Hexen/Shadow Wood

Synopsis
Your first primary task in this episode will be to solve puzzles on three additional levels. Doing so allows access to the final level. The puzzle elements within the three levels all function the same. Within each level is a key, plus two locked doors. The keys for the two doors are the ones in each of the other two levels. Past each locked door is an area with a lever that solves part of the puzzle: two per level for a total of six overall. You can do the levels in any order, and you'll usually need to revisit a level because you may not have all the keys you need on your first visit. (You'll also find an auxiliary portal past each locked door. The portal goes to whichever level had the key for that particular door.)

You begin in a large, rocky, desolate area. First, clear out the enemies in this area. There's a big rocky pinnacle in the middle of the area. You can climb up on this; look for some tall steps on one side. You'll see a small cave mostly blocked off (there will be an Afrit inside). The portal to the episode's secret level is inside. It will be open after you complete the puzzle--make absolutely sure you go there before exiting the episode.

In this level there are three side areas, each of which has a minor puzzle that opens access to a portal to one of the three levels with the puzzle elements: Wastelands, Darkmere and Caves of Circe. You'll receive your #3 weapon in one of these side areas. You can go to each level right away if you want, although it may be easier to get everything opened up and cleared out here first. (Tip: If you're playing the Cleric, go to the Caves of Circe side area first; for the Mage, Wastelands; for the Fighter, Darkmere. This way you'll get your #3 fastest.)

From where you entered the level, follow the outer wall to the left. You'll come to a doorway to an area with deteriorating colonnades and a long stairway leading up, and there are windows high up on the wall. This is the Caves of Circe side area. In the main area, continue past the dark-greenish rock wall, and under the archway just past here. A door in the wall to your left will open. The Wastelands side area is inside here. Beyond the archway you'll come to a river that flows into a cave. The Darkmere side area is inside there.

Caves of Circe side area
Enter the building you come to at the top of the stairs. In here is a corridor going left and right. At each end is a rusty door: activate either and both will open. The route on the left goes up a stairway, with a lot of mana, the top of which drops down into a smallish temple of sorts. You can go this way, but the other way is easier. Past the right-hand rusty door is a long corridor that leads to the same temple. In here is a closed silver door, plus six dark panels, three to each side. This door will be opened when the main puzzle is solved, and is your eventual destination. The dark panels will illuminate when the levers in the other three levels are pulled. You'll see that there are two each of three symbols; the symbols correspond to one of the three levels. If you forget a lever, the panels will show you which level the one you missed is in.

Go to the alcove at the far side of the temple, below the dropoff from the mana stairs. A fireball trap here, plus several more traps out in the corridor, will activate. Go back out to the corridor and toward the door to the mana stairs, and you'll see that a stairway in the corridor has formed, leading up. At the top, step off and into the doorway up on the wall to the right: this goes to the room overlooking the temple that you probably noticed earlier. In here, follow the right-hand wall until you come to a square manhole of sorts in the floor against the wall. Jump down into it, and pull the switch you find. The floor raises, allowing you to get out.

If you're playing the Cleric, in the manhole you'll find an eight-pointed object that's burning. This is the Firestorm, your #3 weapon. It fires out a very fast, accurate, fiery beam or lance of sorts. It uses four units of Green Mana per shot. It's very powerful and most useful in more open areas. In tighter spaces such as narrow doorways and corridors it tends to get caught on the walls, and requires pretty exact aim.

After pulling the switch in the manhole, go back out to the corridor. The stairway has been removed and replaced with a different stairway, this one leading down and under the wall. When you go below the wall, the route behind you will be blocked off. (What happened is the stairway was removed and the original corridor restored.) At the end of the passage is a big cave with a low ceiling. Don't enter yet: first, save your game. The mechanics in this area tend to be inconsistent, although it's nothing critical. Slowly inch forward into the cave, and when things begin shifting, return to the passage right away. The cave will disintegrate like the ice cave in the previous episode did. After things settle down, wait several seconds, then continue. There will be many deep pits in the floor, so watch for them. The route beyond is off to the right, but work your way along the wall to the left instead. Near the other side of the cave you'll find a switch on the outer wall. Press it, and over the next several seconds the pits will be removed and most of the cave will be restored to how it was. Here in the cave are many items including a Mystic Urn. (If you had remained in the cave when it began shifting, and collected items, the switch that restores it would have been covered and unavailable. The problem here is the switch sometimes gets covered up anyway, even if you leave the cave immediately. If you want to be able to restore the cave, reload your game and try again.)

In the room beyond the cave is the portal to the Caves of Circe. Opposite the room is a lift that activates when you step up to it, which goes up to the temple in a newly-opened alcove near the mana stairs. The switch lowers the lift, allowing you to return to the portal. The traps will have stopped.

Wastelands side area
This area is mostly a deep chasm with a narrow ledge along one side. Follow the ledge--watch out for the Afrits--and you'll come to stepping-stone-like pillars in a curving route leading to the opposite side. If you're playing the Mage, you'll find a big book wreathed in energy: the Arc of Death, your #3 weapon. This is one of the most powerful weapons in the game, and can outright kill most enemies with a single shot. It sends out a tall column of electricity-like energy that persistently impacts and follows an enemy until it times out, and also has limited homing abilities along its initial trajectory. It uses five units of Green Mana per shot.

At the other end of the stepping-stones is a ledge with an Ettin and a switch. It's possible, although risky, to simply run across the pillars to the other side instead of jumping to each one. Jump off the last one to the ledge and barge into the Ettin while firing. (You may end up on top of the Ettin.) Pull the switch, then return across the stepping stones. Another doorway here has opened, leading back to the main area. Be on guard: a big side area just outside to your right has opened, releasing a bunch of enemies. But there's a lot of mana inside too. Just inside the second doorway is the portal to the Wastelands.

Darkmere side area
Follow the river downstream into the cave; the barrier you come to will open. At the end it flows into a very large, deep, muck-filled area, but it's blocked by bars. Go up the stairs that were to your left just before the end: this goes to a high ledge overlooking the muck-filled area. In the middle of the area is a tower with a wooden platform at the base. Get a running start and run off the ledge and out to the platform. (If you jump directly to the muck you may take falling damage.) First, get rid of all the Stalkers down in the muck. You'll find the barred-off outflow from the river; the switch nearby opens the bars. Near the opposite side of the area is a barred-off side room, with the portal to Darkmere inside.

Jump back up to the wooden platform, and go to the switch. Now, note those three rusty platforms on the near side of the area across the muck. When you pull the switch, they'll slowly rise to the height of the ledge you initially came in here from, and form steps from the ledge to the overlooking area to your right. You can see the mechanisms up on the walls behind the platforms. But also, poison-dart traps at the top of each will activate (you can see the launchers). There's a shortcut here: after pulling the switch, if you move very quickly you can run and jump to the rightmost platform before it's too high to reach, and avoid having to go back up the stairs and past the poison-dart traps. Save your game first in case want to retry if you miss it. Also, when you jump up to the platform, remember to hold your jump button to get the extra height.

However you choose to do it, jump to the overlooking area. Step over the muck stream, then immediately go back to where you jumped over. A big compartment crammed with Afrits has opened here. Going back right away allows you to take care of them before they swarm everywhere. After dealing with them, find and pull the switch here on the overlook: a stairway encircling the tower forms, leading to the top. Also up here in the overlooking area you'll find a Dark Servant. This spawns a Maulotaur--a big creature that was a recurring mini-boss in the game Heretic--that in this game will act as a sidekick and destroy enemies. It will fizzle out after a minute, or if no enemies are nearby.

To jump down from the overlook, get a running start and run off the edge from the wooden section by where the Afrits were, and land on the platform surrounding the tower. From anyplace else you're just a bit too high and you'll take falling damage. Climb up to the top of the tower and pull the switch you find. This opens the bars blocking the portal. If you're playing the Fighter, you'll find your #3 weapon, the Hammer of Retribution, up on the tower. This launches a somewhat slow but accurate magic projectile shaped like the weapon itself. It uses three units of Green Mana per shot. It also has a second mode of attack: when used up close, it strikes enemies, dealing fairly limited damage, but doesn't expend mana. (If you're out of Green Mana, this mode still works.)

Hypostyle
After pulling all six levers on the three levels, go back up to the temple. The six panels will be lit, and the silver door will be open. Inside is the portal to the final level, the Hypostyle. You can also go to this episode's secret level right away if you want, or return here after completing the remainder of the episode.