So I was playing with a random yesterday in a non-shared progression session. I had just joined before the Judge Cleric fight and after that was done, we returned to Skyrest.
I proceeded to show the way back into Upper Calrath by way of the shortcut from Skyrest but was surprised to find that the door was still closed. The only other way I know into Upper Calrath would be via the lift in the Cistern ... which is where we went and indeed, the host had nerver gone up in this playthrough before. The umbral tumor wasn't blocking the door as it usually does in this state of the playthrough, which also was surprising.
It was a bit hectic then because the host went running around not really waiting for me to show them certain things. Halfway through Calrath, they ran into the arena where the Lightreaper spawns without removing the umbral tumor (I was teleported in and couldn't either :/). We fought for a bit and kept the boss at about half health but eventually died.
Because of the rush before, the host didn't put down a seedling, so we respawned at the vestige in the lift room ... but now, the umbral tumor was there blocking us from getting back into Calrath.
With the shortcut never opened and the door in the lift room blocked, how will they ever get into Bramis Castle?