Praetorium

The Praetorium is the Headquarters of the Order and a portal world that serves as one of the game’s major late-game locations. It is a vast, heavily secured facility of black-and-white marble halls, yellow accent striping, sealed side rooms, and pervasive Order banners and iconography. Lorewise, it is an ancient center of operations and study facility, reserved for Order initiates; in practice, it is packed with hostile Order troops and several unique progression points.

Unlike most portal worlds, the Praetorium is first entered through another portal world. After completing Shadowgate, scientists gain access to a large purple portal on a small island in Far Garden, which leads to a yellow portal that teleports into the Praetorium. Once inside, the portal used for entry can be exited to create a permanent return path back to the portal world network, allowing future access without repeating the entire Shadowgate route.

The route through the Praetorium is split into several distinct areas. The outer library is the first major space, where Archivists appear for the first time. They are non-aggressive Order scholars that flee while calling for help, but they can drop valuable Purported Grimoires and Tactical Scrap. Farther in, the inner library is relatively safer and is mostly populated by Archivists and Garage Rats; an instance of IS-1057 can also be found there, and a ladder near the bottom provides a shortcut back toward the earlier section.

Beyond the library, scientists reach the bridge to the Command Center, a large exposed stretch defended by numerous Order soldiers, including three Flame Rats and a Sapper, with a manned Order IFV stationed on the far side. The IFV opens fire as soon as a scientist enters its line of sight and can only be stopped by explosive damage; it is best dealt with using a Rocket Launcher or by sneaking underneath the bridge and throwing grenades, though the underside is also heavily populated with enemies. From there, the Command Center and armory become the main objective space. The right path leads to the armory, which is dark and filled with assassins but contains a full set of Triarii armor, Exulum armor, 9mm Ammo, 12g Buckshot, and an Ornate Crate. The left path leads to the control center, guarded by a sniper, several rooks, and more Order soldiers. Up the stairs past the sniper is the room containing IS-0101, which grants permanent cold resistance, along with an Inquisitor Crate; touching the Sun Disc here grants the Sun-Touched trait and completes the Praetorium.

A few practical notes make the area much easier to handle:

• Enter well prepared: bring food, water, rest, and healing items such as Bandages, Tech Bandages, and Healing Syringes.
• Carry teleport-network materials so you can establish an emergency escape route.
• Explosives are extremely useful, especially for the bridge IFV and the denser later encounters.
• Expect a wide mix of Order soldiers throughout, including Grunts, Troopers, Shield Troopers, Shock Troopers, Captains, Breachers, Snipers, Sappers, Flame Rats, and Assassins.
• The canteen and garage sections are comparatively manageable, but the garage below the canteen still contains armed Order troops and Garage Rats, and the snipers afterward can force a slower approach.
• The area rewards careful clearing and map knowledge, since several side routes provide shortcuts or safer approaches to later objectives.