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Atelier Seraphine
Resident Evil boss Design study
7th Jan 2026
Harsha Namjoshi​
Paracosmos
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Table of Contents:
Level design —--------------------------------------------- 3​
Boss design —-------------------------------------------- 21​
Narrative Design ------------------------------------------ 29
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Level Design Doc:
Environment Overview:
From a level design perspective, the entrance to Atelier Seraphine is built to immediately communicate
the mansion’s tone of elegance corrupted by obsession. The space relies on strong axial symmetry to
guide the player’s gaze directly toward the mansion’s centerpiece, the grand staircase and sculpture while
layering in unsettling visual storytelling through material choice and lighting.
The arrival zone begins in a wide foyer, anchored by a central fountain. The layout intentionally funnels
the player’s movement forward, but their attention is momentarily held by the fountain’s disturbing
details: carved statues pouring a thick red fluid from ornate jars. It’s an immediate tonal anchor, a
familiar decorative object reimagined as something grotesque. The red tones are reinforced throughout the
space with the color palette of maroon, black, and dark gold, creating a rich but oppressive
atmosphere.
The Living Hall:
Beyond the fountain, the player transitions into the grand living hall, the first major open space in the
level. The environment design here contrasts scale and intimacy: large vaulted ceilings and arched
windows paired with tightly spaced props like carpets, couches, and lampstands. Each lamp carries a
grotesque shade fashioned from stretched human skin, subtly moving or twitching when approached to
reinforce Seraphine’s obsession with repurposing life into art. The lighting design favors low, warm
sources against cold ambient light, letting red fabrics and dark metals dominate the player’s visual
focus.
At the far end of the hall, the player’s eyes are drawn to the central visual composition, a massive
sculpture of fabric stretched in every direction, embedded with the suggestion of screaming faces. This
functions as a visual narrative node and spatial divider, separating the hall from the grand staircase
behind it. The sculpture also serves as a psychological landmark, grounding the player’s orientation while
representing Seraphine’s philosophical beauty formed through distortion.
The grand staircase itself is designed to split the level’s flow into two wings, giving players a sense of
choice and spatial complexity. The symmetry of the staircases implies order, but subtle inconsistencies in
proportions and placement create subconscious dissonance reinforcing the mansion’s feeling of structure
twisted by madness. The layout establishes the mansion’s design language: elegant geometry, corrupted
detail, and storytelling through environmental contrast.
The Twin Wings:
From a spatial design standpoint, the mansion’s bifurcation into two wings mirrors Seraphine’s fractured
psyche order and chaos, vanity and horror. Both wings maintain a consistent three-story vertical
hierarchy, encouraging layered exploration and vertical storytelling, but their visual and emotional tones
diverge completely.
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Client Wing (Visual Right):
The right wing functions as a grotesque parody of hospitality, the space where Seraphine “hosts” her
clients. Its structure is meant to feel public yet deeply claustrophobic. Three stacked floors form open
corridors overlooking a central atrium, letting players see and hear the suffering that echoes between
levels. The design intention is to build tension through auditory layering: screams, muffled sobbing, and
the whispering pleas of those who have broken under the strain of waiting.
Each floor contains rows of lavish rooms that once resembled guest suites but are now makeshift holding
chambers. The furniture remains ornate; velvet upholstery, chandeliers, polished marble but is juxtaposed
with surgical instruments, chains, and sewing equipment left carelessly about. NPC behavior here
reinforces Seraphine’s dominance:
●​ Some captives scream as they thrash against their restraints, creating sharp, unpredictable audio
cues.
●​ Others have gone completely mad, begging the player or unseen attendants to let them be “next.”
●​ A few sit silent and motionless, framed by their own despair, establishing tonal pacing between
loud and quiet moments.
Visually, the color palette leans toward deep maroons and sickly golds, with flickering candelabras
casting shifting shadows across faces and fabrics. The player’s traversal here emphasizes exposure and
vulnerability, wide corridors, multiple vantage points, and minimal cover evoking the sense of being
watched at all times.
Seraphine’s Wing (Visual Left):
The left wing, Seraphine’s private domain, embodies her true madness. Where the client wing is
organized horror, this side feels like a descent into obsession. The architectural logic breaks down
corridors twist, stairways loop, and doors lead back into altered versions of previously visited rooms.
Each of the three floors features alcoves and storage recesses displaying Seraphine’s “materials”:
●​ Glass jars lined neatly on shelves, each holding preserved eyeballs, strands of hair, or fingers
labeled in calligraphic script.
●​ Large canvas frames stretched with drying human skin, tagged with sewing marks and
sketches.
●​ Display cages containing her “masterpieces” disfigured victims posed like mannequins, wrapped
in silks and gold thread.
The walls here are rough stone, left unfinished, but gothic details pointed arches, carved pillars, iron
sconces peek through beneath layers of grime and wax. The entire wing is suffused with warm
candlelight, but unlike the gold-lit polish of the client halls, here it feels feverish and claustrophobic.
Candles appear in clusters, hundreds of them spilling wax down the stone in chaotic rivers, creating both
ambient light and subtle environmental storytelling. Their smoke stains the ceiling, and their constant drip
provides a faint audio texture beneath the level’s soundscape.
Each floor is arranged around a central gothic elevator shaft, an iron structure that feels more like a cage
than a lift. The walkways curve around it, allowing vertical glimpses of the lower floors and the faint
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flicker of candles from below. The space layout encourages both vertical traversal and voyeurism,
making players feel constantly watched by the environment itself.
The side alcoves along each corridor serve as showcases of Seraphine’s process:
●​ Rows of jars containing preserved eyes, hair, and muscle fibers, labeled like an apothecary.
●​ Canvas frames where human skin dries, stretched taut like fine linen.
●​ Cages displaying finished “creations,” their bodies frozen mid-pose under heavy cloth the
boundary between fashion and flesh completely dissolved.
●​ Mannequins displaying her work and some of them are actually living people, distorted beyond
repair or recognition.
The soundscape is muffled but organic thread spooling, metal scraping, the faint hum of distant
machinery. The overall experience of this wing is ritualistic rather than chaotic, suggesting a space of
twisted devotion rather than insanity.
Basement Workshop/ Seraphines Atelier:
From a level design standpoint, the basement workshop serves as both the spatial and thematic
culmination of Atelier Seraphine. The layout, lighting, and composition are all built to communicate a
single idea, creation as horror. Unlike the chaos of the upper floors, this area embodies methodical
precision. Every asset placement, sound cue, and line of sight reinforces the sense that this is not a place
of madness, but of ritualized obsession.
The workshop is centered around a large seamstress’s table, deceptively ordinary at first glance spools
of thread, scissors, fabric rolls, and pins scattered across its surface. But closer inspection reveals the
truth: the fabrics are flesh-toned, the thread still glistening red, and the mannequins surrounding it are
breathing. The table serves as the core landmark of the space, the “eye” of the design, around which the
rest of the environment spirals.
Encircling the table is a labyrinth of shelving units, forming a circular maze-like structure that defines
the player’s navigation flow. The shelves vary in height and curvature, some low enough to see over,
others stretching nearly to the ceiling creating alternating layers of visibility and concealment. Their
arrangement is intentionally non-Euclidean in feel: the aisles curve subtly in ways that make players lose
orientation, creating a sense of spatial looping.
From a level design standpoint, this environment encourages tight, claustrophobic traversal. The
shelves act as both navigational obstacles and stealth cover, creating opportunities for line-of-sight
gameplay or ambush sequences. The curvature of the maze allows designers to control pacing and reveal
narrow turns lead into open circular hubs, each containing a different set piece (a display rack, a bound
mannequin, or a workbench).
The circular structure ensures constant reorientation pressure players always feel close to the center but
never fully certain of how to reach it. This “visual proximity vs. spatial confusion” effect ties directly into
Seraphine’s thematic core: beauty and perfection hiding disorientation and horror.
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Functionally, the maze structure enables exploration and encounter layering. Players can:
●​ Move stealthily between aisles, overhearing Seraphine’s humming or the rustle of movement.
●​ Experience spatial misdirection through sound hearing her close by, but always one curve away.
●​ Transition naturally into the central boss arena by emerging from the maze’s inner ring directly
beside the seamstress’s table.
To visually represent the above described levels, I have created 4 unique top down sketches that fully
describe and present the levels in a more tangible way:
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Puzzle 01: Escape room
Ethan wakes in a locked “client holding room” on the 3rd floor, surrounded by remnants of previous victims. The
room has:
●​ A wardrobe with torn fabric and dangling threads
●​ Broken furniture
●​ Notes, carvings, blood smears
●​ A boarded window
●​ A locked rusted door
●​ A cracked vanity mirror
Solution
Escape the locked room using environmental scavenging + a simple manipulative interaction.
Steps:
1. Inspect the wardrobe.
●​ Inside is a spool of sinew-thread used to stitch human skin.
●​ When examined, Ethan comments:​
“This isn't a thread… Jesus.”
2. Find a bent sewing needle
●​ Picked from the cracks of the wooden floor
●​ Functions as a makeshift lockpick
3. Locate a reflective shard
●​ From the cracked vanity mirror
●​ Used not as a tool, but as a peek-under-the-door mechanic (RE7 style)
●​ The player sees a helper patrolling lazily outside → establishes danger.
4. Solve a mini-lockpicking sequence
●​ Using the needle + sinew-thread
●​ Similar to RE7 clock puzzles: rotation + tension gauge
●​ If player fails, it creates noise → helper reacts → tension spike.
5. Unlock the door
●​ Door opens silently if done cleanly
●​ Loudly if forced → helper becomes alerted, begins searching
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Puzzle 02: Access the Atrium
Ethan must navigate the three floors of the Guest Wing while staying hidden from the Keeper and eliminating
workers who can alert it. The Keeper travels slowly but covers large distances; its sewn-shut eye creates a blind spot
that Ethan must exploit.
The objective is to weaken the Keeper using the environment and blind-side attacks until the Client Seal can be torn
from its neck. This is the only way to open the Atrium door.
Solution
1. Learn Keeper Behavior
●​ Observe its three-floor patrol route, guided by tensioned crimson threads.
●​ Identify its blind side (sewn-shut eye).
●​ Recognize that front-facing encounters result in immediate high-damage charges.
2. Manage Workers (Alert Triggers)
●​ Perform silent takedowns on nearby workers.
●​ Avoid letting any worker see Ethan; they scream and instantly summon the Keeper.
●​ Use room corners, curtains, and closets to stay out of sight.
3. Hide and Reposition
●​ Use guest rooms, linen closets, side chambers to hide until the Keeper passes.
●​ Cross floors quickly using side staircases and balcony loops.
●​ Never attempt to outrun the Keeper in straight hallways; always reposition via rooms.
4. Weaken the Keeper (Puzzle-Combat Layer)
Ethan cannot kill the Keeper normally. He must use the environment:
●​ Shoot thread anchor points as the Keeper walks past → threads snap → large stagger window.
●​ Lure the Keeper under hanging fabric rolls → shoot the hook → roll drops → breaks shoulder stitches.
●​ Create sound distractions (door slams, knocked shelves, thrown debris) to rotate the Keeper and expose
its blind side.
●​ Shoot exposed back stitches ONLY from the blind side; frontal shots have no effect.
Repeated successful blind-side hits gradually destabilize the Keeper, loosening its stitched armor and central chest
binding.
5. Execution Window
When sufficiently weakened, the Keeper, Ethan must:
●​ Approach from the blind side
●​ Interact to tear the Client Seal free
●​ Avoid one final arm swing during the interaction
●​ Pull the Seal loose, triggering a collapse animation
●​ The Keeper falls through a railing to the Atrium floor below and dies
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6. Unlock the Atrium
●​ Ethan uses the Client Seal on the Atrium lock, allowing access to the next major space.
Puzzle 03: Open Fireplace Hatch
Ethan enters the manor kitchens and finds a metal hatch burning inside the fireplace. The fire is being fed
by a broken, jury-rigged pipe system beneath the L-shaped counter. The pipes are damaged, disconnected,
and leaking pressurized steam and oil.
The counter forms an L shape, with the fireplace sitting at the end of it. Ethan realizes he can reroute the
working pipe pieces along the counter surface to feed a coolant line directly into the flame chamber,
temporarily killing the fire long enough to open the hatch.
Solution
1. Inspect the Fireplace
●​ The hatch sits behind blazing flames.
●​ Ethan notices a disconnected coolant inlet pipe beneath the counter.​
He deduces he can rebuild the pipe route to channel coolant into the fire chamber.
2. Collect Pipe Segments
Search the kitchen for usable pipe pieces:
●​ Behind the ovens
●​ Under the L-shaped counter
●​ Inside a toppled storage crate
●​ Near the broken sink
Ethan gathers 4–6 total segments (straight, elbow, T-joint depending on your design).
3. Place Pipes on the Counter
●​ Ethan brings each collected pipe to the L-shaped counter.
●​ Interact to drop them onto the work surface.
●​ Once all pieces are collected, a prompt appears to “Configure Pipes.”
4. Pipe Assembly Minigame (Top-Down View)
When Ethan interacts:
●​ Camera switches to a top-down view of the counter.
●​ The fireplace coolant inlet is marked at the far end.
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●​ The broken coolant source pipe starts at the other side of the L.
●​ Ethan must rotate and place pipe pieces to create a continuous route to the fireplace.
Rules:
●​ Only correctly aligned pipes will snap together.
●​ Wrong alignments leak steam and won’t allow activation.
●​ The system visually “pressurizes” once the path is complete.
5. Activate Coolant Flow
●​ Ethan pulls the valve or wheel beneath the counter.
●​ Coolant flows through the newly assembled pipe route.
●​ A burst of cold steam shoots into the fireplace, extinguishing the flames instantly.
6. Open the Hatch
●​ With the flames gone, the metal hatch cools.
●​ Ethan opens it and proceeds into the passage below.
Puzzle 04: Eyeball for Sanguine Requiem
After escaping the Skinning Pits, Ethan discovers the Sanguine Requiem statue in the courtyard. The
marble figure depicts a bound, kneeling “client,” head bowed, arms locked in an unnatural pose as if
presenting itself. One eye socket is empty—torn out violently rather than sculpted smooth.
The statue is a “client mannequin,” posed the way Seraphine positions her subjects before altering them.
Ethan must unknowingly replicate Seraphine’s ritual prep pose to activate the mechanism.
This puzzle forces Ethan to momentarily stand in Seraphine’s role—an unsettling narrative beat.
Solution
1. Inspect the Statue
●​ Ethan notices:
○​ The missing eye
○​ Strange segmentation lines along the neck, shoulders, and upper back
○​ A bowed, submissive posture
●​ He realizes the statue can be manipulated.
2. Insert the Eyeball
●​ Ethan places the severed eyeball into the empty socket.
●​ This activates the internal locking joints with a faint click.
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●​ The statue becomes poseable, like a mannequin used in tailoring.
3. Adjust the Pose (Seraphine’s Ritual Position)
then must now pose the statue into the correct “client posture.” This involves three simple, atmospheric
steps:
A. Lift the Chin
●​ Ethan grips the statue’s jaw.
●​ Raises the head to face directly forward.
●​ This matches how Seraphine “assesses” clients before alteration.
B. Rotate the Shoulders Back
●​ Ethan rotates the statue’s shoulders outward and slightly back.
●​ This opens the rib line—very similar to what he saw in the Skinning Pit racks.
C. Straighten the Spine
●​ Push the statue’s bent torso upright.
●​ A soft mechanical hum begins inside the marble.
When posed correctly, the statue resembles the restrained victims Ethan saw earlier—he has
unknowingly recreated Seraphine’s setup stance.
4. Activate the Mechanism
●​ Once the statue holds the correct posture, its internal gears engage fully.
●​ The statue’s chest panel releases with a soft clang.
●​ A hidden compartment opens.​
5. Retrieve the Item
Inside the compartment is:
●​ The Skin Mask needed to access the Mistress’s Wing
●​ A scrap of parchment containing a chilling line such as:​
“Perfection begins with alignment.”
Ethan takes the mask and recoils as the statue settles back into a submissive slump.
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Puzzle 05: The Skinned Mask Puzzle
Ethan reaches the solemn, grotesque door that guards the entrance to the Mistress’s Wing. The stone face
embedded in the door has thread hooks along the cheeks, jaw, and temples, each connected to crimson
tension threads leading into the locking mechanism.
The Skin Mask Ethan recovered must be fitted onto this face, but the threads are delicate. Too loose, and
the mechanism will not engage. Too tight, and the thread snaps violently, forcing Ethan to restart.
The puzzle is about precision, recreating Seraphine’s “perfect fit” ritual.
Solution
1. Inspect the Mask Gate
Ethan notices:
●​ Three sets of tension threads
●​ Tiny brass dials controlling thread tension
●​ Hooks where the mask should attach
●​ A faint pulsing behind the stone face, as if the mechanism breathes
He realizes he must fasten and balance the threads to “dress” the mask onto the marble head.
2. Place the Skin Mask
●​ Ethan slowly presses the mask onto the stone face.
●​ It sags and droops grotesquely.
●​ The threads go slack, waiting for tension.
A prompt appears:​
“Adjust Thread Tension”
This begins the puzzle.
3. Thread Tension Sequence:
A small UI meter appears beside each thread group, but subtle, diegetic, RE-style.​
Each group has a “Safe Zone” — too far left or right snaps the thread.
The groups:
A. Cheek Threads
●​ Ethan rotates a small brass dial.
●​ The tension meter rises slowly.
●​ He must stop in the narrow safe zone before the red zone.
●​ Too loose → mask droops → mechanism rejects.
●​ Too tight → SNAP → threads break → restart.
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As tension sets correctly, the mask pulls taut across the cheekbones. Ethan mutters under his breath,
disturbed.
B. Jawline Threads
●​ The jaw threads must be tightened in alternating sequence:​
Left → Right → Left
●​ Each dial affects the other’s tension slightly.
●​ Maintaining balance is required.
●​ A snapping sound warns when Ethan is too tense.
When done correctly, the jaw clamps shut with a horrible wet click.
Ethan flinches:​
“God… this is sick.”
C. Temple Spools
●​ These are rotating spools.
●​ Turning them tightens the threads rapidly.
●​ Ethan must tighten then loosen slightly, avoiding the critical snap point.
●​ The safe zone here is even smaller.
●​ A soft heartbeat-like thrum signals correct tension.
If tension is perfect:
●​ The mask settles against the skull.
●​ The eyes align.
●​ The door breathes deeply, as though satisfied.
If tension is wrong:
●​ Thread snaps → mask falls → puzzle restarts.
4. Door Activation
When all three thread groups are tensioned correctly:
●​ All threads pull simultaneously, stretching the mask perfectly.
●​ The marble eyes glow faintly red.
●​ Internal gears grind to life.
●​ The door unlocks with a slow, dreadful groan.
●​ A recorded whisper plays:​
“Precision is devotion.”​
Ethan recoils, horrified that he had to do this.
5. Enter the Mistress’s Wing
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Ethan steps through, shaken.
A quiet line underscores his state, something like:​
“…This is wrong. All of this is wrong.”
GAME FLOW
The Above puzzles create the entirety of the main story progression within Seraphine’s domain. The
puzzles have been specifically styled to match the eeriness of Resident Evil franchise and each aims for a
different psychological effect on ethan.
To explain the flow of the game in a more systematic way, below is a flow chart style diagram followed
by a detailed beat chart that maps all parts of the major player progression during this level.
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BEAT CHART:
Beat
No.
Category Beat/ Event Name Description Player
Goal
Outcome /
Unlock
Psychological /
Emotional
Impact
1 Cinematic Cutscene 01 Arrival
at the Manor
Ethan arrives,
meets a faceless
helper, explores
the foyer &
Living Hall,
encounters
Seraphine at the
staircase. She
subdues him via
servants.
Survive
intro
encounter.
Ethan is
dragged to
the Client
Wing.
Slow
atmospheric
build; faceless
helper provokes
uncanny fear;
mansion
aesthetics draw
players in.
2 Puzzle Puzzle 01 Escape
Room
Ethan awakens
imprisoned in the
Guest Tower.
Must craft a
lockpick using
rope + metal.
Beat the
Lockpick Tactile
puzzle to open
the door
Escape
confinement
The player
enters the
Guest Wing
floor loop.
Low agency
moment after
abduction;
crafting a pick
gives the player
their first “I can
fight back”
feeling.
3 Puzzle /
Stealth
Puzzle 02 Access the
Atrium
Navigate 3 floors
of Guest Wing
while avoiding
hostile helpers
and the Keeper.
Must defeat the
Keeper to obtain
the key.
each the
Atrium
door.
The atrium
becomes
accessible.
Stealth against
helpers;
multi-floor
visibility
increases
paranoia while
giving
empowerment
when defeating
Keeper for key.
4 Puzzle Puzzle 03 Fireplace
Hatch
In the kitchens,
Ethan finds a
burning metal
hatch. Must find
Broken pipes and
correctly arrange
them to redirect
water instead of
fuel
Open the
hidden
hatch.
Unlocks
access to the
Skinning Pits.
Grotesque
kitchen, rotting
remains; relief
and
accomplishment
after solving the
environmental
puzzle.
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5 Cinematic Cutscene 02 The
Skinning Pits
Ethan witnesses
the skinning
machine
sequence. A
victim dies
horribly as Ethan
fails to stop the
mechanism. He
acquires the
eyeball.
Survive the
scene &
obtain the
item.
Eye item
dropped →
required for
next puzzle.
Extreme
emotional spike;
Ethan fails to
save the victim,
reinforcing
helplessness and
Seraphine’s
cruelty.
6 Puzzle Puzzle 04 Eye for
Sanguine Requiem
Ethan inserts the
eyeball into the
statue fountain.
Mechanism
Loosens the
statue into a
poseable
mannequin. Pose
the mannequin in
the required pose
to attain the
skinned mask
Solve
fountain
mechanism.
Unlocks
compartment
containing
the mask
piece.
Handling the
eyeball is
unsettling; puzzle
resolution by the
subdued pose of
the mannequin
places Ethan in
the sickening
shoes of
Seraphine,
chilling and
gruesome.
7 Puzzle Puzzle 05 Mask
Door to Mistress
Wing
Ethan retrieves
the mask from
the fountain
compartment.
Places it into the
door socket of
Seraphine’s
wing. He must
then solve the
spool tension
puzzle to thread
the mask into the
door.
Enter
Seraphine’s
private
domain.
Access to
Mistress
Wing +
basement
path.
Using a skinned
mask reinforces
Seraphine’s
theme, placing
players in her
shoes for a sick
moment.
Opening the
forbidden wing
with a delicate
sewing puzzle
allows the
players to
experience the
unsettling
delicate nature of
Seraphine’s craft
8 Exploration /
Tension
Build
Descent Through
Mistress Wing
Ethan explores
Seraphine’s
private spaces —
jars of preserved
parts, skin
frames,
mannequins.
Gradually
Progress
through
wing +
descend to
workshop.
Reaches
Atelier
staircase.
Jars of limbs,
skin frames,
mannequins;
heavy wax and
claustrophobic
candle clusters
increase
atmospheric
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descends toward
Atelier.
dread.
9 Cinematic Cutscene 03 Atelier
Introduction
Ethan descends
spiral staircase
into candlelit
workshop.
Seraphine threads
needle, speaks,
animates
mannequins, and
summons them
toward Ethan.
Prepare for
boss
sequence.
Combat
begins in
maze.
Seraphine’s calm
confidence and
puppets
awakening shift
the mood from
dread to
imminent danger.
10 Boss Phase Boss Phase 1 The
Hunt Begins
Ethan must evade
Seraphine’s
“projects” in the
labyrinth.
Shelves shift
subtly, candles
flicker when
she’s near,
threads act as
sensors.
Evade,
survive,
navigate
maze.
Reach the
maze center /
key object.
Maze shifting,
sensing threads,
flickering
candles;
emphasis on
being prey
creates high
heart-rate
moments.
11 Boss Phase Boss Phase 2
Predator Revealed
Seraphine enters
maze directly;
uses sensing
threads and
candle-light
tracking. Player
must break LOS,
mislead her using
sound/light.
Escape
pursuit and
reach
central
table.
Re-enter
confrontation
space.
Direct pursuit
creates
adrenaline spike;
player solves
spatial puzzles
under threat.
12 Cinematic Cutscene 04 Final
Confrontation at
Table
Seraphine turns
fully toward
Ethan, taunts
him, threads
burst out, puppets
awaken. Lighting
dims. Transition
to direct combat.
Get ready
for boss
combat.
Phase 3
combat
begins.
Player mentally
switches from
running to
preparing to
fight; cinematic
framing
reinforces stakes.
13 Boss Combat Phase 3A Controlled
Duel (1000 → 700
HP)
Introduction to
Thread Whip,
Binding Stitch,
Grapple
reposition, candle
safe zones.
Damage
boss while
reading
telegraphs.
Bring her to
70% HP.
Clear telegraphs
and safe zones
give the player
tactical control,
building
empowerment.
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14 Boss Combat Phase 3B Chaos
Phase (700 → 200
HP)
Arena
destabilizes;
manic grapples,
Thread Net,
Needle Storm,
Marionette
Summons, wax
& debris hazards.
Manage
chaos, avoid
hazards,
maintain
DPS.
Reduce boss
HP below
200.
Arena
destabilizes;
attacks overlap;
the player feels
pushed to limits
but still capable.
15 Boss Combat Desperation Phase
(200 → 0 HP)
All attacks
amped +25%
speed, +10%
damage; Violent
Sling, Wax
Flood, heavy
debris drops.
Survive
lethal
patterns &
finish fight.
Boss
defeated.
Fast attacks,
stacking hazards,
chaotic
movement;
emotional peak
of the fight. “Just
survive.”
16 Boss Death Final Defeat / Boss
Death
Seraphine
collapses, threads
retract, whispers
final lines.
Candle ignites
over flask.
Retrieve the
flask.
Player gains
Rose’s flask.
Emotional dip
after intense
high; final candle
ignition provides
a lingering
melancholy tone.
GREY BOXING
The Visuals described and recorded so far do give us a plane based understanding of the level. However,
to explore the mood and space in person, I have built a blockout of these levels using Unity Probuilder.
Allowing me to set the spatial volume and experiment with the level.
The screen shot below is of the Crimson Parlour / the main hall, built in Unity Probuilder.
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BOSS DESIGN DOCUMENT AHEAD
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Boss Design Document:
Phase 1 — The Hunt Begins
1) Trigger​
The player enters Seraphine’s maze arena for the first time.
2) Player Goal​
Survive through evasion and awareness. The player is not meant to fight, only to escape, observe
patterns, and stay unseen.
3) Visual Language​
Shelves subtly shift behind the player periodically. Some shelves can be shifted through available gears,
some move on their own; creating a sense of a living space. Candles flicker when Seraphine is nearby,
while loose threads hang and brush the floor, silently marking danger zones. The maze appears elegant
but unstable, constantly reshaping itself.
4) Design Purpose​
Establish disorientation and vulnerability. The player is positioned as prey inside a controlled
environment, where navigation relies on stealth, spatial awareness, and intuition rather than combat.
Phase 2 — The Predator Revealed
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1) Trigger​
After the player survives while looking for the flask.Only now, seraphine has herself entered the maze to
stop our search.
2) Player Goal​
Avoid direct confrontation while manipulating the environment to mislead and escape Seraphine’s
pursuit.
3) Visual Language​
Thread-light beams slice through the aisles, revealing Seraphine’s presence before she is fully seen. She
carries a single candle, creating a moving halo of light that exposes her position while heightening
tension. Threads begin connecting shelves, visually tightening the maze and reducing safe space.
4) Design Purpose​
Escalate fear by shifting from indirect threat to active pursuit. The space becomes increasingly hostile,
reinforcing Seraphine’s control and intelligence while forcing the player to rely on deception rather than
speed.
Phase 3 — Confrontation at the Table
1) Trigger​
The player is thrown to the central table area by the boss upon being inches from taking the flask.
2) Player Goal​
Exploit Seraphine’s vulnerability states to safely deal damage while managing environmental hazards and
her aggressive attacks.
3) Visual Language​
The maze opens into a circular arena dominated by the worktable. Threads coil tighter, shelves lock into
place, and candlelight concentrates toward the center. Seraphine’s movements become more erratic as her
body and stitching begin to fail.
4) Design Purpose​
Transition from survival horror into controlled confrontation. This phase rewards observation and timing,
transforming the environment from a trap into a weapon against its creator.
Below are detailed tables that describe and outline Seraphine;s states and what each state entails:
Phase 3A: Attack and Movement Table (HP 1000 - 700):
Sr No. Move Type Name Description Telegraph Damage Notes on Enemy
Behaviour
1 Primary Thread Long-range Wrist flick 15 HP (150 No HP cost; fast
23
melee Whip lash that can
pull the
player
forward off
balance
+ white
glint on
thread
dmg) cooldown
2 Crowd
Control
Binding
Stitch
Launches
spread of
threads
creating
sticky floor
zones
Threads
embed +
slight
vibration
5 HP/sec
while inside
Persists unless in
candle radius
3 Mobility Thread
Grapple
Hooks
pillars,
anchors,
furniture;
instant
reposition
Red line arc
(1–2 sec
linger)
10 HP on
collision
Reposition every 6–8
sec
4 Area Denial Thread Bind
Zone
Localized
immobilizat
ion trap
Ground
glows pale
red
10 HP if
caught
Minor variant of
Binding Stitch
5 Soft Utility Lullaby
Audio Cue
Humming
changes
based on
move
Different
melody
prefix
-NA- Audio telegraph only
Phase 3B: Attack and Movement Table (HP 700- 200):
Sr No. Move Type Name Description Telegraph Damage Notes on Enemy
Behaviour
1 Movement Erratic
Sling
Movement
Slingshots
unpredictabl
y between
anchors
Harsh snap
+ red blur
trail
12 HP if
collision
Higher speed than
Phase 3A
2 Trap Thread Net Expanding
radial snare
that tightens
Spiral
threads
growing
outward
10 HP +
immobilize
Forces player to
reposition
3 Summon Marionette
Summon
Revives
mannequins
as
short-lived
Thread-puls
e through
bodies
8 HP per
puppet hit
Destroy puppet = 20
dmg to Seraphine
24
attackers
4 Area Denial Needle
Storm
Needle
volley that
creates
thread
anchor
pulses
Metallic
whistle →
pulse →
snap
6 HP each
needle; 12
HP anchor
detonation
Creates temporary
hazard zones
5 Environmen
tal Hazard
Wax Splash Hot wax
falls from
ceiling after
attacks
Ceiling
tremor +
drip sound
7 HP Triggered by her
movement chains
6 Environmen
tal Hazard
Falling
Debris
Collapsing
shelves/boar
ds from
destabilized
room
Wood creak
→ crash
10 HP Randomized positions
per attack chain
Phase Desperation: Attack and Movement Table (HP 200 - 0):
Sr No. Move Type Name Description Telegraph Damage Notes on Enemy
Behaviour
1 Attack
Modifier
Frenzied
State
All previous
attacks
+25% faster
Pulsing red
seams
across her
body; silk
threads
twitch
violently;
faint
screech.
+10%
damage to
every move
Higher speed than Phase
3A
2 Movement Violent
Sling
Faster, more
unstable
grapples
Web line
tension
spikes +
shrill snap a
moment
before she
slingshots.
15 HP on
collision
Forces player to
reposition
3 Environmen
tal Hazard
Wax Flood Wax drips
more
frequently
Ceiling
bulbs swell
+ glow
orange
before
bursting
9 HP per
splash
Triggered by her
movement chains
25
wax down.
4 Environmen
tal Hazard
Falling
Debris
Webbing
shakes
loose,
causing
large debris
chunks to
slam down.
Wider
radius than
Phase 3B.
Long
creaking
noises +
strands
vibrating
intensely
before
impact.
12 HP Randomized positions
per attack chain
Boss Incapacitation Conditions:​
For the player to also have relief and ease while combatting this boss, below is a concise table that marks
the incapacitation conditions, states and timings within each of the three phases of the boss.
Sr.
No.
Phase Trigger
Condition
Player Action Boss state Incapacitation
window
1 Phase 1 Player breaks
thread anchor
Shoot hanging thread
nodes in arena
Brief stagger, posture slumps 3 seconds
2 Phase 1 Failed lunge
attack
Player dodges at last
moment
Overextends, claws embedded
in floor
3 seconds
3 Phase 1 Fire exposure Lure Seraphine near
candles
Recoils, hissing, shielding face 2 seconds
4 Phase 2 Maze collapse
event
Player triggers shelf
rotation
Brief stagger, posture slumps 5 seconds
5 Phase 2 Puppet
destruction
Destroy all mannequins in
section
Brief stagger, posture slumps 4 seconds
6 Phase 2 Heavy attack
cooldown
Player survives flaying
grab
Momentary paralysis 3 seconds
7 Phase 3 Mask
destabilization
Shoot exposed mask
stitches
Recoils, hissing, shielding face 4 seconds
26
8 Phase 3 Second face
overload
Repeated damage to left
side
Full incapacitation, screaming 10 seconds
9 Phase 3 Arena collapse Player completes final
objective
Collapses to ground end
Difficulty Curve:
Sr
No.
Phase Difficulty Profile Player Skill Test Curve Behaviour
1. 3A Medium:
●​ Attacks are readable,
spacing-based, and largely
avoidable.​
●​ Candle zones offer consistent
safety and clear counterplay.​
●​ Player is learning: thread
telegraphs, whip timing, slow
zones.​
●​ Enemy mobility is predictable
(clean grapples).
●​ Mid-range dodging​
●​ Light crowd-control
avoidance​
●​ Reading long telegraphs​
●​ Recognizing safe zones
Starts fair and
readable → ramps
as more hazards
accumulate.
2. 3B High:
●​ Arena becomes unstable;
collapsing geometry removes
safe zones.​
●​ Grapples become faster, less
predictable; more environmental
hazards.​
●​ Marionettes add distraction
●​ Reaction speed​
●​ Multi-threat awareness​
●​ Spatial repositioning​
●​ Movement precision
under pressure
Sharp spike; the
fight
becomes chaotic
and punishes
camping or
repetition.
27
pressure during repositioning.​
●​ Multiple overlapping attack
types (nets + needles + debris).
3. Desperati
on
Burst Lethality:
●​ All attacks amplified; cooldowns
reduced.​
●​ Wax + debris create stacking
attrition damage.​
●​ Collision punishes become
extremely lethal.​
●​ Telegraphs are faster and more
aggressive-looking.
●​ Invulnerability timing​
●​ Tight movement
discipline​
●​ Arena awareness​
●​ Adaptation under frantic
pacing
Highest spike in
the fight. Stress
test of all learned
mechanics.
The Graph below is a depiction for the difficulty curve for the above detailed boss fight sequence:
28
NARRATIVE DESIGN DOCUMENT
AHEAD
29
Narrative/ Character Design Document:
Character Overview:
Lady Seraphine was once a renowned tailor from the old capital, known for her exquisite craftsmanship
and the ethereal quality of her fabrics. When the Mutamycete found her, it granted her a twisted gift: a
second, half-formed face grafted to her own, and a body warped by organic seams and sinew-like threads.
Rather than despair, Seraphine became obsessed with perfection. She saw her deformity as an unfinished
work one she could fix with the right materials.
Her obsession grew darker: she began stealing from people she found beautiful, their skin, their eyes, their
hair using needle and thread to stitch them into herself. Over time, she fused cloth and flesh, creating a
grotesque form of beauty. She stitched a mask into her face after peeling away one side, hiding the seam
between humanity and monstrosity.
Her skill made her invaluable to Mother Miranda, becoming her prized artisan. Within her atelier, she
performs horrific “makeovers” for guests using needle, staple, and sinew to reshape them into her vision
of beauty. These poor souls, unable to move or speak, become her mannequins and slaves half-living
sculptures that serve her in silence.
Motivations: Seraphine’s motivations can be simply listed as follows:
1)​ An obsession with physical perfection.
2)​ The need for mother Miranda’s approval
3)​ The belief that she will bring humanity’s ugliness to salvation with her craft.
4)​ The hidden insecurity about her grotesque appearance.
Role:
1)​ The fifth lord of the village.
2)​ The personal stylist for mother Miranda.
3)​ She holds the final flask of rose.
4)​ Thematic fill in respect to the other lords.
Character Sketch:
Lady Seraphine Corvenne
●​ Role: Level antagonist
●​ Age: physically appears late 30s–40s, biologically extended through experimentation.
●​ Build & Presence: Tall, slender, commanding; movements are deliberate and ceremonial rather
than aggressive.
●​ Height: ~6’1” (186 cm)
●​ Role in Narrative: Primary aesthetic antagonist; a creator who treats flesh as material and
suffering as process.
30
●​ Core Motivation: Absolute control over form, beauty, and legacy, perfection through
reconstruction.
●​ Personality Traits: Refined, articulate, patronizing; cruelty expressed through calm certainty, not
rage.
●​ Psychological State: Deeply delusional; perceives herself as benevolent despite systemic
brutality.
●​ Philosophy: Imperfection is an error to be corrected. Consent is irrelevant when “improvement”
is possible.​
​
​
Once a master couturière, Seraphine Corvenne views beauty as something constructed, not inherited. Her
Mutamycete mutation manifested as duplication, fusing a second face to her own and driving an
obsession with correcting imperfection through craft. Calm, precise, and ritualistic, Seraphine believes
suffering is necessary refinement. Her estate functions as an extension of her philosophy — a curated
space designed to control, observe, and remake those within it
Ethan Winters
●​ Role: Player Character
●​ Age: 38
●​ Build & Presence: Average height and build; visibly worn, often injured, reinforcing his
everyman identity.
●​ Height: 5’11” (180 cm)
●​ Role in Narrative: Reluctant survivor and emotional anchor; a civilian forced to endure
escalating horror for family.
●​ Core Motivation: Absolute devotion to Rose; every action is driven by recovery, not conquest.
●​ Personality Traits: Persistent, grounded, emotionally restrained; compassion survives despite
repeated trauma.
●​ Psychological State: Constantly under strain, fear, confusion, and exhaustion coexist with
resolve.
●​ Moral Alignment: Humanistic and protective; resists dehumanization in a world built to strip it
away.​
Ethan Winters is defined by persistence rather than power. Driven by love and loss, he pushes forward
through fear, injury, and horror with stubborn determination. Grounded and reactive, Ethan contrasts
Seraphine’s control with raw humanity — enduring pain rather than mastering it. His presence reframes
the estate not as a workshop, but as a place to escape.
Major Cutscene Scripts
Below is a narrative sequence of the level as players progress through it. The cutscenes are broken by
active objectives or progression through puzzle sequences and more.
31
Cut-Scene: Intro
The cold winds bite at Ethan’s injured body as he stumbles his way to the next lord’s estate. He
finds himself outside a gothic mansion, looming tall and eerie like death itself. He knocks at the
front door, hoping to confront the next lord as soon as she opens the door, leap at her, question her
for the flask…but the moment never comes. Instead a helper kindly opens the door. He walks in,
turning to thank her.
“Thank you..I was expecting-”
Ethan goes still, horror and disgust bleeding into his expression…she doesn't have a face, just
plain skin stitched over her skull with a torn gash where lips should be. A sound croaks out, dry
and painful, something akin to a welcome. Before Ethan can even process or react to this creature,
it stumbles away into the dark corners of the entrance hall, dusting away at a while moaning in
pain and discomfort. Before Ethan can react, the creature shuffles away into the dark corners of
the entrance hall, moaning as she dusts. The sight is not the welcome he expected. In fact, it may
be worse.
He continues walking gingerly into the manor, a beautiful marbled statue greets him. ‘Sanguine
Repose’ , a gold plated calligraphy reads. A man and woman holding an antique jar of wine,
while crimson waters flow from the jar, pooling around their ankles. As Ethan gets closer, a foul
concentrated scent of iron overwhelms his senses. “God…this place is nuts..”. It was obvious that
this bright crimson and slightly viscous liquid was in fact blood. What an inhumane display of
power.
The way cuts into two, carpeted and dimly lit by stacks of candles. Looking at the pooling wax
underneath, it was obvious only candles were lighting up the horrors of this manor. Ethan walks,
holding his breath for the horrors that wait ahead. The two paths converge beyond the fountain,
revealing a tall gothic hall. Skull chandeliers, the severed arms held up and displayed like art, the
heavy musk of wilting black roses, dust and the faint smell of iron. The hall being so vast felt
claustrophobic; damp, dark, alive. Shadows flicker across the gothic wallpaper, moving like
breath. Across the hall atop the grand staircase a cloaked stern figure stands, smoke pooling
around her, red and black velvets combined with sickly golds…The Fifth Lord.
“I..have been expecting you, Ethan Winters”
32
The air chills. Even the low burning fireplace can't seem to bring warmth and safety to him. The
lady begins descending the grand staircase, her long gown dragging behind her. The hall that was
previously alive with a few helpers cleaning and stoking the fireplace, now has gone quiet. Her
presence chasing them away like the cold winds outside.
“I am Seraphine Corvenne, The Lady of House Corvenne. Otherwise known as..”
Calcified in place Ethan cant bring himself to speak or move, and now, she has descended to the
bottom of the stairs. Right across from him. Her face was disfigured by what he guessed was the
Mutamycete, giving her a second face attached to her left. Both faces half hidden under a
porcelain mask that had been stitched into the skin underneath with ribbons and staples. The
throat and neck had holes, gaping with each breath. Her eyes, sunken into the sockets but shining
like a predator’s. He could see places on her neck and chest where it was certain the skin wasn't
her own; Torn from its ‘original’ wearer and stitched onto herself. A monstrosity more grotesque
than even Moreau. Sin draped in velvet, gold, and aristocratic arrogance.
“The Seamstress”. Her voice echoes through the parlour, full of power and cold certainty, sending
her servants skittering away.
Seraphine seems entirely unbothered by Ethan’s presence. She glides to a velvet sofa and reclines
with graceful confidence. “Please, no need for such fear, have a seat Ethan” she offers kindly. Too
kindly.
Ethan refuses to sit, standing across her by the vase of wilting roses. “I’m here for my daughter.
Give me the flask”. But Seraphine seems to pay no attention to him, living in her own head as she
examines Ethan with a clinical fascination.
“You could use some stitching on that infected arm’ she motions to his right arm that was starting
to grow purple. “I have the perfect skin graft match for you. If you don't like stitches, we can do
staples dear”. The nonchalance in such a gruesome offer has Ethan baffled. “Its a pity being
this…ugly, it's obvious why you came to me. You really do need a makeover; desperately so-”.
“Stop this madness. I am here for my daughter, Rose. Give me the ritual flask” Ethan raises his
voice just a pitch higher. “I have no time for your games”.
The room quiets. He could hear the ragged breathing of the second face as Seraphine looked at
him. The face contorting its mouth, only able to form moans and pitiful sounds, Seraphine laughs.
A sound rich in power, grace and malice. “You are so misguided. Blinded by your ugliness. But
don't worry, I haven't taken offence; yet. You will wait in the Waiting for the Unsightly. And I will
call for you when it is your turn to be saved from your appearance. When I am done, you will be
liberated from this imperfection you were born as, reborn a perfect man. Someone worthy of
answers from me. Until then…dont you dare speak unless spoken to”.
Seraphine stands, loud groaning and whispers can be heard coming from the halls surrounding the
parlour. Servants, all deformed, bent, stitched and draped beyond recognition stumble towards
Ethan, grabbing at his arms, legs and torso. Some of them cover his face with red velvet cloth,
dark hot and panic inducing as he slowly loses his breath.
The last thing Ethan recalls is being dragged up the stairs, in the opposite direction to the doors
behind which the Seamstress disappears, before his panic and consciousness, both fall silent.
33
Cut- scene Ends
Quest 1 : Escape the room
●​ Ethan wakes locked in a holding room filled with remnants of previous victims
●​ Scavenge sinew-thread (wardrobe), a bent needle (floor), and a mirror shard (vanity)
●​ Use mirror shard to peek under the door and spot a patrolling helper
●​ Perform a tension-based lockpicking mini-game using needle + thread
●​ Clean unlock = silent escape; failure or force = noise and helper alert
​
Quest 2: Open the atrium
●​ Stealth through the three-floor Guest Wing while avoiding the Keeper
●​ Learn Keeper patrols, blind side (sewn-shut eye), and lethal frontal charges
●​ Silently eliminate workers who can summon the Keeper if alerted
●​ Weaken the Keeper using environmental traps and blind-side attacks
●​ Tear off the Client Seal to unlock the Atrium and progress
Quest 3: Fix the pipes
●​ Ethan enters the kitchen and finds a metal hatch blocked by active flames in the fireplace
●​ Discovers a broken coolant pipe system beneath the L-shaped counter feeding the fire
●​ Collects scattered pipe segments around the kitchen and places them on the counter
●​ Solves a top-down pipe-assembly minigame to reroute coolant into the fireplace
●​ Activates coolant flow, extinguishes the fire, opens the hatch, and descends below.
Cut-scene Two
The air hangs heavy…thick, wet, and suffocating, like the walls themselves are sweating. Ethan steps
deeper into the Skinning Pits, boots sinking slightly into the cold, soaked stone. The chamber hums with a
low mechanical groan, steady and slow, like a creature breathing in its sleep. The stench of rot and iron
burns at the back of his throat. Surrounded by the Mistress’s victims. Some hung from the ceiling on
hooks, others skinned alive, their last scream etched into their face. Shelves filled with rolls of
different…skins
His flashlight flickers across rusted metal frames and leather straps, all splattered with old, dried, dark
maroon. Hooks sway gently overhead, clinking against chains with a rhythm too calm for a place like this.
Ethan forces himself forward, every nerve screaming.
Something moves.
A trembling breath cracks the silence. Ethan freezes, light darting toward the sound. There—strapped to a
towering contraption of gears and belts—someone twitches weakly. Skin pale, stretched tight, glossy with
sweat. Their wrists bound, ankles shackled, torso locked in place by cold metal. Pale, covered in old
blood, barely intact but alive.
34
Ethan steps closer, the dread swelling in his chest. “Hey—hey, hold on. I’ll get you out of this.”​
The man’s head rolls toward him, one eye swollen shut, the other wide with terror. A wet rasp escapes his
throat, something between a plea and a warning. The man's breaths picked up their panic and relief.
He reaches for the release mechanism—two levers, one rusted stiff, the other hanging slightly loose.
Ethan grabs the loose one, pulling.
A sharp click echoes.
The entire machine shudders. And the hope in the man’s eyes disappears.
“No—no, wait—” Ethan tries to push the lever back, but the gears around the victim lock into place with
a heavy clank, seals hissing as though the device has just awakened. Belts tighten. Hooks retract. Metal
braces snap closed around trembling limbs.
The victim thrashes, a strangled cry ripping from deep inside them.
“Stop—stop, damn it, STOP!” Ethan yanks at the controls, slamming his fists into them, but the machine
ignores him, continuing its grim routine with mechanical certainty.
A row of blades unfolds from the sides, thin and curved, glinting in the dim light like surgical smiles.
Ethan’s breath catches. “God—please—no—”
The blades descend.
A horrible tearing sound fills the chamber—wet, slow, methodical. The victim’s scream warps into a
gurgled choke as the skin peels away in sheets, guided along the metal arms and winding into a spool with
nauseating precision. Blood sprays across Ethan’s jacket, hot and metallic.
Something small hits the stone floor with a soft, sickening plop. Ethan looks down.
An eyeball.
Still connected to a dangling thread of nerves. It rolls slightly toward him before settling in a small puddle
of diluted blood. The pit has gone quiet again. And once again, Ethan couldn't help. Once again he was
helpless. How will he ever save Rose…
Ethan staggers back, horrified, shaking, bile rising in his throat. The machine finishes its task with a final
grind, leaving behind only a slumped, skinned form—shivering faintly, somehow still alive for a few
agonizing moments.
He can’t breathe.​
He can’t think.​
He can only stare, frozen, as the last breath rattles out of the victim’s raw, exposed chest.
35
Cut-scene Ends
Quest 4: Using the eyeball
●​ Ethan finds the Sanguine Requiem statue: a bound client mannequin with a violently missing eye
●​ Inserting the severed eyeball activates internal joints, making the statue poseable
●​ Ethan unknowingly reenacts Seraphine’s ritual by lifting the chin, rotating shoulders back, and
straightening the spine
●​ Correct posture triggers hidden internal mechanisms within the statue
●​ A compartment opens, revealing the Skin Mask and a chilling ritual note
Quest 5: Open the Mistress wing
●​ Ethan encounters the Mistress’s Wing door: a stone face bound with tension threads and hooks
●​ Places the Skin Mask onto the face, triggering a precision-based thread tension puzzle
●​ Adjusts three thread groups (cheeks, jaw, temples), each with narrow safe zones
●​ Incorrect tension snaps threads and forces a restart; perfect balance “fits” the mask
●​ Door activates, whispers Seraphine’s creed, and opens into the Mistress’s Wing
Cut-scene Three
Immediate confrontation. No slow buildup — the player is thrust straight into her domain, with minimal
breathing room before tension escalates. The focus is on spatial disorientation, psychological pressure,
and environmental storytelling through motion and sound.
The player descends a narrow spiral staircase, the air thick with heat and the scent of melted wax. The
further down Ethan goes, the stronger the warm amber glow of candlelight becomes — thousands of
them, clustered in organic formations along the walls.
As he reaches the bottom, the environment opens into a massive circular chamber, the workshop its
centerpiece a long seamstress table cluttered with silk, needles, and spools of red thread. The rest of the
space fans outward into curved rows of towering shelves, forming a labyrinth that spirals subtly inward,
like the inside of a shell.
At the far end, Lady Seraphine stands by her table, back turned. Her movements are graceful and
deliberate; she threads a needle through what looks like skin.
When Ethan steps forward, she speaks softly without turning.
“So eager for your fitting, are we?”
36
When she turns to face him, we see the uncanny perfection of her stitched-together beauty symmetrical,
but wrong. She smiles.
“Don’t worry. You’ll look divine when I’m done with you.”
Ethan demands the flask. Her gaze drifts lazily toward the shelves.
“Oh… that little trinket? Somewhere here, I think. But you’ll have to let me finish my work first.”
With a flick of her wrist, thread-like tendrils burst from her sleeves, latching onto shapes within the
shelves of her “projects.” A handful of half-finished mannequins twitch to life, snapping their heads
toward Ethan as their joints crackle and twist.
Cinematic Transition: She steps back into shadow as her puppets advance. The lighting dims to just the
candle clusters, casting moving silhouettes across the shelves.​
​
Cut-scene Ends
Timeline and Placement
This timeline model visualizes the narrative progression of Resident Evil Village, mapping Ethan Winters’
journey through the village and its ruling lords. Each character is positioned to reflect their thematic and
37
gameplay role within the broader structure, showing how tension, tone, and mechanical complexity
evolve as the story advances toward Mother Miranda.
Lady Seraphine Corvenne is intentionally placed directly after Donna Beneviento, extending the
psychological horror phase of the game before rejoining the core storyline. Her arc feeds back into the
main timeline, after which Ethan proceeds to face Moreau, Heisenberg, and ultimately Mother Miranda;
ensuring Seraphine’s inclusion feels canon-consistent while adding a fresh thematic layer without
disrupting the original narrative flow.

Atelier Seraphine: Game Design Document, Resident Evil

  • 1.
    1 Atelier Seraphine Resident Evilboss Design study 7th Jan 2026 Harsha Namjoshi​ Paracosmos
  • 2.
    2 Table of Contents: Leveldesign —--------------------------------------------- 3​ Boss design —-------------------------------------------- 21​ Narrative Design ------------------------------------------ 29
  • 3.
    3 Level Design Doc: EnvironmentOverview: From a level design perspective, the entrance to Atelier Seraphine is built to immediately communicate the mansion’s tone of elegance corrupted by obsession. The space relies on strong axial symmetry to guide the player’s gaze directly toward the mansion’s centerpiece, the grand staircase and sculpture while layering in unsettling visual storytelling through material choice and lighting. The arrival zone begins in a wide foyer, anchored by a central fountain. The layout intentionally funnels the player’s movement forward, but their attention is momentarily held by the fountain’s disturbing details: carved statues pouring a thick red fluid from ornate jars. It’s an immediate tonal anchor, a familiar decorative object reimagined as something grotesque. The red tones are reinforced throughout the space with the color palette of maroon, black, and dark gold, creating a rich but oppressive atmosphere. The Living Hall: Beyond the fountain, the player transitions into the grand living hall, the first major open space in the level. The environment design here contrasts scale and intimacy: large vaulted ceilings and arched windows paired with tightly spaced props like carpets, couches, and lampstands. Each lamp carries a grotesque shade fashioned from stretched human skin, subtly moving or twitching when approached to reinforce Seraphine’s obsession with repurposing life into art. The lighting design favors low, warm sources against cold ambient light, letting red fabrics and dark metals dominate the player’s visual focus. At the far end of the hall, the player’s eyes are drawn to the central visual composition, a massive sculpture of fabric stretched in every direction, embedded with the suggestion of screaming faces. This functions as a visual narrative node and spatial divider, separating the hall from the grand staircase behind it. The sculpture also serves as a psychological landmark, grounding the player’s orientation while representing Seraphine’s philosophical beauty formed through distortion. The grand staircase itself is designed to split the level’s flow into two wings, giving players a sense of choice and spatial complexity. The symmetry of the staircases implies order, but subtle inconsistencies in proportions and placement create subconscious dissonance reinforcing the mansion’s feeling of structure twisted by madness. The layout establishes the mansion’s design language: elegant geometry, corrupted detail, and storytelling through environmental contrast. The Twin Wings: From a spatial design standpoint, the mansion’s bifurcation into two wings mirrors Seraphine’s fractured psyche order and chaos, vanity and horror. Both wings maintain a consistent three-story vertical hierarchy, encouraging layered exploration and vertical storytelling, but their visual and emotional tones diverge completely.
  • 4.
    4 Client Wing (VisualRight): The right wing functions as a grotesque parody of hospitality, the space where Seraphine “hosts” her clients. Its structure is meant to feel public yet deeply claustrophobic. Three stacked floors form open corridors overlooking a central atrium, letting players see and hear the suffering that echoes between levels. The design intention is to build tension through auditory layering: screams, muffled sobbing, and the whispering pleas of those who have broken under the strain of waiting. Each floor contains rows of lavish rooms that once resembled guest suites but are now makeshift holding chambers. The furniture remains ornate; velvet upholstery, chandeliers, polished marble but is juxtaposed with surgical instruments, chains, and sewing equipment left carelessly about. NPC behavior here reinforces Seraphine’s dominance: ●​ Some captives scream as they thrash against their restraints, creating sharp, unpredictable audio cues. ●​ Others have gone completely mad, begging the player or unseen attendants to let them be “next.” ●​ A few sit silent and motionless, framed by their own despair, establishing tonal pacing between loud and quiet moments. Visually, the color palette leans toward deep maroons and sickly golds, with flickering candelabras casting shifting shadows across faces and fabrics. The player’s traversal here emphasizes exposure and vulnerability, wide corridors, multiple vantage points, and minimal cover evoking the sense of being watched at all times. Seraphine’s Wing (Visual Left): The left wing, Seraphine’s private domain, embodies her true madness. Where the client wing is organized horror, this side feels like a descent into obsession. The architectural logic breaks down corridors twist, stairways loop, and doors lead back into altered versions of previously visited rooms. Each of the three floors features alcoves and storage recesses displaying Seraphine’s “materials”: ●​ Glass jars lined neatly on shelves, each holding preserved eyeballs, strands of hair, or fingers labeled in calligraphic script. ●​ Large canvas frames stretched with drying human skin, tagged with sewing marks and sketches. ●​ Display cages containing her “masterpieces” disfigured victims posed like mannequins, wrapped in silks and gold thread. The walls here are rough stone, left unfinished, but gothic details pointed arches, carved pillars, iron sconces peek through beneath layers of grime and wax. The entire wing is suffused with warm candlelight, but unlike the gold-lit polish of the client halls, here it feels feverish and claustrophobic. Candles appear in clusters, hundreds of them spilling wax down the stone in chaotic rivers, creating both ambient light and subtle environmental storytelling. Their smoke stains the ceiling, and their constant drip provides a faint audio texture beneath the level’s soundscape. Each floor is arranged around a central gothic elevator shaft, an iron structure that feels more like a cage than a lift. The walkways curve around it, allowing vertical glimpses of the lower floors and the faint
  • 5.
    5 flicker of candlesfrom below. The space layout encourages both vertical traversal and voyeurism, making players feel constantly watched by the environment itself. The side alcoves along each corridor serve as showcases of Seraphine’s process: ●​ Rows of jars containing preserved eyes, hair, and muscle fibers, labeled like an apothecary. ●​ Canvas frames where human skin dries, stretched taut like fine linen. ●​ Cages displaying finished “creations,” their bodies frozen mid-pose under heavy cloth the boundary between fashion and flesh completely dissolved. ●​ Mannequins displaying her work and some of them are actually living people, distorted beyond repair or recognition. The soundscape is muffled but organic thread spooling, metal scraping, the faint hum of distant machinery. The overall experience of this wing is ritualistic rather than chaotic, suggesting a space of twisted devotion rather than insanity. Basement Workshop/ Seraphines Atelier: From a level design standpoint, the basement workshop serves as both the spatial and thematic culmination of Atelier Seraphine. The layout, lighting, and composition are all built to communicate a single idea, creation as horror. Unlike the chaos of the upper floors, this area embodies methodical precision. Every asset placement, sound cue, and line of sight reinforces the sense that this is not a place of madness, but of ritualized obsession. The workshop is centered around a large seamstress’s table, deceptively ordinary at first glance spools of thread, scissors, fabric rolls, and pins scattered across its surface. But closer inspection reveals the truth: the fabrics are flesh-toned, the thread still glistening red, and the mannequins surrounding it are breathing. The table serves as the core landmark of the space, the “eye” of the design, around which the rest of the environment spirals. Encircling the table is a labyrinth of shelving units, forming a circular maze-like structure that defines the player’s navigation flow. The shelves vary in height and curvature, some low enough to see over, others stretching nearly to the ceiling creating alternating layers of visibility and concealment. Their arrangement is intentionally non-Euclidean in feel: the aisles curve subtly in ways that make players lose orientation, creating a sense of spatial looping. From a level design standpoint, this environment encourages tight, claustrophobic traversal. The shelves act as both navigational obstacles and stealth cover, creating opportunities for line-of-sight gameplay or ambush sequences. The curvature of the maze allows designers to control pacing and reveal narrow turns lead into open circular hubs, each containing a different set piece (a display rack, a bound mannequin, or a workbench). The circular structure ensures constant reorientation pressure players always feel close to the center but never fully certain of how to reach it. This “visual proximity vs. spatial confusion” effect ties directly into Seraphine’s thematic core: beauty and perfection hiding disorientation and horror.
  • 6.
    6 Functionally, the mazestructure enables exploration and encounter layering. Players can: ●​ Move stealthily between aisles, overhearing Seraphine’s humming or the rustle of movement. ●​ Experience spatial misdirection through sound hearing her close by, but always one curve away. ●​ Transition naturally into the central boss arena by emerging from the maze’s inner ring directly beside the seamstress’s table. To visually represent the above described levels, I have created 4 unique top down sketches that fully describe and present the levels in a more tangible way:
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  • 8.
    8 Puzzle 01: Escaperoom Ethan wakes in a locked “client holding room” on the 3rd floor, surrounded by remnants of previous victims. The room has: ●​ A wardrobe with torn fabric and dangling threads ●​ Broken furniture ●​ Notes, carvings, blood smears ●​ A boarded window ●​ A locked rusted door ●​ A cracked vanity mirror Solution Escape the locked room using environmental scavenging + a simple manipulative interaction. Steps: 1. Inspect the wardrobe. ●​ Inside is a spool of sinew-thread used to stitch human skin. ●​ When examined, Ethan comments:​ “This isn't a thread… Jesus.” 2. Find a bent sewing needle ●​ Picked from the cracks of the wooden floor ●​ Functions as a makeshift lockpick 3. Locate a reflective shard ●​ From the cracked vanity mirror ●​ Used not as a tool, but as a peek-under-the-door mechanic (RE7 style) ●​ The player sees a helper patrolling lazily outside → establishes danger. 4. Solve a mini-lockpicking sequence ●​ Using the needle + sinew-thread ●​ Similar to RE7 clock puzzles: rotation + tension gauge ●​ If player fails, it creates noise → helper reacts → tension spike. 5. Unlock the door ●​ Door opens silently if done cleanly ●​ Loudly if forced → helper becomes alerted, begins searching
  • 9.
    9 Puzzle 02: Accessthe Atrium Ethan must navigate the three floors of the Guest Wing while staying hidden from the Keeper and eliminating workers who can alert it. The Keeper travels slowly but covers large distances; its sewn-shut eye creates a blind spot that Ethan must exploit. The objective is to weaken the Keeper using the environment and blind-side attacks until the Client Seal can be torn from its neck. This is the only way to open the Atrium door. Solution 1. Learn Keeper Behavior ●​ Observe its three-floor patrol route, guided by tensioned crimson threads. ●​ Identify its blind side (sewn-shut eye). ●​ Recognize that front-facing encounters result in immediate high-damage charges. 2. Manage Workers (Alert Triggers) ●​ Perform silent takedowns on nearby workers. ●​ Avoid letting any worker see Ethan; they scream and instantly summon the Keeper. ●​ Use room corners, curtains, and closets to stay out of sight. 3. Hide and Reposition ●​ Use guest rooms, linen closets, side chambers to hide until the Keeper passes. ●​ Cross floors quickly using side staircases and balcony loops. ●​ Never attempt to outrun the Keeper in straight hallways; always reposition via rooms. 4. Weaken the Keeper (Puzzle-Combat Layer) Ethan cannot kill the Keeper normally. He must use the environment: ●​ Shoot thread anchor points as the Keeper walks past → threads snap → large stagger window. ●​ Lure the Keeper under hanging fabric rolls → shoot the hook → roll drops → breaks shoulder stitches. ●​ Create sound distractions (door slams, knocked shelves, thrown debris) to rotate the Keeper and expose its blind side. ●​ Shoot exposed back stitches ONLY from the blind side; frontal shots have no effect. Repeated successful blind-side hits gradually destabilize the Keeper, loosening its stitched armor and central chest binding. 5. Execution Window When sufficiently weakened, the Keeper, Ethan must: ●​ Approach from the blind side ●​ Interact to tear the Client Seal free ●​ Avoid one final arm swing during the interaction ●​ Pull the Seal loose, triggering a collapse animation ●​ The Keeper falls through a railing to the Atrium floor below and dies
  • 10.
    10 6. Unlock theAtrium ●​ Ethan uses the Client Seal on the Atrium lock, allowing access to the next major space. Puzzle 03: Open Fireplace Hatch Ethan enters the manor kitchens and finds a metal hatch burning inside the fireplace. The fire is being fed by a broken, jury-rigged pipe system beneath the L-shaped counter. The pipes are damaged, disconnected, and leaking pressurized steam and oil. The counter forms an L shape, with the fireplace sitting at the end of it. Ethan realizes he can reroute the working pipe pieces along the counter surface to feed a coolant line directly into the flame chamber, temporarily killing the fire long enough to open the hatch. Solution 1. Inspect the Fireplace ●​ The hatch sits behind blazing flames. ●​ Ethan notices a disconnected coolant inlet pipe beneath the counter.​ He deduces he can rebuild the pipe route to channel coolant into the fire chamber. 2. Collect Pipe Segments Search the kitchen for usable pipe pieces: ●​ Behind the ovens ●​ Under the L-shaped counter ●​ Inside a toppled storage crate ●​ Near the broken sink Ethan gathers 4–6 total segments (straight, elbow, T-joint depending on your design). 3. Place Pipes on the Counter ●​ Ethan brings each collected pipe to the L-shaped counter. ●​ Interact to drop them onto the work surface. ●​ Once all pieces are collected, a prompt appears to “Configure Pipes.” 4. Pipe Assembly Minigame (Top-Down View) When Ethan interacts: ●​ Camera switches to a top-down view of the counter. ●​ The fireplace coolant inlet is marked at the far end.
  • 11.
    11 ●​ The brokencoolant source pipe starts at the other side of the L. ●​ Ethan must rotate and place pipe pieces to create a continuous route to the fireplace. Rules: ●​ Only correctly aligned pipes will snap together. ●​ Wrong alignments leak steam and won’t allow activation. ●​ The system visually “pressurizes” once the path is complete. 5. Activate Coolant Flow ●​ Ethan pulls the valve or wheel beneath the counter. ●​ Coolant flows through the newly assembled pipe route. ●​ A burst of cold steam shoots into the fireplace, extinguishing the flames instantly. 6. Open the Hatch ●​ With the flames gone, the metal hatch cools. ●​ Ethan opens it and proceeds into the passage below. Puzzle 04: Eyeball for Sanguine Requiem After escaping the Skinning Pits, Ethan discovers the Sanguine Requiem statue in the courtyard. The marble figure depicts a bound, kneeling “client,” head bowed, arms locked in an unnatural pose as if presenting itself. One eye socket is empty—torn out violently rather than sculpted smooth. The statue is a “client mannequin,” posed the way Seraphine positions her subjects before altering them. Ethan must unknowingly replicate Seraphine’s ritual prep pose to activate the mechanism. This puzzle forces Ethan to momentarily stand in Seraphine’s role—an unsettling narrative beat. Solution 1. Inspect the Statue ●​ Ethan notices: ○​ The missing eye ○​ Strange segmentation lines along the neck, shoulders, and upper back ○​ A bowed, submissive posture ●​ He realizes the statue can be manipulated. 2. Insert the Eyeball ●​ Ethan places the severed eyeball into the empty socket. ●​ This activates the internal locking joints with a faint click.
  • 12.
    12 ●​ The statuebecomes poseable, like a mannequin used in tailoring. 3. Adjust the Pose (Seraphine’s Ritual Position) then must now pose the statue into the correct “client posture.” This involves three simple, atmospheric steps: A. Lift the Chin ●​ Ethan grips the statue’s jaw. ●​ Raises the head to face directly forward. ●​ This matches how Seraphine “assesses” clients before alteration. B. Rotate the Shoulders Back ●​ Ethan rotates the statue’s shoulders outward and slightly back. ●​ This opens the rib line—very similar to what he saw in the Skinning Pit racks. C. Straighten the Spine ●​ Push the statue’s bent torso upright. ●​ A soft mechanical hum begins inside the marble. When posed correctly, the statue resembles the restrained victims Ethan saw earlier—he has unknowingly recreated Seraphine’s setup stance. 4. Activate the Mechanism ●​ Once the statue holds the correct posture, its internal gears engage fully. ●​ The statue’s chest panel releases with a soft clang. ●​ A hidden compartment opens.​ 5. Retrieve the Item Inside the compartment is: ●​ The Skin Mask needed to access the Mistress’s Wing ●​ A scrap of parchment containing a chilling line such as:​ “Perfection begins with alignment.” Ethan takes the mask and recoils as the statue settles back into a submissive slump.
  • 13.
    13 Puzzle 05: TheSkinned Mask Puzzle Ethan reaches the solemn, grotesque door that guards the entrance to the Mistress’s Wing. The stone face embedded in the door has thread hooks along the cheeks, jaw, and temples, each connected to crimson tension threads leading into the locking mechanism. The Skin Mask Ethan recovered must be fitted onto this face, but the threads are delicate. Too loose, and the mechanism will not engage. Too tight, and the thread snaps violently, forcing Ethan to restart. The puzzle is about precision, recreating Seraphine’s “perfect fit” ritual. Solution 1. Inspect the Mask Gate Ethan notices: ●​ Three sets of tension threads ●​ Tiny brass dials controlling thread tension ●​ Hooks where the mask should attach ●​ A faint pulsing behind the stone face, as if the mechanism breathes He realizes he must fasten and balance the threads to “dress” the mask onto the marble head. 2. Place the Skin Mask ●​ Ethan slowly presses the mask onto the stone face. ●​ It sags and droops grotesquely. ●​ The threads go slack, waiting for tension. A prompt appears:​ “Adjust Thread Tension” This begins the puzzle. 3. Thread Tension Sequence: A small UI meter appears beside each thread group, but subtle, diegetic, RE-style.​ Each group has a “Safe Zone” — too far left or right snaps the thread. The groups: A. Cheek Threads ●​ Ethan rotates a small brass dial. ●​ The tension meter rises slowly. ●​ He must stop in the narrow safe zone before the red zone. ●​ Too loose → mask droops → mechanism rejects. ●​ Too tight → SNAP → threads break → restart.
  • 14.
    14 As tension setscorrectly, the mask pulls taut across the cheekbones. Ethan mutters under his breath, disturbed. B. Jawline Threads ●​ The jaw threads must be tightened in alternating sequence:​ Left → Right → Left ●​ Each dial affects the other’s tension slightly. ●​ Maintaining balance is required. ●​ A snapping sound warns when Ethan is too tense. When done correctly, the jaw clamps shut with a horrible wet click. Ethan flinches:​ “God… this is sick.” C. Temple Spools ●​ These are rotating spools. ●​ Turning them tightens the threads rapidly. ●​ Ethan must tighten then loosen slightly, avoiding the critical snap point. ●​ The safe zone here is even smaller. ●​ A soft heartbeat-like thrum signals correct tension. If tension is perfect: ●​ The mask settles against the skull. ●​ The eyes align. ●​ The door breathes deeply, as though satisfied. If tension is wrong: ●​ Thread snaps → mask falls → puzzle restarts. 4. Door Activation When all three thread groups are tensioned correctly: ●​ All threads pull simultaneously, stretching the mask perfectly. ●​ The marble eyes glow faintly red. ●​ Internal gears grind to life. ●​ The door unlocks with a slow, dreadful groan. ●​ A recorded whisper plays:​ “Precision is devotion.”​ Ethan recoils, horrified that he had to do this. 5. Enter the Mistress’s Wing
  • 15.
    15 Ethan steps through,shaken. A quiet line underscores his state, something like:​ “…This is wrong. All of this is wrong.” GAME FLOW The Above puzzles create the entirety of the main story progression within Seraphine’s domain. The puzzles have been specifically styled to match the eeriness of Resident Evil franchise and each aims for a different psychological effect on ethan. To explain the flow of the game in a more systematic way, below is a flow chart style diagram followed by a detailed beat chart that maps all parts of the major player progression during this level.
  • 16.
    16 BEAT CHART: Beat No. Category Beat/Event Name Description Player Goal Outcome / Unlock Psychological / Emotional Impact 1 Cinematic Cutscene 01 Arrival at the Manor Ethan arrives, meets a faceless helper, explores the foyer & Living Hall, encounters Seraphine at the staircase. She subdues him via servants. Survive intro encounter. Ethan is dragged to the Client Wing. Slow atmospheric build; faceless helper provokes uncanny fear; mansion aesthetics draw players in. 2 Puzzle Puzzle 01 Escape Room Ethan awakens imprisoned in the Guest Tower. Must craft a lockpick using rope + metal. Beat the Lockpick Tactile puzzle to open the door Escape confinement The player enters the Guest Wing floor loop. Low agency moment after abduction; crafting a pick gives the player their first “I can fight back” feeling. 3 Puzzle / Stealth Puzzle 02 Access the Atrium Navigate 3 floors of Guest Wing while avoiding hostile helpers and the Keeper. Must defeat the Keeper to obtain the key. each the Atrium door. The atrium becomes accessible. Stealth against helpers; multi-floor visibility increases paranoia while giving empowerment when defeating Keeper for key. 4 Puzzle Puzzle 03 Fireplace Hatch In the kitchens, Ethan finds a burning metal hatch. Must find Broken pipes and correctly arrange them to redirect water instead of fuel Open the hidden hatch. Unlocks access to the Skinning Pits. Grotesque kitchen, rotting remains; relief and accomplishment after solving the environmental puzzle.
  • 17.
    17 5 Cinematic Cutscene02 The Skinning Pits Ethan witnesses the skinning machine sequence. A victim dies horribly as Ethan fails to stop the mechanism. He acquires the eyeball. Survive the scene & obtain the item. Eye item dropped → required for next puzzle. Extreme emotional spike; Ethan fails to save the victim, reinforcing helplessness and Seraphine’s cruelty. 6 Puzzle Puzzle 04 Eye for Sanguine Requiem Ethan inserts the eyeball into the statue fountain. Mechanism Loosens the statue into a poseable mannequin. Pose the mannequin in the required pose to attain the skinned mask Solve fountain mechanism. Unlocks compartment containing the mask piece. Handling the eyeball is unsettling; puzzle resolution by the subdued pose of the mannequin places Ethan in the sickening shoes of Seraphine, chilling and gruesome. 7 Puzzle Puzzle 05 Mask Door to Mistress Wing Ethan retrieves the mask from the fountain compartment. Places it into the door socket of Seraphine’s wing. He must then solve the spool tension puzzle to thread the mask into the door. Enter Seraphine’s private domain. Access to Mistress Wing + basement path. Using a skinned mask reinforces Seraphine’s theme, placing players in her shoes for a sick moment. Opening the forbidden wing with a delicate sewing puzzle allows the players to experience the unsettling delicate nature of Seraphine’s craft 8 Exploration / Tension Build Descent Through Mistress Wing Ethan explores Seraphine’s private spaces — jars of preserved parts, skin frames, mannequins. Gradually Progress through wing + descend to workshop. Reaches Atelier staircase. Jars of limbs, skin frames, mannequins; heavy wax and claustrophobic candle clusters increase atmospheric
  • 18.
    18 descends toward Atelier. dread. 9 CinematicCutscene 03 Atelier Introduction Ethan descends spiral staircase into candlelit workshop. Seraphine threads needle, speaks, animates mannequins, and summons them toward Ethan. Prepare for boss sequence. Combat begins in maze. Seraphine’s calm confidence and puppets awakening shift the mood from dread to imminent danger. 10 Boss Phase Boss Phase 1 The Hunt Begins Ethan must evade Seraphine’s “projects” in the labyrinth. Shelves shift subtly, candles flicker when she’s near, threads act as sensors. Evade, survive, navigate maze. Reach the maze center / key object. Maze shifting, sensing threads, flickering candles; emphasis on being prey creates high heart-rate moments. 11 Boss Phase Boss Phase 2 Predator Revealed Seraphine enters maze directly; uses sensing threads and candle-light tracking. Player must break LOS, mislead her using sound/light. Escape pursuit and reach central table. Re-enter confrontation space. Direct pursuit creates adrenaline spike; player solves spatial puzzles under threat. 12 Cinematic Cutscene 04 Final Confrontation at Table Seraphine turns fully toward Ethan, taunts him, threads burst out, puppets awaken. Lighting dims. Transition to direct combat. Get ready for boss combat. Phase 3 combat begins. Player mentally switches from running to preparing to fight; cinematic framing reinforces stakes. 13 Boss Combat Phase 3A Controlled Duel (1000 → 700 HP) Introduction to Thread Whip, Binding Stitch, Grapple reposition, candle safe zones. Damage boss while reading telegraphs. Bring her to 70% HP. Clear telegraphs and safe zones give the player tactical control, building empowerment.
  • 19.
    19 14 Boss CombatPhase 3B Chaos Phase (700 → 200 HP) Arena destabilizes; manic grapples, Thread Net, Needle Storm, Marionette Summons, wax & debris hazards. Manage chaos, avoid hazards, maintain DPS. Reduce boss HP below 200. Arena destabilizes; attacks overlap; the player feels pushed to limits but still capable. 15 Boss Combat Desperation Phase (200 → 0 HP) All attacks amped +25% speed, +10% damage; Violent Sling, Wax Flood, heavy debris drops. Survive lethal patterns & finish fight. Boss defeated. Fast attacks, stacking hazards, chaotic movement; emotional peak of the fight. “Just survive.” 16 Boss Death Final Defeat / Boss Death Seraphine collapses, threads retract, whispers final lines. Candle ignites over flask. Retrieve the flask. Player gains Rose’s flask. Emotional dip after intense high; final candle ignition provides a lingering melancholy tone. GREY BOXING The Visuals described and recorded so far do give us a plane based understanding of the level. However, to explore the mood and space in person, I have built a blockout of these levels using Unity Probuilder. Allowing me to set the spatial volume and experiment with the level. The screen shot below is of the Crimson Parlour / the main hall, built in Unity Probuilder.
  • 20.
  • 21.
    21 Boss Design Document: Phase1 — The Hunt Begins 1) Trigger​ The player enters Seraphine’s maze arena for the first time. 2) Player Goal​ Survive through evasion and awareness. The player is not meant to fight, only to escape, observe patterns, and stay unseen. 3) Visual Language​ Shelves subtly shift behind the player periodically. Some shelves can be shifted through available gears, some move on their own; creating a sense of a living space. Candles flicker when Seraphine is nearby, while loose threads hang and brush the floor, silently marking danger zones. The maze appears elegant but unstable, constantly reshaping itself. 4) Design Purpose​ Establish disorientation and vulnerability. The player is positioned as prey inside a controlled environment, where navigation relies on stealth, spatial awareness, and intuition rather than combat. Phase 2 — The Predator Revealed
  • 22.
    22 1) Trigger​ After theplayer survives while looking for the flask.Only now, seraphine has herself entered the maze to stop our search. 2) Player Goal​ Avoid direct confrontation while manipulating the environment to mislead and escape Seraphine’s pursuit. 3) Visual Language​ Thread-light beams slice through the aisles, revealing Seraphine’s presence before she is fully seen. She carries a single candle, creating a moving halo of light that exposes her position while heightening tension. Threads begin connecting shelves, visually tightening the maze and reducing safe space. 4) Design Purpose​ Escalate fear by shifting from indirect threat to active pursuit. The space becomes increasingly hostile, reinforcing Seraphine’s control and intelligence while forcing the player to rely on deception rather than speed. Phase 3 — Confrontation at the Table 1) Trigger​ The player is thrown to the central table area by the boss upon being inches from taking the flask. 2) Player Goal​ Exploit Seraphine’s vulnerability states to safely deal damage while managing environmental hazards and her aggressive attacks. 3) Visual Language​ The maze opens into a circular arena dominated by the worktable. Threads coil tighter, shelves lock into place, and candlelight concentrates toward the center. Seraphine’s movements become more erratic as her body and stitching begin to fail. 4) Design Purpose​ Transition from survival horror into controlled confrontation. This phase rewards observation and timing, transforming the environment from a trap into a weapon against its creator. Below are detailed tables that describe and outline Seraphine;s states and what each state entails: Phase 3A: Attack and Movement Table (HP 1000 - 700): Sr No. Move Type Name Description Telegraph Damage Notes on Enemy Behaviour 1 Primary Thread Long-range Wrist flick 15 HP (150 No HP cost; fast
  • 23.
    23 melee Whip lashthat can pull the player forward off balance + white glint on thread dmg) cooldown 2 Crowd Control Binding Stitch Launches spread of threads creating sticky floor zones Threads embed + slight vibration 5 HP/sec while inside Persists unless in candle radius 3 Mobility Thread Grapple Hooks pillars, anchors, furniture; instant reposition Red line arc (1–2 sec linger) 10 HP on collision Reposition every 6–8 sec 4 Area Denial Thread Bind Zone Localized immobilizat ion trap Ground glows pale red 10 HP if caught Minor variant of Binding Stitch 5 Soft Utility Lullaby Audio Cue Humming changes based on move Different melody prefix -NA- Audio telegraph only Phase 3B: Attack and Movement Table (HP 700- 200): Sr No. Move Type Name Description Telegraph Damage Notes on Enemy Behaviour 1 Movement Erratic Sling Movement Slingshots unpredictabl y between anchors Harsh snap + red blur trail 12 HP if collision Higher speed than Phase 3A 2 Trap Thread Net Expanding radial snare that tightens Spiral threads growing outward 10 HP + immobilize Forces player to reposition 3 Summon Marionette Summon Revives mannequins as short-lived Thread-puls e through bodies 8 HP per puppet hit Destroy puppet = 20 dmg to Seraphine
  • 24.
    24 attackers 4 Area DenialNeedle Storm Needle volley that creates thread anchor pulses Metallic whistle → pulse → snap 6 HP each needle; 12 HP anchor detonation Creates temporary hazard zones 5 Environmen tal Hazard Wax Splash Hot wax falls from ceiling after attacks Ceiling tremor + drip sound 7 HP Triggered by her movement chains 6 Environmen tal Hazard Falling Debris Collapsing shelves/boar ds from destabilized room Wood creak → crash 10 HP Randomized positions per attack chain Phase Desperation: Attack and Movement Table (HP 200 - 0): Sr No. Move Type Name Description Telegraph Damage Notes on Enemy Behaviour 1 Attack Modifier Frenzied State All previous attacks +25% faster Pulsing red seams across her body; silk threads twitch violently; faint screech. +10% damage to every move Higher speed than Phase 3A 2 Movement Violent Sling Faster, more unstable grapples Web line tension spikes + shrill snap a moment before she slingshots. 15 HP on collision Forces player to reposition 3 Environmen tal Hazard Wax Flood Wax drips more frequently Ceiling bulbs swell + glow orange before bursting 9 HP per splash Triggered by her movement chains
  • 25.
    25 wax down. 4 Environmen talHazard Falling Debris Webbing shakes loose, causing large debris chunks to slam down. Wider radius than Phase 3B. Long creaking noises + strands vibrating intensely before impact. 12 HP Randomized positions per attack chain Boss Incapacitation Conditions:​ For the player to also have relief and ease while combatting this boss, below is a concise table that marks the incapacitation conditions, states and timings within each of the three phases of the boss. Sr. No. Phase Trigger Condition Player Action Boss state Incapacitation window 1 Phase 1 Player breaks thread anchor Shoot hanging thread nodes in arena Brief stagger, posture slumps 3 seconds 2 Phase 1 Failed lunge attack Player dodges at last moment Overextends, claws embedded in floor 3 seconds 3 Phase 1 Fire exposure Lure Seraphine near candles Recoils, hissing, shielding face 2 seconds 4 Phase 2 Maze collapse event Player triggers shelf rotation Brief stagger, posture slumps 5 seconds 5 Phase 2 Puppet destruction Destroy all mannequins in section Brief stagger, posture slumps 4 seconds 6 Phase 2 Heavy attack cooldown Player survives flaying grab Momentary paralysis 3 seconds 7 Phase 3 Mask destabilization Shoot exposed mask stitches Recoils, hissing, shielding face 4 seconds
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    26 8 Phase 3Second face overload Repeated damage to left side Full incapacitation, screaming 10 seconds 9 Phase 3 Arena collapse Player completes final objective Collapses to ground end Difficulty Curve: Sr No. Phase Difficulty Profile Player Skill Test Curve Behaviour 1. 3A Medium: ●​ Attacks are readable, spacing-based, and largely avoidable.​ ●​ Candle zones offer consistent safety and clear counterplay.​ ●​ Player is learning: thread telegraphs, whip timing, slow zones.​ ●​ Enemy mobility is predictable (clean grapples). ●​ Mid-range dodging​ ●​ Light crowd-control avoidance​ ●​ Reading long telegraphs​ ●​ Recognizing safe zones Starts fair and readable → ramps as more hazards accumulate. 2. 3B High: ●​ Arena becomes unstable; collapsing geometry removes safe zones.​ ●​ Grapples become faster, less predictable; more environmental hazards.​ ●​ Marionettes add distraction ●​ Reaction speed​ ●​ Multi-threat awareness​ ●​ Spatial repositioning​ ●​ Movement precision under pressure Sharp spike; the fight becomes chaotic and punishes camping or repetition.
  • 27.
    27 pressure during repositioning.​ ●​Multiple overlapping attack types (nets + needles + debris). 3. Desperati on Burst Lethality: ●​ All attacks amplified; cooldowns reduced.​ ●​ Wax + debris create stacking attrition damage.​ ●​ Collision punishes become extremely lethal.​ ●​ Telegraphs are faster and more aggressive-looking. ●​ Invulnerability timing​ ●​ Tight movement discipline​ ●​ Arena awareness​ ●​ Adaptation under frantic pacing Highest spike in the fight. Stress test of all learned mechanics. The Graph below is a depiction for the difficulty curve for the above detailed boss fight sequence:
  • 28.
  • 29.
    29 Narrative/ Character DesignDocument: Character Overview: Lady Seraphine was once a renowned tailor from the old capital, known for her exquisite craftsmanship and the ethereal quality of her fabrics. When the Mutamycete found her, it granted her a twisted gift: a second, half-formed face grafted to her own, and a body warped by organic seams and sinew-like threads. Rather than despair, Seraphine became obsessed with perfection. She saw her deformity as an unfinished work one she could fix with the right materials. Her obsession grew darker: she began stealing from people she found beautiful, their skin, their eyes, their hair using needle and thread to stitch them into herself. Over time, she fused cloth and flesh, creating a grotesque form of beauty. She stitched a mask into her face after peeling away one side, hiding the seam between humanity and monstrosity. Her skill made her invaluable to Mother Miranda, becoming her prized artisan. Within her atelier, she performs horrific “makeovers” for guests using needle, staple, and sinew to reshape them into her vision of beauty. These poor souls, unable to move or speak, become her mannequins and slaves half-living sculptures that serve her in silence. Motivations: Seraphine’s motivations can be simply listed as follows: 1)​ An obsession with physical perfection. 2)​ The need for mother Miranda’s approval 3)​ The belief that she will bring humanity’s ugliness to salvation with her craft. 4)​ The hidden insecurity about her grotesque appearance. Role: 1)​ The fifth lord of the village. 2)​ The personal stylist for mother Miranda. 3)​ She holds the final flask of rose. 4)​ Thematic fill in respect to the other lords. Character Sketch: Lady Seraphine Corvenne ●​ Role: Level antagonist ●​ Age: physically appears late 30s–40s, biologically extended through experimentation. ●​ Build & Presence: Tall, slender, commanding; movements are deliberate and ceremonial rather than aggressive. ●​ Height: ~6’1” (186 cm) ●​ Role in Narrative: Primary aesthetic antagonist; a creator who treats flesh as material and suffering as process.
  • 30.
    30 ●​ Core Motivation:Absolute control over form, beauty, and legacy, perfection through reconstruction. ●​ Personality Traits: Refined, articulate, patronizing; cruelty expressed through calm certainty, not rage. ●​ Psychological State: Deeply delusional; perceives herself as benevolent despite systemic brutality. ●​ Philosophy: Imperfection is an error to be corrected. Consent is irrelevant when “improvement” is possible.​ ​ ​ Once a master couturière, Seraphine Corvenne views beauty as something constructed, not inherited. Her Mutamycete mutation manifested as duplication, fusing a second face to her own and driving an obsession with correcting imperfection through craft. Calm, precise, and ritualistic, Seraphine believes suffering is necessary refinement. Her estate functions as an extension of her philosophy — a curated space designed to control, observe, and remake those within it Ethan Winters ●​ Role: Player Character ●​ Age: 38 ●​ Build & Presence: Average height and build; visibly worn, often injured, reinforcing his everyman identity. ●​ Height: 5’11” (180 cm) ●​ Role in Narrative: Reluctant survivor and emotional anchor; a civilian forced to endure escalating horror for family. ●​ Core Motivation: Absolute devotion to Rose; every action is driven by recovery, not conquest. ●​ Personality Traits: Persistent, grounded, emotionally restrained; compassion survives despite repeated trauma. ●​ Psychological State: Constantly under strain, fear, confusion, and exhaustion coexist with resolve. ●​ Moral Alignment: Humanistic and protective; resists dehumanization in a world built to strip it away.​ Ethan Winters is defined by persistence rather than power. Driven by love and loss, he pushes forward through fear, injury, and horror with stubborn determination. Grounded and reactive, Ethan contrasts Seraphine’s control with raw humanity — enduring pain rather than mastering it. His presence reframes the estate not as a workshop, but as a place to escape. Major Cutscene Scripts Below is a narrative sequence of the level as players progress through it. The cutscenes are broken by active objectives or progression through puzzle sequences and more.
  • 31.
    31 Cut-Scene: Intro The coldwinds bite at Ethan’s injured body as he stumbles his way to the next lord’s estate. He finds himself outside a gothic mansion, looming tall and eerie like death itself. He knocks at the front door, hoping to confront the next lord as soon as she opens the door, leap at her, question her for the flask…but the moment never comes. Instead a helper kindly opens the door. He walks in, turning to thank her. “Thank you..I was expecting-” Ethan goes still, horror and disgust bleeding into his expression…she doesn't have a face, just plain skin stitched over her skull with a torn gash where lips should be. A sound croaks out, dry and painful, something akin to a welcome. Before Ethan can even process or react to this creature, it stumbles away into the dark corners of the entrance hall, dusting away at a while moaning in pain and discomfort. Before Ethan can react, the creature shuffles away into the dark corners of the entrance hall, moaning as she dusts. The sight is not the welcome he expected. In fact, it may be worse. He continues walking gingerly into the manor, a beautiful marbled statue greets him. ‘Sanguine Repose’ , a gold plated calligraphy reads. A man and woman holding an antique jar of wine, while crimson waters flow from the jar, pooling around their ankles. As Ethan gets closer, a foul concentrated scent of iron overwhelms his senses. “God…this place is nuts..”. It was obvious that this bright crimson and slightly viscous liquid was in fact blood. What an inhumane display of power. The way cuts into two, carpeted and dimly lit by stacks of candles. Looking at the pooling wax underneath, it was obvious only candles were lighting up the horrors of this manor. Ethan walks, holding his breath for the horrors that wait ahead. The two paths converge beyond the fountain, revealing a tall gothic hall. Skull chandeliers, the severed arms held up and displayed like art, the heavy musk of wilting black roses, dust and the faint smell of iron. The hall being so vast felt claustrophobic; damp, dark, alive. Shadows flicker across the gothic wallpaper, moving like breath. Across the hall atop the grand staircase a cloaked stern figure stands, smoke pooling around her, red and black velvets combined with sickly golds…The Fifth Lord. “I..have been expecting you, Ethan Winters”
  • 32.
    32 The air chills.Even the low burning fireplace can't seem to bring warmth and safety to him. The lady begins descending the grand staircase, her long gown dragging behind her. The hall that was previously alive with a few helpers cleaning and stoking the fireplace, now has gone quiet. Her presence chasing them away like the cold winds outside. “I am Seraphine Corvenne, The Lady of House Corvenne. Otherwise known as..” Calcified in place Ethan cant bring himself to speak or move, and now, she has descended to the bottom of the stairs. Right across from him. Her face was disfigured by what he guessed was the Mutamycete, giving her a second face attached to her left. Both faces half hidden under a porcelain mask that had been stitched into the skin underneath with ribbons and staples. The throat and neck had holes, gaping with each breath. Her eyes, sunken into the sockets but shining like a predator’s. He could see places on her neck and chest where it was certain the skin wasn't her own; Torn from its ‘original’ wearer and stitched onto herself. A monstrosity more grotesque than even Moreau. Sin draped in velvet, gold, and aristocratic arrogance. “The Seamstress”. Her voice echoes through the parlour, full of power and cold certainty, sending her servants skittering away. Seraphine seems entirely unbothered by Ethan’s presence. She glides to a velvet sofa and reclines with graceful confidence. “Please, no need for such fear, have a seat Ethan” she offers kindly. Too kindly. Ethan refuses to sit, standing across her by the vase of wilting roses. “I’m here for my daughter. Give me the flask”. But Seraphine seems to pay no attention to him, living in her own head as she examines Ethan with a clinical fascination. “You could use some stitching on that infected arm’ she motions to his right arm that was starting to grow purple. “I have the perfect skin graft match for you. If you don't like stitches, we can do staples dear”. The nonchalance in such a gruesome offer has Ethan baffled. “Its a pity being this…ugly, it's obvious why you came to me. You really do need a makeover; desperately so-”. “Stop this madness. I am here for my daughter, Rose. Give me the ritual flask” Ethan raises his voice just a pitch higher. “I have no time for your games”. The room quiets. He could hear the ragged breathing of the second face as Seraphine looked at him. The face contorting its mouth, only able to form moans and pitiful sounds, Seraphine laughs. A sound rich in power, grace and malice. “You are so misguided. Blinded by your ugliness. But don't worry, I haven't taken offence; yet. You will wait in the Waiting for the Unsightly. And I will call for you when it is your turn to be saved from your appearance. When I am done, you will be liberated from this imperfection you were born as, reborn a perfect man. Someone worthy of answers from me. Until then…dont you dare speak unless spoken to”. Seraphine stands, loud groaning and whispers can be heard coming from the halls surrounding the parlour. Servants, all deformed, bent, stitched and draped beyond recognition stumble towards Ethan, grabbing at his arms, legs and torso. Some of them cover his face with red velvet cloth, dark hot and panic inducing as he slowly loses his breath. The last thing Ethan recalls is being dragged up the stairs, in the opposite direction to the doors behind which the Seamstress disappears, before his panic and consciousness, both fall silent.
  • 33.
    33 Cut- scene Ends Quest1 : Escape the room ●​ Ethan wakes locked in a holding room filled with remnants of previous victims ●​ Scavenge sinew-thread (wardrobe), a bent needle (floor), and a mirror shard (vanity) ●​ Use mirror shard to peek under the door and spot a patrolling helper ●​ Perform a tension-based lockpicking mini-game using needle + thread ●​ Clean unlock = silent escape; failure or force = noise and helper alert ​ Quest 2: Open the atrium ●​ Stealth through the three-floor Guest Wing while avoiding the Keeper ●​ Learn Keeper patrols, blind side (sewn-shut eye), and lethal frontal charges ●​ Silently eliminate workers who can summon the Keeper if alerted ●​ Weaken the Keeper using environmental traps and blind-side attacks ●​ Tear off the Client Seal to unlock the Atrium and progress Quest 3: Fix the pipes ●​ Ethan enters the kitchen and finds a metal hatch blocked by active flames in the fireplace ●​ Discovers a broken coolant pipe system beneath the L-shaped counter feeding the fire ●​ Collects scattered pipe segments around the kitchen and places them on the counter ●​ Solves a top-down pipe-assembly minigame to reroute coolant into the fireplace ●​ Activates coolant flow, extinguishes the fire, opens the hatch, and descends below. Cut-scene Two The air hangs heavy…thick, wet, and suffocating, like the walls themselves are sweating. Ethan steps deeper into the Skinning Pits, boots sinking slightly into the cold, soaked stone. The chamber hums with a low mechanical groan, steady and slow, like a creature breathing in its sleep. The stench of rot and iron burns at the back of his throat. Surrounded by the Mistress’s victims. Some hung from the ceiling on hooks, others skinned alive, their last scream etched into their face. Shelves filled with rolls of different…skins His flashlight flickers across rusted metal frames and leather straps, all splattered with old, dried, dark maroon. Hooks sway gently overhead, clinking against chains with a rhythm too calm for a place like this. Ethan forces himself forward, every nerve screaming. Something moves. A trembling breath cracks the silence. Ethan freezes, light darting toward the sound. There—strapped to a towering contraption of gears and belts—someone twitches weakly. Skin pale, stretched tight, glossy with sweat. Their wrists bound, ankles shackled, torso locked in place by cold metal. Pale, covered in old blood, barely intact but alive.
  • 34.
    34 Ethan steps closer,the dread swelling in his chest. “Hey—hey, hold on. I’ll get you out of this.”​ The man’s head rolls toward him, one eye swollen shut, the other wide with terror. A wet rasp escapes his throat, something between a plea and a warning. The man's breaths picked up their panic and relief. He reaches for the release mechanism—two levers, one rusted stiff, the other hanging slightly loose. Ethan grabs the loose one, pulling. A sharp click echoes. The entire machine shudders. And the hope in the man’s eyes disappears. “No—no, wait—” Ethan tries to push the lever back, but the gears around the victim lock into place with a heavy clank, seals hissing as though the device has just awakened. Belts tighten. Hooks retract. Metal braces snap closed around trembling limbs. The victim thrashes, a strangled cry ripping from deep inside them. “Stop—stop, damn it, STOP!” Ethan yanks at the controls, slamming his fists into them, but the machine ignores him, continuing its grim routine with mechanical certainty. A row of blades unfolds from the sides, thin and curved, glinting in the dim light like surgical smiles. Ethan’s breath catches. “God—please—no—” The blades descend. A horrible tearing sound fills the chamber—wet, slow, methodical. The victim’s scream warps into a gurgled choke as the skin peels away in sheets, guided along the metal arms and winding into a spool with nauseating precision. Blood sprays across Ethan’s jacket, hot and metallic. Something small hits the stone floor with a soft, sickening plop. Ethan looks down. An eyeball. Still connected to a dangling thread of nerves. It rolls slightly toward him before settling in a small puddle of diluted blood. The pit has gone quiet again. And once again, Ethan couldn't help. Once again he was helpless. How will he ever save Rose… Ethan staggers back, horrified, shaking, bile rising in his throat. The machine finishes its task with a final grind, leaving behind only a slumped, skinned form—shivering faintly, somehow still alive for a few agonizing moments. He can’t breathe.​ He can’t think.​ He can only stare, frozen, as the last breath rattles out of the victim’s raw, exposed chest.
  • 35.
    35 Cut-scene Ends Quest 4:Using the eyeball ●​ Ethan finds the Sanguine Requiem statue: a bound client mannequin with a violently missing eye ●​ Inserting the severed eyeball activates internal joints, making the statue poseable ●​ Ethan unknowingly reenacts Seraphine’s ritual by lifting the chin, rotating shoulders back, and straightening the spine ●​ Correct posture triggers hidden internal mechanisms within the statue ●​ A compartment opens, revealing the Skin Mask and a chilling ritual note Quest 5: Open the Mistress wing ●​ Ethan encounters the Mistress’s Wing door: a stone face bound with tension threads and hooks ●​ Places the Skin Mask onto the face, triggering a precision-based thread tension puzzle ●​ Adjusts three thread groups (cheeks, jaw, temples), each with narrow safe zones ●​ Incorrect tension snaps threads and forces a restart; perfect balance “fits” the mask ●​ Door activates, whispers Seraphine’s creed, and opens into the Mistress’s Wing Cut-scene Three Immediate confrontation. No slow buildup — the player is thrust straight into her domain, with minimal breathing room before tension escalates. The focus is on spatial disorientation, psychological pressure, and environmental storytelling through motion and sound. The player descends a narrow spiral staircase, the air thick with heat and the scent of melted wax. The further down Ethan goes, the stronger the warm amber glow of candlelight becomes — thousands of them, clustered in organic formations along the walls. As he reaches the bottom, the environment opens into a massive circular chamber, the workshop its centerpiece a long seamstress table cluttered with silk, needles, and spools of red thread. The rest of the space fans outward into curved rows of towering shelves, forming a labyrinth that spirals subtly inward, like the inside of a shell. At the far end, Lady Seraphine stands by her table, back turned. Her movements are graceful and deliberate; she threads a needle through what looks like skin. When Ethan steps forward, she speaks softly without turning. “So eager for your fitting, are we?”
  • 36.
    36 When she turnsto face him, we see the uncanny perfection of her stitched-together beauty symmetrical, but wrong. She smiles. “Don’t worry. You’ll look divine when I’m done with you.” Ethan demands the flask. Her gaze drifts lazily toward the shelves. “Oh… that little trinket? Somewhere here, I think. But you’ll have to let me finish my work first.” With a flick of her wrist, thread-like tendrils burst from her sleeves, latching onto shapes within the shelves of her “projects.” A handful of half-finished mannequins twitch to life, snapping their heads toward Ethan as their joints crackle and twist. Cinematic Transition: She steps back into shadow as her puppets advance. The lighting dims to just the candle clusters, casting moving silhouettes across the shelves.​ ​ Cut-scene Ends Timeline and Placement This timeline model visualizes the narrative progression of Resident Evil Village, mapping Ethan Winters’ journey through the village and its ruling lords. Each character is positioned to reflect their thematic and
  • 37.
    37 gameplay role withinthe broader structure, showing how tension, tone, and mechanical complexity evolve as the story advances toward Mother Miranda. Lady Seraphine Corvenne is intentionally placed directly after Donna Beneviento, extending the psychological horror phase of the game before rejoining the core storyline. Her arc feeds back into the main timeline, after which Ethan proceeds to face Moreau, Heisenberg, and ultimately Mother Miranda; ensuring Seraphine’s inclusion feels canon-consistent while adding a fresh thematic layer without disrupting the original narrative flow.