Scorpion River Catacombs

What counts as Scorpion River Catacombs

For this guide, Scorpion River Catacombs means the enclosed dungeon reached through the catacomb entrance, including:

The outdoor river, the spider scorpions, Vulgar Militiamen and other enemies outside the doors belong to Rauh Base. They are useful route markers, but they are not part of the catacomb’s interior enemy directory.

Likewise, the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, Temple Town Ruins, Taylew’s Ruined Forge and the wider Rauh Base overworld should not be treated as subareas of this dungeon. Rauh Base and Ancient Ruins of Rauh are separate named areas in the DLC’s regional hierarchy.

Nearby but separate places

The closest useful approach is generally from the Rauh Base river routes. One documented route begins at Ravine North, travels west and then south, and follows the river until the statues and guarded doorway mark the catacomb entrance.

Reaching the entrance

The entrance is in Rauh Base, near the river below the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.

The entrance does not require a Stonesword Key, a quest item or a boss victory elsewhere. It is an ordinary open-world dungeon entrance once the surrounding route is reached.

Preparation

The dungeon can be completed without a special anti-Death Blight weapon or torch, but the hazard is substantially easier if you either destroy the relevant eyes, break their line of sight or move through their fields quickly.

1. Entrance lift and Site of Grace

Open the catacomb doors and take the lift down. The Scorpion River Catacombs Site of Grace is close to the bottom of the opening lift, making it safe to establish a checkpoint before exploring.

Rest here before proceeding. This replenishes healing, ammunition and any consumables you may need for the Death Blight sections.

2. First imp chamber

The first major room contains a Cannon Imp. Close the distance carefully. Its ranged fireball is more dangerous in the confined entry area than its melee attacks, so interrupt it quickly if you have a safe opening.

A passage leads towards a larger room containing another imp, including a hatchet-wielding Lion Imp. Side passages and drops can place additional imps behind or above you, so do not assume that killing the first enemy has secured the room.

3. First Basilisk Eye bridge

The first important hazard is a bridge watched by Basilisk Eyes projected from a statue. When the eyes are active, standing in their vision builds Death Blight. Filling the meter kills the player, so the correct response is not to trade damage with the imp on the bridge. Move decisively through the affected area.

The first encounter is designed so that a fast crossing is possible without any special equipment. The later sections are less forgiving, so learning how the effect works here is important.

4. Spike-ceiling section

The next area introduces the catacomb’s other signature danger: ceiling spikes. These chambers contain raised platforms and narrow spaces where the trap can crush the player if approached without checking the timing.

Do not rush directly beneath a lowered ceiling. Watch the trap cycle, identify the safe ledges and use the vertical layout to move between levels. The reward route for Black Knight Captain Huw is associated with this early ceiling-spike section.

Black Knight Captain Huw

Black Knight Captain Huw is found in a room with a ceiling-spike trap. The Spirit Ashes rest on an altar in the centre of the room, guarded by Tarnished enemies and a Black Knight. Clear the guards before collecting the ashes, as trying to grab the item while enemies remain can leave you trapped beneath the hazard.

This is a fixed pickup, not a random enemy drop.

5. Imp Head (Lion)

The Imp Head (Lion) is positioned on a high platform near the early spike-trap area. It is easy to miss if you simply follow the safest floor-level route.

Look above the first major spike section and search the elevated ledges before continuing. The item grants a Vigor bonus while worn, making it useful for increasing maximum health at the cost of occupying the head armour slot.

6. Lower bridges and moving Basilisk Eyes

Further into the dungeon, the route becomes a network of bridges at different heights. Some Basilisk Eyes move through corridors or cover the route from above. You can often avoid unnecessary buildup by following behind the eyes, using pillars and walls as cover, or dropping to a lower bridge at the correct point.

One lower bridge leads towards a ladder. The ladder route is important because it reaches a side room containing the cookbook reward. Do not remain on the main bridge merely because it appears to be the obvious path.

7. Ancient Dragon Knight’s Cookbook (2)

At the end of the lower-bridge route, climb the ladder and deal with the Cannon Imp and Lion Imp in the adjoining room. A chest contains:

This is a fixed chest reward. It is not part of the boss treasure and does not require the Death Knight to be defeated.

8. Knight’s Lightning Spear

Knight’s Lightning Spear is found along a side route reached from the bridge section. The spell fires a main lightning spear with additional projectiles, making it particularly attractive to Faith builds that already use lightning incantations.

To obtain it, explore the ledge and adjoining room near the Basilisk Eye route rather than taking the final lift immediately. The item is a fixed dungeon pickup, not a Death Knight reward.

9. Great Ghost Glovewort

A Great Ghost Glovewort can be collected after the section containing the large Bigmouth Imp. This is one of the dungeon’s most practically valuable rewards because it upgrades a Spirit Ash to its maximum level when the other upgrade requirements have been met.

The item is a fixed pickup rather than a random drop.

10. Final lift and boss arena

After collecting the side-room rewards, continue across the bridge and take the final lift down. Check that you have used the Site of Grace and prepared your preferred consumables before entering the arena.

The final encounter is against the Death Knight.

Ordinary enemies

The verified interior enemy directory includes the following named enemy types:

The dungeon’s Catacombs Sorcerer belongs to the wider DLC enemy type found in the catacombs of the Realm of Shadow. These sorcerers use death-related magic and can drop Ghost Glovewort variants, although the dungeon’s fixed rewards should not be confused with random enemy drops.

Enemies outside the entrance

These enemies belong to Rauh Base rather than the dungeon interior:

They are nevertheless useful landmarks. Seeing the river scorpions and the militia near the statues usually means that the catacomb entrance is close.

Main threats

The draining attack is particularly important. When the Death Knight drops to roughly half health, be cautious about staying directly in front of it. The safest approach is to avoid greedily extending attack strings and to preserve stamina for an emergency dodge.

Boss rewards

Defeating the Death Knight grants both of the following:

The axe is a guaranteed drop from the Scorpion River Catacombs Death Knight. Its description links the weapon to the ancient dragon cult’s lightning and to a Death Knight who served as a guard of Godwyn and protector of the Prince of Death’s cadaver surrogate.

Checkpoint

The major guide sources agree on this reward set. The dungeon also contains ordinary consumables and upgrade materials, but published directories vary in how comprehensively they catalogue minor pickups. The list above therefore focuses on the named and mechanically significant rewards that can be verified across the available sources.

Death Blight

Death Blight is the most serious hazard. Rejuvenating Boluses can reduce the buildup, but prevention is better than relying on a cure after the meter is nearly full.

Basilisk Eyes

The eyes are environmental threats rather than ordinary enemies in the normal sense. Their position and movement patterns determine whether a crossing is safe. They can sometimes be destroyed or neutralised with appropriate skills, but simply sprinting past them is often faster.

Spike ceilings

The spike traps punish players who focus solely on the floor route. Search vertically for ledges, ladders and platforms. Some rewards are deliberately placed above or beside the safest-looking route.

Ambushes

Imps can drop from above or attack from narrow side passages. Enter rooms from the edge, look upwards and avoid committing to a bridge until nearby enemies have been identified.