Last time, on Drifting Through Dark Souls, we had a pretty easy time making it through this doomed city. And then we died. But we’re not going to let a silly thing like that keep us down, are we?
As always, we press on. Heading back towards the large building in which we died. At least at first. I spot something shiny on the way there. I love shinies. I jump off the path I’m on, onto a roof, and pick up some souls from the corpse. Once I’m there, I realize I have no idea how to get back onto the walkway I was on.
Luckily, there’s a path leading out from this roof. I take it, and it leads me into a decently-sized room, with a sorceress inside. I get my shield up in time to intercept the dark bolt she fires at me, then charge her down before she can ready another. The room has another path leading out of it, and a staircase downwards. I take the other path first.
I reach the end of it. There’s nothing on this path save for this note. Yet judging the symbol and lack of a rating, this was not a note left by any other player. It’s here for a reason. Somehow, I don’t think hurling a fireball is what it means. I don’t have the spell for casting light prepped, either. I take a quick look through my inventory, trying to see if I have anything that could light things up. And hey! That looks perf… oh no.
The Sunlight Maggot. That same thing Solaire was wearing when he went mad.
Man. Do I want to do this? Judging from the spells Dusk and Elizabeth had, Oolacile was big on, or at least had prominent lines of, illusion magic. I could totally see them hiding something here that could only be revealed by shining light on it. Maybe something important. You don’t hide your garbage with the arcane powers of the soul, after all. But if this is what snapped Solaire, I don’t know if I want to deal with it. I don’t even know why I’ve been carrying the maggot around in the first place. The whole thought of it disgusts me.
But maybe there’s something shiny.
As soon as I put the maggot on, a section of the wall disappears, revealing a chest in the corner of the room. I don’t feel any more hollow for wearing the maggot. Maybe this was just a symptom, rather than the cause for Solaire’s madness. Or maybe I’m hollow enough already. I try not to think about it. Rather, I take off the maggot as soon as the opening appears, then scramble inside for the chest. There’s only one thing inside, an amulet showing a familiar symbol.
Artorias’s pendant, and ancient treasure from the glory days of Anor Londo, said to be able to repel the Abyss. Perhaps he left it here hoping it’d prevent the Abyss from completely consuming Oolacile? If so, it’s not doing a very good job. Important indeed. And shiny. In any case, it’s clear this sector is done. What hasn’t already fallen to the Abyss has been overtaken by the bloatheads, with every living thing here either dying or joining the enemy forces. For that matter, I hadn’t seen a single sane person since I left Ciaran. I slip it into my pouch. I think I’ll be able to put it to better use shoving it straight into Manus’s heart than it’ll see being left here.
Lost to the Aether 