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By now, you know what to expect inThe First Berserker: Khazan, as you’ve fought your way through many complex regions while cutting down many formidable bosses. Now, it’s time to get through your biggest fears. Spiders. And lots of them, which may be the most challenging thing in this game for some of you.
The Strange Stench mission may be one of the most challenging stages in the game, culminating in one of the easiest boss encounters. That is if you explore every nook and cranny. This mission has lots to see and do, so be prepared for an endless war against Spiders and Bats!
How To Complete Strange Stench
When themission starts, turn rightand runbehind the pillarto find aPoison Cleanse Potionon the ground. From here, head toward the main entrance of the Skoffa Cave andspeak with Elamein.After talking with her, proceed into the cave to find the firstBlade Nexusandcheckpointof the Strange Stench mission!
Destroy The First Spider Nest
Lookright from the Blade Nexusto see acorpse on the groundand make your way over to it. ASpider will be here,so focus on it first. After taking down the Spider,Absorbthe corpse forLacrima and Soul Tear Dust.Directlyup from the corpsewill be alarge spider nest covering an opening,head to it.
Using your weapon,cut through the thick layers of the weband enter the tunnel to find anenormous Spiderwaiting inside. With the Spider defeated,push further insideto findExplosives.Interact with it tolight the fuse,causing the Spider Nest to get caved in by the rubble. This will help you out tremendously later!
Further Exploration
Go back to the Blade Nexus, thenhead straight aheaduntil you see apurple item on the rightacross a chasm.Follow the pathway arounduntil you reach this item, only to be met with ahandful of Spiders.Eliminate the Spiders and loot everything in the area to obtain aPell Los Ceremonial Helmand Fire Spirit’s Fuel!
Moving On Up
Near the Blade Nexus will be aladder;take it up to reach thetop of a beam,theninstantly begin guarding,as a swarm ofBatswill fly into you. From here,follow the beams the entire way arounduntil you reach adead endwith apurple itemat the end of it. Scoop this item up to receive anEarth Enhancer.
Make your wayback down the beamsuntil you areabove a large platformwithseveral Spiders.Use yourJavelintopick a few off,thenjump down and finish them off.With all the Spiders eliminated,Absorbthe body on the ground for even moreLacrima and Soul Tear Dust!
Continuing Upward
Remain on the platform andlook left to find a piece of wood in the cornerthat connects tomore beams.Cross over the piece of wood andbegin making your way up the beams.Near the top of the first beam will bemore Bats,soensure you’re guardingto avoid taking damage.
Another platformwill be here and will havemany Spiderson it. Take care of the Spiders just like you’ve been doing, thencontinue making your way up the beams.Once youreach the topagain, evenmore Batswill appear, soguard the moment you get up there,or you will take severe damage!
Additional Netherworld Energy
Once at thevery top of the beams,you will be able to go to the left or right.Head to the left and take the sloped beam upto find a yellow item. Pick it up to obtain an extra charge for yourNetherworld Energy,increasing your primary healing source by one. You will also get aFire Enhancer!
Activating The Shortcut
With your additional Netherworld Energy obtained, you’re able to nowtake the right beam into the upper portion of the cave.Once here, you willsee a lift on your right.Step inside the lift andactivate the switch in the middle,bringing you down to theBlade Nexusat the start of the mission. Thisshortcutallows you to bypass everything you just did, which is a lifesaver!
Exploring The Upper Section Of Skoffa Cave
With the shortcut lift now active, take it to the top andhead rightto beambushed by Spiders.Make quick work of them andcontinue making your way along the cliffsideuntil you see alarge Bat hanging in the distance.Use yourJavelinto land aheadshoton it formassive damage, stunning itin the process.
ThisBat has a lot of healthand can be pretty irritating, sokeep peppering itwith Javelins until it recovers and begins attacking you. Itshouldn’t have too much health leftnow, sobe patient, land Reflections, and only attack when it is vulnerable.
Make your way around the cliffside past where the Bat was until youreach the large wooden platform.There will be ared light illuminating from the centerof the floor. Use yourJavelintohit a Worm hidden underneaththe ground,one-shotting it.Push slightly forward to getambushed by Spiders.
Eliminate all the Spiders andmake your way to the end of the platformthat overlooks the nearby waterfall. AMysterious Orewill bedangling on the wallof the cave. Use your handyJavelinto destroy it!
Deeper In The Cave
To the leftwill be a pathway thatleads further inside the cave.Follow it in to find aZombie-esque enemythat dealsPlague Damage.It won’t be hard to eliminate on its own, but it does serve as a warning of things to come. After taking the Zombie down,continue forward until you reach a sizableroom filled with these monstrosities.
As youbegin taking down these Zombies,more will emerge from the ground,making the situation that much more terrifying. Whilethey are slow and don’t have much health, they will deal tons of damageto you if they can catch you, sokeep your distance and only attack if you have enough Stamina.
With the Zombies taken care of, pick up thepurple itemin the center of the room to obtain aFire Enhancer,then proceed into the next area!
Once you’re in thenext room,you will instantly see that it isteeming with those undead monsters,as you can see them roaming around all over the place. Youmust take them out slow and steady,or you will likely be overrun. Westrongly recommend picking off as much as possible with your Javelinbefore pushing too far in.
As you begin getting deeperinto the cave,more Zombies will come out of the ground,forcing you tofall back, deal with them, and then continueforward. Some Zombies will havered eyes,meaning theyinflict Plague damage on contact.Try dealing with them first if you may.
Before moving on or exploringany part of this room,ensure all the Zombies are taken care of,as you do not want them catching you off guard. Especially the Plague-ridden ones!
Destroy The Second Spider Nest
With all the Zombies taken care of, look for theladder near the backside of the roomand climb it to the top. Anenormous Spiderwill be waiting for you there, so take it out as soon as you get up there. After eliminating the Spider, look for thewebbed-off wall and cut through itwith your weapon.
Follow the tunnel all the way to the endto find moreexplosive barrelsand interact with them tolight the fuse.This will block off anddestroy another section of nests,making the boss fight at the end of the mission much more manageable!
Clearing The Rest Of The Room
Climb back down the ladderand look to theright.There will be astaircase that leads to a platformagainst the wall of the cave. Make your way up these stairs andwatch for a Zombie,as there will likely be one here. Eliminate them, then crackopen the Chestto receive theCorrupted Dual Wield, Forgotten Warrior’s Gaitors, Archbishop’s Ring, and a Small Spirit Orb!
Through The Barricades
Make your way back toward the ladder andlook to the left to see wooden barricadesblocking the way deeper into the cave. Walk up to the barricades and give them a solid hit tobreak them apart, then continue through.You will eventually encounter aSpider underneath a bunch of bodiestrapped in webbed cocoons.
Eliminate the Spider and examine the bodiescloser. One of them will have apurple light emanatingfrom it. Use yourJavelintoknock the cocooned body down,revealing an item. Pick it up to obtain aPilgrim’s Scrollandx2 Transmutation Mist!
Obtaining The Ghost Hammer
Continuefurther into the caveuntil you run intoanother large Spiderand quickly eliminate it without breaking open the nearby nests. With the Spider gone,look up and examine the cocooned bodies.One of them will have abright orange light.Use yourJavelintoknock the body down,revealing another item.
Grab the item to obtain theGhost Hammer,allowing you tounlock the Wulfric the Resilient Phantomthe next time you rest at a Blade Nexus!
Another Shortcut
Keep following the pathway downinto the cave until you reach aroom with large holes in the ground and a waterfall.Navigate around the gap andlook to the right to see a closed door.Make your way to the door and interact with it tounlock it,leading you directly back to thefirst Blade Nexusyou activated!
Further Beneath The Skoffa Cave
After spending your accumulated Lacrima and unlocking Wulfric the Resilient, head back through the door you just unlockedand thenhead right.Follow this pathway down until you run into alarge Spider that will roll at youlike Sonic the Hedgehog.
Defeat the Spider, thenwalk to the right;there will be anextended piece of the ground that leads out over the cliffsidewith anitemon the edge. Pick it up to obtain thePoison Disruption Parchment.From here, follow themain pathuntil it splits, with one path leading to the left and one to the right!
Right Pathway
Run across the logon therightandinto the cave,then beginguarding.Aswarm of Bats will fly outof the cave, dealing substantial damage if they hit you. Once youreach the cave entrance,you will see alarge Bat hanging from the ceilingdeep in the back.
ThisBat is an Elite enemy,so be prepared. Use yourJavelintoknock it down,having it instantly fly toward you. Bait out itsBurst Attackstoland devastating Counterattacks.Reflecting is also crucial here, as youmust maintain your Staminato avoid massive damage.
Defeating the Elite Batwill grant you theHound Scroll, Mysterious Glyph Dual Wield, Butcher’s Pauldrons, Frozen Mountain Pants, Poison Cleanse Potion, and x3 Inner Essence.From here, gotoward the exitof the cave andlook to the rightto see another pathway.
Follow this pathall the way up until you see aChest.Drop down and crack it open to receive theSpear of Inner Turmoil, Forgotten Warrior’s Helm, Necklace of Life, and Lightning Spirit’s Fuel!
Back On Track
Return to the split pathway andfollow the left oneuntil you eventually run intoDragonkin.Defeat them andcontinue pushing forwarduntil alarge Spider ambushes you.As you begin fighting it,more Spiders will appear,so be mindful of your Stamina.
After eliminating the Spiders,loot the itemto obtainPoison Spirit’s Fuelandpush a bit forwardto get ambushed by another large Spider.Defeat this one as well while trying to avoid the egg sacks, thenAbsorbthecorpseon the ground forLacrima and Soul Tear Dust!
Very Big Spiders
Keep on themain pathuntil you reach anarrow roomwith anotherlarge Spiderthat willroll at youwith tremendous speed. Eliminate it andpush onward until you reach an open room.On yourleftwill be anenormous Spiderguarding apurple item.We need this item. Unfortunately.
Chuck a Javelin at its headto aggro it, driving it toward you away from its little nook. This Spiderhas LOTS of health,so it will take a little while to defeat it.Reflect its attacks and focus on its Stamina Gauge.This is abattle of endurance,so don’t make any costly mistakes.
Killing the gigantic Spider will allow you to access the item. Grab it to obtain theRing of Sealed Venomandequip it instantly.You will need it!
Descending Further
Continue fighting through the caves until youreach another sizable roomwithnot as many Spiders in it.Eliminate them, thenfollow the pathway that leads underneath the wooden walkway.Once you’re here, there will be anarrow paththat leads to theleft.Follow it to obtain aLightning Enhancer.
Turn around andproceed through the opening,leading you further into the cave. You will eventually reach anotherBlade Nexus.You can finally rest andspend your Lacrimawisely at this newcheckpoint!
Navigating The Poisoned Depth
With the new Blade Nexus active, you can now enjoy your own personal hell, as this area is an absolute nightmare to get through. From the Blade Nexus,make your way down the winding rampuntil youreach the bottom,then look to therightto see aMysterious Oretucked away in the corner. Use yourJavelintosmash it.
Next,look out in front of youto see thevast, poisonous swamp overflowing with oversized Spidersand death. Isn’t it lovely? Themoment you leave the ramp,you will be greeted by alarge Spider,so make quick work of it before moving on!
Trudging Through The Swamp
Upon defeating the first Spider,look to the rightto spot atree trunkthat has been split apart, allowing you topass through it.Run across the poison swamp and into the tree trunk, picking up theConcentrated Fire Essencealong the way. From here,take a left back into the swampto see alarge Spiderin the distance.
There will be anisland close to it,so make a break onto it, thenattract its attention with a Javelin.Defeat the Spider, then grab theblue itemit was guarding forx3 Poison Cleanse Potion.To theright of this itemwill beanother island,this time with a corpse on it.
Sprint to this islandandAbsorbthecorpseto get a massive chunk ofLacrima and Soul Tear Dust.However, you will trigger a formidable foe upon doing so!
Defeat The Elite Spider
If you thought the Elite Bat from earlier was challenging, theElite Spidermakes it seem like a pushover. Due to thevast sea of poison,you are at asignificant disadvantagehere. ThisSpider packs a punch,dealing massive damage with each hit. It alsohas tons of health and is very agile,making ittruly despicableto deal with.
Since youeliminated all the Spiders up to this point,we strongly urge you tolure it back to one of the larger islandsto avoid stepping into the swamp as much as possible. After that, youmust capitalize on its Burst Attacks via CounterattacksandReflect most of its attacks.This won’t be easy, so lock in.
Defeating the Elite Spiderwill reward you with theMysterious Glyph Dual Wield, Butcher’s Helm, Frozen Mountain Helm, Fire Spirit’s Fuel, and x2 Inner Essence!
Exploring The Swamp
With the menace of the swamp defeated, you can nowexplore the areaa bit, allowing you to get another excellent item.From the island where you Absorbed the body,look to therightto see moreSpidersin the distance, along with somerock formations.
Make your way over therewhiletaking out the Spidersalong the way. Once youget behind the rock formations,you will see ablue and purple itemnear the back of the area, along withseveral large Spiders.These things are nothing compared to what you just slain, so you got this in the bag.
Loot the items to receivex2 Small Spirit Stone, x3 Transmutation Shard, a Spirit Orb, and the Necklace of Sealed Venom.Throw on the Necklace of Sealed Venom immediately, giving yousubstantial protection against the hazards of this awful swamp!
Keep Going
Now that you have your newly obtained Necklace equippedreturn to where the Elite Spider wasandhead up the ramp next to where it was sleeping.There will besome Spiders here,so take them out as you make your way up.About halfway upthe ramp,look to your leftto see alarge Spider.Use yourJavelintoinsta-killit.
From here,head up to where that Spider wasto find aChest.Throw it open to obtain theDecayed Greatsword, Slayer’s Helm, Veteran’s Ring, and Lightning Enhancer!
Finding A Familiar Face
From the Chest,turn around, head back down the incline,andfollow the pathway across.You will seeanother descending ramp;take it and follow it up until you see apath to the right.There will besome exploding Spidershere, so guard against them to avoid damage.
Follow theright pathuntil you see ared light emitting from the ground.Use yourJavelinandthrow it at the light,causing it tohit a worm hiding underground,killing it instantly. From here,drop down from where the worm washiding andlook directly acrossto see theBard.
Speak to the Bard toaccess his Shop,which will allow you topurchase all sorts of items and consumables.Stock up on what you need, thenreturn to the mainpath!
Almost There
Make your way back to where you took the right paththat led you to the worm. Except this time,continue going straightuntil you reach the next area. There will bemany pathways here,but justtake the left pathfor now. This will lead you directly to aBlade Nexus,serving as yourfinal checkpoint!
Ending Things With A Bang
Before you do anything else,make your wayback to the entrance of this areaand lookstraight aheadto see apile of woodblocking off a section of the cave. Use your weapons tohack through the barricadeand make your way through the tunnel.
Here, you will find thefinal set of explosives.Interact with them tolight the fuse,blocking off and obliterating the last of the Spider Eggs. If youdestroyed the others we pointed outin this guide, theupcoming boss encounter will be much more manageable!
Last Bit Of Exploration
To theright of the now-collapsed tunnelwill beanother poison swamp.Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as bad as the previous one. There will be anisland across the waywith acorpseon it. Make your way over to it andAbsorbit for someLacrima and Soul Tear Dust.
Directly to the rightof this island will be analcovewith asmall openingleading underneath it.Run through the openingto find the finalMysterious Ore.Smash it with your weapon, thenreturn to the islandto avoid getting poisoned!
From here,begin running through the poison swampuntil you see anarea on the leftwith someSpiders.Defeat the Spiders and pick up theitem on the groundto receivex15 Transmutation Shard.Next, headback into the swampand headall the way to the backto find aChestsurrounded bySpiders.
Take out the Spiders andopen the Chestto obtain theBard’s Wristguards, Bard’s Pants, Bard’s Shoes, and x2 Poison Cleanse Potion.Now, you canrun all the way back to the Blade Nexus,cash in your Lacrima, and prepare to end this mission once and for all!
Defeat Aratra
This is it. You’re finally at your last obstacle.Aratra.It’s anenormous Spiderthat hasseveral tricks up its sleeve.But so do you. If youdestroyed all the Spider Nests on your way here,this encounter will besubstantially easier,limiting some of its more annoying tricks and evening the playing field.
Formore information and strategies on how to defeat Aratra,we have your back. While this fight can still be challenging even with the Nests destroyed, any bit of help is appreciated, especially this late in the game!
