Dark Souls II Scholar: Base-Game Progression

This route is for the PS4, Xbox One, and DX11 PC Scholar release. Start in Majula, then take Forest of Fallen Giants to the Cardinal Tower. The Last Giant opens useful early progress; the Pursuer branch can lead to Lost Bastille. Heide’s Tower is another early exit from Majula, with No-man’s Wharf and Lost Bastille beyond it. Choose the route that gives your character a manageable fight and a useful service rather than trying to clear every doorway at once.

The midgame turns around four Old Ones: Lost Sinner from the Bastille route, Old Iron King from Iron Keep, The Rotten from Black Gulch, and Duke’s Dear Freja from Brightstone Cove Tseldora. Embrace all four Great Souls, including the separate glowing pickup in Freja’s arena, and use their Primal Bonfires. This is the standard route through the Shrine of Winter toward Drangleic Castle; a separate Soul Memory requirement can also open the shrine. Aldia first appears at whichever Primal Bonfire you light last. Exhaust that dialogue, rather than leaving as soon as the bonfire works.

From the castle, the main line runs Shrine of Amana and Undead Crypt. Aldia appears again at the Crypt’s entrance bonfire; exhaust his dialogue. Defeat Velstadt, then collect the King’s Ring from the discarded equipment in Vendrick’s room. You do not need to fight Vendrick to take the ring. Equip it at the King’s Gate on the route to Aldia’s Keep. Continue through Dragon Aerie and Dragon Shrine, where Aldia appears a third time at the Shrine Entrance bonfire. Exhaust this dialogue too, then receive the Ashen Mist Heart from the Ancient Dragon.

Use the Ashen Mist Heart and King’s Ring at the Forest of Fallen Giants’ giant remains to enter Memory of Jeigh. Defeat the Giant Lord for the Giant’s Kinship, then return to the Throne of Want. For Scholar’s Aldia finale, defeat Vendrick before Nashandra and make sure all three Aldia conversations are exhausted; he can then follow Nashandra at the throne. Optional paths and DLC areas can wait. Keep Majula services active, and use Getting Started when the enhanced Scholar enemy placement makes an old route description feel wrong.