The Katakombz of Zachery Killgore

- a part of Spencer Striker's World Without a Name

A Collaborative virtual realtiy piece

- Environment Development and VR implementation by Chase Martin

- Diagetic World by Spencer Striker

- Figure modeling by Steve Brennan

The "Katakombz of Zachary Killgore" is the entrance to the underground lair of the rebel heretic Zachary Killgore. In the World Without a Name series, Zachary is the shadow general of the armies against the Empyre, in a battle that is intrinsic to the existence of the World the Without a Name. Jake Bloodstone, opposing general and arch rival of Zachary from boyhood, now finds himself at the entrance of the Katakombz with the Killgore armies dispersed and a hankering for revenge burning in his throat. As Jake Bloodstone, the immersant must find their way through the haunting halls of the entrance cavern and into the recesses of the Katakombz, where Zachary is holding your daughter prisoner.

Motivation and Scene Components

The Katakombz are a solstice for weary souls, grown old but short by the massacre endless conflicts. The walls of the cavern, left barren by the overwhelming death of the world, are rejuvenated by the spirits that now all too densely inhabit them leaving a tangled mess to stretch across the arched dome in a thick moss. Each step across the floor stills things long left at rest. As you move through the cavern, you must perilously cross a chasm that has been traversed by a fallen spire. If this one has fallen when will the others? After making it across, you are left with no other options but to go down. In the dark abyss of the tomb, the mind begins to wander to recesses, conjuring up memories of the horrors of battle. As you make out of the madness, you are overwhelmed by the door to Zachary's lair. Can that really be? Is that the sweet face of your daughter, Blossom, chiseled softly into the rock? Your mind is playing tricks on you. You must press on. But what tricks has Zachary planned ahead...

The goal of this project was to create and experiential component to a story franchise. In doing so, certain features were accented using the 3D display to justly engaging in the VR experience. The first was scale and proportion. The cavern towers over the immersant to portray the vast manpower of the Killgore army, as well making the clandestine nature of the objective. Next special organization of text was used to tell the history and mantra of the cavern's inhabitant. As one moves through the space, writing on the walls provides personal accounts and mantras of the title character to add depth of the characterization. By placing these along the path of the immersant, the story is told progressively. Thirdly, the vantages and entrance points to the main cavern are organized to accent the figure in the door. This is critical to the story as this figure is Blossom, Jake's daughter, and the objective of the experience.