I'm on my phone and haven't chexked the link out yet, but I have run across a little info on this before. Not much, but something. I'm hoping for more here.
As for the series; I have played every game to completion and can testify that Blood Omen 2 is the black sheep of the Kain universe; nothing should be judged off of it. SR2 was just as good if not better than the first and Defiance was likewise enjoyable. I do remember Defiance having some small problems with the gameplay mechanics, but the plot and writing was every bit as good as the previous games. BO2, on the other hand, seemed like it was written on the back of a napkin at an all night diner. It may have started as a decent concept, but in the end was executed horribly. If you liked the first two or three games you need to skip BO2 and play Defiance....you won't even be missing anything.
Honestly, it has been one of the most engrossing and intricate series of games I've come across (from a narrative perspective) and it's a huge shame that it has been left by the wayside.