King Ottmar (The Lion of Willendorf)
King Ottmar was a character in Blood Omen. He was the ruler of Willendorf, known as the 'Lion of Willendorf'. He was an older man; bald with a grey beard.[1]
The Oracle of Nosgoth mentioned Ottmar when Kain visited him. The Oracle said Ottmar was "the only hope to defeat the Legions of the Nemesis.", but "paralyzed by his princess' malaise", he was "useless". Later, Ariel echoed the Oracle's advice, telling Kain to rally the forces of Willendorf; they were Nosgoth's last hope against the Nemesis.[2,3]
Kain entered Willendorf Castle and saw the king. Ottmar was on his throne, lamenting the fate of the Princess of Willendorf, who was laying in a bed in front of the royal dais. She was his only child (as far as we know; no others have ever been mentioned). To celebrate his daughter's birthday, he had announced a dollmaking contest. He promised to grant a royal favour to the winner; the person who "created the finest doll in the realm". Elzevir the Dollmaker won easily, but instead of accepting the royal favour, he just asked for a lock of the princess' hair as payment. Shortly after, the girl became utterly lifeless. Elzevir had used her hair as part of a spell, and he had stolen her soul. Ottmar was so desperate that he offered his kingdom to whoever could save his child. Kain noted that the people of Willendorf "worshipped him, even in his weakness".[4,5]
Kain chose to take up the offer. He hunted and killed Elzevir, and gained the gratitude of the king. He did not take the kingdom; instead he got Ottmar to lead his army into battle against the Legions of the Nemesis. However, the Army of the Last Hope were overwhelmed, and in this conflict - the Battle of the Last Stand - Ottmar was killed. Just before he died, Ottmar entreated Kain to destroy the Nemesis.[4,6,7,8]
Kain fulfilled Ottmar's request when - after escaping from the battle using a Time Streaming Device - he seized the opportunity to kill William the Just.
Further Observations
Approaching Willendorf, Kain said that "the Lion Throne had once held [his] allegiance"; presumably this meant Kain had once regarded Ottmar as his king. Considering that Kain was from Coorhagen (a city that appeared to be loyal to Willendorf), and he died wearing white armour - similar to that worn by Willendorf's soldiers, but without the lion motif - this seems likely.[9]
Kain prevented William ever becoming the Nemesis, and altered the path of Nosgoth's history. This alteration would also have impacted Ottmar's fate, as the Battle of the Last Stand could not happen without the Nemesis there to instigate it. We do not know what became of Ottmar following Kain's murder of William. However, rest assured that Ottmar, Elzevir and the princess were 'not lost in the time shuffle, they just don't have much to do with Raziel's and Kain's journeys'. That is why their individual stories have not been revisited.[10]
References
- The 'Character Biographies' page of the Silicon Knights Blood Omen FAQ
- [BO1] The Oracle of Nosgoth to Kain: "King Ottmar - the only hope to defeat the Legions of the Nemesis.
King Ottmar paralyzed by his princess' malaise.
King Ottmar the useless." - [BO1] Ariel to Kain: "You must rally the forces of Willendorf; they are the last Hope of Nosgoth."
- [BO1] King Ottmar (referring to the princess): "A birthday present. To celebrate her birthday I declared a contest. Whoever created the finest doll in the realm would be granted a royal favor. Hundreds of dolls were brought, but the winner was obvious. Elzevir, the Dollmaker, created a toy of such beauty that all were captivated by it. And all he would take in payment was a lock of her hair. Soon after she became like this; a lifeless puppet. Whoever restores her to her former self shall have this kingdom!"
Kain: "Thus my hunt for the Dollmaker began." - [BO1] Kain: "Ottmar slumped on his throne like a rag doll, his beard matted with the tears of his own self-pity. In my court, he would have long since been usurped by one stronger, but in Willendorf they worshipped him, even in his weakness."
- [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."
- [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!" - [BO1] King Ottmar: "The Nemesis and his Horde fall upon us, my friend. I fear I can defend Nosgoth no longer. The Nemesis must be destroyed. For my daughter, Kain; for the world... "
- [BO1] Kain: "The Lion Throne had once held my allegiance. But Willendorf's days of glory had passed; it was the last bastion against an unruly future."
- Warp's answers from Amy
at the Eidos Forums
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