[X] While at Firelink… -[X] Go rest at the bonfire with Oscar
According to the stat-sheet we're still 10HP short. Might as well take the free bonfire healing while we can get it, rather than waste magic or Estus later. Right?
[X] Afterwards…
-[X] Head back up to the cathedral --[X] Go look for the blacksmith Ada mentioned
Oscar's still using the (rather poor condition) short sword we bought for him. While I have no doubt a knight like him knows quite well how to wield it, I still think we should look into getting him a new longsword. He was using one when we met him after all so I can only assume it's his preferred weapon, and thus he'd hopefully be even more effective with a more suitable replacement.
[X] While at Firelink… -[X] Go rest at the bonfire with Oscar
[X] Afterwards…
-[X] Head back up to the cathedral --[X] Go look for the blacksmith Ada mentioned
[X] While at Firelink…
-[X] Go rest at the bonfire with Oscar
[X] Afterwards…
-[X] Head back up to the cathedral
--[X] Go look for the blacksmith Ada mentioned
Curious if we wait on seeing the Fire Keeper, would the Fire Keeper's soul we gain would fade away?
It doesn't in game. But then this isn't in game is it? Still, I feel like the Authorial bunny is classy enough to give us some kind of warning if that was going to happen.
Adhoc vote count started by AClassyBunny on May 31, 2021 at 9:13 PM, finished with 8 posts and 5 votes.
[X] While at Firelink… -[X] Go rest at the bonfire with Oscar [X] Afterwards… -[X] Head back up to the cathedral --[X] Go look for the blacksmith Ada mentioned
[X] While at Firelink… -[X] Continue talking to Petrus for a while [X] Afterwards… -[X] Head back up to the cathedral --[X] Go look for the blacksmith Ada mentioned
[X] While at Firelink…
-[X] Go rest at the bonfire with Oscar
[X] Afterwards…
-[X] Head back up to the cathedral
--[X] Go look for the blacksmith Ada mentioned
You catch the cleric eyeing you strangely once Oscar's back is turned, and feel his gaze following you as you go after your companion. He seems polite, but there's definitely something weird about him. Maybe Oscar said he was less than friendly, but he seems more suspicious than anything else. Whatever the case, some weirdo cleric isn't your problem.
You catch up with Oscar at the bonfire, sitting down next to him as he stokes the flame and refills the Estus Flask with the liquid embers that flickers out. More embers float up and around you, seeping into your wounds. You can't help heaving a relieved sigh as the warm feeling washes over you and the pain tickling the back of your mind fades away.
Oscar leans back after going through the same healing process and gazes up at the light peaking in through the giant tree cover. After a few moments of silence, he looks down and reaches into his bag, retrieving the wrapping of dried meat you got from Ada and picking a piece out. After returning the rest to his bag, he reaches up and lifts his helmet's visor before ripping off a bit of the meat strip with his teeth.
"It hasn't been long since we left the priestess's shrine, but it's good to take time to rest. What?"
A quizzical expression crosses the man's face when he sees you staring at him. Little wisps of his short-cut light brown hair hang down from beneath the helmet to make a kind of upper frame for his somewhat sunken blue eyes. His jaw's well angled, but still round enough that it isn't overly pointy.
"Kirika? What's wrong?"
You blink and close your mouth. "Uh, nothing. I just didn't expect you to look… normal."
He raises an eyebrow. "What did you expect? For me to be some hollow husk?"
"Uh, no. I didn't really think about it." You admit with a shrug. "I guess I didn't really consider what you looked like under the helmet."
"Right… Well, I am human, after all. I do have a face." He says with a small shake of his head. He puts the rest of the dried meat in his mouth, then climbs to his feet. "I'm going to go see the Firekeeper before we go. See if she has a use for the soul we found."
"Oh, right. I'll hold down the fort here, then." You reply, sitting up straight and giving him a mock salute.
Oscar heads across the little firepit and passes the moody knight still sitting in the same spot, disappearing down the stairs behind a tree. Mr Moody watches him go, then klicks his tongue and shakes his head.
"Off to see the Firekeeper, ey? Heh, doubt he'll even get a reaction from the morose lass."
You scoff and give him a disinterested look. "Maybe she just ignores you because you're such an ass."
He leans forward with a wry smirk. "She's mute, you bloody idiot. They probably cut her tongue out to make sure she never speaks any of the gods' names in vain."
You tilt your head, confused. "They? Who's 'they?' And why would they cut her tongue out?"
"The gods, the church, her own damned family. Pick one!" He replies sarcastically. "Everyone's a bunch of bloody fanatic idiots, and she's just as stupid to martyr herself for some nonsense cause."
You huff and roll your eyes, losing interest in this guy's stupid rambling. He seems to catch on and shuts up, leaving you to watch the flames flicker around the ashy bones of the bonfire.
Oscar returns a few minutes later, his visor down again. You don't notice anything different about the Estus Flask at his hip.
"So… did she take it?" You ask, nodding back at the stairs he just came from.
"She did. I think…" Oscar replies, kneeling down beside the bonfire. He takes the Estus Flask and holds it to the light, and the orange-gold liquid shines slightly more than usual. "I'm not sure what difference it has made, but she seemed thankful. It's hard to tell without her being able to speak."
"Right." You mumble, eyeing the fire. After a moment, you get to your feet and stretch, noting a satisfying pop of your back cracking. "I guess we should get going. No point wasting all day sitting around doing nothing."
"Agreed." Oscar replies. He takes a moment to glance at Mr Moody, then the two of you make your way back into the ruins. He shares a nod with Petrus (you try to mimic him, getting an odd look from the cleric) as you pass, and soon you're heading back up the elevator.
The metal gate pulls away once you reach the top and the two of you step out into the open room of the cathedral. Not much has changed in the short detour, but you keep an eye out for trouble just in case.
"So, are you satisfied with your exploration?" Oscar asks, scanning the room. "I would very much like to get to the Bell of Awakening."
You shrug and nudge him with your elbow. "Come on, I told you the bell isn't going anywhere. Besides, We still need to find that blacksmith for that priestess. Don't you know you always do the side quests before finishing the main story?"
He stares at you for a moment, then shakes his head with a sigh. "Fine. She said the smith was just past the Parish, so it shouldn't be far." He says, crossing the room for the exit in front of you.
You hurry after him, grinning. "Yeah, right. Hey, maybe we could get him to make you a new sword? That one we got from the Hollow guy is-"
An arrow flies past your face and embeds itself into the archway next to Oscar. You follow its path back to a Hollow scrambling to reload a crossbow off to the left. Two more Hollows with a sword and shield each rush towards you from the right.
You share a glance with Oscar, then the two of you jump back into serious mode.
Summoning your claws, you jump the stone railings of the stairs coming down from the doorway and lunging at the crossbow Hollow. The thing sees you coming and just barely manages to get his weapon up in time to catch your attack. Unfortunately for him, the rotting wood and rusty metal of the crossbow barely even hinders your magic claw, and you cleave three large gashes down the Hollow's body.
Oscar, meanwhile, has moved to intercept the sword Hollows, stopping them where the stairs reach the ground. He blocks the first Hollow's attack with his shield and leans his head to the side to avoid a thrust from the other. Instead of attempting to bring his sword around, he wraps his sword arm around the second Hollow's sword (using the metal strap to avoid having it severed) and yanking it out of the thing's hand. With the second Hollow disarmed, Oscar kicks the first's thin leg and pushes back with his shield when the Hollow stumbles.
The Hollow falls back on its butt and stares up at Oscar before he thrusts his sword through the thing's open mouth. The second Hollow charges at your friend with its shield raised above its head, but you lunge forward and wrap your claws around its neck before it can bring it down on him. Oscar gives you a thankful nod as the Hollow's head falls to the ground, followed closely by the rest of the body.
"Looks like that witch creature missed a few Hollows." Oscar comments as he wipes his sword on one of the Hollow's clothes. After a moment, he nods towards a path leading down through a bunch of trees. "This seems to be the only other path away from the cathedral."
The two of you follow the path, past a bunch of broken pillars and a stone arch, all the way to a ruined shrine of some kind. It's a much smaller, humbler building than the big cathedral you just came from. No statues or grand features, just a small altar and a set of stairs leading down below.
A rhythmic banging of metal on metal echoes up from those stairs, and you know you've found the blacksmith.
Following the stairs down, you're surprised to find a bonfire burning in the middle of the floor below. A wooden floor. You don't claim to be a genius on fire and things burning, but you're pretty sure the floor should be burning right now. Maybe it's… fireproof wood? Oscar doesn't seem too bothered by it, although it's hard to tell when all you can see is his helmet.
As you pass the bonfire for another set of stairs, you notice a side path leading outside and to a massive gate. Said gate is a part of a big brick castle-looking structure. Maybe somewhere to check out after you get around to ringing Oscar's bell.
The two of you descend the next set of stairs and come across another strange sight. A big shirtless man with a bushy white beard is sat at an anvil, hammering away at a sword with arms almost as wide as your waist. Surrounding him is a bunch of different weapons and shields, the finished ones looking pretty decent to your untrained eye.
The muscular man looks up from his work with a smile, sweat making his skin shine in the light of a pair of torches flanking a doorway leading to another set of stairs. "Ah, well, good day to you. You must be new arrivals here. I'm Andre of Astora. If you require smithing, speak to me."
Oscar nods in greeting. "It seems many an Astoran has been drawn to Lordran. I am Oscar of Astora and my companion here is named Kirika Kure."
"Yo." You chime in, giving the big guy a wave.
"Aye, it's always a pleasure to meet a fellow Astoran." The smith says. He looks your knight friend over. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be missing your sword."
Oscar shifts awkwardly and draws the shortsword at his hip, showing it to Andre. "Uh, yes, indeed… It was lost in an encounter with a demon and we were forced to acquire another weapon from a nearby merchant."
Andre lets out a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a growl as he takes the sword and looks it over. "Hmm, what a mess. Whoever had this blade before you didn't know a lick of weapon care. It can likely still be salvaged, but it'll require a bit more than a simple touch up."
"Ah, there's no need to trouble yourself with it. There's actually something else we came to see you for." Oscar says, reaching into his bag and taking out the hammer Ada gave you. "We met a priestess at the nearby shrine who asked us to bring this hammer to you for repair."
"Hahaha, so you've met that wolf of a priestess Ada, did you? An oddity among the clergy, that one." Andre muses, taking the hammer. "Don't you worry, sir knight. I'll have this hammer fixed up in no time and take it back myself. I'll see what I can do about smithing you a new sword while I'm at it."
"As I said, there's no need to concern yourself with that." Oscar says, waving the offer off. "I'd ask to see what blades you have on hand, but you don't need to go to the effort of making a whole new weapon."
Andre shakes his head, causing drops of sweat to fly off the ends of his beard. "Nonsense, hahaha! What's a Knight of Astora without a proper Astoran sword, eh? Think of it as a thank you for helping Ada out."
Oscar hesitates for a moment. "If you insist…"
----------------------
You and Oscar have 7594 souls between the two of you.
[X] Check if Oscar wants to get a better backup sword.
-[X] If not, get his shortsword repaired.
I get the feeling that Andre isn't going to instantly magic up a new sword, that kind of stuff takes time to do right so we'll probably have to come back for it later. Though I sure won't complain if he wants to prove me wrong.
In the meantime, while It might be functional and apparently not beyond repair for that matter, that short sword is still in miserable condition. It's better than nothing, but you could also say that about a pointy stick. A sword that's never been allowed to reach such bad condition might be worth the investment if only to ensure that it doesn't break at an inopertune moment, of course, if Oscar feels otherwise then we really should get his current weapon as fixed up as possible.
[X] You don't need a sword but you wonder what he makes of your claws? Can he do anything with them?
I doubt this will actually go anywhere useful, but hey: might as well. Worth case: WE pay him some souls to look at the claws, he breaks them, and then we just summon a new set. Best case: our claws get dead killy(-er).
[X] Head back to the cathedral
We should probably get to the bell on the sooner side of things, but I figure we might as well finish scouting the place out before moving on. If Oscar complains, remind him that getting jumped from behind by enemies we were unaware of is generally not beneficial to any plans that involve us not dying.
Adhoc vote count started by AClassyBunny on Jun 7, 2021 at 10:39 PM, finished with 5 posts and 4 votes.
[X] Check if Oscar wants to get a better backup sword. -[X] If not, get his shortsword repaired.
[X] You don't need a sword but you wonder what he makes of your claws? Can he do anything with them? [X] Head back to the cathedral
[X] Check if Oscar wants to get a better backup sword.
-[X] If not, get his shortsword repaired.
[X] You don't need a sword but you wonder what he makes of your claws? Can he do anything with them?
[X] Head back to the cathedral
"So," you ask, peeking over at the line of weapons and shields standing up against the wall to Andre's left "what are you going to get?"
Oscar steps over to the weapons and looks over the selection. He's quiet for a while, picking out a few of them and inspecting them with what you assume to be a professional eye. He seems to decide on one after giving it a few swings, and returns the others to their place. "These blades are well made, Sir Blacksmith." He comments as he returns the sword to its sheath.
Andre chuckles. "I thank thee, Sir Knight. I take great care in my work. You can just call me Andre, though. I'm just a blacksmith, after all."
"I see." Oscar says, nodding in understanding. "Well then, Andre, I shall take this longsword. How much do you ask? Oh, and I would feel unfair if you were to forge a new sword for me without compensation."
"Hmm, alright then, if you insist." Andre replies, scratching his beard. "The longsword'll cost you a thousand souls, and I'll two hundred for the new Astoran sword."
"Only two hundred…? Surely the intricacies of such a weapon is more effort than two hundred worth?" Oscar asks, sounding doubtful.
Andre shrugs and nods his head towards the doorway opposite his corner. "Well, if it bothers you that much… I will require a special type of ember to add the holy shine any Astoran blade bears. If you find some time in your journey, I'd ask you to seek out the divine blacksmith that's rumoured to reside in Darkroot Garden."
"If that's all that you ask, then we'll see what we can manage once completing the task we're in the Parish for." Oscar replies.
"Hahaha, thank you, good knight!" Andre laughs. "And what about you, young miss? I don't see any weapons on you, and I don't take you for a priestess or sorcerer."
"Huh, me?" You ask, caught by surprise. You were so busy giving Oscar a death stare for turning down free stuff that you didn't consider the blacksmith would turn his attention to you. "Uh, well, I don't need a sword or anything, if that's what you're asking. I already have my claws."
As you say this, you hold up your hand and summon a set of claws in a flash of magic. Andre's bushy eyebrows raise at the sight of their faint glow.
"Gods, what magics is this?" He exclaims. "May I have a closer look?"
You don't see the harm in letting him hold them, so you cut the magic keeping the claws connected to your hands and hold them out to Andre. He takes them with surprising gentleness and examines them closely.
"Fascinating…" he muses, running his hand along a claw's surface. "I've seen weapons be imbued with power and magics occasionally take the temporary form of a blade, but these appear to be condensed magic of a different kind altogether. The energy resembles something like the soul magic of sorcerers, but somehow still being physical blades…"
"If they're physical blades, does that mean you may be able to modify them like any other blade?" Oscar asks.
Andre holds one of the claws up to his ear and taps a finger against it. "I'm afraid not. Perhaps a blacksmith from Vinheim could, but I have no experience with magic weapons. Thank you for letting me inspect these, however, miss. They're fine masterworks, however they're forged or created."
"Uh, thanks?" you reply, retrieving the claws and dispelling them back into your soul. So, you might be able to get an upgrade for your claws if you find someone from a place called Vinheim? Getting a power up of some kind would be handy, but maybe it's not worth the effort if it means sidetracking your search for Oriko.
As you muse, Oscar transfers the agreed upon souls to Andre. The faint wisp of souls swirls out and into the blacksmith at your friend's will. Once the transaction is over, you and Oscar decide it's about time to head back to the cathedral and say your goodbyes to the blacksmith.
Heading back up the way you came, you follow the path out of the little shrine and back to the cathedral where you assume the Bell of Awakening is. Your way up to the second floor is much easier than the first time without a witch and a bunch of bad guys to fight through, and you soon reach the big-ish room you fought in.
"I believe there's a ladder leading up to the roof in that room." Oscar says, gesturing at a doorway at the back of the room. "We've already done a fair bit of exploring and should be getting back to ringing the bells."
Silly Oscar, surely he should've realised by now that saying that room is the right way to go will only make you want to go another way. For example, the hallway leading to the other end of the cathedral.
"Come on, Oscar. Let's at least check the last place inside the cathedral first." You say, giving him a smirk. "You never know, there could be bad guys hiding down there, just waiting for us to turn our backs!"
Oscar heaves a resigned sigh and heads for the hallway in question. "Fine, if it will satisfy your curiosity…"
You hurry after him with a victorious grin, but it turns out to be far less exciting than you'd hoped. The hallway is pretty uninteresting besides yet another dead red-caped knight. Beyond is a curved area overlooking the first floor with a short side passage and a pair of boarded-up doorways. You don't see anything worth checking out in the side passage (is that a corpse in a barrel?) but the boarded-up doorways are at least a bit interesting.
"Hmm, odd. This barricade appears to have been put up in a hurry." Oscar says, placing his hand against the wood. "I can't see any kind of danger to block off through the gaps, either."
"Maybe there's treasure inside?" You offer.
"Perhaps… but surely they would at least put more effort into blocking the way if that was the case?"
"Well, there's only one way to find out." You say, taking a few steps back. "Move."
"Wait, you're not thinking-"
You sprint forward before Oscar finishes and launch forward, slamming into the makeshift barricade with a heavy kick. The wood cracks and falls back under your attack, and you find yourself in a small room entirely empty except for a flight of stairs leading up.
"Was that really necessary?" Oscar asks, stepping through the doorway and over the shattered bits of wood.
"How else would we get through?" You reply, shrugging. "Come on, looks like there's a way up here."
Oscar follows behind with a sigh as you head up the stairs. What treasure or goodies await you at the top?
Despite your hopes, what meets you at the top of the stairs is not at all what you expected. A small cell is all there is, a figure in weird-looking gold armour sat inside. The figure looks up at your arrival, the spikes at the top of his strange helmet reminding you of a crown. "Well, you two seem human, what with all the noise you're making. It's my lucky day, it seems."
"I can't imagine many would consider being locked in a cell lucky." Oscar says, reaching the top of the stairs behind you. "Who are you to be locked away like that?"
"I am Knight Lautrec of Carim. As you say, I've been locked away in this prison, however it's an unfortunate set of events that have led me being in here. Certainly nothing of my own recourse." The strange knight pauses for a moment, as if thinking. "Say, I have duties I must fulfill. Would you respectable fellows be willing to help this poor knight? Of course, I'd be obliged to reward you for the help."
You and Oscar share a look. "This fellow seems suspicious, Kirika." Oscar whispers, glancing over at the knight in the cell. "Offering a reward for freeing him from a cell he avoids saying why he ended up inside is more than questionable, and, well… the people of Carim have a somewhat sinister reputation."
As much as I hate to say it, we might as well let him out. We are part of the warriors of sunlight and thus helping people is something we've agreed to do, jolly cooperation and all that. Still, lets take Oscars advice on being leery of the jailed knight and make a point of not turning our back to him.
[X] Free Lautrec
-[X] But Make sure he won't stab you in the back the moment he's out of your sight. It's only a precaution.
[X] Free Lautrec
-[X] But Make sure he won't stab you in the back the moment he's out of your sight. It's only a precaution.
You shoot Lautrec with a suspecting eye. "What are you going to do when you get out?" You ask.
"I will fulfill my mission, of course. It's a pressing matter, but you'll have to forgive me for not explaining it to a pair of strangers." He replies, an odd tone in his voice.
You fold your arms and think. Avoiding questions and offering bribes is pretty suspicious on it's own, and if Oscar says there's some dodgy things about this Carim place, he's probably not lying. Hell, even you can understand being locked up in a cell isn't exactly the best sign of being a decent person. That said, it's not like you haven't done plenty of things that would put you behind bars yourself. Maybe it's all just some big misunderstanding? Or maybe he's done something for someone else's sake? Besides, you told Solaire you'd help people, right? This would probably be one of those times.
Of course, just because you're going to help someone, doesn't mean you have to trust them.
"Alright, I guess we can help you out." You say, stepping up to the cell door. "But don't try anything funny or I'll kick your ass."
"Heh, yes, of course. I haven't seen my captors for a while, but the key should be somewhere around here. If you can find that…"
Holding out your hands, you summon your claws. With a quick slash at the top and bottom of the door, the bars tumble to the ground with loud clangs. Lautrec stares at the cut bars for a moment, then stands.
"I guess that works as well." He says, stepping out through the bars. "Thank you sincerely. I do truly appreciate this."
"Right…" Oscar mutters, eyeing the pair of curved blades hanging at the man's sides. "I suppose you'll be off to 'complete your mission' then?"
The two knights stare at each other for a while, a thick tension between them. Lautrec is the first to cave and shakes his head with a chuckle.
"Well, first I'll have to work on putting together your reward for freeing me. You've aided me, so I should return the favour."
"A reward, huh…?" You mumble, frowning. "Oh, I'm looking for someone! At least for me, I'd count any help with finding her a reward."
"And what does this person look like? I've been locked away in that cell for some time now, but I may have seen them." Lautrec asks.
"Her name's Oriko and she has long ash-coloured hair and green eyes." You reply. "She'd be wearing either a fancy white dress or a red uniform."
Lautrec folds his arms and shakes his head. "I haven't seen her, but I'll keep an eye out." He says before looking to Oscar. "And what about you? What would a fellow knight be after?"
Oscar eyes him for a moment. "I don't need any kind of compensation for freeing you."
"Are you sure? I do hate owing people unpaid debts." Lautrec asks in a vaguely sharp tone. "Surely an honourableand just knight such as yourself has something he needs help with, at the very least?"
"Well… I am seeking the Bells of Awakening."
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Lautrec says in an almost mocking manner. "There's one of those bells at the top of this cathedral. I've heard the things are guarded by the most vile of beasts, so I can repay my debt by helping you slay whatever's up there."
Oscar goes quiet, but sighs when you give him a shrug. "Fine, but know that I do not trust you." He finally says, turning and heading back down the stairs.
"Tsk, think yourself as a bloody hero, I suppose?" Lautrec mutters, barely audible through his helmet. He glances at you, then follows after Oscar. You make sure to keep an eye on him as you take up the rear.
The three of you backtrack the way you came, making your way down the hallway to the room you fought the Witch in. Oscar leads you across the room to the side area and you see a raised section with a ladder. After following the two men up said ladder, and then another after that (why not just have one big ladder?) you find yourself on a small bit of floor with a doorway leading out onto the roof.
On the ground, right next to the doorway, is a brightly glowing scribble of what you assume to be some kind of words. Wait, didn't Solaire say something about a glowing sign or something? Maybe this is what he was talking about?
--------------------
[] Touch the glowing sign before heading through the doorway
