"The town of Steinchencröe bore with it the infamous aroma of its inhabitants. In life, I would not have graced the place with my presence. In death, I merely added to the stench."
Steinchencröe was a human settlement visited by Kain in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain that was located just south of Vasserbünde. Despite its ramparted appearance, Steinchencroe was mainly inhabited by peasants and many noblemen - such as Kain - refused to set foot there. It was particularly famous for its foul odor. In a quiet corner of the town Kain found Irmok, who was apparently unafraid of his vampire appearance and gave him some hints to find the Disguise Form, which he later employed to gain entrance to the nearby town of Vasserbünde.
Kain would visit the town shortly after leaving Nachtholm and Nachtholm Cove and he remarked on the aroma and class of the town upon encountering it. Steinchencroe and it surrounding areas had several interesting features but the most important to his quest was the hermit Irmok who could be found the northwest of the town who gave him an important hint about the Disguise Form.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
"The bastards in Steinchencröe shun me as Nosgoth shuns them! I know what it means to be an outsider, vampire. I fear you not, but remember this – there are others who will speak to you, so long as you know how to look."
In the Blood Omen era Steinchencroe was a walled township with several buildings surrounded by high ramparts and a trail to the east which bypassed the town. The citadel broadly consisted of a main square with gatehouses in the north and south, with an additional square in the north east. The building of the town were made up of cobbled stone walls and timber frames with tiled roofs. Occasional boulders could be seen around the walls of the town.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
Eleven building were found in the township, with eight buildings were arranged around the main square and three were positioned in the north east square, although only three buildings - one in the main square and two in the north east square - were accessible and could be entered. This could be seen as 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). One business - a brothel - operated in the town.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][Blood Omen/7][Soul Reaver 2/5]
A muddy trail led from south of the town, bypassed the town to the east and joined up with the trail leaving the town just north of the settlement. Several caves could be found along this trail and two paths at the apex of the trail led off-screen to another minor map area.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
Two additional home interiors could be entered: a large multi-room house in the south east and an open tavern-like house with a bar in the north-west.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
Several Secrets could be found around the Steinchencroe area:
A bonus cave can be found in the eastern loop, just north of the bat beacon passage. Fully exploring the cave counts for two secrets[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][7]
The secret backdoor to the Implode Spirit forge can be found in the back room of the Big Horn Brothel.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][7]
A trail the southern passage on the eastern loop leads to another map tile containing several secret bonuses.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][7]
Behind the scenes[]
In alphaversions of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the basic layout of the town remains the same however, there are several subtle change around the area with more grass sections apparent. Notable changes from the retail version include the following:
The Eastern map area is not present so the southeastern bonus trail on the eastern loop crashes when you walk off the map. The bat beacon trail isn't present.[4][5]
The eastern bonus cave on the eastern loop is not present.[4][5]
The town has much the same layout with minor dimension changes, but incorrect collision prevents Kain from crossing into the western half.[4][5]
The Big Horn brothel does not have a signage vista - and so is not formally named. Inside the building lacks the backdoor to the implode spirit forge.[4][5]
Some building interiors have different theming with different walls, floors and window designs.[4][5]
Notes[]
The true pronunciation of "Steinchencroe" is unclear and may be a matter of debate. The only source for how the name is supposed to be pronounced is Kain's introduction in Blood Omen, however this does appear to be a mocking remark based on a pun for the word "stench" in English. Germanic languages would pronounce the name as it appears on signs differently - and thus it is unclear if the pronunciation of Steinchencroe used by Kain is legitimate.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]