THE OUTSIDER AND WATER: DEPTHS OF SYMBOLIC CONNECTION
From The Game Series Dishonored Lore
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I. WATER AS COSMIC MEDIUM: VOID CONNECTION
[From environmental design & symbolism]: The Void's Appearance: Throughout the series, the Void is consistently depicted with water as a primary element:
- Endless oceans below floating fragments of reality
- Water suspended in impossible configurations
- Dripping, flowing, and pooling throughout Void spaces
- Oceanic imagery pervading Void landscapes
Transitional Symbolism: Water serves as:
- A symbolic boundary between physical world and Void
- The medium that exists in both realms
- A visual indicator of Void influence
- A constant motif in Void manifestations
[From cutscene visualization & transitions]: When characters visit the Void:
- Water often ripples or distorts as the transition begins
- Liquid-like visual effects surround the shift
- Sound design includes submerged, muffled audio qualities
- The sensation is frequently compared to "sinking" or "drowning"
II. WHALES: THE OUTSIDER'S OCEANIC VESSELS
[From lore documents & Heart revelations]: Whale-Void Connection: Leviathans (whales) have an explicit cosmic position:
- "The whales sing in the deep, and the Void listens."
- "These great creatures exist partly in our world and partly in another."
- "They know the secret ways between worlds, carried in their songs."
- "Their eyes see what we cannot - glimpses of the Void."
The Outsider's Relationship:
- The whale bone runes bear his Mark
- Whale oil serves as vessel for Void energy
- Whales appear in the Void, suspended and singing
- Their bones are used for all his artifacts
[From Death of the Outsider revelations]: The ritual binding The Outsider to the Void involved:
- A chamber filled with "water from the depths"
- Whalebone tools and implements
- Chants described as "resonating like whale song"
- Suggesting deep connection between his binding and oceanic forces
III. DUNWALL: CITY ON THE PRECIPICE
[From environmental storytelling & world design]: Coastal Significance: Dunwall's identity as a port city:
- Built at the meeting point of river and ocean
- Economy dependent on sea trade and whaling
- Architecture extending into water on stilts
- Population living in constant negotiation with water
The Outsider's Commentary: He frequently references Dunwall's relationship with water:
- "This city was built on the bones of the great sea creatures."
- "The ocean gives and the ocean takes. Dunwall has forgotten this balance."
- "The tides will eventually reclaim what was built here."
[From Flooded District design elements]: The Flooded District symbolizes:
- Water reclaiming the city
- Breakdown of human control over nature
- Physical manifestation of society's collapse
- A space where water has erased boundaries, similar to the Void
IV. BAPTISMAL SYMBOLISM: TRANSFORMATION THROUGH WATER
[From narrative patterns & character arcs]: Water as Transformative Medium: Key character moments often involve water:
- Corvo's escape through sewers marks his transformation from protector to avenger
- Emily's journey begins with her fleeing Dunwall by boat
- Daud's base in the Flooded District represents his liminal moral state
- The Outsider himself was transformed in a ritual involving water
Symbolic Rebirth: Water frequently appears during:
- Escapes and narrative turning points
- Moments of identity change
- Transitions between social positions
- Character evolution and development
[From visual storytelling elements]: Many pivotal scenes involve:
- Characters emerging from water (visual baptism)
- Waterborne journeys between mission areas
- Water as division between different moral spaces
- Cleansing or purifying symbolism
V. THE KALDWINS: RULERS OF THE TIDE
[From imperial symbolism & heraldry]: Royal Iconography: The Kaldwin dynasty uses:
- Wave and water imagery in their coat of arms
- Naval themes in imperial decoration
- Water motifs throughout Dunwall Tower
- Maritime symbolism in ceremonial artifacts
The Outsider's Interest: He seems particularly drawn to the Kaldwins:
- Marks both Corvo (the Empress's protector/lover)
- Marks Emily (the Empress herself)
- Comments on their "connection to the tides of history"
- Notes the irony of the water-themed dynasty being threatened from the sea (plague from across the ocean)
[From Emily's powers in Dishonored 2]: Her unique Far Reach ability resembles:
- A fluid, tentacle-like extension
- Water-like physical properties
- More organic, flowing movement than Corvo's Blink
- This water-like ability may reflect her Kaldwin heritage
VI. THE RITUAL: WATER IN THE OUTSIDER'S CREATION
[From Death of the Outsider lore]: The Transformation Ritual: The sacrifice that created The Outsider involved:
- A ritual site described as "surrounded by the deep"
- The child's blood flowing into collected seawater
- Chants that "moved like tides"
- A chamber at the "convergence of ocean currents"
Symbolic Drowning: His transformation is described in water imagery:
- "His mortal essence dissolved like salt in water."
- "The Void flowed into him like the ocean fills a sinking ship."
- "He drowned in the cosmic emptiness, and what emerged was no longer human."
[From ritual artifacts & visual design]: The Twin-bladed Knife used in his sacrifice:
- Has wave-like patterns on the blades
- Was allegedly "quenched in deep ocean waters"
- Displays fluid-like properties when used
- Creates ripple-like effects in reality
VII. KARNACA'S DUST DISTRICT: THE ABSENCE OF WATER
[From Dishonored 2 environments]: Thematic Opposition: The Dust District represents:
- Absence of water/moisture
- Cracked, dry landscapes
- Wind replacing water as primary elemental force
- Symbolic distance from The Outsider's influence
The Outsider's Commentary: His remarks emphasize:
- "Where water once brought life, now only dust remains."
- "The mines stripped away more than silver. They took the moisture from the earth itself."
- Suggests both literal water and Void influence have diminished
[From environmental contrasts]: Areas with strong Outsider presence tend to be:
- Damp, flooded, or near water
- Marked by liquid-like Void leakage
- Associated with mist, fog, or precipitation
- The dry areas feel distinctly disconnected from him
VIII. DELILAH'S RITUAL: CO-OPTING WATER SYMBOLISM
[From Dishonored 2's antagonist arc]: Nature Powers: Delilah's abilities:
- Draw from plant life rather than water
- Represent growth and earth rather than ocean and depth
- Create vines and thorns instead of water-like effects
- Suggest a deliberate counterpoint to water symbolism
The Outsider's Reaction: Expresses surprise at:
- "Delilah has found a way to draw from the Void that even I didn't anticipate."
- "She pulls from the Void in ways unlike the others."
- Implies her non-water based approach is unusual or unexpected
[From Stilton Mansion ritual scene]: The ritual to make Delilah immortal:
- Deliberately avoids traditional water symbols
- Uses tree/root imagery instead of oceanic
- May represent an attempt to bypass The Outsider's water-based connection to the Void
- Creates a "drought" in the natural Void-world relationship
IX. BILLIE LURK: THE FRACTURED MARINER
[From Death of the Outsider protagonist]: Meagan Foster Identity: Billie's cover as:
- A ship captain
- Living on water
- Navigating between worlds
- Using water as both home and escape
Symbolic Position: Billie represents:
- Someone who has lived between worlds
- A navigator of boundaries
- A person "adrift" between identities
- Connection to water through her ship the Dreadful Wale
- "Your ship bears a name that speaks to contradictions, like the sea itself."
- These statements emphasize her connection to water as a medium between states
X. GAMEPLAY MECHANICS: WATER'S FUNCTIONAL ROLE
[From game systems & player interaction]: Water as Boundary: Throughout gameplay, water serves as:
- Lethal boundary for non-swimming characters
- Safe escape route for players
- Hiding place for bodies in stealth play
- Alternative navigation path in certain areas
Water Powers: Several Void-granted abilities involve water or liquid-like properties:
- Possession flows like water between hosts
- Far Reach has fluid movement properties
- Shadow Walk has liquid-like visual effects
- Bend Time affects water in distinctive ways
[From environmental interaction systems]: Water interacts uniquely with:
- Electrical devices (conducting power)
- Blood (dispersing evidence)
- Fire (extinguishing threats)
- These interactions create gameplay systems that reinforce water's thematic importance
XI. THE ABYSS: WHAT LIES BENEATH
[From mythological references & cosmic implications]: Deep Ocean Mystery: Throughout the series, references to:
- "What swims in the deep"
- "The leviathan beneath"
- "Secrets known only to drowning sailors"
- "The abyss that gazes back"
Spirit of the Deep: References to a possible entity:
- Older than The Outsider
- Rising from "the crushing black where no light reaches"
- Connected to oldest whale songs
- Potentially the source of Void energy
[From cult documents & esoteric texts]: Cultist writings mention:
- "The Outsider is but the youngest god of the deep"
- "Before him, others emerged from the lightless water"
- "What rises from water may return to it"
- Suggesting a cycle of water-connected entities of which The Outsider is just one
XII. THE EYE OF THE DEEP: BILLIE'S ARTIFACT
[From Death of the Outsider items]: Void-Water Connection: The artifact known as "The Eye":
- Described as recovered from "the deepest ocean trench"
- Has characteristics of both whale eye and Void fragment
- Contains water that "is not water"
- Allows seeing beyond dimensions
Symbolic Meaning: Represents:
- The literal "gaze" of the ocean depths
- Connection between seeing and water
- The penetrating nature of liquid boundaries
- The oceanic as a medium of revelation
[From visual design & gameplay effects]: The Eye's visual appearance:
- Resembles both human eye and tiny oceanic abyss
- Contains swirling water-like void energy
- Creates ripple effects when used
- Suggests perception itself is fluid and water-like
The profound connection between The Outsider and water permeates the Dishonored universe at every level – symbolic, narrative, environmental, and mechanical. Water serves as the primary metaphor for The Outsider's existence and influence: fluid, penetrating, transformative, and existing between states.
This connection extends beyond mere thematic association. The Outsider appears to be fundamentally linked to water as a cosmic medium – explaining his connection to whales (creatures of the deep), his interest in coastal cities like Dunwall, and the consistent water imagery in Void spaces. The ritual that created him explicitly involved oceanic elements, suggesting his very essence is intertwined with water's symbolic properties.
Importantly, the water motif allows the games to explore threshold states, transformations, and liminality. Just as water exists between solid and gas, The Outsider exists between human and divine, between the world and the Void. Characters undergoing significant transformations often do so through water imagery – Corvo's fall into the sewers, Emily's escape by boat, Billie's life at sea.
Even the gameplay mechanics reinforce this connection, with water serving as both boundary and opportunity, danger and salvation. Many Void powers display fluid, water-like visual effects, suggesting the fundamental nature of Void energy resembles water in its ability to flow, adapt, and penetrate barriers.
The Outsider is, in essence, a deity of the depths – not just the cosmic depths of the Void, but the oceanic depths that have always represented mystery, danger, and the unknown in human consciousness. His connection to water reveals his true cosmic function: to represent the fluid boundary between known and unknown, between order and chaos, between human understanding and cosmic mystery.
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