The Holt

The Holt, sometimes called Holt or incorrectly called Luminarium or Urdak is a region located in the realm of Urdak that contains a lush forest (the Equestrian Holt) and the Luminarium. Since the awakening of the Icon of Sin, the Holt has been corrupted and infested by the hellspawn which have overrun the once sacred place.

It is the third and final level of The Ancient Gods - Part One, the first DLC of Doom Eternal. There is a Slayer Gate and two Secret Encounters in this level.

Overview
Prior to the downfall of Urdak, the Holt was once a beautiful world, and lush expanse of supernal nature, reflecting the state of the realm when it first came into being by the effortless breath of the Father. Massive ivory trees and crimson leaves intermingle with the singing data-roots that spring from the ground itself, an undying land of beauty and serene calm. The Maykrs once used these sacred groves to meditate before meeting the Father in the Luminarium.

Currently, the Holt has become flooded with demons and corrupted Maykr Angels, due to the awakening of the icon of sin which allowed the demons to breach into Urdak and The Holt .The leaves now fall with shades of death in their branches. The old path to the Luminarium is overgrown and untended, a forgotten remnant of the glories of Urdak, as the maykr's are rarely seen ever since the invasion of hell. The holy temple of the Father remains silent as a crypt.

The first section of the Holt is a a forest featuring Maykr structures in tight quarters, with trees in certain areas and multiple platforms to proceed further into the forest. There are also floating objects with Maykr-like tentacles that repeatedly ascend upwards before disappearing and appearing at the bottom before beginning to ascend again. One of the areas contain electric pillars that can be activated to form a way up to the next area. The forests possess structures that are similar to those found in the Ingmar Sanctum.

Outside the forest there is the Maykr stronghold itself, where the Luminarium is held within the palace's holy chamber.

History
During the Doom Slayer's journey to end Hell's invasion, he took the Dark Lord's life sphere from the Blood Swamps to the Holt in order to give him a physical body to destroy him. Upon reaching the corrupted Urdak, the Doom Slayer fights his way through the forest to get to the Luminarium. While proceeding through the forest, VEGA, who now is the Father contacts the Slayer along the way, explaining to him the events that happened on Urdak, thinking that the Slayer will help him restore Urdak and resurrect himself to a physical body, unaware of the events that happened in the Blood Swamps and that the Slayer carries the Dark Lord's life sphere. Just beyond the holy chamber, the Slayer is confronted by the Seraphim upon reaching the Luminarium’s entrance. Suffering from the Transfiguration, the Seraphim is transformed into a corrupted version of himself, and after a lengthy battle is ultimately defeated by the Slayer and teleported away by the Father, for "there was no point in killing him". Despite being warned that bringing the Dark Lord into physical form is irreversible, the Doom Slayer resurrects him and discovers that the Dark Lord is an alternate version of himself who originated from Hell.

Objectives

 * Resurrect the Dark Lord
 * Get to the Luminarium

New Enemies

 * Blood Maykr

Trivia

 * Completing both secret encounters in this level unlocks the Blood Slayer skin for the Doom Slayer. Additionally, completing the level on Nightmare unlocks a new main menu background and player avatar.
 * "Holt" is an old English word meaning "wood", "thicket", or "forest", but it is not in common use today.