In yesterday’s post, I talked about my favorite NPCs in Dark Souls. Today, I’m going to discuss my fave NPCs in Dark Souls II (Scholar of the First Sin) and maybe Bloodborne and/or Sekiro, depending on how this goes. Just a note. Except for Lucatiel, the rest are in no particular order.
1. Lucatiel of Mirrah. She is by far my favorite character in the game. So much so, I’m tempted to leave it at one and just move on to the next game.
I will not do that, though. Let me say why I love her so much. First, she’s an outsider like I am. Second, she’s very handy with her sword. She is one of two characters you can take into boss fights, have her survive three of them, and she’ll give you her stuff the last time you see her. Then, she dies. In the next room, her brother invades you and if you’re wearing her armor, it’s especially poignant.
I did not know this the first time I played, obviously. But it added to my next playthrough, knowing her pathos. Or whenever I found out. I’ve played the game dozens of times by now and have platted it so I don’t remember the details of when I figured out what about it.
It was always heartbreaking to me that Lucatiel died just before her brother showed up because her whole quest is looking for him. Then again, maybe he invaded because she died. Who knows? I love her mask and hat, too, by the way. It’s so badass.
2. Lonesome Gavlan. I did not know that was his full title, by the way. It makes things much sadder. He’s a big and hearty Gyrm whom you meet in No Man’s Wharf. he’s chugging beer from a big ol’ stein when you meet him, and he’s a man of very few words. He wants to wheel and he wants to deal. And, what he really wants is souls. Lots and lots of souls. That is the currency in the Souls games, by the way. so he’s a vendor.
Others of his race (Gyrms) are enemies. They are basically big dwarves (in the fantastical sense) who are stronk and like axes. I’m gathering that the lonesome in Gavlan is because he’s been kicked out of Gyrm society for one reason or another. Or that he does not want to be in that society, which might be because he doesn’t want to fight), and they are pretty cool.
It was fun in the Retry of this when the lads ran into Gavlan because Gav (from RKG) took an immediate shine to him. Gavlan resembled Gav from big bushy beard to having a big mug o’ beer in hand. Gav said immediately that he liked him before Gavlan even said his name. Once he did, Gav’s face brightened up and he was thrilled.
Gavlan moves twice, but he doesn’t really say much other than he wants to wheel and deal, that he wants souls, and that’s about it. Still. In a game that is pretty sparse on NPCs, I’ll take it.
Honestly, other than than that, I don’t really have another character I like in this game. Or rather, there aren’t any really memorable NPCs. Patches isn’t even in it! Yes, yes, yes, Pate is the replacement character, but even though Peter Serafinowicz acts his ass off in the role, it’s just an inferior Patches. I always choose Creighton the Wanderer over Pate.
I’m going over the list of the NPCs in my brain. Rosabeth of Melfia. Boring. Stone Trader Chloanne. Yawn. Ladder Guy. Gilligan? Yup. Laddersmith Gilligan. He gets a cutscene! Not for him, but for his buliding of a ladder. Fun fact. I had to google gem lady to get Stone Trader Chloanne because I had no idea what her name was.
That’s the problem. I can picture all the NPCs, but I can’t remember their names at all. The sorcerer dude is…no idea. You can summon him for a boss fight in the second DLC, though.Carillion? Carhillion of the Fold. I was close, I guess. No idea why ‘of the Fold’, though.
The Emerald Herald (yourl level up lady) is probably the most notable NPC, but she’s a bit of a limp rag. For some unfathomable reason, you have to mash through the same lines every time you want to level up, which the community has shortened to “Bear Seek Seek Lest” (the first word of each sentence). Now, each level up lady has something to say, but I think she’s the only one or first one who doesn’t say it as you level up–but before. So you have to mash your way through before you can level up.
She’s fine, but she’s not that interesting. That’s basically my feelings about all the NPCs in the second game.
Hm. I have enough time to do one more NPC, but there honestly isn’t anyone else in the second game who stands out. Oh, wait. There is one whom I like.
3. Vengarl of Forossa. More specifically, the Head of Vengarl. Who is also a vendor. he was a fighter once–a sellsword if I remember correctly. I Googled. I did, indeed, remember correctly. You stumble upon the head in the Shaded Woods, and he tells you that his body is nearby. In SotFS, that means really nearby. You go defeat his body and get the armor. You get the head from the head, which makes sense. It’s pretty sweet armor.
Then, you can summon him to help you with the end bosses. It would have been cool if it had just been his head, but it’s all of him. He also is a vendor and sells the Zwei.
I did think of one more while I was writing the prior.
4. Royal Sorcerer Navlaan. This is a really interesting one. He’s found in a late-game area, and he’s behind a fog wall. If you approach him while he’s human, he’s whimpering and mewling, begging you to leave him be. If you talk to him while you are hollow, however, he’s quite different. he’s arrogant and sneering. He rambles about this and that, then hints at assassinations. Then he asks you if you want to carry on in his stead.
If you do his questline, he gives you a really nice pyro at the end of it. Except it takes three slots and is a one-time use. (Per bonfire). He also becomes a merchant.
Here’s the interesting part. There is a lever at the end of the other hallway. There are dev’s notes telling you not to pull it. If you pull it, regardless, you let Navlaan go and he invades your world several times to assassinate you. It’s really neat.
And as I was writing that, I thought of another NPC.
5. Straid of Olaphis. He is a statue in a mid-game area. You have to use a precious Fragrant Branch of Yore to make him human again. he’s dressed in all black and has a badass staff. It takes 50 intelligence to use and is found elsewhere. He teaches you ‘mock’ as a gesture, and he’s very jaunty. He sells you pyros and magicks, and he can transpose some boss souls.
I make him human as soon as possible because he’s the best. Pyros and magicks? Yes, please. Snarky attitude? Hell, yes! And he gives you his set (Black Robe Set) if you transpose four boss souls. He is just the best.