

Agreed. Templeman's voice work as Kain is second (perhaps) only to Conroy's work as Batman.

Originally Posted by The SkaerKrow

VAE VICTUS!

That was a terrible omission of me. Vea Victus is Kains battle cry. It (among other thing) is missing in Blood Omen 2.

Edit: I would welcome any comments on the format of the thread now that I finished the first part.

[The SkaerKrow]

The format seems fine to me. LoK: Blood Omen is really, really long compared to the other games, so you may want to take that into account when you're meting out which portions of the game to report on.

Vae Victus, as Kain claims, means "Suffering to the Conquered." I don't recall it being present or absent from Blood Omen 2, but honestly, I don't recall much of that game short of an overwhelming sense of its unfulfilled potential.

(Coincidence that my most tenured WoW character is named Vaedrith? Perhaps...)

[Coyote's Own]

Originally Posted by The SkaerKrow

Vae Victus, as Kain claims, means "Suffering to the Conquered." I don't recall it being present or absent from Blood Omen 2, but honestly, I don't recall much of that game short of an overwhelming sense of its unfulfilled potential.

They claimed that during research for BO2, they could find any evidance of how it should be properly pronounced. (insert roll eyes smiley).
It did however reappear in Defiance.

Originally Posted by The SkaerKrow

The format seems fine to me. LoK: Blood Omen is really, really long compared to the other games, so you may want to take that into account when you're meting out which portions of the game to report on.

The next part will start with leaving the Pillars and end with defeating Nuraptor. I'll probably try to fit the parts with Circle members.

[Kreuzritter]

looks good so far

templemann's also got sway with comics fans for his performance in season 2 of the fantastic 4 's 90's cartoon, replacing neil ross

[The SkaerKrow]

Originally Posted by Kreuzritter

looks good so far

templemann's also got sway with comics fans for his performance in season 2 of the fantastic 4 's 90's cartoon, replacing neil ross

And hey, he was in the last season of Angel (there'd be a link, but YouTube is verboten on the work terminal).