Termogent Forest

The Termogent Forest, also known as the Black Forest, was a massive swamp filled forest in central Nosgoth that appeared in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. The marshland was filled with crumbling ruins holding many secrets, weapons and powers. At the forest's western edge lay the Lake of the Dead and notably the ancient vampire Vorador made his home within the swamp. Vorador's Mansion stood at the centre of the Termogent Forest, the path leading there marked by the Ignis Fatuus, skull shaped torches that glowed with green energy.

Role
"Follow the glow of the Ignis Fatuus to the Termogent forest."

- Moebius

"Ignis Fatuus?"

- Kain

"The Ignis Fatuus lights the path to Hell, nobleman. Your path."

- Moebius

The Termogent Forest appeared in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain where it was a playable location visited by Kain in the course of reaching Vorador's Mansion. A nearby area called the Swamp was visited by Raziel as a playable location in Soul Reaver 2 and the Termogent Forest area itself was briefly revisited in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, where it was seen in cutscenes as Raziel visited Vorador's Mansion.

The Termogent Forest was first mentioned in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain in the chapter Find the Oracle as Moebius - in the guise of the "Oracle of Nosgoth" - instructed the fledgling vampire Kain to follow the Ignis Fatuus to the forest in search of Vorador and a way to defeat Conflict Guardian Malek. After passing the Lake of the Dead and the Mist Form dungeon, Kain was able to enter the Forest in the chapter Vorador's Mansion, where he found a vast forested swampland filled with many ruins, with several Ignis Fatuus - skull shaped lanterns - indicating a trail westward. Along the way Kain could explore some of the ruins, structures and caves in the area. Three 'dungeon' keeps - the Flame Sword dungeon, the Control Mind dungeon and the Blood Gout dungeon could be found within and caverns led to Spirit forges for Anti-toxin artifacts and Energy bank artifacts as well as a Blood fountain for increased strength.

Following the Ignis Fatuus westward, the path shrank to a single trail which spiraled around the western area of the forest inward to Vorador's Mansion at the center. Exploring the Mansion and meeting with Vorador, Kain was able to secure assistance from the elder vampire and left by a secret path which led him beyond the forest to a cave on the outskirts of Uschtenheim. When Raziel progressed from the Subterranean Ruins towards Uschtenheim in Soul Reaver 2 in the chapter Through the Swamp, he too passed through a heavily forested location bearing many of the hallmarks of the forest, but was never explicitly identified as such - only as "the swamp" - with its location suggesting that it bordered the Termogent Forest of Blood Omen. Raziel returned through the swamp all three time periods.

Raziel returned to the the Termogent Forest proper in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, when advised by Ariel to seek Vorador in the "black forest" in Find the Location of Vorador's Mansion. Travelling on a lesser used trail from the Pillars through the Forest, Raziel arrived at Vorador's Mansion in the chapter Find Vorador and was able to find Vorador within. Departing for Avernus after Vorador's suggestion of seeking the Heart of Darkness, Raziel would return to the mansion in Battle Kain after recovering the heart by apparently killing Kain. Fighting Moebius's mercenary army through the structure Raziel would revive Janos Audron and be teleported to the Vampire Citadel, leaving the forest behind. The forest itself was only seen briefly and not encountered as a playable location, with Vorador's Mansion fulfilling that role.

Design and Layout

 * The eastern forest was much more densely forested than the west with heavy concentrations of impenetrable vegetation and woodland that effectively reduced movement through the forest to a single trail - with the cliffs widening again, it was now the treeline which contained the accessible area. The area began at a wide area of marshland hemmed in by cliffs to the north and south with several Liches populating the nearby area. To the south east a gap in the trees contained an Energy Bank and Pentaliche of Tarot Patches of grass and Ignis Fatuus lanterns led up to the northeast as the trees narrowed the path from the south. The cliff to the north soon ended and was replaced by more impenetrable trees, with another Energy Bank hidden in a gap in the trees to the south of this. The trail narrowed between the trees and headed to the northeast, largely made up of swamp terrain with a thin patch of grass or mud along the northern tree-line populated by Zombies and Shadow spots, with a Liche on an island to the south. At the northern zenith a vista point marked the change in direction of the path, with the trail now heading southeast at a shallow angle, passing a spike plant along the way. The trail became almost entirely swamp as it turned south and headed between two Liches, before it turned to the southeast and the thin strip of grass at the northern treeline returned. Passing another spike plant the trail turned to the left, heading at a deeper angle to the southeast before curving to the south with the grass disappearing into patches, before turning sharply to the east and opening out into a wider clearing. A grassy trail began just inside the clearing which headed east, passing another vista point and a Liche on an island to the north, before turning north itself and heading to the top of the clearing, where Vorador's Mansion was positioned.

Very little of the forest area was seen in Defiance with only brief glimpses of a trail featuring Ignis Fatuus lanterns at the opening of Vorador's Mansion - with trees and other Termogent features visible over walls and through windows throughout the level.

Connections
In Blood Omen For the Western Termogent Forest:
 * The northwestern trail leads north to the eastern Lake of the Dead and the Mist Form dungeon - leading onto the Lost City
 * The western cave leads to a Blood fountain increasing strength
 * A crack in the southwestern cliff leads to the Energy bank Spirit forge
 * The northern cave (obstructed by a tree) leads to the Anti-toxin Spirit forge
 * The northeastern structure is the Flame Sword dungeon
 * The middle-eastern structure is the Control Mind dungeon
 * The southeastern structure is the Blood Gout dungeon
 * The eastern trail leads into the eastern Termogent Forest

For the Eastern Termogent Forest:
 * The western trail leads to the eastern Termogent Forest
 * The middle structure is Vorador's Mansion - leading onto Uschtenheim

In Defiance For Vorador's Mansion:
 * The main courtyard door leads back through the forest to the Pillars of Nosgoth
 * The Library Vista leads through the forest to Avernus/Avernus Cathedral

Appearances

 * Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
 * Legacy of Kain: Defiance