Leap of Faith

A Leap of Faith in Aftershock for Quake is an invisible entity often placed near a dangerous chasm. Sometimes the Leap of Faith can be an invisible Wind Tunnel or just an invisible brush. The intent of a Leap of Faith is to make an area appear impossible to navigate, the player will be confronted with their goal on the opposite side of a deadly chasm. This is designed to puzzle a player, often with a message hinting to make a Leap of Faith.

The solution to the Leap of Faith is rather simple, requiring the player just to walk off the surface they are currently on to reach what appears to be certain death. Rather than falling into the dangers below, a Leap of Faith will keep the player suspended in some manner to allow them to reach the goal on the opposite side.

Taking a Leap of Faith is generally safe, though it does depend on the method used. The invisible Wind Tunnel tends to have no risk involved, it simply thrusts the player in the direction they need to go. If the Leap of Faith is an invisible brush, a danger tends to exist if the player unknowingly walks off the brush. Though this makes the invisible brush variation of the Leap of Faith appear to be more dangerous, the player will generally be safe as long they take a straight path towards their goal.

The Leap of Faith is inspired by a similar obstacle in the 1989 movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Any that manages to find the location of the Holy Grail must still face the final challenge; three devices or traps designed to require great cunning while being lethal to those that fail to solve the puzzle. Clues to the puzzles could be found in the writings of Anselm of Canterbury, a famous Benedictine monk. The clue to the third puzzle, The Path of God, states that "only in the leap from the lion's head will he prove his worth". Upon reaching the third challenge, Indiana Jones found himself confronted with a massive chasm which appeared impossible to cross. Standing beside a statue of a lion's head, Indiana Jones realized that he had to make a literal Leap of Faith. Putting aside the fear of falling to his death, Indiana Jones stepped off the platform with the lion's head. Instead of falling to his death, Indiana Jones landed on a narrow bridge that did not appear to exist prior to his "leap". Indiana Jones had proven his worth and was able to cross the chasm unscathed. Upon reaching the other side, Indiana Jones grabbed a bit of sand and turned around. The bridge he had walked across had disappeared once again, though the outlining became visible when Indiana Jones threw the handful of sand onto the invisible bridge. The puzzle represented one of the major tenants of religion, where one must accept something regardless of the lack of evidence.

Appearances

 * E1M4: Fire Scirocco
 * E3M4: The Red Room