What’s Up Guys, I’m Dave Klein. I wanted
to make a video talking about the general story of Dark Souls 2, and clearing up some
questions that I get. I think it goes without saying that there will be massive spoilers
in this video, and I don’t recommend watching until you’ve completed the game. I’ll
also be referencing Dark Souls 1. You’ve been warned. So, let’s get started! --
Part 1 – The Great Souls “You, who link the fire, you, who bear the
curse… Once the fire is linked, souls will flourish
anew, And all of this will play out again.
It is your choice…To embrace, or renounce this…” In the end of Dark Souls 1, player s are given
a choice to link the fire or not. Regardless of which choice the character makes, at the
time of Dark Souls 2, it’s safe to say that someone, be it the chosen undead from Dark
Souls 1, or another hero, at some point has linked the fire.
“They say these are the remains of a saint who cast himself into the bonfire. But we
will never know for sure, for soot and ashes tell no story.” Once this happens, everything that happened
before plays out again. A cursed cycle. History doomed to repeat itself over and over again.
Straid of Olaphis informs us: “Many kingdoms rose and fell on this tract
of earth; mine was by no means the first. Anything that has a beginning also has an
end. No flame, however brilliant, does not one
day splutter and fade. But then, from the ashes, the flames reignites,
And a new kingdom is born, sporting a new face.
It is all a curse! Heh heh heh! And it is your cursed flesh that will inherit
the flame. Heh heh…” One such kingdom that resided where Drangleic
once did was Olaphis. But, like all kingdoms before, it has fallen by the time of Dark
Souls 2, likely during another cycle. “Once the fire is linked, souls will flourish
anew.” When a powerful Undead links the flame, it
causes this rebirth, and the cycle continues. Great and powerful souls fly reborn, and inhabit
new bodies. We see this through the major bosses of Dark
Souls 2. During the Lost Sinner fight, you’ll see
a familiar creature… (Lost Sinner scene)
One that looks just like The Witch of Izalith from Dark Souls 1.
For defeating The Lost Sinner in New Game +, you’ll receive The Old Witch Soul, which
you can trade to Ornifex for The Chaos Blade. For defeating the Old Iron King, you’ll
receive the Old King Soul, For the Duke’s Dear Freja, The Old Paledrake
Soul, And for The Rotten, the Old Dead One Soul. The implication being that many of the great
souls from Dark Souls 1 have been reborn, and spread into new beings. Those beings then
pick up similar properties as their former selves. In Dark Souls 1, The Witch of Izalith created
the Chaos Flame, and thus all demons in its wake. Quelana, her daughter, views this as
a sin, and something to attone for. We see The Lost Sinner “eternally punishes herself
for the sins of her past.” Her sword tells us: “Its blade saps the life of its wielder.
The true nature of this sword is unknown, even to the Lost Sinner herself. Those who
choose this sword will share the Lost Sinner’s misdeeds.”
While it’s possible she’s attoning for her sins of The Witch of Izalith, as her Penal
Set tells us “The tattered skirt is worn in shame by the guilty. By now, no one knows
who this was used to punish, or for what reason.” I actually don’t think this is the case.
I think this character, like The Witch of Izalith, has sinned in some great way, but
is atoning for some new great sin. “
The Lost Sinner lives deep within the Bastille. The fool, trying to light the first flame.
“ While The Witch of Izalith attempted to duplicate
the First Flame, it seems the Lost Sinner tried to light first flame. The actions of the other old ones speak onto
the same theme of being related to the great lords of the past, but not exactly the same. The soul of “The Old Dead One”, or Nito,
from Dark Souls 1, has been reborn into The Rotten, who takes on similar properties. Like
Nito, who is comprised of what he watched over – The Dead, The Rotten is comprised
of what he watches – The undead and forgotten. He is has turned The Black Gulch into his
domain, and “embraces all, in his sanctuary for all things unwanted or tossed away.” The Iron King, who held “Undead hunts during
his reign” and “in the heyday of his land, fancied entertaining dubious and eccentric
guests from faraway lands,” also carries a great soul. His being the “Old King soul” “It reminds me of someone who lived long
ago. A vainglorious liar who ended up hurling himself
into the flames. Now he’s Icarous earth if I’m not mistaken.” By trading the Old King’s soul to Ornifex,
you’ll receive the Dragonslayer Greatbow, and for trading the Old King Soul to Straid,
you can receive the miracle Blinding Bolt, “Crafted in ancient times by the God of
Sun, but later forbidden by the same deity. Was it to protect the world from hatred, or
sorrow?” – The implication being the Old King is supposed to represent Gwyn, Lord of
Sunlight and Cinder. And finally, we have the Duke’s Dear Freja,
whose soul is associated with the “Old Paledrake Soul”. Trading this soul to Ornifex will
net you the Moonlight Greatsword, “The blade of this greatsword shines like the brilliant
rays of the moon. In the oldest legends, rarely spoken today, it is said the sword was born
of a great white being.” “Oh, it’s like that awful traitor long
ago, He coveted what he did not have, and it drove
him mad.” The clear implication being this is Seath. All of these great souls are de scribed as:
“Soul of the ineffable. The once-magnificent soul continues to exert influence over the
land, even after the eons have reduced it to these remnants.” “Once the fire is linked, souls will flourish
anew.” Gwyn, Seath, Nito, and The Witch of Izalith
can all be accounted for, as well as Ornstein. His souls seems to be reborn in the “Old
Dragonslayer”, who inherits his Old Leo ring. Now, the most important of these souls is
the Soul of Nashandra. “Nashandra was born of the Dark with an insatiable lust for strength.
Use the special soul of this prisoner of desire to acquire numerous souls.” She is “The
old one of the Abyss, [who] was reborn in death, split into miniscule fragments, and
spread across the land.” “The tiniest of these pieces, precisely due to its size,
was the first to restore its form,” “The pieces began to coalesce once again, becoming
human in shape.” This soul, reborn, is the soul of Manus, and
has a vital role in shaping the land of Drangleic. Nashandra was “the smallest of pieces, [which],
sensing its own fragility, yearned for what it lacked.” This yearning seemed to be for
power and strength. The soul manifested itself into Nashandra, and the woman who would become
the Queen of Drangleic. --
Part 2 – The Founding of Drangleic “What makes a king? Some say that it is
birthright, while others call it destiny. Perhaps it is not important, as long as the
king’s name serves to unite his people.” King Vendrick rose to power in the land of
Drangleic before it was known as such. He fought with warriors, prepared to die for
him, whom he granted Royal Soldier Rings, “These were granted to warriors who distinguished
themselves in the service of King Vendrick. The king favored simple warriors who staked
their every battle on strength alone.” He also utilized Dragonriders. These Dragonriders
were “King Vendrick’s royal guard. According to legend, the Dragonriders straddled not
horses, but wyrms.” “Together with the King, they crushed its
former inhabitants and erected a magnificent kingdom upon their graves.” There to help Vendrick gain power over Drangleic
was his brother, Aldia. “They say that Lord Aldia was the King’s elder brother and helped
found Drangleic, but he later lost interest in the land’s fortunes.” Aldia was known for his experiments, and it’s
quite possible that the Wyrms the Dragonriders rode on were actually creations of Aldia’s. For, Aldia liked to experiment on various
creatures. “The mysterious Lord Aldia secluded himself inside a manor to conduct various
experiments. Those invited to the manor disappeared, replaced over time with malformed beasts that
roamed its halls.” While his halls are filled with mutated creatures
found throughout the game, beyond the manor lies the Guardian Dragon, as well as the Dragon
Aerie. King Vendrick was loved by his subjects, but
something happened… something that would change him. A curse spread throughout the
land, one that desperately frightened him, and one that he would be inflicted with himself.
The curse of the Undead. King Vendrick tried everything to rid himself
of that which he feared. “Long ago, the dungeons overflowed with the accursed, and
the King commanded a contorted sentry to deliver those who had no cells to a faraway and, and
to make certain they were never heard from again.” He tried to put the Undead out of
sight, and out of mind, sending them far away to the Lost Bastille. He hired Mad Warriors from foreign lands as
well as Shadow Knights from Mirrah to counter the Undead. “In an attempt to stave off
the curse, King Vendrick hired shadowmen to put down the Hollows, but before long they
were Hollowed themselves.” I believe it likely the Pursuer was also a
creation of King Vendrick’s, for “The Pursuer hunts down those branded by the curse,
as if each Undead soul that he claims will atone for his sins.” At some point, King Vendrick met his queen,
Nashandra. It seems it was Nashandra’s doing that caused him, in a desparate measure, to
cross the sea and invade the land of the Giants. “Soon, the Giants will descend upon this
fort. It is revenge, for the Kingdom’s misguided
barbarism.” “The venerable Lord build this kingdom
To bring prosperity to His subjects. What has transformed him so, I can not imagine.” I believe Nashandra tempted the King, to steal
a “prize” from the Giants, a great and wondrous soul that would help temporarily
“cure” him of his curse. “A powerful soul is like a curse. And Vendrick,
King of Drangleic, used a powerful soul to keep the curse at bay. King Vendrick sought
greater souls, and made the giants’ strength his own, but even still, the curse overcame
him.” “Long ago, the King crossed the seas,
pillaged the land of Giants, and brought back a “prize.”
It was then that the golems materialized.” --
Part 3 – The Fall of a Kingdom -- “Drangleic’s been a pile of rubble since
the war fought long, long ago. Since the giants crossed the sea.
Seemed like the battles would never end. Poor folk like myself had nary a place to
sleep.” The giants came to Drangleic with a vengeance.
“The Giants landed on the northern shores, and set siege to King Vendrick’s castle
to claim an invaluable prize.” King Vendrick sent his best men to fight off
the Giants, but they were woefully unprepared. “King Vendrick supplied his bravest men
with the best armor available to face the great giants, but very few returned alive.”
“Sir Syan was widely known as the kingdom’s most leal knight, and when the Giants invaded,
he volunteered to lead the advance party, but was slaughtered most dishonorably. The
King commissioned replicas of Syan’s accouterments and bestowed them to promising knights, but
not long after they donned the armor did they go thoroughly mad.” For multiple generations, the giants laid
siege upon Drangleic. “My father, and his father,
both fought the Giants on this very land. The Giants have wills of steel.
They cannot find it within themselves… To forgive the misdeeds of our lord.” Not only did Captain Drummond fight against
the giants, but so too did his family. “Captain Drummond’s ancestors have served Drangleic
for generations, principally as defenders of the great fort, but Captain Drummond is
the last in this proud line. In his day, King Vendrick was fair and just, and expected the
same of his liegemen. This helm was proof of King Vendrick’s trust, an honor, until
his transfiguration…” And, with the Cursed Undead traveling into
the memories of the giants, “The Giants were eventually defeated by an unnamed hero,
but alas, victory came all too late.” Even beyond death, the Giants were still enraged
at King Vendrick. “Will the Giants’ resentment for the King be pacified in death, or only
emboldened?” It would seem their resentment was emboldened, for the more Giant Souls the
player acquires, the more they can damage King Vendrick. While the land was enveloped in war, King
Vendrick and his brother, Lord Aldia, eventually had a falling out. Though King Vendrick wanted to do nothing
but seal away the Undead Curse, his brother Aldia was obsessed with discovering its cause.
“The peculiar figure known as Lord Aldia attempted to uncover the secrets of life itself,
and viewed the Undead as a key to this mystery.” “King Vendrick condemned his own elder brother
to the mansion. They both sought the truth, but through different means, and their fervor
meant the eventual withering of their familial ties.” Aldia conducted horrific experiments, “To
imagine what unspeakable deeds were performed to create [the northern and southern ritual
bands], one need only recall the cruel fate of the residents of Aldia.”
He invited acolytes and sages to help him in his work. “Several of the greatest minds
converged in Aldia to weave strange new rituals, but rumors suggest that during the course
of their work… their thoughts were not their own.” He utilized the Giants in Drangleic, and “The
peculiar figure known as Lord Aldia kept Giants in his manor, and attempted to recreate a
dragon, but after some time, was not heard from again.” In fact, one such creation of his was… The
Ancient Dragon. “You’ll find a great creature far to the
east. A colossal thing, with the strength to match
its size. Or something playing the part, at least.” “Brave Undead,
You’ve met that dragon? That living, breathing sham?
A false deity, offering nothing.” “In the far eastern outskirts of Drangleic
lies an old manor that is now long forgotten. As it should be, for the things that lurk
there are better left unknown.” It seems Aldia succeeded in creating Dragons.
We also know the Ancient Dragon was, in fact, created using a Giant’s Soul. For – after
defeating the Ancient Dragon it drops just that – indicating it isn’t a true dragon. Lord Aldia disappeared at one point, and it’s
also very possible (And note, this is a speculation) that the Ancient Dragon is Lord Aldia transformed.
“Ancient Dragon quote with us.” Regardless, in his toils and attempts at creating
Dragons, Lord Aldia also created Shanalot, or… The Emerald Hera.d.
“My name is Shanalotte The dragon gave me this name,
For I was born with none. I was born of dragons, contrived by men.
By ones who would cozen fate herself… They are the ones who created me.” Lord Aldia attempted to create Shanalotte
in order to counter the curse, “But they failed.
I did not come out as intended. Fate would not be bested, and men were cursed
once again.” “They say that she is the last firekeeper.
But they say a lot of things. (They say?) But she’s a gentle, lighting
the way for you cursed fools. Nonsense.” Despite their falling out, King Vendrick did
utilize his brothers research. His Looking Glass Knight uses the “King’s Mirror”,
a “Looking Glass at the castle [that] is said to have been a passage to another world.”
We find multiple looking glasses in Aldia’s manor, indicating this was something he actually
created. Additionally, the Mastadons that guard Drangleic
Castle were experiments of Aldia’s. “Whatever was created by Lord Aldia was lost with his
disappearance, but the King attempted to revivie these things, even if only fragments remained.”
King Vendrick utilized his brothers techniques and “restored a forbidden, long-lost art
to create these inhuman abominations.” Eventually, the King grew steadily more hollow.
While it’s not implicitly said, I believe it’s possible he began to realize Nashandra’s
intentions – her want to keep the world in dark. “If you proceed, Nashandra will come after
you. Knowing that you will take the throne and
link the fire. She covets the first flame and the great soul.” “Fearing something wicked, the King fled
the castle and never returned. But his warrior, forever true to his command, stands ready
to expunge those who would challenge him.” King Vendrick fled to the Undead Crpyt, with
his trusty royal aegis, Velstadt. “The great king shut himself away, and was
soon reduced to a mere shell. Just what was it that he yearned to protect?” Here he
remained in the Undead Crypt, where he withered away and hollowed out. “The King was wasted
away, a shadow of his former self, but still held something dear.” The dear item that
he protected and clutched onto being his King’s Ring. The King’s Ring is of vital importance,
as it allows passage to Aldia’s Manor, where the Ashen Mist Heart resides; The King’s
Ring allows access to Jeigh, a fallen giant whose memories contain the Giant’s Kinship.
– A necessary item for reaching the Throne of Want. And finally… the King’s Ring
allows passage to the Throne of Want itself. So, why flee to the Undead Crypt? It seems
King Vendrick was trying to keep all of this away from Nashandra. His image of her painted
in Drangleic castle curses all who come near, and “Only the King knows whether the depiction
of the Queen is a resentful mockery, or an affectionate exaltation.” In order to reach the Undead Crpyt, first
visitors must fight his guard The Looking Glass Knight in order to gain passage to the
Shrine of Amana. In the Shrine of Amana reside the Milfanito. And, I have to give props to
my buddy, and fellow Dark Souls uploader, TerraMantis, for pointing the following out
to me: “When we sing, the little ones dance.
The little ones grant comfort to those who bear death and dark.
This is what we were taught.” While the Milfanito are singing, none of the
cursed frog-like creatures will attack the player, but they will agro against the player
once the Milfanito stop singing. It’s possible Nashandra, a being who’s very essence is
the Dark, cannot pass through the Shrine of Amana, as the song would affect her. We find a captured Milfanito in Drangleic
Castle, locked away, and I believe it likely Nashandra captured her in order to discover
a way into the Shrine. Nashandra ends up waiting, and setting any
Undead who approach her on various tasks in order to open the way to the Throne of Want.
She bides her time, waiting for someone to clear the way for her, find the Giant’s
Kinship, and kill the Throne Watcher and Defender who protect the Throne of Want from one like
her. And here is where your tale, as the cursed
undead begins. Alright guys, that wraps up the story of Dark
Souls 2. There are still mysteries to be solved, and other storylines, but I hope you enjoyed
my take on what happened in Drangleic. If you have other interpretations, I’d love
to hear, as this is still early on and as a community we’re still discovering new
details about the game. For another great video on the story of Dark Souls 2, I highly
recommend checking out Rachel, aka Quelaag’s video on the story, as she does a fantastic
job explaining what happened. And, for more lore, you can check out my Location Guide
videos on the surrounding lands of Drangleic. I hope you guys enjoyed, and I’ll see you
next time. Peace.
