The Ancient Artefacts 1 - The Sacred Hall

Level by Florian Denker (August, 2005)

Walkthrough by Harry Laudie

Watch the opening title. The level starts with a cut scene of Kara and a man talking. When finished, the level starts with Lara dropping into a hole. Go to the north-west corner for flares and then continue west toward the pole. Just run off the floor into the hole and you should land on the floor below. Shoot a vase and pick up a small medipack. Run off the floor again and you should receive little damage from the cutting blade. Go west into the doorway and the door closes behind you. Kill two knights, go west and pull up into a corridor. Go to the end and push open the door. You get a cut scene of the area showing switches, a shootable ball, a jump switch, etc. Go forward and see a switch on a column. It opens the trap door to your left. Not useful now but it will be later. Go to the north-east corner and kick open a piece of wall near the floor. The piece is easily seen with a flare or binoculars. Follow the crawl space to the end to enter a large room of gold to get secret #1. Pick up flares and a small medipack from a pedestal and return. Go to the north-west corner for Uzi clips. Go south and you see a jump switch. Use it and another jump switch on the north wall. You get a cut scene of the gates opening in the north wall.

Go there and climb down the ladder. Turn and go down the corridor to enter a room with huge gears at the south side. Shoot the vase on the blocks in the room center. A few seconds later a white sphere will appear above it. Shoot the vase in the south-east corner for another white sphere. Go there and jump to a monkey swing. Use it to go north to a crawl space. Get inside and shoot a vase for another white sphere. Go to the north-west corner for and vase and white sphere. Climb the ledge to the west and go south to a switch. The switch operates a timed door at the north end of the ledge. Pull it, roll, and draw pistols and fire. This is the last vase and white sphere. The gears start to rotate. Exit and climb the ladder and back flip to the top. Go to the south-west corner and see that a block has risen. Before you climb up there, look west to see a closed gate over all the spikes. Climb up and a fire wraith attacks. Go south and on the second column there is a switch. Pull it and get a cut scene of that west gate opening. Jump over the balcony and run to it. Go into the doorway. The switch on the wall just closes the gate. Go to the end and turn right to jump into a pool of water. The fire wraith will extinguish itself. Pick up a small medipack from the pool floor. There are two underwater channels in the pool but the current is against you so go back to climb the block.

Get onto the balcony and go south. Pull the device in the corner to the wall opposite the switch you pulled before. Then go north, jump and pull up to you left. Notice a receptacle for a key in the corner. On the second balcony, go south and pull a switch on the wall. A block in the corner rises. Go up onto the south ledge and move close to the crawl space in the east. This seems to count as secret #2 but there is actually nothing there. Now move the globe to the block. Under the globe, you can pick up the Advice of Gods to examine. Unfortunately, I cannot translate it. Go back down and use the switch again and the block drops. Move the globe to the east wall just in front of the hammer. Use the other switch that is north of you. The hammer drops and shatters the globe. Pick up the Pyramid Key from the debris. Go back to the first balcony and use it. Look behind to see a stream of something pouring from the ceiling. Push the device under the stream. You get a cut scene and when it is finished, pick up an Energy Crystal from the floor. Go back to the first floor but you still need another crystal.

Go to the north-east corner where are two sloped blocks. Put your back to the tall slope. Stand jump forward to the short slope. Back flip and jump forward with a right curve to grab the balcony ledge. Go south down the balcony and see three globes as blue, green, and red. There are also three alcoves as green, red, and blue. Move the appropriate globe into the same colored alcove. Pull the three switches and the globes rise. Go to the alcove and the south end, turn around and grab a ladder to climb up to the next floor. There you kill two bats and move the globes to the correct color tile in the west wall. The gate opens and you pick up the second Energy Crystal. Now go back to the main floor and use the crystals at the south wall. The gate in the wall opens so go inside. At the end turn around and pull up. Go to the ledge and climb the ladder to the left. Shimmy to the right and kill an annoying bat. Climb the ladder and back flip to a ledge. Run/jump over the slope to land on a balcony with swinging chains. Take the near corridor to the north and notice the position of a block on the floor to the right. Go left to behind a pillar to see a switch. Pull the timed switch and that block rises. Go around the chains, hop on the block, and jump to grab an upper ledge.

Go west to the balcony and then north for flares. Then go south and near the end pick up a small medipack. This was probably secret #2 since it right above the place where I got the secret recorded. Continue around a balcony and see a trap door in the north-east floor. Go to the center section and shot the swinging blue ball. A rope will drop before you. Use the rope to swing to the opening in the north wall. You need something you do not have yet. However, hop into an opening in the wall and run/jump/grab the north ledge and pull up. Move the two globes to the obviously marked positions. A block descends opening the crawl space in the north wall. Go into the crawl space and follow it to a drop, Drop in the tunnel and pick up some flares on the left wall. Continue to a crawl space. Climb in and a flyby of the next area. Climb down the other side and jump the platforms you see in the mirror. Save after every successful jump because if you fall in, you cannot swim out. Start with a difficult run/jump to the south-west. Run/jump to the south. Stand jump to the north-west. Run/jump to the west. Run/jump/grab to the north to pull a switch. Now go back and when you are in front of the mirror, pick up Uzi clips. Run/jump/grab to the east. Stand jump to the north. Stand jump to the north-east. Run/jump to the alcove to pick up the Mechanical Scarab with Key. Now dive into the water and go back to where you entered this room. Dive in front of the platform at the crawl space and you go through the solid-looking floor into an underwater tunnel. This is a hole I literally fell into from the platform. If you swim around, you would never see it. Follow it and pull up into a room of gold. This is secret #3. Pick up shotgun shells and the Uzi's from the pedestal. Now go back to the water room and swim into the south-west corner. There is an opening in the left wall. Swim in and the current will carry you back to the pool where the fire wraith died.

Climb all the way back up to the balcony and use the timed switch again. Then use the rope again into the north opening. Go into the south-west opening and look down to the right. You can run/jump with a right curve and make it into that opening (after many tries). Follow the tunnel and pull up into another room of gold. This is secret #4 and pick up the shotgun and a large medipack from the pedestal. Get back and go to the entrance. Side jump to the slope and jump with a right curve to land back on the balcony with the chains. Use the timed switch again and the rope to get back to the north opening. Get on the ledge again and go south to open the door. It is a spike trap so use the Scarab at the entrance. Go the platform and notice that the switch opens the trap door above you. You will need it later. Pick up the Scarab since you need it later also. Jump to the south to the ledge with the wire slide. You see a closed door to the east. Look to the south-west and see a climbable column. Climb it to the top. Go around this area to see a few receptacles for items. Go on both side ledges to the north end and use the two jump switches. The closed door you saw before will open. Go down the climbable wall and back flip to the ledge. Use the wire slide to get to that ledge.

Notice that the trap door to the north has dropped. Enter the door and be prepared to fight a horseman. When the horseman is dead, pick up his scroll. There are also shotgun shells at the back wall. Exit and go north. The trap door is useless so continue north and get shotgun shells. Now you can slide and grab the slope. Shimmy to the right until you are over a crawl space. Release and grab and then crawl into the three globes room. Get back to the main floor. Again go back to the timed switch and the rope into the north opening. Use the scroll and the gates before you rise. Pick up the Pillar from the pedestal. Use the rope to go back and go south to the climbable wall. Climb to the next floor and go south to the closed gates. Use the pillar and the gates open. Go inside and pick up revolver ammo. Use the switch and the gate opens. Go inside and it closes behind you. Slide down and pull the switch on the wall. After many tries, your timing may be correct so that the falling spike ball falls into a trap door hole. Try to jump and land exactly in front of the switch. If you have to adjust, you die. Go to the top of the incline and pick up an Energy Crystal. Pull the switch and the second trap door opens. Go there and fall into some water. The current carries you back to the pool where the fire wraith died.

Go back up to the timed switch again and get to the platform. Go south to the climbable wall and climb to the next floor. Go right and use the Energy Crystal to open the door. Inside are several torches. Pick one up and go the opening in the wall of the central structure. Take one step back from the wall and use the spacebar to throw the torch in. Throw in at least three at different angles. Sometimes they land on the ledge and you cannot get them. Now go to the west wall and use the rope to swing over and grab a crawl space. Light a few torches using the torch on the wall and throw them onto the trapdoor. Now comes a hard part. Make sure you have full health for this. Save first and then pull the timed switch on the wall. Run to the crawl space and pull up. Go to the other side and drop. If you are quick enough, a block has risen to cushion your fall. If not, you die and try again. Try pulling up at one side and crawl at angle so that you are partially turned at the other side. When you survive, use the rope again to the north opening.  Get to back ledge and go through the door to the central platform. Use the switch and see the torches drop.

Get back to the main floor again. The long way is through the crawl space back to the room with the mirrors and water. Then use the tunnel to let the current carry you back to the main floor. However, you lose no health this way. Pull the switch on the bottom column and the torches drop again. The floor burns and collapses. Go inside and use the Scarab to neutralize the spikes. Go inside and pick up the Pyramid Key. Now climb up to the timed switch, the climbable wall, and back to the top floor again. Go east to find the receptacle. Use the Pyramid Key and a block rises beside you. Climb it and pull up to the top level. A cut scene appears about Lara and the man from the start. Then the next level loads and you must be prepared for a battle.

This is real hard. It is basically a save, die, and reload battle. The man throws fireballs at you and if you are hit there is no water to help you. Run around the man a few times until you see four Pyramid Keys created around him. Run and pick one up. Run to a corner block and jump on it. A block is raised on the other side in front of a receptacle. If not, try another corner block. Run to the receptacle and use the Pyramid Key. The raised block protects you while you install the Pryamid Key but it goes down very quickly. Another tall block protecting the next receptacle has lowered. So grab another Pyramid Key and repeat the procedure three more times. Do not cut across the center of the area or you can still catch file. When all four items are placed you see small flames working their way towards the man. You have to still keep moving or hang from the edge until the fire reaches him. Then the man disappears in a blue flash and leaves an object behind. Run toward the object for a final cut scene of Lara and the level ends.

22-dec-2005