Dishonored Story Playthorugh: Mission 3 - Find Emily: Revisit The Previous Level

Mission #3 – Find Emily:  Revisit The Previous Level

                Emily is being held at the Golden Cat, a bathhouse (or brothel, let’s face it).  As soon as I begin, I realize I’m starting in the same spot that I started my last mission.  Now, however, the door to the main street is sealed shut, and a giant Watch Tower with automatic guns is shooting at tons of people fleeing in the distance.
  

                I try to see Granny Rags, but her house is sealed shut from both entrances.  I explore some rooftops and find a dead homeless man, and then eat all of his food.  I hope I don’t get food poisoning.  How am I able to eat this bread if it’s days old?  Shouldn’t it be as hard as a brick?  

I then teleport onto the Watch Tower and find I can easily remove the Whale oil to stop it.  I then vault over the wall and disable all the guards in the vicinity, afraid that killing them will be too messy.  I explore the scientist’s house again, only to find there is a dead body, and some guards inside.  I find nothing of interest.  I return to the streets and reprogram the Wall of Light because I want to see some guards fry.  Hilariously, one guard tries to throw a grenade at me, only for it to evaporate into the wall.  He slowly approaches the Wall 3 times, as if thinking about very hard about his decision and basing it on what he has seen already, then just decides, screw it, runs into the wall, then evaporates into dust.  What school did this guard go to?

I vault back over the wall I came (I don’t want to go forward, there’s another tower that doesn’t look easy to get by) then go across the bridge where I notice the man that had died previously on my first mission here, waiting for his lover at the dock so they could escape.  I then realize in horror I never told his lover that he had died.  How could I have forgotten that?  How many nights has she wondered what happened to him?   

                I then realize I haven’t really used the Heart on any City Watch or Overseer’s yet.  I just decide not to use it unless it’s on someone important.

In the streets I am suddenly attacked by someone I can’t see--it’s people with the same powers that I have.  Not only that, but they are dressed exactly like those who killed my Empress!  I try to slow time, but one of them has the same idea, and I see that one of them is slowed, but the other is not.  I barely manage to kill them all and survive.  What disturbs me most, is that the Outsider gave me this power.  Did he give it to them as well, or did they get it in another day?  There haven’t been any books on the subject lying around people’s homes open to that exact subject.  Did the Outsider kill my beloved Empress and then give me powers to fight the killers he hired as some sort of sick game for his amusement?  

                I return to the Distillery to learn that the bottleneck street gang lost half their men with the ‘poisoned’ elixir.  Instead of attacking me on sight, however, this time they just rudely allow me to pass.  I laugh as I hear about the problems they have, and wonder if I should kill them all.  I meet with Slackjaw, and he tells me I can help him if I get info on his man Crowly, which I already picked up while at the scientist's house.  I learn that someone (other than me) is killing his gang.  He gives me a key that will get me over to the Golden Cat easier.  He then tells me he can ‘kidnap’ the Pendletons for me.  He won’t kill them, he’ll just take them somewhere.  Is he going to sell them as slaves?  Torture them?  Brainwash?  It’s never made clear, but I want to kill them anyway, so I reject his offer.  He also asks if I can find out the combination to the Artist’s Building’s safe (god, this guy is needy—how does the gang ever get anything done?)

I enter the Artist’s building, but the thugs here don’t know about my alliance and try to attack me.  They pay with their lives, and then the rats eat them while I inspect the safe.  I look at the safe and realize that the gang is completely stupid (and realize why they can’t get anything done).  There are 999 possible combinations on this lock, and when the number is correct, the door will open automatically.  All they needed to do was spend 1 hour trying all the combinations.  I could do it, too, but it’s not worth my time.

I leave, only to find guards patrolling where I had previously knocked everyone unconscious.  Did they all wake up?  I search the place I dumped the bodies, only to find them gone.  Did the rats eat them?  Do they eat unconscious bodies?  Have I inadvertently killed everyone in my quest without realizing it?

I see that the Wall of Light is no longer under my control.  I then back around, and find a former Art Building employee thank me for saving her and give me a key to the abandoned Art Gallery Apartment (which I already broken into).  When did I save her?  At first, I thought she was the one who was assumed of witchcraft that got away, but that wouldn’t make sense, as she was two blocks over.  In the person’s exact location last level, 4 thugs killed a City Watch guard, then got into an argument over how they were splitting the spoils, and 2 of them teamed up and killed the other two (what was odd was that they used alcohol to breath fire at each other).  However, there was no innocent girl to save there.   I know I do a lot good, but I would like to at least know how I did it!  I then realize that it was probably possible to break into this building the previous day.

I knock out some guards, and then reprogram the 2^nd Watch Tower to shoot anyone it sees, which seems pointless since the streets are empty. 

Continue To "Chapter 3 - Find Emily: Golden Cat Bathhouse"

Return To "Mission 2.5 - Killing The Religion: Corruption"

Dishonored Story Playthrough: Mission 2.5 - Hearing My Allies Thoughts / Searching Everywhere

Mission 2.5 – Hearing My Allies Thoughts / Searching Everywhere         I start out by opening my heart (the item I have, not my real one) and using it on all my allies. I find out lots of interesting things about them, such as learning that Cecillia (the common maid) was a seamstress at a rich location, Havelock’s brother died when he was 9, and that Lord Pendleton’s servant (Wallace) lost all his belongings in the flood (which might explain why the heart later says he steals a few coins from Lord Pendleton). Some things it tells me are a little disturbing, such as learning that Piero watches Callista bathe, and that Havelock has killed many whales and people for profit and pleasure.

      I explore the area, only to realize that my heart tells me there is 1 rune somewhere nearby; it says it’s only 5 meters away through a wall, but I’m sure I’ve been everywhere except through the 2 locked doors. I give up and explore the large tower, but can never find a way into the rooms above.

      Luckily, an easier rune is where I swam everyone that accomplished nothing 2 days ago. I see there is a catwalk up above before I jump in, and try to use my new wind powers to blow away the wood above me, but nothing happens. Maybe I have to get more powerful, or God has deemed that no one can exist in this space.

      I find Cecillia, and she is being told my Pendleton’s servant that she must learn to bow and do things properly for the nobles who visit here in the resistance. She is pretty annoyed, saying that everyone is equal here. However, she quickly walks away from his annoying ways. I really don’t like Wallace. At least Pendleton, while he does seem to talk down to others, never comes off overbearing or pompous; you would think his servant was a noble, too. Later, I talk to Cecillia, and she asks about my relationship with the Empress, and quickly retracts it. I would actually like to know the answer to that, as I think I forgot about it in prison.

      I explore the large tower, and try desperately to use my Blink power to get to the very top where I can clearly see an open door. I think there is only 1 place to stand, but my Blink never gives me an arrow indicating it is safe to go. I can see there are holes in the floorboard in the room itself, but Blink won’t allow me up there either, and Windblasts won’t blow away the floorboards. Having to give up a 2nd time, I finally decide to get some sleep.

      When I try to get to Havelock, I run into Wallace again. He is getting on the maid for not doing enough cleaning, while she claims that this place would fall apart without her. Later, one of her comments says, “Mrs. Pendleton; no, I don’t think so.” This leave me to imply that she might have slept with him, was thinking about him, or the argument that I ran into was somehow involved in it. Too many options, so I just forget about it.

      Also, Callista is talking to Piero, but they are having a really awkward conversation. She says he’s pretty nice and, yes, she is slightly attracted to him, but he just doesn’t know how to talk to a lady. I try to talk to Piero to help him with his problems, but he’s only interested in upgrading my items. So, I spend all my money upgrading all I can. Did I really steal $2,500 gold? I obtain my double-zoom and the capacity to carry more darts.

      I never buy the ability to see through walls to find people, or to see their field of vision This feels like cheating to me. Plus, it might be too easy with it. At least this way I feel some real suspense when doing a mission, and actually have to be careful doing my job.

     Havelock wants me to check out a noise in the sewer to see if it’s a Weeper or a nosy Overseer. I find the rune I had given up looking for and kill some zombies…I mean, Weepers. I put them out of their misery because they can’t be saved, and they aren’t really living anymore anyway.

      I met the Overseer I saved (Teague Martin) and worry about some possible friction about working with an Overseer since I clearly have the powers of their enemy–the Outsider. However, he tells me that we are all equal here and have to do what we can. I gain some respect for him in his handling of this situation.

      I then learn that the journal we stole from the High Overseer stated Emily’s whereabouts, and that she is being held by Pendleton’s two older, twin, brothers. They must be killed for kidnapping my beloved Emily. I learn that time is not on my side. The Lord Regent will most likely ‘find’ Emily and say he saved her, just to get in good with the city. Also, apparently, Pendleton says that the Lords are getting to the point that they will soon have a vote or what to do with who is in power if Emily isn’t found soon. So, the Lord Regent is not yet in full control? Who would they put in power if they start a vote? I start to care less and decide it’s time to save the daughter I never had.

Continue to "Mission 3 - Find Emily: Revisit The Previous Level"

Return To "Mission 2 - Killing The Religion: Corruption"

Dishonored Story Playthrough: Mission 2 - Killing The Religion: Corruption

I find Overseer Martin chained up in humiliation. I free him and he thanks me. I wander around the streets, then find I can Blink up to the 3rd floor of Campbell’s house. I sneak in through the window and quickly take out 5 guards in succession. This stealth thing is getting easier. I then find a book that details how to place a mark on an religious member who is an outcast. I realize I can use this on Campbell, but don’t want to; this corrupt bigot needs to die.

      Having found his room, I hear him talking to Callista’s uncle. I quickly run to the glasses of poison, and switch the drinks. I want the Captain on my side. I go out the window and watch the action. Campbell starts talking, then suddenly chocks and realizes he is dying. Campbell begs the Captain to get his journal, but doesn’t finish his sentence. Then, the Captain calls forth help, and demands that they close the place down to find a murderer. The Overseers say they will control their own house, and the Captain and one of his men fight off the Overseers and escape.

      I explore the rest of the house and find Campbell’s secret room that you can only access by pushing a button in a status of himself. I’m glad this guy is dead. He has a hidden room in the basement with a mattress where he meets with woman. Hilariously, one of the Overseer’s has been watching him through the window and was warned to stop in a letter I found.

      I enter the back of the Campbell house and find many guards patrolling with dogs. I also see the sheer evil of the Overseers. One of their own has a sister accused of witchcraft. The others say they don’t get special treatment just because she’s related to one of them. They kill their overseer member and his sister gets away. Then, I come across an Overseer who starts coughing. The other 2 members near him accuse him of hiding the plague from them immediately. He says he’s fine, and coughs again. They kill him while he tries to defend himself verbally.

      Listening to their stupid fears of the plague, I wonder if anyone even knows the symptoms of this plague. It is just coughing? He could have had the common cold, but everyone is so freaked out. Since I’ve been in prison, half of the city has died, and now it looks like the other half will too, but not from the plague.

      In one room I find a device that Sokolov has invented; it plays a musical tone that renders my powers useless. This is very disturbing and I hope I don’t see much of these in the future. I explore many of the houses around here even though my boatman is only a straight line from the door I entered to get here. I can’t help it; there is gold here to use so that I can buy better upgrades in addition to finding ammo and other gear to help me in the future.

      As I get to the boat, I am almost spotted by someone. However, as soon as I hide, they seem to take a page from the guards in Thief and say, “Must have been rats,” and “must have been the wind.” Maybe it’s just a natural thing to say when you don’t know what a noise is.

Continue To "Mission 2.5 - Hearing My Allies' Thoughts / Searching Everywhere"

Return To "Mission 2 - Killing The Religion: The City"

Dishonored Story Playthrough: Mission 2 - Kill The Religion: The City

Mission 2 – Kill The Religion:  The City

     One of the first things I see now that I am released from prison, and it’s the City Watch dumping bodies from a bridge into a boat below.  One of them says “I think that one moved,” but they toss it over anyway.  “Well, it’s not moving no more.”  Great.  I’m so glad I used to work with these type of people.

               

       I see a Wall of Light, which is a wall of electricity that will disintegrate anything that walks in front of it.  I instead go the other way and find two guys just walking about.  I don’t know why they are here when the City Watch is just a few paces away.  I point my heart at one of the men and it says he reports his friends to the Lord Regent.

     I make my way into a house and find Granny Rags, an old woman who has her house suddenly attacked by the Bottle Neck Gang.  She says if I help her, she’ll give me something, so  I place a springwire trap on the ground then open the door.  It kills one, and then I quickly make short work of the others with my sword 

                

     Granny Rags gives me a bone charm, then asks if I can help her take care of the street gang itself by poisoning their illegal elixir they make.  I think about it as I make my way through the city.  I walk through the city streets, avoid people, and end up accidentally saving a shopkeeper, who gives me some good deals; even the heart agrees with me on that one.  I further explore the city and find two thugs having a disagreement with two other thugs (they think one of them is stealing money from a City Watch corpse), with the group that was doing the accusing killing the two they accused.  This city has gotten so disgustingly evil since I’ve been gone.  I decide to end the lives of the two people remaining.

                

I make my way to a scientist’s house who has some rat poison I can steal to poison the elixir supply of the street gang.  There are also questions about how the rat plague appeared, since most rats seem to have started in the inner city instead of the docks.


     Leaving the scientist’s house, The Blink power comes in handy when jumping around out of view, but I still take the time to enjoy the scenery and look for any possible wall I can mantle and climb over.  I constantly look for other ways to walk, jump, fly, & yes, even fall. 

I make my way back to the Distillery.  I am told that I should not enter, and retract my steps.  Luckily, I find that I can walk on the pipes above and sneak past them all (no one ever looks up).    I hear people talk about someone who could move very fast and wears a mask; but I haven’t been here yet, so I don’t know who they’re talking about.  The Outsider has given many people these powers before, but for what purpose?   I quickly find some secrets inside, steal many valuables, then search for the elixir to poison.  I finally do the deed then quietly escape without being noticed.

     I return to tell Granny Rags the news, and find she has built a totem to the Outsider.  The Outsider suddenly appears out of nowhere.  Is he following me everywhere and watching me non-stop?  Is he tracking everything I do to make sure I complete a task for him?  In Thief, the Trickster watched over Garrett for a while so he could get him to steal an artifact for him (both creatures are enemies of the church and considered the true evil by them, mind you) so I am suddenly worried he is keeping tabs on me for a reason.  But, he speaks so calmly it’s almost like he cares about Granny Rags when he says she used to be very famous, so much so that many people vied for her hand in marriage.

           

     I have fun knocking out guards in the middle of the street, and then I reprogram the 2^nd Wall of Light and purposely cause a commotion.  Two guard runs toward me and are quickly vaporized.  Another guard looks at me and tosses a grenade, but it evaporates.  He walks slowly, then stops, slowly, then stops, slow, then stops.  Hello, you’ve seen 2 friends and a grenade vaporized; do you really want to come after me?  Finally, after his 3^rd stop, he growls impatiently, draws his sword, and runs directly at me in a rage.  I watch his body explode into ash.  These guards are not very smart.   Anyway, with the street now mine, I make my way to the Overseer property.

Continue To "Mission 2 - Kill The Religion: Corruption"

Return To "Mission 1.5 - Secrets & Stealing"

Dishonored Story Playthrough: Mission 1.5 - Listen To People’s Inner Secrets & Steal Their Stuff

Mission 1.5 – Meet The Allies / Search People’s Rooms
Playstyle 1: Whatever

      I am told to meet the man in charge of the group still loyal to the Empress (Loyalists). Instead, I swim around the entire docking area. I am immediately damaged by sources unknown. Are there piranhas in the river? I swim around the left tower, but find nothing but colorful scenery (I’ve been in prison for 6 months, I needed to partake in the air and view the surroundings I had missed—though finding rare items washed upon the shore seems plausible, too). I then start searching the entire Loyalist house and steal people’s things (I told you, I can’t help myself). The gold is so tempting, and so shiny– and when I get close to it, IT GETS EVEN SHINIER!

      I also start reading through everyone’s personal journals; I do want to know about the people that have helped me. A poor whaler was defeated by the struggles of city life (was that the boatman?). I also learn that they wanted to free me for some time. Am I just an instrument to further the plot—their plot against this new nation?

      I meet up with Admiral Havelock (the leader of the Loyalists) and a noble named Treavor Pendleton. Pendleton says everyone is equal here, but I heard on his Victrola (I’m sorry, Audiograph; damn, I really read those Thief novels too many times while I was in prison) that no one understands he has problems, even though he’s heard ordering champagne from his servant as he says this.

      Admiral Havelock tells me they fight to take back the city from the Spymaster, who is now the Lord Regent and ruler of this city. I want to believe these people, but I could just be used again. Havelock tells me to talk to their inventor and get some rest, as if I’ve already decided to join them. I want to speak up for myself and tell him just because he busted me out doesn’t mean I’m going to instantly join him, but I find that, after having not talked to a single person in prison for so long, that I can no longer speak.

      I speak to the inventor, Piero. He has a bit of an ego trip. Reading all his papers, I find that he thinks himself superior to Sokolov, and believes his plague elixir is better. His papers give off lots of aggressive tendencies and hostility at not being recognized, as well as displaying feelings of inadequacy. I wonder if the Loyalists know how much of a dangerous man they are harboring. It is only a matter of time before he invents something dangerous (like robots that run on steam and shot canons from their arms) or turns into a villain to fight against us just to show us all how brilliant he is. I’m going to get close to this guy so that when he snaps he still considers me a friend.

      He shows me lots of tools and gives me a mask. Sweet; like Garrett, I now have a mechanical eye that zooms. This will be helpful is spotting whether or not people are facing me when I try to sneak by them. Since I am famous in the city, he recommends I wear it. He also has lots of tools that seem tailor suited to fit me. Has he been building all this since I was in prison, just for me?

      I find a letter from Havelock stating to Piero that they don’t have much money, and to stop requesting so many things. At least now I have a reason to justify my klepto ways; I can now say it’s for the greater good (new sweet gear). I already angered Havelock when I stole some of the gold from his bar and started chucking bottles into the air. Though why Peiro couldn’t find out that an item he needed was in the dumpster in the alley next to his house, I’ll never know (how long had it been there? It looks like this trash has been this way since the plague started—leave your workshop and explore the outside world around you!). I also run into Callista, who says her Uncle is the Captain of the guards, and wants to know if I could save her Uncle from Campbell’s plan to kill him. Apparently, he is the only person in the City Watch that is uncorruptable. I wish I knew if she were telling the truth, as I feel that I should know this since I did travel with this man for 4 months.

      I then try to explore the tower, but there is no way inside. Realizing I’m completely trapped, with no doors to leave and find out how this connects to the city, and no walls to mantle over, and realizing that I did just break out of prison and was running for life and am possibly exhausted, I go to bed. Hopefully, tomorrow, I can begin my quest to look for Emily and keep my promise to Jessamine.

      I wake up, but as soon as I walk outside, I find that the entire world is gone. All that exists is a blue haze filled with crumbling buildings and…a whale? It is here I meet the Outsider of legend. He gives me a power called Blink, which allows me to move at distances with great speed. I use it to explore the back of every building, and even the rocks near every building and corner. However I am not careful and fall into the abyss. Luckily, the Outsider teleports me back, saying that I cannot die here in my dreams.

      I see a construction of Jessamine’s death. Why are you showing me this? I also see Emily being held by 2 guys, and the Lord Regent playing with a map as if controlling everything like a chess game. All of them are completely frozen. What are these images? A few are just people getting killed or crumbling buildings and I wonder what they have to do with anything. The Outsider also gives me a magical heart that tells me the secrets of places and people when I point it at them. Garrett had a talking body part on his adventure–an Eye–but luckily, my magical talking object doesn’t make sarcastic quips at me; it just tells me the truth. It also tells me where magical runes and charms are so that I can call forth other magical powers. The Outsider says I have the potential to change this city, and looks forward to watching my actions.

      When I awake, I find the tattoo still on me. And, I move incredibly fast though the air. I now have powers, powers which I can use to save Emily and avenge my Empress.

Continue To "Mission 2 - Kill The Religion: The City"

Return To "Mission 1 - Prison Escape: Sewer Escape"

Dishonored Story Playthrough: Mission 1 - Prison Escape: Sewer Escape

Mission 1 – Prison Escape:  Sewer Escape

Playstyle #1 – Whatever

    I find my way up the steps and…on my god!  Those rats just devoured two people to their bones in less than 10 seconds.  I knew the plague was coming from the rats, but, wow.  They were like piranhas just now.  I don’t want to encounter…well, there’s some rats gunning for me right now; great.  I dive into the water to escape, but, man; the sewer water?  I’ll have the plague for sure now.

     I come upon some coins, then read the letter next to it.  At first, I think I might have stolen from someone just trying to survive in this harsh world.  It’s a good thing he already died of the plague, as I couldn’t give the money back to him; I have a mental disease known as kleptomania that prevents me from giving people back their money.

     There are some tripwires (why are these here?) and I eventually find the stash of items and clothes left by my new allies after searching for it everywhere even though it was right in front of me the last ten minutes.  I immediately start a liking to the crossbow, and am able to take one guard out from many stories in the air.  However, while traveling, I see 2 guards, and when they turn the corner and I try to follow, a 3rd guard is already walking toward me and spots me immediately.  Having no choice, I have to fight all 3 of them.  I’m surprised that the last guy didn’t run away after I killed him; he was the one telling his friend that I knocked unconscious earlier that running into and fighting me one-on-on was not a bright idea.  He should have heeded his own advice.

     I look at the blood of the people I used to work with.  What have I done?  Is this how I am to survive, killing those that are just doing their job?  Was there any way I could have avoided thi…hey, a pipe on the ceiling.   I could have walked over the guards undetected this whole time.  Damn you hindsight!  If only I could go back to the time before this happened with a push of a button, but that is just a fool’s dream.
 
     I then have to get around more rats by feeding them corpses.  I overhear the guards dumping the bodies illegally because they fear the plague.  I just realized something horrifying.  The Lord Regent says anyone with plague symptom should turn themselves in, and turn others you know that have it in.  But, the Spymaster didn’t believe in that, he just wanted to kill everyone with the plague to save the city (I overheard his conversation 6 months ago when I first returned; it’s not something you forget).  I understand his plan; The Lord Regent is tricking people into turning themselves in so he can kill them; he’s trying to kill off the plague, literally.  I vow to kill him as soon as I can.
   
     I meet a man outside the sewers near a boat who informs me he is here to help me escape.  I get in his boat and reflect on the number of people I’ve killed, the number of people I’ve knocked unconscious, and count the gold I’ve stolen for no reason whatsoever.

Continue To "Mission 1.5 - Listen To People's Inner Secret & Steal Their Stuff

Return To "Mission 1 - Prison Escape: My Fellow Guards"

Dishonored Story Playthrough: Mission 1 - Prison Escape ( Part 1 of 2): My Fellow Guards

Mission 1 – Prison Escape:  My Fellow Guards

Playstyle #1 – Whatever

     After living in a stupor for 6 months, I am approached by the Spymaster (now calling himself the Lord Regent, and ruling in the Empress’ place) and Overseer Campbell.  They tell me they killed the Empress and set me up to take the fall because the Empress was weak in asking for help.  Hello?  It was a plague?  What kind of twisted pride do you have?  At least Campell is a religious bigot so I understand his reasoning.  I’m pretty sure the Spymaster only wants power, and is just acting so he can have the High Overseer on his side.

     While in prison, I caught up with the popular Thief trilogy books that were popular before I left.  I must say I find a lot of that world in mine.  They have a religious group called “Hammerites”, and though not as violent as our Overseer brethren, seem all too familiar.  I dream of taking my revenge, scaling up rooftops, and killing religious fanatics. 

     The day before my execution, I receive a letter that comes with a key to my cell, and tells me they have hidden a bomb in the interrogation room, that I should retrieve it and use it on a certain door.  Not caring at the moment who it is, I bust out and start crushing people in the neck, which somehow knocks them unconscious.  At one point, I imagine how I’m going to sneak by the guard, but every time I imagine doing it, he always spots me.  Frustrated, I run up behind him and chop off his head; I didn’t realize the anger of being imprisoned for so long would get to me like that.

     I find my sword and a gun, then begin knocking more people unconscious; these are the same guards that worked for the Empress, after all. 

     I then overhear a prison guard state that he’s still in favor of the Empress.  Shit.  I don’t want to have to kill this guy; I’d better be extra careful and find another way around.  Eventually, I make it to the bomb, and the wall, and try to imagine how the guards outside will react since I know where they are (I did work here after all).  I assume they are right near the steps and come up to get me.  When I blow up the wall for real, I run down the stairs to kill them, only to find they are not there, and are now behind a wall where I can’t reach them; shooting at me.  I thought I knew where all the guards were supposed to be stationed?

     I head for the sewers, and overhear how hard it will be to find me once I’m in there.  Thanks for the tip.

Continue To "Mission 1 - Prison Escape: Sewer Escape

Return To "Mission 0 - Meet The Empress: My Fellow Guards"

Dishonored Story Playthrough: Mission 0 - Meet The Empress

The point of this blog will be to write about my experiences playing through Dishonored, and what I do in the game, talking as if I am the character Corvo you play as, while also mentioning game mechanics like they actually exist.  I will play through it with 4 completely different play styles, making comments on each.  The styles are as follows:

1)      Explore - explore everything, even stuff you weren’t meant to, and experiment; sneak, knock unconscious, or kill depending on my mood or what the characters say or do to me. 

2)      Kill Everyone – My quest to kill everyone, that includes every main character, every NCP, and all creatures (except rats--in Thief it was spiders).  BONUS:  The dead cannot be moved and must be left where they fell.

3)      Knock Everyone Unconscious.

4)      Ghost – Go through an entire game without touching a single enemy or being seen; don’t kill them, or knock them unconscious.
 

The blog will only cover Play Style #1 – Explore for the first few months, as I don’t plan to play the game that obsessively (yet).  Also, I frequently search out everything, meaning it takes me twice as long to finish a game than a normal person.  Frequent comparisons to Thief:  The Dark Project, Thief 2:  the Metal Age, & Thief:  Deadly Shadows will appear frequently .  Also, this will never be a review.

Mission 0 – Meet The Empress

Play Style #1 – Whatever

     When I woke, I found myself upon a boat.  I have just finished traveling to the other 3 majors cities within this country of ours, and am returning to Dunwall (even though I was born in one of the other 3, though my mind is weary from the travels to even remember my hometown).    My companion for the last 4 months hopes that a cure for the plague has been found while we were gone, but I’m not going to hold my breath. 

     Our boat is ushered into a small alley that is quickly closed off.  Water pours from the side walls like little waterfalls and our boat rises 5 stories into the Empresses’ castle’s boating dock.  I grow impatient and jump into the waters below (and just realized that I am holding my breath), just happy to be home in my natural clean waters, but I almost say under too long.  How stupid would I appear if I died the day I returned?  I start talking to the workers and learn that Sokolov has installed new pumps to make this boat dock work better.  After about 5 conversations, each of the workers grow bored with me and start tuning me out, as nothing I do will make them talk to me anymore.  I have truly returned to a less caring city than the one I left.

I look at the world below as I stand on the edge, wondering what it would be like to jump into the jagged cliffs below; maybe there is a loose platform down there that won’t kill me head on.  Sure, I’d be trapped down there, but I’d show the creator a thing or two.  I guess I’ll try to jump in another life.

    

     Ahead I see from free-floating text in the sky that the Empress is 60 feet away from me.  What powers did I obtain while I was away?  Luckily, I just close my eyes and meditate hard enough; expunging these stupid powers.

     I run into Lady Emily on the way.  She is like a daughter to me, even though the Empress and I share no romantic feelings .  She wants to play, but I’ve just returned home with grave news, and her mother has been waiting for this news for months. 

     On the way to the Empress, I run into world famous inventor Anton Sokolov (responsible for making an elixir that prevents you from getting the plague and stopping it; maybe) painting a portrait of High Overseer Campbell (the leader of the religion in Dunwall) .  If this were a novel, I’d say I was being introduced to all the major characters in my story, but that type of thinking it jettisoned as I steal the bottle from the table, upsetting Solvolk because he doesn’t have it for reference anymore.  Surely no novel would include such antics.

     I talk to the High Overseer and learn he believes that the disease was brought about by a lack of faith in the country, and that faith is all that is needed to overcome the plague.  Right.  At least Sokolov slips in some words to let me know he isn’t a fan of Campbell, either.

     On the way to Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, I talk to every person I see as much as possible, even the maid; come on, I haven’t seen many of them for months.  I then circle underneath the stairs, gaze at the beauty of the city, look in bushes for hidden treasure, and see the remnants of what looks like a few miles long bridge foundation (sans bridge) stretching into the city.  What happened to that bridge?  Why is our castle away from the city and not part of it?

     On the way to the Empress, I run into the Spymaster; every time I hear him talk he sounds like he’s above everyone.  I tell the princess the sad truth that our mission; it was a failure and the other cities will quarantine us and stop their trading to make sure they don’t get the plague.   She is thinking about the next step, when, out of nowhere, she spots people running toward us from the rooftops.  I fight off some of them, but then others magically appear, and another holds me in the sky with his magic.  The Empress is killed and tells me to watch over Emily, but she has been kidnapped.  Again, others appear out of nowhere, only its the Spymaster and 2 guards, accusing me of killing the Empress and kidnapping Emily (even though I can’t kidnap someone when I am still present). 

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