LEVEL 15: TEMPLE OF XIAN
Kills: 37 Items: 24 (32)* plus the Dragon Seal, 3 keys and 3 secrets

(*Under found items, the number in parentheses shows total including extra items granted for finding all three secrets.)

THE DAGGER...ALMOST: Go through the antechamber toward the pedestal at the center of the large room. There it is: the Dagger! But of course it's not that easy. As you approach, the floor gives way and you slide down a series of chutes until Lara is spit out into a pool at the end. Here's the sequence: When the floor drops away, land below, slide and grab the edge. Drop and slide, jump over the blade and continue sliding. The boulder will pass overhead. When you get to the wet, gray slide, press Jump and Roll so Lara is facing up the slide and can grab the edge at the end. Traverse left and pull up into an alcove where you'll find SECRET #1, the Gold Dragon.

(NOTE: High above the pool on the left, you may notice another ladder on the rock wall. There is a room at the top with a large medipak inside. However, there is no way to get there, short of patching a savegame to put Lara at the top of the ladder. Apparently this is some kind of in-joke with the programmers, as there has been an impossible-to-reach medipak in each game so far.)

Dive into the water, go over the falls and climb out on the platform on the other side of the lower pool. Shoot the 2 fish. Note the nearby KEYHOLE, the gate on the left and the ladder on the right leading up to a closed trapdoor. There are two underwater openings across the pool. Find the one on the right. Within this opening, branching off to the right, is a narrow, underwater tunnel, down which you'll find a small med pack (and a glimpse of a key you can't reach yet). Return to the wider passageway then swim up into the temple area.

TEMPLE ENTRANCE (TWO BUILDINGS): Exit the water on the rocks at the left side and pick up some shotgun shells. Ready that gun; as you approach the temple doors, 2 tigers emerge—one from the left behind the stairs, the other from the right side at the top of the stairs. After killing them, go around the left side of the building. Run onto the springboard and bounce up to land on the roof. Cross the roof and throw the switch, which opens the trapdoor you saw earlier. Kill the bird that flies in from the far side of the cavern. Then drop down, swim back through the underwater opening and return to the ladder that leads up to the trapdoor.

LAVA AND SPIKES ROOMS: Climb up, kill a spider, and continue to a ledge above a room with a large wooden pillar in the center and lava below. Turn around, drop off the ledge and grab the edge. Climb down the ladder all the way to the bottom, then drop and grab the ledge below. Pull up and drop back again if Lara wants to climb the ladder instead of hanging to traverse.  Traverse to the left, hanging onto the crevice, until you can pull up. Walk to the left, descend the next ladder to the bottom and again drop and grab the ledge below. Pull up then walk to the right, drop and hang from the ledge, traverse to the right and pull up into an opening where you'll find SECRET #2, the Silver Dragon. Return to the previous landing (just above the lava) the way you came. Head to the left and kill a spider. Jump and grab the ladder on the pillar. Climb up and follow the passage to a room with ladders and spikes below.

Drop into the room, cross to the other side and climb the ladder to the crevice. Traverse all the way to the right (to avoid the spikes above), back flip to the ledge behind, then jump forward to the flat spot above where you were just hanging. In the next area, run across the broken tiles and stop on the last one. You'll fall to the pedestal below, where you can pick up some shotgun shells.

Do a running jump over the lava to the opening, slide down and jump over the spikes to land on the angled block ahead. Immediately jump again over a second set of spikes to grab a ledge. Pull up, then slide down the angled block to safely pick up the grenades on the ground. (Alternatively, take a running jump from the pedestal where you got the shotgun shells and, while in the air, press the Right directional key and hold the Jump key. When Lara lands on the first slope, she'll jump, veering off to the right to land in the safe spot near the grenades.)

Climb up until you reach a switch. Pull it to open the main doors to the FIRST TEMPLE. Continue along the short passageway beyond the switch, jump down into the water and swim back to the TEMPLE ENTRANCE.

INSIDE THE FIRST TEMPLE: Enter through the doors you just opened and go to the rear, avoiding the robot guards. You'll see some M-16 clips lying on the floor. Approach them from the back to avoid being sliced by the robot guard's sword. Go through the right doorway in the rear wall and climb up the stone blocks until you reach a room with many angled rocks and lava below.

ROOM WITH ANGLED BLOCKS ABOVE LAVA: You'll need to make a complicated series of jumps to get through here. To make it easier, I've included a diagram (below). I refer to areas marked with letters in the descriptions that follow. You may be able to manage without the map, but a visual aid can help.

The basic idea is to jump so Lara lands on each angled surface facing downhill. (Remember, you can pivot her in the air using left/right keys.) When she starts to slide down a slope facing forward, jumping will propel her forward to the next slope. If she lands facing up a slope, try again. Here's the sequence: From the doorway (A), take a running jump straight across to the long block that slopes down to the right (B). As you start to slide, jump forward to the next angled block ahead (C). (C slopes down and toward the entrance.) Slide then press and HOLD the Jump key. Lara will jump forward to land on a small angled block (D), then immediately jump to a fourth sloped block (E), and from there to the final block (F) on the far side of the lava pit. Release Jump and climb up to the top of the rocks(G). From here take a running jump to grab the ledge above and opposite the entrance (H). Then climb to the next area.

SPIKED WALL TRAP ROOM: The switch opposite is a decoy. No matter how you approach it, the floor collapses and you slide into the room below. Upon landing, run/jump to the far side of the room, flip the real switch to open the exit, which is just below the opening where you slid in. Roll and rush through it to avoid the encroaching spiked walls.

Grabbing the small medipak on the ground and getting out alive is a challenge, but it's possible. Slide down the ramp. When you land, you should be positioned in the middle of the walkway with the medipak and the skeletons. Jump forward and press action, Lara should pick up the medipak. Jump forward again, run to the switch and throw it. Now jump backward with a mid-air twist (Jump + Back + Roll in rapid succession). Now Lara should be facing the exit. Take a running jump, then keep running through the door and the spikes don't get you.

ROOM WITH RAMPS AND METAL BALLS: Continue to the next room. Head up the ramp, then quickly back and side flip to get out of the way of the rolling metal ball. At the top another ramp slopes down to the right. A second ball comes from the top left. You can trip it by running up the ramp and into the depression at the left side. Climb up the step and run over the ramp to trigger yet another metal boulder. If you just keep running, you'll land safely below on the first ramp. Climb back to the top and follow the ladders up.

DARK ROOM, LADDERS WITH BLADES: Drop into the dark room. Cross to the far right and trip the switch, which opens a gate above and to the left, and also frees a tiger, which charges from behind you. Once you've killed it, go through the opening to a ladder rigged with slicing blades.

Light a flare before jumping and grabbing the ladder. Climb down until Lara's feet are just above the blade. As the blade begins to open, release Action to drop past it. Quickly press Action again to grab the ladder below. Repeat the process with the second blade, then drop/slide into the room below. Here you'll find two perpendicular rolling blades. It's probably easiest to take them one at a time. Once you've passed both, you'll emerge in the anteroom above the robot guards. Kill the 2 birds before proceeding.

(**) TIMED RUN OVER THE RAFTERS: On the wall at the left side is a button that opens the door on the opposite wall. It's timed but not horribly difficult once you know what's required. Press the button, press Look to get Lara's perspective back, roll, then do a series of running jumps across the beams: The first two can be taken at a smooth run, the third needs an extra step beforehand.  (That is, hold Forward and Jump for the first two running jumps, then release the Jump key to let Lara take a few steps, and press it again when she reaches the edge.) Keep running through the door before it closes.

Beyond this doorway is a room with a narrow walkway over lava. Four spiked balls swing from the ceiling. Stand to one side of the walkway and run past each ball in turn. The shadows on the floor can help to gauge each ball's position. Also, each ball only has spikes on one side, so you can stand a little closer to the un-spiked side. (Alternatively, you can also run past the first ball, hang from the edge of the walkway and traverse past the middle two, then pull up and run past the fourth.)

TWO BUTTONS AND BROKEN TILE RUN: Next comes a doorway with buttons on each side and a lava-filled hallway with breakaway floor tiles beyond. The button on the right raises a grate between the solid floor and the tiles; the one on the left opens the gate beyond. Press the right button, side flip, press the left button, and run through the doorway. When you reach the end of the tiles, a boulder rolls down from above and behind. You can try and outrun it, jumping at the end of the bridge to grab the ledge opposite. Or, you can back flip over the boulder as it rolls along. However, I found it easier to cross the broken tiles, stop immediately on the first solid block and safety-drop backwards, grabbing the edge of the floor. This way the boulder sails past and you can pull up and continue at a leisurely pace.

LAVA POOL ROOM WITH DRAGON SEAL: At the end of the walkway, take a running jump over the lava to grab the platform on the other side. Pull up and take the DRAGON SEAL. Then take a running jump to the flat ledge on the right of the dragon. Climb up to the room at the rear. Grab the automatic pistol clips on the step near the door. Then enter, kill the 2 spiders and get 2 more sets of automatic pistol clips. Use the switch to raise blocks in the lava out in the main room.

Go down toward the lava on the right side (the opposite from where you came up). Run and jump to the low, brown block near the wall, and again to the next block. Run and jump to the short angled block near the stone pillar holding up the bridge, jump to grab the edge of the taller angled block. Pull up, then slide down the front, jumping to land on the flat, high block. Take a running jump and grab the higher block on the right, then another running jump to the lower block below.

(Alternatively, you can take a shortcut over the dragon's head: Exit the switch room through either door, hopping down to the small, rectangular ledge just below the doorway. Jump to the flat spot on the dragon's shoulder. Step back to the outside edge and take a standing jump forward to clear the ear and land on the middle of the back. Back up to the wall and take a running jump over the head to land on the small, square ledge where you found the DRAGON SEAL earlier. Don't slide down the neck or Lara will land in the lava. From the square ledge, take a running jump to the left to land on the tall, brown pillar against the wall. Take a running jump to the shorter pillar ahead.)

You should now be facing the sloped wall with various ledges, where you first entered this area. The ornate block in the lava below, which was a burner when you entered, is actually a springboard. Stand at the edge of the block facing the springboard. Hop back, then do a standing jump to the board. Hold down the Forward key to jump from the springboard onto the ledge above. Immediately safety-drop backwards, grabbing the ledge to avoid a rolling boulder from above. Take a standing jump up to the flat area above and to the right. Immediately run and jump to the brick ledge ahead and a little higher to avoid another boulder. Now jump across the slope to the next higher brick platform. Turn around and jump back across to the next higher ledge. Kill the bird that flies in from above. Then take a standing jump to grab the highest brick ledge (at the top of the slope). Pull up and turn around.

Slide down the ramp to the springboard at the bottom. As you slide, press Forward and Lara will spring up to land on her feet on the platform high above. Take a running jump to grab the edge of the platform on the opposite side of the room. Pull up and take possession of SECRET #3, the Jade Dragon (with a bonus of 8 sets of Uzi clips for finding all secrets).

Take a running jump down to the first brick platform on the left side of the slope. Use the flat brick platforms to climb up to the room at the top left, taking care to avoid the spikes hidden in the sloped floor.

Pull or push the movable block with face on it, and go through the opening into the small room behind. Use the switch to open the trapdoor. There's a ramp below with a metal boulder set to roll. Run down ahead of the boulder and head to the left at the bottom of the slope. Slide down the next ramp to emerge again in the rafters above the robot guards. Now there are 2 tigers lurking below. Kill them before climbing down.

ABOVE THE SPIKED BALL ROOM: Now, if you must have all the kills, you'll need to make a detour back through the timed door. Do that the same way you did before (see above at the **). Beyond the door, head to the left and you'll see this area has changed. Climb up into the rafters above the swinging spiked balls. Here you'll meet another tiger. When you've killed it, continue forward to emerge in the DRAGON SEAL ROOM. Use the flat brick platforms to climb back up to the room at the top left of the slope. Go through the trapdoor and down the slopes to the rafters of the room with the robot guards. (If you haven't already killed the tigers below, do that now. Then drop down to the floor.)

ROOM WITH SPIKED CEILING AND MANY SWITCHES: Use the Dragon Seal to open the gate at the back of the room. Enter and follow the passage to a rolling blade. Run down the hallway, ducking into the alcoves to avoid the blade. The last alcove is actually a doorway with a slide leading down to a room knee-deep in water. The spiked ceiling descends and you need to flip all three switches to open the exit door. (There are also a number of decoy switches but if you look carefully, these aren't realistic enough to really trip you up.) There is also a small medipak on the floor near the skeleton. You may have time to pick it up if you move quickly.

POOL WITH SIDE TUNNELS AND LEVERS: Exit to a room with a waterfall. Jump from the lower block to grab the higher one. Climb up and take a dip in the pool to draw out the fish. Kill it before proceeding. This next section has a complex series of underwater levers and gates. Here's the drill: On one side of the pool is an underwater opening with a strong current that prevents you from swimming through. Opposite is a closed gate and a lever which raises the water level and turns off the current. After pulling this lever, head to the right and up to get air and pick up a large medipak and some grenades.

Take a deep breath and swim down and to the left, through the tunnel, which slopes up then down. Bypass the lever on the left. (Use this lever only if Lara is running out of air and you don't want to restart the game. It lowers the water level, sweeping Lara back to the big pool.) Instead, take the passage to the right. Swim forward, pick up the small medipak, then go back for air. (There's another opening in the ceiling of the big pool where Lara can breathe.) Return to where you got the medipak and pull the lever on the left to open the door opposite. Roll, swim forward and pull another lever at the end of this short passage. This opens a gate out in the big pool. Swim out for air. (Use the lever in the humped passageway if you can't make it back quickly enough.) Then go back under through the gate you just opened. (It's in the big pool next to the first lever you pulled). There's yet another lever on the right side of this passage. Pull it to open the gate above the center of the big pool. Swim up to it and climb out. (If you pulled the lever to lower the water level earlier, you'll need to pull the first lever again to raise it in order to reach this opening.)

ANOTHER SPIKED WALL AND THE GOLD KEY: You're now in the room below the one with the encroaching spiked walls. Kill a fish in the water before retrieving 2 boxes of shotgun shells under the water and some M-16 clips on the pedestal. In the next room, a spiked wall comes from the right, and the switch on the far left wall opens a trapdoor nearby. Get down through it as quickly as possible. You'll slide into the water and the current will carry you to the GOLD KEY, which you saw at the beginning of the level behind a gate. This gate opens as you approach, and you can swim through. Pick up the small medipak on the bottom of the passage if you didn't get it earlier, and continue to the pool at the TEMPLE ENTRANCE.

UNDERWATER AREA BEHIND GATE: Return to the platform below the falls where you began the level and use the gold key in that keyhole. This opens the gate to the left. Go through, then swim underwater to the right, right again and into an underwater room with closely spaced pillars. There's a small medipak on the floor and pesky fish following Lara around. The door closes behind you. A lever on the back of the first pillar opens the other door next to the first. Kill the fish with the harpoon if you want. Or, pull the lever, exit, swim out and up for air, then return to the platform with the keyhole to kill the fish.

Pulling that last lever also opened a trapdoor farther down the underwater passage. If you're in the pillar room, swim straight ahead to reach it. If you're on the platform, swim through the gates, forward, then to the left. Swim up through the trapdoor you just opened, upward some more, and climb out of the water on a wooden platform to kill another fish.

SPIDER CAVE: Enter the spider-web spangled cave with guns drawn. (Lara can probably spot those spiders better than you can.) There'll be 2 small spiders to start. Turn left and approach the flares on the ground. Two more spiders drop from the ceiling. Kill them and take the flares. You can go through the webs on the left to get some Uzi clips. A giant spider and a small spider attack, so take care of those, then cross to the other side of the room. There's another alcove and 2 more small spiders within. Kill those and continue on to the doorway of a large room with a glowing egg sac suspended in the middle. Near the doorway another giant spider emerges, and as you enter 2 more giant spiders drop from the web.

(NOTE: The SPIDER CAVE is very dark, so it was impossible to take screenshots that showed much detail. The diagram below should help navigate the ledges. You might also try turning up your monitor brightness to help see what's going on—and to conserve flares.)

Once the coast is clear, cross to the far side of the room (opposite the entrance) and climb on the one stone block you can reach (number 1 in the diagram). Turn so the cave wall is on Lara's right. Take a running jump to grab the higher block opposite (2). Turn around (to face the first block you climbed on) and take a standing jump to grab the ledge above (3). (You should now be level with the egg sac.) Proceed from ledge to ledge clockwise around the perimeter of the chamber (i.e., keep the egg sac on your right and the wall on your left): First take a running jump to the small square ledge ahead (4). From the corner of this ledge, take a standing jump to the next ledge, which is L-shaped (5). A giant spider will drop in front of you here. (If you like, put some distance between Lara and the spider by jumping to the ledge to draw it out then immediately back flipping to the previous ledge.) Walk to the middle of the L-shaped ledge (6), then take a running jump to the highest pillar at the center of the cavern (7), which is almost directly under the egg sac. From there, take another running jump to grab the pillar below the doorway (8). Take a final standing jump from the edge of this pillar to grab the doorsill (9). Pull up.

Go through this room to the opening over the water. Run, jump over the water and grab the rocks. Climb up and take the SILVER KEY. Return via the water to the cave with the two temples. Use the silver key to open the door to the SECOND TEMPLE, on the right.

INSIDE THE SECOND TEMPLE: Enter and climb on the lowest block. Jump and grab the next higher block, pull up, jumping to the side to avoid a rolling metal boulder, and back again to avoid another boulder. Continue to the top and pick up some automatic pistol clips on the floor where the boulders originated. Cross the bridge, killing a tiger and a bird (which flies in from the FIRST TEMPLE, to the right of the bridge), then a second tiger in the room beyond. Pull up onto the lower of the two angled pillars and back flip to land on the higher pillar. Turn around and jump to the flat ledge ahead. Climb onto the ledge above on the left. (On the right is a STEEP SLOPE WITH TIERED SPRINGBOARDS, to which you'll return shortly.) Ahead is a room with a blade rolling back and forth and an open doorway to the left just before it.

(NOTE: If you're not in great need of Uzi clips, you can skip this next bit.) Jump through this doorway diagonally, so as to land on the slope. Slide back and grab the edge. Climb down, let go and catch the ledge below. Pick up the Uzi clips then continue down the hallway. Drop down into the water outside the temple. Retrace your steps into the temple and up to the rolling blade.

WOODEN BRIDGE WITH ROLLING BLADE: Stand on the slightly sloped floor facing the blade but angled a bit to the right. Take two standing jumps, timing them to avoid the blade, and landing on the top tier. Enter the room with the motionless blade and pick up 2 sets of Uzi clips and a large medipak. Cross the bridge. The blade doesn't start rolling until you do. Push the button to open doors back in the temple. Kill another bird, then time a run back across the bridge, veering left into the room at the end. If you run after the blade as it rolls away, you'll have just enough time. (Or, if you're not feeling brave, you can dive into the water and go back the long way.)

(To the far left of the bridge, when facing the room where the rolling blade came from, you may notice another ladder on the rock wall. This is inaccessible.)

STEEP SLOPE WITH TIERED SPRINGBOARDS: From the room where you killed the tigers, climb to the gray stones. Here you'll find a series of springboards. Stand Lara with her back to the lowest springboard and her chest against the block ahead. back flip onto the springboard. (Alternatively, take a running jump from the ledge just outside the room with the rolling blade to land on the lowest springboard.) This should cause Lara to bounce up the slope using all four springboards. You can use the arrow keys to adjust her trajectory, but you don't need to press any other keys. Press Action before landing on the last springboard and hold it to make Lara grab the ledge above it after takeoff. Kill the bird that dive-bombs you at the top. Then jump to grab the doorsill of the room above. (These are the doors you just opened by pressing the button on the far side of the BRIDGE WITH THE ROLLING BLADE.)

MAIN CHAMBER: Enter this large, lava-filled room. Go to the end of the walkway you're on, and jump diagonally to the right to land on small platform near a keyhole. (You'll be getting the key shortly.) From here jump to a large, flat area to the right. Run to the ladder on the far side and jump/climb up before the spiked wall arrives. Dismount on the ledge above. Climb up to the next room and run to the right, jumping the gap over the spikes and grabbing the ladder opposite. More spikes close in from behind, so you'll need to be quick about it.

Climb up and follow the passageway past two gates looking out over two huge dragon statues, one on each side. Continue to the end of the hallway (walking over a closed trapdoor), where you'll find a switch. Pull this to open one of the two gates you just passed. Return to this gate (now on the right), enter and take a running jump to grab the platform on the left. Jump to the next platform, then jump and grab the next platform, pull up and pick up the MAIN CHAMBER KEY. Drop down to the dragon's neck. Slide down its back (pressing Jump and Action on the last short slope if necessary) to land on a flat block below. Hop down to the lowest step and from there take a running jump to the walkway where you came in. (NOTE: This is a tricky jump, but if you angle Lara precisely before jumping, she'll land just to the right of the open door.)

Again, go to the end of the walkway, jump across to the keyhole and use your newly acquired key in it. This raises a grate on the stone pillar behind you. Jump back to the walkway by the door, then take a running jump to grab the grate. Pull up and jump from the grate to the block below the ladder. Climb up and dismount on the ledge on the right. (There's a lit burner on the left side.) Turn around and jump over the spikes to grab another ladder. Climb again until you reach the small hallway between the two dragon's heads, where you were earlier. Now the second gate is open. (NOTE: In case you're disoriented, the dragon you're going for this time is the one that has the central pillar extending all the way to the ceiling.)

Jump from platform to platform clockwise around the room until you're facing a block that slopes down toward the dragon. Jump to it and immediately jump again to land on the flat area on the dragon's neck. Climb the ladder until you reach a blade. Position Lara's hands two rungs below the blade, then back flip onto the angled block behind. Jump and grab as you slide to catch hold of the next ladder. Climb to the next blade, position Lara's hands two rungs below it and press the Jump and Roll keys, then Action, to make Lara leap from the ladder, twist in the air, then grab the ladder behind. Continue up until you can get off the ladder on the right. Enter this corridor to finish the level.

CUT SCENE: Lara emerges above the chamber where the Dagger of Xian rests, only to find that Marco Bartoli has beaten her to it. She watches from the shadows as Bartoli plunges the dagger into his heart. He collapses and his henchmen carry him out on their shoulders. Naturally, Lara follows.

Walkthrough text, maps, diagrams, and all other original images copyright © 1997-2008 Stellalune.
All rights reserved.

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