09/12/97 ================================================================ NOTE: You need QuakeV1.08 to use this level pak! See below for more details ================================================================ Title : Penumbra of Domination Filename : mexx9 (mexx9(a/b/c/d) in pak0.pak) Author : Marcus Dromowicz Email Address : Marcus.Dromowicz@Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.de Description : Five new Quake maps Additional Credits : Reptile for story&trap ideas Count Wladimir as the voice of the Bishop Anthony 'Airon' Oetzmann for additional sounds&fx and sample processing Darin McNeil for the Cut Scene code Ritual Entertainment/Hipnotic and Rogue Software for QuakeC Source of their Mission Paks ================================================================ * Play Information * Single Player : Yes Cooperative : Yes (3 coop starts) Deathmatch : Yes Difficulty Settings : Yes New Sounds : Yes New Graphics : No New QuakeC Stuff : Yes Demos Replaced : None Transparent Water Support: Yes * Construction * Base : Five new levels from scratch Editor(s) used : Worldcraft Known Bugs : - Don't load or start a new game during a cut scene - the screen will keep on 'blurring' then - Switch to full screen during cut scenes does not work with GlQuake, screen size stays the same Build Time : approx. 3 months Compile machine : P120 w/ 32MB RAM QBSP Time : 4/ 7/ 14 / 8/ 8 minutes Light Time : 14/ 23/ 51 / 42/ 36 minutes VIS (-level 4) Time : 180/ 181/ 82 / 49/ 17 minutes Brushes : 1368/ 1600/ 2365/ 1667/ 1964 Entities : 472/ 682/ 841/ 782/ 801 Models : 95/ 102/ 87/ 176/ 130 average leafs visible : 112/ 143/ 114/ 94/ 82 * How to Use * Create a directory called mexx9 in your Quake-dir. Put the archive file in it and extract it. If you got the arj-version of that, do this using "ARJ E -V MEXX9". Then start Quake using "quake -game mexx9 +map mexx9". You need Quake V1.08 to run this level pack (or any GlQuake version). V1.06 does not provide enough entities for these maps, the game will quit when the limit is exceeded (the time of this depends on the skill level). Quake V1.07 could do fine, too, but I have not tested it with that version. If you got problems, contact me via email at the adress above. All maps are compiled to support transparent water in GlQuake, so make sure to activate this option using "r_wateralpha 0.3". * Other Info * Ok, this is, after mexx7&8, the final chapter of the 'Bishop Trilogy'. The pack contains five large new maps: Monastry of the Time Monks Cadaver Carnival Tower of Twilight Last Line of Defense - Breached - Penumbra of Domination - The Final Confrontation at Domino's Castle Some outdoor areas of these maps need more CPU power than my previous releases although I used almost every VIS-trick to speed them up; however, I still get good framerates on my old P120 with both 'normal' and GlQuake. The maps are quite straightforward. I don't like maps where you have to run through huge empty areas and seek keys hidden somewhere in the corner.... I tried to avoid such annoyances. Maps with too few ammo suck, too - I don't think hunting shamblers with the axe is fun (well, not ALL THE TIME :) Therefore, there's always enough shotgun ammo in my levels - but keep an eye on the other stuff... Furthermore, I gave each map at least one special. Most of them included lots of QuakeC programming. Why not new mdls for the altered/new monsters? The reason is simple, I did not found mdls that looked good, and I'm no texture or mdl artist myself. However, I found some animations unused by id. During the build time, I guess I have encountered most errors of quake editing. The most exotic ones where a model stack overflow and 'canonical vector: degenerate'. If you like this map, make sure to check out my other ones! Again, I appreciate feedback from everyone who played this level - or maybe you recorded a cool deathmatch-demo using my level. Email it to: Marcus.Dromowicz@Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.de (if that adress does not work from your provider, try marcus.dromowicz@arbi.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de) Oh, can you find the Super Secret? "now you'll see your star prick your finger it is done the moon has now eclipsed the sun the angel has spread its wings the time has come for bitter things" - Marilyn Mansion, Antichrist Superstar, Antichrist Superstar, 1996 * Other maps from author * SPQ/COOP/DM maps: mexx(1&2) - The Entrance & The Sanctum mexx3 - Chthon's Castle mexx4 - Nurgle's Vault mexx5 - The Terror of Tzeentch mexx6 - Suicide Staccato mexx7 - A Bishop's Bane mexx8 - Prelude to Apocalypse & Mordrigor's Demise DM maps: mexxdm2 - HatReD 666 pk6&7 of PainKeep - Suicide Staccato & Battered Brains All maps can be obtained from ftp.cdrom.com & mirror sites. * Copyright / Permissions * Authors may NOT use this level as a base to build additional levels. You are NOT allowed to commercially exploit this level, i.e. put it on a CD or any other electronic format that is sold for money without my explicit written permission! This includes magazine cover CDs. You MAY distribute this file through any electronic network (internet, FIDO, local BBS etc.), provided you include this file and leave the archive intact. You are NOT allowed to extract parts of the pak file and distribute them. Copyright of the story: reptill@uni-muenster.de * Where to get this map * ftp.cdrom.com and mirror sites, and http://www.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de/~mexx * Essential single player Quake links * Visit Matt's SPQ Level Heaven: http://www.planetquake.com/spq/matt/ For reviews of ALL single player levels check crash's quake pages: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1481/ Vote SPQ levels on Lt. Dan's Single Player Quake Page: http://www.brutality.com/ltdan/ * Story * Penumbra of Domination To Live and Let Die:The Final Confrontation (Domino`s Castle) I. The sun`s warm rays tickled her on the nose and Domino stirred sleepily. Slowly, she opened her eyes and listened to the birds`songs outside in the castle garden. Smiling happily, the lady of the keep raised from her pillows and walked to the window, greeting the new day. Her horrible nightmares were forgotten and cleared from memory. Little did she know that not only wishes may become true, but their dark brethren as well . . . II. Magical energy crackled and thundered as the power of the dark arts defeated the time and space continuum. In mere seconds, a dimensional gate was created. Three creatures, definetly not from this peaceful world, crossed the threshold. With a loud hiss, the portal vanished again. The Bishop stepped forward and sniffed the air. Nodding slightly, he turned towards the two scrags, which hovered nervously some meters above the ground. " No need to worry, my pets. This time, we have reached the right dimension. Domino is near, I can smell her sweet scent." The Bishop bared his fangs in a satanical smile and walked off. He motioned his servants to follow. Nothing could stop him now. III. Mistral yawned silently as he threw some corn to the small horde of pigs. Idly, he watched as the animals consumed the food hungrily. He yawned again and looked at the castle of Lady Domino. He smiled as he thought of the gold coins he would get for his little pigs. His smile widened as he thought of all the nice things he could by for those coins. Some sheep, some carpentry for his wife Barbara. Beautiful Barbara. He grinned and entered his small home. Barbara looked up and smiled to her husband, her delicate hands spinning some wool. Mistral smiled back. " Tomorrow I will sell the pigs, my flower!" Barbara pouted a little bit: " Oh, really? What a pity, they are so cute . . ." Mistral smirked and grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it gently. " But we need the money, dear. We have to buy some food." Barbara smiled and nodded: " Yes, you are right, of course." The distant ringing of bells disturbed their talk. Barbara looked at Mistral, her eyes wide with fear. " The bells of the monastery! Prophecy says they will only ring when doom is near!" Mistral nodded: " Yes, my love, you are right." He took her trembling hands in his and sighed. " May Lady Domino help us . . ." IV: The Bishop laughed as he looked into the eyes of the dying acolyte. " You were no challenge, monk. Rot in hell!" He dropped the corpse and walked down the large stairway. The marble stairs were slippery with blood, but the Bishop didn`t care. He looked at the scrags who hovered near him. " My pets, carry the corpses to the altar. I will perform the ritual of awakening soon!" The scrags nodded and hastened to complete their task. The bishop walked to a window and looked at the monastery. He smirked as he thought of the feeble attempts of the monks to defeat their little sanctuary against his attacks. " Weaklings." He sneered and crossed his arms, watching the sun set. One of the scrags appeared at his side and whispered: " Master, everything is prepared." The Bishop nodded once and went to the altar. He looked at the mutilated corpses and raised his arms, chanting words in a long forgotten language. Forces of evil gathered around him and answered his calls. Dark clouds emerged from the monastery, seeking out all life on this plane, prepared to defile everything that did not follow evil. The Bishop laughed and stepped over the corpses of the monks. He looked out of a window and watched his magic. Suddenly, one of the corpses stirred and grabbed his ankle. Bloodshot eyes looked up to him and lips thin like parchment mumbled: " Your doom is near, you monster. Your existence will end on this plane. You have gone to far. You heretic . . ." The Bishop smirked slightly and raised his foot. " Yes, whatever you say, monk!" He brought it down on the head of the former monk, smashing it like a ripe melon and splattering blood and brain matter everywhere. The Bishop folded his arms and turned again to the window, a thoughtful frown on his face. Some minutes later an evil smile appeared on his lips. He turned to the corpses and uttered some words of a language long forgotten. The Bishop raised his arms and summoned the souls of the departed, to inhabit their former bodies and serve him and his plans. The corpses moaned loudly, not wanting to help his cause. The Bishop snarled and focused his dark powers. Slowly, the undead rose and stood before their new master. The Bishop laughed and pointed westward. " Go, my minions, go and lay siege to the defense towers of Domino!" With a moan of approval, the corpses moved out. With only one exception . . . A headless body banged into the wall, not able to find its way. With an amused smile, the conjurer watched and clapped his hands in delight: " A great performance . . . I will keep you as a servant. I am sure my lovely Domino will like you too . . . " V: Mistral looked up at the sky. Dark clouds covered the sky. Hmm, unusual for this time of the year, he mused. With a slight shrug, he continued on his way home, heavily burdened with the things he bought at the market. But his heart was light as he knew his beautiful wife would be delighted when she saw what he had bought for her. An hour later, Mistral reached his home. Rain dropped from the sky and thunder bellowed. He reached for the doorknob, fumbling around in the darkness. Suddenly, the door flew open and a slender figure stood in the frame. Mistral smiled. "My flower?" His smile died as his flower raised the scythe and brought it down on him, her former pretty face deformed and and unholy light burning in her eyes. " Youuuu shouldnnn`t havveee selled the piiigsss, I aaammm hungryyy. Now, I will eaaat yoouuu. I neeeed fffflesshhhhHHHH!", she said. And brought down the scythe again. And again. Again . . . But Mistral the peasant was lucky. He died before the thing he once called his wife started to feast. Mistral the zombie was not so lucky. Missing most of his thigh, he had to crawl the whole way to the defense tower . . . VI: The Bishop laughed as he stood on the top of the tower. He watched as his army of darkness threw the last defender over the rim. His shrill cries, followed by a smashing sound were like soothing music for the Bishop. Thunder roared and in the distance, a green light pierced the darkness. The Bishop`s eyes grew narrow and he concentrated for a moment, forcing his mind into the brain of a carrion bird feasting on the rotting corpses. With a shrill cry the bird rose into the sky, crossing the distance to the green light in a matter of seconds. The carrion bird circled over the source of the green light and screamed angrily. It was a portal, and a well known figure moved towards the tower, axe in hand. The Bishop snarled and the bird dropped, dead like a stone. " Minions. Prepare to defend the tower! We have a visitor." The unholy army scuttled down the stairs, biting and roaring at each other as each one wanted to be the first to taste the sweet flesh of the attacker. With an evil smile, the Bishop crossed his arms and gazed over the land. In the distance, the towers of Domino`s castle watched over the country. The Bishop uttered a magic word and flicked out of existence. VII: Domino slammed her fist on the table. Sorrow and pain turned her angelic features into a mask of sadness and she whispered: " This can`t be true. The last line of defense is the drawbridge?" Her knights, each one of them a true warrior, nodded. " Yes Mylady, the forces of evil have taken the watchtower. The outpost is completely destroyed. We . . ." Domino inhaled sharply and raised a hand: " Enough. I will return to my chambers. Defend the castle as long as possible, I will need all the time you can give me to prepare the rituals." The knights bowed as their lady walked out of the antechamber, her long white gown rustling like the voices of the dead. Domino returned into her library. She stepped to a small crystal ball, which started to glow in a bright blue light as she touched it. Domino watched as the ball showed her a man, fighting his way through an army of monsters. " Who are you? ", she whispered curiously. The man didn`t answer, a sneer on his face as he decapacitated a zombie holding a wicked looking scythe. Domino smiled slightly, hope filling her heart and soul. The sorceress walked to a large tome and started to read in a loud voice. The Bishop winced as the magical leylines of the land pulsed brightly. Somewhere, someone created powerful magic. " Domino, this won`t save you!", he whispered silently as his watched his troops battling a single attacker. The Bishop crossed his arms and shook his head as his creatures met final death. " Weaklings." He turned and walked through a narrow hallway, nimbly avoiding pits filled with sulphuric acid. He entered a large room, where a hulking figure crouched on the floor, its large hands assembling a blood crusted chainsaw. The figure became aware of the Bishop who stood in the doorway and turned its head. Large eyes glowed in a bright red and it snarled: " Master. Mary Anne and me greet you." The Bishop smiled slightly and nodded. " Greetings, my favoured minion. Tell me, how are you and Mary Anne?" The figure stood up, cradling the chainsaw in its massive arms like a child. " We are fine!" The ogre tilted his head as if listening to an invisible person`s talk. He looked at the Bishop, eyes wide: " But Mary Anne is bored." The Bishop laughed loudly and his eyes glowed in an eerie green. " Excellent. Tell Mary Anne to wait just a little longer, I am sure it won`t take long until she is able to amuse herself." With a feral grin, the Bishop walked out, leaving the ogre alone, who gently caressed his Mary Anne. VIII: Domino moaned slightly as lances of pain from the magical backlash shot through her fragile body. Beads of sweat ran down her back and she concentrated more, forcing the magic forces to channel their energy into the focus which would give her the power to defeat the Bishop. Her knights watched with growing sorrow as their lady stood in front of a swirling energy vortex, arms spread wide and her fingers weaving intricate magical patterns. Then, it happened. A large starshaped form appeared, hovering slightly above the ground. Domino`s knees buckled and her knights rushed to her, supporting her. With a thankful smile, the lady of the keep brushed some damp strands of her raven black hair from her eyes and looked at the star which swirled and circled through the air. Suddenly, energy crackled and lightning flashed, hitting one of the knights. His burned corpse fell to the floor and Domino looked up in alarm. In her mind, she heard the cackling laughter of the Bishop. Again, lightning flashed and another of her fellow knights died. Domino screamed in terror and raised her arms, commanding the vortex to stop. One of the knights threw himself before his lady, taking the deadly lightning bolt for her. Domino winced and cried tears of sorrow. The last remaining knight grabbed her arm and they ran from the deadly lightning, the Bishop's laughter still ringing in Domino`s ears. They fled to Domino`s chambers and bolted the doors. The knight drew his sword and leaned against the heavy oakwood door. " Mylady, we are trapped. But I will protect you with all my heart and . . ." The knight spit blood as a hand crashed through the door, reaching into his body and tearing out his still throbbing heart. Domino screamed in terror and retreated as far as she could, her back to a large window. The door disintegrated and the Bishop stepped through, still holding the heart in his hand. " Indeed, he defended you with all his heart." He smiled and threw the organ to a large dog standing next to him who swallowed it whole. Domino shivered slightly and closed her eyes. The Bishop smiled and crossed his arms, looking at her slightly amused. " Well, Domino, better get used to things like this. As my wife, you will see this quite a lot of times." Domino stared at him, terror filling her beautiful eyes. " I will never be your wife, wizard. Perhaps you can have my body, but you will never reign over my heart and soul!" The Bishop smiled and took a step towards her. " But perhaps your body is all I want and desire? Who cares about the hearts and souls?" Domino shook her head and pressed against the window. " Then you will not even have my body. Farewell, demon." She turned and flung herself against the glass, her momentum carried her through. As Domino plummeted to the ground, a smile of happiness appeared on her lips once more. Then Domino was no more. The Bishop snarled as his love impacted with a bone shattering crunch. Slowly, he shook his head and balled his hands into fists. " What a waste. Domino, I`ll be missing you." Green balefire crackled as he raised his hands and rushed out of the room. With her dead, the only thing left for him was . . . revenge.