I love this series, even though my dad hated this game for the vivid nightmares it gave him and its "evil" depictions and lore, he still would be alongside me whenever I played this, "Dodge left, attack now! Aw you don't have a spear! Throw him in the fire pyre! Hurry and absorb the soul before you lose it, son!" Miss you papá, rest in power
Thank you. For Kain, for Raziel, for Nosgoth. Your deep dives into the series are collectively the best and I pine for the characters, the language and the voices.
Just jumping on that comment wagon, but yes thanks for covering the best story in video games, even if i think there is something missing with the elder god, cause the cycle of life work when he feed on it, and we have no instance when he dont(even if we learn his feeding is unatural), so what if the elder die, nobody know, everyone is reincarnated with previous memories? (is he some entity like the it from stephen king?)The real elder god you never know, you have that mistery , and in my opinion it is for the best
THERE IS A SURVEY ON HOW WE'D LIKE A NEW LOK GAME HELL YEAH I BET U HAD PART IN IT MAKING SUCH A GREAT VIDEOS KEEPING THE FRANCHISE ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS
I have a couple theories on the theory on elder god statue and now this is very hypothetical. Ok here goes: I think if L.O.K. Dead Sun wasn't canceled; the protagonist (through killing many of the elder gods kin possibly)would eventually have come together to the elder god as either the kin of the spectral realm to form together the elder God and have a final boss battle win or have a final boss battle in either a stalemate or loss in which the protagonist realizes defeating the elder god is futile and decides to (with the help of this cult clan) craft the statue as a bad omen or warning.
If you really think about it, the protagonist of Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun has the same abilities as Raziel. So(Hypothetically) what's not say that the protagonist of Dead Sun didn't a least meet the elder god.(I mean, the elder is some what cautious of Raziel's actions)
I always thought of Nosgoth as something kind of like the Holy Roman Empire, a large country made up of smaller countries with similar languages and cultures that fight for dominance, with the Circle of Nine being the central heads of state in a way, a bit like H.R.E. emperors, the ancient vampire race and their fall being similar to the collapse of the Roman Empire, the corruption of the Pillars being like the Dark Ages, etc. I'm pretty sure that's where they got at least some of their inspiration.
The world building in this series deserves these type of deep dives. I have such vivid memories of so many moments In these games. Way more imprinted in my brain than any recent hi fidelity graphics games.
This could be the nostalgia talking, but you can feel the power in the voice acting of the actors behind Kain, Raziel and the Old God, as well as Mobius. They have really sold the universe and the characters, alongside the outstanding writing. It's one of those series that reminds you of the quality of art. This game may not make billions in terms of money, but I'm certain that it will inspire millions. Profound art form right there. The above. Thank you for the effort. The video structure and format is awesome. I love how you've set this up. You've a dedicated sub from me. Keep up doing what you do best!
It was one of the best examples of ecellent voice acting. The skill of these actors sucked me into the story like no other. Damn this game should be remade.
@@bobloerakker7010 I agree! But I want whoever is in charge of it to truly take their time, to respect not only the lore and the carefully crafted characters we’ve grown to love. They need to take heed that this franchise is beloved and we (diehard fans) have been waiting DECADES for this to happen.
It was one of the first and few games that told an actual adult story in an adult way, not a game for kids at all in that sense. Way ahead of its time and we still dont usually get stuff like this. A true work of art, i would love a remake that includes all the things they could not include.
If you play Darksiders you can see the influence of LoK all over. The main protagonists of the fisrt 2 game literally mirrors both Kain and Raziel, not only in personality,but also in apperance. If anything, Darksiders is the correct approach to and eventual next LoK game, at least for gameplay.
Same. These games are some of the best out there. I took three days off work when Soul Reaver finally came out, just to play through it completely. The game was delayed, repeatedly IIRC, and was much better for it since this was before a day one patch (or any patch for the PSX) was possible. And the original game disguised all it's loading times behind animations of door openings, or other transitions. Brilliant. I hope the new owners of the IP give it some love and give us a hi-rez edition of them all. Would gladly pay full price for that in 2022.
17:14 The side panels, in particular. Appear to represent a deified depiction of Nupraptor or perhaps Dumah himself. Whereas, given what Dumah would devolve into. It could be implied the central figures are an allusion to the fate that befell the town below the retreat.
Wassup! The 3 Spears never made as much sense to me as they do right now! Good stuff. Now for something wild. (At 16:38) the stained glass side panels of the Lady Dark & Lady Light reminded me very much of the TV movie White Dwarf. I checked when it came out: 1995. And Blood Omen streeted a year later in Nov. of '96.... so the human religion of Nosgoth may have been partly an homage to these goddesses: "Two great ladies will catch your fall, / they are the ones who catch us all. / Their children kept them far apart, / the lady light, the lady dark. / darkness, broken; light, storm / dead, spoken ; dreams torn: / and We will bring you home. Also, for the energy-wrapped central figures suspended above the lake....what if a human had taken a miraculous journey down into the lake of the dead to reach the hidden city there and the story of it became a celebrated religious event like when Enoch toured heaven or Job (?) survived inside a whale??
Wow, that was deep dude. Thanks for keeping the lore of this wonderful series alive. The Legacy of Kain must never be forgotten. Even if we never get the conclusion to the series at least we still have the memories to sustain us.
I’d like for one day to see a conclusion to this story. I hate seeing great games end in cliff hangers that never get resolved. And it makes me fully appreciate the work and talent that went into this franchise. I hope they not only remake but also give this series closure.
Fascinating as always. Probably my greatest interest is in the Sanctuary of the Clans, but I must express my gratitude for FINALLY getting an explanation for Ariel's line, "You must rise, and you must fall, and find your salvation in between." That's been bugging me for years.
Maybe this is a nod to a coin symbol: coin is tossed in the air (rise), then it fells on one side or the other (fall), but Kain is hoping for it to land on it's edge - for some this might be it's landing "in between"...
I can't believe what an incredible wellspring of metaphors and allegories this game can be. I barely played the original soul reaver as a kid, and tens of hours of videos about the story later, I still find things to contemplate.
I still use Nosgoth as something of a reference to my D&D campaigns. The world was perfect, with just the right mix of... well, everything. Magic, demons, undead, fantastical places. There's a carved skull in that mountain, and someone lives there, or how about that fortress sitting up on that mountain covered in snow where the guards have literally frozen solid, or how about a city of werewolves that can only be accessed during a full moon. This game was my life as a teenager.
Thank you! I will borrow this idea from you, it IS perfect for d&d. And a lot of new players do not know about LOC. Do you keep the way the vampires feed on prey?
Just a question: how did you figure out the text about the werewolf city? I did it by identifying the 'E' and 'O' (the word moon started it) i was so proud of myself haha. I think i was about 13 and had never experienced anything like bloodomen 1. It also leveled up my english😀.
@@bobloerakker7010 I tweaked the vampire stat blocks, making their feeding a ranged attack against staggered (disadvantaged) enemies with 25% hp or less. They also gain a vulnerability to water (rain and snow hurts but is negligible, a splashed canteen is like 1d4 damage, but full submersion is a death sentence). It's been a long while concerning the Werewolf City (the Wiki labels it "The Lost City"). I just remember that the door wouldn't open until the full moon and once I was in, I didn't want to leave.
I haven't thought about this series in years, but I've been watching your videos on the Legacy of Kain lore, and it's got me interested in it again. I honestly think that the writing, music and acting have not only aged well, but they're actually better than I remember them being. I'll be looking forward to the next.
I think on LoK fairly frequently. Kain will forever be the anti-hero above all other anti-heroes. Nosgoth could of used more fleshing out but I love what we were given regardless.
“I could restore the world perhaps, but never again could I give Nosgoth back her innocence” closing this video with that snippet gave me serious chills down the spine. Bravo!
This actually makes too much sense. To seal an entire species out of the realm, you had to change the fundamental laws of nature itself. You are telling each part of nature that it rejects the Hyldan. That means as the planet dies, the seal does too, and as the Hyldan push against their lock they weaken the fabric of nature to bend to them. This would also explain why the demon world looks and behaves the way it does and even why the demons don’t look like Hyldan but very well might be. Because they have no place in nature, have been denied any sense of conflict between each other, they cannot die, etc. except when they come to Nozgoth and impose themselves on the laws of nature. Notice the only times they seem to keep cohesion in Nozgoth is when they have a conduit through another life form connected to the realm. They needed The Machine to bring The General to the world and were using turel and Mortanius before then.
I'm a massive french fan since 1996 of LOK. And it's so good to see all these videos you've made about this epic saga. Tell me did you planned to do the circle of nine? I really want to see Mortanius one for example
I love how some people still love the world of nosgorh and the legacy of kain. Unfortunately I've lost my friend who introduced me to this series to political differences but at least I know that this series transcends everything. Good story and characters will forever cement legacy things
@@hopebringer2348 yes and no. I love the movie and this shot in particular being the reflection in Morpheus glasses. The red pill for me is knowledge no matter how bad it hurts. My best friend in highschool is very far left leaning where I am pretty much dead center because I wish both sides would fuck off and leave me alone. So anything right of far far left is the equivalent to being a dolf quittler. Too bad really. Lot of good memories and never would have found this game without him. Ironic that this game being one of his favourites is that I am the one seeking my own path and answers while he is following the destiny someone else put down for him. History abhors a paradox.
Haha 😂well this series has an interesting world with so many questions, ofcourse it wouldn't die easy . I'm still craving more stories.... also, don't let politics ruin great bonds between bros .it's actually kinda sad . It's ok to disagree, but if your political views harbor serious and irrational hate and distrust, then maybe it's for the better .your political views can be left or right , but it can't be hating someone ,that's just silly. Like some people's who personality and political views are not like women or thinking they are less than. Like that's silly if that forms literally every opinion in your mind hah
You do the best LOK videos. I know we will never see the story continue in a way that is true to us hardcore fans but you give me hope. Even if it is like flipping a coin enough times one day it lands on its edge.
I played video games as a child (Mostly Atari 2600 & NES) but was never deep into it as other kids my age. Between the End of High School and the start of Jr College I played Warcraft 2 (Blizzard of 96) for 3 days straight at My Friend's house, received a bootleg Copy of Diablo and was stricken buy the Soul Reaver Commercials of the late 90's. I was always a Nerd, Just a nerd who worked out and played sports. To This Day I have never Experienced a more fulfilling game than the Legacy of Kain Series. Absolute Perfection. I was Appalled by Nosgoth FPS and was upset to hear the The Dead Son was never released (Only Teased by the online walk through).
I'm curious, since kain's been purified ( R.I.P Raziel) I assume his pillar has also been purified. But how world go about purifying the other pillars? Will Kain just turn 8 other humans into vampires hoping they become pillar guardians inevitably restoring the other pillars as well?
From what I understood: The other pillars are already purified, because Kain killed their respective guardian and brought an offering to the pillars in blood omen. The only one that is corrupted is the pillar of balance, preventing the pillars from choosing another successor. As Kain is purified of corruption, the pillars choose their new successors who are newborn babies (or I guess not necessarily babies). But Kain wants the pillars to belong to the vampires, and not the humans. Therefore he could seek out the new guardians, talk to them about the purpose of the pillars and convince them to receive vampirism. Creating a system where each new guardian becomes a vampire. Unless he can think of altering the way the pillars work so that they only choose vampires and not humans. In any case, I don't know how Kain could return the pillars to vampires permanently. Janos was going to turn the guardians into vampires, but moebius and mortanius rebelled. It could well happen again. But that he gets to purify nosgoth if it will happen thanks to raziel's sacrifice. Then we have the cancelled game legacy of kain: Dead sun, where the vampires are not mutants and nostgoth is healthy and purified. That confirms that Kain does achieve his goal, but he doesn't manage to completely destroy the Old God.
I greatly enjoy these Legacy of Kain lore videos. With any luck, the purchase of the Legacy of Kain licence by the Embracer Group might soon herald a renaissance for this excellent but underrated franchise.
I also thank you for all your work. Heads up, the following is long, and half-baked, and I'd like to share it with you. See, I'm a crazy man who has grown up with, effectively, 'dark fantasy' since I was 12 or so. Warhammer Fantasy, and 40k, and the World of Darkness (not as much), DND 3.5 (which in hindsight has really, really dark and disturbing artwork compared to more contemporary editions); related is me studying though not playing Planescape: Torment, itself a gem of story in video game form, liket Blood Omen. AND the Darkest Dungeon franchise is one of my favorite games of all time. And now that I'm older I realized that a) gah this screwed up my psyche and I didn't even know it till I grew older and b) all the above DO have grotesque but interesting lessons--philosophy, cosmology, the nature of malice (somewhat) and what happens when you strip away parts of being to see what is left--that I think can be applied to life. It is just that c) they have all been very tiring, very depressing. I've been toying with the idea of making an 'Index of Darkness'--think a forum and website where people can come together and discuss darkness, but not worship it. That's the horrid thing I caught myself almost doing, and looking at the ongoing fandoms (40k and WOD) I sometimes wonder if people do that. It would be a place to learn the lessons without the shock value of the dark settings. My aim with the Index of Darkness is to do what you do on a large but speedy scale. Like you, I've poured over the Blood Omen games, but that was time consuming. NOW, the whole idea is half-baked. I don't even know where to start, but I've a mind to do it. IF, IF it gets off the ground, look for a website with Darkest Dungeon style artwork. How long into the future? A decade, seeing as IRL events both national and personal are ongoing. BUT IF I can get it up and running, I'd love to have you as a speaker/...'scholar person'"? for the Blood Omen wing. Thank you, keep up the good work.
Ima big ole lore enthusiast and the Legacy of Kain series is in my top 3. Always appreciate whenever the channel gives love to this Shakespearian level story. May the Algorithm elder god smile upon this video. 🐙
I really enjoy digging farther into the Legacy of Kain Series. I always wanted to discover the Lore for myself but Try as I might I was never actually Beat any of the Games.
I cant wait for a part 2 for this as you said, Strickly Fantasy, that there's more places in Nosgoth that you have yet to cover that you didnt get to in this video. I love your Legacy of Kain content.
I get the feeling that the demon realm is a kind or world-between-worlds beyond Nosgoth rather than a part of it like the Spectral realm. The Hylden were cast there and locked out of the world. Maybe it's from wence the Elder God entered the world and was locked IN when the Pillars were erected Questions...
I think the elder god was a spectral creature that gained power. Like a slouagh that gained sentience. I think there was other squid-like creatures, and it killed them all.
Last time I was this early, Mortanius was still hiring assassins to murder Kain so he could ressurect him in the hopes that he would return to assassinate him
This was iuncredible. I thought myself a huge nerd fan of the Legacy of Kain series, but these videos are just Next Level Lore!!!! Seeing the entire history of Nosgoth laid out like this, in such concise detail, allowed me to finally see the entire chess battle war between the Hylden and The Elder God play out in almost real time. JFC, that Elder God was SUCH AN ASSHOLE!!!!!!! I think what really blew my brain was imagining the PATIENCE with which the Hylden regained a foothold into the Material Dimension. First by, probably, posing as either helpful spirits or dealmaking demons to the humans. The Hylden used whatever 'favours' they were capable of granting to allow their Chosen empowered humans to create an entire religion around murder, sacrifice and torture, while hiding behind the facade of Avernus Cathedral. Just... OMG... the meticulous, patient planning of this scheme to destroy the pillars/lock!!!!!!
Simple grimly and Marvelous Worldbuilding Lore of Nosgoth!! Nice analysis tour to the Kingdoms, Nations and other places of this undead but material realm!
Yeah I would love to know about the different realms in the series because before the pillars does that mean all three realm existed right by each other or did the pillars create them well at least hell
I’m stoked that I found your channel. I love this series so much! It’s nice to see so many others that feel this way. Your explanation of the lore is excellent! Thank you! 💗
I’ve been watching videos on LOK for YEARS and this is the first video in a long, long time where I actually learned new things about the lore. Please keep making this content. It’s the only way the franchise stays alive.
The World of Nosgoth as a Planet! I love that! Even as a "Super Continent". I can agree with that. Thanks for the video! So much history and knowledge behind the World of Nosgoth! 🙂
I have two questions about the pillers. 1. What is at the top? 2. How is the Elder God interacting with them? To be more specific, is the piller how he managed to get access to the cycle of rebirth for all you can eat souls?
I think I could listen to Simon Templeman read his shopping list, and it would still sound freaking great. The voice acting is one of the things that, I think, really elevates these games, even today. Yeah they are dated graphically and in the gameplay and design, but they still hold up. I try to replay SR1, 2, and Defiance every year or two, but since I've been watching your videos, I think I need to replay Blood Omen; I've forgotten some of the story beats and such. And who can ever get tired of "Oh please, help me kind sir..."
I'm so upset that I never pieced together the meaning of the three spears in _Defiance._ Really underestimated the dev team there. I assumed the titles were just trying to be edgy and cool, like the names of the special combat moves you can unlock. Also, I never really recognized those statues as Hylden. I thought they were just gross old ladies, like hags or harpies. But once you spelled it out . . . Wow. I feel like a total imbecile! Thanks so much for your insights.
To be fair in blood omen, they had people chained to walls pretty much everywhere, which was the style at the time, like when kain caught the ferry from stenchencroe to morganville, which is what they called uschtenheim back in those days...
Keep up the legend of Kane lore man you are a legend 👍 Your videos keep me so entertained I sometimes I end up watching your videos at night and end up falling asleep. So please keep up the good work 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for these great videos! I enjoy these very much! I don't know if it's an inaccuracy, but the way I remember it is that Ariel was Nupraptor's lover, and when she was killed her went mad. The corruption of the circle happened because Nupraptor was a psychic, the guardian of the pillar of the mind, and he inadvertantly projected his madness onto the other guardians as well. The corruption didn't happen because of Ariel's death, but because of Nupraptor's madness.
Amazing video! Nosgoth is, I think, every bit as much a character in the Legacy of Kain story as any other major player. Soul Reaver 2's differing depictions of Nosgoth depending on what era you were in gave the land a personality of its own. The Pillars, so influential in the story, always serve as a sort of temporal and spatial landmark. Before the Vampire/Hylden war, there were no Pillars; before Ariel's murder, the Pillars were pure and beautiful; after her murder, the Pillars are blackened, deteriorating, but not yet beyond redemption; Kain's refusal to martyr himself causes them to shatter into mere husks of what they once were. I hope someday, we get to see the Pillars and Nosgoth once again, but perfected and restored.
I would just like to point out that the first spoken words by raziel, do not necessarily indicate Nosgoth of being a world, but rather a place. A world can certainly be a place, But in the context of what is given it is not necessarily a world.
