Complete Dark Descent
Complete Dark Descent by taking the Cave Grotto Key into the Caverns, obtaining Stasis and defeating Sphinx. Follow the Lantern route through Last Sunlight, Weeping Ledge, Old Mine, Mine Cart Route and Ancient Lair, completing Homesick and checking the mine’s side paths for important pickups.
Get the Cave Grotto Key Before Leaving
After rescuing Louis, speak with James at the Abandoned Church for the Cave Grotto Key. Use it on the cliff door across the grapple point to enter the Caverns. Check Louis’s station before leaving if you want the purchasable Ferrofluid upgrades listed below.
Rekindle each Lantern as you reach it to set your respawn point. Apply collected Ferrofluid upgrades there before continuing. Resting restores Health and Nephtoglobin, but also revives non-boss enemies, so expect cleared paths to become dangerous again.
Last Sunlight and Weeping Ledge
- Pick up the Longing Wife Letter beside the Concerned Mother’s memory after Last Sunlight to start Homesick.
- Defeat the miniboss near the campfire on the left side of the enemy-filled cavern to obtain Dominatus.
- Follow the visible tunnel through the hole in the large cavern’s floor to reach the side area with a Grenadier.
- Open the chest near the Grenadier to collect Lucky Shot before exploring farther into this detour.
- Collect the Death Notice from the boat across the water beyond the Grenadier’s patrol area.
- Return to the original letter’s location to complete Homesick when William finishes speaking and receive Bottomless Well.
- Open the chest left of the gold vines in the Carrion-filled room along the Weeping Ledge route for Lunatic’s Grasp.
- Burn the gold vines with Fire to continue beyond the Carrion room.
- Turn the first crank to rotate the walkway; the following story progression automatically grants Stasis.
Old Mine and the Minecart Detours
- Use the crane’s box beyond Old Mine to cross to the opposite platforms.
- Follow the upper route, reached using the ladder and box, to the Eternal Guardian’s cave.
- Defeat the Guardian to obtain a Mysterious Stone Pyramid and Jean Pierre Polnaire’s Emblem, advancing The Oathbound.
- Open the chest behind the Guardian’s position to collect Perfectionism.
- Freeze the spinning platform at the first left turn in the tunnel left of the crane crossing to reach an Empty Ferrofluid Flask chest.
- Take the side path behind the ladder between the minecart tracks near the Lantern shortcut to find the lever-controlled moving box.
- Open the chest up the platforms on the right of the moving-box area to collect Surplus.
- Freeze the moving box with Stasis to create a crossing to the Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade chest in the platform’s corner.
- Redirect the minecart into the blocking wall with the switch to open the route to the elevator.
- Collect the Mining Shaft Key from the body on the ledge partway along the elevator ride back toward the Lantern, reached by dropping from the lift.
- Unlock the door beside the minecart switch with the Mining Shaft Key to access the elevator into the lower shaft.
- Open the chest behind the Volunteer at the bottom of the shaft for another Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade.
- Collect Limit Break from the chest under the ramp in the long cavern’s lower corner, opposite the rope bridge, using the grapple beside the wallrun surface to approach.
- Continue along the Lantern route through Mine Cart Route to Ancient Lair before facing Sphinx.
Amber and Ferrofluid Pickup Checklist
| Amber | Details |
|---|---|
| Dominatus | Last Sunlight’s campfire miniboss; restores Health when you perform Critical Attacks. |
| Lucky Shot | Chest near the Grenadier below Last Sunlight; gives firearm shots a chance to consume no ammunition. |
| Bottomless Well | Homesick reward; slowly regenerates lost Nephtoglobin. |
| Lunatic’s Grasp | Chest beside the Carrion room’s gold vines; speeds Ignite and Stasis buildup while lowering resistance to both. |
| Perfectionism | Chest behind Old Mine’s Eternal Guardian; increases melee damage while your Health is full. |
| Surplus | Chest above the moving-box detour; increases Catalysts earned from enemy kills. |
| Limit Break | Chest under the ramp opposite the rope bridge; converts excess flask healing into temporary additional Health. |
| Upgrade | Details |
|---|---|
| Empty Ferrofluid Flask | Louis’s station at the Abandoned Church: costs 5,000 Catalysts. |
| Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade | Louis’s station at the Abandoned Church: costs 3,000 Catalysts. |
| Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade | Quarry return: ride the elevator up, grapple across, pull the crate to ascend and climb through the enemies to the chest near the zipline. |
| Empty Ferrofluid Flask | Old Mine: chest beyond the spinning platform in the tunnel left of the crane crossing. |
| Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade | Old Mine: corner chest across the moving box you freeze in the trackside detour. |
| Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade | Mining Shaft Key door: chest behind the Volunteer at the bottom of the lower shaft. |
Boss Spoilers: Defeat Sphinx
Sphinx ends Dark Descent and has two phases with separate health bars. Getting hit by its claws or blocking them applies Stasis, which significantly reduces your stamina when fully inflicted. Consider removing Lunatic’s Grasp if its reduced Stasis resistance is making this fight harder.
- Parry ordinary claw swipes to build stagger and create openings for melee damage.
- Dodge sideways out of the purple pillars’ straight path to avoid their approach.
- Dodge away just before the leaping Sphinx lands to avoid its unblockable impact.
- Shoot the suspended orb before it falls to prevent the ground wave it would release.
- Jump over the expanding ground wave if the orb reaches the floor.
- Shoot the exposed face after the mask breaks for extra damage, using the Pistol during ranged openings.
- Move to either side of the purple beam to avoid it while approaching the boss.
- Back away immediately when Sphinx raises its head and releases bugs, because a full Poison buildup kills you.
Later Returns and Unfinished Quests
The Caverns pickups above are accessible during this visit once you obtain Stasis. If you leave an Amber or Ferrofluid upgrade behind, return through the Caverns’ fast-travel Lanterns for cleanup. You can also revisit these collectibles after the story.
The Oathbound continues beyond this chapter. Jean Pierre Polnaire’s Emblem advances that wider quest, whose final room is in the Fortress. Its Empty Ferrofluid Flask and Quintessential Blade Material belong to that later quest completion.