The Bunkers

The Bunkers
(Credit to Chris for most of the work)

[[Media:BunkersDungeon2.jpg]]

''Situated quietly under the tower and courtyard lies an expansive network of corridors designed to protect the royal family and citizens from sieges on the castle. These are known as bunkers, and are not, in any way, an inviting place...

Players get to this level from the locked door from the Tower’s first floor / Great Hall.''

Physical Description / Layout


The bunkers are intended to be an exploratory space where the player will be initially introduced to the idea of the creatures in this area. There will be little to no combat within this level. Essentially, the player should start to feel very uneasy about the fact that nothing will confront him, the level should play on his fear of the unknown instead of being a hack and slash experience.

Please ignore the marks on the map; they're not directly relevant to any events. There are some notes, however. Only the light areas – L1 through L15 will be available. The transition at L26 will be sealed off, while the transition at L14 will head to the dungeons which are in the next level.

Mood, Lighting, Look & Feel
The bunkers are intentionally creepy. If you want inspiration, try Doom 3, Penumbra: Overture (or either of the other two in the game's trilogy), or maybe the movie The Descent. Major use of intensly dark lighting and sound will be necessary – especially sound events that are local to the player. Additionally, we may wish to use ‘fading’ NPCs that run in or around the player himself – but do not engage at all, simply vanishing into the shadows if at all possible. Overall we want the player to remain constantly on his guard and expect attack where none is actually going to come. Additional effects that we can use are doors that close on their own, along with lights that go out as well as dimming the lights on the player the closer he gets to the dungeon entrance.

Important Locations
Annex: In the center of the dungeon (located in the center of the L5, L6, L9 marks above) there is a location the player must eventually reach (all roads lead here eventually). See Major Events for more info.

 Pickup Chamber 1: Near L4, a circular area (similar to the bottom-right image at the start of this document) contains a journal page of one of the guards that has been to the dig site. The journal describes in detail the explosion that occurred after Governor Vandalis went down and of how some of the others have been changing into something horrible. The journal notes that there is something far more powerful than merely the machine down there – but somehow the machine is influencing it.

Also contained in this chamber: •	Old Jerkey (heals, still poisons, but this time blinds the player. If blinded after eating it, the player will hear unearthly screams and the world will become darker.  The whole process ends in about 10 seconds.) •	Candlestick (fast attacking weapon with low damage, high DPS). •	Healing Salve (heals ¾ of the player's HP per use. 12 uses.  Instantaneous).

Storage Room:

(L7) This room has a stark industrial feel combined with a sense of mood that only ages of history can afford. If you get time, populate the walls and maybe some desks with all kinds of random stuff the player can pick up. Hand tools, saws, shears, etc. This room contains a locked desk that can only be unlocked by a key obtained from the silent room. Unlocking the desk will reveal a spectral sword, which will be useful against some of the creatures within the Abyss.

Pantry:

(L10) Food storage area. Rows of free-standing shelves taller than the player line this room. All kinds of foodstuffs hang, sit on shelves, exist disheveled on the ground. The stuff in lit areas can be eaten, though it is very old (follow the jerky/whiskey route and make it do funny or harmless stuff to the player. There will be a bottle of oil here that will seem suitable to knock the dungeon door off of its hinges. It will only become visible after the player has actually been to the dungeon door, however.

Dungeon Entrance

At L14, the main dungeon entrance is present. The heavy door appears to be jammed shut. It will take a few strength checks by the player to be able to break through. However, if he has the Golem from the Society he’ll be able to break through easily enough. Otherwise he can break through or lockpick his way through. If all else fails, he can get some oil from the Pantry that will loosen the door hinges.

Surgery and Tanning:

(L8) Think quake 4 but more funny and less mutilation, and more medieval.

Combination shoe shop and surgical wing. Contains a suit of masterwork leather armor. Examination of armor hints at being human skin in origin, but not heavily, and it actually is not. “Fits surprisingly well, almost like a second skin...”

Major Events
Keep in mind that at all times, you should hear occasional wails and cries of what you might imagine are ominous or sadistic creatures in the bunkers. Perhaps intermingled with the unintelligible chatter of under-stimulated, almost sleepy commoners.