The Temple Island, also known as Dome Island, is one of the five islands of Riven, and named after the temple to Gehn on its east side. The ages link-in point is located on this island.
The Rivenese call the island Allapo meaning "water pool" in Rivenese Language; the Moiety call it Allatwan meaning "pool of stars".[1]
History[]
Before Riven was separated, that island corresponds to the place of the final confrontation between Atrus and Gehn. Through Catherine's tampering, the giant Moiety Dagger fell from the sky, and the Star Fissure opened where Atrus jumped.
Gehn sealed the fissure to study it and sometimes threw inside transgressors to make experiments. The Moiety attempted to open it and stole the combination that opens Gehn's seal.[1]
At Riven's link-in point, which is also located on this island, Gehn has also built a cage. When someone arrives at Riven using its descriptive book, they link into a cell that has a pressure plate on its floor. Inevitably triggering it, they find themselves imprisoned upon arrival. Anticipating Atrus's return, Gehn also placed a guard to patrol the area. It is there when he attempted to capture Catherine, and then The Stranger.
Geography[]
The Temple with an Imager in front of Gehn's personal crest.
This island is consisted of two peaks joined with a bridge (in the game, the sea level is higher, essentially forming two smaller isles).
The larger peak is the place where a giant Moiety Dagger fell and the Star Fissure opened. Gehn sealed the fissure and installed a telescope above to study it; above that plain Gehn built the Great Golden Dome, which redirects energy to Gehn's Fire Marble Domes. There is also the Gate Room with icons and prayers to Gehn, which is actually a complex mechanism of moving around the exits and tunnels of the island.
To the northern end of the island, there is a rotating fire-marble dome, marked with the D'ni symbol for GREEN.
The smaller peak/isle contains the Temple where Gehn's subjects deposit offerings; the Temple is dominated by a large Imager (where Gehn would transmit images and messages while sitting at a nearby chamber) and statues of wahrks.
Transportation[]
The Mag-Lev station leading to Jungle Island.
At the southern end of the island, just outside the Temple's entrance, there is a tram station that connects it with Jungle Island. Presumably the Rivenese natives from that island use that line to visit the Temple.
An inter-island footbridge runs directly from the Dome to the Book Assembly Island, presumably to facilitate Gehn's visit from his Laboratory to the Dome.
Gallery[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- In early designs of the game, the island had a pool, and an underground map used by Gehn. Eventually the golden superdome was imported from Crater Island, and the concept of the map was moved to the "Garden Island", and the pool was moved to the Jungle Island.[2]
- Temple Island, along with Jungle Island, are the biggest islands of Riven; its single model included only shaded surfaces and the major artifical landmarks, and could be rendered in low resolution form. For its construction they had to be "broken" to 60-80 areas and its exterior areas designed and rendered individually.[3]
Riven- Opening Scene Set Creation
Creation of the set and filming of the introductory scene.
- The cage was an actual prop in front of which the Gehn's Guard scene was filmed; actor Vicente Ramos had to bump into them and reach his hand through them in order to remove the Trap Book. However the animated portions (where the bars are sprung in the beginning, and are lowered when the rebel jams the mechanism, are in CGI, designed by Michael Sheets.[4]