Vae Victis (Vae Victus)

'Vae Victus' was Kain's battle cry in Blood Omen. He used it often when he performed swing combos with his weapons - when he was inflicting the maximum damage on his opponents. He explained its meaning after his assassination, while he was trapped in the Underworld:

"Vae Victus - suffering to the conquered. Ironic now I was the one suffering. Not anything as pedestrian as physical pain, rather the cruel jab of impotent anger - the hunger for revenge. I didn't care if I was in Heaven or Hell. All I wanted was to kill my assassins..."

Silicon Knights admitted that the phrase was actually mispronounced.¹ There has been much debate amongst LoK fans who are familiar with Latin as to how it should be said, but there is no clear consensus (one suggestion is 'WHY WEEK-tis'). However, it seems that there are two variations to the phrase. 'Vae Victis' is the plural, and 'Vae Victus' is the singular version, to be spoken to one person.

Kain occasionally said 'Vae Victus' in Defiance, when he fed the Reaver during battle. However, it was Raziel who spoke the words as if he really meant them, giving them an entirely new resonance. In Avernus Cathedral, Raziel ripped the Heart of Darkness from Kain's body. With intentional, bitter irony he used Kain's favourite phrase against him, telling Kain "Vae Victis - 'Woe to the conquered' - I have found the Heart of Darkness. And you - go to oblivion."

'Vae Victus/Vae Victis' is most commonly translated as 'Woe to the Conquered', as Raziel said. It seems to be attributed to a Celt leader, Brennus, who threatened Rome with his army around 390BC. The Romans offered to pay the Celts a sum of gold if they would leave, and the Celts accepted. While the gold was being measured, some Roman officials accused the Celts of using unfair weights to cheat, and take more gold than had been agreed. Apparently, the Celt leader then added his sword to the scales - saying 'Vae Victis' - reminding them that they had been beaten and couldn't complain. The Romans had no choice but to add enough gold to balance the Celts' weights and the extra weight of the sword.²