Chained Humans,[1] also known as Captives[2] or Prisoners[3] were ordinary Humans who, for unexplained reasons, were being held captive by various factions or individuals . Effectively, they provided free Blood to Kain to replenish his health. They were featured particularly throughout the Blood Omen arc of the series.
Chained Humans were first featured in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, where Kain first encountered Humans chained in his mausoleum after rising from his grave. Chained humans were thereafter featured numerous times throughout Blood Omen, providing Kain an opportunity to feed without the risk of combat. Chained Humans in Blood Omen resembled that games peasant class NPCs and could be fed from straight away, and did not require 'killing'[2][Blood Omen].
Chained Humans returned in Blood Omen 2, where their appearance changed to resemble NPC classes in that game. When Kain arose from his slumber in Chapter 1:theSlums, Umah took him to feed (and retrain him), taking him to a nearby chained human to feed. Thereafter chained humans were featured throughout Blood Omen 2, (though not as often as in Blood Omen) allowing Kain to feed without combat. They were similarly given no explanation, though were more often featured in expected locations (dungeons and prisons). As Blood Omen 2 had no waver state, chained humans to be killed before Kain could feed from them.[4]
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Defiance saw the last appearance of Chained Humans in the series and saw them finally get a distinct character model (for males and females, dressed in simple dirty rags, though there was effectively no difference between the two[5]). They are seen mostly in dungeons and prison areas in locations such as in the Sarafan Stronghold and Vorador's Mansion. Chained Humans offered Kain (and on occasion Raziel) the opportunity to feed without risking combat and once again, did not require killing to feed from them[Defiance]. Defiance's chained humans held an element of risk however as their weakened mental and physical state made them particularly susceptible to HyldenPossession (becoming the Possessed or the Transformed).[6]
Though essentially treated as a health power-up, chained humans are arguably vital to Kain's character development in Blood Omen, as Kain learns that to survive his must kill helpless Humans.
The Blood Omen Prima Guide refers to Captives as part of its notes on feeding and in its walkthrough; it also highlights that "Citizens in bed function as captives".[2] The Blood Omen 2 Prima Guide only refers to the class in its walkthrough section, naming them variously as a Prisoners[3] and Shackled Humans.[7] The Defiance Prima Guide treats them as discrete enemy class, Chained Humans;[1] and notes the individual variants as Chained Female and Chained Male[5] both are credited with a single Special Attack - Hylden Possession, where the prisoners become the Possessed.[6] The Defiance classes are listed as "chained_f" and "chained_m" for the female and male respectively.
Gallery[]
Chained Male (BO1)
Chained Male (BO1)
Chained Male (BO1)
Chained Female (BO1)
Chained Female (BO1)
Vorador's 'Larder' in Blood Omen
Male and Female chained peasants in Blood Omen 2
A Chained Slave in the Hylden City (Blood Omen 2)
A Chained Male in Defiance
A Chained Female in Defiance
References[]
↑ 1.01.1"Chained Humans are the victims of any number of maligned causes or creatures. At one time they lived normal lives amongst their brethren. Yet, through some great misfortune now lie helpless at the whim of their captors. Whether under the hold of a Vampire, the Cenobites or just a normal yet nefarious human, they serve only one purpose...as cattle. Raziel and Kain can use these helpless humans as fodder to feed their insatiable hungers for blood and soul. However, these humans long imprisonment have left their languished bodies and weakened minds vulnerable to Hylden Possession." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003). Page 90. ISBN 0-7615-4467-4
↑ 2.02.12.2Captives:"You'll often find captives chained to walls, despite their cries of "Help me, kind sir",don't be so nice - suck their blood. You don't have to stun them first (they're already helpless) and they don't die in time like battle-stunned foes. If you're already on maximum blood, leave them be - you might need them later. Citizens in bed function as captives." Prima Games / Ian Osborne. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain: Official Game Secrets (1996). Page 13.ISBN 0-7615-0363-3Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "PrimaCaptives" defined multiple times with different content
↑ 3.03.1"Continue after Umah, who explains that drinking blood will make you stronger by increasing your Lore Bar. Another prisoner is shackled on the wall here. Press and hold the Auto-target button to lock onto the nearest enemy. With the Auto-target button held, press the Attack button. When this prisoner dies, drink her blood." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002). Page 9 onwards. ISBN 0-7615-3774-0Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "BO2Prima-Prisoners" defined multiple times with different content
↑ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002).
↑ 5.05.1"Basically there is no real differentiation between the Chained Female and Chained Male other than the appearance and sound." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003). Page 90. ISBN 0-7615-4467-4
↑ 6.06.1"Because of the weakness of tortured minds and bodies, the Chained Male/Female is especially vulnerable to a very strong/frightfully strong Hylden Possession (transforming them into a Hylden Possessed)." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003). Page 90. ISBN 0-7615-4467-4
↑"Take the stairs to the top and open the door to the cell area. A single Sarafan Knight is easy prey. There is no reason to pull the levers to open any of the cell doors, unless you need to feast on the
shackled humans therein." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002). Page 55 onwards. ISBN 0-7615-3774-0