Question and Answer with Jen, Richard, and Kyle

article by Ben Lincoln

Jen Fernádez, Richard Lemarchand, and Kyle Mannerberg were the three main Crystal Dynamics employees chosen to keep the Kain story alive at Crystal Dynamics after Amy Hennig left. They continued her tradition of answers fans' pressing questions about the series.

Like the previous Q&A (see Question and Answer with Amy Hennig), bold text indicates a question, and italics indicate an answer from one of the three. All answers are paraphrased by me on request except as noted.

Do the figures in the murals represent the dual natures of Raziel and Kain, with Raziel being the figure that always falls at the hands of Kain, or is Raziel literally both, with Kain only as the central figure of the Scion of Balance mural?

As the Scion of Balance, Kain isn't really either one of the figures in the murals. Raziel is both of them. This is part of what Raziel realized at the end of Defiance.

Do the Hylden possess the ability to timestream or see the future and past? How are they able to orchestrate the destruction of the pillars?

The Hylden have the ability to see into Nosgoth's timestream, but how they do so hasn't been revealed yet.

If Ariel enters the Reaver in the BO era, does this alter the events of Soul Reaver?

No. Time in the world of Legacy of Kain is basically immutable - those who travel through it can't change history, because they didn't. Jen, Richard, and Kyle mention the film 12 Monkeys at this point as an example of this concept. While some things (like Ariel's role at the Spirit Forge) might seem out of place, it will all make sense in the end.

Is Raziel permanently trapped in the Reaver until his soul is released in SR?

Raziel is doomed to play out his circular destiny over and over again [ this is an exact quote, so please keep in mind that it is not an unqualified "yes" - blinc ].

Why were the Hylden exempt from the wheel? The Seer and the Builder in Blood Omen 2 both appeared to have immortality. If so, is this what made them a threat to the Elder before being banished?

Most of the history of the Hylden has not been revealed yet, but it will be eventually.

The Seer is "an extremely powerful and mysterious Hylden." More of her story may appear in a future game. She *appears* to have escaped the binding.

The Builder was exempted from aging because he was in the Eternal Prison - where the condemned could be punished for all time.

Why was the Circle defenseless back in Blood Omen 1?

The Circle was taken by surprise, and could not face Vorador without Malek to protect them.

When the Hylden Lord possesses Janos at the end of Defiance, does he then use his body to activate the Hylden Gate at the Hylden City?

Yes. The Hylden Lord used the body of Janos in order to open the gate. Once the gate was opened, the Hylden could enter the Material Realm directly, and so Janos was placed in the Device.

Why did Kain have Raziel thrown into the Abyss?

Kain deduced that Raziel was the prophesied Vampire hero/messiah and that his temporary destruction would ultimately lead to Kain s claiming his own destiny as the Scion of Balance. Though at that time he was still unsure of how it would play out.

Kain had understood enough of the Vampire prophecy to see the roles that he and Raziel would play, including the necessity of casting him into the Abyss.

Was the "ghost of Moebius" in SR2 truly a spirit, or an illusion created by him while he was alive?

It was an illusion created by Moebius to influence Raziel.

Why did Kain's lieutenants and their children in Soul Reaver 1 devolve? Was it because each of them inherited the corruption from his soul?

Yes, it was because of the corruption of Kain's soul. The amount of devolution was directly related to how much of his soul they received.

Why didn't Kain evolve any further once Raziel had grown his wings?

The corruption inherited by the Lieutenants was what caused their faster evolution - and later their devolution. Kain is not necessarily influenced in the same way.

Are the Hylden and the Demons the same beings or different entities all together?

The Demons are native to the dimension where the Hylden were banished, and are a seperate race.

Are the insectoid demons in Blood Omen 2 the same Demons as in Defiance?

Yes, they are just a different type of Demon.

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Question and Answer with Amy Hennig