Publishers Cook and Becker and Lost in Cult are teaming up with Crystal Dynamics to bring an official Legacy of Kain encyclopedia and tabletop game. This comes after the Soul Reaver 1&2 re-releases and my feature on the original Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain’s 30 year secret. The official encyclopedia and TTRPG set is currently available for backing on Backerkit, a crowdfunding site that promises to make crowdfunding about the crowd. The TTRPG is called Scourge of the Sarafan and promises a gothic tabletop role-playing game set in the grim and murky world of Nosgoth. Spooky!
It’s been good to see an interest in Legacy of Kain lately, seeing both Soul Reaver games get a remastered collection and Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain 1 & 2 being added to the PS+ Classics collection. The Legacy of Kain franchise reaches far and wide. In 2023, the Script Lock podcast interviewed Alexa Ray Corriea (writer, Bugsnax, Call of Duty: Vanguard) and Ben Starr (actor, Final Fantasy XVI, Hades II) both were asked the question, “What is your white whale IP that you’d like to work on?” and both answered Legacy of Kain. The series has reach, which also explains why after just a few weeks and with only 13 days left, the Backerkit has managed to raise £414,704 out of £32,500.
The Book of Nosgoth: What’s Inside the Official Encyclopedia
The encyclopedia, The Book of Nosgoth, is written by Rock, Paper, Shotgun’s own Nic Reuben. On the Backerkit, it’s explained that we’ll see the following chapters in the book:
- Locations
- Factions
- Characters
- Timeline
- Discussion of time travel
- Kain’s Empire
- Behind the scenes materials
- Original sketches and concept art
- Interviews with developers
Interviews with developers, concept art, and the discussion on time travel jump out to me. Of course, that’s just the contents, the book itself looks gorgeous and the mock-ups on the Backerkit website look incredible. What a joy this must have been to preserve. The TTRPG also boasts a full rulebook, described as a gothic tabletop role-playing game set in the grim and murky world of Nosgoth. The rulebook includes:
- How to play
- Core rules
- Setting and locations
- Character creation
- Character classes
- Armour and weapons
- Enemies and creatures
- Random tables
- Dungeon with maps
Apparently the backerkit also offers a deluxe option featuring deluxe editions for each book. The Book of Nosgoth includes a premium slipcase and four exclusive art cards. While the TTRPG comes with a game master screen, a set of seven sharp-edge dice in blood red with gold glyphs, a set of 50 ornately designed character sheets, and a deluxe box. Naturally, there’s a complete collection to get everything and they have a helpful Pledge Breakdown image that’s always so fun to see when you back something along with a set of stretch goals.
Could This Spark a Legacy of Kain Revival?
If you’re interested in securing your copy, you’re able to back it for the next 13 days before, I imagine, it’ll eventually be sold at large. Considering the amount they were able to raise, perhaps Crystal Dynamics is rethinking their strategy and maybe they’ll want to invest more time into this well-loved series. Good luck to Alexa and Ben on being brought on if that happens, and send out good vibes that more Legacy of Kain is in the works.
