The cold embrace of death
A classic tragedy in three acts
Instructions for the present mission
Version: 1.0
Release Date: October 25, 2017
Background:
Through an underworld contact, you are given a mission to break into the apartment of a certain Marc Miller, an inventor who was murdered the night before. You are tasked with finding Miller's research notes, then meeting Fairbanks at the local tavern "The Swindler's Tail" to collect the promised 1000 gold pieces... and to hear what other lucrative missions Fairbanks has to offer.

Important Notes - MUST READ:
Technical Details
- Vicious campaign requires NewDark v1.25 or higher. All necessary script files are included.
- Disable all upgrades and Enhancement Packs, including EP or EP2. This will ensure the FM appears as originally created, as there have been reported crashes with activated EPs.
- Before starting, check your audio settings and ensure that the Audio Channels parameter is set to at least 12. A tester had poor results with a setting below 12.
Game Information
- There are various scene transitions during the game. While these are playing out, it is advisable not to load or save. Additionally, you will automatically apply some equipment items after the transitions, as a side effect of the script to disarm you.
- Untouchable doors and windows mean that access to the building in that case or mission is not possible. They may be accessible in one of the follow-up missions when you are back in the same map. This is also possible in reverse, meaning doors and windows that were openable in a previous mission are now untouchable.
- There are various side stories unfolding at various locations in different missions. So, make sure not to miss re-reading the texts when returning to the various places to understand how things have developed in the meantime, in order to fully enjoy the campaign. Some of the side stories ultimately tie into the main story.

Thanks to ...
Builders
Polygon, Yandros, Moghedian, Random_Taffer, and R Soul
Construction Time: 13 years, intermittently
Plot
Yandros, Random_Taffer, Moghedian, Peter Smith, and Polygon
Texts
Yandros, Random_Taffer, Moghedian, and Tannar
Testers
Alpha: Tannar, Nickie, and Nightwalker
Beta: Tannar, Nickie, Nightwalker, Peter Smith, FreddyFox, Dafydd, R Soul, Brethren, Marbleman
Voices
Andrew Bartmess as Guardian (see http://www.everybodyandme.com)
Antimatter_16 as Edwin Fairbanks
FenPhoenix as Brother Thaddaeus
Goldwell as Guard
Leigh Catlin as Julia Fairbanks
Mallory DuPuy as Klara Hollingsworth
MasterThief3 as Roger and Conall
Random_Taffer as Robert Highwater, Mathien, Delilah, and various others
SlyFoxx as Garrett
Tannar as Hammerite
Yandros as Richard Fairbanks, Benny, and various others
Other voices from Thief 1 Gold and Thief 3
Special thanks to ...
R Soul for all his help with Mission 9, custom scripting and objects, all appendages, and for pinpointing all missing things. There is still room for improvement!
Random_Taffer For seven years of sporadic assistance and inspiration, creativity and ideas, and for saving the project from the trash can. Thank you, brother!

Sources
Ambient and effect music
Paul Cantelon: The Other Boleyn Girl Soundtrack
Johann Johannsson: Englabörn

Apocrypha, Kammarheit and Atrium Carceri: The Dead Fire, Drawn Like A Moth
Atrium Carceri: Eraser, Trembling, Leviathan, Worship, The Leap
Johannes Brahms: Denn Alles Fleisch (from Ein Deutsch Requiem)
Cities Last Broadcast: Antenna, Cella
Council of Nine: The Magi
Harry Gregson-Williams: Arrival at Aslan’s How (Prince Caspian soundtrack)
Mark Isham: A Family’s Grief, We Killed A Dog (In The Valley of Elah soundtrack)
lalgavideos: A Chöd Journey
Dario Marianelli: Governments Should Be Afraid Of Their People (V For Vendetta soundtrack)
Frank Sinatra: Dream (When You’re Feeling Blue)
Ulf Söderberg: Now Night Her Course Began, Temple And Cathedral Rises From The Deep
Tim Story: When All Beyond Was Wild
Swallow The Sun: Too Cold For Tears, Doomed To Walk The Earth
Steven Wilson: ...Ascendant Here On
Turntable music
Dvo?ák: New World Symphony (II), Slavonic Dance No. 10 (Ancient)
Grieg: Anitra’s Dance (Peer Gynt Suite)
Handel: Sonata in Dm for Guitar
Mussorgsky: Gnomus, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle (Pictures at an Exhibition)
Opeth: The Leper Affinity (piano outro)
Ravel: Bolero
Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Sound effects
Freesound.org, Halo 3
Texts
The Vessel, adapted from The Building of the Ship by HW Longfellow
The Architects, adapted from The Builders by HW Longfellow
Aesop’s fable, The Young Thief and His Mother
A poem from the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer episode “Fool For Love”
Objects & Meshes
And many more