Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen – How to Reach and Lower Eir’s Raised Ladders in Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

During the Forsaken Dominion main quest Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way, you must complete the objective “Aid Eir in activating the magickal barrier” by rousing the statues around Lorade Castle. Once the first statue is active, two rope ladders rolled up atop walls roughly 8 metres tall stand between you and the second. Neither wall has a prompt at its base or anything to grab onto. Eir hurls the Arisen upward, but he hits the top and falls right back down.

Quick answer: Hold the forward key (W) through Eir’s throw and keep it held until the Arisen is standing on the wall top. Then press F at the rolled ladder to lower it.

Running at Eir below the second raised ladder with forward held: she crouches with her shield up, the Arisen steps on it and is thrown onto the battlement. Then the “Lower Ladder” prompt on the rolled ladder, and Eir at the second statue: “Now to awaken it.”

Why the Arisen keeps falling back down

Eir provides the lift. Beneath the rolled-up ladder, she waits by the wall; approach to within roughly a metre and a half and she’ll crouch, lift her shield, and fling the Arisen up. The prompt shown there is “F Hail (Hold to Talk)”, but speaking with her isn’t necessary. Just approach and the throw triggers.

The Arisen steps onto the raised shield of Eir, who crouches in a snowy corner under icicles at the foot of a stone wall — Eir crouches with her shield up and the Arisen steps onto it.

If you stop beside Eir or release the forward key mid-throw, the Arisen clips the wall’s upper edge and falls back beside her, prompting another attempt.

There is no Hook Tether Post, alternate route, or climbable surface at the foot of these walls. Eir’s throw is the way up.

How to land on the wall top

Back away from Eir so you are standing about 7 metres from the wall. Face her and the corner directly under the rolled ladder, with your weapon sheathed.

The Arisen runs across snow toward Eir, who waits in the corner of a wall hung with icicles — Run straight at Eir in the corner under the ladder and keep forward held.

Run straight at Eir with W held and do not release it. Keep pushing forward as she crouches and throws you. Hold it all the way through until the Arisen is standing on top of the wall.

The Arisen in the air above the edge of a snow-covered battlement after Eir's throw — With forward held, the throw carries the Arisen over the edge of the wall top.

At the top of the wall, head to the rolled ladder by the edge. You’ll see the prompt “F Lower Ladder”; press F to drop the rope ladder down the wall.

The F Lower Ladder prompt displayed at the edge of the wall in the snowy ruins — The “F Lower Ladder” prompt at the wall’s edge drops the rope ladder once you are standing on top.

The Arisen is unable to move while Eir’s spoken lines appear. Press F (“Next”) to dismiss them, then head to the edge. You can travel up or down a lowered rope ladder without a prompt: stand on its upper end, between the two posts, and press S to descend or W to ascend.

The first raised ladder

The foot of the first ladder sits on a snow ledge, with the rolled ladder resting on the wall top between two snow-capped piers. Run at Eir with forward held, land on the wall top, then use “F Lower Ladder” at the rolled ladder on the edge. After a landing here Eir calls up, “Now let down the ladder, and I shall join you!”

The second raised ladder and the statue

From the top of the first ladder, walk a short distance west along the wall to reach the second. Its foot is tucked into an icicle-covered corner beside a pointed-arch window, where Eir is waiting. Make the same run toward her and keep W held until the throw ends.

This throw puts the Arisen on a battlement of snow-covered stone blocks, where Ghouls and Skeletons are waiting. Clear the undead first. Once they are down, Eir calls from below: “Are you all right up there?” / “Oh? You felled the beasts alone? Impressive.” / “Pray, let down the ladder, and I shall see to the statue.”

The Arisen climbing over snow-covered stone blocks on the battlement above the second raised ladder — The landing on the battlement above the second ladder.

Dismiss Eir’s lines with F, then select “F Lower Ladder” on the rolled ladder. As soon as it reaches the ground, a cutscene places Eir on the battlement before the statue, a round carved stone disc south-east of the ladder. She says, “Now to awaken it.” Press F.

Eir saying Now to awaken it at the statue with the Next prompt visible in the snowy ruins — The cut to Eir at the statue, where pressing Next through her line awakens it.

If Eir stays at the foot of the first ladder

At the first ladder, Eir may stay at the bottom after you lower it, with only “F Hail (Hold to Talk)” showing. She might not relocate if you continue along the wall, wait, or climb the ladder in either direction. One fix that worked was opening the Pause Menu, selecting System, choosing “Save and Return to Title”, and then loading the save again. On reload, Eir was next to the Arisen atop the wall.

How to know it worked

After you press F at the statue, a scene plays in which a golden dome rises over Lorade Castle, and the banner reads “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way / You helped Eir reawaken all of the statues.” Your objective then updates to “Cut off the fiends’ point of entry”, confirming the second statue is awake.