E5M4: Courtyard (Heretic + Hexen)
From DoomWiki.org
| Heretic re-release maps |
|---|
| The City of the Damned |
| Hell's Maw |
| The Dome of D'Sparil |
| The Ossuary |
| Fate's Path (deathmatch only levels) |
| This level has an original version |
E5M4: Courtyard is the fourth map of episode The Stagnant Demesne in the enhanced Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders re-release, included with Heretic + Hexen. It uses the music track "Build" by Kevin Schilder.
Contents
Walkthrough[edit]
_E5M4_map.png)
Essentials[edit]
Go forward into a room with golems (and nitrogolems on bringest them oneth (BTO) skill level or higher) and take the Gauntlets of the Necromancer if you need them, then go through the west door to enter a junction with sludge pools and metal bars on either side. Go west through another door to enter a room with a trident basin, then walk through the north-east door and press the gold symbol behind it to lower a lift that goes up to a room with gargoyles. Step on the teleporter opposite the lift, which has a torch on it, to go to a ledge overlooking the southernmost room, then drop into the damaging sludge below and run to the lift on the west side to lower it. Ride the lift up and step on the platform with the crystal vial to raise bridges around the outside of the room, then go round to the northern platform with the dragon claw to lower the pillar holding the yellow key.
Taking the key will open two closets to the west and south with disciples of D'Sparil, as well as the metal bars in the north-west corner of the pool. Go through those bars and follow the tunnel north to get back to the junction, then open another bar between the yellow gizmos to the north to enter another passage leading to some green gizmos. Go north from here into a tiled hall with golems, then go up the steps on the east side and pass through two doors to enter a water pool with gargoyles and undead warriors. Approach the switch on the east wall, which will raise a wall in front of the door, then press the switch to lower the metal lifts on either side of the room. Collect the green key from the southern lift to open two closets with more warriors, then press the switch inside the northern closet to reopen the entrance door.
Go back to the green gizmos and open the metal bar between them, then step on the lift behind it to go up to a room with golems and a Chaos Device. Take the phoenix rod from the fountain at the north end to open four closets containing disciples, then enter any of them to open a fifth closet with an iron lich and a switch. Press the switch to lower the column at the south end of the room holding the blue key, collect it then drop back into the starting room and open the blue door on the east side to enter the titular courtyard. Destroy the waiting nitrogolem ghosts, collect the enchanted shield and Tome of Power to open two closets with more nitrogolem ghosts, then press the switch inside the south closet to open the path to the exit. Go up the green steps on either side of the courtyard and slay some disciples waiting at the top, then go east through the water to a staircase and climb it until you reach a switch. Press the switch to lower a wall to the south, then run across to the blue switch behind that wall to end the level.
Other points of interest[edit]
A hellstaff can be found on the throne at the west end of the tiled hall. Taking it will lower the east wall to reveal a maulotaur.
Secrets[edit]
Official[edit]
- Open the spine wall behind you at the start and lower the lift behind it to go up to an enclosure with two warriors, a Morph Ovum, and a Bag of Holding. (sector 86)
- Taking the yellow key will open two closets to the south and west with disciples. Enter the southern closet to get an inferno orb, a quartz flask, lesser runes, and one or two claw orbs. (sector 92)
- In the tiled hall, press the switch next to the north-eastern stained glass window to open the north-western window, revealing a room with four teleporters as well as a map scroll, a crystal vial, mace spheres, and a wand crystal. (sector 256) The teleporters go to the corresponding balconies above the hall where you can find quartz flasks and flame orbs.
Non-official[edit]
- Go through the southern door next to the trident basin to find ethereal arrows. Stepping on them will open a wall behind the basin revealing a shadowsphere.
- Open the skull cage wall above the throne in the tiled hall to find a silver shield (on BTO or higher) and a teleporter to the maulotaur’s platform, which holds a Ring of Invincibility, mace spheres, a flame orb, and one or two quartz flasks.
Bugs[edit]
Demo files[edit]
Comparison of versions[edit]
Room design[edit]
- Some additional sectors were added around the map to create more realistic lighting effects.
- The western closet in the yellow key room is no longer marked as secret, reducing the number of official secrets to three.
Texture changes[edit]
- The floor of the northern hall was changed to black and white tiles.
- The floor of the green key room was changed to water.
- The walls of the courtyard were changed from stones to moss.
Thing placement[edit]
- The Gauntlets of the Necromancer in the starting room were moved from the north-east corner to the middle.
- Comparison of maps
E5M4 (original)
E5M4 (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 north. (thing 79)
- facing east. (thing 80)
- facing east. (thing 81)
- facing west. (thing 82)
Statistics[edit]
Map data[edit]
| Things | 536 |
| Vertices | 1619* |
| Linedefs | 1835 |
| Sidedefs | 2790 |
| Sectors | 390 |
Things[edit]
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:
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