SAVING, CHECKPOINTS & TECH SUPPORT: This game incorporates autosave checkpoints. If you only rely on one save slot, you may run into trouble if you get stuck, encounter a bug, or if your autosave becomes corrupted. To avoid problems, I highly recommend changing your save slot in the pause menu at least once per level. If you encounter a bug that can't be fixed by restarting the game, reloading a different save, restoring a backup save in the Xbox version, or rebuilding the game cache in the PC version, I encourage you to visit the Official Rise of the Tomb Raider Support Forum and or put in a support request with Square Enix. I also have PC save files for download.
AREA 2: THE PROPHET'S TOMB
Updated: 10/11/16(†)
Camps: Syrian Cliffs, Syrian Catacombs, Syrian Tomb*
Weapons/Gear: Climbing Axe, Pistol (unlimited ammo)
Relics: 2 Documents: 4 Murals: 5 Coin Caches: 3 Survival Caches: none Strongboxes: none
Monoliths: 1 Archivist Maps: 1 Explorer Satchels: none
Challenge Tombs/Codices: none Challenges: 1 (7 items)
Area Maps: Prophet's Tomb*
*The first time you visit this area, there are no campsites to be found. It is possible to pick up all the collectibles and beat the challenge on your first playthrough, but you can also return to this area via any of three fast travel camps after you have beaten the game. These base camps are indicated on the map linked above but don't appear on the world map until you've finished the story. There will be more info about Fast Travel on the Controls page (coming soon) and later in the walkthrough. Item numbers in the walkthrough correspond to those on the annotated level map.
For subsequent visits, check out the section below on Revisiting This Area Later in the Game and the separate Prophet's Tomb Collectibles Guide.
OBJECTIVE: Search for Ruins in the Cliffs
CLIFFSIDE NEAR TOMB ENTRANCE: As you follow the path along the cliffside, Lara plays an entry from her father's recorded notes. Jump toward the rock wall to grab onto the horizontal stone shelf. Climb upward then to the right, upward, then to the right a bit more. When you can go no farther, jump straight up to grab the jutting rock ledge above. Then press forward on the left stick to pull up onto the ledge. (screenshot)
The entrance to the tomb is just ahead, but before climbing inside, follow the ledge around to the right to find a box containing a relic (1/2), a Gilded Cross from the Tokens of Faith set. (screenshot) To walk, rather than run, press gently on the left stick or hold Ctrl on the keyboard while using the direction keys. Approach the box and press Interact to open it. Then follow the path back around to the arched opening at the top of the slope and climb inside.
NOTE: To re-examine relics you've found, press the View/Back button to open the inventory. Press RB to page over to the Relics screen, then scroll down to the relic you want to look at. For details on relics and other collectibles, see the Collectibles page (coming soon).
ENTERING THE TOMB: As you follow the dark passageway into the ruins, Lara automatically activates a glowstick to illuminate the way. The passageway widens and Lara discovers a monolith inscribed with Greek writing. She is can't read much of it yet, but she is able to decipher the word "Prophet."
OBJECTIVE: Explore the Chamber of Murals
In order to make sense of the Greek text, you must first improve Lara's language skills by reading MURALS and DOCUMENTS. You'll find several murals in this area. If you press in on the right stick or Q on the keyboard to activate Survival Instinct, the murals will glow. Approach each one and press Interact to read it. Lara will gain some knowledge of the prophet, as well as a few XP, and her proficiency in Greek will increase incrementally, as indicated by the language skill icon at the top left corner of the screen. (screenshots)
If you check your in-game map by pressing the View/Back button (that little button just to the right of the left stick), Tab on the keyboard, or the touchscreen on the PS4 controller. you will see the murals you have discovered marked there. In later levels, you'll find items that will help you map mural locations in advance. For now, you'll need to find them by careful searching.
There are 3 murals (1-3/5) in this area: one directly ahead after the monolith cutscene; a smaller, round one to the left; and one in an alcove behind you. Once you have read these three, Lara will be able to translate level 1 Greek, enabling her to decipher the monolith. Approach it and press Interact to read the inscription. Doing so updates your level map, revealing the locations of several coin caches. To use this information, press the View/Back button to open the map, center the cursor on the symbol for the coin cache, and press Enter or the controller button indicated to set a local waypoint or player beacon. Now, when you return to the game and activate Survival Instinct, a blue beacon indicates where the coin cache (1/3) is buried. Go to that spot and press Interact to dig up the treasure: 7 Byzantine Coins! (screenshots)
NOTES: The in-game tutorial for the PC version says to use Space to set a local waypoint/player beacon. I was only able to make it work by pressing Enter. Each time you unearth a coin cache or find coins hidden around the game world, the loot is added to your inventory. You'll find the Byzantine Coins you've collected on the Resources screen under Exotic items. (screenshot) Later in the game you'll be able to spend coins on useful gear, so be sure to search them out whenever possible.
The content of each mural is also recorded in the Documents section of your inventory in case you want to review. These particular murals are included in the section titled The Journey. (screenshot)
Now move into the alcove containing another fourth mural (4/5). Examine it for additional XP and Greek language proficiency. (screenshot) Then approach the crumbling wall and press Interact repeatedly to break it down, revealing a secret entrance to the area beyond. (screenshot)
OBJECTIVE: Find a Way Into the Prophet's Tomb
ORNATE FACADE: Obviously you're headed for the gorgeous ruins ahead. Survival Instinct reveals the exact location of the tomb's entrance. To get there, follow the path to the left, jumping across the shallow gap. Approach the stone wall, jump toward it and then quickly press Jump again to scramble up and grab the handhold above. Climb around the corner to the left. Then jump up to grab the next higher handhold. Climb to the left then jump across the gap to grab the handhold on the other side. Scramble up the wall to the handhold above and then climb on top of the wall. As you do this a helicopter passes overhead. Bad guys inbound! (screenshots)
Turn left and move along the top of the wall. As you attempt to cross the narrow beam it gives way, tilting precariously forward. Move to the end of the beam and jump down onto the square column ahead. It also begins to topple, so quickly jump down onto the ledge ahead. Jump down to the next ledge, ahead on the right, and move around to the far end of it. Jump and grab the narrow ledge that runs along the front of the building. Climb to the right, jump past the gap in the ledge and pull up. Climb the ledges directly ahead and go inside. (screenshots)
CREEPY PASSAGEWAY WITH SKELETONS AND SCORPIONS: As you make your way along the dark tunnel, Lara automatically lights another glowstick. Continue to a dead end. Then press Melee (Y on Xbox/F on keyboard/Triangle on PS4) in response to the on-screen prompts to break down the crumbling wall. (screenshot) Go through the hole into a new area.
OBJECTIVE: Explore the Tomb's Passages
ANTECHAMBER WITH SKELETAL SOLDIERS: In the dark alcove just to your right is a small, cylindrical container. Use Survival Instinct if you're having trouble spotting it. Approach the container and press Interact to open it for a "gift of alms," here a single Byzantine Coin, along with a small number of XP. (screenshot) Later you'll find similar containers with various goodies inside.
Now continue forward. About halfway through the room on the left is another mural (5/5) from The Journey series. (screenshot) Examine it to gain a little XP and further improve Lara's Greek. Then turn left to find your first document (1/4) sitting on a shelf. (screenshot) Move close and examine it to read the contents. When you read the document, The Bishop: Word From Rome from the Prophet's Trail series, you'll be rewarded with information, XP, and additional proficiency in Greek. Again, you can use Survival Instinct to highlight murals and collectibles you have not yet examined.
TRAPPED PASSAGEWAY: Follow the passageway to the northeast (directly opposite where you found the document). A little way along, Lara triggers a swinging spike trap. Fortunately a collapsed beam stops it before it can do any damage. To get past it, press LT/Right Mouse/L2 to draw your pistol. Use the right stick or mouse to aim at the wooden block at the top of the trap. You'll notice the targeting reticle turns red when you're aiming at a viable target. Then press RT/Left Mouse/R2 to shoot. This destroys the trap so you can move under the low beam and continue along the passageway. (screenshots)
A bit farther along the floor collapses, plunging Lara into the room below. Activating Survival Instinct will give you a hint as to how to proceed. The objects you can interact with are highlighted in yellow. Start by shooting the small block above the suspended wooden pallet. (Hold LT/Right Mouse to draw your pistol, aim with the right stick or mouse, and shoot with RT/Left Mouse.) This drops the pallet into the water. Now use your axe to break down the crumbling wall where the water is leaking in. Water then floods into the room, raising the pallet so you can climb onto it and scramble up to the exit. (If you break open the wall before freeing the pallet, just climb onto the ledge near the entrance. You can shoot from there.) (screenshots)
Continue along the passageway and slide down a muddy slope into another room. As you move forward, Lara steps on a trap which clamps tightly around her ankle and triggers another set of swinging spikes. This time you need to act quickly. Hold LT/Right Mouse to draw your weapon as the spiked armature swings down toward you. Quickly swivel the right stick or use the mouse to aim at the wooden block. (If you have the game difficulty set on "Adventurer" Lara will automatically aim at the block when you press LT/Right Mouse.) Then press RT/Left Mouse to fire, shattering the trap before it impales Lara. (screenshots)
Take half a second to breathe a sigh of relief, but don't get too comfortable. There's still the small matter of the ankle trap. Oh, and the room is now beginning to flood. Wait until Lara is completely submerged and you'll see an on-screen prompt indicating you should tap Interact repeatedly to pry the trap open. Keep mashing the button until the climbing axe icon fills up with white. At this point, the trap will give way. Now you need to swim to the end of the passageway before Lara drowns. Press the left stick forward and hold B/Circle on the controller or Shift on the keyboard to swim faster. When you reach the end of the tunnel, Lara (hopefully) surfaces gasping and choking. Collect yourself and head up the stairs into the tomb. (screenshots)
OBJECTIVE: Navigate to the Top of the Main Tomb Chamber
HUGE ROOM WITH GOLDEN TOWER: This area contains a number of collectible items and a challenge, which you'd have to discover on your own if you weren't reading this walkthrough. Challenges usually involve locating and destroying a series of identical objects for an XP reward. Beating this challenge also earns 2,000 credits which you can use to buy Expedition Cards to enhance your gameplay once you've finished the main story. I will add a separate section about this later, but for now, check out the Expeditions FAQ on my blog.
As you enter this area, look to your left to spot an incense burner (1/7) hanging in a high alcove. Shoot it to initiate the Challenge: Hang 'Em High. You must now find and destroy six more of these to beat the challenge. The next incense burner (2/7) is in a similar alcove directly opposite the first one. We'll get to the others shortly. (screenshots)
NOTES: You can still shoot the first 2 burners after this room is flooded. Swim across the pool to the ledge in the northwest corner. Climb out of the water and shoot the burner from below. Then face out across the pool to shoot the second burner. Later you'll unlock a skill called Eye for Detail that will make challenge objects glow when you press Survival Instinct so they're easier to spot.
POOL BELOW TOWER: In order to reach the upper parts of this room, you'll need to raise the water level. Start by swimming across to the crumbling wall on the right and destroying it with your climbing axe. As the water floods in, swim across the pool to the light-colored shelves lined with skeletons. Climb up these shelves and around to the right. Then pull up onto the jutting beam and jump forward to grab the wooden platform suspended above the pool. Lara's weight opens the sluice gate on the left, raising the water level further. Now you can reach the middle ledges. (screenshots)
Turn around so Lara's back is toward the gilded tower and swim along the right wall to the far alcove, where you'll find a container with a Byzantine Coin inside. Then swim diagonally cross the pool to the ledge with the seated skeleton. Here you'll find a box containing another relic (2/2), a Wooden Cross from the Tokens of Faith set. (screenshots)
AREA AT THE BASE OF THE TOWER: From the spot where you found the relic, move around the column into the area to the south of the tower. Climb onto the fallen pillar that slopes up to the right. From here you can see the next two incense burners (3 and 4/7). Shoot them for the Hang 'em High challenge. (screenshot)
Then move to the top of the fallen pillar and jump onto the ledge ahead. Here you'll find an Archivist Map sitting next to an ancient corpse. (screenshot) Examining this map reveals the locations of the remaining documents and relic in the level. Press the View/Back button to check your updated in-game map.
Now to go after those collectibles. Start by jumping back down to the fallen pillar and heading to the right, into the area behind/east of the tower. On the ledge on the right side of this alcove is a container with a Byzantine Coin. (screenshot) Buried in the middle of the alcove is another coin cache (2/3) containing 7 coins. (screenshot) If you're having trouble finding it, press the View/Back button to open the map, center the cursor on the symbol for the coin cache, and press Enter or the controller button indicated to set a local waypoint/player beacon. Now, when you return to the game and activate Survival Instinct, a blue beacon indicates where the cache is buried. (screenshot) Note that this will only work provided you deciphered the monolith back in the Chamber of Murals. Otherwise, you'll have to scour this area until you see the telltale X button prompt. There is also a pile of 2 coins on the other ledge. (screenshot)
Now move into the other large alcove to the north of the tower. (screenshot) There's another coin cache (3/3) buried near the middle of the alcove and a document (2/4) titled The Knight: Death of the Prophet from the Prophet's Trail series sitting on the ledge on the left (right when facing the tower from inside the alcove). (screenshot) Reading this document gives you XP and Greek language skill.
From the spot where you find the document, look up into the gilded tower to spot the next incense burner (5/7). Shoot it for the challenge. Turn around to find the next incense burner (6/7) hanging at the top of the vaulted alcove. (screenshots)
Before climbing the tower, get one more pickup: a Byzantine Coin hidden inside a container at the base of the tower. (screenshot)
CLIMBING THE TOWER: Go back around to the south side of the gilded tower. Climb onto the fallen pillar, turn around, jump onto the squat pillar, and from there jump to grab the ledge on the middle level of the tower. Pull up and advance cautiously. As Lara passes over the crumbling floor it will give way. If you don't immediately jump forward, she'll fall into the spike pit below. Once you've made it past the trap, turn around and activate Survival Instinct to spot a document (3/4) sitting in the dark corner to the left of the spike pit. Examine the scroll, titled The Knight: On the Tail from the Prophet's Trail series, for XP and Greek proficiency. (screenshots)
Now continue out the other side of the tower. Jump to grab the freestanding column, pull up, and turn left. The final incense burner (7/7) is hanging directly ahead. Shoot it down. If you have destroyed all of the others, you'll complete the Hang 'em High challenge and receive 150 XP plus 2,000 Expedition Credits if it is your first time completing this challenge. If you missed any of the burners, you can either backtrack or return to Syria later after beating the game. (Check my annotated level map and/or this page with screenshots if you need help finding any of them.)
Jump across to where the incense burner was hanging and enter the passageway on the right. Jump over the cracked floor concealing another spike pit. Then advance carefully. Either jump over the square button on the floor to avoid triggering the swinging spike trap ahead, shoot the square button to trigger the trap before you pass, or trigger it and then quickly shoot the 2 wooden blocks as the spikes descend. You'll get a small XP award if you destroy the trap after triggering it. Once you've cleared the trap, continue to the end of the passageway. (screenshots)
SECOND WATER PUZZLE: As you enter the next room, look to the right to spot another document (4/4) lying on the floor. This is another from the Prophet's Trail series titled The Knight: At the Gates. When you examine it, you'll receive XP and, if you've read the other documents and murals in this level, your Greek proficiency will increase to Level 2. (screenshot)
NOTE: At this point you should have 100% completion for this level. (screenshot) If necessary, you can backtrack for collectibles and challenge items in this room, but if you missed anything in the previous areas, you'll have to wait and return to Syria after beating the game.
Like the water puzzle in the previous area, this one requires you to raise the water level in several stages. Start by jumping onto the dangling platform and from there to the ledge on the other side of the room. Pick up the pile of 2 coins lying on the floor directly ahead. Then move to the right and use your axe to destroy the crumbling wall, letting in a torrent of water. This raises the water level in the pool but not enough. (screenshots)
Shoot the small block holding up the wooden pallet so it falls into the pool. Then jump onto the dangling platform. Lara's weight raises the sluice gate, and the rushing water propels the wooden pallet across the surface of the pool to the left. But as the platform where Lara is standing sinks below the surface, she can no longer keep her footing. Quickly swim to the wooden pallet, climb on top of it, turn right, jump toward the column with the vertical scuff marks, and scramble up it to grab the handhold. If you miss, the platform and sluice gate reset, so you'll need to swim to the corner to the left of the sluice gate, climb back up to the ledge and try again. (screenshots)
Once you make it to the column, climb to the upper handhold then jump to grab the next column to the right. Climb on top of it. Then jump to grab the wooden bar supporting the dangling platform. This time, when Lara opens the sluice gate, the water floods in, sweeping her over the edge into the room below. She manages to grab a handhold, and when the water recedes, she's sitting pretty about halfway up the gilded tower. Climb to the top to trigger a cutscene. (screenshots)
ESCAPE FROM THE COLLAPSING RUINS: After Lara's confrontation with the Trinity soldiers, there are still 2 bad guys left behind. Quickly shoot them from the partial cover of the tomb. If you can steady your aim enough for a headshot, you'll receive bonus XP, but don't worry too much about this. Just kill both of them and run forward to where they were standing. Jump across the gap in the floor and continue on. (screenshots)
Here the game explains how to sprint by pressing in on the left stick as you push it forward, or by holding Shift on the keyboard along with the regular movement controls. As you approach another Trinity soldier, a huge chunk of rock falls on top of him. Turn left to avoid it. Sprint forward, jump at the edge to grab the horizontal bar, and swing across to grab the far ledge. If Lara slips, press Interact at the prompt to hang on. Pull up and keep running/sprinting around the corner to the right. (screenshots)
As you enter this next hallway, the floor collapses, and Lara slides into the room below. Run forward, jump across a gap in the floor, run up the angled pillar, and scramble up the column ahead. The column tilts to the left as you climb on top of it. Continue sprinting forward and jump to grab the next square column in your path. Pull up, move forward, and jump to grab the doorsill ahead. Pull up and continue sprinting toward the light as the passageway crumbles around you. Take a running jump across the wide gap in the floor, waiting until Lara is right at the edge before you press the Jump button then holding it for more air time. If you make it, run through the doorway to safety...and the end of the level. (screenshots)
NOTE: Again, I will add details and videos for the cinematics once the first draft of the walkthrough is complete.
REVISITING SYRIA LATER IN THE GAME
If you missed anything the first time through, you will be able to return to this area via fast travel after you have beaten the game. At that time, the Syria section of your world map (shown below Siberia) will be updated with the 3 base camps shown on my annotated level map. You can no longer move from one end of the level to the other, so you may need to visit all 3 camps in order to get everything.
Check the separate Prophet's Tomb Collectibles Guide for help locating all the relics, documents, coin caches, and the Archivist Map.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 11/22/15 - First draft of walkthrough posted online.
1/28/16 - Added PC keyboard controls.
4/4/16 - Added Collectibles Guide and included more info in the 'revisit' section. Some screenshots were renumbered in the process.
10/11/16 - Added PS4 controls.
11/7/16 - Added info about disabling the swinging spike trap by shooting the button that triggers it. Thanks to G.O. for the reminder.
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