The Pillar of Conflict is one of the nine Pillars of Nosgoth, and the third pillar from the west on the dais. Attuned to the property of Conflict, it was preserved by various guardians before coming under the protection of the Human Guardian Malek, and was eventually sundered in the Collapse of the Pillars following his final death. Its pillar token was Malek's Helmet. The Pillar appears throughout the entirety of the Legacy of Kain series.
Profile[]
As one of the Pillars of Nosgoth, the Pillar of Conflict appeared throughout the Legacy of Kain series, debuting in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. The Pillar was present along with its peers in the Pillars of Nosgoth areas of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance and could be revisited in all titles after its initial appearance.[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/2][Soul Reaver][Soul Reaver/6][Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/2][Defiance][Defiance/5] The Pillar could also briefly be seen in the Blood Omen 2 introduction and was featured in illustrations in comics.[Blood Omen 2][Blood Omen 2/1][Soul Reaver strategy guide (Eidos)][Defiance comic]
Constructed in the period Before Nosgoth's recorded history, the Pillar of Conflict was served by Conflict Guardian Malek from Nosgoth's early history and was corrupted in the history preceding Blood Omen when Ariel was murdered by the Dark Entity. Upon finding her corpse, her lover - the Guardian of the Pillar of the Mind, Nupraptor - was driven mad by grief and unleashed a frenzy of mental energy, which drove all of his fellow Guardians insane and simultaneously corrupted their Pillars. [Blood Omen/1][Blood Omen/2][Blood Omen/3][Soul Reaver 2/2]
The Pillar of Conflict could be the second, third or fourth of the Pillars to be restored during Kain's initial quest. It was briefly returned to normal when Kain offered Malek's Helmet to it, following the defeat of the Dark Eden triad and Vorador's final dispatching of Malek's wraith.[Blood Omen/7] Some time later after the restoration of the other pillars, Kain chose to refuse the Sacrifice and triggered the Collapse of the Pillars. Now rotten to its core, the festering stump of the Pillar of Conflict was all that remained, alongside its eight counterparts. Lasting in this state into the late events of Soul Reaver the pillar would be visited by Raziel in pursuit of his vendetta against Kain and he too would return to gather advice from Ariel.[Blood Omen/12][Soul Reaver/6]
As Raziel and Kain traveled through time in Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance they would encounter the pillar several more times in different states in different eras - pristine in Nosgoth's early history and the history preceding Blood Omens,[Soul Reaver 2/2][Soul Reaver 2/7][Soul Reaver 2/9][Defiance/5] corrupted in the Pre-Blood Omen and events of Blood Omens,[Soul Reaver 2/2][Soul Reaver 2/3][Defiance/6][Defiance/12] and collapsed in the Blood Omen and Era following Blood Omens.[Soul Reaver 2/5][Soul Reaver 2/7][Defiance/12][Defiance/13] Ultimately it was revealed that the Pillar of Conflict - like its peers - was constructed by the Ancient vampires to bind the banishment of their enemies, the Hylden race, into the Demon Realm.[Soul Reaver 2/2][Soul Reaver 2/4][Defiance/4] It was originally guarded by an Ancient Vampire - the Original Conflict Guardian[Defiance/6] - and its creation marked the close of the Vampire-Hylden war.[Soul Reaver 2/2][Soul Reaver 2/3][Soul Reaver 2/4][Defiance/4]
Behind the scenes[]
In Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the Pillar of Conflict was decorated with crossed-swords motif (similar to the icon for Inspire Hate) set against a red background.[Blood Omen] In Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, this was replaced with a simple faded red-colored band.[Soul Reaver] Further games have depicted the Pillar with a red-colored band and the Conflict symbol, introduced in Soul Reaver 2.[Soul Reaver 2][Defiance] Explaining the changes, series art director Daniel Cabuco commented: "The symbol designs themselves from Blood Omen 1 were pretty craptastic wallpapers. I don't believe they served the intention of making the pillars look serious and powerful. So we designed symbols, just like we did for the clans, the runes, and everything else that was important. There's not that much of a story other than all of us looking at each other as we went over the original designs and saying 'Seriously?! We can't move forward with these as originals.. no way!'"[1] One instance of what may be an alternative symbol is seen in Soul Reaver 2's Light Forge.[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/4]
The prototype Conflict symbol
The exposure of the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver alphas in 2020 showed that the process of redesigning the Pillars symbols had originally been tried during the development of Soul Reaver - with prototype symbols for each pillar visible in the earliest builds. Although replaced by colored bands in the retail version of Soul Reaver, the prototype Conflict symbol was featured in promotional artwork for Soul Reaver 2 - apparently as a placeholder while the updated symbols were designed. Given design similarities, the prototype conflict symbol may be something of a precursor to the Darkness symbol seen from Soul Reaver 2 onward. The prototype Conflict symbol also made an appearance on the orrery in Turel's clan territory
Notes[]
- Though it does appear in the Vorgeschichte, the Pillar of Conflict cannot be seen in the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver comic, where only the the Pillar of Balance is seen. The Pillar can be seen in the Legacy of Kain: Defiance comic where its position and colored band allow it to be identified though its symbol appears somewhat simplified.[Soul Reaver strategy guide (Eidos)][Soul Reaver comic][Defiance comic]
- Like its peers, the Pillar of Conflict is seen underground in the Subterranean Pillars Chamber of Soul Reaver 2. Here it bears no identifying marks and only its position allows it to be pinpointed.[Soul Reaver 2][Soul Reaver 2/2]
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Pillars of Nosgoth (BO1/SR1/SR2/Sub/DEF)
- Conflict
- Conflict Guardian (Original Conflict Guardian/Malek)
- Malek's Helmet
- Conflict Glyph
- Flame fragment
- Flame
References[]
- ↑
Pillars of Nosgoth areas at DCabDesign (by Bazielim), post #2 (by Daniel Cabuco)
