The Nexus Stone

In the Sarafan Keep, Kain located Umah and broke her free of the restraints which held her. Unfortunately, Kain's return was no longer a secret due to reports from Faustus and the Sarafan Lord attacked the pair on their way out, wielding Kain's own Soul Reaver against him. Despite Kain's desire to fight, Umah forced him away and teleported the two back to Sanctuary, warning him that he was not yet strong enough to win such a battle. Vorador, relieved to see Umah returned to him, questioned her about what she had seen before her capture. Nestled deep within the city's industrial quarter, she had located the Nexus Stone, apparently channeling its power to hold open a portal to some location deep underground.

Unaware, Kain questioned them about this stone. It was explained that the nexus stone was a formidable artifact, rumored to be able to open portals to any location within Nosgoth. Furthermore, it allegedly protected its wearer from the effects of the Soul Reaver. Kain mocked this idea as superstition, only to be informed that the Sarafan Lord had been wearing the stone during their duel two centuries ago, and this is what allowed him to best Kain.

Shocked by this revelation but realizing his own need for the stone while the Sarafan Lord wielded the Soul Reaver, Kain journeyed into the industrial quarter. Coming across various signs of slaughter and vampire feeding, he was eventually confronted by yet another servant to the Sarafan Lord, the vampire Sebastian. The name triggered memories most foul in Kain's head. Sebastian, one of Kain's prized warriors, had betrayed him for reasons unknown and warned the Sarafan Lord of the army's approach. Upon the traitor's signal, the army was ambushed and caught off guard, mercilessly slaughtered as the Sarafan forces cut Kain off from his army to allow the killing blow to be struck by their Lord. Enraged, Kain fought this treacherous old ally and drank his blood, Sebastian's power raising Kain's considerable physical reflexes to even greater heights and bringing him a step closer to being able to take on and defeat the Sarafan Lord.

However, before Sebastian perished, he told Kain of the Nexus Stone's purpose in Meridian. The stone held open a portal to a great cavern beneath Meridian, a cavern which housed a weapon of war. The exact operation of this weapon was unknown to Sebastian but he proclaimed it powerful enough to wipe Kain and his allies from the face of the world. Bearing this news in mind, Kain tore the Stone free, collapsing the portal it held open and causing the entire factory to crumble. Blown outside by the explosions of the machinery, Kain was luckily saved by one of the Cabal scouts and brought back to Vorador, who offered a new direction for Kain's quest against the Sarafan.