9. Path of the Dead
Version: 1st draft
Task:
- Find another way out of the temple
- Escape the flooded ruins
- Return to Kuwaq Yaku
- Make your way through the hangar
- Return to Kuwaq Yaku
- Meet Jonah in the ruins
Find Another Way out of the Temple
Before we leave there are some collectibles to be found.Mural (9/10):
On the right hand wall, between the statue of the eagle and the jaguar, you will find the mural God of Suicides from the collection "Pantheon of Gods 3" (3/7) which is worth +35 XP and improves Lara's knowledge of Mam.
Document (13/18):
On the opposite wall, to the right of the snake statue you can find the document Balams from the set "Legends of the Maya" (2/7) on an altar. It will again improve Lara's knowledge of Mam and reward her with +25 XP.
Monolith (2/3):
Up on the elevated part, just to the left of the exit you will find the Mam Monolith. You'll obtain +25 XP, if you study it. Two guardians have fangs, two guardians have feet. One guardian has both to better protect me..
Monolith Riches Survival Cache (11/14):
The clue will lead you to the jaguar, who has both feet and fangs. Look behind the jaguar statue in the south to dig up the Survival Cache. You will obtain +50 XP. Once more head up the stairs.
Leave the chamber at the back on the left, just next to the monolith and climb through the opening into the yard.
Here Lara will automatically examine a stele rewarding her with the skill Eagle's Talon and +50 XP.
Resources:
Begin by examining the wall left (north) from where you entered (behind Lara after the short cutscene). In the alcove there you can find a resource container with +15 XP.
Document (13/18):
Then examine the next alcove further right (east) to find the document Birthing the Serpent which is worth +25 XP and improves Lara's language skills in the dialect Mam.
Now get into the opening to the right of where you came out. Perform a swan dive to get down into the water.
Escape the Flooded Ruins
Dive down. Inside the underwater tunnels and caves that follow, Lara will encounter piranhas. The only way to get through this part alive is to not get seen. In order to remain hidden from view Lara has to hide in underwater grasses and only continue when the area is clear. Hide in the first patch of grass. The piranhas are circling around the column. Wait for them to pass the patch of grass then quickly dive out and straight on down to the next patch of grass. It is relatively safe to continue from here to the pocket of air just up ahead. You come out into a cave with underwater ruins and many more schools of piranhas. While the ruins on the right seem tempting, they house the treasure chest for which we are still missing the lockpick, so you might as well give it a wide berth for now. Although we will scrape the eastern part on our way to the exit in a little while. Since piranhas are nasty little buggers, I will avoid them as best as I can, so I am not swimming around, collecting resources. It is just not worth the bother. Keep left and turn to swim into the passage of the ruins. Hide in the grass keeping an eye on the piranha circling here.Survival Cache (12/14):
Once it is clear quickly slip through the gap in the left wall into the area behind. Keep left and swim ahead to reach a pocket of air. There are no piranhas in this part but there is a vein of Jade Ore near the air pocket. And, just behind the patch of grass further along there is a Survival Cache you can dig up for +25 XP.
Swim to the next pocket of air and grab the resource container with +15 XP on the way. (If you have skipped the survival cache you just have to follow the passage of the ruins to its end slipping from hiding place to hiding place and reaching the pocket of air.
After catching your breath, swim up the stairs, quickly hiding in the grass to evade the next piranhas. Make sure they just came by before you continue down the stairs on the other side. Follow the bend around to the right and keep left where you quickly swim up the stairs towards the light. Turn left to enter and quickly swim ahead to the niche with another pocket of air.
Resources:
For some more Jade Ore exit the entrance again and dive down. Swim to the left into the narrow passage. At the end, around the bend to the right you will find a vein of Jade Ore. On the way you will also come by a focus plant. Quickly swim back up to catch your breath again.
Now, from the pocket of air, follow the stairs up. Ascend all the way to the top.
Return to Kuwaq Yaku
Out on a ledge on the western side to the right of the exit, you can find a resource container with +15 XP. Now swim along the passage and you will obtain +250 XP. Dive down to find another focus plant, then swim to the end. In the shallow water, on the left is the next resource container with +15 XP. Scramble up the back wall.Document (15/18):
Turn down the left passage to get to a secluded area. You come past a perception plant, and just beyond it, to the right of the tree is the document Misdirection from the set "Search for the Hidden City" (4/8). You're rewarded with +25 XP. Return back to the main path.
Balance out onto the tree trunk and jump to the branch.
Watch the two mercenaries below for a moment. When they spread out, you will be able to take the first one out with the recently acquired "Eagle's Talon" skill. This kill will reward you with +80 XP and counts towards the trophy/achievement Surprise!. This is another of the trophies/achievements which can be boosted, but the last checkpoint was back in the water, so it might not be worth the trouble here for a single kill each time. There are plenty more opportunities throughout the game.
Take out the other one however you like.
Resources:
In the vegetation to the left of the tree you sat on you can find a Medkit.
Follow the path out onto the ledge and left. Climb up to the left and follow the jungle path till you witness one of the Trinity mercenaries being taken out by some sort of creature, like the one I pointed out in the "Underworld Gate" tomb.
Document (16/18):
After witnessing the attack, pick up the document Operation Update from the set "Trinity" (5/10) on the right, past the jeep on the left and the tree on the right. You will get +25 XP. There is also a crate with salvage here.
Continue along the path and squeeze through the gap in the vegetation.
Make Your Way Through the Hangar
You will come to another combat area where the Trinity mercenaries are on high alert. Some of them are wearing helmets, making it impossible to take them out with a well placed headshot. This is a good spot to work on Tables Turned by killing enemies while they are actively looking for you. It's also a good place to continue working on Surprise!.Combat
Quickly climb the nearby tree and use Eagle's Talon on the single mercenary. Return to the tree and use the curved branch to swing to the next tree. Once the two enemies that were here have spread out, you can use Eagle's Talon on the next mercenary. By now the other enemies will probably notice that something is wrong. Try to remain hidden while taking out enemies when you are sure that you have no witnesses. If you get caught at this point on One with the Jungle or Deadly Obsession, you might be killed quickly. One trick that also works quite well is to jump onto the roof of the shack on the right from the second tree and drop down behind, then try to lure single enemies behind the cover by making some noise to take them out stealthily. After the fight loot all the enemies, pick all the plants and collect all other resources around the ruined hangar. Then it's time to leave. Climb over the wall in the far left corner from where you entered (south).Return to Kuwaq Yaku
Drop down on the other side and obtain +150 XP. Wade through the mud and duck underneath the fallen tree. You will come upon a couple of freshly killed mercenaries. On the right is another Medkit.Document (15/18):
Where the path bends around to the right you can find the document Scouring the Globe from the set "Trinity" (6/10) lying next to a corpse on the right. It will bring you +25 XP.
(This is also where a base camp will appear later on for fast travel.)
After looting all the corpses follow the jungle path further along and at the end jump into the pool. There are two focus plants under water that would also count towards for Bottom Feeder challenge.
Swim to the shore and climb out. On the left you can find a crate with salvage.
Challenge "Crude Awakenings" (1/5):
Just past the fallen tree you will find the final oil barrel on the left, by a blue wriggly tin sheet. Shoot it to complete the challenge and obtain +100 XP.
Climb up onto the next ledge.
Survival Cache (13/14):
Run straight ahead into the right corner. By the fallen tree closest to the temple wall you can dig up another Survival Cache for +25 XP.
Head up the stairs to the left and then follow the bend to the right, down the stairs. You are now on familiar ground, if you've followed this walkthrough, back at the base camp Kuwaq Yaku Ruins. Don't forget to spend all the skill points you've probably earned and to upgrade your gear. At this point you may even have two matching vestige outfit parts, you can restore and then equip to obtain the trophy/achievement To the Nines.
Wade through the mud to get back to the ruins. You might want to turn left to get to the merchant to sell him your ore and other unwanted resources and buy other gear from him.
Meet Jonah in the Ruins
Enter the temple ruins again.Mural (10/10):
Before you go to Jonah and Abby, head up the stairs. At the top you will find the mural Temple of Death from the set "Exodus" (6/7) which will reward you with +35 XP and improve your knowledge of Mam. Head back down to where the opening in the wall is.
What's missing in Kuwaq Yaku?
This is the last item we can currently collect in this region. There are still the two treasure chests, for which you will need a lockpick, a monolith and the corresponding survival cache for which you need to improve your language skills further, and a crypt as well as a document for which you will need the shotgun.
Lara scouts ahead and the door is closed up behind her with spears, separating her from the other two.
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