What's going on with the fog at Firelink Shrine?

Sometimes when I return to Firelink Shrine, I try to leave it (via the front door that you first enter it from). Occasionally, there is grey fog blocking my path. Unlike boss door, I can't just press a button to walk through it. If I wait long enough, it eventually disappears and lets me out of the shrine.

This also happens when I die and respawn there after trying (and failing) to kill the tough swordsman just outside the temple.

What's going on with this fog?

4 Answers

It is to cut load times when traveling to Firelink Shrine. Since all of the services (leveling up, merchant, blacksmith) are inside of the shrine, the player has to travel back every time they want to do something. Instead of loading the entire area, the game only loads the much smaller interior of the shrine. The fogwalls are there because the outside of the shrine is still loading, and will drop as soon as it's done.

It happenes when you dont go to firelink shrine using the first category of places lets say u are in cathedral of the deep and click on firelinkthe shrine on the bottom the fog will appear spawn outside where u defeat the first boss the problem is then fixed

In other souls games that meant someone was about to invade you. If the fog eventually disappears. They couldn't complete the connection.

It's because you probably purchased the tower key and they only access to the tower is through the window of fire link shrine. I think maybe if you buy it early then the game won't let you go there until a certain time