E2M2: The Lava Pits (Heretic)

Walkthrough

Step forward and the wall will open revealing another vast field of volcanic rock. You will get your first look at your next new enemy. These sabreclaws are similar to the creatures from the aliens movies. Take him out before proceeding further. They will drop lesser runes. What you have to do is cross the field by hopping from island to island. Unfortunately the volcanic rock is unstable and some of the islands will sink when you step on them. There are four larger ones that are a lighter texture than the others that are the stable ones, located at roughly the 11 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 5 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions when viewed on the map. Anyway, your objective is the cavern on the east side, so just make a run for the southeast opening. Take out the beasties, including the undead warriors you can see through the barred window to the north. At the east end of the cavern you can see a pit at the base of the cascade with some goodies. Drop down and take out the sabreclaw. As soon as you grab any of the goodies the wall sections open containing gargoyles. The only way to get back up is to use the Wings of Wrath. Get the yellow key, ride the fork-like sections up to get the goodies on top of the cascade. Use the wings to your advantage and head for the yellow doors which are to the north of the cavern with the sinking islands. Both doors lead to the same place and have the same monsters behind them. Proceed up the stairs. Press the switch to raise the stairs. When you head up the stairs, the wall ahead will open. Also, the wall the switch was on behind you will lower containing a nest of gargoyles. Get the dragon claw and the chaos device. This will teleport you back to the start of the level. Proceed up the stairs again. Start by going left. You will come to a large building with barred windows. Take out the undead warriors through the windows before proceeding inside. Get the map scroll. The inner part in inaccessible for now. Go back outside and get the ring of invincibility behind the lava pool. That's all you can do here for now. Go back past the stairs and the big door (opened with the green key) and proceed down the stairs to the east. Before proceeding down the next set of stairs to the east there's a few things to do here. There's a shield in the room behind the south door and a switch in the room behind the east door. The switch opens the center section of the prison building.

Secret 1: 'Use' the wall section with the bird motif in the northwest corner. Take out the sorcerer and get the hellstaff.

Proceed down the east stairs. This leads to the room where you saw the imprisoned undead warrior earlier. Take him out if you hadn't already done so. In the northeast corner is a wall section with a blue banner.

Secret 2: 'Use' this to open a tiny room with a tome of power. When you grab it the wall section ahead will open containing a sorcerer. Proceed forward and another wall section will open containing another sorcerer and a morph ovum.

Head back to the prison. Take out the golems. When you step inside, platforms will raise up containing ethereal undead warriors. Take them out, get the gauntlets and the green key. Head for the green door. Take out the gargoyles inside and press the switch in the southwest corner. This will raise a pillar revealing the exit.

Secret 3: It will also raise a wall section in the southeast corner providing access to the secret area.

When you head for the south corner of the room, pillars will raise up releasing two weredragons. Get the bag of holding then proceed through the south door. The teleporter will take you back to the top of that lava waterfall. You can now get into the section between the north and south openings into this area.

Secret 4: Get the shadowsphere. A niche to the south will open containing a sorcerer.

Head back to the yellow doors then back to the prison building. You will see a wall section past the lava pool is open now.

Secret 5: Take out the iron lich (use the powered-up hellstaff) then get the mystic urn and the enchanted shield.

Go back to the room with the green door, press the switch to raise the pillar and exit the level.