Dying just isn’t enough for FromSoftware - Sekiro punishes your failures with a disease called Dragonrot.

As you die and resurrect, you steal the lifeforce from the NPCs around you, afflicting them with this terrible disease. This limits your conversations with the NPCs and also lowers your chances of receiving Unseen Aid.

Sekiro - what is Unseen Aid?

Unseen Aid isn’t actually as important as the game makes it sound. Basically, occasionally the game sees fit to give you the Unseen Aid buff, which stops you losing half of your Sen (money) and skill points upon death. It can still happen when Dragonrot is affecting characters, but it’s less likely. Either way, it’s still good to get that Dragonrot cured because you won’t be able to talk normally with many NPCs and that hacking cough really gets to you after a while.

Sekiro - what is Rot Essence?

The first time you die too much in Sekiro you’re greeted with a cutscene as you awake near a coughing Sculptor. You get a card that notifies you of the Rot Essence that has crept its way into the nearby NPC. The more you die, the more cards you get and the more people are stricken by the illness.

Sekiro - how to cure Dragonrot

The first time you cure Dragonrot, it plays out like a sidequest. First you need to talk to Emma at the Dilapidated Temple and she will ask you to collect samples from the afflicted. The easiest way to do this is to head to the old woman who gave you the bell charm, located on the path to Ashina Castle. Speak to her and collect the bloody sample, then return to Emma and talk to her.

Travel away from the area and return again to talk to Emma once more. This will get you a Dragon’s Blood Droplet, which you need to take to the nearby Sculptor’s Idol where you have to choose the Dragonrot Restoration option. From here on out, you just need to get a Dragon’s Blood Droplet, which you can find at some of the vendors in the world.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice guides