MAP12: The Temple of the Oracle (Strife)

After the Programmer is destroyed, the player gets the first Sigil piece. Macil wants the player to find the Oracle and ask it about the other four pieces. The Oracle resides in its own temple which is found in the Borderlands. There are two entryways inside, one of them is hidden and doesn't need the Oracle Key.

To find the Oracle, the player can take one of the two seperate paths: one with enemies, the other with no enemies. The hidden entrance leads to the path with no enemies. If you take the primary entrance, you'll find yourself walking in room with Acolytes and Stalkers attacking. Kill them, then keep going until you get to a cave-waterfall area. There are Stalkers all around the ceiling, so be careful. If you want the path with no enemies, then jump down to the right side of the bridge. Once you're down there, you can't come back up. If you want the path with enemies, go through the door across the bridge and to the left.

The path with enemies

Open the door to encounter a Templar. Once he's dead, procced until you come to some doors. To the left are Acolytes behind bars and a sneaky one sniping from a window to the right (sometimes he isn't there). Finish them off, then take the left door (the one between the bars). To get inside the bars where the Acolytes were, simple turn left and/or right. At each end you'll find a Templar, at first appearing to be peaceful, don't let that fool you, kill him. Flip the switch nearby to open the door and get the goodies, (now your on the other side of the bars, hehe). Fliping the switch also reveals one or two Sentinels. Do the same for the other end. Kill Templar, flip switch, kill Sentinel(s), get the goodies. Once you're done, take one of the two lifts.

Up here you will either find another "peaceful" Templar if you play on Training and Rookie or two ambushing Sentinels on Veteran, Elite and Bloodbath and a Crusader on Elite and Bloodbath. Whatever the hell you find, kill it. When you aproach the left or right door, more Sentinels will appear just about everywhere in this room. Once they're finished, go through one of the two doors and flip the switch. Once you're back from where you came via lift, you'll notice the other doors have opened. Once back, go through the now opened door to the left, near the bar-sentinel switch. Kill the Acolyte and take the lift up. Turn left, and flip the switch here. Quickly turn around, and kill the ambushing Stalkers before they get you. Jump down the balcony and kill any Templars you find down there, also flip the switch here.

Take the door to the left, you'll find another Crusader on higher skill levels. Be careful of the enemies on the edges, they will either be Reavers or Templars. Kill the Crusader and the Sentinels in the small room with the switch, flip it. Take the stairs left or right and you should notice a chanting sound... You're getting close! Kill any remaining hostiles before opening the big silver-white door.

Behold the weird green room... This is the Oracle's inner sanctum. You can take a break as the enemies here won't attack you (unless you attack them). The chanting sound is produced by the kneeling guys. You don't need to fear them, they're just holograms. Walk past the stationary Templars and open the door to find the Oracle.

The path with no enemies

This path is a bit shorter and easier, since there are no baddies who want you dead. If you take the hidden entrance or you jumped down from the bridge (as mentioned earlier) you'll find yourself in a cave. Find and flip the switch which opens an area.

Jump on the green-like pillar and choose to either jump your way left or right. If you fall, you're gonna have to find your way to the switch which lowers a lift that you can take to get back up. You should notice a door to the right, which is opened by yet another switch. Once you get to the switches, flip them both. The switch facing the dark opening will raise a small pillar which you have to jump from to get on other side, the other one opens the door that contains some goodies.

Jump over and go through the dark cave hallway, and you'll find a raising switch. The chanting noise is getting louder... Flip the switch and it will lower a small lift. Take the lift and flip the switch here to open the door to the green room. (Note: the two Templars who were standing there are crushed by ceiling pillars, how odd.) Take the door to the right to find the Oracle.

The Oracle's room

As you aproach the Oracle, some Acolytes will raise from the ground to your left and right, you don't have to worry, they won't attack you but they'll be watching you. If you look up, you will see the Oracle's Spectre in the ceiling hole.

Talk to the Oracle, and ask your question... Once done, a teleporter will appear nearby which leads back to the Borderlands. There is also a door to the left, that only opens when you kill Macil first, then talk to the Oracle. The door has another teleporter that takes you to the Proving Grounds.

When the time comes to fight the Oracle, you have be careful. The fight is usually triggered when you talk to to the Oracle. The Spectre will teleport behind you and the Acolytes will start shooting. When you try to escape the room, the Spectre would be blocking the way, and even if you get past it, there are still those two Templars (if they're not crushed) and a flood of Acolytes teleporting endlessly. It would be the best the eliminate all the troops and Templars before the fight. The Spectre isn't that strong but it is deadly if you get too close. Kill the Spectre when necessery and get the hell out of there!

The Temple of the Oracle(Strife)