Kain why have you done this, I think to my self, “I must find out why,” even if it means my death, if it does I’ll be able to apologize in person Raziel. I dress quickly the armored leather pants silver and gold gauntlets my clan drape over my shoulder, placing a cloak over my clothing, I want no one to know I am leaving the city. It would be easier to dress down, but I like wearing these clothes they look good on me. Exiting my tower I’m still amazed at how much bigger it is on the inside. I remember telling me this was the same tower that Dejoule Bane and Anacrothe created to change the land through their dome of magic. It is gone now though its effects are still felt even by my vampires. The newer fledglings of my clan are more animalistic than their elders and are quickly gaining strength even some of the older vampires are starting to change as well. Will I soon change to, will the rest of the vampire clan’s change as well? As I make my way through Dark Eden, past the reconstructed citadel on the lava bed through the masses of my clan busy buying and selling slaves, feeding, and fighting. I see life trying to grow a flower here and there. They will soon die if not they will change. A poison mist spewing plant or maybe one that shoots spines or some new horror, the dieing forest seems to be growing again since it was not exposed as long to the warping magic, it seems to be recovering some young trees are growing among the death, strange I never noticed them before, I remove my cloak I’m far enough away from my kingdom now. At the edge of the forest the smell of bonfires invades my nostrils the smell of burning flesh. I see them Dumah and his clan gathered in the courtyard by the Oracles Cave, in the midst of a festival. Singing songs of former battles worshippers chanting hymns and sacrificing slaves to their vampiric masters, others are dancing; blood and bodies cover the ground. As I make my way through I notice that the bonfires are made of the body’s of the sacrifices. “Turel have you come to join us” A hand closes around my shoulder, I turn my head and see the blood caked and smiling face of my brother Dumah. “No I haven’t I’m on my way to see Kain, I have an important matter to discuss,” “Come on Turel at least have a drink”. He shoves a goblet of hot blood in my face. “You were never on for manners Dumah,” I say as I make my way past him. He grabs my shoulder and pulls me closer, “Your one to talk about manners.” He says, “have a drink then you can go.” Once again he puts the cup to my face, I look into his eyes that same look is still there, all I can think about is that day with Raziel …“You Bastard.” I scream as I punch Dumah in the jaw and send him reeling to the ground. The noise dies down I pick up the cup and drink what’s left of the blood throw the cup to the ground turn to go the crowd parts and I leave, shocked faces watch me as I go.

Just out side the Ash Wastes I see a vampire hunter armed with a crossbow engaged in mortal combat with a…Melchahim strange to see on so far from it’s territory. The hunter fires his crossbow the bolt misses the heart but the vampire is wounded he’s going to lose. I have to help him but I’m too far away, the Melchahim sees me “Help me!” He screams the hunter just laughs. Overcome with anger I extend my hand but I’m not sure why, then I feel it, a cold energy races from my brain coiling through my arm and out my extended hand the energy leapt, screaming through the air then striking the hunter in the back and sending him flying. He crashing into the cliffside crushing his bones. A look of shock and relief appear on the Melchahim’s face he stumbles to the body to feed. In shock and exhaustion of what happened I fall to my knees. “What was that, how did I do that?” The Melchahim approaches me the dead body in tow. Will Kain consider my new power a betrayal like Raziel's wings, “thank you my lord.” The Melchahim says, will I share the same fate as Raziel, he moves the body towards me, Kain already has this power I think maybe I will be spared his wrath, “I’ve what I needed and you look you could use some blood my lord,” he bows and leaves. Suddenly I feel very hungry I raise my arm and will the blood into my mouth and I drink deep, slowly the weariness abates and I start to feel better. Rising to my feet I start to walk on the bridge as I approach the center of the bridge and the vortex of the Lake of the Dead below me, an overwhelming sense of fear and dread envelopes me I can still hear the screams. Is it Razieal’s spirit calling out to me or is it simply the screams of my own conscience. Either way they screams only serve to strengthen my resolve to confront Kain and find my answers, whatever they may be.

So close, the Sanctuary of the Clans is finally within my sight. The massive fortress of steel and gilded stone, ornate silver spears placed along the front walls. The clan banners sway in the breeze, All six of the banners are still there. Seems Kain excommunicated Raziel and spared his clan, As the Priestess so eloquently put it. Walking up to the massive silver doors etched with Kain’s symbol the winged skull. Two guardians step out from the niche in the entryway, they are dressed in the generic guard armor leather pants and gauntlets chain mail vest with woolen clan drape over it they are of Raziel’s clan, both have golden blonde hair and green eye’s they seem to be brothers. “Why are you here?” the one on the left said, Kain’s irony is astounding. I laugh a little “What’s so funny?” the other one asks. “Nothing. I’m here to speak with Kain.” I reply. “Who are you to speak with the master?” they say in unison “I am Turel second born of Kain’s lieutenants. Now open the doors and let me pass”. A look of shock over comes them. I’m not surprised they don’t recognize me there is rarely any interclan goings on; few vampires know what the other clan leader’s look like. “We are very sorry lord, the master is expecting you in his throne room” they say while stepping back into there positions in the wall. Seems I was wrong one sister and one brother, in armor it is hard to tell male and female vampires apart. The doors creak open and I stride through. Soon Kain, soon I will confront you and find my answers. How very odd the sanctuary is usually filled with vampires from all the clans. No one but the occasional guard is to be found. As I round the last turn the door to the throne room is in sight. As I approach, the doors have opened of there own volition, only those who Kain wants to enter can. There he is sitting on his throne the Soul Reaver resting against it. Right hand across his knee slightly hunched over his forehead resting in his hand a pose one of deep thought. “I know you’re there Turel, step forward.” He says with out looking up, in that commanding slightly arrogant tone of his. I step forward into the center of the pillars. “Why have you come here Turel” slightly nervous I respond “ I have come to question you Kain.” he final looks at me and says “Question me? About what?” he says with a smile. That was even more unnerving Kain rarely smiled and when he did bad things usually followed. “About Raziel and why you did that to him” “As I recall you and Dumah were the ones who threw him in the abyss, as for the rest of the matter it is not of your concern.” Kain said with a sneer. “I must know why, the event has been haunting me for a month never ceasing”, and with a little anger I say. “It is driving me mad Kain.”  He rises and moves toward me a look of anger burning in his cold eyes “Raziel was a traitor he had the audacity to evolve before me he had to pay, it is my love for him that I spared his clan” shocked and angered I blurted out “How could you do that Kain how could you in good conscience do that!” I regretted saying the moment it happened. “Conscience you dare speak to me of conscience” he says on an angered tone “He was a threat and had to be expunged and all who stand with him perhaps you and your clan would like join Raziel in the abyss!” I fearfully contemplated what I was going to say next. “No Kain I do not want that.” I fear I have pushed this mad man to far. “Then leave now before you and your clan incur my wrath!” with those final words he through out his arm and a bolt of energy flies out of his hand strikes me in the chest I take flight and crash into out side of the throne room as the doors shut I hear Kain say “Too late Turel!” tears stream down my face from the pain and from this new horror. “What have I done Kain will have my clan wiped out I must prepare for war” I race back to Dark Eden to warn my children.

Back in my Tower I am creating a battle plan with my generals and it is no going well. We sit in the dinning hall a massive room made of oak and stone. Etchings of the clan’s history adorn the walls. All of us seated at a massive granite table. “Kain's armies are to powerful fight and we would be fighting all of the clans we can’t win against those odds” one general remarks” “It might not be all of them we could find allies with Raziel’s clan” I say “with there power we might stand a chance” “Turel why are we fighting Kain” he said it with fear in his voice, that was the power of Kain. He could make one of my bravest vampires quake with fear. “When I went to Kain, he said he would destroy us.” “But why, what have we done? “ Another asks. “It does not matter” I respond, “Go and prepare for battle, send a messenger to the Razielim to ask for help.” They leave I am alone and the gravity of the situation fully hits me and I begin to weep tears of blood tears for myself for my clan and for Raziel, “damn you Kain why are you doing this?” An hour later as I am walking through the halls, a herald walks up to me “Lord Turel the Razielim agree to fight with us they say they have been waiting for something like this so they can take revenge on Kain.” He says his exhaustion making had to understand. “Finally some good news thank you.” She turns and leaves. Now we might actually stand a chance in the war, I think to my self. This is the first time I’ve smiled in a month. I head out to the court yard to address the commanding officers in my army the twenty commanders stand ready in the granite room sparse grass grows in the gardens along with a few flowers. They all have solemn looks on there faces and rightfully so. “Tomorrow we attack Kain the Razielim have agreed to help us fight and fight we will and we will win. Go and enjoy the few peaceful hours we have tell your soldiers to do the same, early tomorrow gather every able bodied vampire and human and get them ready to fight we will need every ones help to win the fight, go and enjoy what little time we have left.” Slowly they go and slowly I go to my room it was a sleepless day.

Here we are on the fields of war, sort of we must march through Dumah’s land to meet up with our allies them we will march on Kain and the sanctuary and I will have my revenge. “Onward my children our battle awaits,” I say trying to rouse their courage and hope. At the edge of the forest in the land were the Dumahim festival had taken place, I see Dumah’s army is waiting for us but I do not see dumah there and this seems to be less than a quarter of his army. “We are here to help you.” One of the commanders says, “Our master and the main force have joined with Kain and the rest of the clans at the Sanctuary.” Cautiously I ask, “Why do want to help us?” “We don’t I just wanted to distract you while the rest of the army sneaks up from behind… ATTACK!” A trick I turn to face Dumah’s Army “So Kain has chosen your clan to be sacrificed eh Dumah!” “Not quite Turel,” That voice, that arrogant voice? “KAIN!” I scream and turn and see only that commander who I just spoken to then he start's to laugh in Kain’s own voice his flesh and clothes begin to warp and twist seconds later I was staring into the cold hard eyes of Kain. Of course I realize, Kain’s ability to beguile others. There he stood just as he looked when he ordered Raziel to be annihilated the Soul Reaver conspicuously absent in its place were the Axes: Havoc and Malice. “You will pay Kain you will pay.” With those words I lunged at Kain. My Broadsword repelled by one of the axes and Kain counters with the other, I managed to doge it but Kain spun around and caught me in the side with the other, shocked I staggered backwards Kain coming at me spinning like a deadly scythe indiscriminately cutting down all in his path, when he stopped, he threw out his hand and a bolt of energy struck me in the chest, like mine only a thousand times more powerful shattered my ribs and sent me soaring and crashing in to a mighty tree effectively breaking what bones remained unbroken. That was the sickest sound I ever heard when I struck that tree. Slumped on the ground my body broken and bleeding and seeing Kain and the others cutting down my clansmen, I heard it the sound of cracking timber scrambling to move out of its path I didn’t make it my legs were crushed under the massive tree A guttural scream escaped me as well as a shock wave of energy that sent many vampires to the ground Kain was undisturbed, the giant tree moved a few inches. Kain continued to cut his bloody swath towards me. At that moment I lost all hope and despair overwhelmed me and I lay back to accept my fate I was defeated, my clan was being pushed back. It was over. Then I heard a faint cry looking to see what it was I saw the Razielim the entire adult population charging to help us. I was over come with joy Kain saw them laughed and said “You think they can help you! They cannot even help them selves” Kain raised his hands to the sky and said “I call death from the sky, to smite these fools” Kain then brought his arms crashing down to the ground and the heavens mimicked his actions only with fists of lightning which smote half of the Razielim army. Despair overwhelmed me once again; Kain made his way to me standing atop the tree that crushed my already broken body, Kain stood there laughing that laugh he always made before he made a very enjoyable kill. Energy began to coil around his left hand. He raised that hand ready to kill me when a on warrior leapt at Kain, daggers drawn ready to strike Kain was to quick he grabbed the warrior by the neck in mid-air crushed his neck and through him up into the air, still laughing that laugh and threw the bolt of energy which I recognized as a flay at that vampire. The whirling energy striped the flesh from his bones and he fell to the ground a bloody mess not even a vampire could heal from an injury such as that. I thought my death was to come know but Kain turned and released energy bolt after energy bolt and destroyed what was left of the two armies they had won and I now realized why I was not flayed, Kain was laughing about the other vampire not me even though he say me he chose the other vampire I believe he was the leader of the Razielim army. Kain was laughing about killing him not me. The battle was over. It had finished differently than I had imagined. But it’s not important how I imagined my victory because I had lost, I will soon join Raziel in the Lake Of the Dead. I passed out from loss of blood for how long I don’t know 

When I awoke I was laying down on a cool granite floor it felt so comforting after the pain and heat of that battle the air was crisp and clean we were far from any of the cities “Sleep well Turel?” A familiar voice called out to me in a comforting tone. after the battle I was badly broken my vision had not yet returned. “Raziel? Is that you?” “No it is I Kain.” “Kain? Clearly I am not in heaven.” “Far from it you are in my mountain stronghold, once the bastion of Malek.” “What have you done with my clan degenerate” I tried to stand but I am still to weak and I collapse on the floor. “What’s left of your clan is unharmed. I must thank you Turel you have filled your role as a puppet well.” “What are you talking about you vile bastard?” I can’t let him get to me like this I must remain calm. “Is that any way to talk to the person who saved your life?” “Saved my life you damn near ended it” It is a struggle even to sit up “You and I both now you are more resilient than that.” He said sounding like he almost cared then he continued “You acted like my puppet getting the Razielim to rebel against me, it gives the perfect window to order their destruction while appearing to be doing this for self defense.” I finally manage to sit upright “But you do this because you have gone mad Kain.” “Not mad Turel I have become devious. Remember a chess game we had centuries ago. I sacrificed my queen early in the game then preceded to lose my knights and rooks and several pawns you became over confidant in your victory and did not notice a single pawn making its way forward, until it was to late I reclaimed my queen and with the two bishops I won the game easily.” “What are you talking about Kain?” his metaphor mad no sense he really has gone mad. “I have already sacrificed my queen, now I am seeking to protect my bishops.” “You have gone mad Kain this is not a game this is life” “Exactly the stakes at life are always much higher than in a game.” “What are the stakes Kain” “Nosgoth.” “What? Nosgoth!” “Exactly if my plan succeeds Nosgoth will be restored and I will still rule.” There was that smile of his again a little fearfully I ask “What is you plan Kain?” “I’ve already told you” his smile still there I was becoming a little worried. “Would you mind elaborating” to weak to hold my self up I collapse again on the floor “let me help you” I hear Kain walking to me and he lifts me up I try to fight him but I am too weak to even annoy him, he sits me down in a soft velvet chair. “My plan is to restore balance to Nosgoth, I have already sacrificed my queen and some of the pawns in a millennia the queen will be reclaimed then the knights, rooks, and remaining pawns are to go as well, when my plan works Nosgoth will be restored.” He really has gone mad stark raving mad. “Tell me Kain” I grip the arm rests tightly a shock goes through my head my vision is returning but very blurry I can barely make out Kain sitting in front of me only because there is a bright like coming from behind him a fire perhaps or maybe the sun, “Who are the chess pieces?” “Raziel is the queen, the vampires and humans of Nosgoth are the pawns the rest of your brothers are the knights and rooks, you and I are the bishops, our opponents are the Hylden and there servants, the Prize is Nosgoths future.” This information hit with a force greater than that of the tree that crushed me. “Who are the Hylden?” I was staring to become a little intrigued “They are the ancient enemies of the vampires the ones who cursed them to the blood thirst and drove them from the light. They seek a way back to Nosgoth so they can conquer it.” That sounded familiar. “Soon they will be able to enter this dimension again. That is why I have done what I have done” “So you are going to sacrifice my brothers to the Hylden” “No to Raziel when he comes back he will hate the vampires and seek to destroy us, your brothers will give him there powers I will help to guide him and eventually he will help us to win.” “How do you know this” I don’t know why but I’m starting to believe what Kain is saying “I have seen it in the Chronoplast machine that I how I knew what you were doing” “Unbelievable Kain” what little faith he restored has been shattered with that ridiculous explanation. “I must go now Turel to prepare the world for Raziels return you will be safe here.” “And what of my clan?” “They will not be killed, what’s left shall become my personal servants and guards most of them have already fled to the hinterlands of Nosgoth” and so he left me alone he knew I couldn’t move and couldn’t escape. 

My vision was finally clear and I saw this room it was magnificent the chair on which I sate was made of gold and silver the floor walls and ceiling were made of white marble in the center were I sat was carved a giant Mark of Kain his symbol etched in the solid marble no easy task even for a vampire. Up a short ramp was a solid gold table and chair that was more like a throne. This room put even my decadent court to shame and on the table was a body a fresh human body alive but unconscious bound to the table.  I knew Kain liked his meal fresh. Suddenly I became aware of how hungry I was. Motivated by hunger alone I rose stumbling over to the table and sat down and tore into that warm and giving flesh a hot torrent of lifeblood pored in to my mouth how good it felt after all this time. The human started to scream and cry and fight against me but to no avail the screams quickly ended. Feeling very tired I slumped over the table and fell asleep. It was Kain who awoke me. “It is done the world is preparing for Raziels return” “How” I asked half asleep. “Dark Eden. I turned it back on for the next thousand years all vampiric life will to warp and change” “Why have you done this” I was now wide-awake with fear and doubt. “For Raziel. On it’s own the world would not have been ready in time I am expediting the process so Raziel will get the necessary powers from you brothers. You must stay here. You cannot affect you for my plan to work.” Fearful for my own life and for my clan I said, “I will help you Kain” 

It has been over a millennia since that night when I agreed to help Kain out of fear. Over the centuries Kain has convinced me of his plan I have seen it my self in the Chronoplast Raziel’s return and with my own eye’s I have watched the world change, my children have grown twisted and deformed the world is dieing but if Kain succeeds the world will prosper again. Soon we shall know if he has. Raziel has gone back in time to find the truth and he has. He will help us now. Kain summons me to him our time of victory draws near. Back in time I go I will finally see Raziel again with my own eyes. I arrive to see Kain holding Raziel by the arms he had just saved Raziel from being trapped in the Soul Reaver. Something’s wrong Kain looks distraught. “My God…the Hylden…we’ve walked right into their trap.” Kain says he seems utterly terrified, “Raziel Janos must stay dead!” Just as Kain said this, Raziel disappeared back into the spirit world. Things have gone wrong horribly wrong. Apprehensively I ask, “Are we doomed?” With a look of despair Kain answered, “I don’t know?”