The Dark Sigils are not only a sinister mark that can be acquired on the flesh of the Ashen One in Dark Souls 3 but also key items that are crucial to many mechanics that are never really explained thoroughly in-game. The most significant aspect of the gameplay that the Dark Sigils affect is the player’s Hollowing level, which determines the outcome of both Yoel of Londor and Yuria of Londor’s linked questlines. Increasing one’s Hollowing level requires the player to both have the Dark Sigil and dying multiple times to further the decomposing process of one’s body. More Dark Sigils can be gained from Yoel of Londor (maximum of 5 from this NPC) upon reaching certain thresholds (Hollowing levels 0, 2, 6, 12, and 15).
It should also be mentioned that one’s Hollowing level needs to be at least 15 to gain the Luck stat-boosting effect of Hollow-infused weapons. Because of these aspects, it is beneficial to stay as a hollow for the duration of one’s playthrough, as there are no real downsides apart from one’s flesh looking shriveled and corpse-like. For those utterly unhappy with their hollowed reality, there are a few ways to remove this cosmetic curse, albeit at usually high costs.
For players who want to reset their Hollowing level to nothing, yet do not want to heal the Dark Sigils and their hollowing effects, there are 3 main ways to do so. Although, all of these methods require a fair deal of souls to trade and the final option involves some riddle-solving.
Before seeking out this method, there are a few criteria that need to be met. Firstly, one needs to acquire the Mortician’s Ashes, which are located at the Undead Settlement near the area where that giant in the tower showers a narrow pass with greatarrows. From here, instead of going through the wooden shack after passing the stretch of land being barraged, make a left and head up the hill to find the Mortician’s Ashes.
Give this item to the Shrine Handmaid in Firelink Shrine and she will begin selling some more kinds of items; one of which is the Grave Key for 1,500 souls. Purchase it, as it will be needed to access Velka’s monument. To find this statue depicting the Goddess of Sin, players will need to travel to the Undead Settlement and head down to a lower, more disgusting area. From the sewer containing some dense fog, a stream of filth, and some rats (including a giant one), players will find a couple of passages leading off from it. One will lead to Irina of Carim‘s cell while the other will bring one to Velka’s statue.
Interact with the goddess’ likeness and one will be given some options. The one pertaining to removing one’s current Hollowing level is “Request Dissolution” and costs the equivalent of one’s soul level multiplied by 100. For example, a level 20 player would need to pay 2000 souls for this service, though one’s Hollowing level makes no difference.
This is probably the most convenient method in reducing one’s Hollowing level, though, the most pricey if one is at a lower level. Purging Stones can be obtained from the following sources:
- Sold by Yuria of Londor once she appears at Firelink Shrine (4,500 souls each)
- Sold by the Shrine Handmaid if given either Yuria’s Ashes [dropped by Yuria if she is killed by the player] or the Hollow’s Ashes [dropped by Yoel after he dies, regardless of the manner of his death] (4,500 if given Yuria’s Ashes and 3,000 if given the Hollow’s Ashes)
- Rarely dropped by Sewer Centipedes (found in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley’s watery areas and in the Profaned Capital’s toxic swamp)
- Looted from the Profaned Capital (4 total; 1 found in the toxic swamp among Sewer Centipedes and 3 found in the nearby chapel crowded with some Monstrosities of Sin)
- Looted in The Ringed City from the area leading to the Ringed Inner Wall bonfire (2 total)
This next method is the longest to get to, as the required statue is found in The Ringed City DLC and involves solving one of Dark Souls‘ notoriously obscure riddles. Close to the Ring City Streets bonfire, players will find a message displaying a riddle telling them to “show their humanity”. This does not involve the use of embers or any other item, counter-intuitively, and only demands that the player take on the guise of a literal Humanity. To do this, simply cast the Chameleon spell or use a Young White Branch, and the player will transform in appearance to resemble a Humanity, like those found in The Abyss.
Once done, the game will spawn a ladder which the player can climb to access another area that houses 2 ringed city knights and a giant. By the giant, there is a set of stairs that leads down, follow these to their base and then drop down from the ledge on the right to find a bridge. Cross it and one will find a hideous statue composed of many blackened decomposing corpses rising up from a clogged well. Interact with this, for it is the Purging Monument, and choose the “Request Dissolution” option to remove one’s Hollowing level. The cost and mechanics are the same as choosing this option at Velka’s statue.
Permanent removal of the grisly Abyss-borne marks is far more straightforward, though immensely more expensive and arguably not worth the steep price. Before being able to access this trade, one needs a Fire Keeper Soul. To get this precious item, one needs to buy the Tower Key from the Shrine Handmaid for 20,000 souls and then enter the tower just behind Firelink Shrine.
At the top of this tower, one can loot the Fire Keeper Soul from the corpse of a former fire keeper. After obtaining the special soul, one needs to talk to the living Fire Keeper and hand it over to her, which meets the criterion for her to reveal the option of healing the undead curse. This option will require one to pay the equivalent of the player’s next level-up multiplied by the amount of Dark Sigils held, which can be ridiculously costly for higher-level players. Take heed not to act rashly to remove one’s Dark Sigils, as doing so will prevent Yoel from speaking with the player (if he is still alive) as well as cause Yuria to leave Firelink Shrine permanently, rendering one unable to follow her questline and attain the Usurpation of Fire ending of the game.
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