STELLA'S TOMB RAIDER GOLDEN MASK WALKTHROUGH - Updates for Tomb Raider 2 Remastered coming soon

LEVEL 3: FURNACE OF THE GODS

Updated: 3/27/24()

Kills: 41* Items: 59 plus the Mask of Tornarsuk, gold nugget, and 3 secrets**

*This is the maximum number of kills. The exact count will depend on your choices in certain areas.

**NOTE: If you missed them in earlier levels, the regular pickups in this level will include the AUTOMATIC PISTOLS, HARPOON GUN, SHOTGUN, M16 ASSAULT RIFLE, GRENADE LAUNCHER and UZIS.

LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)

TRAPPED PASSAGEWAY: You start the level sliding. The first pickup is on the ledge just ahead. You probably won't have time to light a flare and still make the jump to grab the ledge, so you may want to turn up the brightness on your monitor for this section. Slide, jump, grab, and pull up next to the box of flares. (screenshot) If you miss this jump and want to try again, you'll need to reload your save from the end of the previous level. There's no way to climb back up. Once you have the flares, drop off the ledge and slide to the bottom of the cave. Among the remains of some previous adventurers, you'll find shotgun shells and more flares.

Continue along the dark passage. As you approach the small medi pack on the ground, a rat sneaks up from behind. Roll and shoot it. Then turn around and continue on.

Ahead is a section of breakaway tiles with deadly molten gold below. Beyond that is a short slope and two converging spiked walls. One comes in from ahead, the other from the right. Instead of trying to outrun the spiked walls, run across the breakaway tiles, slide down the slope on the other side, and hurry into the hallway on the left. Wait there as the first spiked wall moves past you heading toward the breakaway tiles. If you like you can shoot the 2 rats nibbling on Lara's boot laces, but don't let them distract you from the spikes. Once the first wall passes, move into the space where it originated. You'll be safe here as the second spiked wall moves away down the long hallway. Step out and shoot a third rat off to the right. Then pick up 2 sets of automatic pistol clips on the floor to the left, near where the second wall originated. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you didn't get the AUTOMATIC PISTOLS in a previous level, you'll receive them here in place of one set of clips.

Now head for the other end of the hall, where the second spiked wall ended up. Find the metal cage wrapped in gold chain embedded in the left wall and push it twice to get into the passageway behind it. (screenshots) Go through to the next area.

BLUE CAVE WITH INUIT WARRIORS: Enter the cave, start up the blue hill between the tall columns, and kill 2 wolves that emerge from behind the columns. If you like, you can run out to get their attention and then roll and run back to the block near the entrance to shoot them from safety. (screenshot) There's a third wolf sleeping in the far left corner of the cave. When you approach the skeleton with the small medi pack at the top of the hill, the wolf will emerge. Stand there with pistols drawn and Lara will probably see it approaching before you do. (screenshot)

Take the golden MASK OF TORNARSUK from the pedestal in the middle of the cave, and the 3 Inuit warriors standing on the nearby blocks will animate. Taking the mask also opens one of the doors leading out of the cave. This can be found on the left wall (i.e., left if Lara is standing on the mask pedestal with the entrance behind her). (screenshot)

NOTES: Like the ice men, the warriors are friendly. If you don't harm them, they'll help you fight the real enemies. If you insist on killing them, you should be able to do so easily enough by remaining on the pedestal where you found the mask.

If you'd like to learn more about the possible real-life inspirations for the golden mask, check out this fascinating article from the Tomb Raider Horizons. It's part of that blog's "Arte-Factual" series, which covers art and artifacts from all the TR games.

FLOODED TUNNEL: Go through the door you just opened into a small room lined with blue bricks. Step into the hole in the floor and slide down the ramp to land in a water-filled tunnel. Roll and swim along the tunnel away from the direction you were initially facing. A carp swims toward you. Harpoon it then continue to the end of the passage where it came from. Swim down and pick up 2 bundles of harpoons. Roll and follow the tunnel back the way you came. If necessary, you can swim up the shaft where you came in and get some air. Then continue along the flooded tunnel to the far end. Surface in a small, dark room. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you prefer, you can draw out the fish and then swim away to the opposite end of the passage. Surface in the room with the rats (described below), deal with them, and then shoot the fish from above before going back for the harpoons. Also, if you missed the HARPOON GUN earlier, you'll get it here along with one bundle of harpoons.

DARK ROOM WITH SKELETONS AND RATS: Climb out of the pool. As you explore this dark room, 12 rats emerge. Shoot them all. Then pick up the various items on the ground and move the metal cages to get at the goodies underneath. In all, there are 5 boxes of shotgun shells, a small medi pack, a large medi pack, and flares. Pull the third metal cage out from the wall and push it to the side to access the exit. (screenshot)

NOTE: If you don't already have the SHOTGUN, you'll find it in the rat room, under the cage in the corner along with some other items.

BLUE PASSAGEWAYS BEYOND THE RAT ROOM: Follow the narrow passage, taking care to run quickly over the collapsing tiles with spikes below. At the end of the hall, turn around and jump up to grab the ladder above. (screenshot) Climb to the top. Straight ahead, blocking the narrow passageway, is a blue block with a carved face. Push it twice into a small room. Then move it to either side to find SECRET #1, the gold coins, underneath. (screenshots)

This room is laid out in the shape of a square. Go around to the side farthest from the entrance. Step into the doorway with the skeleton and immediately roll and run out to either side to avoid the boulder that rolls down the passageway toward you. (screenshot) Pick up the flares among the bones and follow the hallway where the boulder came from, jumping over 3 spike pits along the way. (The grate in the floor doesn't open.) Soon you'll emerge on a ledge overlooking the BLUE CAVE.

LEDGES ABOVE THE BLUE CAVE: Pull the switch on the thick, square column to open the double doors below. Move to the left edge and take a carefully angled standing jump onto the ledge jutting out of the left side of the column. Move to the end of this ledge and take a running jump to the ledge with the M16 clips ahead on the left. After making the pickup, move to the middle of the ledge where it slopes downward in a V. If you safety drop here where the ledge is a bit lower, Lara won't take any damage. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you haven't already picked up the M16 ASSAULT RIFLE in your travels, you'll get it here instead of the ammo.

Move past the skeleton and the pedestal where you found the GOLDEN MASK earlier. You'll find the double doors you just opened in the far right corner of the cave. Enter and pull the switch to open the gate. Then hang back as the Inuit warriors take care of the 3 mercenaries in the next room. You can assist if you like, but be careful not to accidentally shoot the warriors if you want them to stay friendly. Naturally, if you've killed the warriors, you'll need to fight the mercs on your own. Afterward take 2 sets of Uzi clips and a small medi pack from the bad guys' bodies.

DOUBLE DOORS/ORANGE-AND-GOLD ROOM: Enter the room beyond the gate. Near the back of the room on the left is a barred alcove overlooking a room with a pool of molten gold. There's a large medi pack here on the floor. Grab it and backtrack to the climbable ledge on the right. (Both the alcove and ledge are shown in this screenshot.) Climb through the opening above and drop onto a ledge in the gold pool.

RIVER OF MOLTEN GOLD: Walk to the end of the first ledge and take a running jump over the deadly molten gold to the next ledge. Move to the far left corner of this ledge and jump over to the rocky ledge on the left. Jump up the slope and then walk out onto the block on the right. Hop back and take a running jump to grab the back side of the angled block near the wall. Pull up, slide down the other side of the block, nearly to the bottom. Then jump to land on the angled block in the corner. Immediately jump again to land on the ledge with the grenades. (screenshots)

NOTE: This will be the GRENADE LAUNCHER itself if you didn't find it before.

After making the pickup, move forward to the other side of this ledge and take a running jump onto the stone block ahead. Turn right and take another running jump to the small, squarish block below and to the right of the molten gold 'waterfall'. Take another running jump to the next block. (It has a flat front and an angled section at the back.) Turn left, and take a standing jump to the larger flat area behind the falls. (screenshots)

Climb onto the dark gray rock ledge and from there to the elevated bridge made of gray and orange rock. This bridge extends all the way around the perimeter of the cave in a U shape. Follow it all the way around to where it ends at a large, dark gray rock formation. The golden waterfall should now be on your left. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you missed the grenades/GRENADE LAUNCHER before, you can also get them by safety dropping off the bridge near the second corner. (screenshots) You must then climb back up onto the bridge as described above.

Climb the dark gray rock formation at the end of the bridge. Continue forward, keeping the golden river on Lara's left. On the right is a dark pit containing a box of flares. Drop in, grab them, and climb back out. Continue uphill with the river still on Lara's left. A little farther along, also on the right, there's another pit with a small medi pack. (screenshots)

After getting these items, walk back down the rocky bank the way you came. The golden river will now be on Lara's right. When you come to the end of the path, above the jumble of rocks you climbed to get up here, jump onto the flat-topped block to the left. Climb into the rocky alcove above. Roll and take a running jump to grab the next ledge, high above the river of gold. Pull up, cross the ledge and take another running jump to grab the next ledge. Again, pull up. (screenshots)

Walk forward along the left cave wall. At end of the ledge, turn left to face the wall, hop back and grab the edge. Traverse to the right corner before dropping onto the block below. This block is a little higher on the right, so if you drop down there, Lara won't lose any health. Hop down into the pit on the right to get more flares. (screenshots)

Turn so the golden river is on Lara's right and climb up out of the pit. Walk up the slope to the highest point and jump straight up to grab the ledge that juts out above; pull up. Cross to the far left corner and you'll see some shotgun shells concealed on a small square ledge. Grab them, turn around and return to the edge of the ledge overlooking the golden river. (screenshots)

Take a running jump to the pillar with the M16 clips on top. Pick up the clips and shoot the crow that flies in from downstream. Then take another running jump to the ledge on the opposite side of the river (above the pits where you found the small medi pack and flares earlier). Another crow flies in from below on the right. Shoot it. (screenshots)

Now head upstream along the rocks. Jump over the small gap and watch out for the concealed spikes just ahead on the right. Climb up onto the angled block to the left of the spike pit. Then head forward and climb the stepped blocks to the top of the rock pile, where you'll find a box of shotgun shells. Shoot another crow that comes from downstream. Sometimes it sneaks in from behind, so you may want to draw pistols and keep turning on the spot until it appears. When it's dead, turn so the river of gold is on Lara's left and slide down the back of the hill. Turn left and take a running jump over to the little island in the middle of the river with the M16 clips on top. Kill 2 more crows and pick up the ammo. (screenshots)

Face downstream and then step back toward the top edge of the island, being careful not to step off into the molten ore. Then take a standing jump over the angled block to the lower end of the island. Turn right and you'll spot a hole in the river between two large boulders. Take a running jump into the left side of the hole to land on a safe block. Drop down to the block below to get SECRET #2, the gold bars. (screenshots)

Climb back onto the block above, then to the block above it. Turn around and take a running jump over to the next tall rock, just above where you found the gold bars. Turn right and take another running jump back to the little island where you found the M16 clips earlier. Take another carefully angled running jump to land on the bank where you started. (You may first want to light a flare and throw it forward so you can see where you're going.) Move forward and step off the edge to land on a small ledge with some automatic pistol clips. Grab the ammo, turn left, and climb two ledges into the next area. (screenshots)

ROOM WITH ROLLING BLADE: Ahead is a narrow hallway with a rolling blade. Run carefully past the blade, ducking into the alcoves if necessary. At the end of the hallway, in the slightly larger alcove on the right, there's a large medi pack.

STEPPING STONES IN MOLTEN GOLD RIVER: Move out into the open area, but don't rush. You don't want to run on into the river of molten gold. The camera shifts to show a wide-angle view of the area. Turn right and go through the dark area behind the big, square pillar to another ledge overlooking the river. Move to the edge and take a standing jump with Action to land on the gray block jutting out from the right wall into the river. Now make your way upstream, jumping from block to block: a running jump to the second block, standing jump to the third, running jump to the fourth, standing jump to the fifth. Then turn right and take a running jump to the sixth and last block. While standing there, you can pick off the polar bear in the cave ahead using the M16. (screenshots)

POLAR BEAR CAVES: Take a running jump from the block into the pool of water beyond the edge of the molten gold. There's one of those biting fish waiting for you. Either harpoon it or, if you don't care about getting all the kills, just avoid it. Swim down and forward through the small underwater tunnel, then up a vertical shaft to surface in the polar bear cave. Pick up the large medi pack among the bones.

On the left side of the cave there's a small, square opening. Step through it onto a ledge above water. Save the game here. If you look down, you'll see a block with a bundle of harpoons on top. Walk to the edge, hop back once and then take a standing jump to land on the block. Make sure you nail this jump; if you don't Lara will be swept downstream, missing a kill and two pickups. If you don't make it, reload and try again. (screenshots)

Once you land on the block, pick up the harpoons, turn right, and jump down into the shallow water. Advance carefully into the cave. As soon as you step from the water onto the snow, a second polar bear appears. Backflip twice to land in thigh-deep water. The bear won't come out that far. So you can draw pistols and shoot it from safety. Don't go beyond the drop-off, though, or the current will drag Lara downstream. Afterward retrieve 2 sets of Uzi clips from the bear's lair. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you don't already have the UZIS, you'll get them here instead of the second set of clips.

Now return to the water and head downstream. The current will whisk Lara along, depositing her in an underwater cave. (screenshot) Swim up to the small, square opening in the ceiling. Take a breath and then swim back down into the next underwater room, where you'll find 2 sets of M16 clips on the bottom. Notice the items behind the ice windows. You'll get those soon. Return to the square opening in the cave ceiling and climb out of the water there. Grab the small medi pack and flares on the ledge. Then move into the opening overlooking the gold river and the blocks you hopped across earlier. Take a running jump to grab the wooden ladder that extends up the stone wall. Climb over to the right and dismount on the ledge. (screenshot)

ROOMS WITH RAMPS AND BOULDERS: Head down the ramp to the left. Push the button to open the golden door next to it. Immediately backflip or climb up onto the ledge above the button to avoid the 2 rolling boulders. (screenshot)

NOTE: It's possible to trip the boulder on the left by running straight forward from the entrance into the doorway on the lower level. (screenshot) However, if you do this, that boulder will reset once you press the button. It won't roll again unless you go down the lower ramp, but I think it's safer to just trip both at once, as described above. Then you don't need to worry about it.

Both doors out of this area lead to the same place, but to get all the pickups, you'll want to go this way: Climb down the ladder inside the doorway near the button until Lara is still hanging on but her feet are no longer on the ladder. Traverse to the left and drop down between a pit of molten gold and another button. (screenshot) Press the button to open the golden door at the other end of the room. Immediately pivot slightly to the left and then backflip to avoid both the pit and the boulder that rolls down from the right. (screenshot)

Follow the ramp to the top and climb into the alcove above on the right to find a pair of grenades behind one of the ice windows you saw earlier. Climb back down and go through the gold door you just opened. Take the 2 sets of Uzi clips lying on the floor, then climb up through the rocky tunnel into a dark hallway with closed double doors. Go to the left and kill the mercenary who emerges from the cave ahead on the right. Stay away from the left edge to avoid accidentally slipping into the pool of molten gold below. Take the M16 clips the mercenary drops.

Off to the left, sitting in the golden pool, are several blocky buildings. You can reach them by dropping down onto the walkway below or following the tunnel where the mercenary emerged. There is no one correct path. Here is one possible route that covers all kills and pickups.

ANCIENT BUILDINGS IN GOLDEN POOL: From the ledge where you just killed the mercenary, hop down onto the long walkway above the pool of molten gold. (There's a small medi pack sitting on a block next to the bridge. If you're low on health, you can retreive it now; otherwise wait until later when there will be an easier way to get it.) Turn around to face the ledge where you dropped down. Head toward the back entrance of the little square building on the left. Inside is a narrow hallway with some automatic pistol clips on the floor. Before picking them up, shoot the mercenary who comes around the corner ahead on the right. Then take the ammo and the Uzi clips he drops. (screenshots)

Go forward through the doorway where the mercenary entered. Turn right and walk to the corner of the ledge. Turn left and take a running jump across the golden pool to grab the edge of the walkway in front of the other small building. Pull up, draw weapons, and take out a second mercenary who appears in the doorway in front of you. He drops M16 clips. (screenshots)

Go through the square window on the right into the next small building. Pull the switch there to open the big double doors you passed earlier after climbing out of the ROOMS WITH RAMPS AND BOULDERS. Climb out through the window next to the switch and immediately turn right to take on a third mercenary who emerges from between the two buildings. If necessary, you can hop back up the stairs behind you as you fight. Afterward, relieve the merc of a small medi pack. (screenshots)

Now head up the steps directly opposite the window of the switch room (not the wide, orange staircase with the pointed arch). At the top of the steps, vault up onto the low, gray stone ledge, turn right, and continue forward through the rocky cave. Just past the spot where you killed the first mercenary are the doors you just opened. Enter and pull the switch there to raise a barrier in the pool with the ice windows and flood the area with the buildings. Turn around and return to the now flooded ruins. (screenshots)

Face out over the walkway where you dropped down earlier. Dive in and swim down to retrieve 2 bunches of harpoons near the left wall and a small medi pack on the small block to the right of the walkway, provided you didn't pick it up earlier. (screenshot) As you explore underwater, a biting carp swims out of the building where you found the automatic pistol clips before. You can try to outswim it as you make the rest of the pickups here, harpoon the fish, or climb out onto one of the rooftops and shoot it with pistols from above. You'll also find a large medi pack in the room on the lower level of the single building, automatic pistol clips in the first of the two buildings on the other side of the pool, 2 sets of auto pistol clips in the third building, and a GOLD NUGGET on the bottom of the pool between the buildings. (screenshot) The ammo pickups are guarded by a second and third carp.

When you have everything, swim over to the wide, orange stairs with the pointed archway and wade out of the water there. Use the GOLD NUGGET in the receptacle at the top of the stairs to open the doors. (screenshot)

CAVERN WITH MOLTEN GOLD VOLCANO, WALKWAYS AND SPIKED PANELS: This next section is much easier than it looks, provided you don't hurry. There are three walkways in a pool of molten gold. The left and right ones have moving panels with spikes. The center one has a rolling blade. Walk or run down the left pathway just until the spikes start moving. Roll and run back toward the entrance, positioning Lara on the safe spot between the left and middle walkways. When the spiked wall stops, carefully move around it—just touching it can kill Lara—and head for the end of the walkway where it came from. Be careful not to run off the edge, as there is molten ore in the alcove where the spikes originated. Turn left and take a running jump to the ledge in the corner. Go forward then right and pick up flares and a small medi pack near the skeleton. Step back out onto the block above the pool, turn left and take a standing jump down to the walkway. Then return to the wall near the entrance. (screenshots)

Repeat the same procedure on the right side of the room. Run forward just far enough to trigger the moving spiked wall. Roll and run back to the safe spot between the right and middle walkways. Wait for the spiked wall to stop and then go around it to the end of the walkway. Take a running jump onto the ledge in the right corner. (screenshots)

Turn left, take a few steps forward, turn left again, and pull up onto the block a little higher than Lara's head. Turn right and pull up onto the next block. (screenshots) Turn left and pull up onto the next block, then right again and pull up onto the next block. Here the camera shifts to show a wide-angle view of the area.

Turn around to face out over the cavern. Step to the edge and jump straight up to grab the wooden ladder above. Climb to the top. Turn around and take a standing jump onto the ledge to the right of the hole you just climbed out of. There's another ladder on the wall there. Climb up. (screenshots)

You're now on the very top of the volcano. Move straight forward and jump over the rivulet of molten gold. It's OK to step on the very edge of it, but the block that is completely covered in gold is not safe. Ignore the pit on the right for now. Continue past it and turn right so Lara's back is toward the open cavern and the pit is ahead on her right. Hop back, slide down the slope and grab the edge. Then let go and drop onto the flat rock below. Turn around once more, so Lara is facing out toward the cavern, hop back and grab the edge of the hole behind her. Climb down the ladder and drop down next to SECRET #3, the gold skull. (screenshots)

Climb back up the ladder, turn right, and take a running jump over two sloped blocks to land on the flat block beyond. Climb over the block on the right and slide down onto a flat ledge. Here you'll find another ladder, which you can climb to get back to the top of the volcano. At the top, take a running jump across the big pit to grab the ladder on the inside of the pit. Climb down. (screenshots)

BREAKAWAY TILES AND FUNNEL TO EXIT: At the bottom of the ladder, drop onto the breakaway tiles. Run forward and then make a U-turn around to the left. Keep running and jump at the edge of the tiles to clear the gap and land on the breakaway tile on the other side. Continue forward onto the solid block with the large medi pack. (screenshots)

The exit from this area is the hole in the floor below. Getting there without dying is a little tricky though. If she lands in the opening, the drop is too far and Lara will die. If she lands on the molten gold, she'll fry. Here's an easy way to gauge the jump: Turn around so the corner is behind Lara on her left. Walk to the edge, sidestep to the left and then take a standing jump forward. (screenshots) Lara will land at the top of the brown slope, losing a little bit of health but not too much. She'll then slide down the slope into the hole and continue sliding for quite a while before finally touching down inside a barred walkway. Run forward into the cage, where you can get a glimpse of the next level. Drop through the opening in the floor to end the level.

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UPDATE HISTORY: 6/27/12 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1999. Previous minor changes were not tracked. Along with various tweaks to the original strategy, I added loads of screenshots and several notes about alternate weapon pickup points. Somehow I overlooked this in previous drafts.
8/26/13 - Added link to Tomb Raider Horizons.
3/8/24 - Added a missed pickup, thanks to Haley. (The item count in the header was correct, but the 3 mercenaries killed by the Inuit warriors actually drop 2 sets of Uzi ammo, not just one.) Actual remastered version updates coming soon-ish.
3/27/24 - Added VGCartography's level maps, with permission. Visit VGCartography on DeviantArt for high-res versions, and follow on Twitter/X and YouTube for more fantastic game maps.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to Adriel for reminding me to check the alternate weapon pickup points and to Hamiru and Helena for other help on this level. Thanks also to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup for their insightful contributions to the original Golden Mask walkthrough.


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