Waking up buried in ash, confused and lost, Sayaka Miki finds herself in a world that she finds impossible to understand, and feels she has no real right to be in after what she had caused. Yet ash is little more than remnants of what once was, and so she finds herself dragged into events far beyond anything she thought possible.
Join her as she struggles her way through the lands of Lothric and beyond, alongside the eternal killjoy Hawkwood, in the hopes of getting the Lords of Cinder to sit on their fancy chairs, and maybe figure out why she's even here along the way.
Find a way into Upper Lothric and defeat Prince Lothric.
Gather more information on Aldritch from the Cathedral of the Deep.
Find more information on the whereabouts of the other Lords of Cinder.
Side Objectives
Find the Spirit Tree of the Undead Settlement.
Find a Transposing Kiln for Ludleth.
Track down the Lothric Knight who tried to fight Vordt to return his sword.
Stat Overview
How stats (and leveling) work for this quest are fairly straight forward. Each level in a particular stat gives bonuses to rolls involving said stat, with the value of each level diminishing for later levels. These bonuses are halved during boss and mini-boss encounters.
1 - 40: +1
41 - 60: +0.5
61+: +0.25
Vigor: Increases maximum health (1 per point) and lowers penalties for being injured. Gain 1 additional hit point for every 5 total levels gained.
Attunement: Increases Focus Points (1 per point) and spell slots. Gain 1 additional focus point for every 5 total levels gained.
Strength: How hard you can hit, how much you can lift, etc.
Dexterity: How well you can avoid being hit, how well you can sneak, etc.
Intelligence: How capable you are with Sorceries, and understanding magic.
Faith: How capable you are with Miracles, and understanding the tales of the Gods.
Luck: Gives bonuses to save rolls, along with things befitting the stat unique to humans.
Strength: Bonuses to melee attacks with certain weapons, and minor bonuses to damage output, for it is hard to outdo the work of the Incubators.
Dexterity: Bonuses to melee attacks with certain weapons, and minor bonuses to dodging, for it is hard to outdo the work of the Incubators.
Intelligence: Bonuses to attacks with very specific weapons, the casting of Sorceries and the understanding of magic.
Faith: Bonuses to attacks with very specific weapons, the casting of Miracles, and the understanding of the tales of the Gods.
Luck: The stat unique to humans. Grants increased maximum corruption, bonuses to specific weapons, and other such things befitting its origin.
Skills are advanced techniques that you have access to, whether they be attuned sorceries and miracles, weapon arts, or simply the powers you gained access to upon making your contract.
Weapon Generation
An ability central to nearly every magical girl's fighting style. Allows for one to create a near countless number of weapons. For Sayaka, this grants her the ability to summon cutlasses, and with proper effort can possibly be modified to allow access to other types of sabres, perhaps even swords and weapons?
Cost: 10 Abyssal Corruption for a single summon, 8 per if multiple are summoned. The music swells, much like the tides of the sea. Each note that plays brings the crescendo closer, like a wave building up in size before it inevitably crashes upon the shore.
Healing
An ability available to every contracted magical girl. For most, the ability to heal wounds is slow and inefficient, but owing to Sayaka's wish, she is able to heal both herself and others around her significantly faster and more efficiently.
Cost: 20 Abyssal Corruption per Health restored, 30 if healing others. Once, a Maiden wished for the love of one who was crippled, and turned to the Dark to find a way. Her desire turned her pity into a soothing embrace of harmonic tranquility. However, no-one truly wants to be pitied for their weakness. Thus, her love was spurned, and she drowned in the depths of the Dark.(Credit to @Blackoutsampler)
Quick Draw
Can store weapons and summon them at will, allowing for weapon swapping on the fly. (Limited to Swords currently)
Cannot freely duplicate weapons, unlike your normal swords. If you summon one and throw it, it's gone until you pick it back up. For most, the idea of an extra-dimensional storage is laughable at best. For the Incubators, it was standard issue.
Every Light Casts a Shadow...
When at or below 500 grief, gain a +5 bonus to save rolls. When at or above 1500 grief, gain a +5 bonus to combat rolls. They came here, searching for the answer to an unsolvable question. What They found was a flame and the shadow it cast upon the ground, and They knew they had found what they sought.
Inventory
Current Souls: 5460
Ashen Soul Gem A beautiful, blue gemstone, now faded to a pale grey.
Supposedly holds one's very being, along with the misery that is present in the life of humanity, allowing for the collection of the finest fuel of all.
Grief is driven by loss, and thus is but Want by another name, for there is little difference between these two shades of the Dark. Estus Flask
4/4 Charges
Heals 5 Health per Charge The Undead treasure these dull green flasks. The Unkindled continue to do so, having learned to depend on them on their ill-fated endeavor.
The journey of an Undead has always traced the bonfires, and no journey of import has been made without an Estus Flask.
Ashen Estus Flask
1/1 Charges
Restores 8 FP per Charge Unkindled treasure these dull ashen flasks. Quite befitting of an Unkindled, an Ashen Estus Flask turns a bonfire's heat cold.
Failure is not forgiven lightly, and the opportunity to atone must be met with firm conviction, even if success would grant little benefit.
Fire Gem (Unique) A gem of infused titanite, found in rare cases inside Demons or other sources of flame free of the dark of humanity. Can be used to infuse weaponry.
The Flame represents life, so the price paid to create such a thing must be steep indeed, especially for a gem of such strength.
White Sign Soapstone The nature of Lothric is murky, unclear. These soapstones allow for Unkindled to assist one another.
Peeling back the outer layers allows one to see the strands that struggle to hold reality together. In doing so, one can form a connection with those whose worlds are disconnected from their own.
Blue Tearstone Ring A ring set with a large rare tearstone jewel. Reduces damage when HP is low.
This stone is said to be a tear of sorrow of the goddess Caitha, and of course, tears are always more beautiful near death.
Followers of Caitha always strive to help those in need, and where there is a follower of Caitha, there will always be those in need.
Ring of Steel Protection Ring of the Knight-King of ancient legend. Reduces all physical damage taken by 1.
The Knight King was said to be lined with steel on the inside, such that even the talons of mighty dragons did him little harm. It was only fitting that he was said to have lost his life to something as mundane as a fall, rather than in combat. Humanity Sprite Rare tiny black sprite, once said to have been common throughout the world. Such a thing is useless to an Unkindled, who is forever tied to the embers of flame.
There is no better fuel than the darkness of humanity, a fact that the Gods discovered by accident. Yet who is to say whether they are the only beings with such knowledge?
Seed of a Giant Tree The seed of a tree that once roamed the land as a Giant.
The Giants were said to have once rampaged through the North in a vengeance-fueled frenzy, before their entire force was slain, leaving these trees scattered throughout the lands.
The flame is said to be the source of all life, but what does that make the kindling?
Badge of Sunlight A symbol that shows one's dedication to the Warriors of Sunlight. The badge is warm to the touch, as if it had been left out in the sun.
The Warriors of Sunlight were an ancient band of heroic fighters who existed throughout the ages dedicated to the Sun's Heir, only to fade away into obscurity like their Patron. Much like the Sun itself, even in the darkest of times these brave warriors would always strive to shine a path for others to follow.
Transposing Kiln An old transposing kiln from Courland, crafted with stitched crystal lizard hide. Said to be modeled after one of the greatest treasures of the Pygmies.
A transposing kiln allows for the transposition of Souls and all that may follow from that, but it was deemed forbidden to those unable to make proper use of it.
The Realm of Courland was the recorded homeland of the Pygmy people, who are said to be the ancestors of humans. It was only after its tragic destruction that anyone dared to question the veracity of this claim.
Ember x 1 No Unkindled can ever truly claim the embers that burn within a champion's bosom, which is precisely what makes their yearning for warmth so keen.
Use to cleanse oneself of Abyssal Corruption, provided one is not yet corrupted beyond repair.
The strength of a flickering flame is still enough to burn away the darkness within oneself, but in doing so what does one leave in its place? Titanite Shard x 1 Titanite shard for weapon reinforcement.
Titanite shards are fragments of the Legendary Slabs, said to have been forged by the nameless Blacksmith Deity eons ago.
Titanite is etched into weapons to reinforce. This process improves equipment merely with its presence, a method that few truly understand. Wyvern Scale x 2 Light gray scale of a Lothric Wyvern. It more resembles stone than the scale of any normal creature. May have a use of some kind.
The Everlasting Dragons were felled by the Gods' hands, yet their descendants live on, even in this Godless age. Estus Flask Shard x 0 Shard of an Estus Flask that belonged to a long-hollowed Undead.
A blacksmith might be able to do something with this.
In the old days, it was rare to see an Estus Flask far from its owner. This shard offers hope, however shattered, for it is only fitting that hope be born from despair. Shriving Stone A gem of infused titanite. Also known as stark stone.
Reverses weapon infusion.
This stone serves little purpose beyond undoing a smith's hard labor. It is of little surprise that few ever bother with such a material.
Soul of Vordt, of the Boreal Valley Soul of Vordt of the Boreal Valley. One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.
Use to acquire many souls, or transpose to extract its true strength.
Vordt, once a loyal Blade of the Darkmoon long ago, was purposefully broken by Sulyvahn as an example to those who resisted his rule. When the Dancer became an Outrider Knight, Vordt soon followed right behind her.
Soul of a Darkwraith Soul of one of the few remaining Darkwraiths, who roam the lands of men to feed their endless desires. One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.
Long ago, the Darkwraiths are said to have been loyal Knights who were corrupted by the allure of the Abyss, and the words of a Primordial Serpent. They were sealed away at great cost to prevent them from ever returning, but were released by some forgotten madman.
The Abyss is filled with malicious, spiteful and deceitful creatures, and yet is itself peaceful. Much as a human is always the hero of their own tale.
Soul of an Outrider Knight The soul of an Outrider Knight of the Boreal Valley.
Even now, the Outrider Knights rage against the twisted beings they've become; their fury driven by their inability to confront the usurper of their home; their anger unleashed upon any who come near.
Can be used to acquire souls, only...
Soul of the Curse-Rotted Greatwood Soul of the Curse-Rotted Greatwood, the formerly cherished Spirit Tree of the Undead Settlement. One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.
Ever since its establishment, all manner of curses have managed to seep into the Undead Settlement. The worst of them were sealed away inside a spirit tree, but eventually the curses took their toll
Once there was a boy who was easily frightened, until the talking tree of the dreamworld saw fit to protect him. Since that day, Spirit Trees have been known as the selfless guardians of those without anyone else, willing to suffer any misfortune in place of their charges.
Soul of an Unknown Traveler x 1 Soul found in the corpse of an unknown traveler.
Who they were, and what their destination or goal may have been will never be known; only where they could no longer continue on.
Mermaid's Cutlass A short sabre that grows stronger with the darkness within oneself. Looking at it calls forth images of the sea, and its unfathomable depths.
Which is the true illusion: the blade or the girl? Weapon Art: Hurl Sabre: Throw a Sabre forth by emulating a technique long thought lost.
Weapon Art: Blade Shot: With a pull of the trigger, the sword's blade is sent flying, slicing through everything in its path.
Astora Straight Sword A well-crafted sword named after the ruined land, infamous for having been the home of many Lords of Cinder throughout the ages, including the Red Knight of legend.
This seemingly ordinary weapon is said to have been blessed, but shows little sign of such an enchantment.
Astora, before its fall, was a land replete with royal blood, and renowned for its knights and their faithful service to the Gods.
Skill: Awaken
Awakens the dormant enchantment placed on the weapon, granting increased damage at the cost of FP. Requires 10 Faith.
Red Hilted Halberd A long-hilted weapon that combines a spear with an axe, the red-hilt is thought to be associated with clerics, and by extension, the Red Knight of Astora.
Can be thrust like a spear or swept sideways like an axe, making it a versatile weapon effective against multiple foes.
Skill: Perseverance
With a prayer to the Gods, the user is granted a divine blessing, although some claim it to be a mere placebo. But sometimes, simple belief is all that one needs.
Irithyll Straight Sword Straight sword bestowed upon the Outrider Knights of the Boreal Valley by Pontiff Sulyvahn himself. This weapon is enshrouded in frost, and causes frostbite, owing to the odd, foreign enchantments placed upon it.
Every Outrider Knight one day devolves into a beast, constantly hounded by Pontiff Sulyvahn's black eyes. They scatter off into foreign lands, their service continuing despite having long since forgotten what it is they guard.
Skill: Frost
Activate the enchantment placed upon the sword, causing it to freeze anything it comes into contact with.
Dark Hand "Weapon" that reinforces the wielder with the primordial essence of mankind, allowing them to form a shield from their palm as well as evoke an art unique to Londor, the land of the Hollow. It is also said to be an ancient relic of a Primordial Serpent.
The Dark Hand mercilessly saps the very essence of its victims, taking from them that which defines them, and leaving naught but an empty husk. A convergent design, albeit painfully primitive in comparison.
Skill: Lifedrain
Embrace the victim and steal their HP. Can only be used against humans.
Inventory
Large Leather Shield
Binoculars Firebombs x 2
Gold Pine Resin x 3
Soul of a Deserted Corpse x 1
Alright, there're going to be 3 different reads, depending on how spoiler heavy you want to go.
Short is me failing to be funny exactly what it sounds like.
Medium is simplified to make sense rather than be endless rambling.
Long is full on speculation lore-heavy theory that I'm only posting because I enjoy the subject more than I really should.
Short
Tl;dr
Humans = Dark
Dark = Emotions and Desires
Desires = Alive
Alive = Curse
Myself = No Life
Humans are driven by their wants and desires. The Dark is human emotion, but most prominently is their desires. The Abyss represents one being consumed by their desires to the point of ruin, like Manus with his pendent. Thus,the Curse of Life is the Curse of Want, because so long as you live you will desire something more. This is why Gwyn was afraid of the Dark, and by extension humans: because their ties to the Abyss meant that they would eventually come to resent his lordship and try to take power for themselves. This was an idea that Gwyn hated above all, seeing as he would rather literally burn to death than risk having it happen.
Edit: Long is at least somewhat coherent to read now, I think. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Also this kind of became an explanation of Dark Souls II's story by complete accident I now realize, so uh, that happened.
The Ancient Dragon said:
Yet another stands before us... Then so be it. For the curse of life, is the curse of want. And so, you peer... Into the fog, in hope of answers
To live is to want. In being alive, one is filled with countless desires. These range from desires necessary for survival, such as a desire for food or a desire for shelter, to the deepest, darkest parts of oneself that whispers of desires of depravity and cruelty. Desires are what drive us, no matter how much we try to deny it. This isn't a negative thing, as one can be driven by the desire to help others, or the desire to be a good person, but nevertheless, they are still desires.
Dark Souls 2 explores this aspect of humanity much more deeply than the other games in the series (which is most likely due to the fact that they had to make up the lore late into development due to all the mishaps, so went for something more esoteric, rather than out of a desire to focus on such themes in the first place). The nature of humanity, as revealed by the first game, is tied to the Dark, and Dark Souls 2 bashes this idea into our head repeatedly.
The Dark itself is peaceful, just as much of humanity is content with living their lives undisturbed. However, if it is disturbed, Dark, much like humans themselves, will go wild in its attempt to reclaim what it once had. This idea is found throughout the game in multiple places, perhaps most notably with Nashandra herself. The smallest shard of what was once Manus, she was filled with a desire for power due to the fear this brought her. She is even referred to as a 'prisoner of desire', as if she simply cannot help but covet strength.
Before we continue with Dark Souls 2, however, we need to move to Dark Souls 1 to actually cover what the Abyss is.
In Dark Souls 1's DLC, we're first introduced to Dark Sorcery, which is revealed to be powered by human emotions such as envy, and reflects aspects of humanity such as their cruelty to one another. This, along with the fact that what drove Manus to madness was the loss of his pendent, can be argued to represent how the Abyss is a reflection of human nature and our willingness to go to extreme lengths for even the most minor of things. What matters to human isn't the true importance of something, but what importance we give to it. For Manus, that pendent clearly represented something he held dear, and the loss of it broke him.
Further, Dusk's dialogue after you rescue her from Manus:
Dusk of Oolacile said:
"A wrenching nostalgia, a lost joy, an object of obsession, and a sincere hope to reclaim it…
Could these thoughts belong to the beast from the Abyss?
But if that were true, then perhaps it is no beast after all?"
further underscores the idea that the Abyss is essentially human nature to the utmost extent: an endless drive to fufill one's desires, no matter the cost.
Back to Dark Souls II, this one is quite subjective, owing to how much of the lore is written in a very uncertain tone. Aldia is known as the Scholar of the First Sin, and is integral to understanding the story of Dark Souls II (As much as I want to defend it, before Scholar came out and tied the story together there really wasn't much there). Let's look at what he has to say.
Aldia said:
No one has come this far, not for a very long while.
Young Hollow do you wish to shed this curse?
Then accept the fate of your ilk, and face the trials that await you.
Unless, you have already joined the crestfallen.
This one is really just him egging you on more than anything.
Aldia said:
Young Hollow, there are but two paths. Inherit the order of this world, or destroy it.
But only a true monarch can make such a choice.
Very few, indeed, have come even this far.
And yet, your journey is far from over.
Half-grown Hollow, have you what it takes, truly?
The idea of 'paths' is a theme of this game, which alludes to the choice of whether to link the fire or leave it and become Lord of Dark.
The reason they're referred to as 'paths' is that the choices have already been made before, countless times, and so each is well-trodden path that has already been completed. Similarly, the idea of a 'true monarch" is not as it sounds on the surface. To be a Monarch means to take the throne, but in this case it refers to the "Throne of Want".
It's never really explained exactly how the thrones actually have anything to do with linking the fire, but it's very heavily implied that it somehow brings you to the Kiln, or something along those lines. So becoming a "monarch" is, essentially, being the one who decides the fate of the world... except your choice is irrelevent. If you choose to link the fire, great. If you choose not to link it, somebody is going to come around eventually who will link it. At the end of the day, you have no actual agency or impact in what happens. The cycle, created when Gwyn first linked the fire, is essentially unbreakable at this point.
Aldia said:
Young Hollow, seek after Vendrick.
He who almost became a true monarch.
Vendrick is certain to guide your way.
Fledgeling Hollow, may we meet again.
Life is brilliant. Beautiful. It enchants us, to the point of obsession.
Some are true to their purpose, though they are but shells, flesh and mind.
One man lost his own body, but lingered on, as a head.
Others chase the charms of love, however elusive.
What is it that drives you?
People are obsessed with their lives, despite the seeming meaningless of it all. We want our lives to have meaning of some kind, and it becomes an obsession, when in reality, we are only shells made of flesh. The rest of the dialogue here refers to characters from Dark Souls II, such as Vengarl, and possibly the Covetous Demon, although the description there could fit plenty of characters.
Aldia said:
Once, the Lord of Light banished Dark, and all that stemmed from humanity.
And men assumed a fleeting form.
These are the roots of our world.
Men are props on the stage of life, and no matter how tender, how exquisite…
A lie will remain a lie.
Young Hollow, knowing this, do you still desire peace?
Here we get to the juicy bits. This is probably the most important bit of dialogue Aldia has, but we have to come back to why exactly it's so important later, because it's heavily tied to a reveal from the Ringed City. For now, I'll simply say that he's talking about Gwyn committing what he calls "the First Sin".
Aldia said:
Vendrick, the near-true monarch, is here, and not far off.
But what is a king?
You, neither born with greatness, nor granted it by the fates.
What is it that you seek?
You cannot even say yourself.
We shall meet again, young Hollow.
Aldia asks repeatedly about what it is that drives the player character. They face endless pain and struggles, and yet they continue on where so many simply give in. This is true despite the fact that the player character is a complete nobody. There's nothing special about them at all, and yet they keep throwing themselves into the meat grinder. Maybe it's in hopes of finding a cure for the curse? Maybe it's because they have nothing else left? The answer here can only be answered by you, after all.
The rest of Aldia's quotes I'll be coming back to later, as they tie in to the reveal from Dark Souls III.
Dark Souls III comes into the mix here with the release of the Ringed City, for we finally understood what Gwyn's "First Sin" actually was. In ancient times, humans were powered by the Abyss, and it gave them power perhaps equaling the gods. This idea scared Gwyn, as it meant that humans could one day rise up and take control of what he deemed to be rightfully his own position. After all, the Dark is fueled by emotion and wants, so the desire for a more fair and equal world pose a great danger to Gwyn's regime. To prevent this from happening, Gwyn placed a Seal of Fire around humanity that prevented them from being empowered by the Abyss. He then granted the pygmies, which, I assume, is either just another name for early humans, or perhaps for those who possess a large quantity of the dark soul (it's never fully explained), the Ringed City. The Ringed City was located at the end of the world, the farthest possible place it could ever be. With this, Gwyn not only cut off humans from the Abyss, but he also sealed away a majority of the Dark Soul as far away as he possibly could. He even gave the pygmies his daughter Fillianoire, who even now sleeps to keep the dark sealed away.
(A fair bit of this part is taken from a lore theory that can be found here, if you're at all interested. It's not nessessary to understanding anything here, so feel free to skip it).
As a side note, if the Abyss was sealed off, then what happened with Manus? Really all that can be used to answer it is pure speculation, which in this case is that if there's enough 'dark' it can overpower the seal. Doing this is essentially brute forcing a door by smashing your face against it until it breaks. The end result is not going to be pretty, in this case the end result being whatever happened in Oolacile.
Now, to end off we come back again to Dark Souls II. Since we now know what the "First Sin" that Aldia obsessed over actually was, what does it mean? Well, if we take a look at the remainder of Aldia's quotes...
Aldia said:
Once, the Lord of Light banished Dark, and all that stemmed from humanity.
And men assumed a fleeting form.
These are the roots of our world.
Men are props on the stage of life, and no matter how tender, how exquisite…
A lie will remain a lie.
Young Hollow, knowing this, do you still desire peace?
Peace grants men the illusion of life.
Shackled by falsehoods, they yearn for love, unaware of its grand illusion.
Until, the curse touches their flesh.
We are bound by this yoke.
As true as the Dark that churns within men.
All men trust fully the illusion of life.
But is this so wrong?
A construction, a facade, and yet…
A world full of warmth and resplendence.
Young Hollow, are you intent on shattering the yoke, spoiling this wonderful falsehood?
Long ago, Gwyn set a seal of fire on the Abyss, which prevented man from accessing the Dark. This led to man assuming a fleeting form. When Dark Souls II came out, most people, myself included, took this quote to mean that Gwyn linking the fire is what caused the Undead curse in the first place. However, that is not the case.
There is no curse. The fleeting form described here is being human, the illusion of life. The true face of mankind is to be Hollow, an all-together miserable experience. This falsehood gives us comfort, for it is the only way that mankind knows of, and it gives the world warmth and beauty that it would otherwise lack. This lie gives man meaning where there would otherwise be none, and yet despite this, it is nevertheless a lie.
Aldia said:
I am Aldia.
I sought to shed the yoke of fate, but failed.
Now, I only await an answer.
Seek the throne.
Seek light, Dark and what lies beyond…
Aldia tried to find a way out of the cycle. He tried to find another path besides the only two that were known. He failed to do so, and is instead forced to wait in hopes of another being able to achieve where he could not. It's not until much later that he gets the answer he sought.
Yuria of Londor said:
Our Lord and Liege.
I prithee play the usurper.
When the moment cometh to link the fire, wrest it from its mantle.
The Age of Fire was founded by the old gods, sustained by the linking of the fire.
But the old gods are no more, and the all-powerful fire deserveth a new heir.
Our Lord of Hollows, it shall be, who weareth the true face of mankind.
Londor is the answer that Aldia sought to find. If being Hollow is the true face of man, then a nation comprised entirely of them would be one of truth. Where Aldia failed to find a different way, the Church of Londor succeeded.
In doing so, the flame will burn with the impenetrable fires of humanity. The seal of fire cast upon the Abyss would be removed, for the flame surrounding it would become Dark. The age of the Gods would finally end, and a true age of Man could begin.
The question is, regardless of whether it is right or wrong, is it truly a fate that one would wish for? The answer remains up to you.
Aldia said:
There is no path.
Beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach of Dark…
…what could possibly await us?
And yet, we seek it, insatiably…
Such is our fate.
If the player chooses this ending, the player character leaves the Kiln, rejecting their duty as lord in hopes of finding a different way. They walk away blindly into the darkness, where no one has ever gone before. As the light begins to fade, they reconsider their decision. There's no way of knowing that anything will come of this. It may very well all be for naught. But then, they steel their resolve and march forward, in hopes of finding a different path.
There is something remarkable about humans. Even when there are no options left to them, and the situation is truly hopeless, they will still seek out another way. Whether they must do so blindly is of little concern, for man will always search for an answer. They will always be driven in hopes of finding out why.
To add my own 2 cents to the DS2 Exposition, here's an explanation of "King of Want" that Ludleth said a few chapters ago:
'The King of Want' is someone known as King Vendrick. He's the Brother of Aldia (the guy RecurringExtra was talking about in his own loredump) and dude who's responsible for a shit-ton of events through the entirety of DS2. But what (I assume) Ludleth is talking about when he says "it seems the legends of The King Of Want possess a grain of truth" is about Vendrick's own research into "The First Sin". Oh, and the reason Vendrick is called the "King of Want" is a ironic nod to his own game, where he sends you after a bunch of other kings who had their names lost to time. So in a fit of irony, the Dark Souls team had Vendrick's own name lost to time similar to the kings he had you fight.
Alright, a little backstory on this, Before the events of DS2, Aldia and Vendrick were brothers. Vendrick Ruled Drangleic, while Aldia was fairly content nerding it up as a pure researcher. But everything changed when a pretty lady got involved. Nashandra, seeking to use Vendrick to her own ends, decided to sucker Vendrick into attacking the Giants with a fake prophecy and bribes of some sweet sweet hexes to use against them. After a pretty terrible war for both sides, Vendrick eventually won, and all the weird goings on during the war led him and his brother to study the soul. Fast forward a few dozen inhumane expeirments, and Aldia and Vendrick have a falling out. And each takes their research into the Soul and Darksign into different directions.
Aldia focused on Human's base nature as beings of Dark, and "The First Sin" itself. Vendrick however, being the more practical of the two, sought ways around the more immediate threat of the Darksign. Which he found in the linking of the fire.
And here's where I finally get to my point. Vendrick wasn't dumb enough to just go straight into linking the fire right away, he spent ages seeking a way to game the system so to speak. See, he wanted to have his cake and eat it too, or as he put it, "Inherit the fire, and harness the Dark." And so he tried to make something that could both link the flame, yet not die.
One of the beings he created was a girl named Shanalotte . A girl born of dragons (allegedly). The plan there was (probably) to harness the Dragon's own immortality to make a human capable of linking the fire forever, and be 'not-human' enough to dodge the Darksign. Sadly, Vendrick only got a depress sounding teenager who likes the color green. So yeah that plan was scrapped.
So, (and this is 100% speculation from here on out) I'm guessing Ludleth here was thinking Sayaka is another one of Vendrick's expierements, one similar to Shanalotte, something capable of "inheriting the fire" yet also capable of, "Harnessing the dark".
I feel that I should probably clarify what each build actually does rather than have any misunderstandings (Which I probably should've done yesterday, but that would require me to be in any way competent). Hopefully this will help clear things up for everyone.
Strength: Going for a strength build is probably the most straight forward option. You hit things really hard, and they go splat. Going for a strength build means you would probably want to invest heavily in health (so you can take hits) and maybe a bit in faith for extra healing and things like magic barrier if you feel it worthwhile.
Dexterity: In terms of a Dex build, you'll be focusing more on speed and accuracy over slamming things really hard. You'll have avoidance essentially being your primary defense (although investing in a bit of health is still wise). Adding in some intelligence would allow you to go for a glass cannon build, with weapon buffs making up for your lower strength value essentially.
Intelligence: A full on int build means dumping into attunement and Intelligence. This is the most boring option to be perfectly honest, since it is essentially just standing around shooting lasers, but it is still an option. Intelligence will also help you understand how magic, and thus things related to the concept of the 'Soul' function.
Faith: A full faith build lets you focus on utility, with things like force, magic barrier, caressing tears, and other things (If you go down this route, expect to see some original miracles to add some more variety). Faith also helps you understand the more esoteric factors of the world, such as the nature of the Flame, the nature of the Dark, etc.
Quality (Strength + Dex): The classic go big or go home build: Hit hard and move fast, because casting is for losers. What it lacks in utility, it makes up for in reliability, since you don't have to depend on other factors to guarantee your effectiveness in a fight.
Pyromancy (Int + Faith + Other): Pyromancy lets you get some decent casting in for much lower points cost, thus letting you put points into other things instead. It also ties into the next option, since a Pyromancy build also can function as a stepping stone in terms of build development.
Hex (Int + Faith but a lot more): Hexing is the true glass cannon option. You'll have very few points in not dying, but you'll have a wide variety of casting options. You'll have to survive off of your own wits, so if you plan on going a hex build, be prepared to actually have to plan out fights.
Luck: Luck is the most unique option, and essentially lets you specialize in Abyssal effects, which includes native magical girl abilities (Int helps you in understanding how they work, Faith lets you understand why they work, and Luck gives you access to more advanced options). Points in luck increase maximum Corruption, give bonuses to save rolls, affect scaling with certain weapons, and will give you bonuses when you have either low or high Corruption.
Other: If you want to do some wacky other build, feel free. I was just listing options off the top of my head. Want to go a Luck/Pyro build? It'll be weird, but you might be able to pull it off.
While I'm writing this, I may as well also explain how Weapon Arts work. Essentially, each weapon has a different weapon art that gives that weapon a unique effect, and thus a reason to use it. So far the normal cutlass can be copied infinitely, the Astoran Straight Sword can become blessed, and the Lothric Knight Sword specializes in thrusts aimed at an enemies' vitals. This is mostly to give weapon swapping an actual purpose.
An update: I have a lot more going on right now than I'd like. This includes both school work*, and commitments that I have to several friends of mine that I feel the need to see through. Because of this, there will not be any further updates for the remainder of 2021. I'm very sorry about this, but I'd rather be honest about it than just put it off endlessly. Doing this does two things: it lets me be transparent with you guys, but it also helps me manage my stress levels with everything currently going on.
This all being said, it isn't all doom and gloom. Once the New Year comes, I'm going to be rededicating myself to working on the quest. I'm not saying that "I'm going to try" or that "I hope to" like I've said in the past, but rather I actually will be.
Updates will come regularly.
I'm sick and tired of my seeming inability to progress this story, especially with how close we are to getting the ball rolling. So be ready for the pace to actually pick back up around the New Year, because this time, it actually will be.
So thank you everyone for both reading, and for putting up with me. When I return, I'll have something to make the wait have been worth it, so please look forward to it.
If anybody lives in Germany or knows somebody who does, I'd very much appreciate if you'd be willing to participate in a study by answering a few questions because I'm honestly desperate enough to be posting this here because I need a sample size of 100 people for this for some ungodly reason somebody save me please. Just, uh, DM me if you or your friend/acquittance would be willing to. If you can't or simply don't want to, then please do not worry about it.
