The Imprisoned Spirits

Levels by George Maciver

Authorized walkthrough by Sutekh

CS = Crawlspace - MS = Monkey Swing - L = Left - R = Right - N, S, E, W = Cardinal Points - UW = Underwater
SJ = Standing Jump - SJ+G = Standing Jump + Grab - RJ = Running Jump - RJ+G = Running Jump + Grab

== Prologue: Imprisoned Spirits, part 1==

-- First Steps --

After a most impressive intro where you get to catch a glimpse of Lara's current arch-enemy, you find yourself in a small room, looking at three symbols on the wall topped by burning torches. You'll see those symbols again in the future. You've just entered the Antechamber of the Tombs. From here, you'll be later able to access the three of them: the Tomb of Caves, the Tomb of Temples and the Tomb of Islands. Of course, before you're able to enter the first one, you'll have tasks to accomplish, items to retrieve and enemies to fight. Ready? Right at your feet is an open trapdoor, so, without further delay, turn around and safety drop down in the room below.

Opening the Way

You're on a wide stairway with a blue opening to the E and, to the W, a closed door carved with stone faces (which look very much like lost souls trapped within). Pass the E opening to enter a blue lit square room with a lava pool in the center: the "Blue Lava Room" . In front of you is a door barred with what looks like a heavy mechanism. On your L, a ledge extends from the W wall supporting some flares. There's no apparent way out, nor means to open that door. Or is there?

First, go face the ledge with flares and do a RJ to land on it. Pick them up. As you may already know, flares not only give light but also happen to be excellent "special block" detectors. And that's exactly what we're looking for. Now RJ to the door side of the room (N), and light that flare. Soon, you should be able to spot a moveable block in the middle of the E wall, by the other extended ledge. Push it as far as you can.

You're now in a wide corridor. Run to the opening to the S to enter a large room, with a deep pit in its center: the Pit Room. In front of you, and quite unfortunately on the other side of the pit, there's a pedestal with a pyramidal key on it. If you look down to the bottom of the pit, and on the R (SW), you can spot an opening bathed in red light. No way to get there either. Don't despair. Turn L (E) and look up. Yep, that's a switch.

Facing the lowest side of the triangular block ahead (that is, its left), do a SJ and land on it. The switch is within reach but yet looks very inaccessible. Don't try to jump*. Look up to spot a MS just above you. SJ and grab it and follow its short curved course to the switch. Activate it to open the door in the Blue Lava room: the way in now open. Now, do a SJ with a left curve in mid-air to safely jump back to the entrance of the room and return to the Blue Lava Room.

* a note from George: "You can actually do that jump, but it's extremely hard."

-- Fighting, Exploring and Flooding --

Pass the newly opened door to enter a golden corridor. Those growls in the distance don't bid well, do they? Prepare to meet your first opponents. Run along the corridor until you reach a dark square room. You're immediately attacked by 2 yetis. One in the room, and one coming behind you. There are two things to know about these proto-human creatures: First, they strike hard, so keep moving to avoid being hit. Secondly, they sometimes enter a defensive stance, bumping their chest with intimidating roars, and you won't be able to harm them. In this case, fool them into attacking you by sheathing your weapon, then draw it and shoot.

Once they're permanently out of your way, go pick up the large medipack in the NW corner, right of the W closed door. Now, go to the SW corner, and activate the switch there to open the door.

As soon as you step into the next room, the door closes behind you. Run across to reach a large sloping area bathed in cold white-bluish light. This is the White Passage. Ahead of you and going down (W), there's a large opening in the distance. To your L and going up, there's a wide passageway. We'll go there first.

Run up, stopping to get rid of an annoying bat. Go on. You'll soon be able to notice an opening up in the R wall (S) and a couple a blocks on your L, in a dark-blue lit area. We'll get there in a minute. Keep running until you spot some flares in an alcove. Pick them up, kill another bat, continue along the passageway, kill a third bat and finally enter a new room: the Masks Room.

To the S, is a closed mechanism door which is sort of your penultimate goal for the whole adventure. On the E wall, are three receptacles where you'll put the masks you'll collect in each of the three tombs. But all this is for much later. Of immediate interest, in an alcove left of the receptacles (NE corner), you can find a switch. Activate it to open a door beyond the opening in the dark-blue lit area in the passageway.

So run back there, stopping by the blocks mentioned earlier (now on your R). You might want to light a flare at this point. Climb the lowest block, turn E toward the higher one, and position Lara on the highest corner of the block you're on (L). Turn 45° R toward the lowest corner of the next block and SJ. Turn S to face the opening in the opposite wall, go to the leftmost corner, angle slightly to the L then do a RJ+G to the opening. Cross the bridge to reach the switch on the other side of the room you've just entered and activate it. This will flood a pool somewhere (ie: in the room W of the White Passage). This will also flood the pit in the Pit Room and grant access to the pyramidal key which is in fact a ticket...

-- To the Tomb of Caves --

Meeting New Enemies and Getting the Key

Now you obviously have to get back to the Pit Room, but you'll need to find a new path since the previous one is cut. Return to the entrance of the White Passage, and this time, go W and down to the wide opening we spotted before. You find yourself in a huge cave, with a very deadly lake of poisoned water ahead of you crossed by long wooden bridges arranged crosswise: the Poisoned Lake Cave. This is where you'll successively access each of the three Tombs. But first things first, let's find our way back to the Pit Room.

Go S (L) to reach the very pool you just flooded. Dive and swim across to pull up on the opposite ledge. Draw your weapon: you're about to meet one of the most charming occupants of the place: the scavenger. It has claws and teeth, it knows how to use them and it's quick. So keep moving and shoot. You'll know it's dead when it collapses in flames. Unlike other enemies it won't disappear afterward, so make sure it doesn't die on anything you might want to pick up.

Now that the beast is dead, run up the ramp and along the corridor until you spot a lost souls door. It is the very same door you saw when you started and it will open as you approach, allowing you to re-enter the starting area then closing again behind you. Head for the Pit Room via the Blue Lava Room and the passage on the E. It is flooded indeed, but the edge supporting the pedestal is way too high for you to climb. Dive and swim down, heading SW to the red lit opening we spotted before. Enter the opening there, and swim through it then up to reach the surface of a small square pool.

2 red scorpions come to greet you, so don't pull up yet. Turn R instead to the NW corner to locate an alcove. Pull up on it, pick up the small medipack, and dispatch the scorpions from there. Now you can safely go into the small room ahead. Go to the NE corner, into the alcove, and turn L (W). Climb into the opening up there, then another block on your R (N). Ahead of you stands the pedestal with the coveted Tomb of Caves Key.

Three Doors by the Poisoned Lake

We now must head to the first tomb: the Tomb of Caves. As mentioned before, its entrance is in the Poisoned Lake Cave, so there's where we're going now. Dive in the flooded pit, and return to the Poisoned Lake Cave via the Blue Lava Room and the Yetis Lair. You'll need to re-activate the switch there (SW corner) to reopen the door. Said door will close again, but you don't need to get back anymore, so simply ignore that fact and run straight to the Cave to the W.

Run W across the bridge to the center of the cross and stop there: a crow is watching over the place. Stay firmly where you stand and shoot it to death, remaining careful not to fall in the deadly waters. Now, take a look around. To the S, W and N you can spot beaches (use the binoculars to have a better sight if needed), each with a dark opening in the middle. Beyond each opening is a door leading to a Tomb. Finally, to the SW, you can see some rocks forming a safe path to a small, blue lit opening. Ignore it for now, we'll get there much later.

Cross the bridge E to the beach and enter the dark corridor there. You'll soon see a closed lost souls door. On your R (N) is the keyhole where the Tomb of Caves Key belongs. Use the latter on the former to open the door. Enter the next room, a dim-lit place with many nooks. Run straight to the lost souls door ahead. You're heading to the Tomb of Caves.

In this chapter you should have found...
Enemies: Yetis, Bats, Scavenger, Red Scorpions, Crow
Items of note: Tomb of Caves Key

== Chapter 1: The Tomb of Caves ==

The door opens as you approach. Go through the doorway and enter a large, uneven cave: the Entrance Cave. To your R (N) you can spot lava waving in the distance beyond a blue-lit passage. To your L (S), there's a ledge behind a sloping pillar. Going further into the cave, you may now see an opening on your L (SW) and a gateway to the NW on your R. Let's go there first.

A Spirit Key

You enter a huge cave with a rectangular pool in the center we'll call the Statues Cave. There are many things to notice here, so let's take a look around (and clockwise).

Turn L (S), where the gruesome sight of an Eviscerated Corpse awaits you, softened by the one of the beautiful golden statue to the SW. If you get closer to the pool and look down into it, you'll see a closed hatch there. Ahead and beyond the pool (W), a high wooden bridge stretches across the room, and beyond it is the dark doorway of a closed lost souls door. Right of the bridge pillar, NW, you can see a tall black pillar supporting a pedestal with a golden skull on it. This is indeed a secret, but you'll get it later. Before it, against the N wall, stands an Oceanian Totem. Take a good note of its location, it will save Lara's life. Still looking N, you can see an opening revealing a diamond-shaped receptacle. Finally, immediately R of the entrance (NE corner), another (high) opening. That's your next destination.

Turn to the entrance gateway and notice the grey sloping block on its L (E). Stand next to it, with Lara's feet against it, on the highest point of the floor. Turn Lara very slightly to the L and SJ on it while keeping the Up key pressed so she doesn't slip back down. Now turn L (N) to the opening and do a RJ+G to its edge. Cautiously enter the room.

Ahead in the distance you can see a pedestal with a pyramidal key: a Spirit Key. Don't walk on the central trapdoor which would collapse and send Lara impaling herself on an instant death spikes trap. Jump over it or go around it. Stop at the next entrance and look down. There are steep slopes there, and another spikes trap in the center. Don't try to jump to the other side. Look up: there's a MS up there to save the day. So jump and grab it and swing your way to the next room. As you enter, heavy steps resound: you've got company. Run into the room as a scavenger attacks so it doesn't push you back onto the spikes trap. Now, you can draw your guns and dispose of it in a proper manner (keep moving, but don't forget those spikes). Once it's done, simply pick up the Spirit Key on the pedestal. Go back to the Entrance Cave via the Statues Cave.

-- Seizing the Blood Stone --

Through the Hole with Slopes and What Lara Found There

Turn R (S) after exiting the Statues Cave and cross the Entrance Cave to pass the opening. You enter a small room with a pool ahead (S): the Small Pool Room. Ignore the pool for now and turn L to spot an alcove one block up in the E wall. Climb in. The "wall" ahead is a moveable block. Push it four times. You can now see the Entrance Cave to your L. Hop back one tile away from the block and drop from the ledge you're on, grabbing its edge. Now shimmy to the L until you can pull back up on the other side of the block (you'll pass said block without any problem). Enter the L (E) corridor.

Run up the wide stairway to the closed door and turn R (W) at the top. The receptacle for the Spirit Key is there so put the Key in to open the door and enter the next area. It's a relatively small cave bathed in green-bluish light with a closed lost souls door in the SE corner and a large square hole in the W end. Therefore, we'll call this place the "Cave with the Hole" . Run to the closest edge of said hole and look down.

You can see a slope below, the first of a set of three which will allow Lara to go down there without killing herself. She'll lose some health though, but if you carefully follow the following procedure, it will only be a very tiny bit. Turn her back to the hole, drop on the slope, slide down and grab its edge. There's a short ladder there. Climb down as far as you can with Lara now hanging from the ladder then climb up once (Lara's still hanging). Let go and fall to the next slope. Lara will bounce from the very tip of the slope to the third one below. Immediately press Action: this will prevent her from hitting the wall which would be costly healthwise. Grab the edge. You're now on another ladder directly above a spikes trap. So cling to that ladder and go R until you're above a safe tile. Let go.

Follow the black corridor you're now in to the huge cave ahead. Doing so, you trigger a fly-by which reveals what's awaiting you there, as well as your goal: a red gem laying on a very high located pedestal. You're now in for a memorable series of tricky jumps and tight timed-runs, so prepare yourself to experience a great raiding moment.

Introducing The Cave of (Extremely) Tall Black Pillars

First, run to the center of the cave to pick-up some flares on a pedestal located on a square platform. Go further W until you can see a rather tall block against the wall. It is not that tall, considering some of the other pillars here, but it's tall enough to prevent you from climbing on it. However, this will be your starting point to reach higher and higher places. Look at the floor L of this starting block to notice a darker tile: this is a block you need to raise in order to access the starting block. And that's precisely what we're going to do now.

Go back E toward the entrance of the cave until you can see a red-lit ledge with a block on it. Turn R (S) and run to the green-lit recess to the E. There's a switch on the N wall there. It will raise the block by the starting one but, as most tasks you'll have to accomplish here, it's not gonna be easy. So save at the switch and prepare yourself for your first (and easiest) timed-run.

A Timed Raised Block

Activate the switch and quickly turn L (W). Sprint W across the cave to the newly raised block, with the pillars and the square platform on your L. Jump when the sprint bar is empty to go faster while Lara's energy refills. When you're near the raised block, release the Sprint key and run to a pointed slight elevation on the floor. Turn R to the raised block and SJ on it then immediately SJ again to the highest one (or grab and pull-up if you've been quick enough).

The block will remain from now on raised so you may easily get back on it when needed. Our next destination is the red-lit ledge with a block on the other (E) side of the cave. Going there requires a series of jumps, including a rather tricky one.

Jumping Around to the Red-Lit Ledge

Turn toward the ledge against the N wall and RJ to it while holding Action to lower Lara's head and avoid hitting the wall. Turn 45° R (NE) toward the next ledge and do a SJ to it. Run E to its other side and turn R (SE) to aim at a block extending from the wall. RJ there while holding Action. Now turn L (SSE) to aim at a dark alcove and do a SJ without Action pressed and with a L mid-air curve. Turn L (E) and run around the corner. Position Lara to the very right with her back against the wall, then turn slightly L (NEE) toward the next opening in the wall ahead and do a RJ with a hard L mid-air curve. SJ to the block on the R (SE) while holding Action. Your next jump is a tricky, difficult one requiring perfect position and angle.

Go to the other side of the block you're on, and turn L (N). The block extending from the wall ahead is the one you need to reach. Go to the very R side with Lara's nose against the wall then make one step back. Turn R (NNE) as shown in this screenshot and step back to the edge (you'll make only two steps, but Lara will take off all the same). Now do a RJ. Lara's shoulder will slightly hit the wall. Immediately press L to do a very hard mid-air curve and grab the next block only at the very last moment. You've made it.

The remaining jumps will feel like a peaceful stroll. Turn slightly R (NNE) and do a RJ holding Action to the block ahead. Go to the R corner opposite the wall, turn 45° R (NE) and do a SJ holding Action to the ledge. Go to its end (E), turn L (SSE) to aim at the extending block and do a RJ holding action to land on it. Now do a last 45° SJ to the red-lit ledge on the L (SE). You're there.

A Block Puzzle

Run to the block which is a moveable one. As you approach it, a block raises down on floor level (again allowing an easy way back here if needed). Look down and notice the tiles with symbols on the floor. There are two types of them: two with a "compass" on each end of the ledge near its edge and three with a maltese cross near the wall. First push the block on the S compass then pull/push it on the opposite one (order doesn't matter but it's faster that way). This raises another block near the edge in the middle, tall enough to allow you to push the block against the wall. So pull/push the moveable block to the middle of the ledge, SJ to the newly raised block and push the moveable one against the wall on the middle maltese cross. Finally, push/pull the block on each of the remaining maltese crosses successively, in any order. It raises a block against the N wall near the NW corner of the Cave, close to the starting block.

Going Higher

Drop down from the red-lit ledge and cross the cave to the W to climb back on the starting block. Face N. The block you just raised is on the ledge to your R (NE). Jump your way there like you did the first time and pull up on that newly raised block, then on the next one to the E. Turn 45° R (SE) and do a SJ while holding Action to the next block, then turn R (S), SJ+G and pull up the higher block. Finally, turn 45° R to the bridge pillar and do a RJ to it. Stop there a moment to appraise the situation.

On your L, you can see a closed door up in the E wall, then turning R to the SE, two instant death burning pillars and a switch beyond and up. Below the switch, is a block which looks safe at the moment, but is in fact a (rather devious) timed fire trap. If you go further on the bridge, you'll eventually spot a pillar beyond the trapped block and to its L: this is where you'll stand after having been through the quite tight timed-run you're going to perform right now.

A Timed Fire Trap

You're standing on the very tile that sets that fire off. As soon as you'll have started, you'll have a very few seconds to jump on the fire tile then on the pillar beyond. So save.

Start on the right side of the tile and sprint diagonally, heading for the opposite side of the bridge and left. Release sprint when you get close of the opposite pillar and jump L to the trapped block just before stepping on the end tile of the bridge. (screenshot 1). Don't stop, but immediately do a RJ L to the pillar beyond. (screenshot 2). Now you may take a moment to congratulate yourself.

Some More Jumps

Turn E and do a RJ to the pillar ahead, then turn 45° L (NE) and do a SJ holding Action to the opening in the E wall. Run through this red-lit corridor, position Lara on the right side when reaching the end. Turn slightly R to face NNE and do a RJ+G to the next higher pillar. Run to the end of that second bridge, noticing on your way the currently lowered wrought iron platform against the W wall on your L (you're just gonna love that one). At the end of the bridge and on its R, turn 45° R (NE) to face your next destination and RJ there holding Action. Stand on the other side of the block, turn 45° L (NW) to aim at the dark block against the N wall, hop back and RJ holding Action to land on it. Turn W: you can see a switch there, at the end of a green-lit ledge, with an oceanian looking fence on its L. Now here's another tricky jump for your lucky self.

The problem here is the fence. You'll need first to find the right angle and position (as usual) then to turn Lara R in mid-air as much as possible to land on the right of the fence. First, position Lara as shown in this screenshot, hop back and do a RJ holding the Right key as soon as Lara's shoulder hits the wall. Just before landing hold Action, lest Lara hits the wall and plummets to her death. Now rejoice, because you're about to perform the tightest timed-run of the whole adventure.

A Timed Platform and A Tricky Jump

The trick here is to save time at the start of the timed-run so you'll have enough to make those time-consuming but unfortunately necessary steps back.

Go to the switch and save. Immediately side jump R then turn L to pull up on the block there. RJ to the next one, aiming for its left side and holding action (screenshot 1). Take 1 step back then do a RJ to the R of the platform (screenshot 2). Step back to the edge and do a RJ, with a slight R mid-air curve and grab the pillar at the very last moment.

Extinguishing Fire and Opening a Door

Pull up and turn to the NW to spot some slopes ahead. The middle one is different. Do a RJ to the slopes, holding Action, and grab the edge. Shimmy to the L, stop at the middle different one and pull up to step on it, then drop and grab. You've just extinguished the deadly fire on top of the two pillars nearby, which will allow you to access the switch beyond. Now shimmy to the L and around the corner until you can pull-up on the ledge there.

There's a closed door ahead (W) that you now need to open. So turn S to the now safe pillars, and do a slightly R angled RJ to the first one. Repeat to land on the second higher one. Now do a RJ holding Action to the block with the switch and activate it (the switch, not the block). Now you need to get back to the ledge with the door which is now open. Turn around and sidestep either L or R so Lara's back is directly against the wall, and not against the switch (or you'd lack room for your upcoming jump). RJ to the pillar ahead. Position Lara two steps from the edge and SJ to the next pillar below. Now do a RJ holding Action to land on the ledge. Go W to the opening where the closed door was.

Higher and Higher (and Higher) to the Blood Stone

Turn R (NW) to spot your next destination. Position Lara roughly in the middle of the edge, and do a slightly L angled SJ+G to the next block. You now will climb a series of blocks doing SJ+G then rolling to turn around and again until you're on a purple one with a very dark opening in the L (E) wall. We're now going to make a short detour for an upcoming secret

The next jump is a tad trickier than it seems. Position Lara roughly at the middle of the edge and turn slightly L (SSE) to face the opening. Do a SJ, turning L in mid-air as soon as you've passed the wall on your L and you'll land on the very edge of the opening. Go into the alcove, and turn R (S) at the end. Climb onto the block, turn R (W) and activate the switch there. It opens a trapdoor somewhere in the Entrance Cave, so you will only get there once you're out of your Tall Pillars predicament. Now go back to the dark opening and take a look at the opposite wall to spot another opening up there. That's where we're going now. Go back on the purple block by facing N at the edge, then turning slightly L and SJ+G.

Turn N (if needed). Ahead of you is a red-lit block. SJ+G to pull up onto it. Turn NW to spot an opening in the N wall. Position Lara one sidestep from L corner and very slightly turn R. Now hop back and do a RJ, turning R in mid-air once you've passed the wall on your R. Now turn to the SWW and do a SJ holding Action to land on the next block. Go to its edge and turn slightly R to face your next destination: a block before an opening in the W wall, and do a RJ to there, again holding Action.

Enter the corridor and run along to the S. Stop at the recess and turn L to pick up a small medipack on a pedestal. Resume running to the other end of the corridor until you reach another opening. The Blood Stone is now only two bridges away.

Do a slightly R angled RJ to the bridge ahead. Run to the other end and do a RJ+G to the next bridge and cross it. Now behold! Just before you lies the Blood Stone in all its crimson glory. Pick it up, you deserve it.

A New Enemy and a Block Puzzle

A lost souls door just opened to your L, so pass it, enter the small corridor, go past the door which opens as you approach, enter a new room and prepare yourself to meet a brand new enemy.

Upon entering the room, and as the door closes behind you, you're immediately (and quite brutally) attacked by a Winged Demon. Don't waste your time trying to kill it with your pistols, you can't (and trust me, I tried). Instead run to the pyramid of blocks to your R (NE corner) and climb to the top as fast as possible. Enter the small corridor (there's a lost souls door ahead, but it's closed) and turn R at the junction. Salvation is there in the form of a Shotgun. Now get down in the previous room and dispatch this horror. You can do so with one single shot, provided you don't shoot when it's in defensive mode: staying motionless, growling and sparkling with blue rays.

Now that it's dead, sheath your gun and take a look around. Against the E wall are a set of blocks, the one in the SE corner wearing a colored tile. If you look down at the floor, you can spot a darker tile which is a block you'll need to raise. In the middle of the W wall is a moveable block (light a flare to locate it if needed). First, pull/push it to the darker tile against the W wall. Return to its previous location and go activate the switch in the alcove to raise the block near the W wall, with the moveable one on it. Now go there, climb on the leftmost block and push the moveable one to the colored tile. You've just opened the lost souls door up there.

Climb the pyramid again and pass through the newly opened door: you're back in the Cave with the Hole.

-- To the Spirit Mask --

A Skull Key

Return to the Entrance Cave through the opening in the NE, down the stairs and dropping down from the ledge, then go toward the entrance of the Statues Cave by going N then turning L (W). Soon you'll hear a Winged Demon growling in the distance, draw your shotgun and wait for it to come close enough to take him down with a single shoot (you don't want to waste any precious ammo, do you?). Sheath the gun and draw your faithful pistols to dispatch a crow probably attracted there by the smell of demonic blood. It's now time to go get your very first secret.

Wherever you are now, return toward the Statues Cave entrance but stop before entering and look R to locate an opening up in the N wall. Look up to spot an opened trapdoor (we opened this one with the switch up in the Pillars Cave, remember?). Climb up onto the block below the trapdoor, then up again through it: you've reached Secret #1: shotgun ammo in the NW corner and 2 Uzi ammos and the Uzi itself in the SW one. Before leaving the room, stand next to the hole facing E and do a SJ+G to the block up ahead to pick up a small medipack. You can now make your way back to the Statues Cave.

Run past the first white pillar on your R (NW) and go to the opening in the N wall. Put the Blood Stone in its receptacle in the N opposite wall of this small round room. A lost soul door opens at the very end of the Statues Cave beyond the pool and to the W. Ignore the switch L of the doorway: you can't get there from where you are. Instead, pass the door and run W along the red corridor into a small round room. Pick up the Skull Key on the pedestal then turn L (S) and go get the shotgun ammo and the small medipack waiting for you on another pedestal in the room nearby.

A Corpse's Hand by the Lava

Now go to the Small Pool Room via the Statues Cave and R (S) of the Entrance Cave. This time, go to the pool and dive, then swim W. Soon, you'll be able to surface in another room. Pull up on the W ledge. On your R (N) is a closed door. Go around the block ahead to find the Keyhole and use the Skull Key on it, which opens the door. Enter the blue corridor and run through it until you reach a bridge, which is the one going across the Statues Cave. On the other side, you can spot a closed lost souls door in the distance.

Run N a bit, stop past the white pillar on your L and turn L (W). You will soon reach that switch. Go two tiles away from the pillar and face the left black ramp. Do a RJ (don't press Action) to land on the flatter tile on top. Now turn L (SW) and make one step on the grey triangular slope. Still facing SW, do a SJ to the block ahead. Now, turn R and go activate the switch on the W wall. This opens the hatch in the rectangular pool below.

Go there, dive and swim through the opening into a large flooded cave. Swim down and to the N through the opening down below, then across this new large cave through another opening. Swim up near the end of the UW tunnel then to the E through the long green tunnel. Swim up at its end and surface.

You find yourself in the only safe part of an otherwise deadly lava pool (we saw this lava waving in the distance when we first entered the Entrance Cave). Cautiously climb up onto the ledge. There's a blue hand on a pedestal there (and apparently there has already been some attempts to take it, judging by the corpses lying in the lava). Pick up the Corpse's Hand which, as an immediate consequence, triggers a couple of Ice Wraiths. Roll to face the safe tile in the lava and cautiously jump there.

Swim through the tunnels and the two large caves with the wraiths on your tail, exiting via the hole in the second cave ceiling. Pull up on the N ledge of the pool, in front of the Oceanian Totem which is in fact an "Anti-Wraith Device" (you'll see more of them in the upcoming levels). Wait for the wraiths to conveniently explode.

Another Key and A Spirit Mask

Now, you have a Corpse's Hand, so what you need is the matching corpse. It's very close, in the SW corner. Go there and use the Hand on the Eviscerated Corpse where it belongs. This opens the lost souls door at the northern end of the bridge. So return on it via the Entrance Cave and the Small Pool Room.

Run across and pass the newly opened door. You find yourself in a large sloping cave passage. Go down W, N around the corner and NW to the opening. But before going through it, we're gonna make one more detour to another secret.

Turn around before said opening and examine the closest pillar, facing S: the side you're looking at is climbable. So, well, climb it. Up to the top, then move a bit L to let go and land in a corridor. Run to its other end until you reach an opening. Look down. You're just above the Golden Skull on the black pillar we spotted at the start. Make sure Lara is healthy enough, and safety drop down there. Pick up the Golden Skull which is Secret #2, safety drop in the Statues Cave from the pillar and go back to the cave passage whence you come, via the Entrance Cave, the Small Pool Room and the bridge. Once there, go to that NW opening.

Run along this lost souls corridor to enter a long dark room, lined with red eyed tortured corpses. As you run further in it, 2 scavengers come to greet you. Shoot and keep moving until they both fall in flames. Notice the closed lost souls door in the E wall. Run to the end of the room to the N and turn R (E) and through the opening to enter a red-lit room with a pit in the center and a pedestal on the opposite side.

Simply RJ to the lower ledge then climb up to the pedestal. Pick up the Tomb of Temples Key and your first Spirit Mask. Now go back to the long room with tortured corpses and to the now opened lost souls door there. Past it is a steep ramp. Slide down to return to the Poisoned Lake Cave in the previous level, leaving the Tombs of Caves.

In this chapter you should have found...
Enemies: Scavengers, Winged Demons, Crow, Ice Wraiths
Items of note: Spirit Key, Blood Stone, Skull Key, Corpse's Hand, Tomb of Temples Key, Spirit Mask
2 Secrets
some Traps - 3 Timed-Run

-- Interlude: Imprisoned Spirits, part 2 --

Since you just found the key, you're now obviously heading for the Tomb of Temples.

First run along the corridor you're in, drop down to the Tomb of Caves Beach and from there go to the center of the bridges cross (just make a 45° R SJ from the beach to get on the bridge). Once there turn L (N) and run to the beach ahead but don't go to the door yet, you need to perform one little extra task for a secret you'll discover later.

Turn 45° L at the end of the bridge and jump to the L side of the beach. Run to the W wall and turn L, facing S and activate the switch there. That's all for now. Return to the bridge by SJ on it then enter the black doorway to the N.

Run toward the closed lost souls door and turn R (E). Put the Tomb of Temples Key in its Keyhole there. As before, you find yourself in a small room full of nooks and recess and as before, all you need to do is run to the door ahead which will open as you enter the next chapter.

== Chapter 2: The Tomb of Temples ==

Continue N. Soon, you'll find yourself on a brown translucent bridge overhanging a room of gigantic proportions: the Gigantic Room. If you take a look around, you'll see two other bridges on your R (E), a large red scalding hot lake down below, and, provided you look hard enough, a tiny, minuscule, microscopic blue spot by the lake on a pedestal to the W which is nothing but a Corpse's Hand. Don't even think of jumping to any of the huge columns supporting the high ceiling on each side, but instead just run along the bridge and across the room until you reach a small rectangular room.

There you can see four doors: three tall black greek ones and a smaller lost souls one. There are no keyholes or buttons of any sort around and if you try to open one of the greek ones by using Action, you'll hear a firm "no" meaning you obviously lack something. A crowbar, perhaps?

Fetching the Crowbar

Look down at the floor. Opposite the lost souls door, by the S wall, you can see a different tile with a square. If you walk on it, the lost souls door opens. But as soon as you approach said door, it closes. And no matter how fast you run, looks like you just can't make it. It is a timed run alright, but with a twist that puts it in the puzzle category instead. For the moment, let just say that in order to start closing, a door first needs to be wide open. [To preserve the fun, and if this hint isn't helpful enough, you'll find the solution at the end of this walkthrough.] Once you've managed to pass the door, simply pick up the Crowbar on the pedestal and the door will reopen, allowing you to leave the room.

-- The Little Wheels Affair --

Two Spirits Keys

Okay, now you're ready to get to work. You've got three doors and the tool to open them. You could start with any of them but we'll only consider the shortest route, so let's start with the N one.

Use the crowbar on it, then enter the golden corridor beyond. Run along and down the ramps until you reach a metallic-looking bridge. Continue running S to the other side of the Gigantic Room, enter the brown corridor at the end and go on. Soon you'll hear a too familiar gurgling behind you: 3 ice wraiths have come to chase you. Don't panic. Just continue along the (mercifully) short corridor to enter a new room with a fountain in the center (the "Fountain Room" ) and an Oceanian Totem in both northern corners (take good note of their location, you'll need them again later). As usual, they can't resist exploding on it.

Now you can examine the room at your leisure. There's a corridor in front of you, near the SE corner, and a closed double door with 2 keyholes (of the Spirit Key type) on each side. On your L (E), you can see another room with a pool in the center. Let's go there first.

There's nothing of interest in the water and you can shoot the vases all you want, they won't break. But, if you look closely at the N wall, you'll see a whiter "block" in the middle. It's an opening, concealed by a translucent fake wall. Enter the short corridor beyond and run to its end where stands a pedestal. Pick up the 1st Spirit Key there and go back to the Fountain Room.

Now enter the corridor SE and enter the next room. No time to look around, though, as the growls may hint. 2 Yetis attack you as soon as you step in. Try to lure them in the corridor and the Fountain Room, so you'll move around more easily (but mind the pool, falling in it would make you lose any advantage). Once you're done with them, go back in the corridor and the room beyond.

It is rather large and dark, with tortured corpses adorning the walls and lots of columns, pyramidal elevations and platforms. On the other side, on the S wall, there's a diamond shaped receptacle you can't use at the moment. The key here is to look up. There are nine "holes" in the ceiling, six of them blocked by a square stone. Of the remaining three, the first one (middle N one, close to the entrance) is closed by a trapped door for now which leaves us with two. The first we'll consider will give access to a secret.

Go to the platform in the SE corner (far left from the entrance). Above it is a translucent brown tile hiding a hole. Jump, grab and pull up. Pick up the golden skull on a pedestal to the W, which is Secret #3, then shotgun ammo to the S and a large medipack to the N. Drop back in the Nine Holes Room below.

Go and stand on the central platform. Again, jump, grab and pull up. On a pedestal to the W lies the 2nd Spirit Key. Pick it up. You can now open that double door in the fountain room, so go back there.

Two Little Wheels

Use both Spirit Keys on the Keyholes, and enter the wide passage beyond the door. Run down the ramps past another pool room on your L until you reach the very end of the passage, overlooking the red lake at the bottom of the Gigantic Room. Again, you can see the Hand on your L, but the scalding hot water won't allow you to get it. So forget it for now, we're after something else.

Do a RJ to the low platform in front of you and below, and run to the R (E) to its end. You can see an opening in the wall in front of you, and an Eviscerated Corpse to your L. Since we don't have anything to give him yet, ignore it. Look at the base of the column L of the opening: there's a flatter triangular slope there. Go in front of it, facing its point and do a RJ to land on it. The next jump is easiest than it seems. Position Lara as shown in this screenshot and do a RJ to the opening, turning L in mid-air right before landing.

Now run along the short corridor to the room ahead, and pick up the 1st Little Wheel on the pedestal. You'll use it later on a cogwheel mechanism. Return to the opening above the red lake.

It was easy going in. It will be a tad more difficult going out, but not that much. Position Lara as in the screenshot (again) then hop back and do a RJ with a hard R mid-air curve to the triangular slope whence you came. Keep pressing Forward for a little while after your landing so Lara does not slide back down in the scalding hot water below. Turn W to the point of the slope and do a RJ to the platform ahead. Now time to get the Wheel's twin sister (or maybe brother, hard to tell).

Turn R (N) then L at the second junction just before the column. Run a bit, turn to the column (N) and look up. You can see a square opening on your L and a triangular flatter slope just in front of you. Again, face its point and do a SJ on it from the very edge of the platform. From there, simply pull up on the block on your L to pick up the 2nd Little Wheel. Drop down to the triangular slope then, with Lara's back against the column, do a SJ back to the platform below.

In order to use these little thingies you just picked up, you need to go back to the Greek Doors. Run W, past the first junction, turn L (S) at the second one and run all along the platform toward the opening you came from. A red wrought iron block has raised so you may now easily and safely jump back in the passage. Do a SJ from the edge of the platform to the red block then another SJ to the passage. Return to the Greek Doors via the Fountain Room and the metallic bridge over the Gigantic Room.

The Mechanism Puzzle

This time use the crowbar on the W greek door to open it, and run through the green-lit corridor then on the brown translucent bridge across the Gigantic Room. Soon you'll spot some cogwheels in the distance. Keep running until you enter a rectangular room with a deep pit in the center, a bridge leading to the cogwheels and a closed door to the R (SW corner). The mechanism is missing two wheels, one right in front of you, and another to your L. And, guess what, you just happen to conveniently have them in your inventory at this very moment. So go to the first wood rod and use one of your Little Wheel on it. Repeat with the second one which will open the door nearby, revealing a switch. Go and activate it to start up the mechanism.

As a result, the two pools in both pool rooms are drained, cooling the deadly scalding hot Lake de facto turning it into a very safe fresh cool Lake.

-- Lending the Corpse A Hand --

So it's time to go back there and fetch the Hand. Don't try to jump in the water below from the bridge nearby: this is shallow water down there and you would only send Lara getting flattened on the floor. Proceed across the brown translucent bridge, through the N greek door into the golden corridor, across the Gigantic Room again on the metallic bridge and via the brown corridor, the Fountain Room, and finally the wide passage beyond the double door.

Drop down in the water and run to the high block on the L (W). Pull up and pick up the Corpse's Hand on the pedestal. Now turn around and run E across the room to the Eviscerated Corpse on the other side. Again, pull up and give this poor chap his hand back. This utterly displeases 2 Ice Wraiths which come immediately after you. So your only chance is to sprint back to the Fountain Room to try and lure them to the Oceanian Totem.

Which would be easy, considering, if it weren't for the Yeti joining the party as you reach the end of the wide passage. Try to ignore it for now and keep running to the Totem to get rid of the Wraiths first. Once you get close enough to the totem, the Wraiths will cease to bother you and you can "peacefully" deal with the Yeti.

-- The Spirit Mask and Leaving the Temples --

This wasn't your average Yeti: this one was concealing a Blood Stone somewhere in the depths of its fur. Pick it up. You should know by now where it goes. So return to the Nine Holes Room via the corridor SE of the Fountain Room. Run across it to the S wall and use the Blood Stone on its receptacle there. This opens the trapdoor above the middle platform close to the Entrance. Go there, jump, grab and pull up. Pick up the Tomb of Islands Key and the second Spirit Mask on the pedestal near the N wall.

As you pick up the Mask, a camera shows you a lost souls door opening at the end of a brown translucent bridge. Drop down in the room below and go back again to the Three Greek Doors. You should know the way by now.

There's only one left closed (E), so go and pry it open with the crowbar. Run through the short brown corridor then, for the last time, across the Gigantic Room along the brown translucent bridge. As you did in the Tomb of Caves, simply slide down the slope to leave the Temples and get back to the Poisoned Lake Cave.

In this chapter you should have found...
Enemies: Ice Wraiths, Yetis
Items of note: Crowbar, 2 Spirit Keys, 2 Little Wheels, Corpse's Hand, Blood Stone, Tomb of Islands Key, Spirit Mask
1 Secret

-- Interlude: Imprisoned Spirits, part 3 --

Your next destination is the Tomb of Islands, where, among other things, you'll find the third and last Mask. Go back to the center of the bridges cross. There's only one direction you haven't investigated yet, and it's South, but don't hurry there yet. It's Secret Time.

Look on your R to the SW. Remember those rocks and the blue-lit opening beyond? Go W then turn L (S) to face the closest one and do a SJ to it from the edge of the bridge. Turn R to the SSW and do a RJ to the next rock. Now turn R again (W), face the block ahead and do a RJ+G. Pull-up into the blue-lit corridor. Draw your pistols as you hear the now familiar stomp of a Scavenger. By all means, kill the beast (mind the poisoned water nearby when you'll dodge its teeth and claws).

Now that the way is clear, follow the corridor until you enter a small rectangular room with a pool in its center, another blue-lit corridor in the NW corner and an open door just in front of you to the W (this door was opened during the previous Interlude). Go to the pedestal in the alcove there and pick up the Golden Skull which is Secret #4. Now go to the NW corridor and run through it to an opening overlooking the W beach. Slide down and return to the center of the bridges cross again.

Now, turn R (S) and run to the S door there. Use the Key in the Keyhole on the R (W) and enter the Tomb of Islands.

In this part you should have found...
Enemies: Scavenger
1 Secret

== Chapter 3: The Tomb of Islands ==

Proceed as before, running directly S across the small antechamber to the lost souls door ahead which will open as you approach. Run on the bridge to the Central Island, stopping for a while to watch the interesting fireworks show those 5 Ice Wraiths perform just for you as they throw themselves against the Oceanian Totems there. Once they've made their bow, turn L (E) and look for an emerged rock. Do a RJ+G to it and pick up the small medipack there. Return to the bridge the exact same way, turn S, run to the Central Island and take a good look around.

You're on a small short island, emerging from a sea of poisonous waters. In front of you (S), is an Eviscerated Corpse waiting for his Hand. Beyond him, a bridge leads to a currently closed lost souls door. On each corner, as you have already noticed, stand four Oceanian Totems which, as usual, will prove more than useful in the future. To your L (E) and far away, you can spot a long raised beach - the Eastern Beach - and the threatening figure of a Winged Demon lurking around. On your R (SE) and L (NE) tall structures vanish in the blue mist. A wide stretch of deadly water separate you from there for the moment, so turn around to the W. You can spot another rocky beach (which we'll creatively call the Western Beach) and structures in the distance preceded by emerged rocks which will allow you to get there.

-- A Spirit Key --

First Trip to the West and Opening a Door

From the middle of the W edge of the Central Island, do a SJ to the closest rock below. Turn L (S) and do a RJ to the next rock then, finally, turn R (W) and do another RJ to the beach. Ignore the towering structure on your L (SW) for now and go up the flight of stairs to your R (NW). Run across the hallway to a red-lit room with a closed door on the R (N) and a pit in the center surrounded by slope: The Pit and Slopes Room. If you go around and to the other side of the room, you'll see an opening and a closed lost souls door in the distance. Ignore this as well, you'll go there later. For now, focus on the pit.

If you look down through it, you'll see a pool below, which means you could jump safely there. But if you take a closer look at its walls, you'll see a crack running around leading to a CS to the W. So what you really need to do is go to the W slope, slide down backward, grab its edge, let go and immediately press Action to grab the crack. Depending on which side of the slope you went, shimmy either L or R to reach the CS in the middle and pull up.

Crawl across the CS until you reach an opening overlooking a room with a wide platform in the center and lava all around. Drop down from the CS and run across the room. You're now standing in the doorway of a large lava room. On the other side, you can see a closed lost souls doors and, leading to it, a bridge of collapsible tiles, with some solid ones in the middle. Run over the fragile ones, stop midway on the safe ones and turn L (S) to spot an opening up in the wall. Resume running W to the door which suitably opens as you approach.

Run along the passage you just entered until reaching an opening which happen to be the one you just noticed. On your R (E) is a switch. Activate it to open a door out there by the poisoned sea (the lost souls door S of the Eviscerated Corpse). You now need to get to there.

Creating a Path to the East

Look down to the lava to locate a couple of newly raised blocks. Turn NNE to the closest one below and do a RJ to it, then another RJ to what remains of the bridge. Now turn R (NEE), do a SJ to the block ahead and finally turn R again (SEE) to face the entrance and do a RJ to there while holding Action to avoid hitting the wall. Cross the room, pull up into the CS, crawl across it and drop down to the pool below. Pull up from the water at the SE corner of the pool.

You're now in a long dark room with black columns. Since it's more or less L-shaped, we'll call this one the "L-Shaped Room". Run N to the opposite side. On you L (W) is a small round room with a square water hole in the center and a Spirit Key Keyhole on the N wall: The Water Hole Room. Since you don't have any Spirit Key right now, leave it alone. Would you light a flare and do some more exploring, you could spot a very dark alcove on the NE corner of the L-Shaped Room veiled by a translucent wall. It's currently a dead end, so leave it alone as well. Go back a bit to the SW and look around the grey column in the middle. Its S side is climbable. Climb it until you're one tile away from the ceiling (roughly) and backflip, landing in a blue-gray short corridor with a closed door at its end. Run to the door which will open as you approach: you're back in the The Pits and Slopes Room.

Now make your way back to Central Island by running SE to the tip of the Western Beach. Do a RJ to the closest rock, turn L (NNE), do another RJ to the next block then turn R (E) and do a RJ+G to the Central Island and pull up. Now turn R (S) and run across the bridge behind the Eviscerated Corpse to pass the now open lost souls door.

Run along the black corridor and up the stairs to enter a complicated passage with many nooks, columns, corner and alcoves. Follow it W (R), S (L) past the black column then W (R) and ahead until you reach the edge of another lava room: the Hand Lava Room. You can spot a Corpse's Hand teasing you from the other side beyond the lava, but there's no way to get there from where you stand. Turn R and locate the lever on the NW ledge extending from the wall. Standing about one tile away from the N wall, and facing the ledge, do a RJ to land on it and activate the lever.

As you do so, a fly-by shows you a set of blocks emerging from the poisoned sea to the E. Go back to the Central Island via the passage (do a RJ to get back there), the black corridor and the bridge.

Going East for the Spirit Key

Stand in the middle of the E edge, and do a SJ to the block below. Do a RJ+G to the next one ahead, then a RJ, then a RJ+G to the Eastern Beach. Pull up and notice that the jolly Winged Demon seems to have vanished in thin air (maybe gone to get some backup or waiting in ambush somewhere?). Since there's no worry yet, let's take a look around. Far to the N, stands a towering structure beyond a couple of emerged rocks, and near the SE "corner" of the beach there's an opening up in the S wall. Ignore them both. Look to the SW to locate another tall structure, and go there. Climb onto the block to the W, run to the wall ahead then turn L (S). Climb the ladder there and pull up in the red-lit corridor.

Run through it and up the stairs, then though a short passage and around the corner to the S until you stand in the doorway of a room with a lava pool covered with collapsible tiles. On your L (E) stands a block and a bit to the SW, up by a ledge, is a closed door. There's also a switch in front of you on the S wall above a wrought iron platform.

Run to the switch over the tiles in the middle of the pool. Activate it: the door nearby opens, and the platform under your very feet gives way. Take a second to realize Lara's standing in the one and only patch of safe water and thus is still alive then turn L (E) and pull up*. Quickly turn L (N) again and run to the ledge by the block. Pull up turn 45° L and do a SJ to the ledge. Go and get the Spirit Key from the pedestal. A camera shows you the Water Hole Room. Now, turn around NW and get back to the entrance by doing a 45° SJ from the edge of the ledge.

* A note from George: "There is a trap here by the way. If you collapse the 3 crumbling tiles surrounding the patch of safe water before activating the switch, you will not be able to leave that spot after falling into it."

-- A Blood Stone --

Obviously, you're going to the Water Hole Room now. First, make your way to the Eastern Beach through the passage and the corridor, down the ladder (mind the N slope there, lest you slip into the deadly waters), L and E then L again to the N then turning W towards the closest emerged block. Proceed to the Central Island by SJ to the block from the edge of the beach, RJ to the next, RJ+G then eventually RJ+G again to the Central Island. Head to the Water Hole Room via the emerged rocks, the Western Beach, the Pits and Slopes Room and down the pit into the pool to the L-Shaped Room, N then turning L (W) past the ladder. You're there.

Put the Spirit Key in the Keyhole which opens a lost souls door underwater. But don't jump in the water hole yet. Let's spend a little time to go for a Secret.

Remember that dark alcove nearby? Go to the NE corner of the L-Shaped Room and light a flare. A block has lowered in the alcove there turning it into a corridor. Enter and run through it. If you turn L (N) at the junction, you can have a glimpse of a large cave down through a wire mesh covered opening. Continue E down the corridor past the junction and around the corner. You'll eventually reach a room with a Golden Skull on a pedestal near the S wall. Pick it up to hear Secret #5 sweet chime and go back to the Water Hole Room.

Now you can jump in that water hole. Swim down to the NW corner and pass the newly opened door, then go on swimming through the rather long UW tunnel until you reach a square flooded room with a hole in the ceiling. Surface and pull up.

You find yourself in a large cave with a black pillar in the center supporting the Blood Stone (and we'll call this one the Blood Stone Cave). Needless to say, the pillar is too high for you to climb on. In the western part of the cave you'll find a trapdoor and a black door, both being very closed. In the SW corner are some flares you might as well go pick up now. Up near the SE corner you can spot the green wire mesh we've already seen on our way to secret #5. Looking at the E wall, you see another closed black door in the middle. And that's it.

Two Hot Timed-Runs

Well not really, of course. Go to the L of the black column by the door to the E. There's a low platform there. If you light a flare, you'll realize the block nearby is moveable. Push it as far as you can to access a new room. It's a long rectangle with five vases. To the N you can see a dark grey tile, a lava short river covered with collapsible tiles, a turned down wrought iron platform and a switch. There's also a long slope on both side of the lava.

You can shoot the vases now, but be warned that one of them contains a nasty surprise in the form of a Scavenger (the middle one against the E wall). Those vases are bound to disappear anyway (but not the goodies two of them hide), so you might as well leave them alone. For now, consider the upcoming timed-run. Walk on the dark tile which, as you probably have guessed, is the timed-run trigger. It will lift the platform under the switch.

Before starting, position Lara as much as possible in the middle, with the switch straight ahead and on the edge of the tile. Sprint to the switch, releasing the Sprint key soon enough not to hit the wall, activate the switch and quickly side jump (L or R, doesn't matter).

[note: If, for some reason, you run to the switch but don't activate it and directly sidejump to the slopes instead, you'll soon find a very spiky surprise. This was done because doing so would have got you stuck forever. This will happen in the next similar timed-run as well.]

Now you need to get back safely. And since the collapsible tiles have collapsed (as all collapsible tiles do) you can't do so the way you got here. So jump back and forth on the slopes, hitting Left or Right when jumping forward. You'll finally make it back on safe ground. As said, the vases have disappeared, leaving some shotgun ammo and a small medipack behind them.

Go back to the Blood Stone Room and across to the W wall. The black door there is now open. Follow the corridor to a room similar to the one you just visited: a dark tile, lava covered with collapsible tiles, an turned down wrought iron platform, a switch and long slopes. The only difference here (apart from the lack of vases) is that the timed-run you're about to perform is tighter. Just a bit but enough to rethink your strategy.

Again, position Lara so she faces the switch (angle is of the essence here). Start one step away from the edge of the dark tile. Sprint to the switch. Release Sprint when you reach the middle of the last collapsible tile (1 tile 1/2 from the switch). Activate the switch. Immediately sidejump.

As before, jump from one slope to the other hitting L/R when jumping forward to get back on safe ground (ie: the dark tile). Go back to the Blood Stone Room, and run across it to the E. The second black door has opened there. Run to the end of the short corridor and roll to turn around (W). Look up to locate the ladder, jump, grab, climb and pull up in a new corridor. Again, run through it to its end. Turn R (W), climb the ladder there and pull up in a third, red-lit short corridor. Run through it until you reach an opening at its end overhanging the Blood Stone Room. Look down: you're right above the Blood Stone itself. Safety drop to the pillar below and pick it up. As you do so, the trapdoor in the western part of the room below opens. Drop back in the room.

-- The Spirit Mask --

Run to the newly opened trapdoor and safety drop down into the very very dark room below. The only things you can see at the moment are a red unlit fixed torch to the NW and a dim-lit opening to the SW. Let's go there first.

The room immediately beyond is lit enough so you can spare a flare. Notice the lit fixed torch on your L (N). Go to the pedestal to the W to pick up some shotgun ammo, a shotgun and a Torch. Go light it on the lit fixed one on the N wall, and return to the very dark room. Your next mission - should you choose to accept it - is to light four torches scattered around the place and shed some light on the situation.

Run to the N to locate the 1st unlit fixed torch on the W wall and light it. You can also notice tortured corpses to the E dispensing some crimson light around. Continue N with your Torch in hand until you can spot the 2nd unlit fixed torch on the N wall. Now go E and on to locate the 3rd unlit fixed torch to your R (S). Draw your shotgun and make a few steps E to the opening on your R. 2 Winged Demons attack: one ahead from the SE opening and the other from behind (W). Three cartridges later (or two if you're lucky) you can get the torch back and complete your illuminating task. Go through the SE opening the first Winged Demon leaped from.

In front of you, you can see a closed door on your L (SE) and the 4th (and last) unlit fixed torch in a recess on your R (SW). Go and light it: you hear the sound of a door opening nearby, which is not the one you just spotted. Go W and turn L at the next recess: the opened door is there.

Enter the room (you may drop the Torch now). You can see a Spirit Mask on a pedestal ahead on the opposite side (S). There are vases on each side but those ones are empty so run further into the room. Stop before the last black columns and shoot the vases there. The L one contains 2 Uzi ammos and an Uzi awaits you in the R one. Now go fetch your third and last Spirit Mask, opening the other door in the process.

Now you have to find a way to leave the Islands and get back to where you can use those three masks.

-- The (Not Easy at All) Way Out --

Leave the room, turn R (E) at the exit and run to the newly opened door in the SE corner. Enter the room and run to the lost souls door in the SW corner which opens as you approach. In the next room, you can see a large square hole in the ceiling, but it's way too high for you to go up there. The switch in the SW corner is there to solve that little problem. Activate it. The room is now flooded, allowing you to swim your way up the hole. Swim N through the opening, turn L (W) and swim toward the recess in the L (S) wall. Don't enter it, but look up to spot a hole in the ceiling there and swim up through it. Surface and pull up out of the water.

From West to East

You're now in the northern part of the Islands, facing a large structure to the E (the Northern Structure), and surrounded by poisonous waters. Right in front of you, you can spot two vases. To the R you can also see a closed door up near the structure SE corner. Break the vases (you can do so by jumping while shooting): a block raises in the water near the S side of the platform you're on.

Go to the block with a RJ. Another block raises ahead. RJ+G to it. RJ to the next one, then SJ from the middle of it to land on a new block. Turn L (E): the next one is now ahead and to your R (SEE). Do a slightly R angled RJ+G. A block raises to your L (NEE), RJ to it then RJ again to the new one on your R (SE). Now turn around (SW) to the Western Beach facing its tip you can spot extending L of the wall (SW). Do a SJ to it to finally get back on terra firma.

You'll soon have to cross the sea and go back to the Eastern Beach, but first a detour to uncover the sixth and last secret.

Go up the stairs to the SW and enter the Pits and Slopes Room. Run around the pit and beyond. Pass the first opening to the W: the lost souls door in the distance is now open. Draw your guns before entering the next room and first dispatch the Scavenger which attack you on sight. Now you can run directly to the red-lit alcove ahead entering Secret #6: shotgun ammo and a small medipack. Return to the Western beach via the Pit and Slopes Room.

Make your way to the Eastern Beach via the Central Island (read above for details).

Once there, run toward the towering structure to the N. Stop at the end of the beach (obviously) and look down to see two emerged rocks. Face the closest one and, starting one step away from the edge, do a SJ to it. Turn L (NW) and do a 45° RJ to the next one. Turn around (E), do a slightly L angled RJ+G to the opening and pull up into the high-ceilinged corridor.

A Collapsible Path to Open a Door

Run through it and around the corner until you arrive by a large lava-flooded room with numerous collapsible tiles scattered all around. The closest one is inaccessible, tough, so turn R and put the Blood Stone in its receptacle on the W wall. A wrought iron platform is lift on the L of the opening (SE). This will be your starting point for a helluvah jumps sequence over lava and treacherous collapsible tiles.

Do a slightly L angled SJ to the platform from the edge of the corridor. Take a deep breath. Now turn R to the closest collapsible tile and do a RJ to it. Quickly turn L a bit and do a SJ. Turn R and do a SJ again, another SJ to the tile ahead, turn L and do a SJ. Forward a bit (don't walk, run!) and do a SJ. Turn slightly R and do another SJ, turning R in mid-air to face W as much as possible when you land on the tile. Save. Quickly turn R and do a SJ. Run forward a bit, turn L and do a SJ with a L curve to the next tile. Save again (possibly in a different slot), this one is tricky. Turn L, aim at a bit left of far angle of the next tile and do a SJ. If your angle is correct, you can directly do a SJ to the tile around the column and another one to the next tile beyond. Turn R, do a SJ and immediately take a run up to do a RJ to the tile ahead (cheer up! you're almost there). Now turn L and SJ to the very last collapsible tile and - finally - turn R and do a SJ to the very safe and solid ledge ahead.

Enter a small square room with a closed door on your R (W) and a lever ahead (S). Activate the lever to open a door far in the Hand Lava Room as wall as the nearby one. Pass through the latter and run along a wide brown corridor lined with triangular rocks until you reach an opening overlooking the Eastern Beach.

From East to West to the Corpse's Hand

Drop down to the Beach and from there make your way to the Western Beach across the sea and via the Central Island (again, read above for details if needed). Once there, head for the towering structure on your L (SW) and look down to locate an emerged block granting access to the structure.

From the edge of the Beach and facing S, do a RJ+G to land on it. Turn R (W) to the structure entrance, do another RJ+G and pull up in the corridor. Run through it to a ledge overlooking the lava pool: you're back in the Hand Lava Room. Take note of the platform with the lever below on the L (E) and run a bit further into the room to the pedestal to pick up the Corpse's Hand. Which inevitably sends 2 Ice Wraiths after you.

Immediately run N toward the corridor, turn R (E) around the black column and do a RJ to the lever platform below. Turn R (SE) to the entrance and do another RJ to there. Hurry along the passage, going R (E) at the junction then run into the corridor in the NE corner, on your L after the white column. Run through it then dash across the bridge to the Central Island to seek protection and Wraiths riddance by the Oceanian Totems.

Last Trip to the West and Leaving the Islands

Now that's the place is quiet again, go give the nearby Eviscerated Corpse his missing Hand. The door in the Northern Structure opens. To reach it, first return to the Western Beach for the last time, and, once there, head for its NE end by the wall. Turn NE to the emerged block ahead, and do a RJ to land on it. Turn around (NW) to face the next one and do another RJ. Turn around again to the NE to face the edge of the flatter slope extending from the structure and do a RJ+G, slightly turning R in mid-air to properly grab its edge. Pull up and run ahead (E). Pull up on the block below the door, enter the grey-blue corridor and slide down the slope to the Poisoned Lake Cave, bidding farewell to the beautiful Islands.

In this chapter you should have found...
Enemies: Ice Wraiths, Scavengers, Winged Demons
Items of note: Spirit Key, Blood Stone, Torch, Spirit Mask, Corpse's Hand
2 Secrets
some Traps - 2 Timed-Run

== Epilogue: Imprisoned Spirits, part 4 ==

After all this work, efforts and battles it is now time at last to use the Spirit Masks and reclaim victory.

Return to the center of the Lake and turn E to get back on the entrance beach. Run straight ahead into the White Passage, turn R to run up S to the Masks Room. Use the three Masks on their receptacles in the alcove to the E, opening the heavy mechanism door to the S. Run through the doorway and enter the next room, hearing the heavy door slamming shut behind you, meaning you've reached a point of no return.

You're in a large room with a very deep pit in the center. Looking down, you can see water below, so, without further ado, jump in the pit.

Swim down S then through the opening to enter a rather chaotic flooded cave. Getting lost underwater is never a good thing, so carefully follow the following directions. First, turn R (W) after the opening, swim through the triangular hole, turn around to face E and locate the UW lever left of the opening. Activate it. Go back to the Pit Room by swimming through the triangular opening then turning L (N) and up to get some air. Return to the chaotic flooded cave.

Now swim straight ahead (S) until you come close to a sort of arch. Turn R (W) before the arch, into a small pool where you can surface if needed. Swim L to the SW corner, then turn R (N) and swim to the end of the short UW tunnel. Activate the UW lever there in turn. You've just opened a door nearby.

Swim to the surface and pull up on the W ledge to pick up the large medipack. Turn SE and do a 45° L SJ to the cave beyond the pool. Run S to the other side then turn R (W) and pass the newly opened door. You find yourself in a large cave. Looking L, you may spot one of the four Spirits transfixed there on a high block. But your immediate concern is the not transfixed at all and most impressive Death Setha ahead. He doesn't look very happy to see you, so jump in the room below and prepare yourself for your big fight.

Don't try to kill him with your pistols or even the Uzi, it won't harm him much. Avoid his rays at all costs: they're very harmful, as is his sword which he'll use if you come close. So, you'll have to keep moving to dodge them both. Last point, if you hear his evil laugh just before he casts a ray, move quickly out of the way or this one will set Lara on a beautiful but very deadly blue fire. With all that in mind, draw your shotgun. If you're observant (or lucky) enough, you'll soon shoot him to death without spending that much ammo [see at the end of the walkthrough if you really need to know how].

You now have the possibility to quietly explore the surroundings. If you stand below the entrance ledge and look R (N) you can see a ledge up there and a MS running across the ceiling to the W. You can't access it yet, so go toward the SE corner and turn around.

To the W there's a switch. Activate it. Run along the S wall, past a transfixed (harmless) Spirit, a closed door and another Spirit. Immediately after, in a recess to the S, is a 2nd switch. Activate it. There's a third Spirit up in the distance to the W. Run to the other side of the room to the N. Turn toward the NW corner and look up to spot a fourth Spirit to the L and a CS to the R in the N wall. Turn around (E) at the wall near the NW corner. Activate a 3rd switch there. Finally run back E toward the entrance ledge, turn L (N) at the recess and activate the 4th and last switch. You hear the sound of a trapdoor opening in the distance.

Run toward the NE corner, and look R (SE) by the entrance ledge. Climb the block there. Turn R (S) and run ahead to reach the newly opened trapdoor. Drop down below through the hole and pick up the Scroll of Ephesians on the pedestal. A block raises so you may get back up, so proceed.

Once back in the Spirits Room, and looking R (N), you can see that another block has raised below the start of the MS, granting access to it. Turn E, and pull up on the entrance ledge from the middle, turn L (N) and go to a triangular tile in the NW corner. Turn NW toward the ledge and do a RJ to it. Run to the end, stand one sidestep away from the L side, turn slightly to the R and do a RJ, turning R in mid-air once you've passed the wall on your R. You'll land on a small ledge by the newly raised block.

Pull onto it, turn to the W, jump and grab the MS and follow it to its end on the opposite W side of the room, near the 4th Spirit. Let go to land on a block below and turn to the N, facing the CS. Do a RJ+G to the edge of the latter and pull up. Crawl a bit to the N, drop down in the corridor below and run through it.

You enter a very dark room, and soon you'll hear tiny footsteps hinting you're not alone there. Draw your pistols to kill the 2 red scorpions then run into the dark room a bit further to the SW to dispatch your very last enemy: a Scavenger (it is preferable to kill it now, or it could die on a key item, forcing you to reload). Go back to the entrance to the S and turn to the E to see a Torch on a pedestal. Pick it up. Turn around (W): there's a lit fixed torch over there, so go light your torch with it.

With the lit torch in hand, run across the room to the N to locate a black recess in the middle of the N wall. There's a brazier in there you can now light with the torch. A block lowers on your R, revealing an alcove and a Lectern. Drop the Torch and use the Scroll of Ephesians on the Lectern.

Watch the ending fly-by to behold the fate of the four Spirits before leaving the level and the Tombs forever.

In this chapter you should have found...
Enemies: Death Setha, Red Scorpions, Scavenger
Items of note: Scroll of Ephesians, Torch

Many thanks to George for helping me with the following:
- Timed-run to the platform in the Tomb of Caves and "yes, Sutekh, that jump to the pillar on the right is possible"
- Explaining the exact way the Crowbar Door Puzzle works.
- Finding the switch to the secret in the Imprisoned Spirits level while yours truly was struck by a bad case of selective blindness.
- Pointing to a pick-up at the start of the Tomb of Islands, missed because that Ice Wraiths Show was mesmerizing

==== SPOILERS SECTION ====

---- Solution to the Timed Crowbar Door (Tomb of Temples)

Since the door needs to be fully open before it can start to close, the trick here is not to stand on the trigger tile then sprint to the door, but to run over it. You'll then be already sprinting to the door while it's still opening, granting you that extra microsecond you need to pass the door just before it's closed and be pushed inside the room.

---- How to Kill the Death Setha

First wait for him to stop casting rays (you may force him to use his sword by getting close). Make sure you've got enough room behind you and shoot him while jumping backward. You'll eventually hit his weak spot and send him into oblivion (it cost me only five cartridges to kill him this way, and I could probably have spent less)