Hylden Lord

"Did it not occur to you that perhaps my cause, and not yours, is the cause of right? Of justice? That your ambition to rule this world is but the youthful craving of a petty noble who has gained too much power, but never enough."

- The Sarafan Lord

The Hylden Lord, also alternatively known as the Dark Entity, the Unspoken, the Sarafan Lord, Hash'ak'gik or the Hylden General, is the primary antagonist of both Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Blood Omen 2, and a major antagonist in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Initially introduced in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain as the malevolent force in control of Mortanius, his true identity, ambitions and motives against the Circle of Nine are further explored throughout successive installments.

As the leader of the militant Hylden trapped within the Demon Realm by the original Circle of Nine, the Hylden Lord orchestrated the murder of Ariel in an effort to topple the Pillars of Nosgoth, thereby attaining both freedom and vengeance. Following a major temporal paradox created by Raziel and Kain in Soul Reaver 2, the Hylden Lord succeeded in escaping into the Material Realm, reviving the Sarafan order and attempting to conquer Nosgoth entirely. However, he was slain by Kain at the Hylden City before his plan could reach its fruition.

Calculated Repercussions
"You thought yourself a king when in fact you were a pawn! You have served me well, Kain."

- The Dark Entity



In the first timeline, long prior to the Blood Omen era, the enigmatic Dark Entity - bent on destroying the Pillars of Nosgoth - utilized human possession to seduce the Pillar Guardians Mortanius and Azimuth to his cause in Avernus. Attached to the name Hash'ak'gik, he and his followers attracted a considerable number of worshipers in their travels. Over many years, the cult blossomed and spread, and the Dark Entity managed to possess Mortanius himself. Mortanius' seduction provided him the opportunity he sought; in an "expertly calculated" move, he murdered the Balance Guardian, Ariel, through Mortanius' body.

The Mind Guardian Nupraptor, Ariel's lover, soon found her corpse, and - "wracked with grief and tormented by suspicions of treachery" - plunged into madness, and turned his powers against his fellow Pillar Guardians. His mental onslaught drove the entire Circle to irrevocable insanity, and invoked the corruption of the Pillars. Over the ensuing thirty years, the Dark Entity maintained his hold over Mortanius, though his control was not unhindered - sometimes, Mortanius was able to assert his own shattered will.

"In constant conflict" with his possessor, Mortanius struggled to redeem himself for "inviting" these dark forces and enabling the Pillars to be compromised. During one of these periods of respite, Mortanius hired assassins to murder the human nobleman Kain, and subsequently revived him as a powerful vampire, in a desperate bid to purge the Circle of its corrupt members. Defying the Dark Entity's will, Mortanius guided Kain in a quest to slaughter the mad sorcerers and restore their Pillars, seeking to ensure that a new Circle of Nine could rise to replace the old.

Narrow Vision
"Indeed. Such narrow vision. Don’t you see?  My silencing of Ariel, and its calculated repercussions, is but the first act in my theatre of Grand Guignol.  Of which you are the tragic ”hero.”"

- The Dark Entity

Kain gleaned little information regarding the forces behind the Pillars' corruption during his quest, finding only a few references to the Cult of Hash'ak'gik in the Library of Willendorf and Hash'ak'gik's altar in Avernus Cathedral. After witnessing the execution of Vorador and killing Moebius, Kain was summoned to the Pillars for a final confrontation with Mortanius. When Kain defeated the Necromancer, the Dark Entity emerged, transforming Mortanius' body into a demonic form and chastising Kain on his role.

The Unspoken regarded Kain as "a king when in fact [he was] a pawn", and claimed his "silencing of Ariel, and its calculated repercussions, [was] but the first act in [his] theatre of Grand Guignol" in which Kain was the "tragic hero". Angered at these taunts, Kain battled and destroyed the transformed body of Mortanius, but the Dark Entity itself was far beyond his reach. Moments later, Kain would play right into his hands by refusing to sacrifice himself to restore the Pillars, thus instigating their collapse.

The Backwaters of Passing Time
"No. You were utterly destroyed. So easily. Your name was drowned in the backwaters of passing time. All your plans were set alight, and seared to smoke and ashes."

- The Sarafan Lord

Despite the destruction of his vessel in the Material Realm, the Dark Entity's plans remained unfettered. Through the chain of events instigated by the Collapse of the Pillars, Kain and his lieutenant, Raziel, embarked on a pursuit through Nosgoth's various eras in an attempt to alter history and prevent the irreconcilable dilemma Kain had been presented with after Mortanius' death. During his travels in the second and third timelines, Raziel uncovered various murals depicting two ancient races who battled for dominion of Nosgoth; the architects of the Pillars had condemned and banished a mysterious "enemy race" in aeons past.

Kain, meanwhile, was aware of "malevolent forces [...] being marshaled to eliminate [him]" and Raziel, but did not yet realize the true nature of his adversaries. In the Sarafan era of the third timeline, Raziel witnessed the death of Janos Audron at the hands of his former self. Enraged and thirsting for revenge, Raziel pursued the Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors south across Nosgoth, but was impeded by "demonic pests" who frequently teleported across his path and taunted him on his attempts to change his destiny - "minions of the unseen forces that had hoped to control [him]".

Raziel suspected the Demons were the tangible expression of their displeasure", and presumed they were "unleashed as the penalty for [his] disobedience"''. Upon slaying his former self, Raziel realized his fate to enter the Reaver blade; as his soul was drained into the sword, Kain emerged and tore the Reaver from the wraith's body, postponing Raziel's destiny and altering history. As the future reshuffled itself before his eyes, however, Kain realized his folly: in sparing Raziel and triggering such a monumental alteration to history, Kain had altered the course of his own destiny as well.

The Dreaded Unspoken
"Poetic justice, to topple the foundations of the Pillars from within. We shall have our revenge, in full measure, and for all time."

- The Hylden Lord

Awestruck and horrified as memories bloomed and died behind his eyes, Kain lamented that he had "walked right into their trap". The chain of events engendered by the third paradox had been orchestrated by the Dark Entity himself, and would ultimately lead to the release of the Hylden, the "enemy race" he belonged to. In the Blood Omen era of this new timeline, Raziel had several encounters with the Hylden he commanded - the Revenants - who used Possession to cross from the Demon Realm and control the bodies of living hosts in the physical world.

On discovering murals in the Avernus Catacombs, Raziel realized that he was the Adversary - a messiah destined to bring about the release and victory of the Hylden race. There, he also discovered that the Blood God of Avernus Cathedral, Hash'ak'gik, was in fact Turel, one of Kain's Vampire "sons" from the Soul Reaver era. Pulling Turel "from the future back to the bowels of Avernus Cathedral" through Azimuth, the Hylden Lord had utilized his new captive as a "dark god", inciting fearful worship and forming the Cult of Hash'ak'gik.

Hoping to take advantage of Raziel's free will and ensure the resurrection of Janos, the Hylden Lord still asserted control over Mortanius. As Raziel questioned Mortanius regarding the Heart of Darkness, the Hylden Lord took control of his body, gloating that he no-longer required Raziel's co-operation. He claimed that "with or without [him] - [the Hylden would] prevail", and acknowledged the poetic justice in seducing the Circle of Nine from within. The Hylden Lord assured Raziel that he would "soon have a stronger vessel". Mortanius then shirked off the Hylden's control, teleporting away; this event would shortly coincide with his death, and the Dark Entity's fateful confrontation with the fledgling Kain at the Pillars.

Freedom and Vengeance
"Ah, Raziel, we meet again. You have played your part flawlessly. It is gratifying to attain both freedom and vengeance in a single stroke."

- The Hylden Lord

The Hylden Lord emerged once more, triumphant at last, following Raziel's resurrection of Janos Audron. After Raziel had obtained the Spirit Reaver in the Vampire Citadel, he and Janos were thrown backwards by the sudden, apocalyptic blast of the Pillars' collapse from afar; the younger Kain had just defeated the Dark Entity and refused the sacrifice, as in the first timeline. However, the rift generated by the collapse of the Pillar of Balance was sufficient for him to "breach through the dimensions" and take control of a new host - Janos. Reveling in his victory, the Hylden Lord mocked that Raziel had "played [his] part flawlessly" in providing "an incorruptible vessel".

The Hylden required the blood of their Ancient Vampire enemies to escape the Demon Realm, and Raziel's free will had provided it. Janos struggled against the Hylden Lord, but failed to shake off his possession; aware of the wraith's defiance, the Hylden claimed that "willing or not, [Raziel] had provided the instrument of [their] victory", and that "the seduction of the Circle and possession of Mortanius; Ariel's murder; the corruption and collapse of the Pillars: all orchestrated as a prelude to this moment". The Hylden Lord knew Raziel had "murdered the Scion of Balance" to get the Heart of Darkness, and therefore felt secure in his exultation.

Spurred on by Janos' urgings to stop the Hylden plan, Raziel challenged the Hylden leader, vowing to destroy Janos if necessary. Though initially incredulous and damning Raziel as a "deluded ghoul", the Hylden Lord agreed to indulge his foe. The two battled, with Raziel apparently victorious, delivering what appeared to be a killing blow. However, Raziel hesitated in finishing Janos, affording the furious Hylden Lord to recoup and unleash a barrage of electrifying energy upon his enemy. Utterly destroying Raziel's physical form, he flew away - again triumphant - in Janos' body, concluding that "now it is finished. And thus a new epoch has its beginning".

The Cause of Right
"Bathe them in fire. Let them learn as they writhe in the flames and their bones dissolve, the futility of their actions. The vampire, and all of his kind, shall be razed from the land."

- The Sarafan Lord

Using the possessed Janos to open the Hylden Gate, the Hylden Lord was able to enter the Material Realm with his natural body and set about restoring the Hylden to power. From his headquarters in the Hylden City in the Great Southern Sea, he planned to use the Device - an ancient Hylden superweapon beneath Meridian powered by a creature named the Mass - to destroy all non-Hylden life in Nosgoth. Imprisoning Janos to power the Device, the Hylden Lord drained his ancient enemy of blood to feed and perpetuate the Mass.

Disguising his demonic features behind a golden armor and helm, the Hylden Lord learned of the long-dead Sarafan brotherhood. Capitalizing on the humans' fear, he chose to revive its purpose - the destruction of the Vampires - by establishing the Sarafan order. Many humans flocked to join, and soon the Order had become a power in its own right. The Hylden General became known as the enigmatic Sarafan Lord, bringing with him Glyph magic to assist his human underlings in their crusade against Kain's vampire army, which was, slowly but surely, encroaching southward towards Meridian.

When Kain's army attempted to take the city, the Sarafan Lord was ready; he had in his possession the Nexus Stone, an artifact which rendered its user impervious to the power of the Soul Reaver. In addition, he had secretly conspired with one of Kain's associates, Sebastian, to arrange "an ambush that cost [Kain] the war". Kain's champion, Magnus, attempted to assassinate the Hylden leader, but failed, and was banished to the hellish Eternal Prison to suffer for his pride. In the Battle of Meridian, Kain's forces were routed by the ambush, and he and the Sarafan Lord became locked in direct combat. Unable to use the power of the Soul Reaver against his foe, Kain was defeated by the Sarafan Lord, and knocked off a cliff to his apparent death.

A New, Glorious Age
"Do you think the game is over? Do you think it will end with me? Have you not wondered why so many of your trusted henchman, time and again, bend their knees before me, accept me as their lord, and join their cause to mine?"

- The Sarafan Lord

The Sarafan Lord claimed the Soul Reaver for his own, and, in the years that followed, the Sarafan Order grew to control much of Nosgoth in an autocratical fashion. Under his tyrannical rule, the Sarafan Lord reduced the Vampires to a small resistance movement - the Cabal - in Meridian. Meanwhile, under the pretense of providing heat, light and power to Meridian's citizens, the Glyphwrights under his command carried out the next phase of the Hylden's plans, building a network capable of projecting the mental energies of the Mass and thereby completing the Device.

By the time of Kain's return - some 200 years after his defeat - the Glyph magic network was nearly complete, and Kain's former lieutenants Sebastian, Marcus and Faustus had pledged allegiance to the Sarafan Lord. Lusting for vengeance, Kain was eager to destroy his old enemy, boasting that he would "have him dead within the hour". The Sarafan Lord quickly became aware of Kain's revival, but did not encounter the Vampire again in person until Kain encountered him after rescuing Umah from the Sarafan Keep.

With the Soul Reaver, the Sarafan Lord easily overpowered Kain, and attempted to strike him down. Coldly incensed that his victim still lived, he admonished that Kain's fantasies of killing him "were quenched in blood long ago", and that Kain's death was fated at his hands. Preparing to destroy Kain, he uttered that "however long you delay, you will come to me, for your end." Umah, however, teleported herself and Kain away to Sanctuary before the "demon of filth" could slay them.

The Charlatan Emperor
"It matters not. The Gate remains open, and even as we speak, my army, the likes of which this soft world has never seen, prepares to enter. Nosgoth is still mine for the taking."

- The Sarafan Lord

The Sarafan Lord had utilized the Nexus Stone in his attempts to complete the Device, drawing upon its power to summon a portal in the Main Factory of the Industrial Quarter leading deep beneath Meridian. Kain seized the Stone, destroying the factory; the Sarafan Lord was next seen leading a contingent of Sarafan troops in the Canyons, apparently anticipating the meeting between Kain and the Seer. At the Seer's Cottage, he ordered several Sarafan Archers to set the house ablaze; he believed that "this world [would] be made pure by [his] hand".

Having not directly encountered Kain since the Main Factory's destruction, the Sarafan Lord remained unaware that his enemies possessed the Nexus Stone. As Kain continued into the Device, he learned much more of his nemesis's identity and history from Janos Audron, learning of the Sarafan Lord's true nature as a "Hylden General". With the blood of the Builder, Kain destroyed the Device and freed Janos. Later, when he traveled to the Hylden City, he was immediately confronted by the Sarafan Lord - appropriately unmasked - who again attempted to strike him down.

The Sarafan Lord was shocked to discover Kain possessed the Nexus Stone, but dismissed his enemy's bravado and unveiled his next move; he planned to bring forth his army from the Demon Realm. Once Kain had deactivated the Shield Generator, allowing Vorador and Janos to teleport into the City, the Sarafan Lord attacked again, incapacitating Kain's allies with Reaver bolts. He was, however, taken aback by Kain's tenacity when the Vampire surprised him above the Hylden Gate, and the two exchanged insults before battling.

Reckoning Day
"It was justice for our banishment from the world. You see what it has made of our fair race."

- The Sarafan Lord

Arguing that his endeavor was "the cause of right", the Sarafan Lord denied Kain's belief that Umah had been his spy. He fired Reaver Bolts at Kain, attempting to knock him into the vortex below the Gate, but - with an effective stalemate - emphasized that "while [Kain bore] the stone to shield [he] life, [he could not] use it to destroy the Gate". He insisted that his "waiting game" would succeed, and that "as long as [he had] not lost, in time, [he was] sure to win". He was taken aback, however, when Kain elected to drop the Stone into the Gate, giving up his protection but foiling the Hylden leader's gambit.

Aware that he was soon to perish, the Hylden General unleashed his full furor on Kain, attempting to destroy the Vampire with the Soul Reaver. Repeatedly using his powers to immolate the General, Kain forced his opponent to drop the Soul Reaver; Janos then intervened, teleporting into the fray. The General and Janos seethed at one another, debating the morality of the Vampire-Hylden war, with Janos predicating that the Hylden had "taken [his] true form at last".

The ancient enemies grappled, but the Hylden prevailed; he cast Janos into the Demon Realm below, "a prisoner – for all time". As they fought, Kain reclaimed the Soul Reaver and proceeded to finish his now-unarmed foe. Without the Nexus Stone or the Soul Reaver, the Hylden General was no match for Kain. Dying as the Hylden Gate imploded behind him, the General admitted defeat, but, before being dispatched with the Soul Reaver, pledged that the Hylden would one day return.

"You have won the battle….but the war….between your kind and mine…will never end. Our banishment…in the demon dimension…also ensures our immortality….one day…we will shall return…."

- The Hylden Lord

Development


The Hylden Lord, as he is known in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, is a composite of two characters who were originally imagined as seperate. In Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the Dark Entity, also referred to as the Unspoken or Hash'ak'gik, appeared at the end of the story, revealing itself as a "vague", malevolent being who had apparently possessed Mortanius, and was the one truly responsible for murdering Ariel. Silicon Knights' official FAQ - The Complete Guide To Legacy of Kain - clarified that "Mortanius is in constant conflict against "The Unspoken" who is inside him. Mortanius' goal was to correct the imbalance he has caused by murdering Ariel, while under the Dark Entity's control. Kain was created to destroy the old circle so a new one could rise to replace it. As the game progresses, some of Mortanius's actions are his own, some are him being controlled". The FAQ also indicated that Hash'ak'gik was this being's true name, and stated that his "ultimate plan [was] to directly or indirectly kill all the other members of the circle, leaving himself a virtual god". The Dark Entity character, and his relationship with Mortanius, was apparently added in a late revision to the storyline; earlier drafts of the plot involved Mortanius killing Ariel of his own volition, with no reference to external forces.

While one team in Crystal Dynamics completed Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, a second team was formed to develop Blood Omen 2. This team's writers conceived the antagonistic character of the Sarafan Lord as a new enemy, and developed the Hylden race, hoping to "create an adversary worthy of Kain" - in this game, he was designed by Steve Ross. However, the plot which the Blood Omen 2 developers had created clashed heavily with the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver crew's plans. To reconcile the stories, Amy Hennig used Soul Reaver 2 to expand on the time travel mythology introduced in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, framing Blood Omen 2 as part of an alternate historical timeline, orchestrated by the Hylden, and created by Kain and Raziel's actions. In an interview following Soul Reaver 2's release, she wrote: "The entity who confronts and speaks to Kain at the end of BO:LoK is indeed the being alternately known as "the Unspoken," the "Dark Entity" and "Hash'ak'gik". But does the deformation of Mortanius' flesh that it uses to manifest represent its true form ? ... that question is still open to speculation..."

Legacy of Kain: Defiance resolved the mystery, with Hennig merging the characters of the Dark Entity and the Sarafan Lord into one - the Hylden Lord - and revealing that the Hylden could possess their enemies. Though this relationship was not intended by the writers of Blood Omen 2, it correlates to the overall story (both the Dark Entity and the Sarafan Lord sought to topple the Pillars to further their agenda). The fact that the Dark Entity, the Sarafan Lord and the Hylden Lord are all one and the same is suggested, but never clearly stated, within the games; it was instead confirmed by Hennig following the release of Legacy of Kain: Defiance, who explained that "the actual [Hash'ak'gik] entity is a leader among the Hylden, who has his own agenda. In Defiance, he possesses Janos. In Blood Omen, he uses the transformed body of Mortanius as a vessel. In Blood Omen 2, he appears as the Hylden Lord (AKA Sarafan Lord)". Although Silicon Knights indicated that Hash'ak'gik is another name for the Dark Entity, Crystal Dynamics' re-interpretation of the series' lore means that this is not necessarily true; in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, the name Hash'ak'gik is instead revealed as being simply a "name the human worshippers use for their god" (Turel), and script directions exclusively dub the character the "Hylden Lord". Although Hash'ak'gik may be the Hylden Lord's true name, Crystal Dynamics have not supported this idea.

Despite his death in Blood Omen 2, series artist Daniel Cabuco revealed that the Hylden Lord may have returned in a major role in Legacy of Kain: The Dark Prophecy, the cancelled sequel to Legacy of Kain: Defiance:

"We had a ton of reconciliation to do. We were going to put a lot in DP.. but didn't get the chance. The Hylden Lord, having the Soul Reaver for a time, could change history if he could get it in proximity of another Reaver.. or Raziel. Think about that motivation for a second, and you'll see how powerful the Hylden Lord's ambition was. But we didn't get a chance to really explore it further."

- Daniel Cabuco

Appearance
The Sarafan Lord wears a luxurious golden armor fitted with the sarafan emblem and a purple cape. During the first half of the game, The Sarafan Lord wears a golden helmet in order to hide his demonic facial features. During chapter 7, the canyons, he attacks the seer's cottage with the helmet still equipped, but his eyes no longer glow. The next confrontaion occurs at the arrival of the hylden city, and he no longer wears his helmet since the island is inhabited by fellow hylden. He regains his glowing green eyes and has the same facial features as any other hylden. (this of course excludes the seer, due to the fact that she was never imprisoned and devolved). The Sarafan Lord's voice is also noticeably lower and less raspy than other hylden, and his golden body armor never changes throught the game.

Personality
The Sarafan Lord has your basic personalitly of a king, always striving for more. He seems very loyal to his race, and every part of his plan is dedicated to the enrichment of power to the hylden. He seems to care nothing of humans and vampires alike, as he uses the sarafan warriors to defend him and the hylden to power the device. The hylden city is maintained by human slaves, and the device is targeted at both vampires and humans. He seems to only care about the hylden and charished the Reaver Blade as a trophy, he also has a great deal of pride due to that he previously defeated kain before the time of the game.

Powers
The Sarafan Lord has the unique ablility to teleport at will, and very quickly, during combat. He also, for the most part of the game, wields the Soul Reaver. This allows him to cast reaver bolts and excell in combat efficiently. He also has the ability to create combos entirely of yellow power moves, followed by the casual red power move. He shows extreme stamina and heath, as neither the immolate dark gift nor the Soul Reaver itself can kill him in a single use. As shown during the intro of Blood Omen 2, the Hylden Lord possesses the power to fire bolts of lightning, and while possessing Janos, he was capable of creating yellow tornadoes.