Raziel

"Redeemer and destroyer. Pawn and messiah. Welcome, time-spanned soul. Welcome... to your destiny."

- Moebius

Raziel is one of the two lead characters of the Legacy of Kain series, who serves as protagonist of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Ordained by prophecy as messianic champion of both the Vampire and Hylden races, Raziel was originally born as a human in the Sarafan era and rose to become one of the elite Inquisitors of the Sarafan brotherhood. After his death (at the hands of his future self) Raziel was entombed along with his brothers in the Tomb of the Sarafan for a millennium before Kain raised him as the first of his Vampire sons. In Kain's empire, Raziel was Kain's 'prodigal son' and second-in-command, but when Raziel evolved before his master, growing a pair of wings, Kain ordered his execution in the Abyss.

Like Kain before him, Raziel was spared 'total dissolution' by a mysterious benefactor, the Elder God, who 'remade' Raziel as a soul devouring wraith and native of the Spectral Realm. Spurred on by the Elder God and Ariel to re-enter the Material Realm and settle his dispute with Kain and his brothers, Raziel gained the Wraith Blade (in reality his own future soul) and was lured by Kain into Nosgoth's past. Travelling through time, Raziel gradually uncovered his own messianic destiny as Vampire champion and abandoned his quest for Kain, seeking instead to restore Nosgoth itself and discovered his own terrible fate to be imprisoned in the Reaver. Temporarily spared from this fate by Kain, Raziel investigated further and uncovered his role as Hylden champion and assuming that Kain was the Vampire Champion (when in reality he [Raziel] himself was both). At the conclusion of Defiance, Raziel realized he was Champion of both races and accepted his fate, sacrificing himself to create the Soul Reaver, (imprisoning himself but simultaneously releasing himself from centuries of imprisonment) and dispersing the Spirit Reaver Wraith Blade into Kain to purify him of his corruption. Raziel has been voiced in all his appearances by Michael Bell.

Sarafan era (Soul Reaver 2)
Raziel was born as a human at some point in the Sarafan era. He would go on to join the Sarafan brotherhood, eventually reaching the highly respected rank of Sarafan warrior inquisitor, one of the order's elite. Raziel was one of the most skilled warriors of the Sarafan and this led to his seniority over fellow Inquisitors Melchiah, Zephon, Rahab, Dumah and Turel. Following the trail blazed by a 'Demon' (actually a future Wraith version of Raziel himself), Raziel infiltrated Janos Audron's aerie along with his comrades (Human Sarafan Inquisitors Turel, Dumah, Zephon and Melchiah) and personally took part in Janos' murder, tearing out the Heart of Darkness from Janos' chest, whilst Turel restrained Janos with Moebius's Staff. Ordering Dumah to recover the Reaver blade, Raziel and the rest of the Sarafan retreated to their stronghold as Janos' aerie collapsed around them.

Janos' murder had dire consequences for Raziel and his 'brothers', as the 'demon' (future Wraith Raziel) from Janos' Aerie]followed the Inquisitors back to the Sarafan Stronghold to avenge Janos' death and reclaim The Heart of Darkness, attacking the Stronghold at the same time as Vorador's legendary attack on the circle (at the same location and with the same motivation). In the chaos, the 'demon' recovered the Reaver blade and used it to dispatch several of the higher ranking Sarafan Inquisitors (see Melchiah and Zephon, Rahab and Dumah and Turel (SR2 boss)) and was diverted into the Sarafan Stronghold of the Sarafan Stronghold to face the sterner test of (Human) Sarafan Inquisitor Raziel. The Human Raziel would taunt the 'demon' Wraith Raziel about Janos' fate, eventually causing Raziel to lose his temper and lunge at the Inquisitor. After a hard fought battle, the virtually invulnerable 'demon' Wraith Raziel triumphed over his former Human self, impaling him on the Reaver and causing his lifeblood to be drained into the blade (see also Raziel (SR2 boss)). After his death, Raziel was entombed with the other 'martyr' Sarafan Inquisitors for a millennium in the Tomb of the Sarafan.

Post-Blood Omen 2 era
When Kain discovered a method of creating vampires for himself, he raised the six Sarafan martyrs to serve as his vampire sons; breathing part of his soul into them to 'snare their souls' and reanimate their corpses (but keeping them ignorant of their previous human lives); Raziel was the first of the six vampire lieutenants to be raised and Kain's "precious first born son"*. Presumably following Kain's method, each of his new lieutenants raised their own vampires, giving birth to the vampire clans (with Raziel raising the Razielim) providing Kain with an army with which to conquer Nosgoth. In Kain's New Empire, Raziel was one of the leading members of the council which ruled Nosgoth, with Raziel serving as Kain's "right hand"*.

Raziel served Kain and the council for roughly a thousand years and over the centuries, he gained many new gifts along with his 'evolution'; in this process, Kain would always "enter the state of change and emerge with a new gift"* first; and the lieutenants would follow "some years after the master"*. Raziel was the first to surpass Kain, entering the 'state of change' before him and when Raziel emerged, he was summoned to a council meeting (one account suggests that a wraith agent of the Elder God visited Raziel at this stage to deliver a prophecy of his oncoming struggle - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Comic).

At the Council meeting Raziel revealed his new gift, a pair of bat-like wings, to the council. Kain, in an apparent act of jealousy (though in reality recognizing the signs of vampire prophecy and seeing a chance to alter his fate), ripped the bones out of Raziel's wings and ordered his execution in the Lake of the Dead for his transgression. None of Raziel's 'brothers' questioned the order and Turel and Dumah actively participated in Raziel's execution, dragging Raziel to the Abyss and throwing him in. With the water of the Abyss burning vampires like acid, Raziel suffered a painful torment over many centuries and many parts of his body (including his jawbone) were dissolved away completely.

Soul Reaver era


Raziel plunged deep to the bottom of the Abyss, suffering "unspeakable pain" and "relentless agony", after centuries his torment receded "bringing [him] back from the precipice of madness", surprised that he had apparently survived the descent through the Abyss, Raziel looked over what he had become; having lost much of his muscle, organs, skin and his lower jaw, what remained had been 'bleached' a dark blue. Raziel used his cape to cover his facial disfigurement and found himself in a strange set of ruins in the Spectral Realm, where he was greeted by a deep ominous voice - that of the Elder God.

The Elder explained that Raziel did not survive the Abyss - he had merely spared Raziel total dissolution, using Raziel's soul to reaninmate the corpse Raziel lived in. The Elder also explained his Wheel of Fate to Raziel and how the Vampires curse of immortality trapped the "essence of life" (their souls) and prevented them from being spun in the wheel, stagnating the process and meaning souls "could not complete their destinies". Encouraging Raziel to avenge himself against Kain and his former brethren, Raziel became the Elder's "Soul Reaver - [his] angel of death" and as he progressed through the Elder's Lair, he was trained about his new existence and discovered that he had become a Soul-Consuming Wraith and a native of the Spectral Realm; requiring special Planar Portals, provided by the Elder God, to manifest in the Material Realm.

Upon returning to the Material Realm, Raziel discovered that several centuries (believed to be about 500 years*) had passed since his execution and in the interim the vampire clans had scattered and devolved, and Nosgoth, had become little more than a wasteland, "teeter[ing] on the brink of collapse" (and as pointed out by the Elder God, condemned to decay by Kain's fateful decision). Eager to learn how his own clan, The Razielim, had fared, Raziel returned to his own former stronghold, but found the Razielim City desolate and long abandoned, apparently the victims of a genocide initiated by Kain. Passing through his territory, Raziel was able to enter the Necropolis, territory of his youngest brother Melchiah. After fighting off the zombie-like Melchiahim, Raziel was able to confront the hideously bloated mass of the (d)evolved Melchiah and killing him was able to consume his soul, gaining the Phase Through Gates ability. (see Melchiah (boss)).

Using the Phase Through Gates ability, Raziel was able to enter the Sanctuary of the Clans and there he found Kain, who was apparently waiting for him. The two argued and fought before Kain "drew the Soul Reaver in anger" and attempted to strike Raziel down; but inexplicably, instead of consuming Raziel's soul, the ancient blade shattered. (see Kain (SR1 first encounter)). Knocked back to the Spectral Realm by the drain of his encounter with Kain, Raziel found and claimed the Wraith Blade (in truth a soul devouring wraith once imprisoned in the Soul Reaver blade and future incarnation of Raziel himself), which bound itself to Raziel becoming his symbiotic weapon. In the Spectral Realm, Raziel also met the spirit of Ariel, still bound to the collapsed pillars, and her situation provided Raziel with further motivation against Kain and his Empire; throughout the rest of his journey in Soul Reaver, Ariel would act as a guide to Raziel, much as she had millennia earlier for Kain.

Raziel next targeted his brother Zephon and was able to use the Wraith Blade to unseal the entrance to the Silenced Cathedral. Inside Raziel fought the spider-like Zephonim as well as their human followers and acending to the upper chambers of the Cathedral, Raziel found and killed the mantis-like (d)evolved Zephon. (see Zephon (boss) ). With Zephon defeated, Raziel consumed his soul gaining the ability to Scale Walls and using this ability he was able to progress beyond the Sanctuary of the Clans, where he found that Nosgoths cataclysms had exposed the ancient Tomb of the Sarafan. Entering the Tomb, Raziel discovered a terrible secret - that he and his brothers had been Sarafan Inquisitors in life; opposed to everything he believed as a Vampire. Outraged by Kain's blasphemy, Raziel continued on his quest, killing the Revived Turelim Tomb Guardian and gaining the Telekinetic Force Projectile ability.

With the aid of the Telekinetic Force Projectile, Raziel was able to enter the Drowned Abbey, which proved to be very hazardous with the abundance of water (which still dissolved his physical form) as well as the amphibious Rahabim Vampires. Eventually Raziel was able to confront and kill the fish-like (d)evolved Rahab by exposing him to sunlight and consuming his soul he gained the ability to Swim; allowing his Material  manifestation to survive immersion in water and take advantage of its bouyancy. (see Rahab (boss)). Swimming passed the Abyss allowed Raziel to travel north to the Dumahim City, but he found it abandoned and covered in corpses (at first Raziel suspected another vampire genocide but the Elder corrected him, telling him that the human vampire hunters were responsible). Finding Dumah apparently dead in his throne room, impaled by three large stakes, Raziel removed the stakes allowing Dumah's soul to re-inhabit his corpse as a Revived Vampire. Raziel lured the seeming invincible Dumah to a furnace where he burned him to death, consuming his soul and gaining the Constrict ability. (see Dumah (boss)).



On the advice of Ariel and the Elder God, Raziel pursued Kain into the Oracle's Caves, leaving only Turel  behind. As Raziel discovered Moebius' chamber, he was able to use constrict to uncover the Chronoplast. Passing through the Chronoplast, Raziel saw several visions of a possible future, before Raziel found and confronted Kain in the main chronoplast chamber. As the two fought once again, Kain teased Raziel about the nature of free-will and destiny before he finally activated the Chronoplast and retreated through one of the portals; luring Raziel after him. (see Kain (SR1 second encounter)). The Elder God briefly warned Raziel that by crossing the threshold, he would be "beyond [his] influence" but Raziel continued on regardless.

Time Travel (Soul Reaver 2)
"I wonder old one did you truly resurrect me or were you simply there when I awakened from my torment in the abyss? I suspect you found me merely convenient- dropped into your lair by Kain, indestructible for some reason, a durable and gullible tool for you to manipulate."

- Raziel

Pre-Blood Omen era
When Raziel emerged from the time portal, he discovered he had been moved from the Chronoplast and was now in a Time Streaming Chamber in the Sarafan Stronghold in the Pre-Blood Omen era, where he was greeted by Moebius, who admitted he had "snatched [Raziel] out of the time stream". Having heard Kain's tales about Moebius, Raziel was instantly suspicious of the timestreamer and even more so when Moebius' Staff disabled the Wraith Blade. Nevertheless, Moebius offered to help Raziel and directed him to Kain's whereabouts at the Pillars and encouraging him to kill Kain and "embrace the essence of [his] humanity and the nobility of [his] Sarafan heritage."



As Raziel explored the Sarafan Stronghold he discovered "evidence of [his] former nobility" as a Sarafan Inquisitor, finding several murals depicting the Sarafan murder of Janos Audron, The martydom of the Sarafan Inquisitors and Vorador's assault on the Circle of Guardians; as well as a chapel devoted to William the Just and memorializing Kain's murder of William as the catalyst of the crusades of Moebius's mercenary army. In William's Chapel Raziel found "the Soul Reaver itself laid out like a holy relic... And broken, apparently in the battle between William and Kain". As Raziel touched the Reaver, the Wraith Blade manifested and began to 'leech' Raziel's soul to restore the broken Reaver; taking him to the "brink of oblivion" with the Reaver restored, the Wraith Blade relented, but Raziel was now aware that the Wraith Blade was a "sentient parasite competing for control" (of little consolation was the ability to summon the Wraith Blade at will). Finding Moebius watching the process (without his staff), Raziel turned on him with the conjoined blades threatening him with destruction; only Moebius' revelation that he served the Elder God persuaded Raziel to spare him. Raziel left the Soul Reaver behind and journeyed out of the fortress. Witnessing the beautiful paradise that Nosgoth once was, Raziel's resolve to kill Kain deepened.

Leaving the Stronghold, Raziel traveled to the Pillars to confront Kain; on his way, Raziel discovered the impaled corpses of several of Nosgoth's early vampires, and realized that the crusades of Moebius' mercenaries were nothing but "ruthless persecution." When he arrived at the Pillars, Kain and Raziel debated the extent of Kain's guilt and culpability. As Kain discussed his birth and corruption, Raziel was able to witness the Pillars themselves corrupting first-hand; Kain moved on to explaining that his fateful decision was 'rigged' - neither his refusal nor his sacrifice would properly solve anything. Kain surprised Raziel by agreeing with him that the Pillars were "crucial and must be restored" and; hinting at both Vampire ownership of the Pillars and a 'third way' out of his dilemma (which apparently had something to do with Raziel); intrigued by Kain's words, Raziel allowed him to teleport away. Shortly afterward, Raziel discovered a large Sealed Door inscribed with an image of a blue-skinned winged creature alongside the symbol of the Reaver. Following the sealed passageway Raziel discovered a strange Subterranean Pillars Chamber along with several murals depicting an Ancient War that led to the creation of the Pillars (The Elder God also resided here and he derided the ancient legends as "lies").

Raziel progressed beyond the Pillars Chamber into The Swamp and soon found that his journey was being watched by the Vampire Vorador. Finding ancient ruins in the swamp, Raziel was able to open the sealed Dark Forge; where he found several Murals depicting the Ancient-Hylden War and was able to imbue the Wraith Blade with the elemental power of Darkness (this also activated the first elemental Fonts). When Raziel exited the forge he found Vorador waiting for him and though the Vampire clearly acknowledged him as something of a "savior", he was also somewhat suspicious of him. Vorador conceded that he believed Nosgoth was now beyond redemption and that Raziel was "simply too late" - all Raziel's answers lay with the long-dead Janos Audron. As Vorador teleported away Raziel realised he had a method of reaching Janos with the Time Streaming Chamber in the Sarafan Stronghold and he resolved to re-enter the fortress. Uncovering the ancient Light Forge hidden in the cliffs of the Great Southern Lake, Raziel was able to imbue the Light Reaver, whose projectiles could be used to activate Light Crystals and allow him to re-enter the Sarafan Stronghold.

As Raziel passed back throughthe Stronghold he found Kain waiting for him in William's Chapel, This time Kain revealed more about the very nature of history and destiny; explaining that "history is irredeemable" unless two versions of the Soul Reaver "meet in space and time" - a situation which causes a paradox that allows alterations to history (this is what happened when Kain killed William). Kain gave Raziel the physical Soul Reaver blade (hilt first) causing the Wraith Blade to manifest, enabling the Paradox necessary to kill Kain. The Wraith Blade unexpectedly lunged at Kain and Kain confessed that this was the moment he was destined to die - but urging Raziel to prove his free will and spare him. Raziel fought the Wraith Blade and at the last second, he managed to divert the blade, sparing Kain and changing history (from the Second to Third timelines), though once again leaving the Soul Reaver behind. When Raziel reached the Time Streaming Chamber he found Moebius there, greatly alarmed by Raziel's refusal to kill Kain. Once again though Moebius was without his staff and Raziel threatened the timestreamer with the Light Reaver, making him activate the Time Streaming Chamber to take him backwards in time to the Sarafan era.

Post-Blood Omen era
When Raziel emerged from the Time Streaming Chamber, he found himself in a ruined Sarafan Stronghold assailed by Demons. Shortly afterwards he found and met the (supposedly) martyred spirit of Moebius himself, who confirmed that he had sent Raziel to the Post-Blood Omen era, a century after the collapse of the Pillars and stranded him there as a way to prove to Raziel the horrors unleashed by Kain's decision. Raziel doubted the timestreamer's motivations and that he "even [was] a spirit" (the 'spirit' would later be confirmed as one of Moebius' illusions). Exploring this era, Raziel found it overrun with Demons and that humans had adapted to their presence, becoming Demon Hunters. Travelling to the Pillars, Raziel met the bound spirit of Ariel, trapped there for over a century and still bitterly lamenting her fate; angry at her successor Kain for his decision to abandon the Pillars and keep her imprisoned. Debating the extent of Kain's guilt with Ariel, Raziel found himself defending Kain's actions to her, before he grew weary of tormenting the captive spirit and left.

In the Subterranean Pillars Chamber, Raziel also discovered the Elder God who chastised him for his failure to kill Kain, Raziel however was beginning to question the motivations of the Elder God, seeing how he thrived "as Nosgoth descend[ed] into madness and misery". Accusing the Elder of being a greater parasite than the vampires he despised, Raziel rejected his authority and began his defiance of the Elder. Pressing North in the Mountains, Raziel passed through Uschtenheim and soon after discovered the ruined retreat of Janos Audron; where he was met by the time travelling Kain (who was "biding [his] time"). Kain and Raziel discussed Moebius's motivations and the apparent conspiracy confronting them, before Kainteleported away. Nearby, Raziel found the Sealed Air Forge and (after finally learning that the Ancients were "Nosgoth's first Vampires") he was able to imbue the Wraith Blade with elemental Air. Using the Air Reaver, Raziel was able to 'blow-open' the Cracked Door to an abandoned Time Streaming Chamber in The Swamp and activating the mechanism, Raziel travelled through time once more.

Sarafan era
Finding himself in the Sarafan era, Raziel returned to Janos' Aerie and found the retreat "intact and unblemished" - with the Sarafan massing their forces below in Uschtenheim. Desperate to reach the Ancient Vampire before the Sarafan found him, Raziel entered the Aeire, and discovered it was clearly built for winged beings, but using the elemental powers of the Wraith Blade and a set of Blood Basins and Bloodstone Bridges, Raziel was able to ascend to Janos' balcony at the very top of the building. Finally meeting with Janos, Raziel discovered that the ancient Vampire had been waiting for him - apparently as some sort of Vampire Champion - He tried to give Raziel the Reaver Blade (not yet the Soul Reaver), but before he could do so, the Sarafan Inquisitors burst into the chamber (led to Janos by Raziel's 'blazing' through the retreat) and armed with Moebius' Staff they had Janos at their mercy. Janos attempted to save Raziel from the Sarafan, teleporting him away to the Sealed Fire Forge; Raziel hurriedly imbued the Fire Reaver and was able to unseal the door to return to Janos' chambers.

Returning just in time to witness Janos' murder, Wraith Raziel watched in horror as the Human Sarafan Inquisitor Raziel (his former self) committed the deed; ripping out Janos heart and ordering Dumah to recover the Reaver, before the Inquisitors retreated to the Sarafan Stronghold. Following Janos's last words, Wraith Raziel resolved to recover the Reaver Blade (apparently forged "for [him] alone") and the Heart of Darkness (realising the ultimate purpose of the relic; in restoring Janos Audron to 'unlife'). Strangely assailed by Demons from the far future (who now taunted Raziel about his destiny), Raziel passed through the Subterranean Pillars Chamber once again, where the Elder God addressed him with "ominous finality". Re-entering the Sarafan Stronghold (at the same time as Vorador's attack on the circle there), Raziel found the Reaver blade conveniently laid across his path and though suspicious of the blade, the entrance of Malek and Moebius along with Moebius' Staff (which disabled the Wraith Blade) left Raziel with no other choice of weapon. With Moebius and Malek's retreat, Raziel found he was unable to put down the Reaver; though its powers had also "made [him] invincible".

Fighting his way through the Stronghold, Raziel was confronted by his former human Sarafan Inquisitor (and vampire) brethren and Raziel was finally able to "appreciate the delicious irony of Kain’s blasphemous, private joke" as he killed them in turn; killing Melchiah and Zephon in the Courtyard (see Melchiah and Zephon), Rahab and Dumah in 'Sanctuary' (see Rahab and Dumah) and Turel in the Sanctuary choir (see Turel (SR2 boss)) before confronting his former human self in the Chapter House and dispatching him as well (see Raziel (SR2 boss)). As the Human Raziel died, the Wraith Blade manifested and the conjoined blades turned on Raziel impaling him on the Reaver, prompting Raziel to realize that the Reaver had not been forged as a soul consuming weapon - the soul devouring entity trapped in the blade "was and always had been" Raziel; and that imprisonment in the Reaver was his destiny. However at that moment Kain appeared and using some precise timing he was able to ignite a Soul Reaver Paradox and change history; creating the fourth timeline and temporarily sparing Raziel from his fate. Too weak to maintain his physical manifestation, Raziel dropped into the Spectral Realm (missing Kain's warnings about raising Janos) and here he found the Wraith Blade - his "own soul twinned and bound eternally to [him]" - proof that his destiny had merely been postponed.

Time Travel (Defiance)
"Better to Face one's destiny than cower from it"

- Raziel

Blood Omen era
Weakened to the point of exhaustion, Raziel had returned all the way to the Elder God in the Underworld, but he still maintained his defiance; refusing to submit to its will. When the Elder accused Raziel of cowardice (by staying there rather than go and meet the Reaver blade), Raziel resolved to "face his destiny" and temporarily feigned submission to the Elder, assissting in the elimination of some Sluagh. When the opportunity presented itself however, Raziel escaped the Elder's Lair into the Spectral Realm, but found that his 'escape' was merely a relaxing of his restraints as the Elder removed the Planar Portals providing Raziel access to the Material Realm. Exploring the Cemetery, Raziel found that he could take Possession of corpses to re-enter the Material Realm (tearing their flesh away to reveal his wraith form) and returning, he discovered that once again his long stay in the Underworld had cost him five centuries and he was now in the Blood Omen era; at the time of the crusades of Moebius' Mercenary Army and the fledgeling Kain's quest.

Unable to leave the Cemetery without the elemental powers of Light and Darkness, Raziel found that the Reaver Fonts he had previously used were gone (with the Elder God  responsible); he would have to find new, more permanent enhancements for the Wraith Blade. Exploring the Cemetery further, Raziel found some ancients ruins and was able to transport himself to the sealed Dark Forge in the Vampire Citadel where he was able to imbue the Dark Reaver. Passing through Kain's Mausoleum, Raziel found some other ancient ruins and was able to warp himself to the sealed Light Forge in the Vampire Citadel. Imbuing the Light Reaver, Raziel was able to leave the Cemetery on the path to the Pillars, hoping that the spirit of Ariel would be able to provide some of the answers he sought.

Near the pillars, Raziel found the warp to the Fire Forge and with the Wraith Blade absorbing the souls of the original ancient Nature and Conflict Guardians (see Vampire Conflict Guardian (boss) and Vampire Nature Guardian (boss)), Raziel imbued the Fire Reaver. The murals of the forge also gave him the first clues about his imprisonment in the Reaver; showing that Vorador was the creator of the blade (and more significantly the first 'turned' vampire). Meeting Ariel at the Pillars (at the earliest point in her history that Raziel had met her) Raziel found her to be less than helpful in this era; she refused to help Raziel, seeming to view him as a member of the Hylden race and serving the conspiracy that corrupted the Pillars. Ariel did however, provide Raziel with directions to Vorador's Mansion in the Termogent Forest. Along the way, Raziel discovered the warp to the Air Forge and by absorbing the souls of the original ancient Mind and Dimension Guardians (see Vampire Mind Guardian (boss) and Vampire Dimension Guardian (boss)) into the Wraith Blade, he was able to imbue the Air Reaver; but the murals of the forge proivded a significant discovery - that the Vampire Champion that Raziel had believed he was, had an adversary - a Hylden Champion, and the two were destined to battle to the death.

Arriving at Vorador's Mansion, Raziel found the estate abandoned (aside from a few Revenants), but he was able to activate a secret warp to the Water Forge, where the Wraith Blade absorbed the souls of the original Ancient Death and States Guardians (see Vampire States and Death Guardians (boss)), imbuing the Water Reaver (the murals of the forge allowed Raziel to clearly see the Hylden Champion and recognize some of its features as his own). Using the powers of the Water and Fire Reavers, Raziel unlocked a strange crypt in the graveyard behind the mansion and here he found Vorador, apparently awaiting the arrival of Moebius' Mercenary Army. Vorador displayed the same suspicion of Raziel that he had in their last meeting, he confirmed that he "crafted the Reaver blade" but told Raziel that it was Janos and the other Ancients who enchanted it; Vorador did not know its purpose. Revealing that he had retrieved the body of Janos Audron, Vorador suggested that Raziel should "redeem [him]self" by restoring Janos using the Heart of Darkness (and that perhaps he alone could complete the task), telling him that the last known location of the heart was the city of Avernus. Before Raziel proceeded, Vorador told him that Avernus was in flames and warned him of the ancient 'Unspoken' evil that dwelt there.

Finding his way through to Avernus Cathedral, Raziel soon discovered the warp to the Earth Forge hidden in the Cathedral and once at the Earth Forge he was able to absorb the souls of the original Ancient Time an Energy Guardians (see Vampire Energy and Time Guardians (boss)) into the Wraith Blade, imbuing the Earth Reaver; from the murals in the forge Raziel was also able to work out that the Ancient Vampires had worshiped the Elder God and it was his abandonment after the Hylden Curse (which made the ancients immortal) that had led them to suicide in attempts to return to the Wheel of Fate. Returning to the Cathedral, Raziel was able to use the Earth Reaver to summon Earth Platforms enabling him to find a Dark Scripture hidden in the upper levels and returning the scripture to the main altar, Raziel opened a portal to the Avernus Catacombs. In the catacombs Raziel discovered murals depicting the Hylden side of the ancient war; how the Ancients had persecuted the Hylden  for their "refus[al] to submit to the Wheel of Fate" and one particular image showed the Hylden Champion as they saw him - the image unmistakably depicted Wraith Raziel and The Elder God confirmed to Raziel that he was indeed the Hylden Champion (implying the Kain therefore must be the Vampire Champion).

Pressing further into the Catacombs, Raziel discovered the source of the murals - the Cult of Hash'ak'gik (represented by Mortanius and several Cenobites), performing 'dark rites' to their god "Hash'ak'gik". As the ritual finished, Raziel ventured too close to the pit and was telekinetically attacked by "Hash'ak'gik", dragging him into the pit. As they talked Raziel realized that "Hash'ak'gik" was in fact his last remaining Vampire brother Turel, somehow taken back in time form the Post-Soul Reaver era, and Possessed by several Hylden to command their disciples. When Turel attacked Raziel, Raziel defended himself (see Turel (Defiance boss)) and eventually killed his brother, consuming his soul and finally gaining Enhanced TK (he also unknowingly absorbed a measure of the Hylden Possession and they were able to 'fuel Raziel's anger'). Confronting Mortanius (himself possessed by the Hylden Lord), Raziel learnt from him that he had used the Heart of Darkness to raise Kain as a Vampire (creating the Scion of Balance - who he believed was the Vampire Champion) and had hidden the heart inside him; as well as learning from the Hylden Lord that the Hylden would "soon have a stronger vessel". Mortanius teleported away to his final confrontation with the fledgling Kain.



As Raziel arrived back in the Cathedral he ran into the elder Kain; who had been looking for him - expressly to prevent the resurrection of Janos Audron. As the two argued about his fate, Kain told Raziel more of his free-will (due to his remaking in the Abyss), but angry at being directed by Kain, especially given their apparent roles (and Kain's possession of the vacant Reaver blade), Raziel goaded Kain into a battle. In this vicious grudge match, Raziel's soul began to be taken into the Reaver and in desperation he used his bare claws to rip the Heart of Darkness from Kain's chest before blasting  him through a portal to Kain's apparent death (see Raziel (Defiance boss) and Kain (Defiance boss)).

Making his way back to Vorador's Mansion, Raziel now found the estate over-run with Moebius' Mercenaries and a conversation with Moebius (presumably time travelling beyond his Blood Omen death) confirmed that "it didn't matter to us which [champion] either of you thought you were" as long as Kain died. Moebius left to see to Vorador's execution and his own death (seen in Blood Omen). Raziel returned to Janos' Crypt and was able to use Heart of Darkness (and the Wraith Blade) to resurrect Janos Audron; Janos recalled Raziel from their last meeting identifying him as the Vampire Champion once more; but this time Raziel would not be hurried into action, he revealed to Janos that five centuries had passed since his 'death' and demanded answers as to why the Vampires would forge a weapon to imprison their saviour. Janos believed that Raziel had been mislead, but Raziel's summoning of the Wraith Blade shocked Janos and caused him to fundamentally re-assess the complexity of the ancient prophecies, leading to him teleporting himself and Raziel to the council chamber of the Vampire Citadel.

At Raziel's insistance, Janos clarified some of the events of Ancient Vampire history to Raziel, before persuading him that he would find the answers he sought in the Spirit Forge. Opening the way using Janos' Golden Ouroboros Key, Raziel found the Spirit Forge protected by the Elder God, who like Moebius before him, confirmed that it was Kain's role as Scion of Balance that was significant. Using his previously gained elemental Reavers, Raziel was able 'fight off' the Elder God and activate the forge; which called the souls of all the previous Balance Guardians (represented by a restored Ariel) for "the final baptism of the blade". Absorbing the souls of Ariel and her predecessors, the Wraith Blade became imbued with the 'cleansing' elemental power of Spirit and as she faded Ariel advised Raziel that he must "unite what has been set asunder...Only then will the Scion of Balance be armed for his true endeavor". But with Kain dead, Raziel was more confused than ever and he returned to Janos in the council chamber of the Vampire Citadel.

Finding Janos staring intently at the Pillars Vista, Raziel reailzed that they had reached the time of the fledgling Kain's decision (from Blood Omen) where he doomed the Pillars to Collapse. With the 'explosive' Collapse of the Pillars, both Raziel and Janos were knocked clean across the room by the blast and when Raziel regained his footing, he found that the Hylden Lord was now in Possession of Janos. The Hylden revelled in his manipulation of Raziel; revealing that by resurrecting Janos, he had provided the "more durable vessel" that the Hylden required for their further plans (seen in Blood Omen 2); and that in resurrecting Janos he had already been forced to murder the Vampires savior, the Scion of Balance (Kain), to retrieve the Heart of Darkness. Desperate to prevent the Hylden's further plans, Raziel battled the Hylden Lord Possessing Janos (see Hylden Lord (boss)) but was unable to bring himself to kill Janos. Taking advantage of Raziel's weakness the Hylden Lord counter-attacked, dissolving Raziel's Material and Spectral manifestations (sending him back to the Elder God in the Spirit Forge) and flew away with Janos' body - starting "a new epoch". Trapped once again in the Underworld, The Elder God taunted Raziel that, however endowed, the Wraith Blade could not touch him; before calling (and resurrecting) Moebius to him in the Spirit Forge.

But Kain was not dead and presumably feeling the 'calling' of the Spirit Forge, he returned there and quickly dispatched the revived Moebius. With Moebius' spirit appearing before Raziel in the Spectral Realm, Raziel repeated Kain's actions, relishing as the Spirit Reaver cleansed Moebius' sight allowing him for the first time to see the true horror he had worshiped and taking particular pleasure as he consumed the timestreamer's soul, returning him to the Wheel of Fate. The Elder God dismissed Raziel's actions as "irrelevant", but Raziel began to see the truth - he was both the Vampire  and the Hylden Champions (with Kain's role as Scion of Balance completely seperate) and that the 'unseen' force that had manipulated "All the conflict and strife throughout history" was the Elder God  himself. Realizing what he had to do, Raziel Possessed Moebius' corpse to return to the Material Realm, prompting Kain to 'instinctively' run him through with the Reaver. As Raziel fully manifested Kain attempted to free him but Raziel had made his choice and he resisted, finally re-affirming his loyalty to Kain as he sacrificed himself; arming Kain, once again, with the Soul Reaver. As Raziel faded, he dispersed the Spirit Reaver Wraith Blade (his own future self) into Kain, cleansing him of the corruption that had plagued him since birth, healing all of his physical injuries and allowing him for the first time to see "the true enemy" - The Elder God. Using the Soul Reaver, Kain was able to 'defeat' the Elder God and after the battle, Kain comtemplated Raziel's last gift to him - "hope".

Imprisonment
Raziel's sacrifice would not be the end for Raziel's soul, he would continue to inhabit the Reaver blade; giving it a reputation for consuming the souls of its victims so that the blade itself became known as 'The Soul Reaver'. Imprisoned within the blade Raziel would become increasingly deranged as the centuries passed; the Soul Reaver itself would be held for large periods of its history by the Vampire Kain - first by the Elder post-Defiance Kain, then by the younger fledgling Vampire Kain (with temporary concessions to William the Just and The Sarafan Lord). After many centuries 'Soul Reaver' Raziel would be freed from his "corporeal prison", when Kain attempted to strike down Raziel's younger wraith incarnation with the blade; unable to consume his own soul, a paradox was created which shattered the physical Soul Reaver blade.

Restored to his "true form - a Wraith Blade", with his "energy unbound" (but still trapped as 'the spirit' of the Soul Reaver), the 'Wraith Blade' Raziel bound itself to his younger wraith self, becoming his symbiotic weapon and even the Wraith Raziel would come to recognise that the blade was a "sentient parasite" that was "wilful, ravenous and deranged" as it attempted to influence many aspects of his journey. The Wraith Blade would be held by Raziel throughout his journey even as Raziel uncovered its true identity. After imbuing the Wraith Blade with many elements, Wraith Raziel took the Wraith Blade with him back to the Spirit Forge in the Blood Omen era, Where the Spirit Reaver enpowered 'Wraith Blade' Raziel was finally freed; dispersed into Kain to heal him of the Corruption.

Personality
Raziel is a very upstanding and moral character, with a strong inherent sense of noblesse oblige; however, the conditions and situations he finds himself in (almost never of his own making) rarely lend themselves to unambiguous ethical judgments and he often ends up doing the wrong thing for the right reason. As a mortal man, he engaged in the systematic extermination of countless Vampires in his fanatical quest to rid the world of his perception of evil. As a Vampire he helped Kain establish his empire, under the controversial belief that Vampires deserved (as a higher form of life, and thusly "knowing better") to rule the world. He became The Soul Reaver, the state he found himself in after being "betrayed" by Kain and his brethren, then "saved" by the Elder God, by being thrown into the Abyss, a swirling vortex of water. (Its depth is such that it could almost be described as endless although its exact depth is not known for sure.) he stalked Kain and massacred his former brethren, prevaricating that he was not only exacting vengeance, but just settling the balance of existence. He often finds himself the willing or unwilling pawn of those around him, for good or evil. His systemic redemption is found in his final act, one of self-sacrifice. This puts him in harmonic opposition to the character of Kain (though he sacrifices himself not only to escape his curse of infinite death/rebirth cycle or to help defeat "the true enemy", but also for Kain - to whom he pledges allegiance), whose behavior is characterised by viciousness, manipulation and the belief that every person and thing is utterly expendable, but whose actions generally turn out to be right, because he defies those around him, most of whom turn out to be directly or indirectly in league with evil. Kain proudly admits his actions are motivated by lust for power and revenge (but he truly was predestined to become a tyrant, only in a quest for survival and because of Nupraptor's curse, at his birth), while Raziel unrelently claims his sole motivation is a desire to save the world and that he is solely guided by morals. Raziel unrelently switches from one master (often a manipulator) to another (Moebius and the Sarafan, Kain, the Elder God, Ariel, Janos Audron, Kain - again, Raziel is either being lied to or being told half-truths or what they think the truth is.), while Kain only follows orders when they suit him and never trusts anyone (not even his only love Umah, the female Vampire who cared for him during his comatose sleep in Blood Omen 2 ).

Development

 * See Shifter (character)