E2M3: The Crypt of Decay

The Crypt of Decay is the third level of The Realm of Black Magic. It is a dark and decrepit castle with a tall multi-level central tower and a series of water canals around it. Many areas in the level have been infested with Zombies, while other dangerous foes lurk in the shadows.

This level introduces Rotfish and Death Knights, and brings back the Shambler for the Easy difficulty as well. The player must search for the Gold Key in order to proceed. This level requires plenty of backtracking. Also this level contains the exit to the Secret Level of the Realm of Black Magic, E2M7: The Underearth.

A unique feature of this level is the Well of Wishes - an Easter Egg area, home of the famous Dopefish.

Quick Level Completion

 * Take the Elevator at the end of the corridor.
 * Turn around at the top and follow the corridor to an intersection.
 * Take the right hallway to a Button.
 * Go through the doorway to the left and follow it to another Button.
 * Return to the intersection and take the left corridor.
 * Go past the bridge, and take the straight corridor at the intersection.
 * Press the Button at the end, and follow the newly raised corridor to the left.
 * Collect the Gold Key at the end and return to the bridge.
 * Take the left corridor to the Gold Door.
 * Open the Gold Door and follow the corridor to an Elevator.
 * Follow the corridor at the top to a Button.
 * Continue following the corridor until you reach an intersection.
 * Take the right corridor to the exit.
 * If you wish to exit to the secret level, take the left corridor and shoot the Button at the end.
 * Climb the newly created stairs to another Button to push.
 * Return to the opposite side of the long blue corridor.
 * Jump on the alcove to the right and follow the ledge to a doorway.
 * Follow the corridor to a pool of Water.
 * Wait a minute for the doorway to open.
 * Take the doorway immediately to the right to reach the secret exit room.

Walkthrough
Collect a 25 Health to the right. Climb the stairs and collect the Nailgun, the Nails to the left of the Elevator, and the two 25 Health to the right. At the top of the Elevator is a 15 Health to the upper right, and some Shells to the lower left. Continue to the next room, a platform over Water. Collect the Green Armor at the intersection of the platforms. Go back down the Elevator and to the right to find a Wall that has opened up revealing 2 Nails, then return to where you were previously. Follow the right hallway to a Death Knight, a Monster that shoots fireballs. After a couple of turns you will end up in a hallway with an Ogre. Collect the Shells to the left, and a 25 Health to the right, then continue to the end of the hallway and push the Button. This will cause a platform to slide out to the left over the Water to the next area. A Wall will open behind you, revealing 3 Zombies and a Yellow Armor. Turn around and follow the platform to the blue structure in the middle of the Water, and collect the Shells. Follow the platform to the right to collect the Nails and press another Button. Follow the platform back to the intersection, and drop into the Water on either side. Go through the hole located in the middle of the room on the front wall towards the passageways if you were on the intersection. Turn right and pass an Elevator that leads to the start of the blue structured room. To the left is a Rotfish, an underwater Monster. Collect the two 25 Health behind the Rotfish. Go back to the hole you entered through, and passing by it, enter another hole at the end of the passageway, with Rockets in the hole. Kill the 2 Rotfish, and collect a 25 Health at the end. To the right of where you killed the Rotfish is a doorway leading to a Teleporter  (#1) . You will now be by the Door you unlocked with the Button on the left side passageway. Kill the Fiend that comes through the Door. Go through the Door and follow the passageway right. Collect the Nails on the bridge. Kill the Zombie on the alcove to the left. Follow the passageway at the end to the left to collect a 25 Health. A Wall opens up here revealing a passageway leading to the alcove when you kill the Zombie (#2) . To the right is the Gold Door. Go back to the start of the passageway beside the bridge and go left in the doorway, and go right to collect a 25 Health. Turn right again to collect another 25 Health next to a Button you can push. This shall cause two more platforms to meet with the blue structure to the left. One connecting the area you are at, and one leading to a new area to the left. Collect the Shells at the end and turn right. Turn left and wait for the Small Wall Spike to be sliding in before quickly crossing. Turn left and collect the two 25 Health before going into the next room. In the next room, collect the 25 Health, Shells, Rockets, Grenade Launcher, and Gold Key. Three Doors around you will open up, revealing small alcoves. Kill the Death Knight that appears out of the middle alcove. The right alcove's Wall, the only one with a torch, is shootable  (#3) .

Go back to the Gold Door and pass through it. Kill the Shambler just past the Gold Door. Collect the Nails and Super Nailgun, and go up the stairs to the right. Kill the Death Knight at the end of the azure room, and collect the three 25 Health to the left beside the exit of the room. Follow the hallway to the left and up an Elevator to get to a hallway with 5 Nail Traps, and a hallway to the right with 2 more Nail Trap. Collect the two 15 Health in between the Nail Traps. Press the Button on the left side at the end to make a platform slide out to be able to cross the upper floor of the blue structure. In the middle there is two 25 Health, Shells, and Rockets. Kill the 3 Death Knights and Ogre that come from the next area. Go to the next intersection, and go left towards the Medieval Crates. Collect the two 25 Health, Rockets, and Nails. Shoot the Button in the ceiling to create a staircase that leads to a Wall that opens up  (#4) . Follow the other way of the intersection while collect a 25 Health and killing the Ogre to get to the Arch.

There is a Secret exit to E2M7 however, found by first pushing the Button for  (#4) . Go back to the platform in between the Nail Trap hallway and the blue structure. Turn towards the Nail Trap room, and jump to the alcove to the left to collect the Rockets. Jump to the alcove to the right to collect the Quad Damage. On the opposite side of the right alcove wall is a very small ledge that can be walked on. Follow that along until on your left is a doorway. Jump up onto it, and turn left to collect the three 25 Health. At the end is more Water to jump into. As you enter you will be welcomed to the Well of Wishes. Swimming down you will get to an Easter Egg room with a wall of the Dopefish, and a message saying the Dopefish lives. Collect the Biosuit and the Pentagram of Protection, and then continue to the alcove on the other side. The Wall will slide open to the Water of  (#3) . By pressing the Button on  (#4)  however, Bars have been lowered to the right. Follow that passage to the Exit Gate.

Differences from Easy to Normal

 * Death Knight to left of Green Armor
 * Death Knight by locked Door to left of first intersection
 * Zombie by Button that unlocks locked Door to left of first intersection
 * 2 Rotfish on left side of blue structure
 * Another Rotfish by 1st on the right side of blue structure
 * 2nd Zombie in alcove of  (#2) 
 * 2 Ogres on bridge with Nails
 * Death Knight in alcove leading to  (#3) 
 * Death Knight in middle of azure room
 * Ogre by two 25 Health in azure room
 * Only two 25 Health in azure room
 * Death Knight moved from near the final Door to upper level of blue structure
 * Ogre in left alcove of upper level of blue structure room by Rockets
 * Shambler in Medieval Crate room

Differences from Normal to Hard/Nightmare

 * Ogre in first room
 * Death Knight at top of first Elevator
 * Ogre on platform leading to Green Armor
 * Ogre between intersection and first Button room on right passageway
 * 2nd Ogre in first Button room on right passageway
 * Death Knight on lower floor of blue structure
 * No Yellow Armor by 3 Zombies
 * Fiend moved more back on bridge
 * Death Knight on bridge
 * 3rd Zombie in alcove of  (#2) 
 * Ogre just before Small Wall Spike
 * Ogre just after Small Wall Spike
 * Death Knight in left alcove that opens up when Gold Key is taken
 * The Nail Traps fire twice as fast
 * Ogre just past the final 2 Nail Traps
 * Ogre in right alcove of upper level of blue structure room by Quad Damage
 * Death Knight in corridor leading to Medieval Crate room
 * Death Knight to right of entrance to Medieval Crate room
 * Shambler by Arch to E2M4: the Ebon Fortress

Glitches

 * In the Deathmatch version, a Super Nailgun was supposed to be at  (#2) , but was misplaced too close to the floor and thus doesn't appear as it falls into the void of the map.
 * The untextured Button added in Deathmatch can be pushed, but doesn't do anything. It appears to have been intended to open the doorway to  (#2) , but the Movable Wall that normally would seal the corridor is non-existent.
 * The player can Grenade Jump from the Button; the one that opens the Door to the bridge, to the roof of the Button which can be jumped to the left to reach the upper corridor of the central room.

Differences

 * Wall opened behind Green Armor at first intersection that leads to an Elevator. The Elevator leads to the intersection of the Medieval Crate room and Arch.
 * Yellow Armor is back in alcove on right passageway from first intersection
 * No Nails to left of lower floor of blue structure
 * Grenade Launcher at  (#1) 
 * Grenade Launcher replaced with Nailgun
 * Rockets at  (#3) 
 * Untextured Button just past the gold doorway at start of Wizard room
 * Third 25 Health in Wizard room returns
 * Nails on upper level of blue structure replaced with Shells
 * Rocket Launcher in left alcove of upper level of blue structure room by Rockets
 * Rockets in right alcove of upper level of blue structure room by Quad Damage
 * Quad Damage and 2 Cells by Teleporter to E2M7, and the Thunderbolt behind the Teleporter

Spawn Locations

 * Start
 * Exit
 * Left alcove on upper level of blue structure
 * Room past bridge room by gold doorway
 * Prior Button room creating the first platform to the blue structure
 * Prior room with Gold Key