BtB 2020-1-THE BEHEADED MOUNTAIN.

Level by BtB2020

Walkthrough by G&D Productions.

In this walk we’re just going to use the “Tombraider compass”, meaning it isn’t a true compass, but we mention the direction the red needle is pointing…

7 Secrets.

An ancient legend tells that thousands of years ago, there was a mountain higher than Everest and a huge continent in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Kumari Kandam.
However, after a giant cataclysm, this continent was destroyed.
The survivors of Kumari Kandam decided to take refuge on the highest peaks of the Earth, but discovered that the mountain had also been partially destroyed during the cataclysm. They decided to build large Monasterys in the middle of the vast caves of the mountain to protect their treasures, in case the world were to be sunken again.

Today, Lara Croft investigates this mountain that was alleged to have been higher than Everest, which Tibetan tales call "The Beheaded Mountain".

Lara in a valley between the slopes, no way to get out of it but up the slope E, jump from ledge to ledge and somewhere halfway up:

Sherpa: HEY! You forgot your pickaxe.

Lara: Oh, dammit...

Ok, I’ll turn around and come get it.

Go up to the last ledge; face S there and hop with a right hand curve onto the larger ledge.

Secret Detour: You probably noticed the pickup in the corner of the valley, run jump NW onto the slope and jump again over a part that slopes back into the valley, slide and jump again with a left curve to stay close to the ice wall and you’ll end up on a flat part. Now you can walk forward and do a last hop to get to Secret #1, Shotgun ammo. Jump out of the corner and go up the E slope again.

Just proceed over the top and down along the right hand side, jump to the icy ledge right, then left to the rock ledge S, hop to the other corner and then go left along the snow ledges.

Lara: The pickaxe will be useful for descending this ice wall.

Walk up into the icy ledge S, turn left and grab up to the ridge. Shimmy left around the corner till you cannot go any further and do a back jump (down key), grab the other side, shimmy right as far as possible, do another back jump with a left curve to a flat ledge. Jump up the slope and get the scare of your life, shoot that Leopard and jump S up the snowy slope, turn left and walk to the edge.

To get to the base camp, just slide down.

For a Secret however, jump to the right after sliding down a bit and land in a gap with Secret #2, a Medipack. Slide down to base camp.

Grab the Pickaxe.

Sherpa: I could have sent it to you.

Lara: True, but up there

I will have to manage

alone if I forget something.

I want to start right away.

Sherpa: Ok, you're the boss.

So I will see you in two days.

Slide down into the valley where we started and make your way back up the E slope once again.

Sherpa: Good luck lady!

Get down the other end and left around as before to get to that ice wall. Climb down carefully and at the bottom of the vertical wall go climb left around a corner and when you cannot go any further, drop.

Lara: It’s slippery here!

I will have to be careful.

Lara will slide slowly towards the edge, quickly run forwards into the niche where you are safe. Look W and spot a higher part in the slope, run W and then jump to land on that higher part, do a running jump with a right curve in the end so you’ll slide off the slope and grab the edge. From the left side of this higher slope you can back flip onto a sloped pillar, hop back and then run with a left curve to jump to the slope again, immediately run jump W and right around the corner into a safe passage (savegame.0).

Pick up the Light Sticks and follow the passage to a slope, slide to a ledge below and jump over the gorge, grabbing the crack. Below is a crawlspace we need to get to, shimmy right and at the end back jump grabbing a crack behind, go left and back jump again, go right and around two corners, drop/grab, go right and drop/grab again. Go right to the end, back jump and then go left and into the crawlspace. Follow through to a steep slope, slide and jump from the end to grab the ice wall, go down as far as possible and drop down. Turn around and follow the tunnel. Safety drop out of the tunnel and shoot some tiny spiders, proceed up into the tunnel N and come to a large canyon where two Leopards will attack.

Bottom of the Canyon, open the Monastery Doors.

This is the Canyon we travelled through along the slopes above. On a higher ledge N, opposite the tunnel is a Medipack, to the right of it is a passage with a closed door.

In the far back, E, is a large mound of snow and ice, you can jump up the ledges to the top and get into an opening in the wall, shoot a spider and go up a rock wall using the cracks, after a ledge jump up, back jump and back jump again. Walk out onto the ledge in front of a deep pit. Stand jump and grab the pole, swing to the next and jump off landing on a sloped pillar, immediately jump again landing on the ledge. A flyby takes over, showing you what happens below…

Lara: Holy shit! I lost my pickaxe. I hope I'll be able to retrieve it.

For that we will probably have to open that trapdoor at the ladder right, so for now go through the opening and left to the end of the passage…

Lara: There are candles here too...

On the back wall N is a big Buddha relic you can push, the Monastery doors open up. The bowl at the Buddha statue is now burning. Go back a bit and left at the pillar up into the side cave and through an open wooden door to a snowy cave with a Leopard. Head S and right down the next tunnel, follow all the way down to where you can open a wooden door with a lever, you are back in the Canyon.

To the Monastery.

Go left around and through the new opening, straight across a river. Take a left and just around the pillar you can run or jump across to the ledge W and pick up more Light Sticks. Jump back and climb down the ladder at the end of that ledge, go onto the bridge there. Follow the bridge and go up the grassy cave to where you get a flyby of a huge Monastery garden.

Open the Monastery.

Go to the Monastery and the left side of it all the way to the wall there. Jump and grab the edge of the roof, the one going N, shimmy left to the lower part just left of the windows and back jump to grab a crack. Go right and around the corner you can ledge jump up. Now shimmy all the way right to where you can pull up and jump into the niche with the lever that will open the Monastery doors. Make your way down to the ground.

When you go over to the front porch and left, you’ll find some pigeons fighting over some Gurung Bread (small medipack). Duck to grab it.

Lara: You are pretty fat!

Enter the Monastery, go straight and in the next hallway loop left around into the meditation room, up the stairs in the back, keep left and come to the Monk’s Office.

Monk: Welcome to our monastery young adventurer.

It is rare to see such a pretty woman between its ancient walls.

Lara: Hello! Uh, sorry for imposing like that.

I saw many burning candles across the mountain and my curiosity got the better of me.

Monk: Yes, indeed.

We light them to scare away wild animals to prevent them from defiling the statues or building nests.

Lara: Understandable.

By the way, my name is Lara.

Lara Croft.

Monk: And what brought you to our mountain, Lara?

Lara: I'm investigating the ruins under the mountain.

I wonder what culture could have built these monuments.

Monk: Many clues about these monuments are hidden in our monastery.

One of the monks has the master key to open the doors, but I don't know which one.

Ask them!

Go back down the first steps and loop left around, down some more steps and find Light Sticks. Return to the Office and go E to the mediation room, the monks left the place. Go back outside and to the Monks, the one left did not have the key, neither did the one on the jetty in the pool nor the one high up on the E slopes…

Lara: Hello, sorry to bother you, but do you have the key to the monastery?

Monk: No, I do not.

But the one NW, around the corner of the Monastery did have it; it appears in the inventory as the Gold Key.

Monk: Yes, I do.

Here it is.

Lara: Thank you very much!

The Rusty Key.

Back inside and in the Hall with the Prayer Wheels go right to open the doors. In the dining room to the right is a small door to the kitchen, open it and on the cupboard left is the Rusty Key, a camera shows where to go with that. On the table is some Gurung Bread.

Dormitories, Jade Key.

Go out to the dining room and right into the passage, up the stairs and at the next crossing left is the first floor landing. Go left and to the second section. Walk the rope to the next balcony and go to the next section, left into the last opening. 

Go right and up to the dormitory, go left (W) to the next one and between the beds is a chest. Open it to find the Jade Key and get a screen where to use it. Go out of the dormitory, loop around right to get to some double doors, open them and go up to the roof terrace. Loop left around to go down some stairs and come to a lever opening a shortcut door to the first floor landing. You could use that to get back to ground floor, or go back to the roof terrace, straight to some pigeons and get their Gurung bread too.

Lara: These birds are so chubby!

Fast way down, go to the other corner (SE) and slide backwards off the roof, grab the edge and shimmy left to where you see a slope below to safety drop down. Go to the Monk standing on the jetty in the pool and swim down the hole in the bottom SE of him. Follow the tunnel, up in the end and climb out into a cave we saw at the end of the flyby when we came to the Monastery first time (for a secret, remember that bowl).

Quicksand Challenge, Torches.

Open the door S with the Rusty Key; inside is a room filled with quicksand and to the left are 4 levers. We can create a hit as to how we can cross the quicksand by releasing the fireflies in the big cage up right. Use the correct levers W to raise all 4 platforms (Lever 3&4), jump on the crate next to the door and grab the crack, shimmy right along the platforms to a Buddha Icon you can push. A flyby shows the fireflies are released and form swarms above the quicksand, indicating the shallow parts.

Drop down and go stand against the E wall. Run jump to the fireflies, a running jump to the ones a bit left and you can wade or hop to the next. Hop to the last ones and step back as far as you can so you can run jump onto the ledge. Throw the lever to open that wooden door next to the 4 levers.

Detour for a Secret: From the lever ledge look up E and spot some flies high up in the corner, run jump to that corner and maybe sidestep a bit to find Secret #3, Shotgun ammo. From this corner you can run jump NW to the flies.

Without the Secret, just get to the N side.

From the last tile in the mud, look at the wall left (E) and see a sort of crawlspace. Jump as far as you can, walk through the muck and climb out into the room where the flies were. Use the pointy block to jump and grab up through the open trapdoors and hop up into an opening S. Inside you’ll find Secret #4, a Beautiful Salt Rock, on the floor next to the ledge is also a Shotgun. Go back onto the grated floor, hop down onto the crate next to the door.

Go into the open door W and shoot the spiders inside. From the single crate jump and grab up to the stack and pick up a Torch or two, or better yet throw them all down.

Pick up a Torch and you can repeat this as often as you want, to be sure I just did all of them. Go out, right through the door to the small cave and up the hill N, left and throw the Torch through the triangular gap. You cannot follow there, so we have to go around.

Back into the water and swim through the tunnel to go up at the Monk on the jetty. Head left (E) up the hillside, cross the rock bridge with the trees to the W side and go left over the ledges just right of the Monastery roof. In the W wall is an opening and that’s where your Torches are. Throw all of them down from a spot where you can follow where they land… (somewhere close to the Monk).

The 3 Prayer Wheels, Igniting the Torch.

Get down to where they landed and grab one, go into the Monastery, right to the Dining hall and right into the kitchen, ignite the Torch on the burning stove. Back out and right into the passage W, left up the stairs and left onto the first floor landing, just before the rope left through the door to the roof terrace and around to the right (SE) corner where you can see a pillar with a bowl on top. Take a running jump there and ignite the Bowl and a Prayer Wheel will magically appear in a tree on the rock bridge. Turn around and drop the Torch from the pillar. Jump/grab the roof and shimmy left; drop on the hill and go pick up the Torch. Go up to the rock bridge and to where you got the Torches, this time throw the burning Torch through the gap and be sure it is well inside. Back onto the bridge to retrieve the first Prayer Wheel from the tree stump.

Get down to the pool and swim back through the tunnel to the place where you got the Torches, go up the hill N and get the burning Torch, ignite the bowl and another Prayer Wheel appears on a tree trunk. Swim back to the Monastery and get out onto the island in the middle of the pool to get the second Prayer Wheel there.

Get a new Torch and ignite it. Now head S, into the cave we came from before and follow down to the river, over the bridge and leave the Torch at the bottom of the ladder, so when you come down the ladder later you can immediately pick it up. Go up the ladder (S) and take a left and on the right is a door you can open with the Jade Key.

Shoot the spiders and jump over the crates to the TIMED lever on the stack next to the door. Pull the lever, get down to the floor and out to the river, the water flow is blocked. Run right to the ladder and get down as fast as you can (big drops) and grab the Torch, turn left and just hop backwards off the ledge down into the water in the nearest corner, turn right and walk/swim with the Torch into the cave S before the waterfall returns, because the waterfall will put the Torch out (savegame.1). Go up to the bowl in front of the Buddha and ignite it.

Prayer Wheel #3 shows up. Head back through the cave (N) to the Monastery, left up the hillside and grab the third Prayer Wheel from the tree in front of the Monk. Go into the Monastery; place all Prayer Wheels in the N wall of the Hall and the wooden door opens up.

The Tower, shoot the Bell.

Turn around and go back towards the steps, take a left after the first pillar and go through that wooden door and follow the passage. Hop into the windowsill and turn around, jump grab the sloped ledge and back jump (down key) to grab the ladder, go up to the higher floor. Go around the balustrade and facing the closed door N you can jump and grab up straight grabbing a sloped ledge, back jump and grab, climb up to the Tower room.

Left around is another slope (E), back flip onto it and jump forward. Grab the green slope, pull up and start jumping to and fro while you draw pistols. Shoot till you hear the bell sound and a block goes up. Now just safety drop down and go left into the passage. Throw the lever left and see a door open right of the Tower room. Turn around and spot the double doors you cannot open from this side, those will be a shortcut later. So, make your way back down to the Hall of the Monastery through the openings in the Tower rooms, go right to the Dining room…

Lara: Enjoy your meal.

Monk: Thank you !! We have kept a bowl of soup for you in the kitchen. Join us.

Lara: Thank you !!

Go into the kitchen and pick up the Bowl of Soup from the stove on the right. Back to the Dining room and place the bowl on the vacant spot at the head of the table where the monks are sitting (face N).

“One hour later”, the door to the staircase E re-opens (for a Secret, take a burning Torch with you), go through and left, follow the stairs up and left to the first floor landing again (drop the Torch here for now). Go left up to the roof terrace and to the pigeons, stand at the edge and face E, hop onto the crooked part of the pointy roof and look S, there is a climb wall on that rock ledge. Stand facing NW, run with a sharp right curve and jump to grab that climb wall, go up (savegame.2). (To the right you can see a crawlspace, that’s for a Secret)

Go left following the ledge around the Tower room and run jump left onto the roof, grab the edge and shimmy all the way right, pull up and just slide onto the ledge there, take a few steps back and turn right to jump up into the doorway.

The Library, the tale of Kumari Kandam.

Go inside and open the double doors left as one shortcut to the Tower room in case you need it. Next hallway throw the lever right of the wooden door and that’s a shortcut to the staircase off the Dining room.

You could now go for that Secret: Go down those stairs and retrieve the Torch from where you left it, back up the stairs, straight out the door S and from the pointy ledge run jump a bit left onto the sloped ledge, jump to and fro between ledge and roof till you are on safe ground. Make your way (careful) to that crawlspace E, throw the Torch through and get through as well. Do stand well clear from that dish S before you ignite it (stand on corner of square). Into the open door, check out the chest left, you’ll get the Revolver and some Revolver ammo. Now go right, up the stairs and you will find Secret #5, a Buddha Footprint. Just before you leave… I threw the Torch back out to the ground floor, you never know… Make your way back to the W and back inside passing that shortcut door.

Go left up the wide stairs, follow into the Library…

Lara: I saw this painting in the dining room.

Monk: It represents the tragic end of Kumari Kandam.

The mountains of this world were shaped like a dragon, according to the legends.

It was the survivors that built these now ruined buildings.

Lara: I thought the ruins had something to do with a vanished world, but I would have guessed Atlantis or Mu.

Monk: This world was destroyed after a dragon passed over it.

There was a fight between a fire dragon against an earth dragon, and the latter was killed.

The earth dragon drowned in the Indian Ocean to escape the flames of his opponent.

Lara: A fire dragon? Hm!

Monk: Does that seem impossible to you?

Lara: I really do believe in dragons based on my personal experience.

But I no longer imagine the culprit of this catastrophe as a free planetary mass object.

Maybe a gas giant or a brown dwarf.

Monk: These words are unfortunately unknown to me.

Lara: It doesn't matter.

That’s a nice legend.

Next to the Monk is a Book on a stand, use Ctrl to get a hint…

The dragons fight

When the scarlet dragon emerged from the north!  (north-red)

Spilling its devouring fire from the west!  (yellow-west)

Towards the emerald lands of the south of the world!  (south-green)

The azure waters surged from the east!  (east-blue)

And engulfed Kumari Kandam!

Go to the Puzzle field in the N section and find 4 big lanterns, using the clues above, pull the N lantern twice onto the red square.

The “E” lantern (our red needle points W); pull it 3 times and then one time onto the blue square

The S lantern; pull it once and then go around to push it straight onto the green square.

The “W” lantern (at the doors, our red needle points E); pull it twice then pull it once to the W and push it back S onto the yellow square.

The doors open E, go in and at that moment 5 little Buddha statues disappear… Use Ctrl to examine the Book

Look for us and find us throughout the monastery, good luck!

The Search for the Statues, the Catacombs Key.

It looks like we need to find 5, to be placed on the S wall.

Go out of the room, right to the area with the first book and in the lower part, SW of the table is statuette #1. Exit the Library NW to the staircase left and go down to the first floor landing (right), follow through to the far W (use the bypass or walk the rope) and right around at the Monk playing with fire is statuette #2. Get down to the ground floor Hall (I did a safety drop down at the rope) and in the far E end left in the corner is statuette #3.

Go back to the Entrance of the Monastery and just right of the steps leading up to the outside is statuette #4. Go back a bit and into the open door W, go up into the first floor of the Tower as before (window, ledge, ladder) and find statuette #5 there (N).

Take a few steps back to grab up into the opening in the ceiling N of the balustrade, back jump and grab the upper floor. Go N, right and hopefully you opened those double doors there (from the other side), so you can go left to the Library. Left up the wide stairs and in the Library into the room W. Place the statuettes at the wall on the left (S). The door opens W, go in and take the Catacombs Key floating in the air. Go out of the room…

Monk: So, you have decided to descend into the catacombs?

Lara: It would be a pity not to finish this adventure!

Monk: In that case, we will escort you to the cave entrance, but we will not go any further.

Lighting a few candles in the mountain to protect artefacts from wild animals is one thing, but there are too few of us to risk our lives in the heart of the ruins themselves.

Lara: I totally understand, don't worry!

Monk: Good Luck Lara!

The Catacombs, a Gong Stick.

Turn around and follow the cave over the bridge and jump into the water to get into the cave S. Open the doors with the Key and inside go right, shoot some spiders. Follow through to a cave where you have to climb the hill into the opening above (find the ledges where you can stand or pull up). When up there, you’ll find your old friend the Pickaxe (to the right). That trapdoor on the ladder we saw long ago is now open…

Lara: So, there you are! Now I think I can climb on that ice wall!

Go up the long ladder on the pillar (S), a few grabs above the trapdoor, back flip onto the ledge. Go through left (W) and up to that ice wall W, climb up to the top (just left of centre) and back jump to a ledge behind you. Go up the stairs and at the last moment run left to stop behind the base of the statue. Go up and pick up the Gong Stick. A gate opens way below, where you found the Pickaxe. So, back down, jump to the ice wall and climb down. Go through E and left down the long ladder.

For a Secret: About 3 rungs below the open trapdoor, you can back flip/roll and grab a slope, shimmy left around to the opening and get inside and behind the statues is Secret #6, the Striking Sword. Go back out, shimmy around to where you can back jump and grab the ladder and go down.

The opened gate is on the right (SW), follow through, shoot a Leopard and climb up at the end. Right is the cave with the ladder, so go left into the cave and follow through to a huge Arena.

The Magic Orb.

On a crate to the right are Uzi clips and on a crate in the far left corner is a Medipack, then go to an opening N, left onto the crate where you’ll find the Uzis. From this crate hop up NW and then jump and grab the icy pillar SW, jump and grab up on the left (N) to get to the Gong and give it a good bang. The Ice breaks and an Orb appears. Drop from the back of the ice pillar and get the Uzi clips from the crate, jump S over the ice to get back to the Arena.

Lara: What is that?

Orb: Something beyond your grasp, young woman!

Lara: And you can talk!

What are you exactly?

Orb: Well! The equivalent of an artificial intelligence or a super computer to your companions.

Lara: Was it the people of Kumari Kandam who created you?

Orb: Ha! No! I was already old when they found me. Buried in the heart of their mountains since thousands of years ago... before the coming of the runaway star.

Lara: I knew it was not a dragon!

Orb: You speak to me like a friend, but I'm not your friend Lara. And I don't think you will leave these catacombs alive.

Lara: Aw, and things had started so well between us.

Orb: Let's see if your weapons are as powerful as they seem.

Lara: Huh! Just you wait...

You’ll end up on an Ice floor, shoot that Bird Monster. Dropping through the Ice floor a Setha appears, get close, side jump left right and keep firing away (savegame.3).

Lara: Convinced?

Orb: Hm! You should know that the two monsters you just killed were as human as you are, thousands of years ago. Before being perverted by the science of this cursed kingdom.

Lara: Wait a minute! You started it...

Orb: ...whatever! Humans are still the same as 12,000 years ago!

A door opened in the W section, go in there and…

Orb: It's time for me to change form if you want to fit me in your backpack. You have one last question?

Lara: Where do you come from exactly?

Orb: The planet you call Venus was as green as Earth a billion years ago. And know one thing, Lara. The red star that destroyed Kumari Kandam was perhaps the same one that made my planet uninhabitable. And if it returns someday, even this mountain which was once higher than Everest will not be a refuge.

Go take the Kumari Kandam/ Venus Orb.  An earthquake sets in…

Lara: Not again! It's time to leave this place. Quickly!

Run out E, in the big Hall left through the corridor and slide down into the canyon with the high ladder, go left (E) and down the hillside and follow the passage back to where you opened the gates before.

Lara: That was close! it's time to go back to the monastery!

Go N into the water to the bridge.

Quite a detour for the last Secret: We have to find a way back to the catacombs for that.. Go up the ladder SW, take a right over the bridge to the Buddha. In the Ice canyon at the Lion statue up right into the side cave, right to where we opened a wooden door before and follow that passage, climbing a steep hill N, up right at the ice slide and left to a steep hill, go left there and follow that passage to another wooden door.

Orb (in the backpack): I thought you wanted to go back to the monastery?

Lara: Yes, but maybe the earthquake opened up some secret passages!

Follow through and down E, go left (S) where you’ll see the boulders you triggered before and take a right through the opening opposite the Ice wall. Down the ladder (if you didn’t get secret #6 yet, you could go for it now too), as far as possible and safety drop. Go down the steep hill W. Right through the passage and around the next corner left is a new opening in the wall (NW). Get in and grab Secret #7, the Glorious Scepter. Hop out of there, go left and up the mound with the statue head, jump and grab the opening and slide down. Go left and you are back at the Catacomb entrance.

Go left (N), onto the bridge, up the cave to the Monastery where the Monks will greet you…

Monk: Our prayers have been answered! I must admit that we were really worried about you when we felt the earth shake.

Lara: I was worried about me too! But here I am!

Monk: Did you get answers to your questions about these ruins?

Lara: Yes, and much more!

Monk: Would you like to stay a few days to study the ancient manuscripts of our monastery, and also share with us your revelations about our dear beheaded mountain?

Lara: It would be a real pleasure! Thank you!

The End…