Dark Souls Part 5: Sunbros and Hercules

It almost looks like an emote that originated from 4chan

In this post, I'm going to take advantage of a lull in the pacing of the games story to go into further detail of the covenant that Knight Solaire represents - the Warriors of Sunlight, and also talk more about Knight Solaire himself. The Warriors of Sunlight is a covenant of people dedicated to being Cool Guys. The standards of the covenant are to help those in need, and to uphold righteousness and justice. It is essentially a big covenant of paladins.

Yeah, it's kinda like that

Mechanically, the covenant is built around the game's coop system - you advance within the covenant by helping friends and strangers alike traverse difficult areas and defeat bosses. Upon completion of this task, you receive a Sunlight Medal. These medals are tokens that you turn in to get promoted, and gain access to more powerful miracles. In a game as difficult as this, it is very great to have "Sunbros" to rely upon.

So it's no real wonder why Solaire is such a great guy - he's dedicated to the idea of being a great guy. Of course, not everything seems normal about him. His rather unusual quest to acquire a Sun notwithstanding, he's also exceptionally powerful in combat.

In the description of a Sunlight Medal, it is told that the medal is a symbol of Lord Gwyn's firstborn son. This son apparently lost his deity status, and was completely expunged from recorded history. However, the medal mysteriously notes that the former god still closely watches over his warriors. One could say it is not much of a leap in logic to assume that Solaire is this former god, and that it could possibly explain his affinity with the Sun. In fact, one of my friends compared him to Hercules only a short while after meeting him.

This is actually a matter of hot debate between Dark Souls fans, as there is a piece of evidence that many believe contradicts this theory. In the description of Solaire's armor, it claims that none of his equipment is magical, and that all of his combat prowess must have been obtained through intense training alone. Personally, I believe this to be further support for the theory that Solaire is the firstborn son of Gwyn, not evidence against it. If Solaire is a powerful former god, why would he need magical equipment? He would, by all basic appearances, appear to be just a very powerful mortal. In the end, you'll have to decide for yourself, as there is nothing concrete regarding this.

Anyway, back to the adventure. Searching for a route to head into the depths of the earth to search for Blighttown, you find yourself on the lower streets of the Undead Burg, which are riddled with hollowed citizens and former thieves. You fight your way through before you are almost ganked by another formidable aggressor.

AKA Goat Demon

 I promise to you that this is the last demon you'll have to fight for a while. Why they seem to be all over the place right now, I really don't know. This guy is a really big pain in the butt because he always ambushes you at the start of the fight, and he has two Hollowed Dogs assisting him in murdering you. After an intense and cramped fight, you kill the demon, and find that it has a key to a nearby basement.

When we return, it's time to descend into everyone's favorite (most hated) videogame level of all time: the Sewer Level!