Twin Mothers design document/1

This is part 1 of the Twin Mothers design document for Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios.
== Overview ==
The Twin Mothers: Ahead of you lie cultivated lands nestled within a small valley. Fields of crops stretch as far as the eye can see and line the valley floor. Clinging to the left valley wall are what appear to be buildings made of adobe.
Map area 	Transition	Map #	Map size	Complexity
The Fields 	Full Party	 	Small 	Fields of corn, wheat, and crops
The Village 	Full Party	 	Medium 	Cliff side adobe dwelling
The Dish 	Full Party	 	Small 	Satellite dish with control room
Mystery Caves 	Full Party	 	Small 	Looping caverns with monsters
Forbidden Lands 	Full Party	 	Medium 	Horseshoe canyon with cave
Forgotten Vault 29	Full party	 	Medium 	Typical vault
== Locations ==
===The Fields: ===
Nestled against the wall of a box canyon are the fields that provide food for the Twin Mothers village. Neat rows of corn, wheat, and various fruits and vegetables are cultivated here. Surrounded by the rows of crops is a small animal pen that houses sheep, cattle, and a tool shed. A nearby well irrigates the crops and provides water for the livestock as well. 
The fields are tended by two groups of four caretakers. Each group is composed of two men and two women. The two groups work in alternate shifts, tending the fields during the day and guarding them at night. Also visible are four security robots stationed about the area. These robots, though apparently functional, do not respond to any perceived threat to the area, nor do they respond to any commands. They are, for all intents and purposes, quite harmless. However, if the robots are attacked they will defend themselves with deadly force until their attackers flee. At this point they become inert once again.
The security robots are actually the servants of the goddess Diana (see the sections that follow for more details) and normally protect the Twin Mothers from any wasteland threats. However, they have long since ceased performing their duties. This has left the tribe open to assault by wasteland critters and raiders. As a result, the guards in the fields are wary of anyone they see anyone approaching. They will flee the area and warn the village of any intruders.
Once the guards have fled, the player can either follow them to the city or loot the fields. Corn, wheat, fruits, and vegetables are here for the taking. The sheep and cattle in the pen are quite domesticated and can be sheared for wool or slain for meat. Otherwise, if the player takes the time to inspect this area he can discover the following:
# The tracks of wasteland critters can be found near the animal pen.
# The tracks of heavily booted feet can be found throughout this area.
# The tracks of soft woven sandals can be found among the rows of crops and animal pen.
# The tracks of the security robots can be see to follow a regular path to and from this area.
If the player has a high enough outdoorsman skill he can recognize the tracks here with ease. The wasteland critters appear to be giant ants and slugs. The booted footprints are most likely raiders. The woven sandal footprints belong to the natives. The remaining tracks are obviously those of the security robots since they begin and end beneath the robots motivators.
If the player chooses to follow the tracks they lead to the following areas. The wasteland critters lead to the mystery caves. The booted footprints lead to the forbidden lands. The woven sandal footprints lead to the village. The security robot tracks lead to the forbidden lands and then continue to the vault entrance.
Scripting:
# Entering map, First Time:
## The tribal guards should flee the map.
# Entering map, Second Time:
## If the player has not met the tribal chiefs and is not friendly with them then the guards should flee.
## If the player has met the tribal chiefs and is friendly with them then the guards should not flee.
# Attacking a security robot:
## All robots activate and turn on the player.
## The attack continues until the player flees the map.
## Reset the robots to neutral non-hostile state.
# Normal guard activity:
## Wander randomly throughout the fields.
## Occasionally stop, bend over, and appear to tend crops.
## Repeat.
# Normal robot activity:
## Stand motionless.
## At sunset two robots leave the map.
## One hour later the two robots return.
## Second pair of robots leave map.
## One hour later the second pair of robots return.
=== The Village: ===
The Twin Mothers village is built into the side of a cliff much like the pueblo dwellings of old. The buildings are constructed from a combination of stone and adobe. The village is well laid out, spacious, and clean. Access to the village is via a wood ladder built into a shaft. The ladder can be removed in times of emergency. A similar shaft holds a lift that is used to transport grain and such to the storage areas in the village.
The village is laid out in sections. To the far left is the home of the shaman and the infirmary. Anyone who is ill is separated quickly from the rest of the tribe to prevent the spread of disease. In such maters, the Shaman has the final word on whether or not someone can be released back into the tribe. To the right and below the infirmary are the warehouses. Here food and grain are prepared and stored. The communal ovens are here as well as a common eating area. Next is the village square. This circular area sports a fire pit where people can gather at night and talk, sing, or eat a meal outdoors. The home of the two chiefs and a shrine to the goddess is here as well. Above and to the right of the village square are the living quarters. At various places throughout the village are inert robot sentries.
This is where the player will initially meet with the Twin Mothers tribe. The city will be on alert from the field guards warning. Both chieftains of the will be waiting to greet the player at the base of the ladder that leads to the city. At any sign of trouble the chieftains will flee up the ladder and bring it up after them. The player will then be ignored.
The Twin Mothers are a very friendly and trusting people. Upon meeting the player they will ask him if he comes in peace. If he agrees that he has, they will accept him and allow him free run of the village. While talking to the chiefs the player can learn the following:
# Wasteland critters have been raiding the crops. If the raids continue there will be a food shortage.
# A group of raiders has set up camp in the forbidden lands. The tribe is providing them with food and livestock even though their resources are dwindling.
# The goddess has stopped speaking with the tribe and her servants (security bots) have stopped defending them. They do not know what they have done to offend her.
# The forbidden lands are just that: forbidden. None of the tribe is allowed to go there by decree of the goddess.
# The tribe is run by two chiefs. A woman is chosen to govern the tribe in its daily affairs. She makes all decisions concerning law and its enforcement. A man is chosen to govern providing for the tribe. He makes all decisions concerning growing food, its preparation and storage, and providing clothing and shelter.
# The tribe is pacifistic. They will not fight back if attacked by another human being. Instead they retreat to their city and wait for any danger to pass. Attacks by critters are dealt with minimal violence.
# The player can meet Ruth, a Daughter of Hecate here. For full information on the Daughters, see the area overview for the Ouroboros.
I need to take a moment here to discuss Ruth, the Daughter of Hecate. Ruth was originally sent to the Twin Mothers to undermine the tribe according to Hecate's plan. She easily insinuated herself into the tribe because of their friendly nature. She learned as much as she could about them and was amused when she learned of their worship of the goddess Diana. Knowing that Hecate was the only true goddess, she decided to set the tribe straight.
The tribal chieftains listened to Ruth politely and then pointed out to her that she was wrong about Hecate. Naturally this infuriated Ruth and she began to demand to see the 'all powerful' goddess of the tribe. The chieftains discussed it amongst themselves and then agreed to take her before Diana. She was then taken to the shrine and told to stand before the altar. The chieftains then bowed and left her alone.
Needless to say, Ruth was stunned when Diana manifested before her, something that Hecate had never done. She fell to her knees and begged forgiveness for what she had come to the Twin Mothers to do. She swore that she would forsake Hecate's plan and help to spare the tribe from Hecate's wrath. All that she asked was that Diana forgive her for her transgressions.
Ruth lowered her forehead to the ground and awaited judgment. She expected to be struck down by the goddess at any moment. After a while, when nothing had happened, she raised her head to find that the goddess had vanished. She never said a word to Ruth, but apparently she had forgiven her and let her live. Ruth promptly swore to uphold her oath to Diana and fled the shrine.
Ruth now finds herself between a rock and a hard place. She is convinced that Hecate is not the goddess that she claims to be, but she is still a very powerful woman. However, Ruth swore to Diana that she would help thwart Hecate's plans for the Twin Mothers tribe. She has no idea how she can accomplish that. So far, all she has done is send Hecate false reports about the condition of the tribe. If Hecate's warriors were to arrive...
If the player takes the time to talk to Ruth he may discover her dilemma. This will alert him to Hecate's plans for the wasteland and he may decide to stop her. Of course, he may decide to join her. Who knows?
Scripting:
# Entering map, First Time:
## Spawn chiefs at base of ladder.
## Auto initiate dialog
## Dialog will determine hostility
## If dialog ends hostile remove chieftains and ladder from map
# Entering map, Second Time hostile:
## Remove ladder to city
## Set grain elevator at top
# Entering map, Second Time non hostile
## Normal activity
# Attacking a security robot:
## All robots activate and turn on the player.
## The attack continues until the player flees the map.
## Reset the robots to neutral non-hostile state.
# Normal robot activity:
## Stand motionless.
## At sunset two robots leave the map.
## One hour later the two robots return.
## Second pair of robots leave map.
## One hour later the second pair of robots return.
# Attacking a villager:
## Villagers flee map
## Treat village as hostile state
## Treat fields as hostile state
=== The Dish: ===
This is a small radio relay station that has been deserted since the War. The main room contains the communication and tracking equipment for the satellite dish. A side room contains bunks and a small recreation area for the crew. Another room contains the fusion reactor and battery backup system that powers the station. The final room holds the mechanism that moves the dish to desired coordinates.
The station is currently in poor shape. The fusion reactor has failed and switched over to battery backup power. The batteries, which are charged by solar panels on the roof, are low and cannot keep the station in operational mode. Inspection of the solar panels will reveal them to be covered in sand and dirt. Cleaning the panels will allow the batteries to charge to full capacity with twenty four hours of exposure to the sun.
Once the station is operational the computer terminal will begin to flash a warning message: 'Signal source lost'. If the player investigates this he will find that the dish is locked onto an unknown ground based target to the southeast (the Nursery) and cannot be redirected. Any attempt to do so results in the computer demanding security access codes. Obviously the dish is aimed at something of importance.
The station is located on the plateau above the box canyon that houses the Twin Mothers tribe. It can be reached via a narrow cave in the canyon wall located in the forbidden lands. The cave entrance is hidden behind some cleverly placed boulders. They are placed in such a way to give the illusion of being a part of the canyon wall. However, if the boulders are approached from the proper angle the cave entrance can be clearly seen.
This is the communications dish that was used by Diana to contact the Zax computer in Vault 29. It is currently locked onto the location of the Nursery. The player can query the computer for the coordinates of the location but it will refuse to reveal them without the proper access codes. However, if the player has both Science and Outdoorsman skills he can examine the mechanism that moves the dish and glean the coordinates. This will mark the world map with a location labeled 'unknown'. 
Later in the game this dish can be used to contact the satellite orbiting the earth and sending it a reset command. This will give the player more time to complete certain tasks. However, before the player learns of this possibility, he may have the option to destroy the dish. Doing so is one way of ending the reign of Diana, the goddess.
The Twin Mothers are not aware of the existence of the dish. Since it is located in the forbidden lands, and the entrance hidden, it has been overlooked.
Scripting:
# Computer system power up:
## Float message 'Signal source lost.'
# Player clicks on computer:
## Initiate dialog
# Player clicks on dish mechanism:
## Initiate dialog
=== The Mystery Caves: ===
This cave winds its way into the side of a mountain. Its passages are dark, damp, and foreboding. The main passage branches into several side passages that end in rooms. Some of these rooms are used as lairs for various monsters while others are simply dead ends.
Immediately upon entering the cave the main passage branches to the right and opens into a larger rock strewn cavern. The secondary passage leads to a small room scattered with litter and debris. The large cavern is the lair of several giant slugs. A second cavern to the left of the lair appears to have collapsed.
At the rear of the slug lair is an exit that leads further into the mountain. Soon this passage branches into three rooms. The first is a room scattered with debris and the remains of dead animals, the second is the lair of a colony of giant ants, and the third is the queen ant's chamber. The ants will attack anyone entering their domain.
The mystery caves can only be discovered in one of two ways. First, the player can track the creatures that have been invading the fields of the Twin Mothers tribe. Second, the player can be given directions here by either a guard in the fields or by the male chieftain of the tribe.
This area is nothing more than a combat area. It gives the player creatures to kill for fun, sport, and experience. Otherwise there is nothing of note here.
Scripting:
The scripting here is quite simple. Have monsters attack the player when he is sighted.
=== The Forbidden Lands: ===
This area is located at the rear of the box canyon that the Twin Mothers call home. The canyon is divided in twain by a slow moving stream that flows to a crevice in the canyon floor. Here the water vanishes underground. At the head of the canyon is a forest of strange cacti that feed off the stream. Further on the land becomes almost swamp-like where pools of water have formed. At the rear of the canyon is the source of the stream, a crevice in the wall where the water gushes out like a fountain. Nearby is a large pipe, its diameter taller than a man. In the right hand wall of the canyon is a cave that winds its way up to the bluff above. The satellite dish is located here.
The Twin Mothers know nothing about this area of the canyon. The goddess has steadfastly forbidden them to come here. Attempts were made in the past to explore the area, but in each case the explorers returned with tales of encountering the goddess and being warned away. Needless to say, these tales have curtailed curiosity over the years.
The fact of the matter is that a projector has been placed here near the vault entrance. When a Twin Mothers native is detected, the projector causes the goddess to 'manifest' and warn away the trespasser. This is a simple but effective way of preventing the tribe from discovering the Vault that they are descended from. If the native persists and enters the pipe that leads to the vault, the door opens for him but quickly seals itself once he steps inside. He is then visited by the goddess again who directs him to the main computer room of the Vault. There he is rendered unconscious and his short term memories erased. A robot then deposits him at the edge of the forgotten lands so that he can wander safely back to the tribe once he awakens.
Entering the vault by the player can be accomplished in a couple of ways. Dressing as a Twin Mothers tribal will cause the goddess to manifest and warn the player away. If he continues down the pipe the door will then open for him but close again once he is inside. Otherwise he will have to hack the door open with Science skill.
This Forbidden Lands are home to a raider clan known as Scorpion's Bite. Their leader, a man named Burk, became very curious about the tribe when he discovered the non-aggressive security robots. He decided to befriend the tribe and learn as much as he could about them. Over the months he learned of their belief in the goddess, their pacifist ways, and that the goddess has apparently abandoned them. With this information in hand he began to demand tribute from the tribe in the form of food and livestock. He also set up camp in the forbidden lands because the natives refuse to enter them.
Most of the raiders blindly follow Burk's orders. He is a well educated man and has proven to be quite good at what he does. His leadership has led the Scorpion's Bite clan to a position of dominance in the wasteland. However, there are two dissenters among his ranks, Trisha and Sharon.
Trisha is a pretty young woman who has no qualms about using sex as a means to get what she wants. She has been in several raider clans, has worked her way to the top, and then been instrumental in the clan's destruction. In each case she has come out on top with a position of power in the new clan. Trisha is now Burk's girlfriend. Currently she is trying to find a way to deliver a holo-disk to a member of Caesar's Legion. The disk completely details the Twin Mothers area and provides all the information necessary for a take over.
Sharon is a cruel mean spirited woman who wants nothing more than to be taken care of. Like Trisha, she has no qualms about using sex to get where she wants to be. However, unlike Trisha, Sharon is overweight and not very pretty. When Trisha came into the picture, Sharon was immediately cast aside by Burk. This train of events has not improved Sharon's disposition at all. She would like nothing better than to put a bullet between Trisha's eyes so that she can get back into Burk's bed and the easy life she once had.
Scripting:
# Approaching pipe, non native:
## Nothing happens
# Approaching pipe, disguised as native:
## Spawn 'goddess
## Float 'These lands are forbidden.' message
## Wait 20 seconds
## Remove 'goddess'
# Approaching vault door, non native:
## Nothing happens
# Approaching vault door, disguised as native:
## Open door
## After player enters vault, close door and lock it
## Spawn 'goddess'
## Auto initiate dialog
## Dialog will determine hostility
=== The Forgotten Vault 29: ===
This is the Vault that the ancestors of the Twin Mothers emerged from. For the most part, it is a standard vault and follows the same design as any other. The first floor contains the control center for the vault doors and a medical laboratory. The second floor contains storage lockers, an armory, and bunk rooms. The third and final floor contains the common area, the power room, and the vault controller room.
This Vault was not constructed with a human controller in mind. Instead it was given a Zax computer with special programming. Shortly after the vault became active, the Zax computer was overridden by the super-computer, Diana, at the Nursery. In the years that followed the vault underwent specific changes until the population of the vault was ready to be released into the world.
The Vault has two projectors installed within it. The first is in the main hallway leading to the exit, and the second is in the computer control room. Both projectors can be used to cause the goddess to 'manifest' at will. This is accomplished by filling the air in front of the projector with a reflective mist and projecting her image upon it. The main computer room also has a CODE device. When activated the device causes a subject to be rendered unconscious and lose all short term memory of the previous few days. This device is used on any natives that manage to discover the vault.
The main goal of this area is exposition. When the player arrives here he can talk with the 'goddess' and discover that it is only a Zax computer programmed to operate within certain guidelines. The Zax will admit that he is nothing more than the servant of a higher authority but will not reveal who that is. The player will also discover that the vaults water storage/production facility has been significantly altered. It is the source of the stream that flows through the forbidden lands and it provides the underground water for the wells of the Twin Mothers tribe. The vault is also home to a slew of robotic workers and security droids.
The player has several things that he can do at this point. They are as follows:
# He can bring the Twin Mothers chiefs here and pretty much destroy their faith in the goddess.
# He can program the Zax unit to follow his commands and set himself up as a god.
# He can tell the Zax unit about the raiders and ask it to activate the security robots that have gone dormant. The robots will then aid the player in eliminating the raiders.
# If he has not done so already, he can discover the location of the cave that leads to the satellite dish. This can be accomplished by asking the Zax specifically where he gets his commands instead of who he gets them from.
Scripting:
The main thing that can be done here is to make a deal with the Zax computer to reactivate the security robots that are in the Twin Mothers areas. If this is done, the robots will go to the raider camp and kick their asses. This sets the raiders as hostile to the player.
== Art Requirements ==
The Twin Mothers will have a unique style to it. There is a pueblo village here that has been carved into the side of a cliff. The buildings are stone and adobe. The village fields are rows of corn, wheat, and miscellaneous vegetables and fruit. There will be underground caverns, a high tech satellite dish, and a vault.
=== Tile Set ===
The following sets will be needed: high tech, desert, crops, and a vault.
=== Critters ===
This hasn't been decided upon yet. There are, of course, going to be critters here but I'm not sure of the player level and the type of critters that would be appropriate.
=== Generic Scenery Objects ===
The following generic objects will be needed: high-tech equipment, trees, plants, rocks, ruined machinery.
=== Specific Scenery Objects ===
The following specific objects will be needed:
Fields:
# A variety of crops.
# Cattle pen with a working gate.
Village:
# A working lift that is nothing more than a winch with a basket attached.
# Ladders that can be removed.
The Dish:
# A satellite dish.
Mystery Caves:
# Nothing
Forbidden lands:
# Nothing
Forgotten Vault 29:
# Nothing
=== Dynamic Scenery Objects ===
The following specific objects will be needed:
Fields:
# Cattle pen gate.
Village:
# Winch and lift
The Dish:
# To be determined.
Mystery Caves:
# To be determined.
Forbidden lands:
# Sewer pipe entry to vault 29.
Forgotten Vault 29:
# To be determined.
=== Area Photo ===
The Nursery photo should look like this.
=== Town Map In Pipboy ===
The Twin Mothers map should look like this:
=== Scripted Scenes Or Movies ===
# None
Category:Twin Mothers design document