Kain (Legacy of Kain)

Kain.

Kain is a male video game character who features in Legacy of Kain.

Biography

Blood Omen

Kain was a young male human noble who was born in the lands of Nosgoth. ailing from Coorhagen, the ambitious yet unknown and directionless nobleman lived a privileged life, in the shadow of a dying world. As he matured, he witnessed the rise of the Legions of the Nemesis in the north, aware of the impending threat they posed to the court of his allegiance, the Lion Throne. When he was 30 years old, he roamed the lands until he stopped at a tavern in Ziegsturhl, but was unable to secure a place for the night. Forced to travel the road, he was ambushed by a band of brigands where he came to be murdered by the hands of assassins. Emerging trapped in the Underworld, he remained transfixed by his enemy's blade when his soul was offered a chance for vengeance by the Necromancer Mortanius. Mortanius guaranteed him the revenge he sought with the tormented and desperate Kain being heedless of his benefactor's ulterior motives leading to him recklessly accepting the offer without a second thought. He came to be resurrected where he emerged back into the mortal world in his mausoleum which was when he realised that Mortanius had brought him back as a vampire. Undeterred by hunger and weakness, he soon hunted down his assassins, killing each one and sating himself on their Blood. Though certain that his quest was over, he was quickly corrected by Mortanius, who assured him that the brigands that killed him were merely the instruments of his murder but were not the cause. Enticed by the Necromancer's words, and determined to seek a cure for the vampiric curse that afflicted him, Kain ventured to the Pillars of Nosgoth. The necromancer promised him vengeance and the opportunity to cure Kain of his vampirism in exchange for restoration of the nine Pillars of Nosgoth. The nine guardians of the Pillars had been corrupted long ago and needed to be killed in order to allow the land to recover.

When Kain arrived at the nine Pillars, he was met by the specter of Ariel - the former Guardian of the Pillar of Balance - bound there by the edifices' symbiotic corruption. Ariel told Kain that "there is no cure for death. Only release", but instructed him to destroy the sorcerers poisoning Nosgoth if he sought to realize peace. The Circle of Nine - the Pillars' sworn Guardians - had been driven to insanity by Nupraptor, the Mind Guardian and Ariel's bereaved lover, and now spread misery throughout the land. Though unconcerned for the fate of the world, Kain silently accepted the task before him, beginning his quest as the scourge of the Circle. As he departed, Ariel enigmatically warned him to "beware the Unspoken". Seeking to eliminate Nupraptor, Kain passed through the humans' cities, commenting on Nosgoth's evident decay as he progressed, and gradually adapted to his new abilities; he could wield arcane Spells, and could magically adopt the forms of the wolf and the bat at will. From Vasserbünde, he observed Nupraptor's Retreat, and resolved "to cut the cancer from its heart". After a short battle, Kain was able to decapitate Nupraptor. He returned to Ariel and placed her beloved's head before the Pillar of the Mind, cleansing it of corruption. Kain next targeted Malek, the Conflict Guardian and Ward of the Circle. He returned to Coorhagen on his travels northward, with "no delusions" as to the impending welcome; the city had been struck by the Plague, offering him what he cynically described as "a perfect homecoming". Upon flying to Malek's Bastion via Bat Form, he found little respite in the harsh environment. He battled his way to Malek, but after a brief combat, the Paladin unleashed an unassailable spell of holy magic, forcing Kain to retreat. The vampire knew he would need further guidance to overcome his assailant, and, on Ariel's counsel, pursued the wisdom of the Oracle of Nosgoth.

In the Oracle's Cave, Kain refuted the elderly soothsayer's cryptic philosophy, angrily willing a pox upon his tricks and babble whilst demanding answers. Hinting at the plight of King Ottmar of Willendorf and the quandary of the Legions of the Nemesis, the Oracle explained that his path lay with that of Vorador – the vampire who defeated Malek in battle, centuries past. At Kain's urging, the old man steered him towards the Termogent Forest, inviting him to follow the glow of the Ignis Fatuus to Vorador's Mansion. Kain agreed and he later met the ancient vampire Vorador who influenced him to forsake his former humanity. Thus, he began to accept his nature as a vampire and later discovered the legendary soul devouring blade known as the Soul Reaver. Kain was simultaneously impressed and repulsed by Vorador's decadent and luxurious tastes. The hedonistic elder vampire provided him something worse than Hell as he saw vision of what he was becoming. Though Kain considered his newfound ally "boorish" and a "decadent old fool", Vorador was congenial, and quickly grew fond of the fledgling despite his youthful arrogance. He instructed Kain not to concern himself with the affairs of man - the "cattle" – and offered him his Signet Ring, to summon him if in need of aid. Kain's resolve to find a cure was only strengthened by this meeting. He now had clear knowledge of what sort of monster he would become if he let his curse consume him. Traveling to Dark Eden, he pursued more of the Guardians; there, he encountered Anarcrothe, Bane and DeJoule, the Guardians of States, Nature and Energy, engaged in a plot "to twist the world". Though Anarcrothe escaped his blade, calling upon Malek, Kain was able to summon Vorador in retaliation, who overcame his old enemy once and for all. With the subsequent deaths of Bane, DeJoule and Malek, Kain restored three more of the Pillars.

Overview

Personality and attributes

Kain is described as a cunning and relentless individual, characterized by his heroism, ambition, nobility and fatalism, who grows from wisely arrogant to arrogantly wise over the centuries.

Frequently regarded as "a petty noble" in life and youth, he initially shuns vampirism and seeks to uncover a cure - "reluctant to live the horror of an existence blighted by a thirst for human blood".

he grows to embrace his curse and the ideals of Vorador - his father figure - and also becomes a misanthrope; expressing disgust and a "growing disaffection for humankind" and the Circle of Nine's machinations.

Powers and abilities

Originally, Kain had been born a mortal human of noble descent. By adulthood, he came to be a trained in the ways of the sword and became a capable warrior. However, he was ultimately murdered at the hands of assassins and resurrected as a vampire by the necromancer Mortanius. Thus, he gained supernatural strength, endurance, speed and durability. To sustain himself, he now required blood from humans who he needed to feed on for sustenance. In addition, he no longer could survive under the rays of the sun which burnt him when exposed to its rays.

Kain like the rest of vampires, cannot die for natural causes and wounds will heal almost instantly. Even among Vampire Kain is a special case as only the Soul Reaver blade can kill him.

Notes

• Kain was created by Denis Dyack and voiced by actor Simon Templeman with his first appearance being in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996).

Appearances

• Blood Omen: (1996)
• Legacy of Kain:
• Soul Reaver:

External Links

• Legacy of Kain Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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