Part 19: - Irithyll of the Boreal Valley Part 1

Unsorted thoughts about Irithyll and what's within:
Let's head to Irithyll, the really pretty city that is home to Aldritch, Saint of the Deep as well as another major player that we haven't met yet, Pontiff Sulyvahn. He was briefly mentioned in a few item descriptions. It's also where Vordt of the Boreal Valley came from because... y'know Irithyll is in the Boreal Valley, an Outrider Knight. To know what an outrider knight is it's best to just reread the description of the Pontiff's Left Eye, a ring we can make of Vordt's Soul

"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."

The Pontiffs Right Eye has the exact same description, aside from the effect, and we get it from the Wolfgator, implying that this is either what an Outrider Knight looks like without armor or once they've fully transformed into a beast. Though, the description also reads that he only gives the rings to those dispatched to faraway places. Presumably for reasons of safety, or Sully doesn't want those filthy beasts near him. I'd also like to draw attention to the fact that these Pontiff Beasts have gaping open bellies with teeth anf everything, reminiscent of the Gaping Dragon from Dark Souls. Although, the Gaping Dragon's Story was that it was a dragon so gluttonous it developed new mouths to eat literal shit in the sewers with.

Greirat calls Irithyll "Home to moon-worshipping nobles". There's exactly one character linked to the Moon: Gwyndolyn, last surviving deity of Anor Londo from Dark Souls. She was born male but raised as a woman due to her affinity to the moon. Gwyndolyn is also the daughter of Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight. We also find a Proof of a Concord Kept as well as the Roster of Knights which make reference to Gwyndolyn's Covemant, the Darkmoon Blades. The Darkmoon Blades both guarded Anor Londo and Gwynevere's Illusion and hunted down sinners (players who invaded a lot).

Aside from that, there are a few other items that are connected to Anor Londo in Irithyll, though we haven't found a lot of them yet. This gives fuel to a few theories regarding the nature of Irithyll. Maybe it was built in the place where Anor Londo once stood, or maybe the people of Anor Londo went here after The illusion of Sunlight was shattered and the truth that it's cursed with an eternal night was revealed. The Pontiff Knights being what became of the Silver Knights or perhaps the Sentinels. Then again, it's also night in Irithyll, and we can always see the moon hanging in the sky, so who knows?

While we don't know everything yet it is quite an interesting place. It is actually one of my favorite areas in the game. It looks sweet and offers a decent challenge it's also a place ware a lot of the lore comes together, concerning Aldrich and Outrider Knights such as Vordt. Then there's Anri, whose questline will reach it's conclusion later on in this area. It's quite dense in that regard and I really like it for that. But we still have half of the area ahead of us. And then there's the Dungeon below as well.