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the-loathing.exe (Arena)
A virtual reality reconstruction of The Loathing, built thanks to the reports of the eyewitnesses of the Second Black Lightning. This simulation was engineered with the goal of being able to study the so-called "Shadow Gallery", but it has recently been sidelined for a top-down approach. Rumor has it that the reason why this simulation was dismissed was the random appearance of an unsettling virtual figure. This figure would always remain outside of the view frustum, but still be noticeable, if only with peripheral vision. Some descriptions of this figure seem to point in the direction of "a slender, faceless man wearing a monk habit", but these reports are surely exaggerated, as no such entity has ever been programmed into the simulation.
BGM: "Muse"
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Witch Tower (Arena)
Built in the early 2030s, in the wake of the neo-medieval revival, the so called "Witch Tower" is a staple landmark of the city of New Langdon. Its conception and design are attributed to the Austrian nobleman Vassili von Fledermaus, who proceeded to commission several copies of the original tower around the world.
As of today, a Witch Tower can be found in at least seventeen different locations, including the derelict ruins of the once flourishing Northern Algol.
It is rumored that every Witch Tower was used as detached headquarters by a powerful criminal syndicate. However, no evidence was ever found and von Fledermaus strongly rejected the accusations.
The top of the Witch Tower in New Langdon is notorious as the "last jumping place" for many individual with suicidal tendencies. After a record score of thirty cases in the span of ten years, the access to the tower has been restricted for civilians.
After the sudden and mysterious death of von Fledermaus in 2064, the towers became properties of the hosting cities. Since then, there have been rumors that a faceless creature started lurking inside the monument, but, as any story connected to the folklore of the so-called "man with the Hat", it is to be taken with a grain of salt.
BGM: "Blood of Lilith"
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The Loathing (Arena)
The Loathing is an expression of Donner's inner world, a collection of darkness, despair, and horror, lurking every single inch of this distorted reality.
The laws of physics and the flow of time held no significance in this place, as there is no equivalent to the human concepts of "before" and "after". Everything happens at the same time, people can see and meet themselves or get in touch with alternate reality version of themselves.
The chaotic nature of the Loathing is so extreme that its own structure could collapse at every single moment, destroying its occupants in the process.
The Loathing is everywhere and anywhere, when Donner is around, and can also take the shape of completely familiar places, only to fool people to trust their senses and lower their guard.
It is not known what is the real nature of the Loathing, aside being an eldritch aberration with no connections to human logic.
BGM: "Shadows of a Past"
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Upstream Horizon (Arena)
When the city council of New Langdon needed to renew the riverside of the Nerifumo in 2054, the proposal to shape it like the one in Strasbourg was warmly welcomed by almost everyone. With its low bridges and sidewalks around the course of the Nerifumo, the riverside now strikingly resembles the one of the French city from which it drew inspiration.
The river is currently employed by barges for commercial transport of goods, especially directed towards the city harbour.
Once every two months, a French festival is held on the riverside, with accordion players, art displays, and several stands where people can taste original French specialties.
Strasbourg and New Langdon are twinned since 2056, meaning that next year there will be a huge celebration for the decennial of the connection. The preparations are already in progress, and it seems that similar arrangements will be also taken on the other side of the English channel.
During the summer, the riverside becomes the favourite place for the Langdoners to enjoy the rare moments of sunshine, a nice quiet spot just two steps aside from the chaos of the ever-moving city.
BGM: "Sam the Accordion Man"
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V.R. Panic (Arena)
A computer generated landscape used by Delta Team for fighting simulations. The program is the home of the so-called Tutorial Man, a virtual entity programmed using movements and techniques from various different fighters.
This simulation can be directly connected with the brain of the user, allowing one to train their skills directly and feel like they are fighting for real.
Still, unlike in a classic movie from the '90s, dying here doesn't result in a permanent death in the real world.
BGM: "Artifice"
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Timeless Ascension (Arena)
The temple valley in the district of Zhangyao (China) is more recent that may could expect from its look: the first stone of the temple complex was set in 2042, following the greenlighting from the Chinese government.
Designed by several international architets, among which the world-renowed Alejandro Adraceya, the complex spans a surface of more than eight thousand square meters, including more than twenty different temples inspired by several different styles and religions.
This valley is near to the distortion power plant located in the same district, operated by Elemna Energy. The power plant can not be seen from inside the valley, leaving the impression to have traveled through time and having landed in a mythical past.
This place is usually a gathering point for the families of the workers of the power plant. During weekends, it is not unusual to see picnics or barbecues on the lush greens, while martial artists hone their skills and give lectures to children and teenagers.
BGM: "Autonomous Anarchy Action"
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B.&D. Stadium (Arena)
B.&D. is a huge brand of entertainment products with headquarters in Porto (Portugal). In 2054, as a mean to extend their influence to the rest of Europe, it sponsored the construction of twelve massive stadiums in various other countries, inaugurating them simultaneously with a broadcasted event which had more than a hundred million viewers worldwide.
Every B.&.D. stadium has received great interest from various sponsors: from RealLifeAnime (which used it to market the upcoming fifth season of "Eliphya - the princess of light petals"), to Bonzaga Holding, from Herzog Books (which marketed the famous biography of detective Veckert Rainer), to Encorp.
Each stadium is fully booked every day of the year, housing more than fifteen sport-related events per week.
It is rumored that one of the stadiums will host the next Daevka Football Cup, but due to the violent nature of that sport made in EXODUS, it seems reasonably unlikely.
BGM: "Action Music Loop"
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Deep Freeze (Arena)
A snowstorm ridden wasteland near Novosibirsk, in Russia. The crater was formed by the impact of a colossal arkship from EXODUS in 2022, which resulted in the death of about two thousand between aliens and humans. The fall of the arkship was thought to be due to an ICBM launched by an automated Russian defense system - a claim that was dismissed as ridiculous by the government.
The accident risked to sever abruptly the connections between the EXODUS representatives and the United Nations, but was fortunately resolved before escalation.
The wrecks of the arkship were studied in Novosibirsk in order to draw further evidence, but the investigation was left inconclusive.
After a full sanitation of the area in 2034, the impact crater was opened to visitors and became a central mourning memorial for the people of EXODUS.
BGM: "Snowstorm"
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Door to Heaven (Arena)
As a relatively important city in the United Kingdom, New Langdon is filled with skyscrapers which tower on the city centre, giving a feeling of freedom and superiority to whoever is allowed to stand at the top of one of them.
The Bonzaga skyscraper in New Langdon is a prominent example of this, with a panoramic roof terrace which allows the viewers to catch a glimpse of almost the whole city and its harbour.
People can freely travel to the top of the skyscraper, provided they sign in advance a document which indemnifies Bonzaga Holding for every damage to the person caused by, say, an accidental fall.
Contrary to the popular belief, the roof of the Bonzaga skyscraper has never been a huge attraction for people with suicidal tendencies - this sad record goes instead to the aptly named Witch Tower.
The roof of the Bonzaga skyscraper is a high rated attraction on the TravelHints guide and everyone coming to visit the city is expected to take at least a picture of the skyline from there. That's right: people won't believe you have been in New Langdon, unless you show them a photo from the rooftop of one of its most iconic buildings.
BGM: "Resonant Hopes, Ignited Wills"
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Encorp Railways (Arena)
Encorp is a huge multinational corporation founded in 2027 in India and, since then, has branched in many other countries around the world. The Encorp headquarters in Shard (United Kingdom) are considered the spearhead of the company, in terms of scientific research and technological advancement.
In 2055, however, a huge scandal involving project manager Vincent Jackson was brought to light by the Irish newspaper "The Clover", unveiling the use of orphan children as test subjects for nanobiotechnology experiments.
Jackson disappeared before he could be formally investigated, together with two coworkers. The three of them were never found.
Later, it was proven that Jackson acted on his own, unbeknownst to the CEO and the management board. This somehow saved Encorp reputation and allowed them to keep the Shard laboratories intact.
The HQ of Encorp - Shard is a gigantic structure connected via the use of several high-speed train connections. The trains can reach up to 200 Km/h and they are totally automated. The train terminal opens directly on an array of elevators which can be used to reach either the above ground or the underground section of the facility.
As of today, Encorp is the first and only company which offers deep genetical reprofiling treatment for mutants, in order to let them obtain a mostly human body.
BGM: "Drive"
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E.S.F. Qasbah (Arena)
Among the starships employed by the ENiGMA space corps, the heavy-duty, Endymion class bombers are considered among the most effective, sporting an amazing firepower capable of leveling a small country from orbit. The E.S.F. Qasbah was built in 2050 as a deterrent against possible rebellions in the newly established orbital colonies of Neo Correa, Zeith, Tokyo-10, and Revoli.
This capital ship, together with her sisters "Everest" and "Hammer", is usually docked to EXODUS and manned exclusively by human personnel, including several class K gynoids. The Qasbah is equipped with 30 deployable Airazor T-6, an array of kinetic weapons and several rail guns and coil guns for point defence operations.
As of today, there has never been need for unleashing its full potential, but for several activists and news outlets, the existence of such a powerful starship is in and per se motive of concern.
BGM: "Maclay's Fable"
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Containment Breach (Arena)
The infamous "branch 70X" of the Schwarzerblitz project laboratories in Euterpe, was built in 2062 in order to seclude the experimental samples and hinder their chance of escaping the facility.
Branch 70X was under direct supervision of chief scientist Lars "Metallic" von Mayer and hosted - among the others - Sambiong and Shabeel, two tigermen created within the "Beast War" sub-project. After his dismissal, Shabeel was recycled as a cyborg, while Sambiong was sent into containment as "too dangerous".
It is also said that at around the same time, a once-powerful manager of Encorp was detained in the same block and used as a test subject. The rumor has never been confirmed nor denied, and it quickly become part of the "man with the hat" folklore, together with other similar origin stories.
During the events which led to the Black Lightning Disaster, the doors of the cells opened all together to ensure the safety of the imprisoned creatures, against the will of Mayer.
Mayer died in the aftermath of the event, which completely obliterated the facility.
As of today, nothing remains of branch 70X and there isn't even evidence that it even existed in the first place.
BGM: "Metal Loop"
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Sewn Playground (Arena)
Formerly a warehouse run by the Fishface Crime Syndicate, this abandoned place has allegedly become the cove of the assassin known as "Doll", the mysterious "woman with needles" who has been for a long time at the center of some press buzz in Euterpe. Following the discovery of several maimed corpses with their mouth sewn shut, the Italian police managed to track down the so-called "Playground", identified as the common place of death.
The playground was described by the investigators as "a horrific place, decorated with several paper dolls and gruesome replicas of paintings by Goya and Picasso".
Doll, however, was never found. The rumors of her activity have died since, to the point that today she is considered little more than a creepy, disturbing urban legend, not unlike "The Man with the Hat" from New Langdon.
However, several policemen still believe in her existence: there is a special police unit which keeps on watching the "Playground" continuously during the day, in the hope of catching her returning to her "house".
BGM: "I Pass Through Walls (Poltergeist)"
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Parsec Arena (Arena)
A commemorative stage built to celebrate Parsec, the middleware used to run the Schwarzerblitz tournaments at Indievo 2020, Indievo 2020 Summer Showdown, and Quarantined Rapport 2. The colour scheme is based on the red/blue Parsec logo. This stage has been assigned to Leo Fizeau's diorama for a reason: Leo was designed by Berks, the Schwarzerblitz player who won *all* three of the aforementioned tournaments, together with the right to propose his own character. The song used in this stage (The Distance) was composed by a historic member of the Schwarzerblitz community, streamer and musician SkreamnRedSkull.
BGM: "The Distance (2023 version)"
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Neonlight (Arena)
Highway 49 is the most practical way to move from St. Patrick SHIELD to the main Ireland-Great Britain gate. It forms an unending, continuous road which spans over 350 Km and connects the two islands through a series of floating bridges.
The highway was designed in 2044 as a means to allow faster travel times between the dome city of St. Patrick and the United Kingdom, following the Haemophage crisis that happened in 2041.
The highway cost more than one billion pound and was completed in the record time of three years. In 2057, a high-velocity train line was also added, allowing for cheaper travel between the islands.
As of today, it is the fastest route to reach the Irish coasts from New Langdon and routinely used by smugglers to try and get goods from one side to the other of the Irish Sea.
BGM: "Emergency in District 7"
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Shooting Star Aquarium (Arena)
The Shooting Star Aquarium was opened in 2047 in New Langdon as a means to showcase a huge variety of living sea creatures, including genetically modified sea fauna. The aquarium is spread on a surface of more than thirty thousand square meters, hosting more than 600 species in 87 different tanks.
In recent years, following the example of Manten Aquarium in Japan, the facility has been advertised as a dating place for couples who want to share intimate moments in the dim lights of the aquarium.
Several tanks with chameleon jellyfishes and atmospheric, soothing music, have contributed to the current nickname of the place, now known as "the love aquarium".
The popularity of this format proved good enough to convince the higher-ups to market it more like a place for lovers than for people interested in discovering sealife. Still, the aquarium manages to attract lots of children due to its "sea monsters" section, which hosts lots of genetically modified creatures - like the four-eyed sharkwhales created by Encorp and Zavira Corporation in 2049.
Pandering to teenagers as a dating place and to children for the scary creatures, the aquarium sports an impressive record of five million visitors per year.
BGM: "Lights"
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Melting Point (Arena)
The church of Qambura is a religious organization founded in 2048 by priest Ilias Antenora in the homonymous city in Peru. The ideology of this organization is based on the prediction that in two hundred years, at the peak of human civilization, the Fallen One will rise from Hell to take over the planet, completely disregarding the will of God.
This catastrophic event has been "revealed" to priest Ilias by the angel Cyrael, who asked him to create an army of robots and machines which could last centuries when left inactive, such that the humans who survive the Rise will have some possibility of retaliation after the loss of most of nowadays technology.
The church of Qambura uses the caldera of the Sabancaya volcano in order to produce huge quantities of geothermal energy and to perform studies on new materials. Some of the Qambura-funded research studies have been published in respectable high-impact-factor journals and have been deemed interesting for future development of new metallic and ceramic alloys.
The small platform surrounded by lava is one of the entry points to the caldera of the Sabancaya, usually guarded by the zealot "gold warrior" Zeo Schiller, a fanatic who devoted his life to realize priest Ilias's dream of a society with no fear of the Fallen One.
BGM: "Fight"
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Lake of Remnants (Arena)
A small island at the center of a lake somewhere in Sweden, though its location is not well documented anywhere. There are many legends concerning this place. They say that when northern lights are seen from the island, the spirits of the dead come back to Earth in the shape of bright will-o'-the-wisp floating in the air, allowing the living to catch a glimpse of their lost dears.
Some people firmly believe in these stories, and the few who have found this island regularly come back to meet the vanishing, ethereal lights that - it is said - can be found only there.
A couple scientists tried to explain the constant shower of bright, pulsing lights as an atmospheric phenomenon connected to ball lightnings.
Still, this explanation doesn't seem to be corroborated by evidence and the reticence of the people who visited it to reveal its location makes it even harder to understand the nature of this phenomenon.
BGM: "Wrath"
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Kingsland Graveyard (Arena)
This old resting ground is not far from what was once the royal castle of Kingsland in the medieval days. Many noble knights were originally buried here, including Sir Rattlebone, but it's said that a large number of them were rudely awoken by a necromancer to participate in the Great Skeleton War hundreds of years ago. Hopefully their souls will eventually find peace once again.
BGM: "Ribcage Match"
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Euterpe's Grave (Arena)
Euterpe during the Second Black Lightning, as Donner managed to summon the Shadow Gallery to engulf the city. This is but the antechamber to something way worse, a reality twist known simply as “The Loathing”...
BGM: "ShApE iN thE snOw"
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Euterpe's Cradle (Arena)
Euterpe is the new Italian capital city, built as a completely new artificial complex from 2037 on, following the installation of the distortion power plant. It replaced Rome as the fulcrum of political power somewhere during winter of 2057, during the ventennal of its construction, and later declared "City of Music, Lights and Science".
On 14th April, 2064, the Black Lightning disaster obliterated more than one third of the city, killing millions of people in the process.
The reconstruction began immediately afterwards. The Bonzaga holding took care of the sanitation operations, dumping most of the waste materials and construction wrecks in Northern Algol, with the excuse that in any case the city was "dead" for all uses and purposes due to the "Rosenmaester massacre".
On 7th November, 2064, the operations to rebuild the razed third of the city started, with the idea of leaving a small part of the destroyed quarters as a memorial for the victims of the disaster.
This place, with its twisted buildings, cracked streets, and uneven soil, has been named Euterpe's Cradle and it has become the destination of a neverending pilgrimage of relatives of the people deceased in the explosion.
BGM: "Shape in the Snow"
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Encorp Surface Station (Arena)
Encorp is a huge multinational corporation founded in 2027 in India and, since then, has branched in many other countries around the world. The Encorp headquarers in Shard (United Kingdom) are considered the spearhed of the company, in terms of scientific research and technological advancement.
In 2055, however, a huge scandal involving project manager Vincent Jackson was brought to light by the Irish newspaper "The Clover", unveiling the use of orphan children as test subjects for nanobiotechnology experiments.
Jackson disappeared before he could be formally investigated, together with two coworkers. The three of them werenever found.
Later, it was proven that Jackson acted on his own, unbeknownst to the CEO and the management board. This someway save Encorp reputation and allowed them to keep the Shard laboratories intact.
The HQ of Encorp - Shard is a gigantic structure connected via the use of several high-speed train connections. The trains can reach up to 200 Km/h and they are totally automated. The train terminal opens directly on an array of elevators which can be used to reach either the above ground or the underground section of the facility.
As of today, Encorp is the first and only company which offers deep genetical reprofiling treatment for mutants, in order to let them obtain a mostly human body.
BGM: "Drive=Further"
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Elevator (Arena)
As the Encorp corporation building in Shard encompasses several levels, above and below ground, a fast network of elevators is the quickest way to move to any section of the building.
Some of the elevators are directly connected to the train terminal, while some need activation codes to get to the lowest level of the facility, together with the fingerprints of at least two authorized people.
The origin of this restriction is a little known fact that happened in 2052: A private military contractor working as a security guard managed to sneak into the laboratory levels by fooling a member of the project management department into inputting his password and using his fingerprints to open the door for him.
The lifeless body of the executive, Antoine Fran:cc:ois-Marie LeJarme, was found the following day at the place where an invaluable sample was stored. Useless to say, the sample was also stolen.
The perpetrator was found and arrested three days later, but the sample was not retrieved and the evidence on the crime scene pointed to a (admittedly doubtful) suicide of LeJarme, leaving the prosecutors with little to no choice than to release the man for lack of evidence and Encorp higher-ups to cover up the story and fire the contractor.
Since this accident happened, not less than two people are needed to reach the deepest levels of the building. Despite the protests of the scientists, this security measurement is still in effect.
BGM: "Tense Battle"
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Unreal Euterpe (Arena)
An "inner world" generated by Lejl and her connection to the resonance phenomenon known as "the Walking Night". This reality marble mocks the real Euterpe ruins, painting them in purple and violet under a dead sky, while a sort of sticky reddish substance keeps on falling from above mimicking "rain".
This world is extremely fragile and can be accessed only by Lejl or people on her same wavelength. Lejl can use her pocket dimension to quickly travel from one location to another without being seen, as well as being able to apprehend people and drag them inside.
However, no more than two people at a time can fill the fake world: Lejl's essence is not strong enough to materialize her inner kingdom and make someone else accept it in their mind for a long time.
Once there, however, Lejl has complete control of the surroundings, giving her a huge field advantage when facing a stronger opponent.
Whether this dimension exists or it is only a suggestion produced by Lejl in the mind of the observer, it's still up to debate. Nonetheless, there are recent reports of people mysteriously disappearing in the dead of night, just to be found again as dried corpses in a pool of blood in conjunction with the appearance of the mysterious Night Assassin.
BGM: "Universal Expression"
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Midnight Harbour (Arena)
Pier 14 is the main dockage for the ships of the Fishface Crime Syndicate and is mostly used to smuggle goods to and from Ireland.
Officially, the pier is used for small private passenger ships, which act as a cover up to allow the bigger submarines and convertible frigates to cross the borders unseen and undetected.
The flagship of the Fishface flotilla is the "Werza", a 44m luxury yacht which can store up to three hundred kilograms of goods, hidden in various spots throughout the ship.
Sometimes, Go Ottari, the leader of the syndicate, uses this pier as his de facto base and the only safe harbour to dock his personal ship, the "Silent Dutchman", which also doubles as his mobile headquarters.
This allows the top brasses of the cartel to quickly flee to international waters, whenever the need arises.
BGM: "The Game Has Changed"
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Delta Team Outpost (Arena)
Delta Team (or Delta Squad) has been officially established in 2064, after the Black Lightning Disaster, in order to track down the increasing amount of mutants and hybrids roaming the world and perform investigations whenever a non-human creature is involved in some news story. Its operational headquarters lie in New Langdon, near the building which hosts the United Nations' Bureau for Human-Hybrid Creatures.
Currently, Delta Team has access to 25 active members (3 of which mutants), 2 assault helicopters and 3 Airazor T-7 dismissed by the ENiGMA Airforce in 2063, following the so-called "Airazor addiction scandal" which led to the arrest of Van Dedalus, CEO of AH Industries in Ireland.
Prominent members of the team include commander Tiger Sambiong and spec ops member Cyphr Wolfchild.
Among the recent tasks assigned to the team (some of which still in progress): the tracking and destruction of a series of rogue Razor-class combat robots, the apprehension of the infamous mutant-killer Vortag Schlieber, and the investigation on the case of Night Assassin.
Delta Team is always looking for new members, both human and non-human, and it's open to people coming from every part of the known world.
BGM: "Watching the Rain"
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Dead Zone Desert (Arena)
The Dead Zone is an artificial sand desert located in the heart of Ireland, between the two dome cities of St. Patrick SHIELD and Correa DOME. The name comes from the fact that no human settlements can be found between the two cities, due to the ever-increasing infestation of Haemophages.
It is rumored that in 2013, RealLifeAnime corporation tried to create artificial monsters in order to increase the ratings of a show which was scheduled to be broadcasted the following year. Despite RealLifeAnime strongly denying the fact, several conspiracy theories and alternative news outlets keep on reporting precise descriptions of the aborted "Blood Suckerz Slayers" project, which is seen by some as the origin of these creatures.
The sudden death in 2038 of one of the people (allegedly) responsible for the disaster, Egon Kramers, followed by the shutdown of a consistent part of the company, didn't stop the buzz around the origin of the creatures which, as of today, remains shrouded in a thick veil of mystery.
Sticking to the facts and ignoring crackpot theories, the Dead Zone is extremely dangerous and it is formally interdicted to civilians and it's constantly patrolled by the ENiGMA Airforce of St. Patrick SHIELD.
Due to the recent opening of the two dome cities, an airplane shuttle service has been established, leading to safer transit throughout the desert.
Despite the recent decline in the Haemophages population, it is unknown if this region will ever become again suitable for human settlements.
BGM: "Renew (RumbleStep Mix)"
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Le Coq Heureux (Arena)
In the beating heart of the nightlife of New Langdon, "Le Coq Heureux" is the finest and most well known nightclub of the city. It features a casino, two dancing floors with strippers, and a third floor reserved to customers who want to spend the night with one (or more) of the available girls. While this is officially prohibited, it has slowly become a tolerated practice in the years.
Originally, the club was called "The Happy Cock", with an evident double-entendre that was considered too risqu:e': by some of the higher-ups in the city council. To avoid strife with politics, the name was translated in French, leaving the meaning intact and making the innuendo harder to spot.
The club is owned by one of the richest creatures of the whole United Kingdom: the saurian extraterrestrial Dkrav'lest Daevka, landed on Earth together with many of his own kind in the late 2011 and since then perfectly integrated into human society.
Drinks are overpriced and the entry costs a non negligible amount of money, but this doesn't stop people from coming in mass to enjoy the show of Kari, the girl who has been defined as "The Eighth World Wonder".
Recently, a sharkman has been seen almost every night, drinking beer and cocktails until late. Rumor has it that this is the only place in the city where the Fishface Syndicate has no power and - therefore - the only safe place for a runaway.
BGM: "The Pet (Last Straw Mix)"
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Sunburnt Nightmare (Arena)
When someone pisses off the leader of the Fishface Crime Syndicate, this is the place where they meet their end. This ominously nicknamed "Cage" is built somewhere inside the Dead Zone and guarded by heavily armed Criterion-class sentinel robots, which double as an additional layer of protection against unexpected attacks by Haemophages.
Whoever ends up in the Cage, is forced to take part into cruel gladiator games, which often end with the participant having to face "the Lobster", the most fearful mutant on Go Ottari's payroll.
Whether for the artificially empowered sunlight or for the harsh tortures inflicted to the victims, nobody ever survived being taken to the Cage. The only exception happened in 2064, when the notorious assassin Delfina Hyaruno managed to escape from it, after having deserted from the syndicate.
Since then, the number of guarding robots has been doubled and it's now virtually impossible to escape without external help.
BGM: "Wreck It!"
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Military Hospital (Arena)
The infamous "branch 70X" of the Schwarzerblitz project laboratories in Euterpe, was built in 2062 in order to seclude the experimental samples and hinder their chance of escaping the facility.
Branch 70X was under direct supervision of chief scientist Lars "Metallic" von Mayer and hosted - among the others - Sambiong and Shabeel, two tigermen created within the "Beast War" sub-project. After his dismissal, Shabeel was recycled as a cyborg, while Sambiong was sent into containment as "too dangerous".
It is also said that at around the same time, a once-powerful manager of Encorp was detained in the same block and used as a test subject. The rumor has never been confirmed nor denied, and it quickly become part of the "man with the hat" folklore, together with other similar origin stories.
During the events which led to the Black Lightning Disaster, the doors of the cells opened all together to ensure the safety of the imprisoned creatures, against the will of Mayer.
Mayer died in the aftermath of the event, which completely obliterated the facility.
As of today, nothing remains of branch 70X and there isn't even evidence that it even existed in the first place.
BGM: "Combat Mission"
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Hero's Dream (Arena)
The Domus Aurea in Euterpe went ablaze the night Sanjuro Bonzaga was killed by his kitsune dolls. After a powerful explosion annihilated a consistent chunk of the floor, a fiery fire completely devoured what was left of the once luxurious penthouse, leaving nothing but ashes. Due to the death of Sanjuro Bonzaga, and the unwillingness of his heirs to restore it to its former glory, the charred remains of the Domus Aurea are now tasked for being completely demolished by the end of 2066. An unfitting end for what once was considered one of the most beautiful - and kitschy - mansions ever built by modern human civilization.
BGM: "Exploring the Inferno"
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Domus Aurea (Arena)
Since the establishment of his company in 2034, the Japanese businessman Sanjuro Bonzaga managed to make himself a name as a ruthless entrepreneur, who stops at nothing in order to make profit.
Due to his attitude (or thanks to it), Bonzaga Holding is currently one of most profitable titles in the stock market, being advised by almost all the brokers as a safe investment.
Bonzaga is prone to narcissism, something that his always increasing number of mansions around Europe could testify alone, and doesn't lose any occasion to flaunt kitsch new ornaments crafted from extremely rare and precious materials.
Domus Aurea is Bonzaga's mansion in Euterpe. Built at the top of a skyscraper, it offers an incomparable view on what's left of the city.
The Domus is spread over above 400 square meters and features swimming pools, SPA, sauna, and a mingolf course. Bonzaga's private rooms are usually off limits for the guests. It is rumored that he spends his time there with the two artificial kitsune he officially commissioned to Zavira Genetics as "handmaids", despite being married with several children.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding the enormous ego of his owner, Domus Aurea is still a magnificent engineering masterpiece and a sight that anyone should enjoy at least once in their life.
BGM: "Strings of Glory"
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Down to Hell (Arena)
In the busting heart of Bangkok, there is another Bonzaga skyscraper, similar in design to that in New Langdon, but with significant differences. The architect who was tasked to design it, Ney Rocca, took inspiration from gothic vibes and decided to decorate the tower with several gargoyles, angel and demon statues. This skyscraper was nicknamed the Tower of Babel, due to the extremely varied mixture of languages and dialects one can listen to inside it. While this building is decidedly dwarfed by the surrounding highrises, its status as a peculiar landmark is everything but waned, and it’s rooftop is considered a nice touristic attraction. Visiting it at night gives a view like no other on the busy, lively, neon clad surroundings, in a coruscating, shimmering light show that is hard to forget.
BGM: "Cry For Me"
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Dead Garden (Arena)
What remains of the city of Northern Algol, after the Rosenmaester incident in 2061. The blood flowers which wiped the population of the city are still growing and thriving, making it all but impossible to travel through large portions of it without any protective equipment. The spores and emissions of the bloomed blood flowers are so intense that - at night - the moon itself seems to be made of blood. In Northern Algol there was another one of the so-called Witch Towers, identical to the one which is still towering in New Langdon, which has been taken over by an overgrown mutant blood chrysanthemum.
Northern Algol is now a ghost city, much like Pripyat after the Chernobyl disaster. Around 5000 survivors of this genocide founded a small town called Thorn, not too far from the former Northern Algol. The symbol of Thorn is a blossoming purple rose, in defiance to the red chrysanthemums that litter the now ruins of their former city.
BGM: "The Invasion"
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Acid Symphony (Arena)
The sewage system of the domed city of St. Patrick SHIELD has been designed to handle huge quantities of toxic materials and reprocess it effectively with a minimal loss of reusable materials.
Due to the sporadic attacks of Lymatophages, the sewage processing facility has been armored and provided with automatic weapons. Moreover, to prevent the creatures from simply swimming through the sewage pipes, hydrochloric acid is automatically and regularly sprayed inside the vat.
The concentration of acid is not enough to attack the pipes and the structures, but is sufficient to cause severe burns to the skin of the creatures.
Since Lymatophages are however quickly evolving, the appearance of a genetic mutation which would prevent the acid from working is not out of question.
The standing platform on the sewage-acid mix was therefore built in order to allow for visual inspection of the to-be-processed fluids.
The altitude of the platform was chosen in response to the range of the acid spit of the Lymatophages themselves. In any case, one must be extremely careful when crossing the thin bridge: a fall from such height could prove lethal even in absence of hydrochloric acid.
BGM: "Acid Armor"
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The Deepest Layer (Arena)
There is something to be said about dreams: no matter how weird, they can become weirder. This is the deepest layer of Shaz's dream, a mix of static and glowing lights that blink to no end. The patterns keep repeating, without reason or meaning - or do they? When the dream becomes so strange that it stops resembling reality, that's when the darkest hour begins. The Court of the Nightmare Queen is open. Shall you do the first step and seek her, in the weirdest corners of your subconscious?
BGM: "My Imperfect Perfect World"
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Digital Madness (Arena)
What's left of a dream, when the curtain closes? This wireframe reproduction of the arena is how the MEMORIAN builds them in its systems, storing them as bits and pieces of information and reconstructing them when needed. This arena is missing textures and details, as if the loading process was interrupted midway. Who or what caused it is still an open question, but glitches can't be ruled out - even in alleged dreams or virtual reality worlds.
BGM: "Randomizer Judo Glitchfest"
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Dojo (Arena)
A simple square-grid training ground, like those seen in many other video games. Shaz might have played one or two of them with Todd, without really understanding a lot about them. Yet, despite finding the grid "the plainest stage ever", it somehow made way well into his dream, in all its boring-yet-practical glory.
BGM: "Come On (Get Serious)"
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Exploding Judo Federation Arena (Arena)
A sports arena with the Exploding Judo Federation logo, surrounded by several identical taiko drummers in the middle of their play. Shaz's mind conceived this place by mixing scenes from Blasting Fist and the European Judo Championship won by Bea Gattonero. This is the beginning of his dream, this might be the end of his dream. Among cries for EXPLOSION and BLAST, among bursting bombs and throws to the mat, the deepest slumber just began. Where this will bring him, nobody knows - maybe except [EXPUNGED].
BGM: "Taiko Overdrive"
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Last Stop (Arena)
The train station of the city of Blitzhafen - a place that does not exist - featuring a blurry timetable defaced by graffiti and obscene pictures. The station has two Platform 3s, where the fights happen, against all logic but within the boundaries of Shaz's dream. After his meeting with Krave on the Encorp train, Shaz developed a sort of fear of trains and takes them very reluctantly - only when he has no alternatives. Krave's connection with trains is even more outlined by the "KRAVE LIVES!" spray paint on the timetable, further cementing how the two concepts are connected in Shaz's brain. The flickering lights and eerie atmosphere are due to his psychological insecurity about travelling alone - especially after the fight that ended in a sucker assault by a killer robot. If Krave were still around and not MIA, he would probably hate this place too for the same reason - being kicked off the roof of a running train is not the most pleasant experience after all.
BGM: "Leerfahrt"
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Tori Graveyard (Arena)
A crater filled with shallow water, surrounded by broken down temples and gates and by the wisps of the deceased. This place outside time and space looks like a hymn to quiet isolation and meditation, surrounded by the ruins of something that was and now isn't anymore. How Shaz's brain conceived it is unknown, but might have been spawned by his latent fear of being forgotten - something that he doesn't openly show but keeps haunting him in the deepest depths of his soul. The broken down temples are a reflection of this inner turmoil, in contrast with the calm, tranquil atmosphere that pervades this ancient-looking valley.
BGM: "Ironic Echo"
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Peak of Passion (Arena)
A rusted platform dangerously standing close to the peak of a snowy mountain in the Alps. The black sky and constant snowstorms add to the feeling of loneliness and isolation that this place evokes. This construct might have been caused by the association between the danger of exploding judo and the untamed nature of the mountain peaks. Whatever the combination that spawned this place in Shaz's theater of mind, its reek of lurking danger and abandonment contrast with the candid cleanliness of the snow, which keeps falling and falling no matter how many bombs detonate...
BGM: "Where Clouds Meet the Heart"
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Green Screen (Arena)
An all-green stage so players can take screenshots and easily manipulate the background.
BGM: "Come On (Get Serious)"
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Stratosphere Underground (Arena)
An underground arena decorated with the logo of Stratosphere s.r.o. and featuring a large Chaingear watching the fight unfold - unless it's not taking part itself, that is. Shaz's brain modelled this area based on real pictures of the Rapture, but this place does not exist in reality. For all its shadiness, Stratosphere doesn't have a giant underground place used for summary executions. Nevertheless, this version of the arena might be close to what Reiner Greschnik originally planned for his death game - thus keeping some shades of authenticity, in a way. The logo at the center of the stage is a representation of Eikon, the Biblically Accurate Angel - the official mascot of Stratosphere, which was shelved as soon as the Chaingear became the de facto symbol of the company.
BGM: "Chaingear Symphony MK. IV"
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Cathedral Ruins (Arena)
The forgotten cathedral of the Gun Savior, almost as shown in Episode 41 of "Blasting Fist". Here, the followers of the Holy Trigger and the Headcannon Gang prepared their plan to overtake Slumslum City by eliminating the last threat to their plan - Junrao Kurakurapiko. The dream version of this fictional place of cult retains most of its original features, but somehow misses the statues of the various gun-headed people that were dotting it in the original. The most striking absence is that of the Cross of the Holy Trigger itself, which used to decorate the altar.
In the show, the cathedral was destroyed by Blasting Fist himself using his explosion judo techniques, prompting the Headcannon Gang to have to look for another hideout. Cannon Fodder was first shown here, anchoring his presence in the dream to this specific location.
BGM: "Glock'n'Spiel"
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Closest to God (Arena)
A valley filled with ancient statues that peak from the horizon in broken patterns, with temples all around. It's a mystery how Shaz's brain came up with this arrangement and how it thought that having a minefield in the arms of a symbol of peace were a good idea. However, dreams are a weird realm where things seldom make sense, if at all. At least, the breathtaking panorama enjoyed while being blasted closer to heaven is a treat to the loser - a treat that they might have probably preferred not to partake in, though.
BGM: "The Man Closest to God"
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Hong Kong (Arena)
The fight takes place on a balcony overlooking the Dragon and Phoenix wall in the Tiger Balm Garden (虎豹別墅, Hǔ bào biéshù or Haw Par Villa), which in real life was later demolished in 2004. At the end of the round, the dragons and phoenix statues move and make sounds... something that (presumably) wasn't possible in the real Garden....
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Goro's Lair (Arena)
The klassic arena from the first game returns, completely unchanged. This is where the hidden kombatants of Smoke, Jade, and Noob Saibot are fought. Goro's Lair is replaced by the Blue Portal stage on the Genesis. In the Game Gear/Master System version, it's just a wall of skull motifs with a giant yin-yang on the floor (elements cobbled from the Kombat Tomb).
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The Field (Arena)
An open field at sunrise or sunset with mountains in the background. Floyd is fought here when the player meets all the requirements to fight him and the stage is unlocked upon defeating him.
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Rooftop (Arena)
A rooftop where Tenna is fought in Story Mode. Unlocked upon completion of any Story Mode path.
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The Wasteland (Arena)
A purple-tinted outdoor stage, with towers, mountains, weird statues, and skewered corpses visible.
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The Tower (Arena)
A room inside what is apparently some sort of tower. An ornate series of carved-out sections of the wall serve as glassless windows, showcasing the passing clouds. A Shadow Priest floats in front of the center, largest window. Arcane imagery is abounds here and the red carpet has literally been rolled out for the fighters.
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Blue Portal (Arena)
A blue-tinted version of The Portal stage, exclusive to the Sega Genesis version of the game. This is where hidden characters Smoke, Jade, and Noob Saibot are fought instead of Goro's Lair in this version.
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The Portal (Arena)
Fights take place on a platform in front of a red sky with a portal in the background. Lightning occasionally can be seen in the portal's eye. A red-tinted moon lurks in the sky, and floating stone paths lead to the portal. Shang Tsung's Shadow Priests float in the background as well.
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The Pit II (Arena)
The fight takes place on a bridge at night, just as the original Pit did. The moon high in the sky and strategically placed lanterns provide the only light here.
In the far background is another bridge, flanked to the sides with crags. Recolored sprites of Liu Kang can be seen in the background, with one on fire. These gave rise to rumored secret fighters named "Hornbuckle" and "Torch"; "Torch" was eventually canonized as Blaze in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and "Hornbuckle" as one of Onaga's priests.
Performing a fighter's specific "Stage Fatality" motion at the match's end will have them uppercut the loser off of the bridge and onto the ground below, which does not have spikes this time, but is at a high enough altitude to be fatal.
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The Dead Pool (Arena)
Not the Merc with the Mouth from Marvel. The Dead Pool seems to be a torture chamber with hooks on chains hanging from the ceiling, as well as acid surrounding the bridge that fighters stand on. The statues on each side are based on a real-life limestone carving of a Tang Dynasty Buddhist guardian.
Of course, popping a defeated opponent into the acid is an option at the end of the match, although this is not done with the traditional Stage Fatality move, but instead by holding Low Punch, and Low Kick when performing an uppercut.
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The Armory (Arena)
This is where weapons are forged and stored in Outworld. Molten steel can be seen running through the background and various bladed weapons are littered around, propped up near columns. Scary faces are on the columns.
Exclusively in the Genesis version, Raiden can perform a specific stage finisher of sorts, the "Fergality", which transforms his opponent into a super-deformed version of Probe Entertainment president Fergus McGovern (1966-2016).
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Living Forest (Arena)
Fighters stand in a small clearing in a deep wooded area where trees have grotesque animated faces that contort and roar occasionally. A hapless victim wearing a kasa like Raiden's can be seen entangled in vines.
Smoke and Jade may occasionally peek out from behind a tree during the fight to tease players into finding them.
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Kombat Tomb (Arena)
Some sort of walkway with a heavy skull and yin/yang motif. Dark red skies can be seen in the background.
The ceiling is lined with spikes, and a player can finish their opponent with their chosen fighter's Stage Fatality move, uppercutting them into their death above. Holding Down on both joysticks/d-pads will slide the victim's corpse off of the spikes and hit the ground.
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Kahn's Arena (Arena)
Shao Kahn's barbaric fighting koliseum. Most regular fighters can be matched against here in an arcade ladder run, but the player will always fight Kintaro and Kahn himself here.
Sonya and Kano are chained up near the arena's edge, and unless he is being fought, Kahn will sit in the throne in the stage's center. Whenever Kintaro or Kahn connects a particularly vicious strike, the audience will pop off.
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Vermilion Gates (Arena)
A fantastical stage with a Japanese motif, filled to the brim with elements from the Land of the Rising Sun! A breakable balcony and big changes to the stage between evening and nighttime make every round different and dynamic!
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