The Upper City

Lore & Background

The architecture of the Upper City reflects the grandeur and arrogance of the Empire at its peak. Wide, cobblestone avenues are lined with ornate townhouses featuring intricate stonework, gas lamps, and private gardens that seem to defy the gloom that permeates the rest of the city. This district was designed to impress foreign dignitaries and reinforce the social hierarchy, creating a physical barrier between those who rule and those who are ruled. The proximity to Dunwall Tower ensures that the elite remain close to the seat of power, often ignoring the cries for help drifting up from the foggy streets below. However, the plague changed the atmosphere irrevocably. Even in this sanctuary, fear took root. The wealthy retreated behind drawbridges and guarded gates, turning their homes into fortresses. The City Watch, once a symbol of order, became an instrument of oppression here as well, enforcing curfews with brutal efficiency to maintain the illusion of control. In the timeline where the Royal Protector seizes power, the Upper City becomes the stage for political maneuvering and assassination attempts, where every shadow holds a potential threat from spies or supernatural assassins sent to topple the regime.

In Their Own Story

The gas lamps flickered with a sickly yellow hue, casting long, dancing shadows against the pristine white stone of the mansion. From the balcony, the air was crisp, devoid of the acrid stench of rot that choked the Lower City. Below, the Wrenhaven River moved sluggishly, reflecting the distant, ominous glow of the lighthouse. A carriage rattled up the cobblestones, its wheels silent on the well-maintained road. The driver wore a uniform bearing the crest of the Royal Protector, his eyes fixed forward, ignoring the masked figure watching from the eaves above. Inside the manor, laughter echoed—polite, restrained, and utterly disconnected from the dying world outside. It was a performance of normalcy, a fragile bubble of gilded life suspended over an abyss.

Reader's Guide

The Upper City is defined by its elevated geography, accessible primarily via steep winding roads or drawbridges that can be raised to seal off the district. The architecture is characterized by high Victorian elegance with heavy stone masonry, large bay windows, and manicured courtyards. Key landmarks include Dunwall Tower, the imposing seat of government which dominates the skyline, and the Hound Pits Pub's upper entrance, a rare point of contact between classes. The district features wide boulevards lined with statues and gas lighting, contrasting sharply with the narrow, dark alleys found elsewhere in Dunwall. In the first game, the area is heavily fortified with City Watch patrols, sentry turrets, and locked gates as the plague rages below. By the time of the sequel, the district has been overtaken by the Abbey of the Everyman, transforming once-glorious estates into religious fortresses filled with zealots and new defensive mechanisms.

Did You Know?

• The Upper City is physically separated from the Lower City by steep cliffs and drawbridges, making it difficult for the plague to spread initially.
• Dunwall Tower, located within this district, serves as the primary residence of the Empress and the center of political power in the Empire.
• Despite its wealth, the Upper City is not immune to the supernatural elements of Dunwall, often hosting Weepers or other plague-related horrors during the outbreak.
• The Hound Pits Pub has entrances in both the Lower and Upper Cities, serving as a unique connection point between the two distinct social strata.