The Nemesis Colossus at the borders of the Land of the Nemesis
The Land of the Nemesis was a playable location and human settlement seen in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. It was the home of boy-king William the Just, who would become the tyrant The Nemesis and thus the base of the Legions of the Nemesis. The territory was located in North-Eastern Nosgoth and was visited by Kain in the latter chapters of Blood Omen as he sought to unravel the manipulations of Moebius the Timestreamer. Kain visited the area in three time periods and ultimately infiltrated the Stronghold of William the Just.
The Land of the Nemesis was first seen in the chapter "Ottmar's Daughter" as Kain sought out Elzevir the Dollmaker to restore the Princess of Willendorf on the request of King Ottmar. . If Kain attempted to enter he found that the Nemesis troops were massing in tents behind a devastated Stahlberg, with the territory bordered by a large Colossus-like statue of the Nemesis. In this period, it was possible to enter the Nemesis castle using a cave to the far left of the map, near a moon cave, which allowed Kain to travel behind the walls and gain entrance to the castle. However most of the doors in the castle were locked and it wasn't possible to get close to King William.
Arriving at the borders of the Land of the Nemesis, Kain discovered the Nemesis statue only half-built. In this time there was less opposition from guards and Kain was able to enter The stronghold of William the Just. Deep inside the Castle, Kain was able to view (from a distance) Moebius having a conversation with William, encouraging him to be supicious of and strike out against his enemies. Moebius also gave William a supply of Weapons and warned him of a vampire assassin. Shortly afterward Kain confronts William and find curiously that he is armed with a Soul Reaver of his own, which breaks in the battle. Kain is able to kill William causing a Soul Reaver Paradox and changing history, with William the Just dying a martyred saint rather than a tyrant. When he defeats William, Kain finds a Time Streaming Device in Williams chambers and uses it to return to his own time, escaping William's guards.
Kain finds himself in his native time in a rundown and abandoned castle, there are a few vampire hunters to deal with, but nothing like the organisation of William's soldiers. Kain exits the Castle to find the Nemesis statue collapsed and Stahlberg restored, presumably indicating how Kain has changed history for the better. However south of Stahlberg, Kain finds out the true cost of his time-travelling; as William's death has united his subjects and all humans in a genocidal hatred of vampires; allowing the creation of Vampire hunters and, with Vorador 's Death by Moebius' guillotine leaving Kain as the last surviving vampire in Nosgoth.
Notes[]
As Willendorf is symbolised by a Lion, so the Land of the Nemesis has its own symbol, which is shown in late games to be the Rose - hence the Red and spiky imagery. The Land of the Nemesis is presumably not it's given name, but it is only referred to as such in-game and no other name for it is given (even in the past before The Nemesis came to be.)
Blood Omen era Nemesis Colossus
The Building of the Nemesis Colossus
The destroyed Nemesis Colossus
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The Colossal Nemesis statue is a curiosity; It is first seen in finished and dominating in Kain's original time; when Kain travels 50 years into the past, he finds it half built. Strangely when he returns to his time, it is completed and toppled. This seems strange as it should probably have remained unfinished, rather than being completed then being knocked down.
Ariel mentions that the Nemesis has conquered many cities, but only Stahlberg is seen. We have no idea where thes cities were, but given the location of the Land of The Nemesis, it is likely these were settlements in the North and East of Nogoth that have yet to be visited in any of the games and do not yet appear on any maps. Cut dialogue uncovered in 2012 implies that a settlement called Weirstein was intended to be placed in this area and was conquered by the Nemesis.
Moebius is seen to give Kain some weaponry here, it is likely that this was part of his manipulations, The Soul Reaver is part of this shipment, it is possible that the Time Streaming Device is as well. Later on when Kain confronts Moebius, he gets Moebius to admit to creating the Nemesis, by convincing him of his enemies hostility. Given later debates on the nature of time travel, it would seem that the Nemesis may have been destined to happen and Kain always had to return to battle William here- all that changed was the result of the battle between William and Kain - it may be that in the 'original' timeline that Kain's failed attempt at his life cause William to become the Nemesis. Similarly because time has changed, it is unknown now what caused Kain to go back in time in the first place as he has nothing to change in the 'second timeline'.
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
