Priscilla Dark Souls Guide

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JT Hussey

JT is a gamer that usually sticks to the more indie offerings out there, however, if he does go mainstream, it's usually because a huge-scale RPG has sunk its hooks right in. This usually leads to JT binging FromSoft's latest offerings and taking on the challenging bosses within.

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Pricilla is a strange boss. Boasting a lizard tail with a fluffy coat, this humanoid snow queen is one of the more dangerous yet peaceful bosses throughout Dark Souls.

In this Priscilla Dark Souls Guide, I’ll be going over the complicated process of finding and defeating Pricilla. As a bonus, I’ll detail my theory regarding Pricilla’s origins and how to obtain her special dagger.

Bottom Line Up Front: Head back to the starting area from the raven atop Firelink Shrine and grab the doll from your old cell to enter the painting in Anor Londo’s cathedral. Progress through the painted world of Ariamis, and you’ll encounter Pricilla, who you can fight or spare on your way out of the painting.

• Quest Locations: Northern Undead Asylum, Painted World of Ariamis
• Quest Giver: None
• Requirements: Peculiar Doll
• Length of Quest: 1 – 2 Hours
• Difficulty: Hard

Dragon Lady of the Cold Painting

Distrustful, empathetic, and aloof, Pricilla is the only boss in Dark Souls that refuses to fight you outright. Once imprisoned within the Painted World for being a human-dragon abomination, Pricilla assumed stewardship over this strange realm and protects the Painted World from Interlopers.

While her scaleless body suggests she may be the offspring of Seath the Scaleless, Pricilla’s exact lineage remain unknown.

Equipment and Rewards

• Weapons: 
  • Lifehunt Scythe – A potent boss weapon with high bleed, lifehunt scythe is a must for players pushing for a scythe/dex build. You can acquire Lifehunt Scythe by using Pricilla’s soul on a +10 scythe or whip at the giant in Anor Londo. 
  • Pricilla’s Dagger – This unique dagger inflicts both bleed and toxic on foes, quickly killing them in a battle of attrition. While incredibly useful in PVP and bosses vulnerable to both status effects, this dagger is exceptionally challenging to obtain. We can acquire this dagger by cutting off Pricilla’s tail at its tip.
• Boss Soul
  • Crossbreed Pricilla’s soul – Can be used to obtain the Lifehunt Scythe or fed to Frampt for 15000 souls. We acquire Crossbreed Pricilla’s soul after killing her.

Pricilla’s Quest

Step One: Back to your Cell

To access the Painted World of Ariamis that hides Pricilla, we need to gather the Peculiar Doll from our starting cell in the Northern Undead Asylum. Heading back to the Asylum requires jumping from an elevator on the way back to Firelink Shrine from the Undead Parish. 

As we take the elevator down, hop off onto the small ledge, and head towards a small buttress, we’ll have to dodge roll to reach. After managing the tricky jump, head upwards to get to a nest and crawl into a fetal position. After waiting around 15 seconds, a giant bird will sweep down and carry us back to the Northern undead asylum.

While the Layout of the starting area remains the same, more robust torch-wielding hollows and several black knights replace the easy enemies we faced earlier. I advise taking on the hollows one at a time; their torch frenzy attacks deal massive damage and will kill you in groups.

After reaching the interior of the Asylum and avoiding the breakable floor hiding a stronger asylum demon, we can head down the well to face a black knight guarding our cell. Before heading down the narrow corridor, I recommend spending any remaining souls on your person; this black knight is extremely dangerous. 

Rather than fight the knight, run past them into your cell and interact with a glowing orb to obtain the peculiar doll. Now that we’ve acquired the doll keep progressing through Dark Souls until we reach Anor Londo. 

Step Two: Devoured by Art

Following the arduous task of ringing both bells of awakening and progressing through Sens Fortress, we’ll arrive at Anor Londo and find a giant cathedral to our left. This cathedral holds the painting that hides Pricilla’s world.

After navigating the treacherous rafters of the cathedral and making it to the turnwheel, give the wheel one turn so we can reach the cathedral’s main hall. Prepare to dash past several white-clad clergypeople to get to a painting at the room’s end. Interacting with the artwork plays a small cutscene of the painting swallowing us inside.

**Note – The Painting of Ariamis is a one-way trip. Unless you’ve already acquired the Lordvessel from Gwynevere in Anor Londo, we’ll be unable to leave this world until we reach its end. I recommend waiting until you’ve received the Lordvessel or are a high level before entering this world.

Step Three: The Painted World of Ariamis

We awake upon the working end of a dilapidated wooden bridge to a snow-covered castle. Pricilla lies at the end of this winter world, guarding its exit.

Progressing through the Painted World is relatively uncomplicated. We start by heading up several stairs and falling downwards into a building’s 2nd floor. I advise not lingering on building roofs; dangerous crow demons, human creatures possing bird features, inhabit these spaces and can lock you into death if you remain too long. 

After falling, we’ll encounter several albino rats and bloated hollows that spew toxicity when killed. I recommend running past these foes to avoid getting poisoned and sticking to the castle ramparts.

Continue running until we reach a tall cylindrical building with locked doors at the bottom. Before we look for the switch to open these doors, take the opposite exit into a small pavilion with several phalanx hollows guarding the center. 

Open the exit guarding our last bonfire, then head towards a well to our left and ensure you have a light source; a skull lantern or the cast light spell should do the trick.

As you descend, prepare to face the most despised enemy in all of Dark Souls: wheel skeletons. However easy to kill, these foes can effortlessly stun you and break through your shields, rendering you into mincemeat in mere seconds.

I advise dodging out of the way of these foes as they charge you and chasing after them once they pause for their next charge.

Besides wheel skeletons, the several illusionary walls throughout these catacombs make navigating this section challenging. Make to spend any leftover souls you have, then continue progressing until you break an illusionary guarding a large room.

This room contains a wheeled switch you need to open the two doors guarding the path to Pricilla along with several enemies. Ensure you dash for the button before the skeletons reach you to trigger a small cutscene showing the opening doors.

After escaping those catacombs, head back into the cylindrical building through the now open doors onto a small bridge. I recommend running past the bridge; several hollows are waiting to ambush you, and a giant foe guarding the bridge’s exit can quickly whittle you down.

After traveling that dilapidated bridge and heading through the fog gate, we finally reach Pricilla. Rather than attack us on sight, Pricilla tells us to spare the inhabitants of this world and asks us to leave the Painted World. After showing us the way out, we can either choose to escape through the long fall downwards or fight Pricilla.

Warning:

While optional, killing Pricilla also constitutes a sin making other players more likely to invade your world afterward. Consider requesting absolution from Oswald of Carim if you’re that desperate to fight her.

Pricilla Fight

Pricilla remains one of the more unique fights in Dark Souls. After getting hit, she triggers a small blizzard and turns invisible, forcing us to observe the ground for footprints telegraphing her location.

After delivering enough damage to her invisible form, she materializes and becomes a typical boss. Take special care to avoid her bleed-inducing scythe, and you’ll be victorious in no time.

Pricilla’s Dagger

Chopping off Pricilla’s tail yields a special dagger capable of inflicting both bleed and toxic on foes. Obtaining this dagger is challenging, so consider using a powerful melee weapon on her tail before her fight starts. During the battle, try to circle her and deliver hits on her tail to cut it off.  

 Whether we fought Pricilla or left her be, we’ll have to take a long drop to leave this painted world. After interacting with the small ledge at the end of the boss room, we’ll witness a small cutscene of our character falling into a deep chasm. Don’t worry. Rather than dying, we awake back in the Anor Londo cathedral where we started.

Pricilla Quest Rewards

• Weapons: 
  • Lifehunt Scythe
  • Pricilla’s Dagger
• Boss Soul
  • Crossbreed Pricilla’s Soul

Key Relationships

Seath the Scaleless (Potential Father)

Given Pricilla’s scaleless appearance and Seath’s penchant for experimenting, most theories accredit Seath as the father of Pricilla. While we’re unsure if Pricilla was born from a dragon and a human woman or made in a laboratory, most fans believe Seath had a role in Pricilla’s creation.

Velka Goddess of Sin (Potential Mother)

The high degree of Velka spells, items, and statues dotting the Painted world suggests Velka is the mother of Pricilla. 

Gwynevere (Potential Mother)

The painting’s prominence within Gwynevere’s church and heavy protection suggest that Gynevere is Pricilla’s mother. 

Memorable Quotes

• When Encountering: “Who art tho? One of us, thou art not.”
• Getting Rejected: “If thou seekest I, thine desires shall be requited not.”
• Asked About Painted World: “This land is peaceful, its inhabitants kind, but thou does not belong.”
• When Attacked: “Why dost thee hurry towards thine death?”
• When Killed: “But why…What seekest thee?”

FAQs

Conclusion

Nicely done. We endured the complicated process of entering the Painted World and got to see Pricilla at its end. Whether we killed Pricilla or not, I’m positive she appreciates all the effort we undertook on her behalf.

Now let’s create her special scythe and go after the remaining bosses. Gwen doesn’t stand a chance against this cosplaying half-dragon!

Looking for more interesting readings? Check out:

• Dark Souls 3 Sirris Guide
• Dark Souls 3 Hollowing Guide
• Dark Souls 3 Undead Bone Shard Guide
• Dark Souls 3 Anri Guide