Chapter Text
The drifting embers tell a story. One of how a Tarnished of no renown, came to the Lands Between, and through adversity and anguish came to behold the Elden Ring. Their tale is written equally in blood, failure and triumph. For alone they could not have claimed the throne of Elden Lord. Countless were their foes, and few their allies. Fewer still would live to witness a new Elden Lord rise. Lunar Princess Ranni, now Lunar Queen Ranni, child of the Carian Queen Rennala, and the second Elden Lord Radagon, took this once lowly Tarnished as her consort.
Together, the crumbling remnants of the once glorious Golden Order were finally torn down. As the last piece of the now fled Greater Will having been slain for the Tarnished to lay claim to the throne. Together, they ushered in an age of stars, the Lands Between was no longer bound to the whims of higher beings, no gods or demigods remained to rule them. All were put to the sword by the Tarnished, who claimed each of their Great Runes. General Radahn, Proud Leader of The Redmanes. Godrick The Grafted, Sovereign of Limgrave. Morgott, The Omen King of Leyndell. Mohg, The Fell Lord of Blood. Praetor Rykard, The Blasphemous Lord of the Volcano Manor, and Malenia, Blade of Miquella and Goddess of Rot.
Each held power well beyond that of the Tarnished, demigods one and all. Yet, despite their near godhood, the Tarnished would prevail, again and again. Yet, not without sacrifice. Loss and sorrow would come to be well known to the Tarnished, along with pain and suffering. Melina, a figure who saved the Tarnished from dying in obscurity. It was from her blessing that the Tarnished was given the means to improve themselves to be a match against what adversaries awaited them. It was she who granted the Tarnished a place within the Roundtable Hold.
Yet, despite their once shared goal, for the Tarnished to become Lord, it would not last. Upon the realization of what was required to gain access to the Erdtree, that denied any and all entrance, and thus the Throne. The Tarnished was overcome by despair, all too similar to the one who walked the path before them, having gotten so close, yet faltered at the last step. Heeding the tainted words of a maddened corpse, they delved deep into the depths beneath the Capital, and came to behold a wretched secret. Driven now by the desire to prevent Melina’s fate as naught but kindling, the Tarnished took the wicked deal, of which their body now shows the permanent price paid for it.
The Flame of Frenzy, born within the Three Fingers, now burned within them. Despite all of this, the Tarnished still held fast. Even after Melina left their side, proclaiming that they would die by her hand, they felt no sorrow, for she would still live. As the flame screamed within them for oblivion, they continued forth, using themself as both kindling and spark, to set the Erdtree aflame and to grant them the means to become Lord.
A place out of time, where upon rested both Destined Death, and the Lord of a Time long since past. Despite the challenges, the Tarnished laid low the Lord of Dragons, and it was there, within the heart of the storm beyond time, that the Tarnished would outwit the Flame. A needle, of unalloyed gold, crafted for the sole purpose of removing the influence of higher beings. With it now piercing their heart, the Flame of Frenzy held sway over them, and The Lands Between, no more.
Despite everything, the Tarnished became Lord of their own will. With the new empyrean Lunar Queen Ranni, and the Last Elden Lord being the foolhardy Tarnished to whom she came to hold as her beloved, the two made to leave the Lands Between behind. To prevent anymore destruction to be caused by the Elden Ring. Yet, they would not leave anything unsaid or undone.
The Tarnished’s heart still bled from those they could not save, but held fast for those they could. The last two who remained with the now flame consumed Roundtable Hold. An old master of smithing, whose memory was consumed by the flames as well, and Roderika, a woman who could attune with spirits left within ash. She refused to leave the aged blacksmith Hewg behind, even as the flames threatened both. Even though Hewg could no longer remember the reason he refused to leave the Hold that once yet no longer held him captive, he was still smithing away, for a reason he could no longer recall.
Yet, before the fire claimed them, the Tarnished ushered them to safety. Entrusting their care to a merchant who has been there from the start of the Tarnished’s journey. Granting them the means to live well, the Tarnished bid farewell to some of the last friends they had made that still lived.
Only one remained to whom Ranni wished to give her goodbyes to. Her mother, the Carian Queen of Raya Lucaria, Rennala of the Full moon. Though her mind had long since left her, all but consumed from grief and by the amber egg that once held the Great Rune of the Unborn. Even though Rennala did not recognize her daughter within the doll her soul now inhabited, Ranni would not leave her mother unprotected. The arcane sorceries that would guard Rennala would never be breached, any who would attempt would find themselves naught but twisted lumps of malformed flesh.
Though she did not make it known, the Tarnished knew what else she wished done before bidding farewell to the Lands Between. Though it took some time, both Iji and Blaidd, both loyal to her to the very last, were given proper burials.
At long last, before they truly left the Lands Between, the Tarnished returned to the Church of Vows, where Miriel, the Pastor of Vows, and Boc, the Tarnished’s ever loyal seamster awaited them. Together with Ranni, they would make a vow. A vow that would never be broken.
Though the vow is unknown to every living soul beyond those present, it is said that the vow the Tarnished spoke moved Miriel so as to draw tears from the wizened turtle. It was then and there, accompanied by Boc, that the Tarnished and Ranni took their leave of the Lands Between.
Yet, the tale of the Tarnished who would become Elden Lord, did not end there. For despite the Lands Between far behind them, another land would beckon them, a strange and twisted land. Yet, in comparison to the Lands Between, it was a veritable wonderland.