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Aldia's Keep:
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

Aldia's Keep:

A complete walkthrough for Aldia's Keep in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, detailing item locations, enemy encounters, and the Guardian Dragon boss fight strategy.

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A complete walkthrough for Aldia's Keep in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, detailing item locations, enemy encounters, and the Guardian Dragon boss fight strategy.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    From the start, collect the Petrified Dragon Bone and Soul of a Nameless Soldier from the tree on your left. Further along, find the Alluring Skull and Poison Throwing Knife. Defeat all attacking enemies.
  2. 2
    Enter the building ahead and light the bonfire. Exit and head to the left side of the larger building. Attack the coffer to loot a Dark Mask and a Sunset Staff.
  3. 3
    To the right of the stairs on the far side, pick up the Fire Seed. Ascend the first two sets of stairs and retrieve the Radiant Lifegem from the pond in the middle. Climb the next set of stairs and go to the far left to find a Twilight Herb.
  4. 4
    Proceed through the next passageway, preparing to fight the Invader Aslatiel of Mirrah.
  5. 5
    Enter the door at the end of the hallway and take the Fading Soul. Move quickly after grabbing it to avoid the bone dragon's attack.
  6. 6
    Return to the entrance area to loot a Darknight Stone. Enter the hall beneath the stairs, go around the corner to your left, and activate the lever.
  7. 7
    Go to the opposite side and speak with Royal Sorcerer Navlaan. You can browse his store here.
  8. 8
    Return to the main room and go up the stairs on your right. Turn right around the corner to find a coffer containing the Great Magic Barrier.
  9. 9
    Retrace your steps and kill the three enemies within the mirrors. To make the fight easier, engage each enemy and then immediately back away.
  10. 10
    At the end of the hallway, collect the Petrified Dragon Bone and Northern Ritual Band +2. Return to the main stairs and go to the far left to find a new staircase. Ascend it to the hallway above.
  11. 11
    Head all the way to the right down the hallway to find a coffer containing Bonfire Ascetics.
  12. 12
    Return to the main room and grab the Crimson Water next to the cage. Kill the massive frog inside.
  13. 13
    Go through the door at the end and walk until you find a lever on a statue. Pull it to open a new door. Use a Pharros' Lockstone on the face in the corner and continue down the hall.
  14. 14
    Attack the painting on your left to reveal an enemy. Kill it, then use ranged attacks to defeat the enemy in the cage above. Collect the nearby Radiant Lifegem.
  15. 15
    Continue down the hallway and through the next door. Take the stairs all the way down in the new room. Use ranged attacks to kill any caged enemies. If you lack ranged options, remove your armor, open the gate, and lure enemies outside to fight, avoiding the acidic pool.
  16. 16
    After defeating all enemies, enter the poisonous water to collect a Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier, four Corrosive Urns, the Aldia Key, a Soul Geyser, and a Petrified Dragon Bone.
  17. 17
    Return upstairs (with armor on) and take the door on your left. Hit the nearby painting to expose another enemy, kill it, and proceed down the hallway to a door on your right.
  18. 18
    Kill the two enemies in this room and collect the Soul of a Proud Knight. Move towards the cage at the other end, kill the enemy, and grab the Large Soul of a Brave Knight from the far wall.
  19. 19
    Turn around and go through the door on your right. Attack the enemy in this room to create a hole in the wall, then kill it. Defeat the caged bird ahead, then enter the room on your right.
  20. 20
    Turn around and go back through the damaged wall. Pass through the doors ahead and collect the Twilight Herb and Simpleton's Spice on your left. Be ready to dodge an ambush.
  21. 21
    After the enemy is dead, go through the newly created hole in the wall to fight the Invader Royal Sorcerer Navlaan. Be cautious of his powerful magical attacks.
  22. 22
    Cross the bridge and go through the misty door to initiate the boss fight against the Guardian Dragon.

Boss Fight: Guardian Dragon

Stats / Weaknesses:

  • Weak to Lightning and Dark.
  • Resistant to Fire.

Phases:

  1. The dragon fights on the ground, using fire breath, tail swipes, and stomps.
  2. The dragon may take flight, hovering to perform a stomp or flying across the arena to use long-range fire breath.

Strategy:

  • Position yourself behind the dragon's rear legs to avoid its frontal attacks (fire breath and mouth swipes).
  • When the dragon lifts a leg, be prepared to move slightly to dodge its stomp, then return to your attacking position.
  • If the dragon takes flight and hovers, move away to avoid a powerful stomp.
  • If the dragon flies to another part of the arena, create distance to avoid its long-range fire breath attack.
  • Utilize lightning or dark damage weapons if possible.

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