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The Abyss

The Abyss (深淵) is a Location in Dark Souls. It is accessible via New Londo Ruins.

Information

The Abyss is a foreboding arena located at the heart of the New Londo Ruins, serving as the battleground for the Four Kings, one of the essential bosses to progress the main story. Accessing The Abyss requires the Covenant of Artorias ring to prevent instant death upon entering the dark void. This requirement extends to summoned allies. After defeating the Four Kings, the ring is no longer necessary.

Area Bosses

Mandatory

Four Kings
  • Location: The Abyss, accessed by jumping from the spiral staircase in New Londo Ruins.
  • Mechanics:
    • The fight starts with one king; additional kings spawn over time.
    • A shared health bar; killing one contributes to the total depletion.
    • Kings attack with sweeping melee strikes, grabs, and homing magic projectiles.
  • Requirements:
    • Must wear the Covenant of Artorias ring to survive in The Abyss.
  • Drops:
    • Bequeathed Lord Soul Shard (needed for the Lordvessel).
    • 20,000 Souls.

Enemies

Darkwraiths:
    • Wielding swords and shields, they deal high damage and can steal Humanity with their grab attack.
    • Drop Titanite Chunks and occasionally Dark Hand.
Ghosts:

Merchants

Darkstalker Kaathe
  • Appears in The Abyss after defeating the Four Kings, provided the Lordvessel was not placed with Frampt.
  • Offers to take the player to the Firelink Altar to place the Lordvessel.
  • Items Sold (upon joining the Darkwraith covenant):
    • Cracked Red Eye Orb: Used to invade other players.
    • Dark Hand: Given for free upon joining.

NPCs

Ingward
  • Located at the top of a building in New Londo.
  • Gives the Key to the Seal if the player has the Lordvessel.
  • Can also be killed to obtain the key prematurely.

Items

Key Items

  • Covenant of Artorias:

    • Required to survive in The Abyss.
    • Obtained after defeating Great Grey Wolf Sif in Darkroot Garden.

  • Key to the Seal:

    • Used to open the floodgates in New Londo Ruins.
    • Acquired from Ingward in the ruins.
Drops
  • Dark Hand:
    • Dropped by Darkwraiths or received from Kaathe.
  • Titanite Chunks:
    • Dropped by Darkwraiths and ghosts.

Walkthrough

Reaching the Abyss

  1. Preparation:

    • Equip the Covenant of Artorias ring.
    • Bring Transient Curses to fight ghosts or use a cursed weapon like the Jagged Ghost Blade.
    • Stock up on healing items and repair gear, as New Londo is treacherous.

  2. Drain the Flood:

    • Speak to Ingward to obtain the Key to the Seal or kill him to retrieve it.
    • Use the key to open the floodgate, draining the water in the ruins and revealing new pathways.

  3. Descend the Ruins:

    • Clear out Darkwraiths and ghosts while navigating the now-dry ruins.
    • Reach the spiral staircase leading to The Abyss.

  4. Entering The Abyss:

    • Equip the Covenant of Artorias before jumping from the spiral staircase into the void.

Fighting the Four Kings

      • Stay aggressive to defeat each king before additional ones spawn.
      • Use high-damage weapons and healing spells to counter their relentless attacks.
      • Roll or sidestep to avoid grab attacks and block magic projectiles with a shield.

Covenants

Darkwraith Covenant
  • How to Join:
    • Do not place the Lordvessel on the altar via Kingseeker Frampt.
    • Defeat the Four Kings and meet Darkstalker Kaathe in The Abyss.
    • Accept his offer and pledge loyalty.
  • Benefits:
    • Receive the Dark Hand.
    • Purchase Cracked Red Eye Orbs to invade other players.
  • Notes:
    • Aligning with Kaathe causes Frampt to disappear, making it impossible to trade Titanite with him.

Shortcuts

  • After draining the water, the ruins become accessible, creating shortcuts to The Abyss.
  • Use the bonfire near Firelink Shrine for faster traversal.

Soul Farming

Darkwraiths:

  • Efficient for farming Titanite Chunks and Dark Hand.
  • Use Covetous Gold Serpent Ring to increase drop rates.

Notes

  • The Covenant of Artorias is mandatory for survival in The Abyss.
  • Avoid summoning phantoms unless they also have the ring equipped.
  • Fighting the Four Kings without sufficient damage output can lead to overwhelming difficulty as new kings spawn.

Trivia

  • Darkstalker Kaathe and Kingseeker Frampt are two serpents aligned with different ideologies regarding the Lordvessel.
  • The Abyss signifies the expanding influence of the Dark and Humanity's descent into chaos.
  • The Four Kings were once noble rulers, now corrupted by the Dark.


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