E2M7: Hell's Aerie

Hell's Aerie is the seventh and secret level of the The Realm of Black Magic in the Sega Saturn version of Quake, taking the place of E2M7: the Underearth from the PC and N64 versions. It is one of four levels which were developed exclusively for the Sega Saturn version by Lobotomy Software. In this level, the player must navigate around small wooded huts linked by narrow wooden bridges and suspended over an endless Void.

Unlike the Underearth, this level introduces the Rocket Launcher as a reward to players for finding and completing the level.

Quick Level Completion

 * Step where the shells are to open up two buttons.
 * Shoot the buttons to open the birdcage.
 * Proceed across the bridge to the locked door in order to open up a hut behind you.
 * Shoot the button in the hut behind you to open the locked door.
 * Go right where the bridge branches.
 * Drop down to the bridge below the Yellow Armor.
 * Push the button in the open hut to open up the closed hut.
 * Push the button in the newly opened hut.
 * Drop down to the lower hut.
 * Shoot the button to go to the hut's second floor.
 * Step on the dais with the Super Nailgun, then shoot the button to go back to the first floor.
 * Jump on the moving platform outside the hut and ride it to the bridge.
 * Cross to the Yellow armor and climb to the bridge's apex.
 * Drop down and proceed through the newly opened door.
 * Enter the hut and get the Gold Key.
 * Drop down from the window and head back to where the bridge branches. Take the other path now.
 * Open the Gold Door and step onto the black floor.
 * Jump onto the small platform and shoot the button to make it rise.
 * Walk along the bridge to the Rune Gate.

Walkthrough
You begin the level trapped in a wooden birdcage. When you collect the Shells, the lights will turn on and two niches containing Buttons and Shells will be opened. Shoot the buttons to open up the birdcage. As soon as the cage bars start lowering, jump free and position yourself by the room's only exit; once the last bar lowers, the door will open and a Fiend will enter the room. Collect the two 25 Health if needed and proceed to the next room. Bounce grenades off the left wall to eliminate the Fiend waiting around the corner, then get the 25 Health lying there. The corner on the right has two Shells beneath a Nail Trap; collect them if you think it's worth the damage. This room exits to a bridge leading to the next hut. The bridge is guarded by yet another Fiend and two Scrags. Kill them from the safety of the first hut. Then proceed across the bridge, taking care not to fall off as the Void below will kill the Ranger instantly.

The first room of the second hut has Shells, Nails, and two 15 Health. Go down the ramp into a hall. On the left is a Nailgun; approaching it will cause a Scrag to spawn on the right. Go down the hall to get the 15 Health and Nails. You'll now be faced with a longer and windier bridge, patrolled by two Scrags. One of them does not appear until you step onto the bridge, so this time you cannot take them both out from the safety of the hut. Note the hut on the left as you cross the bridge; when you step onto the platform at the end of the bridge, the hut will open, revealing an Ogre and a shootable Button. Collect the Shells and Nails, and shoot the Button to open the locked door. Be advised that there is a Scrag on the other side of the door, and that the door is a point of no return; if you cross over the doorway without killing the Ogre, you will not be able to get 100% kills.

At this point the bridge branches. As soon as you step off the platform, an Ogre can be seen on the left branch. Eliminate the Ogre, but take the right branch. Collect the Nails and kill the Scrag as you proceed. Enter the hut on the left and kill the Scrag there before collecting the Shells, Rockets, and 25 Health. Exit to the left, kill the Scrag, and get the Nails and 25 Health. You are now at an apparent dead end, so look down from where you see the Yellow Armor to find another bridge. Carefully drop down to land there.

As you proceed towards the 15 Health, you'll see a hut on the left with an Ogre. Kill it, then jump into the hut to collect the Nails, Rockets, and 15 Health, and push the Button. This will open up the hut next door. Jump back onto the bridge, head to the right, and enter the newly opened hut, taking care as you do so as another Ogre is positioned on a balcony in the hut. Kill him and push the Button to raise part of the bridge while causing a Scrag to spawn. Leave the hut and proceed right to Nails and another apparent dead end. Down and to the left is the doorway to another hut; jump down there to collect the Nails, two Shells, and 15 Health before turning to eliminate the Scrag lurking outside. Once you kill it, another Scrag will spawn in almost the same place.

Shoot the Button to activate the elevator to the next floor, where there are two Ogres behind bars. Kill them before you step onto the dais with the Super Nailgun, since doing so will not only reveal a Button, but cause the bars containing the Ogres to lower. Then collect the two Rockets, Shells, and 25 Health. Once everything is cleared, step back onto the elevator and shoot the button to make it go back to the first floor. There is now a moving platform outside the hut; take care, as once you step up to the hut's doorway, an Ogre will spawn on the platform. Kill him and execute a precisely timed running jump to get onto the platform. Ride it all the way up, then jump onto the nearby bridge.

Proceed right until you're back at the first apparent dead end - only now, since you raised the bridge earlier, you can reach the Yellow Armor. As you turn the next corner, there is an Ogre on a perch perfectly positioned to hit you with grenades, and a Fiend which will immediately leap out at you. Kill them and collect the two 25 Healths, Rockets, and Nails. Keep going along the windy bridge, collecting Shells along the way, but prepare yourself before getting the Double-Barrelled Shotgun at the apex; as you approach, a Scrag will spawn and a door will open on the bridge below you, releasing an Ogre. Proceed through this newly opened door and get the Rocket Launcher, being forewarned that a Fiend will spawn directly in front of you when you do so. Step inside the hut to collect the Nails, Rockets, and the Gold Key. A Scrag will snipe at the window holding the key.

Drop down from the window and proceed left in order the return to the branch in the bridge (right after the point of no return), killing a newly spawned Scrag along the way. This time, take the left branch and get the two 15 Healths. Use your new Rocket Launcher to deal with the Ogre. As you advance, you'll be beset by a Nail Trap and a Shambler in the hut to the right. You can fire at the Shambler from where you are, but if you proceed along the bridge (collecting the Grenade Launcher, Rockets, and 25 Health along the way), you'll circle around to where the Shambler is, making it easier to either dodge his lightning or force him to do melee attacks. Once it is dead, collect the 15 Health, 25 Health, and Red Armor.

Open the Gold Door and get the Shells. As you step onto the black floor with the Shells and 15 Health, it will drop out beneath you, leaving you trapped between two Ogres. If you're confident in your platform jumping, jump to the platform with the shootable Button to get the Rockets and 25 Health. Otherwise, jump directly onto the other platform. Standing on a bridge above you is a Fiend; lob grenades at it to kill it without risk to yourself. Then shoot the Button to make the platform rise to where the Fiend was. Proceed carefully along the bridge to reach the Rune Gate, grabbing the 25 Health along the way.

Deathmatch
Since "Hell's Aerie" appears only in the Sega Saturn version of Quake, there is no Deathmatch version of the level.