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Carcassonne is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It appears as a major location location in Serious Sam 4. The city's infamous fortress, the Cité de Carcassonne, was the location of where the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail were sealed away.[1][2]
Overview[]
An Octanian Harvester Leviathan flying above Carcassonne.
Carcassonne is a medium-sized French city. Further reinforcements were sent in from Italy and Tunguska to aid in capturing the city and establishing a stronghold.
After Carcassonne was invaded by Mental's forces, a French Resistance cell was formed by Michelle, Sayid, and many other civilians who rose up to defend the city from the aliens. At some point, an informant called Charlie joined their ranks to provide intel about how to get into the occupied castle.[1]
The Earth Defense Force had a presence in the city during the Tunguska Offensive. Many troops were stationed here to fight off the invading alien forces. This was evident by the abundance of military supplies, vehicles and weapons left behind. The French Resistance also have a workhouse for where they stashed supplies and weapons.
History[]
The city has a long history dating back to the Neolithic period. Throughout its history, it had been occupied by Romans, the Visigoths and, within 300 years, briefly came under Islamic rule.
In the year 1432, the French patron saint, Joan of Arc, stole the Holy Grail and hoped that she would be able to use its powers to heal humanity. She kept the Grail hidden in Rennes-le-Château. More than 400 years later, in the 19th century, the Holy Grail was found once again by French Catholic priest Bérenger Saunière, who took both the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail to Carcassonne, where they were kept hidden inside a church, deep within the castle.[3] At some point after this, the location of the Grail was revealed in an ancient Slavic text, which was kept hidden inside the Vatican Library.[4]
During the 22nd century, Carcassonne had come under siege Mental's forces after a portal opened in the city during the Tunguska Offensive.
Architecture[]
Carcassonne was designed with typical French architecture, much like the other towns and cities in the department of Aude. There are also remains of medieval buildings and fortifications, such as the walls that surround the castle and many parts of the inner city.
Design[]
The majority of the buldings in the city are small or large houses, apartment buldings, shops and offices. In Cité de Carcassonne, the entire area is fortifed with high walls. This was to prevent attacks from siege engines in historical times.
Notable locations[]
Cité de Carcassonne[]
The Cité de Carcassonne.
The most reconigzable feature of Carcassonne, this medieval citadel is located on a hill on the right bank of the River Aude, in the south-east part of the city proper. Inside the citadel lies an abandoned church where the Holy Grail was kept sealed from anyone who dared to use it.[5]
Basilica[]
This medieval basilica is roughly the same age as the citadel itself. It is located right in the heart of the Cité de Carcassonne. The Ark of the Covenant and the False Grail was sealed away inside here.[5]
Resistance workshop[]
A workshop that was used by the French Resistance during the Tunguksa Offensive to stash supplies in case of an emergency. It was abandoned shortly after Mental's forces took over.[6]
Known residents[]
Appearances[]
Serious Sam 4[]
Sam and Kenny meet up by the entrance to Carcassonne.
Having obtained critical information regarding the Holy Grail's whereabouts, the Alien Artifact Acquisition hitch a ride on a plane to Carcassonne, where Sam and his team will be meeting up with Michelle. Their plane is shot down by Octanian raiders, and the team ditch the plane and parachute down into the countryside. Sam loses contact with his teammates, but eventually contacts Kenny after making it into the city. He fights alongside Kenny until Lord Achriman suddenly shows up and kills him before he flees. Sayid meets up with Sam and introduces him to Michelle, the contact he was assigned to be introduced to.[2]
Michelle leads Sam and a few band of resistance fighters through the alien-infested streets until they reach the sewers where their informant, Charlie, is waiting. Charlie aids the French resistance in the fight against Mental's forces until they push to the castle. Once they get to the bridge, it is bombed by Octanian raiders, and Sam is left on his own since Charlie, Michelle and Sayid are unable to cross the now destroyed bridge. Sam thanks them for their efforts and fights his way through the castle until he meets up with Carter, Father Mikhail, Hellfire and Rodriguez. Eventually, after some heavy fighting, they finally make it to the church.
Sam meets up with the French resistance.
Lord Achriman appears to the team once again, and a fight between them begins. Sam defeats Achriman and kills him to avenge Kenny. They then head inside the church, and, once inside, Mikhail performs a ritual from the Slavic text which reveals the Ark of the Covenant.[7] Sam opens the Ark, which in turn reveals the False Grail. They are suprised to see that the Grail is nothing what they expected it to be, but is instead a scepter with a sinister-looking snake figure coiled around it.
Just as Sam reaches out to take the Grail, General Brand and several of his men appear, with their guns drawn at the A.A.A. team. Brand reveals himself to be a traitor, and decides to join the "winning side" and offer the Grail as a gift to Mental, in the hopes that he can use it as a bargaining chip to join his armies ranks and become of Mental's dreaded servants.[7] Brand takes the rod and has himself bitten by the snake wrapped around the artifact, which turns him into a monster. He captures Sam and his team and makes his way back to his transport plane.
It is not known what happened to Carcassonne or the French Resistance after Sam was captured by General Brand. During the events of Serious Sam 3: BFE, the city was destroyed following Earth's destruction.
Trivia[]
- The size of the Cité de Carcassonne in-game is exaggerated and much larger than it is in real life.
Gallery[]
List of appearances[]
- Serious Sam 4 (First appearance)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Serious Sam 4
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Serious Sam 4 level: A Breakfast in France
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 - NETRICSA - Dossiers - Notes - "The Fulbertian Revelation"
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: Machina Ex Deus
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 'Serious Sam 4 level: Anathema Unto God
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: Vive la Résistance ("Let's Workshop This" side objective)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 'Serious Sam 4 level: Anathema Unto God (ending cutscene)
External links[]
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