A Winter Fairytale 1 and 2

Levelbase Advent Calendar 2006 -
A WINTER FAIRY TALE, 1 & 2

Levels by BaGi

Walkthrough by Selene

This is the first advent calendar level of 2006(released December 1st). There are two levels and two secrets in each level(so four secrets altogether).

PART I:

Pickups: Silver Star, crowbar, 3x Crowns, Golden Star, revolver, lasersight, Fuse + 2 Secrets(small medipack + revolver ammo)

Enemies: None

Lara starts the level in a lovely garden with snow flakes falling all around. Drop down from the ledge and have a look around the garden. There's a portal to the E, but there's nothing on the other side but a receptacle and a closed door so this is for later. Turn around and in the W wall you'll see another closed door. By the wall to the left there is a barrel next to a snowman. Said barrel is moveable and if you look towards the ledge where you started out you'll see another moveable barrel placed on a wooden tile left of the ledge. There is another wooden tile right of the same ledge as well, but so far nothing is placed on top of that one. This is more than just a small hint: you'll need to pull and push the barrel by the snowman onto the empty wooden tile. When you do this the door in the W wall opens.

Enter there and go in to the first nook on the right. Up in the N/E corner there's a grate covering a crawlspace, shoot it out and crawl through to find Secret 1: a small medipack. Crawl back out and return towards where you first entered, this time go W to the end and look up to the right to spot another grate. Shoot it away and crawl up behind it. Climb down on the other side and up again at the end to where you can pick up the Silver Star. Crawl back outside and return to the garden where you began the level.

This time you can go through the portal in the opposite wall. Place the Silver Star in the receptacle in the S/W corner and the nearby door opens(it might take a moment for the door to open, so be patient). Follow the hallway around until you reach the Main Hall. From here there are several doors and ways to go. The S hallway flanked by the two alcoves with the desks is the one you came from. E you'll find three doors and a receptacle: the door left of the receptacle is closed(and will be until you find something to place in said receptacle), but the remaining two doors left and right can be opened. In the W wall there's another door you can open and N you have a door N/W and another hallway N/E. At the end of the latter there's nothing but a closed door so that's not the way to go for now.

Start with the door in the W wall(stand in front of it and press Action, Lara will push it open). This leads into the Kitchen. Be careful with the stove by the left wall(where the two large pots are), Lara will catch fire if she steps on it. Shoot out the windows opposite and climb the window sill, then head out into the backyard. On the left wall you'll find a ladder so climb it up to the roof. Follow the roof around to the right, passing by an alcove with a door on the left, until you reach a moveable barrel. Pull it out once, then go around it and pick up the crowbar. The other barrel is not hiding anything, so you can leave it be. Go back around the roof towards where you came from and this time climb into the alcove with the closed door in the W wall. You can now use the newly acquired crowbar to pry it open.

Look up onto the upper ledge in the N/W corner. There's a cage here and it's currently blocking your access to the doorway behind it. You'll also find three wooden blocks in the room(these are moveable): one in the middle and the remaining two in the corner N/E. To match them up perfectly there are three wooden tiles on the floor along the W wall. Begin with the block in the middle and move it onto the leftmost tile in the S/W corner. Now you can move the remaining two blocks onto their matching tiles. This lowers the aforementioned cage on the floor above and you'll also find Secret 2: some revolver ammo hidden behind one of the moveable blocks. Pull up onto the top floor and go through the now open doorway. At the end you'll find a small room with a little gnome and a Crown you can pick up from the pedestal. This causes an explosion, you'll see a shot of a pool behind a closed gate and when you turn you'll find that the gnome is gone...all it has left behind is a glowing green light. Leave the room, drop down to the ground floor and return to the roof.

This time you can climb the ladder back down to the ground and return to the Main Hall via the Kitchen. Go to the E wall(where the receptacle is) and open the left door here. Enter the Master Bedroom and go around to the right. Here you'll find the Book Of Wishes amidst the other books so pick it up and return to the Main Hall. Push open the doors opposite and enter the Guest Room. Here you can go left, climb the window sill and use the crowbar to pry off the Golden Star that you will find on the wall to the left. Once more go back to the Main Hall and now you can use the Star you just found in the receptacle to open the door in the E wall. Go down the stairs to the basement.

As soon as you get down there you will activate a whole bunch of sliding walls. Despite of this being a Christmas level these can kill Lara so be careful. Go left of the wine barrels and stand in front of the first sliding wall, close to the wall on the left. Notice the block in the middle with the gnome on it??? That's where you're going for now. Remember that this block is safe so it's a good idea to use it as a central point and also be sure that you stick to the gaps between the sliding walls as much as possible. The first such gap is two tiles ahead of Lara(provided that she's standing on the tile right in front of the first sliding wall). Time a run past the first sliding wall. Run forwards until you stand on the N side of the block with the gnome. Now look towards the N/E corner to spot a crown on a pedestal. That's your next goal. The middle passage to the E is entirely safe so run through there all the way to the wall. Turn left and you now have free passage left all the way to the 2nd Crown on the pedestal. As you pick it up another explosion sets in and you once more see the pool by the still closed gate.

If you turn left(W) you might spot a chest in the far corner. You'll need to get there now, but the sliding walls are still making things potentially unsafe and you can't get past them from where you stand now. Your best bet is to return to the central block the way you came(notice that the gnome is gone again). Step off the block on the N side and go one tile left(W). From there you'll have free passage again up to the N wall and left to the chest. Opening it will give you the revolver and now you can return to the central platform(any way you see fit). Time your run past the first sliding wall and go up the stairs back to the Main Hall.

This time open the N/W doors to enter the Lounge where a cozy fire is burning in the fireplace. Go around to the left and you'll find a bookshelf with two books on it. There seems to be one missing though so place the Book Of Wishes there. Leave the Lounge and go down the hallway N/E, at the end you'll find that the door has opened as a result of you putting the book back where it belongs. You're now in another outdoor area, heavy with snow. Follow the path all the way to the end where you'll find an open doorway. Head through the S/E opening into a room with wooden boxes(you can't shoot them though so no point in trying), a shovel(that you can't pick up, it's just a part of the interior) and wooden pillars holding the ceiling up. There are two ramps leading downwards in the E wall.

Head down the leftmost ramp first. You'll reach a small room with a mine cart in the alcove to the left. Also notice the grey floor tile by the middle of the E wall. Now pull the cart out thrice and push it onto the mentioned grey tile. We're shown a camera shot of a closed gate near another mine cart in a different area, but before leaving this room go into the alcove where you found the cart and pick up the lasersight. You can now return to the upper room and go down the rightmost ramp. There's a barrier blocking Lara's way at the end, but that hasn't stopped her before has it??? Break your way past it and in here you'll find the second mine cart that you saw in the previous camera shot. Stand by it facing S and push it once onto the grey tile, with the result that the gate behind you opens. Proceed through and down the ramp to reach the Lower Level: a room with wooden pillars, burning wall torches and two ramps to the left and right(both leading downwards).

At the bottom of the left(N) ramp you'll find the closed gate blocking your access to the pool you've seen on two occasions so far. We'll need to find a way to open the gate, but that comes later. For now start down the S ramp and as it starts sloping downwards look up in the ceiling to spot a boulder. As you approach the bottom of the ramp the boulder will drop behind Lara so run to the edge and jump forwards to the first bridge ahead. You now find Lara at what we'll call the Bottom Level. Go left (E) and about halfway down the bridge stop and look up on the wall left(N). There are two parts of the ledge by the N wall that are jutting out, between these two you will spot a narrow crack high up on the wall. Arm Lara with the revolver/lasersight and aim through the crack where there is a swinging ball. Shoot it to raise a cage down on the ground below. Now turn around and locate a second crack with a swinging ball at about the middle of the S wall. Shoot this one too in order to raise the second cage down on the ground level. You can now do a run/jump to the second bridge and drop down onto the cage below(on the S side).

Do a running jump towards the burning wall torches to grab the narrow crack directly below them. Crawl through and push a button to open a gate down at the ground level. Crawl back out and drop down to the ground. First of all head through the now open gate in the N wall. Here you'll find another gnome and also a 3rd Crown you can pick up. An explosion follows like before and the gnome disappears, but this time the gate leading into the room with the pool opens and you see something yellow at the bottom. We're not going back there quite yet though. Left of the room where you found the last crown there is a mine cart by the wall. Pull it out and go through the crawlspace that was hidden behind it. There's another button here so push it to open a double set of gates. Crawl back outside, climb the triangular block in the N/W corner and do an angled running jump to grab the second cage. Pull up and turn right to find an opening. Jump over there and push the button, this time another gate opens down on the ground level.

We're not going back down there yet though. Jump back to the cage and from there jump to grab the ladder on the W wall. Climb up and drop down onto the bridge to the right. Now you can do a running jump back to the ramp where Lara entered the room in the first place and return to the Lower Level. This time go down the N ramp and at the bottom you'll find the gate you opened earlier. Wade into the water and pick up the Fuse. Leave the room, go up the ramp and back down to the Bottom Level. Drop down to the ground and go through the open gate in the E wall. At the end use the Fuse you found to open the next gate. Go through it and the second level loads.

PART II:

Pickups: Flares, torch, 2x Silver Stars, + 2 Secrets(revolver ammo + )

Enemies: None

Go down the ramp and at the bottom you'll reach a tall room with a ladder in the middle and various blocks and ledges scattered around. Before exploring this room any further let's go for a secret. Climb the block to the left of the entrance and do a standing jump to the next block N/E. Drop down into the gap between the two blocks here and you'll find a crawlspace in the N wall. Head through there, shooting your way through the two barriers, and Lara will reach a room with a small pool of water with some beautiful blue crystals in it. Go around to the right and pick up the flares in the alcove. Now wade out in the water and locate the chest among the right cluster of crystals. Open it and retrieve Secret 3: some revolver ammo. There's nothing more to find down here so Lara can return up the ramp to the tall room again.

Continue making your way around the perimeter away from where you first entered. In the next gap between the blocks you will find a torch to bring along. There's nothing more to do up here now, but Lara can't climb the ladder down to the bottom while holding the torch so throw it down to the ground and climb after it(just make sure you know where you dropped it so you can find it again once Lara reaches the bottom). As you'll soon find out there are some unlit wall torches down here. We'll need to light them, but first of all the essential thing is to locate some fire that we can use for that purpose. Leave the torch somewhere you can find it again(I chose to leave it in front of the closed gate in the N wall, where you'll see a lit torch on the other side).

In the S/W corner you'll find the contours of a lowered cage on the ground and to its left a ladder leading up to the ceiling. In the N/W corner you'll find the exact same thing. There is also a mine cart in the room. Over by the S wall(left of the recently mentioned ladder) you'll find a grey tile, just like the ones you saw in the previous level. Push the mine cart all the way onto said tile and the gate leading in to the burning torch opens. Pick up the torch and use the lit one to light your own. It is now fully possible for Lara to light the two unlit wall torches on each side of the E wall. This done you'll find that both the cages have risen. The ladders next to them are there for the simple purpose of helping Lara reach the top of the cages.

Let's begin with the S/W cage. Climb the ladder and then climb right onto the top of the cage. Turn around to face N and do a running jump to grab and pull down the jump switch opposite. The gate in the E wall between the two wall torches opens. Don't leave yet though, you'll still need to get up onto the N/E cage. Climb the ladder next to it and once on top of the cage you'll find an alcove in the W wall. Standjump in there and pick up the Silver Star from the pedestal. Now you can drop down to the ground. Go to the S side of the tall ladder and climb it up until Lara's back is at height with the second level of the tall room. Backflip/roll/grab the ledge behind. N/E you'll see a ledge with a button, runjump over to it and push it. Continue jumping around the perimeter until you reach an opening in the W wall. Go through there to find a dwarf and the 4th Crown that you can pick up from the pedestal. Leave and drop down to the ground. Now retrieve the torch again as you're going to need it to complete a few more tasks and head through the gate you opened earlier.

Go up the stairs and at the end you'll run into a closed door. To the left you'll see a narrow crack with a swinging ball beyond, shoot this(you can also use the pistols here) to open the mentioned door. Go through it and you'll now find her in a large but beautiful outdoor area. Go straight ahead through the trees and on the left side you'll find an unlit campfire. Use your torch to light this(but do be careful not to get too close so that Lara catches fire). Leave your torch here and continue forwards until you reach a pond. If you hadn't lit the campfire a moment ago this pond would be frozen. Now it isn't anymore so dive in and swim down through the opening in the middle. As soon as the tunnel widens out turn right and pick up the 2nd Silver Star in the corner. Continue swimming to the far end of the tunnel and head upwards until Lara can surface. Climb out of the water here.

Some ominous music will start playing, but don't worry as there is no danger ahead. You may notice the two glass lanterns on each side. These are moveable, but don't serve any particular purpose. There's also another one of their kind on the left side down the passage S. Behind the latter one you'll find a lever mechanism, but with the handle missing. The crowbar you found in the previous level will come to good use here, activating the lever mechanism opens the double gates back in the outdoor area. Before going back there head down S to get an idea of what's going on. On the ledge opposite there is a dwarf like the ones you've met before and a crown on a pedestal. You can't reach it from here yet so don't even bother trying. The wall below is a ladder so you can reach the area with the three dwarves down at the bottom if you want to and that's exactly what you should do. Down at the bottom you'll also find two flowerbuds in stone. Arm Lara with the revolver and shoot them both. Now you can climb back up and notice that a swinging rope has dropped from the ceiling. Do a running jump to grab it and swing over to the opposite ledge. Pick up the 5th Crown from the pedestal and the dwarf up here disappears like the others before him.

Use the rope to swing back where you came from, head back to the water and swim out to the pond again. The gates you opened are located opposite of the pond to the N, but don't go there yet. Instead return to where you first entered this area and turn right(N). Be careful as there's a deep pit ahead(it's a bit hard to spot until you literally fall into it). Look down into the pit to spot a stone flowerbud. Arm Lara with the revolver and shoot the flowerbud to open up a passage on the other side of the pit. It's too far to jump across, but instead jump to the slope on the left side of the pit and shimmy around until you can pull up on the other side. Go through the passage to the end and you'll find a dwarf guarding the 6th Crown. Pick it up and go back across the pit the same way you came.

This time head back to the melted pond and go left to find the gates you opened earlier at the end. Upon entering you'll find another set of double gates ahead, these are closed. Go right(E) and behind the tree S/E you'll find a switch. Pulling this opens the second set of gates and you are now left with a free access to what I'll refer to as the Ice Hall(beautiful music isn't it??). At the far N end of the hall there is a closed gate with a keyhole next to it so that's as far as we're getting for now. From the entrance go right(E) to the wall and if you turn around here and look up to the left you'll spot a jump switch on the back of the pillar. Pulling it down raises a set of platforms at the back of the central structure. Go behind it and climb onto the lower blocks, then jump and grab the platforms you just raised. From here you can do a running jump to reach the floor spanning around the perimeter of the hall.

Up here you'll find several different things: lovely ice statues, two unlit candles and three closed gates. By each gate there is a receptacle: one for a Golden Star by the N gate and the gates E and W each have one receptacle for a Silver Star next to them. We are going to begin with the E gate. Place one of the Silver Stars in the receptacle to open the gate. Go through and you'll reach a room with a square block in the middle and two urns on the upper floor plus two lowered cages and two ornate tiles down on the ground floor. Begin by climbing up onto the S side of the upper floor. On the back of the central block you'll find a Golden Star that you can pry off. Do so and drop back down. On the back of the pillar right of the entrance you'll find a jump switch. When you pull this one of the cages in the same room rise.

Climb up onto the N side of the upper level and push the urn closest to the risen cage onto it. Now drop down and locate the jump switch on the back of the pillar left of the entrance. Pulling this one raises the remaining two cages, creating a sort of bridge from the N side of the floor to the S side. Climb up on the N part of the upper floor and push the remaining urn across the cages and over to the other side. Here you can push it onto the ornate tile by the wall. Doing so you'll see that a cage with an urn on top of it lowers. Said urn is not in this room though, but we'll get back there later. Now cross the cages again to the other side and locate the switch on the left side of the central block(right of the urn still standing on the raised cage). Pulling this switch lowers the cage on the left, now you can drop down and push the urn onto the ornate tile next to the lowered cage. This lowers a second cage in another room and you're done in here so return to the Ice Hall.

This time use the 2nd Silver Star in the receptacle by the W gate. In the next room you'll find the lowered cages and urns. Here you'll have to push the urns onto the ornate tiles to open the gate in the same room. NOTE that it is possible to skip moving one of the urns and still open the gate. This is done by moving one urn first onto one tile and then the other, but this is not the way it was intended to be done by the builders. Enter that room and pick up the almost invisible Dwarfs Key from the pedestal in the middle. Do not leave yet though, but go over to the S/W corner and look up on the wall to find a cleverly concealed crawlspace. Climb up there and crawl through, you have just found the levels last secret: Secret 4- four large medipacks(two in each chest).

Return to the Ice Hall and this time use the Golden Star in the N receptacle. Inside this room you'll meet another dwarf and you can retrieve the 7th Crown from the pedestal. The dwarf disappears like before and we'll see a camera shot of the gate opening this time. Return to the hall and this time drop down to the ground floor. Use the Dwarfs Key in the lock by the gate and go through. Pick up the Note For Lara from the pedestal and the gate ahead opens. The note reads: Don't leave the castle without seven crowns, you will never come back again. Well, now you do have seven crowns and the gate at the bottom of the stairs ahead is open. Go down there and on the right you'll find a closed gate. Look up above the gate to see two stone flowerbuds and a dwarf guarding them. Arm Lara with the revolver again and shoot the two stone buds to open the gate. Head through there to the next room and the level ends, with a promise of a continuation of Lara's winter fairytale.