CHAMBERS OF KNOWLEDGE

Level by Sharon Henderson

Walkthrough (using the builder's detailed notes) by Phil Lambeth

"From the Tree of Life grows wisdom."

Head N through the valley and loop around right to collect the JERRYCAN in the SE depression. Get out and jump up on the E side of the bank near the water for a small medipack and flares. Jump into the water, light a flare and swim into the SE opening.  Follow the passage to an area where you can pick up a KEY on a block. On the nearby green-tinted block is a clue for the block puzzle yet to come. Return the way you came and pull out N.

Go up the steps between the flaming pots and past an ornate block and approach a pit.  Slide down to your right onto a stable glassy surface and note the closed SE gate. Turn to face NW and run off the edge, holding down the action key, to glide into a dark area below. Light a flare to locate the button in the corner that opens the gate above you. The right side of the wall here is climbable, so climb down to the bottom of the pit and step on the tile which operates as an elevator to bring you back up. When you reach the top, hop down to the open gateway.

Come on down into a charming, idyllic courtyard with flowering trees and a paddle wheel down in the small pond. Your Key fits the lock that opens the E door, but let's save that for later.  For now, jump into the water and swim through the E opening. Turn left (there's a closed gate to the right) and follow N to a partially flooded room, ignoring the alcoves to your right and left along the way . Turn around as you enter and pull out S onto a ledge. Go a step or two right (W), turn around and jump up to grab a higher ledge.  Pull up and go to the E end of this ledge for crossbow arrows. Go back to where you pulled up and take a running jump W over the gap to grab the facing ledge. Pull up, walk forward and push the lion's head button to open a gate at the NE corner of the flooded room.  Drop into the water, swim over there and pull up onto the nearby ledge.  Don't save your game until further notice, for if you do and have to reload for any reason, an invisible barrier may prevent you from entering or leaving the room ahead.

As you enter the dark room ahead a gate opens in the far wall.  There are two pushblocks in the N alcoves.  Pull them both out and move them aside. Enter the left alcove and push the gray crate (the one with a red X on it, remember the clue pointed out earlier) E two times.  Turn around and pull the shorter slab one time. Go around and pull the slab once (or push it into the N alcove).  Go around to the right and move the gray crate all the way W (moving the other blocks out of your way as necessary) until it comes to rest on a trigger tile that opens the nearby trap door.

Jump into the water and pull the underwater lever that opens a gate somewhere (unfortunately, not the one behind you). Flip turn and press the action key to open the SE door. Swim forward and pull out E. Turn right and go back through the open S gate and jump into the partially flooded room. Swim S through the passage and find the open gate at the end toward your left (the one that was closed earlier).

Go straight (S) at the crossing and pull out E. Shoot the containers for a small medipack and another KEY and get back into the water. Take the W passage this time and come to something of a maze. Enter the S passage to your left (all the other passages lead to dead ends) and pull the underwater lever at the end (cut scene of a door opening). Flip turn, swim out and loop around right back to the Key room for air. Swim out, continue N through the opened gate, turn left and return to the outdoor paddle wheel room. Pull out and use one of your Keys to open the E gate. You can save your game again now. Enter the residence and look around to get your bearings.

Note three pushblocks in the middle of the room. To be on the safe side, don't save your game again until you've done everything necessary here. There's a button beneath the portrait on the S wall. Push it to open a gate leading into the fireplace. Go there and push the S button to cause a fourth pushblock to materialize. As you approach the pushblocks facing N, number them clockwise starting with the SW one. Move Block #4 (the SE one) in front of the far right gate in the W wall. The gate opens. Jump over the pushblock into the alcove and pull down the wall switch. The far left gate in the W wall opens.  Move Block #3 there and into the alcove (after first moving Block #1 out of the way). The NE gate opens, and Block #1 goes into that alcove. The SE gate opens, and Block #2 goes into that alcove, causing the N door to open. (Note that the X motif has once again been used, although it's not necessary that Block #4 be pushed into the switch alcove.)

Once through the open N door you can safely save again.  You now have the choice of two routes.  You can go right and around the corner into a sanctuary with a waterfall, or you can go left and up a long set of stairs.  First, go right into the waterfall room and hop over the S railing to step on a long red tile. This lowers a block in the N pool, so jump over the railing there, hop into the water and swim through the passage into a fish tank. Locate a KEY between two plants near the S wall and return to the sanctuary.  Climb the vines in the W wall and shift right near the top to release and drop down onto a stable glassy surface. Pick up the LASER SIGHT and safety drop to the shallow water below. Exit this room (you'll be back later) and take the other route up the W stairs.

When you reach the room at the top, shoot out the S windows and step out onto the balcony. Locate the zip line and ride it down to a ledge overlooking that idyllic setting you enjoyed earlier. There's a small medipack next to the tree down to your left. Enter the S cave and make your way up to a wider area guarded by a wraith. It appears at first to be a fire wraith, but it isn't. Turn left and head quickly N toward a blue-tinted wall and a statue that destroys the wraith. While you're here, hop down into the NE depression for the CROSSBOW.

Go back down to the ledge with the flaming pot and pick up the CANDLES near the N wall (cut scene of a door opening near the fish tank you visited earlier).  Go back down W through the cave and drop down to ground level. Re-enter the building via the E doorway, go through the block puzzle room and exit N. Turn right toward the sanctuary with the waterfall and ignore for the moment the room beyond the opened N doorway.  In the sanctuary, head toward the W wall and light a flare. Next to the rack with the crates you'll see an opened NW passage. Enter and the wooden door ahead opens upon your approach. In the room ahead hop over the NW railing and shoot the container in the alcove to reveal a batch of TORCHES.  Pick one up and go past the wine barrels into the NE passage and into the next room.

Light the torch, using one of the corner candles, and carefully hop over the railing onto the N ledge with the three candelabra (the water is deadly). Drop the torch momentarily, place the Candles in the middle candelabrum (yes, that's right, look it up), pick up the torch and light the candles. Keep the torch with you and jump back over the railing. Exit this room S and continue to the sanctuary. Turn left and exit the sanctuary E. Turn right at the aquarium viewing room (there's nothing to do or find in there) and turn left at the S wall.  The E door is now open, so enter and find yourself in an enclosed room.

You have two Keys in your inventory, and one of them fits the lock that opens the N door. Go up the stairs with the torch into an Elements Room.  Empty the Jerrycan into the left (NW) scales and light the oil with the torch.  Exit this room and find that the S door is now open.  Enter the fire room and look down through the grated floor to find the areas to avoid as you make your way across.  (I hopped SW, jumped S to the elevator tile, then a running jump E and finally a standing jump S after the flames went out.) Save your game in front of the SE button and look over your right shoulder at the flames issuing from the lion statue. About halfway through the flame cycle, push the button to raise the elevator tile you used to get over here, then turn to your right and run/jump over to it. As it nears the top pull up onto an upper platform. Light a flare and locate the SMALL WATERSKIN.

Get on the elevator tile and hop down N, then jump NE to exit this room. Turn left (W) into the hallway and return to the sanctuary. Fill the Small Waterskin there and return to the Elements Room. Pour the water from the Small Waterskin into the right (NE) scale for a cut scene showing another gate opening in the room with the pushblock puzzle. Go there (down the stairs, right through the hallway and left at the doorway) and enter the middle W passage for another KEY in a dark room. Return to the E room (with the Elements Room up to the left) and use this Key to open the E door.

Enter a conference room of sorts with a closed door requiring a key at the far end. Go down the central stairs and turn right at the landing. The S gate ahead lifts as you approach it. Enter a bright room, note the closed trap door in the floor and look up left (E) to see a mounted lion's head. Combine the Crossbow and the Laser Sight and shoot the red gem in the lion's mouth.  Don't aim directly at the gem, as this won't work. What I did was to get onto the S ledge over the trap door and aim at the lion's cheek fur below its left ear and on a line with the gem.  When done successfully, the floor trap door at the S wall drops open.  Climb down into a dark area, light a flare and jump over the wine caskets into the SE corner. Shoot the container and pick up another KEY.  Climb back out to the bright room.

Return (N and left up the stairs) to the conference room and use the Key to open the E door. Go inside and turn right.  Shoot an empty container and the left window pane.  Don't try to drop down (you'll die), but instead face SE and shoot the railings. Jump there, light a flare and follow the dark passage to a button. Push it to lower some ropes.  Sidestep left and shoot the railings, then mount the first rope and swing N to grab the second rope. Jump off onto the translucent platform and pick up the large medipack. Jump N to grab the third rope and swing over to the dark N balcony.

Note the closed trap door and turn left to find a keyhole in the NW corner. Insert that spare Key you've been carrying around for awhile and the trap door behind you opens. Go there and drop down to a lower balcony. Go E and find a protruding book in the shelves. Activate it and return W to the hole in the floor. Jump to grab the ladder and climb down to the library floor (that is, if the ladder works, otherwise just drop down). Go across to the S wall of the library and climb the ladder (the one on the far right works) and shift left to drop down onto the upper balcony. Run E to an alcove on your right and vault up to activate the SE jump switch.

Get back down to the library floor and find the E door you opened. Enter the outdoor courtyard and look for the bee hive suspended from the ceiling near the NE corner.  Shoot it to release a swarm of odd-looking bees and find the opened trap door near the SE corner. Drop down and follow the stepped passage to a BAG OF SAND. The nearby container hides a spare sand bag.

Go back, pull out and return to the library. Loop around left as you go down the stairs and push the button to open the W door. Go there and follow the hallway to a crossing. Turn right (W) and go up the stairs to the conference room. Continue W and turn right in the hallway to go up the N stairs to the Elements Room.  Place the Bag of Sand in the middle scale to open a door and activate some spikes. Exit this room, turn right (W) into the hallway and take another right toward the aquarium anteroom. Turn left there and enter the sanctuary. Go across to the W wall and enter the dark NW passage. In the next room where you got the torch continue NE into the candelabra room.  The E door on the right is now open, so time your jumps past the spike traps into a dark green room.

Time your way past the scissor traps in the W passage to step on a trigger tile that lowers the E wall in the dark green room. Go through the vine curtain, turn around and hop back about three times to trigger a boulder perched atop the ramp. Run down and veer right or left to avoid the boulder. Go back up and hit the look key when you reach the top. There's another boulder waiting up there, so pull up and quickly hop back and run forward as the boulder passes harmlessly over your head. Pull back up, climb the vine ladder ahead, shift left and drop down into an upper passage. Follow it around the corner to a balcony and trigger a flyby through this beautiful outdoor area.

Two winged fairies are making their way toward you, but they're not hostile. Ignore for now the timed wall switch to your right. Run across the vine-covered glassy bridge toward the central platform, where the Tree of Life mentioned at the beginning grows, and go around either right or left to reach the E bank. Hop over to the ledge next to another tree and look behind the tree to see a closed trap door. That's what the timed wall switch opens, so return to the W side and save your game before attempting to perform a tight timed run. 

You can't use a direct route because of the flaming pots at the corners of the central platform.  If you try to take the long way around on the bridge, you can't get there in time. What worked for me, after many tries (and this is the hard way that you may wish to try as an extra challenge), was to turn left after pulling the switch, jump over the rail and continue with running jumps E to the left of the Tree of Life, jumping over the brown rail down to the green ledge, veering right and finally jumping onto the corner of the flaming pot ledge (this has to be precise or you'll catch fire). From there a standing jump SE onto the glassy bridge, followed by a running jump to the left of the cherry tree into the (hopefully) open shaft.  A much easier way (thanks, Jay) is simply to shoot the brown rails E of the Tree of Life to clear a path. Then return to the timed switch, pull it down and run E and around the left side of the Tree of Life. Jump to the open shaft with time to spare.

Go down the stairs and run forward to trigger a flyby.  When it's over, you can explore this vast dark area if you wish, but there's nothing to do or find here other than what is decribed below. Instead, turn back and pull down the W wall switch to the right of the stairs. This opens the SW gate and releases a demigod. When he dies he drops a CROWBAR. Go to the end of the S passage where the demigod came from and use the crowbar on the damaged left crate to open it. Enter, turn right and take a large BOOK from the plinth. Continue S and slide down into the darkness to end the level.