Darkroot Basin

Quick Reference

Bosses	NPCs	Notable Loot	Enemies
Moonlight Butterfly Hydra (miniboss)	Dusk of Oolacile	Grass Crest Shield Knight Armor Set1 Antiquated Armor Set2 Hunter Armor Set Long Bow	Crystal Golem Golden Crystal Golem

Description

The Darkroot Basin rests in between the Darkroot Garden and the eastern walls of Undead Burg; this is a deep basin filled with streams and waterfalls. The damp nature has given rise to fungus and mushrooms.

Connections

• Darkroot Garden
• Undead Burg
• Valley of Drakes (Guarded)
• Sanctuary Garden (Requires the Broken Pendant)³

General Notes

• A bonfire is located in a cave at the bottom of the Darkroot Basin and is guarded by a halberd-wielding Black Knight. The cave leads to the Valley of Drakes via a lift down.
• From the cliffs, at the far end of the Basin opposite the Hydra is the base of the watchtower. With the Watchtower Basement Key or the Master Key players may use this tower to travel to and from Undead Burg. The basement door is guarded by the mighty armored knight Havel, the Rock, whose massive Dragon Tooth will one-shot the unprepared player.

Important Tips

• The Hydra in the lake is surrounded by a bottomless pit that can be very difficult to see unless you are looking for it. Be sure to make your approach from the left-hand side. If you approach from the right side the pit is very close (just a few steps from the shore). If you decide to attack the Hydra from here, be careful not to fall down the pit.

• The Hydra can spot you from a considerable distance and may begin shooting magic attacks which deal physical damage. These attacks can either hit you or the Crystal Golems. The player must be quick enough to avoid these attacks to get close and face the Hydra.

• After defeating the Hydra, one can go to a cave on the back of the lake. There is a Golden Crystal Golem, a bigger version of the Crystal Golem (the area will need to reset after the Hydra's defeat for the Golem to appear, i.e., you have to rest at a bonfire or quit & reload the game). It has the same attacks, but it has more HP and his attacks cause more damage. To make this fight easier equip the Rusted Iron Ring. Dusk of Oolacile shall appear right after the Golem is killed.

Walkthrough

Darkroot Basin Map

Leaving the blacksmith Andre in Undead Parish, proceed through the chamber where the Prowling Demon had resided to gain entry to the Garden. After killing a couple of Demonic Foliages take a sharp right slightly uphill and enter the Basin. The trail switch back and forth as you continue down the cliff. As you approach a cleared area there should be a Crystal Lizard ahead, dispatch it to acquire various upgrade materials. Continuing down the path drop onto a ledge to collect the Hunter Armor set and the Long Bow. Dropping down again, you have a choice of turning right or left. Proceeding to the right onto a 'hidden' path, you should come upon a Black Knight (Halberd). Having dispatched him, continue down to collect the Grass Crest Shield. You can also roll through his attacks and altogether avoid him since there is a bonfire in the cave behind him. Further ahead, there is a lift that leads to the Valley of Drakes. Be careful about going there since some Drakes are waiting there. Hugging the right side when heading towards the lake, you will come to a watchtower with a door at its base. To enter, you need either the Watchtower Basement Key or the Master Key. On the other side of the door is Havel the Rock. He can be a deadly opponent if the player is not careful. Taking full advantage of backstabing and parrying helps much when fighting him. Past the watchtower is a vast, clear area where there are four Crystal Golems. They may be lured with arrows as it is best to fight them one at a time. They are highly resistant to magic and are more susceptible to lightning than to fire. They can be farmed for Blue Titanite Chunks early in the game although the drops are rare. Of course equipping the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring may be helpful. It is quite easy to fall and die in deep water if you approach the Hydra from the right. The Rusted Iron Ring is a must if you want to wade into the water to attack its heads, although it is possible to engage the Hydra without going into the water. If you approach from the right side and stand close to the water, the Hydra will attack with its heads, enabling you to hit them. Since the target-lock reticle is attached to the Hydra's main body, which is quite far away, using Soul Arrow (and similar sorceries) with lock-on usually does not yield optimal results. It is best to aim these sorceries, as well as other spell-like attacks, manually. Check the Hydra's page for detailed strategies. Once defeated it drops a Dragon Scale and the Dusk Crown Ring. Proceed to the left to find the ladder that leads to Darkroot Garden, and ultimately to the main boss of this area, Grey Wolf Sif. See below for a quick walkthrough on how to go for the boss from this area. Continuing towards the lake, you will find a cave. In that cave, there should be a Golden Crystal Golem. Again, the Rusted Iron Ring is a must to avoid a clobbering. Once defeated he renders up Dusk of Oolacile. If you decide to help her, you can summon her, and she will sell you some spells and a catalyst. Her summoning sign is on the shore, next to a boulder near where Knight Armor set is found. Once she is summoned, you will find her Antiquated gear in the cave where you previously found the Golden Crystal Golem.

Going to the boss via Basin

After the Great Feline, follow the cliff edge to a bridge, which will lead you to the boss. To the left of the cliff is a large forested area with several Mushroom Parent and Mushroom Child enemies guarding a chest in a small pond. The chest contains the Enchanted Ember. There are two Parents and at least a half dozen Children. The Children here are docile and will not react to you unless you hit them. Thankfully the Parents can be lured away with a bow shot and handled one-on-one. The Parents can punch like a 2-Ton brick and can one-shot many players, so be careful. Even a blocked shot will knock you back and temporarily stun you. Stay out of range of their attacks, they are relatively slow and dart in for one or two strikes between their swings. On occasion, they will swing twice in succession, first with the right fist, then the left. If you don't want the Enchanted Ember, or want to wait, the Mushrooms are easy to skip. Since the Mushrooms don't walk that fast, another option is to make them chase you and then walk back to get the ember without actually fighting them. On the other side of that forested area is the back side of the Forest Hunter Covenant Castle. The Stone Set of armor can be found in a chest along the edge of the cliff next to the back side of the Forest Hunter Covenant Castle. You have to follow a narrow ledge around one side of the building to find the chest. If you are challenging Grey Wolf Sif, start from the bonfire in the Darkroot Garden. Unlock the sealed door, and you can run through to the edge of the forest. Follow the flowers to the cliff, and you will enter the Basin once you cross over the stream. After defeating Sif, be sure to loot the Hornet Ring. It is on a corpse behind the big pillar at the back.

Footnotes

1. In the water by the Hydra

2. Only if Dusk of Oolacile is summoned

3. Artorias of the Abyss/Prepare to Die Edition content