Connection or Coincidence?

[hippiechk]

Here's a crazy idea I had after figuratively tripping over some interesting info I found on the web. It's a bit long, but bear with me. I posted this on another game board (some of you will recognize it) and am curious to see what you guys think about it. (Oh, and thanks to Dark Chronicles as a great resource.)

Ever heard of the Nine Circles of Hell from "The Inferno" by Dante Alighieri?
Is there a connection between Dante's nine circles and LOK's nine pillars? Or am I looking for a connection where none exists?

My initial thought was merely that perhaps someone at Silicon Knights read Dante's Inferno and simply used it as reference. Perhaps some connections are a stretch of the imagination, but I believe most fit very nicely. Let me elaborate, then tell me if you do not see any connection.

Think about the Pillar guardians personalities and actions. And how they relate to a specific circle of Hell (according to Dante).

Definitions of Dante's Nine Circles of Hell:
Limbo, which includes people waiting to see if they enter heaven or descend to hell.
Lustful, Gluttonous, Avaricious. These three circles represent sins of weakness. They are mostly harmful things that we do to ourselves.
Wrathful, Heretics (those who betrayed others), and Violent. These three circles represent sins of malice. They were premeditated and usually involved actions toward other people.
The Fraudulent and the Treacherous. These last two circles represent sins of betrayal and pride, considered the worst sins of all. Satan, who betrayed God, represents the epitome of evil.

THE PILLAR OF THE MIND - NUPRAPTOR THE MENTALIST = WRATHFUL
When his love, Ariel, the Balance Guardian, was murdered, he used his gifts to devestating effect on the rest of the Circle. Caught up in his own turmoil of suspicion and grief, he pulled the other Guardians into madness with him, thus causing the decay of the Pillars of Nosgoth. Discovering that he (Kain) was the new Balance Guardian, Kain knew that he would carry the effect of the Mentalist's madness for the rest of his life...

THE PILLAR OF DIMENSION - AZIMUTH THE PLANER = FRAUDULENT
She was known as the 'Matriarch of Avernus', the city's protector. However, Azimuth had a sadistic nature even before she was afflicted with Nupraptor's insanity, and once tainted, she turned her magic upon Avernus, destroying it. She allowed demons to enter Avernus through portals she opened with her third eye, and they decimated the city, killing its people.

THE PILLAR OF CONFLICT - MALEK THE PALADIN = VIOLENT
Malek was a Sarafan warrior and Guardian of the Pillar of Conflict. He was also charged with protecting the Circle from harm.

THE PILLAR OF NATURE - BANE THE DRUID = LUSTFUL
His power was connected to all things natural - all plants and creatures, the earth and even the weather.

THE PILLAR OF ENERGY - DEJOULE THE ENERGIST = GLUTTONOUS
The power she wielded had affected her body over the years, altering her physical form. Without her Insulating Robe, her body glowed brightly, and an electrical field surrounded her.

THE PILLAR OF TIME - MOEBIUS THE TIME-STREAMER = HERETICS
A famed manipulator, he was the first of the Circle to fall under the influence of the demonic forces bent on destroying the Pillars. Using his ability to observe the past and future, he dispensed information to the curious. The path Moebius had laid led Kain fifty years into Nosgoth's past. Not understanding the full implications of changing history, Kain took it upon himself to murder King William the Just, the boy king who would become the Nemesis. Both Kain and William wielded the Soul Reaver sword in that battle. Moebius knew that the two blades in such close proximity would create a paradox allowing history to be changed, and William to die. Moebius was counting on the side-effects of Kain's actions to further his own cause - the destruction of the vampires. Moebius was able to mobilize William's grief-stricken and vengeful subjects against the 'unholy scourge'. When Kain returned to the time period of Nosgoth he was familiar with, he found that Moebius's citizen army had hunted the vampires to near-extinction. He witnessed the execution of the vampire Vorador, the most powerful and oldest of his species. Moebius then set the spectators on Kain, the last survivor.
Five hundred years before Kain's birth, Moebius of that era used Raziel to lead the Sarafan to Janos Audron. He was also responsible for detaining Malek to trap Raziel, so that the Paladin could not protect the Circle from Vorador's attack. He arranged the ambush to get Raziel to take up the stolen Reaver, knowing what it would eventually do to him. Moebius abandoned Raziel to his fate in the Sarafan Stronghold, expecting his essence to become trapped in the Reaver blade. That was how history was supposed to progress, and would have done, without Kain's intervention.

THE PILLAR OF STATES - ANACROTHE THE ALCHEMIST = AVARICIOUS
He experimented with his power by dabbling in the art of alchemy. One of his trials had failed long before, leaving one side of his face scarred and ruined from the accident. He hid his disfigurement beneath the hood of his robes. He viewed his powers as his alone, and believed his life was more important than the health of the Pillars and the land. He threatened Mortanius, demanding a renewal of loyalty to his fellow Guardians. But Mortanius was unmovable.

THE PILLAR OF DEATH - MORTANIUS THE NECROMANCER = TREACHEROUS
He was human, but his appearance had been affected by the magic he wielded. His skeletal body was misleadingly frail. He was among the most powerful of the Circle, and also one of the longest-serving members of the Nine that Kain encountered. When Malek had failed to protect the Guardians from Vorador centuries before Kain's birth, it was Mortanius who represented the survivors by carrying out the punishment. It was his magic that fused Malek's soul eternally to his armour. Despite the dangerousness of the skills wielded by the Necromancer, it seemed that he was a just individual who did act in the best interests of Nosgoth. However, his mind was not always his own... The demonic entity, Hash'ak'gik, possessed the Necromancer, and used him as a tool for bringing down the Circle. Controlled in this fashion, Mortanius murdered Ariel, which in turn led to the corruption of the Pillars.

THE PILLAR OF BALANCE - ARIEL, AND LATER KAIN = LIMBO
I believe this one is the easiest connection to make, without pulling up info on these two guardians. According to Dante, Limbo represents the state between Heaven and Hell. I see a direct link to Ariel, Kain and Nosgoth. Life and death, perfect balance between the two. And Nosgoth right now is teetering between destruction and salvation.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
I am looking forward to reading your views.

[Preacher]

Damn, that's a great theory! I gotta admit my theories are opinionated with mostly things from the game to back them up, but you really done your homework here. I'm impressed, I think you're on to something.

[tyrus]

Definately an interesting theory. I think it's more coincidental though. If the designers had wanted to pay homage to our beloved Flourentine, I think they would have done more of a convincing job whether it be via quotes or other Easter eggs of some kind.

Anyways, nice to see that someone else reads.
Ever read Purgatario or Paradiso? (I haven't, but am considering getting a copy of 'em).

[hippiechk]

Originally posted by tyrus
I think they would have done more of a convincing job whether it be via quotes or other Easter eggs of some kind.

Yeah, it probably is only coincidental. But maybe they didn't want the connection to be obvious, hence no quotes or easter eggs. I don't know. Still interesting though.

Originally posted by tyrus
Anyways, nice to see that someone else reads.
Ever read Purgatario or Paradiso? (I haven't, but am considering getting a copy of 'em).

No, I haven't. But thanks for adding to my "must read" list that's about a dozen long already. I just picked up Anne Rice's "The Vampire Armand" and "Blood and Gold". And on my summer reading list is Dante's "Divine Comedy" (I need to complete the trilogy) and Galileo's "The Dialogue".

To everyone - thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated

[ZeNeR]

Pretty good theory, hippiechk. It really could be true because Kain's name and names of his liutenant's were taken from the Bible. So why not in this?

I've spotted similiar things also. If you have read H. P. Lovecrafts' Call of Cthulhu, you should have a pretty good vision what I mean. You can make an obvious connection between Cthulhu and Elder God.

[hippiechk]

Originally posted by ZeNeR
If you have read H. P. Lovecrafts' Call of Cthulhu, you should have a pretty good vision what I mean. You can make an obvious connection between Cthulhu and Elder God.

I've only read pieces of it as someone else pointed this out to me. But yeah, I see a definite connection there too. And even Hash'ak'gik is a very Lovecraftian kind of name.

[tyrus]

If you're interested, you can read call of Cthulu here.

http://www.gizmology.net/lovecraft/works/cthulhu.htm

[hippiechk]

Thanks! Actually though, I have another site with his complete library too. Just haven't gotten around to reading it all yet. I certainly will though. Thanks again everyone!

[doc]

wow!! that was an excellent theory, i must agree with preacher you may indeed be on to something!!
if you are a fan of the anne rice vamp chronicles then i have to tell you there is a new one recently published called "blackwood farm" havent got round to it myself but i will very soon as i am a huge fan of the vamp chronicles!!
ps "blood & gold" is superb one of my favs

[hippiechk]

Thank you Doc.
I just love finding crazy stuff like this.

Blackwood Farm is actually next on my reading list as I finished The Vampire Armand (excellent read) two days ago, and just started Blood and Gold yesterday.

[N0V4]

*claps*

Wow, this is VERY interesting.
*claps some more*