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The third timeline was the third course of Nosgoth's history to be explored in the Legacy of Kain series. This timeline was created when Raziel introduced a paradox by sparing Kain at the Sarafan Stronghold during the history preceding Blood Omen, altering the second timeline and the fate of Kain. It was altered in turn when Kain spared Raziel at the Stronghold during Nosgoth's early history, creating the fourth timeline. Soul Reaver 2 was the only story set in the third timeline.

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"With William the Just dead, Moebius' plans have been thwarted. His pawn was removed from the game."
―Kain — Listen (file info)[src]
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Raziel spares Kain.

Legacy of Kain - Defiance p15-16

Kain spares Raziel.

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Kain spares Raziel.

The third timeline was created when Raziel defied history in the second timeline by refusing to kill Kain at William the Just's chapel in the Sarafan Stronghold during the history preceding Blood Omen. The historical continuum strained to reshuffle itself as reality labored to admit this alteration, until the distortion began to subside.[Soul Reaver 2/5]

Kain considered the third timeline "a prelude" to reclaiming his and Raziel's "intended destinies", saying "it may yet be possible for me to assume my role as Balance Guardian and return the Pillars to their rightful inheritors." Moebius was shocked and distressed by Kain and Raziel's alteration of history, with Raziel asking him "has my refusal to kill Kain reshuffled your carefully stacked deck of cards?" Moebius and the Elder God condemned Raziel, attempting to convince him that "by doing so, [he had] released a multitude of horrors upon this world." Raziel remarked that "they don't like us unwriting their carefully choreographed history," but Kain corrected him, saying that "we haven't unwritten history, we've merely rewritten it."[Soul Reaver 2/5]

Kain's survival enabled him to pursue Raziel through time to the era following Blood Omen, and subsequently Nosgoth's early history, where he attempted – but initially failed – to prevent Raziel's soul from entering the Reaver.[Soul Reaver 2/6][Soul Reaver 2/Epilogue] A split-second Reaver convergence occurred when Raziel's twinned soul hovered both outside and inside the Reaver blade. According to Raziel, "this was the instant – the glimmer of temporal distortion – Kain had been counting on all along. This was the edge of the coin – the minute flicker of probability upon which Kain had gambled everything." Kain used this brief temporal distortion to tear the Reaver away from Raziel with a massive, history-defying effort. The paradox caused by Raziel's survival strained history and forced events to reshuffle themselves, creating the fourth timeline.[Soul Reaver 2/Epilogue]

Historical Timeline[]

Behind the scenes[]

When we say here that the old memories are dying it is not that they are being erased from Kain's memory but instead being shuffled aside by the newer memories that reflect the altered course of history. Therefore he is not forgetting them he instead is holding in his mind two sets of parallel histories, one which is 'dead' and the other which is new and altered. This happens in BO1 but it is not directly mentioned by Kain.
―Kyle Mannerberg and Jennifer Fernández[Forum/Eidos]

Notes[]

  • In Soul Reaver 2, Kain explains that history only reshuffles the fewest events necessary to accommodate a paradox: "the future flows around our petty actions, finding the path of least resistance while admitting only the slightest alterations." As such, it is unlikely that the events of the third timeline significantly differ from those of the second, except where Kain's survival must be accounted for.[Soul Reaver 2/5]

See also[]

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Preceded by:
The second timeline
The assassination of William the Just
History Nosgoth's historical timelines
The third timeline
Raziel spares Kain
Followed by:
The fourth timeline
Kain spares Raziel
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