Earth Elementals - The Dark Prophecy - Legacy of Kain: The Lost Worlds

Earth Elementals

article by Divine Shadow

Media

Screenshot [1/2]

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Earth Elemental concept art [1/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [2/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [3/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [4/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [5/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [6/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [7/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [8/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [9/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [10/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [11/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [12/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [13/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [14/17]

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Earth Elemental concept art [16/17]

Earth Elemental concept art [17/17]

Description

The development console in the screenshots refers to a "monster" called "elemental earth" that has no "terrain collision". This would suggest that the creature was not yet fully implemented into the game, and may have simply fell through the level as it had no programmed collision detection. The creature is entirely unseen in the screenshots.

The concept pieces show us a creature labelled by the artist as being an "Earth Elemental". The creature is a brown behemoth, with different attributes from a number of real-world insect species. The creature possesses at least four large spider-like side legs, and two armoured forelegs with attached claws securing it to the ground. At the front of the creature is a recess containing the monster's "face", which is a dark brown area with many spider-like eyes. Below this are small claws, and above much larger talons, one of which is protected by a layer of organic carapace. This carapace extends over the top of the creature as natural armour.

Annotated image

Story Speculation

The Legacy of Kain series has previously shown us many creatures and artifacts resonant of elemental forces and energies. From the electric and fire demons of Soul Reaver 2, to the elemental Reavers and Forges seen throughout the series, it would hardly be surprising for the unfinished game to have continued this tradition.

The idea of an Earth Elemental could perhaps have representative of a series of adversarial creatures, each embodying elemental forces. We can speculate that, based on the elemental pattern established in previous games, Dark, Light, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit elementals may have also appeared in The Dark Prophecy.

From where do these apparently gargantuan-looking creatures originate? One possibility is that they are further machinations of the Hylden, either summoned as pawns from their Demon Dimension prison, or genetically engineered using the various technologies seen in the Device.

Another more striking possibility is that these creatures may have been spawned in the cataclysmic magical fallout caused by the collapse of the Pillars of Nosgoth. Consider that in numerous instances, we are informed that the Pillars of Nosgoth and the Soul Reaver (and consequently, the reaver forges) are linked. If these structures performed some sort of regulation over these elemental energies (and channelled such energies into the Pillar Guardians when needed), then the collapse of the system could have been the magical equivalent of a dam being burst. With the destruction of the Pillars, elemental magical energy may have flooded Nosgoth, and gathered and congealed into these monstrous creatures.

If these theories have merit, we can begin to consider the appearance, abilities and possibilities of the Elementals.

Speculative elementals

It could be that the Earth Elemental (and other speculated Elementals) are encountered by Kain in areas attuned to their element. For example, Fire Elementals could appear on the fiery surface of Dark Eden, Water Elementals could spawn deep in lakes, etcetera.

Another possibility is that the creatures are spawned through excess usage of the magical element they are aligned to. Consider that upgrades could allow Kain access to elemental powers - these powers could be unlimited in terms of usage, but increased reliance on them increases the chance of an Elemental spawning. The mechanic would parallel the reaver-consumption mechanic seen in Soul Reaver 2, in which the Soul Reaver could be used continuously but would turn on Raziel if "overheated".

There is so little information to go on that the nature of the Earth Elemental, the possible existence of others, and their powers and habitat are an exercise in speculation at best. Nonetheless, the colossal appearance of the creature suggests they could have been a significant challenge for Kain in his quest.

Comments From Ben Lincoln

The metadata in the concept art images gives file creation dates between 14 September 2004 and 29 October 2005. Combined with the other information DS dug up, I think it's virtually certain that these do represent an enemy intended for this game. However, "Elementals" are found in a variety of fantasy settings (probably due to their inclusion in various revisions of Dungeons & Dragons over the decades), so it's possible this is a coincidence.

I also agree that given the appearance of one type of Elemental, it's just about guaranteed that there were plans to include Elementals related to the other elements present in the earlier games in the series. If The Dark Prophecy had been completed, I think it's safe to say that the Elementals would have taken very different forms based on which element they represented. This would be in keeping with their Dungeons & Dragons origins, as well as their portrayal in Dungeons & Dragons-inspired videogames like the Elder Scrolls series.

Sources

The concept artwork of the Earth Elemental comes from an open directory on the portfolio website of former Ritual Entertainment artist Jason Sallenbach.

Other pages on his website confirm that he was working at Ritual at approximately the time that The Dark Prophecy was in development.

The website does not explain what project the concept images are from. Given their name, and the explicit reference to "Elemental Earth" in the code seen in The Dark Prophecy screenshots, it seems a strong possibility that they are from the cancelled game.

The screenshots used in this article were gathered from the online portfolio of Jason Muck in November 2008, and were among the very first media discovered from the cancelled game. It is these screenshots that revealed the existence of The Dark Prophecy and prompted the search for more material.

Jason is a former Ritual Entertainment staff member, and was employed as an Environment Artist between January 2004 and September 2005. Jason has recently worked on Red Dead Redemption and its expansions, and now works as a Senior Environment Artist at Big Huge Games. His portfolio is available to view online (as of February, 2012), and relevant screenshots are preserved here for historical reference:

Jason Muck's Portfolio [1/2]

Jason Muck's Portfolio [2/2]

Links