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Theabyss
"The Darkwraiths reside in a dark void called the Abyss. But the Abyss is no place for ordinary mortals. Although long ago, the knight Artorias traversed the Abyss. If you can find him, and learn from him, the Abyss may prove surmountable."
Ingward

The Abyss is a location in Dark Souls.

Lore[]

The Abyss is a realm of Dark born from the Dark Soul or its fragments. It's an ecosystem capable of creating life, as generated by one of the core components of the First Flame, and of expanding while slowly absorbing everything in its path; it is uninhabitable to all beings aligned with Fire including the Gods, as they require special equipment or protection to prevent corruption (both in the spiritual and physical sense). In contrast, any beings aligned with or indifferent to the Abyss (such as Humans) are able to roam it with no risk of harm or corruption.[1]

Knight Artorias famously traversed New Londo's Abyss and hunted the Darkwraiths therein.[2] He was protected by the power of a magical ring, which he gained after making a covenant with the beasts there.[3] The ring prevented him from being swallowed by the void, but it led to his sword becoming cursed.[4] In recognition of his actions, he was awarded one of Anor Londo's treasures, a Silver Pendant that allowed him to repel Dark sorceries;[5]eventually he traveled to Oolacile to combat the threat of Manus, the "Primeval Man" / "Father of the Abyss". He ultimately failed in his mission, and in saving his wolf companion Sif during the flee, he was overtaken by the dark.

The Abyss would later terrorize Carthus, and one of its victims would be their king Wolnir, who would discover within it a black flame and create dark pyromancies from it.[6]

Location[]

In Dark Souls the Abyss is located at the end of the New Londo Ruins. To reach to the Abyss, the floodgates must be lowered and the Covenant of Artorias ring, a reward for killing Great Grey Wolf Sif, must be worn. After climbing down a spiral staircase within a tower, the path will abruptly end, making it necessary to descend into the darkness of the Abyss.

The DLC Artorias of the Abyss allows us to explore a more recent Abyss, despite being located in a past era, deep within the dungeons of Oolacile. (wip)

General information[]

Dropping into the Abyss will immediately trigger the area boss, the Four Kings, to spawn. After the Four Kings have been defeated, a bonfire will appear. At this point, the Abyss will cease being hostile, making the Covenant of Artorias ring useless.

Notes[]

  • It is possible to reach and kill the Four Kings by killing Ingward, even if the player hasn't acquired the Lordvessel yet.
  • The bonfire that appears will allow warping to escape the Abyss, even without the Lordvessel.
  • Although it appears to be a black void of nothingness, the "ground" of the abyss actually floats a few meters above an unseen cobblestone floor. This can be observed by using a light source, such as the Skull Lantern or Sunlight Maggot.
  • Items that require hitting a surface to activate, such as Prism Stones and Carvings, will not work in the Abyss as they simply fall through the "floor".

Characters[]

Darkstalker Kaathe will appear after the boss has been defeated. The player cannot have given the Lordvessel to Kingseeker Frampt yet.

Boss[]

Covenant[]

Notable items[]

Items[]

  • Red Eye Orb (Darkstalker Kaathe - gift for Darkwraith +1)

Armor[]

  • Dark Set (Darkstalker Kaathe - gift for Darkwraith +2)

Souls[]

Weapons[]

  • Darksword (Darkstalker Kaathe - gift for Darkwraith +2)
  • Dark Hand (Darkstalker Kaathe - gift for joining Darkwraiths)

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Due to what was observed from Artorias, the phrase "falling into the Abyss" does not actually constitute entering it, but rather the near infinite and unconscious darkness of it seeking out lifeforms.
    • This likely means that Wolnir was very much alive when he fell, which explains how he was able to teach grave wardens his pyromancy, though what exactly it really was that actually caused his death is uncertain.

References[]

  1. Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium, Universal Concepts: "The Abyss, Manus, and the Fragments of Dark"
  2. Greatsword of Artorias description.
  3. Covenant of Artorias description.
  4. Greatsword of Artorias (Cursed) description.
  5. Silver Pendant description.
  6. Grave Warden Pyromancy Tome description
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