"Invoking this spell cloaks me under a protective aegis. Whatever spell is cast at me will be reflected back at the caster, leaving me unharmed. It will only last for a short time, however, before leaving me vulnerable once more."
Kain found this spell in an underground passage of one of Coorhagen's houses.
When used, this spell created a magical shell around Kain, protecting him from most of the attacks of his enemies and reflecting back any projectile until the barrier wore off.
The spell description is misleading, for the reflect applies to all missiles except the scripted projectiles like Malek's wave, reflecting them back in a randomized direction. Reflected missiles can damage enemies, including the ones who originally launched them, although in practice, it usually only works point-blank. Reflecting missiles also prevents being poisoned by them.
Non-missile attacks usually are ignored while the barrier lasts, but with Chaos Armor equipped, will nonetheless deal back their full damage to attacker. A few attacks, however, cannot be stopped by Repel: Malek's wave (since it's scripted), Bane's horns, all forms of "underground" attacks like floor spikes and Unspoken's unburrow, and walking into water and most of the floor traps.
When Kain uses a control spell like Spirit Wrack or Control Mind over an enemy, he will automatically surround himself with a repel-like barrier, protecting his own body while manipulating his enemies.
This ability may be related to the similar 'barriers' used in later games; such as the repulsive blast used by Kain in the opening video ofSoul Reaver 2 against Raziel; or inLegacy of Kain: Defiance as a regular combat ability of Kain used to bring close and repel enemies with his telekinesis, and later by Raziel when he acquires Enhanced telekinesis after devouring the soul of his brother Turel. These barrier could may be of telekinetic or magical nature and they appear to be much shorter lived than repel.