Exploring The Expansive Painted World Of Ariandel Dlc

The Painted World of Ariandel is a DLC location in Dark Souls III, accessible through the downloadable content Ashes of Ariandel. It is a snowy dreamscape with a Nordic, Viking-like theme, filled with deadly enemies, new challenges, bosses, weapons, armour, magic spells, and more. To access this area, players must interact with Slave Knight Gael at the Cleansing Chapel Bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep. The Painted World of Ariandel is larger than the area of Lordran's Painted World of Ariamis, with many new enemies and some similar structures, such as a wooden bridge leading to a cathedral and a tower reminiscent of Priscilla's tower.

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Difficulty level

The Painted World of Ariandel is the first DLC for Dark Souls 3. It is intended to be played just before, or after, the Lord of Cinders fight, with a recommended soul level of between 80 and 120. Players with a lower soul level may find the DLC too difficult, as it involves managing packs of enemies, including wolves, knights, and Viking-like inhabitants.

Some players have described the DLC as "hellishly difficult", with enemies that are resistant to frost-damage and a general lack of plot. The DLC features two bosses, one of which is optional. Players have also noted that the DLC feels like "one big gank", with enemies swarming and coordinating their attacks.

To access the Painted World of Ariandel, players must speak to Slave Knight Gael at the Cathedral of the Deep and exhaust his dialogue to trigger a cutscene. This will transport players to the beginning of the DLC.

Overall, the Painted World of Ariandel DLC is considered to be a challenging addition to Dark Souls 3, with a significant increase in difficulty compared to the base game. Players may need to be at a higher level and use different strategies to overcome the obstacles in this DLC.

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How to access

To access the Painted World of Ariandel, players must first purchase and download the DLC. Then, they need to warp to the Cleansing Chapel Bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep and speak with Slave Knight Gael, who is kneeling beside the altar between the church's two sets of large doors.

Exhaust his dialogue and you will trigger a cutscene. Slave Knight Gael will hand you a scrap from a painting, and you will be transported to the Painted World of Ariandel.

If you have completed the events of The Ringed City first, instead of entering through Slave Knight Gael, there will be a piece of the painting on the edge of the shrine. When you first arrive, speak to the NPC behind you.

To access the new PvP arena, progress through the Chapel of Ariandel and take the side path that leads to the optional boss arena. Defeat the optional boss to receive the Champion's Bones item. Burn this item at the bonfire in Firelink Shrine. Afterward, you can access the Undead Match from the Bonfire Menu, allowing you to engage in multiplayer combat in the new PvP arena.

It is worth noting that even though the Painted World of Ariandel is accessible through the Cathedral of the Deep, there is no way to return directly to it. However, players are allowed to travel between bonfires to reach other areas of Lothric.

Bonfire locations

The Painted World of Ariandel is a snowy dreamscape and the primary location in the first DLC, Ashes of Ariandel, for Dark Souls III. To access this area, you must be around level 80 and speak to Slave Knight Gael at the Cathedral of the Deep. Warp to the Cleansing Chapel Bonfire, kneeling beside the altar between the church's large doors.

There are several bonfire locations in the Painted World of Ariandel DLC. The first bonfire should be lit automatically when you arrive in the Painted World. From the Ariandel Chapel Bonfire, you can leave the chapel and attack the bridge so it may fall and you can climb down it like a ladder. At the bottom of the ladder, follow the ridge to the first root on your left, where you will find a Follower sitting. Drop onto this root and follow it to the end, then drop down onto the next root you see on your right. Continue past the crystal lizard and Follower to a small root that leads to another small area with a javelin Follower. You should see two roots, one that descends and one that ascends. Follow the ascending root, then fall onto the root on your right, which has the Follower Sabre. To get to the Depths of the Painting Bonfire, follow the descending root.

There is also the Sister Friede Bonfire, which leads to the Dreg Heap. Defeating the boss of the Painted World will unlock a path to the Dreg Heap.

Additionally, there is a bonfire in the Rope Bridge Cave, Corvian Settlement, and Snowy Mountain Pass.

Enemy types

The Painted World of Ariandel is a snowy dreamscape with a Nordic, Viking-like theme. Players will encounter a variety of enemy types with varied backstories and fighting styles.

The Millwood Knights, for example, are gigantic Viking-like warriors that can deal a lot of damage with their axes and bows. They can spot you from a further distance than other enemies, but it is still possible to sneak around them.

The environment itself can also be an enemy, with trees that can suddenly come to life and attack with fire and frost, and giant snowbanks that can collapse, dropping you into a pack of enemies.

Other enemies include wolves, which can be easily beaten by sprinting past them, and Corvian Settlers, who are NPCs that players should be careful not to confuse for enemies. Most enemies in the Painted World of Ariandel are resistant to frost damage, so it is recommended to use a weapon with fire damage.

Boss fights

The Painted World of Ariandel DLC for Dark Souls III includes two boss encounters, which are known for their enhanced difficulty. The first boss is Sister Friede, who is located in the depths of the painting within a chapel. She powers up with dark attributes and becomes Darkflame Friede, dealing bonus dark damage and moving faster. When she turns invisible, she will unleash two ice cone attacks and then charge a powerful finisher. To defeat her, players must wait out her Dark Explosion and Dark Beam attacks, dashing to the side when she slows down after a long string of spells.

A second opponent, Father Ariandel, will appear to help Sister Friede in the fight. They share a health bar, although attacking Father Ariandel drains health faster, and he is vulnerable to riposte. Players should only attack him from the side and use an NPC summon to keep Sister Friede distracted. Father Ariandel spits a burst of flame that slowly turns to track the player, but this can be avoided by sidestepping.

The second boss is the Champion's Gravetender, who some players consider extremely lame. However, one player mentions that they enjoyed the boss fight because they could interrupt all of Friede's attacks if they timed them right.

Frequently asked questions