NECRO'S DOMAIN

Level by Lee Dunning

Authorized walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

Lara starts by standing next to a Jeep, with sloped cliffs on her left and a man-made structure on her right. Run forward to the west end of this little valley and turn right to see an opening in the structure. Hop up into the opening and vault up into the higher passage. Run forward into a room with a large central slab. Get the shotgun ammo in the ME corner, the uzi ammo in the NW corner, the flares in the SW corner and the small medi-pack in the SE corner. Enter the north alcove and run off the edge to grab the pole. Slide down and run forward through the lower passage.

You get a fixed camera angle when you reach the intersection. Continue forward and stop at the base of the ramp. Turn around and hop backwards up the ramp until you hear action music signaling the release of a spike ball. Run back down the ramp and scoot to safety either to your left or your right as the spike ball lumbers past. Draw your pistols and await the ninja who soon comes to investigate. After he's dead, run up the long north ramp, but keep a lookout for the spike pit near the top. When you reach it, turn around to face south, hop back and grab the edge, release and immediately hit the action key again to grab the crawl space. Pull inside, lower Lara down the other side, turn right and run into a small crypt for SECRET #1. Raid the place for the SHOTGUN (NW corner), uzi and shotgun ammo, and a large medi-pack.

Exit through the opening in the south wall. Follow the passage and drop down into a lower passage, turn left and run toward the grate that opens upon your approach. Run forward to a familiar intersection, turn right and run up the ramp. Run forward into a two-tiered crypt that I'll call the home room, and enjoy the flyby while the first set of double doors (in the west wall) opens obligingly. The large vases in the corners can be shot for target practice, but they're all empty. Enter the west doorway, and a cut scene will show a ninja running to the attack. He starts firing at you before camera control is restored, so draw your pistols (or your shotgun) as you reverse roll and take him out quickly.

With that distraction over, go back into the west doorway and climb the tall ladder at the end. Pull up into the passage and step forward onto a ledge that overlooks a room floored with spikes instead of carpet. Take a running jump west and grab the next ledge. Pull up and run to the other end, noting the inaccessible opening above. Grab the crack in the wall and shimmy to the left until you reach the other corner, then pull up into the opening. Follow the passage until you reach the opening that overlooks a slope. Turn around and hop back so that Lara slides down the slope backwards. Grab the edge, pull up and take a rolling back flip to land inside the south passage.

Run forward past the alcove with the closed grate on your right. In the next alcove to your right, face the sloped pillar to the south, pull up, back flip and take two successive jumps off sloped surfaces so you land inside an upper passage. Run forward to the end of the passage, but stop before entering the next room. Ahead you can see a plinth with what appears to be a golden artifact. However, if you run blindly toward it you'll quickly be spiked. The safe route to the plinth is outlined on the ceiling. However, since you have to be walking directly underneath it, the roadmap can be difficult to keep in sight. Here's the take-my-hand route to follow:

From the very end of the passage (with a ledge overhead that obscures a good portion of the ceiling), walk forward (south) nine steps. Turn left and walk east twelve steps. Turn right and walk south eight steps. Turn left and walk east nine steps (stopping about one block from the east wall). Turn right and walk eight steps south. Turn right again and walk fourteen steps west. Turn right and walk nine steps north (placing you roughly in the center of the room). Turn left and walk fifteen steps west (about two blocks from the west wall). Turn left again and walk fourteen steps south. Turn left yet again and walk sixteen steps east. Finally, turn right and walk seven steps to the plinth for the EYE PIECE. A cut scene shows a pair of double doors opening in the second tier of the home room.

Retrace your steps carefully, reversing the order set forth above. Safety drop into the room with the pillars, go to the last alcove to your left before the spike pit and find that the grate has been lifted. Follow the west passage and kill the ninja who waits the challenge you at the other end. Climb or jump the blocks ahead and deal with the trio of scorpions at the top. Turn right at the bend and jump over two spike pits. Safety drop at the end onto a familiar ledge. Reverse roll, run to the other end and take a running jump and grab to the next ledge. Pull up, climb down the ladder on the other side, reverse roll and run back into the home room.

Go to the NE corner and use the ladder there to access the upper ledge that encircles the room. Go to the open double doors in the east wall, hop back and grab the edge to shimmy past the open door, pull up and enter the passage. Draw your shotgun and run forward quickly so you can kill the ninja before he steals the small medi-pack just around the corner. Then continue along the passage until you reach a room where three more scorpions are serving as a welcoming committee. Exterminate them, then pick up the crossbow arrows near the north wall. Go over to the floor lever. You're suspicious of that nearby ramp, and with good reason. Throw the floor lever, then quickly side flip to the left to avoid the spike ball that comes tumbling down the ramp.

Go into the south passage that's opened up for you (although the grate slams shut once again once you pass by), and welcome the two mummies in the next room. Run into the passage near the NW corner and locate the CROSSBOW. Continue around the bend and the grate opens as you approach it. Run past the mummies and up the ramp. Take a running jump from the edge and grab the rope. Although you can see an opening straight ahead, rotate to your left to face the east wall. You can see the crawl space, so swing toward it, jump off and grab the edge. Pull up, lower Lara down the other side and follow the passage to SECRET #2 and another SHOTGUN. Continue forward, pull up left, and follow the passage to a grate that lifts as you approach it. Safety drop into the midst of the confused mummies and run past them back up the ramp.

Take another running jump and grab to the rope. Slide down to the bottom and then climb back up one rung. Swing forward and jump off at the apex of your swing to land just inside the opening. Run forward and push the floor lever to open another set of double doors in the home room. Jump back to the rope, and without climbing up or sliding down, swing forward and jump off with the action key depressed to land inside the north opening. Run down the ramp, bid adieu to the mummies (unless you wish to blow them away), and exit via one of the openings in the west wall. Follow the passage back to the previous ramp room, exit via the west passage and follow back to the home room.

Safety drop from the ledge to the floor below and enter the east doorway that's now open. Run through a torch-lit room and climb down the tall ladder at the far end. Reverse roll and run out onto a ledge that overlooks a deep room. The ceiling has a path of monkey bars leading to the other side, but the ceiling isn't so marked. However, the path is laid out for you on the wall to your left. Since it's difficult to keep your eyes on the wall while you're trying to negotiate precision twists and turns, you can either draw a picture or follow this take-my-hand route (where I dispense with the compass directions for obvious reasons):

From the edge of the ledge, jump up and grab the ceiling. Swing forward one rung so you're in the center of the tile. (1) Turn right and go three tiles (when you count, always include the one you're hanging from when you start), (2) turn left and go three tiles, (3) turn left and go five tiles, (4) turn right and go three tiles, (5) turn right and go four tiles, (6) turn left and go three tiles, (7) turn left and go three tiles, (8) turn right and go three tiles, (9) turn left and go three tiles, (10) turn right and go three tiles, (11) turn right and go five tiles, (12) turn right and go two tiles, (13) turn left and go three tiles, and (14) turn left and go three tiles to the end. Drop down into the passage and run forward. You'll hear the mummy before you see it. Pause to pick up the shotgun ammo, then run past the mummy or blow it away as the mood strikes you.

Enter another crypt with a closed grate in the SE corner. Go to the east side of the central structure and pull out the statue so you can get to the ladder behind it. Climb to the top of the structure and pull up. A single explosive arrow from your crossbow will effectively deal with the two mummies who amble forth to greet you. Hop over and throw the floor lever to lift the gate below. Climb back down and enter the south passage. You hear the skittering of two scorpions as you enter the next room, so get rid of them and then climb down the ladder in the SE corner. Throw the floor lever to open another set of double doors in the second tier of the home room, then climb back up the ladder. Exit to the previous crypt through the north doorway, exit the crypt through the NW passage and follow to the monkeyswing room. Refer to the formula in the preceding paragraph and reverse the directions to get back safely. Climb the tall ladder, pull up and run through the torch-lit room. Follow the passage back to the home room and use the ladder near the NE corner to access the second tier.

Make your way to the open double doors in the west wall and run down the wide passage. Pick up the crossbow arrows and flares along the way and you'll eventually come to a pool room. Run around the pool to the other side and throw the floor lever in the alcove to open an underwater grate. Reverse roll, run forward into the pool and swim down through the opening in the SW corner. Follow the tunnel to an intersection and turn right. Grab the small medi-pack at the end, then flip turn and follow until you can swim up and surface. Pull up into a room that's empty except for four skittering scorpions. Eliminate them by your desired method and then return to the north entrance. Note the design on the floor. That's your clue for the next room, so you may wish to draw a picture.

Run through the south passage and turn left at the intersection. Shoot the large vase to reveal some shotgun ammo, then reverse roll and proceed down the passage until you reach an opening that overlooks a deep room. Continue to walk forward carefully, and you discover to your amazement that you're apparently walking on thin air. There are invisible tiles here, following the same pattern as depicted on the floor of the previous room. Turn to your left and walk, don't run, toward the south wall until Lara refuses to walk any further. Turn to your right and walk forward until you stop, then take two two steps back and a standing jump forward so you won't overshoot the next invisible pathway. Turn to your left and face the south wall. Although there's absolutely no evidence that you can do this safely, take a standing jump forward and grab the wall. Climb down the unmarked surface until you reach the floor, then dash inside the south opening into SECRET #3 and pick up the crossbow arrows.

Return to the unmarked climbable wall, jump up to grab it, then climb up fourteen rungs before back flipping to the invisible tile. Turn around and walk north as far as you can. Angle to the left and take a standing jump NW to the next pathway. Again walk north as far as you can and turn partway to your left. Take a standing jump NW (aiming for the corner of the room will do it) to the next invisible pathway. Walk as far as you can toward the west wall, turn left and continue walking until you stop. Take a running jump south and grab the edge of the next pathway. Pull up, walk forward until you stop, then turn right and walk all the way to the plinth for the second EYE PIECE.

Make your way back along the invisible pathways, following the same route but in reverse, and follow the passage until you reach the opening to your left. Go that way and cross the clue room and jump into the water hole. Follow the underwater tunnel back to the pool, surface and pull out on the north side. Follow the passage back to the home room. The Horus door is in the north wall, so shimmy to the right past the open double door and run over toward your final objective. When you hop over the obstruction you get a fixed camera angle, so combine the two Eye Pieces to form the EYE OF HORUS and insert it in the octagonal receptacle. When the door rumbles open, run forward and take the STAR OF SIRIUS from the plinth. A cut scene shows a group of purposeful ninjas congregating and coming after you while continuous action music plays.

The nearby grate lifts as camera control is restored, but the first ninja is shooting at you from behind. Kill him, take out any ninjas stalking about in the home room below for good measure, and then enter the doorway in the NE corner. Keep your weapon out as a violent earthquake ensures and you encounter first a ninja, then a mummy, another mummy, a ninja, and things finally quiet down temporarily when you enter a room where the builder has expressed his thanks for your playing his level. Continue through the SW passage as the earthquake resumes, and the camera angle changes to show you sliding down the side of the man-made structure toward the Jeep as the level ends.