Fastest Route to Duke's Dear Freja?

[Sashimi]

I recently picked up SOTFS, and i've been having a blast now that i finally got it after beating Bloodborne and DS3. In my new playthrough in sotfs, i've been dying to get my hands on the REAL moonlight greatsword, which i know requires the Duke's Dear Freja's soul. What's the fastest route? I just beat the ruin sentinels boss, still pretty early in i know... But if someone could point me in the right direction i'd greatly appreciate it.

[Cyan]

Probably but i might be wrong, is getting 12000 souls for the old hag in the forest of the fallen giants, then going through the shaded woods ( no need to fight anything there besides the boss) then to the blightstone cove tesldora, killing freya, then burning a bonfire ascetic in the bonfire before the fight and rushing (with a torch light) to the fight again to get the soul needed for the weapon. Should you plan the entire thing (using the fire longsword and skipping as many fights as possible, it should take you over 4 or 5 hours to get it

[Marisher]

Actually, The Moonlight Greatsword does not require Freja's soul. It requires the Old Paledrake Soul which is dropped by the Duke's Dear Freja at Bonfire Intensity 2 and above.

In order to get the Moonlight Greatsword, you're going to need a Bonfire Ascetic, 2 Fragrant Branches of Yore, and to find a specific bonfire to use the Ascetic on.

From Majula, find the path leading to a petrified woman, and use the Yore Branch on her. After that, simply follow the only path that should open to you at this point early in the game.

Once you reach Brightstone Cove Tseldora, find a bonfire, rest at it and check the travel menu to see if it is called "Lower Brightstone Cove". Once you found that specific bonfire, rest at it and burn the ascetic. Doing this anywhere else will not net you the Old Paledrake Soul.

It is recommended that you NOT spend 12,000 souls with Merchant Hag Melentia to buy her branch, as the game gives more branches than you need, and they do not carry over into NG+, so it is a waste of souls to buy it from her.

(Copy/pasterd from DS2 Wikidot)
You can find a Fragrant Branch of Yore in-
- Sinner's Rise: Right next to the Primal Bonfire in a chest after defeating The Lost Sinner.
-Harvest Valley: One before the Mines bonfire, in the cave to the right of the ramp out of the first poison chasm.
- Harvest Valley: First area after the Mines bonfire on a ledge. Break the wood to the hall on the left then take an immediate right into the area with the Artificial Undead (the big dudes wielding sickles) ambush. The branch is on a ledge after looping back to the start.
- The Gutter: Before the bonfire at Black Gulch.
-No Man's Wharf: In a chest in a house close to the ship's pier with two Hollows sleeping at a table and poison-filled urns.
- The Lost Bastille: In a chest on the outdoor platform where the Pursuer appears near the Tower Apart bonfire.
- Shaded Woods: One can be found next to Weaponsmith Ornifex. Requires spending a Fragant Branch of Yore to unpetrify the lion holding the key for the room.
- Shaded Woods: Another can be retrieved in the metal chest containing the Lion Mage Set. Requires spending a Fragrant Branch of Yore to unpetrify the lion blocking the room with the chest. (This chest can be reached without using a Fragrant Branch via a very difficult jump over the break in the wall behind it [at least on PC], but the jump is extremely difficult to pull off since being patched.)
-Shaded Woods: Manscorpion Tark will give you one if you complete his quest (defeat the area boss). You have to wear the Ring of Whispers to talk to him.

You can find an ascetic in the Lost Bastille, it's the corpse on the ledge you see as you ride the cage elevators, or you can pick one up immediately after The Prowling Magus & Congregation boss fight which you have to do on the way to the Duke's Dear Freja by turning to the left and looking for an archway that contains a ladder inside, with the ascetic up top.

There will be four small spiders in the boss room along with Freja. Use a toch to keep them away from you, and just dodge Freja's attacks. Be aware that since you have to fight her at Bonfire Intestity 2 for the Old Paledrake Soul the fight will be harder than normal. She might 2-3 shot you depending on your health and defenses. Also getting to her will be that much harder as well, but again just carry a torch and the spiders will not attack you.

After you defeat her, don't forget to embrace the Great Soul by interacting with the smokey red wisp that spawns underneath the dragon statue in her boss room once you defeat her.

Finally, after you do all that, you will need to go back to the Shaded Woods, the Shaded Ruins bonfire, and unpetrifiy the lion warrior you can see from the bonfire across a fallen tree. Kill him, gain a key, find a way down in a pit with 4 basilisks and orange corrosive water in it, and unlock the door you find there. Talk to the NPC inside, then go back to Brightstone Cove Tesledora, and nearby the same bonfire you used the ascetic on, "Lower Brightstone Cove", will be the NPC's residence. Talk to them, and trade the Old Paledrake Soul for the Moonlight Greatsword.

And that's it, you got it. Did I explain myself well enough?

[Sashimi]

Thanks for the answers! you explained it great, thank you so much for the help.

[Aigle1705]

moonlight early:

pick bonfire ascetic as a gift
go to heides tower, kill dragonrider
move on to flex sentry
in lost bastile youll find your first branch, in the cirular tower where lucatiel awaits

if you want straith as well:
destroy the powderkegs on the otherside of that towers door in order to open it
( fire arrows or firebombs )
pick up the old key where the persurur clone spawns

use the branche on the pyro covering the lever. at bernhards place
take the route across the scorpion lady straight to freya ( you should have at least a 2nd branch by now )

return to the lions area, n set free the lion next to the bonfire,
he drops the key to set ornifex free, the boss weapon trader

back at fryas place:
use the bonfire ascetic at the 3rd bonfire, right next to ornifex shop
kill freya again


so inclueding freya twice you have to kill 4 bosses.^^

and you can also unlock straith with a 3rd branch for the boss spell
will need a 2nd ascetic n 3rd freya kill as well

[myoptic]

Originally posted by Aigle1705 GER:

moonlight early:

pick bonfire ascetic as a gift
go to heides tower, kill dragonrider
move on to flex sentry
in lost bastile youll find your first branch, in the cirular tower where lucatiel awaits

if you want straith as well:
destroy the powderkegs on the otherside of that towers door in order to open it
( fire arrows or firebombs )
pick up the old key where the persurur clone spawns

use the branche on the pyro covering the lever. at bernhards place
take the route across the scorpion lady straight to freya ( you should have at least a 2nd branch by now )

return to the lions area, n set free the lion next to the bonfire,
he drops the key to set ornifex free, the boss weapon trader

back at fryas place:
use the bonfire ascetic at the 3rd bonfire, right next to ornifex shop
kill freya again


so inclueding freya twice you have to kill 4 bosses.^^

and you can also unlock straith with a 3rd branch for the boss spell
will need a 2nd ascetic n 3rd freya kill as well

your item placement seems off. Is this information from scholar or vanilla?

The branch in bastille is not in the circular tower, its near the tower apart, down past the room with the dogs. A suprise spawns behind you as you pick it up.

The antiquated key is in the tower next to lucatiel instead of the branch.

[Aigle1705]

guess there was patch then, like 3min ago or sth...
the branche is in the ironchest next to luca n the key in the doggys backyard.

still wonder what the 3m difference even matters xD

[TrueArchery]

The easier to obtain branch is in the nomans wharf and I'd just buy the second one from Hag with the souls from the dragonrider.

Ascetic as starting gift and you're fine.

[Toaster Bath]

Originally posted by Aigle1705 GER:

guess there was patch then, like 3min ago or sth...
the branche is in the ironchest next to luca n the key in the doggys backyard.

still wonder what the 3m difference even matters xD

No...no patch. You're just wrong.

[Alliesaurus]

Key is in tower with anonface from mirrah and the branch is in the chest at the flat area in a chest along with another item, watch your back though