Ash Lake

Ash Lake (地底湖) is a Location in Dark Souls. It is accessible via The Great Hollow. 

Information

Ash Lake is a serene yet desolate area, home to the ancient Stone Dragon, one of the few surviving Everlasting Dragons. It is accessible through The Great Hollow, and while it is not mandatory for progression, it offers unique treasures, enemies, and lore.

Enemies

Lake Hydra

• A more powerful variant of the Hydra found in the Darkroot Basin.
  • HP and damage output are increased.
  • Attacks:
    • Water projectiles: Long-range, highly damaging.
    • Head slams: Close-range attacks.
  • Drops:
    • Dragon Scale (x2)
  • Strategy:
    • Fight on the sandy shore to avoid deep water hazards.
    • Use a high-stability shield to block projectiles.
    • Attack heads after they slam down.
    • Using a bow from a safe position (e.g., behind the fallen tree) is effective but requires many arrows.

Clams (Five-Legged Shell Beasts)

• Found near the Stone Dragon and along the path.
  • Attacks:
    • Body slam
    • Double snap
    • Bite attack: Inflicts equipment durability damage.
  • Drops:
    • Twinkling Titanite
    • Purging Stone (rare)
  • Strategy:
    • Avoid direct confrontation; attack from behind.
    • Use ranged magic or pyromancy to safely dispatch.

Other Enemies

• Mushroom Men and Basilisks:
  • Found within the large hollow tree on the way to the Stone Dragon.
  • Behave the same as their counterparts in The Great Hollow.

Items

Weapons

• Dragon Greatsword:
  • Obtained by cutting off the tail of the Stone Dragon.
  • Can only be obtained once per playthrough.

Rings

• Great Magic Barrier (Miracle):
  • Found inside the large hollow tree. Requires careful navigation of branching paths to reach.

Consumables

• Dragon Scales:

  • Drops from the Hydra (x2).
  • Found as loot (x3) along the sandy path.

• Purging Stone:

  • Rare drop from Clams.

Upgrade Materials

• Twinkling Titanite:
  • Dropped by Clams.
• Dragon Scales:
  • Found as loot and dropped by the Hydra.

Walkthrough

Getting Started

• Access Ash Lake through The Great Hollow.
• Prepare for fall damage during the descent. Use Fall Control or Cat Ring to minimize risks.

Progression

1. First Bonfire:
   • Located at the beginning of the sandy shore, to the right after exiting The Great Hollow.
   • Rest here to make it a warpable bonfire.
2. Lake Hydra:
   • Encountered shortly after the first bonfire.
   • Defeat it to clear the area for safer exploration.
3. Large Hollow Tree:
   • Found along the path. Contains Basilisks, Mushroom Men, and the Great Magic Barrier.
4. Stone Dragon:
   • At the far end of Ash Lake.
   • Pray at its feet to join the Path of the Dragon covenant.
   • Cutting its tail grants the Dragon Greatsword.

Returning

• If warpable bonfires are unlocked, you can fast travel back.
• Otherwise, you must backtrack through The Great Hollow.

Covenants

Path of the Dragon

Join this covenant by praying at the Stone Dragon located at the far end of Ash Lake. This covenant focuses on PvP invasions through the use of the Dragon Eye.

Soul Farming

Clams:

• Farm for Twinkling Titanite and Purging Stones.

Notes

• Avoid resting at the second bonfire near the Stone Dragon unless warpable bonfires are unlocked.
• Use ranged attacks against the Hydra to avoid unnecessary risk.
• Equip gear with high curse resistance (e.g., Cursebite Ring) for areas with Basilisks.

Trivia

• ???