The further eastward we journey in Drangleic, the more mountainous it becomes. And with every peak, there is a valley; the Harvest Valley is no exception. The rocky terrain is surrounded by much taller crags and cliffs. It has well earned its name as the “Valley of Pooling” (溜りの谷) in reference to the poison pools […]
In conversing with Shalquoir, the cat will eventually make mention of the Old Ones. Her Japanese dialogue doesn’t use that exact term, her and Saulden both preferring to call them merely “the four”. (4つのもの) But Straid and item descriptions do speak of these “Old Ones”, (古きもの or 古き者) with Shanalotte employing something similar in meaning. […]
I have already discussed two of what I consider to be core pillars to my analysis, the philology and archaeology. As Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki himself admits in an Edge interview, he uses both elements to “tell more with less” — to show, not tell. This minimalist approach to storytelling perversely shifts some importance from […]
Preface I have previously mentioned my reservations about Dark Souls II‘s main plot, and the Dragon Shrine is very much an extension of that. The area itself is somewhat iconic, essentially an island in the sky with a swarm of fearsome lizard that could swoop down and nab you at any given moment. It certainly […]
Consider that is where we arrive when first traveling there, it is easy to assume that the High Wall simply refers to Lothric’s outer defenses. The walls we warp atop do tower high above the city, with only the castle at its center surpassing them in height. But the description for the Small Lothric Banner […]
It is fair to say that, when it comes to FromSoftware titles directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the game script is the lore hunter’s bible. Covering everything from descriptions to dialogue, it is the script from which we learn the deeper truths and form the basis for which we frame all other elements in the game. […]
With a name like Hunter of Hunters, it should be no surprise that the covenant is almost as old as the hunters themselves. The Blade of Mercy passed down to the current Hunter of Hunters, Eileen, is made from the same meteoric iron as Gehrman’s Burial Blade, and was decidedly crafted at the old workshop […]
Preface When it comes to factions in Bloodborne, the Choir might be considered the most under-utilized. Compared to the School of Mensis, they certainly don’t play as up front a role in the game’s plot. That said, I would argue that their presence is felt even in their absence. Indeed, anonymity is part of the […]
Although referred to as a “runesmith” in the localization, Caryll, or Karel, (カレル) is more accurately a “copyist” (筆記者) known for transcribing the Great Ones’ speech into script. No other student of Byrgenwerth was apparently so keen to capture the arcane potential of such inhuman sounds into the written word. This isn’t too surprising, since […]
If we kill one of Sulyvahn’s beasts in Irithyll’s garden reservoir, we acquire the Ring of Favor given to those who have received Fina’s affection. This implies that the beast is connected to one of the goddess’ lovers. There is no evidence of any medials in Irithyll besides the royalty, and we only ever learn […]
Lokey Lore 