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Hello, Trailblazers of the Unknown,
The Citadel is the central piece of Sheol, and all that remains of humanity. If you have not already read our special dedicated to the districts of the Citadel, you can download it here.
“The Citadel, also called the “Island of Light”, stands on a plateau in the middle of a vast plain and is surrounded by the Lightring and two levels of walls that protect it against the attacks of the shadows. With its soaring architecture and a stylish crossing of roads resulting from the cooperation of the different peoples that took refuge there, The Citadel is constituted by three massive metropolitan levels plus a maze of underground areas dug into the heart of the plateau. In the underground area, there are the greenhouses, the mine, the ancient tunnels, and the Well of Depths.
On the first level, there are the canal district, the areas of the sprawling mega-structures, the forge sector, the column district, the crater, and the markets that through their endless alleys reach all the way to the slums where the poorer classes live.
On the second level, the urban mega-structures become even denser, and under the shelter of the shining Source of Knowledge, which is the engineers’ headquarters, stands the Monumental district followed by the district of the Emperors and the military areas. Panoramic areas such as the Terrace district are inhabited by the wealthiest population, and sometimes the inhabitants of the first level travel all the way up there to enjoy the magnificent view of the areas below.
The third level is almost entirely managed by the council, the Luminary Monks, and the nobles of the Citadel. The magnificent medieval-style towers and light embraced arcologies celebrate the past greatness of mankind and peak in the Spire, the tallest point of the Island of Light.
The Citadel is an ever-changing place, consisting of kaleidoscopic universes that interconnect with each other, and it is rather easy to find cyber-powered humans, hackers for hire and beggars drenched by the rain in the same street. However, remember not to be fooled by the pompous magnificence of the highest levels, with their mega-structures boasting astounding architecture or the robotic wonders that survived after the Submersion.
The Citadel is a deeply decadent place, continually struggling to maintain its appearance and to ration its resources. The truth is that most people prefer not to think about the sunless world that surrounds the Lightring and they look away from the lights in the streets that keep turning dimmer and dimmer by the day, or from the corpses that are brought to the outdoor plants to be recycled. Unconsciously, all of them are living a great dream or a shared hallucination of what mankind once was. But the day will come when they will have to look into the eyes of the unknown and listen again to the scouts, the only ones who dare to see the Citadel for what it is: a huge luminous tombstone, stuck in the heart of the world.”
(from the Scholar diary)
The Citadel is a constant element in the game and the centerpiece of Sheol. We have designed it thoroughly so that it integrates different cultural aspects, different social strata, and has its own coherence in the world of Sheol. We designed the districts so that they stood out from each other: one industrial, one architectural, one residential … but at the same time physically feasible. Initially, the Citadel had large arches in the upper level and a highway on the intermediate level. Unfortunately, we had to eliminate them for manufacturing reasons. It is essential when making miniatures never to lose sight of the manufacturing aspect, especially if they are detailed as these.
Secondly, we wanted the Citadel to be modular, to give the idea to the players that it would evolve during the missions and we wanted it to give the feeling that the Citadel can grow stronger and become “the players’ own place”. It was a great challenge to find a system to split it into 12 pieces while avoiding its collapse. So, in the end, we found a solution creating a central support that would hold the upper levels. We call that piece “the mushroom” – you may notice it has buildings in the opposite direction that “hang” from what is left of the original mountain, excavated by the immense machines that gave life to the Citadel.
Finally, the Citadel is so vital in the game that it has a dedicated management board. Tomorrow, we will describe its use and the development phase that takes place between Sheol’s missions. Stay with us!
Thank you so much, Explorers of the Night! Follow us for the next updates.
Preserve the light!
P.S.: Yesterday we unlocked THREE social goals – including double layer scout Lux vials. Yeah!! ^_^
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