Plains of Blood

The Plains of Blood were a location in eastern Nosgoth, explicitly featured only on the map of Nosgoth included with Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. They have not overtly been visited in the Legacy of Kain series, however developer comments suggest that they comprised the large clearings where The Battle of the Last Stand took place in Blood Omen.

Role
During the Blood Omen era, the Plains could be identified on the World map as an expansive clearing between Avernus, the Lake of Lost Souls, and Stahlberg. They were depicted as an open space bordered by forestland on all sides apart from their northern frontier, which led towards the House of the Dollmaker.

Though not explicitly identified as such in game, the Plains were visited during the course of Blood Omen as the setting for the Battle of the Last Stand and were only accessible during that battle. Visually, the Plains of Blood were depicted as a large expanse of mud that, during the battle, was littered with corpses and medieval battle equipment. As Kain progressed northward along the Plains, feeding on both sides, the Legions of the Nemesis gained the upper hand and scenes of carnage became more frequent, reminiscent of the utter devastation and mutilation previously visible at Stahlberg. Eventually, as King Ottmar was slain, the Army of the Last Hope fragmented and fled into the surrounding forests.

As Kain became cornered near a guardhouse and the Legions of the Nemesis turned their attentions to him, the Time Streaming Device he obtained in Avernus Cathedral spontaneously activated and propelled him fifty years into the past. Before his eyes, the mud caked battlefield turned to lush greenery. Realizing his chance to change history, Kain subsequently traveled to the Land of the Nemesis to assassinate William.

Background
The Plains of Blood are not mentioned or identified within Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain itself. They are only named in one source: the paper map distributed with the Microsoft Windows port of the game. The Plains comprise one of three named areas on this map which were not obviously visited within the game; the other two are the Great Southern Lake and the Lake of Tears. Unlike those, however, the Plains are never visited in any subsequent Legacy of Kain games, either.

It is likely that the Plains of Blood is actually the proper name for the unidentified fields upon which the Battle of the Last Stand occurs. Their name tends to suggest some form of conflict did, or would, take place there. This notion was confirmed by Blood Omen director Denis Dyack, who in response to questioning about the Plains, confirmed the connection between the area and the Battle of the Last Stand, commenting that: "The Plains of Blood is where the huge battle is fought."

Design and Layout
to be added

Appearances

 * Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain