Dunwall Tower



"If the plague were to take the entire city, or flames consume it, Dunwall Tower would be the last to fall."

- The Heart

Dunwall Tower is the principal residence of the ruling family of Dunwall. It is the location of the missions Returning Home and Return to the Tower in Dishonored and the prologue of The Knife of Dunwall. It is also part of the first and last missions of Dishonored 2.

History
Built long before the rule of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, Dunwall Tower has been the principal seat of power in Gristol and the Empire of the Isles for over a century. In that time it has been home to various dynasties and royal families who have each added to the structure in some fashion. The Tower has also survived many destructive events, including "numerous wars, several large-scale fires and the collapse and rebuilding of the northern wing."

During the Morley Insurrection, Dunwall Tower was targeted by rebels using the Dunwall Sewers to infiltrate the city, resulting in several assassination attempts. The Tower was subsequently fortified, and the Royal Protector position was created.

During the rule of Emperor Euhorn Kaldwin, the Tower grounds were open to the public during daylight hours, allowing the civilian population access to the area. Such traffic was restricted during the reign of Jessamine Kaldwin on the insistence of Royal Spymaster Hiram Burrows, but street access still remained open.

Architecture
The center of imperial governance, Dunwall Tower is situated on a cliff overlooking the Wrenhaven River, directly across from the Old Port District and adjacent to the Estate District. It is connected by drawbridge to Coldridge Prison, and river access is maintained via water lock.

The tower grounds are constructed on a steep cliff side and divided into several levels, stretching from the base of the water lock to the front steps of the tower. The area features gardens and a gazebo overlooking the river, an open courtyard in front of the tower where a coach is parked, and a moat.

The interior of the structure is spacious and extravagant; the first floor features a large foyer leading to a library, dining room, and small chapel with the Seven Strictures inscribed on the walls. Adjacent to the foyer are a storage room and a room with a pool connected to the moat.

Side hallways allow servants and guards access to the main portions of the tower, connecting to the guards' quarters and kitchens. These surrounding hallways also grant access to the dungeon, and small, dark and dank room which is home to Morris Sullivan, the Royal Interrogator.

The second floor features the living quarters of the ruling family, including the royal apartments, a music room, a study or lounge, spare bedrooms, storage, a reading room, and access to a walkway overlooking the first-floor shrine. The floor also features a secret room utilized by the Empress, where an audiograph recorded by her and a letter can be found.

Alterations Under Burrows
Following the assassination of the Empress, the tower is heavily fortified on the order of Hiram Burrows. The exterior is covered in metallic casing, a moat surrounds the building, and a watchtower has been installed near the front gate.

Street access has been sealed off, with barriers erected around the structure and all traffic relegated to the water lock. In addition, a safe room is constructed on the roof of the tower, which contains living space, a wall of light, and Burrows' war room. A statue of the Lord Regent has also been installed in the central courtyard.

Sokolov technologies are deployed throughout the tower and grounds. A combination of guards, Overseers and tallboys constantly patrol the tower. A broadcasting center is present in one wing of the structure to transmit Regency propaganda over Dunwall's speaker system. A special television apparatus is also present in the foyer, allowing Burrows to communicate with his guards from his safe room.

Alterations Under Emily Kaldwin
During the first 15 years of reign of Empress Emily Kaldwin, the fortifications the Lord Regent added to the Tower were all removed, and the gate to the neighboring Tower District was opened once again. The broadcast tower left space for a modern elevator, powered underneath from a new security room which was once the Royal Interrogator's chambers.

Burrows' safehouse atop the palace was renovated to contain the throne room. Its library was moved to a room on the first floor, and the back was rebuilt as part of the Royal Chambers. Emily had also installed a special lock by Sokolov to connect her bedchamber to a forgotten room she discovered in her youth, and had it opened on her own mother's own secret chamber.

Trivia

 * The tower is inspired by buildings like the and.
 * Dunwall Tower was named "White Hall" during early development.
 * The television communicator at the palace's entrance is a refraction lens invented by Anton Sokolov, which can show images but not capture them.
 * Dunwall Tower is located on Barrowe Street.
 * The leader of the Empire is given a master key that opens every door at Dunwall Tower.
 * In the mission Returning Home, if Corvo manages to access areas of the mission he is not supposed to be able to reach, the guards there will rudely tell him to move along, while the guards in areas he is supposed to access will politely welcome him home.
 * In the mission Returning Home, the sealed door in the waterlock has a sign above it reading "No inmates beyond this point". This sign is not there in the mission Return to the Tower.
 * Dunwall Tower has had more appearances than any other location in the series (ignoring hub areas such as the Hound Pits Pub, the Dreadful Wale, and the Void), appearing in the missions Returning Home, Return to the Tower, Prologue (Knife of Dunwall), A Long Day in Dunwall, and Death to the Empress.
 * Dunwall Tower has been referred to as "The White Tower" by Dishonored 2 developers Ludo Piard and Erik Bakker.