Gein

Gein was a character slated to appear in Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun, a cancelled prospective sixth game in the Legacy of Kain series. He, alongside the human, Asher, was intended to act as the protagonist of the title. Gein was a Saradin vampire, and his body would become host to Asher's soul in an accidental phenomenon. He and Asher would collaboratively explore a mystery revolving around the Elder God.

Background[]

Following the February 2013 discovery that Square Enix had registered rights to the domain name "warfornosgoth.com", the Official Xbox Magazine's Edwin Evans-Thirlwell publicized a storyboard drawn by Passion Pictures artist Richard Buxton. Evans-Thirlwell noted it featured "some highly Kain-ish art", and a prominent vampire character, but Buxton declined to confirm its connection to the series.^[1]

In 2013, Legacy of Kain fan Divine Shadow made contact with Climax Studios personnel, who revealed that they had worked on an unannounced title, Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun, from 2009 to 2012. Among other topics, the anonymous staff members discussed the project's story concept and its protagonist. According to them, Square Enix had issued the mandate that the new game "must feature a new main character with a story distant to the original series". The characters of Gein and Asher were subsequently conceived.^[2]

Divine Shadow approximated Climax Studios' intended story arc for the characters as follows:

• "A distant continuation of the series – in the same way that Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation took place in the same universe but were not immediate continuations of previous events."
• "Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun is set in Nosgoth's far future, long after the events of Soul Reaver."
• "There is a race of blue-skinned vampires living in this era –known as the Saradin. The vampires have evolved beyond those seen in the series previously, and have the ability to shift between spectral and material realms at will – and to consume souls. The vampires are devoutly religious."
• "Gein is one of these Saradin vampires, and he attacks a human of Nosgoth called Asher. Gein kills Asher and begins to feed on his soul. Something happens here that causes Asher's human soul to accidentally become bound in Gein's body. Gein becomes a unique creature, a human soul in control of (and trapped in) a vampire body."
• "Gein/Asher attempts to return to his human village, but during his absence the settlement has been attacked and torched. Gein/Asher unsuccessfully attempts suicide."
• "Gein/Asher explores Nosgoth with his new abilities. His quest for revenge against the destroyers of his village and those responsible for his circumstances – becomes a quest that will decide the fate of the world, as per Legacy of Kain tradition."
• "Asher (the human trapped in the vampire body) begins to realise that Gein (the original vampire soul of the body) is still present. Gein appears to Asher in visions, providing a vampiric perspective and alternate insight into the game’s events."
• "The story would have explored the mystery surrounding a very old vampire child, and revolved around The Elder God. Religion was one of the game's overarching themes."
• "Further story links to previous games."

―—Divine Shadow^[2]

The developers confirmed to Divine Shadow that Buxton's storyboard depicted Gein/Asher – it "was for a CG trailer that was never made" – and contributed additional images from Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun, depicting Gein/Asher in and out of combat.^[2]