Have you come to visit the widow?
Are there any worthy gentlemen among you?..
(Purple Widow)
Once you’ve defeated the Possessed Carriage yet again, the gates on the other side of the triumphal square will finally swing open. Leaving the square’s majestic expanse behind, you’ll plunge into the narrow alleys of the slums, a realm of cobwebs and purple roses stretching everywhere Hirkalla’s power has reached.
And on the other side of the slums, towering above Sardrok, rises the majestic Greenhouse, which has been claimed by Sardrok’s second most dangerous inhabitant—the Purple Widow.
Like her sisters, this powerful Dark Maiden wields the darkest aspects of the human soul. The Purple Widow is the patroness of feminine cunning, and in battle you will often hear her utter phrases drawing parallels between her combat abilities and various stages of a relationship, from the first meeting to the fateful walk down the wedding aisle.
⠀
What a pity we don't have time for a proper ceremony...
Let's skip straight to the vows!
(Purple Widow)
⠀
If you look around, you’re sure to see plenty of hapless “grooms” who have fallen into the widow’s clutches. Their fate is a grim one—to serve as decorations in her domain, and as for their souls… The Widow Spider has someone to whom she can offer them as a gift, and you’re sure to meet that someone in the future.
The heroes will need to use all their skill and wits to avoid following in the footsteps of those hapless would-be grooms.
The Purple Widow will unleash her entire range of abilities against you.
To begin with, nothing captures the essence of treachery quite like sticky webs—the Widow and her minions will glue you, hang you, and pull you in, while the mistress of the Greenhouse herself will force you to find your way out of a massive web where you can not only get tangled up yourself, but also accidentally entangle your allies.
Moreover, the six-legged lady adores flowers. She possesses a special variety of poisonous roses, whose pollen blinds as effectively as first love, and whose scent slowly and inexorably suffocates uninvited guests if they decide to linger in her garden for too long. But a timely escape from the “bride” will prove not to be a salvation, but a direct path into a trap, from which either you or she will emerge alive…
⠀
Till DEATH do us part! Ha-ha-ha!
(Purple Widow)
⠀
What’s more, the heroes themselves will have the chance to turn the Widow’s abilities against her and become as “spider” themselves. “Web Shot” will allow them to move quickly and safely between the lower level of the greenhouse and the enormous web stretched high beneath the dome, where part of the battle will also take place.
Today I've implemented the web-shooting mechanic for the player character. I gave it the technical term “Web Shooter.” If anyone asks what I'm working on in Allods, I'll say “I'm developing the web shooter!”
(Anastasia, the game designer).
By the way, the famous “House of Books” ("Dom Knigi") on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg served as the inspiration for the Greenhouse’s luxurious glass dome!
If the Widow ultimately fails to “lead your squad down the wedding aisle,” you’ll still be rewarded for your victory with new outfits for your character, as well as a charming (and slightly scary) pet.
Good luck in the battle ahead, and remember: there is nothing more dangerous or treacherous than a woman with a broken heart…
«Allods Team»
