BtB 2006 - Level 16 - Forest Palaces

Level by Chronicles5 (Mike McCracken)

Walkthrough by Yoav, with thanks to Anurag for a couple of points of clarification.

Lara finds a set of Palaces in a Forest and explores them for a few interesting artefacts...


Start by standing on a floor above a courtyard. Go around the floor and see there are four ramps, two in each side that cross the courtyard, and further along the floor a receptacle for the yin-yang, and a closed gate. Take the west ramp and follow down the courtyard where two thugs are waiting for you and not for inviting you to eat sushi. Kill them both and notice as each of them will drop a Paper Fan. Place each of the paper fans in both side tables to open a door at the middle. Enter the room, but since you do not have the crowbar to use and get the western star from the wall, turn around and head east across the courtyard.

Kill another thug and get his clips, and further on get a medipak. Go the left side alcove for the shotgun, then go into the passage and see a table for another paper fan and a closed gate. Keep going further and pick up from the left alcove the Lasersight and flares and from the right alcove a medipack, then run up the ramp and climb onto the passage roof and get the Paper Fan. Back down into the passage and place the paper fan to open the gate behind you.

Enter the next passageway, from the left you see a closed gate. Go forward and the next gate will open automatically but will close behind you. Follow the passageway and start counting three more gates like this and when you reach the fourth gate (counting from the beginning gate) don't pass it after it opens. Turn back and see a part of the wall is lower so you can go into a new passage to your left and come to a new place with waterfall and pool, closed gate and a place to put the stone of the shrine you'll get later. Kill the snake and pull the jumpswitch left of the gate and next to the tree. Pass the spikes trap floor ahead and throw the switch to open the next gate while another trap bladeball drops down from the ceiling when you cross the floor to the next place. The gate is timed, so you'd better hurry.

Ahead is a new place, nearby there's a switch to open again the gate on your way back (notice you might have to throw this switch twice to open the gate again), from the east two gem receptacles to open the double doors and in front a ladder (for later) to climb down to a place with waterfalls. Kill the thug who comes from the next room south and go over there while a door opens.

In front of you is a deep pit. If you missed the first laser-sight, go pick up the one on the floor to your R then use the two ropes to cross the pit and land in an opening of the building. Follow to the end of the hallway and notice for some closed doors from both sides and gem receptacles to open a door from left. At the end there're two timed switches. First throw the left one and get screenie of open door to a room, then throw the next switch and get another screenie of open door at the beginning. Roll and start running over there, avoid the traps on your way and enter the open door from the right side and from there into the open room to your right as you enter (which is also timed). Take the Sacred Gem from the pedestal and see the closed door in front of you.

Get out from the room and follow the hallway until you come to the last room north. Push the lever to open exit window just outside, then pull the jumpswitch to open the door at the room where you took the gem. While you go back to the room see the exit opening door from the south side. Enter the secret room and pick up the Revolver, shotgun ammo, medipack and clips. Go back to the exit window north and drop onto a raised ledge and run/jump north across the deep pit back to the place you come from.

Climb down the ladder, turn east and jump into the water, swim into the west waterfall and drop down to the bottom below. Start to push/pull all the four objects around and place each of them onto the right tile floor. Door will open in the west. Enter the room and turn left, take care of the moving blade and pick up the Stone of the Shrine. Head to the ladder outside and climb up a little, then backflip and land onto the ledge behind. Turn face to west, draw the revolver, combine it with the lasersight and shoot on the golden ball above you, it will open a gate that you can't see now. Jump/grab the ladder and climb up and run/jump across the water, climb up the next ladder, go to throw the switch (remember, you may have to throw it twice).

Follow the passage back to the first place with the waterfall and put the Stone of the Shrine and get the short flyby. Stand in front of the pool and run/jump/grab the ladder and climb up back to the courtyard. Hop down to the floor, head left and enter the passage, pass the two blade gates and get the Sacred Gem. Follow out the passage and climb onto the block, pull up and jump back to the pool. Get out of the water and back into the passage, throw the switch again to open the gate and back to the double doors.

Place each of the sacred gems at its receptacle and stand in front of the deep pit. Move a few steps back and run/jump forward, grab the opposite climbable wall and climb down (avoiding the swinging blade). Go through the open gate from the left and kill the snake, then jump across the water and enter the secret room. Pick up the goodies inside, including the shotgun. Return across the water, and wade forward into the west room, notice the closed door between the receptacles. Take the Crowbar from the left pedestal, then head to the opposite wall and throw the timed wall switch to raise two ledges in the pit. Reverse roll, run to the wall Climb back up past the blades to the top of the water and backflip, land onto the ledge, turn around and run/jump back to the place above.

Climb down again the ladder, jump into the water and drop down to the bottom as you did before. Go and climb the ladder and backflip onto the ledge as you did before and this time run/jump forward and grab the opposite ledge north. Pull up, run forward and use the crowbar on the wall to your right to get the Eastern Star. Jump/grab the ceiling and monkeyswing across to the other side while the ninja struts below, drop down and turn around. Jump/grab the ledge above and pull up onto it for a medipack. Now back to the bottom, save your game and kill the thug, he needs to give you the third Sacred Gem for the receptacles at the building (notice if you do not see the gem just load an earlier savegame and kill him again).

Return back to the place above, climbing all up way up both ladders, and head for the deep pit again, use the rope and cross to other side and back to the building. Place the sacred gem at receptacle (first alcove on your right) and enter the room for the Yang. Get outside the room and run/jump across the pit to the raised ledge on your right, another jump forward and back again to the place you came from. Now make your way again to the courtyard and all the way back west to the first room you opened with paper fan. Use the crowbar and get the Western Star. Be careful of the flame emitters that are activated right behind you.

A lot of running you have to do as now you head back to the earlier room down in the deep pit (the ladder with the swinging blades) where you found the crowbar. Place the two stars at their receptacles and enter the room for the Ying. Once again and for the last time, use the north wall switch to raise the timed ledges, climb back to the courtyard and follow up the ramp to the floor above. Combine the Yin-Yang and place it at receptacle on the north ledge, then go through the open gate forward, pass the short passage and finish the level.