The Royal Sorcerer Navlaan
Due to Royal Sorcerer Navlaan being today's subject of crackpot connections and speculations, I'm going to give a heads up on some referencing and structure to prevent possible confusion
For matter of context and understanding, I'll be referring to the 'Good' side of Royal Sorcerer Navlaan as The Sorcerer and referring to the 'Bad' side as Navlaan.
As for the structure - everything is structured in the order of what I found interesting while investigating, which usually isn't how I structure these segments, and I thought it would be fun to switch things up to see how it flows
A fair warning, you may have some "But wait!" moments with how information is provided as this segment progresses and I reassure you it's all part of the process
Everything will make sense later. Hopefully.
With all that said
And so, here we go!
Part I: Navlaan's 'Murder List'
Let's take a look at the list of individuals Navlaan wants the Bearer of the Curse to un-alive
Navlaan: "I want you to kill a merchant named Gilligan. A greedy, foul man. He won't be missed, I assure you. Hmm…Yes… Bring me a Ladder Miniature as proof."
Gilligan mentions he's a fugitive from lands West of Drangleic, so, if memory serves correctly the lands in the West that are not 'very far West' of Drangleic is Volgen
Volgen is also mentioned by other characters as being in the West and very merchant focused
Via his dialogue:
'"I'm on the run, don't give me away! You're a fugitive too, eh?"'
'"Huh? No, I wasn't born here. I'm from a wee bit…I'm from a wee bit out west, that's all."'
"You wouldn't believe the shenanigans that happen in my business. I thought at least here in the middle of nowhere I could stay clear of, you know, my auld pals."'
Gilligan sells an assortment of bleed focused items such as Lacerating Knives, Bleeding Serum, and Claws along with the Thief Mask and the Black Leather Armor set
I think these items could connect to his "business" with the "auld pals" he mentions, and the fact that he's a fugitive on the run
However, to be fair, when he says "business" he may be speaking literally and referring to being a merchant, so, I think it could be interpreted either way
He also has a Melu Scimitar, which I think he may have stolen from somewhere or someone in Volgen
Per its description: 'Nothing notable about this weapon, except perhaps the luxurious jewels embedded in the hilt'
Navlaan: "Your target will be Cale, the man who's drafting that map. While I was trapped in here, he touched me, that maniac, like I was some rare specimen. He wore a strange helm. Bring it back as proof."
Mr. Cale is from Mirrah, fond of maps, and wants to make maps
Via his dialogue:
'"I am a traveller, like yourself. I'm navigating the continent to create a map."'
"I was born in the land of Mirrah."'
His memory is foggy in regards to why he came to Drangleic and why he loves maps
The lack of memory isn't unusual as almost every character Bearer of the Curse talks with mentions experiencing memory loss shortly after arriving in Drangleic, and they seem to retain the main reason behind their journey without remembering the finer details of why they're doing it
Cale's armor set mentions being 'of a light Mirrah foot soldier' and he 'procured this inexpensively second-hand', so, I think it's fair to speculate Cale could be a Foot Soldier Scout from Mirrah because keeping track of the lands traveled and being a Scout go hand-in-hand
I also think Cale being sent to Drangleic to obtain a current standing condition report, layout, and mapping of the land is a reasonable possibility
An interesting note - Cale uses an Uchigatana when attacked and there's no way to obtain it because he doesn't drop the weapon when killed and he's not a merchant, so, he doesn't sell it either
Navlaan; "Your target is Felkin, the hexer. As proof, bring me that peculiar sceptre of his. But he will be formidable. Be cautious."
There's a lot of really interesting information and connections between Felkin and the The Sorcerer / Navlaan
Felkin attended a "great school in the South", which I assume is Melfian Magic Academy due to Melfian being South of Drangleic per mentioned by Carhillion and Rosabeth being from there as well
Via Felkin's dialogue:
'"I w-went…I went…I went to a great school…in the south…But neither sorcery nor pyromancy appealed"'
"I-I learned nothing…nothing at all…I-it was there that I happened upon the Dark. It drew me in…The nebulous Dark…Soon, I was drawn to this land, where Dark runs deeper than anywhere else."'
"Hexes ar…are more than mere tools to me…I feel affinity…and warmth…Something universal, nostalgia…even…"'
Something interesting to keep in mind for later - Felkin created the Dark Weapon, Resonant Flesh, and Resonant Weapon hexes
Felkin sells the Archdrake Chime and Archdrake Staff, two items not easily obtained due to being given to Archdrake sect members of Lindelt, and he also sells the Ring of Life Protection
The ring's description mentions: 'Divine ring that watches over one's life. Created by the students of Ivory Rhonnes, sage of Lindelt.'
An interesting note - The only way to get the Chime, Staff, and Ring from Felkin is via trade because he does not drop them if killed
When attacked, Felkin uses the Sunset Staff which is a Staff 'said to have been forged in Aldia'
He also equips a Chaos Rapier and Chaos Shield for melee combat, which is very interesting because both items belonged to Navlaan in the base game before the item descriptions were changed in SotFS to fit Felkin's lore
The Chaos Rapier and Chaos Shield are also dropped by Enhanced Undead located within Aldia's Keep
Navlaan: "I want you to kill the girl in Majula known as the Muse. They say that she is the last Fire Keeper. But they say a lot of things…That she's a gentle shepherd, lighting the way for you cursed fools. Nonsense. Once she is dead, I will have no regrets, and I will be content to remain here. The girl will have a peculiar feather. Bring it to me."
Shanalotte / Emerald Herald
There's a lot that can be mentioned for Shanalotte overall, however, for sake of focus I'll keep it simple by staying limited to her dialogue and because it ends Part I
Via Shanalotte's dialogue:
"Bearer of the curse. Long have I awaited one such as you, one who might shatter the shackles of fate. One who can set me free."'
"My journey is already complete. My name is Shanalotte. The dragon gave me this name, for I was born with none. I was born of dragons, contrived by men. By ones who would cozen fate herself…They are the ones who created me. But they failed. I did not come out as intended. Fate would not be bested, and men were cursed once again."'
Part II: The summery focus and reflection on who is the Sorcerer known as Navlaan
First, let's begin by taking a look at these items Navlaan has available for trade
I believe these items provide enough to speculate The Sorcerer spent some time within Melfia attending the Melfian Magic Academy
I also believe he had met Felkin (before Felkin became an Outcast) at Melfian Magic Academy, and possibly studied Hexs with Felkin before Felkin had left the Academy
The Sorcerer had an interest in the art of resurrection and created Scraps of Life and Darkstorm, the two Hexes that lead to his exile then execution along with his entire village
For context and understanding:
Right?!
How is this feller still causing havoc if he was executed is exactly the same thing I thought too!
Well, I found some nifty nito info about that
!!!!Something Worth Mentioning!!!!
The descriptions of Scraps of Life and Darkstorm can understandably come off as confusing due to referencing the existence of Navlaan being executed and not The Sorcerer being executed, while pretty much all signs point to The Sorcerer being executed before the known entity Navlaan appeared
I think this is just a simple reference thing, like, they wanted the reference to be directly known and when the player meets The Sorcerer he is The Royal Sorcerer Navlaan, so by directly using the name Navlaan it's easier to make that connection
If they had phrased it as 'The Sorcerer' or 'A sorcerer' instead of Navlaan then it would have been confusing due to there being many sorcerers within DS2 both literally and in mention
When Bearer of the Curse finds Navlaan sealed within Aldia's Keep his skin is blue like a Fenito
He's not a Fenito, though, and this is something I am certain of
Without going into another full segment on why, I'll keep it simple by stating the most direct "hard" backing evidence being Fenitos are not living Humans or livng beings to begin with and were created (all signs point to Nito being their creator, however, it doesn't state that right out) to watch over the dead, particularly the Undead Crypt in DS2
However, the Fenito being 'not living' beings while also not Undead Humans and have blue skin, is worth noting
The hood Navlaan wears provides some interesting information to consider
The rest of the Chaos Set doesn't state much while also providing a lot
Now, with everything previously mentioned so far considered…
I believe Navlaan could be a sentient soul accidentally created by The Sorcerer during his study of resurrection, and that soul possessed the body of the The Sorcerer after he and his entire village were executed
The Sorcerer partially resurrected himself through hex magic and it created Navlaan with Navlaan now being a part of The Sorcerer's soul
Circling back to the Chaos Hood and it's description, let's hammer out some notes worth considering
-The description of the Chaos Hood states its wearer as being 'a chaos sorcerer' and uses 'the man' as reference instead of Navlaan or the title of Royal Sorcerer
-The rest of the Chaos Set, that the Chaos Hood is part of, provides a context delivery like it's a deceleration saying the chaos sorcerer is no longer just a chaos sorcerer, He is now known as Navlaan
-The mention of sentient magic in a form of a question provided me with the interpretation that 'the man' (aka The Sorcerer now Chaos Sorcerer before becoming known as The Royal Sorcerer Navlaan) spoke of sentient magic and the sentient magic being Navlaan
(The Sorcerer confirms he sealed himself away and goes into detail why, which I provide later)
-If we were to consider the possibility of Navlaan being a form of sentient magic, it is worth considering the possibility Navlaan is using the body of The Sorcerer as a catalyst to survive, which brings me to this interesting point - when Navlaan is aggro'd and attacks he is able to cast hexs without the use of a Staff or Chime
Also, if The Sorcerer's body is being used as a vessel and catalyst that may explain why his skin is blue because the body is more so being used as a tool than being a living being
Now this crackpot is cooking!
So, let's keep going
If we take the Affinity Hex into consideration, the possibility of a sentient magic or sentient sorcery seems more likely than not
As I mentioned before, there's dialogue provided by both The Sorcerer and Navlaan which is important and provides direct information
The Sorcerer speaks to Bearer of the Curse while in Human form, as Navlaan speaks while in Hollow form
(The Sorcerer)
"P-please, just stay away."
"No, please, don't come near me. Nothing good will come of it."
"Just leave me alone, please."
"Leave this place, and leave me be, as I'd not see any harm befall you"
"I haven't said anything strange, have I?"
"I have absolutely no intention of leaving here."
(Navlaan)
" This? This contains my power."
"Long ago…This…naive vessel of mine set about devising new spells. The fool dreamt of bringing new forms of magic into the world. But instead, he created me. Mostly by chance, but he did a fine job, I must say. What he sought was strength. And so, I decided to demonstrate. While my vessel slept, I'd find my mark, and hunt him down. But my vessel did not approve. And so while I slept, he sealed the both of us away."
"Now, I don't have anything against humans, but how is it that you go about defining good and evil? I'm only using what the Gods gave me. How can that be so wrong?"
So, yeah, there's a lot of straight to the point information there and, in my opinion, it all supports the speculation of Navlaan being some kind of sentient sorcery or sentient hex that's using the body of its creator to roam the world hunting down and un-aliving its 'marks'
Also, the line "I'm only using what the Gods gave me." is quite peculiar, however, if we consider how soul sorcery was created and how hexes are also a form of sorcery then, well, Navlaan's point technically isn't incorrect with how he uses something that that Gods created to kill his 'marks'
And…we've reached the halfway point! Nice!
Don't worry! The last two sections are not as long as the first two
Still, though, feel free to get a drink and some snacks or use the bathroom if need be
I'm sure you're wondering just as I did at this point - How did The Sorcer Navlaan end up in Aldia's keep??
Good question!
And the good question leads into the next section!
Part III: The Sorcerer seeks resurrection, finds Royal Chaos
The word Royal is seemingly applied to a certain type of individuals within DS2 while not being the same as DS1 or DS3 in meaning, and holds more of a connection to Knights, Guards, Warriors, and pretty much anyone serving some kind of military-esc importance for a King or Kingdom
To be a Royal Sorcerer, one can speculate that the title would pertain to someone who's a Sorcerer serving directly to or under a King or King's order in consult, creation of magic, battle, and possibly all of the previously mentioned
However, there's barely anyone with such a title or position and there's other individuals of title and status who hold important positions to Kings and Kingdoms such as Chancellor Wellager
So, who the heck was The Royal Sorcerer Navlaan royally working for?
Spoiler: I didn't find out
Although, due to a good chunk of consistent information, I was able to connect many points then come to the speculation The Sorcerer may have became close with Aldia to the point of reaching 'Royal' status while being one of Aldia's Chaos Sorcerers, and then in turn went from being The Sorcerer, to Chaos Sorcerer, and final forming into The Royal Sorcerer Navlaan
Also, something I mentioned previously which feels like way back at this point, we know Felkin the Outcast was in Melfia before traveling to Drangleic
We know Felkin also has various items directly tied to Aldia's Keep along with some of those items being created at Aldia's Keep
So, here's my crackpot speculation right off the bonfire;
The Sorcerer reached a revered position within the Melfian Magic Academy eventually becoming interested in methods of resurrection using sorcery, he studied with Felkin at some point which would have influenced the interest in hexes, hexes being sorcery of the Dark, and the Dark being a known source of power to bring back life even if Undead or otherwise
Any sorcerer using or interested in hexes or dark magic were met with harsh scolding by other sorcerers and the Melfian Magic Academy with cases like The Sorcerer leading to eventual forced exile
Now exiled, The Sorcerer continued his study in resurrection with sorcery and hexes until being executed with his entire village, which lead to the birthing of Navlaan from the creation of a sentient magic in either hex or sorcery form attaching to the The Sorcerer's soul, and Navlaan possessed The Sorcerer's not-living and not Undead body
Still with me? Okay good!
Let's continue
Then, post-exile & execution The Sorcerer now existing as one with Navlaan, he traveled to Drangleic along with Felkin because Melfia certainly wasn't a safe place for those who dabble with hexes, and Felkin directly states within his dialogue "I happened upon the Dark. It drew me in…The nebulous Dark…Soon, I was drawn to this land, where Dark runs deeper than anywhere else."
Once in Drangleic, I think both The Sorcerer and Felkin eventually met up with Aldia or were drawn to Aldia due to Felkin being drawn to the Dark, which I also think Navlaan shared in feeling as well
Felkin eventually leaves Aldia's Keep taking the various items with him (Chaos Rapier, Chaos Shield, Sunset Staff) becoming an 'Outcast'
The Sorcerer remained within Aldia's Keep acquiring the Chaos Set becoming The Royal Sorcerer Navlaan (similar to Aldia's warlocks / Prowling Magus) and helped Aldia with various experiments, pyromancies, weapons, and I'm inclined to believe Navlaan had a hand in creating Shanalotte (Don't worry! We'll get to that in a bit)
Eventually The Sorcerer becomes aware of Navlaan un-aliving people and seals their body within Aldia Keep locking them both in place until Bearer of the Curse rolls in to say "Holla!" and either leaves them sealed away, kills them, or let's them out which allows Navlaan to continue his murder spree
Speaking of murder spree!
The Royal Sorcerer Navlaan has Zullie the Witch's set available to trade except for the Black Witch Domino Mask and Black Witch Veil, which are only obtained from defeating Phantoms in Belfry Sol
Due to Navlaan having a thing for invading and murder, I'm inclined to think he has Zullie's armor set because he killed her and could have possibly killed Alva the Wayfarer too, after Alva had 'relinquished his knighthood' and joined up with Zullie (mentioned per the Alva Armor set)
Side note:
Within DS3 the Locust Preacher's dialogue mentions
'"One was a wayfaring knight, on an endless, forbidden search. Only the Abyss granted closure, if not reunion with his beloved."'
The dialogue seems to be directly referencing Alva as the 'wayfaring knight', as well as Alva invades as a Red Phantom within The Ringed City directly nearby The Black Witch Set
However, Navlaan having the Black Witch Set and the Black Witch Set also being present within The Ringed City makes things conflicting, unless Zullie had more than 1 set or something?
Now back to the murder spree stuff
And so, let's go!
Part IV: Giving Thanks for Murder
Let's go over what Navlaan gives 'in thanks' for fulfilling his requests on unaliving people
Or…not actually killing the 'marks' and bringing him the items he asks for as 'proof'
Navlaan having this Ring makes sense, in my opinion, due his Chaos Set having high Fire, Dark, Magic, and Lightning defense along with Poison, Bleed, Curse, and Petrification resistances
Having this ring adds onto all that protection, which makes sense to me because Sorcerers are all about that power and protection especially in DS2
As to how he may have acquired it; Olaphis existed during the time when Bastille (known as Lost Bastille when Bearer of the Curse shows up) became overflowing and many sorcerers with pyromancers were pushed to the South, so, I think it's possible this ring made its way to Melfia and The Sorcerer (before Navlaan's existance) either bought it, found it, or stole it
For context: the Warped Sword description mentions
'A curved sword forged from the soul of the Flexile Sentry…The sentry crammed inmates of the overflowing Bastille onto a rickety ship, and cast them out to the open sea. The majority of them drowned or starved, but a few hardy survivors made land to the south, and imparted their knowledge of sorcery to the people there.'
The benefit of 'this spice makes a chosen spell attainable with 1 less intelligence' is great for any spell user, however, I think the requirements for using it is more intriguing
The Simpleton's Spice needs to be brought to Magerold of Lanafir for it to be used, and Magerold mentions via his dialogue:
'"I'm mainly a treasure hunter, you see. I'm only a merchant on the side."', and the Traveling Merchant Coat Magerold wears mentions 'Lanafir is the farthest land to the south and follows a strict edict of isolationism. The rare visitor from Lanafir is always a little odd.'
Magerold is also very aware of Petrified Eggs, one being on a Dragon Shrine (which Magerold knows about) within Dragon Aerie (a place Magerold must have had access to at one point or at least knew about along with where the Petrified Egg was), and he offers Bearer of the Curse to join the Dragon Remnants covenant if Bearer of the Curse gives him the Petrified Egg
Being how involved Aldia was with Dragons and Navlaan working with Aldia at some point, I think it's possible Magerold may have crossed paths with Navlaan within Aldia's Keep while Magerold was treasure hunting throughout the lands
Not much to say about this other than although it doesn't directly mention Navlaan creating the pyromancy, I think it's reasonable to speculate he had involvement with its creation because it was 'developed in Aldian rites.' and 'What could possibly justify excessive destructive power? In all likelihood, the madmen of Aldia never even questioned the need.'
If the Forbidden Sun pyromancy wasn't enough of an example, destructive sorcery and pyromancy that comes with a cost and required sacrifice to create is nothing short of a common occurrence from Aldia and within Aldia's Keep
Now, let's take a look at the items Navlaan requested as 'proof' then determine if he cared more about the murder of those individuals
Oooooor
If there is more to why he wants the items than he's letting on…
I'll be direct with ya, I have no clue why Navlaan would want this other than a keepsake trophy knowing or thinking Laddersmith Gilligan is dead
The description mentions it 'is sold at an exorbitant price', however, I get the impression something like that isn't of Navlaan's interests
Navlaan mentions the Ladder Miniature being a 'trinket', so, I'm leaning more towards it's just a trophy of success in un-aliving one of his 'marks'
The helm doesn't look like anything special and the item description pretty much states the same by mentioning
'Apparently Cale procured this inexpensively second-hand, but it's surprisingly well-made.'
However, the Helm does something that is rare within any other gear in the game - it gives +2 to Dexterity and +1 to Endurance
Navlaan also directly mentions the helm and calls it 'strange', and let's be honest here anything that's strange to Navlaan is likely really something odd or unnatural
However, considering the stat increase isn't directly mentioned with the item description it's uncertain if Navlaan would be aware of this and the argument can be made on this being an unsupported speculation
Via the Staff's description mentioned previously, it was 'forged in Aldia' and is 'particularly powerful for casting hexes., while being able to cast sorceries as well
When Navlaan tells Bearer of the Curse to kill Felkin he doesn't mention anything about Felkin or any regard to why and that Felkin is a "formidable foe", which is very different than when Nvlaan speaks of the other individuals he wants dead
I think that's because Nvlaan having Felkin as a 'mark' is personal
The Sunset Staff also mentions 'Those invited to the manor disappeared, replaced over time with malformed beasts that roamed its halls.'
I'm inclined to believe Felkin became an enemy of Nvlaan when Felkin had left or escaped Aldia and Aldia's Keep taking various items and knowledge of the Dark with him
Even if Nvlaan is capable of casting Hexes without the need of a Chime or Staff, having the Sunset Staff in his possession would be another powerful item within his repertoire
Wanting this item is self explanatory because of its ability to be used repeatedly as a means of quick-travel, which is likely how Shanalotte was able to travel long distances quickly
If you release Navlaan from the sealed barrier his dialogue will be the same regardless of if you complete all of Navlaan's requests of murder-death-killing
(If you're Human and release him)
The Sorcerer:
'"By the very gods…What have you done…You've really done it…You'll never escape him…"'
(If you're Hollow and release him)
Navlaan:
'"Hmgh…I hope you appreciate the ramifications. Well, no matter. What's done is done. Besides, I've found myself a new mark…Gah hah hah…I'll spend some time travelling the lands…Slowly tracking my new mark…"'
Nvlaan will then invade at various locations throughout Drangleic if Bearer of the Curse is in Human form
This happens if we complete his tasks or not and I still believe having an item like the Aged Feather would only support Navlaan's thirst for murder throughout the lands
Also, I believe wanting Shanalotte dead could be a personal matter because of how he speaks about her within his dialogue
For context:
'"Once she is dead, I will have no regrets, and I will be content to remain here."'
The 'regrets' Nvlaan speaks of could be related to what Shanalotte mentions within her dialogue:
"I was born of dragons, contrived by men. By ones who would cozen fate herself…They are the ones who created me. But they failed. I did not come out as intended."
For a relentless murderous blood-thirsty entity like Navlaan having a regret to the point where he's not content until it's dealt with tells me Shanalotte means more than a mark or regret, she's a failure in his eyes and erasing that failure feels better to him than knowing she's still existing within the world
And that's it!
You made it to the end.
This entry in my crackpot connections and speculations was rather lengthy, and that's something I do not regret the slightest because I had a lot of fun putting it all together and typing it all out
For me, this kind of stuff feels like I'm going about a short journey of adventure to hopefully find new and exciting things
If you enjoyed this or it has helped you in one way or another that's an extra bonus flask of Awesomesauce Estus for me
However, if that's not the case, that's okay
Simply being here for the ride is fun too!
