The Fragrant Branch of Yore is a miscellaneous item in Dark Souls II. Each Branch can be used to unpetrify an NPC and unlock the area behind them. it is consumed upon use.
There are a fixed number of them in-game: six in the base game, and seventeen in Scholar of the First Sin, for as many NPCs to unpetrify in both versions. Most NPCs that can be unpetrified are non-respawning enemies that will attack the player upon being freed, while two are friendly marchants: Rosabeth of Melfia, petrified on the path to Shaded Woods from Majula and is the only statue that must be unpetrified to complete the game, and Straid of Olaphis in The Lost Bastille.
In-Game Description
- A fragrant tree branch with a faint sweet smell. Restores the life of things turned to stone.
- Extended inhalation of the branch's scent can lead to coughing and nausea.
Description[]
The Fragrant Branch of Yore is a rare item that reverses petrification. When an enemy is unpetrified, they will become hostile, while humans will become merchants.
Unused Fragrant Branches of Yore are lost upon entering NG+.
Availability[]
A total of eight can be found in the main game (seven in SotFS):
- Sinners' Rise - Found in a chest after defeating the Lost Sinner.
- Harvest Valley - Two are found on corpses:
- One is in the small poisonous cave where Lonesome Gavlan is encountered for the second time.
- The other one is in a small nook behind a breakable wooden barricade, in an ambush area with four Artificial Undead after the Mines bonfire. This branch has been removed in Scholar of the First Sin.
- Iron Keep - One can be bought from Magerold of Lanafir for 7,500 souls.
- Shaded Woods - Two can be found:
- One is found past the Shaded Ruins bonfire, inside a chest, along with the Lion Mage Set. It is guarded by a petrified Lion Warrior.
- One is gifted by Manscorpion Tark (requires Ring of Whispers) after defeating Scorpioness Najka.
- Lord's Private Chamber - Dropped by Duke Tseldora.
- The Gutter - Found on a corpse near the entrance to the Black Gulch.
Usage[]
There are six petrified statues that branches can be used on in the main game:
- Majula - Rosabeth of Melfia can be freed in order to unlock the path to Shaded Woods.
- The Lost Bastille - Straid of Olaphis blocks a bonfire upstairs, across the bridge from Sinners' Rise.
- Shaded Woods - Three Lion Warriors can be freed in the Shaded Woods:
- One is located by the one-way tree bridge, to the right of the Shaded Ruins bonfire, and holds the Fang Key.
- One can be found blocking access to a chest with a Fragrant Branch of Yore and the Lion Mage Set. However, it is possible to jump a low spot in the wall and get to the chest without having to use a Fragrant Branch of Yore.
- One can be found blocking the path toward a Black Knight Halberd and a Basilisk (removed in SotFS) next to a Soul of a Brave Warrior and a Twilight Herb. This statue can also be bypassed by jumping from one of the openings on the left side of the bridge, just past the base of the ramp covering the Shaded Ruins bonfire.
- Aldia's Keep - A petrified Ogre blocks a path and drops a Dragon Acolyte Mask when killed. The Ogre can be bypassed via an alternate route.
Scholar of the First Sin[]
In Scholar of the First Sin, several additional branches and statues have been added, for a total of seventeen of both.
Availability[]
In addition to the seven in the base game mentioned above, ten new branches are available:
- Forest of Fallen Giants
- One can be bought from Merchant Hag Melentia for 12,000 souls. She will sell it in Majula if she moves there and it was not previously purchased.
- After obtaining the King's Ring and access to the Place Unbeknownst bonfire, a corpse below the bonfire can be looted for a branch.
- No-man's Wharf - In a house on the far side of the wharf, near the pier where the ship docks, a branch can be found inside a chest. The house contains two sleeping Varangian Sailors and multiple poison jars.
- The Lost Bastille - Found in a chest, near The Tower Apart bonfire, where the Pursuer spawns.
- Shaded Woods - Found on a corpse in the room with Ornifex (requires Fang Key).
- The Gutter - Found on a corpse hanging from a plank in the multi-story building filled with corrosive jars just past the circle of torch sconces. It is surrounded by other loot, including a Twinkling Titanite and several Small Smooth & Silky Stones.
- Undead Crypt
- One of the two red phantoms that spawn in the room with the two Leydia Witches (prior to Agdayne's chamber) after lighting the statue beneath the shortcut located in the main hall, drops a branch.
- One is within one of the four metal chests found at the end of the crypt, before the fog gate that leads to Velstadt, the Royal Aegis.
- Aldia's Keep - In the long hallway with the hanging cages, the Mimic trapped in the cage at the end of the hallway will drop a branch.
- Dragon Shrine - After defeating Dragonfang Villard and dropping onto the ledge outside, the metal chest that contains Crystal Magic Weapon will now also contain a branch.
Usage[]
A total of eleven statues have been added, along with the six in the base game:
- Things Betwixt - A petrified statue guards an entrance along the main path between Things Betwixt and Majula, leading to the room full of Basilisks and the beach with the Ogres and the gender-swap coffin.
- Heide's Tower of Flame - A petrified statue guards the path to an Estus Flask Shard, which is guarded by a Primal Knight.
- The Lost Bastille - A petrified statue guards the door leading to the room full of Royal Swordsmen and the Ruin Sentinels.
- Shaded Woods - Three new petrified Lion Warriors have been added to the Shaded Ruins area:
- One statue blocks access to the chest containing ×3 Human Effigy and ×3 Bleeding Serum, but it now also contains ×1 Repair.
- One statue (near the statue blocking the chest containing Repair) drops the Warlock Mask when defeated.
- One statue blocks a passage, near Manscorpion Tark, that leads to the newly moved body of Vengarl. Alongside the previous statue near the Black Knight Halberd, these two completely block access to Body of Vengarl, so at least one of them must be removed, though the other can be skipped by using the above-mentioned bypass.
- Black Gulch - A petrified statue blocks the entrance to the Hidden Chamber bonfire (and the summoning sign for Lucatiel of Mirrah).
- Shrine of Amana - A petrified statue blocks the entrance to the Rise of the Dead bonfire, near several Basilisks.
- Aldia's Keep
- An Undead Traveler on the top floor near the Giant Basilisk drops two Elizabeth Mushrooms and two Wilted Dusk Herbs.
- Another Undead Traveler in the same area drops two Bonfire Ascetics.
- Dragon Aerie - A statue now blocks the way into the aerie, obstructing the first bridge into the area. In lieu of this, the ladder leading to the zip-line has been pre-dropped, allowing players to completely skip the area. In order to fully explore the aerie, players must now either use the branch, or explore it in reverse after taking the zip-line.