Praetorium

The Praetorium is the Order's headquarters and a heavily secured portal world that serves as an ancient center of operations, study, and military command. It functions as a home, garrison, fortress, foundation and vault for the Supremus Ordo Petrae and has been their prima domus for over two millennia. Access is restricted to initiates of the Order; lore notes only three non-Initiates have ever gained entry, and only one was permitted to leave.

The environment is a vast, likely subterranean complex built from wide engineered hallways of black and white marble with black-and-yellow accent stone, numerous alcoves with sealed doors, and pervasive Order banners and iconography. Much of the explorable area comprises long corridors, multiple libraries and storage areas, a canteen and garage, a command bridge leading to a Command Center and Armory, and an inner sanctum containing the Sun Disc. From certain balconies the Praetorium reveals a vast cavern lined with identical terraces, underscoring the facility's monumental scale. Hasta Tria reappears here in a sparsely furnished study near the entrance, surrounded by GATE equipment.

The Praetorium is unique among portal worlds because it is entered via another portal world. Scientists must first complete Shadowgate, which opens a large purple portal to a small island in Far Garden; that island contains a yellow portal that teleports to the Praetorium. After the first arrival, exiting through the entry portal creates a permanent return link: an entryway from Intrados within The Reactors near Shadowgate's original entry point. This permits later direct access without replaying Shadowgate.

Encounters and layout details are important for planning. The canteen contains idle pistol-wielding Grunts and leads down to a garage with SMG- and shotgun-wielding Order troops plus Garage Rats that can drop Reinforced CPUs. Snipers and a Sapper guard the area beyond; a left path through a secondary garage can bypass some sniper lines but remains heavily patrolled. The outer library introduces Archivists, non-aggressive scholar enemies who flee and can drop Purported Grimoires and Tactical Scrap; a bridge past these halls is patrolled by Grunts and a Flame Rat whose close-range "Holy" flamethrower is lethal without strong long-range or explosive weapons. The inner library is comparatively quiet, containing Archivists, Garage Rats, and an instance of IS-1057; a guarded ladder provides a shortcut back toward earlier sections.

A major obstacle is the bridge to the Command Center, which is defended by multiple Order soldiers, three Flame Rats, a Sapper and a manned Order IFV. The IFV fires heavy machine-gun rounds and requires explosive damage to destroy; it can be blocked only by heavy shields. Inside the Command Center scientists encounter Assassins; the armory (right path) is dark and houses hidden Assassins but holds valuable loot including a full Triarii armor set, Exulum armor set, ammunition and an Ornate Crate. The left path leads to the control center and up a stair to IS-0101, which grants permanent cold resistance. Touching the Sun Disc in the control room grants the Sun-Touched trait and completes the Praetorium.

• Prepare thoroughly before entry: be well-rested, fed and hydrated; bring ample healing supplies (Bandages, Tech Bandages, Healing Syringes) and gear to establish a teleport network for emergencies.
• Bring explosives (Frag Grenades, Mugnades, Rocket Launcher) and strong long-range weapons (Deatomizer, Rocket Launcher) to deal with Flame Rats, the IFV and dense enemy clusters.
• Expect heavy numbers of Order soldiers across many types (Grunt, Captain, Breacher, Sniper, Garage Rat, Sapper, Flame Rat, Archivist, Trooper, Shield Trooper, Shock Trooper, Assassin). Use stealthy approaches or explosive/long-range methods to bypass or neutralize fortified positions.
• Explore armory and inner rooms for high-value rewards but move cautiously: the armory and Command Center contain ambushes and elite enemies guarding significant equipment including armor sets.