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Act I

Design notes

There is only one companion in this act (Shannon), so we don’t need to design/implement the companion selection interface. Probably won’t need to do that until act 3, actually, when there are more than 2 companions.

Characters

  • Shannon Marquez

  • Joseph

  • James Beckworth Carrington

  • Lysette

Themes

  • Changes in light levels.

  • Transitions between the surface and underground.

  • The lonely transition between life and death.

Locations

Elements

Main Narrative Summary

Conway stops for directions at Equus Oils. Joseph, the gas station attendant, directs him to Kentucky Route Zero and recommends that he head to the Marquez Farm to get further directions. He also gives Conway a borrowed television set to return to Weaver Marquez.

Conway drives out to the Marquez Farm, where he finds Weaver. He helps Weaver set up the television, but it only displays an eery, grainy image of the farm, with the barn replaced by a gaping cave entrance and a highway road sign that reads “Kentucky Route Zero.” Weaver mentions that her cousin Shannon repairs TVs. She gives Conway directions that she claims will lead him to the Kentucky Route Zero onramp, but instead lead him to the Elkhorn Mines.

At the mines, Conway meets Shannon. Shannon has also seen Weaver, and has been instructed by Weaver to go into the old mine. Conway and Shannon enter the mine together.

In the mine, Conway is injured by a minor cave-in. They search for an exit, Conway riding on an old mining cart. At some point they are separated. Eventually, they reconnect and find a new exit from the mine together. Shannon refuses to talk about what she encountered while they were separated, but she seems ready to leave the mine and abandon the search.

Conway and Shannon return to the Marquez Farm. Shannon repairs the television; the barn disappears and is replaced by the cave entrance, the onramp to Kentucky Route Zero. The image on the television is replaced with an image of the barn — image and reality have switched places.

Conway drives into the cave, and the act closes.

Remaining scene inventory

  • Cave entrance backdrop and switch animation at the Marquez farm

  • Inside the mines

  • Outdoor community theatre (pretty sparse at this point; the set hasn’t shown up so they’re just tweaking the lights pointing at the stage I think)

Side Quests

James Beckworth Carrington's Play

James Beckworth Carrington appears in the gas station parking lot after Conway returns from the basement. Carrington’s car has broken down, and he asks Conway to deliver new instructions to the director of the community theatre which is putting on a just-before-sunrise performance of his new play. Specifically, Carrington has new instructions about the lighting for the play, based on some parapsychological research. Conway may choose to drive out to the theatre at any time, or ignore the request.

Band

The band sits outside the entrance of the coal mine and plays “You’ve got to walk that lonesome valley.”