You are hollowed, you can use stones to temporarily unhollow or cure dark sigil for permanent unhollowing, but curing the sigil will block off third ending(which you probably won't find without a guide anyway).

Just so you're aware OP, a large chunk of this game's flavor is directly influenced from Dark Souls 1.
When you're done with this game you should really go back and play it.

Have fun regardless, DS3 certainly does enough to stand on its own.

>>334915968

Yeah, I want to learn this games lore, so I will probably go play Dark Souls 1.

While we are at it, what is the Abyss? Why did 2 guys come to the gate of the Abyss Watcher and killed some mobs there? Are the undead and abyss enemies?

>>334916284
Any "human" in this game is Undead.
The protagonists of DS1 and DS2 were both undeads, as well as famous characters like Solaire and Siegmeyer.

The Abyss is the darkness that will overtake the world if the First Flame goes out, which will usher in the Age of Darkness.
But because of that, many believe that "darkness" is actually the end of the age of gods, and the beginning of Humankind's reign.
A few times we've seen a glimpse of the world overtaken with darkness, including one semi-hidden area in DS3, and it has made that theory a lot more questionable.

Keep playing and more pieces and answers will come.
But if you ever hear about a man named Artorias from the first game, the Abyss Watchers were trying to carry on his legacy and fighting style.

>>334915831
Is that all hollowing that does in this game?

>>334916991
I've heard from a friend that high level of hollowing boosts your defense, but I'm not entirely sure on that.

>>334916991
For reaching certain levels of hollowing turtle bro will give you free level-ups up to five, but he dies when you reach the catacombs and nobody else provides you with those. Healing dark sigil costs the levels you took from him.

>>334916991
Your level up costs are higher, too.

>>334917225

So that cancerous turtle did this to my character, I should have killed him.

>>334915831
What exactly does hollowing do, like game wise? Does it effect your stats? What are the benefits of curing the "curse" at the statue of Velka?

>>334917225
He also dies when he levels you up five times.

>>334915648
Why are people playing 3 first? Good way to ruin the game

>>334915648
nigga you ugly