Cathedral of the Deep - outside Dark Souls III Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
The interior of The Cathedral of the Deep isn't that complicated, but pretty big, so it's easy to miss some of the chambers. To make things more approachable, we've divided this section into three parts:
You will start exploring this location from a bonfire that you will unlock after defeating Crystal Sage. Before you head to the stairs, turn left behind a tree and encounter a knight who is protecting an item.
The battle won't be an easy one. Not only does he have a sword and a knife, but he also will throw knives at you if you get to far from him. Since you are on a narrow road, don't get blocked when dodging his strikes. He can break through your guard, so if you are hiding behind your shield, it is best to dodge. Furthermore, you can't continue a direct melee combat for too long, as he will stab you with a sword, and thus deal tremendous damage. You need to keep moving and dodging in turns. You may try to block his blows, and if you succeed, you will have a moment to strike back. If you want to strike from a distance, remember about the throwing knives. Attack and move back to gradually take his HP. When you finally kill him, collect Paladin' Ashes.
Before you go upstairs, check the paths that stretch on both sides. You will find Titanite Shard on your left, and at the end of the right path, next to the corpse, there is a Crest Shield. Return to the gate that is situated upstairs.
The enemy at the gate is similar to the knight you fought before, so you know the method. You can also swoop on him and perform a mid-air attack. Search his body, take Spider Shield, and go through the gate.
When in the open area, move slowly between trees to attract as few opponents as possible. Hounds will jump from above and if a large group of these creatures surrounds you, it can neutralize you in a matter of seconds. Thus, try to kill them one by one. Crossbowmen are situated along the wall, so you should take cover when possible: use trees scattered all around, or a gully on your left. When you deal with your foes, search the fallen bodies and find a Large Soul of an Unknown Traveler.
Head straight to reach the chapel. You will encounter a single opponent, so kill him quickly, before he runs up to you and explodes. Open the door and get to the main chamber in the cathedral. In the right corner, there is a Notched Whip, and opposite the Cleansing Chapel bonfire. Doors on both sides will be locked so go outside.
Immediately turn right. A bunch of opponents will be praying under a tree. Run up to them, and attack before they get up. Search the bodies and pick up Estus Shard. Go up the stairs and enter the graveyard.
Things will get complicated, as skeletons will respawn over and over again. Furthermore, if they vomit over you, it will launch a negative process that will charge. If it reaches its capacity, you will receive tremendous damage (bleeding). Paths are narrow, and it is extremely easy to get stuck between enemies. Choose a weapon that allows to attack multiple creatures at once.
In the upper left part of the graveyard (the entrance), there is Astora Greatsword, behind a kneeling monster. From there, you can jump down lower and follow the path to an open square. Collect a Fading Soul and Executioner's Greatsword. However, be cautious as you will wake up many enemies, some of which are undead with limbs coming directly from their stomachs. Watch out for the negative effect of bleeding. Don't try to run away from all the creatures, as you might get stuck as well - kill those that are blocking your way.
Remember: Don't try to slay all of the undead creatures, as more will appear quicker than you can destroy them. Kill those that block your way.
Continue your journey through the graveyard till you reach the bridge visible in the screenshot. On the other side you will encounter more undead creatures, one of which is unusual. This monster has two blades, and performs spins during combat. If you became friends with the giant from Undead Settlement, jump lower and get to the spears. They determine giant's range. This knowledge can be used to take out hostile creatures; just lure them out and they should get hit by a spear. Search the area and find Repair Powder, two Large Souls of Unknown Travelers, Homeward Bone Shard and (from a tree) two Young White Branches.
Remember: If you didn't speak to the giant, you will have to watch out for the projectiles yourself.
Use the stairs and head to the mausoleum on your right. Before you get inside, walk around the building from the left side where you will find Titanite Shard. Inside, there is Curse Ward Greatshield. Get to the lower part and kick the ladder that will take you even deeper.
Head right. The path around mausoleum is guarded by creatures that will increase the bleeding rate with every accurate hit (proper healing is recommended). Although your opponents are not very fast, watch out for mi-air attacks. Walk along the wall, and near the second reptile look for Saint-tree Bellvine.
Walk around the building to the place presented in the screenshot. Kill the fleeing crystal lizard and gain Twinkling Titanite. In the corner, under the tree, there is a Titanite Shard. Not far from here, you will come across another lizard (it has yet another Twinkling Titanite) and a road that will take you higher (there is a Titanite Shard). At the very end, next to the window, there is another Titanite Shard.
Go through the window to get to the cathedral, near Cleansing Chapel bonfire. If you want to return to this location quickly in the future, without having to go through the graveyard, exit the chapel, turn right behind the obelisk and jump down twice.
Another interesting concept are the crystals situated at the bottom. If you look closely enough, you can spot creatures that you encountered before. Once again, beware of the fog and enemies that attack from above. Look out for the enemy that rolls over, and if you were not able to do that, dodge as soon as you get up. This way you will avoid a devastating tail attack. Strike when the beast finishes its charge and turns its back towards you.
Defeat this mini boss to obtain Titanite Scale. A little further you will come across the last worth checking room. You will come across a single enemy and a body with Poisonbite Ring. Return upstairs and reach the door at the top (main entrance to the cathedral).
Walk around the door from the left side, and you should find Rusted Coin hidden behind some boxes. Continue your journey right, and collect Red Bug Pellet in a passage. Watch out for spearmen, who will set themselves on fire once they get hit. Then, they will try to catch you. Do whatever you can to avoid these suicide strikes. In the end, kill the crossbowman who will jump down to you.
Move on to the other roof. If you look close enough, you will notice hanging enemies that will attack you if you get too close (you can eliminate some of them earlier with a Throwing Knife). Thus, be careful and be smart when it comes to eliminating foes. They may not be large, but they sure are fast. Furthermore, some of them will use firebombs. If you find it too difficult, run to the other side of the roof, collecting a Large Soul of an Unknown Traveler, situated on a round balcony.
Your next objective is to reach shooters located under the roof. Run up to them but keep on rolling over to dodge their attacks. Deal with them quickly and take care of the incoming foes. From here you can go in two possible directions. Head left.
Use the stairs and you will find Red Bug Pellet on the right (beware of enemies that will swoop upon you as soon as you get near). If you turn left, you will encounter cathedral evangelist and one more suicide at the end of the road. Lure out the latter one and dodge his attacks. Then, use the same strategy to defeat the other opponent (drag her to the place where you fought the crossbowman). Return and pick up Undead Hunter Charm. Now head the other way.
The presented path is well-protected. If you want to kill all the enemies, you will have to be smart and draw attention of few opponents at once. First, head to the room on the left and immediately turn to avoid a monster that will walk out of the room. Kill him and go inside where two more opponents and Soul of a Nameless Soldier will be waiting for you. A little further, you will be spotted by a foe with a scythe, so fall back and lure him to the location where you fought the crossbowmen. This will allow you to dodge more easily than in a narrow corridor.
Finally, get higher but watch out for an unusual creature that you encountered in the graveyard before. Two blades can deal a lot of damage, so you should dodge his blows. Move further to pass two suicides and reach the door to the cathedral. Before you enter the building, you can get to the other side to find Ember and some more enemies under the wall.
Remember: this stage can be very difficult and if you don't feel like fighting all the opponents, try to avoid them by running along the path, and going up the stairs. When you get inside, take the turn left, get through it quickly, and pass two more monsters in the next chamber. Exit this room, turn left and use the lift to get to the lower floor and unlock a shortcut to Cleansing Chapel bonfire. This way, you will be able to explore the location without worrying about powerful creatures.