Manus, Father of the Abyss

Manus, Father of the Abyss is a boss in Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss.

Description
Manus is the final boss of the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. He is encountered in the Chasm of the Abyss.

It is possible to summon the past version of Great Gray Wolf Sif to aid in the battle. Sif's summon sign is found in the arena where the player fights Manus, inside the fog door.

Plot
Once the Chosen Undead has the Broken Pendant in their possession, Manus pulls them through a magical rift from Darkroot Basin into the past land of Oolacile.

He is discovered to have kidnapped Princess Dusk and is eventually confronted in the Chasm of the Abyss.

Lore
The people of Oolacile were fooled by a serpent — presumably Kaathe — to excavate Manus's grave, which incited his wrath. He is the cause of the Abyss, which threatened to swallow all of Oolacile.

Manus was once human and became the Father of the Abyss after his humanity went wild, eternally seeking his precious Broken Pendant.

After his defeat, his soul split apart into fragments. Eventually some of these soul fragments became self-aware and formed into their own entities. The fragments known to have done this became Nashandra, Elana, Nadalia and Alsanna.

Strategies
It is possible for the player to kill Manus outside his fog gate: If the player wishes to face Manus conventionally, it is advisable to equip Stamina-boosting items that such as the Cloranthy Ring, as well as a high-Stability shield that blocks physical damage. Only attack Manus after he finishes his jumping smash or frenzy combo, lest you be caught in the middle of his strikes.
 * 1) Kill all the surrounding Humanity Phantoms.
 * 2) Unequip all armor, then equip a fully upgraded longbow, Feather Arrows, the Symbol of Avarice, the Red Tearstone Ring. and the Hawk Ring.
 * 3) Unequip the Symbol of Avarice after the Red Tearstone Ring activates.
 * 4) Stand on the right side of the bridge that leads to the fog gate. There are a set of ridges, and on the third from the bridge, Manus's red eyes will be visible.
 * 5) Shoot towards the eyes until you successfully hit Manus. Keep shooting until his health is low. Now you have two options:
 * 6) Enter the fog door and finish him off.
 * 7) Kill him from the ledge. The fog gate will disappear and you'll gain his reward souls. When you approach the platform that Manus usually grabs you off of, you can roll off to land without damage.

Manus will start using his magic attacks at around 50% health. Use the Silver Pendant to deflect them, as they are difficult to dodge.

Long Arm Slam
Manus briefly holds up his shadowy limb then brings it down at the player. This attack can reach more than halfway across the boss arena and breaks the guard of most medium-stability shields, dealing moderate damage to the player. It can be dodged by rolling in any direction during its downswing. This attack is telegraphed by rapid movement along his shadowy limb.



Back Swipe
If the player is behind Manus, he can twist his arm all the way around to defend his back.



Catalyst Smash
Manus quickly strikes the ground with his catalyst, dealing moderate damage.



High Jump Slam
Manus jumps high above the player, then slams down with his catalyst and hand. This causes the player to lose their target lock afterwards.



Berserk Combo
Manus lets out a quick scream then performs four swipes and two downward smashes, potentially hitting the player six times. This deals high damage, and drains a lot of stamina if blocked.



Dark Orb Barrage
Manus uses his Catalyst to cast a barrage of Dark Orbs, similar to the sorcery Dark Bead. The Dark Orbs spread out in a fan shape, making it easier to evade by strafing/rolling at close range. The Dark Orbs also drop to the ground after a moment, limiting the range of this spell.

Manus telegraphs this attack by holding his Catalyst out to his left, charging it for a moment, then swinging it towards the player to release the Dark Orbs. This attack can break the guards of most shields, so try blocking it with the Silver Pendant.



Abyss Rain
Manus casts a dark sorcery where multiple Dark Orbs appear in the air above and rain down around him in a sizable area of effect. Each Dark Orb can home in on the player within a certain range. The player can use their invulnerability frames from fast rolling (12 invulnerability frames, 14 with the Dark Wood Grain Ring). Alternatively, use the Silver Pendant — it does not stop the Dark Orbs, but holds them in place above the player if you remain still, letting you roll away before the Silver Pendant wears off.



Abyss Cage
Dark Orbs propagate from above Manus, surrounding the entire arena before homing back in on Manus. This attack covers the entire arena, except for the area right next to Manus, like an inverted AoE. Dodge it by getting as close as possible to Manus once he starts casting. The Silver Pendant can also block this attack.