HircumPrinceps
Goat Lord
- Location
- Seattle
[X] Tower on the Wall
Blue Ash (Dark Souls III/PMMM)
- Thread starter RecurringExtra
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Vote closed.
As a side note, going to be working on editing some of the older posts because I should really get that out of the way before backlog makes me want to die. Its more for my own sake to be honest (nothing major will be changed, of course.) but just wanted to note that it was being done.
As a side note, going to be working on editing some of the older posts because I should really get that out of the way before backlog makes me want to die. Its more for my own sake to be honest (nothing major will be changed, of course.) but just wanted to note that it was being done.
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RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Quick update: Finished my skim/edit of past posts finally. I got lazy and kept putting it off. I'll probably do another run through at some later date, but even then not for a while, because this took a lot more time to get done than I thought it would. Next post will be up either tomorrow (or today, rather) or the day after, depending on how bad the weather is tomorrow. Most likely will be tomorrow (Sunday, for clarification), judging by how the forecasts are looking.
High Wall of Lothric 7: The East
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
The warp back is thankfully much less stressful this time, and you soon find yourself back at the rooftop bonfire in Lothric, along with Hawkwood. Nothing much has seemed to have changed in the time while you were gone, with the Wyvern still standing guard over its newly claimed territory. Looking up towards the sky, you note that the Sun seems like it will be setting soon. You'd guess you have maybe 2 hours or so?
"So you said you were from Mitaki... hara, was it?" Hawkwood asks. "Is that a land from the east?"
"I mean, I guess you could say that." You say, thinking quikcly. Japan was in the East so it's technically not wrong, although...
"I never managed to travel east myself," Hawkwood says before you can correct yourself, "but I've heard many stories. The strange creatures that inhabit the lands, and the odd weaponry they use."
"What do you mean odd weapons?"
"There was a traveler from the East who showed up one day in Farron. The sword he bore, he called it a katana, was a work of art, but it was so very brittle it looked like it would snap if it was tapped against a stone." Hawkwood lets out a sigh. "That was so very long ago, I realize, but now that I think about it, it reminds me of your own weaponry."
"In what way?" you ask, curious.
"Your swords are very reminiscent of a Follower's sabre, yes, but the actual blade itself is forged more like that of an eastern blade, and that's not even mentioning the hand-guard." He continues. "It's a very interesting combination, I will admit."
So it seems there's a Japanese analogue here after all. Or maybe it's just general Asia?
"You mentioned strange creatures before?"
"Ah yes, the tales of the Oni, and those tasked with slaying them. The traveler had been one of those slayers, or so he claimed. He even carried one of the Greatbows with him, although he had none of the arrows remaining."
Well, that does sound like Japan. At this point you're not even surprised with how weird everything keeps getting. And if you keep sitting here, it's bound to keep happening...
"Well, I think that's enough sitting around." You say, rising to your feet with a stretch. "You ready to get going?"
"Yeah, good call," Hawkwood nods as he does the same, "the sun'll be setting soon, so we should keep going while we still have light."
The two of you descend the stairs, and soon find yourselves back in the keep, which is beginning to darken with the further descent of the sun. While the first floor remains clear of enemies, a quick look below reveals a large group of hollows on the two lower levels. The second floor has a group of three Hollows dressed in rags, with their faces covered. They're standing in a small circle, and you can hear faint whispering from them as they seem to be discussing something.
"So there's really one of 'em Darkwraiths down there?" one of them asks.
"Aye, it's down the elevator behin' the door on the lower floor." Another says. "That's why the door is locked, ya know."
"Wonder why its kept ova' there and not in the other cells." the third adds in.
"Ya mean the ones down the hall, by ol' Greirat?" the first replies.
"'It's kept there because it would break out otherwise." A fourth voice cuts in, clearly annoyed. "Lothric lost a great deal of knights just getting that thing sealed away. Keeping it where you lot used to be would be suicide."
You look towards where the voice came from, and find, leaning against a wall on the same level, another Lothric Knight. The Knight seems to be watching the group of ragged hollows, but wanting to avoid associating with them.
On the far side of the floor is an exit that leads back outside, but opposite it is a ladder that descend further down. From here, you can hear the loud stomping of heavy feet coming from the bottom level, which is confirmed to be one of the larger hollows that you spotted earlier after they finish climbing up the ladder. They greet the knight with a sloppy salute, who slowly nods their head before the hollow continues its stumbling patrol. You can still hear another set of footsteps from further below, which you assume must be another one of those large hollows.
What is your plan of action?
[] Write in.
After the fight, you head:
[] Further down,
- [] Down the hallway on the lower level
- [] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
[] Take the exit on the second floor that leads back outside.
Party: Sayaka and Hawkwood: Full Stats
Enemies: 3 Hollow Thieves, 2 Large Hollows, 1 Hollowing Lothric Knight
"So you said you were from Mitaki... hara, was it?" Hawkwood asks. "Is that a land from the east?"
"I mean, I guess you could say that." You say, thinking quikcly. Japan was in the East so it's technically not wrong, although...
"I never managed to travel east myself," Hawkwood says before you can correct yourself, "but I've heard many stories. The strange creatures that inhabit the lands, and the odd weaponry they use."
"What do you mean odd weapons?"
"There was a traveler from the East who showed up one day in Farron. The sword he bore, he called it a katana, was a work of art, but it was so very brittle it looked like it would snap if it was tapped against a stone." Hawkwood lets out a sigh. "That was so very long ago, I realize, but now that I think about it, it reminds me of your own weaponry."
"In what way?" you ask, curious.
"Your swords are very reminiscent of a Follower's sabre, yes, but the actual blade itself is forged more like that of an eastern blade, and that's not even mentioning the hand-guard." He continues. "It's a very interesting combination, I will admit."
So it seems there's a Japanese analogue here after all. Or maybe it's just general Asia?
"You mentioned strange creatures before?"
"Ah yes, the tales of the Oni, and those tasked with slaying them. The traveler had been one of those slayers, or so he claimed. He even carried one of the Greatbows with him, although he had none of the arrows remaining."
Well, that does sound like Japan. At this point you're not even surprised with how weird everything keeps getting. And if you keep sitting here, it's bound to keep happening...
"Well, I think that's enough sitting around." You say, rising to your feet with a stretch. "You ready to get going?"
"Yeah, good call," Hawkwood nods as he does the same, "the sun'll be setting soon, so we should keep going while we still have light."
The two of you descend the stairs, and soon find yourselves back in the keep, which is beginning to darken with the further descent of the sun. While the first floor remains clear of enemies, a quick look below reveals a large group of hollows on the two lower levels. The second floor has a group of three Hollows dressed in rags, with their faces covered. They're standing in a small circle, and you can hear faint whispering from them as they seem to be discussing something.
"So there's really one of 'em Darkwraiths down there?" one of them asks.
"Aye, it's down the elevator behin' the door on the lower floor." Another says. "That's why the door is locked, ya know."
"Wonder why its kept ova' there and not in the other cells." the third adds in.
"Ya mean the ones down the hall, by ol' Greirat?" the first replies.
"'It's kept there because it would break out otherwise." A fourth voice cuts in, clearly annoyed. "Lothric lost a great deal of knights just getting that thing sealed away. Keeping it where you lot used to be would be suicide."
You look towards where the voice came from, and find, leaning against a wall on the same level, another Lothric Knight. The Knight seems to be watching the group of ragged hollows, but wanting to avoid associating with them.
On the far side of the floor is an exit that leads back outside, but opposite it is a ladder that descend further down. From here, you can hear the loud stomping of heavy feet coming from the bottom level, which is confirmed to be one of the larger hollows that you spotted earlier after they finish climbing up the ladder. They greet the knight with a sloppy salute, who slowly nods their head before the hollow continues its stumbling patrol. You can still hear another set of footsteps from further below, which you assume must be another one of those large hollows.
What is your plan of action?
[] Write in.
After the fight, you head:
[] Further down,
- [] Down the hallway on the lower level
- [] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
[] Take the exit on the second floor that leads back outside.
Party: Sayaka and Hawkwood: Full Stats
Enemies: 3 Hollow Thieves, 2 Large Hollows, 1 Hollowing Lothric Knight
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Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Ask Hawkwood if there's any chance these hollows will just let us pass by. They don't sound insane.
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
Not sure where to go after that, but heavy doors usually have fun or dangerous things behind them.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
Not sure where to go after that, but heavy doors usually have fun or dangerous things behind them.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
Bête Noire
Abhorrent Anathema
- Location
- Dark Alley
[X] Ask Hawkwood if there's any chance these hollows will just let us pass by. They don't sound insane.
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
[X] Ask Hawkwood if there's any chance these hollows will just let us pass by. They don't sound insane.
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
- Location
- Somewhere up the tree
[X] Ask Hawkwood if there's any chance these hollows will just let us pass by. They don't sound insane.
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
If i remember right, this is around where the first Mimic is
[Edit] just realized something, Sayaka knows how to cleanse her soul gem, but that requires grief seeds, grief seeds dont exist in this world
In Red Soul purging stones are used to clean Soul Gems, but in Dark Souls three those are super super rare until late game, like the most you can get is 5 total
And purging stones dont actually help with curses in DS3
-[X] If yes, just continue on.
-[X] If no, you'll attack the larger group first while he goes after the kight. Then deal with the larger hollows.
[X] After that's sorted, ask what a Darkwraith is and if we should deal with it.
[X] Further down,
-[X] Try and see if you can get the iron door in the corner open.
If i remember right, this is around where the first Mimic is
[Edit] just realized something, Sayaka knows how to cleanse her soul gem, but that requires grief seeds, grief seeds dont exist in this world
In Red Soul purging stones are used to clean Soul Gems, but in Dark Souls three those are super super rare until late game, like the most you can get is 5 total
And purging stones dont actually help with curses in DS3
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Bête Noire
Abhorrent Anathema
- Location
- Dark Alley
This already got answered earlier, we need embers to cleanse
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
High Wall of Lothric 8: Darkwraiths and Elevators
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
As the group of hollows talk amongst themselves, you turn to Hawkwood. "I thought Hollows were mindless?" you whisper to him,
"Hollowing is a process, so some Hollows still have their faculties somewhat." Hawkwood explains. "Although exactly how much can vary quite heavily. They seem to have retained much of their personalities, "
"Would we be able to just, I dunno, talk this out with them? It wouldn't be right to just attack when we could avoid it."
"That's a risky move..."
"But it's the right thing to do." You softly elbow Hawkwood, who lets out a quiet sigh.
"Fine, but we need a backup plan if things go wrong."
"I'll take the small guys, you handle the knight, and then we take out the larger ones together."
"Sounds good to me. I'll wait here, they're more likely to be willing to trust you, after all.
Giving Hawkwood a nod, you head down the staircase, trying to appear as harmless as possible. You walk forward with your hands raised in the air in the hopes of appearing less threatening, although you're not exactly very threatening to begin with.
Out of nowhere a shout echoes around the room. You look to see Hawkwood leap from the upper floor, his sword held in both hands. He quickly falls towards the ground, landing on top of the Lothric Knight, who soon finds a massive sword slicing through their shoulder, all the way down to the abdomen. The Knight lets out a gurgle as Hawkwood smashes their face in with his shield. As he pulls his sword out, however, the giant hollow lets out a roar and charges towards him. He avoids its first attack, and the fight continues on.
Hawkwood, meanwhile, finds himself struggling with the hulking hollow. The thing won't go down despite the many cuts on its body. Eventually, seeing an opening, Hawkwood moves in for a thrust, only to find himself unable to avoid the Hollow's arm landing on his shoulder in an attempt to grab a hold of him. It squeezes tightly, and you can hear Hawkwood let out a grunt of pain, but the Hollow leaves itself open, and finds a blade pierced through its heart. It's hand falls slack as the hollow's eyes dim, granting Hawkwood's shoulder a reprieve.
You hear loud footsteps from behind you. Oh right, wasn't there another hollow on the lower floor?
Hawkwood shoves you out of the way of the wide sweep at the last moment, but finds himself unable to raise his shield in time to block the incoming hit. The halberd sends him flying, and he slams into the wall with a loud thud.
"Hawkwood!" you shout as he hits the floor with a loud thud. The giant Hollow turns to look at you, its face empty of any real thoughts. It raises its halberd for another swing, before it realizes that there is now something piercing its abdomen. It barely reacts as, with a roar, you drag the blade up through its flesh, before ripping it out with a spray of black-tinted gore. You pant as the giant crashes down to the ground, and run over to where you heard Hawkwood smash against the ground.
(Hawkwood takes 1d6 damage. 18 - 6 = 12)
"Well that went poorly." Hawkwood says wearily, grunting as he gets back onto his feet. Guess he isn't in as bad a shape as you thought, although he is now sporting a fairly deep cut along his side.
"I didn't even want to fight them." You say, with a mixture of frustration and sadness. You turn to look at the slurry that was once thinking, moving people. You did this to them. It was self-defense, but still...
"Well, it IS their job." Hawkwood snarks. "Besides, they're Undead, so they'll be back before too long."
"Really?"
"Well, so long as they don't hollow completely."
Still, running around killing people isn't really what you were hoping for when you agreed to do this.
"By the way, what was with that weird falling attack?" You ask in hopes of changing the topic to something less dark.
"Oh, that?" Hawkwood snorts. "It's a simplified version of a Watcher technique, The Wolf's Plunge."
"Simplified?" You choose not to comment on how silly the name sounds.
"The normal version involves doing a front-flip off of a ledge and aiming to bisect your target. It's meant for Abyssal enemies, really." Hawkwood rolls his eyes. "It's not exactly a very useful technique. I've only ever seen Frost pull it off, and even then she only did it to show off."
"I mean, it's not much of a technique when it's just a falling slice." You snark back at him.
Hawkwood snorts. "You're not wrong there. Never was very good with much of the Farron sword style anyhow."
"Anyway, what's a darkwraith? Some kind of ghost?" You ask Hawkwood, in hopes of moving the topic away from self-pity before it's too late. You heard the hollows mention one earlier, and with how they were talking about it, they were clearly afraid of it.
"Ah, they did mention them, didn't they?" Hawkwood sheathes his sword and leans against the wall. "Basically, the Darkwraiths were a collection of humans who took to stealing the humanity of others to gain power." He explains. "There have been plenty of other groups who do essentially the same thing, but the Darkwraiths were the first. They had the power of lifedrain, a vile Abyssal technique of their creation, which lets them steal the humanity right out of other humans just by grabbing them. Nobody is really sure where they originated from, but I remember Frost always bet it was somewhere in Lordran, and she knew more about the subject than I do." Hawkwood sighs. "Anyhow, the Darkwraiths were extremely rare back when I was alive due to the fact that their numbers could only shrink, but actually doing so was both difficult and dangerous. They've been around for who knows how long, and have an obscene amount of combat experience. This makes them both excellent combatants and inhuman monsters of the Abyss. I've even heard rumors that they wear the bones of their enemies as trophies, but that was Davis who said that so it's probably just a rumor or something. From what I know, they do have a skeletal appearance, but whether it's just fancy armor or not, I'm not sure."
Well, with context the fear makes a lot more sense. So they're basically mass murdering psychos who can only keep surviving by taking by standing on the corpses of others. How could they just be left to run around? Were they really strong enough that nobody bothered to try and deal with them, or was it just considered too much to bother with? If anyone deserves to be punished, it'd be people like them, that's for sure.
"So where are we headed?" Hawkwood asks.
"Let's go and check out the lower floor, it looks like there's a door that may lead somewhere."
[Open Sesame: 87 + 20 = 107)
The two of you descend down the ladder, and find more of the same: boxes scattered everywhere on old and rotten wood planks. You notice a hallway that leads further into the keep, probably towards more cells as the knight said earlier.
You turn and look at the iron bar door. Now that you can actually see it, you notice an odd discoloration coating much of the hinges. As you get close, you realize what it actually is: rust. It seems that nobody's been taking much care of the area, but that kind of applies to the whole place to be fair.
It's not exactly hard to force the thing open, and you're greeted with a loud 'thump' as the door slams into the ground, leaving the doorway open.
Inside the room you find a weird platform with what looks like a button on the floor.
What.
Hawkwood notices your gaping with a bemused glance. "It's an elevator," he explains, "do you not have them where you're from?"
"I know what an elevator is, and this isn't an elevator."
"You just step on the button, and it goes down."
"But why is it on the floor?"
Hawkwood doesn't even try to hide his amusement, a smirk on his face. "This really bothers you that much?"
"Well, no, but it's just... why?" You sigh. Seriously, why would somebody design something like this? Better yet, how does it even work?
"Don't look at me, I'm no engineer." Hawkwood shrugs, unable to really provide much of an answer.
After a moment to calm down from seeing something that dumb, you turn to Hawkwood. "You ready to head down?" You ask, taking a step onto the elevator platform. The wood is surprisingly firm despite it's evident age. Guess this didn't see much use.
"Go down there?" Any amusement remaining with Hawkwood quickly vanishes. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Why not? May as well go and check what's down there."
"Sayaka, there's a darkwraith down there. One of those monsters I just talked about. I doubt they'll be in any sort of good mood after being imprisoned for who knows how long, and i'd rather not walk willingly to a pointless death that I could easily avoid."
Huh. That's actually a good point. Would going down there be worth it?
Descend the Elevator?
[] Yes, maybe what you'll find down there will be worth the risk, and for all you know the Darkwraith may just up and leave before you come back. You can't let a monster like that loose!
- [] Try and get Hawkwood to join you (Low Chance of Success)
- [] Go by yourself.
[] No, turn back. Darkwraiths are spooky and you doubt it'll be escaping any time soon.
- [] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
- [] Climb back up and take the path out onto the rooftops.
Heal?
[] Estus
-[] To whom?
[] Use your own healing.
- [] On whom?
"Hollowing is a process, so some Hollows still have their faculties somewhat." Hawkwood explains. "Although exactly how much can vary quite heavily. They seem to have retained much of their personalities, "
"Would we be able to just, I dunno, talk this out with them? It wouldn't be right to just attack when we could avoid it."
"That's a risky move..."
"But it's the right thing to do." You softly elbow Hawkwood, who lets out a quiet sigh.
"Fine, but we need a backup plan if things go wrong."
"I'll take the small guys, you handle the knight, and then we take out the larger ones together."
"Sounds good to me. I'll wait here, they're more likely to be willing to trust you, after all.
Giving Hawkwood a nod, you head down the staircase, trying to appear as harmless as possible. You walk forward with your hands raised in the air in the hopes of appearing less threatening, although you're not exactly very threatening to begin with.
[Sudden Stranger: 27 + 0 = 27]
The group of hollows stare at you in silence, as if they don't quite believe that you're actually there.The silence continues until the Knight seems to come to a decision. Standing up straight, the knight takes out their sword and shield, and yells "Intruder!" at the top of their lungs. Everything quickly descends into chaos from there.
Combat 1st Round
Sayaka: 13 + 20 = 33
Hawkwood: 90 + 22 = 112
You weren't expecting things to go sour so quickly, nor did you account for the surprising co-ordination of the group of Hollows. Suddenly you find there are 3 knives piercing your chest as, as one, the group of Hollow thieves turn and each toss a throwing knife at you. You let out a hiss of pain before you cut off sensation to your newly punctured body. Your breathing grows ragged, and you realize they may have punctured one of your lungs. You tear the knives out of your body, your breathing returning to normal as the hole in your lungs is closed up by your magic before it can become a problem.Sayaka: 13 + 20 = 33
Hawkwood: 90 + 22 = 112
(Sayaka takes 3d3 damage. 20 - (2 + 2 + 3 = 7) = 13 Health
Out of nowhere a shout echoes around the room. You look to see Hawkwood leap from the upper floor, his sword held in both hands. He quickly falls towards the ground, landing on top of the Lothric Knight, who soon finds a massive sword slicing through their shoulder, all the way down to the abdomen. The Knight lets out a gurgle as Hawkwood smashes their face in with his shield. As he pulls his sword out, however, the giant hollow lets out a roar and charges towards him. He avoids its first attack, and the fight continues on.
Combat 2nd Round
Sayaka: 83 + 20 = 103
Hawkwood: 46 + 22 = 68
The Hollow thieves stand maybe 3 meters away from you. They each have a dagger, ready and start moving in hopes of overwhelming you. You move faster, You butcher your way through the Hollow thieves like a blender, as they struggle to match your retaliation. Unlike the enemies before, none of them have shields or even armor to slow you down. You quickly find yourself panting, the hollows laying dead on the floor.Sayaka: 83 + 20 = 103
Hawkwood: 46 + 22 = 68
Hawkwood, meanwhile, finds himself struggling with the hulking hollow. The thing won't go down despite the many cuts on its body. Eventually, seeing an opening, Hawkwood moves in for a thrust, only to find himself unable to avoid the Hollow's arm landing on his shoulder in an attempt to grab a hold of him. It squeezes tightly, and you can hear Hawkwood let out a grunt of pain, but the Hollow leaves itself open, and finds a blade pierced through its heart. It's hand falls slack as the hollow's eyes dim, granting Hawkwood's shoulder a reprieve.
(Hawkwood takes 1d4 damage. 20 - 2 = 18)
Combat Final Round
Sayaka: 89 + 20 = 109
Hawkwood: 8 + 22 = 30
Combat Final Round
Sayaka: 89 + 20 = 109
Hawkwood: 8 + 22 = 30
You hear loud footsteps from behind you. Oh right, wasn't there another hollow on the lower floor?
Hawkwood shoves you out of the way of the wide sweep at the last moment, but finds himself unable to raise his shield in time to block the incoming hit. The halberd sends him flying, and he slams into the wall with a loud thud.
"Hawkwood!" you shout as he hits the floor with a loud thud. The giant Hollow turns to look at you, its face empty of any real thoughts. It raises its halberd for another swing, before it realizes that there is now something piercing its abdomen. It barely reacts as, with a roar, you drag the blade up through its flesh, before ripping it out with a spray of black-tinted gore. You pant as the giant crashes down to the ground, and run over to where you heard Hawkwood smash against the ground.
(Hawkwood takes 1d6 damage. 18 - 6 = 12)
"Well that went poorly." Hawkwood says wearily, grunting as he gets back onto his feet. Guess he isn't in as bad a shape as you thought, although he is now sporting a fairly deep cut along his side.
"I didn't even want to fight them." You say, with a mixture of frustration and sadness. You turn to look at the slurry that was once thinking, moving people. You did this to them. It was self-defense, but still...
"Well, it IS their job." Hawkwood snarks. "Besides, they're Undead, so they'll be back before too long."
"Really?"
"Well, so long as they don't hollow completely."
Still, running around killing people isn't really what you were hoping for when you agreed to do this.
"By the way, what was with that weird falling attack?" You ask in hopes of changing the topic to something less dark.
"Oh, that?" Hawkwood snorts. "It's a simplified version of a Watcher technique, The Wolf's Plunge."
"Simplified?" You choose not to comment on how silly the name sounds.
"The normal version involves doing a front-flip off of a ledge and aiming to bisect your target. It's meant for Abyssal enemies, really." Hawkwood rolls his eyes. "It's not exactly a very useful technique. I've only ever seen Frost pull it off, and even then she only did it to show off."
"I mean, it's not much of a technique when it's just a falling slice." You snark back at him.
Hawkwood snorts. "You're not wrong there. Never was very good with much of the Farron sword style anyhow."
"Anyway, what's a darkwraith? Some kind of ghost?" You ask Hawkwood, in hopes of moving the topic away from self-pity before it's too late. You heard the hollows mention one earlier, and with how they were talking about it, they were clearly afraid of it.
"Ah, they did mention them, didn't they?" Hawkwood sheathes his sword and leans against the wall. "Basically, the Darkwraiths were a collection of humans who took to stealing the humanity of others to gain power." He explains. "There have been plenty of other groups who do essentially the same thing, but the Darkwraiths were the first. They had the power of lifedrain, a vile Abyssal technique of their creation, which lets them steal the humanity right out of other humans just by grabbing them. Nobody is really sure where they originated from, but I remember Frost always bet it was somewhere in Lordran, and she knew more about the subject than I do." Hawkwood sighs. "Anyhow, the Darkwraiths were extremely rare back when I was alive due to the fact that their numbers could only shrink, but actually doing so was both difficult and dangerous. They've been around for who knows how long, and have an obscene amount of combat experience. This makes them both excellent combatants and inhuman monsters of the Abyss. I've even heard rumors that they wear the bones of their enemies as trophies, but that was Davis who said that so it's probably just a rumor or something. From what I know, they do have a skeletal appearance, but whether it's just fancy armor or not, I'm not sure."
Well, with context the fear makes a lot more sense. So they're basically mass murdering psychos who can only keep surviving by taking by standing on the corpses of others. How could they just be left to run around? Were they really strong enough that nobody bothered to try and deal with them, or was it just considered too much to bother with? If anyone deserves to be punished, it'd be people like them, that's for sure.
"So where are we headed?" Hawkwood asks.
"Let's go and check out the lower floor, it looks like there's a door that may lead somewhere."
[Open Sesame: 87 + 20 = 107)
You turn and look at the iron bar door. Now that you can actually see it, you notice an odd discoloration coating much of the hinges. As you get close, you realize what it actually is: rust. It seems that nobody's been taking much care of the area, but that kind of applies to the whole place to be fair.
It's not exactly hard to force the thing open, and you're greeted with a loud 'thump' as the door slams into the ground, leaving the doorway open.
Inside the room you find a weird platform with what looks like a button on the floor.
What.
Hawkwood notices your gaping with a bemused glance. "It's an elevator," he explains, "do you not have them where you're from?"
"I know what an elevator is, and this isn't an elevator."
"You just step on the button, and it goes down."
"But why is it on the floor?"
Hawkwood doesn't even try to hide his amusement, a smirk on his face. "This really bothers you that much?"
"Well, no, but it's just... why?" You sigh. Seriously, why would somebody design something like this? Better yet, how does it even work?
"Don't look at me, I'm no engineer." Hawkwood shrugs, unable to really provide much of an answer.
After a moment to calm down from seeing something that dumb, you turn to Hawkwood. "You ready to head down?" You ask, taking a step onto the elevator platform. The wood is surprisingly firm despite it's evident age. Guess this didn't see much use.
"Go down there?" Any amusement remaining with Hawkwood quickly vanishes. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Why not? May as well go and check what's down there."
"Sayaka, there's a darkwraith down there. One of those monsters I just talked about. I doubt they'll be in any sort of good mood after being imprisoned for who knows how long, and i'd rather not walk willingly to a pointless death that I could easily avoid."
Huh. That's actually a good point. Would going down there be worth it?
Descend the Elevator?
[] Yes, maybe what you'll find down there will be worth the risk, and for all you know the Darkwraith may just up and leave before you come back. You can't let a monster like that loose!
- [] Try and get Hawkwood to join you (Low Chance of Success)
- [] Go by yourself.
[] No, turn back. Darkwraiths are spooky and you doubt it'll be escaping any time soon.
- [] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
- [] Climb back up and take the path out onto the rooftops.
Heal?
[] Estus
-[] To whom?
[] Use your own healing.
- [] On whom?
Current Souls: 750 + 470 = 1220
Current Stats
Sayaka
13/20 HP
10/10 FP
160/2000 Abyssal Corruption
Hawkwood
12/20 HP
10/11 FP
Current Stats
Sayaka
13/20 HP
10/10 FP
160/2000 Abyssal Corruption
Hawkwood
12/20 HP
10/11 FP
Darkwraith: "Nom nom nom."
Sayaka: "Yay! New Best Friend."
Darkwraith: "... Ummmm..."
Sayaka: "Yay! New Best Friend."
Darkwraith: "... Ummmm..."
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] No, turn back. Darkwraiths are spooky and you doubt it'll be escaping any time soon.
-[X] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[X] Estus
-[X] Hawkwood
-[X] Sayaka
Ah, didn't know that's where that door went. I thought that was the stairs down. Okay, more poking around up here then.
-[X] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[X] Estus
-[X] Hawkwood
-[X] Sayaka
Ah, didn't know that's where that door went. I thought that was the stairs down. Okay, more poking around up here then.
chocolote12
A Penguin Flailing Against The Keyboard Of Life.
[X] No, turn back. Darkwraiths are spooky and you doubt it'll be escaping any time soon.
-[X] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[X] Estus
-[X] Hawkwood
-[X] Sayaka
We do need to go back and make sure that it stops being a problem eventually, though. Right now the only thing keeping it down there is it not knowing that the door is open, and turning a corner and finding them staring us in the face would be very bad for our health.
-[X] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[X] Estus
-[X] Hawkwood
-[X] Sayaka
We do need to go back and make sure that it stops being a problem eventually, though. Right now the only thing keeping it down there is it not knowing that the door is open, and turning a corner and finding them staring us in the face would be very bad for our health.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
That's perfectly normal. The fact that I remember most of the pathways in the Souls series by heart says a lot more about me than you not.
Honestly that Darkwraith could have left at any time, but just decided to chill in a room full of corpses, which is perfectly fitting for a Dark Sword user.
Baron Ouroboros
Emerald Leaves and Crimson Petals
- Location
- Vancouver
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] No, turn back. Darkwraiths are spooky and you doubt it'll be escaping any time soon.
-[X] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[X] Estus
-[X] Hawkwood
-[X] Sayaka
-[X] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[X] Estus
-[X] Hawkwood
-[X] Sayaka
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
I 100% agree. We just need a bigger HP bar at the very least though. Shoring up the rest of our stats wouldn't hurt either.
Haven't played Dark Souls past like, a good chunk of Seth's dungeon. I know most of the spoilers, but I also know that's not hugely helpful in understanding the world. Currently working my way through a DS2 LP to try rectifying that, or at least get enough context to understand all the Want business.
Bête Noire
Abhorrent Anathema
- Location
- Dark Alley
[x] No, turn back. Darkwraiths are spooky and you doubt it'll be escaping any time soon.
- [x] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[x] Estus
- [x] Hawkwood
- [x] Head down the hallway on the same floor.
[x] Estus
- [x] Hawkwood
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
I can try and summarize it for you if you'd like, since it's a lore theory that kind of bounces around through the trilogy. If you'd rather get through it yourself and develop your own viewpoint though, feel free to do so.
- Location
- Somewhere up the tree
I've done ds 2 and I still don't get it
Tbh I'd love if I could get more insight
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
I can hear theories and still get my own ideas. Please, fire away. Sounds like it'll be important to understanding what's going on in this quest.
Hey, we might end up with more eyes by the time this is over.Wrong Franchise.
The Nature of the Dark
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Alright, there're going to be 3 different reads, depending on how spoiler heavy you want to go.
Short isme 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
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
Usurping the flame.
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.
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.
They will always Want.
Such is our fate.
Short is
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.
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.The Ancient Dragon said:
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:
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.Dusk of Oolacile said:
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.
This one is really just him egging you on more than anything.Aldia said:
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.Aldia said:
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.
This just serves to make the buildup of Vendrick's reveal to be Hollowed himself all the more impactful.Aldia said:
More filler.Aldia said:
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:
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:
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.Aldia said:
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...
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.Aldia said:
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 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.Aldia said:
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.Yuria of Londor said:
Usurping the flame.
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.
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.Aldia said:
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.
They will always Want.
Such is our fate.
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