First Warden

Description
The First Warden is one of the famed Lords, and the first boss that Harkyn faces within the game. He takes the form of a large armored knight, sporting a tall tower shield and a flaming sword.

He is found within the monastery's altar chamber and challenges players using his shield and sword. The First Warden has four stages of health, and after each is depleted, a part of his armor will be removed and his moveset will change slightly.

Boss Fight
Within the first three stages, he will use his shield and perform slow melee swings of his sword. Staying away from the Warden as he does this ensures players are safe from damage and maintain a high stamina. The Warden also has two ranged moves: a shield charge and a sword slam that sends out flames in a line ahead of him. Both these moves are easily dodged by rolling to the side and leave the Warden open to counterattack.

In the last stage, the boss sheds his armor and shield, opting to use his sword with two hands. This results in a longer, spinning combo animation for close-range swings, which is best avoided by keeping a safe distance and moving backwards. The shield charge move also disappears, leaving only the sword slam as his main ranged attack.

Players should take heed of this boss and not rush in. Blocking his attacks with a shield still allows some damage to leak through, and opens Harkyn up to be staggered. Moreso, counterattacks should be timed well, as rushing in heedlessly can result in a player's attacks hitting the Warden's shield instead.

Defeating the warden opens the first checkpoint of the game and the nearby challenge stone.