Nosgoth
Nosgoth is a fictional realm that serves as the setting of the Legacy of Kain series. Nosgoth is a vast realm with a diverse landscape, including mountains, forests, plains and swamps. The land appears to have a temperate climate, similar to that of northern central Europe. This is corroborated by the fact that the places and people of Nosgoth have Germanic names, and are entirely Caucasian.
Nosgoth is inhabited primarily by humans, but other sentient species have existed as well. Before recorded history, Nosgoth was home to the Vampires, also known as the Ancients, and the Hylden. The Hylden eventually cursed the Vampires with bloodlust, thus creating the Undead race which stalk the world in modern nights. Nosgoth is also the home of the enigmatic Elder God.
In Blood Omen, Nosgoth seems to be in a social era half way between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, a common setting for gothic fantasy stories. The world is in relatively good health, although has become sickly as of late, due to the corruption of the Pillars of Nosgoth. Fifty years prior, during the reign of King William The Just in his vast mountain kingdom to the north of central Nosgoth, the Pillars are in good health and the world seems to be lush and vibrant, and even before that, it is seen that during the time of the original Sarafan priesthood, the world is just as healthy. Several historical periods are shown after the collapse of the Pillars in Blood Omen, and the decay of the world is evident in all of these. For example, in one, we see that much of the world has become wild and overgrown with rampant new mutant species of plants and animals, monster plagues cover the land and death is everywhere; the world looks as though weeping in a constant deluge of mythic proportions. In Blood Omen II, 400 years later, the land seems to be in the middle of an Industrial Revolution, brought on by the technology of the Hylden. However, this revolution is halted by the destruction of the new Sarafan order and the banishment of the Hylden back to Hell. Ecologically, the world is quite frail. From what can be seen of the outside, the more visceral portion of the world's death has passed, and has now given way to an arid and barren desert-like environment, with only minor, diseased shrubs remaining of the plant life, and nearly no animal life remaining at all, having been squeezed from existence by the rampaging Demons and other Hellish beings invading the world from their respective planes of existence. Several thousand years later, in the time of Soul Reaver, the death of the world seems complete and discernable history has ended. Humanity is nearly extinct, the world is barren, dry and devoid of life, with a rocky landscape and an undoubtedly frigid climate. Vampires have scoured the world clean of nearly all living things and completely choked the air with black smoke, blocking out the sun and sky permanently, and poisoning the waters acidic. It is not known what future, if any, is possible in the world of Nosgoth.
Locations
- The Pillars of Nosgoth lie at the center of the realm. For more on the Pillars, see the main article.
- Avernus is a large city that surrounds a massive cathedral. The cathedral serves as the center of the prevalent religion in Nosgoth (which strongly resembles Christianity, Kain even makes reference to Heaven and Hell, while trapped there by Mortanius). In Blood Omen, Averus is ruled by Azimuth the Planer.
- Coorhagen is a wealthy town and the birthplace of Kain. Some time between Kain's death and rebirth as a Vampire, the population of Coorhagen as decimated by the plague.
- Dark Eden is a magical tower inhabited by Dejoule, Bane and Anacrothe.
- Freeport is a coastal city south of the Pillars conquered by Kain during his march on Meridian.
- Meridian is arguably largest city in Nosgoth. It is called the 'Capital' thereof, but this is only later, after the Sarafan took over. It is a port on the southernmost point of the continent. It was unlikely as large before the new Sarafan Order, with either Ottamars Willendorf or the Nemesis' capital city probably being the largest at the time. By the time of the Sarafan, however, Meridian had become a massive industrial centre, similar to Victorian London. The city and its surrounding lands serve the setting for Blood Omen II.
- Nachtholm is a poor town with a surprisingly large number of taverns and pubs.
- Provance is a village south of the Pillars conquered by Kain during his march on Meridian.
- Stahlberg is a village on the edge of territory of William the Just. It was home to the most prominent libraries and universities in Nosgoth.
- Steinchencröe was a village Kain never visited as a human because he felt the town and its inhabitants carried a displeasing aroma.
- Termogent Forest is a forest containing a vast swamp. At the heart of the forest lies Vorador's mansion.
- Uschtenheim is one of the oldest villages in Nosgoth. It lies near the mountain retreat of Janos Audron.
- Vasserbünde is a small town the resides below the mountain retreat of Nupraptor.
- Willendorf is the wealthiest city in Nosgoth. It is ruled by King Ottmar.
- Zeigsturhl is a city, famously near the largest cemetery in Nosgoth. Kain was killed in Zeigsturhl before becoming a vampire.
- The Eternal Prison is massive floating structure or chain of structures of unknown origin, south of Meridian in the midst of the Great Southern Sea. It is constructed of black obsidian and within its confines, many natural laws such as time do not exist. It is said to be a phantom city, sometimes there, but usually not. Inside, immortal beings carry on a great experiment, attempting to purify the souls of those who have, "become separated from their perfect inner nature". Kain mentioned that those who violate the laws of nature too strongly are "expelled" from existence, and it is possible this is where they go, as the Eternal Prison technically does not exist, and is not part of the world proper.
- The Sarafan Monastery was the home and base of operations to the Sarafan Priesthood (not to be confused with the Sarafan Order who took their name and were based in Meridian), an army of fanatical warrior-monks who studied martial arts and weapons handling, and who used their skills to wipe out undead, and especially vampires, whom they believed to be Demons in human form. Later on it become the Sarafan Tomb, because it housed the remains of the order after their slaughter at Raziel's hands. Moebius' citizen crusade took it as their bastion when they set out to complete the Priesthood's work.
Furthermore, somewhere to the distant south, in the Southern Sea, there exists a small island chain on which apparently live several tribes of extremely primitive (cave-dwelling) humans. They were used as slave labor when the Hylden returned to build their base of operations there.