RULER OF THE SANDS
Levels by Astraf
Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth.
Level 1: EDGE OF THE SANDSTORM
Slide down near a deep pit. Walk over to the red exclamation point (referred to hereafter as REP) where the sand is pouring down for instructions regarding Diagonal Climbing (a relatively new move). Climb the nearby ladder surface, transfer to the ceiling and monkey swing the rest of the way slowly and laboriously, using the up and down arrow keys as appropriate, until you've traversed the deep pit. Drop down, enter the cave and shoot a couple of bats.
Hop SE into the triangular opening for uzi ammo and a medicinal herb (small medipack). Hop back and proceed to another REP for instructions regarding sliding down diagonal slopes, together with a bug warning. Stand jump onto the central flat pillar down below and take a running jump SE over the right corner of the sloped pillar to land on a stable ramp. Go up into the E cave and pick up the ANCIENT SCROLL that registers as SECRET #1, as well as the UZIS and a [large] medipack. Go back a bit W and take a running jump to grab the sloped pillar. Pull up, slide down the other side, jump to the central pillar, then W onto the next flat pillar and finally onto the W path. Run forward, pull up for a REP with instructions regarding a sprint jump. You can either follow those instructions or get across the W gap the easy way with a simple running jump from the ledge to your right.
Follow the path around the corner. About halfway to the N wall, turn left, back flip onto a slope and jump off to grab a high crawl space in the W wall. Pull inside to find an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #2 and pick up the medicinal herb, shotgun ammo and uzi ammo. Get back down, continue N and W to an open area and search the sands for a medicinal herb and shotgun ammo. Grab the skeleton by its skull and pull it away from the SHOTGUN. When you pick it up a flying bug is awakened. When you step onto the central pavilion a second flying bug will attack.
Note the boulder at the top of the W slope. Shooting at the wooden barrier with your pistols accomplishes nothing, so use your shotgun to shatter the barrier and release the boulder. Jump out of its path as it rolls down into the central hole and opens a trap door. Hop over to the S side of the boulder slope for shotgun ammo, then go to the hole and climb down the ladder in the E face. Back flip over the boulder, turn around and jump up the slope to find the SCARAB TALISMAN on a plith. The door ahead opens when you pick it up, so step around the plinth for flares and stand at the doorway.
Slide backwards down the slope, grab the edge, shimmy left, drop and slide the rest of the way to the ground to greet two scorpions. Grab the desert eagle ammo NE and pull up S (the W ledge is spike-trapped). Pull up higher and follow the passage around to a medicinal herb in the alcove to your left. Shoot a bat and take a running jump N onto the slope. Slide and grab, release to grab the opening below and pull into the crawl space above the spike-trapped ledge. Follow around until you can stand up, shoot the bat at the S opening and slide down the W slope. Jump with grab to glide into the alcove ahead and follow the tunnel to your right. Continue around the corner to a REP to learn about the upcoming sandstorm.
Hop up N and walk up the ramp and outdoors into a swirling wind. The biting grains of sands will quickly sap your health, but there are scattered floor holes and openings where you can take refuge and recuperate. It's hard to see where you're going and what you're doing, but first, shoot two advancing scorpions (hop back into the opening where you'll be safe from the sandstorm). Keep to your right as you run counterclockwise along the dunes until you reach an opening E with a closed gate. There are receptacles for two Scarab Talismans, so you'll need to find another one and return.
If you like, you can exit and run a short distance around to the right for a medicinal herb and return. For a secret, run W around the left side of the mound until you reach a floor hole. Hop in, wait for your health to be restored and jump out E. Run along the left side of the mound until you reach an alcove with crossbow poison arrows and an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #3. Return quickly to the floor hole after picking up the first one and go back for the other. Jump out W and swerve around left and right to the nearby opening, pausing for a medicinal herb near the entrance.
Go down the ramp, jump into the water hole, swim down to an underwater door and grab the medipack to your left before opening it. Enter the next room and see the cage ahead that's protecting the prize you're seeking. The surrounding arches have ceiling switches that are spike-protected, so surface and look for flares on one of the arch supports. Pull out next to one of four chains surrounding the underwater cage. Pull all four to remove the protective spikes below. Before returning to the water, explore the outer ledges for a medicinal herb, shotgun ammo and uzi ammo.
Jump into the water and pull down all four ceiling switches. Save for last the one on the W side, for when you pull it down you'll hear a burst of action music as a door opens to release two crocodiles. Pull out near the chain of your choice, clear the area and jump back into the water to find that the cage has lowered and the N and E doors have opened as well. Search the W side room for flares and uzi ammo, the S alcove for desert eagle ammo, the N alcove for shotgun ammo and grab the second SCARAB TALISMAN from the central plinth.
Exit E, pull out of the water and return to the raging sandstorm. Two flying bugs are waiting for you a bit outside, so dispose of them, return to the opening to restore your health and then run straight across E to the opening with the closed gate. Place each Scarab Talisman in its receptacle to lift the gate, hop down into the passage and follow around to find flares. Pull up and step forward into the sandstorm, run off onto the ledge below, seek refuge in the covered opening behind you and shoot the scorpion. Pick up the medicinal herb and stand N at the edge with your left shoulder against the wall.
Hop back three times and sprint jump N to grab the far ledge, pull up and run forward and a bit to your left into the covered opening for a medipack. Turn around to shoot two pursuing scorpions and exit S. Loop around right to find the DESERT EAGLE lying in plain sight on the sand, along with an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #4, and return to the covered opening. Run S to the left of and just past the falling sand, then line up for a sprint jump back to the S ledge from whence you came. Pull up, run forward to restore your health and follow the ledge path E and up around W to the previous opening. Just beyond and W of that opening you'll find shotgun ammo.
Run N out of the opening, turn right and follow this upper ledge until it ends. Take a running jump E with a right curve so you'll land sliding backwards. Attempt to grab and you'll drop to the ledge below. Run quickly E along the narrow ledge and into the opening on your right, shoot the attacking flying bug and continue E, staying close to the wall so you won't slip and slide down left to your doom. You'll soon come to a tunnel where you'll meet a bat and another flying bug. If you go through the NW opening you can grab shotgun ammo and crossbow arrows. Return to the tunnel, turn left and run NE for a level change.
Level 2: ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE
Run forward for flares and slide down to trigger a flyby through the area ahead. Continue onto a ledge, turn right and go a short distance before hopping over for crossbow arrows. Drop into the water and swim left (W) for a medicinal herb, surface and pull out S at the low spot. Get over to the SW corner where you see a smaller side pool and pull the skeleton away from the LASER SIGHT. Get up onto the higher ledge against the W wall for uzi ammo next to a column, continue clockwise around the ledge and look for shotgun ammo on the lower ledge to your right.
Go a bit further and you'll come to a row of five wall switches, with a receptacle on the adjacent E wall. Counting from left to right, pull down 2,4 and 5 to open a door high up on the N wall and release a harpy. When it dies, a brief cut scene shows three crystals and an REP down in the central part of this area. Go back around to the S side of this area, jump into the water and pull out S onto one of the low blocks. Get up onto the high ledge and find shotgun ammo near the SE corner. Continue around in a counterclockwise direction, hop down to the sand for a medicinal herb and come to another side pool.
Get up onto the high E ledge and continue your circuit along the perimeter, pausing just past the second column on the lower ledge to find desert eagle ammo. You'll soon come to another row of five wall switches similar to the one on the other side, complete with adjacent wall receptacle. Pull down 5, 2 and 1 to open another overhead door and release another harpy. When it dies you get a cut scene similar to the one you saw earlier. Hop down from here to the lower ledges and go around clockwise, hopping over the gap, until you can jump NW toward the central structure. Pick up the flares, combine the laser sight and desert eagle if you haven't already done so, look up in the same direction to see a swinging blue ball in the distance and shatter it. A block comes out of the wall below for later use.
Go back around the way you came to the row of wall switches. Turn left at the middle switch, turn right to face the small slope and slide down W to where the second door opened. Run into the vortex passage for a level change.
Level 1: EDGE OF THE SANDSTORM (revisited)
You're back at the swirling sands. For a pickup, back flip and look to your left for shotgun ammo, then sprint forward (N) to find an opening to your left. Run inside and await the arrival of a flying bug, and then before proceeding you can exit to the sands and loop around left for a medipack. Run down the ramp and follow the passage to a deep pit. Target two scorpions scampering about below, as well as a flying bug perched on the ledge on the other side of the pit.
Safety drop into the pit, go through the N opening and up the steps to reach the ledge on the other side. Grab the flares and go through the W passage to an opening on your right. Go up more steps to an upper ledge where you'll get a brief cut scene of the sunken floor puzzle you're about to encounter. Go to the SE corner and drop down onto the tile with a symbol resembling an insect of some kind. Without touching any of the other tiles, jump to three other tiles bearing the same symbol and a block will move aside somewhere. Pull back out, go to the SW entrance by which you arrived and face the E column. Take a standing banana jump curving left (not difficult) around the column to land near crossbow arrows.
Target the flying bug resting on the ledge across the way and take a banana jump back around the column. Face S, hop back three times and sprint jump to grab the S ledge. Pull up, turn left and pull the skeleton away from the CROSSBOW. Run off S to land on the ledge below, safety drop to the ground and run forward to find an alcove where the block moved aside. Take the ANCIENT SCROLL from the plinth for SECRET #5, followed by the ANKH. Reverse roll, go through the N opening and up the steps to the higher ledge, turn right two times as you did earlier and go up the steps to the upper level.
Return to the sunken floor puzzle and drop down onto one of the tiles with a bird symbol. Without touching any of the other tiles, jump to the three other bird symbol tiles and you'll hear the sound of a gate lifting. Pull out and go to the N wall to find a plinth bearing the CRYSTAL and a SCARAB TALISMAN. Go back down the steps, loop around right in the lower passage and place the Scarab Talisman to open up a portal at the end of the passage. Go there for another level change.
Level 2: ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE (revisited)
Jump down into the water and pull out N. Go around clockwise to the first set of wall switches, turn right at the receptacle and slide down E near the portal entrance. Go on through for another level change.
Level 1: EDGE OF THE SANDSTORM (revisited)
Upon arrival, back flip, hop back once and pick up the nearby grenades, sprint forward into the opening and turn to deal with two pursuing scorpions. Go down the ramp and follow the passage until you encounter the flying bug, then go back a bit for the flares. Continue up the steps to trigger a rather dizzying flyby through the steep room ahead. Pull down the N wall switch
to extend a row of bars overhead, grab the medicinal herb in the alcove to your left and climb the nearby W ladder. Transfer Lara to the monkey bars, face S and make your way along the tracks toward the S wall, turning left when you get there. Continue past the extended bars and drop down onto a block.
Hop over W for desert eagle ammo and back flip to the first block. Face SW and stand jump to grab the ladder. Climb up to a ledge, turn around and jump over the gap to a wall switch that lifts a gate. Reverse roll, run off onto the adjacent slope, slide down onto the lower block and use the monkey bars to get back down to the ground. Push the N wall switch back up to retract the first set of bars and extend another set in a different place. Climb the ladder once more, but when you transfer Lara to the monkey bars this time, take the route leading to the N wall.
When you reach the end at the SW corner after passing the extended bars, drop onto a block and jump E to grab the ladder. Climb up to the ledge and go around to steps leading to the raised gate and find a SCARAB TALISMAN and the SCEPTRE on the plinth. Before leaving, search the nearby alcove for uzi ammo. Climb back down the ladder, safety drop to the block below and safety drop again to the ground. For the next secret, pull down the N wall switch and make the S circuit along the monkey bars for a second time. Climb up to the wall switch that lowered the gate earlier and pull it back up. This time, however, a block lowers down at ground level.
Get back down the same way you did before, climb the tall S block and take a running jump NW into the opening. Pull up left (W) where the block lowered and take the ANCIENT SCROLL from the plinth for SECRET #6 as well as a second ANKH. Hop back onto the block and drop from the lower NW corner to the ground. Climb the block against the E wall, pull up into the opening there and shoot a couple of bats. Enter the S side passage to place the Scarab Talisman and trigger a flyby and create a portal at the end of the passage. Go there for a level change.
Level 2: ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE (revisited)
Dive down into the water, pull out N and locate one of two ladders on the other side of the ledge. Climb down to the lower temple area where you saw the earlier cut scenes and search the ledge between the ladders for a medipack. Jump into the water and swim past the E opening for a medicinal herb. Continue a bit E and turn right past the opening for UZIS against the wall. Surface, pull out and look for crossbow arrows on a ledge between the waterfalls.
Run W past the ladders and jump into the water to find shotgun ammo near the far corner. Pull out at the NW corner and jump over to the ledge with the statue for desert eagle ammo. Jump back into the water, pull out E and head toward the temple stairs and the crystals you saw in the cut scenes. Pull up onto the block to the left of the stairs for flares and approach the REP for information concerning the crystals. Running into one of them will transport you to a different section of the upper ledge surrounding the temple area. One leads to a dead end. The other two will get you to where you need to go, but one of those provides an additional pickup. Run into the NW crystal to be carried up to a high ledge W of where you were. Run clockwise around the ledge, pause for a medicinal herb and when you can go no further, jump onto the slope, slide and grab and shimmy right until you can pull up N onto a ledge over the row of wall switches.
Turn right and continue E to the roof of the structure, vault up onto it and run forward to a trench. Hop down for grenades and combine the Sceptre and the Crystal. Place the MYSTIC SCEPTRE to trigger a brief flyby of the area below you and get back onto the roof. Continue your clockwise trek around the perimeter of this area and pick up the medicinal herb when you reach the end at the SE corner. Jump down into the side pool below and pull out W. Turn right and make your way back up to the second row of wall switches (the one on the E side of the central structure). Place an Ankh in the receptacle there and remember that there's a similar receptacle on the other side of the central structure.
You can get there most quickly by following the lower, interior ledges at water level around clockwise, jumping as necessary until you reach the first row of wall switches on the W side of the central structure. Place your remaining Ankh in the receptacle to lower a block and reverse roll. Loop around left and slide down to the portal passage. But this time, take a running jump SE onto the extended block and listen to the whining jackals. Take another running jump NE toward the opening where the block lowered, pull inside and collect, first of all, an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #7, followed by explosive arrows, a medipack, grenades and the GRENADE GUN.
Hop back down to the lower ledge, hang from the edge and you can see two jackals waiting for you down below. Pull up, turn around and jump to one of the extended blocks, take a running jump to land in front of a portal passage and safety drop to the ledge below. Deal with the jackals and go through the nearby N opening for a level change.
Level 3: TEMPLE OF MINKABH
Pick up the flares and step into a dark room. Go around the central structure and past the N opening to awaken four jackals at the temple steps. A single grenade will take care of them all. Loop around left at the entrance and pull up onto the ledge for a SCRAP OF PAPER. Examine it for visual clues concerning your upcoming task. Return to the dark room and note the three pushbuttons on the central structure. Push the one on the left, the one in the middle and the one on the right. A door opens in the central structure around to your right, so enter E and go up the steps to trigger a flyby that reveals your next objective.
Go around to the other side of the central structure, jumping over a gap, note the pile of torches and pull the skeleton away from the CROWBAR (and a TORCH for later, so you can leave it here). Jump over to the E ledge to awaken a skeleton, blast it over the edge with the shotgun or blow it up if you prefer and search the SE alcove for uzi ammo. The NE steps are for later. Jump over to the W ledge, deal with another skeleton and search the SW alcove for shotgun ammo (again, the NW steps are for later). Drop down to the floor and return to the pushbuttons. Push the one in the middle, the one on the left and the one on the right.
A door opens in the central structure around to your left, so go there to find steps leading down as the door closes behind you. Go down to a wall switch that opens a trap door beneath your feet and causes you to slide down a slope to a level change.
Level 4: CATACOMBS OF MINKABH
Grab the flares at your feet and step forward to take the WINDING KEY from the plinth. Continue to the S wall to find a row of five wall switches. Counting from left to right, pull down only 3 and 4 to open the gate to your right. Go there and step on the raised slab to create a small suspended shimmering globe. Return to the wall switches, pull down 5, pull 4 and 3 back up and pull down 2. The gate to your left opens, so go there and step on the raised slab for the same result. Pick up the shotgun ammo, return to the wall switches and pull down 1, push 2 back up, pull down 4 and push 5 back up.
The gate back at the NW corner is now open, so go there and pick up the shotgun ammo before stepping on the raised slab. Go back to the wall switches, push 4 back up and pull down 3. The E gate at the NE corner, so go there and do your thing for a cut scene of the other NE gate opening. Grab the medipack, go past the opened N gate and up the steps to an upper ledge. Go around to awaken three skeletons, grab the shotgun ammo and take the MECHANICAL SCARAB from the plinth. Combine it with the Winding Key and place the device on the tile at the entrance to the S passage. Wait for the spikes to be triggered in the passage, then run forward and pick up the device before entering the next room. Climb up onto the central block and run into the blue crystal for another level change.
Level 3: TEMPLE OF MINKABH (revisited)
You drop down in front of the pushbuttons. Step forward and push the one in the middle, the one on the right and the one on the left. The door to your left in the E wall opens, so go there and down the steps as the door closes behind you. Pull up onto the block and pull down the wall switch to lower the block to your right. Hop down and slide down S for yet another level change.
Level 4: CATACOMBS OF MINKABH (revisited)
Step forward, pick up the flares and take the E passage to your left. Keep to your left through the N tunnel and you'll soon come across crossbow arrows. Continue forward, jump over a floor hole and pull up left at the end of the passage. Walk forward onto a ledge overlooking a larger room. Take a running jump SE into the long alcove for desert eagle ammo, jump SW over into the next alcove and pull the skeleton away from the LARGE WATERSKIN. Retrace your jumps to the entrance ledge, jump to the W ramp and go through the opening into a small cave to alert a bat.
Avoid the central floor hole, go left through the S opening to a ledge overlooking a new room and stand jump W onto a block. Hop SW into the alcove for desert eagle ammo, return to the entrance ledge with a running jump from the block, take a running jump S to the next ledge and turn left into the E passage. Enter the cave to find grenades a bit to your right and continue E to a medipack in the alcove on your left. For another pickup, save your game at the entrance to the next cave. Sprint forward into the E alcove, reverse roll, pick up the shotgun ammo and run out to your right to avoid being squashed by the pursuing boulder. Otherwise, the boulder will come to rest on the ammo and you won't be able to get it.
Hop onto the nearby slab for flares and hop down to find desert eagle ammo on the W side of the next slab. Note the wall torches and enter the N passage to find uzi ammo as you make a turn to the left. Go up the ramp past the ceiling hole you jumped over from above, continue to a familiar crossing and note the pulsating light in the tunnel ahead. Go left through the S opening to turn on a similar pulsating light, go right in the next room through the W opening for a similar result and do the same through the N opening in the cave as you ready a powerful weapon. A flyby shows you that a giant scorpion is approaching you from behind, so reverse roll and deal with it. When it dies, a cut scene shows a door opening.
Go through the E opening, down the ramp ahead and turn right at the bottom into the S passage. Continue across the next room and turn right at the boulder to run through the W passage up toward another pulsating light. Walk out onto the ledge, safety drop to the floor, go past the opened S door and down the steps to a room with a brief fixed camera. Loop around left onto the raised slab and pry the SOUTHERN SHAFT KEY off the wall. Reverse roll, go to the W alcove and the gate will open when you step on the entrance tile. Enter the next room, climb the central block and run into the blue crystal for the inevitable level change.
Level 3: TEMPLE OF MINKABH (revisited)
You're back at the pushbuttons. Push the left one, the right one and the middle one to open the gate to your right in the W wall. Go down the steps there as the door closes behind you, pull up to a wall switch that lowers the block to your left and hop down for a level change.
Level 4: CATACOMBS OF MINKABH (revisited)
Pick up the flares and pull the skeleton away from a TORCH pile. But for a secret, vault up onto the SW block, jump up to grab the ceiling and monkey swing N to an upper alcove. Pick up the ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #8 and go around the corner for UZIS, uzi ammo, crossbow arrows and a medipack. Slide down S to greet a horde of scorpions (I didn't bother to count them) and take a torch from the pile near the skeleton. Go through the nearby S opening and follow to a fixed camera where you hop down to a more brightly lighted area where the wind is whistling in your ears.
Drop the torch, get the crossbow arrows near the E wall and shoot the coffins for shotgun ammo and a medipack. Retrieve your torch, go around to a room with a central pool and light the torch on the E fire pot. One of the coffins hides another medipack. Light the N and S fire pots, drop the torch and jump into the pool for a medicinal herb and pull out. Go around to the S side of this area, shoot the coffins for desert eagle ammo and crossbow arrows, pull up onto the NE ledge for flares and retrieve your torch. Light the remaining fire pots, 4 on the S side and 4 on the N side, and a swarm of locusts will attack after each set of 4 has been lighted. After the second set a trio of harpies will also attack.
When they've all been killed the SW door will open, so go there with your torch and loop around right in the next room to pry the WESTERN SHAFT KEY off the W wall. Go to the E alcove and stand on the trigger tile to lift the gate, step into the next room but don't climb the central block, as there is yet considerable unfinished business to accomplish here. Go around the block past two E openings and up the steps to the next room. Light the three wall torches here, hop onto the blocks against the N wall and take a running jump onto the E ledge. Take a running jump S onto the next ledge, enter the E opening and stay left as you come to the boulder alcove and turn left to light the three wall torches in this area that you noted earlier.
Go through the N opening, turn left and go up the W ramp all the way to the W wall. Take two left turns and come to the larger room where there are four more wall torches to light. With that done, two giant scorpions are released, so drop your torch and draw a powerful weapon in preparation for their soon arrival. When all is quiet, go through the W passage to the next cave and continue straight across where a door has opened. Go inside and pick up explosive arrows, poison arrows, 2 x grenades and an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #9.
Exit to the cave, turn left into the N opening, turn right into the E opening, turn right into the S room where you engaged the giant scorpions and retrieve your torch. Go back N, turn right in the cave and run E down the ramp, turn right at the bottom and run S to the boulder alcove, turn right and run W up the ramp and through the opening ahead to the ledge overlooking the room below. Take a running jump NW onto the blocks, hop to the ground and exit past the S doorway. Go down the steps and through the next room, stand against the central block and jump straight up. Draw your pistols (hit the 1 key) at the top of your jump and the torch should land on top of the block. Pull up, grab the torch and run into the blue crystal for a level change.
Level 3: TEMPLE OF MINKABH (revisited)
As expected, you'll drop down again in front of the pushbuttons. Go around the room and light multiple wall torches, two on the W side, two on the E side and four on the central structure. Then go to the N foyer and light four more, two next to the E door and two next to the W door. Return to the pushbuttons and push the one on the right, the middle one and the one on the left. The E door opens in the foyer, so go there with your torch and the door will close behind you.
Go through a dark tunnel, jump over the pool and light the E wall torch. Drop the torch here and jump into the water for poison arrows. Start wading N and note the raised block with a designer tile (but don't pull up onto it). Go around the right side of the central structure for explosive arrows and note the blue crystal on the nearby ledge. Continue to the other side of the central structure and note the closed door in the N wall. Pull up onto the NE block, go around to the SW block, pull up onto it and do the same with the nearby E ledge. Pull down the wall switch to re-open the door to this area, turn around and go to the first block you passed by earlier and pull up onto it. The N door should now be open, so go there, pull into the passage and pry the EASTERN SHAFT KEY off the wall.
Turn around to find that the water has turned to lava, making your trip back a bit more arduous. Jump to the ledge on the central structure, take a running jump to the NE block and jump to the ledge with the blue crystal without running into it (although nothing seems to happen if you do, as it has not yet been activated). From the other side of the ledge jump to the next block, pick up the medipack and jump back to the previous ledge. Climb the ladder, transfer to the ceiling and monkey swing to an upper passage. Drop down and follow to a circular blade trap. Side flip past it and continue to a medipack, beyond which is a small room with another circular blade trap that activates when you get close to it.
Side flip past it, come to the end of the passage and monkey swing over to the ledge on the W side of the lava room. Take a running jump onto the NE block, which acts as a trigger tile allowing access to the next secret. Jump back to the previous ledge and run into the now-active blue crystal that brings you over to the ledge on the E side. Jump to the NW block, then to the W ledge, and finally to the open N doorway. Go inside for a medipack, grenades, shotgun ammo, the DESERT EAGLE and an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #10.
Retrace your jumps to the E ledge, use the crystal to get over to the W ledge and jump to the SE block. Jump up to grab the ceiling and monkey swing along the track until you can drop at the end onto the block below. Take a running jump SW to the tunnel through which you arrived, look down into the small pools on either side and see if you can target two crocodiles. If not, jump into one of the pools, swim around to where you can wade out and deal with them. One pool leads to a medipack, the other to desert eagle ammo.
Return to the tunnel, jump E over the lava to retrieve your torch and exit W to the foyer. Turn left for one last round with the pushbuttons. Push the one on the right, the one on the left and the one in the middle to open the W door in the foyer. Go there with your torch, enter the tunnel and come to two small pools similar to those on the other side. This would be a good time to use that crossbow with explosive arrows to rid the waters of two crocodiles. On the N side you can wade out and pull the skeleton away from the SMALL WATERSKIN. On the S side is nothing, so don't bother going over there to look.
Before leaving, fill the Large Waterskin and combine it with the Small Waterskin (leaving 2 units in the Large), then empty the Small Waterskin, combine the Large Waterskin with the Small Waterskin (transferring 2 units from one to the other), fill the Large Waterskin again and combine it with the Small Waterskin, filling it and leaving 4 units in the Large Waterskin. Pull out of the pool, run into the dark room W to awaken a skeleton, then go back for your torch after dealing with it. Light the wall torch in the W wall to lower a block and go to the N scales. There are two ways to proceed, an easy way and a hard way, but if you choose the easy way you won't be able to get the next secret.
For the easy way, empty the Large Waterskin with 4 units into the small pot on the left. The gate to your left opens, allowing you quick access to the fourth Shaft Key. You can then skip the next couple of paragraphs and proceed as described afterward (but forfeiting the next secret).
For the hard way, empty the Small Waterskin with 3 units into the small pot on the left to open the N gate behind you. Reverse roll, go on through, light a flare and jump to grab the ladder beyond the floor hole. Climb down to a lower passage and keep to one side to avoid the activated darts issuing from the central receptacles on either side. The spike traps on the N side are presently inactive, so go down to the E wall and activate the jump switch. The spikes in the N passage start popping up and down, so you'll need to time a jump and sprint to get safely past them.
Activate the W jump switch in the next passage to turn on more spikes and hear the sound of a block lowering (providing access to the next secret). Face the N passage and run forward just as the row retracts. Pause a split second until the second row retracts and run forward to the wall. Pull up through the ceiling hole, walk forward, pull up onto the raised slab and pry the NORTHERN SHAFT KEY off the wall.
Go around the floor hole to the S side of this room, pull up into the alcove and pull down the wall switch to re-open the exit door. Drop back down, go around left and the SE gate will open upon your approach. You're back in the room with the scales, so exit E (you can leave your torch behind) through the tunnel, turn right in the next room toward the pushbuttons, run past them around to the right and enter the E doorway in the central structure.
Go up the steps to the surrounding ledge, loop around either side to the S end where you acquired the crowbar earlier and jump over with grab into the alcove where a block has lowered (if you came the hard way as described above). Pick up the medipack, uzi ammo, explosive arrows, grenades and an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #11. Jump back to the previous ledge, hop over to an exterior ledge and go up the NE or NW steps to an upper room where you can place the four Shaft Keys (avoid the floor holes) and find shotgun ammo in one of the alcoves. There's an explosion and beams of blue light shine down on the raised slab below.
Go down the steps (or safety drop from the central floor hole at the cost of some health), drop to the floor and go to the raised slab. Stand at an edge facing out and jump straight up. A gravity field will carry you up the shaft, but be sure to grab the edge when you reach the top. Pull out of the shaft and head toward the N ramp for one final level change.
Level 5: TOMB OF HANAN
This brief boss encounter serves primarily as dessert for the main course, and you should have plenty of accumulated weaponry and ammo (not to mention what you'll soon acquire) to weather the storm. The sandstorm is again raging outside, so after the flyby walk up the ramp and hop down two times, pick up the shotgun ammo near your feet, stand jump forward, reverse roll and safety drop in front of an opening where you can dash inside to trigger another flyby. Face N, sprint outdoors and continue until you're brought up short at a slope. Jump over it, run forward a short distance and safety drop to your right in front of a cave entrance.
Pick up the medicinal herb, exit left out of the cave entrance and run N along the top of a ridge (being careful not to slide down either side) while being pursued by a wraith and safety drop from the end. Dash into the opening, pick up the medicinal herb, reverse roll and run to the opposite opening for a medipack. Exit the opening, loop around left and sprint N into a room with a bird statue that gets rid of the wraith for you. Note the N wall switch, but before pulling it enter the W opening, face N and place the Mechanical Scarab with Key on the entrance tile to trigger the spikes in the passage. Follow behind it, pick it back up and step forward to find an ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #12, along with 3 x uzi ammo and an extra set of UZIS.
Return, do the same thing in the passage on the E side and collect the final ANCIENT SCROLL for SECRET #13, along with an extra DESERT EAGLE and 3 x desert eagle ammo. Return to the N wall switch, pull it down to open the doors on either side and step inside the next room to trigger another flyby. In the shallow pool surrounding the coffin are shotgun ammo and a medipack. Go through the N passage to meet a hawk-faced dude who predicts your impending demise. It's now time for us to find out to whom the title of Ruler of the Sands rightfully belongs.
When camera control is restored, run forward while drawing your desert eagle, stoop and fire continuously at your opponent while his fire bolts sail harmlessly over your head. When he seemingly dies, he comes back to life on a floating island, so follow the same strategy until he dies once more. This time he's replaced by a dragon, so quickly turn around to your right and run into the W passage to find refuge from the deadly lightning flashes. Turn around, take a few steps E and you can target the dragon without fear of taking any damage. After it dies with a satisfying explosion, walk forward and take what appears to be a javelin poking out of the rock ledge. Sit back and enjoy a series of flybys, culminating in a helicopter coming to whisk Lara away to her next adventure.