What is the purpose of big lever in first room of Osgood's Basement?

[brian14]

The lever is to the right of the front door as you walk in. First time I went into Osgood's Basement, I moved this lever as a matter of course. Then I wandered around the sewers, found two side-by-side valves on top of the ladder, eventually gave up. Second time moved the levers, opened paired valves, went back and put the lever into original position. Again got nowhere. Third time I did not touch the lever at all, after opening the valves went "down and west", and FINALLY found the underwater valve in a dark alcove. Quite possibly I just did not notice it first two times -- it is barely visible. Or does it only appear if you DO NOT touch the lever? IOW, is it a deliberate red herring?

[Cedwin]

I've never noticed a lever in the first room. I always just kill the iron defender and head down to the next room. Perhaps it opens the door behind the iron defender if you don't kill him first to trigger it opening?

[brian14]

Now that I think of it, big lever is in the SECOND room. Same room with a small lever hidden behind a crate (that one opens the next door).

[Cedwin]

Now that I think of it, big lever is in the SECOND room. Same room with a small lever hidden behind a crate (that one opens the next door).

Is the big lever on the other side of the secret door? If so it's just there to open that door from the other side. It's a common sense design decision.

[Lithic]

That first lever is probably a red herring. I've never used it, and you need to kill the first room's iron defender to finish quest anyway.

As for proceeding to the end, once you climb up the long ladder and hit the 2 valves, you get dm text that says something like "You hear a grating noise from the west", which points you to the 3rd valve that opens the way forward. Lots of quests have such clues, so you should pay attention, at least until you memorize everything like us old timers heh.