Government Castle Environment Sheet

Visual Aspect and Story

The so-called Government Castle, or simply Castle, is the place where the 3-Great Rulers live and where they manage all the politics of the island. After the designation of the Viper Ruler as the next sovereign of the island, he decided to have a new castle built on top of the mountain range that runs through the island. In addition, roads and paths were made and rebuilt to provide easy access to both Baltik and TradePort.

This work lasted more than two years and it was the only economic blip that the Viper Ruler’s government had suffered. The previous castle, which was located in Altik, was destroyed and not even the remains were left, as they were used to build this new one. There are some rumors saying why this castle was built: some said it was to be closer to TradePort for sentimental reasons, as it was the city that gave everything to the Viper Ruler. Others said it was to be closer to TradePort but more for bureaucratic than sentimental reasons. The place where it is located is the same distance from both. Some terrified people said that there was going to be an imminent war with other islands and decided to build the castle in a fortified place; over time this idea has disappeared, except for the odd madmen who still harrumphs about it.

Whatever the reasons, the construction of the Castle improved the roads and the walkways by opening tunnels along the mountain range. These tunnels upgraded the communication between TradePort and Baltik, which had to travel along the coast and through the Mines in order to reach Altik, causing most of the food to go bad or simply not to be transported at all. At the same time, both cities now have new facilities to access the mountain, which has made some houses and collecting raw materials such as plants rocks or even inspecting caves more accessible.

Aesthetically, the Castle is a clear representation of the Viper Ruler’s policy. Although it has a medieval structure and architectural style, its materials are a mixture of the remains of the previous one and a metallic style brought by this technological renovation. The foundations and the base of the castle are made of grey rock and greyish bricks, the same stones being visible (edited image). The Castle is composed of several towers (about 7) and a central dome with a large stained-glass window that looks like a clock. Of all the towers, three stand out in height, the one behind the central dome being the tallest of them all. In these towers are the chambers of the 3-Great Rulers.

It is a very imposing and large castle, consisting of many pipes (and even some gears) running inside and outside the castle. It consists of a lot of glass and has many rooms inside. The entrance door is a large dark wooden gate that opens automatically..

Gameplay and relevant characters and items

The Castle will be the end of the René’s adventure. Having defeated two of the 3-Great Rulers, equipped himself and undergone his personal evolution, he will go to rescue his brothers.

Inside the Castle, there will be numerous guards that will challenge the player by fighting against him. These guards will be more powerful than any other regular enemy that we faced, having the most powerful equipment and having shields for the first time (we cannot damage them until we break his shield).

In the different rooms, there will be healing items, and different accessories to improve your statistics. There will also be a fountain from which you can recharge the Steam Fist and different bugs to make dust for the Dust Gun.

Other objects that we can find are different written papers like guards’ diaries, testimonies of trials or different documents about the past of the 3-Great Rulers and about the castle itself. Some of them will be written in a personal point of view and others will be in a third person, written by guards or villagers who visit the castle asking for something. Finally, you will have to fight against the final boss: the Viper Ruler and his Coppermorph. This battle will be very tough and you will have to put into practice everything you have learnt throughout the game, all the mechanics will be used to defeat it.

Context

This setting is one of many created for a VR steampunk RPG where I was responsible for the narrative design. It is the game’s final area, accessible only after defeating two of the three leaders of the island.