Much is made about the true identities of the various deities that have been worshiped in Drangleic throughout the continent’s history. The Name-engraved Ring makes a point of these gods possibly having gone by different names in the past, driving most to make connections between them and characters from the original Dark Souls. (DS1) None bear a more obvious connection than Caitha, or Quato. (クァト) She is the God of Tears — namida (涙) doubling to have connotations of sympathy. True to her sphere, she sheds tears for those who have died untimely deaths and the loved ones they have left behind, which are believed to have been crystallized as the gems of the tearstone rings due to their magic power dealing so closely with death. Either way, the fact that she sheds tears of pure blue or bloody red alone highlights an unusual quality to this goddess. Which character from DS1 deity or otherwise, could possibly resemble this crying woman? And yet, by all indications, she is the Goddess of Sin, Velka.
Ring embedded with a rare jewel called a tearstone. Responds to the equipper’s crisis and temporarily boosts physical attack power.
The God of Tears Quato mourns those who have died an untimely death and sheds blood-like red tears. It is handed down that this stone is that tear having become crystal.
The various Clutch Rings portray a strange “hand” clutching their respective gem, a hand which is quite clearly modeled after a crow’s foot. While the origin of the ring has apparently been lost, the description insinuates its shape to align it with an evil god. This fits with the heretical witch Velka, who is both strongly associated with crows and many things of a more ethically dubious nature. But it also describes the God of Tears. Caitha’s Chime is one of the few “holy bell” catalysts that isn’t actually dubbed a holy bell. Instead, it is named a regular “bell” the same as the Chime of Want and Screams derived from the souls of Nashandra and Nadalia respectively. This is because it can only be used to conjure Dark arts, namely hexes, rather than miracles. In other words, the “divine protection” of Caitha that this catalyst had received refers to the power of the Dark specifically. And its description notes that some regard this popularly kind and affectionate goddess as an evil god.
Ring of a strange hand clutching a stone. Has effect that boosts Dark attribute attack power, but lowers physical defense power in exchange.
The ring’s origin is unknown, but its shape is probably the kind of an evil god. Whether it can be used successfully depends on the caliber of the user.
Holy bell that has received the divine protection of the God of Tears Quato. It is a catalyst dedicated to hexes, unable to use miracles.
The God of Tears Quato is close to grief. She is generally placed as an affectionate god, but for some she serves as an evil god who guides people to a fate of despair.
Put simply, Velka and Caitha alone are regarded as wicked deities with both sharing a Dark association. Indeed, the graphic symbolizing Caitha is the same skull used for when we have been cursed — fitting for a god so curiously close to death that some at least perceive her to be guiding people to their hopeless fates. Velka also bears some association with death and curses by means of her various divine duties and witchly works, and her secretive nature fits a goddess whose darker aspects go largely unnoticed. In this light, the Goddess of Sin seems to be another victim of the passage of time like various other aspects of the Anor Londo religion. While Velka’s name has been long forgotten in the New World, “Caitha” continues to be worshiped with an overall more upstanding reputation. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the goddess is dead or has been otherwise absent from the setting, however.
Caressing Prayer is a basic miracle for clergy and thus sold by both Cromwell the priest of Velka and Licia of Lindelt. But, its menu graphic and effect are obviously derived from the Remedy sorcery from DS1. This is why its description notes it to be seemingly relatively new and so possibly not even a genuine miracle. That is odd since the DS1 sorcery was a product of New Londo’s sorcerer healers. Moreover, miracles are generally stories of the gods, so this too must reference a god related to it. But what god? The New Londo sorcerers served in a religious capacity for a country where Velka had a profound influence. She is familiar with all manner of arts both old and new as well, so it isn’t impossible for her to recreate this essentially lost sorcery as a miracle. And yet, the nameless Goddess of Sin doesn’t seem to have remained a prominent figure in the remnants of the Anor Londo faith now centered around Lindelt. But another god has, a God of Tears whose existence also seems to have only become known in relatively recent times. (this connection to Caitha later becomes explicit with Caressing Prayer’s return in Dark Souls III as Caressing Tears)
Healing miracle that serves as the basis for clergymen. Purifies and completely removes poison eating away at the body.
Its healing effect is given not just to the caster themselves but to those surrounding them too. The period where this miracle was discovered seems to be relatively new. It may not even be a genuine miracle.
In short, the miracle is further proof that Caitha is Velka, a more palatable identity to a goddess who enjoys learning arts considered profane. She has survived and spread her influence across the region under this alternate identity. But do the stories of the God of Tears date back to the era of DS1 or after it? If the latter, were the events eventually associated with a separate deity or were they always thought to be actions of a different person? In either case, did Velka fashion this false identity from the start or merely appropriate their distorted memory of her long after the fact? Whatever the exact circumstances, she began taking an active role there sometime between the events of the two games after her true name had already been long forgotten in these parts. Perhaps Cromwell was one of the few to be rewarded the full truth along with the judgment set for his devotion. He does at several points speak as if quoting someone else in Japanese dialogue. Of course, this may just be him reciting scripture of long past revelations, but his significant awareness about his god compared to other clergy nonetheless draws suspicion.
Lokey Lore 