Might be a liberty they took because Irina is blind.
I won't explain what Dissolution does (there's a consumable that serves its function), but as far as I know I think Absolution is for if you anger an NPC by mistake and you need to undo it.
Ah, so like the guy in Brightsone Cove Tseldora in DS2? I see - I don't imagine I'll ever attack an NPC in DS3, doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do!