Lore
The desert land of Jugo is found in the far-east. The kingdom is likely bordered by Mirrah and perhaps stands on the same ground that Forossa did, as both are described as being in the distant east. It is a kingdom of “honorable fighting men” according to Benhart of Jugo. The Kingdom is notable for its founder, Aurous, its giant anthills created by corrosive ants that line the horizon, the Desert Sorceresses and Benhart.
Aurous was the land’s heroic founder and his armor is worn by the kings of Jugo. According to legend the armor of Aurous is composed of a mysterious substance that cannot be seem by cowards. While this may be the case, from what we can tell there are actually two versions of Aurous’ armor, one that is transparent and one that is not. Perhaps this legend was spread as a means of insulting those who the king met in battle? Though how this is honorable is unclear.
The ant larvae of Jugo are considered a delicacy. It is likely then that the ants are indigenous to the kingdom. These giant ants are able to secrete a corrosive acid that inflicts damage on equipment. They live in anthills and are hostile to any who enter their homes uninvited, melting the intruder’s flesh to the bone. This acid is collected into urns by the citizens of Jugo and most probably used in battle to corrode enemy weaponry and armor. Though again, how this is honorable is unclear.
The Desert Sorceresses of the kingdom use enchantments to make their appearance more attractive and thereby catch people off guard. Their ‘armor’ is plain, thin fabric that is permeated with powerful magic and is perhaps the source of the enchantment. It is said that even those who are perceptive enough to realize the ploy, fall prey to their seductions with alarming regularity, whereby they are most likely incinerated by their ‘flaming kiss’ attack. What position the sorceresses have in the society of Jugo is not clear, however their spells do give us hints about the kingdom. Pyromancy is heavily relied upon and may indicate that Jugo is a land where pyromancy is the primary form of magic used and taught. The sorceresses also drop Lingering Dragoncrest Rings +1 when defeated. The description of the ring indicates that dragons were worshiped in many nations, and perhaps Jugo is one such nation. Whatever the case, their tactics of fighting seem far less than honorable.
From what we know about the kingdom of Jugo, it would appear that Benhart’s claim that the kingdom is one of “honorable fighting men” is some form of delusion. This seems to tie in well with Benhart’s character, as though he may have been told several times that his sword is a fake, he refuses to believe the truth. Benhart’s story gives us a few more clues about Jugo. His shield is emblazoned with a family crest that has been around for several generations. This likely means that Jugo is a kingdom with a nobility. It also seems that his family may have either found the Bluemoon Greatsword or been sold it (most dishonorably) as it has been in his family for generations. Benhart believes the sword was crafted from moonlight and that its true power is yet to be teased out, indicating that stories of Seath and the Moonlight Greatsword are still talked about in his kingdom or at least within his family.
Though the kingdom does not appear to be one of honor or honorable fighting men, with the exception of Benhart, there may be another ray of hope in Sir Alonne. This knight is never confirmed to have come from Jugo, but we do know he came from the far-east (see Blacksteel Katana description) and no other land (save for perhaps Forossa, though every fighter we have seen from Forossa relied more on savagery than style) is described as being in the far-east in game. Alonne was a master of the quick-draw and wielded a bewitched katana with a captivating, undulating design giving it a mystical allure. The nature of this weapon in a way ties into the enchantments of Jugo such as Aurous’ armor and the desert sorceresses’ looks. Alonne became the Old Iron King’s most trusted knight and trained the Iron King’s men in the sword. We can see in Sir Alonne’s character someone who esteemed honor highly. If Alonne did come from Jugo this also gives us a clue about the types of weaponry in the land, and in fact the description of the Iaito from Dark Souls 1 almost mirrors that of the blacksteel katana in the way they both allow the user to charge swiftly forward to cut down foes. As the Iaito as well as all the other katanas (including the Murakumo) in Dark Souls are said to be from an Eastern land, it may be that Jugo is the same land as that of Shiva of the East from Dark Souls.
Theories
Title of theory.
Sources
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