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LEVEL 5: ST. FRANCIS' FOLLY

• Kills: 23
• Items: 19, including 4 keys
• Secrets: 4

(Note that the regular pick-ups here will include the SHOTGUN if you didn't get it earlier.)

First, a movie: Lara breaks into the Natla Technologies building in the middle of the night. Rifling through a filing cabinet, she locates a leather-bound book. In it, Lara reads of the tomb of Tihocan, one of the three legendary rulers of the lost continent Atlantis. According to the book, the tomb lies beneath the ruins of a monastery that the writer--presumably a monk--refers to as "St. Francis' Folly." The book also reveals that with Tihocan lies his piece of the Scion, a powerful object divided among the three rulers.

Next, Lara travels to St. Francis' Folly, apparently somewhere in Mediterranean Europe. She scales a mountain to reach the building. Outside she finds a campsite. Picking up an empty can, she remarks, "Pierre, you litterbug."

Objectives: In the first part of the level, you need to open a door to access the switch that opens the way into the second area. In this part, you need to locate four switches to open four doors. Behind each of these doors is a key. All four keys are used to open the exit door.

Walk-through: Upon entering the level, draw weapons, since 2 lions immediately charge from ahead near the square blocks. I like the shotgun here, but it takes several shots to bring down each beast, so you do need to fire as soon as Lara gets a lock on the first lion. You can also immediately jump up on the low platform at the right and take out the lions from there.

Continue straight ahead and to the right. You'll see a movable block in a groove with two omegas (the Greek letter, omega (?), which looks like a horseshoe) on the floor. Slide (pull) the block once onto the nearest omega. You'll see a camera's-eye view of the door at the top of the balcony behind you. (You still need to pull a switch to open that door, but it won't work unless you've moved this block first.) Then push the block twice onto the other omega. This opens the door at the top of the landing ahead. Push the block once more to position it next to the rectangular block on the left. (You'll be climbing up here later.)

Go to the door you just opened--at the back of the room on the low landing. Ready weapons and step just into the doorway. Don't go all the way in yet. Stepping on the pressure pad with the omega on it will close the door behind you. You'll hear gorilla sounds from within. You can probably kill one of the 2 gorillas from the doorway if you wait for it to come down the stairs on the left. Now enter the room. If you hop over the pressure pad, the door will remain open. Kill the second gorilla as it comes down from the platform on the right.

If you stepped on the pressure pad and the door closed, climb the stairs to the platform on the right. Throw the switch to open the door.

Pull the switch at the center of the lower level to open the door above the far end of the big room beyond. This also causes another gorilla to appear out of nowhere on the landing above and to the left. Kill it as it comes down the stairs.

Now exit cautiously to the room with the blocks. Draw pistols and prepare to fire on Pierre DuPont, who'll be lurking among the blocks. It's important to use only pistols to save ammunition and to avoid taking much damage, since Pierre can't be killed at this time. You can use the door for cover, emerging every so often to get his attention. If you run after him shooting, you may lose a little more health, but he'll disappear more quickly. He'll reappear from time to time and later, at the end of Level 9 (Tomb of Tihocan), you'll finally be able to finish him off.

When he's gone, go to the movable block and climb up on it. (First make sure you've pushed it as far as it goes toward the gorilla/switch room.) Take a standing jump to grab the stone block next to it. (The controls for this jump can be a little temperamental if you're not practiced. Be sure to walk Lara right up to the edge then press Action + Jump + Forward in rapid succession, holding Action so Lara keeps her grip on the block.) Pull up.

Turn to the left, walk to the edge, hop back once and take a running jump to grab the next pillar. Pull up. Walk to the far left corner and line Lara up facing the ledge in front of the doorway beyond. Hop back and take another running jump to the ledge.

Inside are several angled blocks with an opening above. You need to do a tricky jump combination to get up there. To make it easier, I've included a diagram (below). I refer to the I refer to areas marked with letters in the descriptions that follow. You can probably do it without the picture, but a visual aid may help. (See stfrancis.gif, available online at http://tombraiders.net/stella/images/stfrancis.gif if you downloaded the walk-through without diagrams.)

Here's how: As you enter the room, there's an angled block that meets the floor on the left (A). Stand Lara in the doorway facing the angled block, with her left foot on the line of tiny triangles that spans the doorway. (This is the red line in the diagram.) Walk forward as far as possible toward the angled block. Hop back then press and hold Action. Press Jump + Forward, then release forward while holding both Action and Jump. Lara will jump forward onto the angled block (A), back flip off it onto the angled block behind her (B), turn to face down the slope and jump to grab the ledge above. Release Jump and press Forward to pull up to the middle level.

Here you'll find 2 more angled blocks--a lower one on the left (C), a taller one on the right (D). Position Lara facing the middle of the lower block with her back against the higher block. Hold Action and press Jump + Forward. Release Forward while holding Jump and Action, and Lara will jump forward onto the angled block (C), back flip onto the higher block (D), then jump forward to grab the ledge above (F). Pull up to the upper level.

This is SECRET #1, which includes a large med-pack and shotgun shells. Avoid the break-away tiles in the corner (E). To get down, safety drop from the ledge where you climbed up (F).

Exit to the ledge and take a running jump back to the nearest square pillar to the right. From there, turn to the right and take a standing jump back to the next lower pillar. Turn to the left and walk to the edge of this pillar. (The movable block should be behind you now.) Take a standing jump to grab the taller pillar beyond. Pull up and pick up the large med-pack. Now take a running jump to the brownish-gold ledge beyond. From here you need to make your way over the ledges at the edge of the room to the balcony with the door at the end, which you opened earlier. Enter and continue to a long slide.

There's a secret room opposite the bottom of the slide, which is rather difficult to get to. There are two ways of doing this. I haven't found one to be much easier than the other. If you're playing on the PC, save your game here. Then (1) Slide down the slope facing forward. Just before reaching the end press Jump so Lara hops up and lands on the shorter ramp below. Slide and, just before the end, press Jump and Action, so Lara jumps off the short ramp and grabs the door sill of the room opposite. Pull up. Or, (2) slide down the slope facing uphill. Hold Action so Lara grabs the end of the slide. Release action to drop to the smaller slide below. Then do a forward jump and Lara will back flip off the ramp into the secret room behind her.

Pick up the small med-pack and shotgun shells, SECRET #2. (NOTE: If you don't already have the SHOTGUN, you'll find it here in place of the shells.) Go to the small alcove ahead and drop down into the room below. DON'T USE THAT SWITCH YET. Instead go to the opening over the water and shoot the crocodile below. Jump in the water, turn around and swim forward to a small opening in the ceiling. Climb out and pick up some shotgun shells. This is SECRET #3. (NOTE: If you don't already have the SHOTGUN, you'll get it here instead of the shells.) Return underwater to the room where the switch is. Use the switch to drain the water and drop down.

(If you decide getting secret #2 isn't worth the aggravation, slide down the ramps into the water then swim forward to the small square opening. Get secret #3 and either kill the croc through the small opening or swim on to the larger room where the switch is. Now shoot the crocodile from there or use the switch to drain the water, drop down and shoot the croc on dry land.)

Head to the end of the now-dry passageway and go up the stairs on the right. You'll emerge at the top of a 6-story room with many ledges and landings. This section of the level is all about finding four switches to open four different doors--named after Thor, Atlas, Neptune and Damocles. (If you're not familiar with the myths involved, you might want to do a little research.) Behind each door is a trap or hazard, along with one of the four keys needed to open the exit.

In case you get disoriented or forget to throw a switch, you can always climb up and down between the different levels. Here's how the room is laid out: The switches are all on the central structure, the doors around the perimeter. Sixth (top) level = Neptune door. Fifth level = Thor switch. Fourth level = Damocles switch and Atlas door. Third level = Thor door. Second level = Neptune switch and Damocles door. First (bottom) level = Atlas switch and exit.

Take a running jump to the structure at the center, where you'll meet 3 bats. Kill them and cross to the other side. Drop down and find and use the THOR SWITCH. Hop across the small square opening and kill 2 more bats. Now hop back to the switch.

On a ledge across the gap, is a gray pressure pad. (It's on the right when you're facing the Thor switch.) This opens a secret door on the bottom level, which is timed to close after a little while. (Before going for it, make sure Lara is at full health and save your game if you can.)

Walk to the edge facing the pressure pad opposite. Hop back and take a running jump to land on the right side of it. Turn to the left, then take two hops back, holding Action to drop and hang from the edge. Let go and fall to the ledge below. Hop back once, then back flip down to the next lower level. Draw pistols and kill the 2 bats that attack, while continuing to run (or run/jump to cover more ground) straight ahead along the long ledge. Keep running as you fall down to the next lower level and run through the timed door. Inside is SECRET #4, a large med-pack and magnum clips. (NOTE: You can skip killing the bats on the way down, but they'll be waiting when you come out.)

Exit the secret room and go around to the far side of the central structure to find the ATLAS SWITCH. Pull it. Go up the steps to the end. Jump straight up to grab the ledge above and pull up. Walk to the end of this ledge. On the ledge across and to the right you should see some magnum clips. Ready weapons, jump across, kill the bat, then pick up the clips.

Turn around, jump back to the ledge on the right, and from there jump and grab the edge of central structure. Pull up, then go to the left to find and pull the NEPTUNE SWITCH.

Take a standing jump from the central structure to the top of the steps on the right of the DAMOCLES DOOR (which is still closed). On the ledge above the door is a large med-pack. Get this now, since later on when you return, Pierre will probably be lurking about. Then return to the top of the steps and turn to face the central structure. Walk to the edge and take a standing jump to grab the edge. Pull up.

Go to the far right side of the platform and take a running jump across to the ledge. Roll, drawing weapons, and kill 2 bats. Jump back to the central structure and go forward and to the right. Take a standing jump from the edge to grab the ledge opposite. Pull up, turn right and climb up on the next ledge. Kill 2 more bats. Turn and jump back to the central structure.

Climb over a block to the other side where you'll find the DAMOCLES SWITCH. Kill the bat that tries to mess with Lara's hairdo, then pull the switch. Turn to the left. Across the gap you'll see a small med-pack on a ledge. Jump over to get it then jump back to the switch.

Climb back over the block. Jump up to grab the edge of the opening in the central structure and pull up to the next level (the fifth). From here take a running jump to the bottom of the L-shaped stairs below and to the left of the door through which you entered this area. (It's the brightly lit one high above.) Kill another bat when you land, then go to the top of the stairs.

Across the way you'll see the NEPTUNE DOOR. Make your way over to it and go inside. (Save your game if you can.) Jump into the pool and swim downwards as the strong current carries you that way. There's a gate ahead, but don't go there yet. Instead, look for an opening on the left a little bit above the bottom. In this alcove is a lever. Pull it to open the gate and shut off the current. If you have plenty of air, turn around and swim down and to the left. Grab the NEPTUNE KEY, turn around and swim forward then up to the pool to surface. If you're low on air after pulling the lever, turn around and swim down and to the right, then up to the pool for air. Then dive down again, swim forward to get the key, then return to the top.

Exit the Neptune room, jump back to the central structure and drop down two levels. Now that you've started getting the keys, your favorite sniper, Pierre, will start to shoot at Lara as she makes her way from door to door. Try and stay under cover as best you can, and if you do shoot back, remember to use just the pistols, so as not to waste ammo. There are also 2 lions roaming around down there with him, so avoid dropping down to the ground until after you've killed them.

Approach the ATLAS DOOR with weapons drawn. Kill the gorilla lurking inside. Step on the pressure pad to open the gate then run through. Grab the small med-pack in the pit to the left. Climb out of the pit and WALK up the ramp. A boulder will start to roll down toward you. Back flip into the hole where you got the med-pack and run forward to the front edge. The boulder will roll past you into the pit. Climb out, go up the ramp, then climb onto the ledge on the left. Pull up to the next ledge and take the ATLAS KEY. Drop down and exit the room.

Take a running jump back to the central structure. Go to the left and drop down to the level below. Enter the THOR DOOR. Proceed slowly down the steps until the disco ball on the ceiling begins to shoot bolts of lightning. Note that the lightning only strikes the darker squares on the floor. To get through without taking any damage, walk to the right, staying close to the back wall. Then turn left to face the rightmost dark floor tile. Walk toward it then dive and roll (Walk + Jump + Forward) over the dark square and run into the next room. (Thanks to Ivans Chou for this tip.)

Now comes phase two. Above is an enormous hammer. On the floor is a pressure pad. Stand on the pad until you hear a crack, then hop back. The hammer will crash to the ground, along with a couple of large movable stone blocks. Go to the block near the hammer and push it over to the ledge so you can climb up. Follow the ledge to the next movable block. Pull it three times, then get on top of it. From here, take a standing jump to grab the tall pillar. Pull up and take the small med-pack. Turn to the left and take a running jump to grab the ledge beyond. Pull up, enter the alcove and get the THOR KEY. Return to the ledge, jump back to the pillar, and drop down to the lower ledge, then the floor. Repeat the dive-and-roll move to pass the lightning trap, and exit the room.

Go back across the walkway to the central structure and drop down to the level below. Jump over to the steps near the DAMOCLES DOOR and run inside quickly, so as not to be an easy target for Monsieur DuPont.

The swords hanging from the ceiling of the Damocles room are not a hazard, yet. Pass through the outer room into the chamber beyond and take the DAMOCLES KEY. Climb onto the platform above and get the shotgun shells and small med-pack. Now drop down and WALK very cautiously out through the sword room. To some extent, you can use the shadows of the swords on the ground to tell where they'll fall. However, because of the lighting, this isn't exact. Take a step at a time, listening for the tell-tale "swoosh" of the falling swords, and stay close to the walls and pillars, and you'll make it through.

When you emerge, Pierre will be ready for some action. Shoot at him with the pistols, staying under cover as best you can, until he disappears. Then kill the 2 lions from above before dropping down. Use your 4 keys in the locks on the wall and exit the level.