Dark Souls

DARK SOULS A COMPENDIUM OF LORE, HISTORY, AND CHARACTER INFORMATION Version 1: Compendium started and all basic information assembled Version 2: Added information on the DLC locations and minor characters The basis of this guide is to provide a neat and concise collection of all information currently gathered from all possible resources (including print and video). This is not in any way, shape, or form, the sole effort of mine, and in fact I reserve no right or credit to any of the information provided herein. I am simply a medium, here to gather and appropriate the information into concise categories for easy access. Credit goes to ENB’s series of lore videos, the FAQ page on Google docs, and of course the continued efforts of the fans who gather this information for us. The following information is based on those previous sources, which include evidence supported via ingame dialogue and item descriptions, as well as minor speculation. (Now for real, can someone find a use for the Pendant?)

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 player’s 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.

Quelaag’s 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 Gwyn’s 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.

Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith The Demon Ruins are the charred remains of an ancient city, now ruined by the spread of the demons of Chaos. Lost Izalith was the home of the powerful Witches, and was once a tremendous and powerful nation of Pyromancy. It exists now simply as a forsaken land that has also long-since succumbed to Chaos. Izalith is also geographically the lowest point in the world.

The Great Hollow/Ash Lake The Great Hollow and Ash Lake are two hidden and entirely optional areas of the game. The Great Hollow is simply a magnificent archtree whose insides have hollowed out, and from them a marvelous system of branching paths has created a way to its roots. Through the Great Hollow, players can find Ash Lake, the home of the Everlasting Dragon. This place is potentially the shoulders upon which the world rests. Like the Norse myth of Yggdrasil, players can see dozens of massive archtrees out in the distance whose branches likely support the structure of the world.

Sen’s Fortress A proving ground for adventurers seeking Anor Londo, Sen’s 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 father’s 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.

Painted World of Ariamis The Painted World is a sealed, forsaken realm where all things deemed unfit are banished. Plague-ridden hollows, heretical warriors, and dangerous artifacts are locked away in this world by a powerful magic. It’s worth noting that Ariamis is not the name of the world, but is in fact the name of the person who created it. The only way to enter is to possess the Peculiar Doll. Priscilla the Crossbreed is thought to be the protector of this cursed land, and speculation arises as to whether or not she is aware of the tragic state it is in, or is simply oblivious to it.

The Duke’s Archives/Crystal Cave Following the battle against the Everlasting Dragons (as seen in the opening cinematic), Gwyn appointed the title of Duke to Seath the Scaleless and gave him access to the great Archives of Anor Londo. The Duke’s Archives are thus filled with hundreds of thousands of books dedicated to Seath’s research into the Primordial Crystal, the secret that gave the Everlasting Dragons their “immortality.” His experiments resulted in many abominations being created, such as the Pisaca Demons found in the prison area, the crystal golems seen throughout the world, and presumably Priscilla the Crossbreed herself. To conduct his research, Seath bid his followers – the Six-Eyed Channelers – to abduct maidens from throughout Lordran. The Crystal Caves exist to house the Primordial Crystal, and upon destroying it, players can then defeat Seath.

Darkroot Garden/Darkroot Basin/Darkroot Forest The Darkroot areas are the ruins of the once-powerful magical city of Oolacile, which had succumbed to the spread of the Abyss. The Garden is protected by loyal Forest Hunters and houses the grave of Knight Artorias, guarded by his faithful companion the Great Grey Wolf Sif. The Basin is inhabited by a terrible hydra and several crystal golems that have escaped the caves of the Duke’s Archive.

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.

New Londo Ruins New Londo was a city constructed at the behest of Gwyn to serve as a place where the undead could live a life of peace. It was reportedly a wealthy and prosperous city once, with tremendous architectural and technological means, and was ruled over by a council of four kings who were given a part of the Lord Soul. When the Abyss spread out from Oolacile, it infected New Londo first, and devastated the great nation, turning many of its inhabitants into beings known as Darkwraiths. The Four Kings, too, were manipulated by the dark. In an effort to spare the rest of the world and contain the Darkwraiths, the Three Sealers – sworn to forever keep the Seal unbroken – flooded the city and killed all of the inhabitants. Two of the three sealers fled the city, ashamed of their forsaken duties.

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.

Chasm of the Abyss It is unknown whether or not the Chasm existed prior to the spread of the Abyss, or what existed in its place. It simply stands now as ground zero for the darkness. Manus, Father of the Abyss was buried in this location, and once he was exhumed, the Abyss spread and consumed everything in its path. Manus now desperately searches for his missing pendant, but is forever trapped in the darkness that he unleashed.

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.

Tomb of the Giants The Tomb of the Giants is an even deeper burial ground where the remains of giants have risen to defend Gravelord Nito, the First of the Dead. There is some speculation about the “First” in Nito’s name, whether it denotes that he was literally the first to have died, or figuratively, as if he was the chief among the dead – their leader. Nito himself was granted a Lord Soul and aided Gwyn in defeating the Everlasting Dragons by spreading a miasma of disease.

Kiln of the First Flame The Kiln is a coliseum-like structure built to house the First Flame that began the Age of Fire. It was the discovery of this flame that granted Gwyn, the Witch of Izalith, and Nito their Lord souls, and from this, the Furtive Pygmy also received the “Dark Soul” – the source of human life. When the Age of Fire began to wane, Gwyn returned to the Kiln to reignite the flame by sacrificing himself and becoming consumed in the embers, turning him hollow.

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 wasn’t 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, Gwyn’s 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 Gwyn’s 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 Gwyn’s 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 Gwyn’s 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 character…and 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, it’s 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.

Link the Bonfire The “Link the Bonfire” ending is what appears to be at first glance the “good” ending judging by its name. Linking a bonfire is good, right? Especially since bonfires have served as places of rest and respite throughout the entire game. But in the ending, as we see and know from having already examined the history of Gwyn, to link the bonfire, the player character sacrifices himself to the flame. A noble gesture one might say, but what does this actually do? Well, again as we’ve seen from Gwyn, linking the bonfire simply preserves the Age of Fire for a little while. In other words, it’s not a solution; it’s merely a band aid fix. Gwyndolin and Frampt know the consequences full well as they have both witnessed it happen to Gwyn. They are merely trying to manipulate the player into sacrificing his or herself to perpetuate the Age of Fire, despite its inevitable waning in another thousand years – or perhaps less next time.

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 Kaathe’s 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 Firekeeper’s 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 Duke’s Archives as a hollow (supposedly after being kidnapped by one of Seath’s 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 dragon’s 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.

Lord Blade Ciaran One of the four Knights of Gwyn, Ciaran was a member of the Lord Blades, a group of assassins that served Gwyn’s more sinister needs. Ciaran was a female, uncommon for Gwyn’s knights, and was chosen to be one of his personal soldiers for her cunning and lethal precision with daggers. There is speculation about a potential love interest between her and Artorias: her ring, the Hornet Ring, is found on his grave in the present, and she appears at his grave in the past after you have defeated him.

Knight Artorias Artorias was perhaps Gwyn’s 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.

Great Grey Wolf Sif Sif guards Artorias’ grave in the present, perhaps as a way to prevent adventurers from finding the Covenant of Artorias ring and venturing into the Abyss like his master. Sif can be found in the past as the player explores the depths of Oolacile. He is protected by a magical seal created by Artorias’ shield as his last rational action before falling to the Abyss. The player can rescue Sif, and then summon him as a phantom in the battle against Manus. Doing so prior to fighting Sif in the present time will reveal a new introduction cutscene to his battle.

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. It’s 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.

The Four Kings A council of four kings who ruled over New Londo while it was prosperous. Gwyn offered a piece of his Lord soul for them to rule with. When the Abyss spread, the weakness and fear in their hearts led to their corruption. They allowed the Darkwraiths to spread throughout New Londo, slaughtering all of the inhabitants. They and all of the residents were flooded along with the city.

Knight Lautrec of Carim Lautrec is a knight from Carim and specializes in using thrusting weapons and deadly shotels that can pierce through shields. His true intentions are a complete mystery; however, his armor set reveals that he

lives only to serve his goddess, Fina. Perhaps he kills Anastacia and claims her Firekeeper’s Soul as an offering to Fina.

Siegmeyer and Sieglinde of Catarina Siegmeyer is a veteran warrior from Catarina whom the player encounters several times throughout the game. On each occasion the player must help Siegmeyer out of a particularly tight spot, and should you proceed with his quest line to its conclusion, Siegmeyer will reward you with a great prize. Sieglinde is his daughter whom you encounter in the Duke’s Archives. She has traveled to Lordran in search of her father, and will reunite with him if you complete both of their quests perfectly.

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).

The Fair Lady The Fair Lady is the leader of the Chaos Covenant and is also a keeper of the bonfire. She speaks a language unfamiliar to the player’s ears; however, if you wear the Old Witch’s Ring, you can understand her. She is covered in hundreds of toxic eggs, unable to move. She is also blind and in constant pain. She suffers in order to maintain the chaos that hit Blighttown, so it did not spread beyond its current reach. Because she is blind, she mistakes you for Quelaag when you wear the Old Witch’s Ring, leading her to assume that her sister is not dead.

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 Izalith’s 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 Gwyn’s departure from Anor Londo, Gwyndolin sealed himself away in his father’s 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 bonfire’s keeper, will turn hostile whether you attack Gwyndolin or Gwynevere, rendering that bonfire useless.

Gwyn, Lord of Cinder Gwyn is the final boss of the game and the man responsible for perpetuating the Age of Fire. He exists simply as a hollow now, and as such, does not begin his confrontation with any typical pre-fight monologue or speech.

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.

Seath the Scaleless Seath was an imperfect dragon: his bright, luminescent color differed to that of the often dark hues of the Everlasting Dragons; his wings are light and translucent; he is blind, has no legs, and of course, is scaleless. All of this resulted in his jealousy of the other dragons and led to his betrayal when he joined up with Gwyn to defeat them. He spent the rest of his life researching the secret of the Primordial Crystal, which possessed “eternal life,” and in the end his own experiments drove him mad.

Havel the Rock

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 Gwyn’s 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. Havel’s 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 Gwyn’s 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 Alvina’s dialogue, when she tells the player that the myth of Artorias is a lie.

Black Dragon Kalameet The last of the active Everlasting Dragons, Kalameet prowls the skies of a decaying Oolacile. After Gough grounds him with a great arrow, the player can fight him in the valley below. He is known as the bringer of calamity, and for this he is a fearsome adversary.

Manus, Father of the Abyss Manus was a primeval human whose own humanity became unstable, turning him into a malevolent creature. The citizens of Oolacile dug up his grave at the behest of a Primordial Serpent, which is what caused the Abyss to spread. Artorias attempted to fight him but lost, causing him to become entirely consumed by the darkness. Manus’ origin is unknown, although there is great speculation that he may be the Furtive Pygmy, the progenitor of mankind.

CREDITS Once again, I’d like to give the credit to where it’s really due. For an even more detailed analysis of the game’s story, including many things there weren’t touched upon here, check out ENB’s 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 game’s 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.