- "I have discovered what I think to be one of three pieces of the Scion of Mu, if it can be retrieved, and studied by science. I believe that the mysteries of the solar civilisations, and of the lost continents will be ours."
- ―Arther Hamilton Graves
Colonel Arther Hamilton Graves is a character from earlier versions of Tomb Raider's storyline.
Version 1.3 (20th March 1995)[]
In Version 1.3 of the game's plot, storyboards reveal that Hamilton and his companions attempted to recover one of the three pieces of the Scion of Mu from the shrine of Xolotol deep within El Dorado. However, he fails when a mysterious creature attacks them from the darkness. Some time afterwards he hires Lara Cruz to recover the Scion pieces for him. Presumably Hamilton was to double cross Lara as Natla did in the final draft [1].
Concept artwork of Hamilton includes the text "The Chaos Raiders". This is a collective term referring to Hamilton himself and his cohorts. [2]
Unknown Version (2nd August 1995)[]
In this version, Hamilton made it into an unused intro FMV sequence, but only in name, as it is his journal, Lara reads on a boat. The drawings inside the journal are clearly from many years prior, suggesting that Hamilton is long-since deceased [3].
In the E3 1996 preview build of the game, Hamilton's diary occupies the place that is eventually taken by the compass in Lara's inventory [4].
Version 1.8 (9th May 1996)[]
This version of the story is close to the final and in it, Hamilton's role is reduced again. This time, his journal appears only in the FMV sequence following Tomb of Qualopec, when Lara gets into Natla's office at her company's headquarters.
Hamilton's name is also different here. He is known as Hamilton William Graves and the journal is dated 1923. The entry relating to Tihocan's tomb is titled "A Doomed Expedition", dedicated to the memory of his companions. This entry reveals that Hamilton and his companions had travelled to Cambodia in search of Tihocan's tomb. Hamilton's colleagues considered this a gullible ambition. Clearly, as indicated by this entry's title and dedication, Hamilton was to be the only survivor [5].
Following this version of the game's story, the character of Hamilton was omitted entirely and his journal was replaced by Brother Herbert's prayer book.
Quotes[]
- I have discovered what I think to be one of three pieces of the Scion of Mu, if it can be retrieved, and studied by science. I believe that the mysteries of the solar civilizations, and of the lost continents will be ours.
- We found it in the shrine of Xolotol deep in the heart of El Dorado, suspended above a carved pedestal in a beam of unearthly light.
Trivia[]
- Hamilton's name may have been derived from Core Design's PR, Susie Hamilton.
![Earliest render[6]](/wiki/File:Tomb_Raider_Earliest_Render.png "Tomb Raider Earliest Render.png (275 KB)")
