NPCs. Love them or hate them, they exist. For the most part, I’m glad about it. They add flavor to the worlds that I’m inhabiting for the next few hourrs. Yesterday, I wrote about my favorite FromSoft NPCs overall. Today, I’m going to focus on a few from each game. Why? Because I want to and I can. I’ll do it in the order I played them.
First, Dark Souls. the OG (obligatory I have not yet played Demon’s Souls).
1. Laurentius of the Great Swamp. He is my favorite for selfish reasons. I am a Pyro first and foremost, and he is the basic pyro teacher. Plus, I like rescuing him from being eating by the butcher. I liked rolling through his barrel to set him free. Then, seeing the fire glow from his hand as he’s talking to me (in his lovely voice).
Then, when I’m at the Firelink Shrine the next time, he’s sitting there casually offering his wares in a strange way. He says he can teach you unels you ‘find the magicks unsavory?’ Which, normally you want to answer yes if an NPC asks you a qusetion.In this case, you want to answer no.
Now. If you meet join the Chaos Servants covenant and get the Great Chaos Fireball in return or meet Quelana and get any of her chaos pyros and show them to Laurentius, he will ask where you got such an amazing pyro. If you answer him truthfully, then he’ll go in search of said pyro.
Next time you’re in the swamp of Blighttown, Laurentius will be there, pelting you with his pyros. He has found his purpose, so he’s lost his mind. You will have to put him down (or avoid him the whole time. That’s why I refuse to tell him where I got the pyro. I want him alive and kicking in Firelink Shrine.
2. Patches. I have said many times that I’m very pro-Patches. #LetPatchesLiveHisBestLife. In the many worlds I have run into him in, he is the only constant. He is going to stab you in the back, and then he’s going to grovel for you to forgive him. Then, he will be a great merchant who will sell you good shit. And he has a severe hatred of clerics.
I am putting him in this game, but just realize that he is across all the games. Even if it’s not exactly him each time. And he is at his best in Elden Ring.
3. Sieglinde of Catarina. Look. The Onion Knights from the first and third game get all the love. I don’t hate that, honestly, but they have never been my favorite. But! I love Sigmeyer’s daughter in the first game. You rescue her from a golden golem, and she’s just a miniature Onion Knight. She is searching for her father, who she knows very well is off galavanting and having futile adventures. In some ways, I see her as taking care of a father who is deteroiorating (some have suggested dementia), and the final scene in Ash Lake is absolutely heartbreaking.
I relate to her as the adult child who has followed in her father’s footsteps, knows who her father is (flaws and all), know it’s futile, but loves him nonetheless. When you talk to her and say that you’ve seen her father, her voice is rueful. She knows he’s going to continue bumbling around and get himself into trouble, but she also knows there’s nothing she can do but chase after him and clean up his messes.
I did not follow into either of my parents’ footsteps, but I do feel like I have to clean up after them. Not literally, but emotionally.
4. Darkmoon Knightess. This is an odd includsion because she’s not really an NPC. I mean, she is an NPC, but she’s more part of the scenery than an NPC in and of herself. No shade. I men, she’s on the list. I adore her. I hate when I have to killher. Plus, her armor is so fucking cool. It’s called the Brass Set, and it’s one of my favorite armor sets. I can rarely wear it until NG+, but it’s such a cool set.
I love that she’s so insouciant as she casually leans against the wall. And, when you do have to fight her, she’s such a badass with her fat-roll asnd purple light saber weapon. I don’t like killing her, but if I want to fight Gwyndolin, it can’t be avoided.
5. Quelana. She’s the second pyro teacher in the game, and the sister of Chaos Witch Quelaag (boss) and The Fair Lady (tragic). You could actually go the whole game and not see her because she doesn’t show up unless a very specific condition is met. You have to get your Pyromancy Flame up to +10 in order for her to show up. That’s quite expensive.
In addition, she’s easy to miss because she’s sitting on a small hill in the middle of the swamp across from her sister’s lair. She’s wearing black robes with a hood that covers her hair and shades her face. Barefoot, though! There are three ogres across from her (guarding her sister’s lair) who are constantly throwing boulders at you.
If you make the ogres aggro, then they’ll throw boulders at you while you’re talking to Quelana. I’m guessing they can kill her. I’ve never let them do that, but it’s so annoying. There are mosquitos who continually respawn in the area. They do poison damage and are incredibly annoying because they follow you. So there I was being poisoned by the swamp, annoyed and poisoned by the mosquitos, and hit by boulders thrown by the ogres. All the while, I’m trying to talk to Quelana. At this point, that means mashing through her dialogue just so I can buy shit from her.
Her story is tragic, and she asks you to take a hand in her family dysfunction. She wants you to kill her mother (Bed of Chaos), and she will thank you afterwards if you do. She has the best pyros, too (save one), so it’s no wonder she’s one of my favorite NPCs.