Navigating Crumbling Farum Azula (Nightfall)

Welcome, Tarnished, to Crumbling Farum Azula (Nightfall), a twisted and broken landscape where gravity itself seems to have lost its way. This section will guide you through the treacherous floating ruins, highlighting key paths, dangerous encounters, and invaluable treasures. Be prepared for relentless foes, precarious jumps, and the ever-present threat of falling into the abyss. Unlike its daytime counterpart, the Nightfall version of Farum Azula introduces new enemy placements, enhanced enemy abilities, and a pervasive sense of dread that permeates every crumbling stone.

Your primary objective here is to reach Maliketh, the Black Blade (Nightfall), but there are numerous detours and secrets to uncover that will significantly aid your journey. Focus on methodical progression, clearing areas before moving on, and always keeping an eye out for alternative routes or hidden ledges. The enemies here, particularly the Farum Azula Beastmen and the Draconic Tree Sentinels (Nightfall), are significantly more aggressive and deal increased dark damage. Consider equipping talismans or armor that boost your dark damage negation.

Initial Ascent from the Dragon Temple Lift:
- Upon arriving from the Dragon Temple Lift, you'll find yourself on a circular platform. Immediately turn left and proceed across the narrow bridge.
- Beware of the two Farum Azula Beastmen (Nightfall) that patrol this area. They are faster and more prone to using their lightning attacks.
- Continue straight, past the first Beastman, and you'll find a path leading upwards. This path is guarded by a single Banished Knight (Nightfall) wielding a greatsword. He has increased poise and deals frost damage with his attacks.
- At the top, you'll reach the Dragon Temple Altar Site of Grace. Activate it immediately.
Path to the Dragon Temple Rooftop:
- From the Dragon Temple Altar, head left and drop down onto the broken ledges. This path leads to the lower sections of the temple.
- Alternatively, for the main path, proceed straight from the Site of Grace, across the large broken archway. You'll encounter several Flying Dragonkin (Nightfall) here. These variants have increased health and can inflict 'Madness' with their breath attacks.
- Continue through the crumbling corridors, dealing with more Beastmen and a few Lesser Dragonkin Soldiers (Nightfall).
- You'll eventually reach a large open area with a Draconic Tree Sentinel (Nightfall) patrolling. This sentinel is significantly tougher, has increased health, and its lightning attacks now deal a lingering dark damage effect. Consider using ranged attacks or summoning spirits to distract it.
- After defeating the Sentinel, proceed through the archway to find the Dragon Temple Rooftop Site of Grace.
Exploring the Western Section & Item Acquisition:
- From the Dragon Temple Rooftop, look for a path leading down and to the west. This area is optional but contains valuable items.
- You'll encounter several more Flying Dragonkin and a few stationary Beastmen.
- Item Location: On a corpse hanging precariously over a ledge, you can find the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone (Nightfall), a crucial upgrade material.
- Item Location: Further along this path, behind a group of Beastmen, is a chest containing the Darkmoon Greatsword (Nightfall), a powerful intelligence-scaling weapon with unique dark damage properties.
- Return to the Dragon Temple Rooftop Site of Grace once you've explored this section.
The Bridge to Maliketh:
- From the Dragon Temple Rooftop, the path to Maliketh is relatively straightforward but heavily guarded.
- You'll need to cross a long, broken bridge. Be wary of the two Farum Azula Beastmen (Nightfall) that ambush you from the sides.
- Midway across the bridge, a Redmane Knight (Nightfall) will descend from above. This knight is highly aggressive and uses fire attacks that now inflict 'Scorched' status, dealing continuous fire and dark damage.
- After defeating the knight, continue across the bridge. You'll see the arena for Maliketh, the Black Blade (Nightfall) in the distance.
- Activate the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace before proceeding to the boss fight.