E3M9: The Aquifer (Heretic + Hexen)
From DoomWiki.org
| Heretic re-release maps |
|---|
| The City of the Damned |
| Hell's Maw |
| The Ossuary |
| The Stagnant Demesne |
| Fate's Path (deathmatch only levels) |
| This level has an original version |
E3M9: The Aquifer is the ninth and secret map of episode The Dome of D'Sparil in the enhanced Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders re-release, included with Heretic + Hexen. It uses the music track "Onyx" by Kevin Schilder.
Contents
Walkthrough[edit]
_E3M9_map.png)
Essentials[edit]
You begin in the columned room at the south end of the map, which contains fire gargoyles and ophidians. Collect the ethereal crossbow on the platform at the east end of the room to open three walls and release some nitrogolems, then go through the middle wall to collect the yellow key. Climb up the steps in the south-west corner and follow the ledge round to a yellow door, go through it then follow a green and yellow staircase up to the top to reach another door—watch out for the gargoyles hiding behind the walls on either side as you climb the stairs. Go through the large door to enter a throne room and climb up the steps here to get a Bag of Holding, which will open a wall behind the thrones and reveal three or four disciples of D'Sparil along with the green key. Taking the key will open two more walls behind you revealing more disciples, as well as a firemace and mace spheres.
Open the green door on the north side of the throne room and go down some stairs to enter a pillared room with a shadowsphere, then go north down a second staircase to enter a room with a hellstaff in the center; watch out for the crusher above the hellstaff which activates when you walk under it. Collect the blue key from the metal platform on the east side of the room, which will release a group of disciples from two closets on the opposite side, then enter the teleporter between the closets to go to the platform in the center of the map. Go through any of the moss-covered doorways here then open the blue door in the middle to find one or two iron liches guarding the exit teleporter.
Other points of interest[edit]
Enter the alcoves either side of the yellow key to get a silver shield and a Tome of Power.
Open the door in the south-west corner of the throne room to enter a tunnel blocked by weredragons. At the end of the tunnel, enter the magma pool and go round to the south side to find a phoenix rod.
After opening the closets near the teleporter in the hellstaff room, enter the closets to get a map scroll and a Morph Ovum.
Secrets[edit]
- Go through the yellow door then head up the steps until you reach one with a blinking light. Open the north wall, which has a demon face on it, to find an ophidian guarding a Chaos Device and one to three quartz flasks. (sector 86)
- From secret #1, continue going up the stairs to a second step with a blinking light. Open the west wall, which also has a demon face on it, to find one or two ophidians guarding a Ring of Invincibility and ammo. (sector 103)
- Go through the green door and head down the stairs to a room with a shadowsphere. Step on any of the gray platforms with crystal vials on them to open the west wall of this room, revealing a dragon claw and one to three claw orbs. (sector 17)
- From secret #3, go north down another staircase to see one or more fire gargoyles in front of a trident wall. Open this wall to find Gauntlets of the Necromancer. (sector 47)
- Enter the teleporter on the south side of the final platform to get Wings of Wrath and teleport to the water pool surrounding the platform, which contains ammo, a Tome of Power, and one to four iron liches. (sector 70) Open the recessed wall in the north-east corner of the pit to find two crystal geodes, an enchanted shield, and a teleporter back to the start of the level.
- Walk through any of the moss-covered doorways on the final platform, then go back to the starting room to find that the silver door on the west side has opened, revealing one or two disciples along with a mystic urn and an inferno orb. (sector 71)
- Taking the mystic urn in secret #6 will open a compartment to the south with a silver shield. (sector 76)
Bugs[edit]
Demo files[edit]
Comparison of versions[edit]
Room design[edit]
- Some additional sectors were added throughout the level to create more realistic lighting.
- Two more columns were added to the starting room.
Texture changes[edit]
- Translucent waterfalls were added to the windows facing the water pit.
- The tan floors in the starting room were changed to green stones and dark gray bricks.
- The walls of the throne room were changed from Celtic knots to gold bricks, while the pillars were changed from green to gold.
- The floor of the shadowsphere room was changed from tan bricks to volcanic dirt.
- The floor of the final platform was changed from gray to green stones.
- The exit room was changed to a water floor.
Thing placement[edit]
- A single-player firemace was added to the closet behind the green key, replacing the multiplayer hellstaff. The other firemaces in the level were changed to only appear in multiplayer.
- A silver shield was added to secret #7.
- Comparison of maps
E3M9 (original)
E3M9 (Heretic + Hexen)
Areas / screenshots[edit]
Speedrunning[edit]
Routes and tricks[edit]
Current records[edit]
The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:
| Run | Time | Player | Date | File | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM speed | |||||
| SM max | |||||
| BP speed | |||||
| BP max | |||||
| NM speed | |||||
| NM 100S | |||||
| Tyson | |||||
| Pacifist |
The (absence of) data was last verified in its entirety on August 10, 2025.
Deathmatch[edit]
Player spawns[edit]
This level contains four spawn points:
- facing west. (thing 5)
- facing north. (thing 6)
- facing west. (thing 7)
- facing east. (thing 479)
Statistics[edit]
Map data[edit]
| Things | 535 |
| Vertices | 1485* |
| Linedefs | 1615 |
| Sidedefs | 2200 |
| Sectors | 264 |
Things[edit]
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:
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