Full Farron Keep Walkthrough
A full walkthrough including all the items, enemies and bosses follows. Click here to go to the Speedrun Walkthrough. Click here to go to the Lore and Speculation page for this location.
Some starter tips
It is best to leave this area for after you've cleared the Cathedral, where you can find the Poisonbite Ring and Curseward Greatshield. The boost to your poison and curse resistance will help you while exploring the swamp.
This swamp is dangerous, a toxic, stinking bog filled with formidable enemies. Items that boost your poison resistance and cure status effects are required. It is advised to bring Purple Moss Clumps at a minimum. If you are able to withstand the poison waters, there are several notable items you can loot here. Bringing a dagger and using its weapon art to dash through the deep water is very helpful; it even works when FP is zero. Some of the enemies you encounter here are vulnerable to fire, and kitting yourself out appropriately will make combat far easier.
The swamp includes areas of deeper water where you cannot run. In one area there are several frog-like creatures (Basilisks) that jump at you and will spray a yellow mist that curses you. This will kill you instantly if the curse meter on your screen fills up. YOU WILL NOT SEE YOUR HP BAR DRAINING BEFORE DYING INSTANTLY. The best way to deal with those is to equip the Curseward Great Shieldyou can find in the Cathedral, which gives you very high resistance to cursing, lure them to a safe spot with a bow and take them out one by one. A halberd can catch their jumping attacks in mid-air.
Lighting the Ritual Fires
There are 3 ritual fires scattered throughout the swamp that must all be extinguished to open the Farron Keep Perimeter gate, the fires looks like a bakery oven with a glowing bowl at the base and a chimney-like structure above.
The fires can be seen as burning chimneys from above, but when you are traversing the swamp the trees will block most of the visibility and it can be hard to see the next fire that needs to be put out. When you extinguish a fire, a corresponding fire will be lit near the gate during a cutscene, and these fires can be used to determine which ritual fire you have yet to extinguish:
If you follow the left hand path with lit bonfires on small islands, after entering the swamp from the Farron Keep bonfire, it will lead you to the first and second ritual fires, both located on top of small hills. The first and second ritual fires corresponds to the first and second fire on the left hand side of the large gate seen in the cutscene, or when standing in front of the gate.
The third ritual fire is located on a small hill to the right of the large gate, also reached by a couple of small islands with bonfires. The corresponding fire in front of the gate is the lone one on the right hand side.
Traversing the Swamp
From the first bonfire, you can take two routes in the deadly poisonous swamp.
To the left from the first bonfire, you can find a Ragged Maskby a group of leeches, Titanite Shard 1x, and on a small island Prism Stone 10x. If you continue with this path,you will encounter a Darkwraithfor the first time. They have a chance to drop several items such as Dark Sword, Cracked Red Eye Orbs and Pale Tongues. Near where you encounter this wraith will be a stone tower and inside will be a corpse with the Sage's Coal.
To theright from the first bonfire, you can loot some valuable Purple Moss Clump 3x from a corpse. Ahead on another corpse is the pyromancy Iron Flesh. Be mindful of the quick Basilisks here that can inflict curse on you rather quickly. Proceeding along the wall, you will find a Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier, Repair Powder.Eventually you come to a shore that leads up into a cavern, where you can pillage the Golden Scroll. There is also a chest here which contains the Antiquated Set. Around this area, you can be invaded by Yellowfinger Heysel. There will also be stairs that lead up to an altar lit with fire, this one is solely guarded by ahorned/tentacled monster that jumps in the air to attack and lethally. He will be found crouching at the top of the stairs. Nearby there is Rusted Gold Coin 1x.
Finding the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant
Make your way back towards the center of the swamp to a small island with a structure in its center. Inside you will find a group of poisonous leeches who spew fluid in your direction. They surround a corpse that can be looted for Undead Bone Shard 1x. Outside this building, if you have given aPale Tongueto Rosaria, will be a summon sign forYellowfinger Heysel.
Leaving the island you will see a dilapidated structure with a ladder going up, protected by a group of leeches at the base. Before ascending this ladder, to the left you will find Wolf's Blood Swordgrass 1x. Return to the ladder and ascend. At the top ,enter the room through the open doorway to find a Bonfire and the Old Wolf of Farron, where you can join the Watchdogs of FarronCovenant. You may pray to the wolf to earn the Legion EtiquetteGesture. In an alcove partly up the wall there's also an item that can't be reached from inside. Go back outside and follow the path around the structure to find a Crystal Lizard who drops a Twinkling Titanite. Right next to the lizard is an illusory wall, hit it to open a path to the Dreamchaser's Ashes, the unreachable item seen from inside the room.
In the corner of this room there is also a lift you can activate via pressure plate which will take you to a bridge where a Stray Demon mini boss wanders. This mini boss packs a punch and has a very large reach with its hammer, which it uses to slam and sweep. The demon will also fly into the air a short distance and follow with a ground slam. In addition, the demon can grab you, draining health as it eats you. Defeating it will earn you the Soul of a Stray Demon. There is also a Greataxe and Ember 2x that can be looted in this area.
On the far side of the area from the Stray Demon on the right hand side, there is an area where you drop down onto a platform. Continue left down the platforms and you will find a path leading behind the large gate. In this area there are three Crystal Lizards, a Dragon corpse and a number of Undead Soldiers. The two Crystal Lizards near the dragon corpse drop a Large Titanite Shard. You will also find the Dragon Crest Shield and Lightning Spear miracle near the Dragon corpse. Watch out for the lantern carrier who will cause dormant soldiers to aggro you. You can return to the other side of the gate by following the path over and dropping back down into the previous area.
Descend the ladder to return to the swamp. Straight ahead near some burning fires you will find a Titanite Shard 1x. If you follow the fires you will come to an Elder Ghru, a large horned beast that wields a large tree and casts numerous homing missiles. It will cast when at range and up close it will stamp the tree down in an attempt to squash you. Upon defeating it, loot the Titanite Shard 2x from a corpse by a tree. Continue exploring the swamp, defeating the Rotten Slugs you encounter. On a raised mound you will find a Sunlight Talismanand a cauldron of Estus Soup.
You will see the remains of what may have been a stone bridge jutting out of the swamp. Climb up this makeshiftramp to find a Greatsword at the end. Back in the swamp to the left of this bridge you will find a Titanite Shard behind a short stone pillar.
On a small island nearby, where a fire blazes, you will encounter a Ghru Leaper that jumps in the air to attack. If you can approach it quietly to land a backstab or a combo before it can react, this fight can be much easier. On a tree near here you will find a Titanite Shard 1x on a corpse.
Nearby, you will see a large set of stone stairs going up and at the top another of these beasts. To the right will be a corpse with Purple Moss Clump 2x. Beyond you will see an altar with a fire. Approach it to be given the option to extinguish the flame. Do so to trigger a cutscene and proceed to locate and extinguish the remaining fires.
Continue across a narrow bridge to face two Ghru Grunts wielding spears and shields, and a Ghru Shaman. Past them, inside the structure you will findthe Keep RuinsBonfire. Descend the fallen bridge to reenter the swamp. To your left will be a corpse with a Titanite Shard 1x.
Rings, Scrolls and Pharis
Continue exploring the surrounding swamp where you will encounter crawling Ghru, as well as another giant crab which drops the Lingering Dragoncrest Ring. Be careful when fighting the crab, as you will be slowed down by the deeper water. If you have not befriended the Giant of the Undead Settlement yet, he will fire great arrows at you in this area of the swamp. However, if you have befriended the giant, he will fire on the crab, making the potentially difficult fight substantially easier. You can loot several items here such as Gold Pine Bundle 6x, Ember 1x, Large Soul of an Unknown Traveler 1x, Crown of Dusk, Soul of a Nameless Soldier 1x, Young White Branch 2x.
In a corner there will be a cluster of dead mushrooms. On a larger mushroom by a tree you can find the Sage's Scroll. If you follow this wall here through the swamp you will encounter three Elder Ghru huddled around an item. They can be lured out one by one with projectiles for an easier encounter. The left-most one will drop theBlack Bow of Pharis, and the middle/furthest back one will dropPharis's Hat. The item they surround is a Poison Gem.Alongside a fallen bridge, near where a Rotten Slug lurks, you will find an Estus Shard 1x. The Nameless Knight Setcan also be looted in this swamp, on a corpse in a corner wedged between a structure and natural rock formation. 2 dirty beasts lurk in this region.
Proceed up another stone set of stairs and defeat two Ghru Grunts and extinguish the second flame. If you explore the area of dry land around here you will find Rotten Pine Resinon a corpse along an edge overhanging the swamp.
Near the Keep Ruins bonfire, you will find another staircase you can ascend on a hill and will discover another flame to extinguish, triggering another cutscene.
Once all 3 fires have been extinguished, a cutscene will play showing a large stone double door opening. The doors can be found from the Keep Ruins bonfire, down the fallen bridge and straight through into the next area.
The second half of the Keep
This area will features several of the gargoyle type enemies you encountered in Road of Sacrifices. Straight ahead as you enter you can find a Shriving Stonenear one of these enemies. Explore this wooded area to discover a large ruin which you can enter via an open archway. Inside you will discover the Farron Keep PerimeterBonfire. If you are in good standing withYuria of Londor, there is a summon sign forLondor Pale Shadeand will give you theDuel Bow Gesture.
Moving past the bonfire will be 3 of the smaller dirty beasts and at the end of the hallway, you will find a giant Crystal Lizard. Defeat this and open the grated door to unlock a shortcut to Road of Sacrifices. A corpse near here can be looted for Great Magic Weapon. If you head back towards the bonfire and drop down to your left to land in the wooded area, you will discover a corpse with Atonement on it. On this same path you can find a Hollow Gem on a corpse.
From the Farron Keep Perimeter bonfire, if you make your way back into the wooded area, you will encounter a Dark Wraith. The wraith may be engaging other enemies here. If you continue forward you will encounter a small dirty beast and a corpse with an Ember 1x. Continue forward until you come to a set of stone stairs with a Darkwraith. In the wooded area around here you will find a Black Bug Pellet 3x on a corpse as well as a few of the beasts.
On the stairs, if in ember form you will be able to see and summon Black Hand Gotthardand Sirris of the Sunless Realms depending on how far you have progressed her quest line.
Once prepared, open the double doors to challenge the boss of this area, aLord of Cinder, Abyss Watchers. Defeat them to earn Cinders of a Lord and Soul of the Blood of the Wolf.
Light the bonfire that appears here and approach the altar which triggers it sliding back, revealing the entrance to the Catacombs of Carthus.
Farron Keep Maps
Video Walkthrough
Speed Run Walkthrough
Exit the bonfire room and turn left, follow the fires to find the three flames you have to extinguish to get through this area. These are all located higher up on dry land accessed by stone ramps. Keep an eye out for fires and lanterns. At some point there is ladder by the high wall you see on your left with a bunch of leeches at its base. The ladder is lit by a lantern. Climb up to find an optional area with a big view, a bonfire, a covenant, a miniboss and 3 crystal lizards. You do NOT need to go through the area with the cursing basilisks.
