What’s up guys. I’m Dave Klein, and welcome
to my Dark Souls 3 Lore series. Today we’re going to discuss the overall story of Dark
Souls 3, and as such, there’ll be heavy spoilers from both Dark Souls 3 and Dark Souls
1. So, consider yourself warned. Also, bear in mind this video was created pre-DLC. Part 1 – Gwyn and the Fading Flame The world of Dark Souls began with the Age
of Ancients. A time when the world was still unformed, filled with gray crags and archtrees,
and ruled by the mighty everlasting stone dragons… “But then there was fire, and with fire,
came disparity.” This fire, known as the First Flame, brought
with it the mighty lord souls. The lord souls were found by 4 beings: Nito, first of the
dead, who would find the soul of death. The Witch of Izalith and her daughters of chaos,
who found the life soul. The furtive pygmy, progenitor of humanity, who found a dark soul.
And Gwyn… the Lord of Light who would find the light soul. Gwyn lead the charge, with the Witch of Izalith
and Nito who fought with the Everlasting Dragons for dominion over the world. With the help
of Seath the Scaleless, who betrayed his own kind, the 3 were able to defeat the dragons,
and take rule over the land which would become known as Lordran. Gwyn ruled for a time, creating a mighty kingdom
out of Lordran. He had three known children: His first born, Gwynevere, and Gwyndolin – and
they ruled over the land becoming known as Gods to those who followed them, with people
such as Gwyn’s Uncle, All-Father Lloyd, helping to further this gospel. However, like the Age of Ancients, nothing
lasts forever. As suddenly as the first flame erupted, it was beginning to fade. And with
the fading of the flame, came the unwanted. Undead humans began to rise, becoming everlasting
in their own right. Only… as time progressed, they would go more and more insane, until
becoming fully hollow. And, with the fading of the flame, the time
of Lords and, specifically, time of Gwyn and his children’s rule was coming to an end… Gwyn devised a plan. Why not reinvigorate
the fire? Why not use both himself and his remaining Lord Soul as kindling to the flame
to further the Age of Fire and rule of his children. “Lord Gwyn, bearer of the ultimate
soul, divided that power among his great clan before linking the flame.” Gwyn executed his plan, and the Age of Fire
was extended… for a time. Part 2 – The Chosen Undead Gwyn’s solution to the fading flame was
only temporary, and as such, a new plan needed to be devised. This plan was executed by his
son, Gwyndolin, and loyal servant Frampt. “Chosen Undead. Your fate is… to succeed
the Great Lord Gwyn. So that you may link the Fire, cast away the Dark, and undo the
curse of the Undead.” And, with the lure of becoming a great lord,
a chosen undead was manipulated into killing the other great lords – Nito and the Witch
of Izalith in order to collect their souls. They were also tasked with collecting Gywn’s
remaining soul which had been bequeathed to his followers Seath and the 4 Kings of New
Londo. And then, after collecting these, using them as kindling for the First Flame. However, there was an unspoken catch. As the
Undead absorbed and collected these souls, filling a Lordvessel allowing passage to the
Kiln of the First Flame… they now had power within them… and would have to burn as well
in order to provide enough kindling to the fire in order to continue the Age of Fire. And whether the Chosen Undead of Dark Souls
1 continued the flame, or it was another... The fire was linked, and the Age of Fire allowed
to continue. Part 3 – Cycles As time progressed, the cycle continued. Time
and time again, the fire would begin to fade, and someone would be sent to rekindle the
fire, linking the flame and allowing everyone else to live on. “Since Lord Gwyn, the first
Lord of Cinder, many exalted lords have linked the First Flame, and it is their very souls
that have manifested themselves as defender of the flame.” Every soul who would come to link the flame
would be tested by Gwyn… and eventually a manifestation of every previous being to
Link the Flame, working together to sustain the Age of Fire. Collectively they stand,
eternally guarding the first flame and the keepers of their age and their time, determined
to live on… determined not to fade away like the flame they protect. For their lives,
and the lives of their offspring, all depended on the life of their flame. And, thus, a ritual was born. A ritual that
began with the events of Dark Souls 1, and one that would evolve over time as it became
set in stone. A being would become a Lord of Cinder, and required to sacrifice themselves
to continue the Age of Fire for the benefit of all who cherish this Age. And how long exactly has this cycle continued?
Well, the Fire Keepers of Firelink shrine “[preserve] the bonfire, and serve its champion.
[Thay are] said to have soothed and accepted the dark sigil, which has tainted her soul.
And yet, [their] soul will one day embed itself in the bosom of another Fire Keeper.” These
Fire Keepers are lead to the Bell Tower when their duty is complete… “a grave of Fire
Keepers past. When a Fire Keeper has served her purpose, she is led to true darkness,
where she enjoyed a long-deserved sleep.” [Reveal dead Fire Keeeprs] For countless ages this ritual continued,
perfected and evolved overtime. Part 4 – Dueling Serpents During the fading of the fire, 2 primordial
serpents appeared and made themselves known to the Undead… Kingseeker Frampt and Darkstalker
Kaathe. Frampt allied himself with Gwyn, and sought
to further the Age of Fire. “I must admit, I am fond of you humans.
May you enjoy serendipity, And may the Age of Fire perpetuate.”
And, after leading the Chosen Undead of Dark Souls 1 towards their fate of linking the
fire, it seems Frampt hadn’t completed his mission. He went on to help found a great
Kingdom, which would be called Lothric. Statues of him can be found throughout the Grand Archives
of Lothric, and “The Lothric bloodline was obsessed with creating a worthy heir, and
when this proved impossible, resorted to unspeakable means. Suffice it to say, the path to linking
the fire is a cursed one indeed.” The Firelink Shrine of Dark Souls 3 is directly
connected to Lothric castle, and multiple Lord Vessels, similar to the one required
to enter the Kiln of the First Flame in Dark Souls 1, can be found throughout the Kingdom
of Lothric. One in the Highwall of Lothric, another in Lothric Castle, yet another in
the Untended Graves, and of course, one in Firelink Shrine itself. We also find the Queen of Lothric, married
to Oceiros, often visited the Untended Graves. She had an Ashen Estus Ring, “Once a treasure
brought before Lothric’s Queen, enshrine in the Cemetery of Untended Graves,” while
“There is a grave in Lothric that sees no visitors, a dark place wehre rootless warriors
rest. The Queen of Lothric alone cared to wish the poor souls good fortune.” Finally, there’s evidence the Shrine Handmaid
who resides in Firelink Shrine may have been one of the High Priestesses who formed the
3 pillars that were the foundation of Lothric. In Dark Firelink Shrine, the Shrine Handmaid
not only sells the Priestess Ring, but also drops it when killed. And, while Frampt influenced the Lothric bloodline
to watch over the linking of the Fire, ensuring the tradition was kept… Darkstalker Kaathe
had other intentions. “Gwyn has blurred your past, to prevent
the birth of the Dark Lord. I am the primordial serpent.
I seek to right the wrongs of the past to discover our true Lord.
But the other serpent, Frampt, lost his sense, and befriended Lord Gwyn.” Kaathe found himself involved with the land
of Londor, the land of Hollows. Londor, “the Hollow Realm, is a society
of undead, comprised of the corpses and shades of those who led unsavory lives.” It’s
run by the Sable Black Church of Londor, founded by Liliane, Yuria, and a third. “These maidens
of a Primordial Serpent were renowned as founders of the Sable Church, which offered salvation
for Hollows.” We also know this Primordial Serpent is Kaathe,
as upon killing Yuria, she’ll protest: “Kaathe, I have failed thee…” Following the teachings of Kaathe, Londor’s
goal became the opposite of Lothric… “Making certain their lord claims the flame, for the
sake of all Hollows.” “The Age of Fire was founded by the old
gods, sustained by the linking of the fire. But the old gods are no more, and the all-powerful
fire deserveth a new heir. Our Lord of Hollows, it shall be, who weareth the true face of
mankind.” Part 5 – The Lords of Cinder Given the number of Firekeepers who have been
thrown into the tower, it’s hard to tell just how long the cycle of linking the fire
has been going on, and when the kingdom of Lothric became involved. We do know of 4 Lords who would end up linking
the fire and thereby becoming Lords of Cinder. “Aldrich, Saint of the Deep” “A right and proper cleric, only, he developed
a habit of devouring men. He ate so many that he bloated like a drowned pig, then softened
into sludge, so they stuck him in the Cathedral of the Deep. And they made him a Lord of Cinder.
Not for virtue, but for might.” Aldrich, who seemed to be a cleric in the
Way of White, which had a foundation built around worshipping Gwyn, was forced into becoming
a Lord of Cinder due to his might after having eaten so many. “Farron’s Undead Legion, the Abyss Watchers.” In the land of Farron, what Oolacile and the
Darkroot Basin “slash” Garden would become, rose the Undead Legion.
“The Undead Legion of Farron is a caravan of Undead. Sworn by the wolf’s blood to
contain the Abyss, the Legion will bury a kingdom at the first sign of exposure.”
It seems this caravan who shared in the Wolf’s blood were duty-bound to contain the Abyss,
a spreading darkness. As the fading fire would create an Age of Dark, this would be counter
to their belief, and “The Watchers of the Abyss swore upon their shared wolf’s blood,
which also served as their mandate as lords.” Together, with the shared wolf’s blood,
they became a singular Lord of Cinder. “Yhorm the Giant” Yhorm, a “descendent of an ancient conquerer”
lead the people of the Profaned Capital. A curse of a Profaned Flame was haunting the
capital, “triggered by the curse of malformed inhabitants.” Yhorm decided to step in.
In order to save his people, and one dear to him, “Lonely Yhorm became a Lord of Cinder
to put the Profaned Flame to rest, knowing full well that those who spoke of him as lord
were quite insincere.” However, this backfired on him, and “The Profaned Capital was consumed
by the fire after Yhorm became a Lord of Cinder.” And finally, Ludleth of Courland, who claims
to have become a Lord of Cinder by choice. “I took the mantle of Lord of Cinder of
mine who volition. I speak these words with pride.”
Although, given Ludleth has no legs and way of leaving his throne… it’s quite possible
he was forced into becoming a Lord of Cinder. “Before I was a Lord of Cinder, I was a
student of transposition. The process of extracting, and coalescing the essence of a soul. A forbidden
art, that once left a foul stain upon Courland’s honor.’
Ludleth carries a Skull Ring, “One of Courland’s transposed wonders. Derived from the soul
of a Soulfeeder. The Soulfeeder was a beast that insatiably absorbed souls to feed its
own power. Even after its accursed corpse was burned, it is said that the pungent stench
of souls left the air permanently stained.” Its very possible that Ludleth transposed
this very beast, and in doing so, so drastically dishonored Courland, he was forced into becoming
a Lord of Cinder. I’m also of the belief that, in order to
become a Lord of Cinder, the Lord must be pumped full of souls. Aldrich was full of
souls by eating so many people, and thereby forced into becoming a Lord of Cinder, as
he was the perfect candidate. Likewise, perhaps by transposing the Soulfeeder, Ludleth unwittingly
pumped himself full of souls, and therefore quite accidentally primed himself into becoming
a Lord of Cinder. And, as each of these Lords of Cinder accepted
their fate, the Age of Fire was allowed to continue. However, what would happen if someone
prepped to be a Lord of Cinder refused? Part 6 – The Resentful Prince King Oceiros, and his Queen had three children.
Lorian, Lothric, and Ocelotte. Lorian was raised to be a great knight, and potentially
the next King of the Lothric line. Lothric, his younger twin brother, was meant to bring
honor to the family by being turned into a Lord of Cinder and Linking the Fire. And Ocelotte,
we know very little about except that “After giving birth to Ocelette, her youngest, [the
Queen of Lotrhic] quietly disappeared.” Meanwhile, the Queen, who was “initially
revered as a goddess of fertility and bounty” had another child, Gertrude – who was associated
with Gwyn’s child Gwynevere. As Divine Blessing of Dark Souls 3 describes the Queen as being
“a goddess of fertility and bounty” and Divine Blessing of Dark Souls 1 tells “The
Goddess of Sunlight, Gwynevere, daughter of the great Lord of Sunlight Gwyn, is cherished
by all as the symbol of bounty and fertility.” – It’s very likely the Queen of Lothric
is in fact Gwynevere. The Queen had a Holy Maiden, Gertrude, and “The Heavenly Daughter
is said to be the Queen’s Child”. If the Queen is Gwynevere, then it’s likely Gertrude
was a daughter of a former marriage… “The Princess of Sunlight, Gwynevere, left Anor
Londo along many other deities, and later became wife to Flame God Flann.” “Gertrude was visited by an angel, who revealed
the tale “Divine Pillars of Light” to her, [which] became the foundation of the
Angelic Faith of Lothric.” This seemed to spark a civil war in the Kingdom of Lothric,
and the “Worship of the divine messengers was viewed as heresy in Lothric and unrecognized
by any of [their] Three Pillars of Rule. This is believed to by why Gertrude, the Heavenly
Daughter, was imprisoned in the lofty cell of the Grand Archives.” Gertrude’s presumed body in the cell of
the Grand Archives is surrounded by feathers, and we find the very same feathers within
Prince Lothric and Lorian’s room. “The Lothric bloodline was obsessed with creating
a worthy heir, and when this proved impossible, resorted to unspeakable means. Suffice it
to say, the path to linking the fire is a cursed one indeed.” It seems plausible that,
in order to create a worthy heir out of Lothric, the Royal Family tortured Gertrude, which
aversely affected Prince Lothric. He was “meant to be a champion, and was expected to wield
this platinum Holy Sword, but some things will remain distant dreams forever.” Either
born crippled, or turned into such by the affects of the Lothric line attempting to
turn him into a Lord of Cinder, he grew skeptical of the Age of Fire. Meanwhile, “The first
of the scholars doubted the linking of the fire, and was alleged to be a private mentor
to the Royal Prince.” This first scholar, be-it Aldia of Dark Souls
2, and the Scholar of the First Sin, or perhaps Pontiff Sulyvahn, whose outrider knight is
guarding the very spell that describes “The first scholar[doubting] the linking of the
fire”, seemed to have planted doubt in the mind of Lothric. And, all of this lead him
to refuse his bloodline’s duty. “Mind you, the mantle of Lord interests
me none. The fire linking curse, the legacy of lords, let it all fade into nothing.” (Play music, show pilgrim butterflies shot,
shot of Champion Gundyr candles, High Wall of Lothric Eclipse shot) Part 7 – A Coming Dark “When the link of fire is threatened, the
bell tolls, unearthing the old Lords of Cinder from their graves.” It’s my belief, and this is speculation,
that as the fire fades it needs more and more souls in order to be rekindled to its former
glory. As Prince Lothric refused to kindle the fire, it faded to a point where it needed
even more souls, and thus, a safety-catch was created. A bell would toll causing the
former Lords of Cinder to rise, who would need to re-sacrifice themselves to the fire
along with the latest Lord of Cinder. However, Linking the Fire.. isn’t a pleasant
affair. “Ahh, it singeth, to the bone, it hurts…
Please, help me. Be done with me… NO, gods, no, I cannot bear it… It burns, burns, help
me…” And, the former Lords of Cinder refused to
relink the Fire. “When Aldrich ruminated on the fading of
the fire, it inspired visions of a coming age of the deep sea. He knew the path would
be arduous, but he had no fear. He would devour the gods himself.” Aldrich instead chose
to welcome the new age, and become a God of it by eating the other Gods. Yhorm, coming back to a kingdom devoured by
the very Profaned Flame he had tried to prevent, and thusly losing someone important to him
seemed to have lost hope. “As a lord, Yhorm risked everything and fought unflinchingly
as a one-man vanguard. Following the loss of the one he wished to protect, he forsook
his shield.” It seems he lost himself, and no-longer cared for the Age of Fire. Meanwhile, the Undead Legion seemed to lose
their minds. With their goal to wipe out and stop any spreading dark, and sign of the Abyss,
they perpetually remain in the Farron Catacombs killing one another as they continuously rise
an Undead, and tainted by the dark. All of this… leading to the slow fading
of the flame, and a perfect opening for the worshippers of the Sable Church of Londor. “In venturing north, the pilgrims discover
the truth of the old words. The fire fades, and the Lords go without thrones.” A pilgrimage from Londor commenced, with Pilgrims
traveling to Lothric in order to further the goal set by Kaathe himself… to find a Dark
Lord. Their mission was to find a powerful Hollow, and influence them into taking the
flame for themselves and bringing a new Dark Age ruled by the Hollow. We see Pilgrim Butterflies flying towards
Lothric’s location and circling around it. While we know very little about the pilgrim
butterflies, outside of the fact The Dragonslayer Armour guarding the bridge to the Grand Archives
is controlled by them, it seems they could be one of two things. We find mutated hollows throughout the High
Wall of Lothric, turning into either trees, or something reminiscent of a Pilgrim Butterfly.
So, it could be that, or… the only other time we hear Pilgrim is in relation to the
visitors from Londor. So, there’s a possibility that after their pilgrimage, to Lothric, as
they all seem to be heading towards Lothric Castle – being that we find them both on
the bridge to Lothric and the way to the main Castle itself – these could be very likely
be what the Pilgrims have become. And, considering they encircle Prince Lotrhic, and seem to
guard him with Dragonslayer Armour, I think its’ very likely these are the Pilgrims
of Londor trying to not only prevent outsiders from intruding and dragging him into linking
the flame… but also to prevent him from leaving. Once reaching Lothric Castle, it seems we
find the true state of things. An eclipse is over the sun, and Firelink Shrine has gone
dark. This is where Champion Gundyr seems to come
into play. “Once, a champion came late to the festivities,
and was greeted by a shrine without fire, and a bell that would not toll.”
He wields a halberd, which he “received when he was charged with his duty.”
I think it’s possible Champion Gundyr was tasked with collecting the Lords of Cinder
himself. However, he was too late, and the fire had already faded. Gundyr is a a giant,
as indicated by his in-game size, and is restrained by a “Prisoner’s chain”, which was a
“Portion of steel chain used to restrain Gundyr.” Given that we find a giant coffin
in the Cemtary of Ash, I find it likely Gundyr was the one who was meant to be the initial
back up plan to gather the Lords of Cinder if they refused to link the fire, hence why
they chose a champion. This is also indicated, to me, by Hidden Blessing, which staets “There
is a grave in Lothrc that sees no visitors, a dark place where rootless warriors rest.
The Queen of Lothric alone cared to wish the poor souls good fortune.” I think this is
because everyone else was likely relying on Champion Gundyr to get the job done. Gundyr would only rise after the bell had
rung, however, for some reason he was late in this cycle, and the fire had already faded.
It’s possible this is because the entire Lothric bloodline was pre-occupied instead
of paying attention to their custom. Lothric and Lorian refused to link the fire, the Queen
had left, and King Oceiros had gone insane. Thusly,
“Champion Gundyr, or the Belated Champion, became a sheath to a coiled sword in the hopes
that someday the first flame would be linked once more.” He would eventually become an iudex, or judge,
for the Ashen who might rise and deem them worthy or not of the great task that lay ahead.
“This [coiled] sword is only bequeathed to chosen ash, as judged by the Iudex, who
awaits the arrival of ash as a scabbard.” Part 8 – The Last Resort As the fire was fading, there was one singular
Lord who returned to his throne… Ludleth. It could be that he arose from the throne
itself, as he has no legs… or that he somehow traveled on his own. Either way, he was present
as the fire was fading. We can surmise this as he has direct knowledge of what happened.
Upon finding the Eyes of the Firekeeper, Ludleth will tell us… “Ahh. Found her, did we? And the black eyes
that shimmer within, I see? Tis as if it were but yesterday. We did all we could to spare
her from them. Much has happened since then. Mayhaps I should apprise thee… Of what the
thin light of these eyes might reveal to the eyeless Firekeeper. Scenes of betrayal, things
never intended for her ken, visions of… this age’s end…” And, witnessing this himself, Ludleth decided
to do something different. He decided to Link the Fire by himself without the other Lords
of Cinder, to create some sort of chance. To create some sort of hope. The Coiled Sword Fragment found in the Dark
Firelink Shrine tells us, “Bonfires are linked to one another irreversibly, retaining
their affinity long after their purpose is exhausted.” Indicating the bonfire was indeed
used in Firelink shrine, and possibly by Ludleth himself. “The eyes show a world destitute of fire,
a barren plane of endless darkness. A place born of betrayal. So I will’d myself Lord,
to link the fire, to paint a new vision.” He continuously mentions himself as a little
flame, and will mention its importance. “See ye not? I am a lord… A wee flame,
belike, but I shoulder the world… Forgive me. Oh please… I am not to blame. I’m
not.” Interestingly, the body the Soul of Cinder
is dragging during the intro looks like it could be Ludleth’s. Either way, I believe him linking the fire,
as he wasn’t kindling enough, created a sort of curse and the Firelink Shrine the
Ashen rises from. It didn’t save the world, but created enough light in Firelink Shrine
for the bell to toll. And, remember, “Bonfires are linked to one another irreversibly, retaining
their affinity LONG after their purpose is exhausted.” If the Ashen were to use a bonfire
in Firelink shrine, it stands to reason that this bonfire would still be linked to all
of its previous bonfires, and thus the Ashen is able to travel to a normal version of Lothric,
where the dark has begun to set in. This is also likely the reason it can be used to teleport
to the location of the First Flame. Part 9: The Unkindled “The Lords will abandon their thrones. And
the unkindled will rise.” The Unkindled rises in what may very well
be a small, alternate Firelink Shrine created by Ludleth linking the Fire by himself. All
of the kingdom of Lothric is connected outside of this version of the Firelink shrine. Meanwhile,
any NPC who is found must teleport in order to reach the Unkindled’s version of Firelink
Shrine. It’s also indicated multiple times that the Dark Firelink shrine is actually
in the past of Firelink Shrine the Unkindled rises from. Gundyr is “bested by an unknown
warrior”, which causes him to become iudex Gundyr. And, this “unknown warrior” just
so happens to be you –when you travel to Dark Firelink Shrine. Meanwhile, if you speak
to the Shrine Handmaid in Dark Firelink Shrine first, before talking to her in your alternate
Firelink Shrine, she’ll have a new line of dialogue indicating she recognizes you
from the past: “Oh, thou’rt…
Oh no, ‘tisn’t anything, Ashen One.” It’s also interesting to note: Gathered
around the Ashen’s grave in Dark Firelink Shrine are Corvians who are listening to a
“heretical storyteller who shares tales of the Painted World to forlorn souls.”
Meanwhile, the Ashen Estus Ring found there, was left by Lotrhic’s Queen who “had it
enshrined so that one day an Unkindled might profit from its use.” Perhaps the Corvians,
too, are trying to influence the ashen who would rise. “Head to the base of the high wall and seek
the Lords of Cinder. Is this not the calling of your kind since
ages past?” It seems the Ashen are cursed to forever rise
and complete this cycle of returning the Lords of Cinder to the First Flame should they refuse. “Ashen One, Link the Fire.
For the Lords of Cinder, For the Ashen Prisoners” The Firekeeper refers to you as a one of the
“Ashen Prisoners”, and, it seems so too are all of the residents we find within Firelink
Shrine, including the Firekeeper herself. “To skirt this curse’s grasp…
…tarry not for long. Tis dark for now, and not a soul stirs.
But remember, fires are known to fade in quiet. Or perhaps thou’rt captive already.
Like that poor girl.” But, as an Unkindled, you perform your duty,
slaughtering both the former Lords of Cinder who refused, as well as Lothric, and bringing
their ashes to Firelink Shrine. At this point, the Unkindled, and you as a
player, must decide which path you believe is best to take in this dying world. You can
choose the path of Gwyn, Frampt, Lothric, and the Lords of Cinder before you - to Link
the Fire and once more continue the Age of Fire and allow the cycle to continue. You
can conspire with the Firekeeper to bring about the Age of Dark, and instead put out
the flame, yet allow the Firekeeper to maintain some hope... Or, if you choose, take away
all hope. And finally, you can choose Kaathe, Londor,
and the Dark Lord. You can take the flame for yourself and begin a new age for the Hollow. -- Alright guys, that wraps up my Dark Souls
3 Story video. I put a lot of work into this, and hope you enjoyed. If you did, I’d ask
you to check out my comedy Super Show series if you’re down for a little fun, as that’s
another series I put a huge amount of work into and would like to continue making. And,
of course, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can always check out the
rest of my Dark Souls 3 Lore series for aspects of the lore in more depth, or catch up with
my Dark Souls 1 lore seires. And, I’ll see you guys next time. Peace!
