Vorador

"In the bowels of that black forest, I found something worse than Hell. A vision of what I was becoming."

- Kain

Vorador is a major supporting character throughout the Legacy of Kain series, appearing in every title aside from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. A long-lived, decadent and abrasive Vampire, he acted as a loose de-facto mentor to Kain following his transformation, and was considered the paragon of all his kindred by the Blood Omen era. Fiercely loyal to his people, Vorador viewed humanity with contempt, and his exploits against the Sarafan and the Circle of Nine became legendary over several centuries.

Kain's gradual acceptance of vampirism, and his eventual journey to restore the Pillars of Nosgoth to the Vampire race, stemmed from Vorador's influence. With the alterations to history induced after the second paradox, Vorador was hunted down and executed by Moebius' Mercenary Army, but his legacy endured. He assisted Raziel during his quest for answers across several eras, and was ultimately resurrected with the introduction of the fatal paradox, siring a new lineage of Vampires and attempting to retake Nosgoth alongside Kain.

Throughout the games, Vorador is voiced by Paul Lukather.

Beyond Redemption
"After slaughtering six of the sheep I defeated their pathetic little shepherd - Malek. Since then our kind has not bothered with the cattle, except to feed. And I suggest you do the same."

- Vorador

Vorador was born in a "more primitive period" of Nosgoth's history, in ancient times, and suffered deeply as a young Vampire at the hands of the Sarafan Brotherhood, who had slaughtered his family, friends, lovers and children over the course of their infamous purges.

Outraged by the genocide of his people at their hands, Vorador invaded the Sarafan Stronghold during the Sarafan era and took his revenge on the Circle of Nine for supporting the Sarafan crusades. There, he slaughtered six of the Guardians and defeated Malek, their defender.

Since that time, Vorador vowed to never again concern himself with the affairs of the human race, except to feed - he would declare that "meddling in the affairs of man can do [the Vampires] no good." Decadent and hedonistic, Vorador held court with his brides in his labyrinthine mansion, a "private kingdom" in the depths of the Termogent Forest.

Thinning the Herd
"Gift? Pah! Vorador thought my curse a blessing. That we were gods and that mortals offered their blood as sacrifice so that we could enjoy our supernatural powers. And somewhere deep inside my new self I knew he was right. That mortal dreams were prayers. Prayers to us - begging for our power."

- Kain

In the Blood Omen era, having been directed to seek counsel from the reclusive warrior by the Oracle of Nosgoth, Kain navigated the halls of the grandiose castle and met Vorador in its dining hall. Kain was unimpressed by the "decadent old fool", and considered Vorador's "boorish account of how he defeated Malek" blasé.

Vorador was vocal in attesting that vampirism was a gift and a blessing, not a curse - an ideal Kain would eventually come to adopt as his own. As the two supped on goblets of blood, he chastised Kain as "young and foolish", and instructed him to avoid Sarafan witch-hunts. Though noting his youthful arrogance, Vorador admitted that Kain was an amusement to him, and offered Kain his signet ring, enabling the fledgling to summon him if he required assistance. Kain, however, was still revulsed by his fellow Vampire, viewing Vorador "with clear knowledge of what sort of monster [he] would become if [he] let my curse consume me".

The Dark Gods
"Whelp! As if you knew what eternity was! Grovel before your true master."

- Vorador, taunting Malek

Later, while assaulting the stronghold of Dark Eden at the roof of the world, Kain confronted his prey - the Guardians Bane, DeJoule and Anarcrothe: Anarcrothe summoned Malek to defend him before fleeing, and Kain used the ring to call on Vorador in response. Exchanging insults, the two ancient enemies challenged one another and clashed vehemently as Kain pursued Bane and DeJoule. When Kain returned after slaying the wizards, he learned the outcome of the battle; though the old Vampire was nowhere to be seen, Malek's armor lay strewn in pieces across the chamber's floor, indicating that Vorador had "finally laid his old adversary to rest". Kain ignored Vorador's advice and, as the Oracle had suggested, meddled in the conflict in the north between the Army of Hope and the Land of the Nemesis.

Cornered during the Battle of the Last Stand, Kain traveled back in time to murder William the Just and prevent the Legions of the Nemesis from rising to challenge Nosgoth's sanctity. He succeeded in altering history, removing the Legions from history and creating the second paradox timeline. Unfortunately, the Oracle - Moebius the Time Streamer - capitalized on William's death at Kain's hands to revive the Sarafan Brotherhood.

In the "new" present, Vorador and his kindred were again hunted down and slain by Moebius's Mercenary Army in retribution for Kain's act in the past: Vorador was the last to be executed and guillotined at a garrison south of Stahlberg, his severed head brutally held aloft before a crowd of human spectators. Despite his ignoble demise, Kain - in addition to revising his viewpoint on vampirism - had come to consider Vorador a father figure. Disgusted at the machinations of his corrupt fellow human Guardians, Kain realized the truth in Vorador's sentiment and cherished it as an epiphany, concluding that "we are gods - dark gods - and it is our duty to thin the herd."

Condemning the Pillars of Nosgoth and opting to rule the world in its damnation, Kain donned Vorador's signet ring as an earring, symbolizing the Vampire's influence over his fatal decision and the creation of his empire.

A Forthright Being
"Call your dogs! They can feast on your corpses!"

- Vorador

Two thousand years onward, in the Soul Reaver era, Vorador's reputation as a legendary figure still endured in Nosgoth. Raziel was aware of the elder Vampire's exploits of bygone days, and even referred to the Sarafan era as the "time of Vorador" as he commented on the purges while infiltrating the long-abandoned Tomb of the Sarafan.

After pursuing Kain into the pre-Blood Omen era, Raziel discussed mural effigies in the Sarafan Stronghold with Moebius, painted on the walls of the very chamber in which Vorador had slaughtered six of the Guardians centuries before. The murals were unflattering, demonizing Vorador, and Moebius spoke his name with contempt. He referred to Vorador as "the scourge of the Circle" and condemned him "the most depraved and decadent example of his whole degenerate race."

Having emerged from the Stronghold, Raziel had "the constant and palpable sensation of being watched". After discoursing with Kain at the Pillars of Nosgoth, he encountered crows which curiously dispersed into green mist when approached. In the Swamp, Vorador briefly exposed himself as Raziel's observer. After Raziel obtained the Dark Reaver, the two conversed directly. Perturbed by Moebius's renewed crusade, Vorador was darkly cynical, and was distrustful of Raziel, believing him "more demon than vampire". He wondered whether Raziel had caused the recent Corruption of the Pillars, but relented on discovering that Raziel was unaware of his own destiny. Before disappearing, Vorador explained that his sire, the Ancient Vampire Janos Audron, might have provided the answers Raziel sought, but, noting that Janos was dead, apathetically claimed "you – and all of us – are out of luck".

In the post-Blood Omen era, having triggered the third paradox timeline, Raziel encountered a statue erected in honor to Moebius in the main hall of the Sarafan Stronghold. The tableau - bearing the words "Requiescat in pace" - depicted Moebius brandishing what appeared to be the actual head of Vorador, bloodied and discolored from a century of decay. When Raziel finally met with Janos Audron in the Sarafan era, the two discussed Vorador's prejudices against humanity: Janos remarked that his hatred stemmed from the fact that he had "suffered much" at their hands, and could not forgive them.

As Raziel assaulted the Sarafan Stronghold to avenge Janos' death at the hands of the Inquisitors, Vorador also attempted to exact revenge for the murder of his sire; while Raziel was delayed by Moebius and Malek, Vorador's battle cries could be heard in the distance as he simultaneously annihilated the Circle of Nine, slaying six of its number as depicted in the Stronghold murals some five centuries later.

Return from the Grave
"So...our wretched little savior returns... come to join the last pathetic battle of the vampire race? But on which side, I wonder..."

- Vorador

Along with that of Nosgoth as a whole, Vorador's history was rewritten by the fatal paradox caused when Kain defied fate by rescuing Raziel from being devoured by the Soul Reaver in the Sarafan era. In the Blood Omen era of the fatal paradox timeline, Raziel discovered through murals in the Vampire Citadel that Vorador had been the first human in Nosgoth to receive the Blood Curse from the Ancient Vampires, and that he had been responsible for forging the Reaver for the original Circle of Nine. Deducing that Vorador therefore held the key to escaping his destiny, Raziel penetrated the defenses of his mansion and stole into the crypt, where the mirthless Vampire explained he knew nothing of the Reaver's true purpose. He did, however, instruct Raziel to revive Janos, assuring him that Janos held all the answers.

Vorador directed Raziel to search for the Heart of Darkness in Avernus Cathedral, but spoke of his wariness of the Unspoken within. After reclaiming the Heart of Darkness, Raziel returned only to find the estate collapsing, swarmed by Moebius's Mercenary Army. Moebius himself taunted Raziel on the capture and imminent execution of Vorador, but confessed that the old Vampire had exacted "a considerable price in blood". Throwing Vorador's sword at Raziel's feet, he remarked "let it sustain him until his head is off". Moebius departed to partake in Vorador's execution, which would be witnessed by a younger Kain, and subsequently avenged.

At some point during either the fatal paradox timeline's Blood Omen era or its Blood Omen 2 era, Vorador was resurrected by an unknown party. In the Blood Omen 2 era, he regrouped with the younger Kain, and agreed to assist in the revival of the Vampire race.

As Kain was unable to create Vampires himself, Vorador personally sired the first Vampires of the post-Blood Omen era. As the patriarch of the Vampire Army, he allied with Kain and clashed with the Sarafan Order, which had been recently revived by the Sarafan Lord. After claiming the cities of Ziegsturhl, Provance and Freeport, the Vampires were utterly defeated by the Sarafan outside the city of Meridian, and Kain was left for dead. Vorador reclaimed and hid Kain's unresponsive body ; over the next two hundred years, he led the Cabal, an underground Vampire-loyal resistance movement in Meridian determined to eliminate the Sarafan Order. During this era, he also sired Umah, his favored Vampire child and spy.

As leader of the Cabal, Vorador concealed his identity "for secrecy's sake". He attracted several Vampires to his cause, even attaining the support of the Bishop of Meridian, and attempted to convince others such as Marcus , but was unable to prevent several of his kin from reneging to the Sarafan Order. 400 years after the Collapse of the Pillars, he and his followers were headquartered in Sanctuary, which consisted of the basement of the Blue Lady Curios shop.

The Reformed Sado-Hedonist
"Vorador! The reformed sado-hedonist of Termogent Forest – I had met him once before in his new role of patriarch. I still knew not to trust him."

- Kain

Upon awakening from his comatose state and resolving to meet the "mysterious leader", Kain could encounter wanted posters depicting his old compatriot throughout the Lower City, but did not voice his surprise until he met Vorador in person. Vorador welcomed Kain to Sanctuary, albeit with wariness and reluctance - Kain responded with "false courtesy" and attempted to rouse him into creating new Vampires. For unclear reasons, the two no longer trusted one another. Vorador's personality was substantially removed from his original incarnation in the first paradox timeline: he was "the reformed sado-hedonist of Termogent Forest", no longer brash, arrogant and decadent, but chastened, senescent and patriarchal. Upon learning that Umah had been captured by the Sarafan, he immediately directed Kain to rescue her from the Sarafan Keep, and frequently provided him directions and guidance via the Whisper. Though the two were in agreement that the Sarafan Lord needed to be slain, Kain did not take kindly to Vorador's "weary admonitions of safety and care".

Once Umah was rescued, she informed the Vampires of the Nexus Stone. Vorador was already aware of the Stone's capacity to resist the power of the Soul Reaver, and permitted Kain to retain it once he retrieved it from the Industrial Quarter upon killing Sebastian. He had Kain visit the Seer, a Hylden older even than himself, revealing that she owed him a favor.

Facing Extinction
"Do you so wish to return to the grave, old friend? You are in no position to challenge me."

- Kain

Later, while discussing their unsuccessful attempts to contact Kain, Vorador and Umah were stunned to see Kain return with none other than Janos Audron, alive once again. Astonished to see his long-dead sire revived, Vorador chose to remain at Sanctuary with Janos and the Cabal while Kain and Umah were sent to deactivate the ward barrier in the Hylden City. Kain succeeded, and Janos teleported himself into the heart of the City alongside Vorador. Anxious for news on Umah's whereabouts, Vorador pressed Kain, accurately fearing the worst, but was appalled and shocked to learn that Kain himself had killed Umah for betraying him and stealing the Nexus Stone. He and Kain argued fervently, Vorador denouncing Kain a "monster" whom he was wrong ever to trust, Kain claiming that Vorador would have enacted the same punishment in his position.

Directly after they agreed to combat the Sarafan Lord before resolving their dispute, the Hylden himself emerged and fired a Reaver Bolt which cleaved through Vorador's chest, knocking him - motionless - to the ground. Janos impelled Kain to pursue the Sarafan Lord while he tended to Vorador. Vorador's ultimate fate after the Sarafan Lord's defeat remains unknown, and has yet to be revealed.

"We will settle this in good time. Tonight, the Sarafan Lord dies. Tomorrow, we shall see…"

- Kain