Invaders
- Darkstalker Kaathe
- Kirk, Knight of Thorns
- Maneater Mildred
- Paladin Leeroy
- Vince and Nico of Thorolund
- Xanthous King, Jeremiah
Darkstalker Kaathe
Description
Like Kingseeker Frampt, Kaathe is a primordial serpent, but his intentions are very different from those of Frampt. He is the leader of the Darkwraiths and wants to see the Furtive Pygmy's plan come to fruition by recruiting undeads with the Darksign so that they can become the new Dark Lord, heralding the Age of Dark. It is implied that he is the one who manipulated the people of Oolacile to awaken Manus, and offered the art of lifedrain to the Kings of New Londo, making him indirectly responsible for both Oolacile's and New Londo's destruction.
Location
The Abyss
Kaathe can be found near The Abyss bonfire after you have defeated The Four Kings, provided that you haven't yet placed the Lordvessel on the Firelink Altar. He also appears if you have not yet retrieved the Lordvessel.
Use
- Allows you to join the Darkwraith Covenant and upgrade your Covenant level, but only if you talk to him in The Abyss.
- Sells Cracked Red Eye Orbs if you're a member of the Darkwraith Covenant, but only if you talk to him in The Abyss.
- Warps you to Firelink Altar and vice-versa. Use the "Warp" option in his dialogue options.
Notes
- If you have already placed the Lordvessel, Kaathe won't appear after you kill The Four Kings. If you had already met Kaathe, the next time you speak to him he will scold you and leave for the rest of the playthrough.
- Likewise, if you have sided with Kaathe by placing the Lordvessel for him, Kingseeker Frampt will be upset. Upon your next talk with Frampt, he'll disappear for the rest of your playthrough, so you'll also lose the possibility to sell items and divide shards.
Note: Kaathe will not provide this service.
- Attacking Kaathe/siding with Frampt doesn't break up the Darkwraith covenant, although you can't upgrade the covenant's rank or buy Cracked Red Eye Orb from him anymore.
Getting Kaathe's services without upsetting Frampt
- Beat The Four Kings.
- Rest at The Abyss bonfire.
- Talk to Kaathe until he transports you to the Firelink Altar.
- Do not place the Lordvessel in the altar. Instead, warp back to The Abyss bonfire by using Homeward or Homeward Bone.
- Talk to Kaathe, he'll offer you "the art of Lifedrain" (i.e., Darkwraith covenant).
Now you can upgrade the covenant level and buy Cracked Red Eye Orbs from him. After you're done, you can talk to Frampt and put the Lordvessel for Frampt. However, Kaathe will be upset and will leave for the rest of the playthrough.
Note: You can also get Kaathe's services prior to having the Lordvessel.
Dialogue
All dialogue text is © From Software Inc.
+ show Dialogue - hide Dialogue
Video: Darkstalker Kaathe's Dialogues pt.1, Darkstalker Kaathe's Dialogues pt.2
- First time speaking
Greetings Undead Warrior
I am the Primordial Serpent Darkstalker Kaathe
I can guide thee, and illuminate the truth.
Undead Warrior, conqueror of the Four Kings, is this not your wish?
To know the truth of men, and the Undead?- Answer "Yes"
A wise choice, Undead warrior.
Prove you must, that the truth becomes you.
Seek Anor Londo.
And claim Gwyn's heirloom, the Lordvessel.
Now go, Undead warrior.
Show the world that the truth becomes you. - Answer "No"
…
… Very well.
Warriors as yourself are few. I will be patient.
But I cannot wait forever…
- Answer "Yes"
- Speak to him after you answered "No"
What is it?
Perhaps you have changed your mind?
- Speak to him at The Abyss after he brought you to Firelink Shrine
Ahh…
If you wish, I shall grant the art of Lifedrain,
the legendary power of the Dark Lord.
It can preserve your humanity while Undead,
and cast off the shackles placed upon your brethren.
- Using "Talk" option in The Abyss before you put the Lordvessel for Kaathe
Undead warrior.
To speak now is premature.
It begins with your retrieval of the Lordvessel.
- Speak to him with the Lordvessel in your inventory, before putting the Lordvessel in the altar
Hmm… You are astonishing.
The truth I shall share without sentiment.
After the advent of fire, the ancient lords found the three souls.
But your progenitor found a fourth, unique soul.
The Dark Soul.
Your ancestor claimed the Dark Soul and waited for Fire to subside.
And soon, the flames did fade, and only Dark remained.
Thus began the age of men, the Age of Dark.
However…
Lord Gwyn trembled at the Dark.
Clinging to his Age of Fire, and in dire fear of humans,
and the Dark Lord who would one day be born amongst them,
Lord Gwyn resisted the course of nature.
By sacrificing himself to link the fire, and commanding his children to shepherd the humans,
Gwyn has blurred your past, to prevent the birth of the Dark Lord.
I am the primordial serpent.
I seek to right the wrongs of the past to discover our true Lord.
But the other serpent, Frampt, lost his sense, and befriended Lord Gwyn.
Undead warrior, we stand at the crossroad.
Only I know the truth about your fate.
You must destroy the fading Lord Gwyn, who has coddled Fire and resisted nature,
and become the Fourth Lord, so that you may usher in the Age of Dark!- Answer "Yes"
Very well
I shall now guide you to Gwyn's Prison
Be still. Entrust thine flesh to me. - Answer "No"
Fool… You could not be the Dark Lord.
Enough of this… and farewell to you.
I shall return to the Abyss, and await the true Lord of Men.
- Answer "Yes"
- After being transported to Firelink Altar
This is Gwyn's prison.
Now, place the Lordvessel upon the altar.
- Speak to him in Firelink Altar before putting the Lordvessel
What is it? Place the Lordvessel upon the altar.
- Speak to him in Firelink Altar after putting the Lordvessel
Very well.
Once the vessel is filled with souls, the gate to Gwyn shall open.
Seek Gravelord Nito, the Witch of Izalith, and the traitor Seath the Scaleless.
Fill this vessel with their souls.
Then, the gate will open… so that you may kill Gwyn.
…
Are you ready?
Then, let us return to the Abyss. Entrust thine flesh to me.
- Greeting after placing the Lordvessel
What is it?
I'm your guardian.
Go on, state your wish.
- When leaving
Farewell.
- Using "Talk" option after placing the Lordvessel on the altar
They failed me, every last one of them.
They were strong, but saw not the truth.
I am certain that you will prove different.
- When attacked without made hostile
- Hmg!
- Hrg!
- Agh!
- Stop! Enough! Fool!
- When attacked and made hostile or after placing the Lordvessel for Frampt
Fool… You could not be the Dark Lord.
Enough of this… and farewell to you.
I shall return to the Abyss, and await the true Lord of Men.
Voiced by: Peter Marinker
Kirk, Knight of Thorns
Description
Kirk, Knight of Thorns is a black phantom NPC that invades three times throughout the game at different instances. By killing him all three times, you are able to obtain his armor, the Set of Thorns. He will invade your game at all of the three places, regardless of whether you defeated or were invaded by him previously. Even though he's described as a Darkwraith, Kirk is actually a Chaos Servant1, invading others to collect Humanity for The Fair Lady.
Location
The Depths
Once you have reached the bottom of the sewers from the water fall drop you will see him invade. This should be directly next to the basilisk area.
Demon Ruins
You will find him after defeating the Ceaseless Discharge. Make your way to the now cooled lava ground, continue to the next area. You will go down some stairs on the side of a cliff and as you do this he will invade. Note that he only spawns after you put the Lordvessel on the Firelink Altar (the orange light barrier already gone allowing you to fight Demon Firesage).
Lost Izalith
You will find him just outside the doorway to the Bed of Chaos boss, where you fight the Daughter of Chaos.
Stats
The Depths
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 682 | 5,938 |
| NG+ | 1,051 | 5,938 |
| NG+6 | 1,730 | 5,938 |
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 719 | 26,950 |
| NG+ | 1,107 | 26,950 |
| NG+6 | 1,384 | 26,950 |
Equipment
- Barbed Straight Sword
- Spiked Shield
- Set of Thorns
Drops
- Barbed Straight Sword - uncommon
- Spiked Shield - uncommon
Notes
- Black Phantoms will only spawn if the player is in human form and the area boss has not been defeated. This means that defeating a boss before being invaded by a particular NPC Black Phantom will forever deny that Black Phantom from appearing in that area on the current playthrough.
- Unlike other Black Phantoms, his weapons do not have 100% drop rate.
- If Kirk falls off a ledge, once the loot appears, just quit and reload your game and the loot will be where Kirk was last standing before falling off.
- Once defeated in ALL THREE locations, his corpse (containing Set of Thorns) can be found in the back of the Daughter of Chaos bonfire chamber in Quelaag's Domain.
Maneater Mildred
Description
Mildred is a cannibal Butcher who invades you in Blighttown. After you kill her Black Phantom form, you'll be able to summon her as a phantom to help fight Chaos Witch Quelaag.
Location
Blighttown
As an invading Dark Spirit. Her invasion can be triggered by walking out to the right from the second bonfire in the poison swamp.
Quelaag's Domain
As a summonable phantom. Her summon sign is in front of Chaos Witch Quelaag's boss fog.
Stats
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 742 | 8,748 |
| NG+ | 1,424 | 8,748 |
| NG+6 | 1,780 | 8,748 |
Equipment
- Butcher Knife
- Plank Shield
- Sack
- Rusted Iron Ring
Drops
- 3 Humanities
- Butcher Knife
Notes
- Black Phantoms will only spawn if the player is in human form and the area boss has not been defeated. This means that defeating a boss before being invaded by a particular NPC Black Phantom will forever deny that Black Phantom from appearing in that area on the current playthrough.
- She takes only 20% fire damage. This can make her an useful ally against Quelaag.
Strategy
All her attacks are pretty slow due to the size of her weapon and can be easily dodged. So wait for her to charge up her attacks, get behind her and do as much damage as possible.
She staggers pretty easily with the right weapon. With enough stamina, one could end this fight fast.
Be wary of moving into the poison and of mosquitoes moving in to attack.
Convenient fighting ground Reach the bonfire just before Quelaag's lair as undead and regain your human form. Stay in the room with the bonfire, Mildred will invade you if you just step outside and wait a few seconds. Go back into the tunnel and the mosquitos will not follow you because they haven't seen you. Mildred will enter the room to fight you, you will have the advantage of room to move without getting poisoned by the swamp or bitten by the mosquitos. If this doesn't work out you will at least have died in spot where it is easy to collect your bloodstain.
Bug Notes
Sometimes Mildred can be stuck right after the fog gate in Quelaag's boss room and will roll around doing absolutely nothing useful for the remainder of the boss fight. If this happens, try drawing Quelaag towards her. With luck, the boss will aggro her and she will leave the gate to assist you as usual.
Paladin Leeroy
Description
Leeroy is a paladin of the Way of White. The first Undead created by the Way of White, the paladin is also the first pilgrim of the Undead mission to Lordran.
Location
Catacombs
As a summonable Phantom. His Soul Sign is way at the bottom near where the Skeleton Wheels are. It's the same piece of land you have to jump down onto (from the canyon you get to after climbing up and going through the hallway where the Prowling Demon is) to get a Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier. His sign is on there near the corpse with the item.
Paladin Leeroy Soul Sign location video
Tomb of the Giants
As an invading Dark Spirit. Past the orange fog wall, in the (relatively) well-lit cave. He does not invade until the Lordvessel is placed and the orange fog disappears.
Stats
Tomb of the Giants
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 719 | 21,236 |
| NG+ | 1,358 | 21,236 |
| NG+6 | 1,697 | 21,236 |
Equipment
- Grant
- Canvas Talisman
- Sanctus
- Paladin Set
Spells
- Heal
- Wrath of the Gods
Drops
- Humanity (x2)
- Grant
- Sanctus
- 3 additional Humanities using Dark Hand
Notes
- Black Phantoms will only spawn if the player is in human form and the area boss has not been defeated. This means that defeating a boss before being invaded by a particular NPC Black Phantom will forever deny that Black Phantom from appearing in that area on the current playthrough.
- If Leeroy falls off a ledge, once the loot appears, just quit and reload your game and his bloodstain and the loot will be where Leeroy was last standing before falling off. Warning: There is a slight chance his bloodstain and loot will reload on top of the kill box off the edge of the cliff making the items unretrievable in the current play through.
- Once defeated, his corpse (containing Paladin Set) can be found in an alcove in the Gravelord Nito boss room in Tomb of the Giants. However, please note that you may have to reload or revisit the area for the armor to appear. Note, you do not need to defeat Gravelord Nito to acquire his armor set, as the Gravelord Servant covenant coffin can be used to gain access to Nito's lair, where his armor set will appear.
- When you summon him as a phantom, unless he is in pursuit of something, his pathing will be to walk slowly to the fog-wall, although he can be manipulated to help kill all of the Skeleton Wheels and the Greataxe wielding Black Knight. If he is killed and you need to enlist him again you can either Homeward Bone back to the bonfire, or if you are on the plateau that has his soul sign, quit the game and reload to make his sign respawn. You will typically need to leave the plateau and carefully pull the enemies towards him, since engaging the Black Knight requires a full clear of the cavern floor.
- He is extremely reminiscent of Garl Vinland from Demon's Souls.
- He is affected by the occult auxiliary effect and thus takes bonus damage from occult infused weapons.
Strategy
Due to the narrow ledges and his powerful weapon, you may easily be knocked off it you aren't careful. It is possible to kite him up into the tunnel or larger area before the ledge if you aren't comfortable fighting him on the narrow pathway.
Alternatively, you can just knock him off the edge for an easy kill. Simply quit and reload to get his loot.
Vince and Nico of Thorolund
Description
Vince and Nico were Lady Rhea's schoolmates during their early days in Thorolund. Now they, along with Petrus, are her guardians in her Undead pilgrimage to find the Rite of Kindling.
Location
- Firelink Shrine
They will appear with Rhea in Petrus' area of Firelink Shrine after the Capra Demon is defeated in the Lower Under Burg. They will leave Firelink Shrine upon exhausting Petrus' dialogues. If you don’t speak with Petrus, they will stay in Firelink Shrine until you beat Pinwheel in the Catacombs. - Tomb of the Giants
You can find Rhea of Thorolund in the pit that Patches pushes you into. Talk to her, and she’ll tell you that Vince and Nico have gone Hollow. Walk a short distance away from her, and you’ll confront them both. After you kill them, speak to Rhea once more to gain the Replenishment miracle.
Use
Killing their hollowed form in Tomb of the Giants is necessary to access Rhea of Thorolund's services.
Stats
Vince
Firelink Shrine
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 638 | 1,000 |
| NG+ | 1,045 | 2,000 |
| NG+6 | 1,307 | 2,500 |
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 820 | 1,000 |
| NG+ | 1,346 | 2,000 |
| NG+6 | 1,683 | 2,500 |
Nico
Firelink Shrine
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 682 | 1,000 |
| NG+ | 1,118 | 2,000 |
| NG+6 | 1,398 | 2,500 |
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 970 | 1,000 |
| NG+ | 1,590 | 2,000 |
| NG+6 | 1,988 | 2,500 |
Equipment
- Vince
- Mace
- Caduceus Kite Shield
- Cleric Set without the Cleric Helm
- Nico
- Crescent Axe
- Caduceus Kite Shield
- Cleric Set
Drops
- Nothing
Notes
- Should Petrus die before Rhea, Vince, and Nico arrive at the Firelink Shrine, the latter two will be hostile to the player. Requesting absolution will not reset their hostility.
- 5 Soft Humanities can be drained from Vince by using the Dark Hand, while he is in Firelink Shrine.
- 3 Soft Humanities can be drained from Nico by using the Dark Hand, while he is in Firelink Shrine.
Dialogue
All dialogue text is © From Software Inc.
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Vince's Dialogues
- Speak to him
- Hm? What have we here?
You look awfully raggedy…
Times are grim; the least you can do is look sharp.
Don't you dare meet M'lady like that.
You might scare here off for good! - Oh, you again. what business have you?
I don't suppose we can help, though.
We accompany M'lady on her righteous mission.
It is quite a chore, but I'm stuck with her, and Nico, too.
I can't very well abandon them now.
- Hm? What have we here?
- Speak to him after resting at the bonfire - only available before exhausting Petrus's dialogues
Oh, you yet again. You're a persistent one, aren't you? Hah hah hah.
Honestly, I don't have a problem with your kind. But there's not very much that I can do.
I am Vince of Thorolund. Let's say a word, for our safety. A prayer to our marvellous Lord. Vereor Nox.
- After Petrus says they'll be departing
Oh, it's you?
We are to leave momentarily.
The Catacombs aren't exactly my idea of a good time, but…
What can one do? I do hope we meet again.
Vereor Nox
- When attacked without made hostile
- Egads!
- What the!
- When attacked and made hostile
Curses! What the devil's wrong with you?
I cannot overlook a threat to M'lady! I'll grind you into dust!
- When killed
By the Gods…… My…dear lady…
Nico's Dialogues
Nico will mumble differrent incoherent sentences, even when attacking or killing him, but they are all subtitled as "Mnnn…".
Video: Vince and Nico of Thorolund's Dialogues
Voiced by: Adam Sopp
Xanthous King, Jeremiah
Description
King Jeremiah is a Dark Spirit who invades you in the Painted World of Ariamis. He is the legendary exile, and no one knows where he came from. He wears a far too big crown, along with bright yellow clothes.
Location
Painted World of Ariamis
In the courtyard down the stairs to the right of the Phalanx group (coming from the bonfire); the area with crows, impaled corpses, and iron boxes.
Stats
| Playthrough | HP | Souls |
|---|---|---|
| New Game | 719 | 30,132 |
| NG+ | 1,107 | 30,132 |
| NG+6 | 1,384 | 30,132 |
Equipment
- Notched Whip
- Pyromancy Flame
- Chaos Storm pyromancy
- Great Chaos Fireball pyromancy
- Chaos Fire Whip pyromancy
- Xanthous Set
Drops
- Humanity
- Notched Whip
Notes
- Black Phantoms will only spawn if the player is in human form and the area boss has not been defeated. This means that defeating a boss before being invaded by a particular NPC Black Phantom will forever deny that Black Phantom from appearing in that area on the current playthrough. The area boss for King Jeremiah is Crossbreed Priscilla.
- If Jeremiah falls off a ledge, once the loot appears, just quit and reload your game and the loot will be where Jeremiah was last standing before falling off.
- Once defeated, his corpse (containing Xanthous Set) can be found on the broken down bridge behind Crossbreed Priscilla. If you have killed Jeremiah and the armor is not there, you can try to quit and reload your game. You will be placed outside the boss room when this happens, but the armor should appear on the bridge.
- His headgear is a reference to the Monk's Head Collar from Demon's Souls.
- Jeremiah's title, "Xanthous King," could be a reference to Hastur, known as the King in Yellow in certain stories. The word Xanthous means "yellow," and his equipment's colouration matches his title.
Attacks
- Notched Whip attacks - His special weapon. Bypasses shields and has bleed buildup on hit.
- Chaos Pyromancies - Be careful of the lava it leaves on the surface. Jeremiah seems to have high MagAdjust on his Pyromancy Flame, since his pyromancies deal very high damage.
Strategy
- His magic defense is incredibly high, so prepare to bring a weapon with a different damage type if necessary.
- It is recommended you engage him away from the cliff, as he can fall to his death and you will therefore not receive the Notched Whip and Humanity.