Hub 3: Deathwind Chapel

Deathwind Chapel is the secret level of the third hub in Hexen.

''With the Heresiarch defeated, what treasures lie within his inner sanctum? To discover this, you must overcome forces with hearts as black as their former master.''

First and only visit
You appear in a small room with three doors and a portal back. Only the wooden door (to the north) can be opened manually, the others will have to be opened via switches.

Open the northern door to enter a room full of Dark Bishops and a switch at the opposite end. Pull the switch, and an ascending flight of stairs will rise on the western wall. Beware of the Ettin that appears at the top. The stairs will take you to a balcony overlooking a large chamber of lava, along with numerous Afrits. After defeating them, you'll have to jump down to the lava to proceed. Directly to the right/north of the balcony, there is an open stairway - quickly make your way there. You'll find a larger balcony with a few Dark Bishops, a Quartz Flask, and another switch. After pulling it, go back down to the lava and enter the central structure, which is now accessible. Watch out for the Centaur if you didn't kill it before. On the opposite side of the pillar is an elevator, which will take you up to corridors with Dark Bishops on either side of you. The northern passage will take you back to the second balcony. Head south to find a new balcony with more Dark Bishops, a Quartz Flask, and another switch to pull. This will open the pillar in the central structure, so go back the way you came to avoid lava damage. The pillar will now have a skullface switch - activating it will open a passage at the southern end of the lava chamber, on the western wall (to your right). This leads back into the first room, where there will be a new descending staircase. These stairs will take you to a large pit surrounded by stairs. There will be many monsters to contend with - Afrits, a Dark Bishop, and Slaughtaurs that can shoot at you from the structure at the far end. You may find your ultimate weapon to be useful. In the middle is a platform with a Platinum Helm, which you'll need to step on. It is easiest to get on from the far structure, since you can just run across the small gap without jumping (even as the Mage). Once there, a new set of stairs will rise, leading back to the entrance. From here, ascend the stairs to a dead end with a Dark Bishop. There will now be a switch on your right - pull it, and the dead end wall will open to lead you back to the portal room.

The eastern stone door will now be open. Inside there will be Centaurs and Slaughtaurs to contend with. Ahead are several pillars - as you approach, they will start spinning and moving back and forth. Watch the pattern carefully, and run across when the time is right. It is easiest to run across the moment they activate. At the other end, there is a switch. Pull it, but beware - it will open eight chambers in the walls, four on each end of the spinning pillars, containing one Centaur each. It is best to keep your back to the wall at first to avoid getting surrounded. You will not be able to leave the area until you defeat the centaurs. Inside the chambers, you will find your second and third weapons, along with some Mana. Make sure to use good timing when running back through the spinning pillars, since the pattern will be more difficult from the other direction.

Back in the portal room, the third and final stone door to the south will be open. Inside, you will face several Dark Bishops in a windowed corridor. Once they're defeated, be careful - the windows will open and a swarm of Centaurs and Slaughtaurs will teleport in to attack from the side chambers. The best strategy to avoid being ambushed is to step back through the door - that way you won't get surrounded. Your ultimate weapon will be useful here. Once they're defeated, you can explore the side chambers. The big stone door at the other end of the corridor won't open yet. There are two chambers on each side. The first chambers have Discs of Repulsion and Mana. The second chambers have several Ettins, more Mana, and one teleporter each. The teleporters will take you to one of two small enclosures overlooking a courtyard. The western portal will take you to the western enclosure, and likewise. Each enclosure has a Dark Bishop, a switch to pull, and a return teleporter. Watch out for incoming enemy attacks, which can pass through the bars. The switch in the western enclosure will open the stone door at the entrance of the courtyard. The eastern switch opens another stone door within the courtyard. Once you've pulled both switches, you'll have full access to the courtyard from the corridor. There are numerous Dark Bishops to fight here - you may want to use your ultimate weapon. Once you've cleared the area, you can get Crystal Vials and Mana from the pots around the perimeter. Behind the second stone door, there are a few Dark Bishops, two Crystal Vials, and most important of all - a Krater of Might as a reward for your efforts.

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