A player traverses the Dark Chasm of Old located underneath Drangleic Castle.
The portal leads you to darkness.
- "Young Undead, the Dark awaits you."
- — Darkdiver Grandahl
The Dark Chasm of Old (古き闇の穴, Furuki yami no ana) is a location in Dark Souls II. It is only accessible through the Pilgrims of Dark covenant.
Overview[]
This location is accessible via a magic portal located at any of the three places one can find Darkdiver Grandahl in; each location the player can access the Dark Chasm of Old from offers a different area. Each area challenges the player with lighting a sconce with a torch, killing all of the black phantoms so the fog wall covering the exit disappears, and then finally jumping through a dark, foggy pit which will teleport the player either back to Grandahl or, if all three areas have been successfully cleared out and their beacons lit, to the Darklurker.
The beacons that must be lit are a large black bowl with a little metal part one can interact with; it must be lit by using a torch that itself must be lit with a Flame Butterfly; one may see when they are approaching the bowl by the surrounding black columns on the walls. The sconce cannot be lit using Pyromancy, thus it may be a good idea to stock up on Flame Butterflies if one is low – Weaponsmith Ornifex sells them.
When one first enters the covenant, the portal will be open, but subsequent attempts at the Dark Chasm of Old requires the player give Grandahl a Human Effigy to reopen the portal. Considering the many deadly falls in the chasm and the enemies that boast high HP, this can be a potentially costly procedure if one dies a lot. If the player dies inside the Dark Chasm, they will return to the last bonfire rested at.
After completing three challenges, the end of the last area cleared will lead the player to face a boss: the Darklurker. Killing him will grant the player victory and the final rank in the covenant.
Walkthrough[]
Shaded Woods[]
There are four enemies in this chasm. Follow the path until it opens up, and then follow the left wall downward in the next room where there will be three enemies: a shade and two black phantoms. Try luring them one at a time with magic or arrows. The shade has the least health, and a pit can be found directly ahead of the entrance, try positioning an enemy's back towards the pit and attack them so they stagger backwards and fall down the pit to their deaths. When the room is clear, light the sconce. At the end of the room (watch out for holes) is a switch that will bring up a lift; go down it to fight one last black phantom in a very open area with completely solid ground. Once the phantom has been defeated, the exit pit on the right will open.
Black Gulch[]
There are six enemies in this chasm. At the end of the short path, three enemies will block the player's way, and it is important not to draw all of their aggro at once. Use arrows or slowly edge along the right until the Ironclad phantom with two weapons comes after the player; sometimes the shade will come after the player too. Ideally, the pyromancer at the bottom will not notice the player. Kill the shade first if it notices the player as it has the least health, otherwise concentrate on the Ironclad phantom. When they have both been defeated, clear out the pyromancer as well.
Further on, when the path forks left and right, go left to light the sconce. Be careful when walking towards the sconce as the pathway is on the right and a large pit lies on the left. Return to where the path forked and go to the right this time, leading to the exit, which is again guarded by the same three enemies. Again, try to lure the Ironclad phantom out first, then deal with the shade too if it comes after the player, and then the pyromancer. After all enemies are defeated, the fog covering the exit pit dissipates and one can leave.
Drangleic Castle[]
When the player arrives, they should be careful, as they can fall down and die instantly if they don't watch where they step; the path twists in an 'S' shape, so stick to the path and head through the door way. Lighting a torch using a Flame Butterfly can help here, or just simply move the camera overhead and aim it directly downwards. The path will open up in to a wider area with split ways. On the left will be the first black spirit who resembles Havel the Rock: a heavily armored knight equipped with a Dragon Tooth. Havel is the most deadly opponent in this area; his attacks drain a lot of stamina and can forcibly send the player backwards a great deal, even off the edge. Powerful magic works well against him, and if one is skilled or daring, they can fight him near the edge and attack him until he falls off it, instantly killing him. Much like in the first game, he can also be backstabbed, which helps immensely.
Once he's taken care of, a shade can be found to the left, Undead Prince Ricard in a tunnel straight ahead (which also joins to the left), and a female phantom who inflicts Bleed to the right. The latter is fought in an area with a pit in the center, and it is fairly easy to position her back towards it and attack her until she falls down.
The sconce is on the left path, and the exit pit is on the right, just past the female phantom.
Achievements/Trophies[]
Although there is no dedicated Achievement/Trophy for completing the Dark Chasm of Old or defeating the Darklurker, there are two hexes that can only be unlocked through completion of these areas.
Climax is unlocked after completing all three areas of the Dark Chasm of Old and defeating the Darklurker. Return and speak to Darkdiver Grandahl to advance to the third and final rank of the Pilgrims of Dark covenant, whereupon Grandahl will reward the player with this hex.
Lifedrain Patch requires that the player trade the Darklurker Soul and 5,000 Souls to Straid of Olaphis at The Lost Bastille (players will need a Fragrant Branch of Yore to free him if they have not done so first).
Notes[]
- Quitting and rejoining the covenant will not give the player a free attempt; after the very first try, they will always need to give Darkdiver Grandahl a Human Effigy.
- Even if one fails to defeat the Darklurker, they will still have cleared the last challenge they were doing.
- Players will have to clear out an area again on subsequent attempts to face the Darklurker.
- Once the Darklurker has been defeated, the player will get the final rank and unlimited access to the Dark Chasm of Old on any location.
Trivia[]
- Some of the blue phantoms resemble old characters from the first Dark Souls: Havel the Rock, Undead Prince Ricard, and Xanthous King Jeremiah.