darien_specter
06-28-2002, 12:19 PM
Changed my mind. Hey - I'm proud of these, and Umah did say "good old debates"... so here we are...
originally posted May 3rd, 2002
-----------------------------
It's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I've had some time to ponder things. Bear in mind that I haven't played Blood Omen 2, nor do I know much about it. (Except for the completely illogical presence of the extraordinarily dead Vorador...) But I have been thinking about where Raziel fits into the story told in the paintings seen throughout Nosgoth.
I begin with the painting on the door to the underground chamber of the Pillars. We see a member of the winged race depicted. As someone else has recently pointed out, the paiting looks very much to be a portrait of Raziel himself: we see his hair, his all-white eyes, and the sigil of the Reaver inscribed on the door. There is also the fact that this door may be opened only through the use of the Reaver, and that access to the canyon is only possible through the spectral realm. What the capabilities of all the winged race in this regard, we do not know; but this almost leads me to believe that it is Raziel himself who has built this place, as a sanctuary of some sort. (This last is but wild speculation, of course.) In any case, add to this depiction the statue in the Fire Forge, which is even more clearly a depiction of Raziel, bearing the Reaver. (A Reaver which lights on fire...)
Next to the murals in the underground chamber of the Pillars, the four themes repeated throughout the elemental forges of Nosgoth. In the first we see the war between the winged race and the demonic. Already established is the presence of the Reaver as their chief weapon, wielded by one of race (possibly even a young Janos, as he is the Reaver Guardian.) Here also the Reaver is depicted with a red aura, implying its existence as the Blood Reaver.
In the second, we see the Pillars raised by the winged race, dealing the demonic a mortal blow.
In the third things heat up. The presumably victorious winged race is afflicted with the blood thirst as a curse, from an unknown source. They appear to be in agony over this change. Note also that they are feeding on the blood of livestock - a deer or a cow or some such. It is clear that they did not, at least in the beginning, need human blood, and one wonders when (and in the case of the winged race I might even ask if) they turned to it.
It is the final panel that intrigues me the most. The preceding three are clearly historical. This one is, I think, more prophetic. We see two of the winged race, blood dripping from their mouths, looking up at a third. This one has no blood dripping from his mouth; he is then perhaps free of the blood curse. His wings have a golden aura about them, significant perhaps of a greater power, or perhaps an otherworldliness about this figure. The figure also bears the Reaver, but transformed: the Reaver now posesses a golden aura. (Further, he alone of the figures depicted is wearing any sort of leg bracers.)
It is my opinion that this mural presents a prophecy of one who would come to the winged race as their savior - the mural depicts Raziel. Consider the Reaver, clearly the Soul Reaver - the golden aura consitent with the souls of the humans. The aura about the figure - perhaps an attempt to represent Raziel's ability to shift into the spectral world? And note also that the figure is free of the blood curse - again, as is Raziel, now a devourer of souls. (He is also wearing the leg bracers wery similar to those Raziel still wears.)
My theory is this. As I have stated elsewhere, I believe that Raziel will find the heart, and that it will have an effect upon him as well, restoring to him his body and his wings, advancing his evolution into one of the winged race. He will reclaim the Reaver, which has, through Kain's actions, perhaps still acquired enough of Raziel's essence to be transformed while leaving him still alive, as he was weak to the point of death at the end of SR2. (Besides, let's all think about it - ten to one they use that as the excuse to yank poor Raziel's health spiral back down to weenie levels in the beginning of SR3...) Consider, also, that this is accomplished in part through Raziel's choice. In the original timeline, he kills Kain at William's tomb; thus, no one is there to yank the sword from Raziel's body, and he is entirely consumed. In sparing Kain, he saved his own life by permitting Kain to be present at that critical juncture.
Thus, restored and elevated, and bearing his weapon - its powers amplified by the existence of the wraith blade - he will be able to access all of the fonts, doors, etc. with the combined Soul Reaver. The end of his journey lies, I suspect, farther back into Nosgoth's past; thus, we will have Raziel - full-fledged as one of the winged race, yet more - bearing the Soul Reaver to the ancients and thwarting the designs of the Elder and the Hylden (whoever they may be.)
The theory as to what will happen is sort of a shot in the dark as to what all the other stuff might mean; but I feel strongly that the interpretation of the murals is near the mark, as well as the new nature of the Soul Reaver after the monumental shift at the end of SR2. I look forward to comments...
EDIT: Made an aesthetic similarity parenthetical...
originally posted May 3rd, 2002
-----------------------------
It's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I've had some time to ponder things. Bear in mind that I haven't played Blood Omen 2, nor do I know much about it. (Except for the completely illogical presence of the extraordinarily dead Vorador...) But I have been thinking about where Raziel fits into the story told in the paintings seen throughout Nosgoth.
I begin with the painting on the door to the underground chamber of the Pillars. We see a member of the winged race depicted. As someone else has recently pointed out, the paiting looks very much to be a portrait of Raziel himself: we see his hair, his all-white eyes, and the sigil of the Reaver inscribed on the door. There is also the fact that this door may be opened only through the use of the Reaver, and that access to the canyon is only possible through the spectral realm. What the capabilities of all the winged race in this regard, we do not know; but this almost leads me to believe that it is Raziel himself who has built this place, as a sanctuary of some sort. (This last is but wild speculation, of course.) In any case, add to this depiction the statue in the Fire Forge, which is even more clearly a depiction of Raziel, bearing the Reaver. (A Reaver which lights on fire...)
Next to the murals in the underground chamber of the Pillars, the four themes repeated throughout the elemental forges of Nosgoth. In the first we see the war between the winged race and the demonic. Already established is the presence of the Reaver as their chief weapon, wielded by one of race (possibly even a young Janos, as he is the Reaver Guardian.) Here also the Reaver is depicted with a red aura, implying its existence as the Blood Reaver.
In the second, we see the Pillars raised by the winged race, dealing the demonic a mortal blow.
In the third things heat up. The presumably victorious winged race is afflicted with the blood thirst as a curse, from an unknown source. They appear to be in agony over this change. Note also that they are feeding on the blood of livestock - a deer or a cow or some such. It is clear that they did not, at least in the beginning, need human blood, and one wonders when (and in the case of the winged race I might even ask if) they turned to it.
It is the final panel that intrigues me the most. The preceding three are clearly historical. This one is, I think, more prophetic. We see two of the winged race, blood dripping from their mouths, looking up at a third. This one has no blood dripping from his mouth; he is then perhaps free of the blood curse. His wings have a golden aura about them, significant perhaps of a greater power, or perhaps an otherworldliness about this figure. The figure also bears the Reaver, but transformed: the Reaver now posesses a golden aura. (Further, he alone of the figures depicted is wearing any sort of leg bracers.)
It is my opinion that this mural presents a prophecy of one who would come to the winged race as their savior - the mural depicts Raziel. Consider the Reaver, clearly the Soul Reaver - the golden aura consitent with the souls of the humans. The aura about the figure - perhaps an attempt to represent Raziel's ability to shift into the spectral world? And note also that the figure is free of the blood curse - again, as is Raziel, now a devourer of souls. (He is also wearing the leg bracers wery similar to those Raziel still wears.)
My theory is this. As I have stated elsewhere, I believe that Raziel will find the heart, and that it will have an effect upon him as well, restoring to him his body and his wings, advancing his evolution into one of the winged race. He will reclaim the Reaver, which has, through Kain's actions, perhaps still acquired enough of Raziel's essence to be transformed while leaving him still alive, as he was weak to the point of death at the end of SR2. (Besides, let's all think about it - ten to one they use that as the excuse to yank poor Raziel's health spiral back down to weenie levels in the beginning of SR3...) Consider, also, that this is accomplished in part through Raziel's choice. In the original timeline, he kills Kain at William's tomb; thus, no one is there to yank the sword from Raziel's body, and he is entirely consumed. In sparing Kain, he saved his own life by permitting Kain to be present at that critical juncture.
Thus, restored and elevated, and bearing his weapon - its powers amplified by the existence of the wraith blade - he will be able to access all of the fonts, doors, etc. with the combined Soul Reaver. The end of his journey lies, I suspect, farther back into Nosgoth's past; thus, we will have Raziel - full-fledged as one of the winged race, yet more - bearing the Soul Reaver to the ancients and thwarting the designs of the Elder and the Hylden (whoever they may be.)
The theory as to what will happen is sort of a shot in the dark as to what all the other stuff might mean; but I feel strongly that the interpretation of the murals is near the mark, as well as the new nature of the Soul Reaver after the monumental shift at the end of SR2. I look forward to comments...
EDIT: Made an aesthetic similarity parenthetical...