Hub 5: Zedek's Tomb

Zedek's Tomb is one of the three stops you have to make in Hexen, in Hub 5: Necropolis. You will be beset by centaurs throughout the level, along with a number of slaughtaurs depending on difficulty level. You will be able to assemble the three pieces of the Quietus here if you are the Fighter.

Only those who know the warrior's code are worthy of facing Zedek, Marshall of the Legion, in personal combat.

Walkthrough


You will see a straight corridor in front of you. There are two alcoves just ahead on both sides where centaurs are waiting for you, along with some mana. Ahead, there is a section of the corridor with metal pillars by the walls. Beware, as there is a crushing ceiling here that kills right away. When the metal pillars are pulling into the wall, stay back until the crusher comes down. As the pillars come back out, it is safe to cross. You will find a segment of the Quietus here if you are the Fighter. Further down, you will open a door into a shadowy room with pillars. You will have to defeat more centaurs, but there are some useful items here, including a Banishment Device.

There is a skull-face switch on the right-hand wall in the pillar room. Activate it, then go back out to find the semicircular corridor that will be opened on your left. After defeating the centaurs, you will find another switch in the central part of the semicircle, behind a structure. Activating it will bring a Mesh Armor, and all the Korax wall panels will open to reveal side chambers full of centaurs and slaughtaurs. The chambers will have some items and mana as well. The chamber just left of center, east-by-northeast, will contain a piece of the Quietus if you are the Fighter. After fighting your way out, you will see another semicircular corridor that is now open on the other side. After clearing it, you will find another central structure and switch. Hitting the switch lowers the structure to give you a Porkalator artifact, and once again the Korax wall panels open to reveal side chambers of even more centaurs/slaughtaurs. It should be noted that the Porkalator is very effective against crowds of centaurs. The chamber just right of center, west-by-northwest, will contain a piece of the Quietus for the Fighter.

The central side chamber here contains a vital part of the puzzle. Here you will see three gray squares facing a switch. After hitting the switch, the three blocks will rotate to reveal a random combination of three possible symbols - sun, crescent moon, and star. Remember the combination, then head back to the shadowy pillar room. The door will seal shut behind you, and the ceiling will slowly come down. Before it starts crushing you (50 seconds maximum) you must go to the left-hand wall where you will see another set of three gray squares. Rotate them so that they match your combination - then the ceiling will stop and go back up, and the stone door at the far end will open.

Zedek himself now awaits you, equipped with a Quietus, the ultimate weapon of the fighter. When you enter his room, he will appear on a pyramidal-shaped platform that rises in segments. The best way to begin the fight is to go behind him and fire the first shot once he rises up.

Once you defeat him, you will be able to take the Glaive Seal, one of the three relics you need to arrive at the final level, Dark Crucible.

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

Trivia

 * In the eastern semi-circle, there are absent upper sidedef textures, as the green-floor section with the mesh armor has a slightly higher ceiling.
 * After the crushing ceiling hits the bottom and starts moving back up, it will open both doors, providing an alternate solution in the rare event that the puzzle is botched. This doesn't disarm the trap, requiring the puzzle to be solved normally, or expending an additional chaos device.
 * The main corridor of this level is shaped like the Quietus, the Fighter's ultimate weapon.