MAP16: Virulent Well (1000 Line Community Project)

MAP16: Virulent Well (in Vanilla ports, named simply "Virulent" on the automap) is the sixteenth map of 1000 Line Community Project. It was designed by Brayden Hart (AD_79), who also composed the music track "Sleipnir" for this map.

Essentials
This level features a lot of damaging floors, so it is essential to move quickly and use stimpacks and medikits whenever they are available. The pickups in front of you at the start of the level will vary depending on skill level - on I'm Too Young To Die (ITYTD) and Hey Not Too Rough (HNTR) a chaingun and megaarmor are provided, on Hurt Me Plenty (HMP) the megaarmor is replaced with an armor, and on Ultra-Violence (UV) and Nightmare (NM) no armor is provided and the chaingun and boxes of bullets are moved north into the nukage (on lower skill levels this area is occupied by a berserk pack).

From the start, head north past two zombiemen into the nukage then run south-west until you pass a gray vine-covered wall. Look west at this point to see two metal columns with yellow lights and run between them, then continue west to a gargoyle switch guarded by an imp and zombieman that will lower the lift next to it. Ride the lift up and kill the Hell knight in front of you then press another gargoyle switch behind it to lower the floor and reveal more zombiemen and imps (plus a revenant on HMP, or a mancubus on other skill levels) who are guarding a teleporter that will put you on a platform to the south. Drop into the nukage again then head north-east and north towards a gray wall with armor bonuses in front of it - two wooden blocks have lowered allowing you to reach the north side of the nukage area.

Kill any enemies you can see then head north around the dark-gray wall in front of you until you reach a metal barrier with a switch in it. Flip the switch to lower the barrier then head forward to a tall chamber with a large wooden column in the middle - there is a switch on the north side of the chamber that will lower the east and west bookcases to reveal a crowd of imps and zombiemen. Fight your way to the gargoyle switch in the west alcove, which will lower the central column and reveal a teleporter guarded by four revenants on ITYTD and HNTR, an arch-vile on HMP or two arch-viles on UV and NM. Step into the teleporter then run straight forward to land on a pillar holding the yellow skull key.

Go back to the starting point and head east through the yellow key door, kill all the waiting monsters then head up the steps to a teleporter pad; stepping on the pad will open a wall behind you and revealing several monsters, including a mancubus on HMP or higher. Step into the teleporter at the back of this ambush to go to a rock platform then follow the trail of health bonuses north-east to land on another platform with two radiation shielding suits; you will need these to survive the next part of the level. Head east and north to drop into a pit of red slime (which inflicts 20% damage per second without protection) then head north and east into an open area, collecting a super shotgun on the way. To the east is a metal and wood structure containing a metal column; walk round the structure and press the gargoyle switch in the east wall, then kill any monsters that teleport in while you wait for the metal column to lower. Once it lowers to reveal a teleporter, step on the teleporter to leave the red slime area.

You will be in a tall cavern with a white rock floor, facing two columns that have lion faces on them. Press both of the columns to lower them and reveal mancubi guarding two skull switches, as well as lowering the walls behind you to reveal revenants, cacodemons, pain elementals and other enemies. After clearing the room, press both skull switches to reveal a third switch on the east wall guarded by (depending on skill level) two revenants, an imp or a mancubus; flipping the third switch will raise a lift in the middle of the room that you can ride up to a teleporter, which will put you on a marble ledge above the red slime area. Head forward and look to your right to see two imps or a knight guarding a switch, which will lower a lift to your left with a revenant or chaingunners on it. Ride the lift up and drop down to a bridge which you should follow until you see a switch on your right - flipping it will open a wall ahead of you revealing revenants and arch-viles ahead, as well as allowing a mancubus to teleport in behind you. Push past the enemies in front of you to reach another switch that will raise a bridge leading south, then cross it and look left to see a gargoyle switch that will lower the lift in front of you (watching out for a revenant waiting to ambush you from the right). Ride the lift up and run west until you drop down to a white ledge, which you can follow to the red skull key.

Drop into the nukage and head south through a wall you walked through earlier, then continue south until you see an opening on your right which you can turn into to reach solid ground. Head north to a red key door overlooked by chaingunners and open it to reveal a switch that will lower the neighboring lift. Ride the lift up and go round the corner, ready to kill one or two knights that are revealed on your left, and run along the top of the wall you just walked through until you get to a round dark rock in the middle of the level. Follow the trail of health bonuses and step on the Plutonia-style teleporter at the end to finish the level.

Other points of interest
From the start point, go into the nukage then head west to find a rocket launcher and one or two boxes of rockets (on UV and NM, one of the boxes is replaced with a stimpack). From this point, follow the vine-covered wall south until it curves round to the right to enter a tunnel with health bonuses and a supercharge (or armor on UV and NM). Now head south-east until you drop down to a chamber with a super shotgun on top of a pillar; pressing the switch on the pillar will lower it, but will also open an alcove behind you containing zombies, imps and a mancubus guarding a teleporter leading back to the nukage.

A plasma gun can be found on a white rock step under the pillar holding the yellow key. You can find a second plasma gun in the red slime area, between the two south "prongs" of the marble bridge.

Secrets

 * 1) Entering the teleporter in the south-west corner of the level will put you on a platform to the south. Turn round and press the unlit gargoyle switch behind you to find a passage leading to a megaarmor (or megasphere on ITYTD and HNTR). (sector 152)
 * 2) At the north-east end, look north-east for a stalagmite in the damaging red slime. Enter the slime to the left of the stalagmite and go through the red wall. Follow the rocks up to an area with a megasphere. (sector 92)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level: