Heretic

Heretic is a FPS game by Raven Software built off of the Doom Engine. Unlike the game it was derived from, however, it pursued a fantasy theme with some RPG elements, such as an inventory. This is the game that started it all!

Heretic tells the tale of Corvus, the last Sidhe Elf in a quest to free his world from the demonic legions of the youngest Serpent Rider D'Sparil and avenge his people.

Gameplay
The first game in the series is very similar to Doom in many regards. It is the most basic of the games in the series - primarily emulating Doom's "run and gun" nature. The player generally has to find keys that will unlock new passages in the level he is in, to find the exit. The game is divided up into "episodes" with text interludes between them that convey the story.

The player has a range of weapons in his arsenal, and can also find various items. Some, like in Doom, are activated on touch, whilst others are kept in your inventory and can be used at a later time.

Prologue
The story takes place in a world known as Parthoris, a magical realm divided into seven powerful kingdoms. The realm was also home to the Sidhe Elves, a magical and reclusive people who created the legendary Tomes of Power, and kept the seven magical candles burning, that represented the seven kingdoms.

All was well until the arrival of the Serpent Riders - three powerful demonic brothers, named for their dark robes and the creatures they rode. The kingdoms quickly fell to their worship after they displayed their power by ending the war of the eastern lands.

As time passed, their worshippers began to lose their free will and humanity. Once the world was under their control, the elder brothers left, leaving the youngest one, D'Sparil, to oversee their new empire.

The Sidhe Elves did not submit to worship of D'Sparil, and as a result were labelled as heretics and hunted by his followers. In a last-ditch effort, the Elder Council extinguished the seven candles - destroying the kingdoms' armies, but destroying their people as well.

D'Sparil, infuriated, struck down the Elders and opened up a rift to a hellish otherworld, where he drew forth armies of horrible creatures. They began to pillage the Sidhe lands, steal their artifacts, and in good time, brought ruin to Parthoris.

The few survivors went into hiding, but Corvus, a young vengeful Sidhe elf, would not stand for D'Sparil's treachery, and set off on a quest to destroy the Serpent Rider and free his people. This is where the story begins.

City of the Damned
In the first episode, Corvus fights through the ruins of the Sidhe lands to find a way to stop the evil. He battles through abandoned villages, fortresses, even a cathedral, before arriving at Hell's Maw where he confronts the monstrous Iron Liches. He triumphs over them, but all is far from well as he is unable to close the opening between Parthoris and the other world. He has no choice but to venture into the maw of hell itself and try to find a way to close it.

Hell's Maw
In the second episode, Corvus arrives in another world, streams of lava and winding tunnels greet him. He meets hellish new foes, dark temples, and wastelands. He then finds the source of the trouble, the Portals of Chaos where he battles the Maulotaur. He then enters into the gateway to arrive at the stronghold of D'Sparil himself - housed in a series of gigantic domes under the sea and above the ruins of a forgotten civilization.

The Dome of D'Sparil
The final episode of the original Heretic - Corvus remains resolute and fights on until he reaches the Serpent Rider himself. A lengthy and punishing fight occurs. Corvus defeats D'Sparil's mount and then D'Sparil himself, and a portal opens - seemingly leading home. Weary but confident, he steps through. However, there are other powers watching him...

The Ossuary
This episode only available in Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Regrettably the portal opened after slaying D'Sparil was a trap. Rather than returning home, Corvus was sent into the Outer Worlds. Alone, exhausted, and demons everywhere, he must forge on lest he surely die. The first world ever conquered by the demonic trio - The Ossuary - where their defenses are at their strongest and their walls have stood for centuries, greets Corvus once he arrives in these new lands. He manages to conquer his opposition however, and he is led astray as his only chance at returning home leads him to another strange new world.

The Stagnant Demesne
This episode only available in Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

The very birthplace of D'Sparil himself, Corvus fights through droves of demons again until he reaches the Field of Judgement where he confronts numerous Maulotaurs. After this intense and seemingly endless battle, he finds a way off this world. But there is uncertainty in the air as he departs...