Elden Ring, like many games in the Souls series before it, does not provide gamers with all the important information. For example, did you notice the icon under the scales of health, magic and stamina, which depicts a red square with a down arrow? Where did this thing come from? What is going on? If you asked these questions, then it is worth remembering when was the last time you hugged strange women? In the game, of course.
Upon reaching a certain point in Elden Ring, you will be invited to the Round Table. This hub includes merchants to sell and buy goods, a blacksmith to improve equipment, and various characters. Among them is a woman named Fia, also known as the “deathbed companion”.
At first it seems that Fia does not do anything special. She offers to hug the player, an extremely rare moment of warmth in a Souls-style game. She also provides a unique item that increases one stat in exchange for a reduction in magical energy. This scene passes and is forgotten until the moment of reckoning comes.
It turns out that her words about having the character share their powers in exchange for hugs weren’t just pretty dialogue. Her embrace literally reduces the player’s maximum health by 5% – this is the debuff in the form of an icon. It doesn’t seem like much at first glance, but even that 5 percent can mean victory or defeat in a boss fight, no matter how good the lady’s blessing is.
Fortunately, getting rid of this debuff is not difficult – you need to use the Baldachin’s Blessing received from a woman.
What is the meaning behind this situation, it is difficult to say now, but playing Elden Ring It is worth remembering the universal advice for all From Software games – not everything is what it seems at first glance.