Grand Archives

A vast library of wax-cursed scholars leading to the Twin Princes.

Suggested level: 75–85

Bosses

Twin Princes: Lord of Cinder Lothric, Younger Prince, and his brother Lorian. In phase two kill Lothric first, since he revives Lorian.

Bonfires

Grand Archives
Twin Princes

Items found here

Gotthard Twinswords: On Black Hand Gotthard's corpse near the Grand Archives bonfire once the Abyss Watchers, Aldrich and Yhorm are dead.
Onikiri and Ubadachi: Dropped by one of the three NPC hunters on the big staircase before the Twin Princes.
Thrall Axe: Random drop from Thralls, most common on the Grand Archives rooftops (a few also lurk in Consumed King's Garden).
Gargoyle Flame Hammer: Random drop from hammer-wielding Gargoyles; easiest on the Grand Archives rooftops.
Gargoyle Flame Spear: Random drop from spear-wielding Gargoyles; easiest on the Grand Archives rooftops.
Witch's Locks: Behind a moving wall opened by a lever in the dark room right of the first wax room.
Avelyn: On a ledge reached by a damaging running jump from a broken railing on the upper floors right of the first wax room.
Sage's Crystal Staff: Dropped by one of the three NPC hunters on the big staircase before the Twin Princes.
Crystal Chime: In the room behind the red-eyed Lothric Knight reached from the left staircase and a small ledge.
Golden Wing Crest Shield: Dropped by one of the three NPC hunters on the big staircase before the Twin Princes.
Outrider Knight Helm: Behind an illusory wall opposite the cursed books that spawn hands, high up past the second balcony.
Thrall Hood: Random drop from Thralls, most common on the Grand Archives rooftops.
Outrider Knight Armor: Behind an illusory wall opposite the cursed books that spawn hands, high up past the second balcony.
Scholar's Robe: Random drop from the Grand Archives scholars; the room of four casters up the inner elevator is a good spot.
Outrider Knight Gauntlets: Behind an illusory wall opposite the cursed books that spawn hands, high up past the second balcony.
Outrider Knight Leggings: Behind an illusory wall opposite the cursed books that spawn hands, high up past the second balcony.
Fleshbite Ring: In the room beyond the caster room with cursed bookshelves, up from the long bridge; wax yourself first.
Hunter's Ring: At the top of the rooftop tower guarded by three Winged Knights, left off the bridge before the Twin Princes.
Scholar Ring: Behind the shortcut opened by a lever near the bridge, high up past the four hand-spawning cursed books.
Sage Ring+1: NG+: on the rafters one level below the feathered cage inside the Winged Knight tower on the rooftops.
Lingering Dragoncrest Ring+2: NG++: in a hidden alcove two drops below the Hunter's Ring spot atop the rooftop tower.
Soul Stream: Grand Archives: behind an illusory wall in the hidden room guarded by a Boreal Outrider Knight.
Power Within: Grand Archives: on a corpse behind a hidden wall opened by a lever.
Divine Pillars of Light: Grand Archives: in the rooftop room after killing the three winged knights above the archives.
Grand Archives Key: On Gotthard's corpse by the Grand Archives door once Abyss Watchers, Yhorm and Aldrich are dead.
Cinders of a Lord (Lothric): Dropped by Lothric, Younger Prince and Lorian, Elder Prince.
Crystal Scroll: Grand Archives: dropped by the Crystal Sage copy that teleports around the first floors.
Greirat's Ashes: Grand Archives: only if Greirat dies on his Lothric Castle scavenging trip; on a ledge past the Corvian area.
Orbeck's Ashes: Grand Archives: on Orbeck's corpse after the Twin Princes fall, if he left the shrine to study there.
Soul of the Twin Princes: Dropped by Lothric, Younger Prince and Lorian, Elder Prince.
Estus Shard: Grand Archives: at the back of the upper roof where the three winged knights land.
Undead Bone Shard: Grand Archives: on a corpse inside, after re-entering the archives through a broken window from the rooftops.
Titanite Slab: Grand Archives: pull the lever between two cursed bookshelves upstairs, then open the chest behind the moved bookcase.
Titanite Slab: Grand Archives: reward for killing all three winged knights on the archives rooftop.
Titanite Slab: Grand Archives: send the lift by the Twin Princes up, ride the hidden second platform down to the slab.

Walkthrough: Grand Archives

Facing the Archives from the Dragonslayer Armour bonfire, go right and down for a Titanite Chunk.
Black Hand Gotthard's body by the Grand Archives bonfire carries the Grand Archives Key and the Gotthard Twinswords. It only appears after the Abyss Watchers, Aldrich and Yhorm are dead.
Inside, kill the lesser Crystal Sage for the Crystal Scroll.
If Orbeck has had all four scrolls and sold you every spell, he says goodbye and later appears as a summon for the Twin Princes.
On the left, a Crystal Lizard drops a Crystal Gem and a Twinkling Titanite.
Go right from the lizard and take the first left for a Soul of a Crestfallen Knight.
Climb the staircase and bear right to collect a Titanite Chunk.
After clearing the four scholars at the altar, dip your head in the wax to stop the curse hands from grabbing you for a while.
Past a Lothric Knight, the next room has the Crystal Chime.
Back outside, a Titanite Chunk is on the left; drop down for another.
From the altar turn around; a Titanite Scale sits on the bookcases to the right.
In the dark room, two Crystal Lizards drop Twinkling Titanite with a Chaos Gem, and Twinkling Titanite x2; a body holds a Soul of a Nameless Soldier.
Pull the lever on the wall to open a room with the Witch's Locks and Power Within.
Climb to the highest floor of the unlit room to grab a Titanite Scale.
Leaving the dark room, kick down the ladder as a shortcut to the ground floor.
Turn right before the ladder for a Titanite Chunk.
On the left a Crystal Lizard drops Twinkling Titanite x2.
The lever between the bookcases opens a room near the first wax altar.
Outside are Homeward Bone x3.
Inside, the left staircase leads to a second wax altar with a Titanite Chunk beside it.
Near the broken railing with one scholar, drop onto the shelf for a Titanite Scale, then lower again for the Avelyn.
Back at the first wax altar, the newly opened room behind it has a chest with a Titanite Slab.
Return upstairs and continue to the top; turn left into a corner for a Titanite Scale.
On this level, hit the gated wall at the back left to find a Boreal Outrider Knight with the Outrider Knight Set. The Soul Stream sorcery is out the back.
Leaving that room, turn left; a Titanite Scale is in the corner by the ladder.
Climb down; a Shriving Stone lies by the railing.
Before the bridge, the lever on the right opens a nook with the Scholar Ring.
Cross the bridge, ride the lift down and pull the lever to open a shortcut to the entrance.
If you plan to send Greirat on his last trip, now is a good time; his ashes are close.
Back on the bridge, drop off the broken right railing; a Crystal Lizard drops Titanite Scale x2. Use the lift and go upstairs.
At the back of the four-scholar room is a Large Soul of a Crestfallen Knight; a chest left of the exit holds Titanite Scale x3.
In the next room a Crystal Lizard drops a Twinkling Titanite and a Refined Gem; the Fleshbite Ring is to its right.
On a rooftop landing with a broken wall is a Titanite Chunk.
Follow the roofs and climb left for a Soul of a Weary Warrior.
On the big roof on the left, two Crystal Lizards drop Twinkling Titanite with a Heavy Gem, and Twinkling Titanite with a Sharp Gem.
Drop to the Corvians' platform; the little room on the right has a Hollow Gem and a Titanite Chunk is outside to the right.
Jump past the Corvians to a lower platform for Titanite Scale x3 and Greirat's Ashes if you sent him out.
Back on the lizard roof, follow the right wall and drop to another roof for a Titanite Chunk.
Keep to the right wall to a broken window: inside are the last Undead Bone Shard and an Ember, and a ladder to kick down.
On the far side of the Archives, a balcony body holds Titanite Chunk x2.
Step outside through the door on the path: Black Hand Kamui, Daughter of Crystal Kriemhild and Lion Knight Albert drop Onikiri and Ubadachi, the Sage's Crystal Staff and the Golden Wing Crest Shield.
On the stairs is a Large Soul of a Crestfallen Knight.
Further up is a lift shortcut to the Grand Archives bonfire.
Near the barricades before the Twin Princes, climb the stairs behind you; a Soul of a Crestfallen Knight is on the railing to the left.
On the roof with three Gertrude's knights, the last Estus Shard is at the very back.
Killing every knight on that roof gives a one-time Titanite Slab.
At the top of the tower is the Hunter's Ring.
NG++ only: the Lingering Dragoncrest Ring+2 is in an alcove opposite the ladder.
Enter the lower doorway and drop into the cage for Divine Pillars of Light.
On the rafters outside the cage is a Blessed Gem.
NG+ only: the Sage Ring+1 is on the lower rafters.
Drop to the stone rafters and climb down by the Man-grub; two chests hold a Divine Blessing and Twinkling Titanite x3.
Fight to the top of the barricades; a lift leads down to the Dragonslayer Armour courtyard.
Send that lift up and take the lift beneath it down for a Titanite Slab.
Orbeck can be summoned by the big metal door if he received all four scrolls and you bought all his spells.
Sirris can be summoned at the fog if you are allies.
Defeat the Twin Princes for the Cinders of a Lord and the Soul of the Twin Princes.
If Orbeck left the shrine, his body sits in a chair on the wooden balcony up the Archives lift, holding Orbeck's Ashes.
Hand the ashes to Yuria (if she asked for his death) for the Morion Blade; the Handmaid then sells his Clandestine Coat.
Sirris now lies at her grandfather's grave by Firelink with the Sunless Talisman; her Sunless Set goes on sale.
With Sirris done, offer a Pale Tongue to Rosaria and talk to Leonhard when he appears in her chamber (reload if needed). A Man-grub here may drop the Heysel Pick and Xanthous Crown.
Reload again: Rosaria is dead and her body holds the Black Eye Orb.
Take a lift up from the Aldrich bonfire and use the Black Eye Orb to invade Leonhard. He drops the Soul of Rosaria, Crescent Moon Sword and Silver Mask.
Leonhard's Set now goes on sale, and Ludleth trades the Soul of Rosaria for Bountiful Sunlight.