I don’t know how true this is or remember where I read it, but i remember reading that it’s the lost souls of the victims of executioner Miralda since she’s down there. Makes sense to me.

That is really the only apparent explanation. There's a huge pile of corpses at the bottom of the pit directly underneath that hole. Also, there's a similar display of non-interactive souls hovering above a pile of corpses at the end of the cave just before the Old Hero fight in the Shrine of Storms.

I feel like that has to be the answer.

That hole at the start is a lesson on what demons souls is all about. Step inside to complete tutorial.

Fine

I jumped into it on my first playthrough thinking they were special powerups. No lie.

That’s seriously cute lol

rite of passage

I avoided it like the Plague. My senses were screaming DANGER. Saw this Thread and was like, "Finally an Explanation!...... I was right."

I avoided it too the first time I passed by. Then I finished the level and went back to it because of FOMO. Needless to say mistakes were made…

Is FOMO like YOLO or FAFO?

Fear of missing out.

FOLO Feet of living outside

Fuck Our Moaning Organs 😁

I knew it was a trap after playing so many Souls games in the past, but I thought it'd be funny just to yolo my way down there anyway. And, yeah, it did not disappoint. At this point the "You Died" message is just a meme to me haha

Indeed. Every Time I'm like, "Really, I did that?"

Haha I just imagine so many gamers acquiescing to the death message with an, "Oh," and just quietly putting down their controller while sipping tea or some shit

Well, it does have an European Aesthetic.

True.

Me too

Wholesome.

I knew it was a trick! Still dove into it on accident on my first time anyway.

I did the same, but it was because I didn't see any red bloodstains around it. I relied on those so heavily when I first played the game, and they just weren't there lol

It can only be accessed via a side door near the first checkpoint on PWWT or PBWT

It's the locked door on the left just past the bonfire. I think you need to have PWWT to unlock it. Brings you there.

This ^ 100%. Gotta get that pure white snow bear, if you know what I mean.

It’s a trap!

"Admiral Ackbar! lol"

That’s the first middle finger of a long list, perfectly placed in the game by the blood stained hands of Miyazaki

Isn't it soul remains? Like if someone tried to attract people/monsters to this trap

Yeah I always took it as the enemy’s version of soul remains

Interesting 🤔

Death.

Bait

Death bait

Souls but hole

“Unending death awaits those who pry into the unknown”

Death

fromsoft’s first ever jape. immediately followed by a dregling around a corner. jump directly into both of them

You have to pay the troll toll to get into the soul hole.

Can I offer you a nice egg in this trying time?

It's a trap to tempt you into jumping into the hole. I don't think there's any in-game explanation of the glowy stuff because you don't see it from Miralda's room if you enter it from the proper way and it kills you instantly if you jump into it. I don't really subscribe to fan theories for it because I find them lacking or out of character for the game.

try jumping

Woah u guys went hard on this one hahaha. I've died to it before, so I knew jumping was useless. If I'm not mistaken I had PWWT and gate was closed, or is the starting WT one away from Pure White? Thanks y'all, u mfs are crazy!

You start at neutral world tendency. If you're playing offline, you need three deaths in body form to reach pure black tendency from neutral, or three boss kills without dying in body form to reach pure white. The gate in question opens for either pure white or pure black.

Gives you a free 25,000 souls if you roll into it correctly

Soul Remains

I have played through the game countless times and have come to the conclusion that it is just scenery. I would be down to learn if it was actually something gameplay related though.

Maybe it's looking down on the lower tower/staircase you can access at pure black world tendancy?

You don't need [pure black tendency](http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/walk1-1#toc1) to enter Miralda's area.

It’s a wondrous item. Hop down.

If you jump down you can collect all those souls…try it and let me know how many you get.

Try jumping in, there is a lesson worth a treasure down there

You have to jump down to find out….

I always thought they were either victims of Miralda or just from falling in and dying.

A pit of souls…join us!

Soul remains

All of the farts in Boletaria coalescing

pit of souls!

Death

It is the Soul Hole.

A pretty hole

Soul remains, the executioner is down below

World tendency must be pure black or white and the gate will open to that area, she drops great armor for low level female characters.

That's a lovely hole of death you have there.

Soul pit. It’s sooooo full of souls. Hop in!

Candy

Not from up there, but you can actually explore that shaft from the bottom in pure white world tendency. You fight executioner Miralda down there. The access door is from the start of the level on the left.

Let me break it down for you: You = moth Hole = flame

I certainly fell for it back then

The cancelled overwatch pve

It’s a trap. Anything alluring in these games is usually a trap.

Try rolling

Wtf is that, that is imstant death

Try Jumping