Categories > Original > Fantasy
Decendant of Dark
0 reviewsFollow The Chosen Undead through Lordran. Plenty of original content, as to not bore people with a copy-paste of the DS story line
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In the Age of Ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. A land of grey crags, archtrees, and everlasting dragons. But then there was Fire. And with Fire came Disparity.
Heat and cold
Life and death
And of course….
Light and dark.
Then, from the Dark, they came. And found the Souls of Lords within the flames.
Nito, the first of the dead
The Witch of Izalith, and her daughters of chaos
Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights
And the furtive pygmy, so easily forgotten.
With the strength of Lords, they challenged the dragons…
Gwyn’s mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. The witches weaved great firestorms. Nito unleashed a miasma of death and disease.
And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own, and the dragons were no more.
Thus began the Age of Fire. But soon the flames will fade, and only Dark will remain….
Even now, there are only embers. And man sees not light, but only endless nights. And amongst the living, are seen, carriers of the accursed Darksign.
Yes, indeed. The Darksign brands the Undead. And in this land, the Undead are corralled and led to the north, where they are locked away, to await the end of the world... This is your fate.
Chapter 1
The Asylum’s Madman
Blinding light filled the room. It had been so long in the dark and dank cell, Hydraxus had forgot what warmth felt like . As his eyes adjusted, he heard a rush of sound followed by a sickening crack of bones breaking on the stone floor. A Hollowed corpse, the light gone from its eyes, was sprawled on the before him. A mass of root-like flesh covered the left side of its body. A side-effect of the Darksign. He looked up to where the body came from. A knight in full battle gear stood above, looking through the hole in the roof of his cell. The knight stared at him for a short while, then left without a sound. Hydraxus rose to his feet, and searched the Hollow’s body. Other then the tattered clothing, there was a rusted iron key tucked into the folds of its clothing. He grabbed the key, and started towards his cell door with excitement. He put the key in the lock and, upon turning it, pushed the door open. Finally, freedom! He took stock of what he had, albeit scarce. His armor, consisting of boots, gauntlets, leggings, and a chest plate made of hardened leather, with a steel helm and pauldrons. His, well, he wasn’t really sure what to call it. It was the snapped handle of his sword, once his most prized possession. He also had the key he had taken from the Hollow, and 2 Speration Crystals, black on the top end. And, lastly, he had a ring of keys, known as the Master Key. It had keys that fit every lock ever created. Hydraxus put his things away, and started down the hallway on the other side of his cell door, but stopped short when he heard a series of loud sounds that sounded like massive footsteps. He looked to his right, towards the source of the noise. He could vaguely make out the shape of a large…….thing in a large room separated from the hallway by iron bars. Hydraxus knew of the Asylum Demon, the fat beast that guarded the exit of the Undead Asylum, but why would it be down here? Wouldn’t the exit be above ground? Seeing as how there were bars between them, Hydraxus didn’t see it as a problem. He kept moving down the hall, but stopped when he came across a Hollow. It was leaning up against the wall, and looked defenseless. A sudden and terrifying urge came across him. A feeling of bloodlust. The need to kill. The more Hydraxus resisted, the more powerful the urge became, until his will faltered. He raised his broken sword, and began to slam the Hollow over and over with his dulled sword. With each blow, Hydraxus fell deeper into a state of madness, until he began to enjoy his brutal actions. Over and over he hit the Hollow, until it collapsed and stopped moving. Immediately after he had killed the Hollow, his state of mind was restored. He stood there for a moment, blood dripping from his sword and his armor. What had he done? He stood there for a while, and then continued forward. He didn't go very far before he encountered another Hollow. The bloodlust came over him even quicker then before. This time, Hydraxus’s resistance proved even more futile. He gave in, and let the madness consume him. He began to beat the Hollow mercilessly, the only emotion he felt being the intense joy of slaughtering another Hollow. Again, when the Hollow was vanquished, the madness receded. Hydraxus fell to his knees. His head swam with questions and fear. He had never experienced the lust for blood before. He was beyond terrified. If he encountered anyone once he had escaped the asylum, what would happen? If he went back to Astora, he would be locked back up, tortured, and left to rot yet again, persecuted as a madman. Not dwelling on the fact he would most likely never see his home again, he continued on. At the end of the hallway, a short set of stairs led up to a square room. The center of the room was set into the ground, and water had flooded it. He scanned the room, and barely had time to realize his mistake before he set his eyes upon another Hollow. It was sitting in the water, in the back corner of the room. Like a giant wave, the bloodlust was sudden and powerful. There was no resisting. Hydraxus only had time to think, “Velka, forgive me.”, before it overtook his mind. He let out a roar, and charged into the water, broken sword raised. Then, he did something that he hadn’t done before. He slammed the pommel of his sword hilt into the Hollows skull, knocking it unconscious. He searched the unconscious body, and found a broken straight sword, the broken end having a jagged, sharp point. He was strangely….elated about this. Deep in his mind, Hydraxus was very confused. Why was he happy to find a broken sword when he already had one? What use did he have for another weapon? The Hollow was beginning to stir. Hydraxus grabbed the Hollow by the back of the neck and shoved it into the wall. He held the broken end of the sword he had stolen to it's back. Slowly, Hydraxus forced the point of the sword into the Hollow. It screamed and writhed in pain,which only succeeded in forcing the sword deeper into it's back. He felt the sword grind against the Hollows spine. He grinned, and slowly forced the broken blade to cut through the Hollows spine. Eventually, the Hollow stopped moving and collapsed. Hydraxus yanked the blade out of it's back, bringing on another scream and a rush of blood from the Hollow. It's spine broken, the Hollow could not move its body, other then it's head. The madness receded, and Hydraxus made a realization. He had two sides now. One side, which was his normal state of mind. And the other side. The side that came out when he would come across a creature. It had an insatiable lust for blood and death, and a knack for torture. Looking down at the immobilized Hollow, the madness resurfaced, but much weaker. Hydraxus could still control his body, while his mind swam with the need to kill. The thoughts that he thought while in this state were horrid. But there was something else underneath the madness. A small voice had manifested itself. It sounded as if the speakers lungs had been eaten away by maggots. He couldn't hear it at first, but slowly, he could make out the phrase,
“Find the Darkstalker.”
Over and over, the voice said it. It was getting louder, until it was as if someone was talking to him from right in front of him. The phrase changed. Now, the voice, definitely male, was saying,
“Finish his work.”
Hydraxus tore his eyes away from the Hollow, and his thoughts returned to normal. But the voice stayed. Now, it was speaking full sentences, and began to have a conversation with him.
“Do you know your heritage?” said the voice. “Do you know your purpose?”
Hydraxus, speaking his first words in months, said,
“I am Hydraxus. Loyal warrior of Astora, and follower of All-Father Lloyd. My purpose is to defend Astora from trespassers. I seek what is right, and strive to protect those who are in danger.”
It was a automatic response. He was asked this question many times during the war with Caterina. His captain made sure his soldiers always knew why they were there. The voice laughed, and responded.
“I am Ren. I am loyal to the Abyss. I follow the work of the furtive pygmy. My purpose is to spread darkness, and to await the coming of the Dark Lord.”
Hydraxus stood there, puzzled. Who was the furtive pygmy? What was the Abyss? And who was this Dark Lord that Ren was waiting for? As if Ren had read his mind, he said,
“The Abyss was created by Manus 300 years ago. It is the collection of all darkness that ever existed. The furtive pygmy was one of the four who possessed a Lord Soul and became the Lords. He gave his Lord Soul up to create humans. The Dark Lord is a descendant of the furtive pygmy. Their fate is to make a pilgrimage to the land of the Ancient Lords, Lordran, and kill Lord Gwyn, bringing on the Age of Darkness, and ruling the world as the Lord of Darkness.”
Hydraxus began to ask who Manus was, but Ren cut him off.
“Manus was the father of the Abyss. His gravesite was uncovered by the people of Oolacile. They tortured him, and his humanity ran wild, turning him into a monster and creating the Abyss. The Abyss corrupted the people of Oolacile, turning them into Bloatheads. The knight Artorias made a covenant with the Abyss to be able to traverse it and hunt it's monsters. He came and tried to stop Manus, but was corrupted by the Abyss. But, a different warrior came and challenged Manus. He succeeded, and Manus was slain. Enough of that. You didn’t answer my first question. Do you know your heritage?”
Hydraxus knew of Artorias, and that he had been corrupted by something. Everyone knew who Artorias was. But his heritage…..Hydraxus spoke,
“I do not know my parents. My father was killed in battle before I was born and my mother died during my birth. I was denied the knowledge of who they were. I was brought up by the town blacksmith. I had no family other then the blacksmith that raised me, and he died during the war with Caterina.”
Ren was silent for a moment. And then, with a voice like steel, he said slowly,
“Hydraxus, you are a descendant of the furtive pygmy. One of the only humans left from his bloodline. There is a prophecy that I believe you are destined to fulfill.”
Before Ren could continue, the Hollow beneath Hydraxus feet groaned, not yet dead. Almost instantly, his mind was filled with the need for death. He slammed his boot against the Hollows neck, and, with a sickly gurgle, the Hollow went still. Hydraxus, still recovering from the rage, asked Ren what was happening. But Ren was silent. Hydraxus decided that he needed to move on. He began to scan his surroundings, trying to find the exit. But something was different. He, without being able to see anything other then what was extremely close to him, knew that the exit was on the other side the room, straight across from where he stood. He moved through the water, climbed out of the depression, and found the door, right where he knew it was. Now, Ren spoke.
“I will guide you through your journey. But you must promise me one thing. You will, to the best of your ability, attempt to become the Dark Lord. You will kill Gwyn, you will fail to link the First Flame, and you will bring on the Age of Dark.”
Hydraxus, without needing to think about his decision, and with all of the confidence he could muster, said,
“No.”
Ren was quiet. Then, with a mischievous tone, he said,
“I should of known better. I knew you weren’t the one. Your just a soldier, nothing special. Well, enjoy never being able to leave this cursed place!”
And then he was silent. Hydraxus, slightly concerned with the tone Ren had used, continued on. At the other end of the hallway, he came into a circular room. The walls were 15 feet high, and Hydraxus could see light above. A ladder was attached with rusting bolts to the wall. Hydraxus grabbed onto the ladder and began to climb. At the top of the room, sunlight illuminated him. He looked down to see his armor caked in drying blood. He looked to where the light was coming from. A courtyard sprawled out in front of him. It was empty, except for a small mound of ash and bones, with a coiled sword stuck into the middle. Hydraxus approached it, not knowing what it was meant for. Ren spoke suddenly and sharply.
“It’s a bonfire. Place your hand on the sword hilt.”
Hydraxus did as he was instructed, and a small flame was created in the ashes.
“Now rest next to it.”, Ren said.
Hydraxus did, and he immediately felt refreshed. He thanked Ren, but got no response. Ren had gone silent once again. Standing up, Hydraxus noticed a set of large wooden doors. They were once blue, but were now overgrown by vines and had faded. Approaching them, he set his hands upon them, and pushed. The doors grinded against the stone floor, the rusted hinges squealing. Once the doors were open, Hydraxus walked into the room beyond them. He had entered into a large hall with no roof. The edges of the space were filled with pots. On the other end of the room, another set of black doors stood closed, with a large keyhole in the right door. As Hydraxus proceeded forward towards the doors, a shadow fell over the area in front of him. A hulking figure slammed down in front of him. The beast got to its feet, and Hydraxus froze. It stood at least 20 feet tall, with small wings sprouting from it's back. But it's most notable feature was its mass. It's stomach was larger then Hydraxus, and every time the beast moved, it swayed from side to side. This was the Asylum Demon. In its hands, it held a massive greathammer. Ren spoke once more.
“Now Hydraxus, you will meet your demise here! Over and over, you will die! You will never escape without my help! And dont think youre bloodlust will save you! Your sword is too dull to harm the Asylum Demon. Now, enjoy your eternal suffering!”
Hydraxus, still processing what Ren had said, looked up just in time to see the demon bringing it’s greathammer down on his head. He attempted to move, but he was paralyzed by fear. He had only felt that fear once. The first time he charged into battle against the knights of Catarina. He lowered his head, and felt the demons hammer slam into his back. Searing pain shot throughout his body. He shifted his head just enough to see the demon swing again, and the world went black.
Heat and cold
Life and death
And of course….
Light and dark.
Then, from the Dark, they came. And found the Souls of Lords within the flames.
Nito, the first of the dead
The Witch of Izalith, and her daughters of chaos
Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights
And the furtive pygmy, so easily forgotten.
With the strength of Lords, they challenged the dragons…
Gwyn’s mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. The witches weaved great firestorms. Nito unleashed a miasma of death and disease.
And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own, and the dragons were no more.
Thus began the Age of Fire. But soon the flames will fade, and only Dark will remain….
Even now, there are only embers. And man sees not light, but only endless nights. And amongst the living, are seen, carriers of the accursed Darksign.
Yes, indeed. The Darksign brands the Undead. And in this land, the Undead are corralled and led to the north, where they are locked away, to await the end of the world... This is your fate.
Chapter 1
The Asylum’s Madman
Blinding light filled the room. It had been so long in the dark and dank cell, Hydraxus had forgot what warmth felt like . As his eyes adjusted, he heard a rush of sound followed by a sickening crack of bones breaking on the stone floor. A Hollowed corpse, the light gone from its eyes, was sprawled on the before him. A mass of root-like flesh covered the left side of its body. A side-effect of the Darksign. He looked up to where the body came from. A knight in full battle gear stood above, looking through the hole in the roof of his cell. The knight stared at him for a short while, then left without a sound. Hydraxus rose to his feet, and searched the Hollow’s body. Other then the tattered clothing, there was a rusted iron key tucked into the folds of its clothing. He grabbed the key, and started towards his cell door with excitement. He put the key in the lock and, upon turning it, pushed the door open. Finally, freedom! He took stock of what he had, albeit scarce. His armor, consisting of boots, gauntlets, leggings, and a chest plate made of hardened leather, with a steel helm and pauldrons. His, well, he wasn’t really sure what to call it. It was the snapped handle of his sword, once his most prized possession. He also had the key he had taken from the Hollow, and 2 Speration Crystals, black on the top end. And, lastly, he had a ring of keys, known as the Master Key. It had keys that fit every lock ever created. Hydraxus put his things away, and started down the hallway on the other side of his cell door, but stopped short when he heard a series of loud sounds that sounded like massive footsteps. He looked to his right, towards the source of the noise. He could vaguely make out the shape of a large…….thing in a large room separated from the hallway by iron bars. Hydraxus knew of the Asylum Demon, the fat beast that guarded the exit of the Undead Asylum, but why would it be down here? Wouldn’t the exit be above ground? Seeing as how there were bars between them, Hydraxus didn’t see it as a problem. He kept moving down the hall, but stopped when he came across a Hollow. It was leaning up against the wall, and looked defenseless. A sudden and terrifying urge came across him. A feeling of bloodlust. The need to kill. The more Hydraxus resisted, the more powerful the urge became, until his will faltered. He raised his broken sword, and began to slam the Hollow over and over with his dulled sword. With each blow, Hydraxus fell deeper into a state of madness, until he began to enjoy his brutal actions. Over and over he hit the Hollow, until it collapsed and stopped moving. Immediately after he had killed the Hollow, his state of mind was restored. He stood there for a moment, blood dripping from his sword and his armor. What had he done? He stood there for a while, and then continued forward. He didn't go very far before he encountered another Hollow. The bloodlust came over him even quicker then before. This time, Hydraxus’s resistance proved even more futile. He gave in, and let the madness consume him. He began to beat the Hollow mercilessly, the only emotion he felt being the intense joy of slaughtering another Hollow. Again, when the Hollow was vanquished, the madness receded. Hydraxus fell to his knees. His head swam with questions and fear. He had never experienced the lust for blood before. He was beyond terrified. If he encountered anyone once he had escaped the asylum, what would happen? If he went back to Astora, he would be locked back up, tortured, and left to rot yet again, persecuted as a madman. Not dwelling on the fact he would most likely never see his home again, he continued on. At the end of the hallway, a short set of stairs led up to a square room. The center of the room was set into the ground, and water had flooded it. He scanned the room, and barely had time to realize his mistake before he set his eyes upon another Hollow. It was sitting in the water, in the back corner of the room. Like a giant wave, the bloodlust was sudden and powerful. There was no resisting. Hydraxus only had time to think, “Velka, forgive me.”, before it overtook his mind. He let out a roar, and charged into the water, broken sword raised. Then, he did something that he hadn’t done before. He slammed the pommel of his sword hilt into the Hollows skull, knocking it unconscious. He searched the unconscious body, and found a broken straight sword, the broken end having a jagged, sharp point. He was strangely….elated about this. Deep in his mind, Hydraxus was very confused. Why was he happy to find a broken sword when he already had one? What use did he have for another weapon? The Hollow was beginning to stir. Hydraxus grabbed the Hollow by the back of the neck and shoved it into the wall. He held the broken end of the sword he had stolen to it's back. Slowly, Hydraxus forced the point of the sword into the Hollow. It screamed and writhed in pain,which only succeeded in forcing the sword deeper into it's back. He felt the sword grind against the Hollows spine. He grinned, and slowly forced the broken blade to cut through the Hollows spine. Eventually, the Hollow stopped moving and collapsed. Hydraxus yanked the blade out of it's back, bringing on another scream and a rush of blood from the Hollow. It's spine broken, the Hollow could not move its body, other then it's head. The madness receded, and Hydraxus made a realization. He had two sides now. One side, which was his normal state of mind. And the other side. The side that came out when he would come across a creature. It had an insatiable lust for blood and death, and a knack for torture. Looking down at the immobilized Hollow, the madness resurfaced, but much weaker. Hydraxus could still control his body, while his mind swam with the need to kill. The thoughts that he thought while in this state were horrid. But there was something else underneath the madness. A small voice had manifested itself. It sounded as if the speakers lungs had been eaten away by maggots. He couldn't hear it at first, but slowly, he could make out the phrase,
“Find the Darkstalker.”
Over and over, the voice said it. It was getting louder, until it was as if someone was talking to him from right in front of him. The phrase changed. Now, the voice, definitely male, was saying,
“Finish his work.”
Hydraxus tore his eyes away from the Hollow, and his thoughts returned to normal. But the voice stayed. Now, it was speaking full sentences, and began to have a conversation with him.
“Do you know your heritage?” said the voice. “Do you know your purpose?”
Hydraxus, speaking his first words in months, said,
“I am Hydraxus. Loyal warrior of Astora, and follower of All-Father Lloyd. My purpose is to defend Astora from trespassers. I seek what is right, and strive to protect those who are in danger.”
It was a automatic response. He was asked this question many times during the war with Caterina. His captain made sure his soldiers always knew why they were there. The voice laughed, and responded.
“I am Ren. I am loyal to the Abyss. I follow the work of the furtive pygmy. My purpose is to spread darkness, and to await the coming of the Dark Lord.”
Hydraxus stood there, puzzled. Who was the furtive pygmy? What was the Abyss? And who was this Dark Lord that Ren was waiting for? As if Ren had read his mind, he said,
“The Abyss was created by Manus 300 years ago. It is the collection of all darkness that ever existed. The furtive pygmy was one of the four who possessed a Lord Soul and became the Lords. He gave his Lord Soul up to create humans. The Dark Lord is a descendant of the furtive pygmy. Their fate is to make a pilgrimage to the land of the Ancient Lords, Lordran, and kill Lord Gwyn, bringing on the Age of Darkness, and ruling the world as the Lord of Darkness.”
Hydraxus began to ask who Manus was, but Ren cut him off.
“Manus was the father of the Abyss. His gravesite was uncovered by the people of Oolacile. They tortured him, and his humanity ran wild, turning him into a monster and creating the Abyss. The Abyss corrupted the people of Oolacile, turning them into Bloatheads. The knight Artorias made a covenant with the Abyss to be able to traverse it and hunt it's monsters. He came and tried to stop Manus, but was corrupted by the Abyss. But, a different warrior came and challenged Manus. He succeeded, and Manus was slain. Enough of that. You didn’t answer my first question. Do you know your heritage?”
Hydraxus knew of Artorias, and that he had been corrupted by something. Everyone knew who Artorias was. But his heritage…..Hydraxus spoke,
“I do not know my parents. My father was killed in battle before I was born and my mother died during my birth. I was denied the knowledge of who they were. I was brought up by the town blacksmith. I had no family other then the blacksmith that raised me, and he died during the war with Caterina.”
Ren was silent for a moment. And then, with a voice like steel, he said slowly,
“Hydraxus, you are a descendant of the furtive pygmy. One of the only humans left from his bloodline. There is a prophecy that I believe you are destined to fulfill.”
Before Ren could continue, the Hollow beneath Hydraxus feet groaned, not yet dead. Almost instantly, his mind was filled with the need for death. He slammed his boot against the Hollows neck, and, with a sickly gurgle, the Hollow went still. Hydraxus, still recovering from the rage, asked Ren what was happening. But Ren was silent. Hydraxus decided that he needed to move on. He began to scan his surroundings, trying to find the exit. But something was different. He, without being able to see anything other then what was extremely close to him, knew that the exit was on the other side the room, straight across from where he stood. He moved through the water, climbed out of the depression, and found the door, right where he knew it was. Now, Ren spoke.
“I will guide you through your journey. But you must promise me one thing. You will, to the best of your ability, attempt to become the Dark Lord. You will kill Gwyn, you will fail to link the First Flame, and you will bring on the Age of Dark.”
Hydraxus, without needing to think about his decision, and with all of the confidence he could muster, said,
“No.”
Ren was quiet. Then, with a mischievous tone, he said,
“I should of known better. I knew you weren’t the one. Your just a soldier, nothing special. Well, enjoy never being able to leave this cursed place!”
And then he was silent. Hydraxus, slightly concerned with the tone Ren had used, continued on. At the other end of the hallway, he came into a circular room. The walls were 15 feet high, and Hydraxus could see light above. A ladder was attached with rusting bolts to the wall. Hydraxus grabbed onto the ladder and began to climb. At the top of the room, sunlight illuminated him. He looked down to see his armor caked in drying blood. He looked to where the light was coming from. A courtyard sprawled out in front of him. It was empty, except for a small mound of ash and bones, with a coiled sword stuck into the middle. Hydraxus approached it, not knowing what it was meant for. Ren spoke suddenly and sharply.
“It’s a bonfire. Place your hand on the sword hilt.”
Hydraxus did as he was instructed, and a small flame was created in the ashes.
“Now rest next to it.”, Ren said.
Hydraxus did, and he immediately felt refreshed. He thanked Ren, but got no response. Ren had gone silent once again. Standing up, Hydraxus noticed a set of large wooden doors. They were once blue, but were now overgrown by vines and had faded. Approaching them, he set his hands upon them, and pushed. The doors grinded against the stone floor, the rusted hinges squealing. Once the doors were open, Hydraxus walked into the room beyond them. He had entered into a large hall with no roof. The edges of the space were filled with pots. On the other end of the room, another set of black doors stood closed, with a large keyhole in the right door. As Hydraxus proceeded forward towards the doors, a shadow fell over the area in front of him. A hulking figure slammed down in front of him. The beast got to its feet, and Hydraxus froze. It stood at least 20 feet tall, with small wings sprouting from it's back. But it's most notable feature was its mass. It's stomach was larger then Hydraxus, and every time the beast moved, it swayed from side to side. This was the Asylum Demon. In its hands, it held a massive greathammer. Ren spoke once more.
“Now Hydraxus, you will meet your demise here! Over and over, you will die! You will never escape without my help! And dont think youre bloodlust will save you! Your sword is too dull to harm the Asylum Demon. Now, enjoy your eternal suffering!”
Hydraxus, still processing what Ren had said, looked up just in time to see the demon bringing it’s greathammer down on his head. He attempted to move, but he was paralyzed by fear. He had only felt that fear once. The first time he charged into battle against the knights of Catarina. He lowered his head, and felt the demons hammer slam into his back. Searing pain shot throughout his body. He shifted his head just enough to see the demon swing again, and the world went black.
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