The Duke's Dear Freja
Now comes the main boss of the area, who is also one of four mandatory bosses that must be defeated in order to unlock the gates of the Shrine of Winter. Start from the Chapel Threshold bonfire. A room underneath the bonfire contains Wilted Dusk Herb x 2, but is guarded by Parasite Spider x 4 and a Hollow Mage. Ignore the item if you do not require the herb. The path to Freja's lair requires you to make various drops. Equip the Silvercat Ring to reduce fall damage or, if you cannot spare a ring slot, equip the Flying Feline Boots.
Lower Brightstone Cove Tseldora
Speedrun through lower Brightstone Cove Tseldora NG+7, Dark Souls 2 SotFS
Ahead of you should be an entrance to a room where, if you follow Pate and Creighton's quest lines, you would find the pair fighting. Jump to the entrance, enter the room, find a door to your left, and collect a Torch from the nearby shiny. Having a lit Torch in your left hand would make the fight against Freja easier than without a lit Torch. Open another door and use a Flame Butterfly to light your Torch to ward off the Parasite Spiders ahead. Drop off the ledge and head straight for the iron gate in the distance. Ignore all enemies following you, including a red phantom, and open the iron gate. Enter the building and summon Manhunter O'Harrah; her summon sign is located diagonally to your left. Let O'Harrah handle the gang of Parasite Spiders, while you fight off the red phantom and the Parasitized Undead who follow you. Pull a lever to reveal another Parasitized Undead. If you are fast enough, after opening the iron gate you should be able to head straight for the lever and pull it, ignoring O'Harrah and the red phantom altogether. Climb the ladder and then use the Black Separation Crystal to send O'Harrah home. Having O'Harrah assist you during the fight against Freja would make the fight more difficult than it should be. Drop down and gingerly navigate your way through the cobwebs to Freja's boss arena.
The Duke's Dear Freja
Sorcerer versus The Duke's Dear Freja NG+7, Dark Souls 2 SotFS
If you hit Freja during the first encounter, then the HP loss it sustained should carry over to this second encounter. Have a lit Torch in your character's left hand to ward off the various Parasite Spiders. Use the same strategy as per your first encounter. On the other hand, you might want to use the following strategy. Lock onto one of Freja's heads, be at some distance away from the boss, and cast Crystal Soul Spear. Wait for Freja to lift its front legs and begin shooting a laser, then run diagonally to your right, strafing to Freja's other head. Lock onto this other head and repeat the above strategy. If you are fast enough you should be able to perform two casts of Crystal Soul Spear.
Defeat Freja and interact with the shiny near the cliff edge. Find a nearby cave that leads to a room where the Duke Tseldora is located. Defeat the Duke to receive a Fragrant Branch of Yore. The item can be used for one of the following purposes:
- Unpetrify an enemy at Aldia's Keep who stands in front of a Giant Basilisk. The enemy drops Elizabeth Mushroom x 2 and Wilted Dusk Herb x 2. Use this enemy to farm Elizabeth Mushroom and Wilted Dusk Herb.
- Unpetrify a Lion Clan Warrior at Shaded Woods who drops the Fang Key upon defeat. The key is used to unlock the room where Ornifex is being held prisoner. Rescue Ornifex and find her in her workshop at lower Brightstone Cove Tseldora, where she has the following useful wares on sale: Amber Herb x 10 and Flame Butterfly. Even if you do not use spells, Flame Butterfly is useful to help you light your Torch whenever you are far away from a bonfire.
Warp back to Majula. If you have enough souls, level up with the Emerald Herald and then purchase all Brightbug x 3 from Melentia.