Note: This walkthrough contains hidden "spoilers". To see the text that is concealed by the solid blocks, hold the left mouse button down and drag the cursor across.

Test spoiler: The men are complaining about strange noises coming from inside the tomb.

The Curse of The Ancients

Walkthrough

Important Note: Make sure you save a holy water arrow for The Tomb of Ailmar and a fire arrow for The Tomb of Saldic as you won't find the equipment you need in the crypts.

The Town

You begin in a street with a hole in the east wall with a sign posted over it that says "Abandon ye hope all who enter here." Oops! That doesn't sound good but let's forge ahead anyway. Crawl through the hole and turn right (S) to the Bar.

Enter the back storeroom and look inside a tipped-over barrel for a scroll which tells you about the Tomb of Ailmar. Back in the bar, hop over the counter and slide open a wall panel to find 2 purses (+200). Return to the street, walk east to the corner and turn left (N). Walk a little way and look for a window on your left. It looks low enough to climb into but it isn't, so sink a rope arrow into the wood beam above, then climb up the rope a little way and jump through into the Weaponsmith's. Head upstairs and into the north room where you can pick up the "Weaponsmith's key" from the counter. Help yourself to a water arrow (adds 4 to inventory) that's lying in the sink then use the key to let yourself into the bedroom, which is on the south side of the building. There's a scroll describing the Tomb of Salamar lying on the table with a purse (+100 = 300) sitting beside it.

Walk downstairs and use the key to unlock the shop door. Inside, there are 3 mines, 4 fire arrows, a water arrow (adds 6 to your inventory), 4 moss arrows and a rope arrow (adds 3 to your inventory).

Unlock the street door, turn right (S) and walk up to the corner. Head left (E) and enter the Inn, which is on the right (S). In Room 2, which is on the east side of the main floor, you'll find a ring (+100 = 400) in a small box. Upstairs, in Room #10 in the west wing, you can pick up a gold plate (+50 = 450) and a gold goblet (+25 = 475). Check Room #9 in the east wing and you'll find Lord Heathcote's Serpentile Torc sitting on the fireplace mantle. This completes an objective on Expert difficulty which is not present on Easy or Hard. You're done here so return to the street, cross to the door opposite the Inn and enter the Church House.

In the sitting room fireplace, you'll find a scroll about the Tomb of Saldic and in the kitchen, help yourself to 2 gold plates (+100 = 575) and 2 gold goblets (+50 = 625). There's a door to the basement in the office. Walk down the stairs and look for a section of the wall on the right (E) that lights up. Click on it to open it and enter an underground tunnel. At the corner, turn left, climb a ladder and then flip a lever on the wall to open a secret door into the church.

Head up the stairs in this room to a small library where there's a ghost pacing around. Don't worry about him as he's a coward. Take out your sword and threaten him (swipe, but miss). He'll obligingly run over and open a secret hiding place then disappear. Inside is a papyrus giving you a hint as to how to access the main tomb. You'll also acquire 2 gold goblets (+50 = 675).

If you open the barricaded door on the west wall, you can see the rest of the upper floor of the church. There's no access from here, so go back downstairs and out into the back hallway of the church. You'll have to proceed cautiously here as there are several haunts on guard. Walk west past the entrance to the church proper, through an empty room into a second one and pick open the locked door on the south wall. You'll enter the church office.

The "Church key" is lying on the shelves north of the desk beside a book that mentions supplies being stored upstairs. That might be worth investigating. There are 8 gold wine bottles (+400 = 1075) sitting on the other set of bookshelves. Grab them then return to the back of the church. Enter and if you're feeling particularly brave, creep up the steps at the front where you'll find a healing potion sitting on the floor. Now look up at the ceiling above the balcony rail at the section of reddish-brown wood running around the edge. Shoot a rope arrow into it, climb up and jump onto the balcony. Now to check out those supplies! Walk through the door in the NW corner into a room where a dismembered corpse is laid out on a large table. Use the "Church Key' to unlock the south door and go into the storage room. The chest in here contains 15 holy water arrows (these can be accessed with the key usually used for broadhead arrows - the default key is "3") which will come in VERY handy. Pick up the 2 flashbombs that are sitting on the shelf and climb back down to the church. Go back through the tunnel to the Church house, out to the street across from the Inn and turn left (E).

At the end, jog left a tiny bit then head east again. The Alchemists' shop is on the right and in here, there's a speed potion and a healing potion underneath the counter. North of the Alchemists' is Salvadore's apartment. The book on the table mentions that he's hidden a necklace somewhere in the room. There are not many places where he could have tucked it away but fireplaces are always suspicious so poke your head in and have a look around. Aha! There's a switch inside the north edge that opens a panel in the back. You'll find Lady Mannington's Necklace which completes the objective to "Find something valuable in Salvadore's place". There are also 2 gold coinstacks (+50 = 1125) and 2 silver coinstacks (+24 = 1149) tucked away in here.

Return to the street and walk north. Turn into Morgan's Museum, enter the office and read the book on the desk. You'll find some interesting information and also read that Morgan's dearest wish is to be buried beside his wife, Eliza. Pick up his body, leave the shop and continue north along the street to a gate on the left. Go through it and into the churchyard. Across from the back door of the church is the entrance to the cemetery. Enter and hide in the dark because there's a big crack of thunder as you open the gate that alerts all the zombies. Once they've settled down, walk east into the next area and you'll see a ghostly figure standing by an open grave. Drop Morgan into that grave and he will thank you. The "safe key" will appear above his headstone. Take it then look behind Eliza's headstone for a scroll that contains information about the Tomb of Ramises. Leave the graveyard, backtrack to Morgan's Museum and into the office. Frob the wall painting to move it aside and expose a locked safe. Use the "safe key" to unlock the safe and inside you'll find a speed potion, 2 flashbombs, a healing potion and a book which lists the hiding places of the scrolls with information about the crypts.

Return to the graveyard and enter the section that is directly across from the entrance gate. Read the note posted on the wall that says "Please remember to water the flowers. Your kindness will be rewarded". Hmmm! Over in the far, right-hand corner you'll find Kozmala's gravestone with a patch of flowers planted in front of it. Use a water arrow on the flowers and a fire arrow (adds 4 to your inventory) and a water arrow (adds 4 to your inventory) will appear above the headstone.

Go back out to the main part of the graveyard, turn right (W) and go clockwise through the graveyard until you come to a pair of statues. Turn north into the section at the back with a building in it. Enter and look for a hole in the floor below the picture on the back wall. The edge of the hole is wood so put a rope arrow into it and climb down into the tunnels below.

Underground Crypts

Don't bother retrieving your rope arrow as you'll be leaving through this same hole. Walk straight ahead then turn right (E). Follow the tunnel past a dead Hammerite and then put out the torch on the wall ahead of you where the tunnel turns to the right because there's a zombie lurking in a niche to the left of it. Around the corner there's another tunnel that branches off to the east that ends in a crypt. There are 3 purple goblets (+45 = 1194) sitting on the coffins. The opening is a bit high so you need something to stand on. There aren't any boxes handy, but there's a zombie lying in the middle of the room. Blow him up with a fire arrow and stand on one of his body parts. This will get you high enough to be able to mantle up to the opening and be on your way. Turn right (N) at the corner, walk to the end of the tunnel and mantle up onto a walkway above a large room. Walk around to the north side where you'll see a ladder in a hole in the floor. Climb down, jump off the bottom and have a look around.

The opening at the top of the stairs in the room to the south is blocked by a sparkly energy field so there's no way through there, at least not yet so turn north. Enter a room with a pool of lava in the middle and a set of stairs on the north side that lead up to a closed gate. The sign on the floor at the base of the stairs says "The Tomb of Ramises".

The Tomb Of Ramises

If you've been reading the scrolls you've been picking up, you'll remember that one mentioned the Skulls of the Guardians. There are 2 golden skulls, one on each side of the stairs up to the tomb. Pick them up and toss them into the lava. As each one is destroyed, a small door opens near the lava. Walk through the west one and partway up the stairs. You'll see they have partially caved in and below there are some boulders. Take two back out to the stairs up to Ramises' tomb and use them to weight down the two pedestals nearby. The gate at the top of the stairs will open.

Walk up the stairs and enter the tomb of Ramises. It might be a good time to read the scroll you found that gave you some information about this tomb now. Walk through the first room and into the next room. Stop at the back and peek over the edge into the room below. You'll see a number of zombie guardians who might be a nuisance. Slide down to the floor below (you shouldn't need a moss arrow - it doesn't seem to make much noise when you land) and crouch in the dark at the back.

If you look at the ceiling, you'll see a dark, starry piece. That's where you'll put your rope arrow when the time comes to get ready to get out but first you have to find a way to open it. Right now it won't take a rope arrow. Sneak over to the SE corner and work your way along the wall towards the front of the room. About halfway up the room, you'll find a panel you can move and behind it are 3 jars (+60 = 1254). Edge back into the SW corner and sneak along the wall up towards the front of the room, taking care not to alert the zombies. About halfway along the wall, there's a panel that slides open and behind it is the lever that opens the ceiling panel. Flip it then creep back to the end of the room and plant a rope arrow in it so it's ready when you need to get out. Now creep back along the same wall to the very front where you'll step on a pressure plate. Just sit in the dark and watch the fun. With any luck, all of the zombies will be destroyed but if not, it should at least thin things out a bit. When you're tired of that, run over to the front altar, grab the Talisman of Ramises, climb the rope and jump to the upper floor. Leave this tomb and return to the room with the lava pool.

Mabus Family Tomb

Crawl through the small door on the east wall and go up the stairs to the Mabus Family tomb which is patrolled by a zombie. Head to the left (N), climb the ladder behind the coffins to the upper level and open the lid of the west coffin. Inside there's a necklace (+200 = 1454) and a tiara (+125 = 1579). Return to the lower level and climb one of the ladders on the back (E) wall. Peek through the east opening and you'll see a wooden beam stretching across an opening. Walk along the hallway but stay to the side as energy balls shoot along it once you start into it. There are a few zombies roaming the room below the beam and the center of the beam is trapped. It falls away if you step on it so you need to rope arrow down to the lower room, which is the Rebroi Family Tomb. Collect the treasures, which include 2 gold urns (+200 = 1779), 2 golden skulls (+300 = 2079) and 2 vases (+100 = 2179) and then rope arrow up at the far end of the room.

The Tomb of Saldic

As you can see from the floor plaque here, you are now entering the Tomb of Saldic. You have a scroll in your inventory about this so it might be a good time to refresh your memory about what it says. Walk along the walkway, go into each of the two round guardrooms and flip a lever under the window opening. Once you've flipped them both, walk east through the doorway with the flaming talisman above it and up the stairs in the next room. The scroll said "The path to radiance shall only be granted by relieving my tomb of its darkness." You'll see an unlit torch mounted on the wall over the casket up here. Shoot a fire arrow at the torch and a pathway will appear that will allow you to walk over to the Talisman of Saldic and pick it up.

Go back through the Mabus tomb, out to the room with the lava pool in the middle and through the door to the broken staircase where you picked up the boulders earlier. You can either retrieve the boulders and stack them to get past the gap in the stairs, or use a speed potion and a running jump. Either way, you'll end up in a large room with several zombie archers stationed in doorways at intervals around it so you want to move carefully. Move right (N) into the hallway, keeping an eye out for a patrolling zombie archer and walk west through the archway at the far end. Turn right (N) and ascend a flight of stairs and walk along the hallway at the top but do it carefully as there is a trap. Crouch and hug the wall to avoid taking damage. At the corner, turn right (E) and enter a room with a large round pedestal in the middle. Walk around to the south side of it, climb a ladder and walk across to the door. It's locked, so walk around the balcony to the opening on the south side and into the Tomb of Heorogar. This hallway is also trapped, so hug the wall to walk into the room beyond.

The Tomb of Ailmar

As you enter, two rows of energy balls start firing across the room. You'll have to time crossing past them very carefully but it's not all that hard to do. While you're in here, make sure you pick up a purple urn (+100 = 2279) and a vase (+50 = 2329) that are displayed in the wall alcoves. Make your way to the coffin that is sitting on the dais, open the top and pick up "Ailmar's Key".

Return to the locked metal door out on the balcony and use the key to unlock it. Walk along the walkway over the lava and up one of the sets of stairs to the upper floor. Enter the back room and you'll see a talisman, enclosed in a blue field, floating over a casket. Shoot one of your holy water arrows at the talisman and it will disappear. At the same time you will hear a voice say "So, you want to steal my Talisman!". Head back down the stairs but quietly and you'll see Ailmar standing guard outside a door underneath the upper floor that wasn't there before. Do NOT destroy him, or the door will close and you will not be able to get the Talisman. Creep by him, enter the room and pick up "The Talisman of Ailmar". Leave the room and sneak past Ailmar to the exit door. Again, don't destroy him as the exit door will also close and trap you in here. Once you're outside, head back down the ladder.

Walk to the Servitus Family Tomb which is at the west end of the hallway and gather up 3 cups (+45 = 2374) then go back down the stairs to the main floor. Walk south through the archway at the far end of the hallway and up another set of steps. At the top, to the right (W) is the Raypoz Family Tomb where you can acquire 3 gold goblets (+75 = 2449) and left (E) is the Tomb of Tugay where you can pick up 2 purple goblets (+30 = 2479) from the coffins. Sink a rope arrow into a strip of wood along the edge of the ceiling on both the north and south walls. Jump from the rope to the platform above the statue, take another goblet (+15 = 2494) from it and push the button on the wall above it. A small secret door will open in the south wall. It looks low enough to climb into but that can be difficult. Put a rope arrow into the wood part of the ceiling just above it, climb the rope a bit and jump from it into the opening.

The Tomb of Salamar

Follow the tunnel to the end and you'll emerge on a balcony over the first room you entered in this area. (If you left the undead alone then you'd better be quiet as they are all archers.) Collect 3 purple goblets (+45 = 2539) from the coffins on the west side then walk over to the statue on the east side. There's a trap in the floor that drops you to a small room below. A door into a side room closes and you might think you're trapped but don't worry - it will open again in a few minutes. In the meantime, busy yourself by picking up the 2 purple goblets (+30 = 2569) that are sitting in two small alcoves. When the door to the next room opens (be patient as this can take awhile) be prepared for a couple of zombies in there. Hug the north wall as you enter as there is another energy ball trap in the hallway. Once you're inside, pick up 4 purple urns (+400 = 2969) and take The Talisman of Salamar.

Slash the banner on the south wall and you'll find a secret tunnel behind it. Climb up into it and follow it to the end where it's blocked by a banner. Slash it and jump down into the Mabus Family tomb, which you visited earlier.

Walk down the stairs to the room with the pool of lava in the middle and head south into the room at the end. The energy field that blocked the exit has now disappeared but you're not home free yet. There are two undead guards standing out there so proceed with caution. Cross the lava on the wooden bridge to the west and you'll see a cave in the wall. One of the chests inside contains a flashbomb. Walk east and climb a ladder to a hole in the wall. Follow the tunnel and take the first right-hand turn. The rope you left in place should be hanging at the end. Climb it, and you'll be back in the graveyard. Now all that you need to do is make your way back through town to the hole in the wall you crawled through at the beginning of the mission. Creep through it and the mission will end.


Note: the stats screen says there is 3044 loot, but 75g of it is unobtainable.


Nightwalker and Freddy Fox - 5th July 2005