Behind the Demon Door
What in the name of all that's Molyneux is a "demon door" … and why should you care? Demon doors are those big, wisecracking heads that are mounted over entrances to small areas that hold big, big treasure. They're easy to spot on your map. Until they open, they appear as a red dot (which usually indicates an enemy), and once you solve the puzzle, they appear as a normal area exit (white dot).
Each one has a very specific requirement that you must meet to get past. But, once you do, you're sure to appreciate the goodies contained therein (even if meeting those requirements becomes a side quest in and of itself). Let's look at a few of the more notable demon doors, and what you need to do to get past their snarky quips and pithy asides.
The Heroes Guild Demon Door.
The One that Wants to See Your Path Get Lighter
The Demon Door on the Heroes Guild "campus" is located over the creek and past the Will training area. He tells you that your path is dark, and at first, you might assume you're too evil to get inside. I finally figured this one out when I maxed out my "light side" morality and still couldn't get past.
Putting two and two together, I brought out my lamp and ignited it, which did the trick. My path illuminated, the door opened to reveal the goodies within. You can't buy a lamp on the Heroes Guild grounds, but you can find one in Bowerstone.
It never opens without a snarky comment.
The One that Wants to See You Get Fat
Out in the great big world, many Demon Doors will appear alongside the path between larger areas. One of those will likely inform you that you're far too skinny to get past. He wants blubbery, obese, rotund heroes with real meat on their bones. Like Homer Simpson, you have to eat your way out of this dilemma.
Stock up on apple pie, red meat, and beer (three great tastes that taste great together). Then come back to the door, stand there, and start eating. If your health is full, you'll start putting on the pounds. You can actually turn the camera to a profile view of your hero and watch his waistline expand. Keep eating until you think you're good and fat. Then, check your personality stats. Once you hit "Obese," go talk to the door again, and he'll swing open. (Don't worry about your figure. If you want to slim down, just don't eat when your health is full.)
The One that Wants You to Prove Your Mettle
On the path from Bowerstone to Barrow Fields, you encounter a Demon Door that wants you to fight his guardians to prove your worth. The difficulty of this task is directly related to your level. It's pretty tough if you do it early on, but cake if you wait until you're all buffed out. The first time you meet this door, you're probably escorting some traders to Barrow Fields, so don't take it on right away—the guardians will kill your traders, and you'll fail the quest.
Instead, build up your favorite combat stats a bit and return to the challenge a little later. You face several waves of Hobbes that get increasingly bulkier and tougher as the fight goes on, so be prepared for a tough battle. Once the guardians are beaten, the "knackered" door will open up to reveal its bounty.
Use your map to spot unopened Demon Doors
The One that Hates Single Men
Eventually, you'll have reason to visit an area known as the Grey House. There, you run into zombies, find out some disturbing secrets, and most importantly, encounter an extremely snooty Demon Door that doesn't respect the single lifestyle. To get past him, you need a wife—and not just any old serving wench you find at the local pub. He wants your wife to be "a posh one, with a title."
There's only one such woman in the game, Lady Grey, and you can't even get close to her unless you've beaten the Witchwood Arena. This will open up Bowerstone North, where you can find Lady Grey hanging around outside of her giant mansion in the northeast corner of the map. Talk to her, woo her, and do what she asks. All of this is a side quest in and of itself, but if you've beaten the Arena, it shouldn't be too much trouble for you.
Eventually, you meet all of her requirements, and you're free to get hitched to the Lady—a posh woman with a title, just like the door asked for. Head back to the Grey house, and the door will swing aside, though not without opining that Lady Grey must have been pretty hard up to marry the likes of you.
These are just four of the Demon Doors that you encounter in Albion. You'll find many more in your travels that won't be quite so simple: doors that require you to commit an act of great evil, doors that want you to shoot them in the face with an arrow, doors that want to see your combat multiplier reach dazzling new heights, and more. They're easy to ignore, but don't. You'll miss out on way too much fantastic treasure (and funny dialogue).
Article by Danny Chihdo
