The Awakening of Ys

“The Awakening of Ys” is the main Easter egg on Ker-Ys. It can be played with 1 to 4 players, with no time limit between steps, and ends with the fight against Dahut, the Drowned Queen, in the heart of Sunken Ys. Completing it makes your Perks permanent for the rest of the match and unlocks the Ys camo. For the map itself (zones, doors, weapons, Perks), see Ker-Ys.

The steps at a glance#

1. Restore Power in the engine room.
2. Ring the three bells in the order shown on the chapel’s stained glass.
3. Carry Dahut’s Tear from the fountain to the lighthouse lens.
4. Feed souls to the three reliquaries (chapel, graveyard, cave).
5. Take the Silver Key in King Gradlon’s crypt.
6. Purify the key during the Lighthouse vigil: it becomes the Key of Ys.
7. Hold the siege of the Gate of Ys in Dahut’s Cave.
8. Defeat Dahut, the Drowned Queen in Sunken Ys.

Before you start#

Zones to open. The Easter egg crosses almost the whole island: Church Street (fountain), The Trenches, The Bunker and The Engine Room (Power), Saint-Gwénolé Chapel (stained glass, bell, reliquary), Shipwreck Beach (the wreck’s bell), Sailors’ Graveyard (reliquary, crypt), Ker-Ys Lighthouse (bell, lens, Forge of Ys) and Dahut’s Cave (reliquary, Gate of Ys). The fastest way into the cave is the Rock-Cut Stairs (1,250), from the lighthouse. Door prices: Ker-Ys.

On-screen hints. The current step’s objective is shown at the top left from the start of the match, at every step. The radio transmissions tell the story of Project Morgane but are no longer needed to see it.

On-screen markers. Purple markers, with their distance, show where to go at each step: the three bells and the stained glass (working out the order is up to you), the fountain then the lighthouse lens, the reliquaries still to fill, Gradlon’s sarcophagus, the Forge of Ys, the generator or the lighthouse during the vigil, the Gate of Ys and the dark menhirs during the siege, Sunken Ys, then the pearls of Dahut’s shield. The Power has its own marker (see Doors, barriers and Power).

One item at a time. You can only carry one item at a time: if you take the Tear or a key while holding a buildable part, the part drops at your feet (pick it up again later).

Step rewards. Each completed step from the 2nd to the 7th gives 1,500 XP to every player present.

Step 1 — Power#

Open the way to The Engine Room, under the bunker, and flip the Power switch (cheapest route: Harbor Stairs → Garrison Roadblock → Bunker Armored Door → Service Stairs, 3,000 points). The lighthouse beam turns on white and the chapel’s stained glass lights up: the bell step begins.

Step 2 — The chimes of Ys#

Three small engraved bells are hidden around the island:

• in the bell tower of Saint-Gwénolé Chapel;
• under the crosstree of the wreck’s mast (“Le Morgane”), on Shipwreck Beach;
• on the lighthouse’s outer gallery, around the lantern room.

Each bell bears a symbol: fish, star or cross (randomized every match). The great stained-glass window in the chapel’s north end shows the order to follow, from top to bottom, with three medallions (blue fish, golden star, red cross), also randomized.

Shoot the bells in the order shown on the window. As soon as the first correct bell rings, the “Chimes of Ys” meter counts down 60 s to ring the other two. A wrong bell or running out of time resets the sequence (“The chimes fall silent”); shooting a bell already rung in the current sequence does nothing. The bells also ring before Power is on, but they only count from this step onward.

Success: “The Knell of Ys.” The fountain on the square starts weeping and, a few seconds later, the hidden Ankou’s Web machine lights up in Dahut’s Cave.

Step 3 — Dahut’s Tear#

1. On Dahut Square (Church Street), collect Dahut’s Tear from the fountain (F).
2. Carry it to the lantern room at the top of the lighthouse and place it in the lens (F).

If the carrier goes down, leaves the match or drops the Tear, it immediately returns to the fountain (“Dahut’s Tear slipped away”): you have to make the trip again. Escort the carrier.

Success: “The lens blazes.” The lighthouse beam turns blue and three reliquaries light up.

Step 4 — The soul reliquaries#

Three reliquaries hunger for souls:

• chapel: in the nave, near the altar;
• graveyard: in the middle of the Sailors’ Graveyard;
• cave: in Dahut’s Cave.

Any zombie or Ankou hound killed within 8 m of a lit reliquary (and at roughly the same height) sends its soul into it. Each reliquary needs 12 + 4 per extra player (12 solo, 24 with four); the “Reliquary souls” meter shows the total. Kills from Kaboom and corrupted Drowned don’t count; trap kills do. If a player leaves the match, the requirement drops right away.

Success: once all three are full, “King Gradlon’s crypt opens”: in the graveyard, the funeral chapel’s slab slides aside and reveals the stairs down to the crypt.

Step 5 — The Silver Key#

Go down into King Gradlon’s Crypt and take the Silver Key from the king’s sarcophagus (F).

The first time it is taken, Gradlon’s guardians appear: Divers rise from the graveyard’s tombs (2 solo, 3 with two or three players, 4 with four). They don’t count toward the round and drop Power-ups. Be ready to fight your way out of the crypt.

If the key carrier goes down or leaves, the key returns to the sarcophagus (“The Silver Key slipped away”); the guardians, however, do not come back.

Step 6 — The Lighthouse vigil#

Carry the Silver Key to the Forge of Ys, in the lantern room, and place it there (free). The Forge is then busy with the key until the end of the vigil.

The Lighthouse vigil starts immediately: the round is paused and the Ankou sends his own attackers.

• The “Purifying the Silver Key” meter fills in 75 s of light, but only while the lantern is lit and at least one standing player is in the lighthouse zone (tower, moor, keeper’s house). It never goes down.
• At 25%, 55% and 80%, lightning strikes the lightning rod: the lantern goes dark and purification stops. Go down to the generator, at the foot of the lighthouse between the tower door and the keeper’s house, and hold F for 2 s to restart it.
• In the dark, the horde rushes in: the Drowned spawn twice as fast and in greater numbers.
• At the start, a pack of Ankou’s hounds drops at the foot of the lighthouse (6 solo, +3 per player). After that, every 22 s, a pack (2 hounds + 1 per player) drops alternately on the lantern gallery and on the moor.
• At 50%, the castaways rise on the moor: Divers (1 with 1–2 players, 2 with 3 or 4) climb to the lighthouse.

At 100%, the purified light sweeps the lighthouse: every vigil attacker collapses and the round resumes. Take the Key of Ys from the Forge of Ys: any player can pick it up.

Step 7 — The siege of the Gate of Ys#

Carry the Key of Ys into Dahut’s Cave, to the monumental Gate of Ys (the Rock-Cut Stairs, from the lighthouse, is the shortest way). If you lose it on the way, it returns to Gradlon’s sarcophagus as the Key of Ys: you have to go back to the crypt for it.

Before inserting the key, buy ammo, Perks and upgrades: the siege starts as soon as you turn it in the lock (F). The round is paused; the siege has its own attackers.

The meter. “Gate of Ys opening” starts at 25% and rises on its own: 100% in 150 s if nothing slows it down.

What drains it:

• Corrupted Drowned (blue eyes): they rush straight to the gate and ignore you. Each one that reaches it strikes it (−5%) and collapses. Kill them first; they don’t drop Power-ups.
• Glyph menhirs: four menhirs surround the gate (fish, star, cross and crown symbols). They go dark one by one (about every 14 s solo, 9.5 s with four); hold F for 1.5 s to relight one. A menhir that has been dark for more than 8 s drains 1.5% per second.

The three waves (a wave that has started never goes back):

The Floodgate Warden (boss bar) is a corrupted Diver, tougher and more heavily armored than a regular Diver. He comes out of the water point farthest from the gate and marches on it, crushing anyone who gets within 6 m. Once there, he pounds it: −3% per blow, with a shockwave that hurts players within 3.8 m. As long as he lives, the gate is held at 95% (“The gate is held”): you have to kill him.

Failure and retry. If the meter drops to 0%, “The floodgates close”: every siege attacker collapses, the round resumes and the key stays in the lock. After a few seconds, turn it again (F): the siege restarts from wave 1, at 25%.

Success: at 100%, “The Gate of Ys is open” and every attacker collapses. The round resumes normally.

Step 8 — Dahut, the Drowned Queen#

Once the gate is open, there is no rush: the fight only starts when a player goes down onto the flooded square of Sunken Ys (within 19 m of its center). Get ready first (see the tips).

As soon as a player gets there, the music changes, the round is paused, every player still outside is pulled into the antechamber (at the top of the grand staircase) and the gate seals behind you. Dahut emerges a few seconds later.

Health and weak point#

• Health = 380,000 × number of players × (1 + round ÷ 25). Examples: 608,000 solo in round 15; 1,368,000 with two in round 20; 3,040,000 with four in round 25. The sooner you fight her, the less health she has. On Easy difficulty: ×0.6.
• Weak point: the head and crown, which take ×2.5 compared to the body, whatever the weapon.
• No effect on her: Kaboom, Insta-Kill, traps and falls.
• Her health is capped at each phase threshold (66% and 33%): you cannot skip a phase.
• She stays near the center of the square (within a few meters): you can keep your distance around the edges.

Phase 1 (100% → 66%)#

Dahut attacks at a moderate pace with four attacks:

Phase 2: the shield of the abyss (66% → 33%)#

At 66%, Dahut lets out a cry and becomes invulnerable. The Queen’s Guards, Divers, rise from the water (1 solo, 2 with two or three players, 3 with four).

1. Kill the Queen’s Guards: the shield’s pearls only appear after they fall (or after 75 s).
2. Break the three pearls: on top of the west column, on top of the east column and on the statue of King Gradlon, where its fallen head used to be.
3. The shield shatters: Dahut is stunned for 4 s. Empty your magazines into the crown.

Two attacks are added:

Phase 3: Dahut enraged (33% → 0%)#

At 33%, “Dahut is enraged”: she moves and turns faster, chains her attacks, casts three whirlpools and three orbs, triggers a tidal wave every 16 s, and her cries call the Ankou’s hounds (2 hounds with 1–2 players, 3 with 3 or 4; never more than 3 + 1 per player at once).

Dahut’s damage scales with the match difficulty (×0.85 on Normal, ×0.5 on Easy and Discovery, ×1.5 on Realistic). With 100 health (without Menhir), a point-blank tail slam or a tidal wave nearly puts you down.

When she dies, her Drowned, guards and hounds collapse with her: “Dahut is defeated.”

The ending and rewards#

A few seconds after Dahut dies, the ending sequence starts: a white fade, ending music and a four-part narration (“Ys is freed,” “The lighthouse shines gold,” “The Ankou turns back”). The lighthouse beam turns gold. Then the arena door reopens and the match continues: you can keep playing rounds.

Rewards for the players in the match:

• 15,000 XP (plus 1,500 XP for each of the six steps);
• the animated Ys camo;
• the “The Awakening of Ys” emblem and the “Liberator of Ys” title;
• “The Awakening of Ys” achievement and, depending on the match, “Alone Against the Queen” (solo) and “Rising Tide” (in under 75 minutes);
• the Easter egg’s entry in the Archives, and progress on challenges that ask you to complete “The Awakening of Ys.”

By number of players#

The more players there are, the denser each step’s horde (faster spawns and higher caps).

Lost items and failures#

Tips#

• Do the secrets first: the Stone Gulls give the whole team a 5th Perk, the Will-o’-the-Wisps a free Perk, and the Mass for the Dead an automatic revive (do it right before the fight, between two steps: the altar stays silent during the vigil, the siege and the fight).
• Perks for Dahut: Menhir (250 health) first, then Quicksilver, Marathon to dodge, Mule for a third weapon and Second Wind.
• Weapons: high sustained-damage weapons upgraded at the Forge of Ys, aimed at the crown; the Dahut’s Trident as backup. Keep grenades for the Queen’s Guards and the hounds.
• Don’t dawdle: Dahut’s health grows with the round; the intended range is 2:30 to 3:30 of fighting with upgraded weapons.
• During a tidal wave, don’t try to shoot: run behind the nearest column or into one of the two ruined temples, on either side of the square.

Checked against the game on November 9, 2026