In Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, the descent from Majula into The Gutter and Black Gulch remains one of the most punishing stretches for any Bearer of the Curse. A single missed ladder in The Gutter can turn a clean run into a fall death, and one panic roll in Black Gulch can poison-lock a player's Estus before The Rotten's fog gate. Even in 2026, with the game long past its original release, the SotFS enemy placements and torch mechanics still demand respect.