Walkthrough:The Swamp's Dark Center

"The Swamp's Dark Center" was a job and the main hub in "Vicious Voodoo" of Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus.

First section
Upon entering the hub, slide down the vines to reach Mz. Ruby's lair. The other half of the lair is blocked by a gate that cannot be unlocked with treasure keys. However, on the opposite side is a smaller gate with three locks, which could contain something valuable. You will need to collect two more keys to unlock it.

To access "The Lair of the Beast," head straight ahead to where a water rat patrols. By bouncing on the drum-like trampoline, you can reach a vine that leads straight to the entrance of this area. "Piranha Lake" sits directly below "A Grave Undertaking." You will find it by shimmying along a bone-like branch that takes you to the entrance, where another water rat patrols. To access "A Grave Undertaking," jump on the trampoline between two candles, and grab hold of a rope. Sneak around the ledge to get past the water rat.

At this point, you will have enough keys to unlock the aforementioned gate. Upon unlocking it, the Beast that you encountered during "The Lair of the Beast" will appear and burst through the large gate blocking access to the other side of the lair. It will then retreat back to its own lair, and you will have access to the remainder of the missions.

Second section
Once you cross over to the other side, you will come across the heavily guarded voodoo egg beater. You will now be able to access the missions "Descent Into Danger," A Ghastly Voyage" and "Down Home Cooking." To access these missions, you will need to sneak along a root that wraps around the egg beater, while staying in the shadows of the masks to avoid detection by the water rats.

Take note of the forcefield on the walkway above. It can be deactivated from this side of the facility by destroying the two candles beside it, though it is not required. After gaining the remaining keys, walk onto the platform towering slightly above the voodoo egg beater. Once you unlock it, the cauldron lid will drop down and knock the guards off. Hop onto the lid to launch yourself up to the skull temple to access the boss mission "A Deadly Dance."