Sanctuary Garden

Santuary Garden (過去森) is a Location in Dark Souls. It is the first location in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.

Information

The Sanctuary Garden is the first area encountered in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC for Dark Souls. To access this content, specific prerequisites must be met (detailed below). This area is the gateway to the Royal Wood, Oolacile Township, and other sections of Oolacile, as players explore the past of Lordran.

Access Requirements

To enter the Sanctuary Garden, the following steps are necessary:

• DLC Purchase:

  • Purchase the Artorias of the Abyss DLC via PlayStation Network or own a version of the game that includes it (e.g., Artorias of the Abyss Edition or Remastered).

• Preliminary Steps:

  1. Place the Lordvessel at the Firelink Altar.
  2. Defeat the Hydra in Darkroot Basin and rescue Dusk of Oolacile (by defeating the Golden Crystal Golem in the cave).
  3. In the Duke's Archives, defeat the Crystal Golem near the first elevator to acquire the Broken Pendant.
  4. Return to the cave where you found Dusk. A dark portal will appear in the location where the Golden Golem was. Interact with it to be transported to the Sanctuary Garden.

Area Bosses

Sanctuary Guardian

• The Sanctuary Guardian is the first boss of the DLC and must be defeated to progress further.

• Appearance: A chimera-like creature with a lion’s body, a scorpion’s tail, and large, bat-like wings.

• Abilities:

  • Lightning Breath: A wide, fast-moving stream of lightning, difficult to dodge if not anticipated.
  • Poisonous Tail Swipe: A tail attack that inflicts poison buildup if it connects.
  • Melee Attacks: Includes pounces, headbutts, and claw swipes.
  • Aerial Charges: Frequently flies into the air and swoops down to attack.

• Strategies:

  1. Lightning Resistance: Equip shields or armor with high lightning resistance (e.g., Crest Shield, Havel's Set).
  2. Cutting the Tail: Focus on severing its tail early in the fight to prevent poison tail swipes and acquire the Guardian Tail weapon.
  3. Stamina Management: The Sanctuary Guardian attacks rapidly, so balance blocking with dodging to conserve stamina.
  4. Ranged Combat: Utilize magic or bows to attack safely from a distance when it pauses to use its breath attack.

• Drops:

  • Guardian Soul: Can be consumed for 12,000 souls or used to craft Sanctuary Guardian Whip.

Walkthrough

• Arrival:

  • Upon entering through the dark portal, you will immediately find a bonfire in front of you. Use it to prepare for the upcoming boss fight.

• The Boss Arena:

  • The Sanctuary Guardian awaits in the open garden area ahead.
  • Engage the boss using strategies outlined above.

• After the Fight:

  • Upon defeating the Sanctuary Guardian, the path forward to Oolacile Sanctuary opens. Proceed through the gate to explore the rest of the DLC content.

Notes

• The Sanctuary Garden sets the tone for the challenging encounters in the DLC. The Sanctuary Guardian is a test of adaptability, requiring both melee and ranged strategies.
• Consider leveling up or reinforcing your gear at the bonfire if you struggle with this boss.

Trivia

• The Sanctuary Guardian’s design is inspired by traditional chimera mythology, blending features of multiple creatures.
• Its poison-inflicting tail is one of the few tail attacks in the game that applies a status effect, making it a unique challenge.