Tonight's installment...

Soul Reaver 2

After confronting Kain in the Chronoplast Chamber, watching as his former master evaded pursuit by slipping into a time portal and then following the elder Vampire through the vortex, Raziel emerges in a small room located deep within the ancient Sarafan Stronghold. The soul devourer is greeted by the devious Moebius, who explains to Raziel that he has been transported to the era 30 years before Kain's death. Raziel responds to his company's words by unleashing the Wraith Blade and approaching the Timestreamer menacingly, intending to kill the deciever. Moebius responds by activating his scepter, which, curiously enough, does not disable Raziel but the Wraith Blade instead. Raziel, amused by this, offers to kill Moebius with his bare hands instead, and in a pleading attempt to stay his attacker's hand, the deciever professes that he wishes an alliance with the demon. He claims that he too wishes Kain dead for the restoration of the Pillars, and since they hunt a common enemy, they are allies. Raziel relents and hears what the Timestreamer has to say.

First, Moebius informs Raziel that he knew he would not kill him. His role as the Time Guardian offers him a great level of omniscience, allowing him to see each individual path and stream of time's flow. He knows even at this point that his life is destined to end 30 years later at Kain's hands. He then goes on to explain that although they are in the heart of the Sarafan Stronghold, the Sarafan Order has been extinct for hundreds of years. At this point in time, only Moebius' mercenary army of vampire hunters remains, and in comparison, they're not nearly as majestic or "heroic" as the Sarafan were reputed. (Make note, Raziel is currently in an era 20 years after the death of King William and 30 years before the events of Blood Omen. During this time period, Moebius' Vampire Hunter Army is in full effect, actively hunting down every last Vampire until their creed has been made extinct.)

Moebius concludes his palaver with Raziel by informing him of Kain's current whereabouts. The two men enter a small, circular stone room with a large, ornate stone basin filled with water resting in the center. (Anyone that has played Blood Omen will recognize it as the very room in which Vorador massacred the six members of the Circle.) Moebius waves his hand over the surface of the water and suddenly an image is reflected upon it. Raziel sees Kain standing in wait at the Pillars, and in this age they still stand pure and untarnished. Moebius instructs Raziel to seek Kain out and bring his life to an end. Only with Kain's death can Nosgoth's future be preserved.

Raziel leaves Moebius' company and makes his way through the large fortress. Along the way he encounters numerous Sarafan artifacts and images, the most telling of which is a large circular room built in memory of the Sarafan Inquisitors. There are detailed murals on each wall depicting each of the five Inquisitors and a large gold statue crafted in Raziel's Sarafan image. He also notices an ornate stained glass window depicting the Ancient Vampire Janos Audron. The scene in the window depicts the lond-dead Janos as a demonic, bloodthirsty entity that preyed upon the helpless people of Uschtenheim, a small town just at the base of Audron's mountain aerie.

Eventually, he finds his way to the largest segment of the Stronghold, a large chapel-like room with stained glass windows, stone columns and a large section of the back cut off with large steel gates. Passing through the gates, Raziel sees that it is a memorial, with a large stone casket resting in the center. Approaching closer, he sees that the person being immortalized is the young, deceased King William the Just. Raziel recounts the story told to him by Kain, that they battled, each armed with their own incarnation of the Soul Reaver blade.

And that's when Raziel begins to notice that something is terribly wrong. As he stands there gazing at the large stained glass window lionizing William and demonizing Kain, he realizes that everything around him is fluctuating wildly, the air vibrating, the floors and walls expanding and contracting. It is then that he looks down at William's casket and realizes that laying on top of the stone figure of William is the Soul Reaver. However, the blade is shattered in two, apparently having been broken in the battle with Kain. Raziel reaches out and grasps the physical blade and watches as the Wraith Blade uncoils down his arm and snakes down the length of the blade, mirroring it's twin. It is then that Raziel's grasp suddenly tightens, pain surging through every passage in his body. The Wraith Blade is leeching away his own life to repair the broken blade!

Finally, the torrent subsides and the Reaver lay whole again upon the stone coffin. Raziel realizes in shock that all along, the Wraith Blade has been asleep. No more than a symbiotic weapon attached to his arm. Now that it has undergone the Reaver Convergence, it has fully awakened, a ravenous, violent parasite competing with Raziel for control. From this point on, the Reaver will no longer function as it had before. Raziel will now be capable of activating the Wraith Blade whenever he wishes, however, doing so will mean a few negative effects in return. First, Raziel will have to sacrifice to the Wraith Blade the souls of any creature he kills with the Reaver. In addition, if Raziel feeds the Wraith Blade too much too quickly, the weapon will eventually lose control of it's hunger, blindly siphoning energy off of the nearest availble target: Raziel himself. Under these circumstances, Raziel must use the Reaver with caution, saving it for when he truly needs it and using conventional weapons or his bare hands otherwise.

Shocked at this turn of events, Raziel wheels around, hearing footsteps approaching from behind. There stands Moebius, whom Raziel insists is responsible for orchestrating this event. Moebius cries innocence, blaming the Convergence on Kain's machinations. Raziel raises his weapon, preparing to strike Moebius down once and for all. Raziel tells the Guardian that death comes for all people at some point, and Moebius solemnly responds that he is most certainly right. It is the nature of the Wheel of Fate. Raziel, shocked by this statement, halts his advance. Moebius clarifies, saying that the two of them serve the same God. He explains to Raziel that the Wheel of Fate, the inexorable cycle of birth, death and rebirth and the Elder God that Raziel has been serving all along are the same creature. They are allies in more ways than one.

Willing to stay his hand for the time being, but still not willing to pledge his allegiance to Moebius, Raziel exits the Stronghold, making his way for the Pillars. As the demon exits, the doddering soothsayer's demeanor changes from that of a trembling sycophant to that of a venomous snake. He turns to himself, smiling, admitting under his breath that Raziel almost had him, but that would be the last opportunity the demon would ever have.

As Raziel emerges outside, he sees Nosgoth for the first time in his life in it's pristine and beauteous form. He sees the healthy Pillars stretching infinitely into the bright sky, which is unmarred by the clouds of ash that blanketed the only Nosgoth he had ever known. As he makes his way towards the Pillars, he marvels at Nosgoth's beauty and scenery. Then suddenly, the picturesque image is shattered as he comes upon a group of long-dead Vampires, impaled on large wooden poles imbedded in the ground. Some have had their heads removed, some have had their skin flayed off, many have been profaned and defiled in numerous other ways. There are clusters of them impaled everywhere, and Raziel is mortified. By this point in his journey, he has come to think of Vampires as a pestilence, a parasite causing the decay of the world that absolutely must be wiped out. But, regardless of his opinions, he despises seeing his own brethren humiliated and disgraced in such a manner. There is nothing noble or righteous about Moebius' crusade, it's just blind persecution. It is at this point that Raziel's simultaneous hatred of mankind begins to re-awaken within him.

Reaching the Pillars, Raziel spies Kain admiring their pristine form for the first time since restoring and then immediately re-damning them so long ago. He quietly unleashes the Reaver and stealthily approaches Kain's back. Still standing a good ten feet from his quarry, the elder Vampire announces that he knows his young apprentice is there. He was just waiting to see if Raziel would give his former master any credit by not taking his senses so lightly.

Kain admonishes Raziel for allowing himself to be so easily manipulaed by Moebius. He warns the young demon to stay out of the Timestreamer's deceptive web. Raziel replies by asking if he would be better manipulated by Kain, sarcastically questioning Kain's moral fiber. He demands that Kain turn and face him because the chase is over, and it is time for the old Vampire to die. Kain replies that this is not a chase; they are simply being compelled to live out their destinies, their pre-ordained paths on the Wheel of Fate. He insists that he has seen the full spectrum of Raziel's and his own fate, however, he does not like the outcome, and as such, the two of them must rewrite history for their own good and for the good of Nosgoth. He asks Raziel to quell his desire for vengeance just long enough to let Kain explain a few things.

Kain asks Raziel to keep quiet, and during their silence they watch as the air around them ripples and darkens as if a thick poison spreads through the atmosphere. They hear a bloodcurdling scream of sheer misery echo through the world, and they watch as the pristine Pillars suddenly turn black and corroded. Kain explains that Raziel has just witnessed the corruption of the Pillars. At this very moment, Nupraptor has discovered his lover's corpse and has psychically transmitted his agony to every member of the Circle, including Kain, who at this very moment is only a few minutes old. He explains to Raziel that this was an expertly calculated attack, and it would be the catalyst for much darkness in the land of Nosgoth for many years. He recounted the tale of his decision at the Pillars and his refusal of the sacrifice. He presents the situation using a coin toss as the metaphor. On one side, Kain sacrifices his own life to save Nosgoth but he kills the entire Vampire race in the process. On the other side, Kain saves himself, ruling Nosgoth in it's damnation. Either way, the game is rigged and Nosgoth loses. Raziel responds, irritated and impatient, that after all this blathering Kain has made Raziel's point for him. In order to save Nosgoth, Kain must die so new Guardians can be reborn. Kain responds that the Pillars don't belong to the humans...they belong to the Vampires.

Kain then states that there is more to the story than it would seem.

Kain: There's a third option. A monumental secret, hidden in your very presence here. But it's a secret you have to discover for yourself. Unearth your destiny, Raziel. It's all laid out for you here.

Raziel: You said it yourself, Kain. There are only two sides to your coin.

Kain: Apparently so. But suppose you throw a coin enough times...suppose one day, it lands on its edge.

With that, Kain teleports away from the Pillars, leaving Raziel to his own devices. Confused, Raziel questions why he allowed Kain to escape, and then realizes that there is far more to the picture than he originally imagined. He leaves the Pillar Sanctuary and comes across a large stone door set into a cliff face, emblazoned with images of the Reaver and an image of a blue-skinned, cloven-clawed winged creature, very similar to Raziel himself. Inserting the Wraith Blade into a hole in the door, the ancient barrier opens itself for possibly the first time in millenia, and he enters.

Making his way through a series of underground passages, Raziel eventually enters a chamber directly blow the Pillars. The stone columns descend into the earth and into this circular cavern. The walls are adorned with more images of that same blue-skinned race of creatures, and Raziel makes comparisons between them and himself, noticing their angelic features while his are more demonic. The murals depict a war with a beastly race of grey-skinned creatures, and the soul devourer can find no way to further decipher their true meaning. It is then that Raziel hears a familiar voice emanating from the depths of a large pool of water underneath the central platform. It is the Elder God, and he is not pleased that Raziel allowed Kain to escape.

Immediately, Raziel responds in an insolent tone, expressing that he'd hoped his contact with the Elder God had been ended. The Elder God reminds Raziel of his duty, to destroy Kain, and Raziel responds sarcastically, reconsidering his blind adherence to the Elder God's previous demands. He further mocks the Elder God by asking if he thought Moebius' faith would falter if he was informed that he was actively worshipping a giant squid. The Elder God tires of Raziel's insolence and sends him on his way, reitarating that the demon is indebted to him and his final task still needs to be fulfilled. Raziel responds that when he kills Kain it will be for his own reasons and no one else's.

Raziel emerges from the underground passageways in the Termagent Forest Swamp, and upon arriving, notices a strange figure watching him from a high stone balcony. Raziel immediately identifies the figure as the Vampire Vorador. He takes note of Vorador's watchful sentries, a large number of crows that allow Vorador to see anything they spy. The elder Vampire vanishes afer a few moments, while his crows continue to watch the young demon. Further exploring the swamp, he eventually finds his way up to the terrace he had seen Vorador on before. He sees another large stone door built into the wall, emblazoned with the symbol of the Reaver. He inserts the Wraith Blade and enters.

Raziel comes to learn that he has entered an ancient shrine known as the Dark Forge, a structure built for the purpose of imbuing the Reaver with the elemental power of Darkness. All across the Forge he views numerous murals depicting the battle between the blue-skinned Ancients and their ghastly adversaries. After activating the Forge, Raziel uses it to give his Wraith Blade the power of Darkness, turning the blade into a writhing band of black energy.

Exiting the Dark Forge, he finds Vorador waiting for him on the terrace. The elder Vampire is not very welcoming, questioning Raziel's presence and appearance, stating that he is certainly not human and appears to be more of a demon than a Vampire. He then states his reasons for distrusting Raziel, saying that he has watched Raziel emerge from the Sarafan Stronghold, arriving in Nosgoth at the same time as the corruption of the Pillars and blithely unlocking vampiric secrets that have remained forbidden for thousands upon thousands of years. He states that the path Raziel is currently on is open to only one individual. He then realizes and vocalizes a question, asking if Raziel is aware of who he truly is. Understanding that the answer doesn't matter, he proclaims that Nosgoth is beyond redemption and that he can confidently allow the human cattle to keep ownership of it. Raziel replies saying that he expected better than this from Vorador. The elder Vampire responds that centuries of persecution have taught him to stay out of human affairs. Raziel asks Vorador what he should make of everything he's seen. The murals, the Reaver itself and the fulfillment of some sort of prophecy that Raziel does not fully understand. Vorador explains that it doesn't matter what Raziel does. The only Vampire in existence that could clarify the situation, the Reaver Guardian, Janos Audron was murdered 500 years prior and his answers died with him. Disappearing, Vorador explains that Nosgoth and everyone in it, has simply run out of luck.

Returning to the Elder God's Chamber, Raziel asks what he is to make of these murals and such. The Elder God explains that they are the failed attempts of a dead civilization to re-write the future. He warns Raziel that there are dark forces at work intent on subverting Raziel's destiny. Raziel mockingly says that he knows of these dark forces, but questions if he's in their presence right now. The Elder God warns Raziel that his insolence will only be tolerated for so long. Raziel replies that those threats are pointless, he is beyond the Elder God's reach.

Raziel decides to return to the Sarafan Stronghold to demand that Moebius send him back to Janos Audron's era so he can have his questions answered. On the way, he discovers the entrance to another Forge, this one imbued with the elemental power of Light. Raziel activates the Forge, forges the Light Reaver and continues towards the Sarafan Stronghold.

Re-entering the Stronghold, Raziel enters the chapel and spies a dead vampire hunter with his throat torn out, lying on the ground. He immediately knows that he is once again in the presence of his malefactor, Kain, and demands that he show himself. Kain beckons him to King William's memorial, and there Raziel sees his former master, gazing upon William's casket. He explains to Raziel that this is the apocalyptic moment of their undoing, that this is a crucial moment in their fates. He explains that their meeting in this place is not by choice, they were compelled to meet here. They have always met here. This scene has played out countless millions of times over the course of history, but this time, Kain intends to make it different. He explains that free will is an illusion. You can fight fate, change tiny little details, but the outcome will always be the same. Had Kain chosen not to come here and had chosen not to beckon Raziel as he just did moments ago, the outcome would have remained the same anyway. Free will is an illusion.

Except...what about King William? If fate truly is infallible, if the outcome truly is always the same, how was Kain able to divert the flow of history by killing William? The answer is in the Reaver. The Soul Reaver is the most powerful weapon ever forged, and within it lies the key to unlocking the power of the Pillars. One Reaver in one place and time is powerful enough, but two of them is catastrophic. That's why Raziel felt that sense of displacement and fluxuation when he approached the Reaver before, that's why he's feeling it now, so close to the Reaver at this moment. Kain felt the same thing while he was fighting William. Two Reavers in the same place at the same time can have a disabling effect on the flow of history. Fate can be altered under those conditions.

Concluding his explanation, Kain picks up the Reaver blade and approaches Raziel. The soul devourer immediately unleashes the Wraith Blade and warns Kain not to take another step in his direction. Kain replies that Raziel has misinterpreted his intentions as he turns the hilt of the blade towards Raziel and hands him the sword. The Wraith Blade snakes down the length of the physical sword and Raziel raises it to Kain's throat, confidently stating that he could kill Kain where he stands. Kain replies that that is exactly what is supposed to happen. Suddenly, Raziel's face is awash with horror as he feels history itself tug at his arm, trying to force him to kill Kain. Kain commands Raziel to fight it, to use every ounce of willpower in him to resist. If he can avoid killing Kain, they will be one step closer to achieving their goal. Raziel strains against the pull of history and in one final blinding moment of agony, Raziel raises the sword above his head and slams it through William's coffin, cutting it in two, burying the sword up to the hilt. Kain remains alive.

Moments later, the two feel the world around them violently shaking, straining itself to re-order the flow of time to accomodate this massive change. Kain was supposed to die, but Raziel altered that, and now the future must be rearranged to suit the change. After the violence subsides, Kain congratulates Raziel of being a champion of free will, for allowing the two of them enough of a future to restore Nosgoth to it's intended state. Raziel, disconcerned with being a champion of anything, leaves Kain's company to seek Moebius and a passage back to the time of Janos Audron.

He arrives shortly thereafter in the Timestreaming Chamber that he arrived in. As he enters, Moebius rushes in fretful and genuinely distressed. Raziel takes a considerable amount of joy in seeing Moebius in such a state of disarray, mocking him repeatedly. Moebius attempts to regain control of the situation be admonishing Raziel for not killing Kain when he had the chance. Raziel responds that he chose not to because he was capable of choosing not to. He exerted his own will for once instead of the will of everyone else. And on that, he states that it's now his turn to do some manipulating. He unleashes the Wraith Blade and commands Moebius to set the Timstreaming Device for an era in which Janos Audron still lives. Complying, Moebius activates the device and sends Raziel on his way.

Raziel materializes in the same room, only in a different time period. Stepping out of the Chamber, however, he can see that he has been betrayed. The Sarafan Stronghold is now a ruins, with rain pouring in from giant gaps in the ceiling. As he makes his way through the ruins, he is attacked by a new breed of warrior. Not vampire hunters. Their methods are much more attuned and much more precise than that. He comes to realize very quickly what they actually are: demon hunters. Raziel has been tossed 100 years after Kain's refusal at the Pillars, in an era where Nosgoth is being assaulted by otherworldly demons, which is evidenced to him several times in the Stronghold alone. Making his way out, Raziel stumbles across a massive gold statue of Moebius, lionized, holding the severed head of Vorador. Just as he's about to exit the fortress, he hears the voice of Moebius and turns to see his disembodied spectre floating a few feet away. Moebius admonishes Raziel, stating that his refusal to kill Kain has caused this nightmarish landscape. Raziel comments that he has no idea how in the hell it could possibly be his fault that Nosgoth turned out this way. He states that the Timstreamer's logic is flawed and should peddle his lies elsewhere. He then goes on to accuse Moebius of speaking nothing but mistruths, questioning if the Timestreamer is even actually dead. He then states that he has one surefire way of finding out though, and pulls down his cowl as though prepared to devour the Timestreamer's soul. Terrified, Moebius disappears as Raziel chuckles with satisfaction.

Exiting the Stronghold, Raziel comes to learn that the world outside of the ruins is no better than inside. Demons stalk the fields, demon hunters impede Raziel's progress and the sky is stained in a perpetual cover of black clouds. Raziel makes his way back to the Pillars, encountering Ariel while there. She laments about her plight, having been tethered to the Pillars, blaming Kain for it all. Raziel approaches her, and considering that it's a past incarnation of Ariel, she does not recognize him. He taunts her, saying that her years in limbo have deranged her mind. They argue as to Kain's responsibility for the decline of Nosgoth, she insisting that it is entirely his selfish fault and Raziel questioning if maybe his decision was the right thing to do. Eventually, she tires of his prodding and demands that he leave. Raziel obliges and continues on his way.

He travels once again through the Elder God's Chamber and the sight awaiting him digusts him to no end. There he sees the Pillars, broken, some snapped in half, while the Elder God's tentacles reach higher and higher through the cavern, wrapping around the ruined Pillars. Raziel muses that one might be so inclined to believe that it was the Elder God that was responsible for their decay, considering what he was looking at. He also stated that he found it quite ironic that the Elder God appeared to thrive in his cavern while the world outside crumbled. The Elder God then scolds Raziel for his failure to assassinate Kain. He claims that Kain's evil tongue has clouded the yound demon's judgment. Raziel continues with his mockery, laughing as he realizes the irony of the situation. The great enemy of the Vampires turns out to be the greatest parasite of them all. The Elder God warns Raziel, claiming that the soul devourer is his servant, and he can unmake him at will. Raziel responds that he is now beyond death, and so beyond the Elder God's threats. The Elder God responds that there are worse fates than death.

Raziel leaves, and re-enters the Termagent Forest Swamp, seeing the entrance to another Timestreaming Chamber hidden amongst the foliage. However, presently he is incapable of reaching it, for it is blocked by a thick, cracked stone door. Raziel continues onwards, finding new passages in the Swamp and eventually making his way through Uschtenheim to the base of Janos Audron's Aerie. He sees a large balcony built into the side of the mountain, but the roof has long since caved in, signaling Audron's demise nearly a millennium ago.

Suddenly, Raziel hears footsteps approaching behind him. He turns and sees Kain walking towards him, and reacts with disdain. Kain assures Raziel that he has not come for a confrontation. The two discuss Raziel's arrival in this time period, Kain stating that Moebius most likely sent him here so that he would be able to see the wasteland that Kain was solely responsible for. Raziel comments that Moebius' plans have had no effect, stating that if he honestly thought killing Kain would fix anything, he'd do it that very instant. Kain warns that there are dark forces intent on stopping the two of them, regardless of whether they are allies or not, their enemies see them that way, and as such, they must keep their eyes open. Because they have re-written the path of history, they are irritants in the flow of time. They must now tread carefully for history abhors a paradox, and if they push the boundaries of time too far, they could find themselves in a disastrous situation, which could possibly be exactly the outcome that their enemies are looking for. With that, Kain disappears and leaves Raziel to himself.

Exploring the mountains further, Raziel comes across yet another elemental forge, this one imbued with the power of Air. Raziel activates the forge and creates the Air Reaver, capable of blasting down compromised barriers, which is exactly the type of weapon he'll need to break into that secondary Timestreaming Chamber he spotted earlier.

Returning to the Termagent Forest Swamp, Raziel blasts down the door of the sealed Timestreaming Chamber and enters. There he finds a Timestreaming Device, unused and sealed for an unknowable amount of time. Incapable of knowing how to operate the device or how to set it for a specific time period, Raziel simply activates the mechanism, hoping to be fortunate enough to arrive in the desired era. He places his hands upon the magnetic poles and dematerializes, being whisked through the ether to an unknown time...

God Almighty, this one is going to take much longer than I expected. I'm gonna have to finish the rest tomorrow night. Blood Omen 2 will simply have to wait until Saturday. Anyway, tune in tomorrow night for the second half of Soul Reaver 2.