Shadowcaster: Stormlit, Aqua

As I remember a good deal about this game, the next two levels are no secret to me, nor is the order I will tackle them in. Now that I think of it, they might just be intertwined so this fuss I'm making might be pointless.

Its hard to get a good picture of these guys attacking

The next level is some kind of flooded dungeon. Full of this man-bats. They're invulnerable, or at least reduce damage quite a bit, when their wings are closed. When they attack they're fully vulnerable.

Kirt quickly drowns underwater. He's no Lara Croft

The thing is, if you're clever and take out the chest first thing and enter here, you are screwed. This is an aquatic area. You can't kick or punch while swimming. Fortunately, I brought along the shuriken, which I can use. Never mind how I can throw something but can't swing my arm at something. This game features something of a height system. Like the better known Rise of the Triad, but less demanding of this verticallity. Its primarily used for the water areas.

 The bat-things flee if damaged enough, but will attack if cornered. Now, I am left swimming. This won't kill me or anything, I can swim forever. Which is useful if I need to regenerate.

But if I want to advance, I need to right-click on this ball thing, which drains the water. This leads me to underneath. You might be able to figure this out on your own, since the map shows additional areas you can't access at the start of the level.

One room contains a skull I can pick up, among other skulls in the walls I can't. I'm not an expert in skull water damage or anything, but those look like they haven't been underwater very long.

Those skulls are really big, now that I think of it...

A skeleton in another room. Hmm...I think I should perhaps wait to regenerate health. Looking underwater has a habit of draining Kirt's health.

I'm shocked

What a surprise. I didn't really need to wait so long for health. I keep my distance and pelt him to death with the shuriken. That seemingly does nothing. It takes me longer than I would like to figure out that a path opened up in the corner.

Some loot. Armor for the Maorin, a sword, a magic potion. Another room. I go out and there's nothing except another head. Now I have a shuriken for the long enemies and a sword for dealing with the close fellows. I find to back in front of the quicksand, and make my way to the other teleporter. The sword makes a shwing sound that I can't help but remember in more recent memory, but that could be my mind tricking me, or someone ripped it from here. Why would anyway ever do that?

This level, I believe is called Dark Temple, it takes place in a more overt ruined city. By that, I mean it looks like a city as opposed to some kind of park. Hmm, the opening cutscene takes place in a park.

I should become a wildlife photographer, since I'm so good at capturing things in the heat of the moment

We have more skeletons, this time they awaken on you being nearby. They are joined by what I'll call imps. I'm not actually sure that the sword is more effective than just spamming right-click with the shuriken.

I literally walk into some kind of pillar surrounded by water. On it, another of these things. I already know what this place is.

Its a portal to another level. Wall reliefs missing the heads. I just need to find two more heads. I didn't meet them the first time, but I encounter them on my way out. The water has biting fish in it. Not especially clever, but I rest my health up anyway. I further discover one of the heads is already here. Just lying there in front of a hole. I guess it just fell off.

Yeah, that tiny gold thing near my cursor

So, after healing again, I saunter deeper into the city, slaying skeletons, then finding this key on the ground in the middle of nothing. Without thinking, I pick it up.

Its a trap, imps start coming out, but they can't attack me yet...for reasons. There's only like three of them, so it isn't that big of a deal.

I check the areas they came out of and discover nothing of value, so yet further on. Skeletons preparing to attack me, and skeletons roasting over a semi-open fire. Nothing like the implied consumption of humans in your fantasy video game. Or is it curing? I'm running low on health so, that's what, 5 minutes of gameplay per rest? Eh.

The next area is more fighting, I remain safe from harm this time. I find the final head at the end of a fork...like the sigil in Heretic. With that and a wand I return to the pillar.

You know...that image doesn't make sense. I think I need to ponder this for a while.