Dunwall

Part of Dunwall, reflecting its rundown environment.

Dunwall, the capital of Gristol and seat of the imperial government of the Isles, is an industrial fishing city-state that serves as the central setting for Dishonored. Whaling trawlers pack its harbor, bringing in a constant stream of the whale oil that powers its industrial revolution.

Details

The present site that Dunwall occupies was once home to an ancient civilization that collapsed for unknown reasons. Having existed 1000 years before the events of Dishonored, they worshiped the Outsider and were the first to inscribe whale bones with his mark. Only recently were their ruins discovered, deep under present-day Dunwall. Many trinkets and artifacts still wash up along Dunwall's shores in the present day.

Dunwall itself is divided by the Wrenhaven, a vast river that separates Dunwall in twain and leads out into the sea. Kingsparrow Island is the only island known to exist off Dunwall. Dunwall is also dominated by rocky outcroppings and numerous cliffs, which are in turn topped by multiple factories and manors.

Dunwall is comprised of numerous districts and locations, including the wealthy Estate District, home to the Boyle Mansion; Holger Square, the seat of the High Overseer; the Flooded District, once the thriving Rudshore waterfront; and John Clavering Boulevard, lined with stately manors and abandoned factories.

The Rat Plague, a disease originally from the Pandyssian Continent that arrived in Dunwall by devious means, has decimated the city's population. With the assassination of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin (who sought to curb the effects of the plague with as few casualties as possible), desperation within the city led to riots and barely-controlled chaos. After the acension of Hiram Burrows to Lord Regent, Dunwall's government endorsed more draconian measures, becoming oppressive and paranoid.

Walls of Light control the flow of movement and the City Watch patrols Dunwall's streets, with a curfew imposed from dusk to dawn. Thugs and bureaucrats alike take advantage of the misfortune that has befallen the city. A wealth gap determines secured health for those fortunate to have enough money, as the upper classes and their retinues hoard the elixirs that stave off the plague. Against this backdrop, corruption thrives.

Trivia

• Dunwall is strongly inspired by London, as well as British and American whaling towns, as they existed in the 19th century.
• The people of Dunwall are notably xenophobic, suggesting that marriage between members of Gristol's aristocracy and people of other nations "dirties the blood."
  • A book on the Royal Protector written in Dunwall suggests that a possible motive behind Corvo's alleged murder of the Empress could be because he is a foreigner.

Gallery

Dunwall Tower.

The Distillery District.

Arriving At Golden Cat.jpg

The Golden Cat.

Kaldwin's Bridge.

The Boyle Mansion.

The Flooded District.

Kingsparrow Isle.

Graffiti on a sign in Dunwall.

Dunwall indicated on a cartographer's map.

A map of John Clavering Boulevard in Dunwall.

Dishonored Plague Warning.jpg

A warning sign about the plague in Dunwall.