E1M10: Borderlands (Masters of Chaos)

E1M10: Borderlands is the tenth, and second secret, map in episode The Dark Tower of Masters of Chaos, accessed from E1M7: Chapel of the Fallen Moon.

It was designed by Caleb26 and uses the Hexen music track "Jach".

Blue key
Turn around and press the switch behind you, which will elevate you to an area with numerous enemies. Head north and collect the Ethereal Crossbow, then go forward to a large lava pool with curved staircases on either side. Turn left, cross the lava channel and follow the stairs here to a door with a yellow key gizmo. Turn round here and climb up another curved staircase, leading to another door that you can open. Slay the green chaos serpents behind the door, then turn right and go through a set of hanging skulls.

Turn right and go past the pods to a crushing ceiling, behind which are two or three ophidians. Blow up the pods next to the ophidians to kill then quickly, then go up the south staircase to a room with barrels. Head forward through more hanging skulls and the wall in front of you will open to reveal more chaos serpents. Kill them and follow the tunnel they were guarding to the end, pressing a switch behind some Claw Orbs. Backtrack to the room with the ophidians and go up the north staircase this time (pressing the switch lowered a set of bars here), but do not go into the hallway ahead immediately as there is a lethal crusher covering the entire room. You can straferun through the room as the crusher rises, but you can also stand in the brightly-lit squares to avoid being crushed. After getting past the crusher, carefully follow either set of steps (the pits here are inescapable) and press the switch being guarded by two nitrogolems.

Pressing the switch raises a bridge elsewhere in the level, but also releases a number of fire gargoyles into the area. Deal with them and backtrack through the crushers to the start of the level. Back at the start point, head south this time and collect the Dragon Claw ahead, then go into the tunnel behind it which leads to another outdoor area. Press the switch in the pillar on your left to raise a staircase and climb to the top. There are four more staircases leading away from this area; take the south-east staircase which leads down to a cage with chaos serpents, surrounded by a number of sabreclaws.

Turn left and head around the cage, opening the door in the north-east corner of this area. Climb the steps behind it and turn left at the top. Head straight forwards to an opening in the wall, dispatching any nitrogolems that block your path, then go through the opening and follow the passage round to a switch guarded by a ghost nitrogolem. Press the switch and destroy the undead warrior ghosts and sabreclaws that are released. Once the monsters are slain, go back through the wall opening and turn left, then head straight forward across a bridge (which you raised by pressing an earlier switch) and continue going east until you enter a room with a high ceiling. Climb the steps here and go forward into another room with golems and a chaos serpent, and press the switch by the window, which will allow you to reach the blue key.

Return to the bridge, watching out for golems, weredragons and chaos serpents that have been released. The weredragons' alcove contains a teleporter that will send you back to the lava pool, where you will see that the blue platform in the center has lowered, allowing you to take the blue key sitting on it.

Yellow key
Return to the starting area and head south to the area with several staircases. Go up the north-eastern staircase this time, turn right and head forward until you reach a wall with serpent torches. Turn left here to see a door behind some blue key gizmos - go through it then turn left and left again. Slay the waiting golems, then turn right and head through the three cobwebbed wall openings to a switch on a stone slab; press it and kill the disciples of D'Sparil which have been released behind you.

Backtrack to the area with many staircases, where you will find that a sixth staircase has risen pointing south. Climb this staircase and turn left at the top, then go forward until you see an opening in the wall on your right. Go into this opening and follow the wooden steps down to a water pool with a number of weredragons. Go to the west end of this area to find a switch behind a Phoenix Rod which needs to be pressed.

Pressing the switch opens three sections of wall to the south, but also releases a Bormereth just behind those walls. Go through the walls you just lowered and turn left, then head forward to the stone structure ahead. Step into the water pool next to the structure and look east to see a doorway in the orange wall leading to a dark tunnel. Go into that tunnel and follow it round the corner.

Dispatch the two fire gargoyles ahead and continue following the tunnel until you drop into a long hall. Turn right and destroy the sabreclaws approaching from the south, then go to the area they came from and go down either of the water staircases here. Destroy the pods at the bottom and drop into a wide area guarded by chaos serpents - destroy them and step into the teleporter they were guarding, which will put you on top of a waterfall overlooking the earlier hall.

Turn round and follow the tunnel round the corner, dispatch the undead warrior ghost ahead and turn right to enter another tunnel which leads to a larger room. Head east through the room and climb the steps to a red altar guarded by disciples, then press the switch concealed on the altar's east face. This will lower the teleporter in the middle of the room; step into it to be returned to the waterfall west of the large hall you found earlier.

Head back through the tunnel you used earlier to get back outside. You now need to backtrack to the start of the level, where a staircase has risen that points east. Defeat the iron liches which have appeared here, then climb the steps and take the Skull Staff at the top. Head east through the area ahead which contains many barrels and head through the doorway at the end.

Turn left and destroy the golem ahead, then follow the hallway round to a room with two ophidians. Press the switch in the south-west corner and the nearby walls will lower to release golems and undead warriors. Go back down the hallway and head all the way south, then open the skull wall on your left and go down the steps behind it. The passage here leads back to the large water-filled pit you encountered earlier.

Head east to the bridge, then walk south off the bridge into the pit. Turn right to see four brown columns in front of you - go between the pillars to find the yellow key, which was lowered when you pressed the earlier switch.

Green key
After collecting the yellow key, go south-west to find a staircase being guarded by an iron lich. Destroy the lich and climb the stairs, opening the door at the top to return to the chaos serpents' cage. Backtrack to the starting point and go north to the lava room again. Turn left and climb the curved staircase you used earlier, but this time go through the door with the yellow key gizmo next to it.

Slay the waiting golem and nitrogolem, then head north and turn left at the end to encounter one to three undead warriors. Behind them are three crushers, so time your movements through the hallway until you reach a room with a high ceiling guarded by nitrogolems and disciples. Climb the steps ahead to a pair of bars and turn right, following the path to a small chamber with a switch; watch out for ghost golems trying to ambush you as you approach the switch. Press it, then go back down the steps to find that the bars have now lowered. Step into the teleporter behind them to be sent to an area south-west of the start point.

Go through the doorway ahead and turn right to go through a wide opening in the wall. Kill the disciples ahead and go west up the stairs to a walkway with undead warrior and nitrogolem ghosts. Go through any of the sloped archways to the south and open the stone door behind them. Take the Greater Runes and the Skull Staff Charge in this room and press the switch in the north-west corner. Leave the room and head north to drop off the walkway to the floor below, where you will see another Bormereth ahead. Destroy it and go north through the wide wall opening, then turn right and backtrack to the start point where you will find that a set of steps have risen. Go up these steps and take the Frost Fang at the top, then go forward into an area with nitrogolems. Go forward and walk between two wooden pillars to a wall depicting kneeling figures, then turn round and press the switch on your left to open this wall.

Go through the wall you just opened and head forward down the steps to an area with several golems; the switch you pressed earlier has also opened four rooms containing chaos serpents. From the steps go west and duck into the second room you pass, which contains an Energy Orb and a switch. Pull the switch then leave the room and head due south until you drop to a lower floor. Keep going south to see the green key between two stone platforms - taking it will cause iron liches to appear on the stone platforms; walls will also be raised to trap you. Destroy both liches and wait for the walls to lower again; they will do so automatically after 900 tics (about 25.7 seconds).

Exit
Once you escape the iron lich trap, backtrack to the starting area and go north into the area with the large lava pool. Turn right and head up the staircase, opening either of the doors with green key gizmos. Follow the wide hallway round, destroying any enemies in your way, until you find another hallway going east to a larger room. Go into this room and dispatch the iron lich, then climb the blue steps and press the switch at the top guarded by ophidians.

Pressing the switch opens the exit, but also releases a number of disciples and chaos serpents from nearby alcoves. Eliminate them then backtrack to the lava pool area, climbing the staircases to a ledge north of the platform that held the blue key. Time your run past the crusher here and head north into an icy chamber. Slay the three wendigos and press the switch behind them to finish the level and proceed to E1M8: Tower of Darkness.

Other points of interest
At the start of the level, there are four alcoves to the north and south that contain undead warriors as well as items. The two south alcoves are connected to secrets #1 and #2 below, while the two north alcoves can be accessed by opening walls just north of each alcove. The alcoves hold an Energy Orb and a Quiver of Ethereal Arrows.

In the large water pool that holds the yellow key, there is an orange stone structure containing a Tome of Power. Run through the structure to collect the item, as picking up the tome triggers a lethal crusher above you.

In the area past the blue key door, you must pass through three wall openings to reach a switch. After passing through the second opening, look north to see a barred window where a Firemace can spawn.

After killing the Bormereth in the southern outdoor area, go east from the area it appeared in to find that a pillar has lowered with an Inferno Orb.

Secrets

 * 1) After pressing the switch located behind the blue key door, go back through this door and return to the area with several staircases south of the start point. Go up the staircase that leads south and turn right when you reach the wall ahead. You will see a panelled wall on your right - open it and step into the teleporter behind, then open the wooden wall in front of you to enter an alcove south of the start point. The silver platform with the Skull Staff Charges counts as a secret (sector 270); step on it to be taken upwards, then open the panelled wall in front of you to return to the staircase area.
 * 2) From the staircase area south of the start point, climb the north-eastern staircase and turn right. Go forward under a stone support, then turn right to see a set of silver steps. On the top step are two gray pillars holding a Tome of Power and a Chaos Device; press use on the pillar with the tome to lower both items, revealing a nitrogolem ghost and a teleporter behind them. Step into the teleporter and open the wooden wall in front of to enter an alcove south of the start point. The silver platform with the Bag of Holding counts as a secret (sector 272); step on it to be taken upwards, then open the panelled wall in front of you to return to the staircase area.
 * 3) After pressing the switch that lowers the pillar with the yellow key, head south down the passage to find that two walls have opened on your left to release golems and nitrogolems into the area. Go through these open walls to find two sets of Ethereal Arrows, then open the wall west of you (with a purple jewel) to reveal a teleporter. Step into it to be sent to a ledge overlooking the southern outdoor area, which holds an Enchanted Shield. (sector 329) From here, you can jump to a pillar to the east which holds a Morph Ovum.
 * 4) Follow the directions for secret #1, but turn left at the top of the staircase this time. Open the panelled wall on your left to find three Claw Orbs, an Energy Orb and a Quartz Flask. (sector 354)
 * 5) From the start of the level, head north to the room with the large curved staircases and head up to the south-west door, which does not require a key. Go through it, turn right and pass through the hanging skulls. The wall in front of you has five wall torches; open the wall between the second and third torches from the left to find a Hellstaff and two Lesser Runes. (sector 543)
 * 6) From the chaos serpents' cage, go through the north-east door and climb the steps behind it. Turn right at the top, then turn right again into a dead-end with a crystal vial and a Flame Orb. Open the west wall to reveal a Morph Ovum. (sector 589)
 * 7) After pressing the switch in the western-most area of the level (raising the bridge near the yellow key area), turn round to see two square platforms with Skull Staff Charges leading to a teleporter. Jump carefully across the platforms and into the teleporter, sending you to an enclosed chamber east of the crusher hall. Open the wall in the north-west corner and crouch down into an opening containing a Ring of Invincibility. (sector 871) Press the wall below the opening to the south to leave the chamber.
 * 8) After dropping into the water-filled hall in the south-east of the level, follow the path to the teleporters at the south end of the hall but do not step into them. Instead, look north to see four gray pillars with braziers - press use on the second pillar from the right to lower it and reveal a Morph Ovum. (sector 1145)
 * 9) After going through the crushers past the yellow key door, you will reach a room with a high ceiling. Climb the steps and turn left, going south into a chamber with decorated gray pillars. Press use on the south-east pillar to lower it and reveal a Map Scroll. (sector 1311)
 * 10) After going through the teleporter in the north-western area past the three crushers, go through the doorway ahead and turn right to go through a wide opening in the wall. Turn right and climb the steps to the top, then go straight forward through any of the sloped archways to the east. After walking under the archways, turn right and open the wall ahead to find an Energy Orb and a Mystic Urn. (sector 1414)

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 February 21, 2022.

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level, not including monsters and items spawned via scripts: