How to find the Demon's Souls Monumental and get back to killing demons
If you're wondering what The Monumental awaits thee above means, we can explain
When the Maiden in Black tells you that "the Monumental awaits thee above" in Demon's Souls it is not clear what she means. If you're playing for the first time you might be left wondering what you're meant to do at this point. The camera might pan ominously to clearly an arch and some stairs, but it's not clear where to go or what to do past that vague clue. There's not even any explanation what a Monumental even is. Which is why we're about to explain what the Demon's Souls Monumental actually is in Demon's Souls and how to find it.
The Monumental awaits thee above
When you return to the Nexus after killing the first boss, the Phalanx, you'll be greeted by the Maiden in Black who tells you "the Monumental awaits thee above". The camera pans up to clearly show an arch at the top of some stairs, but where you have to go after that, and what to look for, isn't really clear.
To get started, head up the outer stairs and keep going up until you reach the arch you were shown. Head through and up the narrow stairs you find inside, then keep going up until you reach a small circular widening in the corridor that opens out onto this balcony on the right:
It's a fairly narrow corridor so you could easily go straight past if you're running. Just check when you reach the circular areas as you go up.
Head out onto the balcony and turn right, where you should see walls lined with orange candles and a lot of shrivelled up bodies sitting on the floor.
Along this wall you should see one brighter candle on the floor, highlighting the only person that hasn't died and mummified where they are sat. This is the Monumental, so walk up and you should get a prompt to talk to them. There'll be a cutscene and, once it's played out, you'll be able to progress with the rest of the game.
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I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.