1 - Arrival & Gold Key

Before going forward past the entrance, make absolutely certain you've left nothing behind. When you enter Level 6, you won't be able to return until you've completed it. Make sure you have all the supplies you need before venturing onward!

Within the entry hall, you'll spot some runic text that confirms you're a prisoner of the level. You'll come under attack immediately upon entering by three Giant Spiders. Destroy one of them as quickly as you can, or you'll likely succumb to poison, but don't run too far, or you'll end up facing down an even bigger enemy: an Ogre. These massive creatures are powerful and take a lot of damage, but their big limitation is their slow speed and charging attack - if you can dodge out of the way in time, you'll be able to secure a few free hits.

Once the battle is over, be sure to loot the dead Ogre for an Ogre Hammer, one of the most powerful (but very slow) Mace-type weapons in the game. In the leftover Sack, you'll find a couple of Herder Caps, Mole Jerky, a Burrow Rat Shank, and, most importantly, a Gold Key, which you'll use much later on to get some treasure at (20).

This area (and, in fact, the whole level) is fairly large and open compared to some of the previous ones. You can search the immediate area for a couple of Throwing Knives and Milkreed, then move on in whatever direction you wish - there's no "ideal order" to follow. The dungeon revolves around the collection of four Round Keys, three of them optional. You will need at least one to first access the Crystal of Life (12), and the fourth one opens the Iron Door at the end if you choose to fully explore the level. See (6), (11), (13) and (18) for details on how to collect all the Round Keys.


2 - Secret & Vault of the Orb

Near this wall, you'll find a small alcove with an empty sconce in it. Place a Torch inside it and a hidden door nearby will slide open, revealing a Skeleton Warrior to defeat. Check the back of the new room to find two Fire Bombs.

For another secret area that's a bit more interesting, look for a runic switch on the wall inside the secret chamber. This will open another wall, revealing a small room labeled "Vault of the Orb". The floor switch inside will activate a teleporter, but you can't pass through, only items. If you look carefully, you'll notice another floor switch on the other side. To open the gate, drop (don't throw) an item into the portal, and it will land on the switch. Inside you'll find the Orb of Radiance, a powerful Mage-only item. Note that a pair of Cave Crabs may appear behind you as you collect it, so be ready to fight your way out.


3 - Cutlass

Check the dead-end hallway here for a shelf containing a new Sword-type weapon, the Cutlass. You'll have to battle through some Giant Spiders to get it.


4 - Walkabout

This small collection of hallways may seem useless, but there's an interesting secret here. As you walk around, you'll notice a "click" every few steps, activate by following the path around clockwise (marked (X) on the map above). The first time around correctly, you'll see a Rock appear in front of you. The second time, a Skeleton Warrior will spawn out of nowhere. The third time, a Sack will appear and you'll see a "Secret Found" message on-screen - check the Sack for a Speed Potion and its formula.


5 - Snail Room

This room is infested with Giant Snails! Kill them and stock up on delicious Snail Slices - you may need the food, especially on the subsequent dungeon levels. The Giant Snails in the room seem to respawn periodically, so if you do run low on food while you're trapped on the level, run back here to restock.


6 - Maze of Madness, Round Key & Secret

This maze is indeed maddening. Another delightful puzzle similar to the one back on Level 4, you'll have to navigate the portal maze to reach the end. This is easier said than done, but there's actually a trick to it. Check the south wall for a hidden switch (you shouldn't have to go through a portal to find it), and this will disable one of the portals, allowing you to reach the Round Key at the northwest alcove. The correct sequence from that position is: northeast portal, west portal (when standing in the middle of the room), south portal.

Once you reach the Round Key, check the wall next to it to find another hidden switch. This disables a second portal, allowing you to retrieve the Spirit Mirror Pendant, an XP-boosting necklace. To reach it, from the middle of the room, take the south portal and walk west to the alcove.


7 - Haunted Halls

Spooky's the word. This dark maze-like area is infested with Skeleton Warriors, who will continually respawn in the darkness to hunt you down.


8 - Hidden Switch & Secret Room

This switch will open a crypt to the north, containing a pack of Skeleton Warriors. Destroy it and collect your reward: a Heavy Shield and some Ring Boots.


9 - Hidden Switch & Secret Room

There's another secret here in the Haunted Halls. Look for a button on the column at the least end of the area, and press it to reveal a new room to the south. Defeat the Skeleton Archers inside, and the Frostbite Necklace will be yours.


10 - Floor Switch

This floor switch will open up a hidden door to the west (11). However, you can't hold the switch down with an item, and the door will close too quickly for you to reach it. How to make it to the hidden door in time? Lure a Skeleton Warrior to you and stand on the switch until you're sure the door is open. Wait for the Skeleton Warrior to come near and then sprint away to the entrance (11).


11 - Hidden Room & Round Key

Once you're inside this room after solving the puzzle at (10), defeat the squad of Skeleton Warriors and search the floor for a Round Key, two Tar Beads, a Blooddrop Blossom and some Cave Nettle. The lever on the wall will open the door again, allowing you to leave.


12 - Sequencis & Crystal of Life

This area, called Sequencis, is effectively a long line of gates to the end of the level. You'll need to collect Round Keys from all over the rest of the level in order to get past here. There's a Crystal of Life past the first gate, so once you've retrieved one of the Round Keys, you can rest up a bit. The room past the second gate, meanwhile, contains a scroll with the alchemy formula for Antidote.

Note that you do not need to explore the entire level to move on. There are four Round Keys, and three doors before the stairs down - the last one, if you get it, is used at the Iron Door (19). Please see (6), (11), (13) and (18) for details on where and how to collect all the Round Keys.


13 - Portal Sequence Puzzle & Round Key

The second namesake of the Sequencis area is this portal puzzle. Step inside and you'll be transported in a loop over and over between a few parts of the level.

In order to solve the puzzle, you'll need to pull a chain to open a wooden door, kill the snail inside, and then hop out of the portal to pull a lever on the wall. This opens the iron gate in another room, allowing you inside. Note that the button on the wall in the room with the demon statue is a red herring, and will release a cloud of poison gas.

With the puzzle solved, destroy the Cave Crab past the iron gate, and grab the Round Key from the floor.


14 - Halls of Fire

The Halls of Fire are probably the most awkward and difficult of the puzzles on this level, and the longest. However, there are rewards in it for you - the first being two Fire Bombs on the shelf as you enter.

To enter the main area, you'll have to "prove yourself" by solving a trial by fire at (16) - that is, unless you have an experienced Mage who knows Fire Magic, and you already know the Fireball spell from playing the game before or by reading online. To close the pit blocking your way, either cast a Fireball spell at the demon statue across the gap, or, the easier solution, use the Flame Blade from (16) instead.

Note that the pit nearby will take you to the lower tunnels described at (15).


15 - Mage's Entrance, Lower Tunnels & Sub-Basement

This room is, for the most part, unremarkable. However, if you fall down the pit, you'll end up in a secret area on Level 7, containing the Lurker Pants and a Shuriken. After grabbing them, the door will open to reveal a Wyvern. Destroy it and continue on. The following hallways are infested with Wyverns and Crowerns, so be on your guard.

By searching thoroughly, you should be able to find: two Tar Beads, a Wooden Box containing a Healing Potion and Antidote, Peasant's Breeches, Sandals, and a scroll containing the word "Westmost" - keep that last one in mind.

You'll eventually come across a portal taking you back up, if you wish. However, there's another option - another pit which leads you down to a sub-basement area on Level 8. If you want to continue exploring, fall down that pit.

At the very bottom, you'll find a Boiled Crag Beetle and Baked Maggot. Venture into the darkness ahead and you'll come across a room with some Scavengers behind a metal fence. Collect the Blooddrop Blossom and three Frost Bombs from around the room, and then place an object on the floor switch through the fence. This will release the Scavengers inside. Defeat them, and then step in and collect two Tar Beads from the floor.

To open this final metal door, you'll need another object to place on the switch, but you'll have to place it from inside the fence. Do so, and then return to the other side and remove your previous object. Step back inside, and pick up the remaining object through the fence. This will shut one door and open the other. Step inside the new room to receive your well-earned reward: a Full Helmet.


16 - Fireball Hallway & Secret

This long hallway initially looks safe... until you step down it. The demon statue at the end will launch fireballs your way every few seconds. In order to reach the end safely, look at the west wall as you step into the hall, and press the hidden switch when you see it. This will open a hidden alcove nearby. Run inside when you get the chance.

Your goal is two items at the end of the hall: Flame Blade (enchanted sword that can shoot fireballs, but has a limited charge), and a Scroll of Fireball, the rune combination for the most powerful Fire Magic spell. Be careful about timing your movement, as the fireballs in this hallway are deadly. If you're fast, you can grab the items without taking any damage.

You can pick up a secret on the way to the items. Look for another switch on the east side of the hallway, further south, and press it to open a second alcove. Inside that new alcove, there is a third switch to press. Not only will this make reaching the end of the hallway easier, but it'll open up a secret set of stairs leading back up to Level 5 (E) - you may recognize the area as a closed-off section in the basement of Level 4. Fight off the two Uggardians, and claim your reward: a Plate Cuirass and Plate Gauntlets!


17 - Fighter's Challenge & Treasure

When you get past the gap at (14), turn north to the dead end, and look for a rune-engraved button on the wall. Press it to open the nearby wall, taking you to a flight of stairs leading down to the next level. Note that, in order to access the Fighter's Challenge itself, you will need to have the Sword of Nex, found at (18), in your inventory - otherwise the area will be closed off.

When you arrive, don't move towards the demon statue. You will want to perform the following preparation: create as many Healing Potions as you can, rest to full strength, and equip your best gear. Save up, too, but that goes without saying. When you are ready, step towards the demon statue.

You will be teleported to a chamber on Level 11, where you will fight a literal horde of Scavengers - there are so many that you won't be able to move for much of the fight. Keep your back to the wall to stop your Mages and other weaker party members from taking unnecessary damage, because they will go down quickly otherwise. Prioritize the single Scavengers, because they will go down more quickly than the packs of two. Keep hacking away and healing, and eventually you will get an opening - take it and run! You have a lot of space, now, so use it to dodge as much as you can. You'll probably be low on health and may have some dead party members at this point, so you will need to evade as best you can to survive.

If you succeed, and clear out all the Scavengers... pat yourself on the back, you just survived one of the toughest fights in the game, at least at the "ideal" level. If you can't win, then you can always return once you've leveled up a bit more, although this of course will make the challenge a bit of a joke.

When you're done, search the floor for two Fire Bombs and a Poison Bomb, as well as a Gold Key near the southeast corner. Head over to the gate, and use the Gold Key on the nearby lock to claim your well-earned prize: the Shield of Valor.

There's more! Before leaving, look for a hidden switch on the west wall. Press it to reveal a small chamber with one of the game's Treasures: the Ancient Apparatus! There's also another Poison Bomb, which is probably more useful, but personally, I'll take the shiny, pretty thing.


18 - Pit Puzzle, Uggardians, Round Key & Secrets

In this room you'll have to deal with both martial and intellectual challenges. A new enemy, the fiery Uggardian, makes its first appearance here. If you have a Mage specializing in Fire Magic, you can use the Fire Shield spell to significantly mitigate their threat - otherwise you'll have to rely on manual dexterity and dodge their fireball attacks yourself.

Once they're dead (they take quite a few hits), you can turn to the puzzle at hand. It's a fairly devious one, actually. Your goal is to reach a landing at the end of the chamber - to do so, you'll need to press several switches in sequence and with very good timing. If you're encumbered, you will need to drop some items, otherwise you simply won't move fast enough to reach the switches before the platforms disappear. Note that if you fall, you'll end up in the lower level described at (15).

Start at the wall switch at the southeast corner (where the (18) map marker is above), and press it. Very quickly, run to the column to the west, and press the button on it. Without stopping, run around the pit to the south and then around the backside of the column. You'll end up standing near the Round Key, one of four in the level needed at (12). To leave, pull the Torch from the wall sconce nearby.

From here, there are two more secrets to uncover in this room, and they're very difficult. The first involves running the puzzle again - start from the first switch and work your way around the column, but take advantage of the new permanent platform where you found the Round Key. Run all the way around the pits blocking you, and then turn back to the column - the south side has a platform raised for just a few moments. Rush over as quickly as you can and press the switch. Doing so will open a hidden room containing another Uggardian, and some very nice gear: Ring Mail and the Sword of Nex, a powerful and accurate blade.

If you've been down in the tunnels at (15), you might have found the scroll with "Westmost" written on it. That's a clue for this puzzle - the westmost pit in the room. Head over and fall down, and you'll end up inside a chamber marked "Golden Grave", with a Cave Grab and a Treasure locked behind a gate. There's no way out... at least, not yet. Wait several seconds, and the gate will open. Kill the Cave Crab, and claim the Crown of Kings as your own!


19 - Iron Door

The Iron Door here can only be opened if you retrieved all four Round Keys in the level, as you'll have to use three to reach it through all the gates. Please see the sections at (6), (11), (13) and (18) for details on how to find them.

Once unlocked, the Iron Door will open to reveal the Chitin Mail. If you've been following along, there's just one more item in the set left to find!


20 - Treasure Store

Remember the Gold Key carried by the Ogre all the way back at (1)? That comes into play here, provided you still have the thing. There are three doors here, and you have only one Gold Key. Thus, you have to choose from one of the three rewards on display. To spare you some saving and reloading, the doors contain the following:

North/left: Tome of Fire
East/middle: Crossbow
South/right: Fire Bomb x2, Flask, Tar Bead x2, Cave Nettle x2, Blooddrop Blossom

The Crossbow you may have already obtained in a previous secret area, and the Tome of Fire provides two permanent upgrades to Fire Magic and Fire Resistance, making it the best choice of the three. However, if you have no use for Fire Magic, you may want to go with the collection of crafting resources and Fire Bombs.

Note that if you don't like any of these treasures, you can save your Gold Key and use it in another treasure room later in the game.

That's it for Level 6! Head out of the Treasure Store and down the nearby staircase to reach Level 7: Ancient Chambers.