The Tomb of the Giants is a late-game area in Dark Souls. It is a series of large caverns that can be reached after defeating the boss Pinwheel in the Catacombs. There are many pitfalls in the Tomb, as well as downward-inclined surfaces that force players into a sliding animation when traversed. Unlike the game's other zones, players must also contend with the total darkness that envelops the first half of this area, making progress significantly more difficult without a portable light source. The Tomb's second half can only be accessed after placing the Lordvessel at Firelink Altar.
The standard methods for improving visibility in darkness are the Cast Light sorcery or a Skull Lantern equipped in the off-hand equipment slot. However, the Skull Lantern must be held up by holding the block button in order to activate its illuminating effect; this requires players to not only attack in darkness, but to also forego the use of a shield or any two-handed weapon. The Sunlight Maggot, a unique item found in the Demon Ruins, offers the same amount of illumination but can instead be equipped on the head, freeing the off-hand slot for other tasks.
As the name implies, these caverns are host to many Giant Skeletons; they are relatively easy to spot in the darkness due to their glowing eye sockets. The Giant Skeleton Archers, however, are often positioned too far away to see easily in the dark; they may also make themselves known by the sound of their arrows firing, and the large arrows themselves are quite visible as they fly towards the player's position. Several Giant Skeletons also guard the Large Divine Ember located inside a stone brick chamber in the Tomb's early sections. Further down, feral Skeleton Beasts lie in wait; their fast swiping attacks are easily capable of pushing the player over the edge of the path.
Patches, an NPC originally introduced in Demon's Souls, can also be found near the Tomb's first bonfire. As in Demon's Souls, Patches detests clerics. If spoken to, Patches immediately asks whether the player is a cleric or not; regardless of the answer, Patches will try to lure the player to a nearby pit and push them over the edge. Rhea of Thorolund can be found in this same pit, who explains how she and her now-Hollow companions were also tricked by Patches. Defeating the Hollowed Nico and Vince earns Rhea's gratitude, and after clearing the Tomb she will travel to the Undead Parish to become an NPC vendor of Miracles.
Eventually the Tomb's darkness gives way to a soft light emanating from an open-air cliffside section that appears to overlook Ash Lake. If the player is in human form, Paladin Leeroy will invade the player's world here as a Red Phantom; he may be killed to obtain his over-sized hammer, Grant, as well as the shield Sanctus which offers slight health regeneration while equipped. Players that have placed the Lordvessel at Firelink may proceed into the next tunnel, a curving narrow ledge infested with Bone Towers and a few more Giant Skeletons. The Tomb's penultimate chamber contains several Pinwheel Servants, a lesser version of the Pinwheel boss, and the continually-spawning Skeleton Baby enemies who can quickly overwhelm the player in spite of their short stature.
Finally, after clearing some debris blocking the next passage, players will discover a fog door leading to Nito's lair. Once he is defeated, players may escape the Tomb of the Giants by warping from the bonfire.
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