Whale Oil

Whale oil.

Whale oil is the refined oil that is harvested from whales, and the basis of the Empire's industrial revolution. Highly volatile, it is held in tanks which can be found throughout major cities. In Dunwall, it is used to power all technology, while in Karnaca, it is used interchangeably with wind power.

History

Esmond Roseburrow.

Whale oil's potential as an energy source was discovered by the natural philosopher Esmond Roseburrow, who observed vagabonds in Slaughterhouse Row using collected whale oil to stoke fires. Through a special refinement process, he turned whale oil into a fuel source that advanced the Isles' technology by centuries. It also turned the once marginal and supplementary whaling industry into the most vital industry for all the Isles. Whaling houses like the Greaves Company and the Rothwild Slaughterhouse turned into wealthy, industrial powerhouses. Later, Anton Sokolov proposed the first plans to use whale oil in technological weaponization.

Characteristics

Whale oil is easily recognized by the bright blue glow it emits, which can be best seen in the whale processing and oil refining areas of the Greaves Refinery in the Flooded District and in Slaughterhouse Row, where leaked whale oil illuminates the halls and surrounding streets. It is extremely unstable and volatile; throwing or shooting a full whale oil tank will cause it to explode.

It is speculated that whale oil is naturally produced within the bodies of whales due to great pressures deep in the ocean, for the purpose of temperature regulation. It is theorized by Piero Joplin that if the human body were exposed to such pressures, it could produce something similar to whale oil; these experiments have not come to fruition, due to financial and ethical concerns.

Trivia

• The in-universe whale oil is likely based on the real-life substance called "spermaceti", found in and chiefly harvested from sperm whales. Like the oil, spermaceti was harvested by 18th century whalers and refined to be used as fuel in lamps, heaters and candles. As the whales of Dishonored closely resembles sperm whales, the design choice is appropriate.

Gallery

Cold survivors add whale oil to a bonfire.

A tank of whale oil.

Refined whale oil.

Whale oil powering Coldridge Prison.

Whale oil running through the streets.

Whale oil on the street in the Flooded District.

A dripping whale oil containment vat at the Rothwild Slaughterhouse.

Oil being collected directly from a whale's stomach.

Unprocessed oil at the Rothwild Slaughterhouse.

Oil leaking from a pipe outside the Rothwild Slaughterhouse.

Daud throws a tank of whale oil at his enemies, causing it to explode.

A guard carrying a whale oil tank.

Jeffrey, a City Watch Guard, carrying a whale oil tank in Dunwall Tower.

Jeffrey replaces a tank of whale oil in Dunwall Tower (GIF).

A City Watch guard drops a whale oil tank...

...and regrets it.

A whale oil price list.

An advertisement for Greaves Lightning Oil.

A promotional "whale oil" plug-in lamp for Dishonored.

Concept art of the explosion in "Dishonored 2".

Whale Oil Tank Dispenser Concept Art for Dishonored 2.

Whale Oil concept art.

Whale Oil concept art.

A tank of whale oil in Dishonored 2.

Processed whale oil in Dishonored 2.