E4M8: The Hall of the Epiphany

Episode 4: Dead Reckoning

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• E4M1: Butchery Loves Company
• E4M2: Breeding Grounds
• E4M3: Charnel House
• E4M4: Crystal Lake
• E4M9: Mall of the Dead (SECRET LEVEL)
• E4M5: Fire and Brimstone
• E4M6: The Ganglion Depths
• E4M7: In The Flesh
• E4M8: Hall of the Epiphany (BOSS LEVEL)

E4M1 map layout

E4M8: The Hall of the Epiphany (also called the Hall of Epiphany) is the final level in the game Blood, and the residence of the dark god Tchernobog. The Hall is a temple that spans the chasm between worlds. It serves as the nexus of dimensions, and where Tchernobog performs His duties as the One That Binds.

Caleb's entire mission is based on getting back to this area, to find out the reason for his banishment. How this area is accessed is unknown, but in the game, Caleb finds a passageway under a temple that leads to an organic area mapped out like a body.

In the cutscene before this level, Caleb learns that Tchernobog cast him down because he knew Caleb would return. And each life he took on the journey back would make him that much stronger. Tchernobog wanted to use this strength to cast open the doors between worlds and send His armies onto the earth.

Like all boss levels in Blood, there are no official enemy counts or secrets.

Level Designer: Kevin KilstromSong Track: 2 - Pestis Cruento (CD-Audio), unholy (MIDI)

Walkthrough

The Hall of the Epiphany

Opening Cutscene

Ending Cutscene

^{"Enter into the temple. You'll see a skull in front of you, and a room to your left and to your right. Shoot the skull, and enter into the room to your left. Kill the stone gargoyle, then go to the room on the other side. Kill the giant spider, and a couple of more walls will lower revealing Cerberus. Kill him and enter into the throne room with the stone pillar. Push the pillar, and face down Tchernobog. Kill him to end the level and the game." — Baytor's Guide}

Caleb arrives at the steps to the great temple, as lightning and thunder resound in the red, stewing skies. Tchernobog's voice booms from the hall.

TCHERNOBOG: I have awaited you.

CALEB: Why did you cast us down? How did we fail you?

TCHERNOBOG: You were always loyal to me. You, most of all, my child.

CALEB: Then why?

TCHERNOBOG: Because I knew you would return. Can you not see? Every life you have taken has made you stronger, and you have returned to me with a greater sacrifice than I ever could have wished. With the power you bring, I shall throw open the door between the worlds and inherit the earth.

CALEB: Hmm... is that so?

TCHERNOBOG: Come to me, my son. Let us embrace at last.

CALEB: Fool, you are already dead!

Gather the items surrounding the outer foyer, then enter the hall. Hit the large Tchernobog symbol to open the first door (electric tendrils over it will indicate you have opened it). A Stone Gargoyle (possibly the reincarnation of Cheogh) comes out, and must be defeated in order to open the second door. Next is a mother spider (possibly the reincarnation of Shial), the third reveals the inner hall, and a Cerberus. It also allows passage to the throne room (Cerberus need not be defeated to access this. Hit the pillar. Lightning will strike as the pillar slowly descends. The thrown shifts back, revealing Tchernobog. Your last task is to defeat him, and the ending cut-scene will play.

Hint: The Cerberus infights Doom-style, so try to make it so Tchernobog hits it accidentally. If Tchernobog hits the Cerberus, the Cerberus will forget about Caleb and fight back the dark god. If the player is skillful enough to make this, the final fight will became far less difficult and shorter.

CALEB: Good... bad... I'm the guy with the gun!

Caleb breathes deep as he stands over the fallen body of Tchernobog. Blue tendrils dance over his body as a powerful humming grows louder and louder. Finally, Tchernobog disappears in a flash of light, leaving a bare floor. A gaunt man with red eyes and brown shorts (possibly a cultist, a civilian, a prisoner, or someone else) enters the hall, waving his arms and saying:

MAN: Delivered us from evil, for thine is the kingdom-

Caleb raises the Tommy Gun he had been leaning on and fires several rounds into the man's chest. He falls down dead into a pool of blood as Caleb turns and strolls out of the Hall of the Epiphany.

Note: The identity of the final man is important in terms of contextualizing Caleb's response. If it is just an Innocent praising him for seemingly saving the Earth from an evil god, Caleb's reaction can be considered as part of his general disregard for human life, particularly with regards to anyone who personally annoys him. If it is a Cabalist however, it may imply that the man was trying to venerate the next incarnation of Tchernobog, which means that if Caleb had listened he would have been aware of the events that would later lead into the plot of Blood II: The Chosen.

Enemies Present

• Stone Gargoyle
• Mother Spider
• Cerberus
• Tchernobog

Weapons Available

• Flare Gun
• Sawed-Off Shotgun
• Tommy Gun
• Napalm Launcher
• Remote Detonator
• Aerosol Can
• Tesla Cannon
• Voodoo Doll

Secrets

There are no official secrets for this level. However, above the throne is a button. Shoot it to reveal a side panel to the right. There is a Guns akimbo power-up there.

Fun Stuff

See also: References in Blood

• Caleb's final line "Good... bad... I'm the guy with the gun." is a reference to Army of Darkness.
• Tchernobog's line: "Come to me, my son. Let us embrace at last." is a reference from the 1981 movie 'Excalibur'. Mordred says to Arthur "Come father, let us embrace at last".
• This level is the setting of the fan fiction piece End to Blood.
• This level is the setting of part of the fan movie Duke versus Caleb.
• This level was recreated as a Q3 BloodBath map.
• Caleb's journey to this level is the subject of the fan fiction Beware of Those That Have Nothing to Lose.
• The fan fiction pieces Deadwood, The Sin of Saints, Cult of Blood, and Scroll are all partially set in past incarnations of this location.
• A ruined form of the temple appears in the finale of the Blood fan add-on Death Wish (2011, 2017-2020), as well as appearing at the opening and closing levels of Rage Against the Machine (2007).
• The Blood team released "Weekly Blood Development Updates" on the 3D Realms and Blood websites, and said this about this level:
  • Update: 08/30/96: Nick came up with a great concept for Tchernobog's lair that opened up all sorts of sinister possibilities and led to a stronger, creepier backstory. (BTW, compared to Tchernobog, Shub-Niggurath is a lazy slug.)
    • Note: Shub-Niggurath is the final boss of the id Software game Quake (1996). She is immobile and does not attack the player in any way.

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