Is Purging Stone Permanent? Untangling Hollowing in Dark Souls
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No, a Purging Stone offers only temporary relief from Hollowing in the Dark Souls universe. It essentially resets your Hollowing counter to zero, restoring your human appearance, but it doesn’t address the root cause – the Dark Sigils. Once you die again, the Hollowing will return, bringing back that shriveled, undead visage. To permanently remove Hollowing, you need to tackle the Dark Sigils themselves.
Understanding Hollowing and Dark Sigils
Before diving deeper, let’s clarify what Hollowing and Dark Sigils are and how they interact. Hollowing is a condition that alters your character’s appearance, making them look increasingly undead with each death. This is primarily a cosmetic effect, although it can impact certain weapon scaling in later Dark Souls entries.
Dark Sigils, on the other hand, are tied to specific questlines, particularly those involving Yoel of Londor and Yuria of Londor. Accepting their offer and drawing out your “true strength” grants you Dark Sigils, which cause you to gain Hollowing upon each death. These Sigils essentially bind you to a specific ending, and merely reversing Hollowing with a Purging Stone doesn’t change that fate.
The Role of Purging Stones
A Purging Stone is an item designed to remove Hollowing. It restores your character’s human appearance, which can be desirable if you’re tired of looking like a zombie. However, it’s important to understand its limitations:
- Temporary Effect: The effect is fleeting. Death will bring back the Hollowing if you possess Dark Sigils.
- No Sigil Removal: Purging Stones do not remove Dark Sigils. These remain in your inventory, continuing to cause Hollowing with each death.
- Cosmetic Relief: Its primary function is to temporarily improve your character’s appearance.
Permanently Removing Hollowing: Dealing with Dark Sigils
If you seek a permanent solution to Hollowing, you need to address the Dark Sigils. Here’s how:
- Fire Keeper Soul: The most common method involves giving a Fire Keeper Soul to the Fire Keeper. This allows her to remove the Dark Sigils, at a cost of souls equivalent to leveling up five times for each Sigil you possess. This is a costly process, especially at higher levels.
- Questline Consequences: Removing the Dark Sigils typically breaks the Londor Pale Shade’s questline, preventing you from achieving the “Usurpation of Fire” ending. Consider the consequences before proceeding.
Hollowing’s Impact on Gameplay
While primarily cosmetic, Hollowing can have subtle effects on your gameplay experience:
- Appearance: The most obvious effect is the visual change to your character.
- Luck Scaling: In Dark Souls 3, certain “Hollow” weapons gain bonus Luck scaling based on your Hollowing level. This can be beneficial for specific builds.
- Questlines: As mentioned, Hollowing is often tied to specific questlines that impact the game’s ending.
- Soul Cost: Constantly reversing hollowing with Purging Stones or other methods can drain your soul reserves.
Alternatives to Purging Stones
Besides Purging Stones, other methods can temporarily reverse Hollowing:
- Humanity: In Dark Souls 1, using Humanity at a bonfire reverses Hollowing.
- Statues: In Dark Souls 3, the Purging Monument in the Ringed City allows you to cure Hollowing.
- Ember: In Dark Souls 3, using an Ember will make you appear human.
These methods, like Purging Stones, are temporary fixes if you have Dark Sigils.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hollowing and Purging Stones
1. How do I get Hollowing in the first place?
Hollowing typically occurs through two primary methods: dying with Dark Sigils in your inventory (Dark Souls 3), or simply dying repeatedly in earlier Dark Souls games, although the latter is less tied to specific mechanics. The Dark Sigils, obtained through questlines like Yoel’s and Yuria’s, are the main culprit for easily accumulating Hollowing in Dark Souls 3.
2. Where can I buy Purging Stones?
Purging Stones can be purchased from various merchants throughout the Dark Souls games. In Dark Souls 3, the Undead Female Merchant in the Undead Settlement sells them. In Dark Souls 1, Oswald of Carim sells a curse removal item, which essentially performs the same function.
3. What is the cheapest way to get rid of Hollowing?
In Dark Souls 1, the cheapest method is using Humanity at a bonfire. In Dark Souls 3, Purging Stones can be cost-effective early on, but the Purging Monument in the Ringed City (if you have the DLC) offers a permanent solution for the current playthrough. The real cost comes from removing the Dark Sigils permanently.
4. Can I reverse Hollowing without using an item?
Yes, resting at a bonfire and using Humanity will reverse Hollowing, transforming you from Undead into Human.
5. Does Hollowing affect my stats?
In most cases, Hollowing primarily affects your character’s appearance. However, in Dark Souls 3, certain “Hollow” weapons gain bonus Luck scaling based on your Hollowing level.
6. What happens if I reach 99 Hollowing?
Reaching 99 Hollowing in Dark Souls 3 simply means you have the maximum level of “beef jerky” appearance. It has no other gameplay impact beyond the Luck scaling benefit on Hollow weapons.
7. Is it necessary to purge Hollowing?
No, it is not necessary to purge Hollowing. The decision is entirely based on your preference for your character’s appearance or the specific build you are running (if you want the luck scaling).
8. What are the benefits of reversing Hollowing?
Reversing Hollowing allows you to summon other players and NPCs for cooperative play. It also enables your world to be invaded by other players.
9. How do I get all 5 Dark Sigils?
Every time you get your true strength drawn out, you will gain another Dark Sigil, up to a total of five. The first one can be gained by simply talking to Yoel, the second at 2 Hollowing, another at 6, 12, and finally 16 Hollowing.
10. How do I treat Dark Sigil?
The Dark Sigil can only be healed by giving a Fire Keeper Soul to the Fire Keeper. The cost of healing is equal to the cost of leveling up a number of times equal to however many Dark Sigils have been accumulated.
11. Where is the purging monument?
Around the Ringed City Streets bonfire, after the “Show your humanity” puzzle, climb up the ladder, defeat the Judicator Giant and the 2 Ringed Knights as well, walk down the stairs until you see a ladder, climb down the ladder and cross the bridge, and in the plaza you’ll see the Purging Monument.
12. What is the downside of Hollowing?
The only negative effect is that your beautiful character you spent hours in the customization screen for will turn into a shriveled up prune. Otherwise, there are no negative effects, unless you decide to reverse the hollowing which will take quite a lot of souls .
13. Why can’t i use Purging Stone?
Purging stones can only be used if you are hollowed. Purging Stones termporarily cure hollowing, as if – they remove it back to 0 until you die again.
14. How much humanity does it take to reverse hollowing?
Use a humanity will +1 to the top left counter. Reversing your hollowing costs one humanity. (you need to do this for online play etc.) Kindling also requires one humanity.
15. How do you get purging stone in ds1?
A fast way is to trade a Cracked Red Eye orb for 2 Purging Stones with Snuggy the crow. Everything you need is in firelink, Cracked Red Eye’s just under the elevator, then a jump to the nest and trip to the Undead Asylum to trade with snuggy.
Conclusion
In summary, while Purging Stones offer a temporary respite from the visual effects of Hollowing, they are not a permanent solution. To truly rid yourself of Hollowing, you must address the underlying Dark Sigils through specific actions within the game, understanding the consequences those actions may have on your character’s journey. Remember to consider the impact on questlines and your desired ending before making a decision. Delve deeper into the connection between games and learning by visiting the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.