Hager's Cavern

This is an optional area. However, defeating the area boss would unlock the path to obtaining the Redshift Brand. You require the brand to access other mandatory areas in the game. At Hager's Cavern, you would also be able to advance the quest lines of the Despondent Thief and the Masterless Knight.

24. Hager's Cavern, Salt and Sanctuary

In this area, you will encounter a merchant named Minty Skell who sells various upgrade materials. You must give Minty a Red Lord's Ear before she opens her shop. Return to Red Hall of Cages and farm the Red Lords in case you do not yet have a Red Lord's Ear. Use the farmed salt to level up and invest in skills that boost your Endurance. Before exploring Hager's Cavern, equip armour pieces that provide better defense than the Rogue set. At the very least equip the Split Mask, Chain Gauntlets, and Chain Chausses. Equip the Fused Metal Ring to increase your Endurance by 3 points. No matter which armour pieces you equip, ensure your equip load is less than 70%.

Start from the sanctuary of Hager's Cavern. Head right to collect some treasures, then proceed left and up to find an Armor Mite guarded by Emberskull x 2. Below the platform where the Armor Mite stands can be found the Masterless Knight. Normally you cannot reach the Masterless Knight unless you have a brand from a later area of the game. However, the Masterless Knight can be reached by rolling off the edge of the said platform. Interact with the knight and exhaust his dialogue to progress in his quest line. Continue exploring the upper half of Hager's Cavern to find the Despondent Thief. Answer "Yes" to her question and exhaust her dialogue. Continue on up to find a lever that unlocks a shortcut to Sunken Keep.

When you are done exploring the upper half of Hager's Cavern, explore the lower half to unlock the grated gate to the area boss. You must interact with an obelisk to allow you to find the lever that opens the grated gate, and you must find the Cellar Key that unlocks the path to the above gate. The key also unlocks the passage to Minty Skell. Interact with Minty, answer "Harvester" to her question, and give her a Red Lord's Ear to open her shop. Purchase Locks of Hair and A Soldier's Poems from Minty as necessary to upgrade your armour pieces and/or weapons.

Consider farming the Primitive Bones and Pale Witch for Drowned Locket. You need Drowned Locket x 3 to upgrade the Obsidian Pillar II to Obsidian Pillar IV. Note that the Obsidian Pillar III is more than enough for Hager's Cavern and the upcoming area, i.e. Mire of Stench.

Notable loots:

• Trickster's Band. Equip to increase your Dexterity. Useful for a Dexterity build.
• Stone Cleric x 2. One is from the same shiny where you collect the Trickster's Band. The other is guarded by Vacant Blades x 2.
• Sack of Salt x 2
• Flame Guardian. An Incantation that inflicts fire damage. On a platform to the left of where the Despondent Thief sits.
• Saper Charm. Equip on your weapon to restore a small amount of focus with each successful hit. Useful for a Mage build.
• Drowned Idol x 3
• Whistlebone Charm. Reduce the amount of Stamina required for melee attacks. Might be useful for a Strength build. However, the Bloodflower Charm is a better choice for a Strength build and you should invest in skills that increase your Stamina.
• Divine Blessed Weapon. A Prayer that buffs your weapon with holy damage. Use Blessed Page instead if you cannot afford to invest in Prayer skills. Found on a platform guarded by Angsty Bones x 2.
• Stone Mage x 2. One is located on a platform to the left of where you collect the Divine Blessed Weapon. Must navigate various disappearing/appearing platforms to reach the item.
• Charred Doll x 3
• Goldenstone Charm. Adds lightning damage to your melee attacks. A viable alternative is to buff your weapon with (Imperial) Shockstone.
• Ring of Brilliance. Illuminates your surrounding. Equip this together with the Lantern Charm to provide the same degree of brightness as the Torch, while allowing you to two-hand your weapon.
• Stone Guide. Guarded by Split Swordsman x 3.
• Cellar Key. In a cave below where you find Split Swordsman x 3, guarded by a Heartseeker and numerous Dropspiders. The key allows you to open two doors: one leading to Minty Skell and the other to the area boss.
• Amber Idol. An ingredient for transmutation. Found in the same cave as where you collect the Stone Guide.
• Warhorn. A consumable that boosts the rate of your Stamina regeneration. Found behind the door that is unlocked by the Cellar Key. Can be purchased from the Cleric NPC, provided that you join the creed The Iron Ones.
• Symbol of Affluence. Boosts the amount of gold you receive from each defeated enemy. Locked behind the door that is opened via the Cellar Key.
• Gray Pearl. You need the Cellar Key to collect this item.
• Silver Leaf x 3. Behind a door unlocked by the Spiked Key.

25. Farm for A Lord's Orders at Hager's Caverns, Salt and Sanctuary

Hager's Cavern has a cave where you can find Split Swordsman x 3. Farm the Split Swordsman for A Lord's Orders to upgrade your armour pieces and/or weapons. The Split Swordsmans also drop A Soldier's Poem. Equip the Kismet Stone and the Brightcoral Ring to boost your item find rate. Have plenty of Bells of Return for quick travel to the sanctuary where you last rested.

Before fighting the area boss, talk to the Leader NPC and turn in various items for a reward. For now, you want the Imperial Pitchfire so you do not have to purchase Pitchfire from the Merchant NPC. Farm the relevant enemies as necessary for the required items(s). Visit a Blacksmith to upgrade the following armour pieces as high as possible: Split Mask, Rogue's Jacket, Chain Gauntlets, Chain Chausses. Do not use A Lord's Orders to upgrade the Rogue's Jacket, but instead spend the material on the Split Mask or any of the pieces in the Chain set.

Disemboweled Husk

26. The Disemboweled Husk, Salt and Sanctuary

The boss deals fire damage. Equip the Impen Crest Ring to boost your fire defense. Buff the Obsidian Pillar III with Blessed Page.

Defeat the boss to receive the Spiked Key. Use the key to unlock the door leading to the Mire of Stench. Enter the Mire of Stench and rest at its sanctuary as soon as possible.