This will cover mine and others interpretation of the lore for the bosses in Dark Souls II. Please share your interpretations and any information I've missed below.

At this point in time DLC bosses will not be included due to the size of the guide. If this proves popular enough and people want the DLC boss lore then please comment below!

Any help with typos or errors is much appreciated! :D

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Located in the Forest of Fallen Giants, the Last Giant is the sole surviving Giant of the Cardinal Tower siege. He is the beaten, broken remains of the Giant Lord who had once brought wrack and ruin to the entire kingdom of Drangleic. The Giants were eventually defeated by an unnamed hero, but alas, victory came all too late as Drangleic had already become a pile of rubble. After being felled by an unknown warrior, the Giant Lord’s remains were dragged beneath the stronghold, where he was sealed away.







Many seasons had come and gone, and the Giant prepared for his final rest. When the Giants fall they grow into great trees. Death is not the end for them, for anything that has ever once lived remains a part of a great cycle of regeneration. But, the Giant Lord’s soul remained magnificent, testimony to his former strength. Perhaps, the Giants’ resentment for the King could not be pacified in death, only emboldened? A singular rage burns within their hearts and their wills of steel cannot allow them to forgive the misdeeds of King Vendrick. Perhaps it is this burning hatred that allowed the Giant Lord to remain for such a long time after his defeat? Perhaps it was targeted at the warrior who defeated him. When we stand before him, the Giant Lord recognizes us. His rage becomes uncontrollable and he is able to break free of his restraints. This final battle truly displays the determination of the race that once ruined Drangleic, as he will tear his own arm off if it will give him an advantage over you.
The Giant Lord is the king of all Giants. After his kingdom was invaded by King Vendrick, whom was under the influence of Nashandra, the Giant Lord invaded Drangleic to avenge his losses, and to retrieve the prize that Vendrick stole from him. Possessing a will of iron, the giants laid siege to Drangleic in a war that lasted for generations, and laid waste to the once proud kingdom. Eventually the Giant Lord was defeated by an unknown hero, and the giants retreated, crossing the sea to return home. The Giant Lord himself, broken and beaten, was dragged beneath the fort where he fell, and imprisoned there.

The Pursuers may have been knights who were cursed. Like Paladin Leeroy, they were given a mission to atone for their sins; to hunt down and kill all other bearers of the darksign which indicates they are cursed. They may have been convinced that this would cure them of their own curse and therefore symbolically atone for their sins. What we know for sure is that the Pursuer hunts those who are Undead. It has a large quiver on its back that carries an array of weapons, presumably taken from Undead like us who were defeated.

They may have been a part of a kingdom we know about, we can’t be sure. It is possible they were warriors of Alken. The Ring of Blades can only be gained by defeating the Pursuers scattered across Drangleic and its text indicates it was made in Alken.

The Pursuers are very susceptible to lightning damage and can be poisoned. These two facts indicate they are both hollow/cursed and human, along with the pronoun “he” associated with them in descriptions. The Pursuers’ associated descriptions indicate they are carrying out a mindless task given to them from long ago, in a similar vein to the soldiers found at the Forest of Fallen Giants.

Wielding an ultra greatsword renowned for being one of the mightiest of its design, the Pursuer will relentlessly stalk its target until slain. It is unknown if the Pursuer served under King Vendrick, as did many other knights, or if it acted off of it's own accord.

The Dragonriders were King Vendrick’s royal guard. Together with the king, they helped found Drangleic by crushing its former inhabitants and erecting the kingdom upon their graves. Long ago, the Dragonriders mounted wyrms and were feared on the battlefield for their unparalleled strength. The armor and weaponry they utilised demanded great skill and inhuman strength to wield. Those who aspired to join the Dragonriders were trained with their wyrms. Those who did not have the mettle to handle their training were torn apart by their wyrms, while those who survived emerged with deific strength. The weapons of the Dragonriders were imbued with magic and included a halberd, a twinblade and a bow. The halberd and bow are likely to have been used atop their wyrms as they enable long reach.

The Dragonriders we encounter in Drangleic are found at the Tower of Flame in Heide and the royal treasury of Drangleic Castle. The Dragonriders were clearly trusted by Vendrick and seem to be placed either to protect the areas they are in, or to oppose any undead who would come after the King. The Dragonriders are weak to fire and lightning damage but stronger against magic and dark, indicating that they have since hollowed.

What happened to their wyrms is unknown, but it may be that the creatures have since died out, while the Dragonriders endured because they have hollowed.

The Old Dragonslayer resides within the Blue Cathedral beside Heide’s Tower of Flame. He greatly resembles Dragonslayer Ornstein who guarded the Cathedral in Anor Londo in Dark Souls 1. Why or how this almost exact replica of Ornstein ended up in Heide is not explained. It is likely that the Old Dragonslayer is a ‘reincarnation’ of Dragonslayer Ornsteins soul, which was gifted to him and the Four Knights by Gwyn. This seems most probable because:

1. The Dragonslayer is very similar to Ornstein in both look and combat style, but with a few significant differences. The armor is darker, the attacks utilise Dark (unless you are skewered on his spear which uses lightning) and the Old Dragonslayer does not appear to be as agile as Ornstein was, despite originally charging at you when you enter, he does not do this again. Gravelord Nito and the Rotten are thematically similar in the sense that they are an amalgamation of bodies, and the Rotten is a confirmed ‘reincarnation’ of Nito.

2. Almost everything about the Dragonslayer is described as Old, from his soul to his in battle name to his Old Leo Ring. The four great souls of Gwyn, Nito, the Witch of Izalith and Seath the Scaleless are also all classed as Old (Old King Soul, Old Dead One Soul, Old Witch Soul, Old Paledrake Soul). The title of Old seems to be used to refer to something incredibly ancient (an exception being the Old Iron King), and perhaps a ‘reincarnation’.

3. The Dragonslayer soul creates Ornstein’s Ranseur (Dragonslayer Spear). While this evidence can be used to further the idea that the Old Dragonslayer is Ornstein, but fallen to Dark, it could also mean that it is the same soul that has taken on a new form, like the other Old souls.

4. The Dragonslayer guards a cathedral like Ornstein. This speaks of thematic similarities as opposed to the same man just doing the same thing for his entire existence. The Old Leo Ring was beloved by the Old Dragonslayer. The fact that it was beloved indicates a strong dependence on it, and may imply that the Old Dragonslayer was in fact not Ornstein, who seemed to possess a certain confidence in himself, though this is just speculation.

So, while not conclusive, the evidence seems to indicate that the Old Dragonslayer is not Ornstein himself, but just a continuation of his soul finding a ‘new’ form. If that’s the case then where can we place Ornstein in the world of Drangleic? It may be that the kingdom in which the Old Dragonslayer resided came under attack by dragons or those using dragons to attack. We know of only one force that utilised dragons to attack; Vendrick’s Dragonriders. These dragonriders were said to have helped Vendrick found his kingdom, crushing the former inhabitants of the land and erecting Drangleic upon their graves. The Old Dragonslayer may have risen to the occasion and fought against these Dragonriders. We also know that Vendrick was originally a seeker of light, and his army with him. This would explain why the Old Dragonslayer utilises Dark in his attacks.

Interestingly, if the Old Dragonslayer did fight against Vendrick’s Dragonriders, it would serves as a sort of reflection of how Gwyn fought against the dragon’s to rise to power, but reversed, as Vendrick used dragons to rise to power.

However, very little is known about Heide, and it seemed to find its end by being subsumed by the sea (though an invading force may have had a hand in that, perhaps by breaking dams or walls holding water back) instead of at the hands of an antagonistic force.

The Flexile Sentry is a merciless creature whose purpose is purportedly to punish the Undead. By the descriptions of its deeds, it seemed to fill the role of an executioner or one that would eradicate the Undead. It did this by cramming inmates of the overflowing Lost Bastille onto a rickety ship and casting them out to the open sea.

A former King, likely its creator, commanded the Flexile Sentry to deliver those who had no cells to a faraway land, and to make certain they were never heard from again. The majority of these unfortunate souls drowned or starved, but a few hardy survivors made land to the south and imparted their knowledge of sorcery to the people there.

We know that Melfia is to the south of Drangleic, and that it has deep roots in both sorcery and pyromancy. We also know that Olaphis, a kingdom that once existed on the same spot as Drangleic does today, once flourished in its knowledge of sorcery. Straid, a member of the King’s court in ancient Olaphis by invitation, was captured and turned to stone in the Lost Bastille when the King of the time began to see the progenitor of the curse in anything and everything. All this evidence points to the creation of the Flexile Sentry by the King of Olaphis, and gives us the origins of the Melfian nation.

Interestingly, it may also explain the fate of Olenford, who is revered as the father of sorcery in Melfia, as we also know from the Varangian Sword description that during this King’s reign sorcerers in particular suffered dreadfully. Therefore, it is likely that Olenford was one of these unfortunate castaways.

The Flexile Sentry appears to be reptilian in nature, but is conjoined at the base of the spine. Like the Executioner’s Chariot, it may reflect the soul of whoever created it in some way. The Warped Sword description says that its weaponry was once straight, but later twisted to reflect its warped owner.

The Flexile Sentry creation appears to have been used throughout the history of the land that Drangleic occupies. To the North in Eleum Loyce we discover further Flexile Sentries, indicating the Ivory King either created or utilised them. In the Shaded Woods we find a Flexile Sentry guarding some remains that hold the Dragonslayer’s Crescent Axe. The Suspicious Shadow set says that King Vendrick hired adept assassins from Mirrah to put down those who were cursed. In the same way, Vendrick saw to it that the sentries would deport as many undead as possible and send them to a faraway land.

The Lost Sinner is a prisoner of Sinner’s Rise. Her imprisonment is self-imposed, as the exit to her cell is wide open. She eternally punishes herself for the sins of her past. She does this by remaining imprisoned, and by wearing her penal set. A mask that pushes spikes into her face, a straight-jacket with a belt that tightly cinches, or binds her waist, handcuffs that restrict the movement of her hands, and a skirt that the guilty wear in shame.

The Lost Sinner committed what some would believe to be the ultimate sin; attempting to light the First Flame. Any context for her crime is not included, but the events described happened a long, long time ago as it is repeatedly mentioned in her item descriptions that “by now, no one knows who this was used to punish, or for what reason”. We can draw a number of inferences about the Lost Sinner. It is evident that she hates light, as she will extinguish the braziers on either side of her when the boss fight begins. But interestingly, she was willing to leave them burning prior to the Chaos Bug entering her mask. This indicates that she is controlled by the small Chaos Bug we see in her opening cut scene. We know that the Witch of Izalith was transfigured into such a bug, and became the Bed of Chaos, mother of demons. We also know that these creatures have the ability to control others or at least influence their actions, because of the unfortunate fate of ‘bad-ending’ Solaire. It seems likely then that the Lost Sinner is controlled by the Chaos Bug. It may be that the “she” the item descriptions refer to is the Chaos Bug, as the Lost Sinner herself seems to be very masculine. Perhaps, the Lost Sinner battles with the Chaos Bug for control, and that is the reason for her self-imposed imprisonment, as she fears that if she were free she may be driven to try to commit the same crime.

Certain things relating to the Lost Sinner indicate she may be insane. The floor of her cell is completely covered in writing; strange symbols that are unreadable to us. She is wearing a straightjacket, a common restraint amongst the mentally disturbed. Her cell contains many chains, all pulled to a central point on the floor, indicating she was once bound with them, but escaped, and could have escaped the cell altogether.

The Lost Sinner possesses the Soul of a Great One; she holds the remnants of the Soul of the Old Witch of Izalith. Eons have passed since the Old Witch of Izalith walked the land, but such was her power that it persists even now.

The history of the Lost Bastille indicates that there was once a Lord who, attempting to quell the rapid spread of the Curse across the land, imprisoned those branded within the Bastille, which was turned into a prison. A tower was built to contain even more of the Undead, but in the end it did no good. The tower became known as Sinner’s Rise. Those imprisoned were left abandoned to rot. The events described appear to have taken place when the Kingdom of Olaphis was around. We hear from Straid a very similar story, and know that Straid was betrayed by the people of Olaphis who feared his sorcery. In this climate and culture the cure for the Curse must have been desperately sought, as it is now. It seems likely that the Lost Sinner was one born into the time of Olaphis, though this is by no means a certainty as in every age the Curse has come again and people have been driven to desperation.

The presence of two pyromancer phantoms in the New Game plus boss fight against the Lost Sinner indicate that she had a following. Why else would these two phantoms from adjacent cells come to her aid? These pyromancers are known as Prisoned Sinners. Another character we meet in the Lost Bastille known as a sinner is Vorgel the Sinner. This phantom wears the armor of Drangleic soldiers and seems to have carried the Bastille Key or protects it. This Bastille Key allows access to the Sinner’s Rise doors and an easier victory over the Lost Sinner, prompting the question; are the two connected? While she may have had people who supported her, the fact that the properties of her greatsword are unknown even to her may indicate that it was given to her as a punishment. We know that it becomes weaker the more sinful the wielder, and perhaps this fact eternally reminded the Lost Sinner of her plight.

We must also ask, what is so bad about trying to light the First Flame? Shalquoir says the Lost Sinner tried to light the first flame (not re-light it), indicating it had been extinguished. We can already see a similar situation to that of Gwyn and the Witch of Izalith. The Witch of Izalith attempted to duplicate the First Flame from a soul, but instead created the Flame of Chaos, a twisted bed of life. Perhaps it was knowledge of this history that caused the Lost Sinner to become so vilified by others and filled with self-loathing. Whatever her crime, it would seem the Lost Sinner has paid dearly for it, and we cannot help but pity her (even as she tries to poke our eyes out).

The Ruin Sentinels are creations of the jailer. They have no corporeal form, and are only an empty soul that haunts the armor. They are encountered in the Lost Bastille and Drangleic Castle, behind soul operated doors.

The Ruin Sentinels in the Lost Bastille each have a name. They are called Yahim, Alessia and Ricce. The significance of these names is not known. Perhaps these Ruin Sentinels were the originals, and still retain some memory of their lives before the process that left them encased in armor. Interestingly, only the Ruin Sentinels in the Lost Bastille will throw their shields at you. This action may be a further indication that the Ruin Sentinels of the Lost Bastille have personality.

The purpose of the Ruin Sentinels appears to be similar to that of the Undead Jailer enemies. They are soldiers or guards whose job it is to stand and keep watch. Their position in the Lost Bastille indicates they were to keep prisoners from escaping (perhaps from the cells prior to their boss fog, or the section connected to Sinner’s Rise). Who the jailer is, is unconfirmed, but the face behind the title of “jailer” may have changed throughout the centuries.

Originally the Lost Bastille has links to Olaphis and may have been built during that time. We know that the King of Olaphis began to seize anybody they found undesirable, cursed or no, and impound them in the Lost Bastille. Whoever posed even the slightest threat, was removed. This King may have created the Ruin Sentinels to watch over these prisoners and would therefore be considered the “jailer”. Vendrick then, in his travels, may have come upon the Ruin Sentinels and wished to recreate them for his own purposes. In a twist of fate, the Ruin Sentinels in Drangleic Castle appear to be the ones who are jailed and watched over by the Stone Soldiers.

There are some interesting thematic coincidences to note about the Ruin Sentinels that may just be a result of being developed by a team. Their armor resembles Syan’s set in both colour and design (especially around the shoulders). Their helmets strongly resemble that of the Loyce Knights of Eleum Loyce and their maces resemble those of the Archdrake Sect.

Gargoyles were sentries created by the ancient gods of Anor Londo. Some were originally made to guard the Bell of Awakening atop the Undead Parish and to patrol the streets of Anor Londo. Since then gargoyles have appeared in many forms in all the great lands throughout history. They are known to guard castles and forts from ill fortune.

The Prince of Alken likely knew about gargoyles and their uses in history. To protect the bell of his beloved Princess of Venn from those who would stop the Bellkeepers from ringing it (“We've been ringing this bell forever, we have! Ah hah hah hah!”) by removing the bell, he had them meticulously crafted and given life. The Prince of Alken or whoever created these gargoyles, gave them a two-pronged spear (a bident) that imitates a weapon mentioned in an ancient text, so it is clear that they had read about them.

The gargoyles protect the seaward front to the Bell of Venn (held in Alken), as it is perhaps unlikely that an attempt to stop the bell from ringing would be made from within the Lost Bastille as the entrance to the Belfry Luna is hidden by a Pharros Contraption.

There are 5 gargoyles that mysteriously come to life in the Belfry Luna. Some of the statues have had their heads broken off, and like the stone soldiers of Drangleic castle, they do not rise to attack you.

It is interesting to note that some of the gargoyle statues can be found in the King’s treasury at Drangleic Castle in the same room as the Dragonrider duo, however they don’t come to life. It may be that Vendrick copied these statues after visiting the Belfry Luna in his travels.

The Old Iron King commanded the capture of all Undead, and led his best men on Undead hunts. The captured Undead were thrown into cells built in the forest that would become known as Huntman’s Copse. These unfortunate souls were tortured and killed mercilessly, and eventually reduced to skeletons. Those charged with the task of rounding up the Undead were overcome by the Curse themselves, and the march of time has eroded any difference between the captors and the captives.

The Skeleton Lords were the leaders of these hunts, and the very men who were ordered to hunt down the Undead were themselves hollowed. With their memories purged in ‘rebirth’, they founded a kingdom of bone.

The Skeleton Lord’s likely forgot what they had been commanded to do due to the Undead curse eroding their memory. But they retained the knowledge that they had once ruled, and impelled by this memory, established thrones made from bone. The structure they occupy is completely filled with bones, even piled up into the corners. These were once their countless victims, subjects of the Old Iron King, who have now become servants of the ‘Bone Kings’.

The Skeleton Lords wield different weapons. One, a roaring halberd, a weapon forged from the soul of a Skeleton Lord imbued with the power of dark, who is also capable of pyromancy and will cast fire orbs. Another, a Great Scythe, and the final one a spear like weapon that appears to be a Bone Staff, though may not be released in game.

Located in the Undead Purgatory, the Executioner has slain countless Undead, and continues to slay them again and again, eternally. Little does he know that it is not by his own will that he slays the Undead, but that of his horse.

The Executioner was created only to torment and inflict merciless agony with utter impunity upon the Undead by the Old Iron King or one of his subjects. When the Chariot was created it took the form of a horrendous mad steed. This mad steed is the one controlling the chariot, though the now hollow Executioner sits atop it. The form this steed took was a window into the soul of its master, who may have been the Old Iron King. During the reign of the Old Iron King, he led his best men on hunts for the Undead in Huntman’s Copse. Those who were caught were rounded up and thrown into cells. Some were taken to the Undead Purgatory where they would be endlessly tortured. The name of the place implies that it was to cleanse them of their Undead curse. The more likely reason is that the Old Iron King did not care to try and find a cure for the unfortunate souls, though he may have been able to with his great soul.

Necromancers were put into the Undead Purgatory in order to resurrect the Undead so that they could be endlessly tortured. Eventually these necromancers went hollow themselves, but continue in their old ritual.

The Covetous Demon was once a man whose deep affections were unrequited. The Bone Scythe indicates that he was entranced by some perversion of love by Mytha, the Baneful Queen. We know it is Mytha because the description states that he never left the Queen’s side, and we find him within the Earthern Peak along with Mytha the Baneful Queen. As an expression of desire for the Queen, this man ate excessively. Eventually, he transformed into the Covetous Demon, which only made him lonelier than before.

We know that Mytha was once considered the fairest queen in the land, but her love was unrequited by the man she eventually married, likely because it was a political marriage. However, to try and seduce her husband (perhaps due to her vanity), she experimented with poisons found in Harvest Valley, and eventually transformed herself into the gorgon-like woman we fight.

To be at the Queen’s side at all times, the Covetous Demon must have been an important member of the Queen’s court. It is likely he was wealthy before he transformed, as constantly eating is a characteristic of those with plenty. Therefore, it may be that he was an official of the Queen’s court before she was married, and fell in love with her there. Alternatively, it may be that when the Queen began to experiment with poison, this man who would become the Covetous Demon fell in love with her and all but confirmed that she should continue down her path if she was to win back the heart of her husband. We know that the Queen used poison to beckon unknowing souls to the defiled valley and perhaps these souls were entranced with some perversion of love, a description which may be referring to lust.

The Bone Scythe is said to grind flesh apart as opposed to slicing it. This is clearly indicative of the Covetous Demon’s teeth, which would grind apart its food, whether that is flesh or not. His eating is an expression of desire and he devours all things, even Undead Labours. This taste for flesh seems to link this demon to the Demon of Song, a demon which also developed a taste for flesh. While the comparison is interesting to note, it is perhaps just a common trait amongst demons.

The fate of the man who became the Covetous Demon is not unique. We also find a white colored Covetous Demon in the Lower Garrison of Eleum Loyce. The reason for this is never explained. The white Covetous Demon drops an Ivory Warrior Ring when defeated, either indicating that it ate a warrior wearing this ring or that it was a warrior who wore this ring before transforming (likely the former).

Mytha was the fairest queen in the land. She was wed to the Prince of “that nearby castle” and became a Princess, eventually this Prince would go on to become King, and she his Queen. What castle Gilligan is referring to is very likely the Iron Keep, as it is the next area after conquering Earthen Peak. We know that Mytha is familiar with and can utilize the now lost art of puppetry (creating manikins to serve her will). Mytha was formerly engaged to the Old Iron King.

Mytha was considered very beautiful, and she knew this. But when she was married, she realised that her husband, the King, did not love her. He had feelings for another. Mytha could not believe, and would not accept that someone as beautiful as her, could not be loved by this man. That there was something higher than physical attraction impelling someone to love. Instead of questioning why it was that her King did not love her, why he loved another, she sought further beauty at whatever cost. In ancient times, cosmetics were a much simpler affair. Lead was a common property in Roman cosmetics. Cinnabar and red lead were used as rouge despite the generally widespread knowledge that they were poisonous. Malachite was used as green eye shadow, and this too was poisonous. These ideas may have provided the inspiration for Mytha’s character.

Mytha became obsessed with regaining (or gaining) her King’s love through beauty and by being the most beautiful. She sought any means to achieve this, even poisoning herself (likely through make-up, or simply ingesting poison). It may be that this is where the man who would become the Covetous Demon played his role. As she poisoned herself, his love for her may have developed and grown. Instead of reciprocating this love, Mytha may have taken it as inspiration to continue to poison herself. Hopelessly devoted to her, the man would eventually become the Covetous Demon, never leaving the Queen’s side. Mytha seems to have been driven to greater and greater lengths to try and make her husband fall in love with her, but it did not work. He did not love her, and perhaps even looked at her with disgust. This caused Mytha’s drive to become twisted with ire. Just as the man who loved her became the Covetous Demon through desire, Mytha underwent her own transformation. She became a snake like creature (animals associated with greed and desire in the game and their poison and bite in reality). What happened next is unclear, it may be that at this stage, her husband saw what a monster she had become and had her beheaded. Or, she may have poisoned her husband and been beheaded for her regicide. Alternatively, as suggested above, she may have been beheaded in the coup of Venn along with her husband. We do not know how the story eventually played out, but Mytha somehow became the sole Queen of a lost kingdom without her King.

Despite being beheaded, Mytha endured. Perhaps it was the poison that filled her body that allowed her to carry on. Mytha had become disillusioned with winning her husband’s love, but determined to win the love of everybody else in a vain attempt to prove that she was indeed lovely. She still did not understand the very nature of love, and sought satisfaction purely in physical attraction. Her home became the Earthern Peak. A place that may have once been built to process the minerals mined from Harvest Valley, but now became a source of endless poison. It may be that Mytha managed to seduce or attract the Grave Wardens of the Undead Crypt, who became her servants. Sorceresses from the land of Jugo took up residence with her and perpetuated her desire to draw others in through seduction. Without a genuine following from her people (which she would have had at one stage), Mytha utilized the art of puppetry from Alken and Venn to create servants and subjects for herself. She breathed life into manikins so that she would have slaves to serve her temperamental will. Despite her strong desire to be loved that had seemingly overcome her actual perception of herself, in some way Mytha recognized that she had become a monster. Despite giving the manikins life, she tore off their faces. Though they were but puppets, she could not forgive them for gazing upon her. This clearly shows that she was disgusted with her appearance, even after the lengths she had gone to, to attain beauty.

Despite the end result, we can see the misguided means by which Mytha achieved her current form. Her story is incredibly tragic.

The Smelter Demon is a mass of iron that has been given a soul and therefore; life. When the Old Iron King acquired the power to grant life to heaps of iron, through use of the Scorching Iron Sceptre, he molded a great array of metallic automatons. The Smelter Demons were likely created to be one of the King’s puppets.

Magus Eygil was the King’s loyal follower. He sought to grant fire a will of its own. It is possible that the Smelter Demon(s) are a creation of both the Old Iron King, and Eygil, as they appear to be based on a minotaur which was Eygil’s idol. The Old Iron King’s life was taken by a mass of iron that had been given a soul. The earth spouted fire, and a beast arose from the flames. The short-sighted king was incinerated by the creature in one swing, and his castle devoured in a sea of flame, sinking into a pool of iron. The King sunk below the scorching iron and met the one whose name must never be repeated. His flesh was charred, and his soul possessed by the things that lurk below.

The Smelter Demon now haunts the castle that sunk into a pool of iron.

We encounter two kinds of Smelter Demon, one in the Iron Keep and one in the Iron Passage. The Iron Keep Smelter Demon emits a red flame, does fire damage and has a broken horn, while the Smelter Demon of the Iron Passage emits a blue flame and does magic damage. It may be that they are one and the same, as their chambers are very similar, but since the Old Iron Crown DLC does not seem to be set prior to the main events of Dark Souls 2, it is more likely that these two Smelter Demons are contemporaries. If this is the case then it is likely that the Old Iron King made more than one Smelter Demon, perhaps first imbued with sorcery (possibly what he used to bring his previous puppets to life) then imbued with pyromancy, which led to his demise.

The Old Iron King was born a lord. He may have been a lord in the land of Alken, a land known to have a strong rivalry with Venn. At some point this lowly lord with limited resources decided to wage war against the Kingdom of Venn. From the far-east came Sir Alonne, an unusual knight who decided to serve this little known and unestablished lord. Sir Alonne quickly became the lord’s most trusted knight. In obeisance to his lord’s request, Sir Alonne trained the lord’s soldiers in the martial techniques of his land and these warriors became the lord’s knights. With the help of Sir Alonne and by utilising every resource he could muster, the lord was able to wrest the now dilapidated land of Venn from its previous occupants and in doing so he crowned himself King. But in the aftermath of the war it was clear that the new King would have difficulty maintaining control of the region. He had spent everything he had in his attempt to gain control of Venn and the land was now wasted.

It was at this low point that a miracle occurred. The Scorching Iron Scepter was found. Ruling from his tower, which would later become known as Brume Tower, the King was able to, with the Scorching Iron Scepter, activate contraptions by transferring heat to Brume Tower. Whether or not it was the Iron Scepter that actually created iron, or the fact that its heat allowed the contraptions within the tower to create iron is unclear, the outcome was that the King became a powerful leader. He was re-titled as the Iron King, a moniker after his copious amounts of iron. With this new found power, the King began a reign of decadence and a slow descent into debauchery noted by a number of important facts:

He began entertaining dubious and eccentric guests from faraway lands, many of whom were charlatans, only trying to appeal to the King’s vain nature. Amongst the riff-raff were true masters of their arts, and it may be that this was the point in which the King’s loyal follower, the Magus Eygil became a member of the King’s court. The Old Iron King also kept a display of his vast collection of weapons. These weapons were designed to show off his strength to the world, and to his guests, but emphasized his conceit. He set about establishing his kingdom, using his immeasurable strength. His tower produced for him, endless amounts of iron which he used to create his Iron Soldiers, weapons, armor, an entire keep made of iron, a massive idol in the shape of a bull in honor of Magus Eygil and it is said he even tried to create a dragon out of iron. With the creation of his Iron Keep it is likely the Old Iron King changed his seat of rule from Brume Tower to this new keep, perhaps constructing a new throne for himself.

the Old Iron King began to push the boundaries of what he had previously achieved. In the past the Old Iron King had been able to create his Ironclad Soldiers; minions granted life by an enchantment of souls. He had gone a little further in creating a chariot and enchanting it with perhaps a fragment of his soul, such that it had taken the form of a mad steed and now he wanted to create golems with a will of their own, he wanted to grant fire a will of its own. If he was able to do this, he would be creating soldiers that did not need his commands, that could rival the strength of Sir Alonne and that would be perfect displays of his immeasurable power (and therefore his immeasurable conceit). So together with Eygil, the Old Iron King constructed a new golem that resembled a minotaur in honor of Eygil and his idol. Within its core he infused a soul, with a will of its own. The earth spouted fire and the beast arose from these flames. The Old Iron King did not realise what would happen if a being like this was created, that it would be a demon, and if it had a will of its own, it could choose to turn upon its master. The demon incinerated the King in one swing. The Old Iron King as he had been, was no more.

The fire charred the king’s flesh and possessed his soul. Fire spouted from the earth and the King’s body became a vessel that bred ichorous earth, the blood of the earth (i.e. lava). This lava rose up and consumed the King’s Iron Keep. The Alonne Knights and the King’s subjects, powerful as they were, could do nothing against the rising flames and the Keep was consumed. Because of the king’s conceit the Kingdom was destroyed. The King’s body sunk far below the earth and met the one whose name must never be repeated, the one whose name is ineffable. It seems this ancient soul took hold of the King’s and together they formed a demonic-like being that resided within the lava, awaiting any who would approach the altar deep within the Iron Keep.

Najka was born of the misdeeds of an ancient being. She and Manscorpion Tark once had a master who created them both long, long ago, so long ago that nobody now remembers when they were born or where their master has gone. Both Najka and Tark were human once and betrothed to each other. They would always be found at each other’s side, but as time went on, things went awry. Najka was a frail soul, and she soon succumbed to madness. She became violent, raging uncontrollably. Eventually, she came after Tark, and they have been locked in combat ever since. Tark asks that you help him kill his betrothed. The wounds they exchange are never lethal and they are at a standstill, waiting for someone to tip the scales.

It is possible that Najka and Tark’s master was Seath the Scaleless himself. Their master was born with a fatal flaw. He resented those who had what he lacked, and became fully mired in hatred because of it. He was a tragically lonely soul, and this solitude eroded his very reason. Eventually, his desire and hatred drove him mad. It was at the peak of this madness that he created Najka and Tark. But, in the end, he never understood what it was that he truly lacked.

While their master may have been Seath, it is interesting to note that Seath’s creations often related to crystallisation or rebirth. Seath sought the scales of his everlasting brethren for himself so that he might gain immortality. He was born with a fatal flaw, and resented those who had what he lacked, eventually driving himself mad. In many ways the story of Najka and Tark’s master connects with that of Seath. However, the existence and attributes of Najka and Tark themselves seems to indicate that they were created by a different hand. Neither of them are related to crystals, and while Najka may somehow be construed as having a relation to the Piasca or rebirth because she is a woman, her fate seems very different. What is very interesting about Tark’s dialogue is that he speaks of his master as a tragically lonely figure. We know that Seath (apart from his Channelers) likely was a tragically lonely figure, but this hardly seems to be something that defines him. The loneliness and solitude of their master is clearly linked to the erosion of his reason, so it seems that what their master lacked, was companionship. This observation becomes more striking when we realize that Tark and Najka were betrothed. They were most certainly a couple who were romantically involved, and their master was tragically lonely, mired in solitude. With these connections, it seems possible if not likely, that their master was simply another form of Seath’s soul, who was obsessed with companionship. Whatever the case, Tark will tell us that we have defeated their master after killing the Duke’s Dear Freja, but end on the ominous note that their master never dies, only changes form, so that he may seethe for all eternity.

(It is implied that the two were experiments, similar to the The Duke's Dear Freja, and that their creator was either Duke Tseldora or Seath the Scaleless himself.)

The Royal Rat Authority is a massive Dog Rat and servant of the noble Rat King. It resides in the Doors of Pharros outside the Rat King’s chamber. Those who choose to serve the Rat King must have the courage to face the Royal Rat Authority in combat. If one defeats the Royal Rat Authority, they will gain a Rat Tail and therefore the right to serve under the Rat King.

The Royal Rat Authority’s soul description states that it is a “living statue”. The Corpse Rats (Hunting Rats) serving under the Rat King inflict petrification, as do the Dog Rats. According to an old local legend, a great spear was used to defeat Santier, the walking statue. Perhaps it was that Santier too was one of the Rat King’s subjects, defeated by one who would seek the right to serve. The Rat King himself confirms that there was “a human who was once among us”, so perhaps we are not the first to kill a living statue and earn the right to serve this eminent being.

The Royal Rat Vanguard looks very similar to his Corpse/Hunting Rat brethren, except his eyes are yellow, his mohawk fur is more pronounced and his ears are bigger. He is a loyal servant of the Rat King and judges the worthiness of those whose who seek royal audience by facing them in combat. If defeated, the winner obtains a Rat Tail and therefore the right to serve under the Rat King.

The Royal Rat Vanguard’s soul description states that it is a “living statue”. The Corpse Rats (Hunting Rats) serving under the Rat King inflict petrification, as do the Dog Rats in the Doors of Pharros. According to an old local legend, a great spear was used to defeat Santier, the walking statue. Perhaps it was that Santier too was one of the Rat King’s subjects, defeated by one who would seek the right to serve. The Rat King himself confirms that there was “a human who was once among us”, so perhaps we are not the first to kill a living statue and thereby earn the right to serve this eminent being.

It may be that the Rat King has the ability bring statues to life in his attempts at ruling the lands not lapped by the Sun’s rays. We do see a number of rat statues in the Grave of Saints and the Royal Rat Vanguard’s boss chamber.

Tseldora is a place burdened with terrible misdeeds. Long ago it was a mining colony founded by a man named Tseldora. He mined into the side of a mountain and discovered brightstone deep under what would one day become Tseldora. This substance, which appears to be crystal or have very similar qualities, brought great personal fortune to Tseldora and allowed him to establish a town which he named after himself. The wealth of the region brought many settlers in to Tseldora. The great prosperity that came to these settlers encouraged greed in equal measure. The community was abundant in wealth, weaving themselves intricate and fanciful garments, for show, rather than defense. But, unable to find contentment in their wealth the people were ever in search of more riches (or that which they lacked).

This covetousness did not solely affect the people. Tseldora himself was an eccentric soul known for his fascination with spiders. Within his private chamber he kept a pet spider called Freja in a small cage. Perhaps it was with him when he made his discovery of the Brightstone, or when he discovered the remnants of an ancient dragon. Perhaps he discovered the spider living within the corpse of the Ancient Dragon buried beneath the earth. We know that the spiders are parasitic, as they feed off the Undead of Brightstone Cove. They are also shown scurrying into the mouth of the Ancient Dragon, so it seems likely that Freja was a solitary insect that found a feast within the Ancient Dragon’s remains and the Duke encountered this spider when he uncovered the dragon in his mining.

We are told the Writhing Ruin (the soul of Seath the Scaleless) took possession of Freja. This soul continues to exert influence over the land, even after the eons have reduced it to remnants. The soul grew its power by feeding on more souls throughout the land. It is likely that the Duke himself had fallen under the influence of the Old Paledrake Soul and provided Freja with the necessary souls to grow her in strength and power. People of the Cove were probably invited into the Duke’s home, never to be seen again, increasing his reputation for eccentricity. Over time Freja grew massively in power and size. Her small cage could no longer contain her and she burst free. Freja gave birth to thousands of spiders. She and her spiders made their home beneath the mansion of Duke Tseldora. Eventually these spiders, most probably seeking sustenance, overran the town of Tseldora and killed or chased off the residents. The Duke himself only stood by and watched, eerily contented.

To counter the situation and in aid of the Duke, a contingent of the Drangleic Royal Army was dispatched to Tseldora. They made camp above the town and descended into the valley. Included amongst these warriors were a number of high ranking Drangleic priests, and Drangleic white mages (the men wore white, the women wore black). What happened next is unclear. It seems likely that the soldiers never made it out and were completely overrun by the spiders. Alternatively, they may have called in a retreat. Perhaps due to the magnitude of spiders that had infested the Cove making any further attempts at mining the Brightstone useless, or the fact that the majority of its citizens had already been killed so there was no point in helping. Maybe it was because they found Lord Tseldora, and saw that he had become a hollow, so the mission was deemed pointless. Their camp became a home for refugees of the crisis, the many peasants that had once tilled the land and raised its livestock. Perhaps these peasants also worked as miners, as they wield pickaxes, and were some of the lucky few who escaped the catastrophe of the town.

While the soldiers fought the spiders, the priests of Drangleic may have stayed behind to help the people who had escaped. The mages too may have stayed behind to try and contain the spiders within the Lower Brightstone Cove. It was into this chaos that the Prowling Magus arrived. Perhaps this Magus had been dispatched with the Drangleic contingent. We know that Magus’ were warlocks from Aldia (Aldia was perhaps a town that has now become the ruins of the Shaded Woods, or simply refers to the manor in which Aldia was confined) and that they gave rise to wicked things, casting forbidden and covert rituals upon themselves. Due to their nature and the history of hexes, it is likely these rituals were associated with the Dark. The Prowling Magus’ story is thematically tied to that of the mages of Oolacile who lost their minds because of contact with the Abyss. This Prowling Magus may have come to Brightstone Cove on Vendrick’s order, or because they were seeking souls. Whatever the case, they seem to have become a figurehead and leader of the clerical force attached to the Drangleic Royal Army at Tseldora. It is easy to see how this Magus with priestly attendants would have drawn the broken, battered and scared people of Tseldora to them. The clerics could offer these people healing, and the Magus, protection.

It seems very likely that this congregation is the tattered remnants of the Tseldora Cove survivors, that the priests healed and cared for them and that the Prowling Magus led these vulnerable people, perhaps seeking or draining their souls, or perhaps trying to find redemption in helping them.

The Duke’s Dear Freja is a giant parasitic spider with two heads on opposite ends of its body. It has made its home within the remains of an ancient dragon’s body in the lowermost section of Brighstone Cove Tseldora.

Freja is described as the Writhing Ruin’s Keeper. The Writhing Ruin is an ancient thing whose shadow remains cast over the land. It first took possession of a solitary insect (Freja), but grew its power by feasting on the wealth of twisted souls found in the land. The Writhing Ruin is the title given to the remnants of Seath the Scaleless’ lord soul. This once magnificent soul continues to exert influence over the land, even after the eons have reduced it to remnants. The soul seems to develop in those it affects; peculiar fascinations. These fascinations take control, till there’s very little left of the person or being they once were. Shalquoir tell us that the Writhing Ruin keeps searching as we speak, searching for its heart’s desire. Manscorpion Tark, a creation by an owner of the soul says that his master was born with a fatal flaw; he resented those who had what he lacked, and became fully mired in hatred. Eventually, he drove himself mad. It was at the peak of this madness that he conjured up Manscorpion Tark and Scorpioness Najka.

The conundrum of the Writhing Ruin is that it never seems to understand that which it truly lacks, and it will never stop searching. Tark says that his master never dies, only changes form so that he may seethe for all eternity. When we encounter this soul, it seems to have taken up residence in the remains of an Ancient Dragon. This dragon could be Seath, though there is little resemblance. Freja is the keeper of the soul, she takes care of it and protects it, she nurtures it and grows its power.

Freja was also a pet of Duke/Lord Tseldora (known by both titles. Perhaps lord because he owned the land of Brightstone Cove and Duke because he was made a Duke in Drangleic). Lord Tseldora discovered the brightstone and with the wealth was able to establish a town named after himself. Many settlers came to the place and there was a brightstone “boom” (as in, a high demand for brightstone). Because of this Tseldora accrued a vast personal fortune. But supposedly, Tseldora was also an eccentric soul with a fascination for spiders. Within the Lord’s Private Chamber beside Freja’s den, we find a small cage with the door broken open. It is likely this cage contained Freja before she grew too large and broke out, indicating her growth in power was rapid. It may have been that Tseldora discovered the Ancient Dragon’s remains as well as Freja while mining the area for brightstone, thereby coming under the influence of the Writhing Ruin. Tseldora cared for Freja, and she eventually created an army of spiders that overran the town. On that day, Lord Tseldora only stood by and watched, eerily contented. His eventual fate is unclear. We find a hollow within the Lord’s Private Chamber wearing the Tseldora set and holding a key to the city (basically), which strongly indicates that this is Lord Tseldora now hollowed. The only thing casting doubt on this conclusion are repeated references to Lord Tseldora becoming something else. The Spider Fang and Spider’s Silk weapons say that supposedly the Duke himself, went on to take a form that was far from human. Shalquoir, when speaking about men developing the most peculiar fascinations says that these fascinations take control; “till there’s very little man left. Hee hee hee”, ending on a very ominous note. Manscorpion Tark has dialogue which reads:

“Long ago, there was a being with powers similar to ours.
The creature took the form of a spider.
But I don’t know where it disappeared to.
Perhaps it was seduced by madness.”

What seems to be implied, is that Tseldora himself somehow became a spider or fused with a spider like Manscorpion Tark and Scorpioness Najka have with scorpions. It may be that Tseldora’s fascination with spiders took over, and he sought to become one. Maybe this is the explanation of Freja’s second head. His attempts may have led him to fuse with the spider that he held so dear. Alternatively, and much more disturbingly, he may have become a separate spider himself. It is unclear who Freja’s mate was, and it is not uncommon for the female spider in reality to eat the male spider once they are… through. Though, Lord Tseldora is specifically said to have watched the spiders overrun the town, implying he was still human. We’ll never know for sure.

The Rotten is an amalgamation of Undead bodies residing, and writhing, deep within the Black Gulch below the Gutter. The Rotten appears to have begun with an Undead trapped in one of the numerous iron cages found throughout Drangleic and is held together with chains. The Rotten embraces all, in his sanctuary for all things unwanted or tossed away.

There is one particular Undead on The Rotten's shoulder that mimics its movements, like it is controlling them.

Shalquoir mentions in passing that the Rotten has been at the bottom of the Gutter for a very, very long time and implies he may not have been rotten from the beginning.

When Shulva, the Sanctum City was enveloped in Sinh's poison, it may be that one of the fleeing survivors discovered the remnants of Nito's soul. This soul seems to have the perverse urge to gather power by combining itself with other less powerful beings. Nito was a conglomeration of skeletons, and this possibly explains one of the reasons behind his goal to spread death as much as possible (those who died can add their power to his). In contrast to this, the Rotten seems to take a more compassionate line, embracing all those who are unwanted or tossed away. When Shulva sank, he may have sheltered many who were fleeing in the 'Sanctum of the Scorned' (Unused content name for the Black Gulch primal bonfire). We know that the Pit has been used to toss away anything unwanted, and that the Rotten has been down there a long time, so this could mean that while the Rotten's origins may have had something to do with the fall of Shulva, its power grew over the centuries as figures like Lord Aldia and King Vendrick used the Pit to toss away anyone or anything deemed unwanted. The Rotten embraced these poor souls after…

"Some of the more determined souls exiled
to the Gutter sought to scale the walls of the
forsaken place and walk the earth once again,
but failed, and wasted away mired in misery and
resentment."

The Rotten's chamber contains a vast number of the poison spitting statues, with the curious detail that they don't actually spit poison. From outside the boss fog, we hear what seems to be a number of voices weeping. When we enter the boss chamber, the Rotten places a broken head on the body of one of the statues. When it falls off, the Rotten has a paroxysm of what appears to be rage and then attacks us. It seems from this that the Rotten has some strong connection to these statues, and perhaps whoever the Rotten was, once constructed them. The Rotten is also capable of an oil spitting attack. Its chamber, as well as the Black Gulch are full of small puddles of oil. From this it is implied that the Rotten is the creator of the oil puddles, and that the Black Gulch, while a natural formation, has been transformed into the Rotten's domain.

The Looking Glass Knight is a plate-wearing, “specular monstrosity” that awaits challengers at the end of the King’s Passage. King Vendrick's lieutenant, charged with testing the prowess of those who seek to serve in Drangleic's order of royal knights. Ever dedicated to his duty, he continues to await challengers long after Vendrick's disappearance and the kingdom's subsequent collapse. Those who fail the test are remorselessly slaughtered by this enigmatic knight whose face lies hidden behind a cold metal mask.

His warrior, the Looking Glass Knight, forever true to the King’s command, stands ready to expunge those who would challenge him. The Looking Glass Knight now serves to prevent any who would follow, from pursuing the runaway king, though now perhaps serves the purpose of guaranteeing a worthy heir to the throne.

The Looking Glass Knight use the King’s Mirror as a shield. This item was likely created in Aldia’s Keep, as we find a number of similar mirrors on the walls.

When the Demon of Song developed a taste for human flesh, it was contained within the Shrine of Amana. A line of priestesses was put in place to look after the Shrine and appease the demon by sacred rituals, but they have since died off or gone hollow and over time the tradition was lost and the Demon set free. The Demon gained knowledge and learned to lure humans into its lair. It is called the Demon of Song because it sings with a sonorous voice to lure people close, so that it may devour them. Its song is that of the Milfanito. Within close proximity to its lair we find a Milfanito who appears to be hollow, and cannot sing. It may be that the Demon of Song somehow stole the voice of this Milfanito.

What the sacred rituals were that the priestesses performed is unknown. It may be that they sang to the Demon like the line of priestesses in Shulva, the Sunken City. This may be the case because the Archdrake Sect, who the now hollow Priestesses of Amana fight with almost certainly originated in Shulva and may have therefore passed on the rituals of their priestess line. Also, the Demon appears to have been contained prior to the Player entering the Shrine of Amana and not gaining in knowledge. Why would it not learn to sing if it had that capacity and if it was conscious of its surroundings? However, it may be that the Demon was simply confined and had no need to sing to lure humans in because none would be lured.

Velstadt defends King Vendrick's tomb inside the Undead Crypt.

A clerical knight from a faraway land who was lured to Drangleic, but forgot why he came. Sir Velstadt was always at King Vendrick’s side, as if he were his Lord’s own shadow. Velstadt and his fellow knight Raime were known as the right and left arms of King Vendrick. That was until their wills clashed and they fought. Velstadt defeated Raime and Raime was deemed a traitor. The exiled Raime left in search of greater power and the Royal Aegis remained at his post. After the King retired to the Undead Crypt, Velstadt followed, never to return. The knights in his service waited patiently for his return, until they eventually turned to stone.

Within the Undead Crypt, Velstadt and his armor, originally imbued with the power of miracles, was soaked with Dark after extended exposure. His great hammer, seems to have been most powerfully blessed, as the blessing had not faded completely, despite being exposed to the Dark of the Undead Crypt.

In the end Sir Velstadt, known as the Royal Aegis, gave himself to the King in both life and death. Countless dead rest in the Undead Crypt in peace, cradled by the comfort of dark. Light only agitates, and there is no need for it there. Velstadt, along with his Royal Guards have put to death many castle servants and the like who have come to fetch King Vendrick, following their King’s order to the last.

King Vendrick Defeated the Four Great Ones
He built the kingdom that is now Drangleic upon their souls and has watched over the land since ages long, long ago.

Vendrick Condemned his own Elder Brother to Aldia's Keep
Vendrick and Aldia both sought the truth, but through different means, and their fervor meant the eventual withering of their familial ties. Weaponsmith Ornifex tells us, "Vendrick came close to unlocking the essence of the soul." And, Chancellor Wellager says, "My Lord made magnificent findings on souls… An accomplishment for the ages." We do not know he methods that Vendrick used, but Aldia studied and experimented on giants and dragons before his disappearance.

The Queen, Nashandra, used Vendrick
According to Chancellor Wellager: Vendrick's queen, Nashandra, warned him "of the looming threat across the seas… of the Giants. The King crossed the ocean… And defeated the Giants, with the Queen at his side." As thanks, Vendrick built Drangleic Castle for Nashandra on top of what is supposed to be the First Flame, which she coveted. Wellager explains, "The King commandeered [the Giants'] power… And created the Golems. With the Golems, the king created the castle. To celebrate victory… And to show his love, his gratitude to his Queen…" Vendrick brought a "prize" back with him from the invasion, which prompted the Giants to invade Drangleic in turn to retrieve it, leading to the downfall of the kingdom.

Vendrick went Hollow
By the time the player finds him, Vendrick has gone completely hollow. He still wears the King's Crown, though, and carries the Ruler's Sword. The item description for the sword reads, "The great king shut himself away, and was soon reduced to a mere shell. Just what was it that he yearned to protect?"

Little is known of the mysterious dragon dwelling atop the Dragon Shrine. It offers the Bearer of the Curse the Ashen Mist Heart, allowing them to peer into the memories of things long deceased. Ironically, this very item casts doubts about the dragon's true identity and origins. It can be used in Freja's arena to enter the memory of an Ancient Dragon, where one can find the dragon's soul. The Ancient Dragon atop the Shrine however, upon defeat, will drop a Soul of a Giant.

Further doubts surrounding the dragon's origins are raised by Nashandra and Sweet Shalquoir. Nashandra refers to the dragon as a "false deity" and a "prop". Sweet Shalquoir claims there is "A great creature far to the east. A colossal thing, with the strength to match its size. Or something playing the part at least." This suggests that the Ancient Dragon is not a true dragon.

Rumors abound in Drangleic about the king's brother, Lord Aldia, who tried to create a dragon. Perhaps the existence of the Ancient Dragon, and its dubious origins, are testament to his success.

The Throne Defender and Throne Watcher are a duo who reside within the Throne of Want coliseum.

The Throne Defender and Throne Watcher have souls steeped in Dark. This may be because Vendrick never sat upon the Throne of Want and linked the fire, therefore allowing the fire to go out and ushering in the Abyss. We know that proximity to the Abyss corrupts a soul, and this seems to fit the description of the Throne Defender and Throne Watcher.

The throne of the King is sacred and requires an appropriate guardian (the Throne Defender). This makes sense, as it would be foolish for someone to try to link the fire with a frail soul. The throne must also be observed closely at all times (the Throne Watcher). The two roles suggest that one looks outwards from the Throne (Defender) and one looks towards the Throne (Watcher), though they will both attack you upon entering their chamber.

The Defender and Watcher are both said to be waiting for something. From their roles and positions, it seems most likely that they are awaiting someone who is strong enough to take the Throne of Want, and they have stood beside this Throne for ages.

We do not know who the pair are or where they came from as they appear to pre-date Drangleic. There are some interesting things to note about them though. The Defender is capable of buffing his weapon with lightning, while the Watcher buffs with magic. The Defender wields a shield permeated with powerful magic and the Watcher wears armor with high magic defense. The Watcher’s shield was made of an old sacred chime and she is capable of casting Wrath of the Gods. These two certainly have some of the qualities of a cleric and therefore resemble Velstadt in certain ways. They are both able to be poisoned, and it would seem they are not golems or anything the like.

It may be that in ages past a king did burn himself upon the Throne of Want and linked the fire. These two may have been tasked with ensuring that the next heir to attempt such a feat was powerful enough. But no one came to challenge them and the Throne went cold under Vendrick’s neglect. Still, the pair awaited a new challenger, as their souls were slowly corrupted by the Abyss that seeped into the throne room.

Nashandra is a child of dark, one of the abyss spawn, a confounded quintessence of Manus and his Dark Soul. Like her sisters; Nadalia, Elana and Alsanna, Nashandra is a fragment of Manus’ emotions. She represents wrenching desire.

When Manus was defeated, the Abyss dissipated. However, Manus was reborn in death after his soul split into minuscule fragments and spread across the land (perhaps Lordran). The pieces began to coalesce again, becoming human in shape. After taking their shapes, these fragments courted monarchs of considerable power, of which they desired to make their own. Nashandra was born of the Dark with an insatiable lust for strength. She was tiniest of the shards of Manus. Precisely due to its size, this piece was the first to restore its form and sensing its own fragility, yearned for what it lacked; strength.

Nashandra came to Drangleic alone, from a faraway land. She was a woman of unparalleled beauty and Vendrick made her his Queen. She became his dear “‘Shandra”. At this stage Vendrick was likely unaware of Nashandra’s true nature or that she had any other motive than to be with him. But impelled by her own cravings, Nashandra had become obsessed with the King’s soul. How Nashandra had heard of the Giants is not known. She may have come from their land to the North, or she may have seen the Golems leading to the Throne of Want somehow and realized their connection. Regardless, Nashandra advised Vendrick that he may step closer to fire (perhaps gain access to the Throne of Want, but more likely, further fan his brightly burning soul in an attempt to stave off the Curse, a lie, but he knew no better) if he conquered the Giants and made their power his own. Nashandra herself wanted the Giants power for her own sake and therefore strove to make the Giants’ strength her own. The people were told a different story. Chancellor Wellager tells us that the Queen warned Vendrick of the looming threat across the seas… of the Giants. The people were given a reason to go to war, so that they would not lose faith in their King despite his act of misguided barbarism. In adherence to his Queen’s council, Vendrick crossed the seas with his Queen at his side and led his armies north in an effort to subjugate the Giants, and claim their powerful souls (an invaluable prize) for his own. Vendrick took prisoner the Giants, and brought them back to his castle (we know that the Castle was built after conquering the Giants, so perhaps Vendrick had another castle – perhaps it was Aldia’s Manor) clapped in irons.

King Vendrick commandeered the power of the Giants’ souls, which allowed him to create the Golems. With the Golems the King created his castle; Drangleic Castle, to celebrate victory and to show his love, his gratitude to the Queen. The victory brought about an age of peace for the Kingdom. It was during this time that Nashandra ushered in an Age of Dark. Chancellor Wellager says that the Queen brought peace to their land and to her King. A peace that was so deep, it was like the Dark. King Vendrick himself says that his dear ‘Shandra spread dark with no relent. However, despite all this and even after his modest triumph, Vendrick’s countenance could be seen to grow darker with each passing day. His defeat of the Giants did not bring him the solution he sought so desperately; a cure to the Curse that afflicted him and his people. He had chosen a different path to the Kings of yore, to embrace the Dark and never take the true Throne, to become a Dark Lord. His Kingdom had entered an Age of Dark that may have brought a form of peace to the people, but did not halt the onset of the Curse. He had removed the Firekeepers from their posts and allowed the flames to die out. But still the Curse’s slow march withered his Soul, and due to the magnificence of the King’s great soul, the Dark was beckoned more quickly. Shadow is not cast, but born of fire, and the brighter the flame, the deeper the shadow. So, in desperation Vendrick, with his brother Aldia, sought another way to break the cycle of the Curse that had eroded and destroyed so many kingdoms before him. To do this Vendrick peered straight into the essence of the soul. Both the siblings sought a way to overcome the Curse and pursued any means of attaining it.

The true nature of Nashandra must have dawned on Vendrick during this time. What she had promised him had not been delivered, and had even furthered her own goals and power. When we speak with him in his memory, Vendrick denounces Nashandra as a foul creature, a feeble tiny thing that thirsted for power more than any other. He realized that she was driven by insatiable lust for a “worthy vessel”, a vessel that could hold the Great Soul. The Great Soul is a soul that is able to burn upon the Throne of Want and allow souls to flourish anew, essentially what the player has by the end of Dark Souls 2. All along, Nashandra sought the King’s soul, but he would not let her have it. The King’s affectionate exaltation of the Queen turned to resentful mockery.

Then the Giant’s came. They landed on the northern shores of the kingdom, and set siege to King Vendrick’s castle, hoping to reclaim their kidnapped comrades. But the Giants were dead, their souls taken and abused in experiments. The Giants are no ordinary barbarians, a singular rage burned within their hearts. Captain Drummond’s father and his father, both fought the Giants in Drangleic. The Giants had wills of steel, they could not find it within themselves to forgive the misdeeds of King Vendrick. The Giant Lord conquered the land of Drangleic and brought it to ruin. It has been a pile of rubble since the war fought long, long ago. However, as the war with the Giants reached its ferocious peak, King Vendrick disappeared, leaving his castle. Some swear that upon hearing the news, Queen Nashandra’s face remained as still as her portrait. But we can be confident she was angered beyond reason. King Vendrick, unbeknownst to Nashandra, had made the decision to leave her and deny her the Great Soul he possessed.

Despite his many attempts, despite coming so close, Vendrick admitted defeat. He could not find a way to overcome the Curse that beckoned him towards the Dark. So he went to the Undead Crypt, a place where he might find peace under the guidance and care of the Fenito. The Undead Crypt is deeply immersed in Dark. This is because the Dark allows those who are cursed to find a type of rest. Not a true death, but a state where they are at peace. Light only agitates these poor souls. Vendrick hid his soul in the Shrine of Amana, a marshland preceding the Undead Crypt, and made it only accessible by one who is truly human.

Nashandra could not use King Vendrick like she had intended to, to obtain the most powerful soul. Instead, she remained at her castle and awaited an heir, a worthy vessel for the Great Soul. She urges the Player to seek Vendrick, and tells you that there can only be one King. What makes a King? Some say that it is birthright, while others call it destiny. It would seem that the path to kinghood is best navigated by adding strength to strength. Because Vendrick did not obtain the Great Soul or burn himself upon the Throne of Want, thereby creating the ‘First Flame’ Nashandra did not consider him a true king.

Nashandra doesn’t seek to take the Throne herself, but simply fights you there because that is the point where your soul will be the strongest and brightest. She waits till you have access to the Throne because this proves to her that you have the soul she wants. Only a monarch can gain access to the Throne. Once you have proven yourself to her, by defeating the Throne Watcher and Defender and obtaining access to the Throne of Want through the Giant’s Kinship, Nashandra comes after you coveting your Great Soul. She is a prisoner of desire, trapped in her desire for power. A Great Soul is a bright soul, Nashandra seeks to make you one with the Dark.

Lord Aldia is King Vendrick's elder brother. He aided his brother in founding the kingdom of Drangleic, but he then secluded himself in his manor, searching for the secrets of life, viewing the Undead as the key to finding it. Through his experiments, Aldia sought to learn the nature of the undead curse, and to shed the yoke of fate.

Due to a dispute on the research of souls, or the research methods on how to end the Curse, Vendrick locked Aldia away in his keep. It was there that Aldia "kept Giants in his manor, and attempted to recreate a dragon, but after some time, was not heard from again".

With the release of Scholar of the First Sin, it is revealed that Aldia did not become the Ancient Dragon, but was transfigured into a blob-like creature that appears to be composed of fire, witchtree branches and a glowing red eye. He will appear to the player at the the last Primal Bonfire they reach, the entrance to the Undead Crypt and the Dragon Shrine. If spoken to in all of these locations he will become the final boss after defeating Nashandra at the Throne of Want.

His dialogue ranges from benign to going as far as to express outward rage at Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, who is referred to by Aldia as the "Lord of Light". The scholar describes how the old Lord of Sunlight expelled the darkness, and began the cycle of light and dark. This cycle, this curse, forced men to assume a fleeting form, reverting them back to their hollow form. They became less than what they were, and to Aldia, this is the first sin he has taken his name from. He claims that men are mere props, and that no matter how exquisite, a lie will remain a lie. The anger is audible in his voice at this point, an expression of his fury at the commitment of the first sin, the first linking of the flame.

The Darklurker is a being shrouded in mystery. What it actually is, is unknown, whether it be a golem, a part dragon or the remnants of something else. The Darklurker lives in the Dark Chasm of Old. It awaits one who would light the torches in the 3 fragments of the Abyss across Drangleic, and thereby agitate the Dark to action and most probably expansion.

After lighting a torch in each of the Dark Chasm of Old locations and defeating the phantoms there, the Player will drop down to exit the world, but instead of exiting they will be ambushed by the Darklurker. To lurk is to remain hidden or await ambush for someone, so the Darklurker lives up to its name.

The Darklurker is capable of wielding various forms of magic, teleportation and cloning of itself. It can hurl projectiles of pure dark, creating Dark Greatswords, become invisible and summon forth orbs of fire that will track the Player. Its ability to create a clone of itself is similar to that of the Four Kings of New Londo.

The Darklurker’s soul is not dark like Velstadt, Raime, the Throne Defender and Throne Watcher or any of the Sisters of Dark. It is a light coloured soul. The Darklurker itself also has a high resistance to Dark damage. These two facts indicate that the Darklurker is not a native to the Abyss, and has instead invaded it. If this is the case, then it makes sense that the Player should be rewarded for destroying the Darklurker by Darkdiver Grandahl, as his purpose seems to be to spread the Dark in Drangleic. If the Darklurker is not native to the Abyss then this means it is able to survive there and perhaps even halt its progress.

The Dragon Chime, a reward for defeating the Darklurker, has an interesting connection to it. Both the Darklurker and Dragon Chime have spent much time in the Dark Chasm of Old, and yet they do not appear to have become infused with Dark. The Darklurker has a light soul, and the Dragon Chime has sublime purity despite sitting long in the Dark Chasm. Perhaps its connection to the dragons has kept it from succumbing to the Dark, and if this is the case, then perhaps the Darklurker is somehow related to the dragons? Its body consists of mostly feathers, and the Aged Feather allows us to teleport like the Darklurker can, even showing the same animation as when the Darklurker teleports – numerous feathers filling the air around the user.

The Darklurker also shares some resemblance with the Leydia Pyromancers. Their hood and coloring are similar and their range of spells are as well, save that the Darklurker uses Dark instead of magic. The Leydia Apostles are all connected with the Dark, and seem to have a strong presence in the Undead Crypt. There is a seemingly endless row of massive statues depicting them along the edge of the abyss that fills the Undead Crypt.

Whatever the case, the Darklurker remains a mystery whose answer is yet to be discovered.