Hub 1: Winnowing Hall

The Winnowing Hall is the first level in Hexen, the Tutorial, so to speak. Although it is part of the Seven Portals hub, you cannot return to it once you have left.



Walkthrough
You start in an open courtyard filled with Ettins, although you are not in danger until you move or attack. With the only other paths blocked or locked, you need to enter the main doors.

In the main hall, you will see a closed teleporter. There are also two traps in the room. First, stepping near the teleporter will release monsters, and the second is triggered by approaching the southern alcove, causing them to turn and shoot projectiles. There are a few flechettes near the alcove and teleporter, and health behind the northern and western stained glass. To continue, smash the warrior stained glass window in the western alcove to reveal stairs.

Proceed down the stairs, and pull the switch on the left and proceed through the four opening doors. When you enter the next room, the sides of the walls will lower to release a few ettins. You can smash the back stained glass window for a Quartz Flask, or pull the switch to reveal the Emerald Key.

When you collect the emerald key, the four doors begin a crushing sequence. When the fourth door closes, run against the doors. You should blitz through as soon as it opens, and before the first starts to close (if it does, you were moving at walking speed.) Return to the starting area.

To the south-east of the start, you should find the Emerald key door. Open it, and Ettins will begin their attack. You will now need to get through the gate. First, press the switch to open the side door and go up the steps. Take care of the Ettin guard, and press the switch at the top of the wall. Return down the stairs, and the bell tower is now accessible.

The bell tower is locked by a silver key, accessible from a cave north-west of the tower. When you collect a silver key, the crushing hallway will commence, but is not as dangerous. To pass through, simply forward as the ceiling and floor retract.

Enter the bell tower, and head to the top to ring the bell. This will spawn a few monsters, but unlocks the exit.

This exit is a point of no return, despite being in the Seven Portals hub.

Trivia

 * "Winnowing" means "to eliminate that which is inferior".
 * All of the stained glass windows in this level can be broken, and several of them conceal items. The stained glass depicts the three character classes. Some have an extra pane above them that depicts the ultimate weapon of that class.
 * If the player is using the Mage class, they do not need to get the Silver Key in order to complete the level. At the area with the bell tower, aim at the bell through the window and shoot it with the Sapphire Wand to lower the teleporter in the other room.
 * In the first indoor room, once the ettins are released, they can be killed by triggering the Korax heads and running outside.
 * The player can also hide inside the small rooms that they are held in; the is a switch on the other side of the head so that they will not be trapped.
 * Every four minutes, between 0 and 4 ettins will be spawned, scattered throughout the map.
 * The map shows a hidden teleporter in the Emerald Key room. This is a deathmatch only passage, which leads to a Mystic Urn

Secrets

 * In the room with the emerald key you can kill the ettin without getting hurt by breaking the window in the back and hiding inside.
 * In that same room, when playing deathmatch, there is a hidden door on the south side, behind it is a teleport leading to a Mystic Urn.
 * Just after using the emerald key, if you go up the steps and turn around there are stone ledges against the wall that can be jumped up to a Platinum Helm.
 * You can kill the ettin in the room with the silver key by standing on the opposite side of the stalagmites and hitting them. With the Fighter and Cleric classes, as long as they are within melee range, this is easy to do. However, with the Mage class, you will have to position yourself so that the wand attack goes through (there is only one spot where this can occur).