Hints for Vaults

Don't read this unless you're really stumped...

LEVEL ONE:BISHOP'S VAULT
If you do not open all of the Bishop's Vaults, there are
copies of the keys to all other levels on each of levels
2 thru 5 so you can gain access to all the levels.

Ettin Fields:  The first canyon you see after
breaking out of jail.  Full of ettins and
sunshine located northwest.

Dark Pass: Narrow shady northern canyon with
a brackish river and water lurkers.

Chapel Gulch:  Northeastern canyon with partial
shaded areas. Entrance to chapel located here.
                                              
There is a lift in the southwestern portion
of Ettin Fields.  It is worked with a switch
on the wall of the canyon and is designed for
two slow ettins, one rides while the other pulls
the rope. A fast human can work it by pulling the
rope and backing up quickly onto the lift.  The
passageway at the top of the lift will take you
to a secret passage and your original cell where
you can get the castle key.

There are three solar panel arrays located in "sunny"
areas of each canyon.  The fourth is on the top floor
of the elevator.  You'll need the castle key to get
to the elevator.

By turning right after escaping from jail, jumping
up into the sewer flow and passing the three doors
you can navigate the sewer maze to get to your original
cell for the castle key.

There is a shortcut in the south end of Chapel
Gulch that will take you to the sewer maze and will
get you to your original cell too.

There is a trap room located near the ettin barracks
in the last part of the maze.  It is merely a trap so
don't go through the back of the sewer flow if you 
don't want to.

In Ettin Fields, there is a lift located to your
right just before you enter the main canyon.  It is
a dark patch on the ground against the wall.  Just
step on it for a free ride to the passage leading
to the elevator.  You have to move quickly to the
right at the top of the lift then jump on the ledge.

The elevator will not go to the top floor unless at
least one of the other solar panels has been raised.

The chapel failsafe mechanism cannot be disarmed until
all four solar panels have been raised.

Look at the tiles under the dormant bishops for a hint on
getting the proper sequence right for the four switches in
the chapel.

After disarming the altar forcefield, jump onto the altar
as shown by the sword on the floor.  When you travel down
the resulting passageway, look at the wall to see a hint
on how to break the combination to the Bishop's Vaults.

For more specific solutions, look at the end of this file.

DARK MIRE
The caves are located behind huts in the northeast portion
of the swamp.  In the caves, you can find the cave key in
a "food" locker in the cooler where the Ettins dine.

Destroy the suits of armor to get better access to the
switches while trying to beat the clock.

If the floor waggle effect is slowing down the game too
much for your taste, you can turn it off by throwing the
switch near the main gate to the castle.  If you have
a 486 you might want to try this before entering the
castle and working the clock.

DEEP END BAY
Mausoleum
To open the mausoleum door, go into the graveyard to the
right of the mausoleum.  "Use" the tombstone marked "Chris"
and then "use" the switch at the end of his sunken grave.
Run to get in the mausoleum door.  Boots of speed may help.

Moving Halls
To get past the moving walls, follow the wall down the
passage until you get to an alcove.  Duck into the
alcove until the wall passes you again.  Sneak out and
go to the end of the hall and throw the switch.  Run back
to the alcove again until the wall passes you once more.

Room of Halls
Enter the door directly across from the initial entrance from
bay and make your way to the first entry way just to the left
of that door.  This allows you to bypass the centaur guards.
The switch is located in the rear "garage" that is second from
the left but you cannot open the door directly.  You must "open"
the door across from it then turn around to throw the switch.

Room of Crates
Once you throw the switch, the door closes.  If you forget
it is directly across the room from the switch.

The Bay
The Death Wyvern is very deadly but very stupid.  Just wait
him out while dodging his fireballs.  He'll come at you
often enough to finally kill him so you can get the gear.
Chasing him is mostly a waste of time as is trying to kill
all of the Water Lurkers in the bay.

CRYSTAL CAVERNS
You can get to only one area initially which has the
teleport back to Bishop's Vault.  The switch which turns
on the rest of the lifts to the other rooms here is in the
room with the big ice turnstile. You must have gotten the
Emerald key in Mill Born to open the door and get to the
switch in there.  If you didn't yet get the Fire Key so you
can get to Mill Born from Bishop's Vault, break the ice cubes
in the cube room to find a copy of it.  

"Light" the Minotaurs in the room with the ice column to
melt the column and get access to the switch.  Since it's
windy in here, they are not too easy to light.

The ice windows are very hard to break.  Try different
weapons and different angles on them.  The switch is
behind the second from the left as you enter.  All of
these windows will break, just keep at it.

It is not necessary to play the slots, but if you're lucky
you can get the gear right away.

MILL BORN
The switches you need to work are the "skull" switches
located in the room on the roof, the old control room
in the rusted forge and the control room near the pouring
molten steel. Pull the three revealed chain switches in
the forge pit. Then pull the switch in the control room
overlooking the now operating forge room. Any other
switches (except the elevator switches) may harm you.

There are weapons located in the wall locker on the far
left. The free standing lockers will sink to the floor.

The Emerald Key needed in Crystal Caverns is on top of the
cold ingot in the rolling mill room.  Just "use" a side
of the ingot and grab the key as it goes by.  Be careful
not to ride the ingot down into the floor our you will
burn to death since it is still a little warm on top.

LEVEL SIX:KORAX VAULT 
You don't need to fight the heresiarch.  He's only there for
your entertainment.

Each time you enter the cleric's chapel, a bishop will 
break through a window to trouble you.

This is a slugfest, there are no puzzles on this level.

After you defeat Korax two teleports open.  The smoking one
will take you to the next map in the main Hexen IWAD (level
seven after the Seven Portals).  The other is end of game.


===========================================================
               MORE SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS
         (don't read unless you're really stuck)
===========================================================

Solar panel locations:
When you first get out of jail and jump down out of the sewer,
travel directly about 1 o'clock across Ettin Fields.  There is
a high step in a box canyon with a rock on it.  Climb there.

Start climbing up about midway on the southern side of Dark
Pass and go high to where the sun shines on the canyon wall.

Climb the rocks across from the mushrooms in Chapel Gulch.

After raising one of these other panel arrays, take the
elevator to the very top (it won't go any higher).

Solving the chapel switches:
Raise all solar panels first.  Standing facing the altar:
Throw the green calf switch located in the front right
corner of the chapel.  The other switches are behind
the windows which must be broken. Throw the front left 
window switch first. Cross the chapel and throw the
front right window switch.  Cross the chapel and throw
the rear left window switch.  Cross the chapel and throw
the rear right window switch.  Throw the golden calf switch
in the front left corner of the chapel.  You should jump
then onto the altar from directly in the front.

Solving the vault combinations:
WOOD:  Rotate one.  Push east three. Push five into wall.
SWAMP: Rotate two.  Push west three. Push five into wall.
FIRE:  Rotate three. Push east three. Push five into wall.
ICE:   Rotate four.  Push west three. Push five into wall.

Simply: rotate so the matching side faces the wall, line
it up with the slot and push it into the slot in the wall.

On the first wall you see when you enter from the chapel
the wood is first on the left, swamp second, fire third
and ice fourth.  It's all in the rotation and each must
fit with its respective side matching its respective
slot in the wall (ice has all same sides but still must
be rotated before moving to wall).  Note that these
are in the same "z" pattern as the chapel switches,
though you can solve these in any order.

=====================================================

If you are really stumped and this doesn't help, you can
download VSOLVE.ZIP which contains a visual solution demo
for level one Bishop's Vault as below:

VSOLVE.LMP is a demo file for Vaults.wad which will show you
the complete and fastest solution to Level One, Bishop's Vault.

We are assuming here that you have placed the files:
 VAULTS.WAD and VSOLVE.LMP
in the same directory as your HEXEN.EXE file and main iwad and
have set your system to that directory.

The command line to use to play the solution demo is:

hexen -file vaults.wad -nomonsters -playdemo vsolve

Enjoy!