WOLFENSTEIN WOLF GODS DOOM ULTIMATE DOOM DOOM GODS DOOM LEVELS DOOM NEWS ARCHIVED NEWS DOOM2 DOOM2 LEVELS PIR TC DOOM SOUND DOOM MUSIC DOOM THEMES FINAL DOOM HERETIC HERETIC LEVELS HERETIC GODS HEXEN HEXEN LEVELS HEXEN GODS HEXEN WALKTHRU HEXEN2 QUAKE QUAKE NEWS QUAKE GODS QUAKE2 HOW TO CODES SHAREWARE EDITORS FRONT ENDS PATCHES DOOM PORTS DOOM III MIL. AIR PIR

PAGE 4...

The fireballs will stop. If you like, you can barge through the other stained glass wall too, which will take you up to another ledge where another Chaos Serpent was shooting at you. Anyway, after placing D'Sparil's Heart on the stand, a long flight of stairs will rise from the muck in the south part of the level, all the way up to where you first teleported in. Also, a hidden area on the north side of the level has opened (behind where you teleported in). There are a few serpents in there, and you can also find an Icon of the Defender.

Now, go down the long flight of stairs into the muck. Follow the flow of the muck and go underground. Here's a portal that will take you back to the Seven Portals.

SHADOW WOOD: SYNOPSIS OF THE PUZZLE

So, you've finished episode 1 and are ready to tackle episode 2. Before I go into the details of how to solve this episode, here's a birds'-eye view of what is going on:

Basically, you are heading for the Hypostyle, which is the conclusion of episode 2. The portal to the Hypostyle is behind a gate inside the temple on Shadow Wood. There are three panels on either side of this gate. Each of the three pairs of panels have a different symbol: the Swamp symbol (green), the Horn symbol (yellow) and the Cave symbol (grey).

Each panel corresponds to a switch somewhere on this episode which you must activate, and the symbol on the panel indicates which key is needed to get to the switch. So, there are two switches which need the Swamp key to get to, two switches which need the Horn key and two switches which need the Cave key. Every time you activate one of the six switches the corresponding panel will brighten up. This way you can monitor your progress in solving the puzzle.

Once you find all these switches, the gate opens, and you will enter the portal to the Hypostyle.

Here's how to get to the temple on Shadow Wood and see the six panels: follow the left wall as you come out of the room where you start. Go through the doorway on the left and go up the stairs. This is the entrance to the temple. Go inside the temple, turn right and go to the end of the corridor. Open the metal wall on your left, and go down the corridor behind it. This leads to the room with the six switches and the gate. Since you haven't solved any puzzles yet at this point, the six panels will be dark (you need to walk up to a panel to see the symbol on it if it hasn't brightened up yet).

OK, that's enough introduction. Time to actually solve the puzzles. Since you need the three keys in order to get to the six switches, you have to first find the keys.

SHADOW WOOD: SOLVING THE PUZZLE

Finding the Keys

There are three keys which you need in order to solve the puzzle. You actually need a fourth key in order to get to one of the three keys. The three keys are:

* The Horn key * The Swamp key * The Cave key

(Note: I have arranged the order of finding the keys so that you can get to one of the six switches nearby while finding another key; so I suggest that you follow this order. Of course, I have included hypertext links in the text for those of you who rather do things your own order.)

The Horn Key

The Horn Key is in the Wastelands. You need to first open the portal that takes you there. So, in Shadow Wood, go to the place where there is a deep, deep drop and a narrow ledge. This is somewhere beside the river. Now you need to carefully jump from ledge to ledge. Keep going until you reach the end, where there is a switch (practice your jumping skills here! Or, save your game a lot because it's very easy to slip and fall to your death). Pull this switch. It opens a wall somewhere along the narrow ledge you have just passed, so start jumping back (have fun). The portal to the Wastelands is behind the wall. Also, another wall opens to the main area in Shadow Wood. If you go there, you'll find that yet another wall has opened to reveal lots of ammo and healing potions. You probably need this before you enter the Wastelands. Now, brace yourself and step into the portal.

In the wastelands, go down the steps to the exit from the sad- looking area where the portal took you. If you look down the exit, this is SOUTH. It's very easy to get lost here, so keep your map handy. I'll be using the compass a lot. The exit leads to a ledge with brown serpents on an opposite ledge. Be very careful in this level; avoid standing on those piles of dirt on the ground... Now take the descending passage on the left and this takes you to the area between the two ledges. Enter the tunnel on the left (EAST). The tunnel will fork into two; take the right one. This goes on for quite some time. As you go on, watch for an exit to the right (SOUTH) -- you may miss it if you're not looking.

This exit leads to what I call the Two Portals room. It has a closed portal and a blocked teleport. You need the Cave Key to open these two; if you don't have it, go back to the tunnel and continue down the tunnel. This time, keep an eye on the LEFT (NORTH) wall. Somewhere along the way you'll see a square wall with a different texture from the tunnel walls. If you reach an open area before you see this, you've missed it: go back into the tunnel and look for it.

This square wall is a revolving door. Open it and enter. Watch for the brown beastie waiting on the other side, though. Go up the winding path to a big open area. Go left (EAST), and you'll find a narrow walkway with lavaon both sides. Go to the end of the walkway and you'll find the Horn Key. Note that once you get the key, the walkway breaks into pillars. You must jump from pillar to pillar all the way back if you don't want to fall and get burned by the lava.

If you ever fall into the lava, simply follow the walkway until you reach the beginning, and pull the switch. This lowers a platform to take you out of the fire.

If you're following my order of getting the keys, go back to Shadow Wood now (retrace your steps through the tunnel, and back to the starting room).

The Swamp Key

Go to the river in Shadow Wood, and walk downstream. Don't worry if you see a wall ahead; it will open. Go all the way until you reach metal bars that block your way. There are stairs to the left which lead to a high cliff with a green swamp below. There is a tower in the middle of the swamp; run and jump onto the base of the tower. Pull the switch there. This will raise several metal pillars on the sides of the swamp. Now, jump into the swamp and look for a switch on the wall. Pull this switch. This opens the metal bars blocking the river, so now you can jump back to the river.

Climb up the stairs again, and this time, turn left and jump on the pillars you just raised. These pillars lead to a high area where the chaos serpents were firing at you earlier. Don't panic if a poison dart hits you; it's almost unavoidable. Of course, don't get hit by too many darts, otherwise your life may get too low. There's a switch on the high area that raises steps to go up the tower. Jump to the base of the tower (don't drop down to the swamp; it's just a little too high and you'll get hurt). Now climb up the tower and pull the switch. Now the portal beside the swamp is open. This portal takes you to the Darkmere.

Smash down the rotten trees in front of you when you first enter the Darkmere. Enter the building and go to the room flooded with muck. Now, look for a piece of furniture that is different from the rest (you can find out what it is yourself, I won't spoil the fun here). Go up to it and activate it. This opens the door next to it. Activate the switch behind the door, and the other door in the room opens.

Enter the door, and go left. At the end of the corridor, open the door and activate the switch inside. Now go back and take the corridor opposite the door. The first switch has opened a room here; go inside and activate the switch. Now go along the last corridor which leads outside to the swamp.

Go into the porch of the small building here, and activate the switch there. If you look into the window, you'll see the Castle Key which you need in order to get to the Swamp key. However, the door to the building is not open yet, so follow the current of the muck and you'll get to a big open area with a castle. Don't drift with the current now; the muck flows into a very deep chasm and you'll get killed by the fall. Go to the front of the castle and pull the switch. This lowers the bridge into the castle. Don't fall off the bridge as the monsters come charging out! Go inside the courtyard, and look for the room with a well.

Jump into the well and activate a switch. This raises the water level so that you can get out again, and at the same time, it opens the door in the small building with the Castle Key. You need the Castle key to open the room at the top of the tower in the courtyard, so go get it now.

Climb up the tower and open the door. There is a hidden switch here: see if you can find it! Hint: vandalize the room! (ie., smash everything you can). This switch opens the door to the lower level of the castle.

Go to the lower level of the castle (the entrance is somewhere in the courtyard of the castle), until you get to what looks like a dining room.

Note:if you have the Horn Key, you can reach one of the six puzzle switches from here. Now, look for where a fireplace is supposed to be but isn't. Open the secret wall behind, and a secret passage will be revealed. Go along the passage and pull the switch at the end. This lowers an elevator that takes you to the room with the Swamp Key.

As you approach the key, walls will rise and block you, and the masks on the wall starts shooting poison darts. You cannot avoid getting hit by the darts, so run as fast as you can along the zig-zag walls to minimize the damage. Now get the swamp key. The walls will re-arrange to form three rows, two rows with fireballs spewing from the ground and the last row with the poison darts trap. One of these rows is the one you must run through to get out; if you run through the other two rows, you'll be teleported back to where the Swamp Key was. (In a previous version of this walkthrough I thought the leftmost row was always the right one, but it's not; it's chosen at random. Sorry for any confusion caused or any guts spilled :) But I still don't know how to find out which is the correct row, other than running through all of them. Please tell me if you know.) If you're following my order of getting the keys, go back to Shadow Wood now, using the portal beside the small building with the Castle key.

The Cave Key

The Cave Key is in the Caves of Circe. Go to the temple in Shadow Wood, to the room with the six panels. If you look at the map, you'll notice that there are two passages that lead to this room from the front of the temple. Go to where the north passage enters the room. Walk in front of the black mask there. This activates many traps in the temple, and also raises stairs in the front corridor. Run back to the front corridor and go up the new stairs that just raised. (This is north of the entrance to the temple.) Be careful! Don't fall of the last step: you need to jump (actually running will do) into the opening on the right at the top of the stairs. This goes into the room where the chaos serpents are, which overlooks the room with the six panels. Go to the centre of the room and look for a small manhole near the west wall. Jump inside and pull the switch. Now, go back to the opening at the top of the stairs where you came in (not the other opening which also leads to another part of the temple's front corridor). The switch you just pulled has lowered the stairs below ground level. Jump down and go to the bottom of the steps. There's a secret opening here which shuts behind you as soon as you enter it. Don't worry; follow the short passage into a large room with lots of goodies.

Hold it there! Don't be greedy! Carefully step into the room and stop. Floors and ceilings will start to move; some pillars will crush down from the ceiling. Deep pits will form in the room. When things have calmed down, you can follow the right ledge, which will lead you to a room with the portal to the Caves of Circe.

Alternatively, follow the left ledge (you need some jumping around for this route), until you come to a switch on the wall. Activate this switch, and the deep pits will be removed, partially restoring the room. (Thanks to Michael W. Daniels for telling me about this switch!) Now you can walk around the room and collect the goodies here. After collecting the goodies, look for the room with the symbol of Korax and step into the portal.

This takes you to the Caves of Circe. Turn right and jump down from the ledge where you start, and turn right again. Jump down the hole with bats flying out. Now you are in what I call the Ettin Cave (you have to put up with my silly names because I'll be referring to them when giving you directions). There are three exits from here; take the leftmost one, which leads to Skylight Cave. I call it that because you can see the sky through the big crack in the ceiling. From here, there are two ways to get to the Cave Key:

1. Turn right when you enter the Skylight Cave, and jump into the hole at the end of the passage (or fall into it if you didn't see it!). This is a small cave that opens out to a corridor. Go out on the corridor and turn right. Take the first left turn. This takes you to what I call the Middle Cave. The Cave Key is here.

2. Go straight along the Skylight Cave. The passage will take you to what I call the Lower Cave, which has a pool in the middle and dripping water. Turn right and follow the passage there. Take the left turn when it forks. Now you are in the Middle Cave, where the Cave Key is. There are also ascending stairs from the Lower Cave that leads directly into the Middle Cave. (I leave it to you to figure out the other interconnected passages around here).

Note: if you have the Horn Key, you can reach one of the six puzzle switches from here. If you have the Swamp Key, you can also get to another puzzle switch from here.

If you don't have any of these keys, here's how to get back to Shadow Wood: Go back to the Ettin Cave. This time, take the right exit. You'll get to a cave with a bright open area at the far end overlooking a deep chasm (this is not the pit with water flowing down the sides). Walk along the ledge on the left, and make your way across the chasm. There's a Porkalator along the way... see if you dare to get it :) At the end of the path, there's a room with some goodies and a teleport. This teleport takes you to where you started when you came to the Caves of Circe. Step into the portal there that takes you back to Shadow Wood. To get out of the room under the temple in Shadow Wood, find a switch in the room. This lowers an elevator that takes you back to the main floor of the temple. Now you can get out.

NEXT PAGE

Questions? Comments? We Love To Answer E-Mail At PIR (CLICK THE SHOTGUN)

Parker Information Resources Houston, Texas doom@parkerinfo.com