E2M3: Cardinal Points (Heretic Treasure Chest)

E2M3: Cardinal Points is the third map of episode 2 of Heretic Treasure Chest. It was designed by Alberto Sposito (Ismaele) and uses the music track "Fred" from Heretic, created by Kevin Schilder.

Essentials
As you step off the teleporter pad four walls will open around you, revealing gargoyles on medium and hard skill levels. Head north through two doors and an undead warrior to get outside and find an Ethereal Crossbow, then cross the stream and open the stone door on the other side to reveal one to three more warriors guarding another door. After going through this door, you can proceed west or east up either staircase to reach the blue key.
 * Going west, try to open the door opposite the window, which will open a second door to the west. Head that way past a nitrogolem until you reach a wall with doors on either side - press the switch behind the left-hand door first to lower the wall and reveal a Dragon Claw, then press the switch behind the right-hand door to open another door north of that weapon. Pass this door and follow the passage to a hall containing many gargoyles and nitrogolems, then open the east door to find a room with an undead warrior, golems and nitrogolems. Try to open the south door, which will open another door to the east revealing more golems.
 * Going east, try to open the door opposite the window, which will open a second door to the east. Head that way past some golems to a corridor with three doors, open the north door and press the switch in front of you, then return to the corridor and walk through the now-open east door to find a Hellstaff (the door will close behind you when you pick it up). Turn left and open the door in front of you to enter a chamber with more golems, then head west to a switch (the walls on either side of the passage will lower to reveal nitrogolems) and press it to open a nearby door. Go through the south door then west through the door you just opened to enter a room with nitrogolems and undead warriors guarding Gauntlets of the Necromancer, then try to open the south door which will open another door to the west revealing golems.

After following either route, collect the Bag of Holding then head north through a door to enter a room with golem, nitrogolem and undead warrior ghosts around a lava pit (do not fall in as the pit is inescapable without a Chaos Device). Press all eight switches around the room to raise the blue key from the pit then pick it up, which will open three closets containing disciples of D'Sparil and Quartz Flasks. Backtrack to the river area and destroy the iron liches that have appeared in this area, then return to the start point and head west through a door - you will find a second door behind it which requires the blue key.

Behind this door are a number of ophidians and undead warriors - the yellow key is inside the central column in this room. Behind the north and south doors are one to three ophidians guarding another door; pass through this door and slay the disciples that are revealed, press the switch they were guarding and kill more ophidians that are released around you. The north switch lowers the bars in the yellow key room, while the south switch raises steps leading up to the central column. With both switches pressed, go back to the yellow key room and open the west door to find more ophidians guarding a third switch. Press this third switch then return to the yellow key room, where the central column has lowered - destroy the iron lich that has teleported in, collect the key then return to the start point and pass through the east door, where you will find a second door requiring the yellow key.

Open the yellow key door and dispatch the weredragon and sabreclaws waiting behind it, then follow the passage north to another door with a switch behind it - the columns in this room will lower to reveal disciples as you approach the switch. After pressing the switch, return to where you found the weredragon and head east through the gray door then go down either staircase to find more weredragons guarding a door, which will close as you step through it. Ready yourself before approaching the silver block in the middle of the room - it will lower to reveal the green key, but taking the key allows an iron lich and four/eight disciples to enter the room. Use the Mystic Urn by the west wall to help you dispatch the enemies, press the switch that the lich was guarding to re-open the doors then backtrack to the start point.

Back at the start point, head south through two doors to find a Silver Shield protected by a disciple then open a third door on your right to discover a switch guarded by a weredragon and sabreclaw. Press the switch then follow the passage north to return to the blue key door before heading east and south to another chamber containing a second switch. Press the second switch then go back to the corridor to find that the south door has opened - kill any monsters waiting behind the door before you step through, as it will seal behind you. Approach the lava river running through the middle of the room and deal with a maulotaur that rises from it, then head through the south door to find a Mystic Urn. Go through one more door to find the exit teleporter, but make sure to collect the Bag of Holding behind it before finishing the level.

Other points of interest
Just before the door to the blue key room is another door that does not open when pressed. Shoot this door instead to find a Silver Shield.

A Firemace can spawn under the iron lich guarding the green key.

Secrets

 * 1) At the northern area, head up the right set of steps and try to open the door to the north; the east door will open instead. At this four-way intersection, go south and open the wall with the banners to obtain a Morph Ovum. (sector 409)
 * 2) Once you get the blue key, return to the entrance of this building and go up the left set of steps. The door up here should be open. Enter the room and press on the wall with banners to find another Morph Ovum. (sector 389)
 * 3) In the yellow key room, open the door to the north. Just before the next door, lower the wall to the right. You will find two Timebombs of the Ancients and a Tome of Power. (sector 759)
 * 4) Past the yellow door is a fork. Take the right path and go south to the next door. Open the wall on the left side to find a Ring of Invincibility. (sector 993)
 * 5) The room across from the one where secret #4 is has a teleporter. If you head behind this teleporter and open the wall, you can find a Tome of Power. (sector 930)
 * 6) Open the green door and open the door to the west. Use the switch here, then go north and east. Two alcoves to the west and east sides will open with undead warriors inside. If you press on the wall at the back end of the east alcove, you will open up the wall in the west alcove, which holds a Map Scroll. (sector 931)
 * 7) From secret #6, if you press on the wall at the back end of the west alcove, you will open up the wall in the east alcove, which holds a Tome of Power. (sector 959)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

The (absence of) data was last verified in its entirety on January 16, 2022.

Player spawns
This level contains four spawn points:
 * 1) facing north-east. (thing 638)
 * 2) facing north-west. (thing 639)
 * 3) facing south-west. (thing 640)
 * 4) facing south-east. (thing 641)

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