Look, the Black Knife Catacombs are a total nightmare if you don't know the trick. Most players stumble into this northeast Liurnia hole expecting a standard dungeon crawl, only to get sliced into ribbons by skeletons that just won't stay dead. It’s located right at the end of a long ravine north of the Ruined Labyrinth. You’ll know you’re there because a headless Mausoleum Knight is literally standing guard outside, looking like he’s waiting for a reason to end your run. Don’t even bother fighting him if you’re low on flasks. Just sprint past.
The vibe inside is claustrophobic. It’s damp. It’s filled with those annoying guillotines that want to turn you into a tarnished pancake. But the real reason this place is legendary (and frustrating) is that it hides a secret boss most people miss on their first two passes. You think you’re here for the Cemetery Shade, but the real prize is the Black Knife Assassin hiding behind a fake wall.
Navigating the Chaos and Finding the Secret
Once you touch the Site of Grace, head down. You’ll see skeletons. Normally, you just hit them while they're glowing on the ground to finish them off, right? Not here. Some of these guys are tethered to a Necromancer. You have to find the guy holding the torch and kill him first, or the skeletons will just keep standing back up like a bad horror movie trope.
Basically, you’re looking for a room with three massive, rising guillotine blades. This is the heart of the black knife catacombs walkthrough and the part where people usually get stuck.
Don't just run under them. Wait.
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When the middle blade slams down into the floor, stand on top of it. It’ll carry you up to a secret balcony. This is the only way to progress. From here, you’ll find a Necromancer you can finally smack down, which stops the archers below from harassing you. Follow the path, and you'll reach a dead end with a couple of skeletons.
Hit the back wall.
It’s an illusory wall. Behind it is the golden fog gate for the Black Knife Assassin. This isn't the main dungeon boss, but she’s the one you need for Rogier’s questline. She drops the Black Knifeprint and the Assassin's Cerulean Dagger, which is honestly one of the best talismans for FP management if you're running a crit-heavy build.
Tackling the Two Bosses
Honestly, the Assassin is the harder fight. She’s fast. She’s invisible-adjacent in the way she moves. If you’ve been following D, Hunter of the Dead’s quest, you can actually see his gold summon sign outside her door. Take it. Having D tank a few hits makes this significantly less of a headache.
She has this grab move where her hand glows red. If she catches you, it’s probably game over. Dodge toward her or to the side, never backward.
Once she’s down, don't teleport out. You still haven't opened the main door. Go back to that balcony area and look for a hole in the floor near a skeleton archer. Drop down, and you’ll find yourself in the sewer area with some giant crabs. This is where the lever is. Pull it to open the heavy stone doors at the very beginning of the dungeon.
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The "official" boss is the Cemetery Shade. It’s a joke compared to the Assassin, but it has a nasty spit attack that binds you in place. If you get stuck, the skeletons in the room will gank you.
- Use holy damage.
- Bring a summon like the Lone Wolves to distract the skeletons.
- Focus the Shade immediately; it has very low HP.
What You’re Actually Taking Home
You get the Twinsage Sorcerer Ashes from the Shade, which are decent if you need a magic-using spirit. Behind the boss is a chest containing Deathroot. You need that for Gurranq over in Caelid if you want those beastly incantations.
Also, if you brought a Stonesword Key, there’s an earlier room with Rosus’ Axe. It’s a solid Strength/Intelligence weapon, though mostly a niche pick for collectors.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Prepare Holy Damage: If you have the Sacred Blade Ash of War, put it on a backup weapon. It makes the skeletons and the Cemetery Shade trivial.
- Quest Check: Ensure you've talked to Rogier in Roundtable Hold before doing this, or you might have to double back later to trigger the quest dialogue for the Knifeprint.
- Grab the Sentry's Torch: If you find the Assassin too hard to track, the Sentry's Torch (sold by the hermit merchant in Altus) reveals invisible enemies, though it's not strictly necessary for this specific version of her.
- Lever Location: If you can't find the lever, remember: it’s in the flooded area under the floor, accessible only by dropping down from the upper balcony reached via the guillotine lift.