Sarafan Stronghold

"And so I returned to the sanctuary of my enemy - the fortress of the Sarafan brotherhood, deemed impossible for any man to penetrate."

- Kain

The Sarafan Stronghold was a major building in Nosgoth, situated on the southern banks of the Great Southern Lake, it served as heaquarters of the Sarafan brotherhood in Nosgoth's early history and would later be used as the central base for Moebius's mercenary army in the Pre-Blood Omen and Blood Omen eras. The fortress witnessed much significant Nosgothic history before being abandoned to Demons attack in the Post-Blood Omen era. The Stronghold was first glimpsed in cutscenes in Blood Omen and was a playable location in Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance.

History
Presumably built at some point during the course of the Sarafan crusades in Nosgoth's early history, the fortess would become the main headquarters of the Sarafan brotherhood and meeting place of the Circle of Nine during the same period, with the Circle able to command Sarafan troops on the battlefield via visions that appeared in a basin in the Circle's gathering room.

At the height of the crusades of the Sarafan Brotherhood, the Sarafan planned an assault on Janos Audron's Retreat, believing that Janos' death would lead to the entire Vampire bloodline failing. Intending to kill the Ancient Vampire and remove both the Heart of Darkness and the Reaver blade several of the Sarafan warrior inquisitors were sent to Janos' Retreat to carry out the deed. This act brought terrible vengeance upon the Sarafan order as both the Wraith Raziel and the first Turned Vampire Vorador infiltrated the Sarafan Stronghold and began devastating attacks on the Stronghold. Vorador reached the Circle's Gathering Room and slaughtered six of the Pillar Guardians, as well as inflicting a humiliating defeat upon Conflict Guardian and protector of the Circle Malek. At the same time, Raziel's path through the Stronghold had enabled him to recover the Reaver and, made virtually invincible by the blade, Raziel was able to murder the remaining Warrior Inquisitors (including his former Human self). At the conclusion of his visit, Raziel would learn of his destiny to become the captive spirit within the Soul Reaver and a paradox aided by Kain would change history, temporarily postponing his fate.



Though losing most of their command structure due to the vengeance of Raziel and Vorador (and with their highest ranking warrior Malek disgraced), the Sarafan order was able to continue operations in the Sarafan Stronghold for some time afterward, with Moebius apparently leading the order. Some years after the legendary assault on the fortress, Kain would return to Infiltrate the Stronghold, attempting to find out from Moebius what had happened to Raziel. Recovering several fragments of the Balance Emblem, Kain was able confront Moebius, first in Moebius' Chamber and then again in the Tower and after being persuaded to investigate "west of the Pillars of Nosgoth", Kain left the Stronghold. Some time after this, the Sarafan crusades drew to a close and the usage of the Stronghold is unknown for several centuries.

Nearly five centuries later in the Pre-Blood Omen era, the fledgling Kain's murder of the William the Just ignited another Vampire Purge, with Moebius leading a new generation of Vampire Hunters - Moebius's People's Army. Striving to "honor the memory" of the Sarafan Brotherhood, Moebius' hunters inhabited the fortress and like the Sarafan before them, the Stronghold became a major base for the faction as it sought to eliminate the vampire plague.

Twenty years later, as the murder of Ariel led to the Corruption of the Pillars of Nosgoth, the Wraith Raziel arrived at the Time Streaming Chamber in the Sarafan Stronghold (having travelled from the Chronoplast in the Soul Reaver era and snatched from the the time-stream by Moebius). Encouraged by Moebius to embrace his former Sarafan heritage (and to kill Kain), Raziel explored the Stronghold finding murals and imagery dedicated to the major events of the history of the vampire hunters; Finding murals depicting Janos' murder by the Sarafan, Vorador's massacre of the Circle, The Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors and Kain's murder of William the Just (complete with William's Reaver blade). After journeying out into Nosgoth and finding traces of Ancient Vampire history (and convinced that Janos held the answers he required), Raziel returned to the Sarafan Stronghold to attempt to use the Time Streaming Chamber to travel back to Nosgoth's early history. As Raziel entered William's Chapel he was met by Kain, who explained the nature of history and destiny in Nosgoth. Using the Reaver blade to ignite a Paradox (creating the Third timeline), Raziel was able to spare Kain's life and change history.

By the Blood Omen era thirty years later, Moebius Mercenary Army had virtually eliminated the Vampires and with Vorador's execution at Stahlberg, Kain would be left the last Vampire in Nosgoth. Despite this victory for the order, it's days were numbered. Shortly after the death of Vorador, Kain would be presented with a fateful decision to decide the fate of Nosgoth; his refusal to sacrifice himself caused the Pillars of Nosgoth to Collapse and created a rift that breached through dimensions. In the wake of this many Demons species were able to cross from the Demon Realm and mount attacks upon the Material Realm. The Vampire Hunters of Moebius' Army adapted to combat this new threat and became Demon hunters. By the time Raziel visited the Post-Blood Omen era, a century after the Pillars Collapse, the fortress had been abandoned for some time and was in a derelict state; with the Stronghold overrun by Demons the Demon Hunters had not made their base there.

Design and Layout
Unlike other repeated locations in the series, the design and layout of the Sarafan Stronghold has been incredibly consistent between appearances and several of the most significant rooms can be named

Guardians Memorial Chamber (Circle's Gathering Room)
Features in Blood Omen and Soul Reaver 2. Room adjoining Moebius' Time-streaming chambers; where the circle meet and observe theSarafan troop movements in Nosgoth's early history. ''During Vorador's legendary attack six of the Pillar Guardians were killed in this room and later eras feature murals depicting the fallen guardians and their killer.

Cloister (Courtyard)
Featured in Soul Reaver 2 and  Defiance. A large open air courtyard where Raziel murdered the Sarafan warrior inquisitors Melchiah and Zephon in Nosgoth's early history and also seen in the Pre and Post-Blood Omen eras in Soul Reaver 2. The Courtyard reappears in Nosgoth's early history in Defiance (taking place some years after Soul Reaver 2) where a second level balcony (that is missing from Soul Reaver 2 eras) has been added along with a statue of the Sarafan Warrior Inquisitor Malek that was central to the puzzles involving Malek's Sword and Malek's Shield.

Sanctuary (Sarafan Cathedral)
A large Cathedral-like area featured in Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance. Site of the murder of the Sarafan warrior inquisitors Dumah, Rahab and (in the raised 'inner sanctum') Turel by the Wraith Raziel in Nosgoth's early history (SR2). Location of the Balance fragment of the Balance Emblem and relic room containing Malek's Shield in Nosgoth's early history (Def). Chapels dedicated to the Sarafan murder of Janos Audron and Kain's murder of William the Just (complete with William's Soul Reaver blade) had been added to the 'inner sanctum' by thePre-Blood Omen era and in William's Chapel Kain persuaded Raziel to spare him, igniting the Third paradox timeline (shortly after Raziel had unknowingly averted one by sparing Moebius). In the Post-Blood Omen era the inner sanctum would contain a statue of Moebius holding Vorador's head aloft commemorating the final victory of Moebius Mercenary Army. Raziel would also meet the supposed martyred spirit of Moebius just outside Sanctuary. (SR2)

Chapter House (Sarafan Memorial Chapel/ Ouroboros Room)
Octagonal room featured in Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance which bears a prominent 'Ouroboros' floor symbol in all appearances. The Chapter House was where, in Nosgoth's early history (Soul Reaver 2), the Wraith Raziel met and killed his former Human (Sarafan warrior inquisitor) self, leading to the Reaver's attempt to consume him and the subsequent ignition of the fourth timeline by Kain. The late Nosgoth's early history (Defiance) features a door unlocked by the Falcon Insignia. By the Pre-Blood Omen era (Soul Reaver 2) the walls of the Chapter House were decorated with images of the fallen Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors and a statue of the human Raziel.

Moebius' Chamber
to be added

The Tower
to be added

Appearances

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