Azrael's Tear walkthrough

Azrael's Tear is a highly non-linear game and exploring it is half the fun. This walkthrough touches upon the most essential steps needed to complete the game, namely the procurement of the four shields and escaping Aeternis with your life.

Shield I

 * Head to the orrery through the spa room, mine entrance, and baptistery.
 * Use the panel to repair the orrery (the sun needs to enter the central horseshoe; lock the horseshoes in place by placing the sun at the edge, rather then in the center).
 * Head to the theo room. Use the lever on the pillar to crush it. Activate the button on the inside of the pillar, on orrery's side.
 * To procure the first shield, you can either solve the block or the baptistery puzzle.
 * To solve the first one, head to the mine entrance. Use the crusher to place the granite block with metal inside (PENSCAN) in the saw. Activate the saw and collect the key (the crusher destroys it). Enter the washroom and turn the mirror to release gas that will dissolve the organic covering on the locked compartment. To exit, either use the door near the mirror (unlocked from theo's room, using a lever on the pillar facing this exit) or by approaching the door with the X over it. Fall into the tunnels. Shoot Lincoln. Then return to the wash room and use the block key on the compartment to get Shield I.
 * Alternatively, head to the well. Adjust the pipes to drain the contents of the basin in the baptistery. Pick up the prism and two tapestry pieces. Enter the mine maze by falling through the wash room as in the above example. Shoot Lincoln, then pick up the third tapestry piece. Return to the baptistery, complete the tapestry, then use the prism on the stone podium below. Manipulate the prism. Pick up Shield I from the alcove.
 * Head to the orrery and place the shield in its alcove.

Shield II

 * Head through the vestry to the cloister. Climb down to drain 1. Let Tallum "kill you." Talk to Tobias, don't mention the elephant gun.
 * Once he's gone, pillage the area. Pick up Tobias' key.
 * Head outside to drain 1 and from there to the court room. Talk to Edgar. Pick up Tallum's note, Philip's key, and the inkwell from the boxes.
 * Return to the vestry. Open the bars with Philip's key. Head down to drain 5. Use Tobias' key to open it.
 * Enter the dock. Go to the sluice gate and open it. Wait for Sasha to enter. As soon as she does, use the valve near the ladder to spray her with scalding water and make the docks safe.
 * Back to the docks. Use the lever near the entrance to the interview room to open the doors to The Tempest.
 * Head through the interview room to the spa room. Deal with Kurt as you see fit.
 * Use the mine cart at the mine entrance to get to The Tempest. Head below deck.
 * In the hold, pick up aqua fortis and the ship lever.
 * Use aqua fortis on the rusted lever in the mine cart and return to the mine entrance.
 * Head to the auxiliary dock, next to the main dock. Use the hose from the boat on the fixture in the back, then the lever to get to the other end of the channel. If you didn't get rid of Sasha, use the inkwell on the water to make her go away.
 * Head up to the alchemist lab. Talk to Philip or gun him down, it makes no difference.
 * Use aqua fortis on Shield II in the alcove to get it (alternatively, use the ship lever on the opening next to another Shield II in drain 1).
 * Pick up decoction of Moon, Earth's Blood, and the flask from the table.
 * Use the flask on the alembic, then pour in the decoction, blood, and aqua fortis.
 * Use the flask on the alchemist's corpse. Pick up the ring of keys.
 * Open the door in the lab, then enter the attack tunnel. Shoot Edgar.
 * If you don't shoot him, you end up in the gibbets. Don't insult Jack. Don't tell Lurka about Jack. Throw yourself at Jack's mercy.
 * Enter drain 7 from the gibbets and head to Lurka's room. Pick up the wax and the pianola roll.
 * Return to the orrery and install Shield II.
 * Return to the chapel and install the pianola roll in the pianola. This opens access to level 3.
 * Talk down Tallum while you're there. See his article for the precise choices to make in dialogue.
 * Jump down the altar hole.

Shield III

 * Head up to the mill in the arterial drain.
 * Pick up the flour.
 * Head to the kitchen through the tree maze.
 * Open the oven and the baking tray. Use flour on the crests of Tallum, Malik, and Tobias (large cross and spear, lion, and ornate plant; NOT the fleur-de-lys). Close the tray, put it in the overn, then back out. Pick up the wafers.
 * Enter the grain silo. Call the elevator to your level, enter it, then head up to the shield grotto by using the winch inside.
 * Talk to Vincent. Tell him Tallum betrayed him (Tallum's note says as much).
 * Use the three wafers on the sin eater, then pull the chain.
 * Enter the room and pick up the decorative key.
 * Talk to Geffrye. Head to the meat locker and find Shield III in one of the carcasses.
 * Enter the ziggurat through Geffrye's studio. Head to the top of the ziggurat and use shield III on the shield-shaped recession inside.
 * This takes you back to the theo chamber. Enter the orrery and place shield III in the appropriate place.

Shield IV

 * Enter the model room next to the orrery. Use the decorative key on the hole in the wall. Open all the doors on the models (little orange rectangles). Do not fiddle with the models otherwise, unless you like flooding Aeternis.
 * Return to the ziggurat through the theo chamber.
 * Enter the corridor leading to the cathedral. Take a right down into the crypt. Enter the fenced-in area with the knight relief. The leo above will take an interest and fall in, releasing Claude Lancet. Don't worry about him. Head back to the cathedral.
 * Enter the cathedral vestry. Use the chain near the organs to drop the pipes. Head outside, pick up the brass lever.
 * Return to the vestry, head downstairs to the water wheel. Use the switch to disengage the wheel, then head back up and use the brass lever to connect the cogs. Then go back down and re-engage the wheel.
 * Enter the cathedral proper. Enter the stairway leading down, behind the wall with the crests that is now open. Enter the grail hall.
 * Shoot the theo.
 * Use the lever in the passageway to disable the trap. Pick up shield IV, talk to the late Colin Scott. Head to the decision point. To hear out Tobias and Geffrye.

Geffrye's path

 * Head down the chute to the light room. Remove the fungus from the covered-up door. Open it and enter Malik's lab.
 * Manipulate the central device to activate the zombie theo. Once you engage the last one, it will start moving, so hide, either in the little inlet behind you or in the corner of the chamber.
 * Head through the opened door to the ziggurat, now flooded. Return to the orrery via ziggurat, like before.
 * This concludes the alternate path, but ensures a good ending later on.

Tobias' path

 * Enter the trap room. Get to the other side, but avoid the scorpions on the floor. Run through fast.
 * Enter the flooded grain silo. Jack will row over, but get eaten by Sasha. Use aqua fortis or the inkwell to convince her that munching on you is a bad idea.
 * Enter Geffrye's studio and through it the ziggurat. Return to the orrery via ziggurat, like before.
 * This concludes this alternate path.

The Grail

 * Use shield IV at the orrery to turn it into the perilous chapel.
 * Drop down to the bottom, watch out for spikes. Jump down the hole.
 * You're dead! Oh wait.
 * Pick up the Holy Grail.
 * To leave successfully, go through the following platforms: East, North-East, North-West, South (cross under the platform), south-west, twice east, south-west, and west. Voila!
 * Welcome back to the ziggurat. Head to the cathedral and choose an exit.

Chimney

 * Always available. Head to the cathedral vestry, then to the water wheel. Stop it, then go down to the corridor below walking over the stopped wheel.
 * To remove the post in the way, use the priest icon from the cathedral vestry or open the door to release the zombie theo. Do hide beforehand.
 * At the poison gas room, open the lower gap in the door, to safely vent the gas. Wait until it dissipates.
 * Enter the room. Head to the right to enter the crematorium. Use the grail on the grate.
 * Navigate through the chimney to the grail door. Use the grail.
 * Enter the chimney exit. Use the grail on the bars on the door.

Other exits

 * Head from the cathedral to the fight room. Head through it to tunnel junction.
 * If you sided with Geffrye, follow him left to Geffrye's exit.
 * If you didn't, but picked up the right-hand path note, take a right to the aqueduct. Open the cage with the theo to let it run down the corridor and trigger the trap. Then head for Philip's exit.
 * If you flooded the aqueduct, all you can do at this point is head to your death, as the trap will spring 100% of the time.
 * If you want to lose, badly, head straight ahead to the ambush room.