Elzevir the Dollmaker (location)

"Thus my hunt for the Dollmaker began."

- Kain

The House of the Dollmaker, also known as the Dollmaker's house or simply the Dollmaker's , was the home of Elzevir the Dollmaker, situated on a isthmus in the Lake of Lost Souls. Kain journied to the residence in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain.

Role
"Elzevir! I have come for the soul!"

- Kain

On advice from Ariel and Moebius, Kain sought to overcome the Legions of the Nemesis during his quest in the first timeline's Blood Omen era, and traveled to Willendorf, intending to rally the Army of the Last Hope. Kain met with King Ottmar in Willendorf Castle, who explained his plight: the soul of his daughter, the Princess of Willendorf, had apparently been stolen by Elzevir the Dollmaker. Ottmar had declared a contest to celebrate the Princess' birthday, offering a royal favor to "whoever created the finest doll in the realm". Elzevir's entry easily won, but "all he would take in payment was a lock of her hair". Soon after, the Princess became "a lifeless puppet".

The Army of the Last Hope was too preoccupied with their hunt for the Dollmaker to stand any chance against the impending invasion; Ottmar recklessly offered his very kingdom to whoever could restore his daughter to life. In response, Kain hurried to track down Elzevir and capitalize on this opportunity. Utilizing a tunnel leading to a northern garrison, he passed through Stahlberg and traveled west through the Land of the Nemesis to reach the secluded Lake of Lost Souls. There, on a land bridge spanning the heart of the Lake, he found Elzevir's expansive home.

The place was replete with traps, and heavily guarded by animated entities fashioned by Elzevir; melee-attacking humanoids, needle-wielding humanoids, rag dolls and teddy bears all patrolled the manse. The internal lighting was poor, and Kain was forced to use his Spirit Wrack spell to complete some compulsory puzzles. With the exception of a few chained humans, there was little opportunity for him to feed. However, all of the foes he faced within were particularly vulnerable to the Flame Sword.

Eventually, Kain broached the Dollmaker's sanctum. Elzevir rambled childishly that he would not surrender the Princess' soul, and that he had "earned it"; Kain responded that he would have to "earn it with blood". After a short battle, Kain overcame Elzevir, beheaded his opponent, and retrieved the burlap and silk doll which housed the soul. Despite some musing on the Dollmaker's sinister intentions, Kain did not think long on the matter before returning to Willendorf, attaining command of Ottmar's armies in exchange for the head and the soul.

Design
The House doubled as Elzevir's residence and workshop, and was characterized by its wooden floors, burlap sacks, barrels of toy-making components and generally-dim lighting. Its exterior was large, but relatively simple in design, with yellow, plaster-textured walls, black windows and a tiled roof. Lanterns adorned the interior, which was visibly supported by beams, and all doors were adorned with teddy bear motifs. Some rooms contained bookshelves, paintings, furniture and counters strewn with material and tools. Stairs were carpeted, and two rooms contained stone floors partially frozen over with ice. Traps and hazards in the form of spike pits, spiked walls and spiked balls were commonplace.

Inhabitants and collectibles

 * Chained humans


 * BO1-NPC-Elzevir.gif Elzevir (boss)
 * BO1-NPC-HumanoidMelee.gif Humanoids (melee)
 * BO1-NPC-HumanoidNeedles.gif Humanoids (needles)
 * BO1-NPC-RagDoll.gif Rag dolls
 * BO1-NPC-TeddyBear.gif Teddy bears


 * BO1-Icon-Quest-DollmakerDoll.png The Dollmaker's Doll (quest item)
 * BO1-Icon-Artifact-EnergyBank.png 1 energy bank artifact
 * BO1-Icon-Artifact-FontOfPutrescence.png 2 font of putrescence artifacts
 * BO1-Icon-Artifact-Implode.png 1 implode artifact
 * BO1-Icon-Artifact-HeartOfDarkness.png 1 heart of darkness artifact
 * 1 blood vial
 * 1 rune triangle

Background
Since Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the House of the Dollmaker has never been seen, visited or referenced in the Legacy of Kain series, and its fate in later time periods and timelines is unclear. It is uncertain whether or not Kain even visited it in the second timeline and onwards. Former series director and writer Amy Hennig confirmed that Elzevir, King Ottmar and the Princess of Willendorf are not "lost in the time shuffle" created by the first paradox, and stated that "they just don't have much to do with Raziel's and Kain's journeys in SR".

Despite the revocation of Elzevir as a story element, souls have adopted a much larger role in the Legacy of Kain series since Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Early drafts of the background story to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver initially identified the Lake of Lost Souls (where the House of the Dollmaker was situated) as the grounds of Raziel's execution, rather than the Lake of the Dead. However, this was changed later in development.

Appearances

 * Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain