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"Malek’s sword belonged in his right hand. However distasteful this errand was, I would return it to its proper place."
―Kain[src]

Malek's Sword was an artifact used by Kain in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. It was the third quest-related item encountered by Kain and could be found in the Sarafan Stronghold in the chapter Pursue Moebius

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"Malek, the great Sarafan warrior. I had met him before. His sword and shield seemed to have gone astray."
―Kain[src]

When Kain returned to the Sarafan Stronghold in the early chapters of Legacy of Kain: Defiance he passed a statue of Malek in the cloister courtyard. Passing through again in the chapter Pursue Moebius Kain noted that the statue was missing a sword and a shield - further evidenced by a nearby mural depicting Malek with both, and two Sealed Doors bearing images of a sword and a shield respectively.[Defiance][Defiance/1][Defiance/3]

After using the Falcon Insignia to reach the second level of the upper levels of the chapter house and Sanctuary area Kain was able to find Malek's Shield in the relic room nearby. Returning the shield to the statue dispelled the barriers protecting the 'Shield Mural' door and thus opened up a new passage. The new passageway led to the upper levels of the courtyard and the main battlements areas. Above the main battlements, Kain found another statue of Malek, holding Malek's sword.[Defiance][Defiance/3]

The sword itself appeared to be of a familiar Sarafan-inspired design consisting of a long straight blade with a ribbed two-pronged Sarafan symbol at the hilt.[Defiance][Defiance/3]

Returning the sword to Malek's statue in the lower level of the courtyard, Kain was able to dispel the barriers protecting the 'Sword Mural' door and ascend once again, this time to the 'Gatehouses' and 'Tower' areas where he could collect the Decorative Sword and Flame Reaver - ultimately reaching Moebius in the upper tower.[Defiance][Defiance/3]

Notes[]

Def-Inventory-Malek'sSword

Malek's Sword in the Inventory

  • In addition to the hints from dialogue a mural of Malek is positioned behind the statue and between the two Sealed Doors which hints at the solution to unlock the doors - showing him armed with both sword and shield. The doors themselves themselves also feature designs reminiscent of a sword and shield.[Defiance][Defiance/1][Defiance/3]
  • The Sealed Doors that open when Kain places Malek's sword and shield at his statue initially appear to be protected by a yellow variant of the earlier Blessed Barriers - these cannot be dispelled by the Balance Reaver enhancement and only when Kain returns Malek's sword and shield to his statue are the barriers dispelled.[Defiance][Defiance/1][Defiance/3]
  • Bonus materials and the Prima official guide depict early concept art of Malek's statue showing it in various states of being armed with the shield and sword. The artwork perhaps suggests that the statue was originally to be positioned on a circular plinth against a wall - as it appears in the relic room. The order of the items added to the statue also suggests that early designs may have had the sword gained first whereas in the final game the shield is the first to be gained - this is supported by game files which list the shield as "shold_artifact_three" and the sword as "shold_artifact_two". The artwork itself seems to have been adapted to create the 'solution' mural between the doors - notably however there are differences, with the actual statue holding the shield at a different angle and the sword being held upward rather than downward as depicted in the mural, although the initial sword statue also holds the sword downward.[Defiance][Defiance/1][Defiance/3][Defiance strategy guide]
Defiance-Artifact1a-MaleksSword

Malek's Sword in the artifact room

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