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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and all rights for characters, plots and settings belong to G.R.R. Martin and FromSoftware. I have no ownership.
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"Who goes there? Kalé sent you, did he? Ever the bloody busybody. Hmm. Maybe to him, you don't seem so strange. The name's Blaidd. I'm looking for a man who goes by 'Darriwil'. He fled somewhere nearby. Or so I've heard. Come tell me if you find him before I do. I can offer you ample reward. Darriwil is nothing but a traitor. And in need of a fitting end to his tale."
Blaidd the Half-Wolf
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Lands Between, South Limgrave
Aerion
He stopped on a small rise, taking one last look at Evergaol, carefully registering every detail. Apparently, there were many of them scattered throughout the Lands Between. An eternal prison where the passage of time did not exist.
On the surface, the structure looked like a large, flat circle of grey bricks or stone slabs embedded in the ground. In the centre was a glowing blue magical seal.
Around it were worm-like creatures. They looked like vertical stacks of stone spheres with a single glowing purple eye. He didn't know why these creatures were there, but they looked as if they were either guarding this place or supporting it.
The very thought of being imprisoned alone for all eternity, slowly descending into madness, sent shivers down his spine. He would rather die than experience such a thing. On the other hand, he didn't really know what could await him after his true death, especially since the gods, and not the benevolent ones, were involved in his fate.
He turned to Blaidd, who was watching him intently. Despite appearances, the half-wolf, despite having killed the traitor Darriwil, didn't seem in a good mood. His wolfish features expressed distress, and Aerion knew something of it. He had learnt to recognise Ghost's mood.
"I thought you'd be more pleased. Were you so determined to come here and kill that knight?" he asked his companion, but the latter shook his head slightly.
"That's not it; Darriwil was once a companion, serving the same lady, only to betray her. I punished him for his crime, but I still remember the battles and hardships we fought together."
Aerion wanted to ask more but decided this wasn't the right time, and he had no right to meddle in someone else's past. Instead, he examined his newly acquired weapon, summoning it from his inventory.
Bloodhound's Fang
Curved greatsword with a gently undulating blade wielded byBloodhound Knights.
A fearsome blade capable of brutal airborne attacks.
"I admit you have an interesting skill," came Blaidd's voice, approaching him, examining the weapon in Aerion's hands. "Summoning a weapon at will without having to drag it behind you is at least convenient and can probably save your life on occasion. But compared to the Great Rune in your eye, it's not so surprising."
"It's useful," he admitted, ignoring the mention of the Rune, remembering their meeting and the fact that Half-Wolf had attacked him upon sensing it.
Blaidd must have sensed that this came off awkwardly, because after a moment, he added, "Forgive me again. Great Runes are not a good omen in these times. I would offer you service with my lady, but in this situation, I don't think that's possible. Greater Will has his claws locked on you."
Aerion shook his head slightly, saying, "I wouldn't trade one leash for another. I'd rather serve a god than another mortal... and one day I intend to be my own sole master."
The half-wolf nodded. "That's your right, and I wish you success. Besides, if you venture north to Raya Lucaria and come across a venerable blacksmith who's a little on the large side... tell him I sent you." And he'll be sure to treat you right. I owe you one, I reckon."
"I'll keep that in mind," Aerion replied, then extended his right hand to Blaidd. "It was good to meet you. I hope our paths cross again."
Half-wolf grabbed his forearm. "Yes, it's good to meet a friendly soul in these lands. But that's enough chit-chat for now. It's time we parted ways. Are you heading south or returning north?"
"To Weeping Peninsula, then we'll see. Take care, Blaidd; don't get killed until we meet again," Aerion replied, then called Torrent over, immediately jumping onto his back and turning him towards the great bridge on the horizon, connecting the two landmasses.
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The Bridge of Sacrifice was a monumental structure, but it was surprisingly poorly defended. Godrick's mere dozen soldiers and a single knight guarding the structure, stretching over 650 feet and defending the only passage between what were essentially two continents, revealed Godrick's obvious weakness.
In truth, he spent more time admiring the bridge itself than dealing with his opponents.
And as for his continued journey, he had several places he wanted to visit first. Although Blaidd didn't like to talk about himself, he was happy to share knowledge of many interesting places.
In addition, his mistress had asked him to travel to the Wichbane Ruins in the western part of the Peninsula, though she didn't give a reason. This was his primary reason for travelling there.
But everything came to a screeching halt when he saw a young woman sitting on a rock by the side of the road. Her faded dress bore traces of blood, and she wore a black eyepatch, which likely meant one thing: she was blind.
The situation was made worse by the fact that bodies were strewn around her, belonging to both Godrick's soldiers and Misbegotten. From the arrangement of the bodies, it was clear that while the soldiers were trying to protect the young woman, the beasts were trying to reach her.
4 escaped from Castle Morne, to the south." came the melodious fearful voice of a woman.
"The servants there...have rebelled. I-I can't be sure what it is; my eyesight's been weak since birth you see... But I swear I heard frightful howling from all over. My good father secreted me out the castle but decided himself to stay. He says it's his duty as commander."
Aerion didn't respond immediately, trying to understand and sort out what the woman had just told him. According to Sellen, Castle Morne belonged to Godrick, and a large garrison was stationed there.
According to the woman, Irina, her father commanded the castle, which would make him an enemy of Aerion, as so far, all of Godrick's men had tried to kill him, and the demigod himself was on his personal list of those to kill for his horrific practices.
If a mutiny had occurred, the question arose as to who the servants were who had rebelled and whether their actions were justified. Seeing the bodies lying around him, he could only assume the servants were misbegotten.
As much as he hated Godrick, he had no intention of siding with monsters against his own race, no matter the reasons, even if they were cursed from birth with their clumsy appearance and treated as servants and slaves.
He didn't know the young woman before him, nor her history or future, but he knew that if he had to kill all the misbegotten in Weeping Peninsula to save her, he would.
Just as blood bonds bound something, so too did the bonds of humanity. Just as the people of the seven kingdoms and the free folk, despite their differences, must unite against a common enemy: the Others.
Aerion was no longer the same boy who saw everything in two colours: honour and dishonour, good and evil. This world, like his own, was filled with grey. Sometimes a good man must do evil to prevent something worse, and sometimes the one who does evil most of the time does good. The world was as complex as hell.
He dismounted lightly and approached the young woman, introducing himself. "I am Aerion, the Tarnished."
"Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling beside her and checking for any visible injuries.
"Yes, b-but I... I fear for father's life." she replied with a slightly trembling voice. "The servants are full of wroth. Filled with hatred for every one of us. They've since come for every one of the companions I escaped with. They haven't spared a soul. I fear it's no different at Castle Morne"
"Aren't you hurt?" he asked, looking at the bloodstains on her dress.
"No, my companions guarded me until the very end. But I beg you to hear my request. Please, I implore you. Would you mind taking a letter to my father, at the castle? My sole wish is that he escape, even if his honour should be the price. Please... I just want him to be safe..."
Aerion looked at her sceptically, wondering if she was being reckless or if she had something in mind.
"Wait, my lady. I don't know if I understand correctly? You're alone here in the middle of nowhere, with something trying to kill you at every turn, and you're suggesting I leave you here alone and go with a letter to your father?" he asked; his tone must have been sarcastic, because the woman's cheeks flushed just below the blindfold.
"I-I do..."
"Never mind. I'll deliver this letter," he interrupted. "But I don't intend to leave you alone." With that, he grabbed her under the knees and back and lifted her easily.
"Good ser, what is your purpose? Please put me down."
"Forgive me, but you're coming with me. There's no way I'm leaving you here alone," he replied, then lifted her onto Torrent's saddle before mounting himself.
Grabbing the reins with one hand and wrapping the other around her waist to keep her from falling, he steered Torrent south, where Castle Mourne lay over two hundred miles away, on the very southern coast.
"Hang in there, Irina. Soon you'll personally convince your father to abandon the castle," he assured her, then urged Torrent onwards. Even with the spirit mount's incredible speed, they had a long way to go, not counting breaks for combat. He needed his runes, after all.
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He dismounted Torrent, running an affectionate hand through his mane.
He then summoned the Academy Glintstone Staff to his left hand and the Battle Hammer to his right. A moment later, the first spell left the crystal on the staff's tip and flew towards the misbegotten charging at him in fury.
Their faces, blinded by hatred and rage, erased any trace of sympathy he might have felt for their plight. And when the Glintstone Arc decapitated two of them, there was no turning back. Only slaughter remained.
More turquoise arcs flew at his enemies, dismembering their bodies, while those who managed to break through met the impact of his hammer.
Aerion's strength was so significant that the shattered bodies of the demi humans flew many metres through the air, landing on the ground or colliding with their own kind.
A moment later, however, the situation became somewhat complicated when a troll joined the fight, wielding a sword twice as large and probably several times heavier than Aerion's. However, contrary to appearances, it wasn't the troll that worried him the most.
Nearly a dozen Stray Dogs raced ahead of the troll. How he hated them. He quickly dismissed his staff and instead summoned the Dragon Communion Seal and cast the only incantation he knew for now, Agheel's Flame.
The upper half of the dragon's body materialised above him, sapphire flames spilling from its maw before him like a river, engulfing both the charging dogs and the misbegotten, filling the ravine with their agonised cries.
A wave of flames also struck the troll, which let out a cry of pain, but this didn't deter the creature for a moment. Even though its limbs were engulfed in flames, it was focused solely on reaching him.
Aerion extended his right hand, holding the hammer, and swung it with all his strength, aiming for the giant being's face. The hammer struck the troll's forehead with a resounding impact, striking it with tremendous force, staggering it.
The stunned troll fell to the ground, where a moment later it was consumed by blue flames.
Aerion then made his way back to Torrent and Irina, who was sitting on him. The entire damned road south was filled with misbegotten dogs, and was that the third? A troll. He'd lost count.
They had been travelling for over a day, and Aerion was nervous because, according to his calculations, he should have returned to Westeros hours ago. He even found a place where Irina could wait for him safely in an abandoned wizard's tower.
Then, summoning the Banished Knight Oleg and leaving him to guard, he continued his solitary journey, which proved to be a good idea, as not only did he encounter another member of the Night Cavalry, but also some damned giant bird that looked as if it had been summoned back to life by the Others and was spewing black and white flames.
Worst of all, however, was that cursed village filled with madmen filled with the Flame of Frenzy. Because of his weakened immunity, they were even more dangerous, hurling those rotten yellow flames at him from their eyes. And they weren't the only ones.
Everything there was trying to kill him. Giant rats, but also smaller animals like rabbits and even insects. The flame of madness burnt in their tiny eyes.
Miraculously, he escaped with his mind intact, but until then, he was accompanied by an increased intensity of whispers in his head. Worse still, even Torrent refused to approach the village, and if the spirit was afraid, it meant something incredibly dangerous was lurking there.
He entered, however, seeking answers to the curse that weighed on him, but instead of finding answers, only more questions arose in his mind.
With a sigh, he remounted Torrent and hurried him along the road south. The sooner he completed this task, the sooner he could explore the central and western parts of the peninsula.
So he urged Torrent, who sped like an arrow shot from a greatbow, until the landscape around them seemed to blur. However, this haste almost cost Aerion his life.
Because the arrow, as big as a spear, missed his face by literally centimetres, and the blast itself lashed him in the face so hard that it momentarily stunned him.
Shaking himself, he summoned a telescope from his inventory and placed it to his right eye, gazing into the distance. A few miles away, just before the castle rising behind him, stood a stone statue—actually a golem, if he remembered Sellen's warnings correctly—who was just drawing back the string of a damned bow as big as a troll.
Aerion watched carefully, waiting for the golem to release an arrow, then immediately swerved Torrent sharply to the side. A moment later, the arrow slammed into the ground a few metres away, sending a mass of earth and rocks into the air.
It was ridiculous. If that arrow had hit him, he would have been nothing, or at least lost the upper half of his body. It easily covered a good six or seven miles in two, maybe three, seconds.
He urged Torrent forward, ignoring the misbegotten milling about on the plains, keeping his telescope on the stone golem. With each dodged arrow, they drew closer to their target, but the danger grew ever more dangerous.
He had less and less time to react. A mile from the golem, a huge arrow covered the distance between them faster than he could blink, and if he weren't on Torrent's back, he would surely have died.
He pulled out a Spirit Calling Bell and summoned three Lone Wolves, who immediately charged, and he directed Torrent in an arc to give the wolves time to attack.
The golem, however, didn't let up, and two more arrows flew towards him. Then the Lone Wolves reached their target and lunged at the stone giant, drawing its attention. Aerion directed Torrent directly at him.
Although the summoned spirits were merely irritating to the golem, it was enough. He summoned a Battle Hammer into one hand and a staff into the other, then cast Scholar's Armaments Spell, coating the hammer with the empowering glintstone sorceries.
He was only a dozen or so metres from the golem when he mentally commanded Torrent to leap into the air, then once more, and they bounced off the ground level with the golem's face. Aerion launched himself from his saddle, straight at the giant archer's head.
In mid-air, he grabbed the hammer with both hands and, swinging it overhead, struck the golem's head with the combined force of his mass and muscular strength, shattering its upper half.
Under the force of the impact, he then slammed his legs into the golem's shoulder, desperately grabbing the rest of its head. They both tumbled to the ground, but he jumped down at the last moment, rolling to avoid injury.
The stone golem, on the other hand, hit the ground with a thud.
You have slain Golem Archer
You receive 5345 runes
You receive Golem Greatbow
You receive Golem's Great Arrow x5
Golem Greatbow
Greatbow of black stone crafted by a civilization now gone to ruin. Weapon of the Guardian Golem.
Extremely heavy, this Greatbow requires enormous strength just to draw,
suggesting it was not designed for human use.
Golem's Great Arrow
Greatarrow of black stone crafted by a civilization now gone to ruin. Used by the Guardian Golem.
This hefty arrow is enrobed in tempestuous winds, allowing it to break enemy stances and guards with ease.
He quickly reviewed his newly acquired items and nodded with satisfaction. The runes would definitely be useful.
He glanced around for more enemies but saw none nearby, and even the castle entrance seemed unguarded.
Three Lone Wolves ran up to him, awaiting further instructions, but for now, he intended to catch his breath and prepare before assaulting the fortress.
He looked around again and indeed spotted golden particles circling a spot a few hundred metres to the west: the Site of Grace. Mounting Torrent, he rode to the spot, then awakened it.
The first thing he did was to look through the acquired items, including consumables, and sort them, seeing if any might be useful while clearing the castle of misbegotten. He honestly didn't think so, but there were a few noteworthy items that might prove useful in the future.
Sacrificial Axe
Hatchet used in ancient sacrificial rite. A Deathbird is depicted as a malevolent deity.
The power of the rite yet lingers. A small amount of FP is restored upon slaying a foe.
Great Turtle Shell
Shield fashioned from a great turtle shell. The natural curve helps it contend with foes' attacks.
The turtle is a symbol of tirelessness, and this shield boosts stamina recovery speed.
Ash of War: Mighty Shot
Mighty Shot: Archery skill performed from an oblique stance. Ready the bow, then pull the bowstring to its limit to enhance the power of the shot, penetrating the enemy's guard.
Usable on light bows and longbows.
Ash of War: Barricade Shield
Barricade Shield: Skill made famous by Sir Neidhardt. Focus your energy into the shield, temporarily hardening it to deflect greater blows.
Usable on all shields.
Crimson Amber Medallion
A medallion with crimson amber inlaid. Raises maximum Vigor.
The Erdtree's old sap becomes amber, treasured as the most precious of jewels in the age of Godfrey, the first Elden Lord. A primordial life energy resides inside.
Nightrider Flail
A flail with two additional bludgeoning heads. Weapon of the Night's Cavalry who ride funeral steeds.
The large spikes make it highly effective at inducing blood loss, but also demand higher dexterity to wield.
Poison Mist
Incantation of the servants of rot. Releases a poisonous mist before the caster. This incantation can be cast while in motion.
Those who dwell within poison know rot all too well. The death that begets life, that comes to all equally. That is to say: it is the cycle of rebirth put into practice.
The Flame of Frenzy
Incantation originating from the maddening Three Fingers.
Causes the yellow flame of frenzy to burst forth from the caster's eyes. Charging increases the range of the burst.
The flame of frenzy deals damage and causes buildup of madness. This incantation also causes buildup of madness in the caster, and is only effective against Tarnished.
He hung the new talisman around his neck with the others. The rest had to wait their turn in his inventory.
As for the two incantations, he had no intention of using the Flame of Frenzy in his current situation unless he had absolutely no choice. He didn't want to worsen his condition, since he was already burdened by that damnable deity's curse.
But Poison Mist could be useful. Once, the mere thought would have disgusted him, considering using any poisons dishonourable, but now he had no intention of refusing any tool that would allow him and the people he cared about or was responsible for to survive.
He then glanced at his status, wanting to spend his accumulated runes. The last thing he wanted was to lose them.
Name: Aerion Sand
Title: Tarnished of no renown
Level: 83 → 93
Runes : 22421
Runes required to level up: 26340
Focus Points: 401/401
Attributes:
Vigor: 26 (+1 from EF, +2 from Crimson Amber Medallion)
Mind: 24 → 26
Endurance: 25 → 26 (+1 from Erdtree's Favor)
Strength: 26 → 30
Dexterity: 26 → 30
Intelligence: 23
Faith: 36 (+10 from EotG, +5 from Marked by Flame)
Arcane: 25
Resistance:
Poison - 26%
Scarlet Rot- 26%
Madness - 9% → 11% ( -15 from Marked by Flame)
Sleep - 24% → 26%
Blood Loss - 25% → 26%
Frostbite - 75% → 76% (+50 from Song of Ice & Fire)
Death Blight - 25%
Damage negation:
Holy - 25%
Fire - 75% → 76% (+50% from Song of Ice & Fire)
Lightning - 36%
Magic - 23%
Aerion clenched his fists and closed his eyes, instantly feeling his own strength grow, and not just in the physical sense. The leap was significant, making him feel more ready to conquer his first castle alone.