PixlBit

Chapter 2:  Alone and Not Alone

I’ve met many on my travels through this cursed land.

The going at first was a struggle.  I fell many times, and each time I ragged myself out of the dirt and pressed onward.  There were times when I found myself striking at the walls in frustration only to have them chip and dull my blade.

Then I began to meet others on my journey.  A strange man with a map, an old hag, a wandering swordswoman, angry blacksmiths and strange vixens.  I’ve met death in many forms, from lurking wild armed beasts to pits of acid to more blades than I can count.  I have slain many, many creatures and lost souls trying to rend my flesh from bone.  Some went down easily, others not so.

I now stand in the depths of an iron fortress, filled with molten rock and lead, and I plot my route carefully.  A lion of metal and flame blocks my path, and I could return to the depths of a fog filled forest to the lion men there and the scorpion queen above them... yet I fear I am outmatched.

My greatest victories might have been the ones where I sought no assistance, but with the other lost souls I have met with great victory.  Together we have crushed and cursed our way through this trecherous land.  I never pause long enough to catch their names before they dissapear into the mist.

The high path or the other high path.  Or perhaps down into the depths of that dark hole, where the rats dwell.  And there is the chariot I have yet to conquor.  Or perhaps there is another way?

Alone or not alone....

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Soul Level 80.. something.  One Primal Bonfire Lit.

Ok, so here’s what happened.  When I started the game originally I played so terribly that I reached a point after about five hours of puttering around that I ditched my original character, made a new one, and started over. I’m still an explorer, but my fresh start allowed me to plow through the same area, waste less items on stupidity, and beat the first boss in a fraction of the time I spent screwing up during my first attempt.  I’m sparing you the long, boring details of me fucking up over and over.  The fact I was able to take out the first real boss, sight unseen, and not die in the process instilled me with confidence... until I wandered up to the immediate next boss as died straight off as my sword bounced off it’s armor.

Then I discovered it’s far easier in Dark Souls 2 to summon help.  And with help it’s easy to take on so many of these bosses.  The hilarious part is when you’re summoned only to realize that the one who summoned you has no idea what they’re in for.  

Case in point, the chariot boss. It’s the one they showed in previews.  I’ve yet to take it out myself, mostly from bad luck.  A single strike from the runaway chariot will take all of my health away because I’m a lightly armored character.  For a heavy armored character, it takes almost all your health away and then the skeletons do you in.  

When it comes by you’re supposed to hide in the wall niches until it passes and you can progress forward.  I spent some time trying to help other people past that boss, and more than one ocasion someone would summon help and die in the first pass, or even more hilariously, run to the right and into a bottomless pit.

You’re going to notice that I’m soul level 80.  Yeah, I got more caught up in actually playing the game rather than writing a narrative this time.  My apologies, but there are a TON of bosses in the game and my traditional write ups would take forever.  Even so, I’m probably only halfway done with the game, and still have 3 souls and a whole last half of the game to go.  I’ve been playing Atelier Escha & Logy as well, which is great. 

Also, Guild Wars 2 is on sale for a flat 25 bucks... if you want to come join me in Tyria....