Full Smouldering Lake Walkthrough
A full walkthrough including all the items, enemies and bosses follows.
Click here to go to the Speedrun Walkthrough.
Click here to go the location's Lore and Speculation page.
Finding Smouldering Lake
Discovering Smouldering Lake takes a bit of work. If you have defeated HighLordWolnir, you can start from this bonfire, or make your way from the Catacombs of Carthus bonfire to the large suspension bridge. Attack the anchor point at that end of the bridge and it will collapse; once it settles, you can climb down the bridge as if it were a ladder to access the area below. Proceed until you reach the room with the large Fire Demon and Mimic up the stairs near the end of the walkway. If you can get the Fire Demon to attack the mimic, it may kill it for you. Alternatively, if you approach the Fire Demon, then retreat through the small entrance where you first enter this area, the Fire Demon will back up down the stairs and retreat to his original position. This should allow you to "bait and strike" him until you defeat him. On the same level where the Fire Demon attacks, you can loot a Large Titanite Shard 1x, but be aware of spawning skeletons. If you exit into the next room, straight ahead you will find a corpse with Old Sage's Blindfold and Witch's Ring. Turn around and head back and make a left into another room with aBonfire. Advance through to reach Smouldering Lakeproper.
Giant Ballista and Carthus Worm
As you enter Smouldering Lake, you will hear the loud mechanical sound of the Ballista winding up. It will target you as you explore the area until you optionally disable it by turning a wheel beneath it. The ballista can also be re-enabled via the same method. Enter into the lake and follow along the left wall until you encounter the Carthus Sandworm. You can navigate past it on the right side, and there is a safe spot to the back left of the worm, behind a rock with a candled stone pillar next to it. This will place the worm between you and the ballista, resulting in the death of the worm. Any low stance helps to make the ballista aim lower, hitting the worm more frequently. The worm drops Lightning Stakeand an Undead Bone Shard.
Up a hill to the right, you will find a Large Titanite Shard 1x on a corpse. In a doorway here you can take a staircase down to reach the Demon Ruins Bonfire. There is a summon sign here for Knight Slayer Tsorig, which will remain as long as you are in ember form and the Old Demon King is still alive. Go back the way you came and follow the left hand wall and eventually you will come to a man-made stone wall up against a natural boulder wall. Wait here until the ballista fires at you and breaks the wall to collect Speckled Stoneplate Ring. Retrace your steps with the wall at your right and head back to the bonfire.
Find an Estus Shard & Old King's Antechamber Bonfire
Head through the hallway opposite of the staircase and make a right to take the staircase down. Take the hallway into a next area and face a Demon Clericto the left. These Demon Clericscan be tricky and, given time, will raise a glowing ball of fire which will fire at you. Use fire protection armor, spells, and shields for defense, and attempt to backstab any time they summon a ball of fire as they have a large "back". There will already be two fireballs spawned near the Cleric (one in front of the clearic, obscured by a pillar and another over the railings), so be aware of their location and use obstacles to block their flames while fighting. Nearby will be a corpse you can loot for an Ember 1x.
Head the other way down this hallway, to encounter four Ghrubeasts,similar to the ones encountered in Farron Keep, except they have an "embered" appearance.Outside of this aesthetic change, there is no difference in attacks. One spear-wielding Ghru will patrol the nearby area while the other three (one sword, 1 toxic and 1 more spear) are around the corner. Continuing on this hallway at its end you will find a room with two Ghru beasts. Before entering and attempting to loot the corpse (Ember 1x) on the left of the room, players should note that there is aSmoldering Rotten Fleshfrom the ceiling as well as a Demon Statue around the corner. Make a left until you come to a hole in the floor. The corpse on the other side holds anEstus Shard, but the jump is ratherdifficult (you must wait for the last instant to jump). The jump itself is a shortcut to the upcoming bonfire, and that even if you fall though, the shard is still obtainable.
If you manage to make the jump and obtainedthe shard, take this hallway to the end being wary of the six Smoldering Rotten Flesheswhich drop down from the ceiling. Make a right at the end of the hallway and attack the wall at the end to reveal an Illusory Wall. Enter into the next room to discover and light the Old King's Antechamber Bonfire.
However, ifyou fell through the hole in the floor to the lower level, you will encounter three Ghru beasts; one wielding a Spear, one wielding a sword and one Toxic. To the right of where the spear-wielding was sitting, there is a doorway and there is a lootable corpse (Ember 1x) in the first left turn of this tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, left should bring you along some stairs and at the top is the Old King's Antechamber Bonfire. From the stairs, there is an Illusory Wall on the left, which leads to a path where six Smoldering Rotten Fleshes are waiting on the ceiling and the Estus Shard is on a corpse behind.
Finding Izalith & Quelana Pyromancy Tomes
Exit the bonfire room through the door opposite of the Illusory Wall. Be cautious as there may be a Demon Cleric patrolling the corridor to the right. Continue straight ahead into a room, where a Ghru will be seated to your left and will be joined by others. A prostrate corpse here can be looted for the Izalith Pyromancy Tome.
Backtrack out of this room and make your next left down a hallway with the Demon Cleric. Follow it left and left again to find aCrystal Lizard. Make your way back to the bonfire and exit the doorway which leads to a staircase heading down. Make your right at the next hallway and make your next right to the dead end where a corpse lies with an Ember 1x. Turn aroundand head right to continue going down the hallway where you will encounter some Ghrus. Follow this hallway to left and into a room of Ghrus. Exit the doorway into the next room where you will encounter a fire statue to the left and some more Ghrus. Behind a pillar here will be another statue and yet another Ghru.
Exit this room and at the end of the hallway, make a left and attack the wall to reveal an Illusory Wall. Step into the revealed room to encounter a Black Knight wielding a great-axe. You can loot the Black Knight Sword from a corpse here. Go back down the hallway and into the larger room with pillars. There are 2 Fire demons here and will fire at you with their orbs. Dispatch them one by one, using the pillars for cover. In the far end of this room, you may defeat 3 Smoldering Rotten Flesh as well as a Ghru to obtain an Undead Bone Shard. From a doorway in the corner of this room, follow the hallwayand take your first right which will bring you to a room with 3small rats. Attack the wall in this room to reveal an Illusory Wall. Head down the short hallway and head left to find the Quelana Pyromancy Tome. Nearby take the staircase down to come to a lava pit.
Equip your best fire protection gear and armor (Flame Stoneplate Ring, Speckled Stoneplate Ring), use a Red Bug Pellet, and spells like Flash Sweat. Drinking estus will delay the fire damage from the lava as well as heal you. Dash in and grab Toxic Mist, continue drinking estus and loot the White Hair Talisman. These are the only 2 items here - return to the stairs if you are able. Otherwise retrace your steps from the bonfire if you died after looting the talisman.
Alternatively, if spells are out of the question, wearing the full Havel's Setor Black Iron Set while under 70% load, having at least 25 Vigor and drinking 2 Estus every 2 rolls will also work (Be aware though that you will literally burn through your Estus, so having the full 15 Charges is advised!)
The Lower Portion
Returning to the large room where all the fire demons were,take the hallway that comes to a hole. Drop down and take out the rats. To the right, attack the wall to reveal an Illusory Wall. Open the chest to reveal a Large Titanite Shard 3x. Behind the chest, attack the wall to reveal another Illusory Wall. Drop down to theledge to loot the Izalith Staff.
Drop down to the hallway and proceed forward and to the right. You will encounter basilisks along the way. Head right down the hallway and look for a path on the left before a staircase (the path is obscured and somewhat hidden, if you head up the stairs and see a black knight, you are at the correct stairs). Head left and forward down the hallway and make a right down the stairs to encounter Knight Slayer Tsorig. He is a difficult fight and his Fume Ultra Greatswordis fast and powerful. If you have Boulder Heave, you can just knock him into the lava, or use a weapon like the Astora Greatsword which has the Charge skill. While using his sword one handed, you can parry on reaction. You can also time his attacks and attack when he has missed and left himself open. At last, if you're quick enough, you can take down the black knight first and run fast enough to shoot an arrow at the Knight Slayer Tsorig before he runs up the stairs to hide. If you do, he'll charge you and die into the fire. Position yourself close to the edge in order to loot easily after.
You can loot him for the Fume Ultra Greatsword and the Black Iron Greatshield. If your reset the area, you can find the Knight Slayer Ring at the top of the stairs before the lava pit.
In this room is another lava pit where you can loot Sacred FlameandEmber 1x. Follow the same procedure as the prior lava pit to loot these items. Return to the large staircase and take it up and make a right to cross the bridge here and take on the Black Knight. To the right you can loot a Soul of a Crestfallen Knight 1x.
Turning off the Ballista & Defeating Horace
Take the ladder up the stone wall, and which leaves you on a ledge where you can ascend another ladder. Once at the top, drop down to the ledge on the right to loot theDragonrider Bow. Drop down to the next ledge and take the ladder back up to the top.
Be aware that you are again in range of the ballista and it will start firing as you enter. Run into the large open room and head left, dropping down to the next level and taking the path up the left side. To the right will be three Skeleton Wheels. To the left are a group of skeletons. Proceeding past them and up the path you will encounter some red eyed skeletons with shotels.
Defeat the skeletons and approach the large gear-driven ballista. Operate the handle to rotate and disable the weapon (a Bloodbite Ring +1 can be found near the ballista in NG+). Continue ahead behind the ballista and drop down a series ofledges until you land in the water; make an immediate left to enter a cavern where you will find twoCrystal Lizards. Follow this path into an open area where you will find Horace the Hushed waiting, wielding a halberd. Defeat him to loot the Llewellyn Shield. Loot the corpses in the area for a Large Titanite Shard 2x, andYellow Bug Pellet 2x. After killing him you can tellAnriwhat has happened back at the catacombs if you wish, but this is unnecessary to further the questline.
Return to the main lake area to loot the remaining contents of Large Titanite Shard 4x, and in a far corner, a Chaos Gem. Finally loot the corpses around where the Carthus Sandworm was for a Large Titanite Shard 1x and the Shield of Want.
When ready to take on the boss, approach the fog at the top of the stairs past the worm. If in ember form you can find a summon sign at the bottom of the stairs for Great Swamp Cuculus; if you are interested in the Spotted Whip or the Cornyx armor set, you must summon her and have her survive the fight. Prepare with fire protection armor, spells, and shields. Enter the fog to fight the boss of this area, Old Demon King. After defeating him, light the Bonfire. Port out to the Catacombs of Carthus, make your way past the suspension bridge,and continue on to fight High Lord Wolnir.If he is already defeated, port to that bonfire and continue to theIrithyll of the Boreal Valley.
Smouldering Lake Videos
Smouldering Lake Walkthrough Part 1 (Main lake area, Old Demon King Boss)
Part 2 (Demon Ruins Area, Ballista)
Example
Speed Run Walkthrough
A quick walkthrough of how to get to the end of the level in the fastest manner, obtainingonly essential items, should go here.
