A short story ( The door in the floor )

There was a little boy who didn't know if he wanted to be born. His mommy didn't know if she wanted him to be born either. They lived in a cabin, in the woods, on an island, in a lake, and there was no one else around. And in the cabin -- there was a door in the floor.

The little boy was afraid of what was under the door in the floor, and the mommy was afraid, too. Once, long ago, other children had come to visit the cabin for Christmas. But the children had opened the door in the floor and had disappeared down the hole. The mommy had tried to look for the children, but when she opened the door in the floor, she heard such an awful sound that her hair turned completely white, like the hair of a ghost. And, the mommy had also seen some things, things so horrible, you can't imagine them.

And so the mommy wondered if she wanted to have a little boy, especially because of everything that might be under the door in the floor. And then she thought, "Why not? I'll just tell him not to open the door in the floor."

Yet, the little boy still didn't know if he wanted to be born into a world where there was a door in the floor. But, there were some beautiful things in the woods, on the island, and in the lake. "Why not take a chance?" he thought.

And so, the little boy was born, and he was happy, and his mommy was happy again, too.

Although she told the boy, at least once every day, "Don't ever, not ever, never, never, never -- open the door in the floor.

But, of course, he was only a little boy.

If you were that little boy, wouldn't you want to open that door in the floor?

Bad Blood

                                     FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THE NOBLEMAN KAIN 
                                       WAS CURSED TO WALK THE NIGHT AS A VAMPIRE
                                        AND CENTURIES BEFORE KAIN WOULD RULE THE
                                  WASTELAND OF NOSGOTH WITH HIS LIEUTENANT RAZIEL

                                   HIS PATH OF CONQUEST IS STOPPED BY A NEW ENEMY

                                               THE PILLARS OF NOSGOTH LIE IN RUIN
                                            VAMPIRES ROAM THE LAND ONCE AGAIN
                                              AND THE LEGACY OF KAIN CONTINUES

                                            Prologue

Kain lies on a bed. He stirs and starts to wake.

Kain V.O.:
From the shards of tattered dreams, I rose - unwilling.
Tossed upon tides of pain that flowed and ebbed and left me searingly awake. And more revoltingly - alive.
It was then I saw her, for the first time.

A woman stands in the open doorway, leaning against the frame with the sunset behind her. She is quite clearly a vampire.

Umah:
Good evening. We did not expect you to awaken so soon. Already you surprise us.

Kain V.O.:
My mind was in fragments like shattered glass.

Kain:
Where am I? I... I don't remember.

Umah:
Yes. It was said your memory would be affected by your long slumber. That will pass, in time.
I am Umah, and I am here to help you. Know that your name is Kain, and you were once a power in the land.

Kain rises from the bed.

Kain:
I know my name. But my past - I remember fragments only.

Umah:
That you awoke at all is a miracle. When we found you, there was but the barest thread of life left in you. We nurtured it, fed it, and now you rise and walk again.

Kain:
And what is this place?

Umah:
You are in the city of Meridian, capital of the land of Nosgoth, the land you once sought to conquer and rule.
Tell me, since you remember your name, do you also remember your nature?

Kain bares his fangs.

Kain:
Of course.

Kain follows Umah out onto the balcony.

Umah:
Then let me show you the future. You have been asleep for two hundred years. In that time, this is what has become of Nosgoth.

Kain looks over the Slums of Meridian with its narrow dirty streets.

Umah:
You were a great general, commanding an army of vampires, but the powers you opposed were too strong for you. You were struck down, your armies defeated, scattered and destroyed. Everyone believed you to be dead.

Kain:
Who defeated me?

Umah:
The Sarafan. An army of fanatical humans sworn to eradicate all vampires from the world. A new leader brought them together, and wielding a new kind of magic - deadly to our kind - was able to destroy your army and kill most of the vampires. You were defeated in mortal combat by this leader, the Sarafan Lord.
But that is not the end of the story. Under the guise of protecting the land from the vampire menace, the Sarafan seized control of all of Nosgoth, and their rule is not kind. For two hundred years the Sarafan have enslaved the humans under their iron rule, and hunted down and destroyed every vampire they could find.

Kain:
They have not succeeded, however.

Umah:
Not yet, and now, with your help, it is our hope to crush the Sarafan and restore order to the city.

Kain:
The natural order? Vampires preying upon humans?

Umah:
Naturally.

Kain:
You said 'our hope'. Who are you?

Umah:
We are the Cabal, the Vampire Resistance. We work to undermine the Sarafan at every turn. But we are losing. With the new magic they employ - the Glyph magic - they are able to find us and kill us. Our numbers are dwindling. Without help we will not survive.
We need you, Kain.

Kain:
Of course you did not bring me back simply out of kindness. There must be a price.

Umah:
We need you to help the Resistance. Our faces are known, they kill us on sight. But you are ancient history, long since dead and buried. You can go where we cannot. That gives us a small advantage.

Kain:
How splendid for you. And why do you suppose I would do this? What is to be my reward - your eternal gratitude?

Umah:
Have you changed so much? The Sarafan Lord defeated you. Don't you want to kill him? When you have destroyed him, you can continue your ascent to power, restore your army and rule the land at last.
Does the lust for vengeance and power no longer stir you? Are you so dead?

Kain:
I seem to remember that I played the pawn once before. It ended badly.

Umah:
This time you will prevail. We are simply your allies, not your betrayers. What we want from you is open and plain, with no hidden paths.
If you succeed, so do we all.

Kain:
Are you asking me to trust you?

Umah:
We must trust one another. Together we can defeat the Sarafan Lord. Once he is dead, his order will collapse, mindless fools that they are. But there are dangers other than the Sarafan which must be overcome.

Kain leans forward sharply, as if trying to intimidate Umah.

Kain:
I care not for any dangers! They will fear me, do you hear? Tell me where to find the Sarafan Lord. I'll have him buried within the hour!

Umah raises her hand, but is apparently unaffected by Kain's outburst.

Umah:
Such arrogance. If it were so easy we would have done it ourselves, Kain. And you are far too weak to fight him yet. He is protected too, by other vampires.

Kain:
Vampires in service to the Sarafan? Are they mad?

Umah:
They value their lives. While they serve the Sarafan Lord, he lets them live.

Kain:
I will enjoy destroying them.

Umah:
You would be lucky to survive one such encounter until you grow stronger. But should you prevail, then you will be able to absorb their veins and thus gain new abilities. To our kind, these are called the Dark Gifts.

Kain:
I look forward to meeting these traitors to our kind.

Kain groans, and bends forward in pain. Umah notices his distress.

Kain V.O.:
My senses spun, my body ached. Weakness overcame me.

Umah:
You have the thirst upon you. Come, vampire. It is time for you to feed.

Kain follows Umah as she leads him back through the room and outside.

Kain:
Yes.

                                       

Chapter One - The Slums - "Welcome To Meridian"

Training

Kain enters the streets of Meridian for the first time. Umah is a little distance ahead, waiting for him to take stock of his surroundings. She addresses him using the Whisper.

Umah: (WHISPERING)
Kain. Do not be afraid.

Kain gasps slightly, surprised, but automatically questions her in the same fashion.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
What magic is this?

Umah: (WHISPERING)
I am using the Whisper, Kain - a natural ability of vampires. In this way, we can keep in contact, even over great distances.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Yes. I remember now.

Then, to himself -

Kain V.O.:
She had been in my thoughts. I almost believed I had called her myself.

Umah: (WHISPERING)
Never fear. I cannot read your thoughts, but only speak into your mind and hear you in return.

Umah turns and gestures to the road behind her -

Umah: (WHISPERING)
Now proceed down this street. I shall be waiting.

Umah runs off, leaving Kain to follow in his own time. Eventually he catches up. Umah stands above him on a ledge.

Umah:
Welcome to the Slums, Kain.
We are in the oldest and most decrepit part of the city, where few people dare to come. A perfect place to train you.

Kain:
Train me? Do you take me for a dog?

Umah:
Your memory has been shattered and your body has lain dormant for two hundred years. What skills you had must be recovered before you can be any use to the Cabal. You must learn to fight and to survive.

Kain:
I thought you were taking me to feed.

Umah:
Patience, vampire.
First, know that you are stronger and faster than mortal men, able to jump higher and farther than any human that ever lived. When your path is blocked, seek for a place to jump.
Now, join me up here.

As Umah withdraws from the edge of the ledge, Kain makes his way up.

Umah:
Excellent.
Know that you also have the ability to float. When you are on a ledge - such as this one - you may land silently and carefully by floating down. This will be important when I train you to kill.
Now, follow me.

Privately Kain replies to her words -

Kain V.O.:
She would discover I needed little training in how to kill.

Umah continues ahead, pausing occasionally for Kain to see her route, but running off as soon as he gets near. He catches up.

Kain:
This city is a labyrinth.

Umah: (WHISPERING)
All the better for a hunting ground.
Tell me Kain, are you hungry?

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Yes.

Umah: (WHISPERING)
I have a prisoner waiting for you down below. A thug, from a local gang of criminals. He sought to murder yet another helpless victim, but he met me instead.

Slightly impatient, Kain responds sharply -

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Spare me the moral anecdote and direct me to his throat.

Umah: (WHISPERING)
Drink then. I will be waiting below.

Umah vanishes and Kain locates and drains the body of its blood. She regards him from the behind the adjacent gate.

Umah:
I see you are restored.

Kain:
I am.

Umah:
Blood is your life. Without it, you will die.
If you are wounded, seek out blood to restore your vitality. You must know too that by drinking the blood of others, you will gradually become stronger and harder to kill. We call this a vampire's Lore.
The more creatures you drink from, the more Lore you will gain, and the greater your health will become. Leave no enemy alive, Kain. You will need their blood and their Lore to survive.
Now, let us continue.

The gate opens and Umah departs, leaving Kain to practice her lesson on another bound human. He sees her again at the waterfront.

Umah:
While we are superior to humans in many ways, we also have certain weaknesses that they do not possess.
Though it is life-giving to humans, water is deadly to vampires. Its touch burns our skin. Immersion in water can kill us. Avoid it all costs.

Umah draws Kain's attention to a strange chest positioned by a low broken wall.

Umah:
Also know that scattered throughout Meridian are relics of our ancestors. Useless to humans, only vampires can access these coffers and use the power within. Seek these out on your journey.

Kain opens the coffer and absorbs the Lore it contains. He explores as much as he cares to, then meets Umah in front of a strange green barrier.

Umah:
I spoke before of our mortal enemies, the Sarafan. It is their sworn crusade to destroy all vampires, and for this they have developed special defences. You see here a Ward Gate.

Kain:
What precisely does it do?

Umah:
Should you so much as touch it, you will be burned as by fire. The Sarafan have raised these wards throughout Meridian. We can go no farther this way.
Follow me into the sewer.

Kain pursues Umah as she requested. She has the next lesson in mind, one that requires a degree of privacy.

Umah:
Your ability to survive will depend upon your ability to fight. It's time for you to learn how to kill.
Your first line of defence is your agility. You can dodge around an opponent using your inhuman speed. You can also defend yourself by blocking attacks.
I shall now strike at you. Do not be concerned, I shan't use my claws. Block my attacks, and we can proceed to the next lesson.

Kain defends himself successfully for a time, and Umah continues his instruction.

Umah:
We are all armed with a natural weapon - our claws. Use them to kill your enemies. You can practice by attacking me.

Kain accepts Umah's invitation. Satisfied that Kain has passed her test, she suggests another method he can employ against his foes.

Umah:
If you see an enemy become tired, use this opportunity to grab him. Once grabbed, you can throw him a great distance.

Umah again allows Kain to practice until he has perfected the technique.

Umah:
Excellent.
Your lesson is over for the moment. Continue through the sewer, and I shall meet you again shortly.

Further on, Kain notices an armed human blocking his path. Umah strides up to him.

Umah:
Here you are at last.
Through this door lies your first true test. A gang of criminals are encamped ahead, and one of their number stands guard - unaware that his fate approaches.
You must kill him, Kain. You have the skill to block and dodge his attacks. Bring him down using your claws. Once you have felled him, drink his blood to restore yourself from any wounds you may receive.
I will be watching.

Umah disappears again. Kain kills the thug and enters the graveyard beyond the sewers.

Umah: (WHISPERING)
In addition to our physical superiority, vampires also possess Dark Gifts. These are our supernatural abilities. Our curse develops differently in each of us, giving us unique powers. Much of your former power, Kain, has been weakened during your long hibernation.
The mist you see here can be used to your advantage. You have the ability to assume a mist form, and become nearly invisible. You can move silently to bring down your prey from behind. At times when you are outnumbered, look for mist from which to kill your enemies silently. If you are pursued, you can hide in mist to escape.
Now, use this gift to kill those before you in the cemetery. I will let you continue when the deed is done.

When the task is completed, Kain proceeds. He notices a device mounted on a wall, regulating magical energy.

Kain:
What manner of sorcery is this?

Umah:
This is Glyph Energy, a new form of magic brought into the world with the rise of the Sarafan. It supplies power to all of Meridian. The gate you see can be opened using this energy. Activate the Glyph box. This will bring power to the gate's lever and allow you to open it.

Kain complies.

Umah:
Well done.
The Glyphs are operated by the Glyphwrights - a secret society existing within Meridian. You may see them working on Glyphs from time to time. They rarely talk with the townsfolk and very little is known about their origins.
Ahead is the market where the common dregs of Meridian engage in their filthy commerce. Beyond the market is the bridge that leads to the Lower City. Make your way east to the bridge. I shall meet you there.

Kain:
And where are you going?

Umah:
I shall scout ahead to ensure you don't meet any Sarafan patrols. You aren't ready for them yet.

Kain:
How trusting of you to leave me to my own devices.

Umah:
Consider is an act of goodwill.

Umah disappears. Kain passes through the streets to their assigned meeting place and sees her waiting.

Umah:
Come, this way. Follow me.

Kain:
Where are we going?

Umah:
I am taking you to Sanctuary, the heart of the Cabal. It is time that you meet our leader.

Kain V.O.:
It was time indeed to hear this so called leader's plans, and learn what he thought his plans might be for me.

Umah beckons to Kain intently -

Umah:
Kain, this way.

She runs ahead, passing through a deactivated Ward Gate. A Glyph Guard on duty notices her -

Glyph Guard:
Vampire! Here, close the gate!

The gate is activated and Kain is repelled by it. It separates him from Umah and the guard. Hurriedly, she instructs Kain -

Umah:
Kain. You must find a way to reach the Lower City. The Smuggler's Tunnel will take you there.

The guard raises his sword to strike Umah down.

Glyph Guard:
Pestilent vampire! Die!

Umah leaps away from the blow, landing directly in front of the gate, face to face with Kain.

Umah:
Go to the Grand Hotel in the Slums. A contact will meet you there. He will tell you where to go.

Glyph Guard:
Stinking, verminous, bloodsucking fiend!

Umah easily avoids the persistent attacks of the guard. She taunts him -

Umah:
Do you want your death now?
Come, and you shall have it.

Umah runs across the bridge, with the guard in pursuit.

Glyph Guard:
Come back!

Still trapped behind the Ward Gate, Kain ponders his position.

Kain V.O.:
I was alone at last, in a city changed beyond all recognition, in a land that was under a curse. Should I follow her as she asked, or go my own way, find my own answers? But answers were promised me in Sanctuary.
After that, I would know what to do.

Kain reaches the Grand Hotel and notices a human waiting outside. Kain addresses him -

Kain:
I was told to meet someone here.

Contact:
Who's there? Ahh, you must be Kain.

Kain:
You are a human. Curious that you would help one such as I.

Contact:
We hate the Sarafan, we humans. The things they do - it's not right, not natural. If your kind can bring them down, I'll help you - I will!

Kain:
I was told to find the Smuggler's Den.

Unseen by Kain and the human, someone starts eavesdropping on their conversation.

Contact:
You're a stone's throw from the entrance. Go through, it will lead you to the Smuggler's Den. Be careful though. There's rogues down there that will attack you on sight.

Kain:
Then they will die.

The contact opens the gate for Kain. Kain starts to walk through, but the human stops him momentarily -

Contact:
Wait. Tell Umah that I helped you, please?
She promised me the Dark Gift if I did as she asked. You'll tell her, won't you?

Kain: (noncommittally)
I'm certain Umah will give you all that you deserve.

Kain passes through the gate. The eavesdropper watches him leave, then kills the contact, jumping at him and ripping out his throat.

Contact:
(Screams)

Chapter Two - The Den - "Creatures Of The Night"

The Lair Of The Lawless

Kain enters the Smuggler's Den region of Meridian. Suddenly, he hears Umah's voice.

Umah: (WHISPERING)
Greetings, Kain.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
You eluded the guards?

Umah: (WHISPERING)
They were only human.
Welcome to one of the glories of our fair city - the Smuggler's Den. As squalored as you found the Slums, you will find this place even more offensive. Rogues and thieves rule the streets, and of course the Sarafan too have their own dealings here.
You may expect small help from the inhabitants, and more trouble.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
I do not require their hospitality.
You spoke of a Smuggler's Tunnel I must find?

Umah: (WHISPERING)
Yes.
It is hidden somewhere in this district, I know not where. I have sent word to a member of the Cabal to help you. You will find him at the tavern, deep within this district.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
How will I know this person?

Umah: (WHISPERING)
He will know you.
Find the tavern quickly. We will speak again later.

When Kain reaches the tavern, he encounters a human on the stairway.

Contact:
Ah. Um, sir. A moment of your time.

Kain:
You know me?

Contact:
I was instructed to look for you, yes. Yes, sir.
I am a friend of the Cabal's, sir, one of many in the city. I am here to assist you.

Kain:
Then do, by all means.

Contact:
The Smuggler's Tunnel you seek is hidden in a cavern underground. The thieves enter by way of the church outside, but there is no entrance there for any but themselves. You, sir, must go beyond the church and find a lift. This will take you underground.

Kain:
Where precisely is this lift?

Contact:
In a collapsed section of the district beyond the church. The church, remember sir, is forbidden to all but the thieves. The guards there will attack you should they but lay eyes on you.

Kain:
I will be most careful.

The bartender looks across the tavern and notices Kain standing at the bottom of the stairwell. He recognizes him as a vampire, and scared by his realization, raises the alarm -

Bartender:
Help! Somebody help me, please! Guards, call the Sarafan!

Two Sarafan guards arrive outside of the tavern. Kain goes up the stairs and eludes them by locating and leaving through the back door.
Kain finds and uses the lift. Two Glyphwrights disappear from the tunnel before him as the lift reaches the ground. As he arrives at the end of the tunnel, Kain sees a Glyphwright conversing with someone - the same individual who, unbeknownst to Kain, murdered the Grand Hotel contact. Their business concluded, the two part company.

Faustus

Soon after, Kain catches up with the unknown murderer. In a small circular room, he is forced into a confrontation. His opponent is walking around the room's balcony.

Faustus:
Well, well. Our lord was correct, you are alive.
Do you remember me, Kain, who served you so well?

The vampire walks into the light, allowing Kain to identify him -

Kain V.O.:
It was Faustus, one of the legionnaires of my army of vampires. An indifferent soldier, but now a traitor to our race.

Faustus laughs, and somersaults off the balcony to land in front of Kain. He circles his former leader as Kain addresses him.

Kain:
Faustus. It's true then, I hardly believed it. Vampires have turned against their own kind.

Faustus stops to reply -

Faustus:
What is our kind? In serving the Sarafan I have protection - I have power. And who better to hunt down a vampire than a more powerful vampire? History is written by the winners, Kain. That is my kind.

Kain:
How many of us have been destroyed by the Sarafan? How many have been brought to their deaths by you?

Faustus:
I care not for those destined to die. I don't weep for them, and I won't weep for you.

Kain:
Look around you, Faustus. Does your victory seem so assured now?

Faustus:
A fleeting setback. Our lord knows of your presence; he beat you before and he will bury you now.

Kain:
But you will never know how it ends, Faustus, for I will bury you first of all.

Kain and Faustus fight. After a while, Faustus leads Kain into another room -

Faustus:
I have a surprise for you, Kain.

Faustus jumps onto one of four ledges above Kain, and throws firebombs at him. Kain tries to pull the levers below the ledges, but he has to reach them without being seen.

As Faustus throws the firebombs -

Faustus:
Catch! (repeated for each bomb thrown)

If Kain is spotted before pulling the lever -

Faustus: Can't catch me!
   or Too slow, fool.

If Kain pulls the lever without being seen, Faustus will jump off the ledge to save himself -

Faustus:
What's this? (screams)

If Faustus cannot see Kain when he returns to the ledges -

Faustus:
Come out where I can kill you!

When Faustus is finally defeated, Kain absorbs the Dark Gift 'Jump' from his body.

Chapter Three - The Lower City - "In Darkness We Gather"

Searching For Sanctuary

Kain reaches the Lower City. Umah steps out in front of him. She congratulates him on his progress.

Umah:
Well done, Kain.
You have already proven your ingenuity in negotiating the Smuggler's Den. Perhaps our leader was right about you after all.

Kain:
Ah yes, the mysterious leader. Perhaps you will tell me now who he is.

Umah:
I will not name him to you, for secrecy's sake, but it is time that you two meet. You must go to Sanctuary, our headquarters. There you will find our leader.

Umah jumps over Kain. Frustrated and tired of acting in accordance to her commands, Kain protests bitterly -

Kain:
Go here, go there. What do you take me for, your errand boy?

Umah:
You are not a General now, Kain. You are not in a position to demand. Go to Sanctuary and await me there. My orders are to investigate the Industrial Quarter in the north of the city. I will join you at Sanctuary and bring anything I discover.

Umah continues to move over the rooftops. Kain stops her before she goes too far. He shouts up at her from the street.

Kain:
I need answers, girl. I want the Sarafan Lord!

Umah:
As do we all, Kain - but the time must be ripe and you must be ready.

Kain:
Do not make the mistake of underestimating me.

Umah:
I don't. You are our last hope. I will not let you be wasted by premature action.

Kain finally relents -

Kain:
Where then is this 'Sanctuary'?

Umah:
Nearby is the Red Raven pub. Speak with the tapster; she will tell you what to do.

Kain V.O.:
Why did I obey her? Why did I trust her, even for a moment? I had gone my own way, always.
But this time...

Umah jumps between roof ledges, over the street. She pauses one last time before leaving.

Umah:
I was impressed by you today, Kain. Soon we will work together again and rid this plague from our land.

Kain explores the area, looking for the pub. He finds a locked gate. The human gatekeeper refuses to open it.

Gatekeeper Duncan:
Restricted area. This passage is for night shift workers only.

Kain: (dryly)
I am the night shift.

Gatekeeper Duncan:
Then tell me, who do you work for?

Kain:
I work for no man.

Gatekeeper Duncan:
Move along and stop wasting my time.

Kain: (ominously)
We'll meet again. Soon.

Kain locates the pub and starts talking with the tapster.

Tapster:
What can I get you?

Kain:
Information. I was sent here by Umah. You have a message for me.

Tapster:
I only know what they told me.

Kain:
And just who are they?

Tapster:
I don't know, I promise it. It was dark - I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. It was as if the night itself spoke to me. It told me to give you the message 'seek the vendor near the warehouse, for he has news for you'.

Kain: (threateningly)
Is that all of it?

Tapster:
No. If you tell that fool, Duncan, that you work for Duckets Traders, he'll let you through the gate to the workers' area.

Kain returns to the gate.

Gatekeeper Duncan:
I told you before. Workers only.

Kain:
I work for Duckets Traders. Now, let me through.

Duncan opens the gate. Kain passes through to the workers' area. He reaches another locked gate.

Gatekeeper:
You need the password to enter.

Kain continues to meet the vendor.

Kain:
Good evening, my friend.

Vendor:
Can I help you, sir?

Kain:
Umah sent me. We are to have words, you and I.

Vendor:
Ah, you're one of them, aren't ya?

Kain:
Whatever do you mean?

Vendor:
Never mind. You're looking for Sanctuary, then?

Kain:
Correct.

Vendor:
It's hidden under the Blue Lady shop in the eastern part of the district. The guards have blocked most of the streets tonight, so it won't be easy getting there. The rooftops, back alleys and even the sewers are friends to those that wish to avoid attention. However, those that inhabit them may not be friends to you.
The first thing you'll have to do is to get past that gateman down that alley. Give him the password 'evernight'. He'll let you through.

Kain:
My thanks.

Kain returns to the gate.

Gatekeeper:
Password?

Kain:
Evernight.

Gatekeeper:
Hold on.

The Gatekeeper opens the gate, and Kain continues. Shortly after, he encounters a Glyph Guard. The guard's armour glows as Kain walks behind him.

Glyph Guard:
What creature skulks there in the darkness?
Step forth and die!

The guard turns, but there is a gate between him and Kain. Two Sarafan Guards appear to kill Kain and an alarm is sounded. He quickly kills the guards and silences the alarm.

An Old Acquaintance

Kain moves on through the Lower City, but halts at the scene of a massacre. In a small courtyard, away from the main streets, bodies litter the ground. Some of the carcasses have been torn to pieces.
Kain watches another human being struck from above. The vampire assailant laughs cruelly and madly as his injured prey crawls away, then dies. He turns to Kain.

Sebastian:
What poor soul has the misfortune of interrupting my feeding?

Kain:
One who shares your thirst, and your curse.

Sebastian:
Ah, a voice from the past. So the rumours are true, Kain walks Nosgoth again.

Although this vampire appears to know Kain, Kain's shattered memory holds no recollection of Sebastian.

Kain:
How do you know me, creature?

Sebastian:
How I would love to dispatch you here and now, and yet, I am required elsewhere. Goodnight.

Kain:
Wait!

Sebastian runs off. Kain pursues him, but is not fast enough to catch him. Then, on one rooftop, Sebastian walks back to continue the conversation.

Sebastian:
How do you like my handiwork, Kain? It's been a good night's feeding.

Kain:
You're a sloppy butcher, vampire. You jeopardize your presence by such bloodletting.

Sebastian:
But it isn't my presence that's in danger, Kain. It's yours.

Kain:
You serve the Sarafan, then?

Sebastian:
I serve no one but myself. Ah, I'd forgotten how much I loathe your arrogant tone. It would be a pleasure to silence it for good.
We shall meet again, soon enough.

Sebastian leaves, and Kain can no longer follow.

Sanctuary

Kain resumes his search for Sanctuary, eventually finding it. Now he sees the leader of the Cabal, he recognizes him instantly.

Kain V.O.:
Vorador. The reformed sado-hedonist of Termogent Forest. I had met him once before in his new role of patriarch. I still knew not to trust him.

Kain bows slightly as he addresses the elder vampire.

Kain:
Ah yes. Who but the father of vampires would lead the resistance? I am honoured, Vorador.

Vorador:
I need no false courtesies from you, Kain. We are allies only by necessity.
But... You are welcome to Sanctuary.

Kain walks around the room as the other vampires watch him keenly. Only Vorador does not turn.

Kain:
It has not the splendour of your former castle, but I suppose it will have to do.

Vorador:
It serves. But time is short. The Sarafan's power grows by the day. Soon our every haven will be destroyed. We are facing extinction once again.

Kain:
They thought once before they had destroyed us, yet you proved them wrong. You created a new race - something I could never do - and from that race, I had my army.

Vorador bends half-imploringly to Kain.

Vorador:
Now we are divided -

Kain also bows slightly, then sharply straightens.

Kain:
- and dying. Then rouse yourself. Make more of our kind.

Vorador:
It takes time and energy to create a vampire. I have not the strength. No, as Umah told you, we must kill the Sarafan Lord. When he is dead, their power will crumble.
You have come far already, Kain, and proven to be our greatest ally. We must plan our attack.

Suddenly another vampire enters Sanctuary, wounded and limping badly. He rushes to his leader.

Cabal Vampire:
Vorador!

Vorador:
What is it?

Cabal Vampire:
The worst has befallen, forgive me Sire. Umah has been taken!

Vorador: (shocked)
Taken? How?

Cabal Vampire:
Umah was searching the main building in the Industrial Quarter as you asked. I stood guard outside. She Whispered to me that she had found something important.

Vorador:
What was it?

Cabal Vampire:
I do not know. Before she could tell me, she was discovered by Sarafan Knights. I went to help her but there were guards everywhere; I could not reach her. I heard them say she would be brought to the Sarafan Keep for public execution -

Vorador:
No!

Cabal Vampire:
Then the guards were upon me, and I was forced to flee.
Forgive me, Vorador...

Kain:
We need her information.

Vorador:
We need to save her life, Kain.

Kain: (flatly)
Yes, of course.
So, I am to rescue her, Sire?

Vorador:
Our kind cannot approach the Keep. We will be instantly discovered. You have the power to disguise your presence, but the chief entrance to the Keep is far too heavily guarded. You must speak with the Bishop of Meridian.

Kain:
A Bishop allies with us?

Vorador:
The promise of immortality can be very persuasive for a Bishop whose faith in an afterlife is... wanting.
The Bishop knows a secret entrance to the Sarafan Keep. You will find him in the Upper City. Tell him I sent you, and he will give you access to the Keep.

Kain:
And if Umah is dead when I reach her?

Vorador:
Then her discovery dies with her. And with it, our hope.
Go now Kain, and find the Bishop. Umah's life depends on you, as do we all.

Chapter Four - The Upper City - "A Question Of Faith"

Seeking The Bishop

Kain gets of the tram. A short way into the Upper City he reaches a gate. A vampire standing on the other side approaches.

Marcus:
So, the rumours speak true.

Kain:
Marcus. My old friend.

Marcus:
A poor choice of words, Kain. We were not friends.

Kain:
Will you sour this reunion with old grudges? Granted, we parted on poor terms.

Marcus:
You tried to murder me.

Kain:
I seem to have failed.

Marcus:
You feared my growing powers. You knew they would one day surpass yours. Is that why you begged me to fight at your side when you waged war on Nosgoth?

Kain:
Begged? I never begged!

Marcus:
In your arrogance, you presumed me dead. But I was stronger than you knew. I crawled from my haven and fled into hiding.

Kain laughs softly, amused.

Kain:
That's the Marcus I remember.

Marcus:
When the Sarafan proved victorious, I knew that my destiny lay with the Sarafan Lord. I offered myself to the winning side.

Kain:
I always knew you for a sneaking, cowardly opportunist. How unfortunate that my poor aim caused you so much suffering. This time you will die completely, I promise you.

Marcus:
No, Kain. Once more you underestimate me.
The Dark Gifts manifest differently in each of us. Over the years during your absence, my powers have increased enormously. I now have the power to Charm all living things, to subjugate their minds and make them do my bidding. You will kneel to me, Kain, and the Sarafan Lord will be pleased with my new slave.
Now, obey me.

Marcus points at Kain and uses his gift. Kain clutches at his head, but shakes off the influence with ease.

Marcus:
What? Impossible!

Kain:
What manner of creatures have you been practicing on? Dull mortal fools, with their minds full of commerce and dung? My mind is far too strong for your powers.

Marcus:
No matter. My mental powers still allowed me to read your thoughts. You seek the Bishop of Meridian, do you not? He has some information that you require.

Kain: (quietly, annoyed)
Clever trick.

Marcus:
I will ensure that you never get that information. You may find the good Bishop, Kain, but when you do, he will be dead...

Marcus retreats down the alley, still facing Kain.

Kain:
Not if I reach him first.

Marcus runs off, using controlled humans to slow Kain down.

The Race To The Bishop

Marcus meets a Sarafan Guard, who draws his sword when he recognizes Marcus is a vampire.

Marcus:
You there. You are to conduct me to the Bishop's manor on the instant.

Sarafan Guard:
We were told to be on the lookout for a vampire.

Marcus:
Not me, you fool. You know me. Kain. Kain is the one you seek.

Sarafan Guard:
But he's not going to stop and tell us his name.

Marcus:
You're to kill him on sight.

Sarafan Guard:
Those are our orders.

Marcus and the guard depart for the manor. Kain, reaching that place soon after, is contacted by Vorador.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Kain, it is Vorador. You must reach the Bishop's manor at the other end of the city. Only he can give you passage into the Sarafan Keep. The curfew has set in, so be careful on the streets. The guards are looking for anyone suspicious, and they'll attack you on sight.

Kain heeds Vorador's warning and continues. Then Vorador contacts him again.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Kain, the Bishop's manor is near. However, the Sarafan patrols have locked down all the streets. You may be able to trick them into opening the gates. Find the clock tower and ring its bell. The workers will think it time for their shift to change and will open the gates.

Kain rings the bell, and he can proceed as planned. A short time later, Marcus - still ahead of Kain - arrives at the manor.

Sarafan Guard:
We were told to be on the lookout for a vampire.

Marcus:
You're to kill him on sight.

Marcus leaves the guard.
Kain eventually enters the manor. He is confronted by and defeats a Sarafan Knight in the library. Then he notices a man had been watching his fight.

Kain:
You there! What's your business here? Who are you?

Butler:
I beg you, be merciful, good sir. I am - I was - butler to the Bishop of Meridian. But the Sarafan, th... they're inside now. I... I thought I would wait here.

Kain:
Where are they?

Butler:
They accused the Bishop of aiding the Vampire Resistance. They're looking for proof. I beg of you, do not tell them where to find me. I will do anything.

Kain:
Yes. You will. Tell me where to find the Bishop.

Butler:
I... I can't, I... I mean I don't know.

Kain:
Shall I ease your mind and tell you I am sent by Vorador for the Vampire Resistance. Or shall I simply tear out your throat and continue my search?
I leave the decision to you.

Butler:
The cathedral. He fled there. He thought he would be safe.

Kain:
Holy ground will not deter his pursuer. Where is the cathedral?

Butler:
To the northeast, but it won't do you no good, you cannot enter without the proper authority.

Kain:
I suggest you show me the way. Now.

Butler:
Of course, sir. This way, sir. It is my pleasure to serve you. This tunnel will bring you again to the streets.

Kain:
I thank you. Goodnight.

Kain follows the Bishop's tunnel and soon arrives at the Cathedral. He sees the Bishop, apparently alone.

Kain:
Greetings, old man. I assume that I address the Bishop of Meridian?

The Bishop only utters indecipherable noises in response.

Kain:
I seek information on gaining access to the Sarafan Keep. You are to give me passage inside. I am sent by Vorador.

Again, the Bishop fails to respond with understandable speech.

Kain: (confused)
What ails you? Speak.

Marcus walks into view.

Marcus:
He speaks only at my command.

Kain:
What?

Marcus:
You are too late, Kain. He is entirely in my power.

Kain:
Release him and I may spare your life.

Marcus:
I hold the cards now, Kain. Surrender yourself to me, or I will kill him.

Kain:
What do I care for the life of some mortal? But the thought of killing you at last entices me. Tell me Marcus, do you truly believe you can stop me?

Kain walks towards Marcus.

Marcus:
Stay back. You cannot win. The Bishop will tell you nothing while he remains under my power, and you will never catch me.

The Bishop collapses to the floor as Marcus runs. Kain pursues him.

Marcus

Marcus and Kain fall through the glass ceiling of the cathedral. Marcus uses invisibility to give himself an advantage in their fight.

Marcus:
You seek, I hide.
   or Don't be paranoid, Kain. I really am after you.

When Kain rings the bells -

Marcus:
Damn you!
   or Damn those bells!
   or Argh! My ears!
   or (groans)

After a while, Marcus summons humans to lower the bells so they can't be rung. He retreats to the cathedral balcony, and Kain gives chase, killing any humans that Marcus orders against him -

Marcus:
You think you can catch me?
   or Sheep, do my bidding!
   or Destroy Kain now, my puppets!
   or Rid me of this pest!

When Marcus is defeated, Kain draws the Dark Gift 'Charm' from his body. The Bishop arrives in the cathedral, now able to talk.

Kain:
Old man, do you live?

Bishop: (shaken)
Ah, yes. Yes I do.
I must thank you for destroying that fiend. He... he robbed me of my mind.

Kain:
He was a novice.
Bishop, I require your help. Vorador has sent me to gain passage to the Sarafan Keep. One of our associates is held captive there.

Bishop:
A fool's errand, to enter the very maw of the beast. But yes, I will help you. I will take you there. I will show you the entrance.

Chapter Five - The Sarafan Keep - "House Of My Enemy"

The Maw Of The Beast

Kain follows the Bishop's direction and arrives at the Keep. Vorador, keeping an eye on his progress, speaks to him.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Well done, Kain. You have entered the Sarafan Keep at last.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Not without difficulty. I encountered another 'old friend' on the way. Marcus.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
I see. Then may I assume that another of the Sarafan Lord's guardians have fallen?

Kain: (WHISPERING)
You may.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Many times I attempted to persuade Marcus to join with us, but he would not heed me.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
My arguments were more convincing.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
I sense that Umah is being held in the uppermost reaches of the Keep. You must hurry, she is to be executed soon.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Where is the Sarafan Lord? Is he here?

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
I do not know. His presence is masked from my senses. But you are no match for him yet, Kain. If you encounter him, hide. If he sees you,run.

Kain is disgusted by the idea of fleeing.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Run? Hide? Vorador, you do not know me!

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Your task is to find Umah, quickly. Let nothing distract you. The information she obtained from the Industrial Quarter may allow us to defeat the Sarafan Lord at last. Do not destroy our only chance with hasty action.

Kain V.O.:
How sickened I had become with weary admonitions of safety and care. How I longed to rend the flesh of my one true enemy, how I thirsted for the taste of his life's blood on my lips.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Go, Kain. Quickly! I will be watching.

Deep into the keep, within the main halls, Kain encounters a female behind a gate. He needs her to open a Ward Gate for him.

Cabal Woman:
Greetings, vampire.

Kain:
You have mistaken me, madam, for some - thing I am not.

Cabal Woman:
Don't waste my time. I know what you are. I work for the Cabal.
Now listen carefully.

Kain:
Speak then, madam.

Cabal Woman:
The woman you seek is held in one of the upper towers.

Kain:
Very good. How do I get to her?

Cabal Woman:
Not so fast. You will need to pass this Ward Gate, and you'll need me to open it for you.

Kain:
Then do so, at once.

Cabal Woman:
In due time. First, there is another task that must be completed.

Kain:
What task?

Cabal Woman:
A nobleman of some importance is visiting the Keep at this moment. He must be killed.

Kain:
So that you may open the Ward Gate? You think me a fool? Open it.

Cabal Woman:
He must be killed, I tell you. He is a traitor. He has done immeasurable harm to the Cabal, I swear it.

Kain:
Do I look like a common assassin?

Cabal Woman:
The Ward Gate will not be opened until that man is dead, I promise you. His name is Artemis. You will know him by his blue cloak. When he is dead - when his lying tongue has been stopped - I will open this gate, and not before.
Will you do it?

Kain:
Apparently I have no choice.

Cabal Woman:
Go now. Kill him, Kain. Rip out his cruel heart. Return when the deed is done.

Kain kills Artemis, and the woman opens the gate for him. She walks off.

The Rescue

Kain eventually reaches the rooftop area where Umah is being held. A Glyph Knight is there, with two Sarafan Guards.

Glyph Knight:
Bodies were found downstairs. The intruder is near. I want you to patrol the courtyard.

Sarafan Guard:
Yes, sir.

Glyph Knight:
I'll guard the cell. Move out.

Kain defeats the warriors. He approaches Umah, caged and weak. She notices him.

Umah:
Kain. I thought no one would dare attempt to rescue me. You are either brave or foolish.

Kain:
You will find me relentless.

Kain walks up the steps to free her, but is stopped by a Ward Gate.

Umah:
There must be a Glyph nearby that powers the ward. Find it, and shut it down.

Kain:
What was it that you learned in the Industrial Quarter? Tell me, in case I cannot free you.

Umah:
Tell you now, before I am freed? What would you do in my place, Kain?

Kain:
I would offer my rescuer a token of trust.

Umah:
That information is for Vorador only.

Kain:
Haven't I earned your confidence yet?

Umah:
You have not rescued me yet.

Kain:
Very well. I will return shortly.

Kain finds a way to disable the Ward Gate. He returns and helps Umah from her prison.

Kain:
You're hurt.

Umah:
It's nothing. we must get to the roof. Once I am outside these ensorcered walls, I can use a spell to transport us back to Sanctuary.

Kain takes Umah's hand and leads her outside, wary of guards. They are being watched, but Umah notices their observer first. She gasps.

Umah:
No!

Kain:
At last!

The Sarafan Lord:
What living soul disturbs my order? What creature dares shed the blood of my servants?

Kain V.O.:
He had the sword. Soul Reaver, the prize I had won a lifetime ago was in his foul possession.

The Sarafan Lord:
What is this?

Kain:
You know me!

The Sarafan Lord:
No. You were utterly destroyed. So easily, your name was drowned in the backwaters of passing time. All your plans were set alight and seared to smoke and ashes.

Kain:
Let those words be your epitaph!

The Sarafan Lord:
You dare dream of killing me? That fantasy was quenched in blood long ago when I defeated you. And yet, you have learned nothing. Such a pathetic creature.
Dare you to challenge me again?

Kain leaps at the Sarafan Lord -

Kain:
Die, fiend!

The Sarafan Lord fires a projectile of energy from the Soul Reaver, knocking Kain to the ground.

Umah:
No! Kain!

The Sarafan Lord:
Your death is fated at my hands. How many times must I teach you that lesson?

Umah:
He is too strong for you, Kain. With the Soul Reaver he can kill us both. We must flee, and fight him when we are stronger.

Kain tries to stand, ignoring her, but Umah holds him down.

Kain:
No! Release me! That demon of filth is mine!

The Sarafan Lord:
I am your fate, Kain. Now and forever. However long you delay, you will come to me - for your death!

The Sarafan Lord swings the Soul Reaver at Kain and Umah, but her magic removes them from danger just in time.

Sanctuary

They appear at Sanctuary. Kain lifts Umah up and carries her to a raised stone bier where she can recover.

Vorador:
Umah, alive and safe. Kain, you have all our thanks.

Kain:
I can follow orders when it suits me. We met the Sarafan Lord.

Vorador:
He showed himself?

Kain:
He is a touch more powerful than I expected, and he has the Soul Reaver. Strange that you did not tell me this at the first.

Vorador:
You are not ready to fight the Sarafan Lord - I told you that.

Umah sits up, her strength slowly returning.

Umah:
It was only by good fortune that we escaped.
Vorador, I must speak with you.

Vorador:
You have information for us, I know. You may speak.

Umah:
I was in the heart of the main factory in the Industrial Quarter. Before the guards discovered me, I had found a huge central chamber that housed some kind of... magic portal. The portal looked into a place the likes of which I had never seen before. And this portal was held open by a single source of magic - a stone, set on a pedestal.
Vorador, I believe it was the Nexus Stone.

Vorador:
The Nexus Stone. Of course!

Kain:
What is this thing? Explain.

Vorador:
The Nexus Stone is an item of great power. It can bend time and space to create doorways to any location within Nosgoth. I know not why the Sarafan Lord would be using it within the Industrial Quarter, but we could put it to great use.

Kain:
And what use is that?

Vorador:
One who wears the stone cannot be harmed by the Soul Reaver.

Kain:
And is this but a legend, to be proved false at the fatal moment?

Vorador:
Oh no, no legend at all. It has been proven. The Sarafan Lord wore the stone when he defeated you two hundred years ago.

Kain:
What?

Umah:
How else could he have resisted the power of the Soul Reaver? You were unable to use the sword's power, and without it, he was able to defeat you.

Kain:
I shall take the stone, and use it to kill him. But know this. When I recover it, I will also claim ownership of it. I trust that is understood?

Vorador:
Then you commit yourself to fighting the Sarafan Lord? There can be no turning back.

Kain:
I was committed to that from the moment you revived me. Nothing will turn me away.

Vorador:
So be it. You must use the subway to reach the Industrial Quarter which lies in the north-eastern part of the city. Find your way past the gate that blocks the townspeople from entering. But perhaps we may leave that to your invention. Umah?

Umah:
Once in the Quarter, look for the main factory complex. It is there that the stone is held.

Kain:
I will return with the Nexus Stone, and the Sarafan Lord's head.

Chapter Six - The Industrial Quarter - "The Nexus Stone"

Infiltrating The Quarter

Kain enters the Industrial Quarter, using the scattered crates to avoid being seen by the guards.

Kain V.O.:
I left the relative safety of Sanctuary and ventured once more into the night. The Industrial Quarter of Meridian was, I discovered, a heavily guarded fortress. Rather than assault it directly, I stole into the workers' commons and began my quest for the Nexus Stone there.

After a while, Vorador contacts Kain.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Were you followed?

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Heh. These humans never look twice in my direction. Little do they realize their future lord walks among them.
Now, tell me of this place.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Umah tells me the Nexus Stone will be found in the main factory beyond the dam. There will be a gondola to take you there. If this is deactivated, you must look below for the Glyph to repower it, but be careful of the guards.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Have you any further wisdom to dispense?

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
I sense the presence of another vampire close by. He may be watching you. I will whisper you again when it is needed.

Vorador ends the conversation and Kain is left to himself again.

Kain V.O.:
Once again, I began to feel the obligations of power. To deal justice fairly to all. One day my people would know me again for their lord, but the vampires who were traitors to their kind would know me first of all.

Kain reaches the door of a large storage building. Inside, two guards are talking about one of the explosive spherical tanks and the lever mounted on it.

First Guard:
Ever seen anything like that?

Second Guard:
Don't touch it! I heard it's magical and dangerous.

First Guard:
Aw, they say that about everything. The workers move them all the day. Come on, it won't do any harm to -

The first guard pulls the lever, causing a massive explosion, destroying the door. Kain gets up from the ground and enters the ruined building. He finds and rides the gondola.
Kain continues moving through the Quarter. After passing through the collapsing caves, he finds a door with the lever broken. Looking through one of the nearby windows, he sees the vampire Vorador spoke of. He is talking to two guards.

Glyph Guard: (urgently)
Sire, a body! We found a body, sire.

Sebastian:
It won't be the last. He is here. I sense the taint of his overblown arrogance.
Double the guards in the Power Chamber. He must not be allowed to approach the Nexus Stone.

Glyph Guard:
Who is it, sire?

Sebastian:
An old friend, who will learn his place in the world at last. If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, report to me at once.

Kain uses the Dark Gift 'Charm' to enter the room, but Sebastian has already left.

Sebastian

Eventually Kain reaches the Nexus Stone, but Sebastian is waiting for him. Before he can take it, Sebastian taunts him.

Sebastian:
Behold, the great Kain. Now a common thief.

Kain V.O.:
The fiend that dogged my shadow showed himself at last. And in the light, I knew him. Another visage from my past.

Kain:
Sebastian! It is you who have been following me.

Sebastian:
And how long it took you to discover it. My master sent me to prevent your meddling further, and now you must die.

Kain:
Your master knows his days are numbered. I might have spared your life by asking that you join me, but I learned that lesson two hundred years ago.
You arranged the ambush that destroyed my army. You sold yourself to our enemy.

Sebastian:
I dealt the blow that cost you the war. Glorious, was it not? So many killed, so quickly. And all my doing.

Kain: (quietly)
I never learned why.

Sebastian:
Did you think I would serve while you ruled Nosgoth? You, and not I? The Sarafan Lord knows how to value me. I am to rule by his side and achieve what you never could.

The platform Kain is standing on is lowered and steam jets are activated around the room.

Kain:
You fool. You think that butcher will permit you to live one moment longer than he has need of you? I will save you from your disappointment, Sebastian, and kill you now.

Sebastian jumps down to ground level as Kain speaks, ready for their battle.

Sebastian:
I have waited two hundred years for the pleasure of killing you with my own hands. While you have been sleeping, my powers have been increasing. You haven't the smallest chance of defeating me.

Kain and Sebastian fight. If Kain manages to knock Sebastian into the steam -

Sebastian:
It burns!

After a while, Sebastian runs up to the ledge above the steam jets. As he sprints around the circular room he occasionally taunts Kain -

Sebastian:
Getting dizzy, Kain?
   or (laughs)

Every so often, Sebastian will attempt to jump down and attack Kain. He shouts a confident warning -

Sebastian:
Here I come, Kain!

If Sebastian successfully knocks Kain to the ground -

Sebastian:
You can't lay a finger on me.
   or Haha!

After Sebastian has been caught in the room's central energy stream three times, he shouts at the human in the control room -

Sebastian:
John, raise the dais!

The human complies and Sebastian jumps onto it.

Sebastian:
I will destroy this precious jewel!

Sebastian strikes the Nexus Stone, either laughing or repeating his intention to destroy it with each hit. If he succeeds in his task, he shouts down at Kain -

Sebastian:
We will die together, Kain!

The machinery of the room collapses and the resulting explosions and destruction kills both Kain and Sebastian as promised. If Kain jumps up on to the platform before the stone is destroyed, Sebastian jumps down. Kain uses 'Charm' to possess the human controller, and fills the lower room with steam again, hoping to catch Sebastian in it. Sebastian returns to the dais -

Sebastian:
Ha! No one fools me with my own trick!

They continue the fight until Kain triumphs. Sebastian falls into the steam, writhing in agony on the floor as it burns him. As the steam dissipates, Kain jumps down and stands over him. Sebastian is still alive.

Kain: (breathlessly)
Tell me of the Nexus Stone and this portal. What is its purpose here? Speak, and I will spare your life.

Sebastian coughs. He turns to face Kain and shakes his head.

Sebastian:
Come, Kain. You lie in your throat and we both know it. You are going to kill me.

Kain:
Indulge me, then, before you die.

Sebastian:
I'll tell you so that I may see your face when you learn you are powerless. You cannot win. Your death is inevitable.
The Nexus Stone's portal leads to an ancient device, deep underground, that will spell your destruction, Kain. A new reign will begin in Nosgoth.

Kain:
What is the purpose of this device? How will it serve the Sarafan Lord?

Sebastian begins to grasp at the floor, dragging himself.

Sebastian:
Alas, he has not entrusted me with that knowledge, but soon everyone will know it. His plans are, even now, coming into fruition.

Kain:
Where is the device? Where, under the earth?

Sebastian turns to lie flat on his back with his arms outstretched.

Sebastian:
It lies beneath Meridian. Seek for it if you will. I die happy in the knowledge that all your efforts will be wasted.

Kain:
Oh, Sebastian. Our destiny could have been glorious. The land was ours for the taking. History would have been rewritten in our image. But not everyone shared my vision... and now your time is up.
Your death will only make me stronger. I hope that knowledge comforts you... in your grave.

Kain draws the Dark Gift 'Berserk' from Sebastian, killing him in the process. He claims the Nexus Stone, but its removal causes the room to become unstable. The machinery falls apart, and the human is thrown screaming from his control room. Kain escapes before he is engulfed in flames from the explosions.

Sanctuary

Kain awakens at Sanctuary to find Umah leaning over him.

Umah:
You are welcome back. How do you feel?

Kain:
A little better than dead. How did I come here?

Vorador:
You are fortunate. One of our vampires saw you thrown from the roof of the factory as it was destroyed. He carried you here. The Sarafan were too occupied to notice you.
Ah, I see that you have the Nexus Stone.

Kain:
And I see you were courteous enough not to relieve me of it while I lay unconscious. I met another old friend, a vampire, guarding it. Before I killed him, he told me something... unsettling.
He spoke of an ancient device underground that will bring about victory for the Sarafan Lord. What do you know of this, Vorador?

Vorador:
I have heard tell of strange discoveries deep underground. Ancient legends speak of huge machines deep in the earth, left by the Gods in aeons past. And I know of one who can tell us the truth of this matter. She is a Seer, a being said to be older even than I. We are fortunate in that she owes me a favour.
Go to her, Kain, and learn what she knows.

Kain:
Go to her? This city is a walled fortress. How do you propose I get out?

Vorador:
There is a secret way out of the city. I will show it to you. You may follow a canyon that leads north to her abode. The way will not be easy. Strange beasts roam outside the city preying on travellers. The people call them demons.

Kain:
I believe I've met one of these already. I hope your Seer's knowledge is worth the risk.

Chapter Seven - The Canyons - "Wild Places"

Into The Canyons

Kain arrives at the city gates, having followed Vorador's route. He sees a merchant being stopped by a Sarafan Knight.

Sarafan Knight:
Name and business?

Merchant:
What's this? By thunder, every week I depart by this gate.

Sarafan Knight: (sternly)
Name and business?

Merchant:
Turo. Bringing supplies to the garrison beyond the abode of the witch. Here is my toll.

Sarafan Knight:
The bridge has fallen.

Merchant:
Again. And they've not repaired it?

Sarafan Knight:
There's more important matters afoot. A company's being sent out.

Merchant:
The smugglers are to be destroyed at last?

Sarafan Knight:
Smugglers? There's worse than that infesting the roads, but now the culprits will be dealt with.

Merchant:
At long last. Why pay such high tolls if they won't keep the roads open, that's what I say.

Sarafan Knight:
Hold your tongue! You may not keep it long...

The Knight shouts to the gatekeeper -

Sarafan Knight:
Open the gates, there!

The gates are opened. Later Kain finds a way through and travels deeper into the canyons. He sees a Sarafan Knight ahead of him, apparently wary of an attacker.

Sarafan Knight:
Whatsoever you be... Show yourself!
You found the others -

A lesser demon kills the Knight. Kain kills the creature and continues. He passes through the crane yard. And injured human is crawling on the ground.

Man:
I told 'em! She cursed them, I told 'em! The old witch... her minions will come and slay us all! I told 'em.

Kain kicks the man, killing him.

The Seer

Some time later, he enters the abode of the Seer. She has her back to him.

The Seer:
Be gone, Dark One. I did not send for you.

Kain:
And yet, here I am.

She turns to face him.

The Seer:
So I see. Kain, the Disruptor, the pebble in the pond who destroys all he touches.

Kain:
You know me, woman?

The Seer:
Better than you know yourself.

Kain:
And do you know why I'm here?

The Seer:
Perhaps.

Kain:
I seek information, and I must have it. What can you tell me of the device?

The Seer:
The Device? You're playing a dangerous game. Return to your night hunting, vampire. Enjoy what time remains to you, short though it is.

Kain:
I desire far more than blood. Where is the Device? I will not go without an answer.

The Seer:
Do you so enjoy being Vorador's lapdog?

Kain:
I am no man's dog, witch!

The Seer:
No, I see that now. I sense your conviction.
I shall help you. If Nosgoth is ever to be healed, the Device must be destroyed. And you, of all men, could be the one to do it.
Know this, the Device has lain dormant beneath Meridian for time beyond time. But now the Sarafan Lord has empowered the machine to unleash its destruction upon the land. The entrance to the Device lies in the heart of the city itself, under the very noses of the aristocracy.
You will know the building by this sign.

The Seer creates an image in the air for Kain to see, a circle with a cross through it.

The Seer:
You will see this more than once, but the first one will show you the entrance to the Device. No human can operate it, but a vampire could.

Kain:
What must I do?

The Seer:
Come here. Drink! Drink my blood. Now!

Kain recoils slightly as she suddenly holds out her arms to him.

Kain:
What manner of creature are you? You are like no vampire that I have seen.

The Seer:
Who I am, what I am, is of no concern to you. Time presses -

The house rocks under the force of an impact from outside. Flames start to take hold of the building's exterior.

The Seer:
He is here.
Do as I tell you. If you are to destroy the Device and save Nosgoth, you must drink.

Kain bends to drink from the Seer's outstretched wrist.

The Seer:
Oh, good... Yes, drink, my Dark Prince. Feel my powers coursing through your veins.

The Seer tells Kain what this has achieved as he releases her.

The Seer:
You can manipulate objects already by sheer will alone, but as you were taught, you can only use this ability at close range. By drinking my blood, you will be granted the gift of Telekinesis. You will be able to manipulate objects at a great distance, and you will be able to activate this symbol, and enter the Device.

The Seer calls up the image again.
Outside her abode, the Sarafan Lord is commanding his troops.

The Sarafan Lord:
Bathe them in fire. Let them learn, as they writhe in the flames and their bones dissolve, the futility of their actions.
The vampire and all of his kind shall be razed from the land. This world will be made pure by my hand. I will give you the peace you seek, Kain. Your death beckons you.

Back inside, the Seer instructs Kain.

The Seer:
He has found you. Your destiny draws even closer. I will transport you to the Device. From there, use your newfound ability to gain entrance.

Kain:
What of you, Seer? Escape with me. I'm in need of allies.

The Seer:
Am I your ally? My fate lies along a different path. Goodbye, Kain.

The Beast

Kain finds himself transported to the Device by the Seer's magic. He enters and descends a short way into it. He quickly reaches a room of interest. Within this chamber, a huge beast is imprisoned.

Kain V.O.:
Strange how one's life casts a shadow far beyond one's own understanding. Here, in this alien vault, I discovered a being whose existence was entwined with mine, far more than I could ever imagine.

Weak, the creature stands with difficulty as Kain enters.

The Beast:
Who disturbs me? Not one of my captors.
Kain?

The Beast groans in agony, finding movement painful.

Kain:
You know me, monster? My memory at present has its flaws, but I should certainly remember such as you.

The Beast:
We have not met. I know of you, of course. That you can return from the dead, gives hope to us all.

Kain:
I seek an ancient device of great power. I am prepared to kill any who stand in my way.

The Beast:
Have no fear of me. I am enslaved by the beings that built this monstrosity, to feed this machine with my life.

Kain:
Then perhaps we have an interest in common. I'm here to destroy the device.

The Beast:
Yes, yes. I can help you then. That which you seek is too great for you to destroy alone. It descends far underground. It rivals a city in its size. To destroy the Device, you must seek out the being that built it.

Kain:
The Sarafan Lord.

The Beast:
No, no. It is older, far older. Those who dwelt in Nosgoth eons ago left some structures in their passing. The Device is one. The Sarafan Lord discovered how to use it. Only the Builder can make it stop.

Kain:
You mean to tell me that this being still lives? It's impossible!

The Beast:
He lives. Listen to me. There is a place in Nosgoth, far to the north, where time means nothing. Where hours and years are frozen for eternity. The Eternal Prison. The wretches imprisoned there, paying for their crimes for eternity. The Builder is there.

Kain:
The Eternal Prison? I have heard of such a place. I didn't realize it was so close to Meridian.
How do I reach it?

A door opens.

The Beast:
There is a tunnel leading out of the city through this room. It will take you to the prison.

Kain:
And if this Builder refuses my help?

The Beast:
Tell him you wish to destroy the Device. Believe me, he will aid you.

Kain:
I hope for your sake that what you have told me is true.

The Beast: (laughing softly)
You may believe me. Destroying the Device will free me, at last. I will be in your debt, Kain.

Chapter Eight - The Eternal Prison - "Bad Blood"

The Abode Of The Insane

Kain reaches the entrance hall of the Eternal Prison. The doors close behind him and a Prison Guardian appears.

Prison Guardian:
You there! I don't know you. Are you a guest? A visitor? An intruder?
We do not permit guests to disturb our routine. We are involved in important work here and nothing, nothing, must be allowed to interfere.
This is a place where those who have transgressed the laws of the gods and man, and so created a dangerous imbalance within themselves, contemplate the wrong that they have done, through peaceful, uninterrupted meditation, until they have regained the balance of their true, perfect inner nature.
This process must not be interrupted for any reason, until a spiritual transformation has been achieved, however long that may take. Thus no guests, no visitors, are allowed. And intruders, we know how to deal with.
Go! Now!

Kain ignores the warning. A short while later, the Guardian appears again.

Prison Guardian:
You there! I see you have not yet found your way out. I suggest you do so. Your presence may disrupt the progress some are making toward fulfilling the inner balance of their perfect nature, and that cannot be allowed.
Heed my warning, and depart at once!

Another Guardian appears and manipulates the clocks and time machinery in the room. Kain is transported to another part of the prison. He resumes his journey, but is soon confronted again by the first Guardian he met.

Prison Guardian:
You! Have I not told you that you do not belong in this place? Have I not told you to go? But you have not heeded my warnings. Now I must explain my meaning in a manner you are sure to understand!

Kain defeats the attacking Prison Guardian. He finds himself back in the room he was sent from earlier. He reverses the time manipulations, revealing a door.
Deep into the prison, Kain encounters a male wretch running through the corridors. He is being chased by someone speaking loudly, but the human's pleas drown the other voice out.

Male Wretch:
Help me! Let me out of here, I didn't do nothing! You can't let him get me! Help me, help me!

The voice becomes louder as the human's pursuer gets nearer. He arrives, shattering the railings in his path.

Magnus:
... It must be blanched, it must be poached, it must be fresh!
Where is my meat? Sopping with blood, running with gore.
Here, there -

Two Guardians intercept Magnus before he reaches the cowering human.

First Prison Guardian:
Stop that. You know you're not allowed down there.

Second Prison Guardian:
Get back!

Magnus:
Give me meat! Fourteen hundred ounces every day. And it will be fresh, and on two legs - or in this case four!

Magnus leaps at the Guardians. He then addresses the terrified human.

Magnus:
No, no. I've had my allotment. Fourteen hundred ounces or twenty stone.
You may go!

Magnus throws the human at the glass between him and Kain, shattering it and killing the wretch. He then gives chase to Kain. Kain tricks the deranged vampire into a pool of water.

Magnus:
(Screams)

Soon after, Kain sees Magnus again. It's only a short while before they meet, and for a second time, Kain submerges Magnus in water.

Magnus:
(Screams)

Kain continues moving through the prison.

The Builder

Kain lowers a suspended cell. A prisoner crawls out, and Kain kicks him. This one is capable of rational conversation, but is clearly not human.

Kain:
Prisoner, I require information.

The prisoner stands.

The Builder:
You... You are not a jailer. I beg you, release me.

Kain:
First you must answer me. I seek a prisoner in this place, a builder. He created a large device that lies below the city of Meridian.

The Builder:
Seek no further. I am he.

Kain:
How fortunate.
I intend to destroy this device. I was told only you can tell me how.

The Builder:
I can indeed help you. But in return, I need an end to my suffering.

Kain:
Tell me of the Device and I will grant you any request within my power.

The Builder:
Yes, yes. The Device. The Device was built as a weapon aeons ago when two races warred with each other for dominance of Nosgoth. It houses an ancient creature, whose very mind is capable of killing any living thing with but a thought.
The Device was to channel the mental energy of this creature, and direct it onto Nosgoth. It would attune the creature's mind to kill all living creatures except for my race. Before it could be completed, however, I was imprisoned here, and the rest of my race was banished to another, far more terrible realm.

Kain:
So this Device was never finished? And yet, the creature still lives within it?

The Builder:
It was dubbed 'The Mass'. It is eternal and deadly, yet harmless without a channel for its mind. But we never completed the weapon. We needed a way to send its energy out of the Device and into the land itself. We needed a conduit throughout the cities - a network, if you will. Once this network was created, the Device would channel the mental energy of the Mass, and send death upon our enemies.

Kain:
You say 'a network'. Placed like a web throughout a city?

The Builder:
We never completed the network. We never used the Device.

Kain:
But the Sarafan Lord will. The Glyphs. He is using the Glyphs to channel the Mass to wipe out the city, humans and vampires alike. That must be his plan.

The Builder:
If this is indeed true, you must act quickly. It will be too large a task to destroy the Device itself. You must kill the Mass itself.

Kain:
You said this creature was eternal.

The Builder:
It has a simple weakness. Blood is like poison to its system. And not any blood, but pure blood from the elder races. My blood. My blood will poison and kill the creature.
Drink from me, vampire, and use my life's blood to kill that which I created out of arrogance and pride. Kill me so that the Mass will die, and the Device will be destroyed.

Kain:
You have suffered here an eternity, poor wretch. I will grant you release from your prison, and I will carry your blood in my veins. I will bring the Sarafan Lord's plans tumbling before him.

Kain kills the Builder and consumes his blood. He triggers the mechanism beside him and is somehow transported back to the familiar clock room. He is approached by two Prison Guardians.

First Prison Guardian:
You have ruined everything.

Second Prison Guardian:
Now these lives can never be redeemed. Our great experiment for nothing! For nothing!

Kain kills the two Guardians and continues.

Magnus

Magnus appears, seemingly from nowhere. By controlling a bridge, Kain manages to drop the mutilated vampire into water for a third time.

Magnus:
(Screams)

Kain enters a maze. Through the bars he occasionally sees the mad vampire, evidently still alive. Kain exits the maze and finds his way into a courtyard. Statues surround a pool of water.
Magnus appears, perched within the broken courtyard wall.

Magnus:
So many enemies, both stone and flesh.

He jumps down. Crouched, he shouts -

Magnus:
I won't let them beat me! I will destroy you with my mind!

Magnus leaps on to the stone in the centre of the water pool. Laughing maniacally, he uses the Dark Gift 'Immolate' in an attempt to incinerate Kain. Kain hides behind the statues to avoid the attacks.
Before each use of his Dark Gift, the mad vampire shouts -

Magnus:
I will divine from your entrails.
   or So many enemies, both stone and flesh.

When Kain knocks Magnus from the stone using 'Telekinesis', he will shout something different as he prepares his next attack -

Magnus:
Be glad I only incinerate you!

Kain knocks Magnus off the stone and into the surrounding pool four times. The vampire jumps out of the water.

Magnus:
Water is not my friend!

Magnus runs into another area, where a toppled and broken statue of the Time Streamer Moebius litters the ground. Kain follows slowly.
While Magnus is searching for Kain he shouts -

Magnus:
Where has he hidden himself?
   or What? Where? Who? (usually after colliding with something)

As Magnus spots Kain and charges at him -

Magnus:
Prepare for oblivion!
   or The spirits have told me to destroy you!

If Magnus collides with Kain -

Magnus:
Feel my pain!
   or The earth shudders at my power!
   or (laughs)

Sometimes, Magnus will add something to the phrases immediately above -

Magnus:
You've confused me with a mortal.

Sometimes, if Magnus collides with something, missing Kain he will say -

Magnus: (calmly)
I didn't think it possible...

Kain causes the broken Moebius statue to reform. Magnus is confused by it.

Magnus:
What strange magic is this?

Kain baits Magnus into striking the base of the statue and it falls. From amidst the wreckage, Magnus speaks to Kain. The impact has somehow returned his lost sanity.

Magnus:
The fog lifts...
Sire, wait!

Kain:
What trickery is this?

Magnus:
No trickery, sire. I am your servant once again. Your champion.

Kain:
Pathetic wretch. I have no...
Magnus? Could it be?

Magnus:
It is I, sire.

Kain:
How is this possible?

Kain V.O.:
Here in this cursed place was my finest warrior. The Sarafan had fallen before him by the score. Together, he and I were invincible. Until...

Kain:
Magnus, the traitor. Is this your reward for betraying me to the Sarafan Lord?

Magnus:
Sire, I did not -

Kain:
You left my camp in the night to join with my enemy, like all the others.

Magnus:
Sire, no. I wanted only to serve you. I thought, in my pride, I would strike a blow that would end the war. I went to kill the Sarafan Lord, alone. I was your champion.

Kain:
You never returned.

Magnus:
I failed you. I tried to kill him. Even now, I cannot remember how he defeated me. I was struck down, helpless at his feet, and then through his foul magic, he took my mind and transported me here to this... hellhole.
But what of you, sire? I heard that you were dead.

Kain:
Not so dead as some would like to have me. As you see, I have returned.
Magnus, my champion. You have suffered long enough. It is with pride that I grant you your death.

Magnus:
Sire, my thanks...

Kain kills Magnus, and draws the Dark Gift 'Immolate' from his ruined body. He says a final farewell -

Kain:
Go, my friend. Be free. As the rest of us, living or dead, can never be...

Chapter Nine - The Device - "Into The Depths"

Return To The Device

Kain arrives back at the Device. He enters the Beast's room.

The Beast:
I sense a change in you. You found the Builder.

Kain:
You are perceptive. He gave me his blood as a gift. I gave, in return, the gift he most wanted. Death.

The Beast:
You are ready to descend to the Device. Time grows short. My life is drawn from me. The Device is alive, you must destroy it.

Kain:
What can you tell me of the creature within?

The Beast:
The slaves speak of it as 'The Mass'. It has great power, yet it is just an animal. The blood in your veins will kill it.

Kain:
How do I enter the Device?

A door opens.

The Beast:
This passage will lead you there.

Kain:
I will return when the Device is destroyed.

Kain turns to leave.

The Beast:
Wait! You must know your true enemies, my captors. They are not of this world. They control the Glyph magic by which Meridian is enslaved. They pull the strings of the Sarafan while in the disguise of the Glyphwrights.
They are called 'The Hylden', and their leader is, of course...

Kain:
The Sarafan Lord.

The Beast:
They are powerful creatures, Kain. You will encounter them below. Beware their magic.
Now, find the Mass. Destroy the Device.

Kain:
You may toast my victory at days' end. Until then.

Kain leaves down the passage. In the room at the end, Kain witnesses a Glyphwright revert to its Hylden form. Kain triggers the switch in that room and continues.
Kain finally reaches a huge chamber. In the centre is the Mass, a towering creature that resembles a plant more than an animal. Its body is coloured in shades of red, green and orange.

Kain:
At last I had found it. The foul Mass, hidden within the bowels of the Device. Here was the Sarafan Lord's ultimate weapon, his trump card to be played against human and vampire alike. But I had my own weapon. I could feel the Builder's blood course coldly through my veins. If I could use it to poison this creature, the Sarafan Lord's plans would be ruined.

Kain follows the walkways to the top of the chamber. He cuts his wrist with his claws and allows some of his blood to poison the Mass. The creature shrivels and ruptures as it dies. Kain takes a lift back to the upper levels of the Device.

The Restoration Of The Beast

Kain re-enters the room that held the Beast. The Beast has gone, and crouched in its place is an individual with blue skin and black feathered wings.

Janos:
You do not know me for the poor, oppressed beast that crouched here before?
Behold, I am restored.

Janos stands, stretching his wings.

Kain:
What are you?

Janos:
Not what, Kain, but who. My visage is unknown to you, but my name is not.
Have you heard the story of the oldest vampire?

Kain V.O.:
Janos Audron. The legendary vampire of ancient days. How was this transformation possible?

Kain:
But Janos is dead - his heart torn from his body.

Janos:
Not dead, but imprisoned in this place. My blood was needed to power the Device and feed the Mass within. Starved of blood and sapped of life, I devolved into that horrible creature. The moment you poisoned the Mass, I felt my strength return. That which is divine cannot be wholly suppressed.

Kain:
Divine? Your imprisonment has damaged your mind, Janos. The curse of vampirism is no mark of divinity.

Janos:
Ah. You must delve further back into history, Kain, to know the truth of our heritage. Long ago, and long before I first walked the earth, vampires were godlike, and our kind ruled the land. But we were opposed by another race, similar to ours in power, but different in method and intention. The wars between us flamed for a thousand years, but we prevailed at last, and we banished our enemies from the face of the earth by powerful magic, sealing them into another plane of existence.

Kain:
What has this history lesson to do with my task at hand?

Janos:
Patience, Kain.
The race that fought the vampires was the Hylden. The very Hylden that you have just encountered. They control the Sarafan, they are striving to wipe out the vampires, enslave the humans and reclaim all Nosgoth as their own. They are the evil that plague us once again. Authors of the demons, and the Device, and all else that threatens the land. They have returned to enact a terrible revenge.

Kain:
I thought you said that they were banished.

Janos:
They were, Kain, but several centuries ago, one of the Hylden was able to return to our world. He then used his magic to draw other Hylden through, but had not yet the power to begin a full invasion. He required an army here, and humans to drain of energy. He learned of a legendary order whose purpose was to purge the world of vampires long ago. He revived this order, and the Sarafan were born again.

Kain:
The Sarafan Lord. It was he that broke through - but how?

Janos:
Ah, now we come to your part in this story. When you chose to destroy the Pillar of Balance, you caused a rift throughout the world, sufficient to breach through the dimensions.

Kain V.O.:
Was it I then who had engendered this war? No. I had been set step by step upon the path that led to this outcome. Hadn't this all been a Hylden plot from the beginning?
My mind reeled at the implications.

Janos:
It was in this way that the Sarafan Lord was able to enter the world, by building a magical gate. This is the Hylden Gate. Close this gate Kain, and all the Hylden within Nosgoth will perish.

Kain:
The gate sustains their existence?

Janos:
Precisely. It is their umbilical cord to the other world. When it is closed they cannot dwell in our world.

Kain:
And so, all the Hylden will die, and the Sarafan Lord as one of them, dies as well. I see...

Janos:
Ah, close the gate, and kill the Sarafan Lord, Kain. Close the gate, and shut the Hylden from the world once again.

Kain:
And how is this to be done?

Janos:
Let us go to Sanctuary. Vorador must be informed of all that has occurred, and a plan can be drawn to finish this once and for all.

Janos transports Kain and himself from the Device.

Sanctuary

Meanwhile, at Sanctuary, Umah is speaking with Vorador.

Umah:
You should have sent me with him.

Vorador:
You were wounded.

Umah:
There is no way to know where Kain has gone or what he is doing. Even you haven't been able to contact him.

Janos and Kain appear in Sanctuary. The Cabal vampires recoil, surprised by the sudden intrusion.

Vorador:
What's this?
No, wait. Do I dare believe my senses? Janos? My sire, they killed you.

Janos:
No, far worse. But that is a story for another time.

Kain:
But there will be no time for any of us.
Vorador, we need your counsel.

Umah:
We were wondering where you were.

Kain:
I've been doing what I said I would do.

Vorador:
Kain, the Device?

Kain:
I have destroyed it. But we are now faced with a peril even greater than before.

Vorador:
How is this?

Janos:
The ancient history I will convey to you in a better hour should any of us be so fortunate as to reach such a time.
For this moment, you must believe me when I tell you your enemy, our great enemy, the Sarafan Lord, is one of a people that come from another world. His plan, beyond all others, is to bring this enemy race back into this world from which my kind, in another age, once banished them. He must be prevented, or all our kind will perish.

Vorador:
Sire, what must we do?

Janos:
He has created a base in this world. The Hylden City, across the sea. There he has opened a gate to bring his kind into our world. My plan was to teleport us to the Hylden City, and launch a final assault on the Sarafan Lord, but now I find there is some kind of shield of magic that prevents me. If we are to fight them, that shield must be destroyed.

Kain:
Vorador, where is the Hylden City? Have any of your spies brought you this knowledge?

Vorador:
Umah, what do you know of this?

Umah:
There has been, in the past months, enormous activity at the Wharves. Warships, and freighters loading and unloading in great secrecy. Our people who have infiltrated the area, and returned alive, have told me that the ships all seem to take the same course out of the harbour. But we do not know their destination.

Janos:
It must be the Hylden City. Why else would there be such interest at this time?
You must take a ship to the city at once. There you must find and deactivate the shield, so whatever forces we can bring may come to your aid and close the gate for all time.

Kain:
Have someone show me to the Wharves. I'll make my way aboard one of those ships that's about to sail. When I have deactivated the shield, I'll contact you.

Umah:
I'm going with him.

Vorador:
But I will need you here.

Umah:
Sire, I know the Wharves. And where one may fail alone, two may succeed.

Kain:
I have no need of a guard at my back. You will find me perfectly competent for this task, I assure you.

Umah:
It is a chance we cannot afford to take. Not when all we have fought for is at stake.

Janos:
There is more at stake than you can imagine. Take help where it is offered Kain.

Vorador: (decisively)
It is settled. I will prepare our forces for the final attack.
(to Umah)
Go well, my child.

Janos:
Go well, both of you.

Kain V.O.:
Take help where it is offered. Yet I've always found that help offered when not needed, is usually no help at all...

Chapter Ten - The Wharves - "Betrayal"

A Conflict Of Interests

Kain and Umah arrive at the outskirts of the Wharves. Umah turns to Kain.

Umah:
Vorador has said we must seek out a war galley. We should search the southern docks.

Kain:
What about the defences here?

Umah:
The heaviest of all the Sarafan outposts. They control all trade and all travel to and from Meridian.

Kain:
The Sarafan are nothing compared to what I have faced, and destroyed.

Umah:
Don't be so arrogant. Their finest warriors will be waiting within. The Glyph Knights are deadly.

Kain:
We shall see.

Umah moves closer to Kain, looking at him directly.

Umah:
Tell me one thing, Kain, before we go in.
If you do kill the Sarafan Lord, and recover the Soul Reaver, what then?

Kain:
You know the answer to that.

Umah:
Tell me.

Kain:
Then Meridian, and all Nosgoth will become mine.

Umah:
And the Vampire Resistance?

Kain: (shrugging)
Well you may do whatever you wish, of course.

Umah: (quietly)
Of course.

Umah quickly grabs the Nexus Stone from Kain's chest and wears it herself.

Kain:
What!

Umah:
Do you take me for a fool?

Kain:
You dare -

Umah:
Vorador has told me all your stories, Kain. He said that you would stop at nothing to achieve your great ambition - absolute power.
And when you control Nosgoth, are we to believe that you would let us vampires live and do what we wish? We are the only ones who could stand in your way.
No. You will have to hunt us down and kill us, and how is that different from the rule of the Sarafan Lord?

Kain:
I will not defend or explain my actions to you, Umah. No one, not even you, will stand in my way!

Umah starts to walk away, stepping backwards, never taking her eyes off him.

Umah:
I thank you, Kain, for giving us this chance to defeat the Hylden for all time. But you have done enough. I shall be the one to find and kill the Sarafan Lord, and Nosgoth shall belong to the vampires once again.

Kain:
You fool. You have not the smallest chance of surviving such a battle.
Now, give me the Nexus Stone, or I shall pry it from your thieving fingers as you convulse in death.

Umah:
Now the beast shows his true nature... and so quickly, too. I wish it had been otherwise for us, Kain.

Umah starts to teleport

Umah:
Farewell.

Kain growls and leaps at her. The spell removes her before Kain's strike, and she appears a short distance ahead, out of Kain's sight. He follows her on foot. He reaches a gate in the market area.

Gatekeeper:
No one's allowed through here without the password. The fog's come in and no ships will be sailing until they turn the lighthouses on.

Kain overhears two men talking as he explores the waterfront.

First Man:
They won't let me down to the docks. They say it's because of the fog, but I need to get to my boat.

Second Man:
Just give 'em the password 'North Star'. He'll let you through.

First Man:
Thanks, mate. I owe you one.

Kain returns to the market and speaks with the gatekeeper.

Gatekeeper:
You again? Password?

Kain:
North Star.

Gatekeeper:
Good enough.

A short while later, Kain meets a man blocking a doorway.

Man:
Keep your distance!

Kain:
Never fear...

Man:
Are you Kain? They sent me to help you. You must reposition the lighthouse, so that the Sarafan supply ship will dock and the drawbridge will lower.

Kain does as the man instructed.

The Price Of Betrayal

As Kain continues through the Wharves, he encounters Umah. She is surrounded by several Sarafan corpses, but she is severely wounded. Kain kills the last Sarafan Knight for her.

Kain:
We meet again, Umah.

Umah: (breathlessly)
Kain...

Kain:
Yes. Kain.
I thought you were to bring the Sarafan Lord to his knees.

Umah:
I thought...

Umah collapses to the ground.

Kain:
I know.

Kain drops to one knee beside her as she speaks.

Umah:
It seems... I was wrong. I could not carry the fight... alone.

Kain:
You were brave to try.

Umah:
Kain... I'm dying.

Kain:
Yes. You are.

Umah:
I need your blood. Please. You can save me.

Kain bends forward and takes the Nexus Stone back.

Kain:
I know.
Tell me, child. Do you see me ruling Nosgoth?

Umah:
Yes, yes. I see it now.

Kain:
And do you believe that Nosgoth rightly belongs to me?

Umah: (desperately)
I do - I believe it, Kain. Please!

Kain:
... Then you may die, knowing the truth.

Kain strikes Umah with his claws.

Umah: (dying)
No!

Kain:
You should never have betrayed me.
You could have been my queen.

Umah: (dying)
Kain...

Umah dies.

Kain: (quietly)
Now you have left me alone...

Kain continues as planned. He reaches a yard where a demon is suspended in a cage. Vorador contacts him.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
You must unleash the demon out of its cage. Then use the empty cage to smuggle yourself onto the ship.
Kain - be careful.

The demon kills the guards around it, then escapes entirely. Kain gets into the cage and boards the ship.

Chapter Eleven - The Hylden City - "The Living End"

The City Across The Sea

The boat docks, and Kain leaves it. Outside the city, the Sarafan Lord appears.

Kain: (mockingly)
The charlatan emperor rears his head.

The Sarafan Lord:
You are far from home, Dark One.

Kain:
Spare your speeches, demon. Your secrets are known to me now. Your plans crumble like dust, brought down by my will.

The Sarafan Lord:
You have struggled longer than expected, but nothing is changed. You see before you your death.

Kain:
Know you not that your vaunted Device is destroyed? Your hope of controlling Nosgoth lies in ruins. This world is mine.

The Sarafan Lord:
You understand nothing. You are a degenerate remnant of a cursed race, doomed to walk the night as a parasite. Your life as easily snuffed out as those you feed on to survive.
My race is but a warped parody of our former beauty. We are like you - fallen gods, scratching for our former power. But we will prevail. We will cleanse this world of your kind, and bring about a new, glorious age.
Die, Kain!

The Sarafan Lord tries to cut Kain down with the Soul Reaver, but Kain is protected by the Nexus Stone.

The Sarafan Lord:
The Nexus Stone!

Kain laughs.

Kain:
Fitting, isn't it? The very item you used to defeat me, now turned against you.
You're finished.

The Sarafan Lord:
It matters not. The gate remains open, and even as we speak, my army, the likes of which this soft world has never seen, prepares to enter. Nosgoth is still mine for the taking.

The Sarafan Lord vanishes.
Kain enters the city by releasing the demon that is held in the entrance hall. Its trail of destruction clears a path for him.
Kain soon encounters two human slaves deep in conversation.

Male Slave:
It's not that simple.

Female Slave:
Why not? If we stay here, we will die. That's certain.

Male Slave:
And where will we go?

Female Slave:
We can slip aboard one of those vessels. They bring people every time. They must come from where there are others of our kind.

Male Slave:
What if we're caught?

Female Slave:
If we stay, we die. How is that different?

Male Slave:
The place the ships go to is worse.

Kain approaches them. The male slave does not see Kain until he is right next to them.

Male Slave:
Huh? What was that?

Female Slave:
He is the one, he must be - look at him. He is the one who is working against them.

Male Slave:
Sir, is it true? Are you the vampire who's been making war on the demons?

Kain:
I am Kain. Do you know this place well?

Female Slave:
We do, my lord.

Kain:
I must find the mechanism these creatures use to hide their presence in this city.

Female Slave:
He can show you.
(to the male slave)
Go on.

Male Slave:
It is there, my lord. That building. I've heard them talking. The device you seek is within.

Kain takes note of the building. He then asks about the container that is floating above the water, and going into it.

Kain:
I thank you. Now, tell me, what is that?

Male Slave:
That is the only way to get within. The doors to the building no longer function.

Female Slave:
Like so much of this place.

Kain indicates another building.

Kain:
And that one there?

Male Slave:
We don't know.

Female Slave:
But our stories tell us that is where the demons first appeared in our world.

Kain:
Stories? How long have your kind been in this place?

Female Slave:
We have been here forever. Our oldest fables tell us that our gods abandoned us here.

Male Slave:
There are others like us, new ones, soft ones. The demons bring them here from other places to work. They tell other stories.

Female Slave:
They had no knowledge of the arrival of the demons. We had to tell them.

Kain:
Enough. Be silent.
That building surely leads to the gate, but first, I must destroy the device.

Kain V.O.:
How long had the Hylden held a foothold here, while we, unsuspecting, fought and triumphed in our petty wars above?

The demon that Kain released earlier breaks through the elevator shaft and gives chase to the humans. Kain avoids it and continues his exploration.

The 'Reinforcements' Arrive

Kain eventually destroys the shield generator device. Vorador contacts him.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Kain, the Hylden City's defences have been broached. Janos can no longer sense a ward barrier.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
It's my doing. I've shut down their foul magics, at least for a time.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
Then we are ready to help you. Janos is casting a spell that will bring us to you in moments.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Excellent.

Vorador: (WHISPERING)
I look forward to thanking you in person for saving Umah's life.

Kain: (WHISPERING)
Yes, of course...

Janos and Vorador appear in the room.

Janos:
I will try to detect the location of the Hylden Gate.

Vorador:
Where's Umah, Kain? I cannot sense her.

Kain:
She will not be joining us.

Vorador:
Umah is dead, is she not? Were you too late?

Kain:
No. She suffered the fate she deserved. She stole the Nexus Stone from me.

Vorador:
So you refused to help her?

Kain:
I dealt with her as I deal with all traitors. I killed her accordingly.

Vorador:
You did what?!

Kain:
I did as you would have done, Vorador, to any human or vampire who defied your will.

Vorador:
Monster!

Kain:
She chose her fate. Was she acting as the dutiful lieutenant, following her superior's orders? I care not. What's done is done.

Vorador:
We were wrong ever to trust you!

Kain:
Do you so wish to return to the grave, old friend? You are in no position to challenge me.

Janos:
No. We have no time for this discord. I sense that the Hylden Gate is nearby. I can transport us there.

Kain:
We will settle this in good time. Tonight, the Sarafan Lord dies. Tomorrow, we shall see...

Suddenly Vorador is knocked to the floor by a projectile from the Soul Reaver. The Sarafan Lord has arrived. He fires again, this time at Janos, also knocking him down. The Lord addresses Kain.

The Sarafan Lord:
This round is mine, Dark One.

The Sarafan Lord vanishes. Janos starts to get up.

Janos:
I must tend to Vorador. Proceed without us, Kain. I can teleport you to a place near the gate, but you will have to close it on your own. Use the Nexus Stone. Cast it into the gate, and the magic of the stone will destroy it utterly.

Kain:
Cast your spell then, and let us finish this.

The Sarafan Lord

Kain is transported to the doorway he saw earlier, while speaking with the slaves. He makes his way through, then finds the gate itself.

Kain V.O.:
At last I had hunted my prey to his very lair.
The Hylden Gate was before me, from which the Hylden General, in his guise of the Sarafan Lord, planned to bring forth his alien armies, and destroy us all.

Kain spots the Sarafan Lord on another part of the platform.

Kain:
Turn, vile demon! Your reckoning day has come!

The Sarafan Lord turns sharply.

The Sarafan Lord:
Kain.

Kain:
Did you think you could defeat me? All your plans are revealed, together with your true nature.
Turn and enter the gate you have fashioned, and join your kind before I obliterate it. Or stay, and be destroyed upon its rubble.

The Sarafan Lord:
I confess, I did not expect to find you here, at the heart of my endeavour. You are indeed a more capable adversary than I had thought possible.

Kain:
You can ponder that thought when you have made your choice. Return to exile, or death.

The Sarafan Lord:
Do you think the game is over? Do you think it will end with me?
Have you not wondered why so many of your trusted henchmen, time and again, bend their knees before me, accept me as their lord, and join their cause to mine?

Kain:
Cowards and traitors deserve no second thoughts, only their complete annihilation.

The Sarafan Lord:
Did it not occur to you that perhaps my cause, and not yours, is the cause of right and justice? That your ambition to rule this world is but the youthful craving of a petty noble, who has gained too much power, but never enough?

Kain:
Silence, demon.
Your need to corrupt is only too apparent. But every traitor that you have turned to your will from my side, even Umah, your latest spy, is dead.

The Sarafan Lord:
Umah? I have no spy called Umah.

Kain:
You lie!

Kain and the Sarafan Lord fight. The Sarafan Lord shoots projectiles from the Soul Reaver.

The Sarafan Lord:
You and your damned stone!

Most of the time, he will shout one of the following immediately after -

The Sarafan Lord:
You are outmatched!
   or Why won't you just die?!
   or That stone won't protect you from the vortex!

Kain knocks the Sarafan Lord off the platform. He peers over the edge and hears the Sarafan Lord speaking to him. Moments later, the Lord appears behind Kain.

The Sarafan Lord:
Do you still believe you can prevail? While you possess the Nexus Stone, my sword cannot slay you, but while you bear the stone to shield your life, you cannot use it to destroy the gate.
Stalemate, Kain, and mine is the waiting game. As long as I have not lost, in time, I am sure to win.

Kain:
But I have not yet made my choice.

Kain removes the Nexus Stone and drops it into the gate.

The Sarafan Lord:
No, no, no!

The metal structure rocks as the gate becomes unstable. Kain and the Sarafan Lord continue their battle.
Now Kain is unprotected, The Sarafan Lord attempts to strike him down with the Soul Reaver.

The Sarafan Lord:
I have mastered the Reaver. I am your doom.
   or I will rend your soul!
   or Kneel before my might!
   or As long as I wield the Reaver, I am immortal!
   or I cherish the irony of killing you with your own sword, Kain!

Kain attacks with 'Immolate'. Eventually, the Sarafan Lord drops the Soul Reaver. He is walking over to pick it up when Janos arrives.

The Sarafan Lord:
You.

Janos:
Yes. Your prisoner. From whose blood you built your evil plans.

The Sarafan Lord:
What could be more righteous than to take our revenge and your freedom from the same source?
Tortured aeons of suffering are too good for you, Vampire.

Janos:
But not for you, Hylden, who has dared to set a corrupting foot upon this world after your banishment.
Return to the demon dimension in which you belong.

The Sarafan Lord:
And by what right, cursed one, did you send my kind to that place of evil?

Janos:
By what right did you lay on us the curse that drove us from the light, and made us predators of humankind?

The Sarafan Lord:
It was justice, for our banishment from the world. You see what it has made of our once fair race?

Janos:
I see you have taken your true form at last.

Janos leaps at the Sarafan Lord, but the Lord catches him easily by the throat.

The Sarafan Lord:
Then go, and see what it makes of you!

The Sarafan Lord releases Janos and physically attacks him. Janos is too weak to gain the upper hand against the Lord.

Janos:
Kain! The sword!

Kain reclaims the Soul Reaver. The Sarafan Lord lifts Janos up again.

The Sarafan Lord:
I sentence you to the hell of your own making - a prisoner for all time.

The Sarafan Lord throws Janos through the vortex of the gate.

Janos:
No! Kain!

The Sarafan Lord returns his attention to Kain.

The Sarafan Lord:
And now it is your turn.

The platform collapses, until only the central section remains. Kain and the Sarafan Lord retreat to it and continue their fight there.

The Sarafan Lord:
You are outmatched!
   or Why won't you just die?!
   or Kneel before my might!
   or Face me coward!
   or That sword will not save you.

Kain emerges triumphant. The Sarafan Lord is slumped before him.

The Sarafan Lord:
You have won the battle, but the war between your kind and mine will never end. Our banishment in the demon dimension also ensures our immortality. One day, we shall return.

Kain:
Should your kind ever breach that place of banishment again, I will be waiting.

The Sarafan Lord: (laughing weakly)
You will not live that long.

Kain:
I have lived long enough to dispose of you.

Kain thrusts the Soul Reaver into the Sarafan Lord, killing him at last.
Kain walks away from the gate as it explodes and collapses behind him, destroying the Hylden already in Nosgoth. He considers what the future will hold.

Kain V.O.:
Umah...
What was it she said to me in that fateful moment when she took from me the Nexus Stone? How would my rule differ from that of the Sarafan Lord?
If you had lived, Umah, you would have learned the difference.
You should have trusted me...
The war was over, and yet there was another battle to be fought. The cruel masters of Nosgoth, the Sarafan - now leaderless - still had to be put down.
There were cities to be rebuilt, and order to be restored. And a new rule, my rule would then begin.
To the victor go the spoils. At last, Nosgoth would be mine.