Hash'ak'gik's Altar

In Blood Omen, Kain explored Avernus Cathedral. Within the complex building, there was a passageway that was easy to overlook. It was near the cathedral's main altar, but it led to a very different place of worship. By following this passage, Kain was able to find another altar hidden in the Avernus catacombs: one that was dedicated to the god Hash'ak'gik. Upon the altar was a bloodstained book, with the following words printed on the opened page:

And Hash'ak'gik spoke to the world, and all who heard trembled. "Bring me your first born, and shed their blood on the altar of the world, so I might take nourishment from them. Do this without question, or suffer my wrath for eternity." And its will was done.

As Azimuth resided within the cathedral, it appeared that she would know of this altar, and was probably its primary user. It was one of only two places in Blood Omen that referred to Hash'ak'gik and the worshippers it had in Nosgoth. The other was a book in the Library of Willendorf; although Hash'ak'gik was not identified by name, this book briefly described a small god-worshipping cult associated with tales of human possession.

The image on the altar room floor resembled the demonic form the Dark Entity took at the end of Blood Omen. This led players to believe that Hash'ak'gik was the Dark Entity's real name. Defiance revealed that the Hash'ak'gik described in the bloody book was not actually the Dark Entity at all. They were separate beings. Hash'ak'gik was the evolved vampire Turel (intermittently possessed by several Hylden), and the Dark Entity was the Hylden Lord.¹

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS

In the light of this revelation, the words in the book took on a greater significance. As far back as Soul Reaver, fans commented that sacrificing one's "first born... on the altar of the world" sounded like a reference to Kain's execution of Raziel. As Turel was present at that event - and took part in it - perhaps he was trying to recreate or emulate it by specifying first-borns as his preferred victims. The similarity to Raziel's execution also fuelled old speculation that Hash'ak'gik was the Elder God, before that was conclusively disproved.

Since Defiance was released it has been confirmed that Azimuth was indeed a worshipper of Hash'ak'gik (or rather the Hylden she knew as Hash'ak'gik), as was Mortanius (who led the Cenobites beneath Avernus Cathedral in Defiance)¹. Presumably that means they both knew of, and used this altar at some point. It is unclear where this altar was located in relation to Turel's pit in Defiance.