- "Wherever the Overseers go, common folk tremble, and brother accuses brother."
- ―The Heart
During the reign of Hiram Burrows, Overseers are feared by the populace for their brutality, and despised by the City Watch for their zealotry. Their Order is headquartered at the Office of the High Overseer within Dunwall, and headed by a High Overseer. During the events of Dishonored, this position is held by Corvo Attano's first assassination target, Thaddeus Campbell, who is soon replaced by Loyalist conspirator Teague Martin.
Overseers wear golden masks with a symbol that resembles a crescent with a trident passing through it horizontally. These same symbols are embroidered onto the sleeves of their dark gray jackets, which appear to be standard issue.
Overseer candidates are chosen through a system known as the Trials of Aptitude in which veteran Overseers carefully observe and study individuals - often children - who show the proper inclination to become future Overseers. After sufficient observation, promising entrants are taken from their homes and brought to an outpost, where they are further assessed and evaluated. On the last night of the Month of Rain, they begin a pilgrimage to Whitecliff where, during an elaborate ceremony, it is determined which of the children will become Overseers and which will be "put down."
The Heart suggests that some candidates with the "proper inclination" to become Overseers are actually the sons of heretics and apostates who have been executed by the Abbey. If Corvo points the Heart at an Overseer, it claims that the Overseer "watched as his parents were tortured for the worship of the Outsider."
It is also possible that some recruits join the Order willingly; in one of his announcements, the Propaganda Officer states that parents should send their children to be tested by the Overseers, suggesting the practice was perfectly acceptable. Eavesdropping on various Overseers also reveals that some joined the Abbey at a later age rather than being drafted through abduction.
Overseers are highly durable and immune to frontal head-shots due to their masks.They can also command wolfhounds, which can immobilize and do serious damage to Corvo. In combat, Overseers fight with sabres and are additionally armed with either grenades or pistols. Unlike City Watch Officers, who usually prefer to dodge, Overseers are more likely to block melee attacks while aiming their pistols. In addition, certain Overseers can use technological devices attached to their abdomens, known colloquially as "Overseer music boxes." They negate the power of supernatural abilities granted by the Outsider, and deal a continuous stream of damage to any supernatural target.
Idle chat Edit
- "Die, you filthy little furball." (when crushing a rat)
- "Ha! I shit bigger than you!" (when crushing a rat)
- "Rat! Damn you!" (when crushing a rat)
- "Think you'll get your own squad after what happened last night?"
- "Should we gather for whiskey and cigars tonight?"
- "I'll write to her again. She has to see reason."
Idle answers Edit
- "Never doubt it."
- "Chances are very good."
- "Indeed, I believe so."
Searching Alone Edit
- "Oh I'll find you."
- "Where are you?"
- "I know you're here somewhere scum."
- "I know you're here."
- "When I find you, it's gonna be bad."
- "You'd like to reveal me to have an errant mind, but that won't be happening, I'm afraid. Come out."
- "Do you think you're being quiet?"
- "Let's see who's hiding about. A severe caning might be in order."
- "I'm going to find you, whoever you are, and then I'll demonstrate your failings."
- "Come out and I'll go easy on you."
- "The Abbey doesn't train fools. I know someone is here."
- "Present yourself! Don't make me find you."
- "Let my hands not be restless. Reveal yourself."
- "I'll feed your heart to the hounds."
Searching in Groups Edit
- "We got a prowler on the loose."
- "Stop messing around and come out at once!"
- "Give yourself up. Come out! We both know you're weak at heart."
Returning to Idle Edit
- "Must've been rats, into everything."
- "Okay where did you go?"
- "Alright, I won't be catching this rat bastard."
- "Die, dammit!"
- "Die in fire!"
- "Die, idiot!"
- "Take out his legs!"
- "I need more men!"
- "I'll read signs from your entrails!"
- "I'll feed your heart to the hounds!"
- "You're going down!" (when enemy is out of reach)
- "Watch it!" (when throwing a grenade or aiming pistol)
- "We're not taking this one alive!"
- "We'll burn your body tonight!"
- "You're gonna bleed, damn you!"
- "Your spirit is failing!"
- "Your blood will be ours!"
- "A promotion for the man who kills this one."
- "Take this!"
- "Take it!"
- Originally, Overseers were designed as "Witch Hunters". Their original appearance was similar to the members of the Spanish Inquisition.
- An outpost for abducted Overseer candidates can be found in the Back Yard at the Office of the High Overseer.
- During The Knife of Dunwall, Campbell sends a team of Overseers to the Flooded District to combat Daud's assassins. Corvo can find the remains of the squadron scattered throughout the district.
- An Overseer outfit is available in The Brigmore Witches mission A Stay of Execution for Lizzy as a disguise if the "Overseer Daud" favor is purchased.
- Bundry Rothwild's younger brother was an Overseer candidate who allegedly failed the Trials of Aptitude and was put down.
- The Overseers appear to take part in a form of divination, as they claim they will "read signs on Corvo/Daud's entrails."
- The Overseers are a hat-tip to the Order of the Hammer, or Hammerites, from the Thief games. The Hammerites are religious zealots loyal to the Builder and enemies to worshipers of the Trickster, and are known for working as a police force before the City Watch.
- In some places where Overseers are present, they can be heard reciting the Seven Strictures.
- In The Surge two Overseers can be heard discussing how consuming rats is an offense against the Abbey.
- The collar of the Overseers' uniforms resembles the collar of a priest's vestment.
- Warfare Overseers are one out of only three character classes that use pistols (the other two being City Watch Officers and the Hatters) and the only character class that utilizes grenades.
- Like the City Watch Officers, a pistol-wielding Overseer can inflict friendly-fire damage upon his comrades should they obstruct his line of fire. This can be exploited to weaken the opposition if combat with Overseers is unavoidable.
- Because Overseers share most of their voices and lines with the Watch Officers, their exclusive lines may be recited in a different voice than that used for their shared dialogue.
- Two City Watch Officers can be overheard in Lady Boyle's Last Party recalling an incident where a woman sang for officers of the City Watch. Halfway through the song, an Overseer patrol passed while blaring a music box; the woman stopped due to the loud interruption and was then tackled by the Overseers and detained as a witch. The Officers had to go to the Lord Regent and request a letter of pardon to get her released from the Abbey, saying that she was "never the same after that."
- ↑ "Wherever the Overseers go, common folk tremble, and brother accuses brother"
- ↑ Bundry Rothwild, The Opportunist
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruspex
World in the Dishonored series
Enemies in Dishonored