Welcome Home 3: Empire of Monsters

Welcome Home 3: Empire of Monsters, alternatively called Welcome Home 3: Monster Mash, or just WH3, is an exploration basd, multiplayer first-person shooter. It is the direct sequel to Welcome Home 2: The Housewarming, whose page can be found on this wiki.

Gameplay
WH3 uses the same basic gameplay as its past two installments, some weapon pickups are temporary, and some are permanent. The game is level based, where the player must reach from one end of a level to another. One of the game’s main features is the use of a 6-player story mode multiplayer function. The game also has the ability to play a single-player mode, where the other players are controlled by the computer. The game also features an optional PvP mode, called the Blood Battles.

Timeline of Events
Nov. 18, NASA satellites reported mysterious readings from an abandoned settlement near Death Valley, named by the locals as the Fanglands. Later that day, a resident of Nashville, Tennessee, named Ishen Matthew, was reported missing.

Nov. 20, A large surge of mysterious energy was reported from the ISS, in the Fanglands. When asked about it, the local scientist, Doctor Melvin Hippocampus, he merely said it was a “government-funded machine test.”

Nov. 21, search parties were rallied in Nashville, looking for the missing Ishen.

Nov. 24, a massive explosion of energy was reported from two locations, the Fanglands, and the location Terrier Tycoon’s mansion.

Nov, 26, hostile creatures suddenly appeared, and began ravaging cities around the globe. Millions were either wounded or killed.

Nov. 27, in an interview from the survivors of the Tycoon Mansion incident, they said that they saw these creatures at the mansion, creating a link in between the two incidents.

Nov. 28. Scientists stationed on the Moon and the ISS witnessed the planet Earth itself disappear before their very eyes. Earth was pulled into a universe named “The Other Side.”

Dec. 1, Earth has been overrun with ”monsters of nightmarish proportions.” Dr. Hippocampus assembles the Resistance, to help survivors and fight the monsters. Ishen Matthew was found, and joins the Resistance. Ishen’s fight begins, along with the resistance.

Chapter 1: Highway to Hell
After Ishen is pulled back to earth, (as seen in the ending of the last game) Ishen has to help Hippocampus and Tycoon escape the Lab. The lab is overrun with monsters. Using his new modified Plasmic Shotgun, called the Overcharged Plasmic Shotgun, he gets to clear out monsters. This entire mission is single player only. After going outside, he finds the hell that has become the world; dead plants everywhere, cities burning, a never-ending multicolored storm in the sky with large silhouettes roaming about, and of course, hostile monsters. Hippocampus runs forth, saying that he had to leave his lab in the Fanglands, and go the one they’re at, because the only machine capable of pulling Ishen out was at the current lab. Ishen then has to escort them to the Fanglands by walking down an old road. Hippocampus is unarmed, but Tycoon has a sidearm with him. After reaching the Fanglands, the monsters there are all docile, due to the power of the Beacons from the last game. They are all insistent on helping the Resistance fight against the sinister league of monsters. There, Ishen gets to team up with the Resistance.

Chapter 2: No Place Like Home
Ishen and the Resistance are taken to Nashville, Tennessee, where one of the skyscrapers is glowing an ominous red. Ishen and the team hurry to check it out. Along the way, civilians are busy trying to fight monsters, albeit primitively. Some of the survivors recognize him, and say that they have searching for Ishen for days. They start to question his involvement with the disaster. The leader of this survivor group, Stevedore Salwan, denies this. He puts his trust into Ishen, due to him being the one who stopped the Tycoon mansion incident. He says that there was military dispatch nearby, and that it could help Ishen and his allies. The team finds the weapon-filled car and raid it, obtaining a Magnum, Grenades, and a special, high-tech Assault Rifle used for high emergencies, the Disaster Unit Assault Rifle. Using the weapons, the team enter the skyscraper and find it almost completely hollowed out, save for a few parts of the floor from higher levels of the building. There, they find a massive organ of sorts. A growth on it pops, causing a monster to drop. This monster is a blend of the flesh from military troops that attempted to stop the monster attack. The team defeat it, causing a glowing, orb-like object to emerge from it. It turns into a revolver, which flies into Ishen’s hands. He grabs it, aims it at the large heart, and shoots it, causing it to shrivel up and die. After it explodes, it transforms into a set monster-like Rifles called Thundercrack. The team then arms themselves with some, and pull out, completing the mission.

Chapter 3: Factory Extraction
The team head to a factory in China to help a massive survivor group escape. The team have to fight new monsters, and monster-turned humans as well. The team go to a factory and fight high-ranking monsters- demons. The demons are slain, and escort the survivors out. They escape and find a demon named Grank’ev. They kill him, and hear a massive roar in the distance. Hippocampus says that they will investigate when it’s time. The mission ends after he contact Ishen’s team. However, after the team leaves, the scene changes...

The scene cuts to a mysterious room, with a few demons, one of them being Terrible Tycoon himself, the main villain of the last two games. They are talking about the return of Ishen, and wonder what to do. Terrible silences the demons and says to “leave the choice to ‘him’”. The camera pans to a human in armor holding an odd shotgun with glyphs on it. The human is limp, and has an odd aura coming off of him.

Chapter 4: No Everest for the Living
Ishen and his team arrive at the base of the Himalayas, and have to scale the mountain to find the source of the roar last mission. They find an old train that goes up the mountain, and eventually reach the summit of Mount Everest. There, they find an old camp with some Flare Guns, to help melt some thick ice around the mountain. The gang reach the summit and find an elevator that goes down. The elevator leads to an underground temple made of an unknown material. At the core of the temple, is another Demon Heart from Chapter 2. The Heart summons a demon made of machinery and ice, named Frostblight. The team destroy the Frostblight, and destroy the Demon Heart. The Heart summons a staff-like weapon know as the Warriors’ Claw, which summons a claw-like tether on an enemy. Just before they depart, they hear a voice. The voice emerges from the shadows, holding a makeshift weapon made from a demon arm. Her name is Jenna Epoch, a famed archaeologist studying ancient structures. She thanks the team for saving her hide. They, with a new friend in tow, leave.

Chapter 5: Hellwaii
The team have heard of an enigmatic island made of flesh just close to Hawaii. They cannot reach it, due to its barrier surrounding it. However, it is maid of the technology of the Aquams, a race of underwater monsters, living in the reef beneath Hawaii. But before they deal with that, they must rescue some people on the Island. Once they do, Hippocampus says he will work on a solution to their Aquam conundrum.

Chapter 6: Thundery Sea
Hippocampus supplies Ishen’s team with mysterious demon-like technology that allows the team to breathe under water. They journey to the Great Reef, the realm of Aquams. However, that cannot seek help from the monsters, due to them being corrupted by the influence. The team has to lure the Aquams into cages and contain them. After capturing a lot of them, the team is extracted and taken back to the Fanglands. Once the Aquams are exposed to the calming aura of the Fanglands, their sentience is restored. The Aquams agree to help the team liberate the Earth from the demonic power.

Chapter 7: Island of Flesh
Using the powers of the Aquams, they deactivate the barrier surrounding the island, and land on it. The island, Gorman’ka, is made entirely of fleshy material. On top of it’s blood-filled volcano, is yet another one of the Demon Heart. Summoned by it is a Tiki-mask wearing demon, called Te Epah. The team destroy Te Epah and destroy the Last Demon Heart. This causes all the demons on Earth to disappear. While this is good thing, there is still the threat of demons in The Other Side coming into earth and creating more Demon Hearts. Before they leave, a new friend joins them, an Other Sidian wolf-like creature called a Guardian. It insists on joining the team. In any case, the team leaves with two new weapons, the Bloodrinker, a Sword like weapon that steals life, and the Damner, a Bazooka-like weapons that fires blasts that can disintegrate enemies. As they leave, the scene changes again...

It is cut to the room with Terrible Tycoon again. The minion demons are panicky and angry that Ishen has managed to destroy the Hearts. Terrible says he has had enough. He looks towards the human body, and refers to it as “Emperor”. Terrible then asks if everything is in place. A minion demon says yes, in which Terrible responds with “perfect.”, followed by a chuckle.

Chapter 8: Terrible Happenings
Ishen and the gang are in a meeting with Hippocampus, saying that he might know where Terrible and his minions are hiding. However, just before he could finish his sentence, the barrier surrounding the Fanglands is pierced by a large purple object, which then crashes into the lab complex of Hippocampus, causing major damage to it. Ishen and the gang are split off from Hippocampus, and land into the underground caverns. They find it now overflown with demons, which shouldn’t have been possible considering the Beacons should have protected them. Regardless, the team fight their way through, rendezvous with Tycoon, and resurface back to the lab. There they see the Guardian from the last mission growling towards Hippocampus’ office. When they enter, they see something horrifying. They find the dead and horrifically mutilated corpse of Hippocampus. From the side, the archeologist Jenna Epoch is seen mortified in fear, and says a terrible-looking demon came in and killed Hippocampus. The Guardian growls at Epoch, who acts confused. Ishen catches from from earlier experience, and tries to shoot her with Tycoon’s sidearm. Suddenly, she throws the bullet of its course, with her eyes glowing. She finally reveals her true colors. She says she couldn’t have Ishen and his allies messing with “their” plans, and had to kill Hippocampus, the only human who seemed to know everything about the Other Side. She pins the blame on Ishen, for bringing her here, and says, “History will forever know that it was YOU who provoked the wrath of the Emperor!”, and transforms into a demon similar to Terrible. Tycoon thinks that, thanks to what she said, is the Emperor himself; the ruler of all evil in the Other Side. The team fight Epoch, and kill her. However, she was not the emperor himself. The labs are repaired, but Hippocampus is dead. The team wonder what to do next...

Chapter 9: Above and Beyond
Tycoon says he has an idea. He shows Ishen’s team a small blue, blood-coated stone that was found with Hippocampus’ body. The Stone also showed a pathway on a map to the Western Coast of the US. More specifically, the place where it all began; Tycoon Manor. Upon arriving there, the team, along with Tycoon, see a massive still tornado of sorts latching onto the roof of the Manor. After delving through the nostalgic hallways, the team reach the roof. Tycoon examines the tornado, and gets sucked in. Ishen and his allies chase after him. After riding the tornado high up, out of the atmosphere, the team see the planet itself from a massive distance. They have left the pan, and entered the fire, the wilds of The Other Side. After delving through the twisted, surreal landscape, they reach what looks like a settlement. But before they could do anything, they hear someone scream “HOLD IT! ANOTHER MOVE AND WE DROP YOU!” From the shadows come civilized monsters, holding versions of the Plasmic Shotgun, covered in runes. Tycoon talks to the leader, and says that they come on behalf of the humans and monsters of Earth. The leader replies by saying that the humans always called them monsters, when in reality, they are called Arkers, and the Other Side is called Arken. They see the Stone Tycoon has, and says that it belonged to Hippocampus. The Arkers react and clarify that they are indeed, talking about the correct Hippocampus. Hippocampus was indeed, an Arker. They say he went with the Tycoon family, along with millions of other Arkers, to the Earth dimension to live a new life. After the Arkers learned that Hippocampus became human, he put his soul and true form in the Life Stone he had. The Arker says that he can stilled be saved, by going to the Temple of Rebirth. The team follow their directions, and reach the temple. However, the don’t have much time, due to the Stone being cracked, and having its power weakening. The team finish the Rebirth Ritual, and bring Hippocampus back to life, in his true, Arker form.

They return to the Arker village, and Hippocampus tells the team of what he learned when he was attacked by Epoch earlier. For context, in the ancient past, a being know as Emperor Natas appeared, and threatened to take over Arken. However, a human who resided in Arken, armed with the Ancient Plasmic Shotgun, destroyed Natas. Now, Terrible seeks to help the Emperor recover to himself by reaching the Heart of Eternity, the core of the Arken dimension. In order to stop him, they must bear the mark of the old Arken hero by reaching the Warrior Plateau, in order to enter the the Dominion of Gods, where the Heart of Eternity lies. The team depart for the Plateau.

Chapter 10: The Warrior Plateau
In the depths of Arken, the the team arrive at the Warriors Plateau. Fighting through hordes of demons, the team enter the temple of the Nameless, the human who destroyed the Emperor eons past. In the temple, they find a weapon called a Soul Cannon, which helps them get through the temple. At its depths reside the weapon he used to finish the Emperor, the Ancient Plasmic Shotgun. With it in their possession, they now bear the mark of the Nameless. Hoping to put and end to this disaster once and for all, they depart for the the Dominion of Gods.

Chapter 11: Worlds in Arms
The resistance, United with the Arkers, and a horde of the Wolf-like Guardians, head for the core of Arken. To reach the Heart of Eternity, they must pass through the Dominion of Gods, where the ancient creators of Arken used to reside. United Hand in hand, the people’s from two different worlds unite to fight through the horde of demons in this penultimate, climatic battle. At the end, the strong demons that Ishen’s team encountered throughout the game make their final appearance here. Clenching their teeth, they slay nearly every demon, opening the path to their final battle.

Chapter 12: Goodbye Home
Using the mark of the Nameless, they enter the very center of the Arken dimension, the Heart of Eternity. There, they confront the strongest and most largest horde of demons they’ve every seen. On their way, the confront the man who started the disaster; Terrible Tycoon, and Emperor Natas, using the mummified remains of the Nameless as a vessel. They encounter and fight both, eventually winning. However, this was merely a diversion. In his last breath, Terrible says that he has been slowly but surely breaking the seal on the Heart. The Emperor’s soul leaves his vessel, and heads for the Heart. Terrible chuckles and says “I said you only delayed the inevitable.” Ishen then shoots him with the Ancient Plasmic Shotgun, killing Terrible for good. With time of the Essence, they depart for The Sanctum, where the Heart resides. They enter they room, but the Emperor has already absorbed the Heart. He awakens his inner might, reborn as his old self again. The team ready themselves, for the final battle.

The team attempt to attack Emperor Natas, but he has become too strong by the Heart. Worried, the team is out of options. Suddenly, Natas attempts to crush them, but Ishen manages to slice his hand in half. Ishen is then seen holding the knife he had from the start of series, now glowing blue. The Arken elder exclaims, saying that Ishen is holding the Knife of Judgement, a powerful relic stolen from Arken. With his hide pierced, the team can now attack Natas. They fight, they fight, and still fight, holding their ground. Eventually, Natas is weakened to the point he cannot fight anymore. Then, Ishen uses the Knife to slice his face in half, making him the most vulnerable. The team then opens fire on him. Natas attempts to crush him, but Ishen destroys his arm with the Plasmic Shotgun. Ishen then ends the Emperor by shooting his face with the Plasmic Shotgun, killing him for good.

The Heart of Eternity is restored to where it was, and every demon in Arken and on Earth are now destroyed. As thanks for their courage, the Arkers teleport Earth back to where it belongs. The United Nations thanks the resistance for their work, and award them. Ishen then returns to his apartment, surprisingly undamaged from the invasion. Terrier Tycoon has his mansion back, at last, and Hippocampus moves into the Fanglands, now visited by humans, signifying that humans and Arkers are now friends. Meanwhile in Arken, the Warrior Plateau is being worked on by the people there. A statue of a Ishen and the resistance have been erected there. And peace was ultimately restored between the two worlds.

And so brings the Welcome Home series to an end.