Part 3: Forest of Fallen Giants Pt. 3

All right, let's wrap up Forest of Fallen Giants. For now. This will basically all be optional stuff but it's well worth the effort.



Today we are wearing quite the daring get-up. Gyrm Armor with the White Hollow Mage Hood makes us look like quite the occult warrior. I purposefully remained hollow after totally intentionally dying off screen because it just fit the attire better. Yeah. Let's go with that.



Let's just start with a brief comparison of the actual map of Drangleic and the Map in Majula Mansion for those who care how accurate it actually is. It's kind of different, yes, even if you turn either of the map to match the locations on the other map.


The Pursuer

It's kind of an easy fight in my opinion but I do know people who have trouble with him. Apparently just telling them to strafe right und don't be hit by the blue cursed sword attack isn't going to magically make them win the fight. But it will help tremendously because it will allow you to dodge most of his close range swing combos.

If you get far enough away from him he will sometimes dash towards you to swing as he reaches you, in that case you'll need a little more timing than with the "strafe right to win" strategy but it's not very hard to dodge, really. Rarely he will also do a Shockwave type attack he wont dash towards you but you can dodge it the same way.

What actually changes up the fight is when he manages to hit you with his blue glowing sword attack. That will curse you. Curse meaning that you go to the next level of hollowing without dying. You'll get green skin, lose your hair, and rot more and more. Which of course comes with the loss of total health as well. The most dangerous part of this attack is that it unlocks a new move for the Pursuer. His eye will glow red and He'll use magic to attack you. He might now summon a couple of dark energy orbs which will home in on you. That one may be it's hardest to dodge attack since there's multiple projectiles which might come from different directions depending on how you move. I'll be making an effort to show that off at a later point.

Of course, there are too Ballistas in the boss room and you CAN use them to deal a great amount of damage to the Pursuer. But he'll very likely just smash the things as you try to shoot him. If you manage to parry him you might just have enough time to fire a salvo at him. You can also rely on co-op buddies to distract the Pursuer but honestly, you'll likely hit your phantoms too. The best advice I can give is to just fight him normally or come back later if you are having trouble. The Pursuer fight is completely optional after all.

As for the Lore: He may also be related to another character who shall remain nameless for now. It's implied that he was once a Knight of King Vendrick, called Raime who was considered either the left or right hand of the King. Probably the left "sinister" hand. It's stated that his favorite bird was the black raven. The Pursuer of course comes in on a bird. Raime was eventually deemed a traitor. The Pursuer's Sword's description states that he hunts undead to atone for his sins which may as well be related. The Raven, by the way, is also associated with the godess Velka from Dark Souls. She was the goddess of sin. The bit with Raime, by the way, can be inferred from the Rebel's Great Shield, which we haven't found yet. Admittedly, this is speculation but it makes the Pursuer so much more interesting, even if it's basically just a detail.


Boss Weapons
Soul of the Pursuer, who lurks in Drangleic. The Pursuer, who seeks the bearer of the sign, will not rest until his target is slain.
Give this Soul to Straid to make...

Pursuer's Ultra Greatsword

Moveset/Weapon Class: Ultra Greatsword
Physical Damage (+0/+5): 156 / 390
Scales with: STR: B/A (Good), DEX: C (Mediocre)
Requirements: 30 STR, 18 DEX
Damage Type: Slash

In-Game Description:
Ultra greatsword of the Pursuer.
Known as the mightiest of the straight swords, it demands great strength and dexterity of its wielder.
The Pursuer hunts down those branded by the curse, as if each Undead soul that he claims will atone one of his sins.


Pursuer's Greatshield

Type: Greatshield
Stability (+0/+5): 70 / 78
Noteworthy Damage Reduction (+0/+5): 100% Physical, 80%/82.5% Fire
Requirements: 38 STR
Note: From the description below you might assume that the shield has higher curse resistance but it actually serves to reduce build-up for all status effects equally well.

In-Game Description:
Greatshield of the Pursuer.
For those who can handle the weight of this shield, it offers resistance to curses.
The Pursuer hunts down those branded by the curse, as if each Undead soul that he claims will atone one of his sins.


Le Désir de Vivre:

Translated to English the title means "The Desire to Live" It's a book found in the Mansion in Majula and later in the game as well. It was also in the first game where you could find it in The Duke's Archives. That Duke was called Seath, the Scaleless, a rare mutation of dragons with no stone scales. The Scales, apparently, were source of the Dragon's immortality, which Seath desperately wanted. The immortality, not necessarily the stone scales. So he had a "Desire to Live" of his own, which is probably the sole reason the book was chosen to be in Seath's archives. That or it's a happy coincidence. By the way, Seath played a big role in killing off the Dragons, making them go pretty much extinct. So much for their immortality. In my opinion Seath is one of the most interesting characters of Dark Souls. Maybe I'll get an excuse to talk about him a little more later.

The Story of the book itself has nothing to do with acquiring immortality, though. It's the story of a talented girl, born and raised on a farm. Since her mind is too big for a farm she wishes to live a life that is less frustrating to her. Keep in mind that I haven't read the book and am basing this on a synopsis. So this is a synopsis of a synopsis if you will. If anyone here has actually read it feel free to let us know a bit more.


Item Descriptions:
Green Blossom:
Green weed shaped like a leafy flower. Temporarily boosts stamina recovery speed.
At one point, this herb was avoided due to its uniquely bitter taste, but once its effects became known, it was harvested to near extinction by merchants.
Now, only exceptionally rare, wild specimens of this plant are left.

Ring of Restoration
A protective ring passed down in House Osteria. Gradually restores HP.
In the sacred land of Lindelt, this ring symbolized prosperity and longevity for the great House of Osteria.
But the ring is fragile and breaks easily, as if it hates being taken for granted.

Seed of a Tree of Giants
When the giants fell, they grew into great trees. Death is not the end, for anything that has ever once lived remains a part of a great cycle of regeneration.
But what of those outside of the cycle?

Titanite Slab
Titanite Slab used to reinforce equipment. Reinforces equipment up to +10.
Titanite was discovered in an ancient layer of earth, and is said to be a gift of the gods. One of the original slabs that provided the world with all forms of titanite.
Titanite slabs were created to smith the weapons of the gods, or so the legends say.

Witching Urn
A small clay urn filled with magic power. Explodes, inflicting magic damage.
Created in Melfia, a land that flourishes with magic and pyromancy. Though the magic contained in the urn lacks potency, it is a boon to any inexperienced traveler.

Hunter's Hat
A leather hat with a large brim. Traditionally used by bow hunters.
The hunting goddess Evlana was no goddess at all, but rather a brave and highly skilled bow huntress. Long after her demise, the passing of lore transformed her into a deity.
Note: In Dark Souls it was called Pharis' hat contrast the description of Pharis' Hat below.

Pharis' Hat (from Dark Souls)
Broad-brimmed hat favored by the archer hero Pharis.
Pharis was an accomplished archer, and though he was human, he ranked alongside Hawkeye Gough, one of the Four Knights of Lord Gwyn. His hat is universally popular among children.
Note: The character wearing and dropping the hat upon defeat is female not male. But she is never explicitly named.

Ring of Blades
The Ring of Blades is modeled after the mad knight of Alken's weapon of choice. Increases physical attack.
The kingdoms of Alken and Venn long ago flourished on these very grounds. They were both founded by the same man, but were reduced to rivalry and spite.

Drangleic Armor Set
Belonged to Captain Drummond.
Drummond's ancestors have served Drangleic for generations, principally as defenders of the great fort, but Captain Drummond is the last in this proud line.
Note: In the video I said that a character we meet much later lets us in on the fact that we war against the Giants lasted for generations. But this set actually does as well.