Pillars of Nosgoth

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The Pillars of Nosgoth are a mystic place of reference in the Legacy of Kain series of video games.

The Pillars are nine white columns that are made of an unknown, marble-like substance arranged in an eight-point semicircle with the ninth in the centre. The Pillars extend far into the sky and deep into the ground. Each Pillar represents a thing or concept by which the world functions (similar to Plato's first Forms). The Pillars are Mind, Dimension, Conflict, Nature, Energy, Time, States and Death. At the centre is the Pillar of Balance, which binds them all. Each Pillar is served by a sorcerer, selected at birth, who acts as a guardian. For serving the Pillar, the guardian obtains immortality and magical powers related to the Pillar they serve. This group of sorcerers is known as The Circle of Nine.

Unknown to the guardians in the time of the first game, the Pillars were risen by the ancient vampires as a way to bind their enemy, the Hylden, in the realm to which they had been banished. Upon banishment, the Hylden race cursed the Ancient Vampires with bloodlust, immortality and sterility. The Pillars were originally served by vampires. The Pillars chose their own servants at birth, which coincided with the death of a previous guardian. Although the new, undead Vampires were immortal, they were not invulnerable, and as vampires were no longer being born, The Pillars began selecting human guardians to replace aging Vampires who would die suddenly of accident or design. The Vampires started passing on the Dark Gift of undeath to the human guardians of the Pillars, in an attempt to maintain a direct line of descent, and of knowledge between their own dwindling race, and the humans who, as a species, had no knowledge of the function or significance of the Pillars. This continued until a rebellion rose lead by Moebius the Timestreamer and Mortanius the Necromancer who claimed the Pillars for humankind. This led to the downfall of the ancient vampires, with Janos Audron as the last remaining representative of his kind.

The Hylden masterminded their escape by having Mortanius (who, as a Necromancer, would frequently treat with the dead and as such be within contact of the Hylden in their nether world) murder Ariel, the Guardian of Balance, thus throwing the Circle into chaos. Nupraptor, the Guardian of the Mind and Ariel's lover, found her body moments after her death, and was driven mad with grief. His powers over the mind flew wildly out of control with the loss of his own control over his, and his blind hatred and desire for vengeance against an unknown enemy led him to unleash a psychic assault against the other Guardians, shattering their minds. At that moment, the Pillars cracked, and began to lean unsteadily. However, at the moment of Ariel's death, a child was born to a nobleman and lady in Coorhagen, to take her place as Balance Guardian. Named Kain, he too was affected by Nupraptor's mind blast, and as he grew into a young man, this became more and more apparent. Eventually, Mortanius, now temporarily of his own free will, realized what he had to do to restore the Pillars, and had Kain murdered, while having control over life and death, brought him back as a Vampire, and convincing him with the help of Ariel's spirit, that the only way to release himself from this curse was to kill the corrupted Guardians, restoring the Pillars with each death. When finally they were all dead and only he, the Corrupt and unknowing Guardian of Balance was left, Ariel revealed to him that his release would come only in his death, and with his death, Nosgoth would be healed. However, by this time, Kain had become quite accustomed to vampirism, and refused. At this point, the Pillars corruption had become complete, and they toppled at Kain's feet, thus releasing the Hylden from their prison.

[edit] Trivia

• The Pillars of Nosgoth have been such a pivotal part of the story, that the working title of the first Legacy of Kain game was The Pillars of Nosgoth.

Legacy of Kain series
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain | Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver | Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 | Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain | Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Major Characters
Kain | Raziel | Moebius | Elder God | Mortanius | Hash'ak'gik | Ariel | Vorador | Janos Audron
The Circle of Nine
Nupraptor the Mentalist | Malek the Sarafan | Bane the Druid | Azimuth the Planer | Dejoule the Energist | Anacrothe the Alchemist | Moebius the Timestreamer | Mortanius the Necromancer | Ariel of the Balance
Kain's Lieutenants
Raziel | Turel | Dumah | Rahab | Zephon | Melchiah
The World of Nosgoth
Pillars of Nosgoth | Lake of the Dead | Nosgoth timeline | Soul Reaver | Ancients | Hylden | Material Realm | Spectral Realm