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Broken Triad
Mission 2 -Tempest Isle
Walkthrough - Expert Difficulty

Arrival

At the end of Mission One you took a leap of faith and jumped into the middle of the portal created by Nyarsal. You've now emerged from the other side and find yourself in a large open plaza. There's a small elevator set into the east wall that takes you up to a platform where there is a receptacle of some sort. That's something to remember for later, but for now let's go exploring and try to locate Keeper Aleph.

Head west up one of the ramps, read a note that was left on the railing then continue west through a doorway. Turn either right or left and follow the hallway until you emerge on a walkway overlooking a large pool of lava. Perched on a platform above the lava is a rather bizarre spectacle. It's a skeleton of what appears to have been a king or emperor sitting on a throne, impaled through the head by a sword.

There are two ramps that lead onto the platform. The west one is blocked by a gate and the north one is not. There's a switch on a piece of wall behind the throne.

If you found the Staff of Far Reach in Mission 1, use it to flip the switch; the west gate will open at the same time as a gate closes to block the north doorway. If you don't have the Staff, don't worry - there is another way into the area.

Continue around the walkway and exit through a doorway in the south wall.

Baths

Continue south and you'll emerge into another open plaza where the remains of a ruined walkway have tumbled to the ground. Forge ahead and continue south into room with a large pool in the center. Move quietly, as you're about to discover you're not entirely alone here. Collect a green rolled tapestry (+100) from the alcove in the east wall then take a swim and collect a couple of water arrows from the pool. Climb back out, mount the stairs at the south end of the pool and walk around the balcony to the north end.

Enter the west window alcove which has crumbled a bit, leaving you room to get up on the window ledge. Climb up carefully, as it's a long drop to the ground and jump onto the walkway to the east. Walk along it to the center and turn right to a small room where you'll find a jar (+20 = 120), and something called a star gem. Head back the way you came, jump back onto the window ledge and move along it to a spot where you can drop down on to the ledge on the west side.; Follow this ledge around as far you can then jump from it to bit of walkway that remains just outside the north doorway.

Walk through the doorway, and you'll be above the skeleton's platform area but on a higher ledge. Follow it around to the right and into a small room where there's a fire arrow lying in an unlit brazier, a jar (+20 = 140) sitting on a shelf and a ring (+25 = 165) lying on the floor. There's nothing else to be found here so backtrack to the edge of the broken walkway. Mantle up onto the right rail, drop down over the edge on to a ledge and then drop down to the rubble below. Walk south back into the pool area and exit through the west doorway. There are two doors here: the south one opens into a private bathing room where there is a gold goblet (+15 = 180) lying on a seat and the west one leads into a sauna, where there's a fire arrow in the fire pit.

Palace

Walk to the north end, turn right into a hallway and stop just as you emerge into a larger space.

Mantle up onto the lamp post to your left then, from the top, mantle up onto the south wall. Crawl through a small hole in the east wall and into a little room. You've just found Secret #1! Open the chest to acquire a mask (+25 = 205). Drop back down to the lamp post and then to the floor.

Bypass the doorway on the left and head north along another hallway.

There's a locked door at the far end with some sort of code mechanism mounted to the right but since you don't have the code, it's useless at the moment. About halfway down the hallway, you passed a doorway on your right.

If you don't have the Staff of Far Reach from Mission 1 then you'll have to skip the next two paragraphs and come back a bit later as that doorway will still be blocked by a gate.

Go back to it and walk up the ramp onto the skeleton's platform. Flip the switch on the wall that you earlier used the staff to flip and a gate will close off the doorway you just came through and open the one blocking the north doorway. You've just bypassed the code door and entered the king's palace. The west hallway leads to the locked door so head east into the throne room.

Collect a ring (+25 = 230) that's lying behind the table in the southeast corner then pickup the red Hallowed Candle resting between the paws of one of the statues. There's nothing else of interest in here so return to the king's platform, flip the lever one more time, exit through the west doorway and turn left.

Go back down the hallway to the open area then go through the west doorway into a large courtyard filled with broken pillars. (This is the Hypostyle as you'll find out in a short while.)

Enter a small building in the northwest corner, read a scroll that’s lying on the ground and pry a gold nugget (+50 = 280) out of the pile of dirt blocking the other doorway. Return to the courtyard and check it out. The doors in the west wall won’t open and the gate in the south wall is closed. Luckily, one of the toppled pillars has landed on the ledge above the gate so scramble up it and onto the ledge at the top. There’s a hole big enough to crawl through and you’ll emerge into the Dawn Plaza on the other side. Flip a lever near the gate to open it then turn around and check out the plaza.

Dawn Plaza and Archives

There's a huge statue of a jackal in the center. This must have been a very impressive civilization before it was struck by disaster. Drop down off of the ledge and climb up on either the bench or the lamp post in the northeast corner. Mantle onto the ledge above then walk south. When that ledge peters out, jump to the higher one in front of you. Look over the far end and you'll see a lower ledge on the south wall. Follow it to the right with your eyes and at the very end, you'll discover a lever set into a small depression in the wall. Either flip it with the Staff or jump down and do it by hand. The statue in the middle of the plaza will slide back and you've just found Secret #2!

Just before you jump down to see what's hidden there, check around as there are some fire elementals that patrol this area and you don't want to be taken by surprise by one while you've got your hand in the cookie jar! When it's safe, travel back along the ledges, jump down and head over to the secret compartment under the statue which you'll find contains 3 gems (+75 = 355). Not bad!

The passageway off of the west side of the plaza is marked as leading to the Temple Forecourt but it's been blocked by a rock fall. The doorway in the east wall is clear and it says it leads into the City Archives. You might be able to find something interesting in there but move carefully as it's guarded by a strange flaming skull creature. It can be easily taken care of with a water arrow or two. There's a locked door off of the north hallway. Pick open the lockbox on the wall next to it and go in for a look. There are two things to read in here including a chronological list of Caerul's Emperors. Nothing else though so return to the main room and go through the east door into the next room.

Market Square and the Sanctuary

Grab a gold goblet (+15 = 370) from a shelf then continue on out the south door and into an outdoor marketplace. Turn left into the first building and read a scroll that's been left lying on the floor underneath a chair. It says that you need a code to get into the Palace.

You've already done that if you had the Staff with you from the first mission. If you don't have the Staff you might want to return to the archives and jot down the name of the first Emperor. This might be your way into the Palace. However, if you checked out the code machine when you were there, you'll recall that the buttons consist of symbols so you're not quite ready to go try it out yet.

The scroll also mentions a hidden treasury that also probably requires a code to gain access. You'll receive an optional objective to find a way into the Treasury and what thief worth the name could resist a challenge like that!

Take a water arrow from one of the jugs then return to the Market square through the southeast door. Look to your left and you'll see a well. It might be worth checking out so dive in and take a swim. Head around the central pillar to the south side where there's a hole you can swim through. Climb the ladder on the wall up into a room. There's a note in the small attached room that says something about a ritual and the main feature of the first room is a Sacred Fire Elemental. Luckily, it won't harm you. I wonder what it's for? Try lighting the Hallowed Candle with it. That worked but it won't stay lit when you swim back out so that's not much use!

For now, return to the Market Square and climb the staircase that's west of the well. Climb the ladder in the room at the top and you'll emerge on a flat roof. Look what's on the wall! A Keeper Glyph! Keeper Aleph must have put that there for you so go over and frob it to see what happens. The next thing you know you've been teleported into a room that looks like part of a Keeper enclave. Read the book on the south table which explains what just happened and exactly where you are. It also clears up the mystery of the star gem you found. You'll receive a new objective to find and use all the glyphs that Keeper Aleph has placed on the island. You'll also have acquired a map of the island which you might want to check out.

Pick up the star gem he's left on the table for you and wander over to the other table to read a second book. This one explains why there's been no sign of Nyarsal as yet (which is NOT a bad thing), tells you where you are and also says that your immediate goal should be to gain entry into the Necropolis, which triggers a new objective to do just that. There's nothing else to do here so frob the glyph on the wall to teleport back to the Market Square.

Climb down off of the rooftop and down the stairs. Head south and turn right at the corner of the building. There's a canopy over an alcove on the left.

Mantle up onto the canopy and from there, up onto a ledge. Peek through the window to the west and pick up a strange looking key.

Jump back down to the ground and walk through the doorway in the west wall into another square. Enter the building in the northwest corner and collect a couple of rope arrows then go back outside and mantle up onto the canopy over the doorway. (This one can be a bit tricky to get up onto. The best place to try is at the left-hand corner, from the side.) Mantle up onto the ledge above and have a look around. You'll see a ledge high up on the far side of the square and there's a door up there with a lockbox beside it. That's worth checking out so mantle up onto the higher ledge beside you and walk to the south end. Take a mighty leap from the edge to the top of the wall to the south and drop down into a dead garden. Take the gold goblet (+15 = 385) that's lying beside the skeleton. He certainly doesn't need it anymore!

Hop back up on the wall but this time on the part closest to the skeleton. Look down and you'll see a beam that's used for hanging banners. Drop down carefully onto it and then jump from it to the ledge on the right. Head over to the door and try the key you found earlier on the lockbox. It works! You've just found Secret #3! (You can drop the key out of your inventory as there is no further use for it.) Your reward for all your ledge hopping is a green rolled tapestry (+100 = 485), a gem (+25 = 510) and a gold nugget (+50 = 560). Return to the ledge and peek over the north edge. There's a stone block protruding from the wall below. If you're careful, you can drop off the edge, land on it and then drop to the ground without hurting yourself. (Save first as it's very easy to miss.)

Temple

If you check the map, you'll see that the Necropolis opens off of the Temple but the doorway to the Temple Forecourt in the Dawn Plaza was blocked by rubble. There's a note on the map that suggest trying to enter from the south doorway so now you need to find it. Head through the doorway in the west wall, turn right and then left. You'll be standing on a plateau above a lava lake. Head south and enter the second room on your left where you'll find a note. It appears that something called a Pyramid Key is required to enter the Necropolis and the fellow who has it has disappeared. The only other one is in the crypts below the Temple. Wouldn't you know it? Hopefully, you'll find a way in before too long.

Backtrack through the first doorway and walk south into a garden area. Check the top of the building wall to your north and you'll see a wooden beam that you can sink a rope arrow into. Climb up and go into the first room to read a very interesting scroll that mentions the Emperor taking a long shower in the waterfall back at the palace baths. That might be worth investigating but it's a long way back to the baths from here so keep it in mind for a little later on.

Go up the short flight of stairs. There's a walkway across the lava to your left, but before venturing across mantle up onto the roof of the building beside the stairs. From that rooftop climb up to the top level and enter the room here. Pick up a healing potion that's lying on the floor behind the table then hop down and cross the walkway above the lava. You'll be standing in a courtyard with a locked door flanked by two strange gold devices. Place a star gem in each one and the door will open.

Enter the room beyond and pick up a Spirit Fire arrow from a brazier. (These can be used in two different ways. You can shoot one directly at an enemy and it will turn on any other enemy it sees and fight it for a short period of time. You can also shoot them onto the floor to create a puddle that will damage an enemy who walks through it.)

Walk out through the other doorway and you'll be standing on a balcony overlooking the Temple Forecourt. Drop to the ground and go through the doors at the top of the stairs. Inside is a long room with doors on each side. The one on the right opens into a set of rooms where you can read a scroll that's lying on the floor behind an overturned table in the first one. There's another Sanctuary glyph on the wall in the back room so frob it and you'll teleport to another Sanctuary room. Pick up the piece of paper that's lying on the desk and read it. You'll see that it's a translation for the hieroglyphics that have been used in many places here. Read the book to get some information on demons then frob the glyph to return to the Temple area.

Return to the hallway and cross to the open doorway on the opposite side. Climb the stairs to the first landing and walk along the hall. Read the scroll that's been left on the floor in front of a door which tells you about a moonstone that is used in the Celestial Gate. If you check your map, you'll see that the plaza where you appeared after stepping out of the portal is called the Celestial Gate so the moonstone is probably what goes in the device on the platform above it…just a tidbit of information that you probably should remember.

Continue to the end of the hallway but there's only a locked door with a broken lockbox beside it so return to the stairs and continue up to the top floor. Pick open the lockbox that's mounted on the wall beside the door on the left and enter a small apartment. Drop 2 jars (+45 = 565) into your swag bag then read the note that's sitting beside them. Check out the bedroom and you'll find another star gem. Return to the hallway and walk through the opening in the south wall. You'll be standing on a very high ledge that overlooks the forecourt.

Mantle up behind the broken obelisk that's standing on the platform to your right. Drop down to a small ledge that's below the west edge and enter a small cave. You've just found Secret #4! Read the scroll and then pick up a golden mask (+25 = 630).

Climb back to the hallway, descend the stairs and turn left. Pop into the last room, which is on the left, and read a scroll then head through the north doorway and circle around the central wall to enter the Temple proper. Read the scroll on the floor then walk to the east end of the Temple and flip a lever to open the big doors. You'll emerge into the courtyard with all the broken pillars which you now know from the map is the Hypostyle. Head east through the doorway, turn right and walk to the Palace baths.

Earlier you read a rather interesting note about the waterfall so go try it out. Stand under the water for a few seconds and something remarkable happens! Ethereal scarab bugs appear to be floating around you and you get a message that your eyes are now open to the unseen. Cool! Walk back to the corner where you climbed on a lamp post to find a secret and you'll see another ghostly scarab bug sitting on the ledge. No wonder they thought the Emperor was hallucinating! This could be very useful!

If you were unable to enter the Palace earlier in the mission, you now have the knowledge to get in so continue north to the palace code door. Look up the name of the first Emperor that you jotted down (Kedan-Haref) and find the symbols that correspond to those letters in the translation scroll. The order to push the buttons in is as follows: the scarab beetle button, the arrow feathers symbol, the duck, the man sitting with both his arms bent (not the one with his one arm touching his head). Enter them into the code machinery to open the palace doors. Head into the throne room to collect the Hallowed Candle and the ring. Make sure you leave by going out onto the Emperor's platform and flipping the lever. That will close the gate into the Palace and open the one that leads to the hallway. Use that exit to get back to the Temple.

Temple Crypt

Once you're back in the temple, walk to the far end. The door to the Necropolis is in the west wall and in front of it there's a pedestal with a receptacle that lights up. If you recall, you read a note about a Pyramid key so this is probably where it goes but you haven't found it yet. The note mentioned a crypt below the Temple but where's the entrance? There's a well-type opening to the south of the altar. Peer over the edge and you'll see a floor below and luckily, there's a wooden beam above it. Sink in a rope arrow, climb down and you'll see a river of lava. There are some pieces of broken floor jutting out from the walls so use those to get to the far side then mantle up into the passageway at the far end. (You might want to save first as it's quite easy to misjudge and end up sliding off into the lava.) Wend your way through the small rooms until you get to one with a broken floor. Drop down through the hole and into the Temple crypts.

It's eerily quiet down here. There's only one direction to go so get walking. There's a room with 3 mummy cases on the right and here you'll find a star gem lying on the floor and a green jar (+25 = 655) sitting beside one of the cases. The room beyond that has a very ornate pedestal with a coffin resting on top. Fish a water arrow out of the north fountain then climb the steps. Pick up 4 gold canopic jars (+200 = 855) then move the top of the coffin and concealed inside is a small golden Pyramid. You've got what you came down here for but you may as well explore the rest of the rooms to take the valuables since it's so quiet and peaceful.

Walk south and keep going until you get to a room with a brazier in the corner. Take a Spirit Fire arrow from it (If you want to take the time, you can wait around and collect a bunch of them. They reappear regularly in any of the braziers that produce them.) Pull a green rolled tapestry (+100 = 955) out from behind the coffin in the south wall niche then continue on into the next hallway where there's a mask (+25 = 980) standing beside a coffin. Beyond this point the hallway dead ends at a gate so backtrack through the hallways to the point where you dropped into the crypts.

Just as you're about to step into the hallway with the hole in the ceiling, a gate will block your way and you'll hear the dreaded sound of zombies from behind you! Don't panic as there are lots of shadows and you can try out the Spirit Fire arrows if you need a distraction. Avoid the zombie that showed up right behind you and dart into the alcove to the south where the tomb set into the floor is now open. Scoop up a ring (+25 = 1005) and 2 jars (+40 = 1045) then quietly slink through the hallways, staying to the shadows. Your goal is the closed gate at the far end of these hallways. It opened when the other one closed. Once you get through that doorway, turn left and look up. You'll see the broken floor. Sink a rope arrow into the wooden beam and climb out. Make your way back through the small rooms and across the lava. Jump up into the wall alcove and from there, you can jump to your rope. Climb out into the Temple, use the Pyramid on the altar device and the Necropolis doors will open.

Necropolis

This feels like jumping from the frying pan into the fire but there's no way to avoid it so take a deep breath and start down the hallway. This sort of place is usually guarded by traps and this one is no exception so saving here would be a very good idea. After Garrett mutters about being careful, walk slowly and look at the ceiling. There's a button on a light fixture. Push it and a small section of the floor ahead drops. Quickly get onto it (make sure you're right in the center and not too close to either side and crouch. If you made it in time, the traps will miss you and then you can safely continue on into the room at the far end.

Here you're confronted with another puzzle. There are 3 doorways, each leading to a flimsy wooden bridge over a pit full of sharp stakes. If you step on any of them, they collapse, dropping you to your death. There's a panel on the south wall with blocks that you can move in and out. Use them to form each symbol that you see over top of the doorways. If the symbol over the doorway glows red, then you still can't go across that bridge but when you get one to glow blue, that passageway is now safe.

Once you've traversed the passageway, you'll be at the top of a spiral ramp.

Walk down to the second landing and check out the south wall, just above and to the left of the spot where a beam comes out of the wall and you'll see a lever. You can use the Staff to flip it or climb back up a bit, get on the beam and walk over to flip it. You've now discovered Secret #5! Climb back up the ramp to the top beam, walk across it and mantle up into a niche in the wall that used to have a panel blocking it but is now an open doorway. Open the chest to find a gem (+25 = 1070).

Continue down the ramp to the bottom. Keep your eyes open though as a fire elemental patrols down there. Walk along the hallway and mantle through the hole in the west wall. This rocky passageway takes you to a broken bridge spanning a lava river. Jump onto one of the side rails which are still intact and head to the other end. The next area is well guarded so move quietly when you start exploring it. As you go through the doorway at the far end, you enter the Necropolis. Objective complete!

When the way is clear, head into the central chamber and pick up a Spirit Fire arrow then walk through the west doorway and up some stairs. Turn left and mount a spiral staircase. About halfway along the hallway at the top, there's a window on the right.

Look through it and you'll see a button on the far wall, set into a small hole in the wall that's directly underneath a ceiling support. Use the Staff to trigger the button. You've just found Secret #6! A panel on the wall behind you will slide open and reveal a chest that holds a gem (+25 = 1095). (If you didn't find the Staff in the first mission another way to trigger the button is described later).

Continue along the hallway to the room at the end which holds a green obelisk. Click on it to read it and it says: "The perceptive EYE will see the light". What on earth can that mean? Maybe it will make sense later but for now go back down the stairs and walk to the north end. Climb the stairs to the first landing and turn left, into a hallway labelled "The Last Path". Walk to the doors at the far end and study the design etched on them then look above the doors and you'll see a head that is similar to the ones shown on the door. Hmmm…another puzzle maybe?

Head into the room on the west side of the hallway and you'll find a green jar (+25 = 1120) as well as another Sanctuary Glyph so frob it to teleport into the Sanctuary bubble. This time you don't arrive in a room but at the end of a hallway. Walk along it and enter the room on the left. Read the note about demons that's lying on the purple desk then read the book that's on the wooden desk.

Frob the lever on the side of the bookcase to move the bed then hop down into the secret room and read what you find there.

There's nothing else of interest in this portion of the Sanctuary bubble and you're blocked off from the rest of it by a section you haven't visited yet so return to the glyph at the end of the hallway and frob it to transport back. Cross the hallway to the room on the opposite side, jump into the water, crouch down and wade back to a ladder. Climb it, crawl along a short passageway and out onto some rafters above a hallway. Follow the rafters (there's really only one path to take) until you reach the north end. There's a gold plaque on the north wall. Frob it to move it and you'll see there's a hole behind it which is directly opposite the jackal head above the doors at the end of The Last Path.

If you have the Staff of Far Reach from Mission 1 then skip the following (spoiler covered) paragraph.

Walk back to the east wall and then onto the rafter at the south end. Just before you reach the west wall drop down to the ledge below. Shoot a broadhead through the hole under the beam on the right to trigger the button at the far end. This will open the wall panel near the "EYE" obelisk - Secret #6.

Drop carefully down to the hallway below and walk north to the corner. Turn right (E) and go back down the stairs, along the hallway and through the doorway on the right which will take you back into the room with the brazier in the center. (Grab another Spirit Fire arrow as one should have appeared by now.) Go through the east door, down a ramp and turn right at the corner. The first doorway on the left leads into an altar room of sorts. Walk across it and through the doorway on the far side. Climb up a sloping hallway and turn left. There's another green obelisk at the end of this hallway and this one reads: "2: When the SCARAB starts pushing the sun up into the sky."

Turn around, walk to the doorway on your left and enter a round room. Read a scroll about Spirit Fire, pick up a jar (+25 = 1145) then head into the adjoining round room where you can acquire another star gem. Read the scroll which mentions one jackal's head "announcing the arrival" of a procession at the doors to the Last Path to the other jackal's head then head back through the altar room to the hallway. Turn left, walk around the corner and down to the hallway on the left. There's a lever on the right that opens a gate which blocks the hallway. Flip the lever to open the gate, wait for it to complete opening then flip the lever again and quickly dart along the hallway before the gate closes. After you walk through the doorway at the far end, turn to your right.

Pick up a star gem that's lying on the ground then climb up onto a slanted pedestal. Mantle from there to the top of the doorframe and crawl through a hole in the wall. (If you had left the gate open, it would have blocked this passageway.) At the far end, you'll emerge into a cave. You've just found Secret #7! Pocket the 3 gold canopic jars (+100 = 1245) that are lying on the ground then leave.

Once you're back down in the hallway, walk to the north end where you'll find a Sanctuary Glyph which will take you into another room in the Sanctuary bubble. Read the books and you'll receive a new objective to find a way into the Inner Chamber at the end of The Last Path. Pick up Keeper Aleph's Medallion then head out into the hallway. (There's no point in using the glyph to return as you locked yourself in to that hallway when you closed the gate.)

The Last Path

Turn right and stay to the right when you enter the round room. Walk through the doorway and along the hall then frob the glyph at the end to return to the glyph in the room off of the Last Path hallway. Head out to the hallway and down to the corner. Ahead of you is a set of stairs that lead up to a door but it's barred and can't be opened so turn left (W) and walk up some stairs to a long hallway. Turn right and pick open the lockbox beside the door in the east wall. Put a star gem into the golden receptacle and the two beams that blocked the door you saw a few minutes ago will roll back. Leave the room, turn left and go back down the stairs to the landing. Turn left and walk up to the door which used to be blocked and go through into the room beyond. Collect another star gem and read the green obelisk. This one says: "1. The HARE will be the first to notice the dawn."

Flip the lever beside the gate in the north wall to open it and walk out into the hallway. Turn left, cross the main corridor and enter the Lunar Court.

Mantle up onto the central altar and from it, mantle up onto the structure to the north. Mantle again, this time up onto the arching piece that leads over to the north side of the ledge around the room. Walk over to the green obelisk and read it. The message on this one is: "4. And the DUCK will start its flight towards the gods." Head back to the centre and drop down onto the altar.

Put a star gem into each of the golden receptacles that you'll see on either side of the room. The top of the altar will open and inside are 2 piles of incense. Walk east back to the main hallway and turn left. Walk down a slanting section, through a doorway and then turn left. At the end, you'll enter a semi-circular room with windows set into the west wall. Take a star gem from one of the windowsills then walk up onto the platform and collect a Spirit Fire arrow from the brazier. Take a gold canopic jar (+50 = 1295) that's sitting on the altar by the wall then walk all the way back along the main hallway to the far end where there's a glowing red mushroom in a hole in a crumbled portion of the wall.

Crawl through the hole, mantle (or rope arrow) up into the opening on the right at the end and make your way along the passageway to a hallway. Head left and you'll come to a console with a button on it. Look to your left and you'll see another jackal's head and to the right, another gold plaque. Remember the drawing on the door to the Last Path and the note you found about the two jackals? Push the button (make sure you're not directly in front of the jackal head and it will shoot a fireball at the gold plaque.

I'm sure you've figured out what you need to do by now but wait for a bit and proceed east to the room at the end of the hall where you can see one of the guards with the glowing eyes walking around. There's a door in the northwest corner that opens into a tomb where you can pick up a green rolled tapestry (+100 = 1395) and a mask (+25 = 1420). Once you've collected those, exit through the east doorway. At the end of the hallway, you'll emerge onto a balcony above the altar room you went through earlier. There's a fire skull creature patrolling on the far side but this side is clear so keep walking to the far end and enter the room on the right where you'll find a gold goblet (+15 = 1435). Walk back to the west end of the balcony, climb up on the ledge that runs across to the other side and quietly creep over. Jump down onto the balcony and then along to the door at the east end. Pick the lockbox on the wall to open the door and inside the room you'll find another star gem.

Return to the button on the pedestal. You need to move the golden plaque on the wall. Jump over to the ledge on the left and get close enough to move the plaque then return to the button and press it. The fireball will now pass through the holes and hit the other jackal head. You'll see a cutscene of the doors at the end of the Last Path sliding open. Carefully drop onto the ledge then down into the hallway below and go through the doors. As you enter, you'll see a cutscene showing Nyarsal arriving. Time is running out!

You're blocked from proceeding further by a chasm in the centre of the room. Turn to the right where there's a basin and read the note that's lying on the floor. It describes a ritual that calls for incense, which you already have and an item from a deceased person. You have Brother Reginald's rosary with you, which you found before you came through the portal so that might do but you also need the flame of a hallowed candle. Drat! You had it lit but it went out. You've acquired another item since then…Aleph's medallion!

Frob the medallion to return to the Sanctuary bubble rooms and you'll land in a hallway. Walk east, through the next room and into the last one, which was the first one you found. Frob the glyph to be teleported to the Market Square. Drop down the well, swim into the center column and climb up into the room where the Sacred Fire Elemental is kept. Hold the Hallowed Candle up to the Sacred Fire Elemental to light it but this time, instead of having to swim out, you can just frob the medallion and be teleported back to the Sanctuary hallway so it will stay lit. This time walk west into the round room and stay to the right. Walk to the glyph at the end of the hallway and frob it to return to the glyph in the room off of the Last Path hallway.

Head back through the doors into the room at the end of the Last Path and dump some incense into the censer bowl. Light it with the lit Hallowed Candle and when it's burning, hold Brother Reginald's rosary above it, in the smoke. He will appear a few seconds later and then create a bridge over the chasm for you. Cross to the far side and enter a room with a skeleton lying on the floor. Objective complete!

Read the scroll lying beside the bones then go through either door and follow the passageway to the end. Objective complete?? Oh, dear…you've found Brother Aleph or rather his dead body. Frob the glyph on the wall and you'll teleport into the Sanctuary again. Objective complete!

Read the note Aleph left for you then teleport back to Aleph's body.

Defeating Nyarsal

Wade into the water to the south, dive down and swim through the passageway into a room. Continue south into a second room then turn left (E) and swim through a doorway and up a slanted passageway. Climb out of the water and follow the hallway to a room where you'll see the hammer, Draeworek, suspended in the middle of the room, surrounded by a cloud of ethereal undead creatures. Off to the left-hand side of the room is a door with one of the receptacles for a star gem on each side. Insert the gems and the door will open, revealing another censer bowl. Dump in your last packet of incense then…Drat! The Hallowed Candle was doused by the water on your way here so you'll have to hope there's another sacred fire elemental nearby to relight it.

Head up the stairs at the south end of the room and turn in either direction. You'll eventually come to a room where you'll find the required sacred fire elemental so use it to light the candle then return to the censer bowl. Light the incense with the candle then hold Brother Reginald's rosary in the smoke and he'll appear again. This time, he is outraged to see the Hammer's holy symbol being used in such a way so he heads over and blesses it. Nyarsal arrives and discovers the hard way that the Hammer is no longer what he thought. Watch the scene and after it's over, you'll be teleported back into the Sanctuary bubble which is now very unstable.

The Treasury

Read Aleph's final note, which is floating in front of you then head out into the hall. (If you stay to the shadows and time things carefully, you can avoid a confrontation with Nyarsal.) Head north along the hallway to the round foyer and cross to the east hallway. Enter Aleph's room which is the first one on the left, cross to the desk and frob the lever in the knee hole to open a panel in the floor. Climb down the ladder and frob the glyph on the wall at the bottom. You'll teleport into a room that you haven't been in before. Quickly follow Aleph's instructions. Drop his medallion onto the floor and cleanse it by shooting it with a Spirit Fire arrow. (There is one in the brazier if you don't have any left.) Objective complete!

The destruction of the medallion blew the door of the room open but before you leave, look around and you'll see a moonstone sitting in a stand. Pick it up as it's your ticket back home then leave the room. You have one optional objective not yet completed and that's the one to get into the Treasury. How could any self-respecting thief pass up a chance like that? Walk to the end of the hallway and down the stairs to the very bottom. Out in the hallway, turn left (N) then go up the ramp and you'll be back in the Temple. Exit through the east doors and you'll be in the Hypostyle. Walk straight ahead through a doorway and turn left (N). At the far end of the hallway are the palace doors.

Remember the messages you found written on the 4 green obelisks? Those contain the code to open the Treasury. The clue numbered as 1 has the word "Hare" in capital letters. If you look at the pictures on the button, you'll see the top one on the right side has a picture of a hare on it so push it. Clue #2 was about a scarab so next find the button with the picture of a scarab beetle (the second button from the bottom on the right). Next push the one with the picture of an eye on it (second button from the bottom on the left) and lastly, push the bottom button on the left, which has the illustration of a duck on it. You've just found Secret # 8!

The code door into the Palace closes when you enter the code for the Treasury so walk back down the hallway, turn left and out onto the Emperor's platform. Flip the lever and head through the other gate into the Palace foyer. The obelisk here has moved back, revealing a hole in the floor. Climb down and walk to the first corner where you'll see one of the mysterious scarab bugs sitting on the floor. Go past him and walk to the corner where you'll see another scarab bug.

Don't go around the corner. Instead, keep an eye on the second bug and start slowly walking backwards. When he disappears, start walking forward again and this time go around the corner.

There is a long corridor ahead with holes in the floor. If you look through them, you'll see you're above the Palace throne room. Make your way to the far end, place a star gem in the receptacle at the top of the ladder then climb down and enter the Treasury. Objective complete!

The chests on the platform in the middle and the chests at each end of the room all contain gems (+550 = 1985). The chest under the overhang holds another star gem.

Returning Home

Leave the Treasury, return to the hallway outside the Palace door and walk south. Ignore the doorway on the right that leads back to the Hypostyle and continue south to the baths. Head through the door at the north end of the large pool, go through the garden and out the door at the far end. Walk around the platform of the Hearing Court and through the east doorway. Keep walking and you'll emerge in the courtyard where you first appeared here which you now know holds the Celestial Gate.

Ride the elevator at the far end up to the top platform and place the moonstone in the receptacle. Two small arms will rise up and lock it into place. Descend to ground level and flip a lever that's mounted on a stone pedestal to the left. The portal in the centre will activate. Step through and you'll be teleported into a flooded cavern. Swim east and head up for some air. Climb out of the water and walk west. You'll come to a bridge over another small watery cave. Drop down into the water, retrieve a jar (+25 = 2010) from the bottom then climb a ladder back up to the bridge. Continue north into the next cave where you can see a very welcome blue sky through the doorway. You're back home.

Mission complete!

Nightwalker and Freddy Fox  -   30th May 2008