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wiegieman posted:Isn't this whole mess happening because Gundyr couldn't make it in time to link the fire, and instead got Abyssed by whatever when wrong his time around? Nah, it's because some idiot (maybe a past character, maybe Ludleth of Courland, maybe a Primordial Serpent, maybe the maid herself) gave the Fire Maiden eyes. This made things much worse than the usual end of fire/linking scenario, and apparently royally screwed up time, even worse than before. That's why there are two versions of Iudex-he arrived simultaneously too early and too late.
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Mar 10, 2017 23:33
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This is happening because the world can't be saved. The fire's going to die no matter what anybody does or however many times it's linked. Whatever was going on with Ludleth or the Pontiff or whatever has nothing to do with anything.
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Mar 11, 2017 00:14
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What's the icon next to the Gravetender's health bar?Sum Gai posted:This is happening because the world can't be saved. The fire's going to die no matter what anybody does or however many times it's linked. Whatever was going on with Ludleth or the Pontiff or whatever has nothing to do with anything. No, they're very explicit about this time around being different. The Maiden's eyes ending is set up to parallel the opening of this game.
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Mar 11, 2017 00:42
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Discendo Vox posted:No, they're very explicit about this time around being different. The Maiden's eyes ending is set up to parallel the opening of this game.
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Mar 11, 2017 03:01
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NGDBSS posted:The relevant question is, though, about why this time around is different. And maybe I've just overlooked something, but I've never really seen anything in DS3 indicating a reason to break from the samsara implied by DS1/DS2. Because the Age of Fire was never supposed to last forever, and sooner or later linking the fire was going to fail. That's where we are now. Hell, you could break the cycle before it even started in Dark Souls. That said I think the main thing is that Miyazaki didn't like Dragon's Dogma quite as much as the Dark Souls 2 directors, though.
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Mar 11, 2017 03:23
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NGDBSS posted:The relevant question is, though, about why this time around is different. And maybe I've just overlooked something, but I've never really seen anything in DS3 indicating a reason to break from the samsara implied by DS1/DS2. The reason this time around is different is because instead of linking the flame, someone gave the Maiden eyes, and she consumed the flame. We know that Ludleth was around for it that time, and that he worked to set up the entire Lords of Cinder thing to try to get back into a conventional flame-linking setup.
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Mar 11, 2017 03:23
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That's assuming that the fire was continually linked previously, which isn't necessarily true. Breaking the cycle wasn't so easy as just walking away and letting the flame go out, or otherwise DS2 would have presented such a choice (as opposed to "restart the cycle by choosing what to do with the throne/kiln and its flame" vs. "look for some other solution after having found personal moksha").
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Mar 11, 2017 04:05
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NGDBSS posted:That's assuming that the fire was continually linked previously, which isn't necessarily true. Breaking the cycle wasn't so easy as just walking away and letting the flame go out, or otherwise DS2 would have presented such a choice (as opposed to "restart the cycle by choosing what to do with the throne/kiln and its flame" vs. "look for some other solution after having found personal moksha"). There's no particular reason to think that what happened at the end of DS2 was related to linking the flame. That said, yes, there is a "leave the throne" option that came with the Scholar of the First Sin DLC. Again, as in IGgy's videos, Ludleth is pretty explicit that the Maiden is what screwed up the normal fire-kindling process. While it may have been a process of diminishing returns before that (certainly various characters associated with the Abyss say that it is, and that the Age of Dark is inevitable), it's someone triggering the End of Fire (or, possibly, the unnamed maiden-killing version of that ending) on a previous loop that left Ludleth devising a way to scrape together remnants of the flame.
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Mar 11, 2017 04:38
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Discendo Vox posted:There's no particular reason to think that what happened at the end of DS2 was related to linking the flame. That said, yes, there is a "leave the throne" option that came with the Scholar of the First Sin DLC. quote:Again, as in IGgy's videos, Ludleth is pretty explicit that the Maiden is what screwed up the normal fire-kindling process. While it may have been a process of diminishing returns before that (certainly various characters associated with the Abyss say that it is, and that the Age of Dark is inevitable), it's someone triggering the End of Fire (or, possibly, the unnamed maiden-killing version of that ending) on a previous loop that left Ludleth devising a way to scrape together remnants of the flame.
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Mar 11, 2017 05:25
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NGDBSS posted:That's assuming that the fire was continually linked previously, which isn't necessarily true. Breaking the cycle wasn't so easy as just walking away and letting the flame go out, or otherwise DS2 would have presented such a choice (as opposed to "restart the cycle by choosing what to do with the throne/kiln and its flame" vs. "look for some other solution after having found personal moksha"). Dark Souls 2 makes up the Buddhism whole cloth. Dark Souls 3 ignores it. Pretty simple.
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Mar 11, 2017 05:46
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The Buddhism/Hinduism* was always there to some degree right from the opening cutscenes of DS1, in which Disparity from Fire drives various mechanisms of change and impermanence like life/death or Light/Dark. Same thing with the in-game concept of respawning after death and the progression of hollowing. DS2 just fleshed those out more. *It's something of a syncretism, really. Most of the relevant details tend towards the Buddhist interpretation but DS2's alternate ending is very definitely moksha, becoming one with everything. (Nirvana is the Buddhist equivalent but is more, as I understand it, about becoming one with nothing.)
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Mar 11, 2017 06:15
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NGDBSS posted:Sure there is. The Giant's Kinship implies it, while the Emerald Herald explicitly says so (on multiple occasions). The "embers linked by lords past" is the freaking Lords of Cinder. It's not complicated. I appreciate that you've read a reddit thinkpiece on ties between Dark Souls and Eastern religions, but it's not the Bhagavad Gita. Discendo Vox fucked around with this message at 06:55 on Mar 11, 2017 |
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Mar 11, 2017 06:51
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Discendo Vox posted:The "embers linked by lords past" is the freaking Lords of Cinder. It's not complicated. quote:Ashen one, forgive me if this soundeth strange. The eyes show a world without fire, a vast stretch of darkness. But 'tis different to what is seen when stripped of vision. In the far distance, I sense the presence of tiny flames. Like precious embers, left to us by past Lords, linkers of the fire. Could this be what draws me to this strangely enticing darkness? Discendo Vox posted:I appreciate that you've read a reddit thinkpiece on ties between Dark Souls and Eastern religions, but it's not the Bhagavad Gita. Also I wonder what this reddit thinkpiece even looks like, since I don't pay attention to that site for anything but number crunching on a FtP mobile game. I appreciate that you think I've read some attempts at video game scholarship on this, but the fact is that I'm just a person who's connected some dots. I'm probably not the only person who's connected those dots, nor are those dots related in exactly the way I've connected them (and the same applies for anyone compiling Souls lore, because part of the inspiration was from the famously obtuse Wizardry games), but at the end I'm human and thus have a penchant for finding patterns.
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Mar 11, 2017 07:46
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For gently caress's sake, Frieda. It's "whence", not "from whence". Whence means from where. If you're going to do fake Middle English, do it right.
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Mar 11, 2017 07:54
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On the note of why this particular linking the fire is so hosed it's actually quite simple. When Gundyr went to link the fire he was too late, and thus the fire faded. This is the timeline shown in the Dark Firelink Shrine where you fight Champion Gundyr. In fact it's entirely possible that fighting you is why Gundyr completely fails to do anything to fix the fire having faded. This is also the Timeline Ludleth is originally from, because he talks about how the Eyes you find there show the true nature of the world. Ludleth willed himself a lord, and literally rewrote history so that there was another chance to link the flame, this is the world Dark Souls 3 primarily takes place in, except when you visit the Untended Graves, which still exists so that Ludleth's personal timeline doesn't go wonky. The Eyes are infused with Darkness in Untended Graves because that Firekeeper, who if you remember were not blind until Dark Souls 3, watched as the world faded into Darkness. Ludleth remembers the timeline, and so he doesn't want you showing the Firekeeper the truth, that the flame has already faded in truth and what you're doing is an attempt to rewrite history such that it didn't occur. Thus in his new Timeline Firekeepers are blinded.
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Mar 11, 2017 10:24
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   We're gonna go to an interesting bit of the DLC today and below I'll give you my thoughts on the rest of the DLCs, which were the best parts of their respective games. Crown of the Iron King After the first Dark Souls II DLC did so well Crown of the Iron King needed to live up to that. For me personally it didn't, but I've heard quite a few people naming it as their own favorite. The area itself is very long and quite big. First we are working ourselves down Brume Tower, finding several Ashen Idols of a child of dark along the way. The challenges are relatively varied but I'm not that big of a fan of the areas itself. It's a good jump up in difficulty from Crown of the Sunken King. At some points I felt that the enemies were too plentiful and what could have been an interesting part of the level became more tedious as a result. For all my gripes with the level design, which I don't really want to go into much further, it also falls a bit short in terms of two of its three bosses (if you want to count the blue Smelter Demon). I've gone on record saying that I don't really like Fume Knight. I always found the fight kind of bland. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the hardest fights of the game, but I never really found the boss very interesting. However, this DLC also has my favorite Boss Fights of Dark Souls II: Sir Alonne. It's set up nicely, has cool music and feels very dynamic. It's a shame the area leading up to him is a slog and not worth actually fighting through. Just running to the boss is basically the way to go. It is one of the co-op areas, Iron King having two of them, and all of them are very bad. However, it's also the only co-op area with a unique boss (The others feature straight up NPCs, a palette swap, and two of another boss we already fought). Crown of the Ivory King This one takes us to the frozen over city of Eleum Loyce with a blizzard raging. At release a few people thought it was supposed to be Anor Londo. While that turned out to be false, considering that Irithyll is also a frozen city, it wasn't too far off. The area itself is fairly straightforward, but pretty long. And that's just the first run through it. Because unless you want to either fight an invisible first boss or a second boss with powerful adds you'll have to go through it twice. The second time with the blizzard gone. This removes some of the chunks of ice that either hid paths or additional enemies. There's several lenghty new paths that unlock at this point. As a result this DLC is definitely the longest. I might even say too long. But it also has a part where you roll a snowball down a mountain and it grows large enough to kill several enemies on a bridge and fill a gap within said bridge so you can cross it, unlocking a shortcut back to a place you don't wanna go back to anyway (But you totally could). The incentive for going through it all again and explore all the additional parts, of course, is to find Knights to assist you during the final boss of the DLC. Otherwise the fight would be you kiting up to four enemies. The idea being that you find the Knights who then sacrifice themselves to shut three portals that constantly spawn tough enemies with a fourth Knight (that is unlocked from the start) being there to help you out with the boss if they're still alive. If you have all the Knights the actual boss will only come out once your Knights have either died or sealed the portals, which can take several minutes. The actual boss fight is actually cool but what comes before every single time you want to fight it is... meh. Artorias of the Abyss To many this is the holy grail of Dark Souls DLC. The area itself is solid and more Dark Souls, back when it came out there wasn't much more to ask for besides that. We explore an area we've technically already seen in parts only now we've travelled to the past and it looks quite different. While the initial area is a pretty forest we soon see signs of the Abyss running wild and over the course of the DLC we go deeper and deeper until we eventually end up in the Chasm of the Abyss. On the way there we have to fight what many find to be the best boss in the series: Artorias of the Abyss. While I disagree on the "best" part it's definitely a great fight and I have to relearn it at least partially every time I play the game again, which is a good thing. The other three bosses aren't bad either. The Sanctuary Guardian greets us right at the beginning of the DLC and with it's aggressiveness is a sign of things to come. Manus is a larger but still very ferocious opponent while Kalameet slows it down a bit again but is still tough and feels like a climax of its own, despite being kind of a bonus fight. The plot, funnily enough, is a mushroom telling us to save a princess. When I first played this I was half expecting there to be a reference to Bowser instead of Manus at the end.
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Mar 17, 2017 21:51
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So now we've found the place that the Corvian Storyteller is telling stories about.Storyteller's Staff posted:Staff of a heretic storyteller who shares tales of the Painted World to forlorn souls. Even the Corvian Settler kept going on about us making the tales come true by burning the world. Are the Corvians telling stories about what the Painted World was in its prime? It'd make for a better story than this rotting husk. Gael talked about us burning the rot away, like it's a purifying fire. That makes some degree of sense. Edit: Hang on, was that a Way of White chapel at around 20 minutes? With the pews, and the praying figure with an explicit Way of White miracle on them, it seems like it'd be one. But there was no statue on the , just the same red draperies we find at the Cathedral of the Deep. There were a lot of books and papers strewn about the altar, which begs the question: What kind of stories (stories of the saints being what Dark Souls miracles actually are) are they telling here? Was the Corvian Knights guarding the miracle itself, as a reminder of brighter times? Hmm. Philippe fucked around with this message at 10:10 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Mar 18, 2017 09:59
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Tasteful Dickpic posted:Edit: Hang on, was that a Way of White chapel at around 20 minutes? With the pews, and the praying figure with an explicit Way of White miracle on them, it seems like it'd be one. But there was no statue on the , just the same red draperies we find at the Cathedral of the Deep. There were a lot of books and papers strewn about the altar, which begs the question: What kind of stories (stories of the saints being what Dark Souls miracles actually are) are they telling here? Was the Corvian Knights guarding the miracle itself, as a reminder of brighter times? Hmm. I think it's very much supposed to be a Way of White chapel. Its interior resembles the Cathedral of the Deep as well, which is/was a Cathedral of the Way of White. Here's also the description of the Way of White Corona, which I didn't "officially" post yet because I'm too lazy to keep track of what item I pick up in which episode and instead do it on a by area basis: "A lost Way of White miracle. Launches a white discus which slices into foes and returns to its conjurer. Long ago, when the imprints left by the gods were still deep, miracles of the Way of White existed alongside aureoles. Those who yearned for the long-lost aureoles fully believed that they would return, one day." It references these strange rings we've seen in Dark Souls 1. Y'know, the ones that amplified the power of your miracles if you casted one near them. Another important bit on the Way of White is that it's now apparently removed from it's roots somewhat, with Allfather Lloyd being a forgotten figure. Which is interesting considering he was most likely Gwyn's Uncle. In Dark Souls 1 the purpose of the Way of White was to get people to kindle the bonfires and eventually the first flame by worshipping Gwyn (which is welsh for white). In Dark Souls III it's basically just The Church (tm). It still is about linking the flame, though, what with them forcing Aldrich to do it and all. But maybe they don't want to worship a dead god and his relatives or something, I dunno.
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Mar 18, 2017 20:48
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Interestingly, the statues in the Cathedral of the Deep, and in the library you rudely bolted through without looking at any of the cool poo poo, quote statues of Velka. In the Cathedral, they have either been covered by red cloth, or just hidden by statues of the Deacons of the Deep after Aldrich's boys took over the Cathedral. Apparently, and I'm going off the excellent video "Dark Souls 3: The Bastard's Curse" here, the Way of White has gone from worshipping Gwyn (because he's dead!) to worshipping Velka, the goddess of Sin, and with Aldrich's ascension to a Lord of Cinder the Way of White has decreased even more. Maybe Carim has had more influence on the Way of White as the Ages cycle. Maybe there was a statue of Velka on the altar in the chapel before someone (maybe the Corvian Knights) tore it down. Lots of speculation, but it's nice, isn't it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FZiAi9LDIs As a sidenote, the aureole is another word for gloria, the circle of gold around a saint's head in paintings. Here's Saint Lucy with an aureole: 
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Mar 18, 2017 21:09
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It's pretty much Carim's fault that the Way of White is degraded, yes. To be blunt, Dark Souls 1 left pretty strong hints about Carim being full of scum and villainy. It's Carim people who disliked Allfather Lloyd, leading his worship to decrease.
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Mar 18, 2017 21:41
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Considering the three DS1 NPCs from Carim, that makes sense. Oswald is into selling absolution, which is kind of like extortion. Marvelous Chester is kind of non-specifically creepy. Lautrec is clean, and rad, and powerful. Both Oswald and Chester worship Velka, considering that they use Velka's Talisman. If these three boys represent their kingdom, I don't think I'd want to visit. Why did the Carimites suppress worship of Lloyd in Lothric? Even his talismans have changed names. Was it just to make reforming the Way of White easier, by removing any part of the Gwyn family line from worship?
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Mar 19, 2017 18:30
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You're also forgetting Arstor of Carim, who made the Bite Rings. As in the Arstor Spear. The Bite Rings are surrounded by "dreadful rumors"... aka whatever those rumors are are most likely fact. Then you have Morne, presumably of Carim. Associated with Caitha, the Goddess of Tears, whose chime can only cast Hexes in DS2 and cannot cast miracles. A large influence on Carim knights, who are now Way of White knights. ...oh, and in DS2, Caitha was rumored to actually be a demon. So yeah. Everything associated with Carim appears to get corrupted in some way. Tallgeese fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Mar 20, 2017 |
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Mar 20, 2017 01:58
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That just sounds like a people who don't want to worship Gwyn at all, and prefer to worship literally any other God. Knowing what we do about Gwyn that doesn't necessarily seem like a bad thing. I also still like the theory that Velka was Gwyn's estranged wife because of circumstances, which is why we never learn who Gwyn's wife is but Velka comes across as so important in Anor Londo and the surrounding areas during DS1 to the point where the only actual member of Gwyn's family remaining is the leader of the people who hunt down and punish sinners.
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Mar 20, 2017 02:18
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The insinuation behind Caitha is that she causes misfortune and then provides some relief from it as a way to look good. The fact her chime can only cast Hexes attests to this. This, obviously, parallels Carim.
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Mar 20, 2017 02:25
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  This time we'll explore most of what's left of the Painted World of Ariandel. We'll only be leaving the last boss for next time. The Bonus video will cover everything except any of the bosses. It once again features shibbotech and Skippy Granola. It's that one session that was recorded before the last one was live, and the main reason that the flow of time is convoluted in this Let's Play. So what about them Painted Worlds You might have noticed that the Painted World of Ariandel alludes to things we've seen in the Painted World of Ariamis in Dark Souls. You might now be wondering what the point of these painted worlds is why are they there? And why are there's more than one of them. IS there even more than one or is it just one that went through a couple iterations like the outside world? The latter is the most likely explanation as the painted world tries to draw parallels to the linking of fire and the ages of fire and dark. This comes complete with some embracing the rot, like the first corvian that we meet immediately after entering, and the ones that want it burned away, like the corvian in the settlement. The outside parallels to those would be the Hollows of Londor in favor of the Dark, as well as the Way of White who wants to link the Flame, perpetuating the the age of a fading flame. And while everyone has their opinion on this it is never made clear which of those options is better for humanity as a whole. The painting always seems to have been a "place for the forlorn". The Painted world of Ariamis appeared to be more of a glorified waste bin for people that have no place in the outside world for whatever reason, it was closely linked to Velka, Goddess of Sin. Some might see this as a sign that being sent to the painting was some form of punishment. But to my knowledge there's nothing in the game that confirms that. The world of Ariandel seems more like a place to seek refuge by comparison. And apparently it can be left by its inhabitants, seeing as Sulyvahn was born in the painting. Whether this was because there was nothing forlorn about him or if anyone could just leave at any time is not clear either. In any case, the only people who know left are those who've been told they don't belong in this place of belonging (our humble selves as well as Sulyvahn). There's still some dialogue we haven't heard yet as well as a post credits stinger (I mean, there are no credits, but it's a stinger for sure). And of course the boss. But we'll be seeing all that next time.
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Mar 24, 2017 20:34
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I think people feel it's shorter because the bosses aren't spaced out so instead of having multiple sections between each boss encounter there's only really pre- and post-Wolf Dad
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Mar 24, 2017 22:57
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Tallgeese posted:It's pretty much Carim's fault that the Way of White is degraded, yes. To be blunt, Dark Souls 1 left pretty strong hints about Carim being full of scum and villainy. I can't remember which item says this but there is one in ds3 that says the people of Carim never accepted All Father Lloyd because the titled was false or something Edit: Lloyd's Sword Ring. Glad I remembered. McGwee fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Mar 24, 2017 |
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Mar 24, 2017 23:08
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I think the complaint about this DLC being short was that it was short for the price. If I recall it's $15 as a stand-alone, when you can get it and the upcoming one together for $25, which makes it feel rather like it wasn't worth picking it up right off the bat for that reason alone. At the very least, that's why I haven't bought it yet.
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Mar 25, 2017 05:30
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KieranWalker posted:I think the complaint about this DLC being short was that it was short for the price. If I recall it's $15 as a stand-alone, when you can get it and the upcoming one together for $25, which makes it feel rather like it wasn't worth picking it up right off the bat for that reason alone. That's the price of the season pass, which has been available for as long as the main game. You don't have to wait for the second DLC to drop. The real problem with Ariandel is it's just not very good.
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Mar 25, 2017 14:26
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What do you mean, more specifically? Is the gameplay terrible? Do you hate the lore? Does the level design not make any sense?
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Mar 25, 2017 14:34
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Tasteful Dickpic posted:What do you mean, more specifically? Is the gameplay terrible? Do you hate the lore? Does the level design not make any sense? Well the gameplay is the same as the rest of the game. But the lore is meh. The level design is clever in parts, maddeningly stupid in others. One of the boss fights is lame, the other is far to long, and over all it's short and below what we expect from From DLC, which has been the highlight of DS1 DS2 and BB.
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Mar 25, 2017 14:40
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Also, for a lot of people, this came on the heals of the Bloodborne DLC. Which was literally 2 DLC slapped together, with 5 (I think) new bosses, several new trick weapons, and a ton of new lore stuff. Obviously not everybody played Bloodborne, but I do think its a factor. But Ringed City drops 3 days from now, and that's looking like it'll be much better hopefully.
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Mar 26, 2017 06:37
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Arcade Rabbit posted:Also, for a lot of people, this came on the heals of the Bloodborne DLC. Which was literally 2 DLC slapped together As in it was going to be sold as 2 separate dlc? Who was going to be the last boss of the first half?
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Mar 26, 2017 07:40
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SloppyDoughnuts posted:As in it was going to be sold as 2 separate dlc? Who was going to be the last boss of the first half? An Asylum Demon with a pointy hat and a t-shirt with the caption "I <3 BLOOD."
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Mar 26, 2017 08:07
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SloppyDoughnuts posted:As in it was going to be sold as 2 separate dlc? Who was going to be the last boss of the first half? All things considered I'd say Laurence or Maria. As both are quite thematically appropriate for the first half of the DLC which is what was originally one DLC. Basically everything in the Fishing Hamlet was what they had done of the hypothetical second DLC, as far as I can tell, and this is why that particular level transition is so sudden and disjointed. Even if the writing does make it work.
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Mar 26, 2017 09:21
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SloppyDoughnuts posted:As in it was going to be sold as 2 separate dlc? Who was going to be the last boss of the first half? Judging by the flow of the DLC, most people think Ludwig and Laurence would have been the bosses of the first in the Nightmare. The second would have contained the stuff with the church, fishing hamlet, Maria, and the Orphan. Lord_Magmar posted:Basically everything in the Fishing Hamlet was what they had done of the hypothetical second DLC, as far as I can tell, Alternatively, yes. Screaming Idiot posted:An Asylum Demon with a pointy hat and a t-shirt with the caption "I <3 BLOOD." I mean, that's almost literally what Laurence is, so you're not wrong thematically.
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Mar 26, 2017 10:49
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The last DLC is always the best DLC.
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Mar 26, 2017 13:59
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  And so we conclude the first DLC, Ashes of Ariandel. A long trek through a variety of snowy landscapes followed what I think is a really great boss fight. Let's have a look at that as well as the items we can find in the DLC. Sister Friede  The first phase of this fight has Friede move very slowly, attacking more methodically. Once you figure out her moves she shouldn't me much of a problem to you. She doesn't have much health either. After all this is only the first phase of the fight. Her attacks mostly consist of various swings with her scythe, which just requires you to learn how to dodge them properly. Additionaly she can also freeze the ground in a staright line in front of here followed by a leap attack. The ice creep will build up frostbite while you're standing on it, and after a short time it will "explode" into icicles erupting from the ground. She can also summon ice creep in a cone shape in front of her. Her most recognizable attack sees her turning invisible and jumping around. She'll often jump behind you so if you weren't able to tell where she landed by listening for the sound of here landing or the dust settling afterward it's worth a shot to just turn around. You'll be able to see her again if you get close. Some people also recommend hitting her with throwing knives or arrows, which will still be visible after Friede turns invisible. If you don't find her for too long she will attack you with a powerful scythe attack, which is probably her most dangerous attack. It's worth mentioning that, while she will flinch after being hit, she'll just get hyper armor and attack you after a couple hits, so stunlocking her isn't possible. Sister Friede and Father Ariandel  After Friede has been defeated she collapses and underneath her forms a pool of blood which extend all the way to Ariandel, who then goes nuts and just slams his bowl around (some people insist it's the Lordvessel because if Souls Loresters are to be believed everything is somehow related to the Lordvessel, Velka and/or Lloyd). Ariandel sets fire to the place which somehow revives Friede as a Host of Embers, so now we have to deal with both of them. Friede acts largely the same but is far less aggressive than before. She also has the ability to heal herself and Ariandel. Just hitting her interrupts it immediately. Ariandel is a whole new variable to the fight, though. He has a couple of combos with his bowl, where he'll slam it on the ground repeatedly. Sometimes the third hit will be very explosive and deadly. Sometimes he just swings the thing as well. At a longer range he can also charge towards the player followed by an attack and breathe fire breath has a very long range, so long as you're not in front of him you can get a couple really easy hits in on him that way. Since Friede and Ariandel share a healthbar you can attack both to win the fight, but it's much easier to focus on Ariandel. He's bigger and easier to hit, he also has lower defenses and takes more damage from most attacks. When hit enough he'll also collapse and you'll be able to visceral attack him for probably the rest of their health bar. If you summoned Gael prior to the fight he will support you during this phase, but not the first. I don't know exactly why this is the way it is but Gael is weird anyway, as you can summon him whether you are Embered or not. He also doesn't count as a phantom, technically, meaning you could summon as many players as you like AND also bring Gael along. He also does not increase the bosses health. Blackflame Friede  This is a two-phase boss fight with a surprise third phase. Each phase gets its own health bar which pissed some people off, but it's essential in order to make the third phase a surprise. I at least thought it was a cool moment to think I beath Friede and Ariandel only to have the real fight ahead of me still. This really is what put that fight over for me. It's probably the hardest fight in the game. By now I can reliably solo her after a few tries. But the first time I was stumped here for a bit. In my NG+ Bonus run I took this to the extreme and took more tries than ever before for some reason despite already having beat the boss solo before. Of course, there's also people who find this easy. However, if you're not one of those people you're free to bring Gael along to help you out. I would recommend this over summoning players because players increase the defenses of Friede and she'll take so many hits that it stops being funny. She will always start the fight with her a Blackflame Explosion thing where she'll jump up to come crashing down with black flames erupting from the ground with trails of more black flames moving from her along the floor. I recommend getting a feel for how close you can get without getting hurt because if you can get in close afterwards it's a good chance to get in a hit or two. She'll also do this attack throughout the fight. While she has some moves that are similar to her first phase she has mostly new moves. Her combo got much longer. Once you're able to read it and know which is the last hit you can dodge towards her to get in a hit. She has a really mean grab where she rushes towards you. If it connects she'll straight up decapitate you with her scythe. You can, of course, survive this. But it's best not to get hit by that. She also has a more minor grab. She'll just hook you in with her scythe to follow with more attacks. She can still summon ice creep in a large cone in front of her, she usually won't hesitate to attack you after doing it. She can also still turn invisible of course, only this time she'll cause more ice creep in a straight line, jump away again and do it another time, then jump away again to follow with a homing black flame trail. Since it takes a while to charge that one it's a good chance to get in a hit or two. She has a lot of health, more than either of the other two phases so you should aim to conserve as much estus in the third phase. One trick that never occured to me when playing is also to just use an Ember after the second phase as a free one-time heal and slight health extension. So, let's have a look a the Dialogue that we can only get when being on our path to the Lord of Hollows ending. Vilhelm will adress you as a Lord of Hollows, but otherwise his dialogue will be the same. Friede has a couple variations, though. Meeting her for the first time: "Lord of Hollows, I know not the missteps which led thee to this painted world. But they duty is all, and thy duty lieth elsewhere. Return from whence thouh cam'st." Giving the player the Chillbite Ring: "Ahh yes, there is a thing thou shouldst by rights possess. A remembrance of this cold world, for the great Lord of Londor. May it help thee bear they duty." Opening the path to the boss fight: "Be forewarned, eager Ash, Should this world wither and rot, Even then would Ariandel remain our home. Leave us be, Ashen One. Thou'rt the Lord of Londor, and have thine own subjects to guide." Dying to the boss: "Return from whence thou cam'st. Yuria surely awaits thee." "Leave us be, Ashen One. Thou art the Lord of Londor and have thine our subjects to guide." Then there's Yuria's Dialogue which I actually showed in the video. "Ahh, our Lord and Liege. Twas the soul of my sister. Elfriede...A poor wench turned to Ash, who would abandon Londor... If thou wouldst, let it nourish they Lordship. And in return, do her one small kindness. Remember those who stayed by her to the end, in the shadows cast by fire... And lastly, my Lord, take up thy rightful mantle, of usurper."  Soul of Sister Friede Soul of Sister Friede. One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength. Use to aquire numerous souls, or transpose to extract its true strength. Friede was the first Ash to enter the painting, but together with the good Father, they chose rot over fire. Friede's Great Scythe A great scythe wielded by Sister Elfriede, with a curved blade thinly coated by Painted World frost that easily breaks the guard of shields. In the painting, the scythe is a symbol of a long-lost home, possibly explaining Elfriede's preference for it. Skill: Elfriede's Stance - Conjure a magic bladed support scythe into the left hand while the great scythe remains in the right, a stance derived from Elfriede's former swordmanship. Use normal attack to leap forward and swing twice, or strong attack to coat the earth with running frost. Rose of Ariandel A flail used by the bulbous Father of the Painted World to shred his own skin, producing blood to appease the flame. Both a weapon and a miracle catalyst. Ariandel, being the restorer of the Painted World, knew that it was painted with blood, and only blood could protect the secret. Skill: Awakening - Violently flail oneself to trigger an awakening that temporarily boosts the strength of miracles, just as the good Father used the rose himself. Ordained Set Garb of Friede, Sister of the Painted World. A light blue dress sewn with thick fabric. After renouncing everything, Friede discovered a people that she wished to protect, and assumed the precise form that they yearned for. Chillbite Ring One of the bite rings native to Carim. Increases frost resistance. This ring would never grace Friede's hand, for the painting and it's frost became her home. Champion's Bones The charred but warm bones of a champion. Long ago, an Undead declared a fight. A fight to celebrate their undeath, and so to preserve what remained of their souls. So it was that the Undead Matches were born. The merit of an Undead is measured in deaths. Could there be a greater gift for such a creature, than a fight that has no end? Valorheart Weapon once wielded by the Champion of the Undead Match. A special paired set consisting of a broad sword and a lion shield. The champion fought on, without rest, until he lost his mind. In the end, only his page and a lone wolf stayed at his side. Skill: Lion Stance - While in stance, use normal attack to thrust forward with shield up, and strong attack to execute a shield bash with a lion's roar. Vilhelm's Armor Set The black Armor of Vilhelm, Knight of Londor, and a nice fit for any lean Hollow. This hollow knight, who served the three sisters who founded the Sable Church, was particularly loyal to the eldest, and was known as a cold-blooded hangman. Onyx Blade Elfriede, the eldest amongst her sisters and leader of the Sable Church, bestowed this sword to her knight. Only, the sword was a farewell gift, and acceptance signified the knight's resignation from Elfriede's service. Skill: Elfriede's Blackflame - Enwreath blade with blackflame, born of the similarly-hued flame that smolders within her. Contraption Key The key to the contraption leading to the attic of the archive found on the edge of the Corvian settlement. After Sir Vilhelm led a white-haird woman to the attic of the library, he kept this key as if it were his life. Slave Set Armor Issued to slave knights. The fine craftsmanship made this a symbol of honor. Long ago, only the Undead served as slave knights, warriors used as fodder in the bleakest of battles. They grew decrepit, their skin charred black and their bones twisted. Eventually they went outright mad, but were never relieved from duty. Millwood Armor Set Armor worn by knights of Millwood. The charbronze breastplate and the thick black cape are adorned with the symbol of the Ethereal Oak. When the fabled Millwood forest was discovered it was a vacant ruin. The only thing left was the Ethereal Oak, stood rotting. No corpses were discovered, yet their belongings lay neatly on the ground. Millwood Battle Axe Battle axe wielded by Millwood Knights. Its blade is blessed by the symbol of the Ethereal Oak A hefty axe normally wielded by the mightiest of warriors. Skill: Warcry - The unique warcry of the Millwood Knights entailed a leap straight toward the enemy and a fearsome roar. Earth Seeker] This large twin-bladed axe forged with bronze is a ceremonial weapon normally used in sacred rites. Millwood is a land of primitive earth worship where chieftain knights served as high priests. Skill: Earthen Wrath - Thrust weapon into earth with a prayer to trigger explosive tremors. Quakestone Hammer A Stonehammer wielded by the Millwood Knights, with a head of naturally-formed stone. The Knights of Millwood would fight hand-in-hand with the earth itself, and this weapon, among the oldest in Millwood, is symbolic of that relationship. Skill: Quake - Burrow hammer head into the ground with a great slam, and use strong attack to upheave earth, creating a shockwave that rumbles like a mighty warcry. Millwood Greatbow Greatbow crafted with black oak and wielded by Millwood Knights. Only specialized great arrows can be fired from the bow. It is said that the Millwood Knights used these to face their sworn enemy, the Abyss Dragon. Skill: Pierce Earth - Fire a greatarrow with a burst of strength and a prayer that violently shakes its target and explodes on impact. Millwood Greatarrow Heavy, sturdy greatarrows made of black oak that deal heavy damage but have limited range. Can only be fired using a greatbow. It is said that the Millwood Knights used these to face their sworn enemy, the Abyss Dragon. Ethereal Oak Shield Charbronze shield used by Millwood Knights that slowly regenerates HP. This shield appears to be blessed by a great, if faded, image of the ethereal oak. Skill: Weapon Skill - Equipping this shield in the left hand allows one to perform the Skill of the right hand weapon. Captain's Ashes Umbral Ash of the Captain of the Millwood Knights. With this, the shrine handmaiden will prepare new items. Long ago, when the Millwood Knights lost the forest they called home, they began a journey so long that even thoughts of their sworn enemy washed away, replaced by a vision of a cold and brittle wood. Crow Quills Thrusting sword wielded by Corvian Knights, and a special paired weapon. When twin-handed, brandish four thin-edge blades in the left hand. In their infatuation with Sister Friede, the Corvian Knights swore to protect the painting from fire, and to this end, took to the execution of their own brethren. Skill: Quill Dart - Simultaneously throw temporarily substantial illusions of the four thin-edged blades wielded in the left hand. Crow Talons Talons used by Corvian Knights. Inflicts five perpendicular slashes, causing heavy bleeding. In their infatuation with Sister Friede, the Corvian Knights swore to protect the painting from fire and to this end, too to the execution of their own brethren. Skill: Raptor Flurry - Spread right and left talons like a broad set of wings and launch into a tornado of consecutive attacks. Follower Armor Set Armor worn by the Farron Followers. When a warrior of Farron fell to the Abyss, the tall, lean Followers, with their hollowed eyes, quiety appeared in groups to hunt them down. Farron and its Watchers fell to ruin, but the Followers survived as a wandering pack of Hollows. Follower Sabre Great curved sword wielded by Farron Followers. Its great weight enables heavy-handed chain attacks. The Followers brandish their swords to hunt warriors taken by the Abyss. Their technique is honed to face men, implying those yet to lose their human aspect are their likeliest prey. Skill: Prying Wedge - A chain attack that wedges below foes and swings upward, breaking their guard. Strong attack can be used to follow up the onslaught with a fatal blow. Follower Javelin Light spear wielded by the Farron Followers. Balanced to allow for throwing. The Followers attack in groups, surrounding foes, shielding themselves, and thrusting their spears at their foes. On a final command, they hurt their spears at their fallen foe, to give the retired warrior an honorable send-off. Skill: Hurl Spear - Emulate the practice of the Followers by throwing an illusory spear that assumes temporary form. Follower Torch An offensive torch used by the Farron Followers. Provides light and doubles as a weapon Some forms of the Abyss manifest as pus within the body, treated from ancient times with fire. Skill: Breathe Fire - Spit a combustible fuel across the torch to breathe flame in a front-sweeping motion. Follower Shield Standard shield used by the Farron Followers. Crafted with wood and reinforced with metal. Imbued with a faint resistance to the Abyss. Skill: Weapon Skill - Equipping this shield in the left hand allows one to perform the Skill of the right hand weapon. Parting Flame The pyromancy flame of Livid Pyromancer Dunnel that attracts the echoes of the death. When Dunnel lost his hideous spouse, he gave his own pyromancy flame as an offering, which transformed into a parting flame. Not long after, Dunnel became a mad spirit, cursed to wander the lands. Skill: Parting Flame - Release store of death echoes to gain a modest dose of Estus. Floating Chaos Pyromancer Dunnel was fascinated by this ceremonial art employed by the clerics of the Smouldering Lake. Summons a fire-spitting chaos orb. Chaos burns away in the blink of an eye, but was the primordial life born in the Bed of Chaos, and a grievous symbol of Izalith's sin. Frozen Weapon One of the spells left behind by the young sorcerer Sulyvahn before leaving the Painted World. Imbues right-hand weapon with frost. Sulyvahn was born and raised inside the painting yet had little use for his frigid homeland, since he had not yet experienced loss. Snap Freeze One of the spells left behind by the young sorcerer Sulyvahn before leaving the Painted World. Creates a cloud of near-freezing mist. Sulyvahn was born and raised inside the painting, yet had little use for his frigid homeland, since he had not yet experienced loss. Way of White Corona A lost Way of White miracle. Launches a white discus which slices into foes and returns to its conjurer. Long ago, when the imprints left by the gods were still deep, miracles of the Way of White existed alongside aureoles. Those who yearned for the long-lost aureoles fully believed that they would return, one day. IGgy IGsen fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Mar 31, 2017 |
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Mar 31, 2017 19:05
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The Friede fight is just way too turgid for its own good. Any one of the phases would have been perfectly fine on its own after being fleshed out, or 1 and 2 could have been combined for a somewhat less stellar result. But with all three phases, it just drags on. Plus there's the issue that the phases are distinct enough to throw off just about anyone, since you've got regular Friede/zoning Friede + flailing Ariandel/superhero Friede. In general Dark Souls 3 boss encounters seem to be like Ang Lee films in that they really need pruning to shine. (All but three boss encounters in DS3, excepting perhaps the second DLC, are multi-phase, and the remainder are all some flavor of gimmick fight like Yhorm.)
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Apr 2, 2017 05:03
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  I know last time I said we'd only get filler this update but you're getting that filler in addition to the proper update. Which I guess means it's no filler anymore, but bonus content. Isn't this great? Covenants I sometimes mentioned the covenants but I usually forgot all about rewards for leveling up the covenants. While I'm not willing to show every covenant I'll at the very least be going into what makes each covenant unique (or not unique) here. Way of Blue Obtained from Emma in the High wall of Lothric "Pale blue sheepskin parchment detailing the moon of an ancient accord. Equip to pledge oneself to the Way of Blue. Members of the Way of Blue are the beneficiaries of an ancient accord. When a dark spirit threatens them, a blue spirit will grant them assistance, and help root out the invader. Summoning takes place automatically while this is equipped." The Way of Blue is a covenant that will automatically summon a blue, friendly, phantom if you get invaded. These phantoms can either be Blue Sentinels or Blades of the Darkmoon. I reckon this covenant is primarily used by people who want to stay embered but still go solo but ALSO don't engage in PvP. I mean, alternatively they could play offline. I'm not saying this is the only group of people who uses it, but I think you can see that the amount of people who would have this covenant equipped probably isn't too high and as such it can take a while to get summoned as a helper for members of the Way of blue (though it did happen to me three times in one session, as shown in the PvP video). Another problem is that this covenant doesn't yield any rewards, however minor. Aside from potentially having a helper when invaded. But I believe a bit more incentive to run around with the Way of Blue on would go a long way. Blue Sentinels / Blades of the Darkmoon Obtained from Anri when talking to her during the first encounter in the Road of Sacrifices Blue Sentinels: "Faded sheepskin parchment depicting the Darkmoon and a sword. Equip to pledge oneself to the Blue Sentinels covenant. When a member of the Way of Blue is threatened by a dark spirit, the Blue Sentinels, in compliance with an ancient accord, assume the form of blue spirits, and help to root out the leader. Summoning takes place automatically while this is equipped." Obtained from Yorshka in Anor Londo after requesting to join the covenant. Blades of the Darkmoon "A silver pendant depicting the Darkmoon and a sword, the crest of the Darkmoon Knights, the original Blue Sentinels. Equip to pledge oneself to the Blade of the Darkmoon covenant. When a member of the Way of Blue faces a dark spirit, the Blades of the Darkmoon, by an ancient accord, help to root out the invader. Summoning takes place automatically when equipped." The Blue Sentinels and the Blades of the Darkmoon are functionally identical. They share ranks and rewards. Basically, they are two items to access the same covenant. For the sake of simplicity I'm going to refer to the two as "bluecops". Bluecops are the counter part to the way of blue as they are the ones being summoned when a member of the Way of Blue gets invaded. Your goal as a bluecop is to kill the invader. Once successful you will receive a proof of a concord kept. Proof of a Concord Kept: "Blood-drained, shrunken ear. Souvenir taken for subduing the guilty. The knights called the Blades of the Darkmoon punish the guilt-soaked offenders of the Gods and take this proof of their conquest. The earless corpses of the guilty will be left behind as a warning to others, inspiring both fear and respect for the Gods. Such is the eternal mandate of the Dark Sun." When defeating an Aldrich Faithful there's also a chance of receiving a Proof of a Concord Well Kept, which counts as two Proofs of a Concord Kept. I havent found any conclusive info that this only happens when being a Blade of the Darkmoon rather than a Blue Sentinel. Given that the two are identical otherwise I doubt it, but it's possible. Proof of a Concord Well Kept: "Distinguished proof that one has hunted the enemies of the gods, as per the ancient accord with the Way of Blue. The layered ear of a dark spirit is the mark of a particularly guilty offender, one who has flagrantly violated one god or another. Use to acquire two Proofs of a Concord Kept.". You get rewards for offering a total of 10 and 30 Proofs of a Concord Kept to Yorshka. Darkmoon Ring (For 10 Proofs of a Condord Kept) Dark Souls III: "Ring of the moon deity Gwyndolin, youngest son of Gwyn, the First Lord. Adds many slots for attunement. Gwyndolin, also known as the Dark Sun, commands the Darkmoon Knights, and bestows this ring upon the best of them." Dark Souls (as Darkmoon Seance Ring): "This ring is granted to adherents ofGwyndolin, Darkmoon deity andlast born of Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight. Grants additional magic and attunement slots. The Dark Sun Gwyndolin is the only remaining deity in Anor Londo. His followers are few, but their tasks are of vital importance." Darkmoon Blade (For 30 Proofs of a Concord Kept) Dark Souls III: "Miracle of those who devoted themselves to the Darkmoon covenant. Reinforces right weapon with Darkmoon light. Miracles of the Darkmoon are tales of revenge, but Captain Yorshka recites only for the sake of remembering her brother, with out knowledge of its meaning. Perhaps this is better, as revenge is better left to the Blades." Dark Souls: "Miracle granted to those bound by covenant to Gwyndolin, Lord Gwyn's lastborn. Boost right weapon with rays of Darkmoon. The power of the rays of the Darkmoon are manifested in vengeance, and the deeper the animus, the more devastating the attack. Warriors of Sunlight Obtained from the Room with the Estus Soup in the Undead Settlement "An ancient talisman depicting a holy symbol bestowed upon the Warriors of Sunlight. Equip to pledge oneself to the Warrior of Sunlight covenant. Warriors of Sunlight are brilliantly beaming co-operators who place their golden signatures to help those in need, for it is their duty to deliver a great conquest to their summoner." The Warriors of Sunlight, or Sunbros, as they are often called, are players that are being summoned as co-op phantoms. Their summon signs are orange instead of the usual white. The same applies to the tint on their phantom when summoned. Upon successfully aiding a host to kill a boss will grant them a Sunlight Medal as a reward. Sunlight Medal Dark Souls III: "A medal received by members of the Warrior of Sunlight covenant for victory over the final foe when summoned. The summoner also gains the same medal. The medal, engraved with the holy symbol of the sun, is slightly warm and reminds one of the great honor of a shared victory." Dark Souls II: "A medal depicting the sun. Offer it to the altar to strengthen bond with your covenant. The slight warmth of the medal makes valor brim within one's bosom. The brave fighters who bore these medals are gone, but the sun never sets. On this day begins the contest to find the Sun's truest son." Dark Souls: "This faintly warm medal, engraved with the symbol of the Sun, is the ultimate honour, awarded to show those who summon the Warrior of Sunlight and complete a goal. The symbol represents Lord Gwyn's firstborn, who lost his deity status and was expunged from the annals. But the old God of War still watches closely over his warriors." Additionally you can use a Red Eye Orb or the Red Sign Soap Stone to invade as an orange tinted red phantom. This will allow you to get Sunlight Medals by doing PvP instead of co-op. Invading in such a way is also supposed to priortize being matched against a host that has already been invaded. To engage in jolly co-operation with the other invader, so to speak, to keep in spirit with the covenants original purpose of, y'know, co-operating with others to achieve a common goal. Even if that goal is murder. Rewards are awarded after 10 and 30 Sunlight Medals are offered to the broken statue in Lothric Castle. Sacred Oath: (For 10 Sunlight Medals) Dark Souls III: "Miracle of those chosen by the Sunlight covenant. Temporarily boosts attack and damage absorption for self and those in vicinity. This is the tale of the Sun's firstborn, his faithful first knight, and the brave dragonslayer who served them both." Dark Souls II: "An ancient miracle said to have been devised by warriors who once served the God of Sun. Provides a temporary boost to the attack and defense of its caster and all nearby allies." Great Lightning Spear: (For 30 Sunlight Medals) Dark Souls III: "Primal account of Lightning Spear, which tells of an ancestral dragonslayer. Hurls a giant lightning spear. Gwyn, the First Lord, slew dragons with his sunlight spear, a tradition upheld by his firstborn and the greatspear he wielded. Much of this resplendent tale of father and son, while epic, remains tragically untold." Dark Souls II: "A miracle that launches a great spear of lightning. Said to be the legacy of an ancient clan whose leader was revered as the God of Sun. The name of the clan has been lost to time, but the gross incandescence of our magnificent father shall never wane." Dark Souls: "Miracle passed down by those bound to the Warrior of Sunlight covenant. Hurl giant lightning spear. The weapon of the God of War, who inherited the sunlight of Lord Gwyn, but had respect only for arms, and nothing else." Mound Makers Acquired from Hodrick in the Pit of Hollows in the Undead Settlement "A malformed vertebra found by the mad, with a queer symbol on its inside, proof of the shackles of the Gods. Equip to pledge oneself to the Mound-makers covenant. The mound-makers wish only to add to their mounds, becoming mad spirits whether summoned as co-operators or invaders. They are blithe to those around them, for in their minds, any kill might lead to another shackle." This covenant is for people who don't give a poo poo. It's my favorite covenant to invade people as. Not only is the purple glow you get as a phantom really pretty you can also do whatever you want. I mean, kinda. Your goal still is to kill people. But who you kill is up to you. You can win instantly by killing the host OR you could kill a certain number of phantoms (equal to the number of phantoms already in the world, but at least one). Once the mission is accomplished you get a Vertrebra Shackle. Vertebra Shackle "A special bone collected by members of the covenant of Mound-makers, discovered in the corpses of their victims. Only one such bone is found in the vertebrae, and the Mound-makers believe it to be a shackle of the gods. In their minds, each victim is another connection, an addition to the family." Whether a Mound Maker uses the Red Eye Orb to invade or the White Sign Soap Stone to be summoned, they always function the same. Aid your host, stab them in the back or overtly attack them right from the start. There are two ways in which I think you could improve the covenant: First, I think it'd be nice if you got something for helping the host reach or defeat the boss. The other thing would be to get Mound Makers the DX crotch chop as a unique gesture that autoplays every time they accomplish teir goal. (Of course the gesture should also be available to use as pleased). You rank the covenant up for offering Vertebra Shackles to the freaky skull altar in the Pit of Hollows. Here's the rewards you get for your shenanigans: Bloodlust (For 10 Vertebra Shackles) "Katana of the old Mound-maker. The Mound-maker piled sacrifices upon the altar, but became the final offering himself, leaving this katana as a gift for his dear family. Skill: Bloodlust - Stain blade with one’s own blood to temporarily grant uncanny sharpness. For one driven by bloodlust, nothing deserves to remain standing." Warmth (For 30 Vertebra Shackles) Dark Souls III: "Peculiar pyromancy of the Mound-makers. Creates a gentle flame that restores HP on touch. They feared separation from the gods and sought a familial bond, perhaps leading to the creation of this flame of harmony." Dark Souls II: "One of the lost pyromancies preserved only in the Undead Crypt. Creates a gentle, warm flame that heals those who touch it. Fire can be a show of strength, but it is also a symbol of wisdom and comfort. Fire is what the caster wishes it be." Rosaria's Fingers By asking to join the Covenant when kneeling in front of Rosaria in the Cathedral of the Deep "Sacred seal of Archdeacon Klimt, who served Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth. Equip to pledge oneself to the Rosaria's Fingers covenant. Rosaria's Fingers collect tongues in her name. Some do it to be reborn; others do it to help comfort their voiceless goddess." This is the basic PvP covenant. You a Red Eye Orb or a Red Sign Soapstone to invade as a red phantom to kill the host. You don't need to join Rosaria's Fingers to earn the Pale Tongues, which act as covenant items, only to hand them in. Pale Tongue "Proof of a red orb invader's victory over a Host of Embers. Claiming tongues as trophies was originally the practice of an infamous troupe of invaders, who offered them to their speechless goddess." That's basically it. Invade hosts, kill them, enjoy their tears. Especially if they add you as a friend just to invide you to a steam group with some passive aggressive name to "own" you. Because apparently that's a thing 14 year olds do these days. Ah, how I wish I was still young... but don't forget to give Rosaria your tongues to get your rewards. Obscuring Ring (For 10 Pale Tongues) "Ring bestowed upon the Fingers of Rosaria, invaders who seek tongues for their goddess. Hides the presence of the wearer when far away. It is said that Rosaria, the mother of rebirth, was robbed of her tongue by her firstborn, and has been waiting for their return ever since." Man-Grub's Staff (For 30 Pale Tongues) "taff of the man-grubs who guard Rosaria’s Bed Chamber. Their holy symbol is formed at the tip. Wielder’s luck strengthens effects of sorceries. The man-grubs have clearly been reborn, but as what? Skill: Steady Chant - Boost the strength of sorceries for a very short period. Works while equipped in either hand." Watchdogs of Farron By requesting to join at the Greatwolf of Farron in Farron Keep. "Ancient medallion depicting the crest of a wolf. Symbolizes the pact with the Old Wolf of Farron. Equip to pledge oneself to the Watchdogs of Farron. The Watchdogs ensure that the warriors sleep in serenity, by taking the form of loyal spirits and hunting down those who would trespass the woods of Farron. Summoning takes place automatically while this is equipped." The Watchdogs of Farron are an area centric covenant. And they get a rather large playground that covers the entirety of the Crucifiction Woods and Farron Keep. You'll be summoned into the worlds of people progressing through the area and your job is to prevent them from doing so by killing them dead. Don't turn your back on the wolf pack. You might wind up in a body bag. If you actually kill a host you get a Wolf's Blood Swordgrass which you can turn in at the Greatwolf of Farron. Wolf's Blood Swordgrass "A leaf signifying duty fulfilled by the Watchdogs of Farron, who stand beside the old wolf to ensure serenity to those at rest. Depicts a swordgrass leaf stained with dried blood. Long ago, the swordgrass leaf quietly identified members of the Undead Legion. In the rotted forest rest the spirits of warriors past, their acceptance and gratitude toward their guardians is expressed eloquently by the humble leaf." While it's never happened to me hosts apparently don't need to be embered to be a target for an invasion. You also don't necessarily need to be in the Crucifiction woods or Farron Keep to invade someone as a Watchdog, but you'll always invade someone currently going through those areas no matter where you were at the time your invasion happened. As usual you get rewards at 10 and 30 Swordgrasses offered. Olf Wolf Curved Sword (For 10 Wolf's Blood Swordgrasses) "Curved sword bearing the soul of the old wolf that stays with the Watchdogs of Farron. This sword, like a wolf on the prowl, boosts attack and restores HP with each consecutive hit. Skill: Wolf Leap - Slice into foes with a large spinning motion, then leap out of harm's way and follow through with a strong attack." Wolf Knight Greatshield (For 30 Wolf's Knight Swordgrasses) Dark Souls III: "Greatshield of a knight tainted by the dark of the Abyss, and master of the wolf's blood of Farron. Boasts consistent defense and divine protection against various status effects. Skill: Weapon Skill - Equipping this shield in the left hand allows one to perform the Skill of the right hand weapon." Dark Souls (as Greatshield of Artorias): "Shield born from the soul of the great grey wolf Sif, guardian of the grave of the Abysswalker Knight Artorias. Boasts consistent defense and divine protection against various status effects." Dark Souls (as Cleansing Greatshield): "The steel greatshield used by the Knight who succumbed to the Abyss. Artorias, deeply scarred by the abyss, used this to form a barrier to protect his compatriot Sif. Although this drained the shield, its magic defense remains high." Wolf Ring (For 30 Wolf's Knight Swordgrasses) Dark Souls III: "Ring associated with Abysswalker Artorias, one of the Four Knights of Gwyn, the First Lord. Increases poise. Artorias had an unbendable will of steel, and was unmatched with a greatsword." Dark Souls: "One of the special rings granted to the four knights of Gwyn. The wolf ring belongs to Artorias the Abysswalker. Artorias had an unbendable will of steel, and was unmatched with a greatsword." Aldrich Faithful By requesting to join at the corpse of Archdeacon McDonnel in the room with the two Pontiff Beasts in Anor Londo "The holy symbol of the Cathedral of the Deep, and crest of those who see beyond fire to the age of deep waters. Equip to pledge onself to the Aldrich Faithful covenant. The faithful ensure that Aldrich, Devourer of Gods, remains undisturbed, by taking the form of loyal spirits and hunting down those who would trespass the ruined cathedral. Summoning takes place automatically while this is equipped." Another one of those covenants that center around an area. In this case it's the Anor Londo part of Irithyll. Basically everything after Pontiff. It's essentially the same as the Watchdogs of Farron except for a different area, really. They even have the same color as a phantom (blue with a reddish tint). For successfully killing a host you'll get a Human Dreg. Human Dreg "Proof of a duty fulfilled by the Aldrich Faithful, who patiently await the Devourer of Gods' return. Dregs are the heaviest things within the human body, and will sink to the lowest depths imaginable" Much like the other auto-summon/invade covenants the covenant symbol in the upper left of the screen will flash white whenever you are eligible to be summoned. You don't need to be in the area you're supposed to be defending but there's certain areas where PvP is disabled (mostly boss rooms) and you can't just hang out there hoping to be summoned. Like all the other covenants the breaking points are 10 and 30. Once you've given enough Human Dregs to MdDonnels corpse you'll get the following rewards. Great Deep Souls "Sorcery which improves upon Deep Soul. Fires powerful darkened soul dregs Archdeacon McDonnell, a sorcerer himself, delighted in the cathedral's stagnating souls. For him, they represented the glorious bedrock of this world." Archdeacon's Great Staff "Large staff bestowed upon Archdeacons of the Cathedral of the Deep. The Archdeacon McDonnell's trespass, the sin of channeling faith for sorcery, transformed what was once merely a symbol of ecclesiastic authority into a catalyst of sorceries. Skill: Steady Chant - Boost the strength of sorceries for a very short period. Works while equipped in either hand." Those are all the covenants of the base game. There's one more in the Ringed City DLC and I'll be covering that once we get there.
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Apr 7, 2017 14:00
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