Malek's Bastion

Kain (vo): I placed Nupraptor’s head before the Pillar of the Mind, and watched on as it dissolved into the stone. The pillar accepted its offering, thus it was restored.

Nupraptor was but the genesis - forever tainted by his madness, the Circle was beyond redemption. For them absolution lay only in death. In me, they would find their deliverance.

But first I had to defeat their shepherd - Malek, defender of the Nine, lay in a keep far to the north, past Vasserbünde. It was time for me to test the wrath of the Pillar of Conflict.

Ariel: Death in the Circle breathes life to the Pillars. For every Pillar, there is a token; only with these shall they be restored.

But to reach a warrior, you must first breach his ward. Find Malek and destroy him. Only then will the Circle fall.

On the path to Coorhagen, Kain remembers…

Kain (vo): Years ago, word reached us of a strange pestilence that had laid siege to a few remote villages far east. But the rumors failed to prepare us for the horror that was the Plague.

Kain finds a pile of decomposing bodies…

Kain (vo): Worms and maggots fed upon his festering skin, the scent of tainted blood seeped through the wounds upon which they feasted. Pity… such a waste; good blood gone bad.

Kain observes a sign with the name of Coorhagen…

Kain (vo): Coorhagen - my home - the finest city in all of Nosgoth, rich in vanity and conceit. I had no delusions as to the welcome I would receive.

Once inside Coorhagen, Kain observes the massacre caused by the plague…

Kain (vo): Death and disease stalked these streets. Bodies lay, most in the very spots in which fate had taken them.

A perfect homecoming.

From a promontory on the outskirts of Coorhagen, Kain spots Malek’s stronghold in the distance…

Kain (vo): Malek’s Bastion, perched defiantly on the mountain top, black as night against the blanket of snow. What manner of man would choose a land so harsh and utterly devoid of life?

Kain accesses the tower and goes inside. Malek reveals himself to Kain…

Malek: I know you are here, demon. The stench of death clings to you.

Kain (vo): The interior was as cold and sterile as the snow outside, with empty suits of armor and sharp, cruel steel lining the walls.

When Kain finds the first soldier…

Malek: My warriors are but shadows of my skill, child.

Kain finds the first power generator…

Kain (vo): The towering metal structure gave birth to these wraiths. I could hazard only a guess at its function: fusing the souls of long dead warriors to their armor, so that they may do battle once again.

Live without blood? What a travestry!

Kain deactivates this generator…

Malek: Do you hope to best me, Kain?

Do not worry. Your challenge will not go unmet.

He finds and deactivates a second…

Malek: Your undeath does not make you immortal, vampire.

And the same with a third…

Malek: Come to slay the slayer of vampires, have you?

In a secret room, Kain discovers the source of the machines’ energy…

Kain (vo): The globe powered the machinery. With its destruction, the deafening shrieks of the machines ceased to echo throughout the bastion. It was now time to silence the machines’ maker.

Malek: You try my patience, fledgling. Care to try my blade instead?

Kain exits to the courtyard. He then accesses the main chamber where the throne presides over the stronghold…

Kain (vo): My eyes yearned from lack of contrast, my mouth ached for want of blood. In this cold wasteland, food was scarce, and my hunger grew.

Kain (vo): The guards at the gate offered no resistance; they were frozen solid and dead as they stood, their flesh welded to the cold metal of their armor…

Entering the main chamber, Kain discovers Malek’s corpse sitting on a throne…

Kain (vo): A corpse held court on a tattered throne, grinning malignantly at me through blackened teeth.

Malek: It is not often that a man sees his own corpse, it is a sobering experience. But I am far less interested in my own corpse than I am in yours. Prepare yourself, vampire.

The fight begins. After attacking Malek several times, he forces Kain to fall back until he reaches a device that allows him to exit the stronghold…

Kain (vo): ‘Twould seem Malek’s destiny with my blade was postponed. Perhaps Ariel could offer further guidance.