LEVEL 19: PHAROS, TEMPLE OF ISIS
Secrets: 0*
(NOTE: If you don't yet have the PHAROS PILLAR and/or PHAROS KNOT, you'll need to return to the LOST LIBRARY and/or HALL OF DEMETRIUS levels before continuing. If you need directions to get back to these earlier levels, see below at the **.)
FLOODED CAVE: Near the top of the cave, above the ruined facade, is an air pocket with a ledge where you can climb out. From here you can kill the hammerhead shark, though you may have to take a swim or two to lure it near the opening. (You can also simply avoid the shark.)
There are two openings in the facade about halfway up the front of it. Swim through the left opening, climb out of the water and place the PHAROS KNOT in the receptacle. Swim back out to the cave and in through the right opening. Place the PHAROS PILLAR in the receptacle there. This opens the carved doors down at the base of the facade. Swim down and through these doors.
ROOM WITH RAM STATUES AND POOL: When you reach the room at the top of the stairs, an ornamented skeleton rises up from the floor. Blast it or knock it into the pool between the two rams. Jump in the pool and swim down.
SMALL UNDERWATER ROOM WITH THREE DOORS: All of these doors open if you swim close to them and press Action, but there is nothing behind the left or middle door. Open the one on the right (north) and swim through to a room where you can surface.
ROOM WITH THREE STAIRCASES AND SMALL POOL: As you enter, a golden bird materializes and begins shooting energy bolts at Lara. You probably want to conserve your explosive ammo for the skeletons, so use your pistols or Uzis and keep moving. You'll know it's about to fire an energy blast when the gold sparks swirl around it and you can jump out of the way.
Shoot the four hollow benches to get some goodies: small and large medipaks, plus 3 boxes of regular shotgun shells and 3 boxes of wideshot shells. You can now explore the areas at the top of the three staircases in any order you like.
WEST STAIRS/ROOM WITH BLUE AND SILVER PYRAMID: The stairs lead up to a colorfully painted anteroom with hollow benches containing a large medipak, regular shotgun shells and wideshot shells. Get the goodies and continue through to the next room.
As you enter the PYRAMID ROOM, another ornamented skeleton comes out of the floor. Take it out with a grenade or explosive arrow. Save your game before sliding down any of the chutes.
(BUG NOTE: There's a bug with the black beetles-no pun intended. In order to complete this level, you'll need to find four BLACK BEETLE artifacts. You'll also find a few useless BROKEN BEETLES. The problem is that some of the black beetles may not appear in your inventory when you pick them up. If you like, you can place each beetle in one of the receptacles on the side of the pyramid as soon as you get it. However, even if you don't see all of the beetles in the inventory, by the time you finish the level the four sides of the pyramid, where you place the beetles, should open anyway. If you have trouble here, you can download a PC savegame file. Choose patched save (if you installed the TRLR patch) or unpatched save. For help with savegames and .zip files, see here.)
You can skip the CHUTE ON THE RIGHT (NORTH) SIDE, since there is only a BROKEN BEETLE artifact and some nastiness down there. But if you insist on covering everything (or have already slid down here and need to know what to do next), hurry to the far end of the pool of oil and climb out before the oil ignites. Use the CROWBAR to pry the BROKEN BEETLE out of the wall, releasing a horde of live beetles and changing the ramp into stairs. Climb up to either of the ledges that flank the oil pool. Run along the ledge back to the ramp and jump to the base of the stairs. Climb up quickly, or use a series of standing jumps from the edge of each block to the next. The beetles follow you until you get back to the PYRAMID ROOM.
Slide down the MIDDLE (WEST) CHUTE, jumping at the end to get a little more distance. Then hurry to the end of the pool and climb out before the oil ignites. Use the CROWBAR to pry the BLACK BEETLE out of the wall. Climb onto the ledge, walk back to the ramp, which turned into stairs when you took the beetle. Take a standing jump into the opening and climb the stairs back to the PYRAMID ROOM. To avoid complications with the possible beetle bug (above), place the BLACK BEETLE in one of the receptacles on the side of the pyramid now.
Slide down the LEFT (SOUTH) CHUTE, jumping at the end to get a little more distance. Then hurry to the end of the pool and climb out on the ledge to the right before the oil ignites. Do not pry out the BROKEN BEETLE next to the step. You don't need it, and taking it out will cause a swarm of live beetles to scurry out of the hole. Instead, climb up to the ledge above and use the CROWBAR to pry the BLACK BEETLE out of the end wall. You can then pry out the BROKEN BEETLE without the scarabs swarming out, but there's no need to do this. Climb onto the ledge, walk back to the ramp, which has turned into stairs. Take a standing jump into the opening and climb the stairs back to the PYRAMID ROOM. To avoid complications with the possible beetle bug (above), place the BLACK BEETLE in one of the receptacles on the side of the pyramid now.
After finishing this area, you should have found and placed two BLACK BEETLES. You'll need four in all. So if you don't have them yet, return downstairs to the ROOM WITH THREE STAIRCASES AND SMALL POOL.
SOUTH STAIRS/ROOM WITH CLEOPATRA STATUE: Climb the stairs and enter the statue room. The door closes behind you. Approach the statue, taking note of the raised alcoves on the left and right walls and the lighter-colored tile with the circle on it in the middle of the hall, which is a trapdoor.
Climb onto either of the tall, rectangular blocks in the corners nearest the statue. Use the CROWBAR to pry out the BEETLE artifact. When you do, a horde of live beetles swarms out of the hole and a block raises along one of the side walls. Hop down and run to the other tall corner block, where you'll be safe from the beetles at least until you pry out the second BEETLE artifact. This releases more live beetles and raises a second block along the other side wall. (NOTE: The BLACK BEETLE artifact is on the right and the BROKEN BEETLE is on the left. You won't use the BROKEN BEETLE, but you do need to pry it out in order to access the raised alcove.)
Hop down and run to either of the raised blocks on the side walls. Climb up to the alcove, where you'll be safe from the beetles for now. Push the carved square tile. Hop down and run across the room, climb up to the opposite alcove and push the second carved square tile. Pushing both of these opens the trapdoor in the middle of the room. Hop down, run into the trapdoor, pressing Action to grab the ladder inside the opening. Wait for the beetles to scurry down through the opening. If you pull up and walk away from the opening, the beetles will crawl down to the floor of the room below so you can drop onto the block below without being bitten.
Hop down to the floor of the room below and run to the back side of the angled block ahead on the right. Jump to grab the edge and position Lara so she's hanging from the right side of the block. Pull up and press Jump to back flip onto the angled block behind. Continue to hold the Jump key and Lara will land on the ledge above. Take the WINDING KEY from the pedestal. Press the carved square tile to open the exit door above in the STATUE ROOM.
Drop down from the ledge and run to the block with the ladder. Climb up, jump to grab the ladder inside the trapdoor and climb back to the STATUE ROOM. Exit the way you came and go back downstairs to the ROOM WITH THREE STAIRCASES AND SMALL POOL. One of those fancy skeletons comes up out of the floor as you re-enter the room. You can blast it into the pool with the shotgun or dispose of it with something explosive.
If you're worried about the beetle bug (above), you can go up the west stairs to the ROOM WITH THE BLUE AND SILVER PYRAMID and place the BLACK BEETLE you just found in one of the receptacles on the pyramid. (If you've followed the walkthrough up to this point, you'll have placed three of the four BLACK BEETLES.) Return downstairs to the ROOM WITH THREE STAIRCASES AND SMALL POOL.
NORTH STAIRS/CLEOPATRA'S PALACES: Follow the hallway at the top of the stairs to enter the next level. (NOTE: You'll be coming back to PHAROS, TEMPLE OF ISIS after getting one more BLACK BEETLE. Therefore, I have included this brief foray into the PALACES level within this walkthrough.)
CLEOPATRA'S PALACES - ROOM WITH FOUNTAIN AND GREENERY: Enter this lovely room.
Cut scene: The camera pans one side of the room, giving you a hint as to where you're headed. The path is a little roundabout, though.
Cross the room and go through either of the doors to the northeast (below the balcony). If you want a few quick pick-ups, shoot the three hollow benches in the alcoves off the wide hallway ahead. Inside you'll find a large medipak, normal arrows and revolver ammo. Beyond this the hallway narrows, and there are holes in the floor where spikes pop up. Avoid this area for now. Instead, backtrack toward the ROOM WITH FOUNTAIN AND GREENERY. Before you reach it, you'll see a ramp on the right. Go up it to the room above.
CLEOPATRA'S PALACES - HALLWAY ABOVE RAMP: Shoot the hollow bench at the top of the ramp to get the regular and wideshot shells inside. When you walk out onto the balcony an ornamented skeleton emerges behind you. You can blast it with a grenade or explosive arrow, or use the shotgun to blow it off the balcony or into the ramp opening. Go into the alcove to the right and use the CROWBAR to open the small, square door with a man's face carved on it. Follow the dimly lit hallway to another carved door. Use the CROWBAR to open it and continue to a room with an opening in the floor and a window hung with vines. (This is the window you saw in the cut scene earlier.)
Save your game. Then slide down the ramp into a pool of oil. Quickly wade over to the left side and climb out on the ledge before the oil ignites. Or, climb out on the ledge ahead, turn around and take a running jump to the ledge on the right of the ramp. Then jump from there to the alcove with the BEETLE. Use the CROWBAR to pry a BLACK BEETLE artifact out of the wall. Turn around and take a diagonal standing jump to the left side of the opposite ledge to avoid the overhanging block. From there, take a standing jump (without grabbing) into the small opening where the ramp was. It's now steps. Climb back up to the hallway. Safety drop from the opening with the vines to the floor. Return through the south door (opposite the wall with the balcony) to the TEMPLE OF ISIS level.
PHAROS, TEMPLE OF ISIS - ROOM WITH THREE STAIRCASES AND SMALL POOL: As you come down the stairs, another golden bird materializes at the top of the middle stairway. Destroy it, then return up the middle stairs to the PYRAMID ROOM. Place the BLACK BEETLE in the receptacle on the pyramid.
When you have placed all four BLACK BEETLES, the pyramid will open fully. Take the MECHANICAL SCARAB from the pedestal. Return downstairs to the ROOM WITH THREE STAIRCASES AND SMALL POOL. Go back up the stairs on the left (south) and follow the hallway to CLEOPATRA'S PALACES.
(BUG NOTE: If you come to the end of the level and find you don't have all the necessary black beetles in your inventory, see the bug note above.)
(**) BACK TO THE PREVIOUS LEVELS: If you don't have the PHAROS PILLAR and/or PHAROS KNOT, you should go back and get them before going on. The PHAROS PILLAR is in the LOST LIBRARY. The PHAROS KNOT is in the HALL OF DEMETRIUS. How to get there will depend on what you've done so far. If, at the end of the TEMPLE OF POSEIDON LEVEL, you opened the gate leading back to the COASTAL RUINS level, you can get back to the LIBRARY and HALL OF DEMETRIUS through THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON. From PHAROS, TEMPLE OF ISIS, swim back through the underwater tunnel to the COASTAL RUINS level. Surface and swim around the building to the right. Climb the stairs and re-enter the building through the wrought iron gate marked "C" in the second diagram on the COASTAL RUINS page.
If you didn't open that gate, you'll need to take a longer route to get back to the LOST LIBRARY and HALL OF DEMETRIUS: Swim around that same building to the right but instead of going through door "C" follow the tide pools around to the northwest, where you can climb out of the water on the rocks near the building with the ramp. Climb up the dunes to the building on the hill and enter the CATACOMBS at the gate marked "D" on the second COASTAL RUINS diagram (i.e., the gate on the high ledge in the courtyard with the boulder pit). Go straight through the first CATACOMBS room, slide down the pole, take a running jump from the ledge to grab ladder on the right wall, climb down, and go up the stairs at the far end of the room to enter POSEIDON. Climb down the ladder, drop into the water-filled pit, swim down through the underwater passage to the next room. Follow the hallway to the room where you got the LEFT GAUNTLET. Go through crawlspace to THE LOST LIBRARY, where you'll find the PHAROS PILLAR. Continue to the HALL OF DEMETRIUS to get the PHAROS KNOT. If you need more specific directions, refer to the walkthroughs for those levels.
*NOTE: There are 70 secrets in the entire game. These are marked "(x/70)" in this walkthrough. To check your progress in-game, press Pause and choose Statistics.
Copyright © 2000 - Stellalune (e-mail stella@tombraiders.net). Special thanks are given to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, without whom some parts of this walkthrough couldn't have been written. Thanks also to Luc for his help on this level. Feel free to copy, distribute and quote this walkthrough, but please include this credit line so people can send me their corrections, comments and suggestions. Also, if you'd like to offer this on your own web site, kindly ask permission first.
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