The materials below are excerpts from content brief for The Vault of the Archon - a story-driven instance in WildStar. Along with describing locations and content touchstones, these documents described story beats of the instance and the characters who appeared in them. Using this document as a guide, artists and designers would work together to execute the vision for the experience.
I have also included a number of screenshots at the end of the brief which show the final result.
SYNOPSIS
After the Caretaker has been repaired, players will be sent to the Vault of the Archon—a secret Eldan scientific facility located beneath the shattered ruins of the Osun fortress Kel Havik. Located in the northern reaches of Arcterra, this fortress is inhabited by ancient Osun warriors that were frozen in stasis a thousand years ago, and players will need to fight through the icy halls of Kel Havik in order to reach the Vault. After defeating the powerful Osun Warlord that leads the reanimated warriors, players will access the Vault and learn that Drusera (the Genesis Prime) was created using the Protoplasmic Resonator—a device built by the Omechron, the Primeval of Logic. After obtaining this knowledge, the player's next quest will be to find Omechron in order to see if the Primeval can develop the technology to separate Drusera from the Entity.
CONTENT
ACT 1: Frostbite Bay/Varegor Pass/The Bridge of Bones
Players will arrive on the shores of Frostbite Bay, accompanied by their respective faction heroes (Dorian Walker for the Exiles, and Artemis Zin for the Dominion). Once landed, they will venture into the icy mountains that surround the bay, working their way up through the a series of icy chasms over Varegor Pass. These chasms will be freezing, battered by a perpetual icestorm, and players will have to light fires along the way in order to survive. At the same time, they will be forced to fight the deadly creatures which stalk the pass, making sure that their battles don't leave them exposed for too long. If they survive, players will come to the Bridge of Bones, constructed by the Osun warriors that now lie asleep in Kel Havik. In order to cross the bridge, players will need to defeat Varegor the Abominable - a giant, armored Ice Gorganoth that guards the way to the ancient fortress.
ACT 2: The Fortress of Kel Havik/Hall of the Hundred
After crossing the Bridge of Bones, players will approach the fortress itself. Constructed in secret long ago by Osun warriors who served the Archon of the Nexus Project, Kel Havik is an intimidating and formidable place. Covered in ice and giant snowdrifts, Kel Havik was built to protect the Vault of the Archon, a mysterious Eldan facility where the most classified secrets of the Nexus Project were held. In order to ensure the Project's security for eternity, the Archon had one hundred of the Osun's most powerful warriors brought to Arcterra to construct the fortress - and then had those same warriors frozen in stasis so that they could be awakened to protect the vault against intruders.
As the players enter the fortress, the vault's defense systems are initiated. After fighting powerful Osun Warbots as they travel through the fortress, players will eventually arrive in the Hall of the Hundred - where the ancient Osun warriors have been sleeping in cold storage for a thousand years. Many of them will have already been awakened, and will be hungry for blood and combat, and others will be waking up as players make their way to the door which leads to the Vault of the Archon (located at the far end of the Hall). This area will conclude with a battle against a powerful Osun Warlord known as H'roggeth Coldblood, chosen to lead the Hundred by the Archon himself because of his savageness and brutality.
ACT 3: Vault of the Archon
After defeating H'roggeth Coldblood, players will finally enter the Vault of the Archon. Once inside (aided by Dorian or Artemis, depending on their faction), players will find the ancient data files of the Archon himself - which will reveal that he asked Omechron the Primeval to design the Protoplasmic Resonator, the device used to create the Genesis Prime. This was a closely guarded secret of the Archon, unknown even to the Order of the Makers who ultimately constructed the device using Omechron's designs. With this knowledge in hand, players will be told by Drusera that they will need to seek out Omechron, and find out if he can aid them in separating her from the Entity.
CHARACTER NOTES
[NOTE: This is only an excerpt from a much more comprehensive character and story section.]
Dorian Walker: Dorian was picked to come here because no one is better at exploring ancient ruins and finding out secrets than Dorian Walker. Armed with the book of Dominus, endless curiosity, and a healthy disrespect for his own safety, Dorian is the perfect man to get the job done. He sees Deadeye as young whippersnapper who's probably just going to get in his way, and doesn't have any problem saying it to the deadly pistoleer.
Story Beats
Book of Dominus: Dorian will describe the Book of Dominus and how he got it. He will say something about how it led him to Nexus, and how it probably has a lot to say about this place. "It ain't always crystal clear, but it's all in there somewhere," he'll say
Worried about Belle: At some point during the adventure, he will talk about what is happening with Belle and the voices in her head. This worries him, and he wants to find a way to help her.
Drusera: Drusera is the reason that Dorian found Nexus in the first place. He will mention that fact, and the fact that he still trusts her despite the recent revelations about the Entity. "She just needs our help, champ. Simple as that."
Deadeye Brightland: Deadeye has been tasked by the Exile Council to protect Dorian Walker at all costs. This is generally not the kind of work he's used to, and he only agreed to come along because "Queen Myala asked real nice." In general, Deadeye should find Dorian to be annoying, especially when Dorian calls him names like "Sport" and "Bucko". He will threaten to kill Dorian if he doesn't stop "running off like a half-drunk space monkey."
Story Beats: Deadeye will generally be there to act as a comic foil for Dorian, and to kick ass with the player when necessary. That being said, there are a couple of story beats that we need to hit.
Missing Sadie: Deadeye still misses his wife and will mention how life has been hard without her. He will also say something about how it would be good to get her back, and that Nexus might have a way to make that happen. This will serve as foreshadowing for her storyline later.
Being a hero: Deadeye is the last descendant of Serrick Brightland. For most of his life, he has been the opposite of a hero, but Nexus "does strange things to a man." Deadeye will comment on this during the adventure. "My family is known to step up when times get tough."
Banter between Dorian and Deadeye: As stated above, banter between these two will generally focus on the fact that Deadeye is supposed to be protecting Dorian, and Dorian is making that very difficult. Dorian's blatant disregard for Deadeye's reputation will also lend humor to the situation.
