J.Sera- Oblivion Bartholm Design Document

Jeremy Sera
13000 Margot Dr.
Rockville, MD 20853
(240) 460-0000
jsera@fortinbras.net

The Town of Bartholm

"The Victrix Family Troubles"

Table of Contents

Town Overview
Quest Synopsis
NPCs
Quest Props / Items / Activators
Quest Stages
Quest Completion States
Sample Walkthrough
Video Walkthrough

Images

Town Map- Stage 0
3d Town Map
Castle Map - Stage 0
Mages' Guild Map - Stage 60
Castle Map Stage 66
In Game - Town Exterior
In Game - Throne Room
In Game - Town Circle
In Game - Town Entrance
In Game - Town Chapel

Videos

Walkthrough (640x480 5 minute WMV)

Bartholm Website

Town Overview

Ruled by Count Serverus Victrix, Bartholm is a small town consisting of a Castle, Arena, Inn, General Store, Chapel, Stables, Mages' Guild & 8 houses.

It is a small town so everyone knows and gossip's about everyone. Most citizens go to the tavern to eat their evening meals. On Saturday's Loranil at Bartholm Manor throws a party. All town citizens have a daily routine that they follow; eating, work, sleeping.

There are 2 shifts of guards in town composed of 2 patrollers and 1 gate guard. Additionally, there are 2 shifts of guards at the castle composed of 3 patrollers and 1 gate guard. Both the Jail and the Castle Dungeon are manned 24 hours by an AM and a PM guard. Committing a crime will get you thrown in a cell in the Guard House.

I designed the town and it's NPCs routines so that no matter where you stop, the town will appear to be a fully functioning entity. Guards patrol, people go about their lives, & shop keepers sell their wares.

I tried to make repercussions for the players actions and give them multiple potential outcomes. For example, you can do "The Victrix Family Troubles" quest and help Primo uncover the plot to take over the throne, OR "The Victrix Family Retirement Plan" and help Arvas take over the town. Another example is "The Unwanted House Guest" quest. If you take the easy way out and kill the guest, when you take the "Rockville Rum" quest, you can only get general directions to the rum, since you have killed the only person who knows its specific location.

Finally, I endeavored to make the town, its quests, & their potential outcomes self referential to make the play experience more immersive. For example, Frieda the Inn Keeper, the Guards, Zorba the Store Keeper, & Filthy Fargus all offer different rumors depending on which of "The Victrix Family" quests the player completes.

Available Quests:

Uncover a plot against the Count for Primo Victrix.
Igor offers Dark Brotherhood member's a contract.
Fight in the Arena and become Bartholm's Grand Champ.
Fight in daily free for all matches and defend your title once a week as Bartholm's Grand Champ.
Assist Eranyon with Bartholm's ghost story.
Go hunting with Filthy Fargus.
Resolve Ayne Drehl's unwanted house guest issue.
Help Grok gro-Hammer solve Bartholm's skooma problem.
Find a bottle of Rockville Rum for Loranil.
Rent a room at the Lodge.
Purchase a house in town from the Count and furnish it.
Cause havok around town and get arrested or killed by the guards.

The town contains:

35+ NPC's
15 Buildings
700+ voice files
8 modified models (guard armor & shield, signs, carpet, banner, throne)
5 custom load screens
11 quests

The Victrix Family Troubles Quest
Quest Synopsis

Primo, the son of Count Serverus Victrix, hires you to make inquiries around town about Arvas Telvanni, the new head of Bartholm’s Mages’ Guild. After a few inquiries and a clandestine meeting you learn that Arvas is involved in a plot to murder Serverus and Primo.

After killing the hired assassin, you return to the Castle and discover that someone has kidnapped Narcissa, the daughter of the Count. You present your evidence to the Count, and he orders you to rescue his daughter and “deal” with Arvas, who he now suspects has taken his daughter.

After a brief battle with a few necromancers and Igor, Arvas’ loyal servant, you find Narcissa imprisoned beneath the Mages' Guild. She tells you that Arvas keeps the only key with him and pleads for your assistance.

Your search for Arvas takes you back toward the castle where a fearful Primo tells you that Arvas has attacked with a group of necromancers and trapped the Count inside. After clearing the castle of necromancer henchmen, you find Arvas in the castle dungeon and fight your most difficult battle yet. A letter on Arvas’ body reveals that Arvas was a bastard son of Serverus and bent on revenge for his mother’s life long exile.

After a short trip back to the Mages' Guild dungeon, you return to the castle with Narcissa in tow. The Count is overjoyed with the service you have done to the town of Bartholm and the Victrix family and rewards you handsomely.


NPCs	Description
Count Serverus Victrix	The Count - One of the potential murder victims - Trapped in castle during siege - Return his daughter to him to complete the quest
Primo Victrix	The son of the Count - Begins the quest - One of the potential murder victims - Return evidence of foul play to him - He informs the player of castle siege - Always has a comment to keep the player on track during the quest
Narcissa Victrix	The daughter of the Count - Kidnapped by Arvas Telvanni once the murder plot is revealed - Trapped in a jail cell awaiting rescue - Follows the player back to the castle to complete the quest.
Arvas Telvanni	The head of the Bartholm Mages' Guild. - The bad guy - Illegitimate son of Count Serverus and pissed - Hatches a plot to murder the Count and Primo - Attacks the castle with a band of necromancers once his murder plot fails - Kidnaps Narcissa - The player kills him and saves Narcissa to complete the quest
Igor	A mage of the Bartholm Mages' Guild - Evil henchman - Meets the contract killer to arrange the murder - Waits in the Necromancer's lair to attack the player when they come looking for Narcissa
Dark Brotherhood Murderer	Paid to murder the Count and Primo - Meets Igor to arrange the murder - Killed by the player to retrieve evidence of a plot "the Crumpled Murder note"
Zorba	General Store shopkeep and Gossip - Advances the quest by informing the Player about Arvas and telling them to ask Fargus about Igor
Filthy Fargus	Begger and Gossip - Tells the player of Igor and the Murderer's meeting place and time.
Necromancers	Henchmen to Arvas Telvanni - They control the castle during the siege and protect Arvas -Attacks the player on sight
Shag gro-Magruk	Bartholm Castle's gardener - Informs the player of Narcissa disappearance - Is likely to be attacked and killed during the siege
Therese Jacinth	Bartholm Castle's cook- Informs the player of Narcissa disappearance - Is likely to be attacked and killed during the siege - Defends her kitchen during the siege

Props / Quest Items Activators

Props / Quest Items / Activators	Description
Crumpled Murder Note	The evidence that Arvas Telvanni is conspiring against the Victrix family.
Arvas' Letter	Character development- explains Arvas' motives
MeetingTrigger	Activator / Script that tracks the meeting between Igor and the Murderer for Hire and determines when the player witnesses the meeting.
NecroAssaultTrigger	Activator / Script that tracks Arvas Telvanni's castle assault & the cleanup script once Arvas is dead and the player has freed Narcissa.

Quest Stages

Stage	Target	Text
10	Zorba	Primo Victrix has noticed that Arvas Telvanni, the head of the Bartholm Mages Guild, has been acting odd recently. He has asked me to make inquiries around town about him.
15	Fargus	Word on the street is that Arvas Telvanni has been making unwanted advances on Narcissa Victrix. No wonder Primo was worried. I also hear that Arvas has been sending his one of his mages, Igor, out at all hours on mysterious errands. I need to learn more about Igor.
20	Meeting Marker	Igor and a stranger had a mysterious meeting at 2 o'clock in the morning behind Bartholm Chapel. I should go there tonight and see if they meet again.
21		Narcissa Victrix seems to have disappeared. I can't help wonder if it isn't connected in some way.
30	Murderer	I followed Igor to a meeting with an unsavory character. I should confront the stranger and find out what the meeting was about. I better not do it in front of witnesses in case things get ugly.
35		The stranger wasn't exactly friendly. I search her corpse for a clue and discover a crumpled note...
40	Primo	This note directly implicates Arvas Telvanni in a plot against the Victrix family. I should return to Primo and give him the evidence.
50	Serverus	Primo has asked me to present the evidence to his father, Serverus Victrix.
60	Narcissa	Serverus was outraged by the note and suspects that Arvas is involved in the disappearance of his daughter. He has asked me to deal with Arvas Telvanni personally and rescue Narcissa.
65	Arvas Telvanni	I found Narcissa imprisoned in a cell beneath Arvas Telvanni's house. Only Arvas has the key to the cell. I have to find him and retrieve the key.
66		Arvas Telvanni must have known that the Count was after him. He's attacked Bartholm Castle with a group of necromancers and trapped the Count inside. I have to kill Arvas and save the Count before it's too late!
70	Jail Door	Arvas Telvanni is dead. A quick search of his body reveals the key to the cell. I still have to free Narcissa Victrix.
80	Serverus	I should escort Narcissa Victrix home. I'm sure her father is worried.
90		I have destroyed Arvas Telvanni and ruined his plans to kill the Victrix family. Bartholm is safe again.
91		I took the cowards way out and killed Arvas Telvanni without getting any proof of wrongdoing.
92		Igor is dead and now I have no way to prove Arvas Telvanni was involved in anything wrong.

Quest Completion States

There are 3 potential endings to this questline.

The player wins. This will set stage 90, rewarding the player, and stopping the quest.
The player loses by killing Arvas Telvanni before getting proof of wrongdoing. If the player kills Arvas before returning the Crumpled Murder note (proof) and getting permission from Serverus to kill him. This will set stage 91, informing the player that they failed to get proof, and stop the quest.
The player loses by killing Igor before his meeting with the Murderer. And never learns of the presence of the Murderer or the proof that she holds. This will set stage 92, informing the player that they failed to get proof, and stop the quest.

Sample Walkthrough

The player talks to Primo Victrix.
Primo Says "Welcome stranger, I am Primo Victrix, son of Count Serverus Victrix. I have a job for you, if you are interested."
(This adds the BartholmJob topic)
The player selects BartholmJob topic.
Primo says"I don't trust Arvas Telvanni, the new head of Bartholm's Mages Guild. I need someone to ask around and find out if my suspicions are correct. My family will reward you handsomely for evidence of Arvas Telvanni's wrongdoing."
(This begins the quest and adds BartholmNecroTopic)
The player follows their compass to Zorba and selects the BartholmNecroTopic
Zorba says "Arvas Telvanni? He's been arrogant since the day he stepped into town. I've heard he's been making moves on Narcissa Victrix when he thinks no-ones looking. He sends Igor over here at all hours asking for the oddest things."
(This adds the BartholmIgorTopic and the BartholmNarcissaTopic)
The player selects the BartholmIgor topic from Zorba
Zorba says "Filthy Fargus said something about him the other day. But I wasn't paying attention."
(This sets the quest to stage 20)
The player follows their compass to Filthy Fargus and selects the BartholmIgorTopic
Filthy Fargus says "Thats the sneaky looking fellow that works for Arvas Telvanni. I saw him and someone else at 2 o'clock in the morning a few nights ago. I didnt recognize the other person, but they were both standing behind Bartholm Chapel. "
(This sets stage 20 and BHSSkidnaptoggle to 1 setting up the entities for Narcissa's kidnapping, teleporting Narcissa into the Mage's Guild dungeon jail cell)
The player follows their compass to the bench behind Bartholm Chapel and waits until 2am.
Both Igor and the Murderer arrive and upon seeing the player, Igor says "Someone is listening we will talk later" and they both return to their respective houses
(The meetingtrigger script sets stage 30 and bhssmeetingtoggle to 1 triggers the conversation and the npc's new packages)
The player follows the Murderer back to Babette Derrier's house and selects the BartholmNecroTopic
The Murderer says "You know too much..." and starts combat with the player.
The player kills the Murderer.
(The Murderer's death script triggers stage 35 and adds the Crumpled Murder Note to the player's inventory)
The player reads the Crumpled Murder Note.
(It's script sets stage 40)
The player returns to Primo Victrix and selects the BartholmNecroTopic.
Primo says "This note proves that Arvas is conspiring against my family. Present this evidence to my father."
(This sets stage 50)
The player talks to Count Serverus Victrix and selects the BartholmNecroTopic.
The Count says "Arvas put a contract on our lives? He must be involved in Narcissa's disappearance. I need you to deal with Arvas personally. Return my daughter to me and I will reward you handsomely. "
(This sets stage 60 and teleports Igor to the Mages' Guild dungeon)
The player follows their compass to the Mages' Guild
(Along the way, they trigger the Assault activator, it disables the Castle guards, teleports Primo to the Castle entrance, teleports Serverus to the Castle Living Quarters, Enables the Necromancers in the mages guild and in the castle, enables 2 dead castle guard references, and teleports Arvas Telvanni to the Castle Dungeon)
The player enters the Mages's Guild and is attacked by a Necromancer.
After killing the Necromancers and searching the Guild, they find the basement door unlocked and enter
The basement door leads to a basement Necromancer's Lair. The player sees Igor and behind him, Narcissa trapped in a prison cell.
Igor says "My master said you might come looking for him. But you are too late!" and attacks the player.
After dispatching Igor, the player talks to Narcissa.
(The cell door is locked)
Narcissa says "Arvas keeps the only key on him. You will have to get it from him."
The player follows their compass back to the Castle and is met by Primo at the entrance.
Primo says "Arvas and his men stormed the castle and killed several guards. My father is trapped inside! "
(This sets stage 65)
When the player enters the Great Hall, they are attacked by 2 necromancers.
After killing them, the player searches the nearby body of a dead castle guard and gets the keys to the castle.
The player follows their compass into the Castle Dining room, is attacked by 2 more necromancers, and kills them.
The player follows their compass into the Castle Dungeon and is attacked by 3 more necromancers, and kills them.
The player follows their compass to Arvas Telvanni
Arvas says "You have interfered in my plan to kill the Victrix family line for the last time! Once you are dead, I will savor the sweetness of victory." and attacks the player.
The player kills Arvas Telvanni
(This sets stage 70 and adds the Necromancer Jail key to the player's inventory)
The player returns to the Necromancer's Lair, opens the locked cell door, and talks to Narcissa.
Narcissa says "Thank you so much. Please take me home."
(This sets stage 80)
The player leaves the Mages' Guild with Narcissa following and returns to the Castle .
(On the way, the cleanup trigger is activated. The guards are reenabled, the necromancers, dead guards, arvas, igor, & murderer are disabled, Serverus is teleported to the Great Hall to await the player's return)
The player enters the Great Hall and talks to Serverus.
Serverus says "Thank you for rescuing my daughter. You have done the Victrix family a great service and we owe you our lives. Here is a token of our gratitude."
(This sets stage 90, rewards you with 5000 gold, a fame boost, and a reputation boost with the town of Bartholm.)

Video Walkthrough

Video Walkthrough (640x480 5 minute WMV)

Bartholm Town Map
Stage 0

Bartholm Town Map
TES Editor Images

Bartholm Castle
Stage 0 - Stage 65

Bartholm Mages' Guild
Stage 60 - Stage 90

Bartholm Castle
Stage 66 - Stage 90

In Game - Town Exterior

In Game - Throne Room

In Game - Town Circle

In Game - Town Entrance

In Game - Town Chapel

Bartholm Download Page