E1M6: The Black Heart (HUMP mini)

E1M6: The Black Heart is the sixth map in episode The Coast of Praevus of HUMP mini. It was designed by ETTiNGRiNDER and uses the music track "Mist" by Kevin Schilder.

Essentials
Take the Ethereal Crossbow in front of the locked door ahead of you then head north-west into an open area with gargoyles as well as a podium with a Dragon Claw on it. Go through the wooden door west of the podium and kill some more gargoyles, then head north past an ophidian to go down some steps to a water pool. Kill some more gargoyles along with golems then head north up some moss-covered steps to find the yellow key between two Energy Orbs. Watch out for one or three disciples of D'Sparil that are released from the waterfalls around you.

Return to the starting point and head north-east to the other side of the center building, then go south-east to enter a curved stone tower that has a large spiral staircase inside it. Head up the steps, passing golems and sabreclaws on the way (and some nitrogolems near the top), and get ready to face a crowd of sabreclaws and golems (plus two disciples and an iron lich on bringest them oneth (BTO) skill level or higher) when you reach the top. Enter the teleporter on the east side of the tower to land on top of a wall, then enter the enclosed graveyard below and to your right to find the green key. Destroy the nitrogolem ghosts that appear by the graves, then leave the graveyard and head east to find a Hellstaff in front of a teleporter leading back to the tower.

Return to the starting point and open the two locked doors to the north to enter a chapel with some undead warriors. Head forward between the pews and open the door in the north-west corner to enter a large hall with golems and gargoyles at ground level, along with nitrogolems on the V-shaped staircase ahead and undead warriors on an overhead ledge. Go up the left-hand side of the staircase to a wooden door and open it to find a long columned hallway, destroy the approaching sabreclaws and ophidians then head north between the columns, watching out for ambushes from golems. There is a wooden door at the end of the hallway - open it to find four disciples guarding the blue key.

Backtrack to the V-shaped staircase and go up the right-hand steps this time to find another door, which has a blue key door behind it guarded by three more golems. Open this door and go up a green staircase guarded by gargoyles, nitrogolems and sabreclaws then turn left at the top to enter a stone hall with more gargoyles as well as four ophidians. Drop down either of the holes by the south wall and use the black lift in front of you to enter a rectangular room that has three metal columns in its center; pressing the switch between these columns will lower them and release gargoyles or disciples, but it will also lower part of the south wall and reveal an iron lich. Step through this wall and head forward to an exit door, kill a disciple waiting behind it on BTO or higher then press the blue switch to finish the level.

Other points of interest
A Firemace can spawn in one of the following locations:
 * In a triangular alcove south of the yellow key area.
 * At the bottom of the V-shaped staircase near the center of the level.
 * Between the wooden pillars by the blue key door.

A Phoenix Rod can be found behind the chamber holding the blue key.

Secrets

 * 1) In the building on the west side, use the middle wooden support on the south wall to lower a lift. Ride it up and head south to a door. Behind it you can get Ethereal Arrows and Crystal Vials, and behind the next door you can get Energy Orbs and a Silver Shield. (sector 292)
 * 2) At the spiral staircase in the south-east area of the level, go to the west wall between two hanging skulls and open it. Take the teleporter and you can drop right (north) to an area with ammo and a Tome of Power. (sector 311)
 * 3) When you enter the central area with the V-shaped staircase, head to the plus-shaped column to the east and use its south side. This opens a wall to the east with sabreclaws as well as a Ring of Invulnerability, Lesser Runes and Flame Orbs. (sector 289)
 * 4) On the green staircase past the blue key door, go up until you see two hanging skulls on the west wall. Open that wall to find ammo, Timebombs of the Ancients and a Morph Ovum. (sector 70)

Bugs
The player 1-4 starts (Things 0 through 3) have no flags set for any of the three difficulty classes, but because of special handling in the engine, they function normally in the level.

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 7, 2022.

Player spawns
This level contains six spawn points:
 * 1) facing south-west. (thing 547)
 * 2) facing north. (thing 548)
 * 3) facing north-west. (thing 551)
 * 4) facing south. (thing 555)
 * 5) facing east. (thing 562)
 * 6) facing south. (thing 563)

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