Dark Souls II Walkthrough, Part Forty-Five: Memory of Jeigh - Giant Lord

Dark Souls II is relatively straightforward for most of the game... and then, when you reach the end, you're stonewalled. The Ancient Dragon gives you an Ashen Mist Heart; what are you supposed to do with the thing? The answer is more intriguing than you might expect, and it involves dipping into the dark recesses of the past...

Forest of Fallen Giants

- Zip to the second Bonfire in Forest of Fallen Giants, Cardinal Tower, after visiting the Dragon Shrine and collecting the Ashen Mist Heart.

- Go down the ladder to the right of the Bonfire. Kill off the Hollows near the bridge ahead (you should know them well by now), then cross the bridge.

- Go through the door beyond, if you haven't before. Outside you'll find another of those giant black doors. Pop it open with that handy King's Ring. (And don't forget to unequip it after the door's opening. It's useless.)

- Inside is a new Bonfire, The Place Unbeknownst. Fancy. Light it up so you don't have to bother with that door again.

- Head outside. You're now on the cliff beside the grounds that lead to the fiery caves beneath this area. Note the pinned Giant corpse to your right, then go down the stairs.

- Approach the edge of the cliff, hopping down from the upper ledge. There's a scaffolding here with a corpse in attendance. It carries two Twinkling Titanites. You'll now have to keep hopping down, so make your way back to Cardinal Tower and jump to The Place Unbeknownst. You can reach the top by using a ladder near the ruined entrance of the castle. They're pretty weak by this point, but keep an eye out for Hollows on the way nevertheless.

- Return to the giant's corpse. With the Ashen Mist Heart in hand, you can now approach the giant... and enter its dreams.

Memory of Jeigh

- What an odd place. Make your way through the castle ruins to find a small mist door. It leads outside - to a battlefield. Note that your time here is limited, though you should have a good long while to look around this small area. Try to finish up before you hit your first warning. If you do get booted, don't worry - you can jump right back in and start the memory over again.

- Before heading anywhere else, look to your left. There's a set of stairs leading up to a battlement. You'll find a corpse up here carrying a Bonfire Ascetic.

- Immediately ahead, across the busted ramparts, are two giant soldiers. They're engaged in battle with smaller soldiers, and if you're cautious you can sweep right past them without getting into a fight. That said, I recommend killing them anyway - they might disturb your next battle. Remaining wary of incoming fire from beyond the ramparts, draw them to the door you came through and take them out. You won't get pelted from above here.

- Past the giants is a larger foe, though as you approach a massive stone head will tumble down in your way. Roll to the battlement on the left to avoid getting crushed.

- And past that...

Giant Lord

That is the biggest sword ever. Nevertheless, this isn't that bad a battle. The Giant Lord has a rather whopping reach if you stay in front of it, and even on its sides, but if you stay behind and somewhat below the brute it will only try to crush you with its feet. Do this and the battle is no more difficult than fending off the Last Giant much earlier in the game. Chip away at its ankles and the battle will be won swiftly. Keep it roughly where you find it, though, or you'll face catapult fire from above.

- Beating the Giant Lord will earn you the Giant Lord's Soul and the Giant's Kinship. Before the dream fades, check the battlement nearest the spot where you fought the Giant Lord to find a corpse. It carries a Fire Seed.

- There's a passage back into the walls after defeating the Giant Lord. Check inside and you'll find a fallen giant. Examine it to find a Soul of a Giant. Check it again and the dream will fade, putting you right back where you started.

The plunder from this short dream was pretty sweet, but the main prize as far as the storyline was concerned is the Giant's Kinship. This key item will allow you to trigger the final battle beneath Drangleic Castle, and if you wish you can head straight there. But this walkthrough is headed somewhere else first, a distant, lonely room in a distant, haunted crypt where an old king wanders aimlessly... time to let him rest.