Down through the flooded ruins of New Londo for Ingward's key, then into the Abyss for the Four Kings, Kaathe's covenant and the Lordvessel.
New Londo has no bonfire: Firelink Shrine is the base, and the lift below it drops you into the ruins. The ghosts here pass through walls and floors, and you can neither hit nor block them unless you are cursed or under a Transient Curse. A corpse in a pot on the way holds two Transient Curses, more lie deeper in, and Ingward sells them once you reach his roof; each one wears off after a while, so carry several. Ingward's key drains the lower city, where Darkwraith Knights wait, and at its far end the Abyss holds the Four Kings. Wear the Covenant of Artorias from Sif before you go down there.
Before you warp
Three things before you leave the bonfire you are resting at. Don't talk to Frampt or drop into his hole while you carry the Lordvessel; the serpent steps below come first. Carry a Homeward Bone: the Undead Female Merchant in the Lower Undead Burg and Oswald in the Parish bell tower sell them. And if you are still in the Princess's Guard, leave it at this bonfire (covenants can be left at any bonfire), so nothing stops Kaathe from showing himself in the Abyss.
Rickert of VinheimNPC
Location
New Londo Ruins · Cell below the cliff – Warp to the Firelink Shrine bonfire, take the stairs down past the Fire Keeper's cell to the lift and ride it down. Walk down the stairs and through the doorway on the left into an open square of Hollows that leave you alone. Go right, past the door to the Valley of Drakes, toward the cliff where a Hollow lies on his side; take the stairs down on his left, and Rickert sits behind bars on the left at the bottom. Never swing a long weapon or cast a wide spell near the bars: once he turns hostile, both trophies are gone for this run.
Summary
A blacksmith locked in a cell, and the only smith for the Magic and Enchanted upgrade paths, which two upgrade trophies need. He also sells Soul Arrow and Heavy Soul Arrow.
Give Rickert the Enchanted EmberQuest stepMissablePoint of no return
Location
New Londo Ruins · Cell below the cliff – Still at his cell, talk to Rickert through the bars and hand over the Enchanted Ember you found in Darkroot Garden; if you say no, he asks again next time. Keep spears and wide spells away from the bars: one stray hit turns him hostile.
Why you can lose it
Never hit Rickert, even by accident through the bars: a hostile or dead Rickert can't ascend weapons for the rest of this run.
Point of no return
Beating Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, then lighting the bonfire or walking out of his arena: either ends this run at once and starts the next one.
The way to Ingward: from Rickert's stairs, cross the square of Hollows to the doorway on its far side and follow the path to a small round platform with a large pot. Cross the two wooden bridges beyond it, and use a Transient Curse before you step off the second. Take the stairs on the far left, cross the next bridge into the first square tower, go down its spiral stairs one floor, then follow the corridor on the left to a fog gate. Beyond it, stairs climb to a catwalk that leads to the second square tower, where a ladder in a fireplace goes up to the roof.
EstocWeapon
Location
New Londo Ruins · Past the square of Hollows – From Rickert's stairs, cross the square of quiet Hollows to the doorway on its far side, opposite the one you came in by. The corpse lies just inside it, beside a Hollow.
Summary
A thrusting sword with a long reach, lying near the start of the ruins.
Crestfallen Warrior (New Londo bridge)Hidden spoiler – activate to revealBossMajor spoiler
Location
New Londo Ruins · Before the wooden bridges – From the Estoc, carry on along the path toward the first wooden bridge: he attacks on the way, before the bridges. He goes down without much trouble. If you never heard him out at Firelink, he isn't here.
New Londo Ruins · Sunken path off the second bridge – Past the round platform with the pot, cross both wooden bridges, using a Transient Curse before you step off the second. Instead of taking the stairs ahead, turn right through a ruined walkway with windows to a narrow path just under the water; the soul lies at its end. Three ghosts rise as you cross, so draw them back to wider ground before you pick it up.
Summary
A Fire Keeper Soul: a Fire Keeper uses it to strengthen your Estus Flask.
New Londo Ruins · First square tower – Back from the sunken path, climb the stairs on the far left. Before you cross the bridge at the top, step to the right of the platform to draw out the ghost waiting on it. The room past the bridge is a trap of several ghosts: dash in and straight back out so they follow you onto the bridge one by one. Then take the room's other door to a spiral staircase and go down one floor: the corpse is on the ledge straight ahead, with a ghost's arms poking out beside it, so strike that ghost first.
Summary
A dagger built for parrying, on a ledge in the first square tower.
Soul of a Nameless Soldier (catwalk ladder)Consumable
Location
New Londo Ruins · Catwalk above the fog gate – From the dagger, turn back toward the stairs and follow the corridor on the left to a room with a fog gate on its right; a ghost rises in front of the gate and a Banshee waits round the next corner. Through the fog, climb to the catwalk and kick down the ladder straight ahead, which opens a shortcut back to the entrance. The corpse lies at the end of the ledge next to the ladder; a ghost sits on the arches above it.
Summary
A soul item beside the ladder you kick down from the catwalk.
IngwardHidden spoiler – activate to revealNPCMinor spoiler
Location
New Londo Ruins · Roof of the second square tower – Follow the catwalk to the second square tower. As you walk round toward its doorway, ghosts come out of the water and through the tower walls: back up onto the catwalk and take them a few at a time. Inside, go through the door ahead and the doorway in its far left corner into a room with a Banshee and more ghosts, another trap. A ladder in that room's fireplace climbs to the roof, where Ingward sits.
Summary
The keeper of New Londo's seal, on a rooftop. He sells Transient Curses and the Resist Curse sorcery and can lift a curse for one Humanity.
Receive the Key to the Seal from IngwardHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMinor spoiler
Location
New Londo Ruins · Roof of the second square tower – Follow the way to Ingward above, through both square towers to the fireplace ladder in the second one, and climb to the roof. Speak with him while you carry the Lordvessel.
Soul of a Proud Knight (Ingward building)Consumable
Location
New Londo Ruins · Second square tower – Climb back down the fireplace ladder, leave the trap room by its first door and turn left. Follow that path to a hole in the wall: the corpse sits beside it.
Summary
A soul item beside a hole in the wall of Ingward's building.
New Londo Ruins · Ledge below Ingward's building – Drop through the hole beside the soul onto the stairs below and keep going down into the corridors. The second doorway on your left opens onto a ledge with a corpse; looting it brings out a ghost, so be ready.
Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier (New Londo stairs)Consumable
Location
New Londo Ruins · Stairs outside the building – Back in the corridors, leave the building by its lower door. At the fork outside take the right-hand way and climb the stairs: the soul lies on them.
Summary
A soul item on the stairs outside Ingward's building.
New Londo Ruins · Ledge above the stairs – From the soul, keep climbing past the passage that runs straight ahead, up the next flight of stairs to the end of the ledge.
New Londo Ruins · Tower roof by the ledge – Walking back from the Humanity, jump onto the tower roof on your left. To get off, drop through one of its windows (you land near Ingward's fireplace room) or jump back to the ledge.
Summary
A ring that breaks on death and saves your souls and Humanity once.
New Londo Ruins · Spiral staircase tower – Go back down to the lower flight and take the passage straight ahead to a door into the spiral staircase tower. Climb the stairs and go through the only door: the corpse holds the bow and the arrows.
Summary
A short bow, with a bundle of Large Arrows, at the top of the spiral staircase tower.
New Londo Ruins · Foot of the spiral staircase tower – Go all the way down the spiral staircase tower to a locked gate beside a lever: the Key to the Seal opens it, and the big round lever beyond drains the water. Then pull the lever by the shaft to bring up the lift and ride it down. To reach the tower from Ingward's roof: climb down, leave the trap room by its first door, turn left to the hole in the wall and drop through to the stairs; go down and out of the building's lower door, take the right-hand way at the fork, climb one flight and follow the passage straight ahead.
The drained city belongs to the Darkwraith Knights: slow to turn, so open to backstabs, but they hit hard, and a glow on their hands warns of a grab that can steal Humanity. They come back when you rest, and they can drop Titanite Chunks for the upgrade trophies. The Masses of Souls stay dead once killed; keep clear of the exploding heads they spawn. If you die down here, the quickest way back from Firelink is to cross the two wooden bridges and drop down behind the wall on the right, where the second pot of Transient Curses lay.
Large Soul of a Proud Knight (Lower New Londo 1)Consumable
Location
New Londo Ruins · Wooden structure by the lift – Off the lift, a Darkwraith Knight comes at you; the big doors to the Valley now stand open on your right. Go left instead, through the broken doorway and climb into the wooden hut-like structure, then take the door on the right: the soul lies there, and a second Darkwraith Knight waits in the left-hand room.
New Londo Ruins · First tower, lower hall – The room on the left of the wooden structure leads to a fog gate. Past it, the first tower's lower hall holds two Darkwraith Knights (one on the right, one with its back to you in the dark on the left), a Mass of Souls and a third Knight behind a wooden stall. Fight them back by the fog, then search the hall toward the doorway to the lift for the Humanity.
Soul of a Brave Warrior (Lower New Londo)Consumable
Location
New Londo Ruins · First tower, upper floor – At the end of the lower hall are two doorways: the left one leads to a lift up to the entrance, a shortcut. Take the right one through a short corridor and up the stairs; at the top, the soul lies straight ahead.
New Londo Ruins · First tower, top of the stairs – At the top of the first tower's stairs, follow the other path up another staircase and turn left: the ember is in a chest. To get there from the lift: go left through the broken doorway, climb into the wooden structure, go through the door on the right and the room on its left to a fog gate; past it, clear the lower hall (two Darkwraith Knights, a Mass of Souls, a third Knight behind a stall) and take the right-hand doorway at its end up the stairs.
Large Soul of a Proud Knight (Lower New Londo 2)Consumable
Location
New Londo Ruins · Between the towers – From the ember chest, go back down the staircase, turn left at the bottom and jump off the edge of the platform. Head left into the shallow pool and straight on to a small ramp up to dry ground, where a Darkwraith Knight comes at you; the soul lies where he came from.
New Londo Ruins · Behind an illusory wall – From the ember chest, go back down the staircase, turn left at the bottom and jump off the platform's edge; cross the shallow pool on the left to a small ramp up to dry ground, where a Darkwraith Knight comes at you. A few steps on, a blocked archway on your right is an illusory wall: hit it. A thin walkway leads across, and a Darkwraith Knight waits in the dark on the far side (an arrow into the dark draws him out). The chest is at the end.
Large Soul of a Proud Knight (Lower New Londo 3)Consumable
Location
New Londo Ruins · Stairs to the second tower – Back out of the archway, the stairs up to the second tower are ahead to your right; the soul lies on them. A corpse draped over a well left of their foot holds Cracked Red Eye Orbs.
New Londo Ruins · Second tower, ground floor – Back out of the archway, climb the stairs ahead on your right to the second tower. At its entrance, wait for the two ghosts that come through the left wall and back away to fight them outside. Inside, draw out the two Darkwraith Knights before the Mass of Souls; a third ghost comes through the left wall once you are well in. The chest is in the right corner.
Put Sif's ring on before the fog at the end of the walkway past the second tower. Without it the Abyss kills you as soon as you drop in, and once you are through the fog there is no walking back out.
Four KingsHidden spoiler – activate to revealBossMinor spoiler
Location
The Abyss · Below the spiral stairs – Leave the second tower's ground floor by the door opposite its corner chest. (Coming straight from the ember chest: go back down, jump off the platform's edge, cross the shallow pool, climb the stairs to the second tower and clear its ground floor.) A walkway leads to the fog (a Darkwraith Knight lurks round the corner to the right; if you summoned Witch Beatrice for the Moonlight Butterfly and are human, her sign is behind the big pillar on the right). Through the fog, walk down the spiral stairs until they end and drop. One king fights you at first and the others join over time: wear your toughest armor, stay close, circle and hit hard, and kill each one fast so you never face two at once.
The lords of New Londo, fought in the dark of the Abyss. Beating them gives the Defeat the Four Kings trophy and the first Lord Soul for the Lordvessel.
Meet Darkstalker KaatheHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
The Abyss · By the bonfire – Kaathe appears beside the Abyss bonfire. Talk to him and answer yes to his first question.
Why you can lose it
Kaathe shows himself only while the Lordvessel is still unplaced: do every Kaathe step and join his covenant before the Lordvessel goes on the altar, and never place it with Frampt or by dropping into his hole.
Accept Kaathe's offer and ride to the Firelink Altar, then leave without placing the LordvesselHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
Firelink Altar · The altar – Talk to Kaathe again, carrying the Lordvessel, and say yes when he offers to take you to the altar. Don't place the Lordvessel. Leave with a Homeward Bone or the Homeward miracle, which brings you back to the Abyss bonfire.
Why you can lose it
Kaathe shows himself only while the Lordvessel is still unplaced: do every Kaathe step and join his covenant before the Lordvessel goes on the altar, and never place it with Frampt or by dropping into his hole.
Covenant: DarkwraithHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
The Abyss · By the bonfire – Back at the Abyss bonfire, talk to Kaathe: he now offers you his art, the Darkwraith covenant. Accept. The trophy comes as soon as the offer appears.
Why you can lose it
Kaathe shows himself only while the Lordvessel is still unplaced: do every Kaathe step and join his covenant before the Lordvessel goes on the altar, and never place it with Frampt or by dropping into his hole.
Dark HandHidden spoiler – activate to revealWeaponMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
The Abyss · By the bonfire – Kaathe gives it the moment you join his covenant. If it is ever missed, Darkwraith Knights in lower New Londo drop it, very rarely.
Why you can lose it
Join Kaathe's covenant before the Lordvessel is placed; after that the only source is a very rare drop from the Darkwraith Knights.
Placing the Lordvessel decides the serpent for this run. Before it goes on the altar: meet Kaathe, ride to the altar with him and come back, and join his covenant (the Covenant: Darkwraith trophy and the Dark Hand); placed any other way, Kaathe never shows himself again this run. Placing it with Kaathe sends Frampt away for the rest of the run at your next word with him, so his selling and his breaking of large titanite are gone until the next run; nothing for 100% needs him. If Dusk's shop at the Darkroot Basin lake is still unfinished, buying there before you go on saves a trip later.
Place the Lordvessel at the Firelink AltarHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMinor spoiler
Location
Firelink Altar · The altar – At the Abyss bonfire, talk to Kaathe and accept his offer to take you to the altar. Place the Lordvessel there, and give it the Four Kings' shard.
With the Lordvessel on the altar, the golden fog in Anor Londo and the Demon Ruins lifts and the rest of the Lord Souls can be gathered. This run, Kaathe is the serpent who takes you there.
Bonfire: Firelink AltarHidden spoiler – activate to revealAreaMinor spoiler
Location
Firelink Altar · The altar – The Lordvessel acts as a bonfire once it is placed: rest at it while you are at the altar. Kaathe's warp takes you back to the Abyss.
Red Eye OrbHidden spoiler – activate to revealKey itemMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
The Abyss · By the bonfire – At the Abyss bonfire, offer Humanity to Kaathe: ten in all brings rank 1 and the orb. You can warp back here to offer more at any time this run.
Why you can lose it
Kaathe ranks you up only in the Abyss and only in this run, since the next run places the Lordvessel with Frampt. Make the offerings before you face Gwyn, and never attack Kaathe.
Point of no return
Beating Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, then lighting the bonfire or walking out of his arena: either ends this run at once and starts the next one.
DarkswordHidden spoiler – activate to revealWeaponMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
The Abyss · By the bonfire – Keep offering Humanity to Kaathe at the Abyss bonfire: thirty in all brings rank 2, the Darksword and the Dark Set.
Why you can lose it
Kaathe ranks you up only in the Abyss and only in this run, since the next run places the Lordvessel with Frampt. Make the offerings before you face Gwyn, and never attack Kaathe.
Point of no return
Beating Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, then lighting the bonfire or walking out of his arena: either ends this run at once and starts the next one.
Dark SetHidden spoiler – activate to revealArmorMissablePoint of no returnMinor spoiler
Location
The Abyss · By the bonfire – Given with the Darksword when your offerings to Kaathe reach thirty Humanity.
Why you can lose it
Kaathe ranks you up only in the Abyss and only in this run, since the next run places the Lordvessel with Frampt. Make the offerings before you face Gwyn, and never attack Kaathe.
Point of no return
Beating Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, then lighting the bonfire or walking out of his arena: either ends this run at once and starts the next one.
Anastacia: kindle the Firelink bonfire after the first Lord SoulHidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMinor spoiler
Location
Firelink Shrine · Fire Keeper's cell – Only if you did the optional step that returns her Fire Keeper Soul to her cell. From the Abyss bonfire, warp to Firelink Shrine, go down to her cell below the bonfire and talk to her.
Talk to Ingward after the Four Kings (he moves to Firelink)Hidden spoiler – activate to revealQuest stepMinor spoiler
Location
New Londo Ruins · Roof of the second square tower – From Firelink Shrine, ride the lift down, climb the ladder you kicked down to the catwalk and follow it to the second square tower; climb the fireplace ladder and talk to Ingward. He then sits in a corner of Firelink near Griggs.
Valley of Drakes · Ledge facing the Blighttown tunnel – Back at the New Londo entrance (down the catwalk ladder), go right of the square of Hollows through the door you unlocked in the Valley. Over the little bridge beyond it is the mouth of the tunnel down to Blighttown; the corpse lies on the ledge facing it, the other way from the New Londo door.
The Lordvessel is in place and the golden fog is gone. The next stop is the Duke's Archives, through the fog that used to block the way on from the Anor Londo bonfire. Warp there from the Abyss bonfire, or from Firelink if its fire is back; from the Valley, walk back to the lift up to Firelink first.