The Ziggurat is a large structure found north of Markheim Fortress in the Dead Zone, surrounded by a poisonous swamp. It appears to have been a large military installation belonging to Pax-Europa and went by the name Kalliskhan. It holds various artifacts of the past such as the Fuel Rod of the Argoseyer and a computer terminal on the top floor (level 5) with information about the events preceding the Night of Fire.
For Mysticism characters, it also houses the Shrine of Heaven which is one of the elemental shrines (found in a room on the top floor).
Many hidden or locked doors and several hidden boxes and lockers exist in the Ziggurat, so good Investigation and Code Breaking skills, as well as a high-DC melee weapon may come in very useful.
The Ziggurat is well known among Markheim Fortress residents to be a dangerous place. The biggest indirect danger is poison, which can affect the character either through monster attacks or through breathing the poisoned air itself. Resistance, First Aid and Medicine can mitigate this problem.
The Ziggurat is presumably so dangerous, that if the character dies there, no one will dare to rescue them. This means you may have to fight your way out after dying. Chocolate Bars may make this somewhat easier.
The Ziggurat Downspiral, a very unstable part of the ruin, can be entered through a stairway on the fourth level.
The following items can be found in the Ziggurat:
- Level 2
- Bonesword in a locked box.
- Level 3
- Chitin Helm in a locked box.
- Chitin Breastplate in a locked box.
- Level 4
- Stairs down to the Ziggurat Downspiral.
- Level 5
- Heaven's Shrine, guarded by a World Maggot.
- A hackable computer that will give some backstory about the Ziggurat and Argoseyer.