Dark Souls 3: Old Wolf of Farron to optional Stray Demon boss
It's worth it.
Dark Souls 3: Old Wolf of Farron to optional Stray Demon boss
This is quite a fun little side area. Take the lift up from Old Wolf of Farron and go up the stairs. Observe the Stray Demon boss to the left. Ignore it and go right.
When you reach the dead end at the closed gate, turn right again to drop down from the broken section of wall. Turn left and move carefully along the narrow ledge until you reach solid ground. There are two Crystal Lizards here who drop Large Titanite Shards. You can pick up the Lightning Spear spell and a Dragon Crest Shield near the dead dragon.
Look back the way you came and spot the ramp leading upwards – and the third Crystal Lizard on it, which carries a Heavy Gem. Don’t be distracted by the two passives you’ll run past as you pursue it, but do be careful of the shielded grunt who may drop down from behind you. There’s another hostile grunt opposite the two passives. The body by the gate is dead.
There’s an overseer on the stairs so it’s a good idea to clear the shielded grunt from the path above where you spotted the third Crystal Lizard – if he’s not already dead – as well as the crossbowman pretending to be dead nearby. There’s another shielded grunt on the stairs who will spring up if the overseer completes his screech. Kill them both and advance up the stairs.
Getting down from here is harder than it looks; observe the trajectory of nearby bloodstains if available. Facing the Stray Demon, you want to be at the left end of the broken masonry. Or just use Spook.
Now, you’re thinking about sniping that demon. It can’t be done alone; it won’t be lured close enough for your bow to do any real damage. You can sometimes get him stuck on the rubble on either side of the path and snipe at close quarters from behind this cover, but it's pretty chancy. You may as well get up close and personal.
This guy. Ha ha ha: this guyyyyy. He’s pretty standard in terms of weapon attacks and as usual rolling forward and behind works very well for avoiding most of them.
But he has some nasty surprises: he can slap you with his lil tail. He has a jumping attack where he sits on your head. And he can grab you and hold you for a sustained attack that is absolutely brutal.
You’ll need to be more careful than usual, but it’s worth it for the Soul of a Stray Demon to cash in for Havel’s Ring or the Boulder Heave pyromancy. You can also collect two Embers and a Greataxe when the Stray Demon is dead – or before, if that’s your jam.
What a nice diversion up here in the fresh air! Back to the dank swamps now.