LOST TEMPLE OF VAARA

Level by DOS

Walkthrough is for the revised version, and provided by the author via the Web (and not the one included with the level download).

The Starting Room
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You begin with a nice music intro and camera view with no enemies. Go to the wall you are facing and push the switch. This will open a door to your right. Go inside and pick up the CROSSBOW. Watch for the two large SPIKE BALLS in between the two large columns. They will fall only if you stand under them. Go to the top platform and pull the object one block over. This will raise the first door to the Temple Hall. Go and get the MED PACK that was behind it. Next go to the wall you pulled the object from, there will be a crawlspace. Crawl through it and get the CROWBAR. When you come back out, go to your left and activate the pull-lever. This will open the final door to the Temple Hall. A SKELETON will come after you. Leave 'im, you can't kill him yet.

The Temple Hall
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Skelly is still after you so quickly climb up onto the ledge. The exit to the Temple Hall is blocked by a door. Turn around and jump to a second ledge. Run to the end and activate the push lever. This will open the door on the first ledge.

The Temple
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Upon entering the temple you will be given a nice flyby. This room has several doors, but the one in front center is the only one you're worried about for now. After the flyby, shoot the vase to your left and get the SUPER GRANADE AMMO. The vase opposite is empty. The next run will activate several SKELETONS and MUMMIES, so it's best to do it quickly. Sprint in between the pews to the front of the temple and shoot the vase to your left to get the GRENADE LAUNCHER. You can now dispense of the hunch-back skellies and the gurgling mummies. Now, starting from the *front* of the temple, go down two pews and look to your right to see the SMALL MED PACK. The SPIKE BALL is timed so that it will fall on you if you walk to it, so run when you get the med pack. This opens the door to the next room. You are done in the temple for now so approach the furious fires of the Fire Room.

The Fire Room
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There is a continuously rotating camera here which rotates forever. You can break free from it as long as you are holding the "look" key. The exit is in a ledge on the wall in front of you, but is blocked by a door. Make your way through the fire to the push lever on the temple-side wall. You are done here for now so go for the exit. Once you are on the ledge exiting the Fire Room, you can use the "look" key to break the camera view. If you re-enter the fire room now, the camera will take over again.

The "Big Slide"
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You are now facing the biggest slide in the level. Simply jump on it any direction you wish. You will get a camera view of a SPIKE BALL on the way down. Once you are at the bottom the spike ball will have already been chasing you but don't fret. Just stand and watch as the camera gives you a nice view of the spike ball bouncing just short of Lara's head and taking a big plunge.

The Mystic Waters Room
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You are now standing on a ledge. If you accidentally fell off, don't worry, there is a way back to the top. Hang onto the edge of the platform and work your way left. You will come upon a gap, enter it. Halfway down this hallway there is a gap at the top right. Enter it to find SECRET #1, the SHOTGUN and SHOTGUN AMMO. This is also where you would have returned to had you fallen off too soon. Go back out and take the hall to its end. Hang onto the edge and work your way left to the ledge. Enter the hall at the far side of the ledge. You will come across an odd texture. (I use odd textures to signify a pad trigger throughout the game). Do not step on this one - it will activate darts. Continuing on, you will come across another MUMMY. Wait to shoot him. Continue to the end where you will come across a push-lever. Activate it. This will open the door down at the bottom where you saw the spike ball fall, and activates a SKELETON and BEETLES too. Draw the skeleton close to the mummy and send them both to 'Rest In Pieces' with the grenade launcher. Then just run and jump straight off the edge of the ledge however you feel like doing it - gracefully or whatever. At the bottom of the Mystic Waters Room you will see two exits and your friend the spike ball. The one in the middle of the wall takes you back up in case you fell off... or just feel like diving again. The one in the corner is the one you want, but first go left of it to the other corner and pick up the EXPLOSIVE CROSSBOW AMMO, then make your exit.

The Air Lock Room
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This room is simply meant for Lara to get a good breath of air. There's no enemies (unless the beetles followed you). Don't forget to get the FLARES before continuing into the next water shaft. If any beetles follwed you, they won't be able to get up into the next room.

The "Impractical Ladder" Room
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Yes, the Monks of Varaa made the mistake of putting the architect's dimwitted cousin in charge of making this ladder room while he was out of town. There's no items or baddies, simply progressively climb up through the holes in each floor. You'll know when you're at the top when a camera in a shadowy corner locks onto Lara. To exit from here, just pull yourself up into the next room. It's to the left of the hole (from the camera's view).

The Trick Switch Room
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There are two switches to the left corner of the room. You can pull the first one if you like, just be sure to jump out of the way before the SPIKE BALL gets you. The second switch activates a pad trigger in front of the door closest to the fire pedestal. The camera view will show you. Simply step on the pad to open the door, then watch and be amused as a SKELETON tries to come after you whilst he is stuck in the ceiling. He will fall after about 15-20 seconds and come after you, so keep an eye on him.

Activating the lever where skelly was will open the door to your left beside where you entered the room. Upon entering that room you'll see another switch and some graphics to make you ask why they are there.

Activating this lever will open the door at the top of the steps. On your way up the steps, don't forget to get the SMALL MED PACK.

Temple Hall 2
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Temple Hall 2 leads you back to the temple. Push the button at the end and re-enter the Temple. The only reason for mentioning this hall is that you can get stuck if you don't push the button before re-entering the Temple.

Back in The Temple
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Now that you're back in the Temple, it's time to leave it again. Immediately after re-entering, go to your left and enter the only door now open at floor-level.

"The Dash" Hall
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Immediately after turning the first corner you will see a closed door and a spike pit. Jump over the spike pit and run up the steep grade until you see a SPIKE BALL coming after you for leaving his brother in the Mystic Waters. Do a roll and, depending on wheather or not you like chills, run or sprint back to the spike pit. After that, run back up the steep grade. You will see another closed door and a pit with a button in it. Go down and push the button to open the door at the top of the grade and go in.

Back in The Fire Room
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You are now atop a ledge in the Fire room. Continue straight ahead and jump to the other side. Go to the right-hand corner and climb in the gap. Inside there will be a push-lever. Activate it. This will open the door back at the spike pit and give you a camera view. To break the view, hop backwards. Immediately to the left of the switch is another gap. Go through it. You will now be on the ledge oppiosite of where you entered. Go to the wall where you made your first exit to the "Big Slide", hang off the edge, and traverse left until you get past the wall blocking you from SECRET #2, the REVOLVER and LASERSIGHT. Drop down to the floor and climb the ladder back to where you entered and make your exit. Make your way back to the door (near the spike pit) that you just opened and go in.

Stair Hall
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Go down the stairs until you reach the first turn and you will come upon a gap at the floor. Go in and follow it to find SECRET #3, the UZI's. When you come back out, keep going down and follow the hall to its end.

The Sacred Shrine
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There's your treasure, dead ahead - The Crystal of Varaa. Speaking of dead, there are a few SKELETONS lying around but don't shoot them yet. First go get the crystal. After picking up your treasure, you are given a camera view of a door opening back where you first began your journey. You also activated all those skellies, so hop back to break the camera view and heard up the skellies for a bone-shattering kablooey. One of them will wait until you've obliterated the others before he attacks, so watch for him. Now make your way back to the Temple.

Back in The Temple
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Now that you're back in the temple it's time to leave again. Go back through where you first came in (via the Temple Hall).

Back in The Starting Room
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If you didn't blow up your friend back there yet, he'll probably come runing to greet you. Give him that present you promised him when you first started, and make your way to the door you just opened then *carefully* enter.

The Levitation Room
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Unfortunately, everything in this room levitates except Lara. It's rooms like this that make you appreciate the "save" feature. There's only two ways you can go here - to the next platform or straight down. Let's go to the next platform. Simply go with the flow - hold down the "jump" key to go from platform to platform. Once you get to the long platform, head towards the platform in the right coner where the push-lever is and activate it. That will open the door opposite of where you entered. Heading back is a bit tricky, it depends on where you land on the first jump back. Once you've got the hang of it go for the door you just opened.

The Abyss (AKA The Blue Room)
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Immediately to your right after you enter is a push-lever whicn opens the door left of the lever, activate the push-lever. The second push-lever activates a SKELETON. The wall switch where you first came in opens the four doors blocking the row of four push-levers, activate the wall switch. The first of these four levers sets the rest on fire. The second is the one you want, it opens the doors blocking the regular and super GRENADE LAUNCHER AMMO to the left of the lever. The third push-lever activates DARTS, and the fourth activates BEETLES. After getting the goodies, activate the only wall switch available to the left of the goodies. This opens a door blocking a pad trigger (behind you if you're still facing the switch). Next activate the push-lever. This opens a door at the distant side that blocks another push-lever. You will be able to see it open if you keep facing the lever you just activated. Next run over to the first pad trigger that was behind the wall-switch-activated door. This pad trigger will turn off the fire blocking you from the distant push-lever. Go activate the distant push-lever. This will open the door blocking the last pad trigger at the opposite wall. Go activate the last pad trigger to kill the fire blocking you from the last floor-level platform (which at first appears to be nothing but a two block wide platform). Here's where the magic starts. Go to the end of that two block platform closest to the wall where you came in, then push the "jump" and "grab" buttons. This is where you'll discover how you get to that door that was way out there. Keep going until you reach the top, where you have to jump to another platform. Follow it to it's end, turn your back to the slide, press the "grab" key then hop backwards and take a ride down the fastest slide this side of... Vaara. Far left of the door is a push-lever. Once you jump out to it and activate it the door in front of you will open.

The Undead Maze
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This is not a regular maze; it has doors, levers, and baddies, so be careful where you go and remember where you've been. The first switch is easy to find, and so are the first baddies. You will meet up with three SKELETONS and a MUMMY. Watch where you shoot the mummy, as he will drop a SMALL MED PACK. Once you've dealt cards with them, activate the push-lever at the end. This will open the first door you saw.

Immediately behind it are some EXPLOSIVE ARROWS. Watch closely for them as they are easy to miss. Next run to the end and activate the pad trigger. On your way back a SKELETON and MUMMY greet you. Open up a can of... whatever you have for them. After you see the exit door (still blocking the exit) hang right until you find the SMALL MED PACK then go back and turn right and you'll come upon a push-lever, activate it. Run back to the exit door, turn left, and run straight until you pass a door, immediately after which is another hall with the last push-lever. Two SKELETONS will come after you as soon as you reach the lever. Activate it then send the last two skellies back to whatever year they came from. Come back out, turn right, and head straight for the exit.

The Water Hall
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Dive in. About halfway across there will be an opening going down. Enter it and get the UZI AMMO in the bottom. From there you will have a glimpse into the next room you'll be entering. Swim back up and climb out the other end.

The Iron Maze
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Once out of the water you'll see a gap in the wall beside where you entered the room. Go in and drop down on the other side and you'll find yourself in The Iron Maze. It's not big, but it is tricky. Enter the maze and turn right. Keep going around the corner and stop. Look past the iron bars at the ceiling. The ceiling will tell you where you can stand and where you can't. Death squares are indicated by dark ceiling panels. From a distance you can see the first of two Temple keys you must have to make your escape from the depths of Vaara. That is what you are after. Animations seem to be missing here so once you have made it to the key, watch in amusement as Lara lays down and waits for the key to jump into her magic backpack. Taking the key also activated the door that was blocking you, so make your way back.

The Halls of Good and Evil
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Make your way down the hallway and hang a right at the first opening around the corner. Here you will find the good - enough goodies for Lara to start her own S.W.A.T. team. After collecting your treasures, continue down to the next floor level. Here you will find the evil - *lots* of beetles ready to devour you. Keep running and ditch them in the Pit of Darkness (this is where the disobedient monks get locked up). At the end of this hall you will activate a trigger that brings the Mystic Waters from the floor to the cieling.

Back in The Mystic Waters Room
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If you want to see what this "mystic" stuff is all about, swim down even with the ledge and move the camera around to see what is now the "top" of the Mystic Waters. It's interesting to throw flares and watch as they sink through the water then fall into the air. Continue back into the hallway to the section where you saw the mummy on your first visit. You will then see the entrance to the next room, go in.

The Bath House
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This particular bathhouse holds a dangerous secret. Search underwater until you find a small opening, and go in. Follow the opening to its end. You will end up in the bathhouse's heater. As soon as you climb out of the water, you will be on a slide heading towards lava. Gauge your distance and jump to the next slide, which also leads to lava. Slide until you can jump and reach the ladder on the wall in front of you. Go to the top and crawl in the small gap in the wall. Next you will come upon several sets of spikes. Once you get to the last set, go left and get the second and final Temple key. This also opens the door at the top of the main room. Watch for BEETLES coming out from the grate at the bottom of the wall. Head towards the corner fire pedestal. Do not take the path around the pedestal, it is a spike trap. Instead stay close to the wall and go in between the wall and pedestal. Climb the ladder to get back to where you came in and head back to the pool area of the bathhouse. You can now head up the steps and make your exit.

The Elevator Hall
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Simply follow this hall until you get to the elevator. It is in three parts: floor, second, and top levels. After you get to the top, run-jump to the opening in the wall. Keep going until you reach the last door. Press the switch beside it to open it.

Back in The Temple
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Now that you're back in the temple, you can place the Temple keys in their receptacles. Once both are place, the final door opens. Okay, looks like it's time to leave again.

The "Eye Candy" Room
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The Eye Candy room is optional, just a place to look around in. It doesn't have anything bad in it, it's just some custom graphics I made to give you a sharp contrast and some fun before you leave the game. My name and email are on the bottom blocks, and thank-you message to "TheBoo" is at the top. Boo helped me many times to test my levels. The picture is one of my logos. It says "DOSDUDE" above the face. This is a nice place to "DOZY" around in.

The Exit
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Now, as soon as it started, it all has to end. Simply advance towards the door to end the game. I hope you have enjoyed it!
By the way, since I didn't make this game a "loner", it will load Cleopatra's Palaces. Have fun blowing the place up ;-)

HAPPY RAIDING!
-DOS