The Lands Between. A fog covered land that predates the shattered world under the blessing of the Erdtree. The world is Shattered, and now the Close has come. Those before and after must pay the price for Paradise Broken.
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The Last Wish of the Living (Elden Ring/Soulsborne in general)
- Thread starter BlackHadou
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Prologue: Character Creation
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
Once upon a time, the falling leaves of gold whispered a story.
A great tale of the Elden Ring, shattered forevermore.
Rent and twain lay our home, the Lands Between hidden within the Fog.
Alas, our great Queen Marika the Eternal is nowhere to be found.
Lo, Godwyn the Golden, fallen among the Night of Black Knives, flesh cleaved and ripped.
And so Marika's offspring, demigods one and all, claimed the shards of Power that once was named Elden Ring.
The world collapsed at the Shattering, ripped apart by the strength once only held by Lords.
Madness taints their hands, and malice looses their fingers.
Now, a decade hence, the land struggling to heal, does the Close come.
A conclusion to the great War.
A conclusion to the Shattering.
A conclusion to the ever absent Great Will.
Arise.
Arise now.
You are…
[x] Male.
You are named…
[ ] Write in.
You count yourself among the…
[ ] Tarnished. The Dead Who Yet Live.
[ ] A Demi-God, descended once from Godwyn seven removed.
[ ] Ronin, heralding the absent lands.
[ ] Omen, accursed and despised.
[ ] Rotten and doomed to die.
Your keepsake is…
[ ] A single black knife, the only hint of Shattering.
[ ] A key, mottled and rotting from within.
[ ] A seed of a distant tree, lighting the way forward.
[ ] A scale of a dragon, portending a blessing given.
[ ] The whispers of the Abyss, a black blade of heroism lost.
[ ] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
And you entered Limgrave from…
[ ] A tomb… (Tarnished only)
[ ] The Western Sea.
[ ] The Weeping Peninsula
[ ] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
A great tale of the Elden Ring, shattered forevermore.
Rent and twain lay our home, the Lands Between hidden within the Fog.
Alas, our great Queen Marika the Eternal is nowhere to be found.
Lo, Godwyn the Golden, fallen among the Night of Black Knives, flesh cleaved and ripped.
And so Marika's offspring, demigods one and all, claimed the shards of Power that once was named Elden Ring.
The world collapsed at the Shattering, ripped apart by the strength once only held by Lords.
Madness taints their hands, and malice looses their fingers.
Now, a decade hence, the land struggling to heal, does the Close come.
A conclusion to the great War.
A conclusion to the Shattering.
A conclusion to the ever absent Great Will.
Arise.
Arise now.
You are…
[x] Male.
You are named…
[ ] Write in.
You count yourself among the…
[ ] Tarnished. The Dead Who Yet Live.
[ ] A Demi-God, descended once from Godwyn seven removed.
[ ] Ronin, heralding the absent lands.
[ ] Omen, accursed and despised.
[ ] Rotten and doomed to die.
Your keepsake is…
[ ] A single black knife, the only hint of Shattering.
[ ] A key, mottled and rotting from within.
[ ] A seed of a distant tree, lighting the way forward.
[ ] A scale of a dragon, portending a blessing given.
[ ] The whispers of the Abyss, a black blade of heroism lost.
[ ] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
And you entered Limgrave from…
[ ] A tomb… (Tarnished only)
[ ] The Western Sea.
[ ] The Weeping Peninsula
[ ] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
Character Sheet
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
-
Name: Ashe
Gender: Male
Race: Tarnished/Human/The Last Dragonkin
The hero of the story and betrothed to the witch, Ranni. A candidate for Elden Lord and one of many conspirators in the lead up to the Night of Black Knives, though his involvement in the event was fairly tangential. A knight of somewhat noble bearing who serves as Ranni's sword and shield, as well as the one person she trusts unconditionally.
While his goals mostly align with Ranni's, his own desires temper those goals in ways only a mortal could understand.
During his adventures in Liurnia, he was afflicted with Scarlet Rot alongside Miquella. After the battle in the Lake of Rot, he inherited the Remembrance and dreams of the Silent Soldiers of the Eternal City, becoming the Nightless Dragon who has reached the sky once more. As a result, his humanity is beginning to be called into question. -
Health: Fine
Injuries: Uninjured
Physical State: Relaxed
Mental State: ...
Scarlet Rot Phase: Frozen
Scarlet Count: 1%
While Miquella possesses the needle, the Scarlet Counter is frozen.
Scarlet Moonlight has lost additional effects. -
Dark Moon Greatsword
A sword modeled on the swords of moonlight that were granted by the Carian queens to their spouses. The sword granted by Ranni is based on the Full Moon that serves as her seal, and is actually a frozen ray of moonlight. As such, it has almost no weight, and wounds it inflicts immediately freeze.
Scarlet Moonlight
A sword of moonlight wrapped in blood. Heresy most foul and forbidden, knowledge of which was deliberately forgotten during the Forgotten War. It's blade is intended for the murder of the inheritors of the Forbidden Fire. As a weapon utilising the spell that quells the excess flames of life itself, those struck by it are subject to death in short order. It is especially effective on those bearing the Forbidden Fire.
The origin of the magic of this blade is Maliketh, bearer of Destined Death, gifted to the Tarnished so exiled as their only saving light. Knowledge of this spell is forbidden and those so exiled were forbidden to return. At least two have; Vyke the Dragonspear, hero of the land, and the one known as the nameless Tarnished, life and soul ruined by what he experienced in the Forgotten War.
It is said Scarlet Ash also made extensive use of this spell, however, how the mad warrior learned it is unknown.
When the Scarlet Rot infection progresses, this blade is granted additional powers. In addition, a single blow from this blade channels the bloodfrost unbidden, for there is no way to avoid it. An accursed weapon.
A forbidden weapon.
Hidaritekiba
The left fang that once was part of a single sword known as Yura's Polefang. Each fang refers to a different katana that had been joined at the hilt to form the polesword. Originally, a paired katana set, they were combined when Yura was named a Bloody Finger (or rather, Bloody Fang, as he insisted) quite a number of years ago. The former weapons of Elena, who was Yura's daughter. Hidaritekiba, the left hand sword, was infected with a blood curse that stored blood within it from its victims, allowing it to regenerate itself when damaged.
It appears Ashe is familiar enough with Reedlander swordsmanship to be able to wield it.
Mortal Blade Umaretate
Born Anew. The False Mortal Blade made from a Reedlander sword, in imitation of the Divine Blades of Mortality that come from the Land of Reeds. Those slain by the blade are delivered mortality, bypassing indestructibility and delivering death. Since it is forged of a star, it bypasses certain invulnerability used in order to prevent defeat on the battlefield. Indeed, as it is made of amber, it delivers death even to concepts like Divinity, though to make such permanent, the world itself needs be remade.
The blade itself is blue, and it is too long now for Ashe to comfortably wield in battle, reducing it to a weapon that deals singular strikes.
Fallen Armour of Faraam
A familiar set of armour that brings back many memories of the days of yore. It is a tattered armour set that bespeaks a knightly order long since lost to history, fallen, disbanded, exiled, fleeing and finally slain. The drab cloth hides blackened steel not unlike that born by a certain blade that protects the body with certainty. It is most dependable when faced with various kinds of fire, including the life-rending fire of Destined Death. If you look hard, you can barely make out the gold of the Erdtree that has faded from its form.
Ashe is entirely too familiar with putting on this armour alone for this to be something he hasn't worn before.
Shattered Carian Knight Armour
The armour of the enchanted knights who once served under the Carian Royal Family. These knights were anointed by the Lunar Queen, are knights who have collectively earned the highest honours of knighthood. However, at current, the Royal Family is in decline. Ashe is among the last group of knights anointed, though he was anointed in a way not considered normal and thus is not on the register of knights. The honour for which Ashe was anointed was slaying a dragon.
The helmet has been destroyed and the breastplate badly damaged. At current, it's protective powers are lowered.
Flask of Celestial Tears
A flask based on the golden holy chalice that has been graced with the sacred tears of life. It is said that the flask is normally granted to a chosen Tarnished upon meeting a Finger Maiden, however, Ashe is maidenless and thus his possession of the flask would be considered quite unusual. It is a source of vitality and so long as he possesses it, his health will not decline over time and is restored to perfect each evening when it fills and is drunk from.
Ranni the Witch's Doll
A small doll that is about two fists tall. Ranni the Witch uses it as a medium in order to interact with her consort. When she is not inhabiting it, it appears as if a children's doll, and in truth, it probably was her doll as a girl, as sentimentality enhances the power of magic, or so claims Ranni.
The Great Rune of Blood | Rista or Mohg
The Greater Rune possessed normally by Mohg. In the hands of a 'Bloody Finger', it allows for the wounds of the owner to be healed as the spirits of others are crushed and their bodies broken. Obtained from Milon, Ashe is using it as a power source.
The False Great Rune of Canceling | Rista or Nihil
The False Great Rune that cancels Divinity. Specifically, it counteracts the power of Malenia, allowing one to fight the Goddess of War on… well, more even grounds. Even with this rune, victory seems unlikely.
Mare
A horse bought in Morne, along with supplies. She is quite capable, though not a war horse. Milon affectionately calls her Horse.
Spectral Whistle
A ring that doubles as a whistle that summons the spectral bicorn, Torrent. Since he is not a native creature to this plane, his appearance is linked to the whistle. If he comes to harm, he blinks out of reality. -
The Legend of the Tarnished
One of the Legendary Skills. The Myth and Legend first used by Lord Godfrey the Golden under the alias Hoarah Loux.
The true power of the Tarnished unleashed when their back is to the wall. The majority Tarnished were created as soldiers to fight in exile in the Forgotten War. It is for this purpose that Lord Godfrey was exiled and the legion sent forth. When the situation becomes desperate, resurrection happens immediately until true oblivion arrives, for the sun rises in accordance with the flare of gold in the back of their eyelids from Grace, immediately triggering their resurrective powers. Generally speaking, Tarnished never enter this state, since they rarely have something worth protecting anymore.
Tarnished are chosen from the valorous but long since dead for a reason. They have very few ties to the world left. However, Ashe still has many bonds not only alive, but well, that he will fight till the very end for.
Excessive use of this skill progresses the Scarlet Counter at a rapid pace.
Guidance of Grace
A generic term that describes the rays of light and insight granted, it is thought, to adherents of the Golden Order. Its blessing is relatively rare. As a Tarnished, Ashe can see the light of Grace leading him on a path to the Erdtree, and his fate as Elden Lord. Possessing 'Grace' is considered one of the hallmarks of the Demi-Gods and divinity. As such, that Tarnished possess it is considered a heresy in and of itself.
Guidance of the Moonlit
The guidance of the one who drapes herself in Moonlight. In terms of direct effects, it is less a form of guidance or blessing and more a promise that she will keep an eye on Ashe and watch over him and his health. It is always nice to know you are an important piece of another persons world.
Inevitable Resurrection
The blessing and curse of the Tarnished. Death is not permanent, and with the rising sun, the Tarnished who have been slain resurrect. There are ways of delaying this resurrection, such as, in Ashe's case, shear force of will, but the resurrection itself is an inevitability. As such, those who would be Elden Lord or covet the power of the ring have invested significant efforts to ensure that they possess the means to permanently deal with a Tarnished.
Ice Sorcery
The ability to cast magic. In Ashe's case, his speciality mirrors that of his lady and teacher, Ranni, meaning he is practiced primarily in ice magic. However, he is far from a 'bluntstone', and all magic is technically within reach. For a knight in the employ of a lady, his spellcasting is top notch, though his dedication to arms mastery has led to his abilities being lower then a man who had dedicated himself to nothing but magic.
Alas, he has Ranni for that.
Frozen Lightning of the Nightless Sky
One of the Legendary Skills. The Power of a Lord. Inherited from the Remembrance of the Arch-Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstalla.
The ability to cast frozen lightning magic. While superficially similar to incantations, they are most effective against living creatures. The Frozen Lightning wielded by those who had no true sky was designed to destroy that which lived under the true sky. It is a imitation of Arch-Dragon Lightning that was no less deadly. Since Ashe has consumed the heart of a dragon, he has become immune to the Frozen Lightning himself.
The Dragonkin knew no sky, and thus knew no lightning. They had never seen the light of the Erdtree, and thus were denied true flight. As the final inheritor of their will, Ashe will rise to both. Since Ashe knows the sky, the lightning within the Frozen Thunder has become real. Since Ashe knows the sky, the power to fly temporarily is now within his grasp.
And so the legend of the accursed children who turned away from the Mother of the Night reaches its final stage, in its last successor. So please, Dear Ashe, our final Lord. Claim the throne in our name and empty the city forever.
Frost Mantras of the Reeds
One of the Legendary Skills. Inherited from the Remembrance of the Violet Shura, Elena.
The ability to cast Mantras, which are similar to Incantations hailing from the Land of Reeds. Elena was not talented in such Mantras, but rather, was bound in a number of them. A skill similar to a curse, it causes the body and area to take on new properties in relation to the nature of the curse.
In the Land of Reeds, frost is associated with stillness and stagnation. It is obvious, then, that any such Mantra would still the world and stagnate the target. In many ways, it is the equal of Dragon Communion, which draws back the spirits of dragons to cause great effects. They say overuse of Mantras causes the spirit to devolve into that of a Shura.
This fate was the one that awaited dear Elena. It is said Hunter of the Bloody, Yura, spent a long time learning the ins and outs of Mantras, but came to the conclusion that unbinding one from a net as woven as Elena's was impossible. Alas, only death awaited her. Sweet release into the cycle of reincarnation was her reward, one that promised better days once Eleonora and Yura joined her.
Oath of Adula
The ability to summon Adula the Glintstone Dragon to ones side. Adula is proud, however, and will refuse the summons if he is called too often. Best reserved for the direst of situations.
Bond of Unalloyed Gold
An ability not possessed by Ashe, but used on him by Miquella, former Empyrean candidate. A bond that shares the bulk of Ashe's Scarlet Rot infection to Miquella's own body, which is far better equipped to handle it. As a result, Ashe is protected from the bulk of its effects. However, it also has tied Miquella's life to Ashe's; should Ashe succumb to the rot, so will Miquella, and vice versa.
Unlike the tenets of Fundamentalism, this magic is born from Miquella's own as Empyrean. As such, Ashe has been cast as a fixture of the world. It is a declaration that cannot be taken back unless the cause of the declaration is removed. -
Ranni the Witch
A 'witch' that Ashe met prior to the Shattering in his time as a student of sword and sorcery. At some point he became her vassal, then personal knight, and finally consort. The companion of many an adventure from afar, the journey from the Church of Anticipation to the Erdtree in the modern day is the first time they have adventured together.
On matters of adventure, it seems Ranni is content to advise and observe, letting Ashe take the lead. However, she is loathe to be sloth and will not tolerate too much sedation. Ranni makes the attempt to speak in the manner of Lords, but when she becomes flustered, she reverts to the common tongue, revealing it to be the language she grew up using.
Adula the Glintstone Dragon
A great dragon that was defeated by Ranni quite some time ago, and in turn assisted Blaidd in defeating the Scarlet Ash and defeated Ashe himself in the past. A proud master of magic that serves under Ranni in a similar knightly capacity to Ashe's former position. However, he also acted as unofficial pastor to the engagement of Ashe and Ranni, and officiated what passed for their wedding against Iji's wishes. Adula is Ashe's more direct teacher in Glintstone Magic, though Ashe specialises in ice sorcery.
Milon | Miquella | Trina
A Demi-God and the youngest brother of Ranni, though admittedly, Ranni is the youngest of her full blooded siblings. Milon is the child of Marika and Radagon, and cursed with eternal youth. He possesses to power to charm other living creatures, however, there is no way to turn this ability off, leading to a lonely life where his bonds are often insincere.
He is desperate to save the life of Malenia, even as she seeks to install him as Empyrean. As such, he has offered quite a bit to Ashe to secure his assistance in attempting to cure the Scarlet Rot ravaging her body.
While Iji distrusts him, it is quite clear that the trust between Ashe and Milon goes both ways, as Milon seems content to follow Ashe's lead even when there is no clear benefit to him for doing so. Perhaps this is because Ashe is Milon's first sincere bond with a mortal. This bond proved strong enough that Milon forged an empathic bond with Ashe, and is helping shoulder his Scarlet Rot curse.
Perhaps Ashe is the older brother Milon wished he'd had.
Melina | The Kindling Maiden
A young woman shrouded in mystery. She was created to bring Destined Death to the Frenzied Flame, and thus earned the title of Kindling Maiden. However, this task was long since lost to history. Ashe is an acquaintance of hers through Vyke from long ago.
She has asked that Vyke be slain for the sake of the world, and has promised her meagre abilities to Ashe's cause in exchange for this.
Yura, Hunter of the Bloody
A Reedlander Oni met in the Weeping Peninsula. There is a sense of camaraderie between him and Ashe over events that happened earlier in the century. He seeks his partner, Eleonora, to end her path of blood.
Old Man Death | Maliketh
The promise has been kept. Go now to your rest, at the end of a long journey.
Morgott, the Last King of Leyndell
I'm sorry old man.
Vyke, Lord of the Frenzied Flame
I will kill you.
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Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Oh boy oh boy oh boy.
You are…
[x] Male.
You are named…
[X] Mabwyn
You count yourself among the…
[X] A Demi-God, descended once from Godwyn seven removed.
Your keepsake is…
[X] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
And you entered Limgrave from…
[X] The Western Sea.
Because I like Gwyndolin and their entire aesthetic.
You are…
[x] Male.
You are named…
[X] Mabwyn
You count yourself among the…
[X] A Demi-God, descended once from Godwyn seven removed.
Your keepsake is…
[X] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
And you entered Limgrave from…
[X] The Western Sea.
Because I like Gwyndolin and their entire aesthetic.
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
[X] Plan: To Raise The Moon
-[ ] Ashe
-[ ] Tarnished. The Dead Who Yet Live.
-[ ] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
-[ ] A tomb… (Tarnished only)
For the Princess.
[X] Plan: The Walker
-[ ] Artor
-[ ] Ronin, heralding the absent lands.
-[ ] The whispers of the Abyss, a black blade of heroism lost.
-[ ] The Weeping Peninsula
Out of the Abyss.
[X] Plan: Dragon Friend
-[ ] Godfrick the Grey
-[ ] A Demi-God, descended once from Godwyn seven removed.
-[ ] A scale of a dragon, portending a blessing given.
-[ ] The Western Sea.
The contrast is extraordinary.
But yeah, three ideas. One very Elden Ringy, two calling back to the past @BlackHadou these work?
-[ ] Ashe
-[ ] Tarnished. The Dead Who Yet Live.
-[ ] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
-[ ] A tomb… (Tarnished only)
For the Princess.
[X] Plan: The Walker
-[ ] Artor
-[ ] Ronin, heralding the absent lands.
-[ ] The whispers of the Abyss, a black blade of heroism lost.
-[ ] The Weeping Peninsula
Out of the Abyss.
[X] Plan: Dragon Friend
-[ ] Godfrick the Grey
-[ ] A Demi-God, descended once from Godwyn seven removed.
-[ ] A scale of a dragon, portending a blessing given.
-[ ] The Western Sea.
The contrast is extraordinary.
But yeah, three ideas. One very Elden Ringy, two calling back to the past @BlackHadou these work?
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
I don't mind. The choices are designed for mix and match.
Not sure how they'll play with the vote counter, but that's future me's problem and he already hates present me anyway.
Not sure how they'll play with the vote counter, but that's future me's problem and he already hates present me anyway.
Theaxofwar
Definitely not a Bunny Cat in disguise.
- Location
- Standing right behind you
[X] Plan: To Raise The Moon
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
... I think I have 6 different votes for 6 different things. Well that's an interesting situation to have.
Vote tally doesn't seem to catch that Axe and Nani voted the same thing. Probably because Nani formatted it wrong.
Vote tally doesn't seem to catch that Axe and Nani voted the same thing. Probably because Nani formatted it wrong.
[X] Plan: The Sufferer
-[X] Izidern
-[X] Rotten and doomed to die
-[X] A key, mottled and rotting from within
-[X] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
-[X] Izidern
-[X] Rotten and doomed to die
-[X] A key, mottled and rotting from within
-[X] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
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BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
A lesson has been learned. Abbr breaks in votes.
The Out Of World
Lichte's Brain
- Location
- -
[X] Plan: The Sufferer
A bold build. I like it. The key seems to be tied to something made just for this quest's narrative, so I'm curious to see where that leads. I personally would've preferred the black knife to go all in on the offensive style, but I'll stick with this for the sake of vote cohesion.
A bold build. I like it. The key seems to be tied to something made just for this quest's narrative, so I'm curious to see where that leads. I personally would've preferred the black knife to go all in on the offensive style, but I'll stick with this for the sake of vote cohesion.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: High Hopes
-[X] Male.
-[X] Lokan
-[X] Omen, accursed and despised.
-[X] The whispers of the Abyss, a black blade of heroism lost.
-[X] The Weeping Peninsula
-[X] Male.
-[X] Lokan
-[X] Omen, accursed and despised.
-[X] The whispers of the Abyss, a black blade of heroism lost.
-[X] The Weeping Peninsula
- Location
- The Garden
[X] Plan :By my side all along.
-[X] Gospodar
-[X] Rotten and doomed to die
-[X] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
-[X] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
-[X] Gospodar
-[X] Rotten and doomed to die
-[X] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
-[X] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Plan :By my side all along.
-[X] Gospodar
-[X] Rotten and doomed to die
-[X] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
-[X] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
-[X] Gospodar
-[X] Rotten and doomed to die
-[X] A promise wrapped in moonlight.
-[X] The Rotten Lands of Caelid
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
Let's put a time limit to any miracles hey? Vote currently has Plan To Raise the Moon winning at either three or four (I'm not sure how to count Doomed Wombat's vote, but I'll take it as in favour for the moment unless they speak up). If you want to compromise or anything else, you have till I finish dinner to do it. That's maybe another hour and a half to two hours.
- Location
- France
I played none of the souls- series games (aside demon's soul black in 2012 at a friend house and I gave up before even meeting the first boss) but I love the lore and watched a lot of walktrough, lore theory and made my own theories. But my favorites are Bloodborne and Sekiro (although I kinda have a "small" pause in lore studiying Sekiro so that I could concentrate on college and now this "smal" pause has been going for a year, so I don't know Sekiro lore as much as I know the one of Bloodborne and the dark souls series.).
I'll try to find some walktrough and lore on Elden Ring before deciding on a vote, let's Hope. When does voting end please ? I wish to know how much time to study the lore I have left. Right now I'm for a ronin and a promise wrapped in moonlight.
Edit: crap saw the last post no time to study the lore since I need to go to school right now.
I'll try to find some walktrough and lore on Elden Ring before deciding on a vote, let's Hope. When does voting end please ? I wish to know how much time to study the lore I have left. Right now I'm for a ronin and a promise wrapped in moonlight.
Edit: crap saw the last post no time to study the lore since I need to go to school right now.
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BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
My dinner is finished. Finalising the update. Adding in Nani, Ashe has a clear majority and thus is the winner, thus saving me from having to work out the situation with Doomed Wombat's vote.
Thank you. I'll be updating the character screen after the update.
1. Awakening
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
".… arise…"
"... -se now…"
".. -e doth command thee…"
"... -ken, o' tar-…"
"... -rest… -ise…"
"OH WAKE UP!"
Eventually, the reverie of dreamless sleep was shattered. The world seemed almost to shimmer into existence, my mind slowly shaking off the fog of death, as my left hand lifted, grabbed the offending speaker, and pulled it against my chest.
"I COMMAND YOU, WAKE UP!"
"Five more minutes." I almost grinned. Almost.
"Ye art tarnished! Ye have slept almost a decade! Awaken! We command thee!" I almost chuckled at that. Wait, no, the sound escaped my throat. I did chuckle. My eyes slowly cracked open, and I was greeted with gray stone and an unfamiliar roof.
A mausoleum. A place for the honoured dead. Those who died with honour and were allowed to keep their dignity in death. Upon my chest was a tiny doll, barely larger then my fist twice over, it's small witches hat teetering on the brink of falling away after the offensive of my hand.
"I take it, then, that my dirt nap worked?" I was slow to sit up. The doll of the witch hopped to my lap as I did so, claiming a comfortable place on my thighs as it folded both sets of arms together. I remembered that pose. She had only done it once or twice before. Now she was doing it almost out of reflex.
"We believe so. Alas, the world hath begun to heal."
"And you still plan to go through with it?"
"The sickness doth need ripping free. Do ye not agree, mine consort?" I rolled my eyes at that. Of course I agreed. We were in this together, from beginning to end. It was to this end that we had plotted and planned and acted, after all.
"Then the ring can be made whole?"
"We art now sure of it. Mine father t'was not as thorough as feared." The witch confirmed with a nod, and with it, our hopes and dreams lived once more. The Shattering was a temporary thing. The time to act was now.
My lungs expanded, welcoming air within them. The witch doll on my lap just sighed, rolling her one left eye as she jumped from my body entirely. The right eye was lined with the centipede tattoo that was the Curse of Death. I could almost see a shadow of another face linked to her body, closed right eye of her doll to the left eye of her spirit.
It reminded me of our heresy. Our promise. My oath.
Until she had a body to call her own again, then I would not rest. Even if she had different ideas.
"Ye art tired." She noted. I yawned even as she said it, pulling myself from my little stone tomb. The days of tombs having their lids placed upon them seemed to be long gone. After all, the dead rose in this world.
O' Tarnished. Ye dead who yet live. The words of the great general, Radahn.
"Tell me of the world. What has changed?"
"Now ye art curious?"
"I've had a decade to sleep. A lot can change in a year, let alone ten." I chided. Of course, to Ranni, such a thing was a trifling. She was already over a century old. A decade was nothing to an immortal.
"Verily, we doth suppose so. Caelid hath become a staging ground. We believe that the days of peace art rapidly approaching their end." Ranni answered softly, watching from her perch on the side of my tomb as I started gathering my things. The dead were buried with honour. My armour had been put to rest with me, along with a small sword. "Radahn doth muster his men. Melania doth muster hers in return."
"Then the amber fields are about to become crimson." I mutter under my breath. "I suppose you were right then."
"We did not hear you." She absolutely did. She was just being smug about it.
"You were right. I shouldn't have doubted you knowing your own siblings." I grumbled, pulling my gauntlets and grieves on. "Help me with the chestplate?"
"We art a doll."
"You're a witch."
"... Very well." Ranni surrendered surprisingly quick on that one, pulling the straps on my back tight. "We believe ye shouldst know. Thy peoples hath turned to the arts left forgotten."
"My people as in humans, or Tarnished?"
"Humans. Tis the case of arms and legs being in thy vogue, as it were." I raised an eyebrow at that, flinging my waistcoat behind me with a flourish as I turned to face the fair lady.
"Arms and legs?"
"Tis a tendency of the noble. We believe t'was nephew many times Godrick the Golden who doth start it." Ranni answered softly. "Ye lookest appropriately noble, mine knight."
"Why thank you." It was nice to be complimented. I belted the pathetic thing that my burial guard must have thought was a sword to my side. It was then, while I was looking down, that I noticed it, still around Ranni's finger even in the form of a little doll. Upon her upper right arm, the ring I'd used to propose.
Technically, it was her ring.
"Ye art reminiscing. If ye hath time te do so, then ye have time to move." Ranni declared. I nodded, offering a hand and retrieving her doll form to my shoulder.
"Move to safety if we encounter anything." I noted. Ranni nodded beside my head.
"We shalt. Ye concern art appreciated, sir Ashe."
"You can drop the formality. You're making me nervous."
"Wouldst ye have us call upon thee as Tarnished?"
I just rolled my eyes.
The tomb of the honoured dead, as expected, was beneath a church. It did not take much effort to make my way back into what once would have been the chapel. The symbols of Marika were everywhere, statues crumbling into irrelevance after the upheaval of the first days of the Shattering. The rows of benches were covered in dust and the beginnings of rot. I could see clearly out of the hole in the roof.
This place had fallen into disuse and disrepair.
"Art ye surprised?" Ranni spoke as if reading my thoughts, as I walked down the central aisle. Once upon a time, this church would have been one of anticipation and marriage, of a better life beyond the beginning of a relationship and courtship. Now, it was decrepit and rotten.
"No. We knew the worship of Marika would end quite quickly after the last supper." I answered. "It was for this reason you had me killed, was it not?"
"..." Ranni did not answer. Even as a doll, I could see the little tells that bespoke guilt. If I was dead, I could not be used as a weapon. My nature as a Tarnished ensured that there would be no reprisal.
Just a corpse in the ground, doomed to obscurity. Except now I wasn't dead anymore. The curse of the Tarnished was useful in so very many ways. Indeed, I didn't consider it a curse at all.
The front doors opened to a view over a cliff. The waves crashed against rock, and in the distance, I could see the shore of Limgrave and, beyond, the castle over Stormhill, Stormveil Castle. Some considered it the bulwark of the Erdtree, the final line of defence before the Bellum Highway to Leyndell.
I knew better then that. Stormveil Castle was nothing but an expensive gift to a petulant child, showered upon a Demi-God who desired relevance beyond his decayed and diluted blood. The castle itself flew its banners, but they'd clearly seen better days in the twilight of the afternoon.
"Ye art not impressed."
"One would think the heraldry could use a replacement. Does Godrick not have a seamstress to hand?"
"We doth believe our many times nephew hath belief of no need of such. He art too concerned with advancing his art of the graft."
"His… what?"
"Tis distasteful, though we doth admit it art effective at slaying thy Tarnished." Ranni noted. "Tis the art of grafting thy body with limbs, not unlike yon trees. We doth believe Godrick's inspiration tis the Erdtree itself."
"... He's treating himself like a tree?" I repeated. "What a queer…"
"We do note he art not a mere piddling four and a half feet anymore." Ranni continued. I blinked.
"I'm sorry?"
"At last we saw, mine nephew yonder times removed tis about twelve or so feet tall." Ranni confirmed. I just stared into the distance, my mind trying to comprehend the very concept. How did one…
"He's using the flesh and blood of others to enhance his stature. I thought that was Mohg's idea."
"Tis been many moons since we doth hear hide or hair of Mohg. If we didst not know better, we wouldst believe him dead." Ranni retorted almost distastefully.
"Better? What did he do now?"
"For thy moment? Nothing. Tis the problem in and of itself. We doth believe he is too quiet."
"Then he schemes as we did." I muttered. "We need to stay ahead."
"Tis a momentary concern." Ranni was almost dismissive as I started to walk down the cliff. "Ye shouldst know thy path to Leyndell hath been shut."
"We expected that." I admitted. "Its the best way to ensure that there is no new Elden Lord." It also ensured no one could repair the Elden Ring. I had to wonder what the game Marika, if she was even alive, was playing? After all, it seemed to no ones benefit to leave the ring broken. That it might be repaired almost instantly was perhaps the greatest unknown of the plan.
The plan. Our all omniscient and knowing plan.
"We must admit, we hath struggled greatly in setting the stage. We wouldst prefer ye to do the lifting for a time." Ranni spoke up. I rolled my eyes.
"As you command, m'lady."
"We doth not appreciate yon sass, Ashe."
"Noted." The front of the chapel, its steps, its murals, were all faded and crumbling. It was an almost shocking state of disrepair for something that was only a few years abandoned. "What happened here?" I finally asked. "There's no way this is from age."
"Tis not. Godrick doth raid thine tomb for bodies."
"And I wasn't among what he took?"
"Ye mayest thank mine in kind later." I blinked again at that, as I walked into the main courtyard. The foliage was overgrowing. Flowers and grass far too large, and the statue of Marika was crumbling. The face had been ripped away entirely.
My sixth sense was firing off. I was in danger.
"You feel that?"
"We do. We believeth ye hath been left a present." Ranni noted cheekily. I just groaned. Of course she thought that.
I could hear it before I saw it. It crawled around the arch of the courtyard, one hand, two hands, three, four, five, six, far too many. Feet joined them, as a face slowly twisted around the side of the arch like a demented puppet or marionette in a play.
It's form was hidden by a cloak, but I could see enough to understand I was looking at an unnatural monster. It could no longer be called a human being. It was certainly no elf or dwarf or omen or any other creature I could name.
It was simply wrong.
"It seeks food." I noted. It's skin was sickly white, and I could see something that passed for saliva dripping from what passed for its face. In a lot of ways, it was merely a blob of entirely too many limbs.
"Ye art sure?"
"All living things need to eat. Monstrosities aren't an exception." It's eyes fell on me. It was in that moment I realised it was most certainly deaf. It saw, but it did not hear. It's nose, or whatever that thing was, sniffed the air loudly, and then the swords came forth.
One, two, three, four, entirely too many swords.
"Hark, it thinks." I declared, my hand falling to my shortsword. Ranni just snickered from my shoulder. "You might want to get back."
"We art safe. This, we believe." Ranni retorted. I just rolled my eyes. The monster, certain of its target, let out a shriek, one that did not come from any natural creature on this world that I knew of. Then it lunged, scuttling on entirely too many limbs.
I flicked my right wrist upwards, and before me, the ground erupted in ice, great spires that tore flesh and rendered the beast screeching in pain.
"I was expecting it to be smarter." I admitted. It seemed almost confused at the new situation, at least two arms ripped away. Its sense of pain was unusual, for it had already forgotten that the ice had harmed it, its gaze going to its lost limbs.
And then…
"We wonder. Ye didst keep up thy studies." Ranni's voice distracted me from the act of self-cannibalism the beast was committing, as she offered a tiny doll hand forward, a teardrop forming within it. "We believe ye shouldst be armed with thy weapon, no?"
"That would be appreciated." I answered dryly, lifting my right hand to take the tear. The monster had begun to move again, as my sword ripped through the air, forming in a single ray of transient moonlight. It was almost weightless in my hand, a comfort I'd almost forgotten. "Ranni. Down."
"We art safe."
"From it, yes. Not me."
"... Very well." Ranni acquiesced, leaping from my shoulder and seeking shelter a short ways behind me. The beast before me hesitated for a moment. I could feel the fear oozing from its form. I twisted my sword into a more comfortable grip.
"Hark, beast. Scream to the night and embrace the cold of death!" I cried. The monster decided that I was trying to spook it and lunged in what was probably an attempt to display dominance. My sword swung to meet it.
Its swords, ornamental and made of tarnished and corrupt steel, cracked, froze, and shattered under the weight of my swing. I cleaved into its side, light forming along the edge of my blade, as I jammed it into the mass.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each stab caused the air to chill, ice exploding from the beasts form. Shards ripped flesh apart, blood barely existent and looking more like water then blood. Whatever this thing was, it barely was alive.
I took the hilt of my blade in both hands and wrenched it free. The mess of a corpse collapsed. I could see the hole clear through it that I'd cleaved and the many smaller holes formed from the ice I'd made within it.
"We question if ye needed te go so far. Tis well and truly dead." Ranni noted. I just shrugged, flicking my sword one last time and severing its head. Just to be sure.
"Tarnished exist. The dead don't always stay dead." I answered, lowering a hand for her to clamber up as I started walking again, my guiding moonlight resting on my other shoulder. I could smell salt on the air. It was almost overpowering.
The corpse of the monster could remain. It was a warning to any Tarnished who followed after me. Stay out of my way.
"Ye believeth such a monster couldst become Tarnished? We doth shudder at the thought." Ranni quipped. I just groaned.
"You're going to tell me they can't?"
"Grafting doth remove the possibility of Grace. Ye shouldst not fear such." Ranni answered. "We believe it doth not possible."
"So you say." I muttered, walking the rope bridge to the dock, or at least, what once would have been the dock. I grit my teeth. Of course, the path down had collapsed.
"We see ye art at an impasse." Ranni noted. "We wonder, doth ye remember how to swim?"
"... I hate you sometimes." She must have known, too. I could see something over at the docks, if I could make my way down, but…
[ ] Swim to the shore. Hopefully the fish weren't too big.
[ ] Try to take a boat. If any of those rotten lumps of wood worked.
[ ] Make an ice bridge. Hopefully there weren't any octopus.
"... -se now…"
".. -e doth command thee…"
"... -ken, o' tar-…"
"... -rest… -ise…"
"OH WAKE UP!"
Eventually, the reverie of dreamless sleep was shattered. The world seemed almost to shimmer into existence, my mind slowly shaking off the fog of death, as my left hand lifted, grabbed the offending speaker, and pulled it against my chest.
"I COMMAND YOU, WAKE UP!"
"Five more minutes." I almost grinned. Almost.
"Ye art tarnished! Ye have slept almost a decade! Awaken! We command thee!" I almost chuckled at that. Wait, no, the sound escaped my throat. I did chuckle. My eyes slowly cracked open, and I was greeted with gray stone and an unfamiliar roof.
A mausoleum. A place for the honoured dead. Those who died with honour and were allowed to keep their dignity in death. Upon my chest was a tiny doll, barely larger then my fist twice over, it's small witches hat teetering on the brink of falling away after the offensive of my hand.
"I take it, then, that my dirt nap worked?" I was slow to sit up. The doll of the witch hopped to my lap as I did so, claiming a comfortable place on my thighs as it folded both sets of arms together. I remembered that pose. She had only done it once or twice before. Now she was doing it almost out of reflex.
"We believe so. Alas, the world hath begun to heal."
"And you still plan to go through with it?"
"The sickness doth need ripping free. Do ye not agree, mine consort?" I rolled my eyes at that. Of course I agreed. We were in this together, from beginning to end. It was to this end that we had plotted and planned and acted, after all.
"Then the ring can be made whole?"
"We art now sure of it. Mine father t'was not as thorough as feared." The witch confirmed with a nod, and with it, our hopes and dreams lived once more. The Shattering was a temporary thing. The time to act was now.
My lungs expanded, welcoming air within them. The witch doll on my lap just sighed, rolling her one left eye as she jumped from my body entirely. The right eye was lined with the centipede tattoo that was the Curse of Death. I could almost see a shadow of another face linked to her body, closed right eye of her doll to the left eye of her spirit.
It reminded me of our heresy. Our promise. My oath.
Until she had a body to call her own again, then I would not rest. Even if she had different ideas.
"Ye art tired." She noted. I yawned even as she said it, pulling myself from my little stone tomb. The days of tombs having their lids placed upon them seemed to be long gone. After all, the dead rose in this world.
O' Tarnished. Ye dead who yet live. The words of the great general, Radahn.
"Tell me of the world. What has changed?"
"Now ye art curious?"
"I've had a decade to sleep. A lot can change in a year, let alone ten." I chided. Of course, to Ranni, such a thing was a trifling. She was already over a century old. A decade was nothing to an immortal.
"Verily, we doth suppose so. Caelid hath become a staging ground. We believe that the days of peace art rapidly approaching their end." Ranni answered softly, watching from her perch on the side of my tomb as I started gathering my things. The dead were buried with honour. My armour had been put to rest with me, along with a small sword. "Radahn doth muster his men. Melania doth muster hers in return."
"Then the amber fields are about to become crimson." I mutter under my breath. "I suppose you were right then."
"We did not hear you." She absolutely did. She was just being smug about it.
"You were right. I shouldn't have doubted you knowing your own siblings." I grumbled, pulling my gauntlets and grieves on. "Help me with the chestplate?"
"We art a doll."
"You're a witch."
"... Very well." Ranni surrendered surprisingly quick on that one, pulling the straps on my back tight. "We believe ye shouldst know. Thy peoples hath turned to the arts left forgotten."
"My people as in humans, or Tarnished?"
"Humans. Tis the case of arms and legs being in thy vogue, as it were." I raised an eyebrow at that, flinging my waistcoat behind me with a flourish as I turned to face the fair lady.
"Arms and legs?"
"Tis a tendency of the noble. We believe t'was nephew many times Godrick the Golden who doth start it." Ranni answered softly. "Ye lookest appropriately noble, mine knight."
"Why thank you." It was nice to be complimented. I belted the pathetic thing that my burial guard must have thought was a sword to my side. It was then, while I was looking down, that I noticed it, still around Ranni's finger even in the form of a little doll. Upon her upper right arm, the ring I'd used to propose.
Technically, it was her ring.
"Ye art reminiscing. If ye hath time te do so, then ye have time to move." Ranni declared. I nodded, offering a hand and retrieving her doll form to my shoulder.
"Move to safety if we encounter anything." I noted. Ranni nodded beside my head.
"We shalt. Ye concern art appreciated, sir Ashe."
"You can drop the formality. You're making me nervous."
"Wouldst ye have us call upon thee as Tarnished?"
I just rolled my eyes.
The tomb of the honoured dead, as expected, was beneath a church. It did not take much effort to make my way back into what once would have been the chapel. The symbols of Marika were everywhere, statues crumbling into irrelevance after the upheaval of the first days of the Shattering. The rows of benches were covered in dust and the beginnings of rot. I could see clearly out of the hole in the roof.
This place had fallen into disuse and disrepair.
"Art ye surprised?" Ranni spoke as if reading my thoughts, as I walked down the central aisle. Once upon a time, this church would have been one of anticipation and marriage, of a better life beyond the beginning of a relationship and courtship. Now, it was decrepit and rotten.
"No. We knew the worship of Marika would end quite quickly after the last supper." I answered. "It was for this reason you had me killed, was it not?"
"..." Ranni did not answer. Even as a doll, I could see the little tells that bespoke guilt. If I was dead, I could not be used as a weapon. My nature as a Tarnished ensured that there would be no reprisal.
Just a corpse in the ground, doomed to obscurity. Except now I wasn't dead anymore. The curse of the Tarnished was useful in so very many ways. Indeed, I didn't consider it a curse at all.
The front doors opened to a view over a cliff. The waves crashed against rock, and in the distance, I could see the shore of Limgrave and, beyond, the castle over Stormhill, Stormveil Castle. Some considered it the bulwark of the Erdtree, the final line of defence before the Bellum Highway to Leyndell.
I knew better then that. Stormveil Castle was nothing but an expensive gift to a petulant child, showered upon a Demi-God who desired relevance beyond his decayed and diluted blood. The castle itself flew its banners, but they'd clearly seen better days in the twilight of the afternoon.
"Ye art not impressed."
"One would think the heraldry could use a replacement. Does Godrick not have a seamstress to hand?"
"We doth believe our many times nephew hath belief of no need of such. He art too concerned with advancing his art of the graft."
"His… what?"
"Tis distasteful, though we doth admit it art effective at slaying thy Tarnished." Ranni noted. "Tis the art of grafting thy body with limbs, not unlike yon trees. We doth believe Godrick's inspiration tis the Erdtree itself."
"... He's treating himself like a tree?" I repeated. "What a queer…"
"We do note he art not a mere piddling four and a half feet anymore." Ranni continued. I blinked.
"I'm sorry?"
"At last we saw, mine nephew yonder times removed tis about twelve or so feet tall." Ranni confirmed. I just stared into the distance, my mind trying to comprehend the very concept. How did one…
"He's using the flesh and blood of others to enhance his stature. I thought that was Mohg's idea."
"Tis been many moons since we doth hear hide or hair of Mohg. If we didst not know better, we wouldst believe him dead." Ranni retorted almost distastefully.
"Better? What did he do now?"
"For thy moment? Nothing. Tis the problem in and of itself. We doth believe he is too quiet."
"Then he schemes as we did." I muttered. "We need to stay ahead."
"Tis a momentary concern." Ranni was almost dismissive as I started to walk down the cliff. "Ye shouldst know thy path to Leyndell hath been shut."
"We expected that." I admitted. "Its the best way to ensure that there is no new Elden Lord." It also ensured no one could repair the Elden Ring. I had to wonder what the game Marika, if she was even alive, was playing? After all, it seemed to no ones benefit to leave the ring broken. That it might be repaired almost instantly was perhaps the greatest unknown of the plan.
The plan. Our all omniscient and knowing plan.
"We must admit, we hath struggled greatly in setting the stage. We wouldst prefer ye to do the lifting for a time." Ranni spoke up. I rolled my eyes.
"As you command, m'lady."
"We doth not appreciate yon sass, Ashe."
"Noted." The front of the chapel, its steps, its murals, were all faded and crumbling. It was an almost shocking state of disrepair for something that was only a few years abandoned. "What happened here?" I finally asked. "There's no way this is from age."
"Tis not. Godrick doth raid thine tomb for bodies."
"And I wasn't among what he took?"
"Ye mayest thank mine in kind later." I blinked again at that, as I walked into the main courtyard. The foliage was overgrowing. Flowers and grass far too large, and the statue of Marika was crumbling. The face had been ripped away entirely.
My sixth sense was firing off. I was in danger.
"You feel that?"
"We do. We believeth ye hath been left a present." Ranni noted cheekily. I just groaned. Of course she thought that.
I could hear it before I saw it. It crawled around the arch of the courtyard, one hand, two hands, three, four, five, six, far too many. Feet joined them, as a face slowly twisted around the side of the arch like a demented puppet or marionette in a play.
It's form was hidden by a cloak, but I could see enough to understand I was looking at an unnatural monster. It could no longer be called a human being. It was certainly no elf or dwarf or omen or any other creature I could name.
It was simply wrong.
"It seeks food." I noted. It's skin was sickly white, and I could see something that passed for saliva dripping from what passed for its face. In a lot of ways, it was merely a blob of entirely too many limbs.
"Ye art sure?"
"All living things need to eat. Monstrosities aren't an exception." It's eyes fell on me. It was in that moment I realised it was most certainly deaf. It saw, but it did not hear. It's nose, or whatever that thing was, sniffed the air loudly, and then the swords came forth.
One, two, three, four, entirely too many swords.
"Hark, it thinks." I declared, my hand falling to my shortsword. Ranni just snickered from my shoulder. "You might want to get back."
"We art safe. This, we believe." Ranni retorted. I just rolled my eyes. The monster, certain of its target, let out a shriek, one that did not come from any natural creature on this world that I knew of. Then it lunged, scuttling on entirely too many limbs.
I flicked my right wrist upwards, and before me, the ground erupted in ice, great spires that tore flesh and rendered the beast screeching in pain.
"I was expecting it to be smarter." I admitted. It seemed almost confused at the new situation, at least two arms ripped away. Its sense of pain was unusual, for it had already forgotten that the ice had harmed it, its gaze going to its lost limbs.
And then…
"We wonder. Ye didst keep up thy studies." Ranni's voice distracted me from the act of self-cannibalism the beast was committing, as she offered a tiny doll hand forward, a teardrop forming within it. "We believe ye shouldst be armed with thy weapon, no?"
"That would be appreciated." I answered dryly, lifting my right hand to take the tear. The monster had begun to move again, as my sword ripped through the air, forming in a single ray of transient moonlight. It was almost weightless in my hand, a comfort I'd almost forgotten. "Ranni. Down."
"We art safe."
"From it, yes. Not me."
"... Very well." Ranni acquiesced, leaping from my shoulder and seeking shelter a short ways behind me. The beast before me hesitated for a moment. I could feel the fear oozing from its form. I twisted my sword into a more comfortable grip.
"Hark, beast. Scream to the night and embrace the cold of death!" I cried. The monster decided that I was trying to spook it and lunged in what was probably an attempt to display dominance. My sword swung to meet it.
Its swords, ornamental and made of tarnished and corrupt steel, cracked, froze, and shattered under the weight of my swing. I cleaved into its side, light forming along the edge of my blade, as I jammed it into the mass.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each stab caused the air to chill, ice exploding from the beasts form. Shards ripped flesh apart, blood barely existent and looking more like water then blood. Whatever this thing was, it barely was alive.
I took the hilt of my blade in both hands and wrenched it free. The mess of a corpse collapsed. I could see the hole clear through it that I'd cleaved and the many smaller holes formed from the ice I'd made within it.
"We question if ye needed te go so far. Tis well and truly dead." Ranni noted. I just shrugged, flicking my sword one last time and severing its head. Just to be sure.
"Tarnished exist. The dead don't always stay dead." I answered, lowering a hand for her to clamber up as I started walking again, my guiding moonlight resting on my other shoulder. I could smell salt on the air. It was almost overpowering.
The corpse of the monster could remain. It was a warning to any Tarnished who followed after me. Stay out of my way.
"Ye believeth such a monster couldst become Tarnished? We doth shudder at the thought." Ranni quipped. I just groaned.
"You're going to tell me they can't?"
"Grafting doth remove the possibility of Grace. Ye shouldst not fear such." Ranni answered. "We believe it doth not possible."
"So you say." I muttered, walking the rope bridge to the dock, or at least, what once would have been the dock. I grit my teeth. Of course, the path down had collapsed.
"We see ye art at an impasse." Ranni noted. "We wonder, doth ye remember how to swim?"
"... I hate you sometimes." She must have known, too. I could see something over at the docks, if I could make my way down, but…
[ ] Swim to the shore. Hopefully the fish weren't too big.
[ ] Try to take a boat. If any of those rotten lumps of wood worked.
[ ] Make an ice bridge. Hopefully there weren't any octopus.
ApocalypticFish
Been reflecting lately.
[X] Try to take a boat. If any of those rotten lumps of wood worked.
Worth a shot. Making an ice bridge feels like it's probably safer to me, but I dunno whether how resource-intensive that is, or if it even is resource-intensive.
Worth a shot. Making an ice bridge feels like it's probably safer to me, but I dunno whether how resource-intensive that is, or if it even is resource-intensive.
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
The character sheet is updated.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Well... Having played the game, I have seen very few fish, but entirely too many ludicrously oversized octopi, even if they were technically 'land octopi' by their descriptions.
[X] Swim to the shore. Hopefully the fish weren't too big.
We aren't wearing too much armor are we?
[X] Swim to the shore. Hopefully the fish weren't too big.
We aren't wearing too much armor are we?
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
Even if you are, drowning is temporary.