Legacy of Kain Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The Device was an ancient Hylden weapon encountered by Kain in "Into the Depths" of Blood Omen 2.

Profile[]

The Device was designed and built in the time of the war between the Ancient vampires and the Hylden, to wipe out all non-Hylden life in Nosgoth.[1][2][3] This would be achieved by 'attuning it' to all non-Hylden life and channeling the mental energy of the Mass - a living creature with fantastic mental powers, apparently fed by the blood of the Ancients - onto a conduit that would spread the power over the land. This conduit was never completed as the ancient vampires banished the Hylden to the Demon Realm before it was finished, with 'the Builder' of the Device ending up in Eternal Prison.[4]

Eons later, Raziel as the Hylden messiah, would unintentionally allow the Hylden Lord to possess and take the body of Janos Audron[Defiance]. This enabled the Hylden Lord to open the Hylden Gate and the Hylden to once again gain a foothold in Nosgoth. The Hylden Lord revived the Sarafan, defeated the young Kain's growing empire and manipulated the Humans to take over Nosgoth. During this time, The Device was secretly uncovered and Janos imprisoned within to feed the Mass, as the Hylden - disguised as glyph wrights - completed an maintained a glyph magic network that would provide heat, light and to a certain degree protection from vampires (in a similar manner to electricity) to the human population. This network however could also be used as a conduit for the Device.[4][5]

By the time Kain had returned in his quest for vengeance against the Sarafan Lord, the network was virtually complete. After he defeated Sebastian, Sebastian gloated that Kain's death was inevitable and that the Device would rain destruction upon Nosgoth.[6] On Vorador's advice, Kain traveled to the Canyons to find out more information from the Seer,[1] who also viewed the Device in similar fashion to Sebastian,[2] but eventually gave Kain the Dark Gift 'Telekinesis' [7] and Teleported him to The Device.[8]

Upon entering Kain conversed with a deformed Beast that lay within, apparently being drained to power the Device, who told Kain the whereabouts of the Eternal Prison and that the Builder would likely help him destroy the device after his centuries of imprisonment.[3] The Builder was only to happy to help and offered Kain the solution to destroy the Device, to poison the Mass with Hylden blood.[4] Kain returned to the Device, and descended into the machinery.[9] Fighting off many Hylden and Hylden warriors to reach the Mass, where he was able to poison the Mass and render the Device useless.[10] By the time he reached the highest levels of the Device once again, the Beast had regained his true form - that of Janos Audron - and after explaining some of the background to the Device and the Hylden,[5] Janos teleported them both to Sanctuary.

Notes[]

  • Maps,[11] concept art and gameplay[12] (and several other materials[13]) show the Device as a large square building decorated with a glowing green symbol, at the very heart of Meridian, situated between the Upper and Lower Cities. However, much like the glyph wrights, it seems this is merely an appropriate disguise; When Kain gained the Telekinesis Dark Gift and activated the first Glyph seal outside, the symbol changes to red and the building reveals it's true, more threatening 'spiky' form, which is more consistent with Hylden architecture seen in the Hylden City and inside the Device itself, where 'spikes' are used for decoration and practical purposes[Blood Omen 2].
  • The Device descends deep underground beneath Meridian. On several occasions Kain passes through tunnels which span deep crevices. Molten magma can be observed at the bottom of these cracks, and Hylden are sometimes seen standing guard on rocky ledges[Blood Omen 2].
  • The NPC 's of the Device are Human Slaves to the Hylden . In the retail version of the game they have very little purpose, but they were originally to have had a much bigger role in the destruction of the Device.Kain was intended to have freed several slaves who would have 'passed on' the message that "Kain is coming", prompting further Slaves to aid Kain, sabotaging the Device and providing hints and help.[14] These sequences also feature the Slaves being "drained" of "life" by the Hylden (presumably to feed the Mass ) and somehow being transformed into Demons .[15] Slaves are also seen throughout the level, held in pods.[Blood Omen 2]
  • Though much of the machinery in the Device is a mystery, there appears to be some sort of genetic engineering/cloning involved in the mechanisms. One conveyor belt carries canisters which seem to contain Hylden (or at least green humanoid) fetuses. These canisters are seen throughout the later portion of the level and are eventually seen piled by the Mass' feeding tube (suggesting they are fed on by the Mass), red 'used' versions of the canisters are seen in the Mass' pit.Hylden scientists and Warriors are also seen in 'suspended animation' in pods.[Blood Omen 2]
  • The Device also features an 'eye' motif, which is frequently overlaid with Hylden symbols. There are also areas where large 'organic matter' (similar to but unconnected to the Mass) is used by the Hylden for undisclosed purposes[Blood Omen 2].

Gallery[]

Design and Layout[]

Initial Views[]

Device Level[]

Features and Textures[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Icon Blood Omen 2 Kain: "And I see that you were courteous enough not to relieve me of it while I lay unconscious. I met another old friend, a vampire, guarding it. Before I killed him, he told me something…unsettling.He spoke of an ancient Device underground that will bring about victory for the Sarafan Lord. What do you know of this, Vorador?"//Vorador: "I have heard tell of strange discoveries deep underground. Ancient legends speak of huge machines deep in the earth, left by the gods in eons past. And I know of one who can tell us the truth of this matter. She is a Seer, a being said to be older even than I. We are fortunate in that she owes me a favor. Go to her, Kain, and learn what she knows." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Icon Blood Omen 2 Kain: "I seek information, and I must have it. What can you tell me of the Device?"//Seer: "The Device? You’re playing a dangerous game. Return to your night hunting, vampire. Enjoy what time remains to you, short though it is"///Kain: "I desire far more than blood. Where is the Device? I will not go without an answer."//Seer: "Do you so enjoy being Vorador’s lap dog?"//Kain: "I am no man’s dog, witch."//Seer: "No. I see that now. I sense your conviction…I shall help you. If Nosgoth is ever to be healed, the Device must be destroyed. And you, of all men, could be the one to do it. Know this: the Device has lain dormant, beneath Meridian for time beyond time. But now the Sarafan Lord has empowered the machine to unleash its destruction upon the land. The entrance to the Device lies in the heart of the city itself, under the very noses of the aristocracy. You will know the building by this sign. You will see this more than once, but the first one will show you the entrance to the Device. No human can operate it. But a vampire could." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Icon Blood Omen 2 Kain: "I seek an ancient device of great power. I am prepared to kill any who stand in my way."//Beast: "Have no fear of me. I am enslaved by the fiends that built this monstrosity, to feed this machine with my life."//Kain: "Then perhaps we have an interest in common. I am here to destroy the device."//Beast: "Yes. Yes, I can help you, then.That which you seek is too great for you to destroy alone. It descends far underground, it rivals a city in its size. To destroy the device, you must seek out the being that built it."//Kain: "The Sarafan Lord?"//Beast: "No, no, it is older, far older.Those who dwelt in Nosgoth eons ago left some structures in their passing. The device is one. The Sarafan Lord discovered how to use it. Only the Builder can make it stop."//Kain: "Do you mean to tell me that this being still lives? Impossible."//Beast: "He is…listen to me. There is a place in Nosgoth, far to the north, where time means nothing, where hours and years are frozen for eternity. The Eternal Prison. The wretches imprisoned there pay for their crimes for eternity. The builder is there."//Kain: "The Eternal Prison. I have heard of such a place. I did not realize it was so close to Meridian. How do I reach it?"//Beast: "There is a tunnel leading out of the city through this room. It will take you into the Prison."//Kain: "And if this builder refuses my help?"//Beast: "Tell him you wish to destroy the device. Believe me, he will aid you."//Kain: "I hope, for your sake, that what you have told me is true."//Beast: "You may believe me. Destroying the device…will free me…at last. I will be in your debt, Kain" Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Icon Blood Omen 2 Kain: "I seek a prisoner in this place, a builder. He created a large Device that lies below the city of Meridian."//Builder: "Seek no further. I am he."//Kain: "How fortunate. I intend to destroy this Device. I was told only you can tell me how."//Builder: "I can indeed help you, but in return I need an end to my suffering."//Kain: "Tell me of the Device and I will grant you any request within my power."//Builder: "Yes, yes… The Device was built as a weapon, eons ago when two races warred with each other for dominance of Nosgoth. It houses an ancient creature, who’s very mind is capable of killing any living thing with but a thought. The Device was to channel the mental energy of this creature, and direct it onto Nosgoth. It would attune the creature’s mind to kill all living creatures except for my race. Before it could be completed, however, I was imprisoned here, and the rest of my race was banished to another, far more terrible, realm."//Kain: "So this Device was never finished. And yet the creature still lives within it?"//Builder: "It was dubbed “The Mass.” It is eternal and deadly, yet harmless without a channel for it’s mind. We never completed the weapon. We needed a way to send its energy out of the Device and into the land itself. We needed a conduit spread all throughout the cities, a network, if you will. Once this network was created, the Device would channel the mental energy of the Mass, and send death upon our enemies."//Kain: "You say a network? Placed like a web throughout a city?"//Builder: "We never completed the network. We never used the Device."//Kain: "But the Sarafan Lord will. The Glyphs! He is using the Glyphs to channel the Mass, to wipe out the city, humans and vampires alike! That must be his plan!"//Builder: "If this is indeed true, you must act quickly. It would be too large a task to destroy the Device itself. You must kill The Mass itself."//Kain: "You said this creature was eternal."//Builder: "It has a simple weakness. Blood is like poison to its system. And not any blood, but pure blood from the Elder races. My blood. My blood will poison and kill the creature. Drink from me, vampire, and use my life’s blood to kill that which I created, out of arrogance and pride. Kill me so that the Mass will die, and the Device will be destroyed!" Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Icon Blood Omen 2 Janos: "Not dead, but imprisoned in this place. My blood was needed to power the device, and feed the Mass within. Starved of blood and sapped of life, I devolved into that horrible creature. The moment you poisoned the Mass, I felt my strength return. That which is divine cannot be wholly suppressed"//Kain: "Divine? Your imprisonment has damaged your mind, Janos. The curse of vampirism is no mark of divinity."//Janos: "You must delve further back into history, Kain, to know the truth of our heritage. Long ago, and long before I first walked the earth, vampires were god-like, and our kind ruled the land. But we were opposed by another race, similar to ours in power, but different in method and intention. The wars between us flamed for a thousand years. But we prevailed at last, and we banished our enemies from the face of the earth by powerful magic, sealing them into another plane of existence."//Kain: "What has this history lesson to do with my task at hand?"//Janos: "Patience, Kain. The race that fought the vampires was the Hylden, the very Hylden that you have just encountered. They control the Sarafan. They are striving to wipe out the vampires, enslave the humans, and reclaim all Nosgoth as their own. They are the evil that plague us once again, authors of the demons and the Device and all else that threatens the land. They have returned to enact a terrible revenge."//Kain: "I thought you said that they were banished."//Janos: "They were, Kain. But several centuries ago, one of the Hylden was able to return to our world. He then used his magic to draw other Hylden through, but had not yet the power to begin a full invasion. He required an army, here, and humans to drain of energy. He learned of a legendary order whose purpose was to purge the world of vampires long ago. He revived this order,and the Sarafan were born again."//Kain: "The Sarafan Lord. It was he that broke through. But how?"//Janos: "Now we come to your part in this story. When you chose to destroy the Pillar of Balance, you caused a rift throughout the world, sufficient to breach through the dimensions."//Kain: "Was it I, then, who had engendered this war? No, I had been set, step by step, upon the path that led to this outcome. Hadn’t this all been a Hylden plot from the beginning? My mind reeled at the implications." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  6. Icon Blood Omen 2 Sebastian: "I'll tell you, so that I may see your face when you learn – you are powerless – you cannot win – your death is inevitable. The Nexus Stone's portal leads to an ancient Device, deep underground, that will spell your destruction, Kain. A new reign will begin in Nosgoth."//Kain: "What is the purpose of this device? How will it serve the Sarafan Lord?"//Sebastian: "Alas, he has not entrusted me with that knowledge. But soon, everyone will know it. His plans are even now coming into fruition."//Kain: "Where is the device? Where under the earth?"//Sebastian: "It lies beneath Meridian. Seek for it, if you will. I die happy in the knowledge that all your efforts will be wasted." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  7. Icon Blood Omen 2 Kain: "What must I do?"//Seer: "Come here. Drink. Drink my blood. Now!"///Kain: "What manner of creature are you? You are like no vampire that I have seen."//Seer: "Who I am, what I am, is of no concern to you.Time presses –He is here. Do as I tell you. If you are to destroy the device and save Nosgoth, you must drink.Agh! Good, yes, drink, my dark prince. Feel my powers coursing through your veins. You can manipulate objects already by sheer will alone. But as you were taught, you can only use this ability at close range. By drinking my blood, you will be granted the gift of Telekinesis. You will be able to manipulate objects at a great distance. And, you will be able to activate this symbol, and enter the Device." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  8. Icon Blood Omen 2 Seer: "He has found you. Your destiny draws even closer. I will transport you to the entrance of the Device. From there, use your new-found ability to gain entrance."//Kain: "What of you, Seer? Escape with me. I am in need of allies."///Seer: "Am I your ally? My fate lies along a different path. Goodbye, Kain." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  9. Icon Blood Omen 2 Beast: "You are ready to descend to the Device. Time grows short. My life…is drawn from me. The Device is alive. You must destroy it."//Kain: "What can you tell me of the creature within."//Beast: "The slaves speak of it as…The Mass. It has great power…yet it is just an animal. The blood in your veins… will kill it…"//Kain: "How do I reach the Device?"//Beast: "This passage…will lead you there."//Kain: "I will return when the device is destroyed."//Beast: "Wait…You must know…your true enemies. My captors. They are not of this world. They control the Glyph magic by which Meridian is enslaved. They pull the strings of the Sarafan while in the disguise of the Glyph Wrights. They are called…the Hylden….And their leader is, of course –"//Kain: "– The Sarafan Lord."//Beast: "They are powerful creatures, Kain. You will encounter them below. Beware their magic. Now, find the Mass…Destroy the Device." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  10. Icon Blood Omen 2 Kain: "At last, I had found it; the foul Mass, hidden within the bowls of the Device. Here was the Sarafan Lord’s ultimate weapon – his trump card, to be played against human and vampire alike. But I had my own weapon. I could feel the Builder’s blood course coldly through my veins. If I could use it to poison this creature, the Sarafan Lord’s plans would be ruined." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript.
  11. Icon Nosgothic Realm Blood Omen 2 Maps at Nosgothic Realm.
  12. Icon Blood Omen 2 Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002).
  13. Eidos Interactive Still on Maps Thread at the Eidos Forums (by Shrykull)
  14. Icon The Lost Worlds Slaves to the Device on The Lost Worlds(by Ben Lincoln)
  15. File:Icon Youtube.pngBlood Omen 2 Deleted Dialogue on You Tube

Browse[]

Advertisement