MANILA, Philippines – Fans have been buzzing about the trailer of Dark Souls III’s first DLC, Ashes of Ariandel. The trailer, which was uploaded last week on Bandai Namco’s YouTube channel, has racked up more than half a million views, and inspired a myriad of reaction and analysis videos, and discussion threads in different forums.
“Players are tasked to enter the land of Ariandel and defeat the evil within to uncover the mystery of what has caused the land to become defiled,” Bandai Namco stated in their press release.
For those who are new to the series, the trailer may be shrouded with mystery, but for those who have played the entire series, it’s two and a half minutes of familiar faces and places from the first Dark Souls game.
The video features the Dark Souls player, dubbed the Unkindled One or Ashen One, walking in a location blanketed in snow and ice. The said location has not been previously seen in Dark Souls III despite portions of the game having similar areas. A man’s voice directs the Unkindled One to “show my lady flame,” as the video cuts to a woman in front of a large painting. This leads fans to believe that the new DLC may involve one of the more memorable locations of Dark Souls I, the Painted World of Ariamis.
The hinted setting of the DLC was not the only thing that had fans guessing. The trailer also featured a huge monster, likely a new boss, flagellating itself and holding a golden bowl which has patterns similar to the Lord Vessel, another important item in the world of the first Dark Souls game.
While the monster mentioned above could be a new boss in the game, some fans believe that it could be a familiar face.
Some say that the monster, which looks similar to a crow, could very well be Velka, the goddess of sin. Though she’s never appeared in the game as a character, she’s referenced in many item and miracle descriptions as a “rogue deity,” known to punish or cleanse sinners. The flagellation, an act of self-punishment, could be Velka punishing herself for her own sins. Many of Velka’s items can also be found in the Painted World.
Others however, believe that the monster could be the mysterious Gwynevere, daughter of Lord Gwyn, goddess of fertility. This is because her character, if you believe in the most popular theories, is tied to the other more familiar bosses shown on the trailer: Oceiros the Consumed King, Aldrich Saint of the Deep, Nameless King, and the Lothric Princes.
She’s the sister of Gwyndolin, who was consumed by Aldrich. Her other sibling is The Nameless King, the son long banished by Lord Gwyn. And if the theorists would have it, Gwynevere is the wife of Oceiros, the Consumed King, making her the mother of the Lothric Princes.
Gwynevere is a controversial figure in the games and is also the source of many lore theories that have branched out throughout the series. In Dark Souls I, fans have also theorized her as the mother of Priscilla, the half-dragon boss locked up in The Painted World.
Of course, this is all speculation from us and the community and it could still be an entirely new character.
Moving beyond the lore, the trailer also shows players wielding new weapons and casting new magical spells. Bandai Namco has added that “[in] addition to adding a new environment to Dark Souls III, the Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel expansion will also include new weapons, armor sets, and magic for players to discover and experiment with, as well as new features for the game’s wildly popular competitive multiplayer mode.”
Prepare to die once more on October 25. The DLC will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Need to catch up on the series? Check out our Dark Souls III review, and our breakdown of Dark Souls I and Dark Souls II’s lore. – Rappler.com