Where The Wanderer Wanders

A Treatise By Adrioa-Vhati

Hello, I am this book's author, Adrioa, and I have wandered hither and thither longer than even the most complacent and apathetic individual has remained in one place. I have seen things I should very much like to forget, as well as things I will cherish for an eternity, and now I wish to share some of these experiences with you, the reader, in the hopes of enriching your life! I am choosing to approach this in no particular order, simply copying down my thoughts as they come to me.

The Desert Of Jugo

For those who seek respite from the hustle and bustle of city life and who pay no mind to the heat, for you, I cannot recommend Jugo enough. The stunning desert landscapes, endless dunes as far as the eye can see, misshapen crags of glassy deposits, towering anthills, and a fascinating culture can enthrall even the most well-traveled adventurer. This land is bathed in the grotesquely incandescent light of the sun nigh year-round, save for during one of the many sandstorms that sweep through it regularly.

While traversing this beautiful and treacherous land, one should keep themselves covered head to toe in lightweight fabric, lest you find yourself scorched by the sunlight and falling to heatstroke. Come across a settlement, and if you are lucky they may have covered wagons available for hire. Do not miss a chance to experience this! They are pulled by giant ants! Such magnificent creatures! Jugo is quite well known for them, as their chitin can be used to craft sturdy lightweight armor that is impervious to most fire and corrosive substances, as the ants of this land are known to spit both.

It should make for a comfortable and fast way to travel to and from settlements, and be sure to try feeding the precious critter, with permission from its owner of course. They are quite fond of sweets. You will find the people of this region to be earnest and hard-working, despite the reputation they have received due to the less scrupulous among them. But for now, I wish to tell you of the sights which one should see starting with the area most well-known to the learned of Jugo; The Ancient Pit, a place of sacrifice since time immemorial. No one in Jugo seems to know what created it, but the pit is a seemingly bottomless chasm that formed deep within the wastes away from any civilized area. Explorers make pilgrimage there regularly, hoping to be the next brave adventurer to delve deeper into it, besting whoever the previous cave diver may have been. All around its jagged rocky edges one spies markings in soapstone, swords, and daggers stabbed directly into the rock, and some rare scorch marks from pyromancers who gave it a go, all marking the depth they reached before returning to the surface or falling to their deaths.

Once upon a time, the famous King Auros supposedly reached the very bottom and never returned. Perhaps he succumbed to exhaustion or some horrible beast that dwelt in the pitch black. Others claim he found a primitive race who worshipped him as a deity. Still, others claim that he did in fact return to the surface world traumatized, refusing to even speak of his experiences in that abyss. Such intrigue!

If danger does not tickle your fancy, then perhaps you would enjoy the sight of dragons? Hmm, that is a moronic thing to write, apologies. But the dragons of this region are far different than their kin in other parts of the world, the sand wurms, not to be confused with sandworms which dominate the deserts of Carthus, are gentle serpentine giants. These wurms live entirely on earthen substances, coiling around rocky outcroppings and crushing them into smaller pieces that they and their young can more easily chew. They are of a higher intelligence than many lesser draconic creatures and tend to ignore humans unless they are with very young offspring in which case, keep a very safe distance and show no aggression. Many sand wurms will approach you if you are in their territory, in these cases it is best to allow them to, once their curiosity is satiated they will leave you be, but it can be quite a terrifying encounter as these beasts grow to sizes and lengths that would make any sane person nervous.

Perhaps the most important area to visit while in Jugo is the capital of Aurosia. Founded by king Auros, this kingdom was built underground within the confines of what may be the largest ant nest in the entire country! When king Auros and his people first settled here, they sought refuge from both the heated days and the chill nights, and so they made war of a colony of ants. It took them many months, but they claimed more and more territory within the colony as they went, slowly establishing the kingdom. The people of Aurosia are responsible for the domestication of the giant ants, which are put to use as beasts of burden, guardians, and even in some cases pets. This astonishing kingdom welcomes most visitors with open arms, glad to have the commerce and to spread their wondrous creations and culture. If there is but one sight you could see here, it would have to be the throne room, protected by the enormous carapace of the former ant queen, which nearly prevented the kingdom's founding with its sheer size and ferocity. It is said that more life was lost defeating this beast than fighting their way to it for many moons. It was however smote down, and now its onyx remains stand as a reminder of how mighty Auros and his followers were.

But there are whispers that the queen is not truly dead, but only awaiting the rekindling of its soul so that it may return to life and reclaim its colony. No, I jest, for I am the one who spread that rumor while I visited!

While in Jugo, sights are of course not all you should occupy yourself with, there are many rare and wondrous things to trade for or buy, chief among them being the translucent metal made famous by the land's founder; King Aurous.

Wearing some of it over your clothing can save your life from bandits attacking from afar with crossbows, or slinking thieves who wish to stab you from behind. Another is the lovely glass created by acid from the region's ants. Some produce poison, others spit fire, yet more release clouds of corrosive digestive juices that can utterly ruin shoddy armor and mar even a finely crafted set. This acid is harvested by the locals and combined with sand as the glass created through this method becomes adamantine once set. The giant ants themselves create this to protect the entrances to their hills while they are dormant, sealing each way in and out with a thick layer of it.

For those more seasoned, delving into one of these enormous ant hills is an experience and then some! For the modest pyromancer, Iron Flesh will be invaluable for deflecting the mandibles of alarmed soldier ants as well as any acid, fire, or poison they may spit your way. A skilled enough caster can use it effectively enough to prevent poison seeping into the skin, but beware the acid even if you are a master of your craft! Locals have produced a salve that neutralizes it, be sure to bring much of it with you. The younger ants, as well as newly birthed larvae, are in a word; delicious! Slow roasted over a fire or baked in a makeshift oven these are to die for, and many regrettably do.

Perhaps the most dangerous hazard to be mindful of when within an anthill is the pit of an Ant Lion. These beasts burrow into ant hills and their surroundings to create pit traps with which to catch prey. They are of course, gargantuan as they feed on the already quite hefty ants as their primary food source, and this is merely their larval state, after eating enough they dig their way to the surface to become a magnificent dragonfly-like insect, with beautiful multi-colored wings and a long spindly body. Often while trekking across the sands one may spy light reflected from their wingspans, a tell-tale sign to take cover and arm oneself. With the blinding sun overhead, they can easily swoop down and snatch up hapless travelers either as food or as a nest of sorts, killing their prey, implanting their remains with eggs, and burying them deep in the sands where they will eventually produce new ant-lion larvae.

I came face to face, or rather face to maw with one of these creatures, and cannot forget it. Nearly suffocating within the sand, the weight of it restricting my every move as it fell atop me within the hollow, all the while a pair of snapping mandibles moving ever closer to my throat ready to make a meal of me! The faithful will discover that Force or its more potent Wrath of the Gods is their best bet for escaping this grizzly fate. Locals claim that the beasts have a weak point just past their heads where their small neck begins. Is this true? All I shall say on the matter is that I ate well for nearly three days once the encounter had ended, and brought home a lovely souvenir to display atop my mantle. What a conversation piece it is.

Now I must make special mention of the region's most famous hazard...the desert sorceresses. Stay away. These women are the most obvious trap I have ever come across. Yes, they are beautiful. Yes, they dress to impress. YES, they are more than likely adept in the bedroom but save yourself the trouble, the moment they get you stripped down it's all over for you. In my few dealings with these ne'er-do-wells, I have been caused so much trouble I would run short of paper before jotting it all down! Egotistical wretches! I was forced to rescue some fool from their clutches on one occasion, though I did take a moment to watch as one shoved him onto his front and proceeded to paddle his backside with their reflective fan.

I am not proud of that fact, nor proud of how I chuckled. I also cannot claim to be proud of coming to his rescue, as he turned out to be a backstabbing desert thief, I inadvertently staved off poetic justice! Before I digress, these women all dress in red finery decorated with stylized patterns and arcane symbols. Most are deceptively fair-skinned despite the region, and the moment they want to get your "attention" they drop their red cloaks to reveal their shapely forms beneath. I cannot stress enough...

DO NOT FALL FOR THIS!

Yes, reader, you may be thinking to yourself "Well of course, who would?" and the answer to that is MANY! Mostly men, but the awful wenches make no exceptions, so even fellow women must be cautious. These women use pyromancy for their own selfish, and VERY petty ends, something I cannot abide. If you do find yourselves in their clutches, may I suggest mentioning you are a friend of mine? At the very least, one tribe of them will be likely to release you, lest I return and beat them senseless a second time. Disarm them of their fans, and either bull rush them or fight from a distance, if they are left no time commit their sacrilegious misuse of pyromancy they can be taken down easily as they are physically weak, maintaining their lithe frames and worrying more about the perk of their breasts than their combat prowess. Fortunately, Carmina's Power Within does not seem to have made it into their repertoire, or these impious fools might gain enhanced strength despite their petite forms.

While on the topic of hazards to avoid in Jugo, I should enlighten you dear reader to the various dangers I have encountered and how best to avoid them or avail yourself of them if evasion is out of the question. Here begins my list.

Ant Lions

As mentioned briefly, these creatures burrow beneath ant nests and dig pit traps to ensanre prey, whether it be the unlucky ant or your own unlucky self. If snared by one of their pit traps, Force and Wrath of the Gods will not only blow away excess sand and rock but also frighten the creature and put some distance between you and its deadly mandibles. There IS in fact an opening in their armor where their head meets the rest of their grotesque body, a single jab of a trusty dagger, or a burst of flame can be enough to severely injure it, even kill it. Blinding it will do no good, as they are adapted to work without the use of sight, instead, it seems they sense movement,l so remaining as still as possible may cause it to lose track of you, and of course, sorceries that throw sound are likely to be very effective in the handling of these monstrosities.

When in their mature winged form, a decent camouflage can keep you beneath their notice, and unlike their larval state, these creatures have keen eyesight and can be blinded with anything from flash powder to a bright sorcery. Casting light and focusing your will into it for a more intense light source is an excellent method, and if you are able to harness lightning, paralyzing and grounding one is a simple task, if you manage to strike it. Its large wingspan makes it a surprisingly easy target, and even grazing it with a lightning spear will bring it down.

Man-Eater Cactus

Unmistakable due to their red coloring, these cacti grow to be anywhere from nine feet to fifteen, which is only the largest I personally encountered. They are covered from bottom to top in long hair-like fibers that stick to prey, and once snared the cactus drains them of their life and souls with impressive speed. I witnessed one such cactus snare an enormous desert rat, which it killed in mere seconds and fully absorbed in a matter of minutes. Once enough prey has been snared and drained the plant bears flower-like fruit which contains much of the nutrients and souls it took in, these fruits are a rarity as they are extremely difficult to harvest without risking outright death and hollowing. Only mature plants produce these, and once mature they become as sturdy as the magic imbued arch trees of Lordran, so killing the plant by cutting it down is a tedious undertaking, and doing so defeats the purpose as the souls it gathered will then scatter without a living host to cling to.

Unlike more powerful and intelligent beings, the souls harvested by these plants do not readily condense so they do not remain near the downed cacti when it is felled. Why that is I have no idea, a mystery better left to a traveler from Xanthous, Melfia or Vinheim. With that said, these fruits are delectable and full to the brim with souls, perfect for fending off dehydration, starvation, and hollowing... if you are up to the task of harvesting them. Local rumors state that somewhere in the wastes there exists an enormous cactus that has fed off the souls and blood of countless beings, and if one were to partake of its fruit they would attain Godhood from its abundance of souls. This has of course never been proven, and if it does exist I doubt anyone has found it and succeeded in harvesting its legendary fruit. But then, even the grandest of legends contain some speck of truth, I wonder...

Desert Bandits

Every country, every city, and every village has its bad apples. Jugo's are somewhat more hardy than most, having adapted to their harsh life in the desert. The nigh invisible armor sold in most settlements is your best bet at preventing your murder at the hands of one of these slinking lot. Many are cowards as you would expect, striking from afar, or waiting in ambush, but the most famous and dangerous of these thieves is a nameless man with jet black hair. As far as I know, he is only known as the Desert Wolf. I was unlucky, or perhaps fortunate depending on your perception; enough to come across him in my travels. With skin tan from the sunlight, a scar across one cheek, a large wolf's fang dangling from his neck, and a great feline at his side, it was an interesting encounter.

Praise the sun that I am not some simple tourist, and although I firmly believe there will always be those more powerful than I, he was not among them. His martial arts prowess was certainly commendable, but Iron Flesh put a stop to his assault quickly enough, and then I sent him packing after knocking out one of his teeth. Another souvenir to take home! His feline friend also put me in a spot of trouble, being flanked by a ferocious cat is not something I relish but if you do come across these two, you may nullify his animal companion by offering it some meat. That cat certainly loves food.

In the end, the best way to avoid the so-called Desert Wolf and his ilk is to travel in groups, and always keep a sharp eye out for danger. Try to remain unassuming, and always ALWAYS have a weapon at the ready.

Finally, we come to the hazard that likely claims more lives than any, the harsh elements themselves. I have advised you to dress head to toe in lightweight fabric to protect yourself from the glorious sunlight, and it will help to keep you warm once night falls. Do not travel at night. This is when you are the most likely to fall prey to predators, bandits, and worst of all quicksand. It becomes frightfully dark in Jugo once the sun sets, and having a light source will make you a beacon for the ill-intentioned. Making a burrow, finding a cave, setting up tents are the best ways to keep safe in the desert in the evenings. Should you find any plant life, you have likely found a water source. A few prods with a long blade or staff can often reveal a tiny reservoir beneath the sand from which a sweet water will pool. Gathering it and pouring it through a cloth helps to filter out the sand, though I for one recommend vaporizing it with pyromancy and catching the mist in a jar.

This method is tedious, yes but I prefer it to a mouth filled with grains.

If this does not make your travels through this land more comfortable and informed, then the only remaining advice I can offer are the words of my own father...

Get Thee Good.

So I wrote this for two reasons, one is that I love Dark Souls and it's lore. Another is because my Youtube channel is really obviously Shadow Banned for some reason, so I can't reach anyone without expanding into other territories. I want to write companion pieces to my lore videos, but admittedly this one is just for fun, and because I was bored. So anyways, TheTrueMonarch is my name both here and there, so look me up if you have a moment...or many, this IS souls lore we're on about, rarely is it simple or quick.