OK, So, I'd like the help of my fellow inmates in designing a level. This level will be made in the near future but is now in concept stage.
A. BACK STORY
In the fifth year of the War, Tyr was leveled by the combined armies of The Watcher and The Deciever, and Mazzarin fell to The Watcher himself in the battle. Following the fall of the city, the Watcher and The Deciever clashed in their first conflict of the Great War, alluded to in Seven Gates. In their wrath, the two combatants barely noticed a brave group of men sneak into the city to recover an artifact, a legendary tome called The Map. The Map was, in effect, a guide to the huge catacombs beneath Muirthemne, and the 2000-page tome was written over the coarse of several lifetimes by a mad Heron Guard who frequently ventured into the Crypts.
For ten years, the Nine poured over the book, analyzing it, and studying it to see if victory could be found beneath Muirthemne. The fate of many powerful artifacts was revealed to them, and they knew their was value to be gained from an expedition into their recesses.
But on the ninth level of the Catacombs, the oldest and deepest level, connected to the cave systems themselves, there was a chamber, cut off from the rest of the catacombs. The Map spoke of a thing so powerful within that it was guarded by the dÊmons of Êons past to prevent it's even coming into the light again. The Nine agreed to try to recover it...
B. OVERVIEW
You must lead Truan and a party of heros into the ninth level of the catacombs to retrieve the thing the Map speaks of - it is The Head, buried under thousands of tons of rock in a chamber beneath the city. Failure is not an option.
C. OBJECTIVES:
- Retrieve The Head from the catacombs beneath Muirthemne
- All your heros must survive while under your control.
D. THE CAST
1. Truan the Berserk Legend
Truan is a tough and fierce fighter, sorta like we was in TFL but with a special ability "Battle Rage" attack that makes him go berserk against an enemy.
2. Trahern the Berserk Hero
Remember this dude from CoD; A Debt Repaid? He's the same in this, with that special-ability "Exectution."
3. Two Color Guard Warriors
These are really really good warriors, not as good fighters as your berserks, but they can fight very well, and aborb a lot of punishment due to their very efficient blocking. They are great for holding the flanks while your two berserks attack.
4. Two Bowman Heros
Two Imperial Bowmen, all that are left of their number since the fall of Muirthemne, aid you. They're Oderic-like characters
5. Dwarf Hero
Maybe this could be Acheron from 'Raiders of the Ermine,' although it wasnt an objective to keep him alive on that level. Oh well.
6. Jman
Gotta have him ;)
7. DÊmons
This is what the heros call the Myrkridian Ghosts, since they have no idea that's what these things are. They are very mean and nasty. I'm going to implement the unused attacks, like the skull-throw and the two-handed death blow attack. They wont be as tough however since I want there to be a lot of these guys fighting your heros.
8. Imprisoned Trow
Statues of frozen trow are present in a couple of places on this level. Attacking the statue causes the stone to fall away in a trow death sequence, revealing an alive and very pissed-off trow encased within.
9. Ghosts
Since you ain't tring to steal the Ibis Crown or anything, you may find other ghosts *helpful* on this level.
E. BASIC LEVEL DESCRIPTION
The level is divided into two parts: You start out entering via a cave-type entrance and must mak your way to a teleporter ring. This teleports you to the second part of the level, the Head's inner sanctum. I'm thinking sort of a marathon-symbol shaped level - the outer sanctum is where you start, you have to get to the inner sanctum, which is the middle area, and there is a long hallway connected to the inner sanctum running down and out into the caves. There are traps in the outer sanctum
F. OUTER SANCTUM TRAPS
We had several ideas
1. Spider Pits
Getting close to these or throwing a molotov down the hole causes "A nightmare [to] broil up out of that pit..."
2. Burian vault traps
There are some burial vaults in the outer sanctum that have the graves of famous legends from ancient times. You can go in and get their artifact weapon, but you have to fight Stygian Knights ("Guardians") after you get it
3. Dead rising up
At mass-grave sights, armies of thrall could erupt from the earth.
Any other suggestions?
G. INNER SANCTUM DESCRIPTION
You get to the teleporter ring and beam into the inner sanctum. You emerge right next to the Head, which is on a stake. As you emerge, you are comp controlled. Truan picks up the head, but you dont regain control - a scripted battle follows, in which everyone but Truan dies (sucks, but it has to happen for the story and you get compensated right after wards). The Inner Sanctum has frozen Trow statues all around it. An army of DÊmons comes down the long corridor and the heros fight them off, but a molotov goes astray, releasing a Trow. he promptly kills the dwarf, then goes and releases the other Trow. As a larger army of dÊmons comes down the hall, the Trow turn and fight them - the Heros are cornered, a battle raging between them and the hallway-exit. They flee down the hall, and two trow break off from the battle front to chase them down the hall. One by one, the remaining heros die until only Trahern and Truan are left. Trahern turns and says "Get the Head out of here!" and turns to face the Trow. Truan turns too and is greeted with a curse. "Go, damn you! I had to do the same once..."
Truan turns and runs, and Trahern dies *very* shortly therafter. Truan is running down the hall the only survivor, with seemingly no hope of escape, when you regain control. At this point, a host of dÊmons appear at the other end of the hall and run towards you. All seems lost - should be a major adrenaline rush for the player.
Here's the thing: Truan has to turn and fight the Trow. If he doesn;t, the dÊmons will kill him or even if he manages to elude them, the Trow will catch up and kill him. If he has the courage to turn and fight, you get immediately reinforced - by ghosts.
Ceiscoran himself, with a host of ghostly Heron Guard, appear and open up a can o' whup ass on the Trow. Truan barely survives, but you can heal him with an HG ghost. You also gain control of three fir'Bolg hero ghosts - they are The Three, ai'Kijin, jo'Za, and that other guy, whats-his-face. You gotta use the HG and fir'Bolg ghosts, Ceiscoran, and Truan to get back to the chamber where the Head was. Spiders are attacking from the caves behind and dÊmons are constantly appearing and attacking from the chamber.
As you go down the hall, Ceiscoran turns comp-controlled when he reaches Trahern's dead body. He performs some magic and you gain control of Trahern's ghost. He does the same for all the other dead bodies of your heros. When he gets to where the Head was, the attacks cease, the HG and fir'Bolg ghosts disappear, and Ceiscoran creates a teleporter ring that takes you back to the outer sanctum. From there, you (Truan and the ghosts of the other heros) must make your way to the exit and freedom. Level ends when you get Truan to the exit.
Comments / suggestions / criticism welcome. Your comments may affect the design of this level.
-Ares
