Hexen/Hypostyle

This level is a very large central room with four side areas in the compass directions, each with a minor puzzle or task. These areas will be opened in random order as you complete them. Following these tasks will be a showdown with the game's first boss enemy.

You enter the level in the massive central room, which has many columns. A "hypostyle" room, hall, etc., is simply one whose roof is supported by a grid of columns, hence this level's name. There's an enormous gang of Ettins in here. After getting them all cleared out, take a look around the room. At the center of each wall is a stone door; one of them will be open. On the south wall you'll find two portals, one of them flush with the surface, which goes back to Shadow Wood, and the other inset and blocked by bars, which is the episode's exit. Near the southwest and southeast corners are two more narrow stone doors. Finally, look in the center of the room, where there's a four-pointed compass rose of sorts made of the "clean" metal. One of the four points will be raised up higher than the others. The raised one points to the side area you need to do next. After completing an area, you can use this to quickly see which area is next.

When you first enter any of the side areas, you'll be shoved inside and the door will close. Completing the area's puzzle will reopen the door, and it will remain open from then on.

North side area
This room has several stone crushers, and is jammed with Centaurs. (If this is the first side area open, some of the Centaurs probably wandered out and were mixed in with the Ettins.) On the three other sides are small areas with switches, that either a single or two side-by-side doorways up a few steps lead to. Two will be closed off at first.

After getting the initial enemies cleared out, go up to the side area that was to the left when you first entered (the only open one) and press the switch. Another area will open, and a bunch more Centaurs will spawn. (If you're playing the Cleric, try setting off two Flehettes, one in front of each doorway, as you go up to the switch. The Centaurs that spawn will get stuck on the gas clouds and be kept back, and all you have to do is wait.)

Next, go to and hit the switch opposite the room to open the last area. More Centaurs will spawn. Finally, hit the switch in the last area, opposite the room from the door. This reopens the door.

If you're playing the Cleric, the second segment to your #4 weapon will be in this room.

East side area
This room is the simplest: simply clear out the enemy horde. After a bit, the columns will open, releasing additional enemies, and a switch will pop up in front of the door. Press this switch to reopen the door. There's another switch up in the overlooking area at the back of the room, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

If you're playing the Fighter, the second segment to your #4 weapon will be in this room.

South side area
This room has a big lava pool. Just inside the door, to the right, is a nook on the wall, the bottom of which is covered by water. Press the switch opposite the nook, and the lava level will lower, revealing a walkway to the opposite side. Then look inside the nook again. The water has drained away, revealing a symbol. Remember this symbol. Cross over to the far side of the lava pool, where there's a small room with three panels on the walls, each with a symbol. Stand in front of and activate the one that matches the one in the nook. The door will reopen.

If you choose the wrong one, you'll be teleported to the still-closed door (you saw the destination on the floor), but now launchers will be shooting fireballs across the walkway, impeding your return and exit. The teleporters down at lava-level are your way out if you fall in, but they'll also set off the fireball traps.

West side area
Most of this room is lava-covered. Inside the door is an overlooking area above the lava, with stairways to either side leading down to lava level. When you first enter, backpedal to avoid being shoved over the edge and into the lava.

A series of raising and lowering pillars crosses over the lava to a doorway up on the opposite wall. The easiest way to get from pillar to pillar is to wait until the next pillar is lower than the one you're on, then walk off and land on it. Step--don't jump--to the doorway from the final pillar. If you jump, you'll hit your head on the top half of the pillar and fall into the lava.

Inside the doorway, press the switch to reopen the door. The easiest way to cross back over is to just jump down to the lava and leg it to one of the stairways.

If you're playing the Mage, the second segment to your #4 weapon will be in this room.

Boss fight: Death Wyvern
After completing all four side areas, the points on the compass rose will all be lowered. The two doors to the southwest and southeast are now open. Inside both are small rooms, with doors in the back leading to small caverns, both of which in turn lead to a massive cavern with a huge lava lake well below. A ledge surrounds the lava lake, connecting to both entrances. When you enter the big cavern, you'll be greeted by a hideous shriek: the Death Wyvern, the episode's boss enemy, awaits. First, quickly run along the ledge to the far back of the cavern, where you'll find Wings of Wrath. Being airborne will significantly ease the battle.

The Death Wyvern, a big flying creature, attacks with a volley of very damaging fireballs. Whenever any impact with a surface, stay back: about one second after they dissipate, the surface they impacted will flare up again, causing a lot of damage if you come into contact. While flying backwards and allowing it to chase you, it can be defeated quite easily using the #3 weapon of any character class. While you're fighting it, watch out for gasballs from the Brown Serpents along the ledge, or get them out of the way first. (Unfortunately, the Death Wyvern will sometimes be stuck to the big pillar in the middle of the lava. This trivializes the fight of course, but it also takes the fun out of a good boss fight.)

Exit and secret level
When the Death Wyvern is defeated, the exit portal will be unblocked.

VERY IMPORTANT: If you haven't been there yet, go back to Shadow Wood and '''go to this episode's secret level. You must visit this level''' if you want to access the secret level in the fourth episode. In addition, it's an especially nice level with an enormous quantity of mana and items.