Smouldering Lake - Dark Souls 3 Guide - IGN (2024)

Welcome to IGN's Walkthrough and Guide for Dark Souls 3, continuing with the Smouldering Lake. These pages will seek to prepare you for what lies ahead in the game, which enemies you'll face, and how to best to defeat them.

This guide will also steer you into finding every collectible item you can find among the corpses of the fallen, and any secrets, shortcuts, and more.

• Skip to the Boss Fight of this Area

Getting to the Smouldering Lake

From High Lord Wolnir, return to the rope bridge, making sure its been destroyed, and use it to climb down to a lower area leading through a large room with a Demon, and down into a corridor to the Bonfire of a forgotten tomb, which leads out to the remnants of an underground lake.

Smouldering Lake

As you enter the underground lake full of somehow burning great tree stumps, you may hear the sound of machinery off in the distance. If you carefully look right around the giant tree, you’ll find the answer - A giant triple ballista has been installed overlooking the lake, and is targeted straight at you, launching a quick succession of giant bolts. They come in threes, and leave a small window to quickly hide behind trees. Do so by dashing off to the right, hug the wall and look for a small passageway.

This will lead you back to the pit in the Catacombs of Carthus that you crossed earlier. In here are two Crystal Lizards carrying a Twinkling Titanite and Titanite Chunk each. Near the center of the pool, you’ll find what became of Horace - the madness of hollowing it would seem. He’ll rush at you with halberd in hand, and possibly his shield, alternating thrusts and broad swings. Watch carefully for his strong spinning attack, and his two-handed charge. When he goes down, he’ll drop his Llewellyn Shield and the Shrine Handmaid will also now sell Horace's Executioner's Armor Set. Be sure to grab the 2 Yellow Bug Pellet and 2 Large Titanite Shard in the pool before leaving.

Get back to the wooden bridge that allowed you to access the Smouldering Lake and speak with Anri to the upper right of it. Tell her of the Smouldering Lake and she'll give you the Ring of the Evil Eye. If she isn't here for you, you'll have to wait until the next area to find her.

The rest of this first area is comprised of the ballista, some scattered items, and several Smouldering Giant Crabs. If these things weren’t ill-advised to tackle in the first place, doing so with the ballista active is nothing short of suicide. We’ll come back for the four Large Titanite Shards later - but just so you know what you’ll be coming back for later - here’s the rundown: Straight ahead from the entrance is the first one. To the right of that is another one. To the left a ways heading towards the far door is yet another. On the other side of the first tree stump you see to the right of the entrance is one more.

However, there are two things here that you can find only with the help of the ballista. Across from the entrance to the Lake is a low rock wall with some crumbling ruins alongside it. If you let the ballista aim at you and have it hit the wall instead - it will crumble to reveal a corpse at the base of the stone wall holding a Speckled Stoneplate Ring. Similarly, if you look to the center of the lake where there is a patch of cobbled stone flooring between two torches, you can have the ballista bolt hit the floor to open up a hole into the Old King's Antechamber Bonfire - allowing you to enter the ruins by another means. For the purpose of this guide, we'll hold off on that entrance in favor of the main one.

There’s another problem to contend with. From the entrance, move left among the trees for cover heading to a far door - only to be stopped by a Sand Worm. Not even just a Sand Worm, a lightning spewing Great Sand Worm. This thing is too wild and deadly to contend with, but the good news is you don’t have to. Quickly run towards and around it while dodging ballista blasts. When you get behind it, look for a large stone on the left side that’s near the worm but blocks you from the ballista attacks. Now you just have to wait until the ballista can do the job for you - aiming at you but killing the worm in the process. When the ballista has killed the worm, you’ll get the Lightning Stake miracle and an Undead Bone Shard. If you have the bravery, run back to where the worm was for two bodies that hold a Shield of Want, and a Large Titanite Shard. Now you have two paths before you - going straight up the short stairs and traversing the white fog leads to the optional boss of this area - the Old Demon King. Making a right up the path and into the Demon Ruins of Lost Izalith, and more importantly a route that leads back over to the ballista to shut it down (but grab the other Large Titanite Shard on the ledge before you do). Inside the ruins is another Bonfire for you.

Demon Ruins of Lost Izalith

Heading further into the Demon Ruins, you’ll find - you guessed it, lots of demon remains, as well as some Ghru Pyromancers. These nasty guys have four arms - two for wielding a giant machete, and two for shooting out fireballs or flame waves. The worst thing they do is create sentient orbs of fire that hover in the air, shooting small firebolts at you until they are destroyed or their master is. For this reason, having lots of fire resistant gear and a ranged attack to take out the orbs is a must. There is one pyromancer on the top level, with two more below. Further down the hall on the top floor is a patrolling Ghru Warrior, with a Shaman just around the corner. Yes, having poison resist here won’t hurt either. The Shaman is standing next to a sitting Ghru, while another looks off in the other direction. When they’re dead, grab the Ember at the top, before heading down the stairs and to the corner where some Flaming Slime is on the ceiling and floor. Destroy the slime before grabbing the Undead Bone Shard in front of the demon’s remains. There are multiple routes to go now - Up on the top floor to grab loot, stay on the main floor to find a new bonfire, or head down in order to make your way to stop the ballista.

Going through the upper floor past the Ghru squad leads to a small room where you can spot a Ghru sitting in front of the corpse of a larger Ghru. Pull him from range, as his friend is waiting for you just around the corner, and their leaping hoof attack can shred you to pieces in these close quarters. Once you’ve lured out and killed both of them, check out the corpse holding an Ember in the far corner. Of course - there’s a flame Slime hanging above it, and a small but powerful stationary fire-breathing demon just to the right, so go in with your best fire resistance and chop it to pieces. The path going left ends in a drop where Ghru wait for you below - don’t take it.

Instead, return to the main floor where you killed the two Pyromancers, and head right and take the door on the left where a long hall curves left (the one without rats). As you turn, a charging Ghru will try and ambush you. More importantly, the turn seems a bit sudden. Strike the dead end where the left turn is to reveal an illusory wall opening to a large chamber where another Ghru is being cut down...by a Black Knight. This greataxe wielding opponent has a strong reach and does mighty damage, but rarely holds his shield up, and never heals. Watch for the strong uppercuts when he drags his blade across the ground, and strike when he’s open. After he’s gone, look behind the corpse of a large demon to find a Black Knight Sword. Moving down the left path now leads to another room with a crouching Ghru just outside the door. This room is also home to two more of those fire breathing stone demons, so be careful as you dodge around the fire to strike them. The next room hides yet more Ghru in this larger chamber with columns. A sitting shaman is on the left, but don’t fall for the bait, instead take the corridor on the right toward some stairs, and go left at the end to find another Ghru who was waiting to ambush you to the right of the shaman. Once both are killed, return to the narrow corridor to find a path leading to an Ember.

Take the stairs up to find a much needed Bonfire room - but beware of a Ghru Pyromancer who may walk into the room. Check out the room - is there one wall in the corner that looks off? Smack it to reveal yet another illusory wall that leads back to the main hall you may have seen when first entering the ruins. Follow a small path on the left that’s filled with fire Slime on the ceiling to find the corpse you saw opposite a pit, and grab the Estus Shard.

Back at the Bonfire room, head to the next room that splits into two paths - one going right and the other going straight into a room with a kneeling Ghru Shaman. Enter slowly, as two Ghru sit on either side of the door, and lure them back to take them out before stabbing the shaman in the back to get the Izalith Pyromancy Tome he’s guarding. To your right is a hallway leading to a Crystal Lizard you can kill for a Chaos Gem. This path also leads by a crumbling ceiling - the same one you can have the ballista aim at from the Smouldering Lake above to create a one-way shortcut to the bonfire.

To go down, head down the main floor room until you see an opening past the stairs on the right. This will lead down some narrow halls with Rats. Going all the way to the end of the first corridor ends at a lava pit, so take the first right and fight off some Rats in a larger room. Before moving on, look in the far right corner of this room and strike the wall to find another illusory wall. This leads out to the corridor you may have seen from the main hall with a pit leading to rats, and the corpse of a large spider at the end that holds a Quelana Pyromancy Tome. To the left is a short stairway leading into a lava-filled room crawling with lava Slime...and several items. If you’re feeling crazy, dive in with plenty of fire resist and chug Estus to grab a Toxic Mist spell straight ahead, and a White Hair Talisman farther behind it. Doubtless you won't survive the adventure, but as long as you continually chug Estus you should at least die with the items in hand, and your souls will be found at the edge of the lava.

Return to the rat room and take the door leading down. Here you’ll find a Giant Rat guarding a group of small Rats behind it. Carefully take them on and then move right and further down some stairs. The telltale croaking should alert you to what lies in this room - Basilisks (not to be confused with frogs). They are all over the place, so be careful moving around corners, and try luring them back to the stairs one or two at a time. When the pests are removed, grab the Titanite Scale. Did you also notice the small alcove one of the Basilisks popped out of? There’s an item up on a ledge - but it seems impossible… unless there’s no wall behind it. Backtrack up to the Giant Rat room and start smacking walls along the left side until one reveals itself as an illusory wall, revealing a small room with a chest containing 3 Large Titanite Shard. This doesn’t solve the mystery of the item on the ledge, so smack the wall behind the chest to reveal yet another illusory wall, and drop down to get the Izalith Staff.

Heading down the path past the Basilisks, look to the left before the stairs up - there’s a side passage here leading down to some lava and an old enemy - Knight Slayer Tsorig. No longer an invader, you’re on his home turf. He’s just as strong with his amazingly giant sword and shield, so watch for his long attacks and follow up stabs, and strike only when you know you have an opportunity. If you defeat him once more you’ll earn his armaments, the Fume Ultra Greatsword and Black Iron Greatshield - as well as the My Thanks! Emote if you didn't get it before. The lava field itself is home to two objects you’d need to be suicidal or have impressive fire resist to try grabbing: an Ember on the right, and a Sacred Flame spell on the left. Back up the stairs you’ll find the bridge that overlooks the lava pit you were in. On the other side is another Black Knight, though not as hugely terrifying as Tsorig, you should still take care if you want to engage him on the bridge, and make sure you don’t roll into oblivion. When the knight has fallen, grab the Soul of a Crestfallen Knight on the other side before exiting to a ladder upwards.

Climb the impressively long ladder to the very top, and hop off to the right onto a small ledge and grab a Dragonrider Bow before you exit the cave and into a corridor out back into the Smouldering Lake - and the ballista! Take cover behind a tree and get ready for the big test. There’s a canyon on the left you can take to keep in cover, but watch for three Bonewheel Skeletons on your right as you exit the canyon. Go left, and you’ll encounter more Skeletons, as well as a nice view through a cave opening at a bridge leading to the upcoming Irithyll Dungeon. The good news is that you’re now inside of the ballista’s minimum range, so no need to worry about getting hit. The bad news is that there are two angry Skeleton Assassin’s guarding the ballista, one with twin shotels, and the other with throwing knives. Since either one is a pain to deal with, try and lure them one at a time and get your bleed resist as good as it can be before engaging them.

With the Skeletons fallen, victory is yours! The giants who had built and manned the ballista are long since dead, and you only need push a lever at the base of the ballista to turn its automated mechanisms off - freeing you from its terror once and for all. (However, if you missed out on grabbing the stoneplate ring or creating the hole in the lake, you can always turn it back on later. There’s even a nice shortcut back down on the side over some ledges - so feel free to grab all the items mentioned above that you couldn’t earlier. Just be mindful of giant crabs. You can now stroll up to the lair of the Old Demon King without having to worry about dodging bolts in the process - Let’s take him down.

If you need some help, you can check the stairs leading to the boss gate for a summon sign for an NPC named Great Swamp Cuculus, or head into the Demon Ruins bonfire to find Knight Slayer Tsorig's summon sign - of all things.

Boss: Old Demon King

The decrepit but still powerful demon lies in the center of an arena, with bodies of demons packed high on all sides. As you approach, he’ll spring to life, wielding a giant hammer and bringing plenty of fire to the table. Because of this, you should come prepared with plenty of fire resistant armor (like the Exile Armor set) a good shield (like the Dragon Crest Shield), and bring along some Red Bug Pellets if you can. Those skilled in pyromancy should also consider attuning Flash Sweat, giving you even more fire absorption.

The Old Demon King may be a slow hitter like the other demon’s you’ve faced, but he’s much smarter and more powerful. Even when he sweeps his mace in a fire-trailing swing, he’ll follow up with a close downward smash at his feet if you dodge under, or a long downward smash if you try and move back. He tends to also bring his hammer down close in fairly quick attacks, and also follow up with a short burst of flame from his mouth that can deal heavy damage. Staying behind him can be tricky, with his tail pushing you back away from him.

Other attacks you need to worry about include his ability to spew large amounts of traveling flames. At range, he’ll often start a long slow spew - similar to Vordt’s ice breath, except the reach is even longer, so race to the side and strike while he’s occupied. If he deeply inhales, he may also spew lava right at his feet, which travels outward at a pace that’s hard to dodge when up close.

Eventually at half health, he’ll reignite himself with more firepower, and add new attacks to his cycle. If he turns his mace upside down and starts pounding it into the ground, it will start sending flaming shockwaves out in a ring around him. He may also reverse the shockwaves if you are far from him, which will close around him in a death trap. If you see the Demon King raise his mace to the sky, get in a few quick hits but be wary, as he’ll summon flaming meteors from the sky to home in on you, requiring some evasive maneuvers. Keep in mind that large strong attacks can eventually stun him at low health, giving you the edge to rush in and rip him to pieces before he can sufficiently recover.

When the Old Demon King breathes his last breath, you’ll gain a new Bonfire in this area as well as the Soul of the Old Demon King. With our business concluded here, head back through the catacombs and onto Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.

While fighting the Old Demon King, you can summon the NPC phantom Great Swamp Cuculus. Defeat the Old Demon King with this NPC surviving and go back to the cage in the Undead Settlement that you found Cornyx in to receive Cornyx's Armor Set and Spotted Whip.

alternate video walkthrough

Full, quick route to the boss fight. Also, taking down optional demon on the way: