- "This elemental forge is tuned to the Soul Reaver’s energy. Once baptized in this primordial flame, the blade may be imbued with fire at any future time."
- ―Elder God — Listen (file info)[src]
The Fire Forge was an elemental Reaver forge that could be encountered by Raziel in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and the only Reaver forge to make it into the final game despite several other forges being cut. The forge was located beneath the Drowned Abbey and could be accessed at any time after Raziel gained the ability to swim. Associated with elemental Fire the forge was designed to imbue the Wraith Blade with Fire to create the Fire Reaver.
Profile[]
The Fire Forge was an entirely optional playable location present in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver that could be encountered by Raziel, and one of many forges that were supposed to make an appearance in the game. Due to the time constraints, all of the other forges were cut and only the Fire Forge remained in the final version.[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/10][Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire][1]
After defeating Rahab and gaining the ability to swim, Raziel could return to the 'church' area of the Drowned Abbey and swim down to the bottom level where he could encounter a distinctive stained glass mural blocking the entrance to the forge. Shattering the mural with a Reaver projectile opened the way to the forge.[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/10][Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire]
Within the forge was a flaming plinth where Raziel could imbue the Wraith Blade with elemental Fire to create the Fire Reaver. The Reaver enhancement was never permanent however and would be lost upon being submerged in water, entering the Spectral Realm or upon taking damage or otherwise losing the Wraith Blade. Raziel could reimbue the Wraith Blade with Fire at any other bonfire or large enough fire source once he had initially gained the enhancement.[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire][Soul Reaver manual (UK)][Soul Reaver manual (US)][Soul Reaver strategy guide (Prima)].
Design and Layout[]
The forge branches off from the lowest level of the 'church' structure within the Drowned Abbey and its entrance was initially blocked by a large mural decorated with a pattern resembling the Wraith Blade backed by flames. The mural was breakable and could be shattered with a Reaver bolt or Telekinetic force projectile and behind it was a small antechamber with wave-like symbols on either side and a slanted staircase which led upto the forge proper.[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire]
The forge itself was a long rectangular chamber with a curved end, adorned throughout with pillars on both sides and a carpet depicting two curved swords set aflame alongside some patterned symbols. Above the pillars the wall was also decorated with various repeated patterns. At the curved end of the room, there was a pedestal with a large font atop it from which flames emanated, with these capable of baptising the blade to become the Fire Reaver. Behind the pedestal, there was a large mural of the Soul Reaver being plunged into the forge´s flames.[Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire]
Inhabitants and collectibles[]
The Fire Reaver: "Hidden in Nosgoth is a fire forge. Baptizing the Soul Reaver in the forge imbues the weapon with fire. Later encounters with fire on the Material Plane allow you to transform the Soul Reaver into the Fire Reaver by passing the weapon through the flames.
The Fire Reaver continues as long as Raziel's energy is fully charged. When Raziel takes damage, the weapon disappears, true to its fundamental nature as the Soul Reaver. Raziel must fully recover his energy to regain the Soul Reaver. To recharge the Fire Reaver, pass the Soul Reaver through fire once again."[Soul Reaver manual (US)]
Development[]
The Fire Forge was not originally intended to have been located in the Drowned Abbey but was moved there after other content was cut. In the Soul Reaver alphas The Water forge is found in that location instead - along with a more generic patterned window. One vestige of this early positioning that remains into the final game is a set of wave designs flanking the entrance to the chamber. [2][3][4][Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire]
Rather than being found in the Drowned Abbey, the Fire forge in these builds is located in one of the chambers off the drawbridge tower area of Raziel's Clan Territory - positioning which perhaps better reflects the theming of each forge. In this version the forge is much earlier in its development and the room itself appears much plainer with few decorations or patterns and a color scheme that is more in the grey/white which is perhaps intended to reflect the scheme of Raziel's territory.[2][3][4]
Whichever forge is present in the Drowned Abbey, the entranceway is protected by a distinctive stained glass window. In the alpha builds - where the Water Forge is present - the window is decorated with a multicolored geometric pattern. By the earlier beta builds - when the Fire Forge has been substituted - the design is changed to a different distinctive design, this time showing a blue face with pointed ears at the heart of a flame-like pattern and flanked by two flamberge swords: in a clear hint toward the nature of the Fire Reaver within. The design that will be used for the retail version - a fiery abstract shape representing the Wraith Blade - only debuts in the July 14th beta and is used in every build thereafter. No other forge location in any build - including the original Fire Forge location - uses such a barrier to entry and it is ultimately unclear if such stained glasses were planned to mark the entrance to other forges; although the fandom has frequently speculated as to their usage and the design that may have represented the other forges.[2][3][4][5][6][Soul Reaver]
Initially a generic explanation of all forges by the Elder God was intended to play when Raziel discovered his first forge, but upon deletion of the other forges this dialogue was tailored to be specific to the Fire Forge. The original voice recording is still present but unusued in the files of some builds.[Soul Reaver]
- "These forges are tuned to the Soul Reaver’s energy. One you have baptized the sword in these elemental fonts, the blade may be imbued with that element at any future time."
- ―Elder God — Listen (file info)[src]
Notes[]
- The Fire Forge is simply referred to as "this elemental forge" in dialogue, while also relating it to the elemental property of Fire.[Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire] Both the manuals and the official strategy guide directly refer to it as the "Fire Forge".[Soul Reaver manual (UK)][Soul Reaver manual (US)][Soul Reaver strategy guide (Prima)]
- The Fire Forge room is labelled in game files as part of its territory, with the retail version labelled as "aluka47" referencing its place within the territory of the Drowned Abbey.[Soul Reaver]
- In alpha builds where the forge was part of Raziel's Clan Territory it was instead listed as "huba12" - that room designation is missing from the final game. The "aluka47" designation does however exist in the alpha builds: its used for the small staircase leading into Rahab's chamber which is merged with "aluka46" in retail builds. The Water forge - which originally used the location that would be taken by the Fire Forge - is labelled in these builds as "aluka13": a designation which also disappears after the alpha builds.[2][3][4][Soul Reaver]
- The Fire Forge room is labelled in game files as part of its territory, with the retail version labelled as "aluka47" referencing its place within the territory of the Drowned Abbey.[Soul Reaver]
- The Fire Forge can be entered at any time after Raziel has defeated Rahab and gained the ability to swim. Despite its optional nature, the official guide suggests that the forge should be visited immediately after dispatching Rahab and even includes it in the Rahab chapter of the guide rather than with the following chapter - which incidentally deals with other optional objectives and the exploration of the Fire Glyph Altar.[Soul Reaver/11][Soul Reaver/Fire][Soul Reaver strategy guide (Prima)]
- The concept of the Fire Forge and Fire Reaver would be repeated in subsequent games in the Soul Reaver arc of the series with each containing a themed room which would deliver such an enhancement. Soul Reaver 2 featured an expansive Fire Forge within Janos Audron's Retreat that was built around a central water (or blood) level puzzle that was designed by the Ancient vampires and gifted a similar temporary Fire Reaver which could then be reimbued from specific Reaver fonts. Legacy of Kain: Defiance featured a more generic and less unique Fire forge, again designed by the Ancient vampires but with simpler puzzle elements and a greater combat focus to gain its more permanent Fire Reaver.[Soul Reaver 2][Defiance]
The Fire Forge stained glass along with hidden Sound Glyph symbols in Tomb Raider artwork by Daniel Cabuco
- The retail version of the stained glass at the entrance to the Fire Forge was subsequently used by artist Daniel Cabuco on his old portfolio site Spectraljin.com where he detailed the character models and outfits he had created for Lara Croft of the Tomb Raider series and Tomb Raider: Legend specifically. This also highlighted a number of other Legacy of Kain symbols that had been hidden through the game.[7]
Gallery[]
See also[]
- The Fire Forge (SR1) at Dark Chronicle (by Ardeth Silvereni).
- The Elemental Reaver Forges at The Lost Worlds (by Ben Lincoln).
- Water Forge (Soul Reaver)
- Sunlight Forge
- Sound Forge
- Stone Forge
- Spirit Forge (Soul Reaver)
- "adda2"
- Fire Forge (Soul Reaver 2)
- Fire Forge (Defiance)
References[]
- ↑ The Elemental Reaver Forges at The Lost Worlds (by Ben Lincoln).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (Jan 23, 1999 prototype)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (Feb 4, 1999 prototype)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (Feb 16, 1999 prototype)
- ↑ Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (May 12, 1999 prototype)
- ↑ Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (Jul 14, 1999 prototype)
- ↑ Tomb Raider Legend Portfolio at SpectralJin.com (former online portfolio of Daniel Cabuco - also partially archived here)
Browse[]
- This article is about the forge to imbue the Wraith blade with elemental Fire in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. For the forge with a similar purpose in Soul Reaver 2, see Fire Forge (Soul Reaver 2). For the forge with a similar purpose in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, see Fire Forge (Defiance).
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