Nachtholm

"The village of Nachtholm was typical of Nosgoth peasantry, yet amidst the farmers and smithies of the quiet country life prowled brigands and cutpurses."

―Kain — Listen (file info)^[src]

Nachtholm was a settlement that Kain passed through in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. It was located in mid-west Nosgoth, just north of the Pillars of Nosgoth.

Profile[]

Nachtholm was a settlement encountered by Kain in the Blood Omen era in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. The town was built on a series of islands in the middle of Nachtholm Cove that were connected by bridges. It was North of the Pillars of Nosgoth and South of Steinchencröe and was the first settlement Kain encountered after beginning his quest to eliminate Nupraptor and resolving to travel to Nupraptor's Retreat.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/2]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}^[1]^[2]^[3]

The interior of Ye Towne Tavern
The interior of the Lion's Head Pub
The interior of the Nachtholm Armory
The interior of the King's Tavern
The interior of the Northeastern house
The interior of the Southwestern house
The interior of the Southeastern house
BO1-Map0051-Sect01-Nachtholm-ECave.png!The interior of the Eastern 'Brigands Base' Cave
The interior of the Northern secret cave
The Northern 'Stonehenge'
The interior of the Southern secret cave
The Southern 'Stonehenge'

Nachtholm had several Taverns and was the place where Kain found his first Slow Time and Implode Artefacts, as well as a Blood Fountain which enhanced his strength. Nachtholm also held a few unusual secrets - with Teleporters to two megalith circles found in caves nearby and a large underground 'brigands base' found at the edge of the town.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^[4]^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}

Nachtholm remained as a settlement up until at least the beginning of the events of Soul Reaver and it was probably conquered by Kain's empire at the fall of the Major human kingdoms. Judging from the geography of Nosgoth in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, it seemed that Nachtholm was wiped from the face of the world at some point after. There was no discernible trace left of it during Raziel's travels through Kain's empire after his resurrection; the closest landmarks were the Drowned Abbey and the Sanctuary of the Clans.^{[Soul Reaver]}^[5] By that time, the Human Citadel was considered one of humanity's last major bastions.^[6]^{[Soul Reaver/City]}^{[Soul Reaver/Miscellaneous]}

Design[]

In the Blood Omen era Nachtholm was a small town dominated by the waters of Nachtholm Cove which covered most of the map tile. It's building consisted of timber framed stone buildings with a wattle and daub walls, tiled roofs and stone chimneys. The majority of the buildings of the settlement were clustered around four patches of land - or islands - that were found around the cove. Wooden bridges crossed between the islands allowing access to the different parts of the town, but the town had no exterior paving - only bare earth and grass - although interiors did have floorboards.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}

Nachtholm consisted of nine buildings in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, seven of which could be entered (though this is arguably not literal, and instead symbolic of a larger town, as Uschtenheim - with eight buildings in the same game - becomes significantly more elaborate in its Soul Reaver 2 portrayal). A number of business operated in the town.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^{[Blood Omen/7]}^{[Soul Reaver 2/5]}

BO1-Map0051-Sect05-Nachtholm-SCCave-Warp — One of the secret megalith circles

Businesses and Landmarks[]

Nachtholm contained three Taverns: Ye Town Tavern was found in the western building on the southwestern island, the Lion's Head Pub was the eastern building on the southwestern island and The King's Tavern was the western building on the northeastern island.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}
Nachtholm contained one Armory: The Nachtholm Armory - which was the only accessible building on the northwestern island.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}
Three additional homes could be found: one on the east of the northeastern island, one on the west of the southeastern island and one on the east of the southeastern island.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}
A blood fountain for upgraded strength could be found in the southwest of Nachtholm Cove.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^[7]^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}
Three major secrets could be found in the area:
- The "Brigands Base" could be found in a moon-gated cave to the east of the cove.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^[4]
- Teleporters leading to two megalith circles could be found in a moon-cave in the south of the cove and another in the cave to the north of the cove area.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^[4]^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}

BO1-Map0002-Sect16-Nachtholm-NachtholmArmory — The interior of the Nachtholm Armory with the mystery shield mural

Behind the scenes[]

The Nachtholm Armory contained an interesting floor mural of a shield. Given that most murals - especially those depicting 'power-ups' or weapons - were found on the floor of where the item was picked up, it could be speculated that Kain was originally meant to have gained a shield here, but this was removed from the game. However no further evidence has been discovered to back up this claim and even in early developmental builds there are no additional weapons present. The shield itself bears a design similar to those seen on the walls of Malek's boss chamber in Malek's Bastion.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^[8]^[9]^[10]

Alpha-LoT-Pill — Nachtholm as part of the Lake of Tears in the alpha builds

Nachtholm Cove and the village are encountered much earlier in the alpha than they are in the final version of the game. In the alpha version Nachtholm is the first town that can be entered after Kain leaves Ziegsturhl and is positioned directly north of Ziegsturhl, requiring a only a detour to the Wolf Form Dungeon to gain the Wolf Form to jump up the cliffs - whereas in the retail Nachtholm is further north and found only after Kain pass through the area of the Pillars of Nosgoth.^[9]^[10]
Rather than being isolated as in the retail game, the cove is actually part of a larger body of water in the expanded Lake of Tears and makes up the eastern edge of the lake. Instead of being reached from the southern trail, the town is reached from a trail in the west and the cove extends further south than the retail version - covering where the retails entrance path would be.^[9]^[10]
In this version of the town none of the businesses are formally labelled, although their signs can be seen on the sides of the building. None of the secrets that exist in the final version of the map can be entered map, with the cave entrances in the south and north not being connected to anywhere and the interiors and megalith circles not actually being present in that version of the game. The eastern cave is not present at all and a number of features - including a vista point and a river heading off screen - appear to suggest the area may have been intended to link to Vorador's Mansion and the Termogent Forest. The 'Brigands Base' found in the eastern cave is actually found in a cave nearby the pillars in the alpha version.^[9]^[10]

Notes[]

BOmapscan-09 — The Printed map with Nachtholm and Nachtholm Cove listed

"Nachtholm" is referred to as such in dialogue, maps and signage.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen/3]}^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}^[1]^[2]^[3] "Nachtholm Cove" is referred to separately in the printed map packaged with the official guide and PC versions of the game.^{[Blood Omen]}^{[Blood Omen strategy guide]}
- The "Brigands Base" is referred to as such in the secrets section of Silicon Knights Blood Omen FAQ.^[4] The Megalith circles are actually referred to as "Stonehenge" in the official guide Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain—Official Game Secrets - which in real life refers to a specific stone circle in Wiltshire, England.^[11]