Dark Souls 2 Covenants guide
Pilgrims of the Dark
Joining
This covenant takes several steps to join, but they all involve finding Darkdiver Grandahl three times throughout Drangleic. You can find him in any order - each of his hiding places serve as bases for the covenant.
His first appearance is near the Shaded Ruins bonfire in Shaded Woods. Head up the ramp and turn right. Move toward the edge of the cliff here to spot some bits of wood. You can drop through the wood here into a secret chamber, where Grandahl sits in his chair.
His second appearance is in Black Gulch. By the second giant worm is a hard-to-spot ledge below. Drop there to find a locked door - we'll have the key in a moment. Drop down some more barely visible ledges until you reach a large cave housing two giants. Killing them is difficult, but if you manage it, you'll receive the Forgotten Key. Use this to open the door on the ledge earlier, giving you access to Grandahl's hiding place.
His third appearance is in Drangleic Castle. To the right of the King's Gate bonfire are several stone soldiers and soul doors. Kill them before the doors to have the way opened, but beware - most chambers house a Ruin Sentinel. Open the last chamber on the left, and you'll be able to drop through the floor to a hidden area beneath the castle. Grandahl can be found in the tunnel here.
After finding Grandahl three times, you'll have the option to join the Pilgrims of the Dark.
Ranking Up
Ranking up in the Pilgrims of the Dark is different from any other covenant. In each of Grandahl's three stations is an abyssal portal, and it'll cost you a Human Effigy to open it each time. Step inside, and you'll reach the Dark Chasm of Old. Each of the three portals is a different area, but your goals in each are the same: light the torch (requires a Flame Butterfly), defeat all the phantoms, and leap into the dark mist. Do this in all three chasms to encounter the Darklurker, one of the game's secret bosses.
- Rank 1: Clear the Dark Chasm of Old for the first time.
- Reward: Resonant Soul
- Rank 2: Light all three torches in the chasms.
- Reward: Great Resonant Soul
- Rank 3: Defeat the Darklurker.
- Reward: Climax, Xanthous Armor (Full Set)
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Tony lives in Maryland, where he writes about those good old-fashioned video games for GamesRadar+. His words have also appeared on GameSpot and G4, but he currently works for Framework Video, and runs Dungeons and Dragons streams.