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THE WORLD
Northern Undead Asylum
The Asylum was a prison located far north of Lordran where the undead were gathered and left to rot. It is guarded by two sentries: the Asylum Demon, who wards the primary exit, and the Stray Demon, who abandoned his post. Upon the players return to the Asylum after leaving, you can fall through the floor where you fought the Asylum Demon and face his much tougher counterpart. The Asylum was run by the Thorolund Church, the Way of White covenant. The church feared the undead, and those whom they detested were corralled here.
Firelink Shrine
Firelink Shrine is the Rome of Lordran: it is a central hub that connects nearly all major areas of the game. It also serves as the shrine built to honor the Kiln of The First Flame, upon which the location was built.
Undead Burg/Parish
The Undead Burg and Parish are the dwelling places for undead that have gone hollow. There is nothing particularly of interest in these areas. The first Bell of Awakening sits atop the Parish, guarded by two Gargoyles.
The Depths
The Depths are a place of filth and pestilence. The cannibalistic butchers lure unwary travelers into their sewers and trap them for their unholy desires. Its resident patriarch, the Gaping Dragon, had an insatiable hunger, and as a result this mutated him into a gaping maw, turning him into the monstrosity he is today.
Blighttown
Blighttown was presumably once a humble, modest living place. The Great Swamp was not always a pool of putrid filth, and in fact is the home of the original Pyromancies. But following the creation of the Bed of Chaos, it was transformed into a disease-filled bog of poison and toxic.
Quelaags Domain
Quelaag is one of seven Sisters of Izalith, daughters to the original Witch of Izalith. She was mutated by the spread of Chaos as a result of the tampering with humanity to imitate Gwyns Lord Soul. Her domain holds the second Bell of Awakening. It is filled with thousands of plague-filled egg sacks as a result of the spread of Chaos and its close proximity to Blighttown.
Sens Fortress
A proving ground for adventurers seeking Anor Londo, Sens Fortress was a test to determine whether or not one was worthy of visiting the city of the gods. There has been great debate about the origin of Sen (regarding whether Sen was a person or simply a reference to something). One interesting connection is its Japanese translation, thousand, suggesting the name is simply Fortress of a Thousand Traps.
Anor Londo
Anor Londo is the city of the gods, home to Gwyn and his followers. Legends state that this great kingdom once prospered under the gloriously incandescent sun. Though the Age of Fire wanes, Gwyndolin, the youngest child of Gwyn, resides in his fathers tomb and manipulates the inhabitants and sky into preserving the farce of sunlight. He creates the illusion of Gwynevere, his sister, the goddess of sun, to perpetuate this lie.
Valley of Drakes
The Valley of Drakes is a minor area bridging several locations in the game: Darkroot Basin, New Londo, Firelink Shrine, and Blighttown. It is inhabited by many blue drakes - smaller variants of the Hellkite Drake in the Undead Burg - and a single Undead Dragon.
Royal Wood
The Royal Wood eventually becomes the Darkroot Forest following many centuries of affliction by the abyss, and from neglect. The landscape is virtually identical when traversed in the past as it is when adventuring through it in the present, with many locations and landmarks still in existence, although with obvious signs of aging. The location in which you fight The Great Grey Wolf Sif is actually the Sanctuary Garden of Oolacile, and exiting this room in the present is the same bridge you cross when entering the Royal Wood from the past.
Oolacile Township
A residential area located in the heart of Oolacile. The effects of the abyss are shown as you venture deeper into the burg. Those who were affected by the spread of darkness remain as mutated sorcerers, practitioners of the dark magic that was created from the Oolacile spells which were corrupted by the Abyss. Prior to the Chasm of the Abyss, there is a respawning black phantom enemy known as the Chained Prisoner who will drop pieces of the Chain armor set, but it is unknown who this figure is, if anyone.
The Abyss
A world of literal nothingness, the Abyss is home to many terrifying and primordial creatures, Kingseeker Frampt and Darkstalker Kaathe included. The Abyss has always existed, but is said to have spread via Oolacile when the inhabitants of the city dug up the grave of Primeval Man. Today, the Four Kings reside in the Abyss and only those who have sworn a covenant with the creatures of the dark can survive down there.
Catacombs
The Catacombs are a labyrinthine burial ground of undead whose skeletons have arose thanks to the dark magic of the necromancers that reside within. Thorolund legend speaks of the ancient Rite of Kindling which is said to strengthen the bonfires, and those members who have turned undead are sent on a divine pilgrimage into the Catacombs to discover it. The adventure is mostly a lie: though the Rite exists, the Church simply hopes that the banished undead will perish in the Catacombs, thus ridding them of their undead nuisance. Members of the Way of White who turn undead are not sent to the Asylum, but are dealt with in this manner.
THE STORY
Upon the discovery of fire, the world underwent dramatic change, and thus the Age of Fire began. Prosperity spread, new magic was developed, and the gods lived in harmony with their people all except the dragons. The Everlasting ones, whose secret of immortality branded them a threat to the mortals, existed as the true rulers, and the deities would not have this. Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight, had been granted a powerful Soul from the flames, and with it became a god. He bestowed his infinite potential to his followers and concocted a plot to overthrow the dragons. Along with the Witch of Izalith and Gravelord Nito, both of whom had also been granted the same privilege of Gwyn, they rallied together and fought back against the dragons but it was for naught. It wasnt until Gwyn formed an alliance with Seath the Scaleless, whose contempt toward the other dragons led to his betrayal, that the Lords would achieve their victory. Seath pilfered the Primordial Crystal from the Everlasting Dragons, which rid them of their infinite state, and thus they fell. But in time, all things must pass. The Age of Fire was coming to its end, as the embers that once burned brightly slowly began to fade. And with that, death and destruction would follow. In an effort to recreate the First Flame, the Witch of Izalith experimented on a soul using Pyromancy. The result turned her into the Bed of Chaos, and spread chaos out from Lost Izalith, transforming all of its inhabitants into demons. Gwyn sought to contain this disaster, and sent an army of his loyal Silver Knights to combat the spread of chaos. They were utterly overwhelmed, and their armor charred black from the flames. The Black Knights that exist today are merely husks of their former selves while the remaining Silver Knights in Anor Londo stayed behind to defend the city. Gwyn saw the terror that had been wrought and seeking to contain the madness, ventured to the Kiln of the First Flame and sacrificed his own humanity to relight the fire. The gesture worked for the time being and the Age of Fire was maintained, but in doing so, Gwyn became hollow and was forever changed into the Lord of Cinder. The gods fled Anor Londo around this time to escape the collapse of Lordran, including Gwynevere, Gwyns eldest daughter and the goddess of sunlight. Gwyndolin, the youngest son, however, remained behind to preserve the honor of his father. Among the others that remained were Ornstein and Smough, the former a legendary dragon slayer and the leader of Gwyns personal knights, and the latter an executioner criticized for his cannibalistic tendencies. New Londo, the city of the Undead, fell soon thereafter as the Abyss spread from Oolacile. Artorias, another of Gwyns personal knights, ventured into the Abyss with his companion Sif in order to contain it before New Londo was flooded. But Artorias did not succeed, and his sanity was broken by the maddening temptations of the dark. Before his complete transformation by the Abyss, Artorias constructed a powerful shield of magic around Sif to preserve him from the horrors. Oolacile is lost to the records and New Londo is flooded. After 1000 years from Gwyns sacrifice, the Age of Fire is once again dwindling. As the dark draws closer this time, a curse spreads across the world, turning nearly all of the population either undead or hollow. The Way of White establishes the Northern Asylum to confine the undead and attempt to maintain peace. Gwyndolin and Kingseeker Frampt, a primordial serpent and dweller of the Abyss, concoct a plan to deceive adventuring undead into reigniting the First Flame as Gwyn once did, and preserving the Age of Fire. Thousands have tried and been tested before the player characterand thus the game begins.
THE ENDINGS
Although there are only two endings in Dark Souls, they have sparked a great deal of debate. Like the rest of the game, its not enough to simply witness the endings you have to do a bit of detective work to fully understand them. Upon examination of both, neither is considered to be a truly good or bad ending, they are both merely two sides of the same coin.
Dark Lord
The Dark Lord ending is otherwise known as the Age of Man ending. In this, the player refuses to link the bonfire, thus putting an end to the Age of Fire. The player is then greeted by Darkstalker Kaathe and Kingseeker Frampt, as well as a host of other unnamed Primordial Serpents. It is presumed through Kaathes dialogue that the world will now fall under darkness. Mankind will be left to fend for themselves in a dystopian world with no law. The future is uncertain.
THE CHARACTERS
Anastacia of Astora
Anastacia is the firekeeper at Firelink Shrine. Her tongue has been removed after she had supposedly spoken in vain against the gods. She is seen in the opening cinematic praying over a fallen soldier. Should you free Lautrec of Carim and progress passed a certain point in the game, he will kill Anastacia then venture to Anor Londo. The player can then invade his world in Anor Londo, and upon killing him, will receive a Firekeepers Soul in order to revive her. When revived, her gift of speech returns, although she seems quite distraught about that.
Rhea of Thorolund
Rhea is a maiden of the Way of White who has turned undead. She is on a quest from the church to find the Rite of Kindling, and is accompanied by her bodyguards Vince and Nico, as well as Petrus once she ventures into the Catacombs. After Petrus abandons them in fear, Trusty Patches tricks them into falling in a pit, and her bodyguards go hollow. Should you rescue her, she returns to the Undead Parish to pray, but Petrus, fearing that her safety means she will return to Throlound and speak of his cowardice, kills her. You can save her by killing Petrus once she has returned. Should you save her and buy all of her miracles, she will end up in the Dukes Archives as a hollow (supposedly after being kidnapped by one of Seaths Channelers for experimentation).
Dusk of Oolacile
A princess from the ancient city of Oolacile, displaced through time. She is found in Darkroot Basin after rescuing her from within a gold crystal golem. She serves as a vendor of the Oolacile sorceries, as well a catalyst for venturing back into Oolacile via the DLC.
Hawkeye Gough
One of the four Knights of Gwyn, whose great arrows could pierce a dragons hide. He was renowned as the greatest archer that ever lived. Players encounter him trapped atop a tower in Oolacile, and he helps shoot down the Black Dragon Kalameet, enabling the player to do battle with the last of the fierce Everlasting ones.
Knight Artorias
Artorias was perhaps Gwyns most renowned knight, spoken of in great idolization. He had an unbending will, as shown by his ring, the Wolf Ring, and his companion Sif was his most loyal friend. Artorias ventured into the Abyss to stop the spread of the curse, but despite his efforts, the great swordsman fell victim.
Dragonslayer Ornstein
The leader of the Knights of Gwyn and a fierce soldier, Ornstein is capable of moving at blinding speed and wields a mighty lance. He and his friend Executioner Smough have remained behind in Anor Londo, perhaps to help Gwyndolin maintain the fallacy of sunlight. At the time of his meeting, Ornstein is the only one of the Four Knights still alive.
Alvina
Alvina is a large feline creature that resides in the Darkroot Forest just prior to encountering Sif. She governs the Forest Hunters and protects the woods from those who would pillage and plunder the grave of Artorias. Players encounter her in past Oolacile as well, and it is by following her that one can actually find Sif and rescue him.
Kingseeker Frampt
A Primordial Serpent, Frampt is known as the Kingseeker, and is a follower of Gwyn. He appears at Firelink Shrine after the player has sounded both Bells of Awakening. Its later revealed that he is working with Gwyndolin to manipulate the player into linking the bonfire. The Primordial Serpents are imperfect dragons, much like Seath the Scaleless.
Darkstalker Kaathe
Kaathe, like Frampt, is a Primordial Serpent, though his intentions appear at face value much more sinister. He is the leader of the Darkwraith covenant and can be only be found in the Abyss once the player has defeated the Four Kings. He wishes for the Age of Fire to end, and urges the player to not link the bonfire. Siding with him causes Frampt to leave Firelink Shrine, however, choosing the Dark Lord ending causes Frampt to appear in the final cutscene with Kaathe, leaving the true motivations of both characters in question.
lives only to serve his goddess, Fina. Perhaps he kills Anastacia and claims her Firekeepers Soul as an offering to Fina.
Solaire of Astora
Solaire is a powerful member of the Warrior of Sunlight covenant whom the player can summon for many boss fights in the game. The players can join his covenant by either speaking to him at the Altar of Sunlight, or by visiting the Altar at a later time when their faith has reached the required amount. According to the lore, there is a third, eldest, unnamed son of Gwyn who was the god of war. This person lost his deific status and his name was forever removed from the annals of history. There is speculation about whether or not Solaire is meant to be that person, but none of it is concrete. It is worth noting, however, that Solaire frequently speaks of Gwyn with great admiration and even attempts to emulate his actions. Solaire is also the only NPC, should you finish his quest line successfully, who can be summoned for the battle with Gwyn himself.
Quelana of Izalith
One of the seven sisters of chaos, and daughter to the Witch of Izalith, Quelana only appears to the player in Blighttown if he or she possesses a +10 or higher Pyromancy Flame. She is a renowned practitioner of the original form of Pyromancy, and has only taken on two pupils in her lifetime: the player, should you accept, and the great Pyromancer Salaman.
Quelaag of Izalith
One of the seven sisters of chaos, she has been tragically mutated by the spread of chaos and disease in Blighttown. She guards the second Bell of Awakening, but more importantly, protects another sister, the unnamed Fair Lady (dubbed Quelaan by fans).
Ceaseless Discharge
The Ceaseless Discharge is the unnamed son of the Witch of Izalith, brother to Quelaag, Quelana, and the Fair Lady. He was heavily mutated by the spread of chaos and now keeps watch over the corpse of one of his fallen sisters.
Bed of Chaos
The Bed of Chaos is the result of the Witch of Izaliths experiments on a soul in trying to recreate the original Flame. The resulting chaos spread through the city and transformed her into a literal conglomerate of fire and destruction.
Gwyndolin
Gwyndolin is the youngest child of Gwyn, and because he was born closer to the end of the Age of Fire, as a result he possessed a great connection with the moon. Sadly, he was deformed, and thus ashamed of his birth. Gwyn raised him as a daughter because of his affiliation for the moon, and upon Gwyns departure from Anor Londo, Gwyndolin sealed himself away in his fathers tomb. He is the leader of the Darkmoon covenant, a brand of noble hunters that seek out and punish those who have sinned.
Gwynevere
The daughter of Gwyn and goddess of sunlight, little is known about the true existence of Gwynevere. The image that players find in Anor Londo after defeating Ornstein and Smough is that of an illusion created by Gwyndolin. Whether the real Gwynevere is this size is unknown, although what we do know is that she fled Anor Londo with the other gods and with her husband Flann, the god of fire. The illusion of Gwynevere is the leader of the Princess Guard covenant, though technically that makes Gwyndolin its leader, all in an effort to maintain the lie. Killing Gwynevere will plunge Anor Londo into darkness, removing many of its inhabitants while replacing them with much more hostile enemies. Further, players who die in the city will always spawn at the earliest bonfire in Anor Londo upon death, regardless of which one you last rested at. Coincidentally, the Dark Lady, who is that bonfires keeper, will turn hostile whether you attack Gwyndolin or Gwynevere, rendering that bonfire useless.
Everlasting Dragon
The Everlasting Dragon is the last of the ancient race, though he serves little in-game purpose other than to allow players to join the Path of the Dragon covenant. Doing so allows players to eventually gain access to the special dragon-shift items, which can turn your character into a dragonoid type of creature. Doing so means you are unable to wear any armor, however. The character reverts back to human upon death but can switch back at any time.
Havel was a close battle compatriot of Gwyn and a Bishop of an unnamed organization (possibly the Way of White, as discussed with the next character). Havel was also the sworn enemy of Seath, and detested Gwyns allegiance with him. The player finds Havel locked away in the tower connecting the Undead Burg with Darkroot Basin. He was reportedly locked there for being cursed with undead; however, there is speculation that Gwyn had him confined in fear of a betrayal. Havels equipment is found in a secret stash in Anor Londo, and among them a mimic chest which holds an Occult Club. Occult weapons were seen as extremely dangerous, for they were used to hunt the gods. For this reason, the Dark Ember necessary for making Occult weapons was sealed away in the Painted World. Why Havel would have such a weapon in his personal stash made Gwyn nervous, and so he may have had Havel imprisoned and simply told everyone he was hollow. After years of isolation, Havel likely ended up going hollow by the time the player confronts him.
Allfather Lloyd
Lloyd was a true god, unlike that of Gwyn whose deific status was given to him upon the discovery of the Lord Soul. Lloyd was the founder of Thorolund and the Way of White, and was also Gwyns uncle, which means that Gwyn was likely part of the Way of White covenant (whether at one point or another). Because of this, there is speculation that Havel was a Bishop of the Way of White covenant. Lloyd is not a character ever seen in the game; he is only referenced in item descriptions.
Gravelord Nito
Gravelord Nito is one of the originals to have possessed a Lord Soul, and thus maintains a deific role as the lord of the undead. He is the leader of the Gravelord Servants, who attempt to spread the curse of undead to other players and lure them into their own world for combat. Killing Nito does not break the covenant if you are already a part of it, but you will be unable to join it if you kill Nito first.
Marvelous Chester
A man of mystery encountered in Oolacile, he was similarly dragged into the past by the hand of Manus. It is speculated that he, at one time, possessed the other half of Manus broken pendant and that Chester may not actually be his real name. He is likely from Carim, as he wields the Sniper Crossbow with exceptional skill, and his attire was tailored for an aristocrat, lending credence to the possibility that he may be Earl Arstor of Carim, who is mentioned in the descriptions and responsible for the creation of the following items: Purging Stone, Bloodbite, Poisonbite, and Cursebite Rings, and the Shotel, a deadly weapon used by Lautrec.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is the first friendly NPC you encounter in the Abyss and serves primarily as a vendor of the Oolacile spells once Dusk is kidnapped. However, her dialogue as you progress through the content and defeat Artorias suggests that she is the one responsible for perpetuating the legend of Artorias. She suggest that your accomplishments in the past will remain a secret amongst those who witnessed it, but that the world will forever learn that it was Artorias who traversed the Abyss and defeated Manus. This is supported by Alvinas dialogue, when she tells the player that the myth of Artorias is a lie.
CREDITS
Once again, Id like to give the credit to where its really due. For an even more detailed analysis of the games story, including many things there werent touched upon here, check out ENBs series of lore videos, and for some FAQ about some of the minor aspects of the game, read the fan-collaborated Google Docs page. The purpose of this compendium is to combine all of the basic information about the games story into a single, neatly structured encyclopedia of sorts a cliff notes version, if you will. It is by no means definitive, but I hope, at least, it is effective enough to give people a basic understanding of the story of Dark Souls.