“So that you may link the Fire, cast away the Dark, and undo the curse of the Undead.” – Kingseeker Frampt, Dark Souls.

A bit of context is needed here. The game Dark Souls is known for it’s difficulty and a player will see the words ‘YOU DIED’ more than once in the average playthrough. At first the game comes across as a basic fantasy sword-fighting game with some skill needed. I think the game is a metaphor for life.

You start the game and learn the basics but the game doesn’t tell you everything. The tutorial quickly teaches you about persistence when it makes a boss beat you to death without much warning. As life this is like a child hitting their tests in school.

You’re soon sent to the main game world where you feel totally lost with little help or instruction. This to me is like finishing school and looking for a job.

After completing some objectives by wandering around for a bit and fighting some things you meet Kingseeker Frampt, the snake thing in the picture.

Frampt talks of linking the Fire (which is basically relighting it) to cast away the Dark and undo the curse of the Undead. To me the Fire is hope, happiness and the good things in life; the Dark would be the bad things in life including death at the end; the curse of the Undead is depression in my life metaphor.

We have to look to the good things in life, keep the Fire burning in our hearts to persist and overcome any obstacle and not let it get us down or make us become depressed. The Dark will catch up to us in the end but we should make the Fire go on for as long as possible. Don’t let the curse of the Undead get you, don’t surrender to life and do your best to persist against any trouble in a way that means defeat and sorrow can never get you down. Don’t become depressed as far as you can help it. Link the Fire, keep it burning.