The ‘Abyssal Woods’ is the region in Shadow of the Erdtree that left the biggest impression on me. It’s quite possibly the most secret area in the complex new geography of the DLC, requiring the player to find one hidden path after another. I was lucky enough to find it and decide it’s a must-see area. There’s an incredibly moody horror gimmick to this shrouded place that might be the greatest invention the DLC has come up with. Let’s just say there are things here that you can’t fight conventionally, and it’s quite the reckoning. Bravo, Miyazaki!
It’s worth mentioning that the Abyssal Woods are profoundly related to the Frenzied Flame. It’s the horrific fire of madness that is one of the most significant forces of Elden Ring. If you’re a dedicated Chaos player who wishes the DLC would expand your Flame of Frenzy tool kit, here you are. Keep reading, and I’ll teach you how to access this new content.
It’s a catch of the DLC that jaw-dropping areas like this can be so hidden by the density of this new world. An unassuming cliff-edge most players will skip can give way to more content than you’d ever expect. It is exciting game design, enabling players to forge adventures unique to them. But you don’t want to miss out! So here’s a step-by-step travel guide to get you to the Abyssal Woods and the awe-inspiring boss that lurks inside. This guide will work for players just starting and provides handy shortcuts. Those who have played long enough to reach the Shadow Keep should refer to the ‘River Route’ section.
Journey to the Abyssal Woods: Castle Ensis
The Abyssal Woods is not an early-game area. To find the path that leads to the Abyssal Woods, you’ll first have to reach Shadow Keep. It’s the central castle in the second main area of the DLC. So, our first step is to move on from Gravesite Plains to Scade Altus. It’s easy to guess where you’re going if you just follow the Scadutree, the leaky dark tree that leers out from the North. Still, there’s a hard way to get to Scadu Altus and an easy way.
The hard and typical way is to storm Castle Ensis, unlocking the main route to Scadu Altus. Go past the starting plains and through Ellac Greatbridge, the bridge you find to the north. Venture into the soldier camp until you find the ‘Castle Front’ grace. Past another bridge, you’ll finally be at Castle Ensis, the Legacy Dungeon that leads out into Scadu Altus. Dealing with the dungeon and its soldiers is your first problem. Then you have to beat Rellana, one of the hardest and most relentless bosses of the DLC.
Journey to the Abyssal Woods: Shortcut
If you want to skip this boss, I’ve got you covered. Diverge to the right from ‘Castle Front’, going downwards instead of upwards. You’ll come across some soldiers and, eventually, the corpses of some ogre-looking enemies. Continue down until you reach a poison swamp. Sticking to the right edge of the swamp, you’ll come across a little puzzle. There’s a Spirit Spring you’ll use to jump up to Scadu Altus on your horse. It’s blocked; unblock it by continuing until you see an ethereal pile of stones, then topple it. But be warned, when you jump up the cliff on your horse, you’ll need to steer right to avoid getting stuck in a castle. There are enemies outside as well, so be ready. Just grab the grace near the road and you’re in.
Scadu Altus is filled with even harder enemies and mounted knights, so flee if needed. Getting to the Shadow Keep is the same deal as the previous castle. Just get through the soldier camp in the north by any means until you’re in. Unfortunately, a berserk hippo monster guards the front of the keep, so good luck with that. You’ll need to progress deep into the keep, which will include your hardest encounters yet. Once you’ve made your way past the dining room with the 2 Black Knights, the path to the Abyssal Woods finally begins.
River Route
When you’ve reached the area with the flaming boats, you’ll want to jump onto a water ledge below on the left side. Look for where the wall is crumbled. Continue on the ledge until you come to a waterfall. You can pass it to enter the sewers of the keep. There are no enemies, and you only need to interact with the coffin you find at the end to begin the hidden path. You’ll know you’re in the right place once you find the grace called ‘Castle Watering Hole’. It’s located in a lake filled with junk. Watch out for the treacherous Furnace Golem resting here. Now it’s time to head south, and if you go to the mouth of the lake, you’ll find a covert ridge you can explore. Continue on from the ‘Recluses’ River Upstream’ grace until you find the ‘Recluses’ River Downstream’ grace.
Darklight Catacombs
In Elden Ring, you can find tombstones that jut out from cliff edges, which enable the player to parkour downwards on Torrent. Go down the tombstones that are right next to the grace, as pictured. Now follow the river, and next to the waterfall, you’ll find a second set of tombstones to go down. If you come to a foggy area, you’re in the right place; just watch out for the tiny soldiers waiting there. Pay attention to the old lady statues lying about because they’ll lead you to the nearby catacombs. Once you’ve found the ‘Darklight Catacombs’ grace, the journey is straight-forward from here.
In a unique twist, the dungeon leads to the Abyssal Woods rather than a dead-end boss. The dungeon is still just as challenging as any other. It’s very dark, as the name suggests, and filled with cannoneer enemies. I won’t explain where to go because you won’t get sidetracked like in the open world. Just look for the light switches (levers) and keep heading down. The spellcaster boss at the end is our very last obstacle, the gatekeeper of the Abyssal Woods. Defeat it, and the goal is yours.
Related: Top 15 Soulsborne Bosses With the Most Aurora
Navigating the Abyssal Woods
You’ve arrived at the swampy Abyssal Woods, bubbling with malicious Chaos. Be prepared for horrors beyond your expectations. I’ll keep it a secret. As you’d expect from these haunted woods, they’re not easy to navigate either. The area’s not too big, and ominous warnings to ‘turn back’ guide you on your path, so if you fumble around enough, you will find the boss. But it doesn’t help that the area is thick with fog and lacks landmarks. Don’t do what I did; grab the map first. From the Woodland Trail grace, take the left path, and you’ll come to the Church Ruins where the map resides.
In terms of valuable gear, there are 3 cookbooks, many crafting items, and a boss reward related to Frenzied Flame. Find the first cookbook near the ‘Divided Falls’ grace, the second between that grace and the manor you’re looking for, and the third inside the manor. You can probably guess where the boss is located, and it is a doozy.
Ironically, the map doesn’t actually help you see the structure you’re looking for, but it does help you see the southernmost point of the woods. Set your marker there and eventually, you’ll come to an eery building called Midra’s Manor. If the perils of this realm of Frenzied Flame weren’t exciting enough, the contents of the manor will shock you, exuding a haunted vibe like no other in the game. There’s a character ahead you’ll recognize from the trailers.
Have fun, you poor sod!
The Guide Hall painstakingly pushes on through Shadow of the Erdtree in Elden Ring to bring you quality guides and walkthroughs. We’ll have more from the lands of shadow soon!