Sluagh

Sluagh
Inhabitants article
"kh SLAUGH2" (by Kory Heinzen).
Introduced in	Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999)
Appearance(s)	Soul Reaver Soul Reaver 2 Defiance

"Sluagh, the scavengers of the Underworld. Their feral hunger has claimed countless souls - spirits who now shall never find their rest."

―The Elder God

Sluagh are the craven, feral scavengers of The Underworld, prowling the Spectral Realm like jackals in all eras and locales. Encountered exclusively by Raziel, they are recurring enemies in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Unlike other Spectral-native fauna, they are not allied or symbiotically connected to The Elder God, who considers them "vermin" worthy only of destruction.

Traits

Unlike Vampire Wraith (and akin to Archons), Sluagh can devour souls to replenish their strength. According to The Elder God, such consumed spirits "shall never find their rest". They "bleed" a greenish substance when harmed. When fully weakened by Raziel, they become transparent - capable of being devoured - and will universally attempt to flee. Either Raziel can consume the weakened Sluagh to restore his soul energy, or a fellow Sluagh will cannibalize it instead. Consuming a Sluagh is the only way to eliminate it; the Soul Reaver cannot fully destroy them. Other Spectral creatures are ambivalent to the Sluagh and do not attack them, instead focusing on Raziel.

In Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, the Sluagh are the weakest and least aggressive Spectral entities, with a tendency to flee from threats, and are easily defeated and consumed. However, when encountered in packs or desperately cornered, they will fight back with their claws. In this game, their health can be determined by a colored aura. A blue aura signifies maximum health, with green, yellow and orange distinguishing successive levels of weakness. Red auras denote extremely weak Sluagh. Raziel first encounters Sluagh shortly after his awakening in The Underworld, condemning them as "scabrous wretches".

In Soul Reaver 2, Sluagh are more inclined to attack Raziel than in the prequel, even when alone. Two variants exist in this game: cagey, evasive bipedal Sluagh, and the more powerful, quadrupedal Greater sluagh, noticeably larger and swifter than their counterparts. In Legacy of Kain: Defiance, only the bipedal form of Sluagh exist, though appear more exaggerated and hunchbacked than their prior incarnations. In the The Underworld, Raziel is forced to destroy a horde of them before he can progress further.

Variants

SR1 Variant Sluagh

SR2 common Sluagh variant

SR2 Greater sluagh variant

Defiance Sluagh variant

Behind the scenes

These jackals prey on the lost souls wandering the Spectral Plane. They travel in packs to corner and overwhelm their prey. If an encounter goes badly, they will flee.

―The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver manual^{[Soul Reaver manual (US)]}

Scuttling, cowardly scavengers - the hyenas/jackals of the Spectral Realm. They prey on the lost souls of the spirit world. Brazen when in packs, they will try to flee to a safe distance if encountered alone.

―The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver manual^{[Soul Reaver manual (UK)]}

These craven scavengers prowl the Spectral Realm, preying on the lost souls wandering in the spirit world. They tend to travel in packs in order to corner and overwhelm their prey. The smaller Sluagh are cagey and evasive in combat; their larger brethren are more swift and aggressive.

―The Soul Reaver 2 manual^{[Soul Reaver 2 manual]}

Slaugh are at the bottom of the spectral food chain. Like hyenas, they will attack ferociously in groups, but flee when confronted one on one.

―Legacy of Kain: Defiance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide^{[Defiance strategy guide]}

Notes

• The Sluagh are mythologically derived from the restless spirits of the same name present in Irish and Scottish folklore.
• Daniel Cabuco mentions his sources for the visage of the Sluagh:

"When I made the Sluagh I looked at a number of sources. The description I got was a 'swollen rictus of teeth, unkempt hair and large, lamplike eyes.' I was aware of the Morlock design from the original 'Time Machine' but didn't reference it directly. I thought of it more as a reptilian monstosity with Janis Joplin hair. :P I think I got more influence from the Rankin Bass animated version of Gollum, and Slythe from Thundercats. Looking at them now I can see the connection, but I didn't use them as a reference. Strange coincidence. Maybe Amy had them in mind when she gave me the description. (aha! Another question to ask her next time we go for dinner)"

―Daniel Cabuco

See also

• Sluagh at Dark Chronicle (by Ardeth Silvereni).
• Sluagh (Soul Reaver)
• Sluagh (Soul Reaver 2)
• Greater sluagh
• Sluagh (Defiance)

Gallery

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Sluagh concept

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Sluagh concept

Sluagh in Soul Reaver 2

Soul Reaver 2 Sluagh close-up

Soul Reaver 2 Sluagh profile

Soul Reaver 2 Greater sluagh concept by Kory Heinzen

Sluagh variants in Soul Reaver 2

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Sluagh concept

Sluagh in Defiance bonus materials

Sluagh in Defiance bonus materials

Browse

This article is about the general Sluagh creature family. For the Sluagh enemy variant of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, see Sluagh (Soul Reaver). For the common Sluagh enemy variant seen in Soul Reaver 2, see Sluagh (Soul Reaver 2). For the larger Soul Reaver 2 Sluagh enemy variant, see Greater sluagh. For the Sluagh enemy variant of Legacy of Kain: Defiance, see Sluagh (Defiance).