Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

BENEATH THE ASHES - FATHER'S SECRET STUDY

Downloading BTA: This level is available for download exclusively through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The cost is 800 Microsoft Points, and you need your Tomb Raider: Underworld disk in order to play. To download the level, sign into Xbox LIVE and start the Underworld game as usual. In the main menu, select Downloadable Content (lower left icon in radial menu). Then select Download Content (middle right icon). Scroll down the list of available downloads to "Beneath the Ashes." Then just follow the on-screen instructions to download.

Playing BTA: After downloading the expansion, start the Underworld game as usual. You should then see a message asking if you want to apply available updates to this game. Select 'Yes'. Then, when the game begins, choose "Downloadable Content" from the radial menu (bottom left), then "Play Mission" (top right), then "Beneath the Ashes". The new level should begin.

Health Items: 10
Treasures: 28
Relics: 1
Keys/Puzzle Items: 0

Before the level starts choose Lara's outfit. The expansion comes with six new costumes: Casual Explorer, Grey Jungle Shorts and four different bikinis blue, black and white, camo and gold. (Don't ask me why anyone would explore a creepy medieval dungeon in a bikini, but there you have it.) Other choices include the Casual and Jungle Pants outfits from the main game, as well as any other Xbox exclusive costumes you may have downloaded. Next, choose Lara's starting secondary weapon. This can be changed in the PDA.

This adventure takes place following the events in Tomb Raider: Underworld.

The level begins with a cut scene. Lara is standing in Richard Croft's secret study, where she found one of Thor's gauntlets earlier, chatting with Zip over the headset. She says her father's notes mention the existence of a particular artifact but offers no hints about where it might be hidden.

Zip speculates that maybe he left it in Thailand. He asks, "What's the magic word?" Lara scrutinizes the carvings on the artifact in the photo she's holding and admits that she can't make it out.

As she stands thinking, a skeletal knight with glowing blue eyes crawls up out of the pit at the edge of the room. Lara draws pistols and blasts it back from whence it came.

"What the hell was that?!" Zip asks.

Lara responds, "A rather big clue," before dropping into the pit to investigate.

BRIDGE CAVE:

The starting point is on a wide ledge below the rim of the pit, facing a broken wooden bridge. Before moving ahead, turn around and smash the pottery urn to find the first treasure (1/28). Turn back toward the bridge and pick up the health pack near the left wall.

Now jump the gap onto the rickety wooden bridge. This triggers a situational adrenaline sequence. Time slows as the bridge starts to collapse. Run forward and grapple the metal ring on the underside of the support beam ahead to keep Lara from falling into the chasm. If you do this successfully, Lara ends up dangling from the grapple cable above the pit.

Look ahead and above. There are 2 metal rings on the bridge supports. If Lara grappled the first one during the adrenaline sequence, swing forward, jump and grapple the second. Then swing forward again and jump onto the wide ledge ahead. If Lara is already hanging from the second ring, lengthen the cable if necessary. Then swing and jump directly to the ledge.

A giant spider drops down from above. Move to either side or jump past it as you shoot, so it doesn't knock Lara off the ledge. When it's dead, break the clay jar on the right to find another treasure (2/28).

Turn to face the pit. Then move to the right wall, where you'll find a set of handholds. Climb these and then lean away from the wall and jump back to grab the top of the nearest wooden bridge support. Pull up and walk along the beam or hang and traverse along the outer edge of the beam, tapping Y to climb faster to reach the small, wooden platform at the other end of the bridge. Shoot a flock of bats and pick up the treasure (3/28) lying here.

Turn back toward the ledge where you killed the giant spider. Grapple the metal ring beneath the bridge support and step off the platform to hang from the cable. Let out the cable a bit if necessary, turn left, swing and jump down to the curved stone ledge below. Pick up another health pack on the right. Then climb onto the wooden platform on the left.

Step into the alcove and shoot or stomp on a few small spiders. Then chimney jump up the sides of the alcove to grab the ledge above. Pull up into the tunnel. Roll through to the end.

When Lara reaches the end and stands up, Zip speaks to her over the headset, asking if it's wet down there because the video feed is distorted. Lara replies that the foundation must be cracked for all this groundwater to be seeping in.

SEWER GRATES:

Ahead on the floor in the shallow water is another treasure (4/28). There are barred openings on the left and right. Go to the far end of the room and chimney jump up the narrow alcove to grab the ledge above. Pull up.

The 2 switches here raise the gates below, but they're timed to close after about 30 seconds. This will enable you to use the doors as ladders to reach the alcoves above. First, pull the switch on the left (i.e., left when facing out over the room). Turn around, move to the switch on the right, pause briefly, then pull it. (The short pause here means you'll have a few seconds between the closing of the first gate and the second.) Run off the ledge to hang from the edge and then drop to the floor.

Run along the right wall (i.e. right when facing away from the switches). Grab onto the horizontal bar running along the middle of the right gate. If possible, grab it on the left side. Then jump straight up to grab the bar above. Climb along the bar to the left. (You won't have far to go if you start on left side of the gate.) Then jump to grab the horizontal beam that spans the width of the room. Traverse all the way to the left. (Tap Y in time with Lara's movements to make her climb faster.) When she braces her feet against the support post, jump up to grab the handhold above. Then lean back and jump to grab the nearest bar on the left gate. Jump straight up to grab the higher bar. Then jump back across the room to grab onto the right gate again.

Now wait for the sound of the left gate closing. Then jump back to grab the opening above that gate before the right gate also closes. If that happens, you'll have to climb back up to the switches and try again.

NOTE: If you are hearing impaired or have to play at low volume, once Lara is hanging from the right gate for the second time, tilt the left stick to make her lean away from the gate. Here it may help to position her near the middle of the gate, rather then at the left end, since you'll have a slightly wider field of view. Then move the camera as far to the left as possible, so you can just see the edge of the other gate behind her. As soon as it closes, jump back to grab the ledge above it.

Once you've managed this sequence, pull up into the left alcove to find a treasure (5/28). Then jump across the room into the opening above the other gate. Roll through the low tunnel to the next room.

WATERWHEEL ROOM:

When Lara stands up, step to the edge of the ledge and shoot some bats that fly in from above. Dive into the pool below and surface near the two square support columns on the right side of the room.

Swim down behind the square column closer to the entrance and pick up the treasure (6/28) lying on the bottom of the pool. Then swim out to the middle of the pool and dive down once more. There's a small, wooden platform anchored to the bottom with a metal chain. Shoot the weak link to break the chain. (If you equip the pistols, face the chain and fire, Lara should shoot the weak link automatically. If she doesn't, hold Target Lock to isolate the weak link, then shoot.) When the chain breaks, the platform floats to the surface. Swim up and climb on top of it.

While standing on the floating wooden platform, grapple the metal ring on the wall below the entrance and press Y to reel in the cable, pulling Lara and the platform along the surface of the water. When the platform moves beside the square support column with the handholds on it, release the cable. Then jump to grab the lowest handhold on the column.

Jump up to the third handhold. Then climb to the left and jump to grab the wooden beam. Traverse toward the wall and pull up onto a wooden ledge with a pottery urn containing a treasure (7/28).

NOTE: You can see into the next room through the barred door. You'll reach that room from the other side shortly.

Step out to the end of the beam that you just used to pull up. Turn left and jump to grab the shorter jutting beam above. Pull up to stand on it. Then jump to grab the next higher beam, which juts out toward the pool above the three handholds you climbed earlier. Walk inward along the beam and jump to grab the plank handhold above. Climb to the right and jump to grab the next handhold, just beyond the waterwheel's metal hub. Climb to the right end of this handhold.

Drop onto the beam below and walk to the end of it. From here you can see something shiny inside the big, iron pipe on the opposite wall. Jump forward and grapple the metal ring on the wall above the pipe. Swing and jump into the pipe to find another treasure (8/28). Drop into the pool and repeat the climb from the floating platform to the handhold at the right end of the waterwheel support. This time, instead of dropping down onto the beam, jump up to grab the handhold above.

Climb to the left and pull up onto the next beam. Jump to grab the next slightly higher beam and pull up to stand on it. Walk along the beam toward the waterwheel and jump to grab the small handhold above. Jump to the right to grab the next handhold. Then climb around the corner and pull up onto another beam.

Look down to spot a ledge with a metal ring mounted on the wall above it. Carefully angle Lara to face that ledge and then jump down to land there. Grapple the ring and step back off the ledge. Lengthen the cable, swing forward and drop onto the ledge below. Move to the right end of this ledge and step out onto the jutting wooden beam. Jump from there to grab the horizontal, metal bar running along the top of the gate. Lara's weight pulls the gate open, and we see an underwater view of a wide pipe leading out of this room.

NOTE: There are several high ledges in the WATERWHEEL ROOM that you can't reach from below. Don't worry; you'll return here later from a different angle.

Let go of the bar and drop into the water. Swim down through the gate you just opened. Follow the pipe forward until it opens out into a wider underwater junction with circular pipes coming in above from the left and right. Swim up and into the pipe on the right to find a treasure (9/28). Get it, swim back down to the junction and turn right to continue along the underwater passage. Follow it to the end where you can surface in a small room.

Before climbing out of the water, swim down once more to find another treasure (10/28) resting in one of the corners where the square pool meets the round pipe below.

DUNGEON:

Climb out of the pool. A quick cut scene shows a glimpse of something moving behind the bars. Go through the one open doorway here into a small room with various niches and barred openings. Turn left and enter the next room cautiously. A giant spider, along with a couple of small ones, drop down from the ledge ahead. Concentrate on the big spider. If necessary, back up into the previous room so it doesn't corner Lara. Do not run ahead into the next room or you'll trigger another enemy encounter.

Climb the vertical post in the middle of the spider room. Perch on top of the post and shoot more small spiders on the ledge ahead. Then turn around to face the door where you entered this room and jump onto the ledge above and to the right of the doorway. Smash the clay jar to get a treasure (11/28).

NOTE: At this point I'm picturing Lara's father stashing these things like Easter eggs for his little daughter to find on her romps through the dungeons. ;)

Hop back onto the post. Jump to grab the horizontal pole above. Jump up to stand on it and shoot any straggler spiders on the ledge ahead before jumping over there. Pick up the health pack in the left corner. Drop down to the floor and go through the doorway into the next room.

Here you encounter your first thrall knight. It vaults up into the opening straight ahead. Use the same thrall-killing techniques you employed in Underworld to destroy it: Shoot it until it falls to the ground. Then stand over its body and press Y to smash its bones. Otherwise, it will revive and start fighting again. Alternately, destroy it with a grenade or use the adrenaline headshot.

NOTE: It's possible to run forward and knock the thrall off the edge with a well-placed kick or shotgun blast, as you may have done in the later levels of Underworld, but this will only stun and not destroy it. After a few moments, it will rise up and attack again.

When you've destroyed the thrall, go to the right end of the room to find a health pack. Then return to the opening where the thrall appeared. Turn around and grapple the metal ring on the wall ahead. Step back off the edge and rappel down into the room below.

LARGE ROOM WITH HUGE WOODEN CYLINDERS:

When Lara touches the floor, the camera shifts to show 2 thrall knights on a high ledge on the other side of the room. One leaps down and attacks. Fight it as you did the last one. The second thrall only drops down after you've destroyed the first.

NOTE: This is actually one very large room divided in half on the lower level by a partition. This side has two big, wooden cylinders in the middle. You'll reach the other side shortly. Some areas are unreachable from below. You can ignore those for now.

There's only one open door at floor level. Pick up the health pack to the right of this door and then go through.

Another thrall and a huge spider attack as you enter the next room. If you move forward cautiously, you can get a lock on the thrall first and back out of the room shooting. Then, when you've taken care of it, re-enter the next room and fight the spider separately.

NOTE: This room is part of the same LARGE ROOM WITH WOODEN CYLINDERS. The upper areas are connected but, again, you can't reach most of those areas yet.

MORE DUNGEON ROOMS:

Climb the almost vertical post. Perch on top and jump over to the wooden beam. Ignore the horizontal pole above for now and jump from the beam into the elevated doorway. Shoot a few small spiders in this room and go through into the room on the left. Here you'll find another giant spider and a breakable jar with a treasure (12/28) inside.

Return through the previous room to the doorway overlooking the large, high-ceilinged room with the vertical post and wooden beam.

LARGE ROOM - OTHER SIDE:

Jump onto the wooden beam. Walk along it toward the wall. Then turn left to face the wall beside the elevated doorway. Use that wall to chimney jump and grab the horizontal pole above the beam. Pull up to stand on the pole with the wall on Lara's left. Jump forward and grapple the metal ring on the wall above.

There's a tempting wooden ledge high up on the right side of this room. You can reach it using the grapple, and there are some goodies to be had there, but some parts of the area beyond are not yet accessible. If you wait until a bit later in the level, you can get everything at once.

For now, adjust the cable length so Lara is hanging a little below the open doorway to the right. Then wall run and jump to that doorway.

MORE DUNGEON ROOMS AND CORRIDORS:

The lighting here is warmer and yellowish. There's a health pack just inside on the left. Enter the hallway on the right. Just around the next corner, you'll meet another thrall knight. Take care of it and continue onward and up a curved staircase.

At the top, shoot some bats. Smash the pottery urn just inside the next room on the right and get the treasure (13/28) inside. Then move to the edge of the ledge overlooking the next room. The floor is far below, so move carefully.

Step out on the left where the ledge juts out a bit and jump to grab the horizontal pole. Perch on top of it and jump forward to grab the handhold on the wall ahead. Climb to the right past the small gap in the handhold. At the end, jump to grab another handhold on the square support column to the right. Drop to the handhold below and climb around to the right.

Here Lara disturbs a flock of bats in the next room. Equip pistols and shoot them one-handed so they don't cause Lara to lose her grip. Then jump back to grab a handhold on the support column behind Lara. Climb around to the left. Jump up to grab the handhold above. Climb to the left and jump to grab the next horizontal pole. Swing, jump and grab a handhold on the wall ahead. Climb to the left and jump to grab the next handhold. Keep climbing to the left as far as Lara will go and then drop down into the doorway.

Step forward to trigger the next checkpoint. Then turn around to face the doorway overlooking the previous room. Pick up the health pack on the left. Then jump from the doorway to perch on top of the tall, narrow column. Press B to drop and hug the column. Then press back on the left stick to slide down to the floor.

There are 2 treasures (14 and 15/28) in this L-shaped pit: one inside a breakable jar at the end of the room with the short, broken column, the other in one of the low, arch-shaped alcoves at the other end of the L. Stay alert. When you pick up the second treasure a giant spider approaches from the opposite end of the room. If you like, you can grab the nearby column and climb up a bit to shoot the spider from safety.

When you have everything, climb up the long column that doesn't attach to the ceiling, perch on top of it and jump back into the doorway.

Follow the hallway forward and up another curved staircase. There's a delightful, medieval spear trap just ahead. As Lara admires its construction, a thrall knight shambles along the corridor toward her. There's no need to shoot, though, since the trap makes short work of the enemy. Approach the spears, stand in the center where they meet and run through when they separate.

Continue around the corner to the next hazard: double spear traps above a deep pit. To get through, begin by chimney jumping up the narrower section of corridor before the trap to grab one of the narrow ledges above. Climb along the ledge toward the trap and jump to grab the horizontal pole spanning the corridor. Position Lara at the center of the pole, facing the gap where the spears meet. Swing around the pole and as the spears begin to separate, jump forward to grab the next horizontal pole. Continue swing around as you wait for the second set of spears to separate. Then jump onto the safe ledge beyond.

Follow the hallway through a section where the floor is littered with skulls to emerge on a wooden ledge overlooking the next area.

GRINDER ROOM:

There's a huge spider inside on the left. Start shooting at it as soon as you spot it. If it manages to reach Lara, back into the hallway so it doesn't knock her off the high ledge. Then follow the wooden ramp on the left down to the landing below and drop from there to the floor.

When Lara touches down a thrall knight descends from the ledge behind her. When you've taken care of it, a second thrall hops down from above. There are also some bats thrown in to make things interesting.

Once you've cleared the room, pick up a few goodies: 2 treasures (16 and 17/28) in breakable urns, one at the base of the huge grinding machine, the other in one of the small alcoves at floor level.

Climb onto the stone ledge with the collapsed outer corner. Pick up the health pack. Then grapple the metal ring on the wall above. Stand near the wall and jump straight up so Lara hangs from the cable. Then wall run and jump to the handhold on the right. Climb to the right and jump to grab the next handhold. Climb to the right and pull up onto the jutting wooden beam. Step out toward the grinder. Then turn about 45 degrees to the left. Jump to the next beam and then step onto the wooden ledge.

Another humongous spider climbs toward Lara on the wall ahead. Shoot it down and kill it from above if possible. More bats also appear as you move around this ledge.

When the coast is clear, move to the edge of the ledge nearest the grinder. Jump to grab the wide metal band running around the middle of the huge, wooden cylinder Climb around to the left. (If you go to the right, Lara can get stuck in the machinery and squashed.) Keep climbing to the left onto the horizontal beam connecting the grinder to the wall. Traverse along the beam, pull up to stand on it and then jump up to grab the edge of the ledge above. Pull up.

Turn to face out over the room and look out for another giant spider. Once you've killed it, smash the clay jar in the corner and claim another treasure (18/28).

Now grapple the metal ring on either of the two vertical bars. With the cable attached to one bar, walk around the other bar so the cable wraps around it. Position Lara between the two bars and pull on the cable, drawing the two bars together. When they touch, they sink into a hole in the floor, and a gate opens above and to the right of the metal ring you used for wall running earlier.

Step to the edge of this ledge and jump to grab the light-colored horizontal handhold on the wall above the grapple ring. Climb to the right and jump to grab the edge of the doorway you just opened. Pull up and go through.

NOTE: As in the room with the HUGE WOODEN CYLINDERS, some of the higher ledges in the GRINDER ROOM cannot be reached yet. You'll be able to get up there after you've activated the grinder.

WATERWHEEL ROOM - UPPER LEVEL:

Now you're back in the waterwheel room, high above the areas you explored earlier. Grapple the metal ring on the opposite wall. Step off the ledge to dangle from the cable. Shorten the cable and swing over to the broken wooden stairs on the left. Go up the ramp and turn to face out toward the waterwheel.

Shoot a flock of bats. Then step out onto the wooden beam that juts out toward the metal sluice gate ahead on the right. Jump forward to grab the horizontal bar on the front of it to pull the gate open. Water then begins to flow in, activating the huge WATERWHEEL, which in turn starts the GRINDER in motion. The cut scene showing all this also shows the doorway leading back to the GRINDER ROOM.

NOTE: If Lara misses the grab and falls into the pool, it's easier to just save the game and reload to continue from the wooden ledge where you shot the bats. Otherwise, you must climb up to the doorway where you found treasure #7 earlier, go through the gate, which is now open, into the GRINDER ROOM, and climb back up to the doorway that leads to the top of the WATERWHEEL ROOM. Then repeat the grapple swing to reach the highest ledge here.

Once the waterwheel is moving, dive into the pool. Swim over to the small wooden raft and climb onto it. Jump to grab one of the handholds on the square column. Climb up and jump to grab the wooden beam on the left. Pull up onto the ledge and go through the open doorway.

GRINDER ROOM (with ACTIVE GRINDER):

When you re-enter this room after starting up the waterwheel, another thrall knight drops down on Lara from above. Destroy it and shoot down another flock of bats.

NOTE: A few players have reported that the spiked rollers on the grinder don't actually do any damage and Lara can pass right through them. If this is the case for you, that's lovely. You can make a leisurely climb to the top of the room. In the version of the game I have, all three rollers are deadly. Here's one possible strategy for getting past them.

Now that the grinder is moving, you'll be able to use it to reach those high places you couldn't get to before. Step up onto the low platform at the base of the machine, on the side nearest the gate and grapple ring. Move to the right side, farthest from the spiked roller. Watch the main cylinder of the grinder. When it rotates so there are two narrow metal bands overhead, one above the other, jump up to grab the first, quickly jump up to the second and then jump a third time to reach the wider metal band, which doesn't move. (This is the band you used to climb around the cylinder earlier.) If you take too long to do this, the cylinder will rotate toward the spiked roller and it'll be Croftburgers all around.

Once Lara is hanging from the wide band, climb to the left so she's is hanging next to the horizontal beam that connects the grinder to the wall. Now it is revolving so you can't grab onto it. Watch the main cylinder above. When a section with two stacked handholds moves overhead, quickly jump up three times to reach the wide metal band above that doesn't move. Again, if you hesitate, the cylinder turns to the right, propelling Lara into a second spiked roller.

While hanging from the second wide band, climb around the cylinder to the right as far as possible. Lara will be hanging beside the second spiked roller. This will give you a little more time to navigate the moving parts above. Watch the cylinder above and wait for the narrow metal band to approach from the right. As soon as it does, jump up to grab it. It rotates to the left, but you want to go to the right, so climb in that direction, tapping Y to make Lara move faster to compensate for the motion of the cylinder. As soon as the vertical column is behind Lara, jump back to grab it. If the cylinder rotates too fast and you can't reach the column before you run out of handhold, drop down to the wide band that doesn't move and try again. If you hang on, Lara will get squashed by the third spiked roller.

When Lara reaches the vertical column, a giant spider appears below. You can probably kill it with one pistol while hanging here. If not, jump over to the wide wooden ledge to do it.

Pick up the treasure (19/28) in the right corner and then cross to the other end of the ledge. Jump onto the wooden beam and walk to the left end of it. Jump to grab the horizontal bar on the open gate ahead. Climb to the right and then jump into the doorway.

STILL MORE DUNGEON ROOMS AND CORRIDORS:

There's a health pack just around the corner on the right. Get it and then follow the hall down another curved staircase. At the bottom, continue to a room with no floor. A thrall knight leaps up from below. You'll also have to deal with a few bats.

Ignore the metal ring on the ceiling for the moment. First, jump over to the small ledge on the right, where there's a treasure (20/28) lying in plain sight. Pick it up and then turn around, grapple the ring and step off the edge. Let out the cable to lower Lara to the floor.

There are 2 treasures (21 and 22/28) down here. One is concealed in a breakable jar below the entrance. The other is in another jar at the opposite end of the room. Each time you break a jar and take a treasure, a giant spider appears, so 2 large spiders in all. If you like, you can jump onto one of the columns, climb up a bit and shoot them one-handed. They can't reach Lara there.

When you're ready to move on, climb the middle column. Perch on top and jump to grab the long handhold on the side wall. Pull up to stand on it and then sidestep to the right (Lara's left). At the end, jump straight up to grab the handhold above. Jump back to grab the horizontal pole. Swing, jump and grab the handhold on the next square support. Climb around to the left and jump to the wide ledge below.

Enter the next hallway, which is on the left. Deal with more bats and another thrall knight. Continue along the passageway to another deep pit with spear traps.

To navigate the traps, first grapple the metal ring high on the left wall. Climb the cable as high as Lara will go. Then press Jump to leap away from the wall and grab the handhold on the other side of the hallway. Climb to the left and jump to grab the horizontal pole that extends all the way across the corridor. Position Lara at the center of the pole, facing the gap between the spears. Swing around and just as the spears begin to separate, jump forward to grab the next horizontal pole. Repeat this twice to reach the far edge of the pit.

Advance gradually along this hallway, since two things happen almost simultaneously: Zip hails Lara over the headset just before another giant spider attacks. If you trigger each event separately, the sounds of combat won't drown out the dialogue.

Zip says that he's just spotted the doppelganger heading Lara's way. "That's not good," Lara responds. "I'd need an army to stop that thing."

Continue to emerge above one of the areas you visited before. With the sluice gate in the WATERWHEEL ROOM open, this room is now partially flooded. The big, wooden cylinders you saw earlier are submerged off to the left. The other side of this room, where you used the grapple ring high on the wall to reach the elevated doorway, is straight ahead beyond the ornate fence.

LARGE ROOM WITH HUGE WOODEN CYLINDERS - FLOODED:

Hang from the doorway and drop to the floor. Another giant spider approaches from the other side of the fence. Kill it.

OBTAINING THE RELIC:

With the low-lying rooms now flooded, you will be able to reach the RELIC. Start by going to the edge of this ledge and jumping into the pool. Swim to the bottom and then turn right and go through the tunnel connecting this room to the next one. (You walked through here earlier.) Surface on the other side and head for the doorway in the far, left corner of the room. Climb up into the doorway.

NOTE: I experienced a minor bug here, in which Lara swam beneath the floor of the room instead of climbing up. She was able to breathe, though, and eventually I managed to navigate back out to the pool and climb into the doorway normally. This doesn't seem dangerous, but I thought I should warn you.

Jump from the doorway onto the wooden beam, which is now just above the surface of the water. Then jump toward the wall on the left and spring back, chimney jump style, to grab the horizontal pole above the beam. (Remember, you did this earlier.) Pull up to stand on the pole. Jump forward and grapple the metal ring on the wall above.

This time adjust the length of the cable so Lara's feet are just above the narrow, horizontal band on the wall. Wall run back and forth and jump to the wooden ledge high on the right. Here you'll find a clay jar containing a treasure (23/28).

Step into the doorway overlooking the next room. If you hold the Target Lock button and look to the right, Lara may spot the giant spider in the next room before you do. Try and shoot it before it reaches her. Then hang from the edge of the doorway and drop down into the room below.

Climb the shorter column on the other side of the room to perch on top of it. Then jump to grab the narrow, uneven ledge. Pull up and take another treasure (24/28). Drop to the floor and roll through the low tunnel on the left to emerge in a small flooded room.

This is similar to the SEWER room you explored near the beginning of the level. If you came here before activating the WATERWHEEL, this room would have been dry, and you would not have been able to reach the alcoves on the sides. Now you can. So swim across the pool of grody water and climb out on the right. Jump across the water to grab the ledge on the other side. Pull up and claim the RELIC.

Swim back to the ledge where you started. Return through the low tunnel to the previous room. Climb the taller column and jump back to the doorway above the flooded rooms. Dive into the pool and swim back through the submerged hallway to the side with the HUGE WOODEN CYLINDERS. Climb back onto the ledge on the left with the two short wooden posts.

DETOUR FOR A TREASURE:

Climb the post on the left (i.e., the one closer to the ornate fence) and perch on top of it. Turn to face the other post and the elevated doorway where you entered this area from the hallway with the spear traps. Jump to grab the wooden beam on the left and pull up. Move in toward the wall and jump straight up. Lara will grab the handhold above on the right. Climb to the smaller handhold beyond it. Jump up to grab the handhold above. Then take a long jump to the right to grab the small handhold just beyond the niche with skulls inside. Jump up to the handhold above. Climb to the right, then upward. Then jump up to the next handhold. Climb then jump to the left to grab the handhold below the rusty, round grate. Jump to the left again to grab the edge of the next niche. Pull up and take the treasure (25/28) inside.

Hang from the right edge of the niche and drop to the handhold far below. After the long drop, you'll need to press Y to make a saving grab. Then climb to the left and drop onto the beam. Walk to the end and jump back to the post.

CLIMBING TO THE CENTER LEDGE:

Now you'll be climbing to the wide ledge between the two partially flooded rooms. At this point, the ornate fence should be on Lara's right. Jump from the post to grab the wooden beam sticking out of the wall ahead. Pull up onto it, walk toward the wall and jump to grab the handhold above. Climb to the right, along two handholds. Then take a long jump to the right to grab the next handhold. Climb around the corner and onto the wooden ladder. Then climb the ladder to the ledge above.

As you climb, another giant spider appears below. You may be able to shoot it while hanging. Otherwise, wait until you reach the top of the ladder and then take care of it.

DRAGON PUZZLE:

Here you'll find 3 decorative metal tiles set on perpendicular tracks in the floor. The tiles depict a dragon's head, tail and body. At the end of each track is a black dragon statue. The goal is to arrange the tiles in the correct order to complete the picture.

NOTE: If Lara accidentally falls into the pool while solving the puzzle, either save and reload in which case you'll have to start the puzzle again or swim back to the ledge with the two wooden posts. (If she falls into the pool on the right side of the room, you'll need to return through the underwater tunnel to reach that ledge.) Then climb the post, handholds and ladder as you did before.

The following sequence is illustrated in the diagram at right. The numbered steps in the text match the corresponding steps in the diagram.

• (1) Begin by standing on the tile depicting the dragon's body. Face the barred door at the far end of the track and grapple the metal ring above it. Press Y to pull on the cable and slide the tile, with Lara standing on it, along the track. You don't need to move it too far just enough so another tile will fit where it was.
• (2) If you detached the cable from the ring, attach it again and then walk onto the tile with the tail. Pull on the cable to slide the tail tile forward so it comes to rest next to the body tile.
• (3) With the cable still attached walk around the dragon statue on the right (i.e., right when facing the grapple ring) and step onto the dragon's head tile. With the cable wrapped around the outer edge of the statue and Lara standing on the head tile, pull on the cable to slide the tile to the right as far as it will go. This puts the head in the correct position to solve the puzzle. Detach the cable.
• (4) Attach the cable to the ring again. Now walk behind the middle statue so the cable wraps around it. Stand on the dragon's tail tile. At this point the cable will form a tight U around the statue. Pull to slide the tail tile toward the statue. It will stop in the space where the two sets of tracks cross. Release the cable.
• (5) Attach the cable to the ring again. Walk around the statue on the left to wrap the cable around it. Stand on the tail tile again and pull to slide it along the track so it ends up next to the left statue. This puts the tail in its proper position. Detach the cable.
• (6) Finally, attach the cable to the ring once more. Walk around behind the middle statue again, just as you did in step 4. Again, the cable forms a tight U around the statue. Step all the way back onto the body tile. Do not allow the two sections of the cable to touch each other, or the cable will detach and you'll have to try again. Pull on the cable to slide the body tile toward the middle statue and into its proper position.

Now the tiles should be arranged correctly: head, body, then tail, from right to left. When the puzzle is solved, the gate below the grapple ring opens. Go through and pick up a health pack behind the larger dragon statue. Another treasure is visible through the bars on the left, but you can't reach it yet. Grapple the ring on the dragon statue and pull it along the track. When it reaches the tiles, a mechanism inside the floor is activated.

In the subsequent cut scene, the huge cylinders in the pool below rise up and extend rings of whirling blades. Lovely.

NAVIGATING THE BLADE TRAPS:

Grapple the ring on the movable dragon statue. Step off the left edge of the ledge (i.e., left when facing the statue, gate and grapple ring). Rappel down the wall until Lara is hanging a little higher than the wooden beam on her left. Wall run just a few steps in that direction and then release the cable to drop onto the beam.

Walk to the end and scope out the slice-o-matic before you. This cylinder has moving segments with handholds similar to the ones on the GRINDER. You're aiming for the level just above Lara's head. Wait for the grabbable part of the cylinder to rotate toward you and then jump to catch it. There's no need to worry about the blades as you make this jump.

Once Lara is hanging onto the cylinder, tilt the camera upward and wait for another handhold to move within reach. Now you do need to mind the blades. As soon as one passes, jump up to grab the handhold above. This part of the cylinder rotates in the opposite direction from the one below. Just hang on as it moves.

Locate the metal ring high on the wall opposite the ledge with the dragon puzzle. As the cylinder rotates, lean back and prepare to jump. There's no hurry. If you need to go around more than once, you can. When the ring is behind Lara, jump away from the cylinder and quickly fire the grapple to snag the ring.

When you do, the guillotine on the wall directly below the ring snaps closed. This is not dangerous. It only means that now the light-colored wooden bar above the small, wooden ledge is within reach. So if Lara falls into the pool after grappling the ring, you can climb out on this ledge. Grab the wooden bar, pull up to stand on it. Then jump to grab the beam on the right. From there you can jump to the right and grapple the ring above, saving the trouble of navigating the first blade cylinder again. If you don't manage to grapple the ring on the first try, thus lowering the wooden bar, you'll have to swim to the broad ledge with the two posts and repeat the climb to the DRAGON PUZZLE. Then rappel down to the beam and try again.

Once Lara is hanging from the ring, look to the left to spot a niche in the wall with a treasure inside. Adjust the cable so Lara is hanging at or a little below the level of the handhold below the niche. Wall run and jump to the left to grab the handhold. Then climb up and get the treasure (26/28). Hang from the edge of the niche, jump to the right and grapple the ring once more.

Extend the cable if necessary, run just a bit to the right and drop onto the beam next to the guillotine. If you miss, climb out of the water on the ledge below the guillotine and then climb up to the beam.

From this beam, jump to grab the nearest handhold on the wall ahead. Climb to the right as far as possible. Then jump to the right to land on the next jutting wooden beam.

Walk to the end and turn slightly to the right to face second cylindrical blade trap. Watch the rotating section directly in front of Lara. When the handhold at the top of it moves within reach, jump forward to grab it. Wait for the handhold on the section above to move directly overhead. Then, just after one of the blades spins past, jump up to grab the handhold. Repeat this process three times to reach the highest ring, which doesn't move. Climb around to the left as far as you can go. Climb upward onto the short, metal handhold just above. Then jump up to grab the top edge of the cylinder. Jump up again to stand on top and trigger a well-deserved checkpoint.

Save your game. Then, if Lara falls in the pool while going after the next couple of treasures, you can reload and start here, instead of having to climb the slicer-dicer again.

Turn around and jump down to the small wooden ledge with the treasure (27/28). This is the one you saw through the bars of the dragon statue room earlier. Once you have it, walk to the end of the beam jutting out from this ledge. Jump to grab the blade cylinder and climb back on top.

Turn to face the blue-lit area with the large archway at the end of the room. Grapple the metal ring on the ceiling ahead and step off the edge. Before swinging over to the blue area, pivot to the right to face the side wall. Ahead, inside a big, iron sewer pipe, is the last treasure (28/28) in the level. To reach it, adjust the length of the cable so Lara is hanging just above the top of the wall on her left. Pivot left or right as needed so she's squarely facing the pipe with the treasure. (Clicking the left stick centers the camera behind Lara so you can make sure she's facing exactly where you want her to go.)

This jump is a little tricky, so do a few test swings before letting go of the cable. You want Lara swinging level with or just slightly above the pipe opening. Swing, jump and fall to grab the edge. Then pull up and take the precious.

NOTE: If Lara falls and dies while attempting to jump into the pipe, be sure and get treasure #27 again, since you picked it up after the most recent checkpoint.

Once you have the final treasure, stand in the opening of the pipe, jump forward and grapple the ring on the ceiling once more. Now turn right, swing over the wall and drop into the blue-lit area. Don't swing back and forth too many times or Lara will swing back into the blades.

When Lara touches the floor, a brief cut scene shows a thrall rising from a pool of Eitr off to the right.

OPEN AREA WITH GATES AND EITR POOLS:

When you regain control, get ready to fight. Destroy this thrall knight as you did the others.

The artifact Lara seeks is in the room beyond the big archway. Four gates block your progress. There are also four short passages, two on each side, leading from this open area to the toxic streams the EITR STONE is generating.

Thralls continue to spawn from these four passages as long as they remain open. To stop them from coming, and to open the way to the artifact room, you must go into each of the four passages and pull a switch. Each time you do this, a gate closes, sealing off the thrall-spawning point in that passageway. At the same time, one of the four gates in front of the artifact room opens.

So, as quickly as you can, make your way to each of the four passageways. Locate the switch, which is shaped like a plank handhold, jump up to grab it and let Lara's weight pull it down. As you move around the room closing each of the gates, you'll have to destroy any thralls that have spawned from the remaining open passageways. This will get easier as you go, since fewer openings means fewer thralls.

ARTIFACT ROOM:

When all four gates are closed, then all four gates leading to the artifact room will be open. Go in to complete the level.

Final cut scene: Lara enters the inner chamber and examines the EITR STONE. Now that she's able to see it in person, she is quickly able to decipher the carving. But before she can take the artifact, a thrall knight approaches from behind. She turns and speaks the power word aloud: "Ohk eshivar!" As promised, the thrall halts and waits to do her bidding.

Lara has no chance to test the device's powers further before the doppelganger appears in the doorway. Lara orders the thrall to kill, but the doppelganger just smashes it aside.

Again Lara utters the incantation, and the doppelganger stops short.

"You have to do whatever I ask now, correct?" Lara demands. The doppelganger nods.

The scene shifts to a long shot, and we hear only murmuring as Lara explains what she wants her double to do. Her final instructions are clear as can be, however: "Make sure Natla suffers."

As the double turns to leave, Zip speaks over the headset. "You're letting her go? She killed Alister!"

Lara lifts the Eitr Stone from the pedestal as she answers, "And now she is the instrument of his vengeance."