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Mournstead is anything but welcoming, and if you’re just starting your journey through Lords of the Fallen, you’ll need more than a keen sword to get through. The first area you’ll encounter after clearing the tutorial is Abandoned Redcopse, an area as secret-packed as anywhere in Dark Souls. This region will lead you from the wilderness through a ruined village and at last to Skyrest Bridge. Despite it being early in the game, it’s a challenging area that includes a pair of bosses. Your approach to fighting the enemies here will differ somewhat depending upon your starting class, but we’ll tell you everything you need to know to get through this tricky Soulslike.
Abandoned Redcopse Lords of the Fallen Walkthrough
Before we break down each section of this area and walk you through how to navigate them all, here’s a quick overview of key items you should be looking to loot along the way. Of course, we’ll be running you through how to get each below.
Important Items in Abandoned Redcopse
- Map of Mournstead
- Map of Abandoned Redcopse
- Flayed Skin
- Umbral Eye of Betrayed Eliard
Activate the First Vestige
After beginning Lords of the Fallen and entering Abandoned Redcopse, the first thing you’ll see is the statue of an armored figure clutching a lamp. This Vestige acts as a checkpoint and fast travel location once you interact with it, so do so right away. You’ll also be able to level up at Vestiges once you have enough Vigor.
Grab the Map of Mournstead
Follow the path to the left of the Vestige, and you’ll find a glowing golden object. It’s the Map of Mournstead, and having it will make your journey much easier. Most maps in the game are just collections of rough sketches that hint at the proper path to the next beacon, but this one is a proper map that shows you where the major locations (including beacons) are.
Defeat Holy Bulwark Otto
Continue a short distance down the trail, and you’ll encounter your first boss: Holy Bulwark Otto. Compared to the later bosses, Otto isn’t difficult, serving mainly as a capstone for the tutorial. Though he’s unlikely to test your skills too much, he can still kill you if you let down your guard. If you die, you’ll reset at the Vestige nearby. Once you beat him, a surprise foe will attack. Though you can fight back, the game expects you to lose, and your death will simply return you to the Vestige you just touched. Then, you’ll be able to proceed through Abandoned Redcopse.
Proceed Beyond Holy Bulwark Otto’s Arena
Make sure to check the small side paths because in one of them, you’ll find the Map of Abandoned Redcopse. Other useful items, such as Flayed Skin, Fire Wards, and Minor Holy Salts, can also be found in this area. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Map of Abandoned Redcopse. Learning to spot key locations depicted on maps is a vital skill for Hexworks’s brutal Soulslike.
Activate the Bridge
You’ll eventually reach a place where the trail ends. On the ridge beyond, you can see an NPC, the Iron Wayfarer. Use your Umbral Lamp to cross into Umbra, then target the glowing blue interactable object and use Soulflay to trigger it. Doing so will extend a bridge you can then use to cross to the other side. Speak with the Iron Wayfarer and then interact with the Vestige of Hannelore beside him. You can now fast travel between Vestiges.
Activate the Stigma
Nearby, you’ll find the Stigma of a fallen woman on the ground. Soulflay it while in Umbra to reenact a scene from her life. It’s always worth taking a moment to activate Stigmas in Lords of the Fallen because doing so will not only reveal more of the plot but also award you with Umbral Scourings, which you’ll need to unlock unique boss items after Abandoned Redcopse.
Explore the Village
As you proceed into the village, you’ll start encountering tougher enemies. Don’t let yourself get surrounded by weaker foes, and always keep an eye out for the fire-throwing Rhogar. Their attacks are easily dodged, but only if you’re paying attention. Inside the village, you’ll find the Broken Sword as well as another weapon: Hallowed Condemnation. The latter is in a large chest hidden behind some destructible crates. Attack the wood or roll through it, and the chest is yours. If you’re aiming to get all achievements, you’ll need to keep your eyes open.
Knock the Items from the Tree
There’s a corpse hanging from a tree in the central square, and you’ll find 2 Ammunition Pouches and 2 Small Manastone Clusters nearby. Their presence is a hint about how to get the items from the corpse. Target the glowing spot and hit it with any ranged attack, and the corpse will drop the Pilgrim Garb and a Pilgrim Skirt. They aren’t great, but they offer decent defense against Holy damage. You can also find the Orian Preacher shield nearby.
Cross the Hidden Bridge
Beware of the ranged enemy standing on the rooftop by the hanging tree. A short way down the path beyond, you’ll find another small courtyard on the right with a dangerous Rhogar inside. He has a variety of attacks and can be difficult for some classes. Stay on your toes or just run past him if you’re low on health. Climb onto the roof using the ladder in the courtyard, and then use your Umbal Lamp to reveal a walkway. Cross it to access the other roof and courtyard beyond. There, you’ll find an Enervated Vigor Skull and Raw Mangler Axe.
Reach the Vestige of Marco the Axe
Once you’ve grabbed the axe, return to the main path and continue to make your way uphill, deeper into the village. There, you’ll find the Vestige of Marco the Axe. On the left side of the open area near the windmill, you’ll find a break in the fence overlooking one of the houses. Transition to Umbra to reveal an object, and you can use Soulflay to lower a bridge. Jump onto the bridge and then drop down into the area below.
Get the Umbral Eye of Betrayed Eliard
Here, you can interact with another object in Umbra to get the Umbral Eye of Betrayed Eliard. Once you reach Skyrest Bridge, the game’s hub area, you’ll be able to use the Eye to buff your Lamp. Every Eye in the game is unique, and many of them are tucked away off the beaten path, so always keep an eye out for new ones. Before you leave this area, check the small cave near where you found the Eye. Interact with the Umbral entity there to gain 2 more Umbral Scourings before returning to the Vestige of Marco the Axe.
Remember the Bell Door
The bell door near the Vestige is locked for now, but it’s important to remember its location. You’ll need to return later to gain access to the Fief of the Chill Curse and its associated beacon. For now, continue up the path through the village. You’ll find another dangling corpse with an item you can knock free. It’s the Mineowner’s Ring, which provides a Stamina buff, useful for any Souls game.
Traverse the Water
Continue ahead, and the path will abruptly stop at a pool of water. Submerging yourself in water will kill you in Lords of the Fallen, but water only exists in the Axiom version of Abandoned Redcopse. Use your Lamp to cross into Umbra, and the water will be gone, allowing you to continue.
Use the Umbral Ladder
You’ll find an Ammunition Satchel and Large Manastone Cluster nearby, as well as another dangling corpse holding items. Knock the items down to get the Pilgrim Hood and Pilgrim Bandages. Like the rest of the Pilgrim set, they’re lightweight with decent Holy defense. Against the wall, you’ll find a ladder that only exists in Umbra. Climb it and then find the nearby plank bridge. Kick it down to create a shortcut. Nearby, you’ll find x3 Holy Ward.
Meet the Iron Wayfarer
Proceed to the castle area and speak with the Iron Wayfarer. He’ll give you a Vestige Seed. Use it on the patch of flowers near him to create a checkpoint where you can rest and level up. Keep in mind that you can only have one Seedling at a time, so when you use a Vestige Seed elsewhere later on, this one will disappear. Whether you’re a Dark Crusader or Condemned, you’ll have need of these later.
Avoid the Castle
Head up the ladder and climb the stairs. Don’t go through the large gates into the castle courtyard yet, as doing so will trigger a boss fight. Instead, fight the enemies in the burning area and gather the items scattered around. You’ll find Minor Fire Salts here as well as x2 Ammunition Pouches, x2 Small Manastone Clusters, and the Rusty Cutter shortsword.
Fight Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal
When you’re done searching Abandoned Redcopse, heal at the Seedling and get ready for the first serious boss fight of Lords of the Fallen. Interact with the cloud of moths to the left of the main gate to summon the Iron Wayfarer if you want assistance going against Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal. If that isn’t enough, consider Beckoning a friend for co-op. Once you’ve won that fight, you’ll have access to Skyrest Bridge, and your journey can truly begin.
Lords of the Fallen is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
