Accursed Citrine - Yet another Dark Soul/Madoka Magica Crossover

[X] Buy something from Oswald
-[X] Purging Stone (x2)
[x] Talk to Oswald
-[x] Have you've seen a young girl with long platinum hair?
-[x] That Lady Velka, who is she?



Curious of what could be causing the reaction, you crouch down and take a look through the bag. There's nothing overly interesting inside, mostly just a few scraps of paper and a big book. A few fancy-looking rings too, but you already have your own fancy ring, and you're not really sure how they'd be any use on your journey.

What does catch your interest, however, is the bundle of little black stones tucked into the corner of the bag. You pull them out and see that, just as you thought, they are those Purging Stone things Oscar showed you.

"Hey, how much for these?" You ask, showing Oswald the stones.

He looks down, his grin still present. "Ah, thou art expecting to be cursed, hmm? For one as experienced in sin as thyself, three thousand souls each is surely a simple price for safeguarding thou body and mind. Hehehehe!"

Three thousand each? That seems like a lot, but you do need these stones if you want to fight anywhere near your full potential. You're not sure you can afford the whole lot, though, so maybe it's best to only take a few and come back later.

"Alright," you say, splitting two stones from the bundle and returning the rest to the bag "I'll take two for now." You stand and summon your soul gem, willing the souls from it to Oswald.

The man chuckles again and nods. "Excellent! Thou exchange of souls will please my Lady. Though, I do hope thee will seek my services in the future."

Lady? Oh right, he mentioned a 'Lady Velka' in his introduction. You assume she's some kind of god or something, but this guy seems to be a bit hooked on the whole sin thing, so… "That Lady Velka person you mentioned before. Who is she?" You ask as you store your new Purging Stones in the bottomless box.

"The Goddess of Sin." Oscar answers instead. His tone is somewhat dark, and you spot him eyeing Oswald sharply through his visor.

"Wait, so she's, like… a bad god? Like a Shinigami or the Devil? Oh, or is she kinda like Enma or whatever his name is…?"

The pardoner chuckles. "I do not know what deities thou speak of, but my Lady oversees all aspects of sin and offers forgiveness for those who truly wish to repent. She knows of all sinners," he says, eyeing Oscar with a smirk before turning his attention entirely onto you "especially those who bear a great many sins. Of course, for those who do not hold any intentions in absolution, there can be no mercy." He reaches down into his bag and takes out that big book. "Their names art written down and passed on to the Dark Moons, treasonous as they may be."

"Treasonous?" Oscar repeats, sounding surprised. "I was under the impression all was well in Anor Londo. Is there some kind of dispute among the Gods?"

Oswald chuckles again. "In a way, but that art not the concern of us mere Undead."

Oscar seems a bit put off by the reply, but gods not getting along isn't anything of interest to you. What you do catch from Oswald's explanation is Velka can apparently see ALL sinners. And, while it was surely all to achieve a righteous goal, Oriko herself occasionally referred to her actions as sins.

"Hey, if your god boss lady can see all sinners, then you might be able to help me." You say, raising your hand to signal a question. "I'm looking for a girl a few years older than I am, with long platinum hair and bright blue eyes. She's probably wearing either a fancy white dress or and red school uniform."

"Hmm, I have not." Oswald replies, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Although, if thou believe her to be a sinner, her existence is likely known to Lady Velka, and her name inscribed within the Book of the Guilty." He says, emphasising the big book in his hand.

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[] Buy something from Oswald
-[] Write in

[] Absolve your sins

[] Talk to Oswald
-[] Write in

[] Leave
-[] Go see Andre
-[] Go see Ada
-[] Head back to Firelink Shrine
-[] Search for the second bell
--[] Darkroot Garden
--[] Head back through the Parish

[] Write in

[x] Buy something from Oswald
-[x] Book of the Guilty
[X] Leave
-[X] Go see Andre



You shoot Oswald a suspicious glare. "You just want me to buy your stupid book, don't you?"

He raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. You heave an overly exaggerated sigh. "Fine, I'll buy it. This thing better be useful…" You grumble, exchanging some of your souls for the big book.

The moment it's in your hands, you crouch down and crack the big book open to a random page. You immediately find yourself confronted with more words than you ever thought could possibly fit on one page.

"Hey, is there some easier way to read this thing? I'll go through the whole thing if I have to, but it'd be a pain…" You say to Oswald.

The pale man chuckles. "It is ordered by the severity and number of the offender's sins."

"How is that possible?" Oscar asks. "You would need to rewrite the entire book for every modification."

Oswald just smiles at him, and opening the first and last pages reveal he's telling the truth.

It's pretty easy to assume Oriko's listed pretty high. After all, while you'd decided to take on the weight of Oriko's sins, you couldn't do everything. Starting from the beginning, you flick through the thick pages, searching for the familiar circular shaped letter.

"Ah, here it is!" you exclaim, pressing your finger against the name 'Oriko Mikuni.' It was actually pretty easy to spot, once you got to the right page. Compared to the names around it, which only have a few things listed under them, Oriko's list of sins takes up half the column.

You frown. Your memory of Oriko was perfect, even at the detriment of other information at times, and you paid special care to remember every sin you were unable to take from her shoulders. That's why it's so strange that, despite you doing everything you can to be with Oriko as much as possible, there are a few things written under her name that you don't remember.

Were they things she did before you met her? As much as you would've liked, you can't go back in time to help her then, and she never talked much about her past beyond a few odd bits and pieces. That wouldn't account for all the extras, though. Did she go out of her way to hide her actions even when you were supposed to be her tool? You shake your head. No, surely not. You were her tool, and the point of a tool is to be used so you don't have to get your own hands dirty.

So that must mean the rest were done after, but… didn't you both die at the same time? Hell, you technically died before Oriko, so surely you would've woken up in this weird world first… right?

"Kirika," Oscar says, pulling you out of your thoughts as he leans over your shoulder "are you sure that's the right Oriko?"

"Huh?" You look up at him, not sure what he means. "Uh, yeah. It's one hundred percent her. Besides, I don't think there'd be many people with the name Oriko Mikuni around these parts."

"It's just… that list. It's fairly long, and the crimes themselves are nothing to scoff at." He says, uncertainly in his voice.

"Is that a problem?"

He goes quiet at your stern question. The two of you stare at each other for a while, Oscar leaning back and standing straight.

"N-No." He finally replies. "It's nothing. Nevermind."

You nod and close the book. While you didn't find any clues as to where Oriko might be, you at least know for a fact that she's here somewhere, still alive. They would've taken her name out of the book if not, after all.

Nodding again, you stand and put the book in your magic box before heading for the doorway. "Well, we've rung that big bell of yours, so let's get going. The quicker we find the second one, the quicker we can find Oriko, right?"

"Right…" Oscar replies. He gives Oswald a small nod before following after you.

"Thou art welcome anything. After all, it is only human to commit a sin." Oswald calls after you. His shrill laugh echoes strangely across the roof, as if plucked at by the blowing wind.



"So," you say once you reach the ground floor of the cathedral "should we stop by that blacksmith to see if your new sword's done yet?"

"We've only been gone a few hours at most, Kirika. I'm not a master of the trade, but smithing takes longer than that to compete." He replies, sounding doubtful.

"What? Nah, isn't it really quick?" You ask. "It's pretty much instant in the RPGs I played. Anyway, let's go a take a look. It's not like it'll be a problem either way."

"Aren't you the one that keeps saying to hurry up?" Oscar mumbles as he trails behind you. You decide to ignore him.

Soon, you start to hear the rhythmic ting ting ting of Andre's hammer and descend the stairs to see him working away at a sword with a fancy-looking hilt. The big man looks up from his anvil at your arrival and smiles.

"Well, hello again. I'm just making the final touches to your sword, if you're willing to wait."

"Already?" Oscar asks. "Gods, the details of the hilt alone should've taken you a good while. You must truly be a master smith."

"Andre waves the compliment off with a hearty chuckle. "Come now, I'm nothing so impressive. I'm merely well experienced in such swords."

He gives the blade a few more wacks, then holds it up to his eye. He runs his thumb along the edge before nodding and holding the sword out to Oscar. "Here you are, Sir Knight. It unfortunately lacks the divine blessings, but it's still a fine blade nonetheless. If I do say so myself."

"It truly is, sir." Oscar replies, accepting the sword. He admires it for a moment, then takes an offered sheath from the blacksmith and sheathes it within. "Are you truly sure you don't want compensation for this?"

"Hahaha! Not at all. It's enough for you to seek out the divine smith. I'd hate to see such a fine Astoran blade go without its shine."

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[] Buy something from Andre

[] Talk to Andre
-[] Write in

[] Leave
-[] Go check out that big gate
-[] Go search for this "divine blacksmith"
-[] Go look for the second Bell of Awakening

[] Write in

[X] Leave
-[X] Go search for this "divine blacksmith"



"I guess we better go find this 'divine blacksmith' then, huh?" You say, scratching the back of your head.

"Indeed." Oscar agrees with a nod. "If that is what you wish for compensation, then we'd best get to it. You mentioned he resides in Darkroot Garden?"

"Aye, somewhere within the place, though I'm not too sure how far in." Andre replies, gesturing at the doorway across from him. "Best be careful while you're in there. I've heard all manner of tales of what lurks within those woods, from killer trees to giant cats."

"We'll keep an eye out." Oscar says.

"Ah, before you go!" Andre stands and shuffles around his anvil. He grips his hammer tightly as he steps over towards the doorway. "There's a demon blocking the way to the garden. He don't cause much trouble, so I usually leave him be, but he won't take kindly to you passing through."

The two of you follow behind the blacksmith and low-and-behold, you see a big black-stone creature looming ominously at the other end of the large, badly ruined room. It has some kind of two-pronged shape behind where its missing head should be and is propping itself up on a long pole to compensate for a missing leg.

The demon stirs at the sound of movement, but Andre pays it no mind. Instead, he wanders over to a heavily dented section of wall. With a heavy swing, he hits the wall with his hammer. A loud boom echoes through the room at the impact, and the demon reels back. Another swing and it begins to shudder along with the echo. It freezes like a statue by the third swing and Andre scratches at his beard.

"Heh heh, alright, off you go."

You and Oscar stare at him. You can't see Oscar's face under the helmet, but you're sure he looks just as confused as you feel.

"You… what?" You mutter, still trying to figure out what just happened.

"How did you do that?" Oscar asks for you.

Andre shrugs. "Just a trick I learned from a friend. The creatures are made from a smith's power, so it takes a smith's touch to keep them in check. Comes in handy when I'm running low on Titanite."

"I see…" Oscar mumbles, looking over at the frozen demon. "We'll… go find that divine smith for you, then…"

Whatever trick Andre used to deal with the demon, you don't take any chances. You and Oscar both keep your weapons ready and eyes on the stony creature as you move past it. Beyond the subtle sound of the thing breathing, it seems almost like a statue, and you reach the other end of the room without confrontation.

When you step outside, you're caught off guard by the sudden change of scenery. The sky has darkened, blocked out by a thick layer of trees. Thick, mossy grass tickles your boots and bushes line the mossy walls of a small valley. The air is thick with humidity and the sound of a thousand different kinds of bugs.

"Gods, so this is Darkroot Garden." Oscar mumbles to himself as he looks around. "What would a smith be doing in such an untamed place?"

"How are we even going to find him in all this… plant-ness?" You ask, crouching down besides a strange flower glowing brightly.

"Well, there's only one path for now." He replies. "I suppose we carry on until we reach a split, then decide then."

"Guess that works." You say, standing and following after him through the little valley.

You soon come across another of those glowing flowers, and start to get the odd feeling of being watched. There's a few small trees growing on the sides of the valley and you eye them cautiously, waiting for something to jump out from one. Nothing happens and you pass the first group of trees without incident.

That's when you feel something wrap around your leg and you're pulled to the ground. Whatever has you begins dragging you away.

Oscar turns at your surprised scream and you hear him curse. He rushes after you with his sword raised. You hear a high-pitched shriek when he swings his sword down, and whatever had a hold of you lets go.

You turn to see a… tree? A small tree is scurrying off into the gloomy darkness. A thick mossy vine wiggles about on the ground for a moment, then stills.

"I suppose that would be the living trees Andre mentioned." Oscar says, watching the tree disappear. "Suddenly, this 'garden' seems a lot less inviting."

The two of you keep on alert as you continue on. Knowing what to expect now, you scrutinise each tree you come across. The next one doesn't even attempt to hide, instead charging right at you with its vine-like arms flailing about.

The vines wrap around Oscar's raised shield, but he easily cuts them off with a slash of his sword. While the monster reels from losing the ends of its arms, you dash forward and cleave through the centre of the thing with your claws. It shrieks, stiffens and falls to the ground like a felled tree.

"Well, at least we know they're not as sturdy as a real tree." Oscar says, picking bits of moss off of his shield.

"They splinter like they are." You grumble. Bits of wood managed to dig into your hand when you stuck your claw into the thing. Mostly just little splinters that don't even register, but one half as thick as your pinkie is stuck into your palm. Damn thing stung like a bitch when you pulled it out.

"So, which way do we go now?"

Oscar's question makes you realise you've come across a fork in the path. To the left, where the tree monster came from, is a thin path along a cliff. The way seems to turn a corner up ahead, so you don't really see much beyond more plants. To the right is another one of those glowing flowers, growing at the edge of another cliff. Taking a peak ahead reveals the path winds down the cliff into a deep basin.

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[] Follow the bad guys: take the left route

[] Follow the flowers: take the right route

[] Write in