Part 45: - Abyssal Swamp

On into the Abyssal Swamp. Looking at it it seems like part of the Ringed City has sunken into it.




Darkeater Midir

Midir is a Dragon battling the Dark in service of the gods. While he is there to stop the spread of the Dark in the Ringed City he himself has been affected by the Dark. If Shira is to be believed he has not quite forgotten his duty yet but he is still a magnificent beast doomed to a slow and possibly endless descent into ruin. He is described as a descendant of Archdragons, which I find interesting because Gwyn and co. (including humans) made a pretty big deal out of genociding that race as hard as they could. It's even more peculiar that he's still alive considering the Ringed Knights roaming around the area are dragonslayers that are also linked to the Dark. So much so they have giant glowing Darksigns on their chests. Midir's job is to fight the Dark.

There are several encounters with Midir. First we only see him cling to a tower. This is easily missed because we have to turn around at the right location to see him. Later on he takes a more active role by breathing fire down the path we need to follow to get through the area. He does the same thing again later, but this time we are in a position to actually attack him. Once defeated here he will fall into the dark chasm and the actual boss encounter will unlcok.

As far as the battle itself goes Midir will seem very overwhelming at first, possibly kill you with his first attacks. And so he should. This the first proper fight against a large dragon in the series after all. These are the beings that gave the gods we killed in the first game trouble so they should overwhelm one at first. The keyword here being at first, the fight is actually very forgiving. Midir as many attacks but they are all very distinct and no single hit is enough to kill you. Well, this isn't quite true. There are two attacks that are capable of one-shotting most builds but one his a heavily telegraphed grab (I had to intentionally run into to showcase for the LP) the other one is a laser disco which he rarely does and is easily avoided as well.

Midir has a huge health pool and they definitely want you to attack his weakspot: The head. Not only does this make the fight go by faster, but it also makes the fight much more fun. What you'll want to do is dodge his attacks in a way that positions you near his head so you can get a couple hits in. Which isn't to say that you necessarily need to focus on his head alone but what you definitely don't want to do is stand under it. As soon as you get under him he'll breathe fire downwards. It will reach a bit behind him too but you can still use it to you advantage by running just out of his reach to whack his tail a few times. Does way less damage but still a good use of your time.

With that said, all of his attacks allow you to dodge them in a way that makes you end up right in front of his head. If you mess that up you'll potentially have to run a long way to even get close to Midir again. In phase two he gets two attacks we didn't get to see in the video. One has him summon a bunch of humanity sprites that will home in on you like the Pursuers spell. I recommend running until it's over in this case. The other attack is the aforementioned laser disco. He'll just go nuts and laser everywhere. It's best to close in on him here because he will be exhausted afterwards. But not for long. To avoid getting hit by that attack it's probably wise to just spam your dodge, just to be on the safe side.

For me this fight hits all the right notes as far as Dragon fights go. It's a very huge and imposing opponent that is still quite mobile. Not only is it obviously fought differently from all the humanoid opponents, he's also different from other dragons or big monster bosses. The music is fantastic and if you actually attack his head you'll be rewarded with a visceral attack as a finish, which will usually take off the remaining eighth of his health.



Soul of Darkeater Midir
Soul of Darkeater Midir.
One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.
Use to acquire many souls, or transpose to extract its true strength.
Midir, descendant of Archdragons, was raised by the gods, and owing to his immortality was given a duty to eternally battle the dark, a duty that he would never forget, even after the gods perished

Frayed Blade
A dragon weapon symbolizing Darkeater Midir.
The one-exquisite blade is now stained black, and frayed at the hilt. Without its sheath, it will soon crumble into nothing.
Skill: Hold - Assume a holding stance in which a normal attack sends a shockwave along the earth, and a strong attack commences a series of slashes.

Old Moonlight
A memory of an old sword found deep within Midir. This sorcery uses souls to grant form to the thought, and attack with it.
Attacks are coupled with lightwaves, and sustaining the stance before attacking increases their speed and potency.
The sword is named after moonlight, but it is slightly different than the one fashioned of the paledrake Seath. Perhaps it is rooted in an older memory, from not long after the Beginning.

Spears of the Church
A green-rusted ornament of young grass, the crest of Princess Filianore. Equip to join the Spears of the Church covenant.
The Spears of the Church watch over the Princess' slumber, and when the church is compromised by a trespasser, the Judicator summons them as loyal spirits to eliminate the threat (Summoned automatically while this is equipped).
Loyal spirits summoned as Spears of the Church are granted a blessing of protection.

Antiquated Plain Garb
Ordinary garb from an ancient land of sorcery. The gold embellishments betray a faint residue of magic, but this clothing was never intended for battle.
When a mission visited the Ringed City long ago, one of its younger missionaries elected to stay behind. It was he who became the last recorded Spear of the Church.

Violet Wrappings
These arm wrappings, sewn with violent cloth and embroidered with gold thread, were intended for everyday use.
Yet they served well enough in many a battle, enwreathing the arms of one who would go on to embrace the sword.

Sacred Chime of Filianore
A sacred chime blessed by Princess Filianore, matriarch of the church.
Filianore's favor knows no boundaries, and this sacred chime expands the range of vicinity-affecting miracles that heal, cure, or provide other enhancements.
Skill: Pray for Favor - Works with chime equipped in either left or right hand. Heals HP very slowly for a duration of time. Affects caster and those in vicinity.

Ringed Knight Spear
Black spear wielded by the Ringed Knights.
The arms of early men were forged in the Abyss, and betray a smidgen of life.
For this reason the gods cast a seal of fire upon these spears, and those who possessed them.
Skill: Ember - Thrust the timeworn spear and watch it restore its ancient brilliance and reignite a short-lived flame, whose dull aftermath will carry on.

Ringed Knight Straight Sword
Straight sword wielded by the Ringed Knights. The arms of early men were forged in the Abyss, and betray a smidgen of life.
For this reason the gods cast a seal of fire upon these swords, and those who possessed them.
Skill: Ember - Stand ready with the timeworn blade as it restores its ancient brilliance and reignites a short-lived flame. From this stance transition to normal or strong attack.

Ringed Knight Set
Malformed black armor of the Ringed Knights. The armor of early men was forged in the Abyss, and betrays a smidgen of life.
For this reason the gods cast a seal of fire upon such armor, and those who possessed them.

Dragonhead Greatshield
This shield, as hard as a great boulder, is formed by the head of the descendant of an Archdragon.
The Ringed Knights, by command of the gods, stood amongst the ranks who set out to slay the dragons, but their contributions were never lauded.
Skill: Dragon Roar - Even the descendant of an Archdragon perishes not, and use of this skill restores its former strength, sending surrounding foes flying with a dragon roar.

White Birch Bow
A short bow crafted with white birch. Endowed with light-manipulating magic.
The bow is a relic from an ancient land of sorceries that was swallowed by the Abyss, most known for its folktale of the heroic Abysswalker.
Skill: Unseen Arrow - Arrows shot by large pulls of the bow are enchanted with a golden spell that turns them nearly invisible.

Preacher's Right Arm
The dessicated right hand of a white-faced locust that rose from the abyssal swamp, that happens to perform as a catalyst for sorcery.
The white-faced locusts were meant to beckon men to the dark with sermons, but most of them are unable to think past their own stomachs, the unruly mob!
Skill: Feasting Branch - Use souls to weave a sharp branch to fillet prey. Can be used repeatedly.

White Preacher Head
An empty head of a white-faced locust that rose from an abyssal swamp.
The white-faced locusts were meant to beckon men to the dark with sermons, but most of them are unable to think past their own stomachs. Someone must rise to the occasion, and restore the path of righteousness.
Perhaps that someone is you? Did you not arise from the Abyss, and did you not resist drowning in the Age of Fire? Locusts and men are kindred spirits.

Ruin Set
Armor of the company of knights who were sent to the Ringed City on an old king's orders.
The knights sought the dark soul, but were so soundly crushed, they had little choice but to swear themselves to the Judicator Giant.
The ill-fated company was later immortalized in a dark fable, inspiring the aspect of certain golems in whom their name lived on.

Black Witch Set
The purple garb of the witch Zullie, who inteded to seduce Alva the Wayfarer, but eventually became his closest supporter, spending her entire life with him.
It is said that Zullie the witch, who was never loved, nor loved another, experienced all manner of misfortune, and yet in the end, found her purpose in life.

Black Witch Veil
The purple veil of the witch Zullie, who intended to seduce Alva the Wayfarer, but eventually became his closest supporter, spending her entire life with him.
Zullie's veil was for travel, and to hide her affiliation with the misunderstood craft of witches.

Iron Dragonslayer Set
Stark melted iron body armor of the ancient Dragonslayer Armour.
The Armour, defeated by the Champion of Ash in Lothric, was left ages to rust, until it slipped into an abyssal swamp, where it was possessed once again by the memory of the hunt.

Blindfold Mask
An eye-occluding mask of unknown origin. Small cracks allow the wearer to see.
Strengthens dark attacks, but also greatly increases damage sustained from dark.
This purple steel creation has a certain resemblance to the Fire Keeper's crown, but the similarity is purely cosmetic.

Ledo's Great Hammer
Great Hammer wielded by the Silver Knight Ledo. Ledo's hammer is by far the heaviest weapon amongst those wielded by the knights of Anor Londo.
Ledo, an eccentric who traveled aross the outskirts, became a close friend to the giants and even Havel, the Rock.
Skill: Call to Stone - Spin to lure stones to the steel hammer, and use strong attack to transition into an earth slam that shatters the stones in a shockwave.

Lightning Arrow
The few female knights who serve in the age of the gods used this miracle for dragonslaying.
Draw lightning bow to fire a lightning arrow.
The lightning arrows offer a great improvement to the range of the spears, and were said to have been used to pierce the eyes of the dragons from afar. But remember, beautiful stories are always marked by embelllishment.