Kain visited the town shortly after passing through the town of Steinchencröe. Initially the entrance to the town was barred but by exploring the nearby gypsy encampment he could discover the Disguise Form that had been hinted by Irmok which allowed him entrance to the town. Upon entering he remarked on its proximity to Nupraptor's Retreat and it overshadowing the town as he could clearly see the nearby Nupraptor's Retreat. The town had apparently once catered for pilgrims visiting Nupraptor, but with few pilgrims returning, and screams drifting from the fortress, the inhabitants of the town now viewed Nupraptor as a madman and feared him.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
Vasserbünde was briefly mentioned in the background story to Nosgoth, suggesting that in the Soul Reaver era the town still stood, while presumably conquered by the vampires at the fall of the Major human kingdoms and held by the vampires since. The settlement was not apparent in the course of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, perhaps suggesting it had been demolished or otherwise erased from the maps in the course of Kain's empire.[NOS][4]
Design and Layout[]
In the Blood Omen era, Vasserbunde was situated on a peninsula in a large body of water fed by the waterfall flowing from the skull of Nupraptor's Retreat, which itself flowed into the Lake of Tears. The town largely clustered upon the northern shore of this minor lake with a pair of bridges crossing to the southern side: one lead around to the base of Nupraptor's retreat, while the other led to a gypsy encampment on the southern shore and along a trail to the Steinchencröe - with a fork leading back up to the lake of tears tributary. A single trail in the northwest led north toward Coorhagen while another inaccessible trail could be seen heading eastward away from the settlement.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][Blood Omen strategy guide][1][2][3]
The buildings of the town consisted of timber framed stone building with a wattle and daub walls, tiled roofs and stone chimneys. Twenty-eight buildings - including one off to the west on the trail to Nupraptor's - were found in the township, although only ten were accessible and could be entered, along with five tents set up south of the town. This could be seen as not literal, and instead symbolic of a larger town, as Uschtenheim - with eight buildings in the same game - becomes significantly more elaborate in its Soul Reaver 2 portrayal).[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][Blood Omen/7][Soul Reaver 2/5]
Businesses and Landmarks[]
Vasserbunde houses three notable businesses: A butcher named the 'Chopping Block' was found in the northeast of the village. The next house to the west contained an armorer named 'Village Smithy'. In the center of town a tavern could be found named 'Cap'n Bitter's Sudz'.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
Six additional homes could be entered: one in the southeast by the entry bridge, two in the center to the north and west of the tavern, two along the northern cliff face and one the far west at the bridge leading to Nupraptor's retreat. The far western trail led into a new map area containing another house which controlled the gates to Nupraptor's Retreat and could be considered to be part of Vasserbunde.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3]
Three secrets can be found in the vicinity of Vasserbunde:
Just before the town entrance is a passage blocked by a standing stone requiring the Spiked Mace to break. The canyon uncovered leads up to a waterway which can be navigated southward using Mist Form to reach several powerups at the end of the trail.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][5]
A Major hidden area can be discovered in Vasserbunde with the pirate ship the HMCS Bitter found through the back Capt'n Bitter's Sudz. Legitimate access to this are can only be unlocked after activating four invisible switches in areas close to the corners of the world and walking through an invisible door on the back of the tavern. Given that The Bitter was accessed through a teleporter, the exact location of the ship remains a mystery.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/3][6][7][8][9][10][11]
Vasserbunde in the Blood Omen alpha is very similar to its retail counterpart with only minor exterior variations in signage, standing stones and a slightly thinner western bridge.[12][13]
The interiors have various minor changes, with most changes coming down to rearranged or differing furniture. Cap'n Bitters Sudz has a different wall design, more roof supports, more tables and bars - and there is no hidden entrance to the HMCS Bitter, which is absent from this version. The chopping block has a staggered bar and less barrels. The Village smithy has fewer chests. The house in the centre of the north is missing its standing stone blockage and has a sign indicating a pub: inside it has more apparatus,chairs and a bar area that is replaced by a pair of barrels in the retail version. The back door to the Putresce Spirit Forge is missing. The north west house with its open coffins has an extra ghost enemy. The central western house loses a shield and gains a chest between builds. The far western house has many more beds in the alpha and several identical occupants.[12][13]
Other changes in the area include missing signposts in the alpha and an open door on an inaccessible house in the far east. Nothing can be accessed inside and the door is ultimately closed for later versions.[12][13]
Gallery[]
Maps[]
Retail[]
Nupraptor's Retreat Gatehouse
Central northern house
North western house
Capt'n Bitter's Sudz
Central western house
Village Smithy
Chopping Block
north central house
far western house
southern house
Capt'n Bitter's Sudz secret back entrance to HMCS Bitter