Part 6
As a side note, I had always thought (until seeing it printed here) that it was "Avernus" - I could have sworn it was written that way elsewhere. Can anyone confirm/deny this?"The gate of Avernus opened slowly before me, daring me to cross the threshold. Who was I to reject such an invitation?"
"The beast paused for a moment, drooling in anticipation of the fine meal he saw before him. To his disappointment, he would not find me such easy prey."
Here, then, we discover the source of the demons demolishing the town.
It should be noted that, as mentioned in the first post, long before this game's timeline, the ancient Vampires had banished the Hylden to an alternate dimension, using the Pillars as the lock on this makeshift prison. Demons - such as these - are native to the dimension to which they were banished. Their presence here suggests that the decay of the pillars has weakened the lock, allowing some of these beings passage into Nosgoth. This does not bode well.
If you look carefully in the lower right corner of this room, you can see 2 pillars of sorts sticking out of the wall. These mark the tops of doors in the Cathedral - this is in fact a very well hidden one. That's interesting. Let's see where this leads...
"And Hash'ak'gik spoke to the world, and all who heard trembled.
Bring me your first born, and shed their blood on the alter of the world, so I might take nourishment from them.
Do this without question, or suffer my wrath for eternity.
And its will was done."
Hash'ak'gik - we'll see that name again (much) later in the series.
"Above me stood a memory, etched in stained glass."
Beyond it we find a pair of locked doors - but we'll return here later. First...
![](../Smilies/emot-crying.gif)
"This armor was spawned in the most impure of spirit forges; tempered from the seething agony of tortured souls. The metal exists only partially in the human realm, causing it to fade between tangible and ethereal states."
"Time fades even legend, and the origin of the Soul Reaver has been lost long ago. But its purpose remains - to feed on the souls of any creature it strikes. Kindred, this blade and I."
There's a lot I could say about this blade, but I'll leave that for later. For now, just know that it's good. Real good.
"Ah, what's this? I had not even realized the blade and the raiment were here. You wear those trinkets well, Kain. But I do believe that they would look better on me."
Kain:
"The Matriarch of Avernus, the Lady Azimuth: her magical planing skills summoned demons through runes inscribed in human blood."
"Come to me my children! We shall ravage Nosgoth together!"
"So, little man, have they sent you to stop me?"
"My children shall rip you apart!"
"Come, my demons. Let us sup on vampire blood."
Azimuth summons powerful demons throughout the fight, and fires off a steady stream of homing projectiles. Luckilly, they're no match for Repel, and when we manage to get close enough, we find she's no match for the Soul Reaver.
"For all her magic, the Lady Azimuth was little trouble; once her demonic thralls had been dispatched she fell quickly to my blade."
Actually, a more accurate description would be 'Once she was dispatched, her demonic thralls disapeared instantly', but I suppose his way is more dramatic.
Azimuth's Eye
"Azimuth's third eye, a gift from the Pillar of Dimension, allowed the Planer sight into other realms. The Pillar reclaims its own."
Time Streaming Device:
"Strange runes litter its metallic surface. 'Tis with caution that I carry this mysterious device."
As we pick up the Time Streaming Device, Ariel chimes in:
"It will deliver you in time."
Hurray for double meanings.
Kain:
"Before the Dimension pillar, I lay the eye of Azimuth. The pillar accepted its offering; thus it was restored."
Yeah, that's not getting repetative at all, Kain.
Ariel:
"Well done. You have found Moebius' toy. Azimuth, not content with summoning demonic thralls, stole the Time Streaming Device in order to gather creatures from other ages as well. Take care of the device, Kain. It will deliver you in time.
The Legions of the Nemesis are on the march from the north, crushing all in their path. 'Twas not too long ago that the Nemesis was known as William the Just, a caring and gentle benefactor of the land. But, as his army grew in strength and he himself grew in power, the veil of tyranny fell and one kingdom was not enough. So many cities, so many dead. Willendorf will be sure to follow. The Nemesis must be stopped or all shall be lost..."
Kain:
"How can one stop an army?"
Ariel:
"You must rally the forces of Willendorf; they are the last Hope of Nosgoth."
So now, so close to completing our quest, this Nemesis has shown up and complicated things. The remaining three Pillar Guardians will have to wait: we've got a war to win.
"The specter of Ariel led me to Willendorf. If I was to defeat the next member of the Circle, I needed to understand his machinations. With this vague advice in mind, I set forth on the road to Willendorf."
Mortanius chimes in as well:
"Strange, isn't it Kain? That one cannot quite accept that which sustains him: you in your death and me in mine. But death cannot reign in a world without life and soon you will find the quest ahead of you is yours and yours alone. I can assist you no longer."
"It would seem that only those of noble lineage were allowed to pass through the illustrious gates of Willendorf Castle. And the enchantment I had cast with my Disguise was not enough to fool these Soldiers of Hope. I would need a stronger illusion to beguile them."
Spirit Wrack:
"With this spell I can tear a creature's soul from its body, leaving its vacant flesh mine to control!"
It's effectively the same as Mind Control, but it works on anything - not just humans. This provides us with some interesting opportunities.
Of these secrets, I had heard of a tomb that contained an ancient forefather of King Ottmar himself. Within the tomb, a fountain of blood would allow me to cast the most noble of illusions, and gain entry to the city of the Mighty Lion."
Beguile:
"Unlike the Mask of Disguise, this spell actually allows me to cast away the guise of death for a time, allowing me to walk among the living undisturbed. The spell also provides a visage of nobility, for there are many who would easily divulge more to those of highborn blood."
The kicker here is that the spell isn't actually a transformation at all - Kain can still attack and act as he normally would, but without drawing attention from humans.
On the way there, we pass through the Willendorf Library.
"The great library of Willendorf. Filled with dull tomes of trite accounts by pompous historians about matters that could not possibly be of interest to anyone but themselves."
Though on the contrary, we find one interesting book among them...
"The book spoke of the birth of the Circle. The Circle served the Pillars, protectorates to the strange power that gives life to our land. At the unlikely death of a member, the Circle remains broken for a time, until the Pillars can cull a worthy successor.
I came upon another book of interest buried deep amongst the library's tomes. It spoke of a small cult that existed in Nosgoth, ages past. Wherever they traveled strange tales of human possession would follow. Little is known of the god they worshipped."
So this is why it's important that we kill off the members of the circle: Until they've all been killed, new replacements cannot be appointed. This is why the Pillars are falling into ruin: with Nupraptor's insanity infecting the existing members of the circles, the corruption has crept into the pillars themselves. Only by paving the way - in blood as it were - for new Guardians to take their place, can the pillars be restored and Nosgoth's future secured.
Video - Kain meets King Ottmar
"The court of King Ottmar; shades of my former existence. Proud and self absorbed, surrounded by all the finery of the realm. Secure in their ignorance. As I walked among them I smirked thinking of the carnage that would befall them at the hands of the Legions of the Nemesis... the glorious flames, the inevitable rape and pillage."
"Out of my way peasant! The stench of the fields hangs over you like a pall!"
Courtier:
"The King sees no one! He is in mourning for the princess!"
"He'll be in mourning for his kingdom soon. And he'll mourn for you even sooner if you don't get out of my way."
"And so I won my audience, such as it was, with Ottmar. He cared not of the invading armies from the North. Only of the plight of his child."
"A birthday present. To celebrate her birthday I declared a contest."
"Whoever created the finest doll in the realm would be granted a royal favor. Hundreds of dolls were brought, but the winner was obvious."
"Elzevir, the Dollmaker, created a toy of such beauty that all were captivated by it. And all he would take in payment was a lock of her hair."
Kain:
"Thus my hunt for the Dollmaker began."
I also learned of a tunnel, which would take me rapidly from Willendorf to the suspected area."
"Elzevir! I have come for the soul!"
Elzevir:
"So, Ottmar sent you to kill me, eh? I can smell him on you - or is that the stench of the grave?"
Kain:
"Dollmaker, I have no time for these games!"
Elzevir:
"The soul is mine, I earned it, Ottmar gave it to me."
Kain:
"Then you shall earn it with blood!"
"Farewell, my love... I was lucky to have made you..."
Kain:
"What an odd little man. Now, to find the soul."
Well, considering it's right behind him when he says that, that's not a very difficult task.
Dollmaker's Doll:
"Elzevir imprisoned the girl's soul in a small fabric doll. The old man's intentions I shall never know.
Strange that such a tiny thing - a shred of burlap and silk with a single lock of hair nailed to it, could bring a kingdom to its knees. Small things frequently have enormous consequences."
Kain:
"I entered the Court with the Dollmaker's head in one hand, and the doll containing the girl's soul in the other. I placed them both before the King and watched his eyes catch fire. With the doll in their possession, the Court's sorcerers could restore his daughter's soul."
Ottmar:
"I do not know that I can thank you enough, warrior. My kingdom is but a small price to pay for my daughter's life. Willendorf is yours, if you wish it."
Kain:
"'Tis not your kingdom I desire, but your army, Ottmar. I require troops to vanquish the Horde that descends upon us from the North."
Ottmar:
"Very well. Courtiers, fetch me my armor and mace. There is war to be waged!"
See the video here:
Video - Ottmar's Army Marches
There's not really much to see (and screenshots during that movie won't come out viewable, for whatever reason), but Ottmar gives a speech to his soldiers, as they march against the legions of Nemesis:
"The scourge of Nosgoth is upon us, friends! We shall die today as heroes, lest we live tomorrow as slaves!
Ready thine arms!
For Nosgoth!"
Kain:
"In the distance, I saw the Nemesis armies march forward, a black tide that would soon wash over the Armies of the Hope."
Ottmar:
"The Nemesis and his Horde fall upon us, my friend. I fear I can defend Nosgoth no longer. The Nemesis must be destroyed. For my daughter, Kain; for the world..."
It seems Ariel's plan has failed... except...
Kain has used the Time Streaming Device at the last moment - transporting himself backwards in time... just in time to see Moebius, the Time Streamer - also known as the Time Guardian - giving a rousing speech.
Watch it here:
Video - Moebius Rallies a Crowd
"Would you stand idle as vermin destroyed your crops?"
Crowd:
"No!"
Moebius:
"As your house burned?"
Crowd:
"No, no!"
"Will you allow this evil to continue?"
Crowd:
"No! No!"
Moebius:
"Will the wickedness end?"
Crowd:
"It must!"
Moebius:
"Do you believe?"
Crowd:
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Moebius:
"Then take me to your king, so that I can prepare you for the onslaught!"
Next time: The Finale