Turel

"Yes - I am changed. I have become a god. Greater than you ever were, Raziel. You were never a god. Greater even than Kain!"

- Turel

Turel is a major character in the Legacy of Kain series, originally planned to feature in (but largely cut from) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, and making appearances in Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Initially born as a Human in Nosgoth's early history, Turel was raised as the second of Kain's vampire lieutenants in the Soul Reaver era. Turel, in turn, raised his own Vampire clan - the Turelim - who participated in the conquest of Nosgoth.

Alongside Dumah, Turel participated in the execution of Raziel, and succeeded Raziel as Kain's second-in-command. Upon returning as a Wraith, Raziel was unable to locate Turel in the Soul Reaver era, but unexpectedly found his brother in the Blood Omen era of the fourth timeline: Turel was, in fact, the dark god of the Hash'ak'gik cult, summoned backwards through time to serve as a vessel for Hylden possession.

Noble Aspirations
"And here at last was my brother Turel, who along with Dumah would bear me into the abyss without questioning Kain’s command. So dutiful and righteous, even as a Vampire... I guess some habits die hard."

- Raziel, on encountering the Sarafan Turel

Born as a Human at some point in Nosgoth's early history, Turel would go on to join the Sarafan brotherhood, eventually reaching the highly-respected rank of Sarafan inquisitor, and serving as Raziel's second-in-command. Upon his death, Turel was beatified as a "Sarafan saint", and his corpse was interred in the Tomb of the Sarafan, memorialized alongside his comrades Dumah, Malek, Melchiah, Rahab, Raziel and Zephon. When Kain discovered a method of creating Vampires single-handedly, he stole into the Tomb, reanimating the martyrs to serve as his Vampire "sons". Turel was the second of the six Lieutenants Kain raised, surpassed only by Raziel. Turel served Kain as part of the Council for over a thousand years, raising the Turelim clan and assisting in the conquest of the world's human Kingdoms. He was present at the Sanctuary of the Clans when Raziel revealed his wings to Kain, and when Kain ordered Raziel's demise, the "dutiful and righteous" Turel did not question his master. He actively participated in the execution, casting Raziel into the Abyss alongside Dumah upon Kain's command. With Raziel vanquished, Turel assumed his position as Kain's chief Lieutenant. His clan territory was presumably situated near the smokestacks east of the Oracle's Cave.

The Bond of Gratitude
"I heard what you did to them... And now you have found me at last."

- Turel, to Raziel

Five centuries later, when Raziel returned to Nosgoth as a wraith, he was eager to exact revenge on his former brethren, harboring particular enmity for Turel and Dumah for their participation in his killing. Turel, however, "eluded [his] vengeance": Raziel devoured the souls of four of his former fellow Lieutenants, but did not encounter his final surviving brother in his pursuit of Kain. As the only remaining member of the Council in the Soul Reaver era, Turel continued to reign over Nosgoth - alone - for an indefinite time, and beheld a period of "darkness and great hunger" as he grotesquely pupated. In the third timeline, when Raziel traveled back in time to Nosgoth's early history, he unearthed more of Turel's history, along with his own. In this age, Turel had infiltrated Janos Audron's Retreat alongside his comrades, Raziel, Dumah, Zephon and Melchiah, and assisted in the slaying of Janos Audron: Turel was entrusted with Moebius's Staff, and incapacitated Janos while Raziel tore the Heart of Darkness from his chest. Before fleeing with his brothers-in-arms - the Reaver in tow - Turel commented on how the black heart continued to beat while dismembered. Janos' murder had dire consequences for Turel, as the time-traveling future incarnation of Raziel had followed the Inquisitors back to their base at the Sarafan Stronghold to avenge Janos and reclaim the heart.

Assaulting the Stronghold at the same time as Vorador's legendary attack on the Circle of Nine, Raziel claimed the Reaver and confronted Turel in the Chapel, having killed Melchiah, Zephon, Rahab and Dumah just prior. Unmoved by Turel's threats and insults, Raziel seized the chance to annihilate this incarnation of his former brother, having relished the opportunity to kill Turel since his resurrection. In doing so, Raziel "reveled as [he] colluded with [Kain] across the centuries", providing the corpse which Kain would reanimate one thousand years hence.

Humbled Goals
"Why stay? Would I remain if I could get out? While they hound me and tear at me and --"

- Turel, on his captivity

As a result of the third paradox, Raziel managed to postpone his destiny to enter the Reaver blade, attaining another opportunity to exact revenge on Turel. During the Blood Omen era, he sought out the Heart of Darkness, and infiltrated Avernus Cathedral on Vorador's advice, where he was able to uncover a secret portal to the Avernus Catacombs. There, he witnessed Mortanius and a host of Cenobites carrying out a "bloody ritual" to the god, Hash'ak'gik. When the ceremony concluded, Raziel peered into the gaping chasm below the altar, and was telekinetically thrust forth into its depths.

At first, neither realized the identity of the other, but the "so-called god" inhabiting the "hideous pit" was, in fact, Turel. With the Time Streaming Device she had stolen from Moebius, the Guardian of the Pillar of Dimension - Azimuth - had summoned Turel from the Soul Reaver era to be utilized as an impressive, durable mouthpiece for the Cult of Hash'ak'gik. Physically unable to escape and possessed by several Hylden, Turel's voice was used to command the cult's followers. Over time, these frequent possessions resulted in his becoming increasingly deranged, and he accepted his identity as the "god", Hash'ak'gik, subsiding on the gory human sacrifices cast to him by his human worshipers.

No More Worship
"No -- no more questions. No more worship. Time to run - time to scream - time to die..."

- Turel

Unaware of the creature's identity, Raziel brandished the Wraith Blade at the "monster" in Turel's Pit. After sniffing Raziel further and hearing his voice, however, Turel recognized his brother, commenting on Raziel's execution and the fratricide he had committed against the Council in the Soul Reaver era; though incredulous, Raziel likewise deduced and confirmed Turel's identity. Boasting of his deification, Turel somewhat confusedly explained that he had been "summoned" and "found", and was "hounded" and visibly tormented by the possession he had suffered. As they spoke, Turel was suddenly possessed by several Hylden, who urged Raziel to confront and kill the Vampire champion. Shaking off their possession, Turel crazedly exclaimed that he required Raziel's blood to "strengthen [himself] against them", and attacked him.

During the battle, Turel used several enhanced telekinetic barrages against Raziel, with most of his attacks utilizing his advanced sense of hearing to locate Raziel. Raziel was able to turn this advantage against Turel, however, by striking one of several gongs in the pit to temporarily stun him. Dying, Turel willingly invited Raziel to end his life, but was possessed one final time by the Hylden, who impelled Raziel to hurry in his endeavor. With Turel's demise, Raziel devoured his brother's soul, gaining his enhanced telekinesis. With it, he also absorbed a measure of Hylden energy, which "fuelled his rage" in his subsequent confrontation with Kain.

"We shall all be... free..."

- Turel's dying words

Development
"I know people are anxious to (finally) meet Turel, and hope he's in SR3. Let's put it this way... we absolutely have not forgotten about Turel; he's a critical piece of the puzzle."

- Amy Hennig

In Soul Reaver 2, Turel was voiced by Richard Doyle, whereas he was voiced by Gregg Berger in Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

Turel was originally intended to appear in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver as the game's penultimate Boss. As the leader of the Turelim, he was to be the fifth and final of the Lieutenants to be battled, and would be encountered at the Turelim clan territory after Raziel defeated the the Priestess in the Undercity and Temple of the Human Citadel. Defeating Turel would almost certainly have required Raziel to utilize a nearby source of water. His soul, once consumed, would have bestowed upon Raziel the Amplified Force Projectile ability, an upgrade to his standard Telekinetic force projectile.

Though Turel is not present in the final game, the dialogue recorded between him and Raziel exists in the game's audio files, and is available at The Lost Worlds. It is unclear who voiced Turel in this excised conversation. Some of their exchanges were re-purposed for the encounter with the Tomb Guardian in the Tomb of the Sarafan, who speaks some of Turel's original lines instead. Concept art was also created for Turel, part of which is used as a texture in the "vortex" seen in the Elder's Lair. Imagery of Turel's Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver boss model, UV map and textures was also discovered on Arnold Ayala's blog in 2010.

Shortly after Turel was cut from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Amy Hennig and Crystal Dynamics decided to cast him as Hash'ak'gik, the malevolent god originally mentioned in Avernus Cathedral in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. The Vampire Turel's absence from Soul Reaver 2 prompted Amy Hennig to allay fan requests for his inclusion; she stated "we absolutely have not forgotten about Turel; he's a critical piece of the puzzle". New concept art was produced for Turel's re-emergence in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, with Hennig having previously described his original Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver concept sketch as being "drawn so long ago, that it's not really relevant anymore".

In Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Turel's theme was to be Turel Clan, composed by Kurt Harland. Although the track was completed, it was not used in the finished version of the game. A new theme was composed by Jim Hedges for the battle between Raziel and Turel in Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

In Legacy of Kain: Defiance, the explanation as to how Turel was summoned to Avernus Cathedral was deliberately left vague by Crystal Dynamics, "so that a future game could cover it if desired".

Appearance
"The others were grotesque, but--"

- Raziel

In Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, the Vampire Turel is depicted as black-haired and physically powerful, closely resembling the Elder Kain facially. His eyes are yellow-green, his ears are seen to be developing upward in a crown-like fashion, and he wears a golden ring on his right ear. Turel's shoulder cape is dark green, and is emblazoned with the sigil of the Turelim clan. Like his fellow Lieutenants Raziel and Dumah, he wears his hair in a ponytail.

In Soul Reaver 2, the human, Sarafan Turel is portrayed in a mural in the Chapter House of the Sarafan Stronghold. Here, too, he is seen with long, black hair and a green garb, and wields a Sarafan Trident. His helmet is adorned with large horns, foreshadowing the physical traits of the Vampire he would later become. He wears gray, gilded armor, with large, quarter-circular pauldrons decorated with runes, and the symbol which would later be adopted by the Turelim clan and the Cult of Hash'ak'gik is seen on his lower vestment.

Turel's devolved form in Legacy of Kain: Defiance is quadruped, powerfully-built and stocky, with a mixture of chiropteran and canine traits. His skin complexion is gray-brown and heavily wrinkled, with prominent purplish veins, and he is seen to be blind, with cataract-stricken, clouded eyes. He possesses facial appendages, with exposed flesh and bone protrusions, and large, disproportionate limbs with massive tridactyl claws. The devolved Turel relies primarily on his enormous, bat-like ears and advanced senses of hearing and smell to locate others.

Personality
"Get back to the pit you crawled from, demon!"

- Turel

Turel is described as a highly "dutiful" and "self-righteous" individual, both as a member of the Sarafan and as a Vampire Lieutenant, unquestioning and loyal to his masters and superiors. In Soul Reaver 2, he taunts his killer (the wraith Raziel), fighting his opponent alone and ordering him to "get back to the pit you crawled from, demon" - an ironic command, given his eventual fate in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Raziel takes heart in murdering his former comrade and future brother with the Reaver, still resentful that Turel bore him into the Abyss and replaced him as Kain's "right hand", apparently without qualms.

As Hash'ak'gik, Turel displays a wrathful and pernicious nature, demanding his sacrifices' throats are "cut first, blood gouting" before being served, and otherwise rejecting them. He gloats about his newfound status, bringing his self-righteous egotism full-circle by declaring himself "even greater than Kain". However, he derives no real pleasure from his deification, tormented and driven to desperation from his captivity in the pit. Ultimately, Turel implores Raziel to kill him, satisfied at the prospect of release after suffering untold years of derangement and possession.

In deleted dialogue from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Turel speaks of the bond of gratitude he and Raziel share with Kain, which Raziel rejects, denouncing Kain as "one who would have [Turel] grovel at his gate like a dog". Raziel notes that Turel once held "noble aspirations", which correlates with Turel's revelry at becoming a god in Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

Powers
"No! I must have blood -- Bring me blood, or feel the wrath of your god. You -- yours -- yes -- it will strengthen me against them --"

- Turel

Like Raziel, Turel assumed the characteristics of a bat over centuries of pupation as a Vampire, but never developed wings; instead, his evolutionary path resulted in gradual loss of sight in exchange for telekinetic and sound-related abilities, attaining "incredible powers of hearing at the price of faltering vision". Turel is described as an "innate master of telekinesis", and he utilized a range of telekinetic techniques against Raziel, including Echolocate, force waves and homing projectiles.

The devolved Turel's brawn also served him well in combat, and he made use of claw swipes, blind charges and Berserker Rage to destroy his prey. However, his weakness to sound enabled Raziel to prevail in combat, making use of large gongs in the pit to defeat his brother. The gongs, triggered by Raziel, absorbed Turel's telekinetic vibrations and release loud bursts of deafening, intensified noise which rendered him vulnerable to the Wraith Blade.

Etymology
"Turel. Yes. That was my name then."

- Turel

Turel was initially known as "Morlock" or "Morlock Boss" during the early development of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, named after the similarly-characterized Morlocks of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine. The Turelim Vampires ingame - particularly the Tomb Guardian - are also referred to as Morlocks, their tentative name in the game's coding and file names, and are consequently associated with this moniker.

Turel was also previously known as either "Hema" or "Ruman" (both fallen angels associated with "rage" and "death" respectively). The name "Turel" itself is Hebrew for "Rock of God".

Appearances

 * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver comic
 * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
 * Soul Reaver 2
 * Legacy of Kain: Defiance comic
 * Legacy of Kain: Defiance