The Plateau of Leng
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The Plateau of Leng is the fourth episode of Strange Aeons. It serves as an epilogue to the original campaign, chronicling the Traveler's return to earth after the events of The Land That Time Forgot.
The episode takes place on a frigid alien wasteland with an emerald sky. Snowy valleys, jagged cliffs, and blue-green fortresses comprise the decor. The main opposition consists of shotgunners and spiders, and boss monsters such as Shadow Beasts and Dholes appear with relative frequency. It also makes frequent use of Nightmares, which are almost impossible to see against the white landscape.
The player should avoid any water he comes across: due to the frigid climate, it is painfully cold to the touch.
Story[edit]
After slaying the Spinner in Darkness, the Traveler becomes trapped on the Plateau of Leng, the home of the spider god's arachnoid worshipers. The monsters appear to serve Nyarlathotep, who seems to have a hand in the Traveler's relocation to the Plateau, though he never learns to what purpose. He banishes the Great Old One from the realm and escapes to earth, only to find a horrific alien creature has made a nest in his home, and has awaited his return.
Levels[edit]
- E4M1: Cold and Stranded
- E4M2: Hell Frozen Over
- E4M3: Twilight Meat Train
- E4M4: The Biospherians
- E4M5: The Salt Mines
- E4M6: Alcatraz
- E4M7: Devil Canyon
- E4M8: The Crawling Chaos
- E4M9: Maniac Mansion
Inspiration and development[edit]
The Plateau of Leng is described differently in multiple stories, but has been depicted as an icy tundra peppered with alien cities, much like the one in At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft. The alien city in that story is hinted to be the Plateau of Leng itself.
The finale is a rough adaptation of Randolph Carter's encounter with Nyarlathotep near the end of The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.
