BtB 2020-12-Dolma’s Fortress.

Walkthrough by the author.

Light caverns.

After the cinematic, you will find a flares package just in front of the start point, Then at left, there is another small cave with steps, at the bottom there are two shotgun ammo, (close and wide shots), to progress, go back to the starting point and go to the wall with the green crevice, Lara can grab that ledge, starting at the right and displacing to the top left. Climb the step and move to the next chamber.

Here you will find the front of a building, also there is a shotgun red ammo between the rock pillar and the building, to progress, keep going to the chamber opposite to the light holes.

This chamber has a light hole in the ceiling; the goal is to reach the dark cave at the upper left corner. To do that, from the chamber entrance, jump to the SE platform, climb the steps and follow the wall till the north edge, this is a jump of 3 sector, so Lara will need 1 sector run before, (along the level, be aware that because the running animations, sometimes you may need to do one extra back step to get the needed distance). Once in the north platform, you will have to do other 3 sectors long jump to the platform at the West, from here, you can keep your way into the dark cave.

In the this cave, you will find a tent, next to the fireplace, there is a journal (optional item) and if you shoot to the crates, you will find gurung bread inside (small medikit), at this point you can go towards the fortress entrance.


Fortress entrance.

As you enter in this first room you will be attacked by two spiders, exploring the room, you can find Uzi ammo next to the West also you will find a water pool on the west incense-burner, also if you go down the stairs, you will find some flares package. To progress, you have different exits on the north side, west side and the water pool. Take the exit to the west.

In this chamber, you will see a pedestal with the gong hammer, you must get close carefully as under it, there are blades that can hurt Lara, you can avoid them jumping directly to the pedestal side. Grab the hammer and jump outside again. Also, near of the blades, there is also a clip of uzzi ammo, you can pick it with careful to keep distance with the blades trap.

Secret 1- In the room with the pedestal of the gong hammer, you will find a switch in an upper zone of the south wall, you can reach here jumping over the ramp. Press the switch, this will open an underwater door, go back to the previous room and jump into the pool you will find the open door and the small secret room, inside you will find a golden treasure (optional item), shotgun red ammo and gurung bread.

Whether you are in the entrance room or in the gong hammer chamber, you can continue following the north corridors, they take to the same room; here you will find uzi ammo hidden between the grass (near the Buddha image) and shotgun red ammo. To progress go slowly to the north corridor, as when you get close, some teeth spikes will spawn. You can jump them to pass.

Optional room. In the middle teeth spikes corridors, if you climb the right side, you will find a conduct that will lead to a small cave, here you will find uzi weapons and a big medikit, however, as long as you get close to the medikit, you will be attacked by two dracos. Once you finish, you shall return to the teeth spikes corridor.

After cross the corridor, you will be in a red room with demon statues, kill the spider that comes from the East and use the gong hammer in the gong that you find there, the west double doors will open, leading you to the next zone (After cross, you won’t be able to return this zone).


Demons path.

As you go down stairs, you will find a pedestal with a blue gem, but if you get close, the statue’s trap will activate, and will hurt Lara if she tries to get the gem, you can deactivate the statue if you go back up the stairs and hang to the celling bars, (you may need to do a running jump) Hanging from the celling, move straight till the end and then turn left to the metal bars to reach a jumping switch, after use it, the statue trap will deactivate allowing to pick the blue gem safely.
As you continue through the enlighten corridor, a wall blade will activate, (if hit, it can be lethal), you can dodge it jumping, or if prefer safe, you can pass crawling.

In the next room, you must be careful with the celling as there are two falling blocks, (in the floor, you will see moss, just ensure you don’t stop there), this room has two exits, one that leads to a stairs and other that leads to a room full of teeth spikes disabling you to continue safely. So take the exit with the stairs.

In the upper floor, you will be attacked by a yeti while you explore it, after kill it, check the wood wall on the left, as Lara can open them with the action key. Behind, you will be in a terrace with flames brassieres, use the blue gem in the statue that you’ll find there, this will deactivate all the teeth spikes from the lower floor. You can make your way back there, (be prepared as another yeti will attack you near of the stairs).

In the lower room, with the teeth spikes deactivated you can cross, but in the way, third yeti will attack Lara. At the end of the corridor, there is a small room with a window, when Lara enters a cinematic will activate showing your competitor activating some traps. When you recover Lara’s control, go to the south ramp, (this is a point of no return) slide down and jump to grab the pole, then continue sliding down till the bottom.


Mortal Traps Hall.

In the next area, your goal is activate 4 switches that will raise the bridge to go the south terrace, (pressing the 4 also will open the doubles doors to continue the level), they can be done in any order.

The first obstacle is the rotating pillar, this won’t hurt Lara, but it may easily push her away of the platform. You will be safe if you stay in the corners so use them if you see the pillar is getting closer.

The switch of the hanging pillars: You can start by the eastern platform (the one with stone stairs), you will need a long jump to grab the edge, (if by chance, you grab the lower edge, you can jump upwards pressing the jumping key). From that platform, jump to the next one situated on the lower east, (a normal jump should allow you to reach with no damage), move along and jump to the broken column of the south, while hanging, move along the opposite side of the column, and then, press the key «down» to jump backwards, this will make you reach onto another broken column, from there, jump on the hanging pillar and then to the next platform, at the end, you will see a horizontal bar, to reach it, you must size you jumping distance, you shall do a running jump, but instead of jump at the edge of the platform, jump at the half of the sector, this should allow you to grab the horizontal bar and finish pass the hole. On the other side you will find one of the 4 switches. After activate it, goes back you way till the platform with the stone stair (in the way you also will can jump to a switch with red banisters, however I suggest you leave that for later as going there now, would increase you backtracking).

The pushy demons switch, in the platform with the stone stairs (remember you can climb upwards pressing the jump while hanging from any crack), if you cross the stone stairs, you will see two rotating blades, they move slowly so with careful you should be able to go the other side, here you will see the bridge you must rise, but also, if you look down, you will see a ramp, jump on this ramp to reach the next platform, be careful with the moving block, at the end of this lower platform, you will see a rope, jump to it and use it to reach the opposite platform, you will find another of the 4 switches here (between two lamps), press it, to go back, climb the block, and jump towards the rock wall, there is a slight hole where Lara fits, she can use that ledge to jump onto another platform, here again, will find other two moving blocks, watch the timing to cross the platform.

The yoyo switch: at this point, you will see a golden sharp slider moving along its platform, you must jump there and use any of the platform sides to avoid the golden slider, then follow the platform to jump to another switch (the one with red banisters on both sides), after press it, go back to the golden slider platform and then to the previous one again.

The start gate switch: here, use the ladder to climb the pillar, be careful when you were reaching at the top, as these pillars has rotating traps, Lara climbing is slow so to reach the top safely, it’s better wait hanging under the black creek for the blade being leaving your side, when it were leaving, then make your way up before it returns. At the top of the pillar, you should be able to see a circle with rotating blades and the last switch behind, you can cross it with a running jump.

To cross it without being hurt, you will increase your chances if you do the angle jump (walk key + jump forward). The trick is in the noise, prepare yourself putting on the edge and doing leaving 1 sector for your running, then, these trap does two metal ticks and then a pause, your must start your run after you hear the first metal tick, (think on it as if you should start between the two noises) doing correctly, should allow you to do the acrobatic without suffering any harm, some practice may be required through.

After crossed the ring, press the switch, from here, you must return, you can do it jumping through the ring again, or using the platform on your west side to move down back to the corridor with the demons moving blocks.

The way to the bridge: with the 4 switches pressed, you must go to the bridge (in the stone stairs platform), for that, you may have to return to the rotating pillar platform, so jump to the horizontal bar in and keep your way to the columns with rotating blades (remember the blades, if a blade is close, it may be safer drop the ladder and grab down back again, then climb up when the blade is gone).

When you arrive to the bridge, cross to reach the terrace, if you pressed the 4 switches, the doors will be open, however before go through them (they are a point of no return) explore the terrace as you will find other gurung bread there.

After cross the doors a flyby will close the doors behind you, in these new corridor, you will find a pit and the horizontal bars to cross it.

Secret 2 - If instead to cross the dark pit, you fall down, you can find a small hole to craw in one of the corners, this will take you to the 2nd secret room. Here you will find a pedestal with another golden treasure, gurung bread, flares pack, shotgun red ammo, and a shotgun weapon inside the red box. Also, if you go up the stairs, you will find two uzi ammo clips, you can shall go back to the pit, the north side of the pit has a short height that Lara can reach to climb back up again.

To progress, use the horizontal bars to cross the pit, on the other side, you will find a rope, you must use this one to reach the portal in the opposite wall, once crossed the portal, there will be a dangerous slide, a short flyby will show a bunch teeth spikes in Lara’s way, to survive, she has to jump on the horizontal bar that she will find in the way, however the timing to do it is short, a visual help could be the tiles of the floor, jump when you were in the before last tile. After grabbing the bar, jump forward to keep you way down.

The dracos nest.

In the next room, at the left, you will find some uzi weapons, plus 3 uzi ammo clips. After that, keep your way through the stairs, you will arrive a kind of square with a blocked chain in the centre, to unlock it, you must fix the 3 wheel rotations; you should be able to see the 3 wheel from that position, however, when you go down the square, hordes of dracos infest the place, is your choice if you want to use your strong weapons to kill them, or if you prefer avoid them.

The ruins: the oration wheel here is over a building, you can go up by two ways, one is entering in the building, you will find the stairs at the end of the room, other way is behind the building with high bases, there is a natural stairs in the rock wall, this also takes you to the upper floor, once there cross the bridge and rotate the wheel so the stick is facing to the tile with a flower painted. After that, you will find two ropes sliders, one is a shortcut in for the island’s wheel, the other is to return the central square.

The islands: if you fall on the water, you can start this way near of the central pillar, as this island is almost a the water level, from there jump to the island at the north and next keep going to the north to jump the next border, (this is the start point of the garden shortcut), go through that island to east wall, there you will have to do a couple of jumps till you reach the ice block, keep jumping to the broken column and then the island, here, you need to jump the next island with the bridge, look for the nearest point to do that jump. (This bridge island, is the starting point of the shortcut from ruins), cross the bridge and go your way up, you will have to jump a pit (if you fall, there will be water at the bottom, you can climb back grabbing the ladder, while swimming on the surface, press action key), once up, you must keep jumping your way up till you reach the end of the platform, that should lead you to the oration wheel pillar, rotate the wheel so the stick is facing to the tile with a flower painted, here you will find only 1 cable to slide back to the central square.

The gardens: After cross the bridge, you will find a vegetation zone with many dark caves, these caves are empty of items, you only will find dracos coming out from them, you goal is the rock with the vine plant, you can find a narrow stair starting in the north side, follow it up to go up, (if you fall to the water, you can climb back crossing the waterfalls and using the north shore to climb up), at the top of the mountain you have to rotate the wheel so the stick is facing to the tile with a flower painted. From here, you have other two cables, one is a shortcut in the islands path, and the other is a shortcut to go back the square.


If you have rotated the three wheels correctly, you will be able to pull from the chain, this will open some trapdoors to move the next area. (You can’t return to this area after jump down).

The Dolma’s halls.

In the next small room, push the budha altar to open the door, then follow the cave way down, at the third brassier, you will have to do a jump to grab a pole in the centre of the hole, and then slide till the bottom, here you will find the chamber with the pedestal that holds the Dolma’s dagger. First you will want to explore the south room, here you will find a red box with a big medikit inside. Then make your way to the north room.

In this room, at the west, you will find some shotgun red ammo behind some columns, the go up stairs and jump onto the platform, here you will have to solve two pushables puzzles, but before, you may want reo pick two items located in the western window, gurung bread and uzi ammo.

The pushables puzzle: the goal is move each monolith through an specific path, you can get the help from the red tiles at the celling, the top of the flowers ones indicates you the direction where you must move the block, and the no-flower red tile, indicates you the final position, You can see if you are progressing correctly as the statues in the wall, will go spawning till 5 small flames. When you have moved both montolith correctly, the 10 flames should be switched on, and a flyby camera will show the rise of a ramp in the dagger’s chamber, make your way back to there.

Here, climb the ramp and go towards the dagger’s pedestal till activate the flyby, after it, chase your competitor through to the south room, here there will be a new opened door to go the next area.

Fortress’s courtyard.

In this part, you are chasing your competitor, despite the speed of the situation, there is not actual timing risk involved, The first area, the competitor will run through a door, closing this one behind him, so chasing by floor will likely leave Lara stuck, the way to cross is over the wall roof, you can reach there from the entrance of the room, jumping to a floating platform in the west wall, then use the two horizontal bars that goes from the statues mouth to reach the roof of the wall.

The next part is just a normal stair; go up till the top (watch out with the pit situated after the top). There in the top, you will see your competitor running and breaking a bridge, without it, the distance is too long to cover it with a jump.

Optional room: at the top of the stairs, if you follow the way, you will enter into a small cave, and will spot a ladder with two lamps, you can go down the ladder, there you will find first a gurung bread, then if you keep exploring the courtyard, Lara will eventually be attacked by four leopards, at the end of the courtyard, you will find another shotgun weapon and a shotgun red ammo. You can go back climbing the ladder; you can use the lamps height you know when you can jump backwards.

From the point where the bridge fell, you can continue the platforms till the rock structure, if you climb it, you will find a slide cable, use it to reach the green building, but before to enter, make your way to the other end of the broken bridge, there you will find 1 shotgun blue ammo.

Once inside of the green building, you will find the corpse of your competitor in the middle of a teeth spikes trap, you must deactivate before to can investigate the corpse, use the red furniture to jump over the arch, and then jump toward the jumping switch to deactivate the teeth spike, then, you can pull the corpse with action key, under it you will find a tablet (optional item), the Dolma’s dagger and the pickaxe (a crowbar). If you are considering to pick the Secret 3, you must press the switch situated at the end of the room, through the window you will see the floor has move down revealing a secret room, but you can’t reach it from there.

To continue, use the crowbar with the white door (with eyes drawn), here you will find water pool with another stargate trap, you can cross it jumping (more information in the «The startgate switch» earlier paragraph) or if you shoot frame walls to break them, you can also do a long jump to those side. Once in the other end, push the block till you reveal a new path on the left.

Ice caves.

In this final zone, you will find the snowmobile, then you have two choices, use it to escape, or make your way by foot, there are not special benefits for choosing one way or another, if you want to fight, there should be enough items in this last zone.

The first room, you will find shotgun red ammo, shotgun blue ammo and uzi ammo. Crossing the door to the next room, you will find here 3 shotgun red ammo, uzi ammo, and if you shoot the two crates, you should find the uzi weapons and the shotgun weapon, after the next door, you will find the snowmobile.

Secret 3: If you pressed the switch in the green room (the place where the competitor died), once you reach the room with the snowmobile, you also should be able to go the secret room, exploring the opened hole in the SW corner, you may want to use the ladder to climb down, in order to avoid damage, in the room, you will find another golden treasure, pack of flares and inside the red box, you will find a big medikit. You can go back climbing the ladder again.


From the snowmobile parking, you can move into the cave, here in the lower floor you should find 3 yetis around, at the end of the North side, you will find a ramp to go the upper floor, be careful with the two rollingballs that will fall in your direction. Exploring the upper floor, eventually you should find a fourth yeti. Following the South wall, you will find the way to the next zone, but other two rollingballs will roll way down. In the next cave area, there is a frozen lake, with two more yetis, be special careful with the hole pit that is hidden at the entrance, as falling there will surely cause dead.

After cross the lake, you will find a way up ramp that will lead you to the exit of the fortress and the end level point.