Light crystals

A Light Crystal outside the Sarafan Stronghold

"Alone now, I surveyed my surroundings and noticed a second time-streaming chamber, its entrance identical to the first, but with one distinction.
That crystal was significant, but how I had not yet discovered."

―Raziel — Listen (file info)

Light Crystals were an elemental projectile target switch that could be used to operate mechanisms or open doors that was featured in Soul Reaver 2. Once Raziel gained the Light Reaver he could fire Reaver bolts that were attuned to activate them, allowing him to open new areas and progress in puzzles.

Profile

• Name: Light Crystals
• Category: Soul Reaver 2 terms
• Introduced: • Soul Reaver 2 (2001)
• Architects: Unknown, probably Ancient vampires
• Appearances:
• Related Articles: Light Reaver (Soul Reaver 2), Light Forge (Soul Reaver 2), Light (element), Reaver bolts, Sentry eyes, Cracked doors, Engraved stone, Wall buttons, Telekinetic breakables, Glyph seals, Telekinetic switches

Profile

Light Crystals were featured in Soul Reaver 2 and were first encountered by Raziel shortly after the beginning of the title in "A Reaver in Time" where Raziel exited Moebius's Time Streaming Chamber in the Circle's gathering-room within the Sarafan Stronghold and noticed a second time streaming chamber that was locked and decorated by a distinctive crystal. As Raziel left the stronghold he would note another crystal above the large outer 'dock' doors to the building.^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/1]}

Ultimately Raziel was unsure of their usage until he was able to gain the Light Reaver in the Light Forge chapter, at which point he discovered that the Reaver Bolts of the Light Reaver were able to activate the Crystals and unlock these doors. Thereafter Light Crystals were a frequent part of puzzle sections of the game and could often be found within forge areas.^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/4]}

Most significantly Light Crystals were used by Raziel to both re-enter the stronghold via the dock doors in "A Fateful Meeting" and "[[Blade of Vengeance", to enter the second time-streaming chamber in A Fateful Meeting, to spawn the three colored hearts from their puzzle room altars in the Air Forge chapter, drop special drawbridges in the puzzle to ascend Janos Audron's Retreat and to drain the Blood from the Fire forge in "Vampire Interview".^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/5][Soul Reaver 2/6][Soul Reaver 2/8][Soul Reaver 2/9]}

With the removal of Reaver bolts from Legacy of Kain: Defiance, Light Crystals were not seen in further games - although similar switches activated by regular (non-elementally attuned) telekinetic powers were present in both Blood Omen 2 and Defiance^{[Blood Omen 2][Defiance]}

Notes

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• In dialogue Light Crystals are noted simply as "that crystal" or "that odd crystal" and are described as "a distinctive crystal" in stage directions. The full "Light Crystal" title is given in Soul Reaver 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/1][Soul Reaver 2 strategy guide (Prima)]} In manuals they are classed as 'elemental Reaver projectile targets' - classifying them along with Sentry eyes, Cracked doors and the Engraved stone.^{[Soul Reaver 2 manual]}
• At least one Light Crystal is known to have been heavily modified in the course of development, with early trailers showcasing the Air forge showing no crystal on the mural in the Blue heart room (with the mural itself radically different). Instead a ceiling mounted crystal is used to spawn the Blue heart.
• Two 'prototype' light crystals can be seen in the main activation chamber of the Light forge in The Light Forge (chapter) which demonstrate the basic principles of the concept using Sunlight instead of Reaver bolts. The crystals are activated by using several rotatable or static Reflectors through the course of the chapter to focus the natural light on the two crystals, which results in the opening of the main gate - ultimately enabling Raziel to retrieve and return to the main chamber with the Light Forge key.^{[Soul Reaver 2/4]}
• The light crystals at the Sarafan Stronghold are positioned in places which allow them to be observed in different eras. Both crystals are present in the history preceding Blood Omen but missing in the Era following Blood Omen and their whereabouts unknown. Only the Stronghold dock doorway on the Great Southern Lake can be observed in Nosgoth's early history and this shows the crystal there in place at that time - the Circle's gathering-room which contains the other crystal is not present in that era.^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/1][Soul Reaver 2/5][Soul Reaver 2/7][Soul Reaver 2/9]}
• The creators of the light crystals are ultimately unknown, however given their association with the Light Reaver and positioning in forge locations it is likely that the Light Crystals were of Ancient Vampire origin.^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/4][Soul Reaver 2/6][Soul Reaver 2/8]} Their positioning within the Sarafan Stronghold is problematic but may be related to the presence of Moebius - who was present and associated with the ancient vampires in the time Before Nosgoth's recorded history, and would have been aware of their future usage by Raziel. The presence of a crystal locking the door to one of the Time-streaming chambers would suggest that Moebius could use them, however he is never actually seen to do so and is only seen using his staff to open the doors of the chamber that does not bear a crystal.^{[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/1][Soul Reaver 2/5][Soul Reaver 2/7][Soul Reaver 2/9][Defiance/9]}

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See also

• Light Reaver (Soul Reaver 2)
• Light Forge (Soul Reaver 2)
• Light (element)
• Reaver bolts
• Cracked doors
• Sentry eyes
• Engraved stone
• Wall buttons
• Telekinetic breakables
• Glyph seals
• Telekinetic switches