Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava

Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava is a level in Rayman 2: The Great Escape. It is a continuation of the previous level, the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava as it is set inside the same temple, and it is where the third of Polokus' masks is really hidden. It is also the only level in the game in which Rayman can use his helicopter to fly. It is known as The Lava Sanctuary or The Sanctuary of Lava in Rayman Revolution.

This is an underground level which consists of long rivers of lava and thorny tunnels, which Rayman cannot pass without flying. At the beginning of the level, Ly the Fairy appears before him and grants him the power to use his helicopter to fly with a Silver Lum. Often throughout the level Rayman is blown away by giant fans, and he has to keep his flight under control to prevent damage to himself.

By the end of the level, he encounters Foutch, who knocks him down with such a forceful blow he loses his power, but then has to fight him. When Foutch is defeated, he is finally rewarded with the thrid mask. In Revolution, Rayman regains super helicopter power to fly above lava.

Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava

← The Sanctuary of Rock and Lava	Tomb of the Ancients →
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Original version

The entrance to Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava in the Hall of Doors

Phase 1

Rayman falls out of a Teensie portal from the ceiling into a room beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava. He looks around the room, only to find that before him is a pit of lava, while above, there is a tunnel of nettles - either way, he is trapped. Rayman remains stumped, until Ly the Fairy appears to deliver good news and bad news. The good news is that she has gathered enough energy to create a Silver Lum, which gives him the power to fly with his Helicopter. The bad news is that his mission will be much harder. Finally, Ly will whisk herself away, leaving Rayman to try out his new power.

Underneath the spot Rayman is standing on, is a corridor with a cage at the end. Then Rayman will fly through the tunnel of thorns, shooting any nettles and shadow creatures that come in his way. Eventually, he will reach a safe spot to stand on, and to his left there is a giant fan. If he jumps and activates the Helicopter, he'll be blown away through more thorny tunnels, as well as having to dodge stone flame throwers. These thorny corridors and pits of lava will carry on, until he enters a room with falls of yellow lava, which is even more deadlier to come to contact with. He'll eventually arrive on safe ground again, and come across a stone coming from the ceiling with a slanted side. The trick is to shoot this side to rebound shots that will break the stone that is blocking the hole on the ground, which he'll finally descend.

Phase 2

Rayman will come across another fan which will blow him down a corridor with a river of lava, dodging yellow lava falls and then thorny thickets that try to block the passage. Eventually, there is a large opening on the walls of the nettles, in which two cages are found. Then he'll continue flying down the corridor, shooting away some nettles until he reaches a breakable stone door, which somehow opens up for him, but then shuts. Looking around for what to do next in this new room, Foutch, the Guardian of the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava, creeps up on him from behind and delivers a forceful blow that sends the limbless hero down a pit of yellow lava.

Phase 3

Main article: Foutch

Still falling to the ground, Rayman realises that the blow had been so powerful that he cannot fly anymore, and the battle with Foutch begins. Rayman will have to run around the room, avoiding the Guardians columns and rows of fire, while using sheets of cobwebs to bounce up and shoot a stalactite from the ceiling to inflict damage. Once Foutch is defeated, a Purple Lum will be released, and used to reach higher ground, which finally leads to the Third Mask.

Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava

← The Sanctuary of Rock and Lava	Tomb of the Ancients →
{{{connected to}}}

Dreamcast version

This level is identical to that of the original version, except that it features Robo-pirates, which is the case for none of the other versions.

Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava

← The Sanctuary of Rock and Lava		Tomb of the Ancients →
{{{connected to}}}

PlayStation version

Nettles symbolise the level in the Hall of Doors

This level bears much resemblance to that of the original version but with the following differences:

Under the ledge which Rayman drops on, there are Yellow Lums, and the hidden room with the cage is now on the other side of the pit. The row of Red Lums on the other ledge is replaced with a Yellow Lum.
Along the way in the thorny corridor in Phase 1, there is a cage hanging on the wall.
The fourth and final cage is found under a log of thorns along the lava corridor in Phase 2, and the opening before Foutch's room is omitted.
Before the battle with Foutch begins, the Guardian accuses Rayman of being the Mask thief, as well as being a liar when the limbless hero explains that he needs the Masks to rid the world of the Robo Pirates.
The Third Mask has been moved on top of the high ground which can be reached with the Purple Lum.

The Lava Sanctuary

← Beneath the Lava Sanctuary	Tomb of the Ancients →
Rainbow Creek

PlayStation 2 version

While much of this level remains the same as that of the original, one difference is that rather than losing the Super Helicopter power completely, Rayman partially recovers it so that he can still fly in the rising hot air emanating from bodies of lava. There is also an error in the cutscene after Rayman falls into the Foutch battle: the cutscene labels Foutch as being the Guardian of the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava, even though the game has been constantly referring to it as The Sanctuary of Lava. The renaming of the level otherwise makes no difference.