Secrets in Ash Lake?

First off, hi. I've been lurking since I bought dark souls on day 1. Contribooted some, but made a new account for this forum.

Secondly, we all know that ash lake is mysterious as hell. and that's annoying, because it's my favorite place.

recently, while gallavanting around as Iron Tarkus, I noticed something weird. At the first bonfire in ash lake, if you walk away from the direction leading you to the everlasting dragon (towards the water), and look at the exit of the great hollow, you'll see a very complex set of roots. It looks like two separate ledges. The top ledge is the one you are on when you exit the great root. The other one is the one I've been investigating. As you get close to the edge of the sand, it kind of looks like the lower edge moves into a hollow. So, what i did was walk back up the roots, to the first ledge.

from there, if you look at the tree right before the entrace to the great hollow, there is a hole in the roots. it totally looks like you can jump down onto the root stretch below. You can angle your camera around to see that it goes into the tree, deep enough to be questionable. But, if you try to jump into this hole onto the ledge, you die instantly. You die as soon as you leave the ledge, and your character hits the lower ledge half a second later. The same lower ledge is visible from the edge of the top ledge. (look to your left upon exiting the great hollow)... I've tried jumping down there, and kept falling into water. IDK if anyone has noticed this, or if it might have some significance. But ever since the whole Kirk is Chaos covenant/FROM made a game with a secret they only discovered years later thing, i've been really on edge about the secrets.


also, there's a little bit of a hollow if you go down to the base of the tree, under the walkway leading you out of the great hollow. you have to jump into it, but so far i've seen no use for it.

IDK if either of those are worthwhile. I'd post pictures, but I have no camera or PVR.

I'm gonna be fappin around ash lake here for a while, and will post any suspicious activity in this thread.




some things i just don't get about this place:

how is it under blight town? and how come you can see it from a distance in the tomb of giants AFTER you see demon ruins in tomb of giants? Is this place underneath EVERYTHING? What is the huge skull thing? Is that supposed to be a dragon?


EDIT: I know this has been debated, and not sure on the current stance, but I think the everlasting dragon is a fire keeper. Why? Because bonfires with fire keepers automatically have 1 kindling (therefore giving 10 estus.) Everlasting does this. I'm not sure of the significance of this, but it might be worth mentioning.

Heh, you are not the only one to ask such things. Here, i will edit this post and link some things for you to see. Hold on... it will take a while.

Here is one, more to go...

https://soulswiki.forumotion.com/t54p30-the-search-for-lore-acidic-cook#6698

Ow yes, I found it... but is a little bit hard to understand, I find. Was buried in the Archives somewhere... I am sure their is another one.

https://soulswiki.forumotion.com/t1862-the-dragons-and-the-path-of-dragon

Oh man you got Acidic on the case. Expect enlightenment soon

Damn, i can't seem to find any other posts. i thought their were other topics asking such things in the Archives.. aw well. I will clarify by my hands what it is then. The link I gave you is an example of such theories, but I will explain it to you with a more direct approach, so you don;t have to read it... thought their were other topics asking this, though. Hm, aw well.

how is it under blight town? and how come you can see it from a distance in the tomb of giants AFTER you see demon ruins in tomb of giants? Is this place underneath EVERYTHING?

Heh, such a speculation has troubled many. If you remember from the prologue, when it tells the part of the tale in which the flame began, it lead to the under depths of the earth, from a hollowed arch tree (similar to the one the player can use, although it is a different tree, I can say with confidence). Actually, it is underneath everything. In fact, when you look at it from the tomb of giants, you see part of Ash Lake which you could not see form Ash Lake itself, which is over the steam clouds the world holds. Interesting enough, such a roof is complete with an abyss, although their is light seen coming to Ash Lake, it does not fuel it as such. Some of the trees do not even rise into the Abyss at times, but more so stop.

Ash Lake is underneath everything. It is a mythological idea in which the world is held up by such trees, as it were. Even so, the trees go into the dark waters you see in Ash Lake, all the way to the surface of the earth, and then even more higher. An Arch Tree can even be seen in lost Izalith, in the center of town (if you look up). Ash Lake is what seperates the rest of the world from the center of the earth, which is said to possibly be the home of Kirn. However, the speculation of how far down Kirn is, as well as the staircase from the Vessel to kirn (which could be a warping mechanic, but it is hard to say). The Clouds and such are formed form the water by evapouration.

In the Age of Ancients, the world was projected as similar form as Ash Lake, however it was less watery in form, and more so of massive land, and both were ruled by dragons. Now, it is a home for a few specific creatures. The abyss that is seen over Ash Lake form the Tombs could be what allows the Abyss Beasts, the Primordial Serpents (or the Glutton Dragons, as I call them), to travel around as such.

What is the huge skull thing? Is that supposed to be a dragon?

Yes. It is. Many see the Everlasting Dragons to be of similar quality to Drakes and Hydras, however the truth shows different, as the Stone Dragon shows. The Stone Dragon being the creature which gives you two special entities, both the Torso and Head parts of Dragon Form.

It will be easier for you to read it on my archive link, however I will tell you this bluntly and shortly: The Dragons are speculated to once been human, using the shamanic arts of fire and magic as incarnations of beastry. Like I said, it will be better for you to read the Archive and see for yourself. It is not the truth, but the search for it. it could be wrong, but it is the most logical explanation for such things. It is very long, so I won't repost it here.

I know this has been debated, and not sure on the current stance, but I think the everlasting dragon is a fire keeper. Why? Because bonfires with fire keepers automatically have 1 kindling (therefore giving 10 estus.) Everlasting does this. I'm not sure of the significance of this, but it might be worth mentioning.

yes, it is. Such a beast is speculated to be a somewhat... matriarch, of sorts (being that all Firekeepers are female, excluding one Lord). As the dragons are the essence of Fire and Magic, it can be said that the Fire in which the dragon has uses it to power the Bonfire. Even more interesting, the Stone Dragon, unlike the Everlasting Dragons as portrayed, can not die, and will not flee even when attacked. Such a dragon seemingly is immortal of anything harmful.

Now, when you do find these pieces as you say, show them here on the Archives. I might have seen them already, but your description as such does not remind me of anything, and is hard to say from what you write above your questions. Confirmation before I confirm that would be better for the both of us, for smoother sailing.

I am sorry for not getting any links of the other topics... they seem to have disappeared, which is odd. I will post them here, if I find them.

ah yes, I have read your notes.

First, I think you're crazy. Genius, but crazy.

Second, I'm not so sure I have the same faith as you in FROM to have created such in depth lore. I know they made a game, with an item requiring 255 examinations to function, but it seems a little far fetched that they would include all these aspects based on such specific ideas. I fear it's more likely aspects of the game were added just to be cool, or parts are missing. We know from the trailer that Tarkus and the silent firekeeper (whatever her name is) were supposed to be more important. How can we be sure FROM just didn't jump the boat on this, and are too embarassed to admit it?

Third, what is this abyss you mention, viewable from ash lake/tomb of giants?

Look up form the roots and clouds of Ash lake, and you find a Dark Roof that is the Abyss, which consumes part of the roofing in which their are some stone seen. The Abyss is where the Glutton Dragons and the FOur Kings reside in.

And I know I am crazy. Although i am not the smartest being, I will say genius, a being who is creative, seems to fit well.

And trust me, FROM has put a lot of detail in the games. Tarkus and the Silent Firekeeper are important. Tarkus has shown signs of leading towards the painted world, and why that is, is unknown. As I am working on time distortion and the knight found in the Asylum, i feel the three factors are linked by which they were the Solaire and Chosen undead, before you were chosen (still speculating on that).

The Firekeeper shows herself in the prologue, beside a dead knight. That knight possibly being the one in the Asylum. If so, her factor in which she is, is hinted by the soon hollowed knight, who has left many clues of guidance sign across Lordran. Although she is still speculated.

Faith is just a sub-factor. i use intelligence as well. I am neither cleric nor sage... I am a philosopher. as such, I seek to find the lore... search the lore. They are their, friend: you just have to find them.

EDIT: From the Tomb of Giants, not Ash Lake itself. The Cloud Mists hide the Abyss, with a good show.

I think I know what root you are talking about, I have tried jumping down there but I die as soon as I jump off. When I saw it for the first time I thought "This root is suspicious!!!!!!"

Oh excellent! So i'm not crazy! It's terribly suspicious. There are so many nooks and crannies in the great hollow that I can't help but think something is hidden there.

Hm... did anyone notice that Glyph was looking in the Archives? He was here for about a couple of minutes.

Wonder what he was looking for.

Mybe Glyph is working on something to?
Waiting till he finds it and will come back to us. I Always believed he will find out everything
but now i have faith in both of you!

I don't mean to sound ignorant nor derail this thread but who is Glyph? Is he the guy whose thread is dedicated to secrets in the archives?

Yes Glyphblade's All secrets revealed. From what I can gather he a really good player and a really good searcher too. Its like Acidic deals with the storyline and symbols while Glyph deals with the physical secrets.

Off topic, do you think there are still physical secrets to be found, Acidic?

I thought not, until these I learned these things:

- FROM had developed a game in which an item required 255 examinations to reveal it's purpose. This secret was not found until years later.
- In the Crystal Cave, only about a month ago, did people start noticing the little gecko hole. Me included. Now everyone goes there. Just recently, someone showed me an item I had never found before, sitting underneath the last Moonlight Butterfly.
- Miyazuki (maybe that's his name?) has not yet mentioned the pendant.

I'm just waiting either for a) someone to do something stupid and find a new secret, b) one of the developers to drop a somewhat subtle hint, or c) one of the developers admit that the pendant is bugged further than it's item description, and doesn't really do anything.

perhaps, but I will not be surprised if their isn't any. I will be satisfied if their is such a reward, but I will not be disappointed if their isn't. Although as I am optimistic, I believe that perhaps FROM have hidden something in which is only seen, if the player does some... experiments, for a lack of a term.

The pendant, as their is no hint of a physical key, is used as a goal to the lore. It is important, and I have said in before topics that the Pendant is very special. I do not know the whole meaning towards it, but I know a good amount of what it holds, what is shows, and what it hints. As the Sun and characters/covenants are linked together by the pendant seen with Rhea (and other sorts of clues), the pendant is, as of now, a key, more so than a secret of physical use.

If their are physical secrets, they might show when the lore is more... understood. When people know the whole truth, perhaps they will be able to understand more of how the game is, and in turn find the secrets they might have over looked. I do not search secrets by going around aimlessly with a ring or such, as I know that the many combinations in which the player can have, and might require, would be taking too much time, and many fail to reach such expectations with usually one or two specifically armed items, while some aim for the more specific sorts of combinations, which have less of a chance work at all in finding such secrets. I search for the lore; I try to interpitate and understand it, and to write my findings, by uncovering the secrets that players do not know about. Connecting the dots, in order to lead towards a more narrow path. if their is a physical secret, such a search for lore would be more so helpful than wandering aimlessly with a somewhat plan, with a gamble that it may or may not work.

So is their a physical prize at the end of this? Perhaps, but that is yet to be determined with that is true or not. The searches till continues to this day, and it is yet to finish, until most if not all the lore is complete. It is like a puzzle piece game, of sorts. By piecing the puzzles together, you get closer to the main frame. That is what I aim for, my friend. Whatever prize I may or may not get, satisfaction of the end towards my search, when all is uncovered, is what I aim for as my top priority. it does not mean I will be sloppy and rush towards it, but I will take the time that is required to find the gaps and try to fill it. If I forget it, well, that is what the people of the Forum are here to help me with; to cover up the cracks that I miss. To find the reasonable and logical connections of the game.

I will be working on my next post soon, and then later about the pygmy. After that... I still need to understand the time distortion, the God of War, and other sorts of characters such as the Knight in the Asylum, which I have almost wrapped up with my research. I have discovered many secrets in the search for lore... but their is more to be discovered as of yet.

hortator wrote:-FROM had developed a game in which an item required 255 examinations to reveal it's purpose. This secret was not found until years later.
- In the Crystal Cave, only about a month ago, did people start noticing the little gecko hole. Me included. Now everyone goes there. Just recently, someone showed me an item I had never found before, sitting underneath the last Moonlight Butterfly.

Can you give more detail on these two points? I don't know the first and am not sure I know the second. Thanks!

anyone tried the 255 examinations thing with the pendant?

I tried to jump to the log/opening underneath the ramp entrance too. It looks like the one at the tree after the Hydra where you jump down to get the item on top of the mushrooms.