Tales From the Tower Wiki

On this page, we shall try and reconstruct a topography of the game, by taking a closer look at the various locations in the game - both fictional as well as actual places in the real world - that we either physically visit or that in some way are referenced in the game, in the form of documents, architectural elements or other objects.

Arkham[]

One of the address headers of the Letters we find inside the Mansion's Study, dated June 23rd 1930, reads:

The Delberry
Arkham
Massachusetts

The author of the letter appears to have spent some time living in this place during the 20th century, which is a remarkable curiosity, as Arkham is a fictional city in Massachusetts, part of the Lovecraft Country setting created by H. P. Lovecraft and is featured in many of his stories, as well as those of other Cthulhu Mythos writers. In his story The Thing on the Doorstep, Lovecraft describes "the ancient, mouldering, and subtly fearsome town...witch-cursed, legend-haunted Arkham, whose huddled, sagging gambrel roofs and crumbling Georgian balustrades brood out over the centuries beside the darkly muttering Miskatonic."

Bonn[]

Bonn is city in the West of Germany, located on the banks of the River Rhine, and used to be the country's capital before the relocation to Berlin in 1990.

Bonn is mentioned in one of the News Cuttings that we find on the notice board in the cell where Adam is held prisoner by Belial. The article speaks about the mysterious vanishing of three French surgeons from their respective hospital practices in Lyon, Vitry-le-François and Bonn.

Bornholm[]

Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, located to the east of mainland Denmark and north-east of Germany.

Bornholm is referenced in Florentine's Journal, specifically the entry dated November 7th 1490. During their extensive trek across Europe in the 15th century, both for recruiting new Temple members and locating an otherworldly device to halt the devastating fires that coincided with the ceremonial breaking of the Seals, Florentine and Belial also sailed across the Baltic Sea, past the Southern point of Bornholm.

We are currently sailing off the southern point of Bornholm in the Baltic and if favourable winds prevail we will dock at Southampton on the 14th of this month. Our trek through Europe has not only proven successful in respect to the fires, but also we have been able to recruit to our Order new members, some of them distinguished and rich. They have instructions as to where to meet with us in England in the new year. I look forward to their arrival.

Canada[]

Taking into consideration Adam's talk with Rebecca about their family backgrounds as well as the (supposedly rather American) dialect of Adam's actor, David Tuomi, we could speculate that both Adam and his mother originally hail from Canada.

Rebecca: What about you Adam, do you have any other family? Adam: Only my mother... My parents separated when I was very young.
Rebecca: What happened?
Adam: You know, people grow apart sometimes. Dad always had more time for the church than his family. Mother moved back home to Canada. I never saw Dad much after that. I met him briefly four years ago when I was on a student exchange. It was an awkward meeting. He'd changed a lot - but it was too late... for both of us.
Rebecca: It's never too late Adam.
Adam: Sounds like the voice of experience.

Durham[]

Durham is a historic city, located on the River Wear in the North East of England.

In the game, Durham is referenced by Florentine in one of his Journal entries, dated October 18th 1673, where he addresses the fate which has befallen three of his associates, among others a certain Paul of Durham.

Gloucestershire[]

Gloucestershire is a county in the West of England, comprising parts of the Cotswold Hills, the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entirety of the Forest of Dean.

In the game, this place is referenced in one of the News Cuttings, found on the notice board in the cell where Adam is held prisoner by Belial. According to the article, a certain Henry Godwin, a titled astronomer, fell victim to a devastating fire that spread through the entire west wing of his estate in rural Gloucestershire, while his wife is reported to have slept unperturbed and unharmed during the entire disaster.

Helston[]

Helston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom, and serves as the prime location in which Realms of the Haunting takes place, harbouring settings such as the Mansion, the Church of St. Michael and the Vicarage of Charles Randall. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula. Helston is the most southerly town on the island of Great Britain. The population in 2011 was 11,700.[1]

India[]

Discussing Aelf's Dagger with Adam, Rebecca speculates that the blade could be of Indian origin.

Adam: Odd blade. Curved. Apart from being a key to enter Raquia, it helped us against Belial. Took his face clean off.
Rebecca: I think the design and style is somewhat Indian.

Inspired by Rebecca's comment, I did some research into the Indian and Persian varieties of daggers, and came across this South Indian Steel Dagger from the 16th century, which to my humble estimation closely resembles Aelf's weapon.

Iran[]

Iran, also known as Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a sovereign state in Western Asia.

The country is referenced in the game in one of the Manuscripts that we find in Florentine's Library, which details the experiences of a traveller in his exploration of Raquia. The parchment bears the following signature:

Authors unknown, unsourced documents rescued from the Iranian merchant ship Condor, c C14th C.F.

Secondly, Iran is also referenced in the shape of Tishtrya, the Iranian god of water, that appears in Arqua during the cutscene Ritual of Eternity and awards us with the Sword of the Dragon.

Adam: Who do you think that spirit was who procured Eternity?
Rebecca: Well given the Persian undertones of Aqua [sic][2] and the fact that he materialized from a fountain there's a good chance he was Tishtrya.
Adam: I've heard of him. Yes. The Iranian god of water.
Rebecca: God of all water. Clouds, lakes and the sea. He was an ally of Ahura Mazdah the Wise Lord in the struggle against the dark forces of evil under Ahriman in mythol... [sic]
Adam: O.K Rebecca, that was all a long time ago...

Israel[]

Israel is a country in the most Western part of Asia, located on the south-eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea, bordering on Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, and Egypt to the southwest.

During their extensive trek across Europe in the 15th century, both for recruiting new Temple members and locating an otherworldly device to halt the devastating fires that coincided with the ceremonial breaking of the Seals, Florentine and Belial travelled to Israel in 1420.

Belial, again saving my life in the fire, has whispered to me of an otherworldly device that may aid the Order, but its location and power is shielded from him. We are therefore currently making the necessary plans to travel to Plymouth and there pay for passage on some merchant ship to Israel. The threat from our old Templar Order there does not bother me so much now that its existence is speculative. If we make Israel in good time I hope for us to meet there with the Minions Gaziel, Fécor and Anarazel and bargain with them for their aid in our search. They are adept in seeking out the impossible and locating what is hidden.

Krak des Chevaliers[]

Krak des Chevaliers is a Crusader castle in Syria and one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world. The site was first inhabited in the 11th century by a settlement of Kurdish troops dispatched there by the Mirdasids; as a result it was known as Hisn al-Akrad, meaning the "Castle of the Kurds". In 1142 it was given by Raymond II, Count of Tripoli, to the Knights Hospitaller. It remained in their possession until it fell in 1271.

The castle is referenced in the Timeline which was published in issue 65 of PC Format magazine:

[In 1431,] Florentine meets the Powers known as Fecor and Anarazel in the ruins of Krak des Chevaliers and they head for the Carpathians where they hope to find the elusive device.

Leicester[]

Leicester is an English city, located on the River Sore in the East Midlands of the country.

In the game, Leicester is mentioned in one of Florentine's Journal entries, dated October 18th 1673, in which he addresses the fate that has befallen three of his associates, among others a certain David of Leicester.

London[]

London is the capital and most populous city in England, located in the south-east of Great Britain on the River Thames.

London is mentioned by Florentine in one of his Journal entries, dated October 18th 1673:

Although all new converts from the recent London meet are still among our number, I shudder to think what has befallen Jean-Claude of Lyon, David of Leicester and Paul of Durham. Whatever their fate it must be connected to the disappearance of the Dodger into the Tower. Without guidance and the correct medicine, the Servitor could spell trouble. I am currently collecting together the names of all the few who will be 'volunteering' to don Gate devices to track the thing down.

The Timeline which has been published in issue 65 of PC Format magazine also mentions London as the conference site of the Grand Meeting of Magicians, chaired by Florentine in 1666, the year of the historical Great Fire of London, which was, according to the above-mentioned timeline, apparently caused by the Power of Pyrichiel.

1666
Florentine chairs the Grand Meeting of Magicians in London. The Power of Pyrichiel is summoned causing the Great Fire of London. The fourth stone and Seal of Abaddon are broken.

According to the PC Format article, Adam's apartment, as seen in the intro sequence of the game, is located in London.[3]

Lyon[]

Lyon is the third-largest city in France, after Marseille and Paris, located in the central East of the country.

According to the Timeline printed in PC Format magazine, Claude Florentine was born in Lyon in the year 1264.

The second in-game reference to this French city appears in one of Florentine's Journal entries, dated October 18th 1673, in which he mentions one of his associates, a certain Jean-Claude of Lyon.

Thirdly, Lyon is mentioned in one of the News Cuttings that we find on the notice board in the cell where Adam is held prisoner by Belial. The article speaks about the mysterious vanishing of three French surgeons from their respective hospital practices in Lyon, Vitry-le-François and Bonn.

Madrid[]

Madrid is the capital of Spain, located on the River Manzanares in the centre of the country.

According to his Journal, Florentine also stayed in Madrid during his extensive travels across Europe:

While in Madrid I took the opportunity to call in an old friend who was able to disclose secrets of the Tower from an old manuscript he had saved from the library before the Inquisition could impose themselves. As I sit here in this salt stinking cabin I cannot help but wonder on what Thomas had said to me so long ago given what the scroll discloses.

Paris[]

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, situated on the river Seine in the north of the country.

Two of the Letters that we find inside the Study, dated 1929 and 1930, were written in Paris. The street name given in the address headers, 17 Rue de la Lenygoigne [sic?], appears to be fictional though. The first of these letters also mentions the Bibliothèque Nationale, the National Library of France, which has been established in Paris in the year 1461.

Persia[]

The Persian Empire is a series of culturally relveant, imperial dynasties that existed in many iterations between 550 BCE to 1979 AD, after which Persia became an Islamic republic.

Some of the objects that we encounter on our travels through the Realms of the Haunting are identified by Rebecca to be of Persian origin, an example being the incense burners in the Mausoleum and in the Crypt which preceeds the Caverns.

Adam: Incense burner.
Rebecca: Persian judging by the design.

According to Rebecca's estimation, the Realm of Arqua also displays some Persian undertones; we could certainly speculate that the design of the main edifice in Arqua was somewhat inspired by the Taj Mahal, the ivory-white marble mausoleum that incorporates elements of Persian and Indian architecture.

Adam: Who do you think that spirit was who procured Eternity?
Rebecca: Well given the Persian undertones of Aqua [sic][4] and the fact that he materialized from a fountain there's a good chance he was Tishtrya.
Adam: I've heard of him. Yes. The Iranian god of water.
Rebecca: God of all water. Clouds, lakes and the sea. He was an ally of Ahura Mazdah the Wise Lord in the struggle against the dark forces of evil under Ahriman in mythol... [sic]
Adam: O.K Rebecca, that was all a long time ago...

Plymouth[]

Plymouth is a city in the south-west of England, located on the borders of Cornwall.

During their extensive trek across Europe in the 15th century, both for recruiting new Temple members and locating an otherworldly device to halt the devastating fires that coincided with the ceremonial breaking of the Seals, Florentine and Belial travel to Plymouth in 1420, with the intention of bordering a merchant ship to Israel.

Belial, again saving my life in the fire, has whispered to me of an otherworldly device that may aid the Order, but its location and power is shielded from him. We are therefore currently making the necessary plans to travel to Plymouth and there pay for passage on some merchant ship to Israel. The threat from our old Templar Order there does not bother me so much now that its existence is speculative. If we make Israel in good time I hope for us to meet there with the Minions Gaziel, Fécor and Anarazel and bargain with them for their aid in our search. They are adept in seeking out the impossible and locating what is hidden.

Southampton[]

Southampton is a large seaport town in the county of Hampshire, located in the south of England at the confluence of the River Test and the River Itchen.

The city is referenced in Florentine's Journal, specifically the entry dated November 7th 1490. During their extensive trek across Europe in the 15th century, both for recruiting new Temple members and locating an otherworldly device to halt the devastating fires that coincided with the ceremonial breaking of the Seals, Florentine and Belial boarded the merchant Ship Osprey to sail across the Baltic Sea, returning back to England by docking at Southampton, which lies about 300 kilometres away from their domiciles in Helston.

We are currently sailing off the southern point of Bornholm in the Baltic and if favourable winds prevail we will dock at Southampton on the 14th of this month. Our trek through Europe has not only proven successful in respect to the fires, but also we have been able to recruit to our Order new members, some of them distinguished and rich. They have instructions as to where to meet with us in England in the new year. I look forward to their arrival.

Sumeria[]

The Sumer culture, the first urban civilization in the historical region of Southern Mesopotamia, is referenced in the Tower, in the shape of the Kudurrus which aid us on our hazardous travels as a kind of waystone. According to Rebecca, kudurru in the ancient Sumerian language means "path marker".

Adam: What's this? A Waystone?
Rebecca: I think they're called Kudurru's [sic]. It's a Sumerian name meaning path marker.
Adam: So these markings are a kind of map then... I see.

Vitry-le-François[]

Vitry-le-François is a commune in the North-East of France, located on the Marne River, which was built in 1545 as a replacement for the destroyed Vitry-en-Perthois, at the behest of a certain King Francis I, whose role in the creation process would hereby be reflected in the naming of the new city.

This place is mentioned - though in a slightly misspelled version of the name, Vitre-le Francoise - in one of the News Cuttings that we find on the notice board in the cell where Adam is held prisoner by Belial. The article speaks about the mysterious vanishing of three French surgeons from their respective hospital practices in Lyon, Vitry-le-François and Bonn.

Washington[]

Washington D.C. ist the capital of the United States, located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast, while the eponymous federal state is situated on the Northern part of the U.S. West Coast.

One of the address headers of the Letters we find inside the Mansion's Study, dated August 4th 1930, reads:

The Rillington
Washington DC
Washington

Wiltshire[]

Wiltshire is a county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

In Realms of the Haunting, after having entered the Mansion, we find a blue Scrapbook Scrapbook which contains a newspaper cutting dealing with the recent appearance of crop circles in Helston. According to the article, a team of self-proclaimed experts from Wiltshire has been contacted by the local people to investigate the baffling phenomenon.

York[]

York is a historic walled city in England, located at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss, and the traditional county town of Yorkshire to which it gives its name.

One of Florentine's entries in his Journal was written in his Yorkish Library, which he apparently sustained back in 1330.

References[]

  1. 2011 population for Helston, last accessed on 6 February 2015.
  2. This supposed spelling error in the subtitles actually sparks a bit of interest, considering aqua is the Latin word for "water" (and Tishtrya is the Zoroastrian deity representating all forms of water).
  3. PC Format #65, page 10
  4. This supposed spelling error in the subtitles actually sparks a bit of interest, considering aqua is the Latin word for "water" (and Tishtrya is the Zoroastrian deity representating all forms of water).