VendavalEste
10-02-2006, 09:40 AM
Okay, let's take into thought the original plan for Soul Reaver, how it was going to be the end for Legacy Of Kain (Blood Omen 2 may have still been released, but its story takes place in between Blood Omen 1 and Soul Reaver so I imagine it would have been possible).
Soul Reaver 2 revealed a lot of truths, Defiance (IMO) made things very confusing.
Okay, this is what I know of about the original ending for Soul Reaver...
-Raziel did battle with Kain in the Chronoplast, as he did in the final product, as to whether they entered the portal or Raziel should it down, I do not know.
-Raziel later did battle with Kain in his mountain retreat, his Reaver still blue, meaning he did not have the strength to finish it (I am imagining Kain was accepting his fate by this point).
-Raziel leaves the retreat and absorbs Ariel's soul, either at the Pillars of the Spirit Forge (the architecture seen in the Chronoplast seems to hint otherwise, but it's safe to presume the developers merely threw in some generic location because energy had to be focused on other matters).
-Raziel absorbs Kain's soul and recieves his the shift-at-will ability, with this he makes his way to Turel's terriotry, slays him and uses the smokestack to reach the pinnacle of the Silenced Cathedral (where Dumahim, Melchahim, Zephonim, Rahabim and Turelim vampires and worshippers have amassed to greet him =), as I like to dream).
-Ending, Raziel is put to rest or lives with the Elder God for eternity, either way it seems he is bound to the Elder no matter what.
If there's anything that should be cleared up with the above list, please go ahead and point out any errors.
With Crystal Dynamics' (benefitting) choice to scrap the original ending and end Soul Reaver with a cliffhanger, we are treated to Soul Reaver 2, which ultimately brings us a Raziel who has different views on what has been happening and the death of Janos Audron. I will ignore the Soul Reaver's change in behaviour, as I consider this to just be a gameplay thing. Now, anyone can presume that Janos' keep was not as complex and as we saw it, allowing the Sarafan to just barge on in and take his heart. But what of the Soul Reaver blade? Either the vampires did create it as a Blood Reaver, and Raziel ended up imprisoning himself in it. Now how does that happen? Well, here's my take on an ending...
Raziel and Kain do battle in the Chronoplast, however Kain has returned from an previous area (the time of Janos' death) and is wielding the Reaver (so it's like the battle in Avernus in Defiance), because he is not one to "die a coward's death". Raziel triumphs and pulls the Heart of Darkness from Kain (an explanation as to how he learns of its location is needed), Kain continues to breathe however, as he is the Scion of Balance, before being absorbed into Raziel's Reaver (Ariel already absorbed). The physical Reaver remains on the floor, Raziel then sets out to find Turel and continue onward.
Now that I think about it, the only way Blood Omen 2 is possible if there was a single Hylden hiding within Soul Reaver 1's era (perhaps when Kain defeated Mortanius the Hylden inside of him fled?) to possess Janos if Raziel, respectfully, returned his heart to him. Raziel would be defeated, and the Hylden-possessed Janos would head for the Chronoplast and take himself back in time to Kain's rise to power, so he can assume the guise of the Sarafan Lord while Janos is used to feed the Device.
I seem to have gone off track, back to how Raziel could end up inside the Reaver...
Having accomplished his goals and learnt of the Elder's plot all along, Raziel could either rebel in anger for what he has done or simply not. Raziel could take the Reaver that was left within the Chronoplast and battle the Elder, a la Kain's battle in Defiance, seeing as how the physical blade is the only thing that can damage him. Knowing that if he stays in this era any longer, the Elder will ultimately take his revenge on Raziel, so he has no choice but to avoid him completely and take himself back in time and impale himself on the physical Reaver to become drawn into it.
Or, there's the totally easy explanation...
-Janos just gives the Reaver soul-sucking magick.
-Janos's retreat is very easy to navigate in, allowing the Sarafan to kill him easily.
-Somebody finds the Reaver and places it in Avernus for Kain to find.
-It shatters on Raziel either because of how they are both soul-sucking creatures or the Elder God interfered.
-Original ending!
Soul Reaver 2 revealed a lot of truths, Defiance (IMO) made things very confusing.
Okay, this is what I know of about the original ending for Soul Reaver...
-Raziel did battle with Kain in the Chronoplast, as he did in the final product, as to whether they entered the portal or Raziel should it down, I do not know.
-Raziel later did battle with Kain in his mountain retreat, his Reaver still blue, meaning he did not have the strength to finish it (I am imagining Kain was accepting his fate by this point).
-Raziel leaves the retreat and absorbs Ariel's soul, either at the Pillars of the Spirit Forge (the architecture seen in the Chronoplast seems to hint otherwise, but it's safe to presume the developers merely threw in some generic location because energy had to be focused on other matters).
-Raziel absorbs Kain's soul and recieves his the shift-at-will ability, with this he makes his way to Turel's terriotry, slays him and uses the smokestack to reach the pinnacle of the Silenced Cathedral (where Dumahim, Melchahim, Zephonim, Rahabim and Turelim vampires and worshippers have amassed to greet him =), as I like to dream).
-Ending, Raziel is put to rest or lives with the Elder God for eternity, either way it seems he is bound to the Elder no matter what.
If there's anything that should be cleared up with the above list, please go ahead and point out any errors.
With Crystal Dynamics' (benefitting) choice to scrap the original ending and end Soul Reaver with a cliffhanger, we are treated to Soul Reaver 2, which ultimately brings us a Raziel who has different views on what has been happening and the death of Janos Audron. I will ignore the Soul Reaver's change in behaviour, as I consider this to just be a gameplay thing. Now, anyone can presume that Janos' keep was not as complex and as we saw it, allowing the Sarafan to just barge on in and take his heart. But what of the Soul Reaver blade? Either the vampires did create it as a Blood Reaver, and Raziel ended up imprisoning himself in it. Now how does that happen? Well, here's my take on an ending...
Raziel and Kain do battle in the Chronoplast, however Kain has returned from an previous area (the time of Janos' death) and is wielding the Reaver (so it's like the battle in Avernus in Defiance), because he is not one to "die a coward's death". Raziel triumphs and pulls the Heart of Darkness from Kain (an explanation as to how he learns of its location is needed), Kain continues to breathe however, as he is the Scion of Balance, before being absorbed into Raziel's Reaver (Ariel already absorbed). The physical Reaver remains on the floor, Raziel then sets out to find Turel and continue onward.
Now that I think about it, the only way Blood Omen 2 is possible if there was a single Hylden hiding within Soul Reaver 1's era (perhaps when Kain defeated Mortanius the Hylden inside of him fled?) to possess Janos if Raziel, respectfully, returned his heart to him. Raziel would be defeated, and the Hylden-possessed Janos would head for the Chronoplast and take himself back in time to Kain's rise to power, so he can assume the guise of the Sarafan Lord while Janos is used to feed the Device.
I seem to have gone off track, back to how Raziel could end up inside the Reaver...
Having accomplished his goals and learnt of the Elder's plot all along, Raziel could either rebel in anger for what he has done or simply not. Raziel could take the Reaver that was left within the Chronoplast and battle the Elder, a la Kain's battle in Defiance, seeing as how the physical blade is the only thing that can damage him. Knowing that if he stays in this era any longer, the Elder will ultimately take his revenge on Raziel, so he has no choice but to avoid him completely and take himself back in time and impale himself on the physical Reaver to become drawn into it.
Or, there's the totally easy explanation...
-Janos just gives the Reaver soul-sucking magick.
-Janos's retreat is very easy to navigate in, allowing the Sarafan to kill him easily.
-Somebody finds the Reaver and places it in Avernus for Kain to find.
-It shatters on Raziel either because of how they are both soul-sucking creatures or the Elder God interfered.
-Original ending!