Legacy of Kain | Mortanius - A Character Study

Arguably one of the more interesting characters in Legacy of Kain, Mortanius is a character struggling to atone for his past sins.
This video contains spoilers for Legacy of Kain Blood Omen, Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2, Blood Omen 2 & Defiance which was made by Silicon Knights and Crystal Dynamics.
Huge thanks to these amazing artists. Credited as below. Please show them your support.
Mortanius the Necromancer by JLazarusEB
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The 9 original Guardians of the Pillars of Nosgoth by DameKlaudia
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Pillar Gaurdians of Nosgoth by JLazarusEB
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The Last Ancient by DameKlaudia
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Anarcrothe the Alchemist by JLazarusEB
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Ariel the Specter by JLazarusEB
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Anarcrothe (Blood Omen) by JLazarusEB
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Legacy by Valkhar
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All other artwork are official promotional and concept art created for the series by the teams at Silicon Knights and Crystal Dynamics
Music
Blood Omen Soundtrack by Steve Henifin
Soul Reaver 2 Soundtrack by Kurt Harland Jim Hedges
Legacy of Kain Defiance Soundtrack by Jim Hedges
Illusory Realm by Darren Curtis Music
• Free Abstract Dream Mu...
Dance of the U-boat by Aakash Gandhi
Hidden Cave by The Stylo Project
• Royalty-free RPG-style...

[@filipvadas7602]

1.I love that Mortanius was not only the one Pillar Gurdian who remained uncorrupted at his core, fulfilling his duty until the very end, especially once he realised what he and Moebius did, but that he was almost like a father to Kain Literally everything he does throughout the entire series is to give Kain a fighting chance against the overwhelming odds that were stacked against him, regardless of his own fate and putting the destiny of all Nosgoth in the hands of his "undead son" 2. I love the irony of Mortanius continuing the tradition of the ancients, by turning a pillar guardian into a Vampire. 3. I feel like Mortanius almost perfectly encapsulates the series as a whole. The idea that the Guardian of Death and a Necromancer is one of the few characters genuenly acting in the world's best interest befits the grimdark tone of the franchise

[@PsychomachineryEBM]

Not sure about being uncorrupted while being controlled by an evil entity...

[@mysterygamer3000]

Also nice to see a fictional Necromancer that actually lives up to the ideals of what a Necromancer should be, in most fantasy settings. They are meant to preserve the balance between life and death, put down and keep down the truly dead and help those living to stay that way until their time comes. He definitely was affected by the Hylden and by Nupraptor's madness to some extent but the fact he didn't let it rule him completely like the other members of the circle is indeed amazing.

[@BucketBoatable]

​@@mysterygamer3000what about the necromancer from Gothic series? Though necromancy isn't directly connected to his personality or motives, it's kinda just the magic he chose to pursue.

[@Lucifronz]

​@@PsychomachineryEBM I think they just meant that he is still acting in the world's best interests, despite the corruption of the mind eating at him from both the Hylden Lord and Nuprator's psychic assault. He sets Kain to kill all of the guardians, including himself, to purify the pillars and let new guardians take their place. Considering everything holding him down, that's pretty impressive. All of the other guardians are pretty self-serving by this point.

[@apacalypsagon3758]

The Chad mortanius having faith in kaine is what really hits it home for me.

[@MrMortull]

Do you think Mortanius has a similar outlook on Kain as Kain did of Raziel? That whole "You NEED to want me dead, I *counted on it* boy!" thing? Because there are interesting echoes between the two of them in their, uhm, parenting techniques... > .>

[@b.y.o.p.9035]

"Kain", not "Kaine". Kaine is the name of the first, great Clone of Spider-Man. 😁

[@rikybj0276]

but then he refused the sacrifice, right?

[@wareforcoin5780]

@@rikybj0276 He created Kain as a vampire to return the pillars to vampire control, which was a success either way.

[@georgehouliaras7239]

A mere human and yet he resisted the will of Hylden Lord himself and even hatched a plot to beat him in his own game though Kain's resurrection. Perhaps if the rest of the Circle were like Mortanius, The Pillars themselves would find humans worthy.

[@matthewmckee3282]

The memebers of the circle could hardly be called merely human anymore.

[@1xXx2012xXx1]

several plots of past and present of mortanius during the LoK story and after could help for a game or chapters on a sequel

[@Yokyle4356]

But that's the thing about we humans we all have a Darkness were always battling inside of us

[@AedanTheGrey]

Its worth noting regarding Mortanius' resilience that his pillar token, the Death Orb, can be inspected in Blood Omen and Kain notes that while holding it he feels no dread or thirst, only the peace of the grave. Its likely this coincidental benefit of his guardianship also contributed to his willpower and resistance to outside forces on his mind/soul.

[@cjvoid9404]

​@@AedanTheGrey Bingo. That Death orb was something else

[@Nigel222]

Crystal Dynamics should hire you as a lore master whenever they get around to continuing the series.

[@Sapphire_Jack]

They just got the full rights back this year and had a public survey about the series future not that long ago

[@iHawke]

@@Sapphire_Jack pls don't play with my heart like this

[@subdivisionalmass]

@@iHawke It is true my friend.

[@Sapphire_Jack]

@@iHawke it's true, 73.000 people took the survey, the fanbase of this series is still strong

[@zid9611]

@@Sapphire_Jack think they where talking about serious sequel. Or potentially remaking the first one. As it ever dated. And could be a good barometer in if there any interest in the series.

[@Ayem339]

I have been waiting for this one since the beginning. Mortanius is my favorite character in the series simply by virtue of the power he has over death yet understanding it is complimentary to life, not its opposite unlike many who claim the title of Necromancer, his sense of duty, his righteousness and his determination to set things right make him amazing and beyond compelling, a perfect example of the Guardian compared to Moebius and his manipulations.

[@thegamingprozone1941]

Yeah Mortanius is more likeable then Moebius.

[@MrMortull]

I heartily agree! Almost all Necromancers, be they cosmically powered or simply 'wizards', fall on the "look at me, I can make corpses dance!" end of the spectrum. It was so refreshing to see one that is a guardian of Death in concept as well as an actually competent, wise person who understands that his power is only one part of a greater whole.

[@qinlongfei]

I am now curious if Mortanius at least partially inspired Rilian in Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire.

[@momchilgradinarov6428]

The voice acting in these series, especially BO and SR1/2 is just amazing.

[@pious83]

I definitely think Mortanius and Janus would likely have featured heavily in Dark Prophecy. I also like to think the reason he was able to resist Hylden possession and Nupraptor's madness was due to his necromancy. Being between life and death granted him some immunity to such manipulations.

[@Unknown_User174]

But he was destroyed…Mortanius and the other seven corrupted guardians were destroyed.

[@amanitamuscaria5863]

16:55 Imagine for a moment what would would happen if Raziel just came out and said: "I'm a vampire you senile goat. KAIN made me into a vampire." Because everyone always just assumes that Raziel is a hylden. Except for Janos.

[@strictlyfantasy]

Yeah, even Vorador in Soul Reaver 2 says that Raziel appears more demon than vampire and as the Hylden have strong ties to the demon realm it makes sense why some characters think he belongs to that race.

[@CarlosCFC92]

​@@strictlyfantasy Funny, as Raziel is actually the one that resembles the OG vampires the most, blue and winged (sort of). Ah, Vorador the green menace... and Kain's "divine" look, look demonic asf imo, but really cool nonetheless

[@XenWarriorTheReal]

I always thought that the squeleton was his real face and that his human appearance was a facade held with magic.

[@wesleyharris1723]

I say out the LoK Lore/Character Study, Mortanius is definitely my most anticipated character to be talked and learn more about. I’m glad he’s getting the spotlight and totally called that his last message to Kain would be the introduction to his character study.

[@JesusCarrero1991]

Thank you very much. I truly have changed my perception about Mortanius. Still praying for a remake someday.

[@MisterRhyeOfficial]

It was an awesome review of Mortanius, truly he is a character that, perhaps he was the right man in the right place after being so wrong after so much time, he made a resistance against Nuprartor and Lord Hylden, was it possible that if he could saw the true intentions of Moebius (or the Elder God) he perhaps could have made the right thing to stopping them.. what an incredible character 👏

[@ZornyPooh]

Mortanius is a fantastic character, thank you for making such an excellent video about him.

[@propheci]

Ah, been waiting a while now for this one. Mortanius was my favorite of all characters back in BO1. I'll have to go against Mr. Cabuco; I felt that his design was perfect: a haunting, wraithlike archmage. He may have looked bony and frail, but he was massively powerful. There's a reason he's the last guardian. Alastair Duncan was OK, but I prefer Tony Jay as well. Lastly, I'm glad he acted as the foil for Mobius: Mobius was a fool who was mislead even after his death; Mortanius was made into an unwilling pawn, and wanted to redeem himself.

[@deep1umbra]

Mortanius was one of my favorite characters of LOK. His design, his voice actors, and his redemption arc, all resonated with me deeply for some reason. I would dearly love more backstory about him and Moebius, their tutelage under the Ancients, their eventual rebellion, and the events leading up to Kain's resurrection. So thank you so much for this!

[@smokeysnowboard1809]

Thank u for making these. Ive been going through a hard time but these video’s seriously get me through.

[@soulreaver1983]

Thanks for another fantastic video buddy 👍

[@mattm6741]

I think they were going to reveal that the Hylden Lord possessed Mortanius as the slaughter of the circle unfolded.

[@taratron8570]

A very underrated character, but I do question his dealing with Malek: you have a Timestreamer on staff who can literally show you what happens, and Mort goes for the hardcore punishment first. I remember reading various fan theories that it was Moebius who persuaded Mort to rebel against their master (even to say rebel sounds bad, because presumably they were there against their will, or at least against being turned) because of the Elder God, and once that was done, Mortanius was rather hands-off in terms of the vampire purges and making of the Sarafan. It was only much much later when he started getting possessed that he realized what a cluster it all was, and I really really wish we could have a scene of him right after Ariel's murder, when he was of sound mind again, and realizing what he had been forced to do.

[@robertstull8759]

I never put it together that Mortanius was raised and trained by the ancient vampires. That makes so many of his decisions make sense now. After turning against them and usurping the pillars he saw that was a mistake as humans were too easily corruptible. So he took it upon himself to try to "reassign" the pillars to new vampires, starting with Kain. Talk about doing something really stupid for a seemingly good reason

[@Fred63205]

So far what power do we know with 100% certainty THE Elder God has used? The power of Death to bring back Moebius and be present in the spectral realm, the power of Time to bring Kain into the same time period as Raziel, and possibly dimension to bring demons into the world in soul reaver 2 (not 100% on that one). The traitor guardians appear to give The Elder God power. This maybe why he's present in every time in the physical and spectral realms

[@RottyBody]

God i love when you upload

[@qwefg3]

Still amazing at the level of detail they put into these characters.

[@AnnaCurser]

so much i didnt know (or think about). great piece of lore

[@CrashCraftLabs]

i really wish they would go back and remake this game series, with moden systems and gfx it could really shine

[@danu2133]

Not just Mortanius, but Moebius too resisted Nupraptor's poisoning. I imagine they're that more powerful than the rest given their age, or that the Ancients taught them magic that humans don't have access to. In regards to Malek's punishment, I imagine the assassination of his fellow Sarafan Inquisitors also influenced Mortanius' punishment for him. Raziel and co weren't conceived during the making of Blood Omen, but it fits perfectly and it justifies Mortanius' severity - in his point of view, Malek did nothing, either snored or fooled around with someone while the Circle was destroyed and the Sarafan chain of command obliterated.

[@taratron8570]

i imagine the Elder God did a solid on his servant by making sure whatever madness Moebius got, was dealt with. an insane servant can't serve!

[@TyCollage]

Strictly Fantasy *(this beautiful beautiful bastard)* out here putting in and doin the Lord's Work! Sharing this upload with the 19yr long college brother who threw me in the Blood Omen pool to begin with...😅

[@corvushoxton6471]

I still love that in Blood Omen 1 Mortanius is voiced by rhe elder god such a shame that rhe VA passed him, Simon Temple are mt favorite vocie actors

[@thekittenfreakify]

The guardian of death. The guardian of what is certain. Struguling from breath to breath. Until life of the land his acts attain. The guardian of death is the only one fighting back to preserve life.

[@dbryant965]

Thank you!

[@larrymcmacarroon9529]

What this brought into focus for me is Hennig flipped Dyack's Grand Guiniol around completely. It was supposed to be a darkening of the world for a vampire to be seated on the Circle, part of the dark entity's plan to unravel the world. Now with later games it's not the demon who did this but Mortaneus as pushback Against his demons, and he put a vampire on the Circle to SAVE the world.

[@puffythedestroyer8878]

If it where not for this one man, Nosgoth’s doom would be undeniable, & unchangeable. The necromancer & unsung saint, whose repenting actions will forever speak louder than his name.

[@kusa7]

See, I always thought mortanius killed Ariel because of a plot with Mobius as a way to spur the corruptions of the pillars in the first place, and that making it seem like it had to do with her and napraptor would help facilitate that fall of the circle.

[@janosaudron564]

Man I love your Breakdowns!!!

[@elfinan]

In my opinion Mortanius is very interesting because he's some kind of human Raziel. As Raziel try to understand what's happening, is manipulated also but finds a way to have a chance to save Nosgoth, Mortanius lives a similar scenario : Being manipulated by moebius and the hylden, thrown into lies, he's seekin the truth and way to save the pillars. Both characters shares also similarities as their main powers are related to death and rebirth (body or soul). In a nutshell Mortanius is Raziel but not free from the wheel, i honestly find plausible that in an alternate universe Raziel is the vampire guardian of death. Mortanius Rules.

[@simultualism]

Love your content.

[@joneveritt4950]

Since Mortanius and Moebius both rejected the Ancient Vampires gift, Moebius in service to the Elder God. I wonder if Mortanius also served the Elder God, or if he was persuaded by Moebius?

[@strictlyfantasy]

I don't think Mortanius ever knew about the Elder God's existence. Mortanius rebelled for his own reasons because he thought the vampires were a plague that needed to be wiped out.

[@joneveritt4950]

@@strictlyfantasy Maybe not. But Moebius was such a pot-stirrer, I can just picture him egging Mortanius on, without mentioning the Elder God

[@Ryoku1]

I never noticed the death mask that he wore in later games. Thanks for pointing it out . To me, the pillar guardians and the seemingly long succession of them has a massive potential story potential. What machinations did previous Time or Death guardians set into motion before Mobius and Mortanius gained those titles?

[@strictlyfantasy]

Yes, that is something I would like to try to explore. The guardians before Mortanius and Moebius were mostly likely vampires and there's a theory that the old time guardian set everything in motion regarding the vampire/hylden champion prophecies and the Scion of Balance.

[@christophermire3872]

@@strictlyfantasy I wonder if their vampire predecessors were the original guardians? As powerful as Morty and Mobi were I'm guessing they may have been some of the last original guardians to die.

[@jacobhederstrom8198]

something quite interessting is how cut of from the world he actually is despite being the one to set the events of blood omen in motion. while he is understandably unaware of the elder gods and mobeuss manipulations he should however be aware of their results, such as kain ending up the last vampire which renders his goals of redemption impossible. unless he has found other ways to transmit the curse or have made arrangements for vorrador to be ressurected, he should not be as confident as he is that vampires will once again be the stewards of the pillars. now if he did all of that would still have to survive the manipulations of the elder god and will likely fail to do so but that is all fine, nonetheless it would be interessting to have learned just how far his plans went. was he just hopeing for the best to happen after kains death or did he have plans to recreate the vampire race with agents tasked with collecting the new guardians and eventually turn them into vampires?

[@Theunion802]

Still loving the LoK content!

[@wdcain1]

I prefer the deleted dialogue. Mortanius thinking the Hylden were wronged and should be recompensated by ceding control of Nosgoth makes him more complex as he sees the banished Hylden as victims.

[@HisBubbliness]

A slight touch of overkill in dealing with Anarcrothe, don't you think, Mortanius?

[@V_L_F_B_E_R_H_T]

Hey, since their talk of another LOK game, I was wonderimg if you can do a video about the cancelled game Legacy of Kain: Dead Suns. Since your video essays are excellent I would like to see want your and deductions are about this title. Please consider this and Thank you.

[@ararebeast]

Shoutouts to Mortanius, gotta be one of the deadest dudes ever.

[@juanisol8275]

It would have been great if they kept their skeletal appearance, in fact I see a certain pattern in how guardian-rulers being corrupted and turned into abominable beings just like Raziel's brothers how ironic

[@ceabo4u]

christmas came early

[@Chris_P_Bacon62]

I can certainly understand why they didn't want the EG and Mortanius to have the same voice actor because when I first played Blood Omen decades ago I noticed that Mortanius and William The Just had the same voice actor and I actually wondered if they were the same person 😆

[@vashmatrix5769]

I played the main 5, most least a couple times, & still wasn't sure if mortanius was the elder.

[@DarkEinherjar]

He and Moebius are certainly the eldest of the human guardians, as they killed all the other vampire guardians, so every human guardian came after them.

[@vashmatrix5769]

@@DarkEinherjar pretty sure the elder "god's" not a guardian. Looks more like a octopus than human.

[@charlesfarmer5250]

As a kid I never knew or care who were the sky was asking adult oh well create a character in real life that what he thought was a big thing to do what’s the wrong thing he has done and even make sure the head to bring the world his parents even the cost of his life. is unfortunately though too late for him to find out what was really going on

[@capitanspoiler7393]

since i had never played the first blood omen, i had no idea Mortanius was such a good character. funny thing is i made a similar character in a novel i'm writing without even realizing it O_O

[@thel1chking]

Mortanius Elder God voice

[@JCRS92]

Incredible how potent the unused dialog in LoK was compared to retail's. I'd rather they went with it.

[@zid9611]

I always thought that Mortanius was infact the most corrupt. At least in the beginning. As you can easily say he was taking by the helden long before start of the game as use as a puppet. But after the corrupting influence madness was let lose. It did work but not as intended. As if the madness changes love to hate. Then why not continue in that line. The guardians that here good because evil and selfish. And Mortanius who would be the most evil became good and used all his power to stop evil. I mean he had 30 years trying to do good. It would explain why he can resist the helden control. As he may have been controlled for a long period but after he realized that after airl death.

[@MisterSifuentes]

There’s a Legacy of Kain comic???

[@hasturlegeekenjaune4522]

Finally !

[@august2771]

2:54 was this an intentional design because I thought it was just a bug in the game

[@vashmatrix5769]

Him being able to be in both realms?

[@august2771]

@@vashmatrix5769 referring to the fact that you can start the cutscene in both spectral and material realms, I just thought that was a glitch you can do not an intentional design.

[@vashmatrix5769]

@@august2771 oh, I understand you now. I already had a good understanding of which guardian he was.

[@isolan9]

mortanius wasnt wrong about kain to restore pillars, because he is gonna do it after the redemtion with raziel that makes kain get of corruption, and see the elder god. You anit follow well the story, to make the video. Its the profesy redeemer that made a long path, fussionated to the sr in intend of purify kains vision about elder god. That is directing a change of era or consumig people with the hylden invasion.

[@nisemonoyarou]

they used Adrenochome before it was cool...

[@Haydenthemaker1000]

Getting tired of these legacy of kain videos

[@bruvathroatpuncher500]

I love how the Legacy of Kain series always our heroes in the gray and nothing is as it seems. I especially find ironic that the guardian of death Mortainous among all the guardians was far more altruistic, and shown signs of fairness and compassion. And he kept to trying do good in spite of being possessed and being driven mad thanks to Nupraptor psychic backlash. The writing of Mortainous can rival that of Raziel and Kain.

[@thebigidea9659]

Damn Tony Jay really brought this character to life. Rest in peace voice acting legend.

[@franciscoramirez4179]

Indeed! His powerful voice commanded obedience

[@Lucifronz]

Lost him just three years after Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Suppose we never really had a chance to finish the series in time even if they just made one more game to tie the knot on the plot threads. I cannot imagine replacing him entirely. Using a new voice actor to avoid confusion made sense, Tony Jay's performance fit the Elder God perfectly and he was still in the game so there was no real loss, just a bit of a mildly-confusing shift... but to have someone else take his place completely would feel a bit hollow.

[@SirPream]

Mortanius has one of the best character arcs of LoK, simply because he is Mobius' opposite - Whereas Mobius worked as an agent of the Elder God to put Kain in the position of either killing off all vampirism via sacrifice to restore the pillars, or to damn them via refusal of the sacrifice, Mortainius sought to restore balance to the pillars by reintroducing the vampirism to the guardians of the pillars as an atonement of his and the other guardian human's sins. Mortanius shows his humanity in many ways - being powerful but thoughtful, smart but easily manipulated by both Mobius using Mortanius' righteousness and the Hylden/Demons via possession, and showing regret in trying to right his wrongs rather than doubling down as some in his position would; he was a great and powerful man, but simply just that - a man.

[@lakdav]

Mortanius is one of the characters that would be best explored in a novel or a series, his arc is so understated in the games it is hurtful, and his struggle against possession would be a nice fresh take on the whole trope. Also would be interesting to see his probable friendship with Moebius before and during the rebellion against the ancient vampires... and just how it was the Timestreamer that got to become the servant of the supposed Hub of the Wheel of Fate, instead of the literal Death Guardian

[@MrMortull]

I think it's oddly fitting that Mortanius is so easy to overlook and underappreciate. Satisfying when you get the subtleties and come to understand him, of course, but as he's the Guardian of Death I find it appropriate that his part is... quiet and subdued in comparison to the other big critical players.

[@larrymcmacarroon9529]

Fine question, why not Mort & Elder as the partners in crime. Because......Mortaneus was the death cop and Elder was a death crook? A soul swindler. I doubt Morty ever saw Eldergod in spectral. Hidden from everyone's view except Raziel i.e. "god's secret."

[@lakdav]

@@larrymcmacarroon9529 Extra curious because Mortanius was taught by the Ancient Vampires the sanctity of Death and the need for renewal which is reflected even in his original speech to Anacroth: Themes aligning well with the Wheel of Fate. And yet it was Moebius who got so invested in this theme as to give his millenia lifetime entirely to the cause. Not even the Nature Guardian, who could have been another candidate. My guess is that it was the Elder God who chose the most useful pawn out of the whole bunch, making Moebius feel more special and more deserving than even his more fitting colleagues.

[@GlaswegianBR]

You have succeeded so damn well in highlighting how pivotal Mortanius is to the Legacy of Kain. I applaud you. what a fantastic Character

[@strictlyfantasy]

Thanks.

[@dragonloli7938]

Fun Fact : The voice actor of Mortanious (Alastair Duncan) and Ariel (Anna Gunn) were married to each other.

[@crimsondynamo615]

Nuprator gets cucked

[@NOKIA-vq2dx]

lol and the mind guardian ?was the simp ?

[@Unknown_User174]

Oh I didn’t know that.😃 Hope they’ll return for a remastered collection or I don’t know if their daughter will voice Ariel the Balance Guardian.

[@SamuelBlack84]

First, she has a romance with Nupraptor and then Mortanious 😂

[@janaussiger4111]

Ohhhh, Cuckraptor, cuckraptor

[@brilicusgaming6922]

The dialogue is what draws me to this story. Feels like I'm watching a Play instead of playing a game.

[@crimsondynamo615]

I’ve always said that Legacy of Kain is Shakespeare levels of writing.

[@brilicusgaming6922]

@@crimsondynamo615 We need this to return. Hopefully the owners of the IP will remake and remaster the old games and make a new one.

[@alexandersears8538]

@@crimsondynamo615 That is how I describe it to friends when they ask what the series is about: "Imagine if Shakespear wrote about time-travelling vampires..."

[@1Tekkaman]

The bit about the Spectral Realm never occurred to me. It makes sense, though; if he's guardian of Death, it stands to reason he can access the underworld directly.

[@norfemignissius4936]

I wonder if he "sees" that Raziel is possessed by the hylden in this scene, since he insist that he is one of them, or if it's just his sick mind unable to consider the other options now that he is near the end.

[@DarkEinherjar]

Most likely it's because Raziel's appearance resembles the Hylden as they were depicted in the murals.

[@carlospandette8001]

How was Raziel "possessed"? Up until that point Raziel was being manipulated by everyone, not possessed...

[@norfemignissius4936]

@@carlospandette8001 When you consume your last brother's soul (in Defiance), you also consume the hylden(s) possessing him. This latter cause Raziel to take decisive action and try to kill Kain in hate and anger, burning because of their influence. It's the scene where he reaps the hearth of darkness, and throws him in the demonic realm. You see the hyldens green glow in his eyes during the cinematic in question. They wanted him to do this to revive Janos, their "vessel".

[@carlospandette8001]

@@norfemignissius4936 You got it all wrong buddy. You just said it, Raziel was blinded by rage after he absorbed Turel's soul not because he was influenced or possessed. Let's just say Raziel ate something bad and gave him indigestion, that's exactly what happened. The outcome would've been the same even if he didn't get to absorb Turel, it just happened that his rage got out of control, also the hylden were just mind controlling Turel not possesing. Also, let's say Raziel gets to absorb a hylden, doesn't mean they can control him, he's a wraith, after he eats souls they just go to the wheel, they don't affect Raziel.

[@christophermire3872]

When Raziel meets Mortanius he hasn't battled Turel yet. So I believe it's his physical resemblance to the Hylden that Mortanius is referring to.

[@JustFaithless]

Fastest click of my life and like :)

[@Vecinu7]

I hope you never stop doing these LoK videos

[@a.wilkerson2nd334]

Vae Victus!!!!

[@vashmatrix5769]

Lol. The translation for this is hilariously incorrect.

[@Unknown_User174]

No you’re saying it wrong, It’s Vae Victis.

[@Nigua]

I'm so glad that they're once again working on this series, which by proxy means that your content covering it won't run dry anytime soon. Good stuff, always a pleasure to watch.

[@vashmatrix5769]

Any idea who's making it? Remakes these days are so bad im skeptical of any.

[@thegamingprozone1941]

@@vashmatrix5769 legacy of kain is now made for a modern audience nooooooooo

[@vashmatrix5769]

@@thegamingprozone1941 Oh boy. If that's their goal, & we know what that means, I'm out.

[@thegamingprozone1941]

@@vashmatrix5769 well until then we shall see.

[@strictlyfantasy]

Even if a Remake turns out to be terrible, we will still always have the original games. Better that they at least try to bring the games back rather than have them fade into obscurity.

[@Soul_Free]

Holy shit, I never heard about that removed recorded dialogue between Anarcrothe and Mortanius. In the final cut it seems a lot more vague, even confusing, but that dialogue makes it all clear, and it matches with the rest of the eventual story line's conclusion that I have no doubts Mrs. Hennig had access to that and all the material (seen, unseen or removed) from Blood Omen in order to construct the narrative for the rest of the games. One of my favorite aspects of the Legacy of Kain is how there are so many players making moves, and yet none of them has the whole idea of what is really going on. Even the wisest, most cunning ones, like Moebius and Mortanius, all had their knowledge, got the hints, and yet ignored some things and made some mistakes. Even Kain, the Scion of Balance, was completely ignorant of what he really was supposed to do, the profecy that he was supposed to fulfill, although he was on the right track by trusting Raziel and empowering him, as he was literally the Soul Reaver personified, the tool he needed to fulfill his role. It was Raziel, after a lot of mistakes and stumbling, who eventually took the pieces that each of the players had in their hands and managed to complete the puzzle. Ultimately, what makes the Elder God so terrible is that he was the only one who knew it all from the begining, rather, he wasn't playing at anything, he was the maker of the game, the game master, the puzzle maker.

[@civilwarfare101]

Alistar Duncan is honestly a really good VA, everytime he voices someone he is always captivating. Also, his Mortanius sounds like Celebrimbor from the Middle Earth games another game series where you play as a wraith lmao.

[@Unknown_User174]

I’m really hoping he’ll return to voice him again the remastered version of Blood Omen while it’ll be either archived or voiced again in the remastered version of Legacy of Kain: defiance.

[@mpnfresh]

I see LOK content, I click. I would also buy LOK content, but Crystal Dynamics or whoever doesn't want my money I guess

[@usamazahid3882]

Another Shakespearean and Byronic Legacy of Kain character next to others like Kain and Raziel themselves, in Mortanius. What a tragical story indeed. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Here's my honest opinion on the Byronic Mortanius. He's as you said,l the Atoner, because he didn't realize at first, what it was the Pillars of Nosgoth were holding back, and he refused to believe the myths that the Vampires were a plague, a pestilence that had to be removed, but they were right all along and Mortanius was a fool, used by a manipulator like Moebius, for his and the Elder God's own insidious ends. It's exactly (although the two game franchises are different, but shared the same morality in the narrative as a whole) how Otacon had felt, during the events of the Shadow Moses Incident in Metal Gear Solid 1 and he too, became an Atoner in his own right, that he thought he would become a famous scientist in order to make robots like the ones seen in the Japanese Animes, but was wound up used as a pawn of the Government to make a deadly walking death mobile, as he stated that they had to take responsibility for their actions, as Science had always thrived on War. The weapons of mass destruction were created by scientists who wanted to be famous. He, like Mortanius, decided to atone himself, and became one of the most Byronic heroes ever created.

[@Kouh_Sijaed]

your channel is so underrated I feel you have such a passion for the History you Weave into a story like Narrative which keeps me coming back for more even if I know the History of Nosgoth.

[@strictlyfantasy]

Glad you enjoy it. Thank you. :)

[@Sternenherz127]

Mobius hears a disembodied voice and gains a glimpse of the truth: "I will serve, master." Mortanius after having the same happen to him and glimpse more: "This is disasterous. Waht to do? Let me think."

[@Shalashaska777]

I'm always grateful to see you post a new video. Thank you for uploading! I'm going to savor this one

[@TANK1677]

The sad thing is, Mortanius' plan pretty much fails in the end as Kain is both the last pillar guardian AND the last vampire, something I am sure he did not account for. It's only because of Raziel's interactions and paradoxes in the past that even allowed his plan to bear fruit. I would say that Mortanius had the right idea, but the odds were stacked against him in more ways than 3.

[@PikaCheeks]

Mortanius is a homie. I love his character and that it turns out he was actually good all along, one of the most selfless characters in Legacy of Kain!

[@MediumRareSteak79]

Great video as always. I like Mortanius because his character develops like Dr Jykell and Mr Hyde. He starts off in the first Blood Omen all underhanded and evil, but right up to Defiance he has gone from Hyde back to Jykell, realizing his mistakes and wants to fix them. Great character, great game. Will always be one of my personal favourites.

[@gjtrue]

The more I listen to these videos and read up on the vast lore of the Legacy of Kain series, the less it feels like we know about Nosgoth and its characters ironically. It's like what Raziel said to the Elder God: "Things in this world I am learning are *rarely* what they seem."

[@kylepeters8690]

I really like Mortanius though I have to say I think his design in defiance is a huge down grade. Even if they wanted him to still be human they could have made him mask and clothes look more deathly, decaying flesh, bone. It just feels too subdued. also, I guess I either forgot or the compilations I watched didn't have a chunk of his scene with raziel as there was a lot of new information for me here. Also, I had no idea he could go into the spectral realm that's a cool piece of trivia I never knew.

[@Grorl]

Seeing this video pop up, "yayyy!!!!"

[@KCfusion_]

Your thoughts on his redemption arc were great. Your thoughts on No matter what your past you can Always change for the better

[@C0wb0yBebop]

Shout out to Tony Jay 👏 who played half the voice actors in Blood Omen !

[@janembabel]

This is not strictly fantasy, but take a look of Shadowman game.

[@apacalypsagon3758]

Yes I was waiting for this one.

[@mahd2dz]

Sir can u explain why kain still in life ? This doesn't make sense

[@DRZED786]

The Vocal Talent Behind:- All 5 Legacy of Kain Games kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3rMg3Vrqd2reMk

[@arx3516]

One thing tyat i never understood is why the prophecies were made in the first place. Why did the ancient vampires rely on ambiguous prophrcies when they had access to the time streaming chamber?

[@MCcreedLP]

I have never seen Mortanius in the spectral realm lol. Thanks to you I learn even more about the series even after all these years

[@Mastervgl]

3:00 21 years, multiple replays, myriad videos watched and yet this is the first time I hear of this. The Legacy of Kain games were truly something else - elevated narratives outside of the norm.

[@freaknr1]

Mortanius is a truly fascinating character. The complexity of his scheme really blew me away when I first experienced it, and he was always a really fascinating character to me, especially since he was only in BO for the longest time, unlike Mobius, who we met in 3 games. So seeing him again, even if just for 2 scenes in Defiance was a real treat, and made him even more interesting. A conflicted character in so many ways, but still willing to do what is right in the end. It's also a credit to the writers of LoK how they managed to retcon his story in a way that worked so well.

[@Shadowdragon_TV]

Mortanius and The Elder God sounding the same is actually quite poetic. Both are the rebirth fathers of each main character and calls them "son". Mortanius to Kain, The Elder God to Raziel.

[@Unknown_User174]

I hope Alistair Duncan will return to voice Mortanius in the remastered pentalogy collection of Legacy of Kain developed by Aspyr and published by Embracer Group, While Corey Burton will voice the elder god. Rest in peace Tony Jay, Hope he’ll be a memorial Easter Egg.

[@AedanTheGrey]

I suspect Mortanius' absence during Vorador's attack was related to Avernus and possibly his possession by the Hylden. Im not sure what else it could possibly have been.

[@mikfhan]

The Pillars are broken in Soul Reaver 1 and we see no direct manifestations of the Hylden until much later, so it seems the bad canon ending to Blood Omen is the best ending after all, if what keeps the Hylden at bay is more that vampire guardians are still present. The land is corrupted, certainly, but at least it delayed the Hylden invasion by many centuries. Die a "hero" or live to become the villain, either way the game is rigged. As the scion of balance says: "So long as a single one of us stands, we are legion."

[@JuanPerez-cs1gx]

I wasn't expecting to see such interesting view on a seemingly secondary character in the LoK series this late in the game (no pun intended). Honestly I wish that instead of Fallout, the Witcher and other streaming series or movies inspired by "pop games"a serious story focused streaming series based on LoK was created, obviously with Amy Hening and other writers reworking the story to patch holes and fix any other issues created because of the complicated release cycles of the games and other issues.