Dark Souls is filled with challenging areas, dark caverns, and hard-to-solve riddles. Dark Souls games also have hidden areas for players to discover. None of the hidden areas across the Souls series is as infamous as the Painted World of Ariamis.
This area is found in the original game in the series and surprised many players when they first discovered it. The wild, frostbitten area was quite different than the rest of the game (and much more challenging for some). Players better come prepared before they make the journey to the Painted World or they may get stuck there and never return.
Where Is Ariamis Located?
Ariamis isn't the most obvious place in the game. After all, there are hardly any indications that there is a whole new world hidden away in the depths of the game. The Painted World is located in Anor Londo. As players traverse through the area, they will come across a large room where they will walk across scaffolding.
On the floor of this room, against the wall, is a giant painted that reveals the world of Ariamis. To access the floor of this large cathedral, players will need to cross the scaffolding and make it to the large circular elevator. Take it down and it will lead to the cathedral's floor.
Go Back To The Asylum
To access the Painted World, players will first need to get their hands on the Peculiar Doll. This raggedy old thing can be found where players first begin their journey at the Asylum. To return to the Asylum, players need to head to Firelink Shrine and travel to the top of the ruins near the bonfire.
At the top of the ruins, players will find the giant crow that brought them from the Asylum. Players need to curl up in the bird's nest and wait. After some time passes, the player will get carried off back to the Asylum.
Grab The Doll
Once players get back to the Asylum, they need to follow the route they took at the beginning and head back to the cell they started in. For starters, avoid running through the center of the arena where the Asylum Demon boss fight is.
Running through the center of the arena will cause the player to fall into another boss fight. Be careful on the route back to the starting cell because it is now guarded by multiple Black Knights. Take care of the Black Knights and grab the doll, then head back to the crow.
Enter The Painting
Once players have their hands on the doll, they need to travel back to the painting in the cathedral in Anor Londo. Once players have the Peculiar Doll, players will be able to interact with the painting. Interacting with the painting will initiate a cutscene that shows the player touching the painting and getting sucked inside. They will then wake up in the Painted World of Ariamis.