Doom Eternal - Some Things Are Eternal at Home

Put your Let's Plays in here.
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Doom Eternal is the 2020 sequel to the 2016 smash reboot of Doom, picking up eight months after the first game and with some fresh new twists. Gameplay is tougher and faster, greatly limiting your health and ammo so you're required to use your chainsaw more, but also with more fun and fluid platforming; the art direction is more colorful, stylized and comic booky, with the Glory Kills leaning more brutally slapsticky; and the story is far more involved and lore-heavy. How you feel about these changes will likely differ, but it's generally appreciated that Id tried instead of resting on their laurels for a sequel.

The Story
Earth has been consumed by Hell thanks to the help of the corrupted Union Aerospace Corporation. The Doom Slayer returns with a satellite fortress operated by his AI buddy VEGA, with the goal of finding and killing the Hell Priests to quell the invasion. Unlike previous games, things get a lot more complicated from there...

The LP
JigglyJacob takes lead once again with myself (ThornBrain) and TorpidTypist joining on co-commentary. Torpo is largely familiar with the game (up until it got too buggy for him to play anymore), while I haven't a clue.
Because the game is more cutscene-heavy and story-intensive than before, each part will have two versions: one with commentary over the cutscenes and one without. Both links will be under the part banners this time, instead of the banners themselves linking to the videos.

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Last edited by ThornBrain on Wed May 26, 2021 12:35 am, edited 18 times in total.

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Like with Doom 2016, I will be including the Codex entries for Doom Eternal for each episode here in the thread. Since I explain most mechanics verbally, I won't include any of the "Tutorial" codexes.

Underlined Entries indicate codex entries that are found as collectibles throughout the level. All others are automatically collected.


[Part 1 - Heck]

Combat Shotgun
Despite a wealth of armament options for the modern combat specialist, this trusty workhorse remains a firm favorite among operatives. When matched against super-heated plasmoids or gauss driven projectiles, the ballistic impact of the Combat Shotgun holds it's own. The simplicity of the design ensures the weapon is extremely quick and reliable, yet the vast array of ammunition types make it versatile and flexible. Colloquially known as the "Crowd Appeaser", a locked and loaded Combat Shotgun will pacify even the most riotous of assailants.


Zombies
Possessed by the influence of Hell, these once-human underlings that follow in Hell's ranks are those that have been corrupted and deceived by its power, forsaking their own humanity. Those who have fully succumbed to Hell's control cannot be saved, becoming mindless, grotesque contortions of their former selves.


Chainsaw
As the renowned weaponmasters of the Night Sentinels professed, it is the warrior that makes the weapon great. Albeit an unconventional choice, the chainsaw has become a staple of the Doom Slayer's personal arsenal. For the kind of work that requires enemy dismemberment the chainsaw is the right tool for the job.


Imp
Scavengers of the underworld, Imps are among the most common of beasts found on the scorched surface of the Hellscape. Lesser demons of Hell, the Imp possesses limited intelligence, drive only by a hunter's impulse to seek out prey - a task for which the Imp is naturally suited due to its innate capacity for violence. As a result of these attributes, the Imp makes for an ideal footsoldier and is often deployed in the warring legions of Hell, easily manipulated and controlled by commanding highborne demons at the behest of the sovereign chapters. It is common for the Imp to appear at the frontline of an offensive attack, an expendable resource unleashed in great numbers to overcome and break through the enemy front.


Soldiers
Once frontline infantry fighting to protect Earth from the demon invasion, the Hell Soldiers have been claimed by darkness, turning them against their fellow soldiers in the midst of battle.


Hell Barges
Atop mighty Thralls, the Hell Priests oversaw the invasion of the mortal world. The Thrall, slave titan of the underworld, carried the Priest Temples into the wake of battle, providing the Priests with vigil of Hell's advance from a strategically impervious emplacement. From their Temples perch the Priests would emanate a powerful psionic influence, imposing greater coordination among the chaotic forces of Hell and increasing their battle effectiveness. The Thrall, possessing superior resilience, proved indestructible by conventional weapons, thwarting all attempts by Armored Response Coalition defensive forces. Only by severing the Priest's psychokinetic tether could the Titan be neutralized - an act that could only be accomplished by an infiltration of the Temple itself.


Remaining Human Populations - Part I
Nearly 60% of the planet has been consumed by the demons, with the rate of expansion increasing each day. The majority of the world population died in the first month of the Hell invasion, following the catastrophic failure of virtually every man-made system. Military response was immediate but only marginally effective at providing safe retreat to civilians, with many fortified locations cut-off from outside communication.

Facing overwhelming opposition, these makeshift fortresses have gradually fallen to the growing demon presence one after the other. Large portions of the Earth's surface have become uninhabitable, with swarms of demons scouting the globe and most regions suffering from an atmosphere that has become infected and poisonous by process of some form of alien terraformation.


Cacodemon
Hunters of the Sloughlands, the Cacodemon lurks in the bottomless and murky depths of Hell in search of easy prey. An aimless wanderer, the Cacodemon is mostly devoid of cognitive ability, sensory awareness, and otherwise commonly occurring impulses. Driven only by a singular desire to feed, the Cacodemon is likely to appear wherever there is flesh to be consumed, bringing with it an insatiable propensity for hunger. It is said that the Cacodemon bears some resemblance to the cycloptic titans of ancient Hell lore, leading Sentinel scholars to believe that the forgotten titans may yet live on in some disembodied form.


Arachnotron
Arachnotrons are built with genetic material recovered from the remains of the original Spider Mastermind, bio-engineered for cyber-augmentation. While its actual body exhibits only limited mobility, the oddly cerebral qualities of the Arachnotron make it a prime candidate for the impulse-controlled prosthetic frame that it now permanently inhabits. The UAC facility responsible for the Arachnotron's creation, intending to engineer and weaponize demons of their own design, was overrun after an outbreak occurred inside of its assembly plant, killing everyone inside. The facility, still operating under the directive of the administrative AI, continues to manufacture Arachnotrons autonomously.


Heavy Cannon
A common complaint among users of this punch-packing conventional weapon is the weight, as most of the component parts are forged in Tungstronium, a properietary alloy developed to withstand the enormous stresses imparted by the optional exploding dart ammunition. However, the additional weight makes the Heavy Cannon an ideal sniper rifle, as swaying and tremors are mitigated by the massive bulk. Trigger management is of the highest priority when using this weapon, as self-inflicted gunshot wounds are common thanks to it's no-pull reflex trigger system.


Remaining Human Populations - Part II
Although several hundred thousand more were safely evacuated out-of-orbit in the mass exodus following the invasion, the expected odds of survival is considered unlikely for many of these lifeboats carrying cryogenically frozen passengers.

Religious iconography and communes are now commonplace amongst survivors, with the collective perception of events taking on a biblical nature. Many seek authority from a higher power to rationalize the sudden destruction of their world, believing these events represent a form of divine punishment.


Formation of the ARC
Following the total collapse of international civilization, nations and boundaries as we know them have ceased to exist. A handful of remaining bureaucrats, government officials, and military leaders have managed to survive by use of protective bunkers kept secret to the greater population. Convening under the flag of the Allied Nations, this governing body represents all that remains of the rule of law, forming what would essentially become a single world government.

Military bases in communication with the AN have made efforts to regroup and centralize their areas of command - establishing fortified safe-havens for survivors, stockpiling food and scavenging for supplies. Only proprietary military-use communications remain functional, enabling military entities under command of the Allied Nations to coordinate in humanitarian aid and defense operations.

By 2151, the formation of the ARC has taken highest priority and is considered to be, in all practical terms, the last hope for humanity.


Tentacle
The subject of great scrutiny for ARC scientists on Earth, these Hellgrowth formations have appeared all over the planet, taking hold wherever Hell has made its presence known. Forming chaotic, seemingly random structural patterns, the propagation of hellgrowth has taken root at an alarming rate, exhibiting a cellular reproduction cycle that ARC scientists fear may be impossible to contain. The resultant environmental effect is extremely hostile to terrestrial life, producing atmospheric bio-contagens and a multitude of organic hazards. Wherever these nest-like formations emerge, they are protected by swathes of defensive tendrils - long-thorned tentacles that demonstrate keen awareness of their surroundings, fully capable of disembowling anything that it deems to be a potential threat to the nest.


Hell Priests
Powerful practitioners of arcane magics, the Priests have warped their powers to suit their insidious purpose, harnessing the dark forces of Hellish psychomancy to prepare Earth for the final Blood Ritual. By blood were the Hell Priests bound to the dark ritual which now consumes Earth, and so long as even one of them lives, the consumption of Earth will continue, allowing Hell unfettered rule over the mortal world. Only by destroying the priests can the Blood Ritual be stopped and the Earth saved.


Daeg Nilox
One of the three Hell Priests, Deag Nilox is charged with ensuring that Hell's invasion of Earth succeeds. He prefers to operate on the planet's surface, working in his unholy barge carried on the back of a demonic titan. This provides him an elevated, mobile position from which to oversee the campaign against humanity. Spiteful and cruel, Nilox frequently captures civilians alive so that their still-living blood can be harvested for his occult rituals.

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Aw, heck

Final stretch :toot: When it comes to this game I mostly know that it's extremely polarizing, and it will be interesting to have both positions represented among the commentators.
First impression: The game certainly looks more interesting than Doom 2016; the ruined city with the huge defunct mechs (?), the glowing demonic runes atop the skyscrapers and the fleshy growths is a much more unique setpiece than pretty much anything from the previous game. Though with how interesting this game's version of hell feels, it does bother me that the Hell Priests kinda look like the trade federation guys from Star Wars Episode 1 and act like generic cultists.
JigglyJacob wrote:
Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:36 pm
It is said that the Cacodemon bears some resemblance to the cycloptic titans of ancient Hell lore, leading Sentinel scholars to believe that the forgotten titans may yet live on in some disembodied form.
Oh, that's probably a reference to how the Cacodemon's original design was blatantly copied from the head of a huge one-eyed D&D monster .

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Sorry if it was mentioned in the cut video, but how is VEGA 'back'? Obviously Doomguy took the backup in 2016, but I'm wondering if the ARC is using him as their go-to AI, of if he's more like Doomguy's R2-D2 at this point. Actually I guess that raises a larger question, of where did the satellite come from.

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Scaramouche wrote:
Sun Jan 24, 2021 8:52 pm
Sorry if it was mentioned in the cut video, but how is VEGA 'back'? Obviously Doomguy took the backup in 2016, but I'm wondering if the ARC is using him as their go-to AI, of if he's more like Doomguy's R2-D2 at this point. Actually I guess that raises a larger question, of where did the satellite come from.
Slayer likely just installed VEGA as the AI of his fortress using the chunky thumb drive he took. Doom Slayer isn't affiliated with ARC so VEGA seems to be his personal AI.

As for where the Fortress of Doom came from, I'll touch on that briefly in the next part, and it will also have a codex entry that goes into greater detail at some point. I forget if it's the next part or something a bit later.

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Yeah, the R2-D2 theory then, which scans nicely. Just a couple of bros floating around in a satellite of love.

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I'm not used to this color in a modern Doom game

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[Part 2 - But One Man]


ARC Broadcast Log I
There are reports coming out of the quarantined Hellified zone near the San Andreas chasm. Satellite imagery show what ARC personnel believe to be the legendary Doom Slayer himself fighting the mortally challenged. The Doom Slayer, or 'Doomguy' as he is sometimes referred to, was thought to be a myth of the resistance - a sort of avenging angel. He was last reported to be seen on Mars and is allegedly responsible for the destruction of the Argent Tower there. He disappeared soon afterwards. The UAC continues to deny all reports of his existence. We will continue to broadcast new information as we receive it.


Exultia
Translation from the 'Ligra Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

What treachery comes from our darkest selves, driven by greed and want; for I have been deceived by the Deag. They came North with I, the priests, as allies to our cause against the Khan Maykr and her unscrupulous methods. Their silvery tongues wagging, they laid a plan for us, and sowed the seed of desire for hasty triumph. They claimed knowledge of the Maykr's source of power in the demon realm; a vast foundry of souls where the innocent are put to the fire for the Essence. In the foundry's destruction our victory is assured, they told us; and the fools that we were - that I am - believed their lies.

On their word, we sent the Doom Slayer and the Night Sentinels to destroy the foundry, and the priests cast a gate for their egress. As the last veteran entered the demon's empire, our final hope of reclaiming our dominion, the Deag closed the path and left them stranded. They were trapped, lost in the eternal void by the action of the traitors.

How could I not see their intention? Am I blinded by grief for the loss of Taras Nabad? Of my people?

We have fled again, with barely a legion of the Night Sentinels left to protect us. The Deag are gone, returned to their mistress. May the Wraiths forgive my failure.


Gargoyle
Like their Imp brethren, the Gargoyle is an agile, relentless pack hunter. Native to the Sentinel world, this beast has plagued the Sentinel Guard for centuries. As one of the few demon breeds that could bypass the walled defenses of Sentinel Prime, the Gargoyle could appear without warning and claim hapless townspeople before disappearing into the wasteland. Only the most skilled marksman of the Night Sentinels could intercept this aerial threat, a peril which demanded an ever vigilant watch over the city's perimeter.


Hell Knight
The Hell Knight, warrior beast among demons, has earned its place over the millennia in service of the eternal Archdemons. As imposed by the sovereign houses, Hell Knights have long served as barbaric enforcers of the netherworld, impelling lesser demons by way of brutality. Rare among demon-kind for its innate regard for primal orders of hierarchy, the Hell Knight exhibits adherence to the prevailing rule of its demonlord masters. Requiring little compulsion on behalf of its highborne masters, Hell Knights readily serve the Elder Hell-gods for the extent of their lifespans, reaping great satisfaction in the way of war and desecration.


The Wolf
Argenta legends speak of Sentinel beasts, loyal creatures that lived as companions of the hardened warriors. Often larger, swifter and stronger than others of their kind, these animals shared instincts with their masters and aided them in battle. The Night Sentinels never shared publicly the origin of these creatures, for only they stood worthy of them.


History of the Sentinels - Part I
Translation from the 'Ligra Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

In the days before man first spoke, an immense shard of rock and metal was cast unto the world from the heavens. Thunder and cataclysm shook the land as the skies were torn asunder. The Cosmic Spear cleft a hole through our mortal lands, pole to pole, from the cold wastes of the Umbral Plains to the fetid swamps of Ironfang. The Womb of the World opened and the Elemental Wraiths, the Firstborn, spilled forth. They took to the skies, fierce in their emancipation. In their exultation, they brought vitality to the land, and all that felt their breath were awakened from eternal slumber. Fierce beasts and an unforgiving biosphere rose in the passing of their shadow as the Wraithcall echoed across Argent D'Nur.

First came the Ancestrals, feral creatures invigorated by the magic of the Wraiths. They grew to enormous heights, mighty behemoths who waged war with each other for years untold. Their battles tore the land asunder and destroyed all creation caught in their wake. The Wraithcall continued to spread across the land and soon the Argenta emerged from the steppes, our souls stirred into form by the power of their breath.

The titans towered over the wild-blooded tribes but found them uncowed. The Secret of the Sword was discovered, and in the darkness of sweltering mountain-forges, we beat steel until it was strong enough to pierce bone and sever flesh.

Thus we came to be; born of rock and fire, lowly in birth but risen by the strength of our will. By the blessedness of the First Ones, we forged sword and shield and took the hammer to the Ancestrals. We claimed dominion of creation by right of blood and magick, and the Time of Man came to be.

With the Ancestral beasts driven back to their bleak valleys, we rose. We tilled the fertile land, husbanded beasts of burden, and built towering cities. In the Hallowed Palace, on the Obsidian Throne, we crowned King Ormero the Father, the first of the line that shall weigh in perpetuity. We built the Cathedral of Reflection to worship the First Ones and formed the Order of the Deag, whose priests pay tribute to the Wraiths and appease their tempestuous hunger. Our sons and daughters chose the path of the sword or the path of the alchemist, for each duty honors the Gods.

Though our ways were righteous, we were not without strife - storms and great quakes cast our spires down, barbaric tribes laid siege to our fields in search of the great gifts mother Argenta has bestowed upon our work, and the song of the Wraithcall threatened to drive lesser men into madness. We were not lesser men. We defended that which the First Ones gifted to us, our lands and right to the bounty held within. We beat back the barbarian hordes and hardened our resolve. We rose above the fire, our bodies and souls tempered, and an unbreakable will was shaped in the forge of battle. What emerged was the heart of our legion - the order of the Night Sentinels.


King Novik
King Novik ruled over Sentinel Prime for many years as its warrior patriarch, ordained protector of the sovereign Sentinel worlds. The Sentinel people, defined by a legacy of war, deem only those of warrior caste fit to rule, and in times of battle it is expected that the King lead from the battlefield rather than from the safety of the throne. As it is written in Sentinel law, a King unfit for battle is likewise unfit to rule.

For millennia, the Sentinel people have secured their civilization against the threat of invasion from beast and human alike, passing on the mantle of battle to each subsequent generation and refining the craft of war into an art of ultimate mastery. Even in times of peace, the Night Sentinels remain vigilant, developing new technologies of conquest, each the more capable of securing their dominion across the sovereign worlds.


Plasma Rifle
Designed by the UAC's military-tech division, the Plasma Rifle is the standard in energy-based weaponry. Firing a superheated plasma in rapid-short burst intervals, the Plasma Rifle is capable of overloading energy-based shielding and liquefying enemy combatants.


Revenant
The Revenant program, a bio-weapon experiment utilizing re-animated necrotic human tissue, was believed to have been destroyed with the collapse of the UAC facility on Mars. However, the emergence of the Cultist enclaves on Earth - former UAC deviations now under Hell's direct control - have begun work on a second wave of production of the Revenant program. While much of the platform's existing weapon payload is preserved as originally designed, the cyber-neural programming has undergone modification. Patterned signals are wired to the host's frontal cortex, which in turn simulate a state of frenzied, unrestrained bloodlust. While these signals are active, the host is incapable of thinking or feeling anything but a singular compulsion to inflict death and violence on the living.


History of the Sentinels - Part II
Translation from the 'Ligra Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

In the Time of Grief, when King Etrex took the throne, a blessing came to the people of Argenta. White porcelain beings from another world above our own brought gifts to D'Nur. Observers to our great deeds, admirers of our convictions, they sought to make bond with our swords and bring lasting order to our world.

These were beings unlike any we had seen before, sword and shield held no weight against them, for the ethereal flesh of these luminous beings seemed unbound by mortality. Able to move through time and space, they held sway over all dominions of the known and unknown dimensions. Through their ways we grew stronger, our society bolstered by their infinite wisdom and all-knowing power, assuring our peoples' safety for all time - in this world and the next. Where we sharpened the blade and mastered our magick, they bolstered the soul and spirit. Death would no longer be the end for our people. The ones we call the Maykrs, our new allies in this brutal world, have given us the security in death we fought so hard to achieve in life. We would find eternal peace, and our minds would rest easy with the knowledge that those we fought alongside in battle would join us in the lands beyond the mortal plane. The strength of our ways, the purity of our essence, would by Maykr law grant us passage to the great city in the clouds. There, women and children, warriors and kin alike would welcome us.

We adopted the holy doctrine of the Maykrs, gifted in exchange with the change to earn eternal rest for our immortal souls in blessed Urdak. The covenant we held now under the embrace of our new Gods fostered a peace we had never known, for they were unlike the First Ones, whose presence offered no paradise from fear and the uncertainty of existence in a harsh and unforgiving world. The Maykr's embrace was warm, and guided us into an era of spiritual prosperity.


Lost Soul
The Lost Soul has its origins among the Damned - former humans who have fallen from the mortal world, doomed to an unliving eternity as sin-branded slaves of Hell. The Damned are seemingly endless in number, their populations growing by the thousands with each rise of the black sun. For many, the tortuous existence of crushing slave labor is all that awaits. The bodies of the Damned are brittle, and those who become broken in labor - their bodies ruined, dismembered, or otherwise incapable of servitude - are transported to the pits where their souls must be extracted for further use. Those fortunate enough to escape this process are what inevitably become Lost Souls; their spirits transmogrified into physical form. The Lost Soul knows only madness, its memory a haunted image of its former mortal life. These creatures live a fleeting existence, roaming mindlessly, seeking only that which can grant them a final death.


History of the Sentinels - Part III
Translation from the 'Ligra Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

With machine and enchantment of the Maykrs, the Argenta brought our newfound clarity to the disparate realms of the Empyrean Void. We took flight with the support of our Gods, spreading the enlightened word of the Khan Maykr. We discovered there was not one Enemy, but many. Worlds and peoples unknown to the Argenta were unveiled, and we saw our own suffering reflected in their eyes. Our righteous army strode into battle under the banner of the Night Sentinels and fought for the freedom of all peoples from the grasp of those who would exploit and prey upon them. Though we battled on soil not our own, the blood we shed in foreign land safeguarded Argent D'Nur, and the sons and daughters that defended it. Through the strange peoples we liberated, new alliances were formed, and our beliefs became their own. Our armies swelled.

As the Argenta traversed the stars with gleaming war-fleets the Khan of the Maykrs approached King Roan on his throne.

He sensed his God restless by her disquiet manner. The King and Khan spoke, and the God revealed she had foreseen a schism in the blood of Argenta. A test would be required to identify its host among us. She spoke of a holy rite to be performed on the strongest of our warriors; only those that proved worthy would be tested, for the impurity could reside in only the most resilient of our legion. The Divinity Machine, a great tribute by Maykr Scolaris, would help us to cleanse any impurities from our flock, ensuring our continued prosperity in this world and in the Maykr realm that awaited in the afterlife. The Malicious One, if not exhumed from our ranks, would jeopardize our safe passage to the heavenly realm of Urdak.

The Dark One was not amongst them yet, nor would he be for many generations. Only the Mother God, through divination and Maykr-sight, would determine when he stood before them. The Maykrs were truth, and only their unclouded eyes could find the one who was marked. The prophecy of the unholy one was written, but through the ages the warning grew faint until only the Khan Maykr herself and the high priests of the Order Deag still whispered of He that would one day come to threaten their way of light.


Dread Knight
A variation of the Hell Knight breed, the Dread Knight has been modified and hardwired for aggression. Armed with an exo-prosthesis powering energy blade augments, the Dread Knight is the lethal result of UAC Cultist engineering. Epinephrine regulations modulate the Dread Knight with an unbroken flow of rage-addled adrenaline, while its endorphin receptors have been synchronized to respond with the use of its arm-mounted blades. With each kill, the Dread Knight is injected with a flood of artificial dopamine. As a result of its augmentation, the Dread Knight is driven by a biochemically engineered state of pure, unbroken rage - a suffering for which respite can only be found in the act of the kill.


The Betrayer
After years of prolonged war against the demonic threat invading their world, Argent D'Nur launched an offensive strike across dimensions, sending their greatest warriors into the heart of Hell itself. Despite their training and their preparedness, their honor was undone by deceit. Betrayal at the highest level of command left Argent D'Nur's bravest warriors cut off and scattered in the Hellscape.

But of these last remaining Night Sentinels, only one remained in Hell by choice. Betrayer of the Argenta, it was Commander Valen who relinquished the keys to the Elemental Sepulchre in return for his son's resurrection. Haunted by demonic visions, the image of his son's tortured existence plagued him without relent, the whispers of demons pushing him toward madness. In a moment of weakness, he fell prey to the demon's trickery, sealing the fate of Argent D'Nur and dooming the kingdom to which he swore a lifelong oath to protect. Valen chose exile in the Hellscape for his sacrilege.

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The return of an old friend, and the assimilation of another

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Jacob I can't believe you'd roll with two such notorious Keen haters.

Two thoughts:
- Clever avoiding getting killed while still showing off the extra lives mechanic
- Every time the a cacodemon eye gets extracted I'm waiting for doomguy to bite into it like a juicy green apple

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[Part 3 - I Am Spooky]


Cultist Base
Led by the elusive Hell Priest Deag Ranak, the Cultists operate from a remote facility located in the Arctic tundra. As overseer, Ranak exerts absolute control over the facility and its legions of possessed acolytes. Instrumental in sowing the seeds of the Cultist uprising, Ranak worked briefly with Olivia Pierce at the Mars facility before departing to Earth with orders to prepare the groundwork for the imminent Hell invasion.

A recently declassified UAC biography for Ranak indicates that he is a surviving member of the original Order of the Deag, the ancient Argenta clerics. He now serves the forces of Hell and is rumored to have personal knowledge of the Doom Slayer, suggesting a shared history between the two. Wielding total power over the Cultists under his supervision, he uses his growing influence to advance the consumption and corruption of Earth.

Built over the ruins of an ancient Argenta settlement, the Cultist facility has been designed as both a gothic monument to the ancient architecture and a state-of-the art science facility. Tablets and memory banks found at the settlement indicate that the Order of the Deag discovered Earth millennia ago and found it to be populated with powerful, primeval beasts. They named these creatures 'Agaddons', due to their similarity to the mythic cyclopean giant from Argent D'Nur's past, the Aggaddian.


Mancubus
The Mancubus, hulking behemoth of the demon world, bears notable difference from those of its kind first encountered by the UAC expedition team on Mars. Unlike its brethren which wore a naturally occurring armored carapace, this variation shows clear signs of pre-existing man-made modifications. Armor-plating augmentation to its exterior and a sophisticated arm-mounted weapon system indicate a clear intent to upgrade and weaponize the fighting capacity of the Mancubus, whose heavy stature and resilience make it a formidable threat in battle.


Rocket Launcher
Forged from the metal smelting pits of the Golgothan enclave, the Paingiver is a weapon of pure malice devised for a singular purpose - to enact suffering upon the weak. A tool of insidious intent, it was not by mortal design that the Paingiver was concieved. The Cultist engineers of Golgotha, as acolytes of the unholy and all-powerful will of the Hell Priest Ranak, were bestowed its vision, scribes to Ranak's dark premonition. With great clarity did the Paingiver reveal itself to the shared consciousness of the Golgothan acolytes, and with fervor and religious zealotry did they set themselves towards it's manifestation, toiling without rest until the Paingiver was created.


Whiplash
A scavenger of the Hellscape, the Whiplash creature was first discovered by UAC expedition teams in the black desert of the Sanctum Wastelands. These elusive, serpentine demons move with great speed and agility. They are capable of striking from a great distance with retractable bladed whips concealed from within their forearms. This particular demon breed became an object of great interest to the UAC engineers on Earth, while attempts to capture live specimens of this nimble and unpredictable creature proved to be exceptionally dangerous. After successfully acquiring living specimens, researchers implemented cybernetic augmentations designed to enhance the Whiplash's innate strength and lethality.


Cueball
Former UAC Engineers, these malformed zombies were rendered inept during the war for Earth. Their bodies are now a disturbing fusion of body, bone and barrel.


Super Shotgun
A weapon from the Slayer's past, this double-barreled shotgun displays ornate, undeciphered diligree carvings. It also includes a modification, a twin-pronged hook anchored with a retractable chain designed for under-barrel usage. Though the firearm appears to be of Earthly design, the "meathook" attachment is comprised of non-terra metals, suggesting some level of prior history offworld. Its place in the Slayer's arsenal in Hell has already been recorded, as noted in the following translation of the Ungmar Codex:

"The sting of the Slayer's abominable arsenal casts fear into the lowest of our kin. It's blazing barrels of brimstone spew his vitriol and loathing upon us, and cast our brethern to the dirt. Mark the venom of his chosen apparatus of agony, the Diabolical Musket, Lucifer's Bane; it's claw of pig iron gouging the flesh of the martyr and hurrying him upon us. Curse the name of his beloved treasure. Curse the Hell Walker's device of torment. We shall cast it into the smelter and gild his entrails with the slurry."


Prowler
A creature of darkness, the Prowler hunts from the shadows, preferring stealth and concealment to open conflict. Imbued with parietal infravision, the Prowler is able to see that which is unseen to the naked eye. Known among the Sentinels as 'the Nightstalker', the Prowler's preternatural sense of sight makes it a lethal hunter, capable of tracking its prey even in the pitchest black of dark. Believed to be peripherally descendant to the lesser Imp broodling, the Prowler is rarely seen in groups, forsaking pack-hunting for the precision of the solitary pursuit.


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[Part 4 - Good Kill Hunting]


Pinky
As Hell emerged on Earth, the Pinky began to appear on terrestrial soil in great number, rapidly becoming the bane of existence to ARC military fortifications. Utilizing it's armored frontal carapace, the Pinky is able to penetrate defensive encampments, breaking through walled defenses and using its ramming ability to upturn and immobilize armored vehicles. ARC deployments, dependent on their ability to hold the line against encroaching forces of Hell, could be disrupted and even overtaken by a single Pinky, were it able to penetrate and break through their defensive matrix, allowing a greater demon influx to pour in after it. The ARC rapidly prioritized the target status of the Pinky, issuing high-range bombardment to prevent the Pinky from gaining proximity.


Doom Hunter Base
The UAC's polar cultist facility is built around the ruins of an ancient Argenta settlement constructed over 60 million years ago, during Argent D'Nur's extraterrestrial expansion. Frozen carcasses of the Agaddon Hunters have been located in the glacial wastes surrounding the complex, and though their DNA structure reveals them to be indigenous to Earth there is no fossilized record of these creatures beyond the frozen territories of the Argenta settlement. Carbon dating of the remarkably well-preserved beasts suggests they are nearly 80 million years old, pre-dating all other known forms of complex Earth-based life.

Continuing the cyber-demonic experimentation that began on Mars, the Cultists study the Agaddon's potential for resurrection and cyber-augmentation. A similar program occurred at this location millennia ago, when Deag Priests (often cited as Hell Priests) bred the creatures and genetically modified them to function as 'Doom Hunters' - fearsome mutants designed to battle the Doom Slayer and his Night Sentinels during the Unholy Crusades on Argent D'Nur. Sentinel records corroborate this through their military texts, with many reports of these creatures among the ranks of the demonic forces assaulting the armies of the North during the Argenta civil war.

Once the UAC Cultist movement publicly announced its intentions for Earth, the cyber-demonic program was revealed to be focused on updating the Doom Hunter schematics, upgrading their combat prowess. A new assembly center was constructed near the Cultist facility, and a powerful grav-tram allowed UAC workers to safely transport the biological and mechanical components needed for the process. The resurrection of an Agaddon Hunter requires cutting-edge technology be used in conjunction with occult rituals conducted by the UAC's necro-surgeons, an unholy fusion of science and sorcery.


Carcass
The product of inhuman bio-mechanical engineering, the Carcass was created in the remote labs of the Cultist enclave. Neither truly living nor dead, it exists in a state of partial re-animation - its cybernetic armature simulating a living impulse within a decaying organic host. Devised as a means of extending the soldier's usefulness in combat after death, the unliving host can only be destroyed by severing the body from its cybernetic implants.


Deag Ranak
Dark viceroy to the Chaos Throne, Ranak has long served as one of Hell's emissaries on Earth, laying the foundation for the planet's inevitable invasion. In secrecy Ranak has prepared the Hellgate, awaiting the omen of the sixth seal, that which signals the Age of Rapture, which will cleanse Earth as foretold by the Maykr Prophets.

Ranak worked closely with Olivia Pierce during the development of the original Mars project, and since her death has taken total control of the UAC. His promises of wealth, power and everlasting life have corrupted the organization from within, absolving its employees of their moral conscience, accelerating the sacrifice of Earth in exchange for the lure of Argent Energy and the promise of undying union with Hell.

Deag Ranak previously served the King of Argent D'Nur as a Sentinel Priest, guiding the Argenta's spiritual growth as a hallowed figure. After the Betrayal he abandoned his homeworld, working on behalf of the Khan Maykr and personally overseeing the transformation of viable planets. Ranak has constructed a veritable fortress in the polar caps to protect him during his dark work.


Doom Hunter
Once a race of beast-like hunters, the Doom Hunter creature was known to Sentinel warriors in ages past as lethal stalkers of the Metal Age. Extracted from the frozen depths of the polar tundra, the Doom Hunter belongs to an ancient race uncovered during Cultist excavation in the remote arctic. Preserved below the frozen ice for millions of years, the unearthed remains of this creature were deemed suitable for reconstruction, becoming the subject of Cultist necro-regenerative bio-experimentation. Within the remote Cultist citadel, a high-tech ritual altar which towers over the Golgothan ruins, the Doom Hunter was ceremoniously and systematically resurrected and rebuilt. While the majority of its components are now cybernetic it retains a high degree of mental faculty - a sentient, brutal hunting instinct augmented with the armaments of a tank division.

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I think part of the problem with the Carcass is that they kind of break things narratively. I mean yeah, this isn't a gritty realistic setting, but I take it as read that the creatures of hell are super predators that evolved (are designed?) to murder things as quickly as possible. Then you have the carcass, which has a support ability, and it kind of raises questions. Support against what? The doom slayer every (x) years? Other demons? And it becomes more obviously a "yeah this is meant to annoy the player and nothing else" kind of design.

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Not often you give a building a heart attack

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[Part 5 - Pink and Dying]

Ballista
The weapon of choice for Sentinel marksmen. It is said in Sentinel battle lore that a single battalion of archers defended the walled city of Illkana for ten days and ten nights, armed only with their Ballistas. A precise weapon, the Ballista fires a twin beam of superheated Argent, vaporizing it's target on impact.


The Hellgrowth - Part I
The Hellgrowth formations on Earth have undergone great scrutiny by experts at the Allied Nations. These cancer-like growths exhibit alarming cellular reproduction rates, outpacing any biological lifeform previously known.

Their structural pattern is chaotic, almost random, with only one identifiable constant - the emergence of totem-like nests, which at full maturity, resonate with powerful electromagnetic frequencies capable of producing a form of inverse quantum field. These fields, once activated, result in the fabrication of Hell portals; tears in space-time which serve as gateways between dimensions.


The Hellgrowth - Part II
The growth exhibits certain pre-determined qualities. In the consumption of our ecosystem, it creates environmental conditions more conducive for its own continued formation; in effect, employing an organic method of terraformation. The resulting environment is hostile to terrestrial life, producing atmospheric toxins and a multitude of environmental hazards.

Although it is understood that the growth accelerates the arrival of demon life on Earth, it is not clear how the growths themselves originated, or whether there was some sort of catalyst that created the conditions necessary for their existence. It is believed that if the source of the growth can be identified, there may be a means of uprooting the entire formation.


Buff Totem
Incarnal manifestations of human suffering, these totems are formed from the tortured resonance of the once living, made flesh by the black arts of demonic psychomancy. A beacon of necroplasmic dark-wave energy, the Buff Totem, once fully formed, radiates the surrounding environment with a dark cloud of Hell magic. This energy possesses influence of great power for anything living caught in it's wake: Demons, while in it's presence, become adrenalized; their aggressiveness and bloodlust amplified. Inversely, these totems have become symbols of fear for humans who have encountered them, it's presence tainting the mind with nightmarish terror. The propagation of these totems would ultimately necessitate the development of the ARC mind-shield, a cyber-neural implant which could immunize it's soldiers from the psionic properties of the Buff Totem.


Spectre
Born from an ancient screed of forbidden psychomancy, it was by the tomeic inscriptions of the occultic Six Sealed Eyes that the Spectre was made manifest. Divined in desecrated ruins untouched by light for an eternity, warlocks of an abandoned sovereign house unearthed the verboten scripture, seeking rebellion by means of black magick against the rule of the infernal Archdemons. By way of sorcery were numerous abominations brought forth into the Hellscape - among them, the Spectre; ethereal amalgam of the Pinky. For their role in these miscreations, the Archdemons would enact as retribution against its insurgents an unspeakable punishment, a decree of suffering that would be without end.


Super Gore Nest
Report File: #ARC-AAR-CO37// COMMSEC: Red//
Analyst: TWashington-043

//report starts

Operation Locke AAR follows:

Following reports of UAC Cultist presence at the Locke reactor (#ARC-AAR0-A291), recon teams Infil-Gamma and Infil-Hector attempted to gain entry to Locke and assess the situation. Their final transmission indicated a massive demonic presence entering the reactor facility through Continuum Gates (sic: Hell portals).

An emergency Global Council meeting approved an immediate ARC response to the situation at the Locke reactor. The Assembled Coalition Strike Force included 4 US Battle Mech divisions, the Con-EUR Long Range Naval Artillery Barrage Fleet, 27 US Night Bird Apaches, 3 NATO Shock Troop battalions, 2 CON-EUR Rapid Response Levi-Tank divisions, and 18 thousand coalition Special Forces units,

The initial bombardment from the LRNAB was met with immediate response from invasion forces. An estimated 8 thousand DP-013G units (sic: Gargoyles) attacked the fleet, sinking 32 vessels and disabling a further 78% of the fleet. The remaining ships retreated to a position approximately 32 miles off shore, beyond the reach of the Gargoyles, but also out of artillery range.

With the Fleet out of action, the Battle Mechs and Apaches initiated a Danger Close salvo against the reactor, as Shock Troops and Special Forces attempted to rearward infiltration. Several platoons made it inside the reactor, where the demons had already established a DP-136Nest (sic: Super Gore Nest). Although gore nests have been reported at various invasion sites, this was the largest so far observed. The nest has been built around the reactor core itself. Several thousand IFF beacons are amassed at the nest location, suggesting the Demons are using our fallen forces as part of their bio-organic Continuum Gate.

At the time of writing, the DP-136Nest is considered to be ground zero of the invading force. Unless the continuum gate is destroyed, this analyst sees no way to stem the influx of aggressors.

Recommended response: TNA (Total Nuclear Annihilation).


Chaingun
The M220 Chaingun is a 7.62x51 mm AE six-barrel autocannon built for infantry deployment. Weighing over 80 lbs, the M220 was conceived as a standard issue weapon for ARC mech-soldiers fitted with exo-armor - mechanized suits capable of supporting a heavier payload. The AE cartridge uses a special electromagnetic casing designed specifically for the M220's rail system, which increases projectile velocity and reduces overheating.

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I'm trying to remember exactly when I realized Doom 4 and Doom Eternal are the story of the Doom Slayer reliving the events of Doom and Doom II in an alternate universe, after crossing into it through Hell (thanks to Samuel Hayden). And subsequently being like "fuck that noise, I've seen this one before."

Edit: I've been distracted and fell behind on the LP, so this comment is very late, but I absolutely love the title screen music in Doom Eternal. Mind you, I played Eternal before I played Doom II, so I did not realize initially that it's a remix of Opening to Hell from MAP30.

But goddamn, that title screen music gets me pumped every time I hear it.

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This part's as chunky as the enemy designs

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Episode was late due to me being behind on editing this week, but at least now we can go punch a hole in Mars!

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I'm sorry for not having the codexes in here in a timely fashion. My real job has been killing me x_x I'll have the next two episodes' codex entries done as soon as I can, folks!

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[Part 6 - A False Idol]

I've decided to stop including the ARC Broadcasts, as well as Dr. Elena Richardson's audio logs since they're read out during the course of the video.

Cyber-Mancubus
Mechanized and heavily augmented, the Cyber Mancubus is equipped for frontline warfare. Equipped with dual-barrel arm-mounted mortar cannons, the Mancubus's integrated weapon system utilizes the body's naturally occurring biotoxins, refining this corrosive, viscous membrane into a toxo-plasmid ammunition feed. Syphoned from the spinal gland and funneled intravenously to the weapon conversion system, the corrosive secretion is discharged by an alternating firing mechanisms, which dispenses the toxo-plasmid as either heated projectile or ignited fluid, the latter resulting in a flamethrower-like incendiary spray capable of burning through armored plating.


The ARC - Part I
A global military crisis-relief initiative established by the Allied Nations in 2151. The Armored Response Coalition is designed with the sole purpose to combat and contain the Hell invasion, to succeed where modern militaries are ineffective, utilizing cutting-edge Argent-powered technology.

Hayden, overseeing all aspects of ARC weapon and tech development, set about repurposing the UAC facilities on Earth, many of which were unaffected by the invasion due to their remote locations and high levels of automated security. These facilities, operated by powerful AI, are already designed for weapon development and mass production, meaning they could be repurposed overnight.


Samuel Hayden
In 2150, following the loss of communication between Earth and Mars-based facilities, UAC director Dr. Samuel Hayden suddenly resurfaced on Earth before the AN Council. The demonic invasion of Earth had already begun, and Dr. Hayden had arrived just in time to provide aid. He supplied the resistance armies with Argent technology and advanced armaments, taking helm of the newly-formed ARC as Lead Director.

Dr. Hayden's tactical and scientific acumen were invaluable to the war effort, and he was soon given full command over all resistance efforts by the Global Council. The ARC engaged the demons with bleeding-edge tech, exosuits and Heavy Frame battle-mechs, but found themselves fighting a losing battle. Operation Hellbreaker was Samuel's final plan, a powerful counterattack that ultimately ended in failure.

His robotic torso was retrieved by ARC soldiers, Samuel is now tended to and monitored by a skeleton crew of scientists. They had been given contingency orders, to safeguard his body along with the Crucible obtained on Mars.


The ARC - Part II
By 2151 the ARC began running operations from the Mobile Command Carrier, a seaborne command center designed for long-range strike operations which would serve as ARC HQ. Their primary objective - to locate the source of the Hellgrowth infestation, and in doing so, shutting down the emergence of Hell portals and closing the gate between dimensions.

At the heart of the Armored Response Coalition is an aggressive research and development program in pursuit of new technologies. As part of Dr. Hayden's commitment, UAC resources under his direction, including some of the most powerful AI ever created, have been deployed in service of weapon development designed to face the Hell threat head-on.


The Return of Dr. Samuel Hayden - Part I
The destruction of the Argent wellspring on Mars meant chaos for planet Earth. Following the loss of communication between Earth and Mars-based facilities, the collapse of the Argent-dependent energy grid consumed the planet in crisis. It was during this time that UAC director Dr. Samuel Hayden suddenly resurfaced on Earth before the AN Council, wielding that which might offer salvation to mankind - the Crucible

After recounting the events that had transpired on the red planet, Hayden agreed to cooperate with the AN, providing access to the various UAC facilities on Earth and by extension the full range of technologies at his disposal. Paramount among these was the Crucible, the last remaining source of Argent energy in existence.


The Return of Dr. Samuel Hayden - Part II
Believing it possible to solve the energy crisis which now devastated the planet, Dr. Hayden sought to invent a method of Argent-Synthesis, a synthetic replication that could recreate the high-yield capability of Argent energy. With the destruction of the Argent energy across the solar system, all that remained of Argent existed now within the Crucible, the fabled Hell artifact which Dr. Hayden had acquired on Mars. Knowing full well the Crucible's hidden power, Samuel devised a method to utilize the artifact as an Argent conductor, a process that would in time produce the miracle of synthetic, man-made Argent energy, restoring the production of Argent energy to Earth.

Hayden became a mythical figure among Earth's survivors - in no small part due to his abnormal physical condition. Having returned to Earth when most sought a means to escape, bringing with him the Crucible that would grant the people a second chance at survival - for the common person he had become the stuff of legends.


Tyrant
Demon Lords to the black soul pits of Babel, the Tyrants have long served as wardens and slavers of the infernal pits. Weaponized and cybernetically altered by the UAC, the Tyrants are tasked with overseeing the collection and extraction of sin-branded human souls from the human world, their role in Hell ordained by the unholy sigil of the Elder Hell-gods. A sadistic master of lesser demons, the Tyrants are feared for their cruelty and malice.


Baron of Hell
The Fireborne Barons have evolved, descendant clan of the Baron hellbreed, and are indigenous to the caustic, scorched hellscapes bordering the Burning Abyss. A landscape of cragged spires forged from unbreakable blackstone, tempered by the crashing waves of magmatic tide, these sulphuric planes of Hell have long served as banishing grounds - a place of exodus to which the damned are sentenced as their final destination. The Fireborne Barons have evolved in this environment, sustaining themselves on the remnants of the damned, growing obsidian carapaces and in time becoming infused with the very incendiary matter of Hell itself.


Marauder
As civil war consumed Argent D'Nur, the Night Sentinels Guard was quartered by their faith. Torn between serving the Khan Maykr or revolting against that which they swore to protect. Those most disillusioned forswore their oath to the Sentinel royalty, abandoning their pact of allegiance made to the throne. These hardened warriors joined the separatist group led by the exalted Priest class, allying themselves with the Maykrs and their devout acolytes in an attempted coup against the Sentinel royal house. Those Sentinel warriors who fell in battle, having sided with the Makyrs, were ultimately denied finality in death. Resurrected by the Divinity Machine of Makyr design, these fallen Sentinels were returned from the dead, transformed by Hell's power and recreated with a singular purpose: to hunt the Slayer, now reborn as Knights in Hell's army.


Part 7's Codexes will hopefully be up tomorrow.

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[Part 7 - Human Cannonball]


The Fortress of Doom
VEGA DATA ENTRY

The Fortress of Doom is a command station used by the Sentinels for military operations. ESR dating suggests the structure was built during the reign of King Danak, and spectral anaylsis of the Sentinel Energy signature used to power the various systems confirms this theory.

While the rock and metal structure of the vessel is undoubtedly Argenta design, the castle's sub-systems (navigation, gravitational centrifuge, life support) are of Maykr origin, suggesting a design collaboration between the two species. Propulsion is notably absent, as it is not required. The fortress manipulates space through an unknown process involving Sentinel energy.

However, there is no indication that any of the systems were designed for Maykr use. The accessways, control panels, and living quarters have all been designed for Argenta dimensions, so it can be assumed that the massive structure was made exclusively for Argenta warfare, likely as a flag-station of the Night Sentinel's military forces. We have records of the Night Sentinels visiting many inhabited planets in their local quadrant (the extent of their empire is still being researched), and this fortress is likely a remnant of what was once a much larger fleet.


BFG-10000
Originally established as a mining and communication relay, the UAC outpost on Phobos began immediate expansion following the destruction of the Argent facility on Mars. The UAC Board of Directors, intent on retaining their monopoly of the red planet and its surrounding airspace, issued the construction of an expansive defensive platform. Using technology derived from the BFG-9000, the design plan called for a massive particle cannon to be built on the orbiting moon. The BFG-10000, the largest man-made weapon platform ever conceived, wields enough firepower to defend against even the most sophisticated of capital-grade FTL cruisers in existence - or against the eventual potentiality of a space-bound demonic threat.


BFG-9000
The BFG-9000 remains the most powerful weapon ever designed by the UAC, releasing a projectile of pure boiling Argent Plasma. The sphere of superheated energy undulates as Argent tendrils lash out, drawn to nearby organic material an immediately producing a fatal explosion from within.

Dr. Samuel Hayden recently deployed the weapon to Phobos, where it served as the inspirational linchpin for the development of the BFG-10000 defense station. When mounted inside the station's magnifying array, the BFG can be fired into a series of reactive lensing rings; these rings pump a constant stream of gaseous Argent through the barrel, which ignites in reaction to the electrified plasma, producing a tremendous energy wave powerful enough to crack the surface of a planet.


The Lost City of Hebeth
VEGA DATA ENTRY

Amidst the long and enduring history of Sentinel civilization, there are moments in antiquity that have become buried in time - forgotten chapters that remain concealed to Sentinel historians, waiting to be unearthed. The fallen city of Hebeth is one such tale, all but forgotten to the tomes of legacies past. Once a prosperous port city - a proud, gleaming marker of conquest for the distant tribe of Bethian clansmen of the outer worlds - Hebeth bridged the disparate Sentinel cities with the ingenious design of slipgate invention. But it was not meant to last, and among those cities lost in the crusades of Sentinel past was Hebeth, now little more than a smoldering ruin swallowed by the quaking surface of a once habitable Mars.

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ThornBrain wrote:
Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:00 pm
Episode was late due to me being behind on editing this week, but at least now we can go punch a hole in Mars!
That's one of my favourite interactions in this entire game. XD

Hayden: You can't just shoot a hole in the surface of Mars!

Mission Objective: Shoot A Hole In Mars

And the sheer enthusiasm with which the Slayer loads himself into an orbital defense cannon is just... absolutely perfect.

Edit: Watching the latter portion of Part 6 and I'm like, I care not for id Software's deflection of enemy names, the cyberdemons are cyberdemons and I will not hear otherwise. :colbert:

I agree they are pretty ineffective though... until you're fighting like two or three of them at once, along with... OTHER things the DLC likes to throw at you. ¬_¬

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I've been preparing Jacob for this for almost a decade now

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[Part 8 - Origins of Doom]


They're All Read Out In The Video
Go watch the video, ya friggin' buttnuts!

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The outtakes were amazing, and holy shit that was spot-on voice acting for the lore reading. It fit the game so well, I wouldn't have known it was added in post without y'all pointing it out.

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Damn good job there, Jacob. It actually took me a minute to remember that voiceover wasn't in the game itself.

Say what you will about the silliness of the plot, but I love this kind of shit. It's the fun sort of B-movie storytelling that really tickles me.

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Forgot today was Friday and not Saturday, my bad. Let's get slicin'!

Hey all, I made this comment on Video 3, but as that video is rather old I thought I would copy-paste it here just in case
Rather late posting this, so doubt you will get the chance to talk about it in future videos. But you DO go back to the Fortress of Doom after the second level, it's when you get the ice bomb.(Saw it in day 1 stream of the game)
I can think of 2 reasons why you did not go there at the start of the video.
1: You forgot to record your visit on video and forgot about it, after beating the game 3 times I could understand forgetting about some of the less important/memorable bits.
Or 2: and this is IMO the more likely reason, though also a bit of a spitball. The game COMPLETELY SKIPS THE SECOND VISIT if you turn off game tutorials, which is really dumb, but twistedly understandable, as the second visit is pretty much the game's Fortress of Doom tutorial, showing off the various features of the FoD and what you can do in it. So turning off game tutorials would make the game skip going there and just warp you straight to level 3.

I don't have the game myself, so I can't test out reason 2 on my own, but if anyone who does own the game and wants to test if reason 2 is true by starting a new story mode run on the lowest difficulty, leaving game tutorials on, and speed-running through the game and seeing if they go back after level 2, that would be cool.

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So The Ancient Gods II is out. I won't say much about it here, but uh, it's fun so far! And holy shit, it actually gives you a reason to use the goddamn full-auto shotgun.

It changes the title screen music, though. :( I want Opening to Hell back...

One thing did really make me giggle though--I noticed on the difficulty selection screen, the end of each difficulty's description has had added to it, in blood red letters, "...but more demons, because it's DLC."

Edit: Oh, yeah, that first big room in Taras Nabad is bullshit. By the time I noticed the archvile I was low on health and had no extra lives (yes, I suck). Actually kinda soured me on the game for a little while. I had to put it down and come back to it the next day.

I actually learned something mildly interesting at this point in my first playthrough, though--the Slayer Gates are sequential, so you always get them in the same order regardless of what level you access them from. Taras Nabad wasn't the last Slayer Gate I beat--I skipped the one in the Super Gore Nest the first time, because I didn't feel like going back for the key. I was a little surprised to see friggin' Archviles and Marauders show up in that fight, as you can probably imagine.

Edit edit (Christ I need to stop doing this): Since Jacob brought it up--I mentioned it in the original Doom 4 thread. There is some light implication that Doom 4 and Eternal take place in Doom 3's universe (with the Doom Slayer from the original games crossing into it through Hell), some number of years later. UAC knows all about incursions from Hell being a thing and has all kinds of security measures programmed into the Mars facility's systems to counteract them, but knows nothing of this mysterious human they find imprisoned in Hell, despite him being a UAC employee. The Slayer meanwhile somehow knows how to operate all the computer interfaces and shit in the Mars facility like he's been doing for years (recall him calling up facility status reports at the very start of Doom 4, before he ever interacts with Vega or Hayden). Add to this that the tech in Doom 4 bears a pretty striking resemblance to Doom 3, in general terms (and the computer interfaces in particular from what I've seen).

I love exploring this sort of dimensional crossover bullshit in fiction; it's a hobby of mine. :3:

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[Part 9 - Arch Nemesis]


Taras Nabad
VEGA DATA ENTRY
The city of Taras Nabad was the crown jewel of Argent D'Nur. For centuries it served as the spiritual heart of Argent society, home to both the royal family and the center of political power. No expense was spared in the building of the city, with bold colonnaded architecture and towering monuments to gods and kings resplendent on every avenue. Rural Argenta flocked to Taras Nabad on pilgrimage to the Maykr temples.

The city was ground zero of a massive demonic invasion attempt, and although the invasion was thwarted the attack changed Argenta society forever.


Arch-Vile
Forged from Hellfire, the Archvile is feared among lesser demons for its innate ability to channel and manipulate the unholy powers of Hell magic. Descended from the eldest race of demons, the Archvile has long held a place within the ruling caste of highborn demon-kind. Possessing superior intellect among the demon ranks, the Archville's psychomancy powers make it a natural born ruler of the savage and primitive beasts of Hell, capable of bending weak-minded underlings to serve its will.


History of the Sentinels - Part X
Translation from the 'Ligria Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

With the coming of the Slayer, the Night Sentinels took the campaign deeper into the heartland of the demons than ever before. Mighty Atlans were brought forth, tearing paths through the hordes of Hell alongside the Slayer and his army. The high priests, under the guidance of the Mother God, had found means to gain entry to the innermost regions of the demon world, and with the Deag's presence new gates could be opened.

Our war machines were unstoppable, wrought with Maykr technology, enhanced by the very Essence our enemies hurled against us as our armies drove deeper and deeper into the blood-drenched territory of the demons. Countless victories were assured with the power of the Slayer, for with the Alpha-Interfector at the fore of our pack we brought certain doom to our foes.

And though our hearts were pure and our purpose righteous, unbeknownst to the fighters of Argenta, in our wake and under the veil of secrecy the Mother God had set her Priests to build vast factories upon the heathen's land that she might gather the Essence for further development. How this deception began we would not know, for our focus remained on the hordes of the underworld. Why then would we stoop so low as to consider our Mother God of betraying our covenant?

The Khan Maykr did not seem at ease with the unforeseen rise of our Slayer, and the seraphim who had birthed the destroyer in secret soon vanished from Urdak, perhaps exiled for his heresy.

Our legions rose unfettered under the unquenchable rage of the Doom Slayer, and his design led the Khan Maykr to find profit in his endorsement. It soon became known that the Slayer was the Maykr's god-machine, a holy relic reborn, sent to bring the Maykr's word to the wicked and to smite those who would seek to harm all who followed the path to Urdak.

With the Slayer unwittingly cleaving a path for her the Mother God siphoned the Essence, processing it beyond our knowledge into the fuel that would come to be known as Argent Energy.

The Slayer cared not for polity. He took no interest in the workings of our people, but set his task only on his desire; the destruction of the demons and their world. He no longer spoke for reasons unknown, though it was understood that he still possessed the ability, offering guttural hefts of anger as he inflicted pain upon his enemies. For years he marched with the Night Sentinels through the fires of the demon lands, and every return to our homeworld found much changed in Argent D'Nur. Should any blame be apportioned to the Sentinels it is this; in our fervor we were negligent of our people, and did not see the rising tide of evil our crusade empowered. We knew only the enemy laid before us and the wealth of Argenta at our backs, and did not pause to seek the cost and method of this progress.


The Divinity Machine
VEGA DATA ENTRY

Within the infinite conscious-matrix of the all-seeing Maykr God-mind, there exists every potentiality - every predictive variable of possible future timeline - each one known to the Maykr collective with omniscient, inextricable clarity. The God-mind surveys these timelines, watching them form and expand exponentially like fractal patterns in the fabric of existence. Among these infinite possibilities, only one constant appears among them, unchanged by the flowing data of endless variability - that of the prophesied Destroyer - the one who would bring about the destruction of the Maykrs.


History of the Sentinels - Part XI
Translation from the 'Ligria Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

Yet as the Slayer and Night Sentinels battled the demonic host, their failure to act outside the confines of their duty allowed the rancor of the Essence to grip the Argenta.

It was on a mission deep within the boiling seas of the nether realm, where the Order of the Six reside, that a company of Night Sentinels learned of the Khan Maykr's true dealings with the callous beasts. By Maykr design it was kept secret from the Sentinels and Argent people alike that the essence we had grown so reliant on during this war was comprised of the very spirit of our brothers and sisters who'd fallen to these vile creatures. The truth had been uncovered, that all beings who found their end by the demonic horde would become a vassal of the Hellscape, their flesh in time twisted into the very demons we fight, their souls extracted to create the Essence that powers their world...and ours. The victims were the enemy, and the enemy would become us.

The soldiers stood in awe at the base of a factory dedicated to such action, a place where the bodies of the slain were sorted and processed, tortured for the mill to have their souls extracted through sinister magick. Enormous vats of pain and suffering, ethereal energy, the haunting sounds of lost souls awash in an eternity of servitude, transformed into energy to power our struggle against the Dark Realm and its malice.

But worse than this grim reality was the discovery of the machinery which was used to enact the vile process our fallen had been subjected to, for it was not by hoof and claw that this blasphemous technology had come to pass, but by the hand of the Argenta guided by the Mother God's desires. We had fallen deep within the grasp of the enemy, what we had fought against would not reveal itself to be true, as without countenance we could hold no sway over the Argenta populace. Regardless, the honor of the Night Sentinels would have to hold up the verity of these claims, and the Mother God could be our divinity no more.

In secret corridors and clandestine conference, the Night Sentinels would find those amongst them who similarly distrusted the Essence and had foretold the swelling corruption. Once the truth could be shared, the skeptics became members of the Sentinel Insurrection and the breach between holy and unholy Argenta began to grow.


History of the Sentenils - Part XII
Translation from the 'Ligria Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

The truth could not be denied; the unholy spires raised in the Barren Lands functioned by blessing of Maykr machinery. The Khan had betrayed Argent D'Nur, and had made concert with the demons to harvest their Essence, in return granting them access to all worlds under her influence. A symbiotic relationship had formed and darkness now had been balanced by a light, for where there was Heaven, so there would be Hell. The followers would be granted passage to Urdak, and the sinners would fall into the fiery pits of the Dark Realm. This word would be spread from all cultures in all worlds and in all places. We were not without blame, for it was our people, the Priests and Sentinel engineers, who'd laid the work in place. Argenta's slaves had built the dark factories, and our own ancient Wraith-energy helped purify Hell's Elixir into the miracle fuel that now powered the Maykr's world and our own. The Night Sentinels spoke of the evil brought by the Essence, and carried their word to all who would listen. We had helped to create this new dichotomy and so it must be for the Argenta to stop the spread of this pestilence, this new phase of existence, the dark and the light. If not for us, then for the innocent whose worlds have yet to fall under the spell of the Maykr God and her unseen allies in the Hell dimension.

Even when the Night Sentinels returned from the demonic realm with tales of slave factories that damned the souls of the innocent, the indoctrinated masses of Argent D'Nur took no quarrel with the Maykrs. They were indebted to the demon Essence, the Ministers deliberating but finding no basis for change. The messengers were cast down for daring to speak against those who have gifted us so much, our Gods. The Maykrs, in their infinite wisdom, would see fit that the faithful continue life anew in Urdak. They feared the wrath of the Mother god; a lifetime of servitude would not be undone by this insurrection. This was simply another trial, a test of faith to identify those that were truly worthy to experience life eternal in Urdak. The Argenta would not waiver in their resolve.

The Night Sentinels prepared for war once again, though this battle meant drawing the blood of their own brothers. Our army had seen the work of the demons firsthand and knew its evil. They had returned to the way of the Wraiths, and though their armament was diminished without the Esence, it remained pure and righteous. A division amongst the Argenta had occurred, one side standing in opposition to the doctrine of the Maykrs, the other locked in belief. The Ascended Empire was comprised of the faithful and misled, wielding the desecrated energies of Hell, the power of the Maykrs, and Marauders who had sided with the Khan. The Night Sentinels were bolstered by the free people of Argenta and the mightiest of all killers, the Slayer himself.

Plans and tactics were drawn. The Sentinels would close the Argent energy factories in Nekravol, that which fed the world of Urdak directly with its supply of fresh Essence. They would stop the flow. The slumbering Wraiths would wake from their sleep and give Argent D'Nur courage.


History of the Sentenils - Part XIII
Translation from the 'Ligria Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

For years the Civil War raged and took its toll on the soldiers as their armor laid stained with the blood of their brothers on a cursed battlefield. Finally, an opportunity to end the war had been discovered by the Order Deag and the Night Sentinels. With the Slayer at the head of their army they gathered to traverse through the gate and sunder Nekroval, the city of the dead. The Order of the Deag, the High Priests who had pledged their allegiance long ago to the Night Sentinels, worked in service of our mission. Those holy Priests, who had served the Argenta since time immemorial, assured us that the way was clear. A plan was set to march into the accursed walls of Nekroval and smite the factory, cutting off the flow of Essence to Urdak and denying the Khan Maykr of her prize. Our forces took spear in hand and advanced, and it is there that the venom of treachery struck.


History of the Sentenils - Part XIV
Translation from the 'Ligra Sultagenta' (Book of Kings)

Scattered in Hell, abandoned by their clergy and reinforcements, the Sentinels proved their worth in what would be their final war with the forces of all evil. Unrelenting power in the face of certain death, the Sentinels crushed hundreds of demons and skewered Titans. When their Atlans held no more fuel the Sentinels took to the ground and fought the swarms on land. All of Hell knew of the Betrayal, for it was without question the Maykrs and the Priests who had sowed the seeds of deceit long before the brave warriors passed through the gate. What Hell saw that day was the beating heart of the free people of Argent D'Nur; they did not flinch in the face of their own certain death. They died as they lived, with sword and shield in hand, Urdak too low a place to house such giants. Theirs would be the fate of warrior gods, remembered for all time.

Lord Sash, the stalwart banner-sergeant, was found with his war standard pierced through the throat of a great beast, his body surrounded by the corpses of enemies. Roan the Mighty, the light faded from his eyes, had eviscerated such a multitude that their entrails clung to the black rocks like vines. Gor, relentless until the end, had broken his blade on the backs of his foes, and by the time he fell he had slain another two-score with his hands alone.

The Priests believed the Sentinels all slain, but we are Argenta, born to overcome. Rumors, deemed heretical by the Order Deag, persist and claim that the Slayer himself still rages in the Unholy Realm. None who live can know, for the future of Argent D'Nur has been bent and twisted by the perverted vision of the Essence-drinkers. Never again will the light of the Wraiths illuminate our world. All has fallen.

If the Slayer does live, let him carry our vengeance forward. If he persists, let him wreak violence on those who have wronged us. May the blood of his sword never dry, may his war never end until the guilty have been punished, and may this evil never again spread its shadow over another world.

Upon entry through the Hell Portal the Night Sentinels were scattered to the winds of unplanned chaos. Our warriors were separated, our ranks split as the gates twisted and hurled them across the Unholy Realm. Some of our warriors appeared near to gates they had walked before but found that the vile Priests had barred the way back. Then the trap was sprung, and each lone Argenta found himself set upon by bloodthirsty multitudes of demonic beasts.

Let it be known that it was not the Priests alone who failed the Northern armies, but one of the Sentinels own. Hell found his weakness, and exploited it to the demise of Argent D'Nur. If not for the Betrayer's stroke of madness the Wraiths power would still be our own, and the Sentinel flag would still rise above Argent D'Nur to this day.


Crucible
A sacred relic of the Sentinel People, the Crucible remains one of the most mysterious artifacts known to man. Texts from Argent D'Nur reference the weapon in a revered, righteous manner; while Night Sentinels were known to employ similar energy-based blades in their armaments, the Crucible remains the only one powerful enough to reportedly slay titan-class demons.

Only the Slayer holds knowledge of this venerated sword, for only he has been known to wield it. The blade burns with ethereal heat, immediately cauterizing flesh as it slices through.


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[Part 10 - The Soul Hole]

[[Fortress of Doom]]

Unmaykr
A uniquely powerful weapon, the Unmaykr is kept under lock and key inside the Fortress of Doom. Inspired by Sentinel weapon technology, this celestial firearm was created in Urdak by the ingenious invention of the Maykrs themselves.

Upon activation of the weapon, shutter-ports slide open, and the Unmaykr immediately begins launching rapid-fire volleys of condensed tri-directional Argent bolts. The destructive potential of this alien superweapon is rivaled only by the BFG.


[[Nekravol - Part I]]

Nekravol - Part I
The city of Nekravol was built in Hell by the combined efforts of the Maykrs and Sentinel Engineers, designed to produce a continuous flow of Argent Energy. Constructed of stone and fell-steel on a foundation of uncounted corpses, the sprawling fortress funnels a constant stream of victims towards Kalibas, the Sightless Judge. This ancient demon is a rare breed, unable to communicate or move without great difficulty. It exists as an overseer of sorts, awaiting as cages packed with the recently-slain are brought before it, determining which souls are candidates for the Argent process.

Operating not unlike a large-scale slaughterhouse, Nekravol is divided into many sections. The most immediately accessible portions contain the Abaddon Pit, an enormous chasm where victims are herded. Beyond Kalibas the Argent-worthy souls are directed deeper into the black fortress; those who he renders unfit are discarded as waste, their tortured souls thrown into the burning sludge of the Blood Swamps.


Kalibas
A prompt appears indicating a codex entry for Kalibas, The Sightless Judge, but one does not actually exist in-game. Weeeeeird.


Fuel the Eternal Flame - Part I
Translation from the Corrax Tablets

The transformation of mortal creature into demon is a laggard and gradual process, one that can take eons to transpire without the catalyst of Argenta intervention. The victim is left to maunder in the shadow land for years uncounted, where over ageless time they transform into demon. During their nightmarish journey the ethereal soul slowly drains from the body, and in that dark realm the substance of mortal life is manifest as matter. It gathers in pools of volatile aura found all over Hell. Demon-kind call these pools The Well, and use them to invigorate themselves for battle.

It is from this aura that the Essence is formed. By melding it with Wraith energy, that which lights the darkened hall and sets the Sentinel sword ablaze, the Essence is founded. The combining of these primal energies creates Argent Energy; a power source so potent, so incalculably formidable, that it has consumed the Argenta and driven us on to greater influence than was ever possible with Wraith power alone.


[[Nekravol - Part II]]

Nekravol - Part II
This is one of the Soul Spires identified in the Argenta texts, built into the central columns of Nekravol. Although most Soul Spires were linked directly to Argent D'Nur through a Hell Priest created Continuum Gate, this particular one is linked to Urdak, the home of the Maykrs. There is no Continuum Gate here, presumably due to the Khan Maykr's natural distrust of those under her charge.

The Soul Spires were designed by the Maykrs to accelerate the processing of mortal victims into Argent Energy, and build in secret by Sentinel slaves under the direction of the Order Deag. This forced labor was a crucial step in fulfilling the Khan Maykr's desire for Argent, as beings from Urdak are unable to cross over to Hell's dimension.


Fuel the Eternal Flame - Part II
Translation from the Corrax Tablets

The Maykrs' need for the Essence is prime. Without it they must suffer the monstrous fate of Transfiguration, and see their wisdom and faculties slither from their twisted forms. By bidding of the Khan Maykr herself, the Order of the Deag has devised a method to improve and accelerate the production of the Hell aura. What once took eons for the savage beasts to attain can now be accomplished in short order by the Argenta intellect, and with greater efficiency and consistency.

We constructed the Soul Spires, vast halls erected in the savage lands by our slaves and under direction of the Order. Even though we raised a monument on their ground, demon-kind does not harry us during assembly of the Soul Spires; for the Khan Maykr herself bartered a deal with the Dark Lord that rules over the shadow walkers. A bargain was struck; the demons would be given fresh worlds and souls to consume, bolstering their forces and expanding the corrupting domain of Hell, and the Maykrs would be granted access to the flow of Argent.

The procedure inside the Soul Spires is thus; the captives are tortured until no semblance of humanity remains within them. Bereft of hope, the mortal soul is vulnerable and can be easily extracted. This we achieve with a machine from the enlightened mind of the Khan Maykr herself: the Evulsor.

Once the Evulsor has done its deed and the soul has been extracted, the victim's body is ejected into the wasteland where, as before our cunning meddling, it becomes demon over time.


Fuel the Eternal Flame - Part III
Translation from the Corrax Tablets

We gather the volatile aura, and store it in vast reservoirs. There it is coalesced with Wraith energy, and subjected to the infernal fires of Hell itself. In the heat of the primal fire, the Essence is loosed and captured for our gain.

The final stage of the process is the dividend of the gains. Vast quantities of the Essence are fed directly to Argent D'Nur, to power our machine and drive our engine. The rest is reserved for the Khan Maykr. Though she may never set foot in the dark realm, she has devised means to teleport Essence to the Holy Land, that which she calls Urdak, the Domain of Angels. Her use of the Essence is unchallenged, for it was she and her court that gave us design to capture the Essence, and her payment is just.


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So, the Icon of Sin is... Longcat?

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[Part 11 - Khan You Not?]


Urdak
This is Urdak, the home world of the Maykrs. A brief age analysis of the structures and architecture here indicates that this world is older than any other in our database. Similarities can also be drawn to multiple pan-galactic religions, indicating that the Maykr's influence was not limited to Argent D'Nur, and that over eons their influence has spread across the galaxy, and potentially the universe. Some imagery is akin to religious icons in the Orion-Cygnus arm of the Milky Way, an area which includes Earth. The name Urdak is common tongue in the Maykr language, but can be approximately translated to the word for Paradise or Heaven in hundreds of different languages, further cementing the theory that the Maykrs have had a religious impact on mortal beings for millions of years.

Despite their seeming Godliness, the Maykrs have a past. At some point in their ageless history there is mention of 'The Father'; a logical, alien entity that endowed the Maykrs with their vast knowledge and technical ability. Analysis of Maykr artifacts and scripture indicate that The Father may have been a singular being that 'split' to form the Maykr race, or instead transferred his incalculable power into the vast structure known as Urdak which then birthed the Maykrs in perpetuity. It seems that the Maykrs, though exceptionally long-lived, eventually suffer some form of biological and mental degradation, at which point they undergo a process known as 'the Transfiguration' wherin they allow a voluntary death and resurrection somehow tied to The Father. This process may have been complicated or damaged in the recent past.

There are no records of how The Father came to the Maykrs, when it was first discovered, or if it had any physical form before the Maykrs. The first mention of The Father is in regard to a building named the Luminarium. It was a temple of sorts, where Maykrs would go to seek answers.

The essence of The Father was stolen by one of their own, by a Maykr referred to as the Seraphim. Who the Seraphim is, or what he did with The Father's consciousness, is unknown. Records show that one day the Luminarium simply ceased to communicate, and that a deep scan of its data banks revealed no remaining trace of the entity.

Urdak itself exists in an anchor state, utilizing highly advanced dimensional shift technology to allow a static position at a sub-quantum level. This essentially inverts their position in relation to Hell; both planes of existence are fixed outside the bounds of the known universe, a 'lower' and 'higher' reality. The Khan Maykr oversees all within Urdak, and now utilizes Argent Energy to prevent the Transfiguration.


Maykr Drones
Urdak's population is mainly comprised of Drones, beings that exist as extensions of the Khan Maykr's will. Though each is endowed with their own unique identity they remain biologically unable to resist a command from their Khan, and so function in a perfectly synchronized colony system. Drones never leave Urdak, their bodies not yet mature enough to avoid harm while crossing dimensions.


Icon of Sin
As it is written in the prophecies of ancient Sentinel scripture, the Titans - towering elder demons of the infernal age - would return, unearthed from their immortal slumber. The Titans are believed to be harbingers of the end-times, primordial forces of chaos and destruction.

Born from the tortured spirit of the Betrayer's son, it was by Hell's unholy design that the Icon of Sin was given flesh. The fearsome Titan, forged from the essence of mortal suffering, once bore a human soul - a soul now transmogrified and entombed within the still beating heart of its former self. The Betrayer, seeking to free his son from eternal torment within the depths of Hell, made an agreement - a pact sealed by the black fates of darkness - that promised to grant his son the chance to return from death. The son would live again, but not as a human - in Hell's endless cruelty, the son was damned to become the Icon, an inhuman existence bound only to its former humanity by the now disembodied, undying mortal heart.


Khan Maykr
Every 10,000 years, the collective Maykr consciousness, known as the 'Singularity', births a Khan Maykr, a supreme being destiny-bound to lead all of Urdak until the next Khan is born. The Singularity, which contains the conscious soul-data of every major Maykr that has ever lived and died, processes and refines this data as a means of selective evolution. As hierarch of the conscious neural-matrix to which each Maykr is interconnected, it is physically impossible for a Maykr to refuse the collective order of shared consciousness and disobey a Khan. This system has functioned without error since the creation of Urdak, until now. With the disappearance of the Father, the Maykrs are incapable of creating a successor to the Khan lineage, allowing the existing Khan to hold her claim to the throne indefinitely.


Maykr Angels
These revered figures serve as speakers for the Khan Maykr, earning positions of leadership and high esteem within their species. Angels of Urdak are gifted with Orator Rings, golden halos fused to their armor as a symbol of their status and rank. These divine beings occasionally gathered in Conclaves or at the summons of the Khan Maykr, but typically do not work together, instead being assigned as independent advisors and overseers amongst Maykr-controlled worlds.

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Final part of the main campaign, and it's an asskicker of a gauntlet leading up to a new form of an old face

The Ancient Gods DLC begins next week!

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[Part 12 - Iconic]
Main Campaign End



Final Sin
The Icon's presence warps reality, damaging the intricate order of our dimension merely by existing within it. If the Icon is allowed to remain unchecked it would lead to the total devastation of Earth, followed by a breakdown of spacetime around the planet. The resulting black hole will eventually drag our entire universe down, casting it into the mouth of Hell as a conquest to be absorbed by the Dark Realm.

The Khan Maykr had taken measures to augment the titan, installing Maykr technology throughout its structure to ensure it could be controlled. With the ritual interrupted the Icon is now fully unleashed, raging across Earth until Hell consumes all. No longer bound by the Heart of the Betrayer's Son, the Icon of Sin is free from any measure of control that the Maykrs might have conceived. Only the Slayer, prophecied in Argenta legend to stand against the Icon, can stop this apocalypse.

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DLC time! At least one person saw this coming

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