Dunwall Tower

Lore & Background

Following the conspiracy to murder Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, Dunwall Tower became the stronghold of Lord Regent Hiram Burrows. The building transformed from an imperial residence into a grim administrative center where the City Watch and Overseers enforced martial law. It is within these walls that the fate of the city was decided, as Corvo Attano infiltrated the fortress to seek revenge on those who framed him and killed his Empress. The Tower's upper chambers were utilized by the Abbey of the Everyman to monitor citizens and enforce religious decrees, shifting the building from a seat of secular power to one of dogma. The structure overlooks a city divided by 'Walls of Light' energy barriers, which disintegrate unauthorized travelers while the plague spreads unchecked in the lower districts.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Dunwall Tower is defined by the betrayal that occurred within its halls. After Empress Jessamine was murdered and her daughter Emily Kaldwin kidnapped, the Tower became the base for a regime fueled by corruption and whale oil weaponry. Corvo Attano, once the bodyguard to the Empress, was forced to become an assassin to reclaim the city. His mission involved navigating the heavily guarded fortress to reach Lord Burrows, aided by the Loyalists resistance group. The story changes based on the player's actions; if violence is used, the Tower becomes a scene of increased chaos with more rats and plagued citizens appearing in the surrounding areas. Conversely, a non-lethal approach allows for alternative resolutions where targets are not killed but removed from power, altering the future of the Empire.

Reader's Guide

Dunwall Tower is accessible through multiple paths designed to support both stealth and combat gameplay styles. Players must navigate loading docks, royal estates, and poverty-stricken streets leading up to the fortress. The level design allows for exploration to find randomized elements, such as changes to a target's clothing or mask, requiring players to adapt their strategy each time they play. Within the Tower, players can utilize supernatural abilities like 'Blink' for short-distance teleportation or 'Dark Vision' to see enemies through walls. Success depends on managing mana potions and avoiding detection by guards whose alertness levels shift from normal to suspicious based on sound and sight. The game tracks these actions via a 'chaos' system, which modifies the story outcome and determines which of two endings is reached based on the number of deaths caused.

Did You Know?

• Dunwall Tower was the setting where Corvo Attano sought to avenge the murder of Empress Jessamine and reclaim her daughter.
• The building's security relies on heavily armored officers known as Tallboys and energy barriers called 'Walls of Light' that disintegrate unauthorized intruders.
• During development, designers chose not to restrict players from exploiting powers but instead redesigned levels like the Tower to accommodate unexpected outcomes.