MAP09: The Writhing Altar (Arrival)
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| Arrival maps |
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Day 1: Day 2: Day XX: Until the end of time:
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MAP09: The Writhing Altar is the ninth map of Arrival. It was designed by Walker Wright (Pavera) and uses the music track "Arrival" by Brayden Hart (AD_79).
Contents
Walkthrough[edit]
Essentials[edit]
This level is divided into three sections: the starting section to the south, the central section where you will find all three keys, and the exit section to the east.
Starting area[edit]
Kill the shotgun guys and zombiemen in front of you then press the eye switch at the top of the steps to lower two walls behind you, releasing imps and three revenants. Go through the east doorway to get a rocket launcher and plasma gun, then press the skull switch at the south end of the room to lower a staircase behind you and reveal an arch-vile. Go down the stairs and turn left to see three mancubi ahead who are protecting an eye switch, then press this switch to bring in two groups of enemies, as well as another mancubus at the bottom of the stairs. Enter the water pool in the middle of the room and press another eye switch that has opened to lower a wall behind you, kill three arch-viles waiting behind it then go up the steps to find a teleporter to the key area.
Keys[edit]
Entering the teleporter will put you in a pit. Press the eye switch in front of you to raise the floor, kill two arachnotrons waiting at the top then go up the steps behind either enemy to drop down to ground level. Go west to a red vine-covered building and kill the imps guarding it, then enter the building and flip the switch inside it to raise some steps behind you. Climb the steps then go up a white staircase to get the blue skull key, which will cause some revenants, mancubi, Hell knights and barons of Hell to appear.
From the blue key, drop to the ground and go north to a staircase with health bonuses on it, then go to the top of this staircase and press the gargoyle switch at the top to lower a lift. Ride the lift up to a platform with an arachnotron then run south-east to drop down to a red ledge, then carefully follow the narrow steps up to a teleporter which is guarded by an arch-vile. Enter the teleporter to go to a cliff at the north end of this section, go up the steps to get a rocket launcher and a supercharge, then run south to land on the ledge with the red skull key. Drop into the entrance area below to face a cyberdemon and four mancubi, then press the eye switch that opens at the south end of the enclosure to lower the walls so you can escape.
Go to the white cliffs north of the red key building and go north into a water pool, then go up the steps here to three colored bars. Ignore these for now and continue up the steps to a ledge with some imps, then step off this ledge to an area with a red floor and two large structures. Go to the northern structure and climb the steps on its north side, press the eye switch at the top to lower a teleporter behind you, then step over the wall to your left (a group of zombies will teleport in) to reach the teleporter and go to the top of the southern structure. Look south to see an eye switch in a pillar and shoot it to raise a bridge from the water below, then cross it to reach the platform on the other side and look south to shoot a second eye switch. The second switch will raise a staircase on the other side of the water which goes up to the yellow skull key.
Exit[edit]
With all three keys, go back to the colored bars at the steps leading up to the yellow key area, open them then step through to find a teleporter back to the starting area. Open the colored bars west of the starting point then go down the steps to a skull lever and pull it to open the wall to your left, revealing six revenants and an arch-vile along with a teleporter. Enter the teleporter to go to the floor above then follow the tunnel in front of you to a portal which leads to the eastern area.
You begin in the skin tower at the north end of this area. Collect the megasphere and ammo on the east side of this area then go up the steps outside the tower to the top, then go south towards a white teleporter. The teleporter will rise out of reach as you approach it, and various enemies, including a cyberdemon and two arch-viles, will begin teleporting in; you will need to fight them off while you wait for a path to rise which connects to the eastern platform. Go to that platform and flip the skull lever at the north end to lower the white teleporter as well as the path you used to get here, then use the red teleporter that lowers behind you to get back to the other side. Enter the white teleporter to go to a highly damaging blood pool, then wait for your health to reach 1% to automatically end the level.
Other points of interest[edit]
Secrets[edit]
Official[edit]
- At the north-east end, approach the building from the north end, going up the steps with health bonuses to an eye switch. Go onto the wall, then gently go over it while looking north to find a wooden column lowering, revealing a teleporter. Run and take it to get a supercharge. (sector 200)
Non-official[edit]
- In the area with the keys, drop into the water trench near the center. Just south of the teleporter in this trench is an alcove with a metal wall. This wall is false and you can walk through it to find a teleporter to an invulnerability.
Bugs[edit]
A supercharge (thing 1627) is placed in a blocked-off area that is part of the next map, making a 100% items completion unattainable.
Demo files[edit]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV speed | 1:42.43 | ifreakinlovedoom208 | 2023-02-20 | first_speedrun.zip | |
| NM speed | |||||
| UV max | |||||
| NM 100S | |||||
| UV -fast | 12:23.34 | Tatsuya Ito (Tatsurd-cacocaco) | 2024-06-01 | arvl09f1223.zip | |
| UV -respawn | |||||
| UV Tyson | |||||
| UV pacifist | |||||
| NoMo | 0:29.29 | Napsalm | 2024-01-14 | arrival09o2929.zip | |
| NoMo 100S | 3:39.00 | NuruTheDoomer | 2022-10-15 | ar09os-339.zip |
The data was last verified in its entirety on February 5, 2025.
Statistics[edit]
Map data[edit]
| Things | 2167 |
| Vertices | 5815* |
| Linedefs | 6179 |
| Sidedefs | 9284 |
| Sectors | 685 |
* The vertex count without the effect of node building is 5216.
Things[edit]
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:
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