Fatum Iustum Stultorum is the twenty-sixth level in Marathon 2: Durandal. It is the first level of S'pht'Kr, the ninth and final chapter of the game.
Durandal is back, and the eleventh S'pht clan, the S'pht'Kr, have arrived to fight the Pfhor. Tycho has been destroyed along with his ship, and you now have to deal with the remaining Pfhor forces. In this level, those forces include Pfhor Troopers and Simulacrums.
The first pattern buffer is found just northeast of the starting room. In the northeast corner of the level, there is an oxygen replenisher below the waterline. To the south of the starting room, a 2x shield recharger can be found. A 1x shield recharger is located just southwest of the starting room, with a pair of underwater oxygen replenishers in a pool to the southwest of it.
Walkthrough[]
The path through this level is fairly linear. In the starting room, you'll meet a few S'pht'Kr who will help you kill some Pfhor. Be mindful of where you shoot, because if you hit a S'pht'Kr, that one will turn on you—and they are very powerful.
Start off by going through the northeast door in the starting room. You'll move through several water-filled rooms with narrow walkways and a lot of BOBs. All the BOBs in this level are exploding BOBs, so kill them all. Be careful, sometimes BOBs will teleport in behind you.
Continue along the path until you find a 2x shield recharger. Hit the buttons in this room, then go through the north exit to get back to the starting area.
Now go through the southwest door. You'll have to dive down into the water and swim to another nearby room a couple of times. Make your way south to a large room with seven doors. There are oxygen replenishers in the water here.
The northwest door leads to another water-filled room. There's some flamethrower ammo on the platforms in the southwest and southeast corners of the room here. Swim to the north end of the room, then surface again into another corridor. Beyond it, you'll find a room with two buttons (one above water, and one below water); hit them both. Next, go through the underwater door to the east that is opened by the underwater button. Take the east corridor to arrive back in the starting room.
Go through the northwest door. Jump into the water pool, and hit one of the switches next to the entrance to raise the water level in this room. Swim up onto the north ledge, and go into the next room. Hit one of the buttons in the previous room to raise the water level in the north room, and swim across to the door in the north wall. After a couple more enemy-filled rooms you'll find the exit terminal, which will send you to Feel the Noise.
Secrets[]
In the room with the seven doors and the two oxygen replenishers, jump into the water and swim to the north end. You'll find a small opening in the ceiling where you can surface. The north wall here can be opened to reveal an alcove with lots of shotgun ammo.
In the southeasternmost room of the level, there is a square on the floor of the water pool north of the walkway that is slightly darker than its surroundings (map location 'A'). If you stand on this square, you are teleported to a secret room filled with a bunch of exploding BOBs. On the platforms on either end of the room you will find pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, a fusion pistol and a rocket launcher, with accompanying ammo for each weapon. The ends of the room also teleport you back to the rest of the level, to a room southeast of the starting area.
Terminals []
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In this terminal, Durandal reveals that he's back. He has subverted the largest Pfhor ship in the system, the battleship Khfiva, and is wiping out the rest of the Pfhor fleet. The S'pht'Kr have arrived, and they will fight alongside you to destroy the remaining Pfhor.
Durandal also tells you that Tycho's ship has been destroyed, having annihilated itself on Lh'owon's inner moon. Durandal used a laser to carved an epitaph for Tycho into the surface of the moon that reads: "Fatum Iustum Stultorum", which is Latin for "A Just Fate for Fools".
8756w41.61.1//corinth.ggk[]
Durandal tells you that Robert Blake left a message for you a few minutes ago: "The dead walk again; we cannot wait. -Blake". Blake and the other humans captured a Pfhor refueling ship and immediately left the system, leaving you behind.
Trivia[]
- There exists a room on this level that is not obtainable via any non-cheating method. It contains a couple of switches that play with the water level, but nothing else apparent.
Sources[]
Marathon 2: Durandal - Level 26: Fatum Iustum Stultorum