“The front doors are locked. Looks like Karras wants a captive audience.”
Annotated Walkthrough, 4:
Your entry to Angelwatch is through a hatch on the eastern side of the second floor. The air ducts you find yourself in branch after several feet where a ladder provides access to the higher floors. The safest way forward for the moment is to continue ahead until you reach the end of the ducts, in a small room in the southeastern corner of the second floor.
Directly ahead a note pinned to the wall provides information on the security arrangements for the evenings proceedings. Usefully the note reveals that the “watchers” (Mechanist security cameras) have been disabled to prevent the guests from “causing any mishaps”. It’s still possible to spot the mechanical faces of the Watchers at various points throughout the level though they are now inert and blind; this knowledge is unlikely to make you feel entirely comfortable around them however given how often they have been a problem in previous levels.
Footsteps can be heard beyond the door to this room, and it’s worth leaning into the door to better hear the movement on the other side. There is only a single Mechanist guard on patrol on this floor however her path takes her right up to this door, so stepping out without first being sure of her location is risky.
To your right when exiting this first room is the mechanical elevator that serves all floors of Angelwatch. The noise created when in motion, and your footsteps upon it’s metal surface, are both loud enough to alert nearby guards so care will be needed if you intend to make use of it. Fortunately it’s possible to navigate Angelwatch without making use of this elevator at all.
Descending toward the first (ground) floor the overwhelming initial impression is that of size. Several times higher than the upper stories, the walls of the main concourse reach nearly a third of the way up the interior of Angelwatch. The space beneath dominated by massive support structures made from what appears to be granite or some other igneous rock.
The floor below is bathed in light from what at first glance appears to be a giant skylight, however the fact you have come from the floor above, and that it’s still dark outside, mean this cannot be an actual skylight but is instead a powerful light source made to look like one. Set against a rich terracotta wall vertical gold strips accentuate the sensation of height and together with the exposed support beams and faux-skylight they exude a sense of power and industry. The Mechanists are almost Randian in their aesthetics, their architecture, their art, all are designed around a single purpose to make manifest a philosophy, and idea. In this case that of Karras and the Master Builder.
Once on the floor the intersecting shadows casts by the support beams provide an array of hiding places that can be used to avoid discovery by the patrolling Mechanist Combat Bot. Approximately five to six feet tall these steam powered contraptions stand on two large legs, a manipulable claw attached to their left side serves as an arm while a cannon makes them a formidable threat even at range. Unlike the metal Watchers, the glowing left eye of the Combat Bot does not change colour, so their current alert state will need to be determined by studying their behaviour and vocalisations. On the rear of the Combat Bot, red against the bronze and bottle green surface is the boiler that powers it. Due to a minor design flaw this boiler can be shut down if it gets too wet, and a single Water Arrow is enough to stop the Combat Bot in its tracks, while a second Water Arrow will disable it completely. There are other ways of disabling or the Combat Bots though they are either noisy, or require the expenditure of resources that are better used elsewhere; a single Gas Arrow can disable a Combat Bot but such a use would be a waste of such a rare item.
Arranged at the south end of the main concourse facing a portrait of Karras, are three rows of stone pews. In front of them stands a small pedestal, made from the same material as the support beams, upon which a gramophone has been placed. Listening to the gramophone recording initiates a change in your Mission Objectives for this level. Karras is not in attendance this evening, his work taking precedence, instead he has recorded six audio messages for those invited to this “fine and festive evening”. In order to understand Karras’ plans, a least those he is willing to divulge to the City’s nobility, you will need to locate and listen to all six gramophone recordings.
The presentation of the gramophone recording is an example of the attention to detail that is common throughout Thief but especially in regards to its audio design. Distorted by constant hisses and a variety of pops and crackles the recording starts with a faltering Karras unsure if his new device is even working. Throughout you can easily pick up the sounds of movement as he shifts in his chair and rearranges himself.
To the north through a doorway beneath a large rotating cog the roof rises further still. Several floors above a large window provides light for this demi-atrium, though at the moment this space is somewhat unbelievably illuminated by a single lamp hanging from the roof beams high above. Balconies on the third and fourth floor extend out from three sides, facing the atrium window, and overlooking the gear pattern created by the floor tiles below.
Following the patrol route of the Combat Bot north a hallway connects the concourse to the front entrance which is guarded by a solitary Mechanist. A pair of Watchers can be seen attached to the roof of this hallway, one facing the main concourse, the other the front doors; as expected they have been deactivated for tonight’s proceedings. Alcoves along this hallway will allow you to avoid the Combat Bot however the Mechanist guard won’t move from his position unless provoked. On tables flanking the front door are two statues, they only provide fifteen gold each so it might not be worth attempting to acquire them. However this guard, like all others, cannot operate elevators so he will be unable to pursue you further than the first floor or alert any of his companions to your presence should you be detected.
So far you should have only have crossed paths with two Mechanist guards within Angelwatch, the female guard patrolling the second floor and this male guard inside the front doors. Though it is not uncommon for there to be guards of both genders in Thief II, (in fact the first guard you come across is female) the ratio is rarely one to one, guard forces are predominately male. This isn’t the case with the Mechanists, it is not uncommon to encounter more female than male guards in a given area. For example the commander of the Mechanist forces in Angelwatch, ‘Friend’ Vilnia, is a woman as are approximately half of those on patrol within. The Mechanists also seem more racially diverse than other groups within the city, the majority of those on patrol inside Anglwatch have noticeable darker skin tones than the guards on patrol in Dayport. Racial and sexual politics rarely get a mention in Thief and despite most named characters being male there are various examples of women in positions of power and authority within the nobility and the various factions, none of which are ever remarked upon as anything out of the ordinary.
You can use the elevator to return to the upper floors or alternatively you can climb one of the sloping support beams and use a ladder in the northwestern corner of the room to reach the second floor. It may be necessary to wait on the ladder before ascending as the room above is patrolled not only by the lone Mechanist guard on this floor but also another Combat Bot.
This room is illuminated by a fireplace directly ahead of you as your climb up from the first floor. Positioned approximately twenty feet from the southern wall of Angelwatch this fireplace is set against the western exterior wall and as you ascend through the upper floors you will find a similar fireplace in the same position on each floor. This is paired with an identical fireplace in the same position along the eastern wall. From the third floor upward there is another fireplace set into the middle of the southern wall. On this floor that fireplace, if it existed, would be in the centre of the chapel; a wall that in a Christian church would be referred to as the “east wall” regardless of the actual facing of the building.
Subtle architectural touches like this help reinforce that Angelwatch is confined within the boundaries defined by its external walls, walls that you were able to see from the rooftops of Dayport. This is true of all buildings within Thief, with no loading between locations few tricks are available to make interior locations take up more space than that provided within their external walls. What makes Angelwatch unique in this regard is that during your approach you will have had the opportunity to see the building from at least three sides, western, southern and eastern, in that order.
After the relative freedom of the Thieves’ Highway the interior of Angelwatch can feel claustrophobic and constricting. There are fewer opportunities for you to gain an advantage by positioning yourself above the world, the majority of encounters play out on the same horizontal place; Angelwatch has literally leveled the playing field. Exploring a hostile environment recovering information from audio recording and notes left behind, there is a vaguely System Shock feel to the exploration of Angelwatch.
Angelwatch’s second floor is given over to the practicalities of maintaining a large Mechanist presence within the City. Electrical generators vie for space with sleeping quarters while a small chapel provides for the spiritual well being of those living and working within; the second gramophone recording is located within this chapel.
The Combat Bot follows a simple route from the northern entrance to the chapel, past the stairway in the northwestern corner, around the access ladder to the first floor and back again. This overlaps with the final part of the female Mechanist’s patrol route from the lift. Returning from the foot of the stairs her path takes her through the centre of the chapel where a solitary Mechanist priest stands vigil; this is your first encounter with a Mechanist priest.
To the left, through a room containing what appear to be some form of generators or capacitors, the southwestern corner of this floor is taken up by a barracks. Entirely empty, at the foot of each two level bunk is a footlocker. None of which contain anything useful, most are empty and the single locked footlocker only contains a Mechanist hammer.
Accessible from either the north or the east, the chapel is the functional and logical focus of the second floor. Following the Combat Bot in its patrol will take you to the main entrance, three rows of benches are arranged on either side of a metal plated aisle leading to a simple altar; the two gold candles atop which would make a tempting target for any self respecting thief. His back to you the Mechanist priest goes about his business.
A portrait of Karras hangs against the eastern wall above another gramophone. Despite its position on the second floor this is not the second recording in the sequence of six. The tour through Angelwatch narrated by Karras takes the guests through all six floors of the building but in a non sequential order. There is no requirement to listen to each of the recordings in order but you will need to mentally reassemble the correct sequence if you are to understand the extent of Karras’ plans. This is a similar situation provided by the audio logs in a game like System Shock or BioShock, piecing together contextually connected audio logs into a meaningful order is a second order mechanic in such games. It is made a little easier in this regard by the inclusion of a “Recording x of x” that proceeds each of Karras’ recordings.
Care will need to be taken when approaching the gramophone. The benches are too close to the eastern wall for you to pass them that way. A Moss Arrow can soften your footfalls on the metal aisle or if your timing is good you can creep down it while the Mechanist guard and Combat Bot are at the furthest extremes of their patrol paths. With only two humans on this floor it’s easy to isolate and deal with them, and a pair of Water Arrows will deal with the Combat Bot. If you don’t feel comfortable getting within range, it’s best to avoid the Mechanist Priest if possible. Despite lacking obvious armaments they are able to conjure and launch flaming gears. These magical projectiles are slow moving and easy to dodge but will inflict heavy damage if they strike you.
Maybe the Mechanists are used to their equipment malfunctioning and starting itself at random, or maybe the constant drone of steam powered machines has made them all deaf, but initiating the recording doesn’t even elicit a response from the Mechanist Priest standing a few feet away.
Karras’ message provides little information but the undertones are unpleasant, he talks about metal servants and how the souls behind the masks were “lost and unproductive” exactly who or what these servants are will become clear in time.
Opposite the gramophone, on the western wall a heavily locked door leads to a small ante room, the key to this door can be found hanging from the belt of the Mechanist Priest. Like most keys you find in Thief it is unlabeled, however it’s a logical assumption to make that it would unlock the storage room for the chapel. Within a Scouting Orb can be recovered from amidst the various mechanist devices on the shelf, while a locked safe below contains a pair of golden chalices.
The door in the northern wall of this storage room opens up into a small annex off the chapel, this area is on the patrol route of the female Mechanist guard and provides patches of darkness in which to wait and allow her to pass by. West from here leads back into the chapel while east takes you to the hallway containing the elevator and access to the air ducts. To your north the eastern fireplace extends into the hallway and a door at the far end that opens into another barracks room in the northeastern corner.
Just before you reach this door a side passage branches off to the west, your left as you approach. This narrow passage runs behind the wall and exits directly north of the main chapel entrance. It isn’t on the patrol routes of either the Combat Bot or Mechanist guard, and provides a handy shortcut from the chapel to the relative safety of the northeastern barracks.
Unlike the barracks in the southwestern corner the footlockers here contain a number of useful items to restock your inventory: Broadhead Arrows and a Mine.
Off this barracks to the east is the room of Vilnia, the commander of the Mechanists forces in Angelwatch. Upon her table is a note from Karras himself listing the final locations of each of the “voice machines”. It ends with a cryptic reference to an additional machine for “our special guest”, the relevance of this will become clear in due course, though it would not be difficult to make an educated guess as to who this guest might be. Even if you haven’t found and activated the first of the gramophone recorders reading this note will have no affect on your original objective, as the importance of these voice recorders is unclear until listen to one of them and realise Karras is not in attendance at Angelwatch this evening.
The Vilnia’s footlocker holds a small Mechanist statue, it’s not worth a great deal but it would still be a waste to leave it behind.
A second door leads off the barracks to the north into a store room dominated by a large wooden shelving unit. Past this room, through a door in it’s eastern wall is another small storage area. Below a pair of wine racks a locked cabinet can be picked, stored inside are a pair of golden chalices and two bottles of fine wine.
With this floor now fully explored it’s time to head up to the third floor, there are three methods of doing so at this point. Directly south of this barracks is the elevator and access to the ducts running through the eastern wall. The elevator provides the most directly route but it creates a lot of noise while in operation and the areas in front of the shaft on each floor are usually the most well illuminated and patrolled. Climbing through the ducts is a more subtle approach but they are entirely made of metal and this can also create a lot of noise. Fortunately on the third floor the air ducts open into a small room that is not on the patrol route of any guard.
The third means of reaching the higher floors is to move back to the northwestern corner and ascend the main staircase. Against the outer wall there are shadows that will provide concealment however this stairway is occasionally used by civilians and Mechanist Worker Bots, smaller companions to the Combat Bots, so care will still need to be taken if you choose this route.
For the purposes of this series I’m going to take this final route and reach the third floor by way of the main stairs.