Dark Souls Codexery

Manus, Father of the Abyss

A primeval human whose unleashed power created the Abyss, threatening to swallow Oolacile.

Manus, Father of the Abyss, is a primeval human and the main antagonist of the Artorias of the Abyss downloadable content pack for Dark Souls. According to the pack's plot, Manus was resurrected and tortured by the sorcerers of Oolacile centuries prior to the events of the DLC, who hoped to unlock his dark power. His power went wild and created the Abyss, a dark void that threatens to swallow the entirety of Oolacile. The player must descend through Oolacile Township and into the Chasm of the Abyss to take on Manus and rescue the land's ruler, Princess Dusk.

Role
Primeval human / Boss
Affiliation
The Abyss

Lore & Background

Manus, Father of the Abyss, is a primeval human who was resurrected and tortured by the sorcerers of Oolacile centuries prior to the events of Artorias of the Abyss. The sorcerers hoped to unlock his dark power, but his power went wild and created the Abyss, a dark void that threatens to swallow the entirety of Oolacile. Anor Londo sent Knight Artorias to slay Manus, but Artorias was unable to withstand the dark onslaught due to his lack of Humanity and became possessed himself, only able to save his wolf companion, Sif. The player, due to their Humanity, is better able to fight off the darkness, and must defeat the possessed Artorias before descending through Oolacile Township and into the Chasm of the Abyss, where they take on Manus and rescue the land's ruler, Princess Dusk.

In Their Own Story

The player is taken back into the past by Manus, Father of the Abyss, who was resurrected and tortured by the sorcerers of Oolacile centuries prior, hoping to unlock his dark power. Manus' power went wild and created the Abyss, a dark void that threatens to swallow the entirety of Oolacile. Anor Londo sent Knight Artorias to slay Manus, but he was unable to withstand the dark onslaught due to his lack of Humanity and became possessed himself, only able to save his wolf companion, Sif. The player, due to their Humanity, is better able to fight off the darkness, and must defeat the possessed Artorias. They must then descend through Oolacile Township and into the Chasm of the Abyss, where they take on Manus and rescue the land's ruler, Princess Dusk.

Reader's Guide

Manus, Father of the Abyss, is one of the four bosses in the Artorias of the Abyss downloadable content pack. The player must defeat the possessed Knight Artorias first, then descend through Oolacile Township and into the Chasm of the Abyss to confront Manus. The goal is to defeat Manus and rescue the land's ruler, Princess Dusk. An additional, optional fight involves defeating the black dragon Kalameet that is menacing Oolacile, with the assistance of Hawkeye Gough, a giant archer who was one of the Four Knights of Gwyn.

Did You Know?

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Manus, Father of the Abyss?

Manus is a primeval human and the final boss of the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. He serves as the source of the dark corruption that consumes Oolacile.

What are Manus's powers and role in the story?

His immense power spontaneously generated the Abyss, a void capable of devouring all life in the region. As the main antagonist, he acts as the physical manifestation of this darkness threatening Princess Dusk and her kingdom.

How did the events leading to his boss fight begin?

Centuries before the game's events, sorcerers from Oolacile attempted to harness his dark energy through resurrection and torture. Their experiments backfired when his power went wild, unleashing the Abyss upon the land.

How does Manus's story conclude?

The player must descend into the Chasm of the Abyss to defeat him in a brutal battle within Oolacile Township. His defeat is required to stop the spread of the darkness and save Princess Dusk.

Why is Manus considered important to Dark Souls lore?

He represents the primal, untamed nature of humanity's dark side before it was contained by the First Flame. His existence explains the origin of the Abyss corruption seen throughout the game world.

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