Kain nears the Pillars:
|
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. |
The Pillars of Nosgoth
Kain approaches the Pillars at night; wind blows eerily between the solemn sentinels of marble and other indescribable materials. Moonlight plays on the surfaces, lending the scene an eerie blue cast. The figure of a comely woman appears among the Pillars, talking to herself it seems.
Ariel
Nupraptor, your madness has shattered our dreams and blinded you .
. .
Kain
Keep your distance or I’ll send you back to Hell, spirit!
Ariel
There is nothing left of me to fear, vampire. I am only a shadow
of my former self . . . Ariel - the Balance of the Circle of Nine.
Even so, I can provide the answers you seek.
Kain
I seek only a cure.
Ariel
There is no cure for death. Only release. You must destroy
the sorcery that is now poisoning Nosgoth. Only then will you realize
peace.
The Nine of the Protectors of Hope were sworn to use their powers to
preserve our world. Now these pillars have been corrupted by a traitor.
Ariel turns to reveal her ravaged face. Flesh has been ripped away to reveal the naked bone beneath.
Ariel
My murder at the hands of this beast drove my love Nupraptor mad.
Now he spreads misery and pain among the Circle, crumbling the very foundation
of Nosgoth. You must restore balance. You must right the Pillars
of Nosgoth. |
|
A ‘hallucination’ of Nupraptor sewing his eyes shut floats, semi-transparent in the moonlit air.
Kain
(with distaste)
I care not for the fate of this world.
Ariel
(fading out)
Then for yourself Kain . . .
Beware the Unspoken . . .
The specter disappears, leaving Kain to ponder
his situation.
Kain VO
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. |
 |
Wolf Form
My lupine form enables me to move like lightning and leap over obstacles
barring my path. But the guise of the wolf brings with it its own
kind of hunger and rage. |
| Kain comes across the first of many Spirit Forges:
Kain VO
One must be wary in dealing with the Spirit Forges. The Wraiths
and Shades that inhabit them offer items beyond mortal dreams, in exchange
for a sampling of your blood.
The Wraith Smiths forge their items with forfeit souls.
As Kain enters...
Wraith Smith
Shed your blood for me, and these artifacts will be yours.
...and approaches the sacrificial font:
So - you come to the Spirit Forge for help, do you vampire? Trade
you secrets for the blood of the dead, I will . . . |
 |
Energy Bolt
The energy bolt employs magical force in its rawest form . . . a messy
spell, but a potent one nonetheless. |
| As Kain first enters the cave, the fountain of
blood beckons him:
Blood Fountain
The Blood of Ages flows so sweet. Come - drink from us.
After he drinks he is told:
Your strength has increased, for our blood enhances. |
|
Nachtholm
 |
Implode
Of all the methods I employ, this is perhaps the cruelest, causing
my victim’s body to shrink on itself, crushing bones and rupturing organs
‘til the pressure inside burst the sac of fleshy skin, spraying its contents
for all to see. |
|
Blood Fountain
The rain will do you no harm, for our blood preserves.
|
 |
Slow Time
At times, my magic extends into very exotic disciplines such as the
manipulation of time. I am able to slow time down, so I can move
about quick as a wolf, while all others move as though they were mired
in mud! |
Steinchencröe
As Kain reads the entrance sign, he comments to
himself:
Kain VO
The town of Steinchencröe bore with it the infamous aroma of its
inhabitants. In life, I would not have graced the place with my presence.
In death, I merely added to the stench.
Inside the town he discovers an old man, madly
stirring a pot:
Kain VO
This lunatic was delighted to see me. Perhaps his madness would
reveal a greater truth . . .
Irmok the Mad
The bastards in Steinchencröe shun me as Nosgoth shuns them!
I know what it means to be an outsider, vampire. I fear you not,
but remember this - there are others who will speak to you, so long as
you know how to look.
Vasserbünde
Kain approaches a Gypsy encampment, settled directly
south to the entrance of Vasserbünde:
Kain VO
The gypsies - purveyors of distrust and superstition. Most of
their babble should be taken with a pinch of salt, since the gypsies often
tinker with weary travelers’ minds . . . However, a few gypsies have something
interesting to say.
 |
Disguise
There are benefits to traveling beneath a human guise. The threat
to my person is lessened and much information can be gleaned. However,
the illusion is flimsy, and any act of aggression on my part can break
the spell. |
Reading the entrance sign of Vasserbünde:
Kain VO
Vasserbünde lay, its glory now stained and faded, a faithful child
in the looming shadow of Nupraptor’s Retreat. |
|
Nupraptor’s Keep lay west of Vasserbünde. I would seek
to cut the cancer from its heart.
|
Nupraptor’s Keep
As Kain crosses the bridge out of Vasserbünde
towards Nupraptor's:
Kain VO
The wind carried screams from the west. I could not help but
smile: someone else in this world was suffering more than I.
Passing through the main gate leading to Nupraptor's
Keep:
Kain VO
The gaping maw of Nupraptor’s Retreat rained upon Nosgoth all his pain
and misery. The disease begged to be cleansed.
Upon entering Nupraptor’s Retreat:
Kain VO
The Mentalist Nupraptor was renowned through Nosgoth for his tricks
of the mind, telepathy and telekinesis. Pilgrims traveled from all
across the land seeking the comfort of his lies. I sought not his
wisdom but his life.
Nupraptor
You dare intrude upon my sanctuary? Can I not mourn in peace?
Leave . . . leave and let my solitude be complete . . .
Kain VO
I came upon one of Nupraptor’s serving girls, catatonic with fear,
choking out half-words through bloodied, broken teeth. Although tempted
by hunger, I stayed my hand, allowing her to tell her story . . .
She spoke of her Lord Nupraptor, driven to insanity by the brutal slaying
of his beloved Ariel. She spoke of his self-mutilation, sewing his
eyes and lips shut to deny the outside world. Fueled by despair and
hopelessness, he turned his magic on the Circle, infecting their minds
with his madness. Nupraptor cared for nothing now, save his pathetic
self-pity.
Scars such as hers would never heal. Death would only be a mercy.
Kain discovers a room full of carnage:
Kain VO
The cretin squandered life and left it seeping on the floor.
Such waste was a travesty. Perhaps Nupraptor needed to be taught
a lesson as to the value of blood.
 |
Energy Bank
When conjured, the Energy Bank permits me access to mass amounts of
magical energy for a brief period of time. However, when the moment
passes, I will be drained of all magic, unable to cast even the simplest
of spells. |
 |
Font of Putresce
Should this object strike an enemy, rot and decay would instantly eat
their flesh, and leave only a pool of blood and tissue. For a time
after, the toxins are still active, and therefore lethal to the touch. |
 |
|
| From the depths of the Retreat’s eye sockets, I viewed
Nosgoth in a different fashion. The glass seemed to warp the image
and taint the color. As if Nosgoth needed assistance in making its
corruption apparent. |
|
As Kain enters the heart of the Retreat and reaches
Nupraptor, he finds that Malek is there as well:
Nupraptor
So, Malek, have you come to fail the Circle once more? Leave,
paladin! I do not need your protection.
Come, Kain . . . come share my pain . . .
Kain VO
So this was the Mentalist Nupraptor, this broken, pathetic little man.
Yet crippled as he was, he would not yield without battle. Very well,
old fool. If it is death you seek, I will not deny you.
Upon defeating Nupraptor:
Perhaps the head of her beloved will convince Ariel that I have accomplished
my task.
 |
Nupraptor’s head. Alas, poor Nupraptor - I knew him
well. Well, not really. |
Leaving the Retreat:
 |
Spiked Mace
The mace is amongst my most useful of weapons, for it merely stuns my
victims, allowing me ample time to feed. |
|
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