The boss of the Amana shrine is without a doubt one of the most gruesome ever born from the minds of the guys from From Software in the Dark Souls series: "Demon of Chant”Seems almost an oxymoronic name, in fact, for a creature with such a fearful appearance and such a melodious voice. Apparently the creature resembles one giant frog, but it hides one inside diabolical nature.
That song that in the Sanctuary of Amana gradually becomes stronger and closer comes from the lips of this beast, but as it is possible to realize only when it is too late, that is once after passing the fog, it is a trap.
The Song Demon has only the shell of a frog, used as a "hood" not to use another word, for a putrescent face and two long skeletal arms which demonstrate its true form. What was going on in FromSoftware's mind that day we cannot know, the fact is that this memorable design has landed on Dark Souls II in the form of a boss.
To achieve it you have to walk the entire Sanctuary of Amana, an underground and marshy area after Drangleic Castle. Water is the real queen in this sanctuary, as it is so overwhelming that only narrow guided paths remain and, as orientation points, small houses and collapsed temples.
Amana is withheld one of the most difficult areas of Dark Souls II and this above all because in FromSoftware titles, water equates to certain death. Additionally, enemies such as followers of the Archdragus sect and Priestesses of Amana will make the transition to unlife much more frequent. The sect will adopt a more aggressive style, chasing the unfortunate (but at the same time showing the "safe" areas on which it is possible to walk), while the Priestesses will remain in the distance to hammer him with witchcraft. A shelter and an arch together can work miracles, yet they are not the only inhabitants of the sanctuary: there are also women, blond and beautiful, who respond to the name of Milfanito.
The purpose of the Milfanito's existence is to sing to comfort the passage of the pilgrim on his way to the Crypt of the Undead, the area immediately after Amana. Yet, as is often the case, Amana has seen better days, days when her guest of honor, the Song Demon, was not as free as today. As an incredible predator, the other Demon of Dark Souls II has learned to replicate the song of the Milfanito to "lure" its prey. The beast sings and the prey arrives: it is we, who play as the Bearer of the Curse.
THEarena of the Song Demon is circular and thewater is once again the protagonist. This natural feature also affects the gameplay: in fact, the boss will be weak to electricity but any kind of pyromancy will resist. That said, the arena is spacious because the singing frog doesn't mess around in size. Another point to keep in mind is that the Song Demon is vulnerable only from the front and when he discovers his hideous face. In this he is very similar to another boss already met, Freja.
As always, let's move on to single attacks, it being understood that the Song Demon has rather simple patterns.
Attacks:
- Crash hands: is the most common attack of the boss, often consists of two vertical slaps and sometimes, when too close, even two horizontal ones. The best way to avoid vertical ones is to roll to one side, while horizontal ones can be more problematic. The solution is always to roll, but this time backwards or, even better, through the arms using the invincibility frames.
- Jump backwards: this is not an actual attack. It is simply a backward jump with which the Demon repositions itself away from the player. This could be followed by the following two attacks.
- Water gun: obviously unofficial name (it belongs to another brand, Ed.), it is still faithful to its effect: the boss will spit jets of water depending on the distance (from 1 to 3), avoidable with some side roll.
- Torpedo: the Song Demon performs the previous moves always revealing his face, which we remember being his only vulnerable part together with his arms. This attack differs in that it is a heavy damage propulsive thrust that the boss performs while hooded. The only thing to do, therefore, is to dodge it in due time with another somersault to the left or right.
- Crash: very simple shot to avoid; the Singing Demon will rise on its hind legs to crash into the player. Never dodge backwards but always to the sides, and especially not immediately: the attack is slow.
- Crash jump: An evolution of the previous shot that sees the boss suddenly jump up and attempt a crash. As above, along with good camera usage.
- Presa: The boss grab is a dangerous attack. If it caught the player, the demon would repeatedly slam him to the ground. Avoiding the deadly embrace it makes could be difficult depending on where you are: you can try two back flips or a well done side one.
The boss will uncover and cover repeatedly and it will be enough to hit him in the lean moments after he has made his attacks.
Drop:
- 26.000 anime
- Soul of the Song Demon (creation, from Straid: Spotted Whip)
- Key to the Bound
Lore:
The story of the Song Demon is intertwined with several minor characters from Dark Souls II. Reading his soul, we are told that he had been locked up in the Shrine of Amana because he had developed a desire for human flesh. Years have passed since that event, however, and the Priestesses present in the temple have become empty and therefore unable to contain the beast.
Once undisturbed, the evil frog then positioned itself waiting for prey in an area just before the Crypt of the Undead, a resting place that comes close to the idea of a very reverential cemetery. Everyone is welcome, but few actually arrive at their destination. The Song Demon has in fact learned to replicate the voice of the Milfanito who, as the ending of the name should reveal, are women created and commissioned by the First of the Dead (Nito of the first Dark Souls) to sing and bring relief.
Few Milfanitos remain alive, and one of them lies in front of the voiceless Demon's fog: it's a clue that she can't be singing, but something beyond the fog. L'imitation is a common practice in the animal kingdom by predators, both aquatic and terrestrial: just think of insects, abyssal fish or even birds, which manage to imitate the cry of their brothers to warn them of danger.
This Demon is also very different from those of chaos and, like the Demon of Greed, seems to be more the result of corruption. In his case, the desire for human flesh may in the long run have turned him into the abomination that we find before our eyes. Another being who has self-imprisoned himself for a similar desire is the Bound, located in the highest room of the Drangleic Castle guarding, in spite of himself, a Milfanito. Upon his death, the Song Demon will drop the Key of the Bound, which is both a weapon and a key object with which it is possible to free the Bound from his captivity (by killing him) and free the Milfanito.
It is evident, therefore, how the two creatures are connected and how the Song Demon could be an aberration born of this sin. What is certain is that we are facing one of the most intriguing creatures of Dark Souls II, a real one wolf in sheep's clothing.
► Dark Souls II is an RPG-Adventure game developed by FromSoftware and published by FromSoftware Bandai Namco for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the video game was released on 11/03/2014 The version for PC came out on 25/04/2014
