Undercover (Mission 11)
My best time on Expert: 9 minutes, 27 seconds
Maximum Possible Treasure: 2758
Introduction
"Having pledged our honour as shield over Air, we must be mindful. Let it be locked away and safe, but ever in view of the faithful. Future generations are hostage to our care."
— Hammerite Sermon of the TalismanGetting the Talisman of Air will be an interesting challenge, but I'll need it if I want to get "The Eye" for Constantine. It's well hidden inside the city's Hammer Temple...so I'll have to do some scouting around. Problem is the place is fully active, day AND night...not even I could stay undetected for very long.
Well, they say that the best place to hide a letter is on the mantlepiece. With that in mind I'll be going in by the front door...dressed as a Hammerite Novice. That should be perfect since Novices aren't allowed to speak while on the Temple grounds.
My contacts can get me a Novice's pass to get me through the gate. Once inside I'll be free to take my time...explore the place thoroughly...and find the Talisman. As long as I don't do anything violent...or get caught somewhere I shouldn't be. Because as the new arrival I'll be the first person they suspect if anything goes wrong....
Objectives: Normal
- Posing as a Hammerite Novice, present your credentials to the guard at the gate, and enter the Hammerite Temple.
- Search the Temple and discover where the Talisman of Air is kept. When you find it, take it.
- Once you've achieved your other objectives, get out of the Temple and back to the city streets.
Objectives: Hard
- Posing as a Hammerite Novice, present your credentials to the guard at the gate, and enter the Hammerite Temple.
- Search the Temple and discover where the Talisman of Air is kept. When you find it, take it.
- In addition to stealing the Talisman, steal 1500 worth of valuables while you're in the Temple.
- Oh, and while you're looting the place, steal the Hammer's holy "First Hammer" from their reliquary.
- Once you've achieved your other objectives, get out of the Temple and back to the city streets.
Objectives: Expert
- Posing as a Hammerite Novice, present your credentials to the guard at the gate, and enter the Hammerite Temple.
- Search the Temple and discover where the Talisman of Air is kept. When you find it, take it.
- Oh, and while you're looting the place, steal the Hammer's holy "First Hammer" from their reliquary.
- In addition to stealing the Talismans, steal 2400 worth of valuables while you're in the Temple.
- Don't kill any of the Hammerites while you're on the job.
- Once you've achieved your other objectives, get out of the Temple and back to the city streets.
NOTE: You may notice that Objective #4 reads "In addition to stealing the TALISMANS...". I believe this is a holdover from the original Thief game, when you had to steal both the Air and Earth Talismans from this mission. Ignore the typo...there's only one Talisman to steal.
Simplified Objectives
- Enter the Hammerite Temple via the front entrance.
- Find and steal the Talisman of Air.
- Also, steal the "First Hammer" from the Hammerite reliquary.
- Grab 2400 in loot while you're in the Temple.
- Don't kill anyone.
- Return to the city streets.
Before The Mission
What You'll Encounter: Hammerite Guards (Hammer-Wielders, Priests).
Starting Funds: Whatever you managed to purloin from the Opera House. (Maximum: 2920.)
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Starting Gear:
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Items for Sale:
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NOTE: I noticed the cost of the Noisemaker Arrows here in the FAQ are 100 more than in any other mission. Did I make a typo here, or are they really 350 for this mission?
Yet again, your Sword and Blackjack are not shown on your Starting Equipment list. Oddly enough, you seem to have them once the mission starts.
The scroll you are carrying is the Novice's Pass which you'll need to enter the Hammerite Temple unmolested.
Since you are in disguise, stealth is not as important to you on this mission as it has been on others, so Moss Arrows and Water Arrows can be kept to a minimum. Fire Arrows and the Explosive Mine are a waste of your money, since you cannot kill anyone. And for some reason, my Noisemaker Arrows fail to draw any attention, so I consider them likewise useless.
What does that leave? Gas Arrows, Gas Mines, and Healing Potions. Get them. :)
You should note that once you take the Talisman of Air, the alarms will go off and every Hammerite left standing will be searching for you. It is at times like this that you may find you want some stealth equipment, or attention getters such as Noisemaker Arrows. However, you should try to eliminate future opposition by taking out as many guards as you can before this happens. Use your own discretion on this matter.
Recommended Purchases: 2 Gas Arrows, 2 Gas Mines. Total Cost: 2300
Mission Notes
Hmm...what can I say about this mission? Well, for starters, it's very disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fun mission. But after the difficulties of The Mage Towers, The Sword, and The Lost City (to name a few), this mission made me feel like I was playing a slightly more difficult version of "Lord Bafford's Manor"! The simplicity and ease of this mission makes it poorly placed within the lineup. If it HAD to be used as a Talisman mission, this one should have come first.
Okay, enough ranting. This mission is still fun, and there are a few things to point out. First of all, you're in disguise. That means you don't have to sneak around the place like you normally do. (I must say, this took some getting used to for me!)
There is a new element introduced in this mission...the timed puzzle. There is a certain puzzle you need to solve, and you must do so within a certain amount of time.
The first thing you should remember is this: Whenever you have a chance to take down a Hammerite, do so. You'll be glad you did later. Also remember that you must hide the bodies or else patrolling Hammers will realize something's up, and then your disguise is useless. Any time you take out a Hammerite and manage to hide the body, I suggest you save your game.
Also, remember that you're supposed to be a Hammerite Novice. This means that if you are caught someplace you are obviously not supposed to be (places marked with a red, inverted hammer), your cover will be blown. If you are told you are not supposed to be somewhere, and you continue to hang around, nearby Hammerites will see through your disguise. If anyone sees you taking treasure items, they'll denounce you. If anyone finds any treasure missing, they'll raise the alarm. Finally, it is all right to equip your weapons, but don't ready them. That is, you can have your Blackjack out, but don't raise your arm to use it if anyone can see!
In most cases, this walkthrough will not tell you when or how to take your enemies down. There are too many, too scattered, and they move around a lot. It will tell you where ideal places are to hide bodies, however.
For the most part, treasures are obvious and easily found in this mission. There are no tricks to finding them, except for the main treasure: The Talisman of Air. This will be gone into in further detail at the appropriate point in the walkthrough.
A couple of notes of caution: In a few places, you may find some switches labelled "ON/OFF". Whatever you do, DON'T operate these switches until told to! They are part of the timed puzzle, and operating one of them will set things in motion...and once that's done, you can't stop it. Also, again in several places, you may find small red buttons on the wall. DON'T PRESS THEM! They turn the alarms on.
One final note: I've seen a couple of places on the Internet talking about this mission, and in one particular one they mentioned gaining entry via the roof. I have not tried this, nor do I think I will. I was so disappointed with this mission, my basic attitude was "Get it done, get it over with, and move on".
Walkthrough
| Gaining Entry | The Main Level | The Lower Level | The Crypt Level | The Puzzle | Obtaining the Talisman | Escaping the Temple |
Gaining Entry
Once you've started the mission, move forward and follow the turn ahead of you. Continue forward. Ahead there is a turnoff to the left. Ignore it, and keep moving forward. Continue down this street, following the turns. You will soon come to another area where you can either move forward or turn left. This time, you want to turn left. Ahead you'll see a Hammer standing guard before the Hammerite Temple. Move up to him, and he will ask to see your credentials. At this point, look in your inventory for the scroll you started with, and read it. This will convince the guard you are legitimate, and will call for the gate to be opened. Once it's open, move on in.
The Main Level
SAVE YOUR GAME! This is where things start to get interesting. Remember, to decrease the number of Hammers looking for you later, take as many out as you can BEFORE going for the Talisman. There are at least two patrollers on this level, as well as a few stationary guards, and a couple who don't begin their patrols until after you've overheard their conversations.
As you stand in this room with your back to the gate that you just passed through, there are three other exits: one to your left, one to your right, and one dead ahead (obscured by the "Hammer Shrine" in front of you). Either the left or the right exits lead to rooms, with no other exits. Each one is empty except for Hammerites. The left one has two, the right one has one. These rooms are ideal for hiding bodies in.
[Note: There is a parchment on the wall to your left. It seems that your handiwork has not gone unnoticed.]
Also note that the "Hammer Shrine" has a golden hammer resting on it. Get it when it is safe to do so (75, Treasure Count: 75). Then leave the room via the door across from the gate. (Note: This "entrance room" is also part of at least one Hammerite's patrol route.)
Once you've gone through the door, move through the doorway ahead. In the next room, continue forward about halfway towards some stairs which lead down. (Note: The dark areas in this room are very nice for hiding bodies.) Turn right, and move forward through the doorway you can see ahead. In this room, directly in front of you is a table containing a book and a Papyrus. Pick up the Papyrus. You'll need it later.
Turn right, and move to the end of the room. Turn left, and go through the door ahead. Then turn left again, and move down to the door you can see ahead of you. Stop before you open it.
SAVE YOUR GAME! This next part can go wrong easily. Open the door. There should be two Hammerites talking in the next room. Move into the room and get behind the one on your right (as you face them from the doorway). When the conversation ends, one of them will leave the room. While he is still in the room, knock out the one that didn't move, then run up and knock the patrolling one out. All of this should be done within this room. If the other guard gets out, there's a chance knocking him out will alert others.
Now turn your attention to the pedestals in the room. There are three. The one in the centre contains the "First Hammer" you are supposed to get. Take it, then turn left and move through the door ahead of you.
Directly ahead of you is another door. Move through it, then turn right. You should be looking down a long room, with two Hammerites at the far end near an altar.
SAVE YOUR GAME! The two Hammerites at the end of the room are near a treasure. Unfortunately, they never leave this room. If you aim a Gas Arrow at the ground between them however, you can knock them out. Likewise, the corner of the altar that lies between them will also do. (You have to get the Gas Arrow between them...they aren't close enough for you to aim at a single one.) One they're unconscious, move to the altar they were near, and grab the golden hammer (75, Treasure Count: 150).
[Another method to take them out, if you want to save a Gas Arrow: In the centre aisle, plant a Gas Mine. Then go up and knock one of the Hammerites unconscious with your Blackjack. The other will run down the aisle to raise the alarm, and trigger the Mine.]
Turn right around, move to the end of the room, turn right, and move through the door ahead. In the next room, move through the doorway in front of you, into another room. Here, directly ahead of you, is a locked door. (Note the inverted red hammer above it...this is the symbol used to warn Novices of where they are not permitted.) Pick the lock on the door. (Note: One Hammer's patrol takes him through this room, so be careful.) Then move into the room. On the shelf ahead, if you turn left you'll find two bottles of fine wine (50, 50, Treasure Count: 200, 250). You may also notice a chest at the far end of the room. Ignore it. It contains instructions for you on how to get the Talisman, but you need a key to open the chest, and you have this walkthrough to tell you how to do it already. :)
[Note: For the curious, here is what the scroll reads:
The cage containing the Talisman can only be opened when the five locks have been released; the lock-releases are placed in various locations about this Temple. One resides with Brother Mason. One is behind the Skull of St. Yora. One is in the kitchen, by the oven. One is behind the rack which loosens men's tongues. One is behind the Keystone Tree. The locks must be released within the span of five minutes; when all of the locks are released, the Talisman Cage can be opened. Then, he who removes the Talisman must first recite the Prayer of the Wallbuilder. ]
Turn and leave this room the way you came in. Move through the doorway ahead, then turn right. Move forward, again going through the archway ahead. Continue forward until you can turn left, then do so. See those stairs just ahead and to the left? Move down the stairs.
The Lower Level
The two Hammerites nearby will have started a conversation. Once they have finished, they will become patrollers. This will give you a total of three patrollers (at the moment) on this level. It is important that you take these three out BEFORE moving into the graveyard area (described below). There are two more Hammers there who will become patrollers as well! There are several rooms on this level which are ideal for hiding bodies in, as the Hammerites never enter them. Unfortunately, they all have the sign of the inverted hammer, so you can't let them see you go in or come out of them.
Now, you've just come down, and with your back to the stairs, turn right. Ahead is a door, and to the left ahead of you is a doorway. The doorway leads to some sort of training room, where you can turn right and enter a garden of sorts. This area is ideal for knocking out the Hammerites, as they tend to come through one at a time, and you can also hide the bodies against the far wall, in the darkness.
When you are able to, move through the door ahead. In this room there is a locked chest. You can pick the lock, or pick up the key on the table, and use it to unlock it. Inside you'll find a purse (100, Treasure Count: 350). Turn around and leave the way you came in. Back in the hall, turn left. Move forward until you come to another door on your left. Move through it. In this room you'll find a tiara on the top of the shelving unit (125, Treasure Count: 475), and in the chest is another bottle of wine (50, Treasure Count: 525). Turn around and leave the room the way you came in. In the hall, turn left once again. This time, go past the door on your right. Once you are just past it, turn right. You should see a "window" into the next room.
You are looking into the High Priest's quarters. If you can't see him inside, just wait. He will eventually move into view. When he does, wait for him to go into the next room (which you can look into from here). He will stop inside this room for a short while. Now shoot him with your Gas Arrow. Then turn left, move forward back to the door you passed, and go through it.
Inside this room there is a shelving unit directly opposite the door. On top of this sits another bottle of wine (50, Treasure Count: 575). Now turn left, and move down to the other end of the room. Open the chest and you'll find a diamond (100, Treasure Count: 675). Now move through the doorway beside the chest. On the table in here there sits another golden hammer (75, Treasure Count: 750), yet another bottle of wine (50, Treasure Count: 800), and a key. Once you have everything, turn right around and leave this room the way you came in.
Across from you in the next room you, and slightly to the left, you will see a stained glass window depicting a large hammer. Just beneath it is a pedestal, upon which sits a real hammer. Get the hammer...you'll need it. Once you have it, turn left, and move forward. Once you reach the door up ahead, turn right and move through it.
In the hall once again. Turn right, and move forward. You will come to another door on your left. Ignore this one...there's nothing you need in this room.
[Note: If you choose not to ignore this door, there is another key on the table within (identical to one you've already found), and a Healing Potion in the chest on the floor. Grab what you want, then leave the room again. Back in the hall, turn left.]
Continue forward, moving as far as you can, until you are stopped by a large table. Upon this table sits three more bottles of wine (50, 50, 50, Treasure Count: 850, 900, 950). Once you have all three, turn right, and move forward into the next room.
There's nothing in this room to interest you. Ahead there is an exit to the right. Move through it, and continue forward until you come to a door on your left. Move through the door. In this room there is another shelving unit, containing another identical key, and a golden goblet (25, Treasure Count: 975). Turn around and leave the way you came in. Back in the hall, turn left, and move forward. When you come to another door on your left, move through it. This room has a chest, which contains another purse (100, Treasure Count: 1075). There is nothing else of interest in this room, so turn around and leave the way you entered.
Back in the hall, turn left. Move forward through the doorway ahead, then turn left.
SAVE YOUR GAME! When you move forward, you will trigger a conversation between two more Hammerites, after which they become patrollers.
Move forward into the graveyard area. Directly ahead of you, you will see a large structure. This is a grave marker. There are two in this room, another in the next, and two more beyond that. Within each rests a golden vase.
First things first though. Move forward to the stone path, and turn left. Then move forward through the archway ahead, and turn left. The two Hammerites should be directly in front of you.
The best way to deal with these two is your Flash Bomb. Throw it, then knock these two out. Then go around collecting the five gold vases (100, 100, 100, 100, 100, Treasure Count: 1175, 1275, 1375, 1475, 1575). Start with those furthest from the entrance to the graveyard area, and work your way back into that room.
Once you have them all, turn right around. You should now be facing the doorway you originally used to enter the graveyard. Move forward, going through the doorway. Move all the way down the length of this room, until you are past the rail and can turn left, then do so. Move forward to the wall ahead of you, then turn left again. Move forward, until you come to a set of stairs leading down. Take the stairs down, and follow these stairs/corridors until you come to a point where you have to choose a direction again. (It's quite a ways, and it will get very dark before you have to stop.)
The Crypt Level
SAVE YOUR GAME! You should have stopped at the bottom of a ramp, where you can go either left or right. There is a patrolling Hammerite in this area, plus one other stationary one. The patroller comes by this way, and since it's nice and dark here you may want to just wait for him to come by to deal with him.
[NOTE: I seem to recall the first time through this mission, there were TWO patrollers and a stationary guard. The second time through however, there was only one.]
With your back to the ramp that you used to come down here, turn right. Move forward, and turn left. Move forward, and take the first right. Move forward to the sloping floor ahead, and turn right. Ahead you should see the stationary Hammerite mentioned above. You will need to get behind him and knock him out.
Once that is done, turn so you are facing the crypt he was standing in front of. On top of it is a golden vase (100, Treasure Count: 1675). Now turn left, and move forward. Turn left when you have to, and move forward, stopping in front of the crypt on your right. Turn to face it, and grab the vase from atop it as well (100, Treasure Count: 1775).
Turn right, move forward, turn right, move forward, and take the right turn ahead. At the top of the slope, turn right and grab the golden vase on top of this crypt (100, Treasure Count: 1875). Then turn left, and move forward. Follow this tunnel until you can turn left. Do so, and move down this steep slope.
At the bottom of the slope, just a little ahead of it is another crypt on your right. This time, the golden vase is not on top of it, it is on the floor at one end of it (the end closest to the slope). Turn to face the crypt, grab the vase from the floor (100, Treasure Count: 1975), then turn left and move forward again. Directly ahead of you is another crypt with a vase on top. Get it (100, Treasure Count: 2075).
Turn left, move forward, and take the first right. Move down this tunnel to the end, and turn right. Move forward, and take these stairs all the way to the top. At the top, turn right, and move forward to the doorway you can see ahead of you.
SAVE YOUR GAME! Just in case. There is a Hammerite who patrols in this next area. If he's nearby (you can tell by the footsteps, then find him and club him. If he's not, then I suggest you move into the hall and plant one of your Gas Mines for him.
Once you've moved into the hall, turn right and move forward. Then turn left, and move forward to the door you can see on your left. Unlock the door with the key you took from the High Priest's chambers, and move inside. This is the Hammerite's treasure room.
Move all the way to the end, and turn right. Ahead of you are three chests. They contain two purses (100, 100, Treasure Count: 2175, 2275) and a diamond (100, Treasure Count: 2375).
Ahead of you you will see several stacks of coins on the floor. Pick them all up. There are a total of fifteen stacks of copper coins (5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, Treasure Count: 2380, 2385, 2390, 2395, 2400, 2405, 2410, 2415, 2420, 2425, 2430, 2435, 2440, 2445, 2450), eight stacks of gold coins (25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, Treasure Count: 2475, 2500, 2525, 2550, 2575, 2600, 2625, 2650), and eight stacks of silver coins (12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, Treasure Count: 2662, 2674, 2686, 2698, 2710, 2722, 2734, 2746).
The Puzzle
Turn so your back is to the chests you opened a moment ago, and move forward to the other end of the room. Turn left, move forward, and turn left again. Move forward to the other side, and turn right so you're facing the wall.
Look at the wall, and you'll find a switch labeled "ON/OFF". This is the first of five switches which must be operated in order to get to the Talisman of Air. Once you flip the first one, you have five minutes within which to find and flip the other four.
SAVE YOUR GAME! This way, if you screw up, you can start right back at the beginning of the puzzle.
Operate Switch Number One. Then turn right and move forward to the other side of the room. Turn right and move forward to the opposite end of the room, and leave this room the way you came in.
Turn right, move forward, turn right, and move forward again, to the end of the hall. Turn right again, and press forward until you come to a doorway in the left wall. Move through it, then turn right. Shoot the sleeping Inquisitor with a Gas Arrow, to make sure he stays asleep. Then turn right around and move to the table ahead. Take the stack of silver coins from it (12, Treasure Count: 2758).
Turn right around, and move forward. Turn left when you can, and move forward through the doorway ahead. In the next room, turn right, and move over to the torture machine ahead. Look at the wall ahead, behind the machine. Switch Number Two. Operate it.
Turn right around, and move forward. Move back through the doorway into the Inquisitor's room again. Continue forward through the room and into the hallway. Turn right, and move ahead. Go through the doorway ahead. Move to the centre of the room, and turn left. Move through this doorway now, then turn right. Move to the other side of the room (moving around objects as necessary), and turn right. Take these stairs to the top.
[Note: The very large barrels in the room you just left are noteworthy, because you seem to be able to move right through them!]
Turn right, and move forward. When you reach the first right turn, take it. Move forward until you enter a large room. Continue forward towards the doorway ahead, but turn left before you actually go through it. Then turn left, move forward, and take the stairs ahead to your left up to the top.
At the top, turn left and move forward. Turn left again, and move forward through the archway ahead. In the next room, move to the end, and then go through the door/doorway (depending on whether you left it open or not) on your right.
Back in the Hammer's Reliquary. Find the pedestal with the skull on it, and look behind it. Switch Number Three. Operate it, then turn so your back is to the skull. Move forward through the door/doorway ahead. Turn left, run forward and jump off the balcony into the garden below. Move forward to the opposite wall. Turn left, look up, and move forward. Soon you will see Switch Number Four. Operate it.
Once you've operated the switch, turn about 45 degrees to the left. Far ahead, you should be able to just make out an exit from this area. Head towards it, and when you reach it turn left. Move forward into the room ahead with the wooden floor. Continue forward all the way through, and re-enter the graveyard area. Move forward to the stone path, and turn left. Move ahead into the next room, then the next, and turn right.
There are two grave markers in front of you. Enter the right one, and look straight up. Switch Number Five. Operate it.
At this point, you will hear a noise. If it's a low moaning noise, you took too long. Reload and try again. If it's a high whine, you've succeeded.
Obtaining the Talisman
Turn so you are facing out of the grave marker, and move forward onto the stone path again. Turn left, and move forward all the way to the end. Turn right, and move forward back into the room with the wooden floor.
Move forward, and take the first right. Move forward and slightly to the right. Continue forward until you are just outside the doorway into another room, then turn right. Move forward, and take the left turn ahead. Continue following this corridor, turning as necessary, until you come to a passage leading off to the right. Take it.
Ahead of you is a large room. You should be able to see the Talisman of Air from here. Move forward onto the hammer design on the floor. A bridge will begin to extend from the other side towards you. When it reaches you, move across it.
[Note: If the bridge does NOT extend to meet you, then you somehow missed picking up the hammer in the High Priest's Chamber. Work your way back there to pick it up, then return here.]
There are two alcoves in front of you. Enter the alcove on your left, and operate the switch. Then turn around and exit the alcove, turn left, move forward a bit, and turn left again.
SAVE YOUR GAME! So very close...why take chances?
The Talisman is no longer barred, but still cannot be yours. First search through your inventory and find the Papyrus you picked up near the beginning of this mission. Read it. (Note: Be sure that you are actually standing inside the alcove when you do this. Also, be sure you are not looking at the Talisman when you do this. If you are, the game will think you are trying to pick it up, and it will hurt you.)
Once you've read the Wallbuilder's Prayer, you can safely grab the Talisman. You may note that there are alarms going off now. They know you're here and that you have the Talisman of Air. Time to leave.
Escaping the Temple
Turn around. Oh dear, the bridge has retracted! Drop down to the room below. Ahead and to your left is the only exit...take it. Follow it, turning when it does. When you reach a point where you can turn left or continue forward, do the latter. When you reach the room with the metal floor, turn left, and move through the doorway at the other end of the room.
[Note: You will be back in the Inquisitor's room. Most of this last bit is following the same path you used when you came this way before.]
Move across this room and through the doorway ahead into the hall. Turn right, and move forward, going through the doorway ahead and into the centre of the room. Turn left, and go through the doorway ahead. Turn right and move to the other end of the room (moving around objects as necessary again), then turn right and follow these stairs to the top.
At the top, turn right, and move forward. Continue ahead until you can turn right, then do so. Move forward down the hall until you enter a large room. Continue towards the doorway ahead, but don't go through it. Turn left instead. There will be some stairs ahead and to the left. Take them to the top.
At the top of the stairs, continue forward, moving through doorways until you are back into the entrance room with the hammer shrine in the centre. Move around the shrine, keeping it to your right (if you try to go the other way, you will sometimes run into a Hammerite). Continue forward through the main gate, and back onto the streets. Congratulations! You've desecrated the Hammer Temple and acquired the Talisman of Air!