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The Energy Bolt Dungeon, also known as the Citadel, was a 'dungeon' building which housed the Energy Bolt spell. Positioned directly north of the Pillars of Nosgoth, the building was seen in the early chapters of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain.

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The Energy Bolt Dungeon appeared in the early stages of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and was first visible in the chapter "Seeking Revenge" as Kain made his way to the Pillars of Nosgoth and as progressed north toward the Pillars he could see the Energy Bolt Dungeon to the north beyond the Pillars clearing.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/2]

As Kain began his quest for Nupraptor in the eponymous chapter he could one again see the Energy Bolt Dungeon in the distance as he left the Pillars clearing and passed through the Light Dungeon. [Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

After taking a short detour by the Lake of Tears and the Wolf Form Dungeon, Kain followed the trail back around to the north of the pillars and was able to approach and enter the Energy Bolt Dungeon. Inside he was able to gain the Energy Bolt spell and test its usage on enemies and Wall buttons before returning outside and following the trail northward to Nachtholm.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

Design and Layout[]

The external appearance of the Energy Bolt Dungeon is reminiscent of the mausoleums of the Cemetery and the nearby Light Dungeon, consisting of a plain grey stone building with a sloped roof and plain pillared walls. Unlike other buildings of this type the Energy Bolt Dungeon appears to have a small outer 'courtyard' area with an arch at the entrance, with the areas above ground apparently arranged in a square shape around the outside of this area.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

The layout of the internal Energy Bolt Dungeon is essentially a large loop that returns to its start point. Aesthetically the dungeon is made up of primarily pale green and grey stone, with a number of yellow trimmings and markers and the occasional skeletal or skull motif.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

The first room was a simple square room containing a Save altar. The next room was roughly Y-shaped with a fork in the path. At the intersection of the fork the mural of the Energy Bolt spell was drawn onto the floor in front of a purple magic sphere and a raised platform from which two Liches would fire homing bolts. The door to the left was protected by a Scimitar swordsman and was locked, forcing Kain to use the right fork, where another swordsman protected an open door.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

BO1-Map0072-Sect31

The first Save altar room

The next chamber had a wide staircase lead upto a large rectangular room with a large rectangular spike pit in the middle surrounded by narrow paths which formed a balcony of sorts around the pit. At the top of the staircase was positioned the Energy Bolt spell card along with a purple sphere. Two Liches were positioned in the top corner of the 'balcony' paths and another purple sphere lay just in front of the exit door at the top of the room. The next room was a larger rectangular chamber with an arrangement of square pillars with three Liches among them. In the center of the room with the Liches was positioned a rune triangle. The top wall of the room was protected by a spike pit (with a nearby purple sphere) which prevented access to the wall button and required Kain to use his new spell to reach it. Once activated, the exit door would open in the bottom left of the room.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

BO1-Map0072-Sect21-EnergyBoltDungeon

The main chambers of the Energy Bolt Dungeon

The next room was a straight corridor with three spike pits along the top and two Liches along the main path. Each spike pit contained a human prisoner, a purple sphere and a Wall button - with each button activate by energy bolt and producing a path into the spike pits to reach their respective prisoner and magic sphere. The exit door, in the center of the bottom wall, would only be opened when the buttons on the left and right pits (but not the center) were activated.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

The door led out onto a raised platform in a large open room with several raised areas that was bigger than any room Kain had encountered so far in the building. A scimitar swordsmen awaited at the top of the platform before Kain could descend down to a wide staircase to the floor level where two Spike pits flanked the stairs. Kain could follow the path to the left, where a narrower staircase led up to another raised platform where a Liche and a Dandy thrower protected a Blood vial, and a narrow passage beneath which contained a purple sphere. The main path led directly down from the initial raised platform to another raised platform isolated from the others and protected by a spike pit from which a Liche could fire projectiles. A purple sphere was positioned at the right wall of this platform where the trail led right passing the locked exit door to another staircase which led upto a balcony overlooking the right side of the room which contained a Liche, a Dandy thrower, a purple sphere and the final wall button which unlocked the exit. Passing through the exit door led Kain back to the left fork in the second chamber.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]

Notes[]

BO1-Map0001-Sect61-RegionNorthOfZiegsturhl

The map area containing the Energy Bolt Dungeon (top building) along with the Light Dungeon (bottom left)

  • As with most other dungeons, the Energy Bolt Dungeon is not named in game. It is however titled as such in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain—Official Game Secrets, the official guide to Blood Omen.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]
  • In Silicon Knights Blood Omen FAQ The Complete Guide To Legacy of Kain, the building is simply called "a large mausoleum to the north of the Wolf form" or "a mausoleum to the south of Nachtholm" - with such a description ultimately implying that the building was originally intended as a burial ground much like Kain's Mausoleum and the other buildings of the Cemetery. The description is also notably similar to that given for the Light Dungeon, with all three locations ultimately sharing very similar building designs. Gameplay of the Energy Bolt Dungeon is amusingly described in the guide as "a western shoot out".[1][2]
  • The internal areas of the Energy Bolt Dungeon are counted in files under "Map 0072", with "Map 0072 Sect 21" referring to the main areas of the dungeon and "Map 0072 Sect 31" referring to the chamber containing the save altar. The external map area is grouped with other 'overland' locations under the "Map 0001" designation as "Map 0001 Sect 61". The Developers' level select labels the area as "ENBT" under the "OL1" designation, grouping it with the first areas of the game.[Blood Omen]
  • The Energy Bolt Dungeon notably shares its map area with the Light Dungeon. The clearing of the Pillars of Nosgoth (and the chapter break) is also between the two structures, although the clearing is not visible on the map view and is only represented by the two Teleporters leading to and from the clearing. The pillars themselves are featured in a different map area - which has several variants depending upon the progression through the game. [Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
  • The Energy Bolt Dungeon map area is visited three times in quick succession. Kain first enters the area as he travels to the Pillars of Nosgoth and reaches a teleporter in the south of the area. The Pillars themselves are represented on a different map area, with Kain returning to the Energy Bolt Dungeon map area via a teleporter in the west and following the trail southwest passed the Light Dungeon. This trail leads off screen and continues onto the Lake of Tears map area - which contains the Wolf Form Dungeon in a cave - before looping back and returning to the far north of the Energy Bolt Dungeon map, where the Energy Bolt Dungeon itself resides.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/2][Blood Omen/3]

Background[]

The Energy Bolt Dungeon and its surroundings are somewhat different in the Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain alpha. Here there is no building north of the pillars and only a cave in a cliff - strangely containing a brothel business (complete with sign) - occupies its space. Following the trail from the pillars to the east in this version leads to a trail that bends up behind the northern bank on the Lake of Tears. Along this trail is a small graveyard filled with lunging ghost class enemies around a small generic mausoleum (Mausoleums in the alpha lack the unique distinct designs of the final game): This is the original placement of the energy bolt dungeon. The external area of the alphas dungeon is one of the few areas where the Ghost enemies are seen. In the retail version they are confined to a small underground passage in Coorhagen and are not seen anywhere else in the game

Inside the dungeon is similar to its retail counterpart, although there are some notable differences. For starters the first room is now a square chamber containing a Save altars but a fork with the Energy bolt mural on the floor - the left path leads to a much slightly different 'T'-shaped save altar room, whereas the right path leads into the dungeon proper - beginning with another fork with energy bolt mural on the floor.

The main chambers are very similar to their final renditions, although with generic features instead of the unique touches in the retail and with some of the individual rooms rearranged. Notably the back rooms have been swapped over, with Spike pits added to the ends of the 'E'-shaped room and the other slightly widened. Notably the middle left room has been completely reworked with more balconies, spike pits and other features added to the retail version.

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 	Ghosts,_Graveyards_&_The_Pillars_-_Blood_Omen_Alpha 	 			  

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