Gypsies (enemies)

Gypsies
Enemies article
A Dandy Thrower Gypsy in Blood Omen.

"The gypsies - purveyors of distrust and superstition. Most of their babble should be taken with a pinch of salt, since the gypsies often tinker with weary travelers’ minds . . . However, a few gypsies have something interesting to say."

―Kain — Listen (file info)

Gypsies were a group or race of people living throughout Nosgoth in isolated nomadic communities. Gypsies generally served as enemies through Kain's journey in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Gypsies were first encountered and highlighted as Kain tried to enter Vasserbünde and found the entrance of the town blocked. Nearby he found a gypsy encampment and inside one of the tents he discovered the Disguise Form which allowed him to converse with townsfolk unmolested. Thereafter Gypsies were encountered as enemies, but they could be nullified and talked to using Disguise.

Profile

Gypsies were a class of enemies and NPCs introduced in an appearing solely in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. They generally consisted of hostile Humans living apart from the usual settlements - often in tented communities that would regularly move around. Their presence was often fraught with suspicion and distrust by settled villagers and other humans, and many believed them capable of magic and witchcraft.

Visually most of the Gypsy classes bore a distinctive visual style with colorful clothing. Their appearance was usually one of two variants: either with a long ponytail and loose fitting clothing - or a burlier figure with a waistcoat and colorful bandana.

Kain would first encounter the gypsises on the outskirts of Vasserbünde as he pressed ahead to Nupraptor's Retreat in the chapter Nupraptor, as he sought the Guardian of the Mind Nupraptor. As he reached the edge of the town Kain would find his passage with a gypsy encampment nearby the town entrance. Avoiding the hostile gypsies and exploring the tents, Kain could discover the Disguise Form in one of the tents - which allowed him to enter Vassserbunde and bypass particularly hostile humans.

Not all Gypsies were openly hostile to Kain and several were docile acting much like regular NPC's. These gypsies could be talked to using disguise form to uncover further information.

Classes

Gypsies came in several distinct variations - though not all were hostile. The below summarizes the various classes

char0004 (Scimitar Swordsmen)

Scimitar Swordsmen
Enemies article
A Scimitar Swordsman Gypsy in Blood Omen.

Scimitar Swordsmen were a class of Gypsy enemy introduced and appearing solely in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. They appeared as stocky built humans wearing a red bandana, blue trousers and a multicolored shirt with white arms a yellow chest area, a red waistcoat and green neck. ^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

The Scimitar Swordsmen were distinctively armed with a curved scimitar-like blade which could be extended when attacking to cover a longer range and strike from an unexpected distance, however once the blade returned the class would be unable to attack for a brief period, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Despite their unexpected striking distance, the class was among the weaker classes encountered by Kain with low endurance (6 points) and a weak attack power (5 points).^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

They were found in numerous locations around Nosgoth including on the Avernus-Willendorf trail, on the HMCS Bitter, in the Stun Dungeon, in the Inspire Hate Dungeon, in the entrance caverns to the Oracle's Cave, in the caves along the long and winding road, in the Willendorf-Stahlberg tunnel and in the Energy Bolt Dungeon.^{[Blood Omen]}

The class was not seen in further areas or timelines and were not featured in later titles.

char0027 (Dandy Thrower)

Dandy Thrower
Enemies article
A Dandy Thrower Gypsy in Blood Omen.

Dandy Throwers were a class of Gypsy enemy introduced and appearing solely in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. They appeared as slender humans wearing a white top and green trousers, with a distinctive long black ponytail. The Dandy Throwers were notably armed with daggers which they would throw at enemies from a distance. Despite their method of attack, they were among the weaker enemies encountered by Kain with low health (6 points) and attack damage (5 points)^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

They could first be encountered alongside the Gypsy encampment south of Vasserbünde in the chapter Nupraptor as Kain travelled to the retreat of Mind Guardian Nupraptor. Thereafter, they could be found in the Wolf Form Dungeon, in the Stun Dungeon and in the Energy Bolt Dungeon. The class was not seen in further areas or timelines and were not featured in later titles.^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

char0117 (Super Knife Thrower)

Super Knife Thrower
Enemies article
A Super Knife Thrower in Blood Omen.

Super Knife Throwers were a class of Gypsy enemy introduced and appearing solely in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. They appeared as slender humans wearing a red top and dark blue trousers, with a distinctive long black ponytail. The Super Knife Throwers were notably armed with daggers which they would throw at enemies from a distance.^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

The class was effectively a more powerful variant of the Dandy Throwers with a similar appearance and similar method of attack. Their advantages over their predecessors mad them much of a force to be reckoned with with medium health (20 points) and attack damage (10 points in a double combo)^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

They were found in the camp nearby the Oracle's Cave, on the Avernus-Willendorf trail, in Vorador's Mansion, in the caves along the long and winding road and in the Willendorf-Stahlberg tunnel.^{[Blood Omen]}

char0165 (Knife Fighter)

Knife Fighter
Enemies article
A Knife Fighter in Blood Omen.

Knife Fighters were a class of Gypsy enemy introduced and appearing solely in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. They appeared as slender humans wearing a black top and maroon-purple trousers, with a distinctive long black ponytail.^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

The Knife Fighters were notably armed with a pair of daggers that they would attack enemies with, however, unlike their fellow knife classes they would not throw them as projectiles, instead using them as close range weapons, which could be used to execute damaging combos.^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

The class were among the more powerful gypsy classes with moderate endurance (15 points) and damage (8 points each in a 2 hit combo). They were found in the Stun Dungeon, in Vorador's Mansion, in the entrance caverns to the Oracle's Cave, in the caves along the long and winding road and in the interiors of Stahlberg.^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen strategy guide]}

Notes

"Accursed gypsies! Bringing their wicked magic! Nosgoth will never be the same!"

―Citizen — Listen (file info)

• The term "gypsies" is used in several sources including dialogue, NPC dialogue scripts, the official strategy guide, the Crystal Dynamics guide and the Silicon Knights Blood Omen FAQ. The individual class names as "scimitar swordsmen", "dandy thrower", "super knife thrower" and "knife fighter" all originate in the official strategy guide - the official guide, Crystal guide and the FAQ also use the alternative title "knife throwing gypsies".^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]} Other internal classifications refer to the scimitar swordsmen as "Gypsy 1", the dandy throwers as "Gypsy 2"
  • In game files the gypsies are referred to by the character codes "char0004" (scimitar swordsmen), "char0027" (Dandy Throwers), "char0117 "(Super Knife Throwers), "char0165" (Knife Fighter), "char0081" (teal large PC), "char0082"(red ponytail NPC), "char0088"(black ponytail NPC), "char0089" (green large NPC) and "char0096" (blue ponytail NPC).^{[Blood Omen]}
  • Other fan guides use terms such as "gypsy", "gypsy with daggers", "tramp gypsy" and "fat gypsy" to refer to individual classes.
  • "Gypsies" are specifically attributed in the character list in the Blood Omen NPC dialogue scripts and are mentioned in or the subject of several dialogue excerpts. Kain first acknowledges them and their reputation as he approaches the camp at Vasserbünde but this is the only dialogue that is mandatory. Aside from this if using Disguise Form, Villagers in Vasserbünde, Uschtenheim and Willendorf could be heard cursing gypsies with the same distrust Kain had demonstrated. The Gypsies themselves were also talkative under disguise form, where they are notably worry about the lack of trading caravans from Avernus. Some lines which are attributed to Gypsies in dialogue scripts are spoken by ordinary villagers in the final game, while others are cut entirely and it seems the dialogue system in game is more random than initially scripted.^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/Miscellaneous][Blood Omen/Cut content]}
  • The term "Gypsy" refers to a member of the Romani people who are traditionally nomadic and are often associated colorful garb and tales of magic - and their itinerant lifestyle meant that they were or treated with suspicion by settled communities. The term itself derives from the word "Egyptian" as this was (wrongly) assumed to be their origin when they first migrated to Western Europe. The term is generally considered a pejorative in many cultures.
• All of the Gypsy classes seen - both enemies and NPCs - are based on a pair of archetypes with pallete swaps to differentiate the individual classes. The first archetype is a slender man with a long black ponytail and wears colourful trousers and shirts - the dandy throwers, super knife throwers, knife fighters and the NPC classes "char0082", "char0088" and "char0096" make up this class. The second archetype is a larger built man with a waistcoat and bandana - the scimitar swordsmen and the NPC's "char0081" and "char0089" make up this class.^{[Blood Omen]}.
  • The exact application of the Gypsy term is somewhat unclear and the terms is most applied based upon the similar appearance and the presence of class in one of more of the gypsy camps. Despite this the possibility remains that they may at other times represent other classes or roles, as the some variants appear in places that would not be expected for people supposedly alienated and treated with suspicion. As such, some gypsy classes could instead represent travelling salespeople or similar. The Blood Omnicide enemy guide suggests this possibility for the large teal class (char0081), which it labels as a merchant despite noting that similarity to gypsy classes.^{[Blood Omen]}.

Gallery

Scimitar Swordsmen

Scimitar Swordsmen

Scimitar Swordsmen attack

Dandy Throwers

Dandy Throwers attack

Super Knife Throwers

Super Knife Throwers attack

Knife Fighters

Knife Fighters attack

See also

• Gypsies
• Enemies - Fighters at the Blood Omnicide site