Part 34: Scholar of the First Sin
What we're gonna see here is content that was added with a patch in early February. It added a couple of things. Like a ring called the Agape Ring that absorbs all souls earned, allowing you to control your soul memory, some enhanced item descriptions, balancing tweaks as well as one new NPC. And even more things that were not announced beforehand and came as a complete surprise to me. This goes without saying but you really should watch the video before reading on or, even better, play it for yourself.
Essentially the Scholar of the First Sin Edition is a GOTY release. You can buy it for PS360 and you'll get the three DLCs as well as the main game's most recent patched version including all of the above.
If you wait for the current gen versions on PS4, Xbone or PC (yes, there'll be a new separate version utilizing DirectX 11) you get some more stuff too that was not possible on older systems due to technical limitations. There's more phantom slots, allowing for six players to engage in PvP and co-op some slightly updated graphics. No matter how many people claim so, though, this does NOT restore the graphics from the pre-release footage. It just brushes things up a bit. The most important part, though is, that that version will change enemy and item placements as well as making some tweaks to the AI. This may change the way the game is played by quite a bit. Some footage and images that have been released so far seem to indicate that the changes are substantial. There's stuff like an Ogre in Forest of Fallen Giants, a minefield of hollow soldiers waiting to wake up and attack you near the first Heide Knight. A freaking Guardian Dragon in Heide's Tower of Flame, shitloads of more spiders in Tseldora. Items are in different locations too, so for instance you'll be able to get the Grand Lance way earlier in the game.
So if you're thinking of getting the game now, or you've played it before but without the DLCs you might want to wait for that version.
The Scholar of the First Sin:
The Scholar of the First Sin is the new NPC that came with the new patch. His Dialogue is very cryptic and you may not be able to make sense of it. The first time you meet him will be at the final primal bonfire you light. If you are already past that point and downloaded the patch just now you will find him at the Rotten's Bonfire. He doesn't really say anything too interesting here. Though some of his lines will make a different kind of sense later... I mean this following line:
"Young Hollow, there are but two paths.
Inherit the order of this world, or destroy it."
The second time you meet him will be at the bonfire in the Undead Crypt, which has been relocated to be in front of the stairs now. FromSoft really don't want you to miss him. He tells us about a Lord of Light, most likely Gwyn, banishing Dark and condemning humanity to assume a fleeting form. Which might refer to the curse of hollowing, actually.
The third meeting with him is at the Bonfire in Dragon Shrine.
He talks of a grand illusion of life that every human believes until they are affected by the curse. This probably means that they learn they are beings of Dark only when they are cursed.
Oh, he also reveals that he's Aldia. But this is not the final meeting with Aldia. His final appearance will be after killing Nashandra. Where he shows up as a new final boss. Oh yes. That patch just added a new final boss.
Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin
It's kind of an odd thing to say but this boss is even easier than Nashandra in my book. He as a few very distinct attacks with very distinct tells as well so you'll be able to learn to dodge them relatively quickly. Each of his attacks comes out relatively slowly too. He will teleport around the arena after attacking. Once he spawns he'll usually raise a wall of fire surrounding him a couple seconds after he's spawned somewhere. As long as that's up he's highly resistant to any damage so you'll want to attack as long as that fire is not there.
He can summon roots to pierce the ground from below homing in towards you. You can dodge that by running. He can summon four fire orbs above his head which will linger there for a moment before homing in on you. you can dodge that by running. He can also summon roots to erupt from glowing spots on the ground. You can dodge that by not touching the glowing spots. It's also a good opportunity to get close and hit him though, because his wall of fire will go down during that attack. His wall of fire will also go down when he's summoning a huge-ass fireball. He'll charge it above his head for a couple seconds so you have plenty of time to hit him and then just run sideways. so the ball doesn't hit you.
It should not be too hard to survive for long enough to kill him. And after you've done it... well. You can go initiate the ending by going to the throne. Or, and this is new too, you can just leave and refuse to take the throne.
Regarding the endings:
It's been a while since I pointed it out in the final main game video and I also played dumb by joking around that nothing makes sense in the NG++ video here so here's a brief explanation of the Throne ending: it rolls both of the endings of Dark Souls into one. Whether the PC uses the throne to Link the Fire and prolong the age of fire or refuses to do so to become a Dark Lord is left to the player's imaginations. It's implied that the Throne of Want is located in the exact place the Kiln of the First Flame was. Or maybe it was brought from there? We don't know.
The Leave ending has us refusing to continue the cycle of light and dark. If you haven't unlocked the power of the crowns by beating all the DLCs that means you'll eventually go hollow. If not you'll probably live forever to see the world become whatever will become of it now that no one took the role of either being the Monarch of burning yourself to death to re-ignite the first flame or the Dark Lord. It again bears mentioning that the Dark is linked to humanity while the fire is supposed to be linked to the more divine fellas. Which are all dead. Though, the fire seems to be linked in a way to humanity too because the fading of the fire tends to make the curse break out. I only noticed this upon listening to Aldia's Dialogue again and again but it appears that humans are beings of Dark, but at some point they were linked to the fire as well. This COULD have been Gwyn's work. Seems most likely. If that's the case refusing to continue the cycle might return things to how they originally were. Perhaps this linking of the fire to humanity is actually what the first sin is. But the tree-like and fire-based nature of Aldia makes me believe it is more tied to him attempting to light a new flame than that. But I might be wrong. And that's the beauty of the Lore of these games. To me at least. Some people hate that kind of thing. But I don't, obviously.
Ancient Dragon
Get wrecked, shitlizard.
Item Descriptions:
There have been a few item descriptions that have been changed. There also is one new item, the Agape Ring. Below you'll find all that I'm aware of.
Agape Ring
A ring affixed with an open vessel. The vessel insatiably absorbs souls in place of its wearer, who is left unaware even of their collection.
All things are rooted in souls, but what drives our thirst for them? Abstinence from this elixir may be the truest homage to an enduring self
Note: Can be bought from Straid
Chaos Shield
Old: Shield of darkness and chaos.
Navlaan claims to have sealed himself away to prevent tragedy, but how could a sorcery truly possess a will of it's own?
Truth can be elusive, and the tales surrounding him are questionable. Only it is clear a strange power possesses this shield.
New: Shield of darkness and chaos.
Once a brilliant young sorcerer cast away his earthly desires, devoting himself entirely to the Dark that bewitched him.
Nebulous, inky and serene, the Dark holds an allure matched only by the fear it strikes in men's hearts. Could it be nature, holding a mirror to mankind?
King's Shield
Old: Shield of Vendrick, King of Drangleic.
The great king shut himself away, and was soon reduced to a mere shell. Just what was it that he yearned to protect?
New: Shield of Vendrick, King of Drangleic.
One fragment of Dark, having taken human shape, became obsessed with the King's soul. Impelled by its own cravings, it sought souls, and strove to make the strength of the Giants its own.
Ruler's Sword
Old: Greatsword of Vendrick, king of Drangleic. The strength of this sword is relative to the number of souls possessed by its wielder.
The great king shut himself away, and was soon reduced to a mere shell. Just what was it that he yearned to protect?
Effect: attack boosted by souls held
New: Greatsword of Vendrick, King of Drangleic. The strength of this sword is relative to the number of souls possessed by its wielder.
One fragment of Dark, having taken human shape, became obsessed with the King's soul. Impelled by its own cravings, it sought souls, and strove to make the strength of the Giants its own.
Effect: attack boosted by souls held.
Slumbering Dragon Shield
Old: Shield of the Archdrake sect of Lindelt. Represents a slumbering dragon, and is intended for use in covert rituals. Recovers stamina.
The secrets of Lindelt rituals are protected by the Archdrake sect, and only a select few are given access to their canon of knowledge, which includes the truthful origins of the Archdrake sect itself.
New: Shield of the Archdrake sect of Lindelt. Represents a slumbering dragon, and is intended for use in covert rituals.
The fools who woke the slumbering dragon earned not only its ire, but also the destruction of an entire country.
The survivors buried their wrongdoings in the past, and in a show of terrible conceit, attempted to make amends by carrying on the knowledge of the wasted land
Note: This explicitly links the Archdrake's to Shulva from the Sunken King DLC
Archdrake Set
Old: worn by the Archdrake sect of Lindeldt.
Though little is actually known about the order, it is said their well-honed miracles and unwavering faith in the face of death made them worthy rivals to Drangleic's forces in their day.
New: Little is known about the Archdrake sect and its ancient rituals, and those who dare to indulge their curiosity have been known to simply vanish.
The Archdrake sect are the keepers of Lindelt's histories, including the only record of its foundation, a tome they have good reason to keep hidden away.
Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring
Old: An old ring of the Melfian Magic Academy.Depicts a soundly slumbering dragon. Masks the sounds made by its wearer.
The precise origins of the Magic Academy are hazy, for over its long history, its faculty has been dissolved and reestablished at least a dozen times.
New: An old ring of the Melfian Magic Academy.Depicts a soundly slumbering dragon. Masks the sounds made by its wearer.
Though unknown for certain, some say the founders of the academy were sinful men who came from across the northern seas.
The sorceries they left behind were fragmentary, and barely legible, leading to the loss of much of their wisdom
Lingering Dragoncrest Ring
Old: A ring used long, long ago in a land that existed where Drangleic is now. Extends the length of spell effects.
Presumably, this ring was used by a high sorcerer, but no proof of such remains.
New: A ring used long, long ago in a land that existed where Drangleic is now. Extends the length of spell effects.
The ancient dragons were once worshipped in several nations, and rumors concerning objects of similar enchantments to this uncommon ring abound in many lands, though their origins are no longer verifiable.
Soul of the Duke's Dear Freja
Old: Soul of the Duke's loyal Freja, the Writhing Ruin's Keeper.
The Writhing Ruin is an ancient thing whose shadow remains cast over the land. Tseldora is a place burdened by terrible misdeeds, and those who remained there were transformed beyond recognition. Use the special soul of the Keeper to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.
New: Soul of the Duke's Dear Freja, the Writhing Ruin's Keeper.
The Writhing Ruin is an ancient thing whose shadow remains cast over the land. It first took possession of a solitary insect, but grew its power, feasting on the wealth of twisted souls found in the land.
Use the special soul of the Keeper to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.
Soul of the Last Giant
Old: Soul of the surviving giant, who was bound below the Forest of Giants.
Many seasons had come and gone, and the giant prepared for his final rest. But his soul remained magnificent, testimony to his former strength.
Use the special soul of the Last Giant to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.
New: Scholar of the First Sin changed to:
Soul of the surviving giant, who was bound below the Forest of the Giants.
The lord of the Giants, who had brought wrack and ruin to the entire kingdom, was said to have been felled by an unknown warrior. His beaten and broken remains were then dragged beneath the stronghold, where he was sealed away.
Use the special soul of the Last Giant to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.
Giant Lord's Soul
Old: Soul of the Giant Lord, who once conquered Drangleic.
The Giants landed on the northern shores, and set siege to King Vendrick's castle to claim an invaluable prize.
Use the special soul of this Giant to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.
New: Soul of the Giant Lord, who once conquered Drangleic.
Vendrick crossed the seas, took prisoner the Giants, and brought them back to his castle, clapped in irons. However, after this modest triumph, his countenance could be seen to grow darker with each passing day.
Use the special soul of this Giant to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.
Giant's Kinship
Old: Each King has his rightful throne. And when he sits upon it, he sees what he chooses to see. Or perhaps, it is the throne, which shows the king only what he wants.
New:
The flames roar, but will soon begin to fade, and only a worthy heir might banish their light. What is it, truly, a claimant of the throne could desire?
Soul of Nashandra
Old: Nashandra was born of the Dark with an insatiable lust for strength.
Use the special soul of this prisoner of desire to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth
New: Soul of Nashandra, Queen of Drangleic.
The fragments of the abyss, of untold origin, nourished their beings by the sides of would-be monarchs. Perhaps they were simply ordeals on the way to kinghood.
One day, the flames will fade, and only darkness will remain. Unless, of course, an heir arrives.
Use the special soul of this prisoner of desire to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.
Bow of Want
Old: A bow created from the soul of Nashandra
The old one of the Abyss was reborn in death, split into miniscule fragments, and spread across the land.
The smallest of the pieces, sensing its own fragility, yearned for what it lacked.
New: A bow created from the soul of Nashandra.
The old one of the Abyss was reborn in death, split into miniscule fragments, and spread across the land.
Light and Dark are two sides of the same coin, much like the soul and the curse. The beings who presented themselves to those in search of kinghood were drawn to their awesome strength.
Chime of Want
Old: Sacred chime created from the soul of Nashandra. Greatly amplifies spells.
The old one of the Abyss was reborn in death, split into miniscule fragments, and spread across the land. The tiniest of these pieces, precisely due to its size, was the first to restore its form.
New: Sacred chime created from the soul of Nashandra.
The old one of the Abyss was reborn in death, split into miniscule fragments, and spread across the land.After taking their shapes, they courted monarchs of considerable power, which they desired to make their own
Alonne Captain Set
Old: Armor Worn by the captain of the Alonne Knights.
The accoutrements of the Alonne Knights, who served the Old Iron King, were created with an advanced casting technique. Solid and handsomely crafted, their shine remains brilliant to this day.
New: The accoutrements of the Alonne Knights, who served the Old Iron King, were created with an advanced crafting technique. They remain solid and handsomely crafted.
The design is styled after the armor worn by an unusual knight who trained the Iron King's men in the sword. He was said to have deserted his liege after bearing witness to his descent into depravity.
Alonne Greatbow
Old: Unique bow equipped by Alonne Knights.
This very powerful bow uses great arrows, but each draw of the string requires a great deal of time, leaving the shooter vulnerable.
In the heyday of the land, the Old Iron King fancied entertaining dubious and eccentric guests from faraway lands.
Most of them were charlatans, but amongst the riff-raff were true masters of authentic and refined arts.
New: Unique bow equipped by Alonne Knights.
This very powerful bow uses great arrows, but each draw of the string requires a great deal of time, leaving the shooter vulnerable.
In the heyday of the land, the Old Iron King fancied entertaining dubious and eccentric guests from faraway lands.
Most of them were charlatans, but among the riff-raff was an unusual knight from the far east. He trained the Iron King's men n the sword, in obeisance to his new lord.
Alva's Set
Old:Worn by Alva the Wayfarer
Light but offers very high defense.
Alva crossed many a land in search of a cure for Saint Serreta's sickness, but failed and relinquished his knighthood.
New: Light but offer very high defense.
Alva crossed many a land in search of a cure for Saint Serreta's sickness, but failed and relinquished his knighthood.
Alva was once wracked with guilt and remorse, but rediscovered his purpose in life with the aid of the witch who once plotted against him.
Black Witch Set
Old: Robe worn by Zullie the witch,seducer of Alva of Wayfarer. Boasts excellent magic defense.
When Zullie the witch learned of Alva's dedication to Saint Serrate she used all manner of tricks and deceit to ruin him, but in the end she would spend her life with him, supporting his endeavors.
New: The witch, as unloving as she was unloved, finally found illumination through her blighted existence.
Ironclad Set
Old: Worn by Ironclad Soldiers. Provides high defense, but is so heavy that it requires great strength to move"
The Ironclad Soldiers were minions created by the Old Iron King, their life granted by an enchantment of souls. By now this is again an iron husk, and fit to wear.
New: Once, the Old King could have unraveled the greater mysteries with the aid of his great soul, but he was led astray by his enormous fortune, becoming nothing more than a vulgar hedonist.
Tseldora Set
Old: Outfit worn by settlers of Tseldora. Rather fancy but with low defence and unfit for battle.
Its design recalls Tseldora's glory days, the peak of the brightstone boom
New: Tseldora flourished with the discovery of brightstone, deep under the settlement. But with this prosperity came greed in equal measure, and the people were ever in search of that which they lacked.
The brightstone that brought prosperity to Tseldora served only to stoke the flames of its peoples' desires, eventually leading to its ruin. Those bewitching, brilliantly gleaming stones are said to be fragments of a being that once roamed the entrails of the earth.
Varangian Sword
Old: Straight sword wielded by Varangians and engraved with a skull. A former king launched a campaign to capture these terrors of the high seas, but rather than imprison them, forced them into hard labor at No-man's Wharf
New: The king, wracked with fear and suspicion, began to see the progenitor of the curse in anything and everything. During his reign, sorcerers in particular suffered dreadful persecution.
Warped Sword
Old: A curved sword forged from the soul of the Flexile Sentry. Once straight, but later twisted to reflect its warped owner.
Long ago, the dungeons overflowed with the accursed, and the King commanded a contorted sentry to deliver those who had no cells to a faraway land, and to make certain they were never heard from again.
New: A curved sword forged from the soul of the Flexile Sentry. Once straight, but later twisted to reflect its warped owner.
The sentry crammed inmates of the overflowing Bastille onto a rickety ship, and cast them out to the open sea.
The majority of them drowned or starved but a few hardy survivors made land to the south, and imparted their knowledge of sorcery to the people there.
Arced Sword
Old: A curved greatsword forged from the soul of the Flexile Sentry. There is something unsettling, and at the same time beautiful, about its long curved blade.
Long ago, the dungeons overflowed with the accused, and the King commanded a contorted sentry to deliver those who had no cells to a faraway land, and to make certain they were never heard from again.
New: A curved greatsword forged from the soul of the Flexile Sentry. There is something unsettling, and at the same time beautiful, about its long curved blade
The sentry crammed inmates of the overflowing Bastille onto a rickety ship, and cast them out to the open sea.
The majority of them drowned or starved but a few hardy survivors made land to the south, and imparted their knowledge of sorcery to the people there.
Barbed Club
Old: A club forged from the soul of the Flexile Sentry.The spikes covering its length are as vile as the sentry itself.
Long ago, the dungeons overflowed with the accursed, and the king commanded a contorted sentry to deliver those who had no cells to a faraway land, and to make certain they were never heard from again.
New: A club forged from the soul of the Flexile Sentry.The spikes covering its length are as vile as the sentry itself.
The sentry crammed inmates of the overflowing Bastile onto a rickety ship, and cast them out to the open sea.
The majority of them drowned or starved, but a few hardy survivors made land to the south, and imparted their knowledge of sorcery to the people there.
Blacksteel Katana
Old: Blacksteel katana wielded by Alonne Knights.One of the sturdiest types of katana, preferred by masters of the quick-draw.
In the heyday of his land, the Old Iron King fancied entertaining dubious and eccentric guests from faraway lands. Most of them were charlatans, but amongst the riff-raff were true masters of authentic and refined arts.
New: Blacksteel katana wielded by Alonne Knights.One of the sturdiest types of katana, preferred by masters of the quick-draw.
In the heyday of his land, the Old Iron King fancied entertaining dubious and eccentric guests from faraway lands. Most of them were charlatans, but among the riff-raff was an unusual knight from the far east. He trained the Iron King's men in the sword, in obeisance to his new lord.
Chaos Rapier
Old: Rapier of darkness and chaos.
Navlaan claims to have sealed himself away to prevent tragedy, but could a sorcery truly possess a will of its own? Truth can be elusive, and the tales surrounding him are questionable. Only, it is clear a strange power possess this sword
New: Rapier of darkness and chaos.
Once, a brilliant young sorcerer cast away his earthly desires, devoting himself entirely to the Dark that bewitched him.
Nebulous, inky and serene, the Dark hold an allure matched only by the fear it strikes in men's hearts. Could it be nature, holding a mirror to mankind?
Giant Warrior Club
Old: Club of the Giants that besieged Drangleic. Nothing more than a boulder bound to a tree, but a very powerful, if primitive weapon.
A human would require great strength to wield this Giant-sized club.
New: Club of the Giants that besieged Drangleic. Nothing more than a boulder bound to a tree, but a very powerful, if primitive weapon.
King Vendrick, in adherence to Queen Nashandra's counsel, led his armies north in an effort to subjugate the Giants, and claim their powerful souls for his own.
Olenford's Staff
Old: Staff of Olenford the sorcerer.
A catalyst for sorceries and hexes.
Olenford, revered as the father of sorcery in Melfia, sought knowledge that surpassed mankind's ken, and so ventured into the Undead Crypt, and did away with his humanity.
New: Some hold the theory that Melfian sorceries and pyromancies originated within the boundaries of Drangleic, in ages past.
And with that, I am free.
This LP has been crazy long and the biggest Let's Play project I've done yet. I will now lay some boring stats on you if you don't mind.
The first Dark Souls took me six months and all videos combined had a duration of 19 hours and 28 minutes.
Dark Souls II on the other hand was longer.
It went from 17th May 2014 (The SA thread went live a month later due to the 3-month rule, which was retired not long after that) to 28th February 2015.
That's nine months. 288 days to be precise.
All videos combined have a duration of 25 hours and 43 minutes.
The total raw footage for both playthroughs and a few extras was 58 hours and 16 minutes long and 351 GB big. Most of that being compressed footage from my capture device. A few bits being lossless footage from the PC version. Those are 28 GB for only 14 Minutes and 30 seconds of footage at the same resolution and framerate as the console footage. Yeah. the roughly 0,41 % of the footage in terms of duration I recorded from the PC version make up about 8 % of all the footage terms of filesize. And that's one big reason I decided to use the PS3 version. It's easier to get good quality footage at a reasonable filesize. And Youtube makes it look like crap anyway!
But now that I have my boring numbers outta the way all that's left for me to say is... for like the fourth time because I said it twice in the video and also included it as text at the end of the video. But here it is again:
Thanks for watching!