E3M2: Shadow of the Heretic (Heretic Treasure Chest)

E3M2: Shadow of the Heretic is the second map of episode 3 of Heretic Treasure Chest. It was designed by Lorenzo Davia (Ultimate Lorenzo) and uses the music track "Drive" from Heretic, created by Kevin Schilder.

Essentials
Take the Ethereal Crossbow on the boat then step across to the dock and head north-east towards a silver door guarded by fire gargoyles. Open the door and kill the gargoyles waiting behind it, then pass through another door and climb the staircase past two nitrogolems to a third door, watching out for disciples of D'Sparil that are released from an alcove behind you. Go through the third door then head straight forward to a switch guarded by a nitrogolem and an undead warrior; pressing the switch will lower the large black gate between the green walls to the east.

Drop to the ground and push past the sabreclaws waiting behind the black gate, then head east past a small stone tower to a brown passage. Follow the passage past various monsters, including weredragons and an iron lich, until you reach a lava river then head south-west to a teleporter that will send you to the tan and green tower in front of you. Open the metal door to find nitrogolems guarding a Phoenix Rod; when you collect the weapon a wooden wall to the south will lower to reveal a bridge with undead warriors and more nitrogolems. Head towards the black wall at the other end of the bridge, which will lower as you approach to reveal one or two iron liches.

Destroy the liches then walk through the archway and turn left to see one or more weredragons in front of a blue switch. Press the switch to open a chamber on your right containing disciples and another switch, which will open another chamber containing nitrogolems along with a Bag of Holding and an Ethereal Crossbow. Entering the chamber will open another wall to the north-west leading to a columned hall. Walk towards the door at the other end of the hall; as you pass the second pair of columns three closets containing disciples will open on your left, and the east closet contains a switch that will open the door and allow you to proceed. Go through the door and follow the passage to a blue switch which opens on to a wide hallway, then follow the hallway north until you reach a lich guarding a silver door. Go through the door to enter a large room with a blue trident on the ceiling, then enter the water pool in this room and push past some fire gargoyles to a switch which will release four sabreclaws, but also lower the bars blocking the staircase to the north.

Climb the stairs to a door and go through it, slay the disciples and nitrogolem ghosts waiting in the next room then press the switch by the west wall to open another set of bars nearby. Follow the passage north to get on top of the green wall you saw at the start of the level, then press the switch in the guard tower ahead which will raise the black gate and allow you to walk across it. Head north into a wooden room then go down a blue staircase (watching out for disciples and fire gargoyles that are released behind you) and head due east until you reach another staircase leading into a stone building. Kill the monsters that teleport into the area outside the building then stand on the tiled step in the north-east corner; this will lower a black block to the south next to the exit teleporter. Run south to this block before it rises again, then climb up to the teleporter to finish the level.

Other points of interest
As soon as you step off the dock at the start, enter the small tower on your right and climb the steps to find a Dragon Claw.

After passing the black gate, you will walk past a second small tower on your way to a tunnel. Enter this tower to find a Shadowsphere, along with a Mystic Urn on thou needeth a wet-nurse and yellowbellies-r-us skill levels.

A second Mystic Urn can be found in the tunnel on the east side of the level. After entering the tunnel and passing some stalagmites, look at the wall on your right to see the artifact sitting on a gray step.

Tomes of Power can be found in two closets that contain disciples. The first is by the staircase in the north-west corner of the level, while the second is in the room north of the green wall.

Secrets

 * 1) Enter the building north of the starting point and climb the steps all the way. At the top, open the door to find two more doors. Open the one to the east and get around the crates to find a nitrogolem ghost. Open the wall to the south here to find a Silver Shield. (sector 774)

Current records
The Compet-n records for the map are:

Player spawns
This level contains four spawn points:
 * 1) facing south-east. (thing 313)
 * 2) facing south. (thing 416)
 * 3) facing south-east. (thing 422)
 * 4) facing south. (thing 424)

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