Ring Altars are recurring objects in Dark Deception.
The Ring Altars were created by the demon lord Malak as protectors for pieces of the Riddle of Heaven—a ring imbued with his powers. Throughout the game, Doug Houser is tasked by Bierce to explore each of Malak's nightmare realms to collect Soul Shards, which are required to dispel the barriers surrounding the rings. The statues are found at the core of every nightmare, usually in a transitional area between zones. They are also responsible for sustaining the nightmare realms and the monsters that inhabit them. Every time Doug steals a ring piece, he must quickly escape the realm before it collapses.
Bierce possesses a customized version of a ring altar, which is situated in the center of her ballroom. This altar is used to safeguard the ring pieces she has stolen and bestow new abilities onto Doug. Doug can also interact with the statue in between levels to upgrade his abilities.
Appearance[]
The Ring Altars appear as headless golden statues with demonic wings and robes wrapped around their bases, which are decorated with human skulls. The statues hold glowing, purple orbs above their heads, which serve as barriers for the ring pieces.
Locations[]
- Bierce's Ballroom: In the center of the ballroom. This statue can be used to access and upgrade Doug's powers.
- Monkey Business: In the small lounge in front of the elevator.
- Elementary Evil: In the courtyard between Zone 1 and Zone 2.
- Deadly Decadence: In the foyer of the manor.
- Stranger Sewers: In the sanctum between Zone 1 and Zone 2.
- Crazy Carnevil: In the spiraling tent, accessible after completing Zone 1.
- Torment Therapy: In the center of the ambulance bay, accessible after completing Zone 1.
- Mascot Mayhem: In the control center, accessible after completing Zone 1.
- Bearly Buried: In the waterfall cavern, accessible shortly upon entering the caves.
Trivia[]
- Ring altars did not feature in the 2014 demo; players collected puzzle pieces instead.
- The 2015 demo presented ring altars with a distinct design: they were silver, embellished with chains, and encircled by purple flames. Additionally, Bierce's Ballroom lacked a ring altar, displaying merely a purple orb hanging in the middle.
- The barriers for the ring pieces are visually akin to stun orbs, albeit with a different color scheme.
- Joy Kill can destroy the ring alter in Mascot Mayhem if it's lazers ever hit it.