Yelough Anix Tunnel

Included in this guide

The scope of Yelough Anix Tunnel consists of:

Not included

The following are neighbouring or connected places, but are not subareas of the tunnel:

This distinction matters because surface items, enemies and rewards from Yelough Anix Ruins should not be counted as tunnel content. The tunnel’s own fixed rewards are concentrated underground, while the ruins have their own encounters and loot.

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Requirements

Using the secret medallion sends the Tarnished through the Hidden Path to the Haligtree and out into the Consecrated Snowfield. From the exit, travel across the snowfield towards the western and south-western side of the map. The tunnel lies near the cliffs below Yelough Anix Ruins. Poor visibility, cliffs and powerful overworld enemies can make the approach more dangerous than the dungeon itself.

Practical approach

The lift shaft itself contains no important reward, so descend normally rather than searching the shaft for a hidden ledge.

Surface landmarks directory

These are nearby or associated landmarks, not internal tunnel subareas:

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Entrance corridor

After the lift and Site of Grace, follow the narrow tunnel ahead. A door at the end cannot initially be opened from this side. This is a shortcut door, not the main route.

Turn back and look for a hole in the floor. The intended progression is to drop carefully through this opening. The first fall leads to a ledge and the next drop reaches the frozen mining floor. Do not sprint blindly around the pit, since an accidental fall can cost health or kill a low-vitality character.

Frozen lower mine

The lower section contains miners that can initially appear inert or frozen. Approach cautiously and use backstabs where possible as they awaken. A corpse on a frozen lift holds three Freezing Greases, while nearby walls contain concealed Smithing Stone [8] deposits.

The ice makes the ore nodes harder to see than in ordinary mines. Sweep the walls with the camera, especially around corners, ledges and the edges of chambers.

Wooden-platform chamber

The route continues to a large chamber crossed by wooden platforms. A corpse on a narrow bridge holds Golden Rune [10]. A ladder leads to lower chambers containing miners, an Onyx Lord encounter and several valuable rewards.

This is the first major branch of the dungeon. Search below the platforms before climbing onwards, because the lower area contains the Rune Arc and Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.

Upper ladder and side-room section

Returning to the platforms and taking the north-eastern route leads to a side room with a miner, a corpse carrying Explosive Stone Clump ×6, a Somber Smithing Stone and a ladder. The following platforms contain more miners and additional standard Smithing Stones.

The narrow ledges make ranged attacks useful, but they also make careless rolls dangerous. Lock-on can pull the camera towards enemies below, so disengage lock-on when crossing the wooden beams.

Onyx Lord chamber and shortcut

The upper route eventually reaches a larger chamber where another Onyx Lord appears. The safest progression is to run through the chamber and open the shortcut door before committing to the fight. This creates a route back to the entrance and Site of Grace.

Once the shortcut is open, return and defeat the Onyx Lord if desired. The nearby corpses and alcoves contain a Hero’s Rune [5], standard Smithing Stones, Somber Smithing Stone [8] and Somber Smithing Stone [9].

Boss approach

After looting the deep chamber, return to the shortcut area and open the large wooden gate. One final standard Smithing Stone [8] is easy to miss near the boss-door approach. Beyond the fog wall is Astel, Stars of Darkness.

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Ordinary enemies

The miners are most dangerous when encountered on narrow platforms or while the player is focused on an Onyx Lord. Several can be backstabbed while they are waking or sitting near their work areas. Frenzy-related resistance and careful spacing are useful, although the mine’s main danger comes from ambushes, falls and gravity attacks rather than from a unique environmental status effect.

Onyx Lords

Two Onyx Lord encounters appear in the route through the mine, one in the lower chambers and another in the deeper upper section. Their gravity magic can pull the player across a room or interrupt an attempted escape. They also use heavy sword attacks and can punish healing in open ground.

The lower encounter can be managed from the surrounding narrow passages and platforms. The second encounter is more awkward because it occupies the route to the boss shortcut. Opening the shortcut first is therefore the most practical approach.

Enemy directory

The name Alabaster Lord appears in some secondary descriptions and older references, but the walkthrough sources used for the route identify the dungeon encounters as Onyx Lords. This guide uses Onyx Lord for the in-dungeon enemies and does not treat the terminology as a separate subarea or separate boss.

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Standard upgrade materials

The Smithing Stone [8] deposits are distributed throughout the mine rather than placed in one single reward room. They are particularly easy to overlook because the mine walls are covered in ice. Inspect the first frozen lower chamber, the platform room, the side-room route, the Onyx Lord chamber and the boss approach.

Highest-value fixed reward

The Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone is in the lower section associated with the first Onyx Lord encounter. It is one of the most important reasons to explore the dungeon even if the boss reward is not useful to the character’s build.

Boss reward

This is a sorcery dropped by Astel, Stars of Darkness. It is not found in a chest and cannot be obtained without defeating the boss in the base game.

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1. Activate the Site of Grace

Proceed through the entrance corridor until you reach the locked door.

2. Take the intended drop

Turn around from the locked door. Locate the hole in the floor and drop to the ledge below. Make the second drop to reach the frozen mine floor.

Defeat the nearby miners before looting. Search the wall for Smithing Stone [8] and collect Freezing Grease ×3 from the corpse near the frozen lift.

3. Cross the first platform chamber

Continue through the tunnel until it opens onto wooden platforms. Deal with the miners before crossing.

Jump to the narrow bridge and collect Golden Rune [10]. Use the ladder to reach the lower chambers.

4. Clear the lower chambers

An Onyx Lord is present in this section. You can fight it in the chamber or use the surrounding narrow passages to create distance. Ranged attacks are helpful, but melee characters should avoid being trapped against a wall by the Lord’s gravity pull.

Return to the ladder after clearing the area.

5. Search the north-eastern side room

Take the north-eastern exit from the platform chamber. Defeat or bypass the miner and loot:

Climb the ladder and check the platforms for more miners and another Smithing Stone [8].

6. Reach the second Onyx Lord

Continue upwards through the next ladder and rocky passage. You will enter a larger chamber where another Onyx Lord appears.

Do not confuse the shortcut with the large wooden gate leading to the boss. Opening the shortcut first prevents a death from forcing you to repeat the entire platform section.

7. Loot the deep chamber

After defeating the Onyx Lord, search the chamber and alcoves for:

Before entering the boss gate, inspect the area near the door for the final easy-to-miss Smithing Stone [8].

8. Defeat Astel, Stars of Darkness

Open the large wooden gate and enter the boss arena.

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Practical strategy

Astel’s head is the most reliable target for both melee and ranged characters, although the boss’s movement can make sustained head attacks difficult. The encounter is optional and does not block the main ending routes.

Boss rewards

The dungeon can then be exited through the return route or by travelling from the Site of Grace.

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The opening is a deliberate drop

The first locked door is not a dead end. The correct path is behind the player, through the hole in the floor. This is the dungeon’s main navigation trick and is easy to miss if you assume every mine follows a conventional corridor layout.

Ice hides the ore

The tunnel’s frozen surfaces make Smithing Stone deposits blend into the background. Rotate the camera around walls and look for the characteristic glint rather than relying on the shape of the mine.

Open the shortcut early

The second Onyx Lord is encountered close to the route leading to the boss. Running past it to open the shortcut is safer than trying to win the fight with no retreat route. Once the door is open, the Site of Grace is close enough that a failed attempt is less costly.

Platform falls

Several jumps are intentional, but not every apparent gap is safe. Use short controlled drops when following the route. Avoid rolling across narrow beams, especially while locked on to a miner below.

Boss teleport grab

Astel’s teleport can be more dangerous than its beam because the grab may kill a lightly armoured character outright. When the boss vanishes, stop attacking and prepare to sprint.

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Progression notes

The main practical missables are not progression events but overlooked pickups. The Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone, Rune Arc and several Somber Smithing Stones are easy to leave behind if the player rushes directly from the Site of Grace to the boss.

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