This document © Copyright 2002, CelticWolf. Don't try to steal from it. That would force my friends and I to have to hunt you down. ============================================================================= Player's Guide for LEGACY OF KAIN: SOUL REAVER 2 Released for PlayStation2 by Eidos Interactive and Crystal Dynamics As written by CelticWolf ============================================================================= Contents: 1. Version History 2. Introduction to the Guide 3. Introduction to the Game 4. Character Bios 5. Game Controls 6. Weapons Information 7. Combat Tactics 8. Game Walkthrough A. Inside the Sarafan Stronghold B. Touring the Cathedral C. To the Pillars of Nosgoth! D. The Reaver Door E. Entering the Swamps F. The Dark Forge G. Back to the Stronghold H. The Light Forge I. Re-entering the Stronghold J. Into the Future K. In Search of Janos Audron L. A Path Through the Mountains M. The Air Forge N. Back to the Past O. The Road to Janos Audron's Retreat P. Inside Janos' Home Q. The Fire Forge R. Yet Another Trip to the Stronghold S. Reunion at the Sarafan Stronghold T. The Final Battle 9. Bestiary 10. GameShark Codes 11. Frequently Asked Questions 12. Reader's Tips 13. Contact Information 14. Legal Information 15. Credits and Acknowledgements 16. Closing Statements* * -denotes an uncompleted section of the guide ============================================================================= 1. VERSION HISTORY ============================================================================= Version 1.1 (April 6, 2002)- Finished at last. I will still be taking any contibutions that readers want to contibute for a little while. My final version of this guide will be released 3 months from now, giving people plenty of time to send in info to be added. Version 0.73 (March 27, 2002)- Yes, I know it seems strange that I wrote the Final Battle section before the others, but as I said, I have already beaten this game a few times and it was a short, easy to write section, so I figured I'd go ahead and get it out of the way. I also managed to get the Combat Tactics section done, such as it is, and if you take a look at the bestiary, it has been revised and is a bit more informative than it used to be. Last but not least, I have finished the walkthrough up to the Air Forge. Version 0.55 (March 9, 2002)- Sorry it took me so long to get this update posted, but my unit is busy prepping for deployment. For some reason the Army thinks that my priority is military crap. Oh well. Went through and found a bunch of typos. So sue me. I fixed them, but there could be a few more. As I find them, I will remove them. Also found a few discrepancies in the weapons section, so I fixed them as well. As for the guide, I have managed to finish up to the mountain path. Hopefully I will be able to focus some more on this guide now that we are back from training, assuming we don't get deployed to Afghanistan. Version 0.40 (January 12, 2002)- Finished the walkthrough up to the Light Forge, and got the Bestiary completed. I plan to have the walkthrough up to the Fire Forge finished tomorrow, but I have some other things I need to take care of as well, so I might not make it that far. Oh well, we'll see what happens. Still have no questions for the FAQ section. Hopefully I will have a few soon. Version 0.35 (January 10, 2002)- Well, I have worked my butt off on this guide for the last two days, and I have managed to complete most of it. Got the beginning of the walkthrough done, along with pretty much everything else in the guide. I still need to work out the bestiary and combat techniques sections, but that can come later. For now I am going to focus on finishing the walkthrough, and I will add bits and pieces to the other sections as I go along. Version 0.12 (January 8, 2002)- Not sent in to GameFAQ's. This is the guide in it's foremost preliminary stage, mostly comprised of notes that still need further expansion. Still working on getting the Legal stuff worked out...this is my first guide after all. That's all I need is a gigantic lawsuit heading my way because I missed something important. ============================================================================= 2. INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE ============================================================================= A quick note about my FAQ's: I write FAQ's to assist other players in their game, not to show off my renown ASCII artwork abilities (which they aren't). If you are reading this FAQ solely in hopes of seeing some nifty artwork created within the confines of ASCII's limited character support, then you are reading the wrong FAQ. This does not mean that I will not endeavor to include such artwork where I deem it to be necessary, nor does this mean that I will not, from time to time, include such artwork just for the heck of it in my FAQ's. It simply means that I consider the guide itself to be the most important part of the FAQ (naturally), and refuse to waste valuable time creating ASCII images that serve no real purpose when I could be improving the guide for my readers. 'Nuff said. What this guide is, however, is a detailed walkthrough meant to lead the player step by step through the world of Nosgoth, but without giving out the key plot points or spoiling the story. If that is what you seek, then you have come to the right place. I have already played through and beat the game a few times, so I should be able to complete this rather quickly. Hope you all enjoy the guide! -CelticWolf ============================================================================= 3. INTRODUCTION TO THE GAME ============================================================================= In this game, you play Raziel, a former Sarafan Warrior whose corpse was resurrected by Kain as a vampire, and who was later cast down by his creator to become the scourge of the vampires, reaper of their apostate souls. The game picks up where the first game left off, Kain and Raziel confronting each other within the confines of one of Moebius's Chronoplast Chambers. Driven by the fatalistic visions revealed in Moebius's time-streaming chambers, Kain activates the portal that will propel him and Raziel far into Nosgoth's forgotten past. Free will, Kain argues, is an illusion. Their fates are intertwined in ways that Raziel has not yet even begun to fathom... Journey with Raziel as he tracks down his murderer through Nosgoth's history, and as he realizes that his destiny is far more deep than he ever imagined. ============================================================================= 4. CHARACTER BIOS ============================================================================= -RAZIEL- The story's Dark Hero. Raziel was the first-born of Kain's brood of vampires, and being such, he is nearly as old as Kain is. Raziel achieved a high-degree of vampiric evolution, and ended up serving as Kain's first- lieutenant. This all changed, however, once the proud Raziel revealed to Kain his latest evolution - a pair of bat-like wings. He was the only vampire in Nosgoth to reach such a state of evolution, surpassing that of even his creator, Kain. In what appeared to be an act of egotistical sadism, Kain ripped Raziel's wings out of his back and sentenced him to be thrown into the Lake of the Dead where he would burn forever. His flesh dissolving as he fell through the murky Abyss, he finally reached the bottom, a mere shell of his former self. As the pain subsided, he realized not only that he had survived the descent, but had also been delivered to the deepest part of the Underworld. The Elder God revived Raziel, and sent him forth as a reaper of souls - his very own Angel of Death. Raziel's return to Nosgoth found him hardened by his desire for revenge...and a thirst for the souls of vampires. Kain led Raziel to slay his former brethren each in turn, and once that had been done, he led Raziel to the Pillars of Nosgoth, where he raised the Soul Reaver against Raziel. The blade, however, broke against Raziel and bound itself to him, in wraith-form, becoming his symbiotic weapon. Afterwards, Kain retreated to the Chronoplast chamber where this game begins. -KAIN- Kain was born into a dying Nosgoth. He was the son of an aristocratic family, and he lived the life of a nobleman, privileged and rich. He never realized his uncovered destiny until long after it had already begun to unfold. Full of ambition, but at a complete loss for direction, Kain roamed the land of Nosgoth until one fateful day, when he was ambushed by a group of assassins and coldly murdered, ran through by his killer's sword. Kain awoke in the Underworld, accompanied by the Necromancer Mortanius. The Necromancer had an offer for Kain, and the young nobleman's hunger for revenge clouded his ability to look into the cost. Mortanius drew the sword, still imbedded in Kain, and relinquished it to him. Upon taking the hilt, Kain was forever transformed. He was reborn into Nosgoth as a vampire. After Kain had exacted his revenge, he proceeded down the line of his Fate, eventually triggering a chain of events that would destroy the entire vampire race. As the sole surviving vampire, Kain finally comes to realize his ultimate destiny - to become the Balance Guardian. However, to fulfill his role and restore balance to the land, he must willingly sacrifice himself, thereby condemning the vampire race to extinction. Unwilling to be the tool for his species' annihilation, he rejected the offer to restore Nosgoth, and chose instead to rule Nosgoth in its damnation. -MOEBIUS- Perhaps one of the oldest members of the Circle of Nine, Moebius, also known as the Time Streamer, serves as the Guardian of Time. This position gives him the ability to alter time and history. Moebius played a key role in Kain's journey as a young vampire. Initially, he disguised himself as a harmless old being known only as the Oracle. In this way he was able to track Kain's every move, eventually leading him into a battle between Ottmar's Army of Hope and the Legions of the Nemesis. Trapped, Kain had no choice but to use one of the Time Guardian's devices, propelling him 50 years into Nosgoth's past. Seizing this opportunity, Kain assassinated King William the Just, who was destined to become the Nemesis. In doing so, history was altered, and the king died a martyred saint, thus re-awakening the humans' hatred of the vampire race. His mission completed, Kain returned to his time to realize that he had been a pawn of Moebius all along, who was the leader of the armies that were rallied against his species. Kain eventually exacted his revenge upon the Time Streamer, beheading him as punishment and retribution for the vampires he had executed under the guillotine, but not before Kain was the last surviving vampire in Nosgoth, and the cause of his own species' near-extinction. Raziel is aware of Moebius's reputation, and is careful in his consideration in having Moebius as an ally. -ARIEL- Before Kain's time, Ariel, a powerful sorceress, governed the Circle of Nine as the Guardian of Balance. However, she was coldly assassinated by the Necromancer Mortanius, who had been possessed by some kind of demonic spirit. Her murder drove the Guardian of the Mind, her beloved Nupraptor, insane with sadness and despair. As the Guardian of the Mind, his madness unleashed a devastating shockwave, drawing all of the rest of the circle into his insanity. No longer themselves, the tainted guardians turned their powers to darker deeds, and abandoned their duties as the Guardians of the Pillars of Nosgoth. The Pillars, bound to the renegade Guardians symbiotically, absorbed the corruption themselves and fell into decay. Until the balance can be restored, Ariel is doomed to haunt the fallen Pillars. She attempted to persuade her successor, Kain, to sacrifice himself to restore the Pillars, but failed to do so. She blames him for her torment, as it was his decision that condemned her to her fate. -THE ELDER GOD- His origins are a mystery to almost the entire population of Nosgoth, as most of Nosgoth isn't even aware of his existence. He lurks deep in the remote areas of the murky Underworld. It was he who pulled Raziel from the Abyss and unleashed him onto Nosgoth as a devourer of souls. His primary concern is for Raziel to find and destroy Kain, thereby restoring Balance to the Pillars of Nosgoth. But, is this his sole thought, or is there more that he conspires in secret? -JANOS AUDRON- Reputed to be the most ancient and powerful vampire to have ever existed, not much is known of Janos Audron. He was perhaps the most hated enemy of the Sarafan warrior-priests, an order dedicated to the extermination of the vampire race. He was, therefore, fated to become their primary target. Stories say that Janos preyed on the helpless villagers of Uschtenheim, until the Sarafan finally found him and executed him, ripping his still-beating heart from his body. Afterwards, his heart became known as the Heart of Darkness, rumored to have the ability to restore vampiric unlife. -VORADOR- Vorador is most ancient and powerful of Nosgoth's surviving vampires. He has lived to see his kind oppressed and persecuted throughout Nosgoth's history, and has come to despise the human race, regarding them as little more than brutish cattle. He believes that vampires' only hope of survival is to stay out of the affairs of mankind. During the Crusades of the Sarafan, he infiltrated their stronghold and killed six members of the Circle for their part in sponsoring the extermination of the vampire species. Afterward, he hid from the world and forever renounced the affairs of humans. Almost five hundred years later, Kain's assassination of William the Just against the council of Vorador, who had told Kain that the only chance for vampires' survival was isolation from humans, re-kindled mankind's hatred of vampires. History had been broken and was never allowed to fulfill William's destiny to become the evil Nemesis. Ultimately, this led to the annihilation of all vampires, as Vorador was eventually hunted down and beheaded by Moebius and his army of vampire hunters, leaving Kain the sole-surviving vampire in Nosgoth. ============================================================================= 5. GAME CONTROLS ============================================================================= D-Pad: Same as left analog stick Left Analog Stick: Move Raziel; Select menu item Right Analog Stick: Rotate Camera Triangle Button: Powerful attacks; Aim/shoot while in look-around mode Square Button: Action; Light attack Circle Button: Devour soul; Double tap to activate/deactivate the Reaver X Button: Jump/Swim; Accept menu item L1 Button: Block L2 Button: Crouch L3 Button: Not used (unless you're cheating) R1 Button: Sneak; Target enemy R2 Button: Enter look-around mode R3 Button: Not used (also unless you're cheating) Select Button: Open Select menu Start Button: Start game; Pause/Resume game R2 + Triangle Button: Aim/fire projectiles L2 + Square Button: Drop an object or weapon L2 + X Button: High jump; Speed burst while underwater Jump + X Button: Glide Action Commands: Pick up objects or weapons Operate switches Pull, push, or rotate objects Select Menu: Display Map Shift Planes Summon/Dismiss Soul Reaver ============================================================================= 6. WEAPONS INFORMATION ============================================================================= The weapons in Soul Reaver 2 are numerous and varied. I would say this, but then I would be lying. There are two basic types: swords and pikes, and they work pretty much the same, although they vary in speed, range, and power. In addition to these there are, of course, your claws and kicks, and the Soul Reaver itself. Now for a bit of info about what each one is: There are various swords located throughout the game. Some examples are the falchions dropped by many of the modern-day vampire hunters, the short swords dropped by the Thralls, and the Sarafan's longswords. Despite the fact that these swords differ so much in reality, in this game they all have the same range and damage capability. Funny, huh? The short sword has the same range as the longsword. Oh well. Every game has its quirks, I guess. Swords, regardless of type, are not as fast as claws, but they dish out more damage. While a sword is equipped, you can press square or triangle while standing next to a stunned enemy to have him beheaded. Gratuitous decapitations, anyone? The pike family of weapons includes pikes, tridents, spears, and halberds. Also included in this family of weapons are the axes that you find once in a while. Again, while these weapons vary greatly in the real world, they are the exact same in this game. The only variant is the axe, which is slower but deals greater damage than other pikes. The pike family of weapons all have the same range which, incidentally, is the longest of any weapon in the game (unless you consider Reaver Bolts a weapon). They are slower than swords, of course, yet cause more damage. These weapons finishing moves are also executed by pressing square or triangle next to a stunned enemy, whereupon Raziel will proceed to impale them for a moment or two. Note that this move will cause your weapon to be dropped, so don't go running off without it! OK, now comes the really pathetic part. Torches can be used as a weapon, if you are in such dire straights that you must have a weapon but don't want to pick up any of the exceptionally numerous weapons that can be had from the vampire hunters, demon hunters, etc. which are located around every corner. Torches function similar to swords, but don't have as much range or damage dealing capability. For better results, throw said torch at your intended victim and use your claws to finish the job. The finishing move for torches, which work the same way as the other two, causes Raziel to ignite the poor victim. This ruins the torch completely, so just leave it behind and find yourself a decent weapon. OK, claws. Basically, you punch people. And then you kick them. After that, punch them some more. Your natural weapons are the fastest in the game, and much better to use in battles than, say, a torch. At times I think they are perhaps the best weapon you can have. They don't deal as much damage as a sword or pike would, but they work. Their greatest benefit is their incredible speed. The finishing move for this weapon causes Raziel to "Janos Audron" someone, ripping their heart out of their chest. The Soul Reaver really deserves its own section, but I don't feel like making another section, so it'll just have to deal with it. Alright, what can the Reaver do? Well, a better question would be what does it _not_ do. Properly charged, the Reaver can kill enemies in a single hit, break down doors, light your path for you (so that you don't need to resort to using torches as a weapon), lure enemies closer one at a time, plus it is the only weapon in the game that can take care of those dratted Sentry Eyes or follow you into the Spectral Realm. The Reaver's range varies from sword distance, to pike range, to far across the screen. With all of these great benefits, you must be thinking: "What's the catch?". Glad you asked, or you wouldn't make it very far in this game. While in the first game the Reaver could only manifest in the Spectral Plane, and could only be brought to the Material Plane when Raziel's health was full, shortly after this game begins it gains the ability to manifest when and wherever Raziel pleases. In exchange for this power, the Reaver becomes a devourer of souls. So, if you kill an enemy with the Reaver, Raziel cannot regain health by reaping the soul. For those of you who attempt to be clever and switch weapons before dealing the finishing blow, the Reaver has already planned for that. The health that you will regain from a soul decreases with every hit you deliver with the Reaver. Not only that, the Reaver now has a mind of its own. It is in charge, not Raziel. See that nifty little circle slowly working its way around the health spiral? Well, if it manages to form a complete circle, the Reaver takes control and saps Raziel's health, returning him to the Spectral Plane. You need not worry about the Reaver in the Spectral Realm. The overabundance of energy there manages to satiate the hungry blade. Raziel must exercise caution when using this weapon, else his soul will be the one reaped. As you proceed through the game, you will enter Forges, sacred places where the wraith-blade may be imbued with elemental power to assist Raziel in his quest. There are four forges: Dark, Light, Air, and Fire. Here is what the Reaver can do with each elemental power: The Dark Reaver: Reaver bolts fired while the wraith-blade is charged with the elemental power of Darkness can blind Sentry Eyes for a short period of time, allowing Raziel to pass by without getting fried. The blade itself can activate Shadow Bridges. The Light Reaver: Bolts fired while the Reaver is charged with Light will activate those crystals you find above so many doors, thereby unlocking them. It also illuminates an area around Raziel similar to a torch. Note that the blade can be summoned while gripping another weapon. Having light will not force Raziel to go hungry. The Air Reaver: One of the most useful powers you will find. Bolts fired from the Air Reaver can destroy weakened doors. It can activate Air Plinths, creating updrafts that will allow Raziel to have a greater flight time while gliding. Last but not least, the power of Air allows free movement in the Swamp, so there is no more need to leap from stone to stone. The Fire Reaver: It creates a torchlight effect just like the Light Reaver, and activates Fire Plinths. That's about it. Big deal. ============================================================================= 7. COMBAT TACTICS ============================================================================= Really, the game's combat system is so ridiculously simple it is almost pathetic. The only things you will ever really need to know is how to attack and how to sidestep. You might, and I emphasize might, need to do a quick retreat once in a while, but for the most part a simple sidestep will enable you to get into a position suitable to counter-attack. Attacks vary based upon the weapon you are using. As mentioned above, pikes have range while swords and claws have speed. Generally, I prefer speed to power, and therefore I will take a sword before I take a pike. In some cases, I won't take a weapon at all, but will use claws to launch an almost never- ending series of attacks so that my enemy will never get a chance to launch an attack of its own (see Reader's Tip #1). Mostly, this kind of strategy will work, but some enemies, such as demons, have a nasty habit of being able to dodge your attacks, leaving you open to their more devastating maneuvers. As you make your way through the game, you will need to take into account the advancing skills of your opponents. At this time, you need to wait for the enemy to attack, then dodge it and use an attack of your own. Another good thing to keep in mind is the fact that you can use a Reaver or Force bolt to lure an enemy closer to you. This enables you to separate the larger groups of enemies so that they cannot gang up on you and prevent you from being able to attack. In the late game, charging headlong into a multitude of demons and hunters that are fighting amongst themselves is a very good way for Raziel to commit suicide. Your best bet to survive such an encounter is to either a) Run away and don't even bother messing with them at all, or b) Use a Force/Reaver bolt to bring one or two of the enemies to you while the others continue fighting each other. That's about all you need to know about combat. Find a weapon you like using and master using it. Weapons define the combat system more than anything else in this game. Master using a weapon and you have pretty much mastered combat. The only other hint that I can give you is that hunters, in their various forms, can't swim. If you are close to a lake or anything else that is deeper than a puddle, you can kick them into the water to kill them off quickly. Use terrain to your advantage if you can. ============================================================================= 8. GAME WALKTHROUGH ============================================================================= I have done my best to keep this guide as informative as possible while retaining the mystery of the story for players to discover on their own. If there are any circumstances where this is not possible, I apologize. OK then, time to get started... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Inside the Sarafan Stronghold ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you finally control Raziel after all of the opening cinema scenes, head through the wooden doors. There's not much else you can do but that. The one Time-Streaming chamber is locked, and Raziel won't be able to enter until later. After heading through the doors, you can take a weapon from the left wall if you want, or stick with your claws. Said weapon is a halberd. Continuing down the hall, you will encounter your first enemy, a sword- wielding vampire hunter. After doing away with him, you can discard your halberd (if you picked it up) in exchange for his sword. If you used your claws on him, then you can take the sword for free. He won't argue. Continue down the hall and kill off the next hunter. After you dispose of him, the door to the next area will magically unlock. Go through the now unlocked door, and choose to be a morbid kind of guy and kill the hunter waiting there, or be merciful and let him live. It doesn't really make a difference which you choose. Head through the eastern door, and kill off the pike-wielding vampire huntress there. Go through the next door. Head down the hall, killing or sparing enemies as you see fit. Once you reach the next door, head through it. There is a cinema scene to start off this part of the Sarafan Stronghold tour. After watching it kill off the three hunters, and a gate will open in the northeast part of the area. There are three ways out of the courtyard. One is the way you came in, one is the gate you just opened, and the other door is locked. Guess where you have to go. If you should happen to die at the hands of the hunters, shame on you! There is a planar portal in the middle of the courtyard. Head through the gate to find yet another gate. You will have to switch to the Spectral Plane in order to pass through. After refilling your health, return to the Material Plane through the portal in the middle of the Cathedral. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. Touring the Cathedral ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you have returned to the Material Plane, you will find yourself in a large chamber complete with eight guards, and you will regain control of the Soul Reaver. You can either leave the poor mortals alone, or you can end their existence. After dealing, or not dealing, with them, head to the unlocked eastern gateway, and go through it for another entourage of cinema scenes. Once the scenes are finished, head through the southern door into the tomb of King William the Nemesis...er...Just. A pivotal moment in the game occurs here. Have fun watching Moebius piss on himself. Afterward, explore the area to trigger some more cutscenes about the infamous vampire Janos Audron. Exit through the southern door. Kill the hunter, and then head through the door into the Sarafan Shrine, where Raziel and his vampiric brethren are memorialized in their Sarafan selves. Once you enter, some hunters will do a death from above style attack, and the exit will be gated off. Show them the error of their ways, and then find the staircase to the second level. Head through the exit in the southwest corner. Follow the hallway until you reach the double-doors. Open them and head out into Nosgoth in it's uncorrupted, pristine past. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. To the Pillars of Nosgoth! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wow, these sections are short! Oh well...watch Raziel be overwhelmed by the former beauty of Nosgoth, and then get ready to head to the Pillars, which stand to the northwest. Take a quick swim and head to the wheel-looking thing. There's another door here towards the south-side of the lake, but you cannot unlock it...yet. Once Raziel gets onto land, a short scene will ensue explaining checkpoints. Use the action button to use the wheel-looking thing to open an underwater gate on the northern side of the lake. Swim through it. If you don't like swimming you can switch to the Spectral Realm. Water has no substance there, so Raziel will fall through it like air. There is a planar portal on the lakebed once you get your health charged up. Once you are on the other side of the wall, head to the obelisk on the left. Some more scenes ensue, explaining the use of save points. Save or don't save, then head up the platforms to the east by high jumping and gliding. There is another cinema scene here. Afterwards, continue down the path and do as you will to the vampire hunters you encounter. There's only 8 or so. Head over the bridge and continue along the pathway. A pissed-off puppy attacks you, but you can't easily elude them so kill it off. His owner tries to deal with you after the dog fails. Kill him too, just for spite, or you can leave him alone, if you are choosing to be a humane angel of death. Keep going down the path. You will come to a shrine as you proceed, and a hunter awaits nearby. There is a portal into the Material Plane at the base of this shrine. As you continue, you will reach a stream with another dog and a cannoneer on the other side. You can either kill them with force bolts, or Reaver bolts, or claws, or whatever. Activate the checkpoint here and then head up the north stairs. Follow the wooden bridge, and kill the cannoneer at the end of it for being insolent. Watch the cutscenes here and then deal with the two hunters and their pet dog that guard the gate. Press and hold the action button at the lever to unlock the gate, then head through to find the Pillars. Loooong cinema scene here. After watching it, and probably becoming confused if this is your first time through this game, head north until you find a pair of columns with a Spectral Plane glyph on them. Follow the hint and go into the Spectral Plane to reveal a stairway, then head up it to continue down the path. Switch back to the Material Plane once you reach the portal, then continue to the next checkpoint. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. The Reaver Door ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- After activating the checkpoint, continue the way you have been going until you reach a cool-looking door that has a Raziel and a Reaver painted on it. This is the first of the Reaver Doors that you will find. Turn your Reaver on and use the action button to watch the door unlock in a cinema scene. Should you find yourself back in the Spectral Realm, there is a planar portal right next to this door in the caves. A simple rule for this area is to follow the glowing crystals. Another note, you first encounter Shades in this area. Nasty things, Shades. They leave you no soul, they have long range attacks, and they can follow you into the Spectral Plane to finish you off if you goof around too much while fighting them. They aren't very tough, though. The Reaver can kill them fairly easily, just watch that meter! There are 7 shades awaiting you on this path. Either dodge by them or kill them. I prefer the former. There really isn't a point in killing them, since they are soulless. Dealing with them will only sap Raziel's health that much more, since taking the time will slowly drain Raziel, and their attacks will drain even more. Just do some fancy footwork and go around them. If need be, kill a few of them, but don't get too caught up in it. Follow the path until you come to an area that lies beneath the Pillars. Another long cinema scene begins, between Raziel and his maker, the Elder God. After the cinema, save your game at the save obelisk if you like, and then head into the water. Dive down to the bottom if you want to hear the Elder God's opinion. On the eastern side of the area, you can see a pair of those glowing crystals marking the entrance to the next tunnel you must follow. After surfacing, beat off the three shades that are waiting for you, and then head up the ramp on the east wall. There's a gap at the top that you must leap across before continuing northward. As the path begins to turn on an easterly direction, you will encounter...a shade! I wager you are growing sick of them by now. Don't worry. There's more of them. Follow the eastern route, and encounter...yet another shade! Off to the northwest there's a cliff. If you want to look before you leap, use R2 to have a gander. Guess what? At the bottom of the cliff there's...another shade! Jump down, and either kill the shade or run and hide in the water nearby. The water is your next path, anyway, so you might as well run and hide. Head for the inundated statue. Swim past it and head for the northern tunnel, lit by a pair of those crystals. This part is irritating if you are new to swimming. This area can only be passed in the Material Plane, and navigating it can get tricky. From the entrance, head for the next crystal, and then for the next crystal, and then for the next crystal, and then for the next crystal. Catch all that? If you need to, pause at each crystal to gain sight of the next crystal, and use your compass to prevent unnecessary, and confusing, backtracking. Once you reach the fourth crystal, you will see four circular things arranged in a triangle. From here, look up and to the northeast. You will see another series of crystals above you. Follow these in the same way you followed the others. Go to the top of the cave, and go through the tunnel. Follow it to the east, and then straight up out of the pool. Scream at the pool for being such a pain, and then say goodbye, or good riddance if you prefer, for now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- E. Entering the Swamps ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section is probably going to be insanely short. Once you are finished cussing at the pool, grab a torch from the wall if you really need it, and then head off into the swamp. Raziel slows down significantly in the swamp, if you force him into the water. Stick to jumping from rock to rock. There is a Time-Streaming Chamber nearby. Head for it, pass by a checkpoint, and eliminate the hunter there. Another hunter will approach. Do as you will. There is a Material Plane portal located near here. Just head east from the checkpoint until you find it. The area is over-watched by a number of Sluagh, though. Continue through the swamp until you reach a door that Raziel has to kick open. In this next area, there are three hunters and a save obelisk. There is a short cinema here. Head to the obelisk, where you can save your game if you choose. There is another planar portal located here. Once you are done at the obelisk, continue past it and deal with a few hunters and a dog. Climb the wall illuminated by the two braziers after you deal with another hunter. There's a cannon wielding hunter just over the wall. If you look at him, he will answer by firing off some shots at you. Either jump off the wall and fight the hunters there, or land on his little area and kick him off to join his buddies below. After dealing with these hunters, head for the porch area. There is a checkpoint here and another Reaver Door. Open it and enter the Dark Forge. Yep...it's short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- F. The Dark Forge ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- OK...the first really long section there is. Puzzles abound in the Forges, so get ready for them. Head down the corridor, and encounter a Thrall. Kill it off and drop any weapons you might be carrying to grab the key it leaves behind. Place the key in the door, and continue to the right. Don't bother grabbing your weapon again. Switch to the Spectral Realm and phase through the gate blocking your path. Avoid or kill the Sluagh and run for the end of the room. Head up the stairs and through the archway, then head to the east. Keep going this way until you reach the planar portal. Backtrack to the room where you came through the gate. Try to avoid fighting the Thralls that are going to leap out of the ground to attack you. Head to the east or west wall and climb up. A cinema ensues. Head to the north stairway, where a sorcerer Thrall waits for you. Don't try to fight it from long range. It'll win. Move in close and it will probably run. Kill it with your claws, or use one of those staffs located on the walls in the area. Continue down the path until you reach a ledge. Jump and glide to the next platform, where you will jump to the stairway. Continue along, where there will be a short cinema scene. This is the Dark Forge room. Jump down. There is a planar portal located in this room south of the light reflector that looks like it was pulled straight from The Mummy. Move to said reflector and use the action button to turn it until it points at the eastern wall. Doing so will cause a door to open. Go through the door, natch. Kill the Thralls as you proceed, and then switch to the Spectral Realm to pass through the gate blocking your way. Follow the hall until you reach a large room with a big platform sticking out of the middle. The planar portal you seek is on the east side of this room. As you switch planes, a cut scene will reveal the secret in this room. Go to one of the scalable walls on the north or south walls, avoiding the numerous Thralls that want to play. Jump and glide to the center platform, then switch to the Spectral Plane so you can make the next jump to the eastern platform. A planar portal waits nearby. After you plane-shift, a gate will close and you will be assaulted by a Thrall. Finish him off, and grab the key. Place said key into the southern door to continue. In the next room, you will see four columns with another reflector in the middle. Switch to look-around mode, and look up. Fire a Reaver bolt at the symbol there to shed some light on the situation. Move to the now active reflector, and turn it so that it faces the western wall. In the southwest corner of the room, you will see a column. This column is moveable. Grab it with the action button, and drag it until you see a cinema that shows it is in the right position. From the northwest column, jump and glide into the next room. Pick up the disk in this room with the action button. Go west, young man. In the next room, you will see a door with the same symbol on it as the disk. Go to this door, and it will open automatically. Move through the Forge room to the empty claw-holder at the north end. Place the disk with the action button. Return to the Forge room and rotate the reflector until it shines on the west wall. Follow the newly opened path and phase through the next gate. Continue north until you reach the next planar portal. Head back to the room you were just in, where you will be attacked by some Thralls. You must kill the sorcerers at a minimum, or you will probably never make it up the wall you must climb. Head south toward the next reflector. Turn it so it shines toward the reflector at the north end of the room. Head north, and grab the pillar on the west wall. Pull it until a shadow bridge appears. Jump onto the bridge, and fire a Reaver bolt at the symbol in the ceiling. Jump to the platform with the reflector on it, and face it to the eastern wall. High jump into the passageway that appears. Continue until you see a sundial. Go to the left side of the sundial, and push it twice so that it is pointed right of the hole in the floor. Watch as the Dark Forge comes alive! Drop through the hole, and move to the Forge. The Reaver will prove once again who is the true master, and imbue itself with power. All Dark Elemental fonts in Nosgoth are now active. Raziel's health spiral will grow larger as well. Once you are finished forging the blade, exit through the southern Reaver door and proceed to the Dark Reaver door. Exit the door back into the swamp, and prepare to head all the way back to the stronghold through that irritating, shade-laden pool from earlier. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- G. Back to the Stronghold ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- After going through the Dark Reaver door, head down the corridor until you reach the Reaver door that leads out into the swamp. There may or may not be Thralls waiting for you as you proceed. Once you exit, there will be a decent size cinema scene awaiting you. After the cinema, head down the southern stairs and turn west. There might be a couple of hunters in this area, depending on whether or not you killed them earlier. If you didn't kill them, you can avoid them now if you choose. Once you find the Time Chamber, head to that horrid pool of water and jump back in. Swim down, and head back to where you saw those triangle-arranged circle things. Keep following the crystals the same way you did earlier. Once you reach the statue, head up and jump to the surface. Guess what? There are Shades here! Wheee! Shades! One good note, if you took the time and effort to slay them earlier, then you won't have to deal with them again, unless you have saved your game and restarted since then. Well, if they have returned, you can either run past them...again, or you can kill them off now. It will be a bit easier this time because of your increased health at least. Climb up the wall, and head back down the path to the next pool of water, the one that leads back to the lair of the Elder God. Head back to the lair, and watch the cinema scene, then head over to the save obelisk if you want to save your game. Head back through the southern pathway, and into the cave system. Again, if you have saved your game and restarted, or didn't deal with them earlier, the Shades will be there waiting for you. Dratted things. Once you reach the Reaver door, head through it, unless you want to sit looking at it. :) Continue your way along the path heading back to the Pillars. Pass the Pillars and head for the stream where you encountered the cannoneer and his pet dog earlier. There is a Dark Elemental font here, in case you have lost the Dark Reaver. There is also a font near the next door you are going to have to open. but there's no time like the present to prepare yourself. After imbuing the Reaver, head down the western path or jump off the waterfall. Follow the path leading back to the Sarafan Stronghold. There may be a few vampire hunters here for you to dispatch, if you so desire. Once you reach the lake, you can save your game at the save obelisk, which lies westward, or you can immediately head through the underwater gate and then head south, towards the Reaver door on the south side of the lake. Once you reach the door, which you will need the Dark Reaver to open, enter it and prepare to solve the mysteries of the Light Forge. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- H. The Light Forge ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alrighty, then. Time to bust open the Light Forge. After entering the Dark Reaver door, follow along the hallway, where you will be accosted by a few Thralls. Once you reach the next room, jump and glide to the platform in the center of the room. You will notice that there is a Dark Element symbol right on the northern side of the platform, so if you managed somehow or another to lose the Dark Reaver between the Dark Reaver door and here, you will need to re-imbue the Reaver. There is a Dark Elemental font located on the floor of this room, between the stairs to the south. A Shade guards it though. There is also a Material Plane portal in this room, between the platform with the Dark symbol and the north wall. Once you have the Dark Reaver, if you didn't already, stand on the symbol and use the action button to trigger a Shadow Bridge. Head across the bridge and switch to the Spectral Plane to phase through the gate that blocks your path. The planar portal is pretty much right in front of you, right next to the next checkpoint. There are a couple of Thralls that want to play in this room, so you can kill them or move on to the northern door and head through it. This door leads to the Light Forge Room. There are a pair of Dark Reaver doors here, but since it was required to switch planes in order to phase through the gate, we need to locate a Dark Elemental font to re-imbue the Reaver. Shift planes again, and phase through the northern gate. Head north through a long corridor, killing off the Sluagh that are there if you need health. There is a Greater Sluagh in the next hallway, so either avoid him or kill him with crouching attacks. Normal attacks go right over him. The hallway ends in a room with a Sentry Eye. There is a planar portal here, mercifully out of the Eye's range. Switch back to the Material Plane here. Once you shift, some punk Thrall rises up to try to fight you. Unfortunately for him, his brain is in a state of decay and he forgot to think about the Sentry Eye, so he gets zapped back into oblivion. That cool looking thing on the pedestal is what you need to re-activate the Light Forge, but because of the Sentry Eye overlooking it, we will have to return here later. Head back to the south, through the long corridor. There are some more Thralls here waiting on you, but unfortunately they are not within the Sentry Eye's range, so you are going to have to finish them, unless of course you just want to skate by them and leave them alone. Once you reach the room with all of the columns, head toward the reflector in the southwestern part of the room. Pull the reflector along the groove in the floor to open the door to the north. Go through the door, and continue down the hallway. Once you reach the next room, you will be blocked off by a gate and a pair of Thralls will rise to attack. Target the one holding the reflector, and kill him to make the other Thrall hide again. Grab the reflector and head back to the room you just came from. Head to the southeast corner where there is an empty reflector holder. Place the reflector using the action button. After placing the reflector, head east toward the next reflector. Kill those dratted sorcerer Thralls. The east reflector isn't doing anyone any good by shining onto a wall, so turn it so that it shines on the door to the north. Go through the door and deal with the Thralls. There is a gate at the end of this hallway that you will need to switch to the Spectral Plane to pass through. When you shift, you will see a short cinema scene that shows the location of a Dark Elemental font and the opening Raziel must somehow get to in order to leave the courtyard. Jump onto the column closest to the gate you came through using the ledge on its north side. Turn to the east and high jump and glide to the ledge on the arch. If you fall or miss, just clamber back up the column and try it again. Once you get to the arch, climb to the top of it and jump-glide to the next platform, which lies to the west. You can see it easily due to the braziers which are on each side of it. Follow the corridor to the west, avoiding the Sluagh or fighting them if you want. As the hallway turns to the south, there is a planar portal right next to a Shadow Bridge plate. Unfortunately, we have to go all the way back to the Dark Elemental font in the previous room to imbue the Reaver. Shift planes and head back down the corridor. As you proceed, you will be attacked by some Thralls. Do as you will. Once you reach the room, jump straight off the ledge and kill off the sorcerer Thralls that were trying to ambush you at the base of the ledge. After doing away with them, head toward the Dark Elemental font, and kill the Shade guarding it. Re-imbue the Reaver with Darkness. The landscape has changed in the Material Plane, so in order to reach the next platform, you will have to pull out a section of the western wall. Use the block to reach the western hall, and head for the Shadow Bridge, Dark