The Fissure of Woe

The Fissure of Woe is one of the Realms of the Gods. It is the domain of Balthazar, God of War. There his Eternal warriors are in constant struggle with the Shadow Army of Menzies, Lord of Destruction. It is a very inhospitable place. Mobs are plenty and very strong. It is not recommended to go there without a full party of eight experienced players. You cannot take henchmen there.

You can find a map of the Fissure here.

After entering the Fissure you will find yourself next to Rastigan the Eternal. He will be attacked by any Shadow creatures that may find their way there but unfortunately on his own he doesn't stand a chance in a fight with those creatures. Make sure to protect him and / or clear out the immediate surrounding area of any Shadow forces before further exploring the Fissure of Woe. If Rastigan is killed your whole party dies also and you have to transfer back to the Temple of the Ages. Also be careful not to accidentally trigger the quest Tower of Courage before the coast is clear (it is safe to accept the quest, just don't attack the quest related foes).

The Fissure of Woe features several quests, which are quite demanding, but give tremendous rewards in experience points. These quests can be done repeatedly, once each time you enter the Fissure. All quests you have done on previous visits to the Fissure will be cleared once you leave it and you will have to do them again if you want to reach subsequent quests. A very special set of armor can be crafted in the Fissure, after you have completed several quests.

You do not have a map available when venturing the Fissure of Woe.

The Fissure is the only place where you can find Shadow Shields, Bows and Staffs and Chaos Axes. Also Obsidian Shards drop relatively often here.

General Survival Tips
The Fissure of Woe can be a daunting place for those who tread there for the first time. Here are a few FYIs to keep you alive:
 * Watch out for Patrols!! There are patrols running around all over the place. Proceed carefully. If there are 20 yards between you and the next group, expect someone or something to walk by or pop out of the ground.
 * A few people should equip Rebirth. Rebirth is not useful in recovering from death situations during a fight, but it's an excellent recovery tool from near wipe out situations. The reason being that if a party is wiped out in the Fissure, it is kicked back out to the Temple of the Ages.
 * Use XP rewards wisely. Players going into the Fissure are mostly level 20 and might not need experience per se. Still, experience is very valuable inside the Fissure itself. Because the experience rewarded by Fissure quests is so high, it is the best tool in erasing Death Penalty from party members. As such, if a party finishes a quest and is ready for cashing in on the reward, they should save that reward until there is DP to erase.