Bethesda Susa
Eons-shifted stone entombs the angleless architecture of Bethsaida's lair.
Bethesda Susa is a mid-game dungeon that the player is sent to with the quest Decoding the Signal. There are several challenges in this location which can require careful preparation:
- Steadily decreasing temperatures as the player descends, lowering Quickness. (The temperature drops by 9 degrees for every floor below ground.[1])
- A mixture of difficult predesigned and procedurally generated levels
- Multiple encounters with unique creatures, each with their own dangers
- Many new potentially hostile creatures, including high-damage cragmensch and trolls and hidden
lurking beths
Preparation
Before entering Bethesda Susa the player should be prepared to face:
- High-damage attacks from cragsmensch.
- Cold temperatures - possible ways of mitigating these are through gear or mutations that grant cold resistance, or by counteracting with increased quickness. The player may freeze solid on the penultimate level without some cold resistance.
- A Mechanimist holy site - if the player has sufficient reputation with the Mechanimists, for example by donating at the
sacred well, this can be a peaceful encounter.
Floors
Exterior
Temperature: 25.
A fairly typical jungle exterior with new faction creatures and a down staircase.
Level 1: ruined wharf
Temperature: 16.
An underground river passes through here from the zones to the north and south.
Level 2: healing pools
Temperature: 7.
The first of three similar levels, each guarded by a unique troll. This level is guarded by 
Jotun, Who Parts Limbs, who carries the 
bronze key needed to unlock the down staircase. If you are neutral with the Trolls faction, you may trade with them for the key.
Level 3: healing pools
Temperature: -2.
This level is guarded by 
Fjorn-Kosef, Who Knits The Icy Lattice, who holds the 
silver key needed to proceed. Similarly to Jotun, they may be traded with if the player's faction reputation is sufficient.
Level 4: healing pools
Temperature: -11.
This level is defended by 
Haggabah, Who Plies The Umbral Path, the third and most dangerous of the trolls. Haggabah possesses the 
gold key required to advance.
Level 5: abandoned ward
Temperature: -20.
On this level is a 
chrome platform which is an elevator that can be used to skip the next 5 floors. Stand on it and activate the control switch (elevator)(favilink error!) to go down. This same elevator can be recalled to anywhere in its path by using the button stationed there, and can be used to re-ascend to this floor.
Level 6: ruined ward
Temperature: -29.
Level 7: ruined ward
Temperature: -38.
Level 8: ruined ward
Temperature: -47.
This central ruined ward is the only place you can meet and speak to the potentially deadly 
alchemist, which grants an achievement.
Level 9: ruined ward
Temperature: -56.
Level 10: ruined ward
Temperature: -65.
Level 11: abandoned ward
Temperature: -74.
This level holds the destination platform for the elevator from the 5th level. If the elevator platform is not present, it may be called to this floor using the control switch, or the player can jump into the 
deep shaft where it would be as an alternative to taking the stairs down.
Level 12: abandoned ward
Temperature: -83.
Level 13: cybernetics ward
Temperature: -92.
On this floor are four 
becoming nooks.
Level 14: cryobarrio
Temperature: -101.
There are six cryogenic chambers on this level, and the intact ones are filled with 
cryogenic mist. A 
phase spider has been spinning 
phase webs at the east end of the floor, which are one possible way of passing through the 
fused security door sealing the stairs downward.
Level 15: cryobarrio
Temperature: -110.
This contains six more intact cryogenic chambers, several of which contain (in a frozen state) potentially game-ending creatures. Also, there is a (non-frozen) 
juicing cannibal carrying a fully operational 
missile launcher. If the cannibal explodes open any of the chambers, the player may be forced to confront:
Saad Amus, the Sky-Bear, who carries his The Flume-Flier of the Sky-Bear(favilink error!) and 
ceremonial vibrokhopesh- a
yempuris phi - a phase spider
- or a
rhinox
At the west end of the level is another chrome platform and a switch to go down a single floor to the final level.
Level 16: Temple of the Rock
Temperature: 25.
If the player has sufficient reputation to enter the holy places of the Mechanimist faction, this is a peaceful level. If not, they may be forced to confront a variety of dangerous Mechanimists, including 
Phinae Hoshaiah, High Priest of the Rock, in order to make their way to the baetyl (Bethesda Susa)(favilink error!) and advance the Decoding the Signal quest.
References
- ↑ XRL.World.Parts.BethesdaColdZone