Part 69: The Depths VI
- Location
- The Land of Giant Bush Bunnies
[X] You decide to…
-[X] Learn pyromancy
[X] Afterwards…
-[X] Take Laurentius back to Firelink and talk more on the way
--[X] Ask more about Pyromancy
Some random dude you rescued from a barrel is offering to teach you how to shoot fire from your hands. What reason is there to not accept?
Really though, pyromancy. Shooting fire from your hands. It's really no question.
"I mean, if you're offering." You say with a shrug, trying to sound cool and definitely not way too excited about this. "So, what do I need to do?"
Laurentius smiles and gives a satisfied nod. "Hold out your hand. Whichever you prefer to have free in a pinch."
You obediently hold out your left hand and he wraps both of his own around it.
"Right, now close your eyes and relax. This may hurt, but just think of it as kindling a fire."
Again, you do as he says and close your eyes. You do your best to loosen your body, focusing entirely on your hand.
Laurentius closes his grip on your hand, and you feel a faint warmth against your palm. That warmth grows rapidly, until you start to feel the flickers of fire brushing against you. You resist the urge to pull away and regret it. The heat grows stronger still, burning into your hand. You can feel your flesh searing under the intensity and the heat runs up your arm, culminating in your chest. You let out a yelp of pain.
"Kirika?!" Oscar exclaims, stepping forwards to intervene.
Before he can do anything, however, Laurentius releases your hand and the burning stops. The pain still lingers in your hand and the heat spreading throughout your body is still alight, but something immediately feels strange.
The burning in your chest recedes to something almost comforting, like the feeling of eating a filling meal. Instead of a roaring agony, it's become something of a subtle flicker.
You look down at your hand, the burnt flesh already starting to heal.
"What… was that?" You ask, looking up at Laurentius.
"A fragment of flame." He replies, holding out his hands in a bowl shape. "Now, your hand, please. Don't worry, it won't hurt this time."
You're somewhat reluctant after what just happened, but do as he says and place your hand palm-up in his.
"Focus on the fire that has been kindled within you. Imagine it as an extension of your will, of your soul. Draw it out and focus it on your palm. Picture it in your mind."
You try your best, imagining the heat creeping up your arm just a moment ago happening in reverse. The warmth in your chest flickers to life, though not so much that it hurts. It slowly runs down your arm and to your palm, where is swirls as if trying to escape.
After a few seconds, a tiny spark flickers to life in your palm, floating just above your skin.
"Like the Witch of Izalith gifted her flame to her daughters and Lord Gwyn rewarded his allies with fragments of his soul, we pyromancers pass down flickers of our flame to the next generation." Laurentius explains as the tiny flicker grows. "I have given you a portion of my own burning soul to nurture and grow. With it, you can harness the fire that burns within you and give it physical form."
Listening to all this, you stare down at the little flame in your palm with awe. This fire is you. Really, this isn't much different from holding your soul gem in your hand. This, however, has a completely different feeling. Like something intimate and… more real.
You look up at Oscar, grinning giddily. "Look, Oscar! I'm doing pyromancy!"
He nods. "Indeed. Uh… well done."
"And now, your first use of your flame…" Laurentius says, but pauses and lowers his hands. "Ah, actually this might not be the best place for it. Let's move somewhere less… flammable."
While you can't smell anything yourself on account of having switched off your sense of smell, you notice Oscar glance over at the barrels.
No one objects, so the three of you head back out of the storeroom. The prospect of wading through the back slosh again doesn't seem too popular with Oscar and Laurentius, so instead you hop up onto a ledge and drag some of the benches over. Pushing them down, you gradually build a makeshift pile for the two guys to climb upon.
Laurentius seems satisfied with the dining area as a 'learning pyromancy' space and turns to you. "Alright, this will do. For now, I'll show you the most basic pyromancy."
You nod enthusiastically and give him some room, watching closely.
He raises his hand, a flame flickering in the palm. After a moment, he thrusts his hand out and a puff of fire erupts from his palm, quickly disappearing into the air.
"This is called Combustion. As you can see, it's a simple flame, but it's quick to cast and simple to use. Good for using in a pinch."
You nod enthusiastically and step up beside him. You hold out your hand the same way he did, watching the flame flicker to life in your palm. Taking a deep breath, you focus on the heat in your hand. You picture the fire Laurentius summoned from his hand in your mind, repeating it over and over to make sure you have it exactly right.
When you trust out your hand, a small puff of flame shoots out before quickly dying out.
"I did it!" You shout, luckily remembering you have a flame in your hand before you start clapping in your excitement.
"Amazing…" Laurentius muses, stroking the hair on his chin. "I've never seen someone take to pyromancy so quickly. You clearly have a knack for it."
"Hear that, Oscar?" You ask, looking at your knight friend with a giddy grin. "I have a knack for pyromancy!"
He chuckles at your enthusiasm. "So it would seem." He turns to Laurentius. "So, where shall you go now? There's a place not far from here that is relatively safe, if you have nowhere else to go."
Laurentius nods. "Firelink Shrine, right? I've heard of it." He shrugs. "I suppose it's as good a place as any. I came down here in search of the city of Izalith, but it'd definitely be a good idea to go recuperate before continuing my search."
"We can lead you there, if you wish." Oscar offers, nodding his head up towards the way out. "It's not far, but there may be some dangers along the way."
Laurentius chuckles. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I have my pyromancies, after all."
You nudge his shoulder and give him a smirk. "Nah, we can show you the way. I want to know more about shooting fire out of my hands!" You lean in closer, glancing over at Oscar. "Oh, and I think the smell is getting to him."
Oscar stares at you when he sees the smirk that forms on Laurentius' face. "Alright then. We'll return to Firelink together?"
"Sounds fine." Laurentius replies with a nod.
With everyone in agreement, you all start making your way up to Firelink Shrine.
Along the way, Laurentius explains a bit more about pyromancy to you.
According to him, pyromancy began when the Witch of Izalith gained a powerful soul from the Flame, imparting that power to her seven daughters. They were so powerful that they could tear down the great archtrees that hold up the world. When the witch attempted to use her own soul to recreate the Flame, however, the city was destroyed and abandoned by the few who survived.
Apparently, the last remaining of the witch's daughters taught the great Salaman, who then passed it on to the people of the Great Swamp.
"A pyromancer's flame is a part of their very soul, our existence alight." He explains. "It grows stronger as our soul does, until we burn as brightly as the original Chaos flames of old." He chuckles bitterly. "Of course, we need to be careful when handling such primal power. The pyromancies passed down nowadays is less chaotic than those used by the witches of Izalith, but it can still burn if handled without care."
"So… what would happen if someone tried to use those old pyromancies?" You ask, lapping up every word. "Would you be able to?"
Laurentius grins. "That's actually why I travelled here after becoming Undead. Attempting to learn the old pyromancies would be a thing of dreams, whether I succeeded or not. The lost city of Izalith remains somewhere deep below Lordran, and I hope to discover the ancient secrets of the place. Of course, I doubt there would be anyone left to teach me, so I can only hope that the rumours that the last daughter of chaos still lingers are true…"
The loud caw of the giant crow echoes across the shrine as your group finally wanders down the stairs to the ruins. Curiously, you notice Griggs has disappeared.
"Well, thanks for the escort." Laurentius says as you reach the circular clearing with the bonfire. "I think I'll go find a spot to make myself at home, if you don't mind."
He wanders off, leaving you alone with Oscar.
"So… you don't like pyromancers?" You ask, eyeing him curiously.
He shifts oddly. "It's… not that I dislike them, certainly they're more trustworthy than the fiends of Vinheim. It's just… it is difficult to overlook stigma. As he mentioned, they don't mesh well with society."
You frown, stretching your arms behind your head and looking up at the thin streams of sunlight seeping through the big three above. You never really got along well with society either, so maybe you really are suited for pyromancy…
As you muse, Oscar wanders over to the bonfire and sits down into a weary lump. Even from the other side of the clearing, you can hear his tired sigh.
[] Go talk to Oscar
-[] About his sins
-[] About "Cara"
-[] Write in
[] Go talk more with Luarentius
-[] Learn some more pyromancy
-[] Write in
[] Wander around the shrine
[] Move off
-[] Back to the Depths
-[] Head into the Burg
--[] Go see someone…
-[] Write in
-[X] Learn pyromancy
[X] Afterwards…
-[X] Take Laurentius back to Firelink and talk more on the way
--[X] Ask more about Pyromancy
Some random dude you rescued from a barrel is offering to teach you how to shoot fire from your hands. What reason is there to not accept?
Really though, pyromancy. Shooting fire from your hands. It's really no question.
"I mean, if you're offering." You say with a shrug, trying to sound cool and definitely not way too excited about this. "So, what do I need to do?"
Laurentius smiles and gives a satisfied nod. "Hold out your hand. Whichever you prefer to have free in a pinch."
You obediently hold out your left hand and he wraps both of his own around it.
"Right, now close your eyes and relax. This may hurt, but just think of it as kindling a fire."
Again, you do as he says and close your eyes. You do your best to loosen your body, focusing entirely on your hand.
Laurentius closes his grip on your hand, and you feel a faint warmth against your palm. That warmth grows rapidly, until you start to feel the flickers of fire brushing against you. You resist the urge to pull away and regret it. The heat grows stronger still, burning into your hand. You can feel your flesh searing under the intensity and the heat runs up your arm, culminating in your chest. You let out a yelp of pain.
"Kirika?!" Oscar exclaims, stepping forwards to intervene.
Before he can do anything, however, Laurentius releases your hand and the burning stops. The pain still lingers in your hand and the heat spreading throughout your body is still alight, but something immediately feels strange.
The burning in your chest recedes to something almost comforting, like the feeling of eating a filling meal. Instead of a roaring agony, it's become something of a subtle flicker.
You look down at your hand, the burnt flesh already starting to heal.
"What… was that?" You ask, looking up at Laurentius.
"A fragment of flame." He replies, holding out his hands in a bowl shape. "Now, your hand, please. Don't worry, it won't hurt this time."
You're somewhat reluctant after what just happened, but do as he says and place your hand palm-up in his.
"Focus on the fire that has been kindled within you. Imagine it as an extension of your will, of your soul. Draw it out and focus it on your palm. Picture it in your mind."
You try your best, imagining the heat creeping up your arm just a moment ago happening in reverse. The warmth in your chest flickers to life, though not so much that it hurts. It slowly runs down your arm and to your palm, where is swirls as if trying to escape.
After a few seconds, a tiny spark flickers to life in your palm, floating just above your skin.
"Like the Witch of Izalith gifted her flame to her daughters and Lord Gwyn rewarded his allies with fragments of his soul, we pyromancers pass down flickers of our flame to the next generation." Laurentius explains as the tiny flicker grows. "I have given you a portion of my own burning soul to nurture and grow. With it, you can harness the fire that burns within you and give it physical form."
Listening to all this, you stare down at the little flame in your palm with awe. This fire is you. Really, this isn't much different from holding your soul gem in your hand. This, however, has a completely different feeling. Like something intimate and… more real.
You look up at Oscar, grinning giddily. "Look, Oscar! I'm doing pyromancy!"
He nods. "Indeed. Uh… well done."
"And now, your first use of your flame…" Laurentius says, but pauses and lowers his hands. "Ah, actually this might not be the best place for it. Let's move somewhere less… flammable."
While you can't smell anything yourself on account of having switched off your sense of smell, you notice Oscar glance over at the barrels.
No one objects, so the three of you head back out of the storeroom. The prospect of wading through the back slosh again doesn't seem too popular with Oscar and Laurentius, so instead you hop up onto a ledge and drag some of the benches over. Pushing them down, you gradually build a makeshift pile for the two guys to climb upon.
Laurentius seems satisfied with the dining area as a 'learning pyromancy' space and turns to you. "Alright, this will do. For now, I'll show you the most basic pyromancy."
You nod enthusiastically and give him some room, watching closely.
He raises his hand, a flame flickering in the palm. After a moment, he thrusts his hand out and a puff of fire erupts from his palm, quickly disappearing into the air.
"This is called Combustion. As you can see, it's a simple flame, but it's quick to cast and simple to use. Good for using in a pinch."
You nod enthusiastically and step up beside him. You hold out your hand the same way he did, watching the flame flicker to life in your palm. Taking a deep breath, you focus on the heat in your hand. You picture the fire Laurentius summoned from his hand in your mind, repeating it over and over to make sure you have it exactly right.
When you trust out your hand, a small puff of flame shoots out before quickly dying out.
"I did it!" You shout, luckily remembering you have a flame in your hand before you start clapping in your excitement.
"Amazing…" Laurentius muses, stroking the hair on his chin. "I've never seen someone take to pyromancy so quickly. You clearly have a knack for it."
"Hear that, Oscar?" You ask, looking at your knight friend with a giddy grin. "I have a knack for pyromancy!"
He chuckles at your enthusiasm. "So it would seem." He turns to Laurentius. "So, where shall you go now? There's a place not far from here that is relatively safe, if you have nowhere else to go."
Laurentius nods. "Firelink Shrine, right? I've heard of it." He shrugs. "I suppose it's as good a place as any. I came down here in search of the city of Izalith, but it'd definitely be a good idea to go recuperate before continuing my search."
"We can lead you there, if you wish." Oscar offers, nodding his head up towards the way out. "It's not far, but there may be some dangers along the way."
Laurentius chuckles. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I have my pyromancies, after all."
You nudge his shoulder and give him a smirk. "Nah, we can show you the way. I want to know more about shooting fire out of my hands!" You lean in closer, glancing over at Oscar. "Oh, and I think the smell is getting to him."
Oscar stares at you when he sees the smirk that forms on Laurentius' face. "Alright then. We'll return to Firelink together?"
"Sounds fine." Laurentius replies with a nod.
With everyone in agreement, you all start making your way up to Firelink Shrine.
Along the way, Laurentius explains a bit more about pyromancy to you.
According to him, pyromancy began when the Witch of Izalith gained a powerful soul from the Flame, imparting that power to her seven daughters. They were so powerful that they could tear down the great archtrees that hold up the world. When the witch attempted to use her own soul to recreate the Flame, however, the city was destroyed and abandoned by the few who survived.
Apparently, the last remaining of the witch's daughters taught the great Salaman, who then passed it on to the people of the Great Swamp.
"A pyromancer's flame is a part of their very soul, our existence alight." He explains. "It grows stronger as our soul does, until we burn as brightly as the original Chaos flames of old." He chuckles bitterly. "Of course, we need to be careful when handling such primal power. The pyromancies passed down nowadays is less chaotic than those used by the witches of Izalith, but it can still burn if handled without care."
"So… what would happen if someone tried to use those old pyromancies?" You ask, lapping up every word. "Would you be able to?"
Laurentius grins. "That's actually why I travelled here after becoming Undead. Attempting to learn the old pyromancies would be a thing of dreams, whether I succeeded or not. The lost city of Izalith remains somewhere deep below Lordran, and I hope to discover the ancient secrets of the place. Of course, I doubt there would be anyone left to teach me, so I can only hope that the rumours that the last daughter of chaos still lingers are true…"
The loud caw of the giant crow echoes across the shrine as your group finally wanders down the stairs to the ruins. Curiously, you notice Griggs has disappeared.
"Well, thanks for the escort." Laurentius says as you reach the circular clearing with the bonfire. "I think I'll go find a spot to make myself at home, if you don't mind."
He wanders off, leaving you alone with Oscar.
"So… you don't like pyromancers?" You ask, eyeing him curiously.
He shifts oddly. "It's… not that I dislike them, certainly they're more trustworthy than the fiends of Vinheim. It's just… it is difficult to overlook stigma. As he mentioned, they don't mesh well with society."
You frown, stretching your arms behind your head and looking up at the thin streams of sunlight seeping through the big three above. You never really got along well with society either, so maybe you really are suited for pyromancy…
As you muse, Oscar wanders over to the bonfire and sits down into a weary lump. Even from the other side of the clearing, you can hear his tired sigh.
[] Go talk to Oscar
-[] About his sins
-[] About "Cara"
-[] Write in
[] Go talk more with Luarentius
-[] Learn some more pyromancy
-[] Write in
[] Wander around the shrine
[] Move off
-[] Back to the Depths
-[] Head into the Burg
--[] Go see someone…
-[] Write in
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