E3M2: The Cesspool (Heretic)

E3M2: The Cesspool is the second level in The Dome of D'Sparil episode of Heretic.

You start inside a small azure brick room filled with columns.Just in front you can see two cages,left and right to your position,which contain an ophidian and some bonus respectively.Ignore them for now and go forth.Across the room you can see two yellow key doors nested at the corners(beware there are imps there)and between them a tunnel like passage out of the room.Take that and enter a small court-like area with water and 4 high pillars.You can see the yellow key ahead on an altar but you can't get it yet.Clear the court from the sabreclaws and imps if you wish and then climb up the stairs to the stone tiled floor and enter any of the two openings located right and left of the tunnel that brought you here.Go down in the moss-themed water tunnels and fight your way to the center killing imps.The left path there contains a silver shield and some ammo while the right one your crossbow (yay), the wings of wrath and a tome of power.When you have reached the center, press the switch.You have lowered the altar upon which the yellow key was placed.

Go and get it (beware of the stalking sabreclaws) and then head back on the yellow doors at the starting room.Choose the right one and follow the corridor you see to another set of water tunnels.Before you enter it's time for secret 1.Now go down the green stone-tiled tunnel and go up a set of stairs just across the green door.You may want to get the hellstaff first(You can easily dispatch the weredragons with some careful use of the pods).After that, enter the teleporter to a square room with some cultists guarding the green key.Collect the goodies and the key and take care of the ophidians who ambush right after.Now exit the room using the teleporter right opposite of the one who brought you here.

You should land on a flooded room with some caged ophidians.You are inside the left yellow door we left before.Make quick work of them and collect any goodies, then go towards the outside.You will see another green door here.Open it and enter a castle-like big corridor.As you go down the corridor,you will notice a small warehouse-like building to your left, containing some wizards.Enter it,clearing everything.You will see a golden shield behind some barrels to the other edge of the room but I'd suggest getting it at the end of the level.Instead,go inside the dirt tiled floor and get ready for secret number 2.After that resume your path on the corridor ,taking care of the ophidian who will try to ambush you oposite of the blue door.A passage has opened to the starting room.Open the wooden door just in front of that passage to a room with the gauntlets and a switch you should use.The blue door has been unbarred (you still need the blue key though).Now go forth into a square stone room with some wooden risings and more mobs to slaughter.You can see a door on the other end of the room and by opening you can see that it was the first green door you encountered back in the green stone tunnels.Secret numero tre can also be accessed through this room!After you are done with your scavenging take the blue key and take care of the ambushing cultists.Now go back on the blue door and open it to find an iron lich!After you kill it you are free to leave.Be sure you take the golden shield by now and if you want you can get the rest of the items you couldn't reach before using the wings of wrath.

SECRET 1:Just before going down the water tunnels after you have entered the right yellow door, use the trident banner to open a room with a bag of holding and a silver shield.

SECRET 2:Inside the small yellow floor room at the warehouse,use the banner to get passage to one of the two ophidian cages you saw in the start of the level,containing a phoenix rod.

SECRET 3:In the big stone room with the wooden thingies sticking out of the ground,do some clever climbs and get the map scroll.Right in front of it is a wall with a trident banner.Open it to the second ophidian cage, containing a ring of invulerability.