How to Start the Dark Souls DLC and What to Expect
Find the steps to access Artorias of the Abyss and plan the order of its major areas and fights.
How to Start the Dark Souls DLC and What to Expect
The Artorias of the Abyss content in Dark Souls is easy to miss because the entrance is not a menu item or an obvious door. In editions that include the DLC, you need to trigger a sequence involving Darkroot Basin, Dusk of Oolacile, and the Broken Pendant. The steps below describe the original game and Remastered progression conceptually; exact menu labels may vary by edition.
Step 1: open Dusk's encounter in Darkroot Basin
Defeat the Hydra in Darkroot Basin, then return to the rear area beyond the water. Find the Golden Crystal Golem and defeat it to free Dusk of Oolacile. The route can be dangerous before your character has enough health or a reliable way to navigate the shoreline, so do not rush through the deeper water.
Step 2: obtain the Broken Pendant
Progress far enough to reach Duke's Archives, which normally requires the appropriate main-game progression and Lordvessel access. Defeat the relevant Crystal Golem near the early Archives route to acquire the Broken Pendant after fulfilling the Dusk prerequisite. If the pendant does not appear, review the rescue step and your edition's DLC availability rather than repeatedly attacking unrelated golems.
Step 3: return to the portal
Travel back to the location where Dusk was freed in Darkroot Basin. A dark portal appears there when prerequisites are satisfied. Interact with it to enter the DLC's first area, Sanctuary Garden. This is a one-way entry sequence at that moment; plan to use normal bonfire travel to move around afterward.
What to expect once inside
The DLC includes challenging bosses and new areas associated with Oolacile and Artorias. It is generally more comfortable with a developed character than immediately after reaching Darkroot Basin. If you plan to finish the base game first, remember that proceeding into a new game cycle can change when you regain access to the required locations.
What the added area contains
Artorias of the Abyss includes Sanctuary Garden, Oolacile-related regions, new enemies, and a group of memorable bosses such as Knight Artorias and Manus. Because the DLC assumes a fair amount of game progress, preparation and familiarity with your preferred defense can matter more than entering as soon as technically possible. If an old tutorial references a separately purchased DLC key, read it in the context of the edition you own: Remastered already bundles the content.
Related reading
For background and nearby questions, continue with which Dark Souls game to play.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enter Artorias of the Abyss?
Rescue Dusk, obtain the Broken Pendant from Duke's Archives, then return to the portal in Darkroot Basin.
Do I need the Lordvessel first?
The normal Broken Pendant route requires access to Duke's Archives, which comes after important main-game progression.
Is the DLC included in Remastered?
Dark Souls Remastered includes the Artorias of the Abyss content.
Can I reach the DLC immediately?
No. The pendant route depends on later main-game access to Duke's Archives and the required rescue sequence.