Part 3: - High Wall of Lothric Part 2
For the regular LP click on the banner in the middle (or the number) You may also click on the letter A for Episode A!
Episode A features Interrupter Jones and Krimsh who also accompanied me for the bonus episodes of my Dark Souls II LP. We do not take this very seriously and I am a Kayfabe Brazilian??? We also go through the game faster but I didn't know that when we went through the Cemetery of Ash so that part took me a whole five minutes.
Also, I barely explain anything about NG+, essentially enemies scale up a bit, you get to keep your stuff from the first playthrough, there's new rings in set locations and... that's it.
Vordt of the Boreal Valley:
Vordt of the Boreal Valley is the first proper boss. While Iudex Gundyr was definitely the hardest Tutorial boss of any Souls game Vordt is among the harder actual first bosses too, perhaps easier than the two bosses you can encounter as your first in Bloodborne but definitely more challenging than the Taurus Demon from Dark Souls as well as both the Dragon Rider and the Last Giant from Dark Souls II. So don't feel too bad if you die a couple times. Even I as a veteran died to what I know think is a pretty simple boss once or twice during my first run.
Before the fight you have a chance to inspect the arena. There's no geography you can use for strategic purposes but you'll notice that the ground is very uneven and heavily damaged, most likely due to multiple heavy impacts. Possibly by a giant mace. Additionally, the giant gate you're supposed to go through is shut tight by roots, implying that it hasn't been opened in a long while.
The fight starts slow and simple the music does a nice job of setting the atmosphere here. Vordt pretty much only has a few swings with his giant mace to fend you off. He can do a dash to close some distance and smash his fist down on the ground. It's easiest to just stay under him But once half of his health bar is depleted the fight heats up.
In the second phase Vordt grows much more aggressive and the music tries to keep up with him. One of the most obvious examples of the music dynamically adjusting to the fight reaching another phase. In additon to his attacks from phase two he can now dash attack you. He normally does it up to three times but some report that he can do it a fourth time as well. If you notice him inhaling it's your chance to get behind him or to his side and hit him a few times because you don't want to be in front of him anyway. He'll breathe ice on you in a wide arc. It induces frostbite, like most of his attacks, which decreases your stamina regeneration as well as your defense and does a little damage too. Unfortunately staying under him is not all that safe anymore in the second phase as he can now smash his mace down for some AoE damage. If you get under him it's best to retreat after a few hits to be safe.
If we read the descriptions of his Soul as well as the weapon and the ring we can make from it (further below) we get an idea of who Vordt is: An Outrider Knight under the command of a Pontiff Sulyvahn(Whoever that is, at this point in the game we don't know) who gave Vordt a Ring that turned him from a regular humanoid knight into the beast that we see in the boss fight. We also learn that he was not dispatched on his own. There's mention of a "fleeting dancer" being by his side.
Soul of Vordt of the Boreal Valley
Soul of Vordt of the Boreal Valley.
One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.
Use to acquire many souls, or transpose to extract its true strength.
Vordt served as an outrider knight, never far from the fleeting dancer.
Vordt's Great Hammer (made from Soul of Vordt)
Great Hammer wielded by Vordt, the outrider knight of the Boreal Valley. Weapon is imbued with frost, and causes frostbite.
Frost accumulates in the body causing frostbite, which saps one's health, lowers absorption, and slows stamina recovery.
Skill: Perseverance - Anchor weapon in earth to temporarily boost poise. Damage reduced while activated.
Pontiff's Left Eye (made from Soul of Vordt)
Bewitched ring that Pontiff Sulyvahn bestowed upon his knights.
Recovers HP with successive attacks.
Knights who peer into the black orb are lured into battles of death, transformed into frenzied beasts. No wonder the Pontiff only provides these rings to those dispatched to foreign lands.
Dungeon Cell Key
Key to a cell holding thieves and the like.
There is no shortage of brash thieves in Lothric and these particular thieves likely scaled the wall from the Undead Settlement.
But they are only willing to practice their thievery on the High Wall, for their fear of Lothric Castle, rumored to devour men, keeps them clear of its grounds.
Blue Tearstone Ring
A ring set with a large rare tearstone jewel. Temporarily boosts damage absorption when HP is low.
This stone is said to be a tear of sorrow of the goddess Caitha, and of course, tears are always more beautiful near death.
Small Lothric Banner
Small banner held by Lothric messengers. Hold up outside the main castle gate to be greeted by an escort.
When the High Wall appeared, the path to the Undead Settlement was blocked, and messengers came bearing this banner. They were sent out with a duty, but had no way of returning.
Alluring Skull
Dark Souls III:
A skull resplendent in the scent of souls. Prepared by evangelists of the Cathedral of the Deep.
Throw to shatter, spreading souls which attract enemies. Not effective for all foes.
Dark Souls II:
A skull of unknown ownership.
Smashing it releases traces of souls, which can attract nearby foes.
Does not work on all enemies, but can prove useful in unexpected ways.
Dark Souls:
A skull with meekly lingering souls. Throw to shatter and spread souls to attract certain types of enemies.
Souls are a concentration of life, and the life-starved Hollows are lured by its power. Not effective for all enemies.
Undead Hunter Charm (Lloyd's Talisman in Dark Souls and Dark Souls II)
Dark Souls III:
Tool used to hunt down the Undead. Block Estus recovery within a limited area.
Used long ago by Lloyd's cleric knights on their Undead hunts. Although Allfather Lloyd is long forgotten by the Way of White, his hunts have lived on, and this charm allows one to challenge Undead without fear of tenacious healing.
Dark Souls II:
Talisman used by cleric knights. Blocks Estus recovery within a limited area.
It is said that the cleric knights used these talismans to hunt down accursed Undead.
Cleric knights fight with pride, and by blocking the recovery of the Undead, they can also fight with impunity.
Dark Souls:
Talisman utilized by Allfather Lloyd's cleric knights to hunt down the Undead.
Blocks Estus recovery within a limited area.
In the outside world, the Undead are accursed creatures, and Lloyd's cleric knights are widely praised for their Undead hunts. This blessed talisman blocks Undead recovery, allowing the knights to fight with impunity.
Astora Straight Sword
Dark Souls III: A well-crafted sword named after the ruined land.
Astora, before its fall, was a land replete with royal blood, and this weapon is both a reminder and heirloom of that era.
Skill: Stance - While in stance, use normal attack to break a foe's guard from below, and strong attack to slash upwards with a forward lunge.
Dark Souls:
Straight sword of an unknown knight, likely one of Astora's superiors.
High-quality weapon with a powerful blessing.
Lothric Knight Sword
A well-crafted straight sword designed for thrusting attacks, wielded by the venerable Knights of Lothric.
The Knights of Lothric, with their drakes, once crushed anything that threatened their shores. Of course, that was a long, long time ago.
Skill: Stance - While in stance, use normal attack to break a foe's guard from below, and strong attack to slash upwards with a forward lunge.
Lothric Knight Shield
Shield of the renowned Lothric Knights, decorated with the royal crest.
The Lothric Knights contended with dragons, and their shields have suitably high lightning absorption befitting a dragonslayer's arms.
Lothric Knight Greatshield
Greatshield of the renowned Lothric Knights, decorated with a holy symbol.
The knights who formed the High Priestess' guard carried greatshields such as these, which were granted high magic absorption through her blessing.
Skill: Shield Bash
Without lowering your guard, strike the enemy with the shield to knock them back or stagger them. Works while equipped in either hand.
Lothric Knight Armor (Set)
Armor of a celebrated Lothric knight. A strong steel armor, if a little worn.
The Knight has served as one of the Three Pillars since ancient times, and shares place alongside the wyverns as a symbol of Lothric.
Only those possessing a knight's resolve are fit to wear this garment.