Old Mines

Old Mines

Category: Main Route Location: The Other Side Fast travel: Yes

NOTABLE ITEMS

▪ Gas Mask ▪ Mining Helmet ▪ Running Shoes ▪ Ancient Idol ▪ Pickaxe (2) ▪ Miner's Key

DOCUMENTS

▪ Report: Underground Temple ▪ Report: Earthquake ▪ Report: Earthquake (update) ▪ Old Mines Map ▪ Miner's Diary Page

NPCs

▪ André

TASKS

▪ Find André's Hideout (continued) ▪ Find a Gas Mask (continued) ▪ The Lost Miners

ENEMIES

▪ Melee militiamen (4) ▪ Crossbow militiamen (4) ▪ Trained Dogs (3) ▪ Junkies (30) ▪ Raptors (3) ▪ Boars (1) ▪ Vipers ▪ Rats

The Old Mines is a wide abandoned mining area located in the north-western part of the island.

According to some documents and to the story told by the Old Shepherd, mining activities were carried out in this area until the mid-eighties, when an earthquake made several tunnels crumble, putting an end to all operations. Until that time, workers were forced to mine non-stop to provide an income to the community. The earthquake happened on the 24th of January 1986, as stated in one of the reports written by Brother Number 2 ("Report: Earthquake"). After that incident, the area was abandoned and the workers started to be employed for the retrieving of antiquities in the island's ancient sites.

The area features several adits to the tunnel system used for the mining activities; some of them are crumbled, some others are still partly or entirely accessible. There are also some ruined building, probably used to house workers or for administration purpose. A network of railways connect the galleries and the mining area to some place in the north-west, where a tunnel is sealed shut. Few windpumps, possibly used to drain water from the tunnels, are still standing outside the mines.

Being closer to the Labor Camp where the riot took place, most of the fugitive (drugged) workers - the Junkies - are found roaming in this area. This is also where André is hiding.

Finding André

Even thought the area is almost fully explorable as soon as you reach The Other Side, it's only when you get in touch with André at The Radio Tower that you actually need to go there (be sure to have the task "Find André's Hideout" in your to-do-list first). So, André just gave Daphne some clues about his location: he said he's hiding in a mine shelter and that he can hear squeaking sound.

Trivia: André will start giving hints to find his hideout if the player is taking too long to find him; the last hint will clearly tell you to find a spinning windmill.

Fast travel to The Underworld Passage shelter and walk on the trunk you pushed down earlier. Watch out for the Trained Dog and the militiamen patrolling the area, and follow the path on your left. After 50 meters you may hear some junkies fighting with a soldier and a dog on your right. Keep your left and use the tall plants to hide and go past them unnoticed.

Tip: Concealed by the tall plants here, there's a narrow passage among the rocks that leads to a small cave near the pond of The Canebrake. It can be used as a shortcut, but be aware that there's no way back to the Old Mines once you climb down into the cave.

Walk the path all the way down; after gently curving right, it will eventually join a mine-cart track. Follow the rail in the western direction. Soon you should see a ruined building on your right with a junkie walking around it. Get inside and collect the document on the desk ("Report: Earthquake"). Go upstairs to pick up some items, then head back to the entrance. There are two pairs of tracks on either sides of the building, leading inside the mine. The two tunnels will meet in the end, and both have a junkie in it, so it doesn't really matter which one you choose to walk in. Keep going further into the mine and you'll reach a collapsed elevator shaft. Pick up the Old Mines Map from the board and take a look at it (you're now at the 1st Floor of the mine, where the A1 and B1 galleries meet).

Now go back outside from where you came. The building drawn on the map between the C1 and D1 tunnels is where you want to go. So, follow the railway on the right passing under the natural arch, and then turn left where the train tracks split. The ruined building will be on your right, now. Be careful because the junkies in this area are particularly aggressive and they will attack you on sight. Get inside the building and grab the document on the bench ("Miner's Diary Page"). Go upstairs, and jump through the window to the rock in front of it. Walk straight on the natural bridge, turn right and go all the way up (you'll find two aggressive junkies along the way). Eventually you'll reach a rocky slope that allows you to easily jump on the other side, where a waterpump is.

Go in the direction of the metal frame on your right. You may start hearing the squeaking sound André was talking about, meaning that you're getting nearer to his hideout. You can't go up from here now, so follow the tracks and push down the cart (creating a shortcut to climb up again in case of falling). Jump the gap in the old bridge and turn right. Here's the entrance to the C2 tunnel (Floor 2 page on the map). Get inside and you'll end up in a large cave, open on the top and with streaming water on the bottom. Cross the bridge and you'll see a shelter right in front of you. On your left there's a slope going down towards the entrance of another tunnel. Make the jump to reach the opening on the other side and go all the way up the mine until you'll be outside again. Crouch among the tall grass