C5L1: Cold, Cold Grave

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Cold, Cold, Grave

C5L1: Cold, Cold Grave is the first level of the The Nightmare Levels Expansion for Blood II: The Chosen. It is set in a desolate arctic landscape containing hedge-mazes, snowy cliffs, and various Gothic buildings similar to "Even Death May Die", the second episode of the original Blood.

Objectives[edit]

Ice Cold[edit]

Navigate the ice to reach the Cabal Grounds. Be careful, the water is far too cold to enter.

Escape the Maze[edit]

Find your way through this maze and move on to the Cabal Cemetery.

Locked Gate[edit]

The way out of the maze is locked. Perhaps the tower over-looking the garden maze holds the answer.

Restless Spirits[edit]

Send the Cabal followers into the light.

Walkthrough[edit]

Gideon begins his narration
Caleb disappears from the campfire

[Video of Introduction cut-scene]

In Reality Beta, at night, a lone skull sits near a temple structure on a hill. Gideon, now translucent, floats nearby.

GIDEON: Oh yes, hello. Surely you'll remember me. The power-mad and vainglorious Gideon. Once upon a time I pretended to the throne of the gods. Well, I suppose I got my wish. My undying soul is bound to this cranial prison for all eternity, no thanks to Caleb and his Chosen Ones. Anyway, there's no sense being bitter about it. I imagine one day I'll serve as a muse to some unfortunate playwright who wanders this way. Until then, gentle player, I will amuse you... with this little anecdote.

The four Chosen sit around a campfire, near some ruins.

GIDEON: After defeating the Ancient One, the Chosen had a long walk home through the other world. They were able to handle the odd demon or two that came their way, but what they were not ready for was the powerful psychic terror that stalked the wastes -- the Nightmare. Fools that they were, the Chosen practically invited a visit from this devil when they decided to tell scary stories during one of their repasts. Little did they know that each one of them was about to be transported to their personal hells. Observe, and be entertained, dear player.

Caleb holds a weenie skewered on a stick over the campfire as he talks to the others.

CALEB: So there I was, stranded in the icy wastes. Low on ammo and outta rotgut *hiccup* and hunted by Cabal patrols. I could hardly see through all the snow, but up ahead I thought I saw a light. Greenish, and hot. My kinda digs, I remember thinking. Well, so I trudged on up and...

A green vortex appears around Caleb.

CALEB: Woah! Feeling funky here, guys?

Caleb disappears through the vortex. Ophelia sadly shakes her head.

OPHELIA: He always was terrible at telling stories.
ISHMAEL: Er, would you please pass the weenies?

Change of scenery, Caleb appears through the vortex.

CALEB: What in the hell? What is this, some kind of freaky time warp acid trip?

The level starts out with Caleb appearing near a frozen river. To move on, you must carefully jump using "ice stepping stones" and cliff outcroppings, while fighting against Robed Cultists. Caleb will eventually reach an Ice bridge, which must be crossed by jumping as it breaks underneath Caleb if crossed. Once on the other side, explore the ledge until you find a passage way. Beyond lies a hedge maze filled with Cultists, and an entrance to a building with Soul Drudges inside.

Further into the level, there are several more areas with damaging cold water and an ambush by Shikari.

The final part of the level is a section filled with at least 6 Drudge Lords, with an Anger powerup near its entrance (so that the player can pick it up and quickly dispose of all enemies). Eventually Caleb reaches a swirling portal and enters it, ending the level.

Enemies Present[edit]

Weapons present[edit]

Fun Stuff[edit]

  • When referring to becoming a muse for "some unfortunate playwright", Gideon is referencing the skull of Yorick contemplated over by Prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark during the famous "gravedigger" scene (Act 5, Scene 1). This scene has in fact been played using a real human skull in recent performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company with David Tennant.
  • The original robed cultist from Blood makes a return, and they still wield sawed-off shotguns. Their taunts to the player are similar to the speech of the cultists in the first game.
  • Most of the textures in this level have been taken from the first game's second episode. The hedge maze is also reminiscent of several levels from that episode.
  • There is a corpse impaled on a fallen icicle near the hedge maze entrance.
  • In one of the rooms with freezing cold water, a Soul Drudge will fall into it and die (exhibiting the typical clumsiness of a zombie).
  • In the area where Shikari ambush the player, there is a frozen pond, with a man trapped under the ice, pounding it with his fists, as if still trying to escape.



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