Part 16: - Abyss Watchers

Abyss Watchers

And so we fight our first Lord of Cinder. A Lord of Cinder is somebody who has linked the fire before. In this specific case they are multiple lords of cinder, though technically they are united by the blood of the wolf that flows inside them. That wolf is the Great Gray Wolf Sif, loyal companion to Artorias, the Abysswalker and Wolf Knight. The Abyss Watchers' duty is to fight against creatures of the Abyss. Considering that there is a part of the Abyss inside them too it's quite ironic that they are locked in an eternal battle against each other. It is not too far fetched to assume that the Abyss Watchers, aka the Legion of Farron is what became of the Forest Hunter covenant from Dark Souls after Alvina, another of Artorias' animal companions, left.

This link to Artorias shows in the fighting style of the Abyss Watchers. They use a weapon that looks very similar to the Greatsword of Artorias too and a lot of their moves mimic Artorias' Style from the first Dark Souls. Even the opening of the music is reminiscent of Artorias' theme.

As long as you learn to deal with their swings one Abyss Watcher isn't going to give you a lot of trouble. But this is where the fun starts. A short time after the battle starts a second Abyss Watcher will join the fray. They don't share a health bar so your job is to beat the first one. Fighting against two can be a much more difficult challenge, however, this being a relatively early boss fight the game is not too cruel. Because the third Abyss Watcher that joins the battle will be a red-eyed one, presumably corrupted by the Abyss. That third one will actually attack both the Abyss Watchers as well as you if you get too close. Mostly the third focuses on his colleagues, though. You can kill the second and third Watcher, but they will get back up after a short while. So it is wise to try and lock the second and third watcher into battle and take care of the first one while the other two fight.

Once he's down the blood of the wolf begins coalesce into the dead body of one Abyss Watcher. Phase 2 begins and now the boss is on fire. Literally. There won't be any additional Watchers joining in on the fun but the one that's left is much more dangerous than the others. In additon to a few new moves the existing ones get powered up as well. The trail of flames his sword leaves behind now can actually damage you. What makes this fight fair, considering the point in the game we're at, is that you can easily stagger the Abyss Watcher. If you can get one hit in you will usually also be able to get in a second or third before it's smarter to get out for the time being and look for another good opportunity to attack.

This fight is pretty awesome all things considered. The music does it's part. It's a fair challenge but it still feels intense.




Soul of the Blood of the Wolf
Soul of the Blood of the Wolf. One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.
Use to acquire numerous souls, or transpose to extract its true strength.
The blood was spread amongst the Abyss Watchers, and their souls are one with the soul of the wolf blood master.

Farron Greatsword
Greatsword of the Abyss watchers which is atypically paired with a dagger.
The dagger is utilized as a wedge in the left hand while the greatsword is held in the right, a unique technique that was synonymous with the Undead Legion. Confounds foes the manner of wolves hunting prey.
Skill: Parry - Deflect an attack when timed properly and follow up with a critical hit, executed with the dagger.

Wolf Knight's Greatsword
Dark Souls III:
Greatsword of Artorias tainted by the dark of the Abyss, and master of the wolf's blood of Farron.
The wolf knight was the first Abyss Watcher, and his sword is more punishing against creations of the abyss.
Skill: Wolf Sword - While in stance, use normal attack for a low spinning slash, or the strong attack to leap forward in a vertically-slashing somersault.

Dark Souls II (Majestic Greatsword):
An ancient greatsword of unknown origin. This sword was passed down through generations, until it reached Gordin, wandering knight of Forossa, and was lost upon his death.
Uncannily, every last one of the prominent swordsmen who inherited this weapon was left-handed.

Dark Souls (True Greatsword of Artorias):
Sword born from the soul of the great grey wolf Sif, guardian of the grave of the Abysswalker Knight Artorias.
Sir Artorias hunted the Darkwraiths, and his sword strikes harder against dark servants.

Dark Souls (Cursed Greatsword of Artorias):
Sword born from the soul of the great grey wolf Sif, guardian of the grave of the Abysswalker Knight Artorias.
The sword can damage ghosts, as it was cursed when Artorias joined a covenant with the creatures of the Abyss.

Dark Souls (Abyss Greatsword (of Artorias)):
This greatsword belonged to Lord Gwyn's Knight Artorias, who fell to the abyss.
Swallowed by the Dark with its master, this sword is tainted by the abyss, and now its strength reflects its wielder's humanity.


Soul of a Stray Demon
Soul of the stray demon. One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.
Use to acquire numerous souls, or transpose to extract its true strength.
The Stray Demon, now lacking even a trace of flame, was once the gatekeeper of Lothric.

Havel's Ring
A ring for warriors keen on heavy acoutrements. Increases maximum equip load.
This ring was named after Havel the Rock, the battlefield compatriot of Gwyn, the First Lord.
The art of war has been a constant since ages past, and those who would follow in Havel's footsteps are no fewer now than in his own day.

Boulder Heave
Art of a stray demon of a stifled flame. Spews a boulder from one's mouth. The boulder is heavy, but shatters easily.

Watchdogs of Farron (Covenant)
Ancient medallion depicting the crest of a wolf. Symbolizes the pact with the Old Wolf of Farron. Equip to pledge oneself to the Watchdogs of Farron. The Watchdogs ensure that the warriors sleep in serenity, by taking the form of loyal spirits and hunting down those who would trespass the woods of Farron. Summoning takes place automatically while this is equipped.

Wolf's Blood Swordgrass
A leaf signifying duty fulfilled by the Watchdogs of Farron, who stand beside the old wolf to ensure serenity to those at rest. Depicts a swordgrass leaf stained with dried blood.
Long ago, the swordgrass leaf quietly identified members of the Undead Legion. In the rotted forest rest the spirits of warriors past, their acceptance and gratitude toward their guardians is expressed eloquently by the humble leaf.


Black Bow of Pharis
Dark Souls III:
A black longbow named after a hero of old, known for the unusual stance from which it is fired.
Has a longer range than standard bows, but successful usage requires a trained, dexterous hand.
Skill: Pharis Triple-shot - Swiftly nocks three arrows with finesse after drawing the bow, firing them simultaniously.

Dark Souls II (Hunter's Blackbow):
A black bow designed for long distances. Difficult to handle at first, and requiring some amount of practice to master.
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.

Dark Souls:
The preferred black bow of the heroic archer Pharis.
Has a longer range than standard bows, but is more difficult to use. Without proper abilities, results will be underwhelming.


Pharis' Hat
Dark Souls III:
Broad-brimmed leather hat. Traditionally used by master archers, and especially favored by forest-dwelling hunters.
The name Pharis is said to have once belonged to a hero, but is now more widely known as a style of hat.

Dark Souls:
Broad-brimmed hat favored by the archer heroPharis.
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.

Dark Armor Set
Dark Souls III:
Armor of the Darkwraiths, relics of a small country that fell to the dark long ago. Looks as if it may crumble to dust at any moment.
The Darkwraiths were the oldest of the Red Eye Invaders, and rumored to have served a Primordial Serpent.

Dark Souls II:
Armor of a knight subsumed by dark.
No one knows the true identity of these men who are said to freely manipulate dark. Old foreign legends describe them as poor souls who chased the lost art of life drain.

Dark Souls:
Armor of the Darkwraiths, former knights of New Londo who descended into Dark.
Their armor transformed, and remains a symbol of the Dark servants and their diabolical art of Lifedrain.
Some say the skeletal mask of an ancient Darkwraith is partially fused with the flesh of its face.


Antiquated Dress
Dark Souls III:
Dress sewn in a long-lost fashion.
The elaborately embroidered, ivory-colored silk is imbued with ancient magic power.
No protection is offered by this garment, as it was never intended for battle.

Dark Souls:
A dress from the ancient fallen land of Oolacile. Its ivory-colored silk features elaborate embroidery and is imbued with ancient magic power.
One cannot expect any physical protection from this garment, as it was not meant to be worn in battle.


Sage's Coal
Coal used for weapon infusion.
The white magic flame produced by this coal was given to the Undead Legion long ago by one of the Crystal Sage twins.
Give to the blacksmith in the shrine to allow the use of gems for crystal, blessed, and deep infusion.

Golden Scroll
A golden scroll chronicling the vast research of the xanthous scholars.
Give to a sorcerer to learn the arts of Oolacile.
In the lost land of Oolacile, the sorceries orchestrated light, and were said to shine in golden hues.

Sage's Scroll
Scroll containing sorceries of the Crystal Sages. Give to a sorcerer to learn Sorceries of the Sages. As any sorcerer knows, sorcery is a talent, and these sorceries were refined to nurture a very special talent.

Dreamchaser's Ashes
Umbral ash of one who dreamt of joining the Undead Legion.
With this, the shrine handmaid will prepare new items.In the end, the dream chasers who wandered aimlessly in the rotted forest found a sense of fulfillment.