The infamous poison swamp, a recurring feature in Dark Souls, makes its fated return in the franchise's third installment as Farron Keep. Filled with various forms of Ghru, Basilliks, and Rotten Slugs, this area of Dark Souls 3 is certainly not one to scoff at. Despite its toxic-riddled wastes and the myriad enemies that populate it, Farron Keep is home to the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant, a PvP covenant that transports its members to defend the Crucifixion Woods from embered trespassers. Farron Keep is also one of the main places to farm Wolf's Blood Swordgrass from fallen Ghrus, allowing players to quickly boost their standing in the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant and receive highly valuable rewards upon each new rank.
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Scattered across the egg-shaped map are three main points of interest, the Ritual Fires, which grant players access to the Abyss Watchers boss battle and on into the Catacombs of Carthus when extinguished. Luckily, these beacons can be activated in any order players so choose. However, to make the trek through this poisonous waste far easier, a comprehensive guide through Farron Keep can be followed below.
Preparing For Death
As is the case with most of Dark Souls 3 in its entirety, players must grow accustomed to trial and error - especially in Farron Keep, wherein the toxic pool alone is ravenous to those who come unprepared. To make matters worse, Elder Ghrus, Rotten Slugs, Basilisks, and even a Darkwraith populate the surrounding area, generating a ton of stress on top of the confusing layout that is consistently poisoning you.
Instead of diving headlong into the fray without any prior setup, bring Purple Moss Clumps to counteract the poison. Three can be found to the right and around the corner of the first bonfire. Don't overuse them, though. When traversing Farron Keep, your poison meter buildup will always be filling fast, so it's better to get poisoned and not waste Purple Moss Clumps - so long as you have enough Estus or are near a bonfire — two of the latter are found throughout the area.
You will also want to bring along Profuse Sweat, a pyromancy that boosts your bleed, frost, poison, and curse resistances by 80 points. The latter two are the most important. To acquire the spell, nab the Great Swamp Pyromancy Tome from the Crucifixion Woods and gift it to Cornyx in Firelink Shrine. The Curse Ward Greatshield is also handy when going up against the Basilisks later into the area. It can be secured in the Cathedral of the Deep, which players should already have cleared before entering Farron Keep.
Igniting the First Two Ritual Fires
Farron Keep allows for a variety of different ways to wander its toxin-filled pool. As soon as players arrive at the bonfire following the ladder down from the Road of Sacrifices, the gateway leads out into this massive open area.
The main goal is to find and light three sconces so as to unlock the big stone door that guards the Abyss Watchers, the first of the four Lords of Cinder players must overcome. The Ritual Fires can be ignited in any order, but there's always a safer approach than the most direct.
The first of these three Ritual Fires can be found on a rise almost directly ahead of the player from the very first bonfire, but instead of taking a straight path, make a left from the entranceway and collect some of the items scattered around the poison area.
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Be careful of the Rotten Slugs that guard the various ground loot. To the right of the player is a small mound that leads into a set of trees. Pick up the Stone Parma off in the distance and the Rotten Pine Resin on a tree. Be careful not to get bombarded by the slugs, as they can be tough when tackling a whole bunch at once, especially when poisoned.
Collect the 20 prism stones on the mound and turn around to face the burning fire and a Titanite Shard on the ground. From the shard and fire, you should see a path that leads up to the first Ritual Fire. Don't rush, as there will be two Ghru waiting for you above and a third will be hiding behind the stone wall. Once the three enemies are down, extinguish the fire and watch the following cutscene.
With the first one out of the way, take the archway exit, which will lead you down and around to a deeper portion of the marsh. This is where Farron Keep becomes more of a hindrance, with the water now decelerating your strides. Take it slow and keep a watchful eye on your poison meter.
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Directly ahead will be a leaping Ghru on a small patch of land that leads up toward the second sconce.
Instead of heading straight on immediately, turn to the right. From this vantage, there should be a collapsed bridge with its two separate ends jutting out of the swamp, both of which have items at their tips. The one to the right will net the player more Poison Moss Clumps for mitigating that ever-annoying poison buildup. The other will be a valuable strength weapon, the Greatsword.
Return to the small plot of land and take out the leaping Ghru before proceeding up the ramp to the second ritual fire. A sword-wielding Ghru will be waiting for you at the top of the rise. Defeat it and pick up the two extra Purple Moss Clumps bundled on the tree then extinguish the second ritual flame and wait for the cutscene to end.
Cross the bridge to your immediate left and take out the three Ghrus before igniting the Keep Ruins bonfire. This is a perfect place not only to farm souls in general but also to farm Wolf's Blood Swordgrass, a valuable item needed to raise your rank in the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant, which we'll discuss shortly. Now there is only one ritual fire remaining, but there's a whole lot of Farron Keep left to explore.
Where To Find The Old Wolf of Farron
Starting at the Keep Ruins bonfire, head down the ramp to find the massive stone door that guards the Abyss Watchers and Farron Keep Perimeter. We will return to this juncture once the last ritual fire has been lit, but first, we must visit the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant. Turn to the right from the end of the ramp and start toward the small building with the slugs inside.
Within, players will discover an undead bone shard, which can be offered either to the Firelink bonfire for increased Estus HP/FP recovery or to Picklepum the Crow for the Porcine Shield. Players can also find a summon sign for Yellowfinger Heysel in this area, who can be of valuable assistance throughout the remainder of Farron Keep. However, in order for the sign to be there, players must have given Rosaria a Pale Tongue. Go around the building to face a ladder guarded by three slugs.
Out by the trees, as shown via the chest in the above image, players can find the Sunlight Talisman and an Estus soup cauldron, which can be utilized if low on health. Up the ladder is the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant and its accompanying bonfire. Pray to the Old Wolf to receive the Watchdogs of Farron medallion and gift the wolf any Wolf's Blood Swordgrass you may have in your possession.
Should You Join the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant?
As you gaze upon the slumbering Old Wolf of Farron, you might be wondering what this covenant is all about. The Watchdogs of Farron are similar to the Aldrich Faithful covenant, which tasks followers in defending the area surrounding Anor Londo. However, the watchdogs guard the Crucifixion Woods against trespassers, mirroring the Forest Hunters from the original Dark Souls.
To participate in the covenant, simply apply the medallion to your player and wait for an embered trespasser to enter through the Road of Sacrifices in their world. You will be transported there to defeat them. If successful, you will be rewarded with Wolf's Blood Swordgrass, which you can give to the wolf for higher ranks in the covenant. It's an interesting covenant to join, but if you aren't keen on Dark Souls PvP, you may want to try something else. You can always farm the Swordgrass offline if you feel you still want to rank up yet don't want to go through the hassle of defeating other players in their world.
Like all covenant ranks in Dark Souls 3, there are only two levels in the Watchdogs of Farron Covenant. The first, which requires 10 Wolf's Blood Swordgrass, will net you the Old Wolf Curved Sword, a curved greatsword with effective poise damage and, when fully upgraded, a B scaling in dexterity. After gifting 30 Swordgrass to the Old Wolf, players will reach rank two and receive both the Wolf Knight's Greatshield and the Wolf Ring, the latter of which is required to gain 100% game completion.
The Last Ritual Fire
Don't take the elevator just yet, as you can walk back out and around the building to the right to find an illusory wall hiding the Dreamchaser's Ashes, which can be given to the Handmaid in Firelink shrine to purchase more items.
Drop off the ledge and take the elevator up. At the top of this structure, players will find the Stray Demon, an optional boss battle akin to the one hidden during Seigward of Catarina's questline.
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Following the fight, players can nab the Greataxe and two Embers toward the rear of the arena. There's also a rather secret area found opposite the partition near the stairs leading up to the fight.
Land on the ledge outcropping and follow the path around the crumbled gate to find several undead enemies, a dragon corpse, Crystal Lizards, and various items, including a Dragon Crest Shield and the Lightning Spear miracle appropriately positioned nearest the dead wyvern. With all of the loot on hand, take the elevator and the ladder back down to the swamp and proceed to the mound with the Estus soup cauldron.
Dead ahead will be a dilapidated building with some loot tucked into the corner. This is the Nameless Knight Set, which debuted in the original Dark Souls as the starting armor for the Knight class. From here, follow the campfires plotted on the small landmasses straight ahead, either ignoring or aggroing the Elder Ghru as you choose. These are pretty powerful enemies, as they not only slam their clubs down with massive force but also send out spells that can track the player, so be cautious when going up against these foes.
Maintaining this course following the fires lighting the way ahead, you will find yet another ramp leading up to the final Ritual Fire to be extinguished.
After the cutscene, head through the archway and up the ramp. Roll or slash through the sticks in the way, but be cautious as there is a leaping Ghru at the top of the rise. Defeat the enemy, then take the slope down. At the end of this ramp, you will be invaded by Yellowfinger Heysel unless you have him summoned. This dark spirit utilizes various sorceries to his advantage, as well as a crossbow. Try to close the gap on him and defeat him via agile close-ranged combat.
Following his defeat, there will be many Basilisks you have to face off against. Two will be on a mound directly ahead and another four will be hidden through a small outcropping of rocks. This is where the Curse Ward Greatshield comes in handy. After their defeat, pick up the repair powder and look for a small cavern in the same area with the four Basilisks. You may also see some loot on the side of the rockface, but don't worry about those items for now.
Here you will find a chest with the Antiquated Set and the Golden Scroll, a necessary tool for sorcerers that can be gifted to Orbeck to unlock a variety of different spells, including Hidden Weapon, Twisted Wall of Light, and Repair.
Miscellaneous Mop-Up & Finding The Abyss Watchers
With the third Ritual Fire ignited, you can now take on the Abyss Watchers. First, there are a few bits of Farron Keep left to explore. From the cave with the Golden Scroll, turn around and head back out. Next to the ramp that leads back to the third ritual fire, there is a path that heads off into a set of trees. There will also be a small bed of rocks with a Large Soul of a Nameless Warrior. With the wall on your left, head into the trees until you see a few more Basilisks.
Be extra cautious, as the deep water will slow your strides. It's best to roll and utilize firebombs or pyromancies with effective timing here, so as to avoid being cursed. When all the Basilisks are down, pick up the mossfruit then keep heading straight. Basically, what you want to do is a full circle of the outer perimeter of Farron Keep, collecting all of the various loot you missed while traversing its interior.
Keep the wall on your left as you stride through the marsh. You will eventually find the Iron Flesh pyromancy and be back where you first started. If you need some replenishment, stop at the Farron Keep bonfire before continuing on the circular path around Farron Keep. If you continue onward, past the area with the rotten slugs, you will eventually come upon a circular structure guarded by a Darkwaith.
This is one deadly foe, so don't go in poisoned and without a bit of confidence. Upon defeat, the Darkwraith will drop two Cracked Red Eye Orbs, which can be used to invade other players' worlds. Head inside to pick up the Sage's Coal, allowing you to infuse weapons with the Deep, Crystal, and Blessed Gems via Andre in Firelink.
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Beyond this structure is the small patch of land with the leaping Ghru that leads up to the second ritual fire. Try to avoid aggroing the Ghru, as the next portion of this circle is a tough bout. You will eventually come out on a large opening with three Elder Ghru grouped together encircling a Poison Gem.
Take them all out one at a time. These three will individually drop the Pharis Hat, Black Bow of Pharris, a Poison Gem, and an Ember. Continue onward to find a small patch of land nestled into a corner with three Ghru enemies, fallen mushroom corpses, and the very valuable Sage's Scroll. When gifted to Orbeck, this will give the player access to the Great Farron Dart and Farron Hail sorceries.
Keep hugging the wall on your left. You will eventually be confronted by a giant crab. There are two ways of defeating this enemy: you can either drag it closer back into the marsh so as to avoid having the fat roll hindrance and face it one-on-one or deal with the slow roll but wait for the Giant of the Undead Settlement to assist with its arrows from afar. The former is probably the more ideal way, but you can always simply leave the crab for later into the game.
Upon its demise, the Giant Crab will drop the Lingering Dragoncrest Ring and a Titanite Shard. Pick up all the ground loot, which includes Crown of Dusk, two Young White Branches, a Soul of a Seasoned Warrior, an Ember, six Golden Pine Bundles, and a Large Soul of an Intrepid Hero. Be wary, as two Ghru will be patrolling the area along with the crab. With the outer perimeter of Farron Keep now out of the way, it's time to face off against the Abyss Watchers.
Road to the Abyss Watchers
Unlike the swamp of Farron Keep, the remainder of the area is rather easily traversed. From the massive stone doorway, take the left-most slope up to take out the Corvian ringleader, whose corpse can be plundered for the Storyteller's Staff, then drop down and finish off the remaining four followers.
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Keep heading up the slope, but watch out for the two patrolling Darkwraiths. Let them go on to fight the various other Ghru warriors that populate the area before proceeding. It's a nice way of garnering some free souls without much effort.
Turn right and face the large structure. Inside is the Farron Keep perimeter bonfire. Further on are three Ghru, a giant Crystal Lizard, as well as a shortcut that leads back to the Road of Sacrifices. You can also find a massive hole in the stone wall, which leads out to those aforementioned items on the cliffside overlooking the Basilisk-infested area.
Head back toward the Abyss Watchers doorway. Most of the Ghru in the area should have been dealt with by the Darkwraiths, who themselves should be damaged enough not to be an issue. Take them out as well as any remaining Ghru, then head up a small rise over the Abyss Watchers doorway to pick up three Black Bug Pellets.
From here you are free to enter the Abyss Watchers boss battle, a pretty tough bout with two phases. If you find yourself in need of any assistance, two summons can be found directly in front of the doorway: Black Hand Gotthard and Sirris of the Sunless Realms, the latter of which requires the player to be far enough into her questline before the summon sign will appear.
You may also want to check out the most preferred ending of Dark Souls 3, the Usurpation of Fire, as defeating the Abyss Watchers before a set requirement is met will lock you out of the questline until the next playthrough.
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