A Witch Shall be Born Walkthrough

Authorised walkthrough by Kris.

There are three secrets to find.

NB. It would be helpful to look at the text file before attempting this level, as it supplies helpful hints for gameplay which is rated Medium to High Difficulty.

The Story.

The witch Morgana found King Arthur’s Sword Excalibur hidden in a lake. Now the sword is somewhere in Greenland in Morgana’s hideout, and Lara is looking for it.

The location is Greenland and this spectacular level opens to the sound of a helicopter leaving the scene, leaving Lara standing at the edge of gigantic waterfalls cascading over the rocks down to a lake far below, in the middle of which is a small dome shaped building.

Walkthrough:

Turn to face west and start carefully running across the water to the turning on the left, then follow the path southwest and wade past the overhanging rocks turning right, then sharp right again until you see a wall infront of you (west). On your left is a triangular piece of rock, climb up onto to it and turn back to face the wall. You’ll see that there are bars across the back of the wall, and a skeleton lying on the ground to your left.

You need to get to the ledge with the skeleton, and the only way to do it is with a curved running jump with grab to the pathway. I’d save your game here (and often during gameplay). There are swift currents and many sink holes in this area and to fall into one means certain death.

So back to the first jump. With your right foot on the top right corner of the triangle, walk back three paces, and turn slightly to face southwest. Then do a curved running jump to the walkway.

If you read the text files, you’ll know that you have to check the skeletons carefully, but you need to be quick, as soon as you approach the skeleton, the music will alert you to danger as moving side blades will shoot out of the wall from both left and right. Stand by the skeleton and quickly press action and pick up the DETONATOR, immediately roll and sprint down the walkway, jumping over the slicing blades as they approach you, until you can stand safely at the end of the walkway near the entrance to your left (west).

Enter the new corridor and turn to your right. Lift the trapdoor which will give you easier access back to a new area later. Now turn to face south and start to run down the corridor. Ahead and above you is an opening in the ceiling stop just before it and cautiously approach as another skeleton, skewered on spikes shoots out from the right wall. Press action to pick up the PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE from the skeleton’s brown shoulder bag. You’ll see a camera shot of the outside area near the yellow/ brown building.

First though let’s go for the first secret. Jump over the spikes and head down the corridor, running jump over the water to the other side. Walk forward, turn to the left and standing jump with grab over to the pedestal, and pick up the flares. Jump back to the first ledge. Behind you, there is a light coloured corridor to the west and you’ll return here later as you make your entrance to Hell. (Or if you’re a glutton for punishment, you could return to the first walkway and run the gauntlet of the slicing blades to get to the flares.)

Turn to face the water and look east below the water line, where you’ll see an underwater crawlspace. There’s a swift current in this water channel, but the secret is easy enough to get. From the edge, hop back a couple of times, drop in the water and swim directly into the crawlspace to pick up SECRET # 1 – medipack. (You may find it easier to stand on the platform at the edge, turn to face southeast - approximately 45 degrees to your right, standing jump into the water and swim into the crawlspace that way. Use whichever method is easiest for you.)

Swim back to the main channel where the swift underwater current will push you back to the triangular rock where you started. Now swim/wade back through the underwater tunnel until you can emerge back at the waterfall area outside and turn right. Carefully run around the waterfall perimeter until you reach the yellow/brown wall (east). Climb up onto the grey rock on your left, standing jump over to the water channel, and with the yellow brown wall on your right, follow the water passage north until you reach the long grey slanted rock formation on your right.

Stop and look up to your left, there’s another crawlspace. Wade until you are directly beneath it then pull up onto the slope and backflip into the crawlspace to pick up SECRET # 2 – medipack ( be careful to jump over the opening or you’ll end back in the water).

Drop back through the hole now and continue out of this underwater passage back to the outside waterfall area. You should be able to see the building ahead now (shown in the camera shot,). Continue wading through the water channel. (you can shimmy underneath the rock beneath the waterfall, but you need to pull up before you turn the corner or you’ll drop down into a sink hole). You’ll see an overhang on your left, you can run through here to get back to the outside area, then continue past the yellow building, and over the white rock.

Take the second turning on the right, turn to face south and light a flare. The far wall has a different texture under what appears to be a shimmy crack. Jump in the water, and the camera angle will change, immediately pull up to a narrow ledge beneath the strange textured wall, and save your game.

Combine the Plastic Explosive with the Detonator to make the Bomb, then press action to place it in the rockface, and immediately backflip out of harm’s way as the bomb explodes and creates a new entrance in the wall. Return to the new opening and pull up.

Follow the swift underground river, dropping down into the lower cavern and proceed to the end of the passageway, stopping at the edge. You’ll get your first close up of the lake and the dome shaped building in the centre. You need to get down to the floor of the lake, but you can’t just drop into the water or you’ll get swept away by the current. So save your game again, and at the edge, turn around to face south and drop and grab the edge of this alcove.

Shimmy all the way right, and drop off round the corner. Head towards the crawlspace on the west wall and crawl through. As soon as you stand up, stop, there is a sink hole just ahead of you, so turn to your right and standing jump over to the other side, and go through the second crawlspace.

You’re almost at the bottom of this huge cavern now. Turn to face north, and with your face touching the wall, step back once, then side step right once and turn to face the flat grey stone in the lake, (northeast) then hop back and do a running diagonal jump to land on it. (slight turn to the left) Turn to face southwest, and to the block on your left on the west wall below the overhead monkey bars. Standing jump with grab from the back of the triangular stone and pull up onto the block.

Turn to face north. You can see a high opening at the other end of the monkey bars, so jump up with grab to catch them and swing across to the other side. Drop and grab the greenery then climb up, then finally pull up into the crawlspace. ( you may find you can’t pull up in which case, drop and grab then pull up immediately using control, forward and crawl keys to pull into the crawlspace.)

At the end, save your game before pulling up onto the higher slope. (Pull up in the centre of the slope) Slide down the first two slopes, jump at the end to the triangular rock, and immediately jump with grab to the safe ledge. (north) Pull up and save your game again as you turn to face east. You can see a flat rock ahead, but as soon as you start to slide, the camera angle changes, miss the rock, and you’ll land back in the strong underwater current. Stand far left and turn to face the right side of the slope. Slide onto the slope, you need to jump with grab slightly past two thirds of the way down the slope, just before the end to grab that flat rock on the right hand side and pull up. This is the first of many jumps which will have you pulling your hair out, but hey, you were warned this level was rated high difficulty. Well worth the trouble though as you progress further into this awesome game.

Walk forward and turn southeast, and standing jump into the alcove on your right. Walk forward to the edge of the alcove and save your game again. Turn around to face east, then drop back and grab the edge, and start to shimmy right (Your feet will be just on the water line). Shimmy all the way right as far as you can, then climb up THREE times and backflip onto the triangular rock in the lake behind you.

Take a few moments to look around the area. It helps to use the binoculars. On the east wall is an opening, but you can’t reach it yet because the entrance is partially blocked by an iron gate. In the centre of the lake is the dome shaped building on top of which is a Seraph statue. The far west wall has a central blocked entrance beneath overhead monkey bars and to the right of the entrance is a stepping stone beneath a Seraph switch. That’s where you’re going next, using the stepping stones in the water.

Walk forward to the pointed west point of the rock and turn to face the next one (northwest). Standing jump without grab to land on it. Still facing northwest, line up with the next stepping stone, walk back three steps (don’t hop) and take a running jump to land safely. Now turn southwest and standing jump from the furthest point to land on the next rock by the Seraph switch. Finally turn towards the stepping stone with the switch and standing jump to get there.

Press the switch to open a new entrance in the west wall. Now from the back of this stepping stone, angle a standing jump with grab to the greenery to the right of the new entrance. Shimmy left and round the corner, dropping off onto the small triangular piece of rock, then diagonally standing jump with grab into the entrance.

Just inside the entrance on the west wall is what looks like a moveable block, but it isn’t, you’ll see what happens to that soon. Turn down the corridor, and pick up the medipack. Ahead you can see a skeleton on the ground and ammo. Seems a bit too easy doesn’t it. If you use the binoculars and look up to the ceiling above him, you may get some indication as to what is about to happen.

Run past the door on your right and get a camera shot of a switch near a covered metal grille. Now proceed down the corridor, past the closed door on your left, and as you approach the skeleton, giant hammers descend from the ceiling. You can pick up the ammo if you use the crawl button then press action. Now line up in the centre of the overhead hammers and time your run through the centre of them, notice another closed door on your left.

Continuing round the corner, another skeleton, and this time you can see the laser sight, but overhead are two more giant hammers. Although you can’t see it yet, the alcove behind the right hammer is already open, and you could use this route to get to the far side of the hammer/piston room, but it may be worth your while to attempt the hammer/piston room run so that you will get some idea of the timed run. The alcove behind the left hammer will soon be open. You can get the revolver now if you want, but you’ll use up valuable medipacks, so it’s wiser to wait until the hammers have been stopped.

Time a sprint through the hammers and to the next door on your left. Remember this door, it’s the door which opens during the timed run which is coming up. Turn to face the hammer room ahead. Not only are there hammers swinging from the right, but the pistons on the left wall are moving too, and you need to get past all of this with the least possible damage, so check your health bar.

I found the easiest way to get through this room was with a sprint taking a small damage to health. If you try by-passing the pistons and hammers individually you’ll lose more health. Bear in mind too that you need to return through this area to that door mentioned earlier as part of the timed run, and sprinting is the only way you’re going to achieve that.

At the end of this room on the east wall is a closed door, and to the right of it (south) a metal grille covering a crawl area. Now go into the next room. Scary isn’t it, and yes this is all part of the timed run, but look on the bright side, at least there aren’t any hammers, ……oh yes, but there are flames and pistons lol. At the far end of the room is the timed switch. Approach the first piston, and turn to face south, now sideflip continuously right, over all the pistons until you reach the switch. (Avoid the flames). At the switch SAVE YOUR GAME.

When you pull the switch, the gate beyond the hammer room will open, and you need to get through the door before it closes. Here’s how I did it, with no loss of health. Pull the switch, then immediately start side flipping to your left (this will stop the camera shot) until you clear the pistons, turn to your right into the hammer room and sprint through them into the open doorway. If you get the timing right, you’ll just miss all the hammers. I tried pulling the switch and returning back through the flame path, but it took longer, and I constantly missed the open door. Do whichever method is easiest for you.

Pull the switch, and you’ll get a camera shot of the wall opening behind the left hammer in the corridor with the skeleton and laser sight. So roll, turn right and run to the overhead hammers. Turn right, and run through the hammer, down the underground passageway to the high crawlspace on the east wall and pull up. Crawl through to the balcony and push the floor lever.

The hammers will stop, and the door on the east wall will open. Go through the open door, down the steps, straight ahead (south), turn right (west) at the end of the corridor, and take the first left. Now run through the open door and take the REVOLVER from the pedestal in the first alcove on your left. Continue west down the corridor, turn right at the end. Now through the open door and turn left, then right. Now that the hammers have stopped you can pick up the LASER SIGHT from the skeleton (Depending where the hammers stopped, you may have to use the crawl button and then control to pick it up.)

As you pick it up, you’ll see a camera shot of the outside area with the lake and the Seraph statue on top of the small domed building. Run up the corridor (south,) turn left, then right through the metal gate. Follow the corridor to the end (east), turn right through the next set of metal gates and ahead to the entrance. Stop at the edge and face southeast and standing jump with grab from about the centre of the alcove to the block beneath the monkey bars on your right.

I’d save your game here, just so that you can reload and see what happens next, more than once. !!! Combine the revolver and laser sight and target the Seraph statue on the top of the dome shaped building. For me, this is one of the many WOW moments in this game, as the Seraph statue rotates and the bridges extend from both sides of the lake to meet at the central domed building.

Still on the block, turn to face north. You can either use the monkey bars to get onto the bridge, or diagonally standing jump with grab from the block. Run down the bridge, and shoot out the stained glass window. (Use pistols to conserve your revolver ammo.) you need to jump through that open window, so I’d save again. Run to the front right of the bridge (east). Hop back once, then step back twice and turn to face northeast, now sideflip into the small building.

Shoot out the second stained glass window, and save again. Facing east, sidestep all the way to the left, and turn approximately 45 degrees to the right, now do a standing swandive (shift, jump, and forward keys) and land on the other bridge.

Now you can see the brightly lit windows behind impressive Gothic arches on the building ahead. Run across the bridge, turn right and press the Seraph switch on the east wall to open the little gates on the domed building in the centre of the lake. Follow the corridor up the steps. In the new corridor, turn left and light a flare to pick out the darker coloured panels on the north wall. Press action to open the doors and enter the library.

Run forward and jump on the desk and pick up the (red) THOT-AMON’S BOOK. Jump down from the desk and run towards the bookcases on the south wall, and to the centre section. On the second shelf up from the bottom, there is a slightly different texture on one of the books, press action to place the book you’ve just found.

The camera shows the fireplace moving to reveal a hidden corridor behind it. Go there next and climb the ladder. To your left is a metal grille covering a crawlspace, so turn right and push the wardrobe forward once to allow you access to the bedroom. Pick up the IRON KEY from the pedestal (This opens the other door in this room near the wardrobe, but from the other side) then move towards the bed. Stand by the side of the bed and jump up with grab to catch the canopy and pull up.

Pick up the CYLINDER and jump back to the floor. Facing west, look up to the chandelier on the ceiling and you’ll see a very cleverly concealed jumpswitch. Jump up with grab to pull it. (You need to stand on the lower part of the floor.) You’ll hear a door open. As you return to the corridor, you’ll notice that the iron grille at the crawlspace has now lifted, so crawl through and prepare for another WOW moment as you run up the spiral staircase. (Have you seen one of those before in a custom level?)

At the top of the staircase, push the Seraph switch to open a door in the rocks down the steps to your left, giving you quick access back to the top of the waterfall area later. Now return back the way you came, down the spiral staircase and through the crawlspace. Next, climb down the ladder back to the library and re-enter the corridor.

The corridor to the right leads past a closed door, past the front of the building to another closed door at the end right), so turn to your left. Draw your pistols and be prepared to be frightened out of your wits as a hooded demon drops down from the ceiling. Two shots from the revolver will destroy him, but you have a limited supply of silver bullets, and you will need them later, so I used pistols. Follow the hallway to a beautiful outside area with a central fountain enclosed by Gothic arches.

As you pass the slope in the east wall, another demon will appear, dispose of him quickly and run through the arched hallway (north), to the beautifully architectured Throne Room at the end. By the side of the knights at either side of the throne are two shields. The one on the left only has one sword, but the one on the right has two, so go forward and stand infront of the shield on the right, pressing action to turn it. A secret corridor will open up behind it.

Go into the corridor and take the first left to pick up a medipack from the pedestal. Back to the corridor and go forward to the lava room, notice the closed door on your left, and save your game. Look northeast and locate the Seraph switch on a block in the lava. It’s too far to jump to, so you need to use the slopes to get there.

It’s difficult to give exact directions for this jump, you may need to slightly adjust the angle of jump, so this is just a guideline. Walk forward right up to face the north wall, then sidestep to your right until your foot is just off the edge, straighten up and walk back four paces, now one step to your left, and turn to face the lava at an angle of roughly 45 degrees. Step back once then once to the left. Slightly adjust the angle again, then do a diagonal running jump with grab (with a slight turn to the left) to the slope ahead. Before pulling up, shimmy all the way to the right, pull up, backflip onto the slope behind, slide and jump with grab to the shimmy wall to the left of the switch. Shimmy right and drop off onto the platform with the Seraph switch.

As you pull the switch, the knight in the Throne room will wake up and start heading your way, the gate where you started the jump will also open. Turn to face the open gate southwest, and save your game. It looks a simple jump, but the only way you’ll make it is by taking off at the very last minute from the block (running diagonal jump with grab with slight turn to the right), and as you pull up, the knight is waiting for you, run past him through the open door and up the steps to your right.

At the top, do a running jump with grab to the ledge ahead, and pull up onto the central platform into an awesome area with waterfalls. The knight can still follow you here, so waste no time in running across the central platform turning left onto the first step, and running jump with grab through the open door (north). The knight in my game didn’t follow any more. (The first time I played this level, the knight remained in the throne room.)

Follow the passageway to the edge of another lava pit. Ahead of you high up on the south wall is an alcove with a jumpswitch, that’s where you’re going next. From the far left edge, jump back and do a running jump with grab to the slope ahead. Shimmy all the way right, then pull up and backflip onto the safe ledge. Walk forward and to the far left... and SAVE YOUR GAME. The camera will show a high alcove above you to your left, that’s where the Serpent switch is located. The whole area is a mixture of waterfalls, slopes and lava.

If you look out over the area to your left there is a waterfall slightly lower down, and above it a slope, and it’s the slope you’re aiming for. (If you step back off this edge then back on again, you can get repeat camera shots of the slope to give you a better idea of where it is). Now for that jump, stand far left, slide and jump with a sharp turn to the left to hit the slope, immediately jump again and you’ll backflip into the alcove.

Run forward to the east wall and push the moveable block forward as far as it will go, you’ll see the Serpent switch as you pass on your left, pull it then return to the moveable block alcove and look up to your left (north) and pull up into the crawlspace. Follow the crawlspace all the way to the end, and pull up again to your left. You are now at the top of the waterfall, and the objective here is to get to the other side (west). Turn to your left and standing jump to the flat ledge by the side of the waterfall. Walk forward and standing jump over the waterfall to the next ledge. Now turn to face southeast and standing jump again to the ledge in the corner.

Turn to face south, but before jumping across, look at the slope near the next flat ledge, it’s double sided and you’ll need to remember that on the way back. Now running jump across the next waterfall to the ledge on the south wall. Before progressing any further, turn around and face the north wall and use the binoculars to pick out the alcove down near the lava where you started in this area. Its important to remember the double sided slope and this alcove because this will be your way back.

Turn around and face south and from the back of the ledge, standing jump with grab to the sloped roof and shimmy all the way to the right, dropping off at the end and pick up SECRET # 3 – medipack. Return back to the shimmy, and return all the way left as far as you can. You can’t drop down onto the slope because it will send you to the right hand slope which is the way into the lava. Instead, pull up and save on the pull up, then drop off( without hanging first) and you should land on the right slope, slide, grab the edge and shimmy over to the left.

Pull up, then jump with twist and turn and grab the next slope and shimmy right. Now be brave and drop down onto the edge of the waterfall and pull up into the alcove. Turn around and look southeast, and you should be able to pick out an opening to the right of the waterfall. From roughly the centre of the alcove, hop back and do a diagonal running jump with a turn to the left to land in it.

Ignore the opening on your right for now and head south down the corridor. A hooded demon will attack you, I used the pistols to destroy him in order to conserve the silver bullets for later. Continue down the corridor and turn right then left and follow the path south to the closed door Use the Iron Key to open it and you’ve found the shortcut back to the bedroom.(for later) Return back the way you came, run down the north corridor and turn right at the end.

Now turn to face the rocks on the south wall, and use the binoculars to pick out the crawlspace. There’s only one way to get there, and that’s by using the rocks to your left. You need to bounce off the rock and grab the shimmy (the binoculars easily highlight it). The way to get there is by a straightforward diagonal running jump from the doorway, but it’s a tricky jump because you need to jump over the balcony to do it, and the angle of jump has to be spot on.

Stand at the balcony with your left foot touching the column on your left and angle yourself towards the rocks (use the look button). Now hop back, and walk back a further two steps into the entrance (your feet should be about on the second line in the corridor). Now do a long running diagonal jump (with turn to the left once you jump over the balcony) to land on the rockface, slide down and grab the edge and shimmy all the way right to the opening, pull up into the crawlspace. (It may take you several attempts to do this jump, I won't mention how many times it took me – let’s just say it took more than a few.)

At the end of the crawlspace, turn around and drop to the ground. Slowly walk forward, but don’t step onto the blue ice. Save your game. The blue ice is a fantastic slide, and round the corner is a wall ladder. If you don’t grab the ladder you’ll slide all the way back to the garden with the fountain. So move over to the left and start sliding, and as soon as you pass under the overhang round the corner, jump with grab to catch the ladder and climb up to the top.

Go to the end of the pathway, and you emerge high above the garden with the fountain. Turn to look south to the higher and lower breaks on the south wall. Now turn to face the sloped roof north, and standing jump with grab, slide and catch the edge, and shimmy all the way left until you can pull up into the higher opening. Crawl forward and pick up the METALLIC DRAGON.

Continue through the crawlspace and safety drop back down to the ice floor at the end, slide all the way down and land back in the garden area with the fountain. Run through the west entrance and up the stairs to the patterned hallway and turn right into the corridor. Turn right into the library, and go to the secret room behind the fireplace and climb the ladder to the top. Now turn right, into the bedroom and through the door you opened with the Iron Key.

Run down the north corridor turning right at the end of the balcony, then left and left again and walk onto the upper balcony above the Throne Room. If you look across to the west wall you’ll see another balcony and on it a cog wheel mechanism. Walk forward to the southwest corner of the balcony and line up with the rope, then hop back and save your game. Do a running jump with grab to catch the rope and drop down to the bottom. Rotate the rope to the right to line up with the balcony, then swing and at the height of the swing – jump, release control and press the forward key to land on the balcony.

Before using the cog wheel, go to the switch on your left and pull it to open the door to your right, go out into the hallway with the patterned floor. Turn left down the steps and follow them down until you met another demon, despatch him and at the end of the steps, pull another serpent switch to open the gates back to the previous area. Now back up the steps, turning right to the balcony, and to the cog wheel.

The cog wheel will open a door behind the throne on the floor below. It’s not a tight timed run, but you also have the knight on that floor to contend with, so stand by the cogwheel, check your health bar and I’d save your game here. Pull the cogwheel five times, then immediately sideflip to the right over the balcony onto the red canopy in the Throne Room, drop to the floor and run past the knight and through the slowly lowering panel on the west wall.

If you look through the south window, you’ll see a book on a pedestal, you’ll need that book to finish the game. In this room are two serpent switches. Go to the one on the west wall, and if you want to see what happens next more than once, then save your game. Use the Metallic Dragon to complete the switch, and watch as miraculously a superb descending staircase appears infront of the window. I can’t remember how many times I re-loaded to watch that again and again.

There’s nothing you can do down in the dungeon yet at the bottom of the steps, but go there anyway and take a look. As you progress down the corridor, you’ll get a camera shot of the bedroom. Jump across the small lava channel to the altar. There is a chalice suspended in mid-air – the Holy Grail perhaps ?. You can’t take the chalice yet, so return up the staircase and use the switch by the door to open it.

Out run the knight and follow the path through the east entrance to the fountain area. Go up the stairs (west), turn right and first right again into the library. Climb the ladder behind the fireplace and turn left. Crawl through and run back up the spiral staircase. Follow the rocky steps down to the opening in the rock and back to the outside area. Turn right and go through the narrow channel north.

Run across the shallow water and into the water channel west and turn left at the overhanging rock on your left and run out to the top of the waterfall area. . Run over the rocks until you are infront of the yellow building on your right. Find the underwater opening on the west wall beneath the yellow building and swim through to the end, pulling up through the trapdoor.

Looks familiar doesn’t it. Head down the corridor with the skeleton and jump over the spikes. Follow the path to the end and standing jump over the water to the other side. Now standing jump with grab over to the opening (west) with the patterned floor, walk down the corridor, but stop just before the hole in the ceiling and save your game. Go forward and drop through the trapdoor as it opens.

About halfway down the slope you’ll see an opening in the ceiling, as soon as you are underneath it, jump up with grab and pull up onto the ledge. If you miss, you’ll end up in a lava pit. Follow the passageway and drop down at the end. Now go forward to the huge circular gate, and its worth saving here, because there is another WOW moment coming up. Place the Cylinder and watch as the gate opens to reveal an underground cave with a lava floor. Definitely a time to save your game as you enter Hell.

Walk forward and use the binoculars. There is an alcove in the wall to your left, and a small triangular rock directly infront of you. Look closely at the large rock in the lava near the north wall, and notice the safe bit of black rock at the base of it to the right in the lava. Now train your binoculars to the same rock but to the left of it and to the wall, and you’ll see a small opening. Time to cross this lava lake.

Walk forward to the northwest point of the platform and line up with the small triangular rock. Hop back and do a diagonal running jump to land on it. Turn to face the alcove to your left, and walk very carefully back three steps (be careful or you’ll walk backwards into the lava), then do a diagonal running jump to land in the alcove.

The next jump is to the large black rock, and in the author’s own words it is a ‘diabolical’ one. He advises to run, jump, flip in the air, jump over the slope and grab. The way I did it was to stand at the left front corner of the alcove and turn to face northeast. Position yourself so that your right foot is halfway over the edge, then hop back. Do a long running jump, taking off at the last minute and as you are almost past the rock, turn sharply to the left., don’t turn too soon or you’ll end up on the wrong slope. I managed to get on the safe flat black ledge in the lava to the right of the black rock. Use whichever way is easiest for you.

Now pull up onto the rock and turn to face east. Ahead is a shimmy crack beneath an overhanging rock. Your curved running jump with grab needs to be to the left of it directly infront of you. Walk back carefully three steps, you’ll change direction, so you need to regain the position during your run. Shimmy all the way right, pull up and collect a medipack, then stand at the edge and look out onto this wonderful cathedral.

If you look across the lava, you’ll see a pathway ahead, so from the far right of the alcove, hop back and do a running jump to land there. Before you pick up the sword from the pedestal, have a look around this area, because once the sword is collected you wont have time to stop and think. Turn to face south and run up the walkway to the end , to your right on the south wall is an alcove blocked by railings.

Roll and run the length of the walkway to the north, and take note of the small enclosed structure in the lava, and the gong inside. Roll again, run up the walkway and turn left by the pedestal(east) at the end of the walkway to your right is an opening. Now return to the pedestal, top up with your health and save your game before collecting EXCALIBUR.

As you pick up the sword, the railings in the south alcove will drop away, and from the lava pool behind you a dragon will rise up, so with no time to waste, exit and run up the south passageway to the break in the railings at the end. You need to do a curved running jump to the alcove, but don’t rely on just hopping back from the edge because the railings only allow you two steps. You literally have to run round the railing and then curve your jump to the left.

When you land in the alcove, you wont have gone very far before locusts attack you, and I must admit that this is where I used most of my medipacks, so keep an eye on your health as you race down the stairs, pick up the medipack and save your game infront of the timed switch.

There are two pathways in the lava, one to your left leading to a cloistered entrance on the east wall. This is the one you’ll do first. The one to your right (apart from the first tile in the lava) will be controlled by a different timed switch, and although you can’t see it yet, there is a third timed switch at the top left hand of the room. The timed switch will raise the platforms in the lava, but it’s tight, and your run must be continuous.

So pull the switch and jump with twist and turn following the path into the room infront of the lava. About one blocks width from the edge running jump to the first collapsible ledge, aim for the bottom right hand corner, then whilst still running turn left and running jump to the next tile, followed by a running jump left to the last, and depending where you land on the tile, standing jump to the safe side.

Turn right and pick up the medipack. Start to run down the hallway, and as you pass the opening on your right, you’ll hear danger music as you approach the opening on your right. Arm yourself with the revolver, run through the opening on your right and meet the mutant. I ran onto the triangular piece of ground near the south wall, and managed to kill him with five silver bullets (packing medipacks all the time).

Return to the switch, save your game and pull it to raise the platforms in the lava to your right. Jump with twist and turn and head back through the opening, as soon as you turn the corner do a diagonal running jump with turn to the right to land on the first tile. At this point a second mutant will emerge from the left, quickly return to the safety of the triangular piece of ground near the south wall and dispose of him. (If you’re quick enough you may manage to get over all the collapsible tiles before the mutant attacks in which case, ignore the next paragraph.)

Back to the switch again and continue over the tiles to the safe grey ledge by the new switch, before the tiles collapse. I’ve tried this several times, and each sequence is slightly different depending on where you land on the first tile. It make take several attempts, but whichever way you get across, it has to be a continuous run.

Before you pull the switch on the south wall (and yes this is timed), turn to look north and to the collapsible tiles in the lava. This time those tiles provide a pathway to the central structure, but you’ll only use the first one. Pull the switch, jump with twist and turn and start running down the path turning (whilst still running) to do a diagonal running jump to the first tile, followed immediately by a diagonal running jump to the central structure.

Run up the steps to the top and pick up the medipack, then pull the golden chain once to open the iron gates at the top of the Cathedral. Now return to the step outside this small area, and do a running jump back to the grey pathway. Go back through the opening and head north, turn left at the end and run up the steps. Watch your health as locusts attack you.

At the top turn to face northwest and to the block in the lava. A running jump with turn to the left will get you to the block behind the Dragon’s back.(Not a bad idea to save here) A further running jump to the next block and the same to get back onto the walkway. Assuming you haven’t caught fire and died, sprint down the walkway, turn right past the Dragon to the end of the east walkway, and do a diagonal running jump to the south alcove.

Just when you thought it was safe to stop and catch your breath, you’ll be attacked by locusts again, so sprint up the steps to the top, turn right and collect the medipack. Immediately turn to face the west balcony, and look over the edge. Do a standing jump over the balcony and pick up the Mace. Walk to the front left edge and peer over this structure, you’ll see a black grated ledge. Line up with it, hop back from the edge, then step back twice more, now standing jump over to land on it (you’ll land right on the edge of it).

Go inside and stand behind the Gong facing south, and press action to use the Mace. Yet another WOW moment. The Dragon has disappeared now, so walk out onto the black metal platform and turn to face northwest. Hop back and take a diagonal running jump to land back on the walkway. Return back past the pedestal on your left to the lava pool where the Dragon was.

Turn to face east and notice the grey block in the lava. Standing jump over the railings to land on it and collect the DRAGON’S TEETH. Standing jump back to the walkway, turn to face north, and run down turning right. A diagonal running jump with curve to the right will get you to the alcove.

Back now up the steps turning left at the top. Near the balcony to your right is a receptacle, use the Dragon’s Teeth to lower the black grating on the overhead monkeybar behind you. Walk up to the black metal grating facing west and jump up with grab to catch it. You need to climb to the top of the grating or you wont be able to shimmy all the way left, over the lava to the other side of the Cathedral.

Run down the corridor and take the first turning on the left. The double doors are closed, but take a closer look at the black stone.(anvil) Face southwest, , stand next to the stone, press action and plunge Excalibur into it. The double doors to the next room will open, but first turn to face the stone (southeast) and withdraw Excalibur once more from the stone (This is the stuff of Arthurian legend).

Head into the Teleporter room, step into the beam, and watch this truly spectacular flyby as the teleporter transports you back to the original building. If you forgot to bring Excalibur with you, the teleporter is two directional, so you can go back to get it. As you step into the hall with the patterned floor, another demon will attack you, so dispose of him, and turn right and run down the corridor (east) past the library and take the left turning.

Follow the path back to the fountain and head for the north passageway. At the end turn into the Throne room, and go to the shield to the left of the open door where there is a sword missing. Place Excalibur and turn the shield to open up another secret entrance, run through and collect the SKELOS’ BOOK. Roll, and exit the room turning sharp left into the room with the descending staircase. If the knight starts to follow you, pull the switch by the door to close the door.

For the last time use the descending staircase down to the dungeons, jump over the small lava channel, and stand infront of the altar. The next sequence literally sent goosebumps down my spine. Press action to place and open the Skelos book, and you’ll be able to pick up the chalice. Spin up in the air in triumph, drink from the chalice and turn to face the doorway and as you do so, a Knight will rise from the lava. This knight poses no threat as he kneels to pay homage to the transformed evil Lara.

A Witch Has Been Born.

This ends this superlative level, keep your fingers crossed that there will be a sequel.

Back to Top