Old Londor will remind anyone who's played Bloodborne of Yahar'ghul, the Unseen Village. Towering, gothic buildings loom over the narrow, winding alleyways and streets, and ominous chanting echoes over the parapets as unseen preachers chant their worship of the Dark. High on the hill, a grand monastery stands, overlooking the city below.
Londor is massive, as all the inaccessible areas of the first game have been rebuilt and renewed, the countless layers of architecture sprawling out as the countless hollows reclaimed the city, piece by piece, the flooding that exterminated the population completely undone.
Many hollows will be wandering the streets, the thieves and townsfolk attacking you with their wild, erratic patterns. They are dispatched pretty handily, except that laced among them are incredibly dangerous groups of Dark Magicians and Knights, which will kill you very easily if you are not careful.
A few of them will stand back, casting Dark Sorceries at a range, while others will rush in close. The melee hollows are very agile, and will attempt to encircle and disorient you with fast attacks and dodges, their armor appearing familiar.
They will drop:
Forlorn Armor. "Hood/Gauntlets/Legging/Armor of an old caste of Hollows, displaced in time by an old scholar, and finding a place in Londor as defenders. The armor is ragged and beaten, but incredibly strong and resistant to the Dark, boosting the agility of wearers, as it has never fully settled into this time.
All hollows find their home in Londor, where the Abyss offers the promise of rest and freedom from the Flame."
While wearing this, you will start sprinting the moment you hit O, rather than having the long delay between hitting it and actually running. You will also sprint faster, and running attacks cover more distance than usual.
Forlorn Straight Sword. "Exquisitely sharp blades of the Forlorn Knights of Londor, which seem to pull the blood from the bodies of their victims. The Forlorn are lost souls, wandering without purpose or meaning, until the Sable Church turns them into ruthless defenders against intruders to the kingdom of hollows.
Weapon Skill: Forlorn Stance. Enter an aggressive stance, and follow with a light attack to slash at foes while leaping backwards, or strong attack to lunge with a punishing thrust, then keep hitting strong attack for consecutive deep slashes. The harrowed Souls of The Forlorn fight with phantom grace, hiding in the shadows until light is found, before appearing without warning and swiftly extinguishing it.
The magic wielders also drop a few items:
Londor Preacher Set. "Hood/Gloves/Boots/Dress of the Preachers of Londor, who spread words of comfort and Dark to the denizens of Londor, followed closely by the vigilant Forlorn. The Hollows of Londor are wretched, secretive, and deeply enamored with the Abyss, their worship of Dark the only thing grounding their sanity to their emaciated bodies.
Londor Preacher Staff. "Staff wielded by the preachers of Londor, able to cast miracles and sorceries, greatly enhancing Dark damage. The black crystal, and the pale, dead wood which holds it, were taken from the depths of the chasm beneath the Sable Church, and are saturated with Dark.
Weapon Skill: Steady Chant. Using this weapon Art boosts damage for a short time."
The city is controlled by an absolute monarchy, operated from the Sable Church of Londor, and the Daughters of the Abyss, with various clerics and agents ensuring that order and sanity is kept on the streets, where so many hollows dwell, but not all of them are completely mad.
At one point, you can enter an Inn. There, a sane, hollow woman named Claribel, using the power of the Untrue Dark Ring to appear human, will serve you to the tune of faint, eerie but charming tavern music. Her services will depend on your level of hollowing:
0 Hollowing, No Dark Sigils: "Hmph, human are we… and not the illusory kind, I can smell it on 'ye. Ahh, Souls are Souls, can can I get ye?"
She will sell a few useful items and food, which will be described later, but it will be more expensive than usual, and not offer much benefit.
At 20 Hollowing: "Ahh, you must be a new arrival, I can smell the freshly rotten skin on 'yer bones. Welcome to Londor, a place for types like you and I. What can I get for 'ye, Lass/Lad?"
Prices will be lower, and she will sell more powerful healing items, and at over 50 Hollowing:
"Oh my! A new arrival, and just in time to. Right on the brink of cracking, I see. Londor welcomes you kindly. Here, have this, as my… greeting."
She will give you the best item she has for free, her prices will be far lower than usual, and she will sell a key to a spare room at the inn, which will have a bonfire to rest in, as well as a bed, a chest, and fresh Estus soup sitting in a bowl on the end table, everything else is for decorative purposes only. This will make the journey through Londor much easier, as it not only grants a good, central bonfire to explore the rest of the level from, but inside the chest, there is a set of clothes that will make all the hollows in the level non-hostile towards you:
Londor Citizen Set: "The plain, drab, but surprisingly comfortable shirt (or dress if you're female)/gloves/boots of a hollow citizen of Londor. The Hollows of Londor are not to be trusted, but secretly yearn for normality and peace, and amble past one another with only their fragmented memories and Sable Church to guide them.
Sometimes, it is easy to forget the Hollows of Londor will just as soon greet you as plunge a dagger through the back, seeking Souls to fill the emptiness within them and Humanity to offer their Lord."
This will only work on basic hollows, the Preachers, Forlorn Knights, and other towering guardsmen will see through the disguise and attack. You must wear the entire outfit to fool the citizens, and it offers basically no protection. Therefore, it is a pretty situational disguise, and it is up to you weather you want less defense in exchange for a few less enemies attacking or not.
After you get comfortable, Claribel will sell food and drinks of various qualities, depending on your level of Hollowing. You can only carry three of each, and they do not stack on one another, but they offer powerful benefits and you can buy as many as you want:
Tier 1:
Brackish Grog: "A tin mug of pale, dirty water from one of Londor's contaminated wells. The taste is awful, but the undead will not get sick, so who cares, if it offers a little refreshment?" 100 Souls, Restores 200 HP.
Fungus Patty: "A hunk of luminescent mushroom from one of the caves under Londor. Tastes faintly moldy and damp, and restores a small amount of FP." 300 Souls, restores 20 FP.
Rat Steak: "The grilled meat of a Giant Rat, still faintly warm. Freshly cooked meat has filled hungry stomachs since time immemorial, and fills your body with new energy." 1,000 Souls, restores 300 HP and raises strength by 1 for three minutes.
Warty Stalk: "Vile, spotted vine harvested from the dripping walls of Londor. Ingesting it has a faint narcotic effect, and is usually ground to a fine dust and burned as incense." 800 Souls, raises dexterity and attunement by 1 for three minutes.
Tier 2:
Londor Ale: "A cask of cool, fresh ale refined from beats and fruits grown in the damp underground of Londor, by the lake. This staunch brew puts a fire in even the deeply hollowed and decayed, but repeat customers quickly become accustomed to the burn and learn to enjoy it.
Even a wretched hollow can find comfort in the simple things." 2,000 Souls, restores 500 HP and 30 FP.
Dried Peppers: "A bundle of fresh spices of various plants, crushed and desiccated. Chewing these leaves a strong, pleasant burn, which sharpens the mind after a long day's grind." 1,800 Souls, Restores 50 FP.
Tainted Venison: "Meat of a local deer, touched by the Abyss, yet still savory." 2,500 Souls, raises strength and dexterity by 2 for three minutes, restores 400 HP.
Strange Mushrooms: "Oddly colored mushrooms, grilled and spiced for delectable consumption. Some say they rot the mind, others say they open it to grander possibilities. Consuming makes your cheeks feel tingly." 2,500 Souls, Raises Intelligence by 3 and Maximum FP by 20 points.
Cleric's Brew: "Mug of warm, salty ale that fills the spirit with warmth, and is enjoyed by the Hollowed clergy of distant lands that sometimes wander through the gates of Londor seeking a new light." 2,500 Souls. Raises faith by 4, and enhances the effect of healing miracles for five minutes.
Blackberry Lozenge: "Small, sweet candies that melt in the mouth. The lingering taste reminds one of home, and breaks the shackles of fatigue and unrest, allowing for greater perception of the world. Some deride candy as childish things, but sometimes, childish things are all a weary undead has." 2,000 Souls, raises Luck by 3 and item discovery by 5% for five minutes.
Tier 3:
Dark Moongrass Wine: "Bottle of spectacular brew of the highest quality, produced from the small, deep blue berries of Dark Moongrass, a rare herb that only blossoms under the moonless sky.
Only in Londor can one find such exquisite blooms in abundance, as the perpetual gloom of the grounds above the chasm swallows all light that would disturb them." 10,000 Souls, Fully restores HP and Focus, Raises maximum HP and Focus by 10%, and regenerates Health and Focus for one minute. Claribel gives you one for free if you have over 50 Hollowing the first time you speak to her.
Pilgrim Stew: "A thick, tasty broth with mixed meats, spices, and plants captured around the valley near Londor.
The Hollows are hesitant to step into the light, making a stew of this variety a rarity. Named for the Pilgrims that wander through the gates of Londor seeking refuge, and the comfort a good meal brings." 4,000 Souls, recovers 1000 HP and 100 FP.
Spiced Bear Steak: "A slab of meat from a bear of the Forests of Londor, grilled, diced, and spiced. A favorite of famished knights in need of a heavy meal." 4,500 Souls, raises strength by 4, and increases stamina and equip load by 10%. Resist 10% more damage for one minute.
Wizard's Draught: "A strong herbal tea, saturated with crushed spices. Some complain about the grainy texture, but the great boon to magic power is well worth it." 6,000 Souls, lowers FP cost of spells by 15%, and raises magic attack power by 7% for 2 minutes.
Clergy Salt: "A powerful salt, crafted by drying holy water laced with minerals native to Londor and harvesting the resulting crust. The taste is like rolling a ball of molten lead in the mouth, but the Londor Preacher's sense a tangible closeness to the Abyss when consuming." 6,000 Souls, Raises Miracle power by 7%, healing miracles cost less and heal more for 5 minutes.
Bandit's Brew: "A cheap, easy to carry rum, extraordinarily popular among thieves. It is not an uncommon sight to see hollow bandits raising a victory toast with this grog upon a successful raid, making this both a drink of victory, and of tragedy." 7,000 Souls, raises dexterity and luck by 4 and critical strikes restore FP and Health by 10% for 1 minute.
Room Key: "Key to one of the unoccupied rooms of The Groggy Crag. The Hollows of Londor will spend a lifetime trying to manufacture an elaborate replication of human life, sometimes forgetting themselves entirely, lost in their fantasy of days before the Darksign, before their first death." 20,000 Souls, unlocks a new Bonfire.
If you talk to Claribel, she will talk a little bit about herself and her Inn, before dropping the conversation:
"Me? I'm just a humble keeper. Always 'ave been. I think…"
"I came here looking to start again. The place is pretty hostile to newcomers, but I've gotten used to it. It's honest living here, some days, I forget I'm not all right in the 'ead." *creepy laugh*
"Some people think Undead can't enjoy a good meal, a fine lay, or any of that nonsense. Well, that's just not true at all. I like it here. I like it more than… then…."
"My food is good for the body, and the heart. Make it all meself. It's the wildlife around here that does it. Humanity leeched into everything, very strong medicine to we Undead. You can hardly find it anymore, but here? Well… what do ye' think you're standing on?"
"You run along now, I'm sure you have business to attend to. 'Lot more out there than little old me." *creepy laugh* (loops)
If you try to attack her, she will exclaim:
"What?"
"What are you doing! Stop."
"Wretched brute…" Claribel draws a plain, unassuming kitchen knife and initiates combat.
Claribel will prove to be exceedingly more dangerous than she appears, moving incredibly fast and dealing extremely high levels of damage with her seemingly inferior weapon.
She will start by executing the battle shout usually reserved for axes, and will retain a red aura through the fight. She is able to use the dagger quickstep an unlimited number of times, and uses that to deadly effect by dodging through your attacks and evading any projectiles and magic. When she closes in, rather than hitting right away, she thrusts her palm forward at the end of the dodge, instantly knocking you off balance with the hilt of her knife, followed by a few incredibly strong slashes and thrusts, followed by another push forward.
Anyone who's played Demon's Souls will likely have PTSD triggers as she gouges your health.
Should you try to lash out with a panic R1, she will immediately parry with her dagger, initiating the Hornet Ring riposte and likely ending the fight right there. She will be able to tell the difference between a parryable and unparryable attack.
Kick cheese is also ineffective, as she will put up her forearms in a cross block to deflect your kick, before knocking you flat with a kick to the jaw.
If her health gets to about 30%, she will take a passive stance, evading all of your moves and waiting to parry you. When she lands the parry, or otherwise knocks you to the ground, she will immediately drink a Dark Moongrass Wine. She is able to do this three times, before using two Estus like a normal NPC.
Upon killing you, she will leave you with a finishing line. You will notice that her tone is dramatically different from earlier:
"Pathetic… if you have any sense, you won't come back…"
If you are somehow able to win this very tough fight:
"W- why? What did I do to you?" She will drop her weapon for you to pick up:
Kitchen Knife: "A plain, ordinary kitchen knife with no exceptional properties whatsoever. Used to dice vegetables and meat. The blade is getting dull with repeated use, and should be sharpened. Only a fool would bring such a useless implement into battle of any kind."
Has 1 damage with an E Strength and E Dexterity scale, making it a joke weapon in every sense of the term. She will also drop:
Forsworn Ashes: Ashes of a woman who gave up her name and identity, striping her old self off to pursue a humble life as an innkeeper. These ashes are cold, with nary a whisper of the soul that once dwelt within.
Which unlocks her tier one inventory at the Shrine Handmaid, but her quest will break and her best items will be lost forever.
There is far more to her than meets the eye, which will be discovered through further exploration of the area.
There are two paths to follow, one leading up towards the Sable Church up above, and the other in a hidden space.
At the well, where one could find a few cracked red eye orbs in Dark Souls one, there is a way to get above the wellhead, jumping into the depths, and finding a secret system of tunnels below the map.
As you approach the hidden bonfire, hip high water surrounding you, the Area Tag will appear:
Festering Grotto