Rot Essence

## Overview

**Dragonrot** (龍咳, Dragon Cough) is the name of the mysterious illness that has gripped the land of Ashina.

* Dragonrot is spread after Wolf suffers a certain number of deaths he doesn't resurrect from: resurrecting does **NOT** cause Dragonrot.
* Dragonrot will start manifesting after Wolf perishes definitely **four times**.
* Some of the characters that interacted with Wolf will become sick and develop a "Rot Essence".
* The more Rot Essence Sekiro has, the lower is the chance to receive Unseen Aid, which prevents the loss of Sen and Skill Experience upon death.
* Dragonrot prevents some questline from progressing, but it does **NOT** kill any NPC.

**Wolf**: ... Yes.
**Emma**: Like what?
**Wolf**: I died... The Divine Heir's voice reached out to me... And suddenly I was alive again.
**Emma**: So you died... and now you're alive again. So that means it has to do with resurrection.
**Wolf**: Resurrection?
**Emma**: Lord Kuro... It's said to be a power of the Divine Heir's Dragon Heritage. Those who have been given the power of resurrection - they are revived upon death. Repeatedly.
**Wolf**: ......... Impossible.
 **Talking after three deaths** | **Emma**: Hmm...?
**Wolf**: What is it?
**Emma**: As I thought... the difference is slight... and I can only see it from up close...
**Wolf**: What is it?
**Emma**: Dragon's Blood stagnation. I believe you're showing its symptoms.
**Wolf**: Stagnation?
**Emma**: Dogen, my mentor, spoke of it once. The power of the Dragon's Heritage becomes tainted the more you use it. When the stagnation has built up too much, it overflows.
**Wolf**: What happens when it overflows?
**Emma**: Diseases spread, apparently. I hope this is just me being unnecessarily cautious... But if you should notice anything alarming--
 **Speaking with the Sculptor infected** | **Emma**: ...Have you seen the Sculptor lately?
**Wolf**: Yes. He's...
**Emma**: All I know is what Dogen told me long ago. That the Dragon's Heritage can bestow the power of resurrection. However it is no ordinary power. Repeated use leads to stagnation, which will eventually reach a point where it "overflows"... This causes those who do not have the power to become sick. A disease known as Dragonrot. He knew much about it, but even so he was unable to determine a cure. Forgive me.
**Wolf**: ... Is there a way to treat this Dragonrot?
**Emma**: I do not know. However, it must be stopped... I'm unsure, but the first step is to look through my mentor's research and see if I can discover a way...
 **Talking** | **Emma**: My mentor Dogen spoke of it before. He said that repeated death causes the Dragon's Blood to stagnate. And stagnating past a certain point will cause the Dragon's Eye to overflow... You're showing symptoms of overflowing stagnation. That is my diagnosis. If you should notice anything alarming, come and see me.
**Wolf**: There must be a way to treat the Dragonrot.
**Emma**: The first step is to look through my mentor's research and see if I can discover a way... The Dragonrot and the overflow of stagnation... There must be some link between the two. For my research... I need you to find me blood samples from others who are afflicted.
**Wolf**: I'll see what I can find.
**Emma**: ... Thank you.

## Dragonrot Restoration

The following steps are required to become able to cure Dragonrot:

* After dying four times, talk with the Sculptor and, as he suggests, speak with Emma too.
* Reload the area and speak to her again, now that she's found tending to the Sculptor: she'll request to be provided with a Dragonrot Blood Sample, which can be retrieved from any infected NPC, beside the Sculptor.
* Bring her the blood and, upon reloading the area, Emma will give Sekiro her Recovery Charm and Dragon's Blood Droplet [x1]: it's now possible to cure every afflicted NPC, getting rid of all the Rot Essences in the inventory, at the cost of a Dragon's Blood Droplet by simply interacting with any Sculptor's Idol and selecting "**Dragonrot Restoration**".

If Wolf hasn't received the Recovery Charm before defeating the Divine Dragon, Emma will give it alongside the Dragon's Blood Droplet when asked "**About Dragonrot**".

**Emma**: ... Hm? Oh, I didn't realise you were here. The Sculptor has been coughing blood... I took a sample of this blood for my Dragonrot research.
**Wolf**: A sample of his blood?
**Emma**: Yes. Blood that he's coughed up. The colour of the blood itself appears to be tainted... stagnant. But... the Sculptor's blood alone isn't enough to reach any conclusions...
**Wolf**: Is there anything I can do?
**Emma**: Yes... Bring me samples of blood coughed up by others that suffer from the Dragonrot. If I have more, I'll be able to learn more about the disease.
**Wolf**: If I come across anyone afflicted by the Dragonrot, I'll ask them.
 **Speaking again** | **Emma**: For my research... I need you to find me blood samples from others who are afflicted.
**Wolf**: I'll see what I can find.
 **After Obtaining Dragonrot Blood Sample** | **Wolf**: I've obtained one.
**Emma**: A blood sample. Let me see... The colouration is very similar to the Sculptor's. The colour is just slightly tainted. But what's this...? Hmm...
**Wolf**: Do you have enough blood?
 **Talking Again** | **Emma**: I've been waiting for you.
**Wolf**: Any progress?
**Emma**: Yes, I've found some answers. The source of the Dragonrot is the stagnation in your blood.
**Wolf**: What causes the stagnation?
**Emma**: The blood has only a limited amount of power available to it. Let's say you've used all of this power... and then you attempt to resurrect again. The resurrection still occurs, but... It must draw on power from another source.
**Wolf**: From those that have the Dragonrot?
**Emma**: I believe so.
**Wolf**: For those who have the Dragonrot...
**Emma**: The natural life force that everyone has, that allows them to live their lives and function as human beings, has been taken from them. Their blood has stagnated.
**Wolf**: Can it be cured?
**Emma**: Yes, by giving back what has been taken. Here you are.
 **Talking** | **Emma**: There was a Dragonrot epidemic in Ashina once before. Back then, a cure was not achieved... every single person who caught it, died.
**Wolf**: ... I see.
**Emma**: Dogen, my late mentor, regretted this deeply. It is my hope that finally discovering the cure has alleviated this regret, if only a little.

## Repercussions on Questlines

Dragonrot will make it impossible to complete the steps of the following questlines:

* Kotaro:
	+ Can't be given the Red and White Pinwheel or the White Pinwheel.
	+ Can't be sent to Anayama the Peddler or Doujun.
	+ Can't be spirited-away via Divine Abduction.
* Jinzaemon Kumano:
	+ Won't move through Ashina Depths.
	+ Can't be sent to Doujun.
* Doujun:
	+ Won't reward Wolf with Lump of Fat Wax [x3] after either Kotaro or Jinzaemon Kumano is sent to him.
	+ Won't give Wolf the Surgeon's Stained Letter.
	+ Can't be given the Red Carp Eyes.
* Blackhat Badger:
	+ Won't reach the Sunken Valley Cavern.
* Anayama the Peddler:
	+ Won't request Wolf to find out what the Ashina Samurai need.
	+ Won't request Wolf to find him a strong man to clear the corpses on battlefields.

## Notes

* Some NPC can't be infected by Dragonrot under certain circumstances:
	+ Jinzaemon Kumano and Kotaro: if sent to Doujun.
	+ Jinzaemon Kumano: at the Water Mill.
	+ Kotaro: in the Halls of Illusion.
	+ Anayama the Peddler, Inosuke Nogami and the Timid Maid: in Hirata Estate.
	+ Blackhat Badger: at the end of his questline.
	+ Basket Wearer Shosuke: after going insane.
	+ Fujioka the Info Broker: in Ashina Castle.
* Some NPC will be cured of their Dragonrot infection under certain circumstances:
	+ Sculptor: upon defeating the Divine Dragon.
	+ Jinzaemon Kumano: once O'Rin of the Water is killed, but he'll become hostile to Wolf.
	+ Kotaro: if he's with Anayama the Peddler, after the Divine Dragon is defeated.
	+ Anayama the Peddler: after the Divine Dragon is defeated.
* The Faithful One of Ashina Castle, of Senpou Temple and of the Sunken Valley all share the same Rot Essence, while the Faithful One of the Bottomless Hole can't contract Dragonrot at all.
* An NPC that has been previously infected has a lower chance of being targeted by Dragonrot again.
* NPC affected with Dragonrot can't be harmed or killed.
* Holding all the Rot Essences will reduce the chance of Unseen Aid to 1%.
* Regardless of how many deaths one has suffered in the previous playthrough, upon dying for the first time in New Game Plus, Dragonrot will spread.

## Trivia

* Anayama's Rot Essence refers to him as "Newcomer", but in japanese it's actually "man who aims to expand his business" (商いの昇り人).
* In japanese, the Info Broker's Rot Essence never mentions any compassion, it reads more like: "While the whereabouts of a man can be sold, his feelings can't be discarded" (人の事情は売りさばくが、人の情は捨てきれぬ)

## Cut Content

Originally Dragonrot was linked to the concept of the "Dragon's Eye", the stagnation of the blood of the dragon's heritage reflecting in the pupil of Wolf's right eye, where he has the white mark. This disease was supposed to actually kill NPC and could only be cured individually by creating a Dragonrot Pellet using some of Wolf's Resurrective Power, but first Wolf had to suppress the stagnation in his own blood for this to be possible:

Once created the medicine, the option to "**Give Dragonrot Pellet**" will become available at a sick NPC, who'll thank Wolf for the cure and then have additional dialogues after recovering fully.

Apparently, Hanbei too used to be vulnerable to Dragonrot, as the following icon suggests: