The Battle of the Last Stand

Part of the battlefield during the Battle of the Last Stand
Part of the battlefield during the Battle of the Last Stand

The Battle of the Last Stand took place in Blood Omen.

In Blood Omen, while Kain was slaughtering the Circle of Nine, the land was facing another, more immediate threat. Generally, the deranged Guardians were causing localized damage, which had the potential to spread further. The Legions of the Nemesis, on the other hand, were systematically and inexorably destroying everything and everyone in their path. Assisted by his brutal legions, the vicious tyrant from the north - the Nemesis - would eventually conquer all of Nosgoth.[1]

Kain killed Azimuth in Avernus Cathedral, and returned to the Pillars. Ariel turned his attention to the threat posed by the Nemesis, with the "vague advice" that if Kain "was to defeat the next member of the Circle, [Kain] needed to understand his machinations". Moebius was this 'next member of the Circle', and it was his 'machinations' that had turned William the Just into the Nemesis in the first place.[1,2,3]

Ariel and the Oracle of Nosgoth had identified King Ottmar and the army of Willendorf as Nosgoth's last hope against the Nemesis. Kain roused Willendorf's forces - the Army of the Last Hope - by killing Elzevir the Dollmaker and returning the soul of King Ottmar's daughter. This army, under Ottmar's command, fought the Legions of the Nemesis.[1,4,5,6,7]

In this bloody 'Battle of the Last Stand' - the final, unsuccessful attempt to stop the Nemesis in his tracks - Ottmar's forces were defeated. After Ottmar died, Kain used a Time Streaming Device to escape from the battle.[8,9]

Following Kain's trip into the past and his murder of the boy king - William the Just - Nosgoth's history was changed. William never grew up to become the Nemesis, so the Legions of the Nemesis were never created, and there was no need for anyone to initiate the Battle of the Last Stand. On the altered timeline, this battle didn't happen.

Further Observations

It's a little unclear where the Battle of the Last Stand was fought; the in-game map did not record Kain's movements once he brought Elzevir's doll to Willendorf. However, it appeared to take place in the area south of Stahlberg, where - on the altered timeline - Kain would see Vorador executed, and confront Moebius.

References

  1. [BO1] Ariel: "The Legions of the Nemesis are on the march from the north, crushing all in their path. 'Twas not too long ago that the Nemesis was known as William the Just, a caring and gentle benefactor of the land. But, as his army grew in strength and he himself grew in power, the veil of tyranny fell and one kingdom was not enough. So many cities, so many dead. Willendorf will be sure to follow. The Nemesis must be stopped or all shall be lost..."
    Kain: "How can one stop an army?"
    Ariel: "You must rally the forces of Willendorf; they are the last Hope of Nosgoth."
  2. [BO1] Kain: "The specter of Ariel led me to Willendorf. If I was to defeat the next member of the Circle, I needed to understand his machinations. With this vague advice in mind, I set forth on the road to Willendorf."
  3. The 'Character Biographies' page of the Silicon Knights Blood Omen FAQ
  4. [BO1] The Oracle of Nosgoth to Kain: "King Ottmar - the only hope to defeat the Legions of the Nemesis."
  5. [BO1] Kain: "Through whispers of the court, I learned that the Army of the Last Hope, Willendorf’s proud militia, was in no condition to fight the invading Legions of the Nemesis. They were busy scouring the lands to the north, in search of the Dollmaker and Ottmar's daughter."
  6. [BO1] Kain: "I entered the Court with the Dollmaker's head in one hand, and the doll containing the girl's soul in the other. I placed them both before the King and watched his eyes catch fire. With the doll in their possession, the Court's sorcerers could restore his daughter's soul."
  7. [BO1] Kain: "'Tis not your kingdom I desire, but your army, Ottmar. I require troops to vanquish the Horde that descends upon us from the North."
    Ottmar: "Very well. Courtiers, fetch me my armor and mace. There is war to be waged!"
  8. The 'Plot' page of the Silicon Knights Blood Omen FAQ
  9. [BO1] Kain: "The tide turned with Ottmar's death. I watched as the remaining survivors of the Armies of Hope fled to the safety of the forest. The battle had decided its victor; the fate of Nosgoth now lay in the Nemesis' hands."

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