Vampire Hunter Ascetics were human vampire hunter enemies and part of Moebius's Mercenary Army. Encountered primarily by Raziel in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, they were the among the most skilled of the Vampire Hunter classes seen in Defiance and were seen only in Raziel's later chapters in the Blood Omen era at Vorador's Mansion. They were notable for their distinctive Capoeira-like attacking style.
Profile[]
Vampire Hunter Ascetics were male troops of Moebius's Vampire hunter faction, encountered by Raziel in the Blood Omen era of Defiance. The Ascetics wore clothing that consisted of various mismatched materials including a white undershirt and several brown belt-like leather straps across the neck and chest and extra leather padding on the shoulders and forearms. They also wore khaki shorts with several further brown leather straps and padding on the thighs, knees and ankles - with lighter brown greaves and boots on the lower legs. Most of the pillagers hair was shaved into a mohawk and they grew long fu manchu style moustaches.[Defiance][Defiance/12][Defiance strategy guide]
Ascetics were the close range troops of the Vampire hunter faction in Defiance. They were unarmed and instead of weapons they attacked using a series of martial arts-like kicks and spinning blows. They were agile and strong in close-quarters combat and were quick to dodge - although they lacked any ranged attacks they were often able to work together with other ascetics to swarm and overwhelm targets. Their attacking style made them a particular hazard in later chapters. Ascetics were only fought in Raziel's later chapters in the Material Realm in the Blood Omen era and were encountered only in the chapter Battle Kain in Vorador's Mansion.[Defiance][Defiance/12][Defiance strategy guide]
Like many of the Vampire Hunter classes in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, Ascetics could be 'enhanced' by the spells of the Vampire hunter sorceresses.[Defiance][Defiance strategy guide][Defiance manual]
Notes[]
- Vampire Hunter Ascetics are not named in game. They are however titled as such in Legacy of Kain: Defiance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide where they are classified and grouped along with other Vampire Hunter enemy types.[Defiance strategy guide] Game files label the class as "vh_capo".[Defiance]
- The term "Ascetic" relates to a person that practices abstinence from sensual pleasures - including food, drink and material possessions - often for spiritual reasons.[1] The "capo" in the codename likely relates to Capoeira - a Brazilian martial art the contains elements of dance and acrobatics whose distinctive style is adopted by the ascetics.[2][Defiance]
- The Vampire Hunter Ascetics notably bear a strong resemblance to Vampire hunter pillagers. The classes appear to be visually identical save for a pair of handheld claws which are used only by the pillagers. Despite this similarity the ascetics class is counted as separate in game files and the strategy guide - and their distinct combat style can be easily observed in game.[Defiance/4][Defiance/6][Defiance/12][Defiance strategy guide][Defiance]
- Like many of the Defiance Vampire hunter classifications, the design and role of the Vampire Hunter Ascetics does not match with the roles seen previously in the Pre-Blood Omen era in Soul Reaver 2 or the Blood Omen era in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain - this may be due to time or timeline differences, but could be justified due to the undisciplined nature of the mercenary vampire hunters as a whole.[Blood Omen][Soul Reaver 2][Defiance]
See also[]
- Vampire hunters (history preceding Blood Omen)
- Vampire hunter pillagers
- Vampire hunter sorceresses
- Vampire hunter mercenaries
- Vampire hunter juggernauts
