DEMON'S SOULS CHARACTER, STORYLINE, AND LORE GUIDE Author: Guardian Owl (guardian_owl@yahoo.com) Version: 1.13 8/26/2014 Playstation 3 Version History: Version 1.13 - 08/26/2014: -Fixed a few more syntax errors -Added additional information to: (NPC13) Patches the Hyena (NPC24) Former Royal's Wife (MC15) Vito the Moonlight Knight (E03) Colored-eyed Knight (E09) Scale Miner (E16) Octopus-headed Guard (E17) Gargoyle (E18) Face Bugs (E19) Skeleton (E20) Storm Beast (E31) Plague Baby (D1-3) Penetrator (D2-3) Dragon God (D3-2) Maneater (D4-3) Storm King (D5-2) Dirty Colossus Version 1.12 - 11/12/2012: -Corrected information in the Dragon God entry, tutorial Dragon God is on a mountain top, not underground -Added "Location of Journey to the Nexus" entry to General Observations -Added Catholicism parallels note to Old Monk origin entry -fixed more syntax errors Version 1.11 - 06/19/2012: -Fixed more syntax errors Version 1.10 - 11/22/2011: -Added "Ore & Smithing" entry to General Observations -Added "The Soul" entry to General Observations -Added origin to Legendary Big M entry -Added possession theory to Maiden in Black entry -Added Hidden Angel Wings note to Old King Allant entry -Fixed various spelling/punctuation errors and odd sentence phrasings Version 1.00 - 07/19/2011: -Encyclopedia (complete): Individual entries for every enemy, demon, character, and character class; each entry has a physical description, how it relates to the story, and the likely origins of the character / enemy. -Timeline (complete): Rough chronological listing of events which have occurred in Boletaria from the time of Creation to the end of the game. =============================================================================== INTRODUCTION =============================================================================== Unlike most other games which reveal their story entirely through dialogue and cutscenes, much of Demon's Souls story (beyond the basics) is implied or has to be pieced together with information from a variety of in-game sources. Item descriptions, spell descriptions, character dialogue, archstone descriptions, item placement, etc.; all contain scraps of information about what happened before and after the Second Demon Scourge. I have attempted to take all that information and convey it to the reader in two different ways. First is a character / enemy encyclopedia containing an entry for each character, enemy, and boss which details their background, how they fit into the story and lore, as well as what may have inspired From Software to create them. Second is the timeline which is an overview of what has happened in Great Boletaria from Creation up to the end of the game. I have attempted to place events as close to chronological order as can be determined. Particularly in the encyclopedia (section 1 through 7) I have attempted to label anything which was not explicitly stated in the game as theory and at the end of each entry I list the descriptions and character dialogue I drew from to write the entry. Most of these descriptions and dialogue can be read on http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/ (it was my main source of information for this FAQ). The prime inspiration for this FAQ are the massive storyline forum threads on the Gamefaqs message boards and I have drawn many of the theories in this guide from those forum threads. Anyone who had a theory I used I attempted to place their user name in the contributors section, but apologies if I missed you. Section 1 is about the character classes. I added other background information which was revealed about the starting classes in the course of playing Demon's Souls. Section 2 is information about all the NPCs which the player can encounter in the course of playing Demon's Souls. It offers a brief physical description, details how each character fits into the story, and the possible origins of the character. Section 3 is information about characters, races, etc. which are talked about or referenced by item descriptions, but the player never actually encounters them in-game. Section 4 offers a brief physical description of each non-unique enemy, details how each enemy fits into the narrative, as well as the possible inspirations which lead to the creation of that enemy. Section 5 offers a brief physical description of each unnamed black phantom enemy as well as theories about their identity. Section 6 is a catch-all for the rest of the enemies. Most offer a demon's soul, but are not bosses so I have called them "Minor Demons." Section 7 list substantial information about the 16 Major Demons and the Old One. Section 8 focuses on a single topic or concept of Demon's Souls not covered in- depth by the other sections. Section 9 is the timeline which lists events from Creation to the end of the game in a rough, best-guess order. Section 10 is where alternative theories about the narrative of the game are discussed. Section 11 is an alternate ordering of the contents of the encyclopedia which groups all characters, enemies, and NPCs by what world they reside in the game. If you spot any errors, missing details, or have theories of your own you would like included in the guide, feel free to email me with the subject line "Demon's Souls Story FAQ." =============================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS =============================================================================== 1.)CHARACTER CLASSES Royalty Knight Priest Thief Magician Temple Knight Soldier Wanderer Barbarian Hunter 2.)MET NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPC01) The Monumental (NPC02) Maiden in Black (NPC03) Disciple of God (NPC04) Acolyte of God (male) (NPC05) Worshipper of God (female) (NPC06) Saint Urbain (NPC07) Freke's Apprentice (NPC08) Sage Freke (NPC09) Yuria (NPC10) Stockpile Thomas (NPC11) Blacksmith Boldwin (NPC12) Crestfallen Warrior (NPC13) Patches the Hyena (NPC14) Yurt the Silent Chief (NPC15) Mephistopheles (NPC16) Ostrava (NPC17) Biorr (NPC18) Dregling Merchant (NPC19) Executioner Miralda (NPC20) Old King Doran (NPC21) Filthy Man (NPC22) Blacksmith Ed (NPC23) Scirvir the Wanderer (NPC24) Former Royal's Wife (NPC25) The Liar (NPC26) Lord Rydell (NPC27) Graverobber Blige (NPC28) "Sparkly" the Crow (NPC29) Satsuki (NPC30) Filthy Woman (NPC31) Selen Vinland 3.)MENTIONED CHARACTERS (MC01) Geri (MC02) Vallarfax (MC03) Wife & Daughter of Stockpile Thomas (MC04) Grandfather of Worshipper of God (MC05) Legendary Big M (MC06) Burrowers (MC07) Queen Yormedar (MC08) Husband of Royal Mistress (MC09) Wife of Lord Rydell (MC10) Witch in the Sky (MC11) Soul Industry / Society Member (MC12) Father of Satsuki (MC13) Makoto (MC14) Shadowmen (MC15) Vito the Moonlight Knight (MC16) Risaie of Istarel (MC17) Holy Warriors of the West (MC18) Father Vinland (MC19) Bramd (MC20) Son of Filthy Woman (MC21) Giants 4.)ENEMIES (E01) Dregling (E02) Soldier (E03) Colored-eyed Knight (E04) Dog (E05) Assassin (E06) Fat Minister (E07) Hoplite (E08) Crystal Lizard (E09) Scale Miner (E10) Fire Gecko (E11) Rockworm (E12) Bearbug (E13) Prisoner (E14) Prisoner Horde (E15) Mage Prisoner (E16) Octopus-headed Guard (E17) Gargoyle (E18) Face Bugs (E19) Skeleton (E20) Storm Beast (E21) Reaper (E22) Shadow Lurker (E23) Giant Slug (E24) Rat (E25) Giant Mosquito (E26) Giant Tick (E27) Jellyfish (E28) Depraved One (E29) Giant Depraved One (E30) Depraved Shaman (E31) Plague Baby 5.)BLACK PHANTOMS (B01) Black Phantom Knight - Oolan (B02) Black Phantom Knight - Alfred (B03) Black Phantom Knight - Metas (B04) Black Phantom Barbarian (male) (B05) Black Phantom Barbarian (female) (B06) Black Phantom Assassin (B07) Dual-Katana Black Phantom (B08) Raggedy Robed Black Phantom 6.)MINOR DEMONS (d01) Red Dragon (d02) Blue Dragon (d03) Fallen Dragon (d04) Primeval Demon (d05) Vanguard (d06) King Allant 7.)MAJOR DEMONS (D1-1) Phalanx (D1-2) Tower Knight (D1-3) Penetrator (D1-4) Old King Allant (D2-1) Armor Spider (D2-2) Flamelurker (D2-3) Dragon God (D3-1) Fool's Idol (D3-2) Maneater (D3-3) Old Monk (D4-1) Adjudicator (D4-2) Old Hero (D4-3) Storm King (D5-1) Leechmonger (D5-2) Dirty Colossus (D5-3A) Maiden Astraea (D5-3B) Garl Vinland (DXX) Old One 8.)GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 9.)TIMELINE 10.)THEORIES ABOUT THE UNIVERSE 11.)CHARACTERS / ENEMIES SORTED BY WORLD 12.)CONTRIBUTORS 13.)LEGAL / DISCLAIMER =============================================================================== 1.)CHARACTER CLASSES =============================================================================== ROYALTY From the distinguished royal family, Yormedar of Latria, this class is clad in the garb of a magician and can cast magic, but is also well trained in the art of fencing. The silver coronet / catalyst and the ring crafted from expensive spices reveal the high social status of the class. KNIGHT A knight of the royal family of the Southern Kingdom, Latria. The use of a common long sword and the yellow dragon on the class's shield signifies a low rank. PRIEST A holy warrior who believes in the power of God and fights on behalf of the Church. This class wields a mace which is adept at smashing through shields. Many Priests were killed while accompanying Saint Astraea in her pilgrimage to the Valley of Defilement and / or later when they came to the Valley to investigate rumors that she had become a Demon. See also (MC17). THIEF Shady characters hired by royalty to spy or commit assassinations. The black leather they wear helps them blend in at night, protects the user from poison strikes of rival thieves, and masks their breath in the cold. MAGICIAN A commoner who has learned magic. While the class is clad in the garb of a magician, the cheap sword / shield and wooden catalyst reveal a low social status. TEMPLE KNIGHT A different class of holy warrior, they are charged with defending the temples of the Church and wield weapons designed to take on many enemies at once. The armor of the class is named for the first temple of the Church, Mird, the location of which has been lost for ages. Many Temple Knights were killed while accompanying Saint Astraea in her pilgrimage to the Valley of Defilement and / or later when they came to the Valley to investigate rumors that she had become a demon. See also (MC17). SOLDIER A common foot solider of the Northern Kingdom of Boletaria, this class wears thick armor and is skilled with the sword and the spear. WANDERER A soldier who does not serve a single master but wanders the land for temporary work fighting in the army. The garb of the wanderer indicates that the class may have once been a priest, perhaps fighting in a distant country, as the weapon wielded is not of Boletarian design. A wanderer believes in luck and chance. BARBARIAN An Incredibly tough and strong member of a primitive civilization who arm themselves with rudimentary, wooden weaponry. Barbarians forgo armor for maximum mobility in battle. The presence of barbarian weaponry and barbarian black phantoms in the Stonefang tunnels would seem to indicate a settlement is or was near Stonefang Tunnel. Early ancestors of the barbarians worshipped at the Shrine of Storms long ago, but the Shrine has been abandoned for ages. HUNTER A warrior of the woods, this class is clad in soft leather, ideal for traveling light while creeping through fields and blending in with the forest. The primary weapon the class carries is a long bow which is used to snipe from afar, but a hunter is also equipped with an axe for close combat and chopping wood. =============================================================================== 2.)MET NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS =============================================================================== #: NPC01 Name: The Monumental World: Nexus Narrative: On the top floor is a room full of dead Monumentals, only one is still alive. He sits cross-legged on the floor, but his body almost has the appearance of being made of ceramic, like he is a living statue. In the distant past, one who sought greater power awakened the Old One and a Demonic, colorless fog swept across the land. Heroes arose to fight the Demon scourge but by the time the Old One had been put back to sleep, half the world's population had been destroyed by the fog. To unite what little of the world remained, six archstones were given to the rulers of the remaining lands which allowed quick travel to the Nexus. To prevent the future rise of the Old One it was imprisoned below the Nexus and the Soul Arts (power derived from the soul of others) were banned. Those heroes who survived the quest became Monumentals, half-living beings tasked with preserving the fabric of reality. As time passed, the archstones were forgotten by humanity and the Monumentals began to slowly perish. Now only one Monumental remains to aid the player in correcting King Allant's mistake in awakening the Old One. The Monumental opens a fissure (opening) in the Deep Fog to allow the player access to the outer rim of Boletaria. He guides the player through the journey to the Nexus and upon their death binds the player's soul to the Nexus. Only by destroying all the Demons, the Monumental claims, will the player be freed from the Nexial Binding. The Monumental encourages the player to allow the Maiden in Black to lull the Old One to sleep (and get the light ending of the game). The Crestfallen Warrior (the morose blue phantom by the first archstone) theorizes that it is the Monumentals, not King Allant, which awoke the Old One on a "whim." They then enslaved any passing warriors with Nexial Bindings in a desperate bid to undo their mistake. If this theory is correct, King Allant was merely a powerful warrior who was seduced by the call of the Old One to be its servant (like the player at the end of the game) and not the cause of Boletaria's demise. A line of the Monumental's dialogue which may support this is when he speaks of creating the Pantheon at the top of the Nexus to give "thanks to the brave and honorable warriors, who must fight to reverse our sin." This "sin" he speaks of may refer to the current awakening of the Old One, but it may mean instead that one of the Monumentals was responsible for the original awakening of the Old One in the distant past. It is also possible the last Monumental, desperate to find replacements, awakened the Old One to find warriors worthy of becoming new Monumentals to replace those who had died. If the player follows the Monumental's advice and receives the light ending by letting the Maiden in Black put the Old One to sleep, they will become a new Monumental. Origin: The pose of the Monumental and many of its facial features are modeled after statues of the Buddha. Reference: nexial binding description, friend's ring description, Crestfallen Warrior dialogue, Maiden in Black dialogue, Monumental dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue, King Allant dialogue, Narrator dialogue #: NPC02 Name: Maiden in Black AKA the Candle Maiden World: Nexus Narrative: She is a barefoot young woman with short black hair and eyes covered by wax. She wears black wrappings, a cloak, and carries a long pole which she uses to light the candles around the Nexus. After defeating the first Demon Boss, she can be found wandering the area in front of the Archstones on the lower floor of the Nexus. She was once one of the oldest and most powerful Demons in existence before she was bound to the Nexus by the Monumentals. She has the power to channel the Demon souls the player collects in order to make the player more powerful. The Maiden in Black once had the ability to suck out the soul of any creature, instantly killing them, but no longer can, likely due to the wax covering her eyes. She is a prisoner within the Nexus (a nexial binding is on her ankle) and cannot die, the only way she will be freed is to lull the Old One back to sleep. That freedom comes at a price for the only way to keep the Old One asleep is for her to sleep along with it. She can be permanently killed by striking while she puts the Old One to sleep which results in the dark ending of the game. She speaks in a similar manner to Old King Doran, with "thee" and "thou," confirming that she is quite old. Another possibility is the Demon is a completely separate entity from the Maiden in Black. In this scenario, the Maiden in Black was once just a simple candle maiden but was possessed by an ancient Demon's soul which now resides in her. It could be the Demon is in complete control of her body or instead it is some kind of symbiotic relationship. The Demon prevents her body from dying but is vulnerable while transferring it's essence to the Old One to put it to sleep. The nexial binding and black wax over her eyes could be a means to contain this Demon. Though the Monumental believes she follows his orders, the Maiden in Black appears to have somewhat split loyalties. If the Monumentals did not show King Allant how to awaken the Old One, the only other character with that knowledge would likely be the Maiden in Black. She is also the method of the player's corruption as she uses Demon magic to embolden the player's flesh with the souls of humans, a power that "contradicts the essence of the soul." Once the five Archdemons are defeated, she recognizes the howl of the Old One, which she calls the "voice of yore" (time long past), and brings the player down to meet the Old One. There she speaks to the Old One as if she has been in constant communication, telling it that she has done as commanded and brought a new Demon to serve as a replacement for the failure that is King Allant. Origin: N/A Reference: Maiden in Black dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue, Saint Urbain dialogue, Monumental dialogue, Crestfallen Warrior dialogue, Stockpile Thomas dialogue, nexial binding description, Soulsucker spell description #: NPC03 Name: Disciple of God World: Nexus Narrative: He is a common priest, a warrior of the Church, as he wears chain mail, carries a mace, and knows only a few minor miracles. He appears on the left side of the bottom floor of the Nexus after the first Demon boss, Phalanx, has been defeated. He has the ability to teach minor miracles and equip miracles the player has already learned. If the player does not rescue Saint Urbain before the Old Hero is killed and they talk to the Disciple, he will take it upon himself to rescue Saint Urbain and he leaves the Nexus. It is assumed he dies or loses his sanity in this attempt as he is never heard from again. If Saint Urbain is rescued, he will also disappear from the Nexus. Origin: A disciple is one who learns from another for the purpose of eventually teaching others. So he is a disciple of Saint Urbain's teachings. Reference: chain mail armor set description, mace description, heater shield description, talisman of god description, Disciple of God dialogue, Patches dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue #: NPC04 Name: Acolyte of God (male) World: Nexus Narrative: He is a part of the Church, but is not a priest as he mixes a chain mail chest piece with leather armor gauntlets and leggings, attacks with a dagger, and knows no miracles. He can be found on the left side on the bottom floor of the Nexus near the Worshipper and the Disciple (and later Urbain). He accompanied Saint Urbain to the Shrine of Storms, but turned and ran away when the grave robber Patches captured Urbain in a trap. He becomes incredibly depressed that he has violated his oath and begs the player to rescue Saint Urbain. He is exceedingly grateful to the player once Saint Urbain is rescued. The acolyte has a contempt for Patches and anyone who does business with him. He hates magicians and considers their works dark magic. Origin: An acolyte in the Catholic Church has been ordained into the highest of the four minor orders. He is a follower / helper, able to carry the wine, water, and the lights at Mass. He is an assistant to Saint Urbain. Reference: chain mail armor set description, leather armor set description, dagger description, Acolyte of God dialogue, Patches dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue #: NPC05 Name: Worshipper of God (female) World: Nexus Narrative: She is a believer and follower of the Church, but is not a member of the clergy. She wears a chain mail chest piece, attacks with a pickaxe (a keepsake of her grandfather), and knows no miracles. She can be found on the left side of the bottom floor of the Nexus near the Acoylte and the Disciple (and later Urbain). The female follower of Urbain used to live below the Boletarian Palace. As her grandfather was free to travel, it is unlikely her family were slaves, they may have been hired servants who lived and worked in the palace. She fled the palace when it was besieged by King Allant's doppelganger and its army of Demons. It is her belief that the pure faintstone she carries, a family heirloom, protected her from death at the hands of the Demons. The stone was discovered by her grandfather in the Stonefang mines, where he often traveled to mine and collect rocks. The pickaxe she carries and possibly the piece of chain mail she wears were likely once owned by her grandfather. It is possible she has always been a believer or that she was "born again" and began to believe when the "holy ore" protected her from death. Evidence of her being born again is her sudden eagerness to give all her possessions away to Saint Urbain or the player if their faith stat is 20+. It may also have been Urbain who planted the idea in her head that the pure faintstone protected her from death as it is he who tells her that he can "hear the voice of God through [the stone]." Origin: A worshipper is one who expresses their strong affection and dedication to a deity or sacred object often during a religious ceremony. Reference: chain mail armor set description, pickaxe description, faintstone description, Worshipper of God dialogue #: NPC06 Name: Saint Urbain AKA Honorable One World: Nexus, Shrine of Storms Narrative: Saint Urbain is adorned in the white robes that a high-ranking priest wears when he goes on a pilgrimage. The only weapon he has is faith and a talisman of God as he is able to perform God's Wrath, one of the greatest miracles. He can be found on the left side of the bottom floor of the Nexus near the Worshipper and the Disciple. Saint Urbain is one of the highest ranking priests in the Church, this is signified by the white robes and ring of devout prayer he wears. He has the ability to cleanse the evil from a Major Demon's soul and perform a new miracle with its power. While lower-level priests engage the Demons directly in battle, Saint Urbain is more of a spiritual leader as he constantly prays for God's protection of the Demon slayers. The Disciple of God describes him as a "true sage" as he has the ability to hear the voice of God through a talisman of God or pure faintstone ore. Miracles reappeared in Boletaria only after the rise of the Demons and black magic, Urbain believes that this is a sign from God that not only should the Church fight the Demon hordes, but that after the Demons are defeated all practitioners of magic should be "purged" from Boletaria. "A miracle is a heavenly act, but spells are the acts of Demons, the work of soul arts. They have similar effects, and yet, one is clearly evil, and the other is clearly good. Magicians, in the end, are mere servants of the Demons." He also believes that the souls which have been touched by Demons are so evil and all that seek them out (including King Allant, Sage Freke, and even the Maiden in Black) will eventually be taken over by a lust for power. It is unknown why Saint Urbain and the Acolyte traveled to the Shrine of Storms, but they eventually met the rogue Patches and Urbain found himself at the bottom of the pit below the sorcerer's altar. If he used the same trick on Urbain as he did on the player, Urbain was lured to the edge by the promise of vast treasure. This may indicate Urbain sought to pillage treasures from the pagan shrine of the Shadowmen in order to fund the Church's campaign against the Demons. The loss of his teacher shattered the Acolyte's courage so he fled back to the Nexus rather than attempt to rescue Urbain. If the player does not rescue Saint Urbain the Disciple of God will eventually leave for the Shrine of Storms to try and rescue him. If the player rescues Saint Urbain before the Disciple leaves, he will be gone when Urbain moves to the Nexus. Urbain is greatly disturbed by the howl of the Old One which echoes up into the Nexus once the 5 Archdemons are defeated and the seal on the Old One's chamber is broken. He believes it is not a Demon, but that it sounds more like a hungry child. It is possible the howl puts him at "unease" because deep down inside he knows (but can't believe) that it is the voice of the Old One which has been speaking to him while he has been in Boletaria. It is also revealed through the Talisman of Beasts that the source of miracles in Boletaria is not the Church's conception of "God," but that like soul magic, its power also comes from the Old One. Thus the God they worship (and perhaps have unknowingly worshipped since the establishment of their religion) is the Old One. Origin: Saint Urbain may be named after Urbain Grandier, a Catholic priest in the 1600s who ignored his vow of celibacy and had sexual relations with many women. After heavily criticizing a powerful Cardinal, he was falsely accused of witchcraft, subjected to torture to get him to confess (he did not), and was then burned at the stake. Reference: saint's robes armor set description, talisman of god description, talisman of beasts description, ring of devout prayer description, faintstone description, god's wrath miracle description, Saint Urbain dialogue, Patch's dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue, Acolyte of God dialogue, Worshipper of God dialogue, Disciple of God dialogue, Graverobber Blige dialogue, Shrine of Storms archstone description #: NPC07 Name: Freke's Apprentice World: Nexus Narrative: The Apprentice is adorned in wizard's clothes and attacks with a variety of basic spells. After the first Demon boss has been defeated he can be found on the right side of the bottom floor of the Nexus. Like the Acolyte of God, Freke's Apprentice pleads for others to rescue his master, Sage Freke, from Demon captivity. He is a rude magician who only agrees to teach the player magic so that he does not have to go into battle. It is implied through conversation that he gave up before making even a half-hearted attempt to rescue Freke from the dungeons of Latria and instead has recruited others warriors to attempt Freke's rescue. He is momentarily grateful once the player has rescued Sage Freke then insults the player whenever they talk to him again. Origin: An apprentice is one who forms an agreement with a master to serve them for a certain length of time in exchange for learning the master's trade. Reference: wizard's clothes armor set description, Freke's Apprentice dialogue #: NPC08 Name: Sage Freke AKA The Visionary World: Nexus, Tower of Latria Narrative: Sage Freke is adorned in dirt-covered, Venerable Sage's robes (which look very similar to Saint's robes) and wields a catalyst in one hand and a Baby's Nail in the other. After he has been freed from the Tower of Latria, he can be found on the right side of the bottom floor of the Nexus to the right of his apprentice. Sage Freke the Visionary observed how Demons channeled the Soul Arts in order to cast spells so that humans would be able to mimic that power. With his knowledge of Demon magic he hoped to slay the Demons in Latria but was overpowered by the Old Monk and imprisoned in the dungeons below the Tower of Latria. Once rescued by the player using the key which hangs next to the Liar in the church of the Fool's Idol, he can study the essence of a Major Demon's Soul in order to create a new, powerful spell. He believes the awakening of the Old One has energized magic far beyond anything that was before possible. He also believes prayer is for the foolish and that the Church's God and the Old One are one in the same, unbeknownst to Saint Urbain and the rest of the Church leadership. His contempt for the Church is likely connected to his time as a high-ranking priest in his younger years. The robes Freke wears show his "origins quite well" as it is a well worn, blackened, slightly modified saint's robe armor set. It is unknown for what reason Sage Freke turned against God and the Church. Since he served the Yormedar royal family he either settled in Latria after leaving the priesthood or is originally from Latria. Over the course of the player's quest, Freke becomes increasingly obsessed with the dark arts. First he envies those humans who have evolved to a "higher state" and become Demons. Next he momentarily doubts that defeating the Old One (which would end most magic) is the right thing to do. Finally he beseeches the player to murder the Maiden in Black (and get the dark ending of the game) while she attempts to lull the Old One back to sleep so that the player will gain the Old One's Demon soul. With that Demon soul, the player would gain power beyond imagination and Freke knowledge "from beyond." He is friends with the magical craftsmen Geri. Origin: In Norse mythology Freki and Geri, known as the "Ravenous Ones," were wolves who always accompanied the supreme Viking god Odin into battle. At the conclusion of the fighting, the hounds were known to roam the battlefield to greedily devour the corpses of the fallen. This is a parallel to Freke's intense desire for the player to bring him the mature souls of Demons which have fallen in battle. Reference: venerable sage's armor set description, baby's nail description, ring of magical sharpness, geri's stiletto description, Sage Freke dialogue, Saint Urbain dialogue, Freke's Apprentice dialogue, Yuria dialogue, Patches dialogue, Tower of Latria archstone #: NPC09 Name: Yuria World: Nexus, Boletarian Palace Narrative: Yuria wears the hat of a witch, but the insect-infested clothing of one who has lived through horrific things. After being freed from the lone tower in the Boletaria Palace, she can be found in the southeast corner of the bottom floor of the Nexus. When Yuria was young, she was born with a magical ring in her hand and thus branded a witch and persecuted as a threat to society. As she became older her bitterness and lust for power grew and she was drawn to the accursed land of Boletaria. She was defeated by Executioner Miralda near the entrance to the Boletarian Place and imprisoned. During her incarceration she was kept separate from the other prisoners in a tower reserved for "special" cases. The key which accesses the tower is encrusted with dried blood meaning horrific torture must go on in the tower and the blood would run down to the key hanging on the belt of the Ministers. In that tower she was ill-fed, tortured, and (based on what she says to the player when they wear an official's cap) sexually assaulted by the Fat Ministers. That just wearing a minister's cap allowed one access to Yuria would imply there was widespread abuse of her by a multitude of Officials. That horrific experience has robbed her of her lust for power, making her timid and very reluctant to teach the player witchcraft. Once rescued by the player, she can teach them to channel a Major Demon's Soul in order to create a new, powerful spell. While Sage Freke makes use of magic by studying the essence of a Demon Soul, Yuria uses emotion to channel the soul's raw power. This method of channeling the Soul Arts is believed to be intrinsically evil as channeling cursed souls will taint the caster. Her magic is often more powerful than Freke's but lacks focus and is more unpredictable. She is one of the few characters able to break free from her lust for power and the corrupting influence of the Demons. Origin: The character may be named after the Japanese pop singer YURIA. Reference: ring of the accursed description, bloody key description, three- corned hat description, old raggedy robes armor set description, official's cap description. ring of a magical nature description, Biorr dialogue, Yuria dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue #: NPC10 Name: Stockpile Thomas World: Nexus Narrative: Thomas wears leather armor and boots which means he may have been a hunter before the scourge. He can be found near the hallway of red tutorial signs on the bottom floor of the Nexus. Thomas lived near the Boletaria Palace with his wife and daughter when the Demon scourge came. He has no formal combat training and in terror he fled, abandoning his wife and daughter, and becoming injured in the process. He awoke in the Nexus and was nursed back to health by the Maiden in Black. As the Worshipper of God also fled the Boletaria Palace at the start of the scourge, she may be the one who carried the injured Thomas to the Nexus. He is not physically bound to the Nexus with a Nexial binding, but is so terrified of the Demons that he has not left the Nexus since he awoke. The player later confirms that Thomas's wife and child are dead when their corpses (and his daughter's hairpin) are found suspended by chains from the side of a tower in the Boletarian Palace. As the player has limited inventory space Thomas pledges to watch over and protect any excess baggage, like an item bank. Origin: The name Thomas means "twin," but it may be more in reference to the biblical story of one of Jesus's Disciples, "doubting" Thomas, as he does not truly believe his wife and daughter are dead until the player brings him proof. Reference: leather armor set description, jade hair ornament description, ring of herculean strength description, Worshipper of God dialogue, Stockpile Thomas dialogue #: NPC11 Name: Blacksmith Boldwin World: Nexus Narrative: Boldwin is a blacksmith of small stature who wears tattered clothes and portions of his body are covered in scales. He can be found slightly to the right of Stockpile Thomas on the bottom floor of the Nexus. He is an old blacksmith able to do minor weapon crafting and sell low-level equipment and items. His physique and voice are nearly identical to Blacksmith Ed because they are twin brothers. He worked in Stonefang tunnel as a blacksmith up until the coming of the Deep Fog at which point he fled to the Nexus before the situation deteriorated. Like Ed, he carries a Hand of God (likely a family heirloom), a fist weapon worn by the legendary warrior "Big M" to slay dragons with his fists. Also like Ed, he has small patches of scales on his skin indicating the miners of Stonefang were once human, transformed into scale-covered Demons by the colorless fog. There is an empty blacksmith station near the water wheel which powers the elevator by Ed, perhaps this was Boldwin's station before he left for the Nexus. When he was younger Boldwin also lived near Stonefang and used his strength to clear bearbugs from the mine tunnels. Origin: The character may be named after the Hong Kong company "Boldwin Industrial," known for the design and manufacturing of plastic figurines and vinyl toys. Reference: hands of god description, iron knuckles description, Blacksmith Boldwin dialogue, Stonefang Tunnel archstone description #: NPC12 Name: Crestfallen Warrior World: Nexus Narrative: The blue phantom of a Demon slayer who wears plate armor indicating in life he was likely a Boletarian soldier. He can be found on the bottom floor of the Nexus in front of the Boletaria Palace archstone. A cynical and depressed warrior who has given up his quest to slay Demons and now sits in front of the Boletaria Palace archstone in blue phantom soul form. Like the player, he was bound to the Nexus by the Monumental and as a result is mistrustful of the Monumental. He is the first to warn the player of the dangers of the Soul Arts; that as the Maiden in Black gives one more power, bit by bit, one loses their humanity. As the player progresses the Crestfallen warrior will become increasingly soul-starved eventually leading to memory loss. Once the Tower Knight is killed he will rant about the player finding his rotten body, which is theorized to be the corpse with the Traditional Hero's Soul in the path of the Red Dragon's fire on the Lord's Path in the Boletaria Palace. After that encounter he becomes completely soul-started, loses his memories, and eventually fades away. He is one of the only characters in the game which casts doubt on the goodness of the Monumental, see NPC01 for further information. Origin: N/A Reference: Plate armor set description, Crestfallen Warrior dialogue #: NPC13 Name: Patches the Hyena World: Nexus, Stonefang Tunnel, Shrine of Storms Narrative: Patches wears black leather armor and wields an Adjudicator's shield and short spear. After encountering him in the cavern of the 2nd area of Stonefang Tunnel and/or behind the sorcerer's altar in the 2nd area of the Shrine of Storms he can be found in front of the Tower of Latria archstone on the bottom level of the Nexus. He is a mischievous graverobber not above luring travelers to their deaths in order to loot their corpses. He tricks the player into getting cornered by a bearbug in Stonefang mine, and also kicks the player down a hole in the Shrine of Storms in the hopes of looting their corpse once they die of starvation. He kicks Saint Urbain down that same hole and from that point on is despised by Urbain and his followers. Upon surviving his traps, he asks forgiveness of the player and attempts to laugh it up as a practical joke. He takes up residence in the Nexus in front of the Tower of Latria archstone and begins to sell rare items once encountered in either of the locations. Origin: He is likely known as "the Hyena" for the inflection of his laugh. The character has its origins as a mech pilot named "Patch the Good Luck" in From Software's earlier game Armored Core: For Answer. In that game he is a mercenary piloting the mech "No Count" who gives up the fight if his master is killed, exclaiming "Wait wait! I give up! H-hey, I'm just following orders here! If he's pulled out, why should I...? Y-you guys, you're still alive right? This is No Count, come in! We're allies right? Right?" The character's in-game biography also details his favored combat strategy is to "snipe from the air or from concealed locations to catch his opponents off guard." Reference: black leather armor set description, Patches dialogue, Saint Urbain dialogue, Acolyte of God dialogue, Graverobber Blige dialogue #: NPC14 Name: Yurt the Silent Chief World: Nexus, Tower of Latria Narrative: Yurt wears the malevolent-looking gloom armor which consists of spiked chest piece, greaves, gauntlets, and a dual-spike helmet. He wields a parrying dagger and a shotel. He can be found in the 2nd area of the Tower of Latria just before riding the elevator down into the swamp, drop down to lower walkway with augites of guidance to free him. Once freed, he can be found on the left side of the second floor of the Nexus. He is first encountered imprisoned in a cage in the Tower of Latria surrounded by augites of guidance, which he likely threw from cage to draw attention, and he asks the player to free him. If freed he will take up residence on the 2nd floor of the Nexus. Yurt claims to be an ally in the fight against the Demons but is actually a blood-thirsty mercenary who is under the employ of Mephistopheles, the leader of a vicious, secret masked society. His mission is to murder anyone left in Boletaria who has knowledge of the Soul Arts, If he is left alone in the Nexus he will murder all of its mages and most of its vendors one at a time. As he speaks, "Silent" obviously does not indicate that he is mute. "Silent" must be referring to his demeanor, IE that he is stealthy and remains unseen. "Chief" signifies a high rank or leadership position. Since he is a mercenary, and not necessarily a part of the Soul Industry secret society, Chief may indicate he is the leader of a band of assassins. The Shotel description (the weapon Yurt uses) mentions a "group of assassins" which use the weapon. So "Yurt the Silent Chief" could mean "A leader among a group of assassins who inflict pain (hurt) and death stealthily." One of the mysteries of Yurt is who imprisoned him in the cage in Latria and why. As there are items scattered throughout Latria which belong to high- ranking members of the Soul Industry it is possible they were imprisoned by the Old Monk and Yurt was sent in to rescue them. The opposite may also be true, that the Old Monk captured them and it was Yurt's job to sneak in and kill them before they spilled what they knew to the Old Monk. One odd possibility is that Yurt entered the cage in the swamp, rode it up to the tower, and then found he could not reach the latch through the bars of the cage with his armor on. In that case it would be carelessness, and not a person, who locked him in the cage. Another interesting tidbit (which may just be a coincidence) is that the insignia on the back of his gloom helmet is very similar in shape to the insignia on the front of the purple flame shield. The origin of the shield's design and characteristics are unknown so it may have been originally designed by the ancestors of Yurt's clan of assassins. Origin: "Yurt" means either one's home or homeland and is also a type of tent. That doesn't appear to relate to the character so I believe that he is called "Yurt" because it sounds very close to "hurt" and a lower case 'h" is basically an upside down "y." "Yurt" may also be a contraction of "you(r) hurt." Reference: shotel description, parrying dagger description, gloom armor set description, purple flame shield description, Mephistopheles dialogue, Yuria dialogue, Patches dialogue, Yurt dialogue #: NPC15 Name: Mephistopheles World: Nexus Narrative: Mephistopheles is a woman adorned in Rogue's clothes, a gold mask, and wields a parrying dagger and epee rapier. Once Yurt is dead and the player has pure black character tendency, she can be found in Yurt's old spot on the left side of the second floor of the Nexus. She is a very high-ranked member of Soul Industry, a secret, masked society of individuals who wish to keep the secrets of the Soul Arts for themselves. She employed the mercenary Yurt the Silent Chief to murder all those in Boletaria who have knowledge of the Soul Arts. If the player has pure black character tendency and has defeated Yurt she offers to employ them to finish the job. If the player takes her up on her offer and murders the Soul Art users of Boletaria, she will turn on the player and attempt to kill them, the last non- member with knowledge of the Soul Arts. Though an epee rapier has a blunted blade and is typically used in fencing contests, the epee rapiers wielded by the Soul Industry are imbued with a strong magical flame. Thus strikes by the epee rapier only lightly cuts the flesh, but horribly burns it. This example of viciousness is one of reasons the Soul Industry is so feared. Origin: "Mephistopheles," which roughly translates to "not a lover of light," is a demon representative of the Devil in a tale of German folktale, the Legend of Faust. In the story, Faust is an unfulfilled author who makes a deal with Mephistopheles to trade his soul to the Devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The deal irrevocably corrupts his soul and at the end of the tale his soul is dragged down to Hell. This parallels the relationship between the player and the NPC, in exchange for assassinating characters in the Nexus they gain weapons and items of great power, but at the cost of blackening the player's soul. Reference: rogue's clothes armor set description, gold mask description, epee rapier description, parrying dagger description, ring of the accursed description, foe's ring description, Yurt dialogue, Mephistopheles dialogue #: NPC16 Name: Ostrava AKA Prince Ariona Allant World: Nexus, Boletarian Palace Narrative: Ariona Allant travels under the alias "Ostrava," wears a full set of fluted armor, and wields a rune sword and shield. He is encountered in body form 4 times as the player moves through the Boletaria Palace (if he is rescued each time). After each of the first 3 encounters, he can be found dangling on the beam between the Boletaria Palace and Valley of Defilement archstones on the bottom floor of the Nexus. Prince Allant, the son of the King Allant, arrives at the Boletaria Palace after the scourge, but shortly before the player; to avoid attention he travels under the alias Ostrava. He has come alone from the distant Southern kingdom (likely one of Latria's territories on the edge of their kingdom) on a mission to find his father and confirm if the rumors that he has become a Demon are true. He is a wise, but pampered man and often becomes overwhelmed by even weak enemies and must be saved numerous times by the player. He is clad in the garb of a warrior and wields the gilded sword and shield of a legendary hero, but lacks the will to fight, and will run when faced with a marginally powerful enemy. He is last encountered by the player on the steps to King Allant's throne room. Having confirmed that King Allant is a Demon, Ostrava chooses to commit suicide rather than face him in combat. He leaves it to the player to finish his job and is so weak willed that within minutes he appears in black phantom form as the last obstacle to King Allant. He speaks with authority on events which transpired shortly after the scourge, but since he was not present at the time, his knowledge is likely second-hand and may not be reliable. For instance, the Narrator describes in the prologue that Vallarfax broke through a gap in the Deep Fog (what is often referred to by NPCs as a "fissure") to tell the outside world of Boletaria's plight. Ostrava states that Vallarfax was "lost" and that Biorr was the one to break through a "fissure" in the Deep Fog. He speaks first-hand of what the Southern kingdom of Latria thinks about the Northern kingdom of Boletaria, he is clad in the armor of a Latrian knight, he possesses a telescope made by Latrian craftsmen, and he wields the sword and shield of a Latrian heroe. This all indicates that Ostrava spent a great deal of time in Latria, possibly under the care of his relative, Lord Rydell (also known as "little Allant") who is most likely uncle to Ostrava and thus little brother of King Allant. Biorr also speaks of Ostrava "coming to Boletaria," indicating he was not present at the Boletarian Palace when the Demon scourge arrived. One odd bit is the description of the Rune weapons imply they are unique to a legendary Latrian hero, but a second sword and shield are found on a corpse sitting precariously on a ledge in the Tower of Latria. Either the original hero had spares made and now the extras are wielded by knights of high status, or perhaps Ostrava was killed in Latria and what the player has interacted with is his soul form. Origin: Ariona is a variation on the Greek name "Ariana," both are girl's name, which means "holy." It could be they gave Ostrava a girl's name to emphasize the lack of masculinity of the character. Also "holy" in this case might more refer to his pure and kind nature, rather than his relationship with God. Ostrava is a city in the Czech Republic which in prehistoric times served as an important crossroads on many trade routes. The most prominent trade route, called the Amber Road, brought the important raw material amber (fossilized tree resin) to many European and North African countries. The symbol on the flag of Ostrava is quite similar to the design of the rune shield. Reference: fluted armor set description, rune sword description, rune shield description, brass telescope description, Ostrava dialogue, Dregling Merchant dialogue, Biorr dialogue, Narrator dialogue, Tower of Latria archstone description, knight class description #: NPC17 Name: Biorr AKA Elder Twin Fang World: Nexus, Boletarian Palace Narrative: Biorr of the royal Twin Fangs wears full brushwood armor, and carries a brushwood shield, heavy crossbow, and a great sword. After being rescued from the jail near the Tower Knight in the 2nd area of the Boletaria Palace, he can be found in front of the Valley of Defilement archstone in the Nexus. Biorr, the elder of the two, and Vallarfax were brothers known as the royal Twin Fangs. They were both members of King Allant's round table of knights when the Demon scourge came to the Boletarian Palace. The player first encounters Biorr locked up in the dungeons of the Boletarian Palace after he was defeated by the black souls of other knights of the round table. In the beginning, he is

adamant that the colorless fog could not be the work of the King, that it must be lies told by the true perpetrators who seek to overthrow Allant. After he assists in the battle with the boss Penetrator (corrupted form of Metas, the knight of the Lance), Biorr appears to have come to terms with the truth and warns the player not to underestimate the King nor his protectors if the player seeks to challenge Allant. Despite the grim situation, Biorr remains upbeat, often cracking a light- hearted joke while in a conversation with the player, this is thought to be an attempt to hide his grief. Biorr speaks of his brother Vallarfax in the past tense and what is likely Vallarfax's armor is found at the bottom of Executioner Miralda's tower indicating he was killed at some point before Biorr's imprisonment. Biorr's grief may also explain why he puts himself in harms way, first assisting the player in defeating the boss Penetrator and then serving as a momentary distraction for the player to run past the Blue Dragon. If Biorr survives the battle with the Blue Dragon the conversation which follows implies that he has been mortally wounded, it is the last time the player will see him alive and the Dregling Merchant, known for taking items off corpses to sell, later has his armor for sale. Biorr mentions after being rescued by the player that he was defeated by "the black souls of mighty knights." Later when he jumps in to assist the player in the battle with Penetrator he proclaims that the Demon will be stopped "once and for all." This may indicate that Penetrator is the one who defeated Biorr and caused him to be imprisoned by the Fat Ministers. That Penetrator focuses entirely on Biorr and ignores the player is further evidence of some unresolved conflict between the two knights. Like the Penetrator, Biorr has a potent hatred of the Fat Ministers. If one takes what Ostrava says as truth, Vallarfax was "lost" and Biorr slipped through "the fissure." Characters often refer to an opening in the Deep Fog as a fissure, but according to the prologue Biorr has not left Boletaria since the scourge began. A fissure is a weakness or flaw which has been split open forming a narrow opening. That definition could apply to the hole in the skylight of Miralda's tower, Biorr could have stepped over the skylight and it broke causing him to "slip" through and disappear into the darkness of the tower, "never to be heard from again." That would mean it could be Biorr's corpse at the bottom of the tower, which raises all kinds of questions about who the player rescues from the Palace jail. Origin: "Biorr" aka "Bjorr" is an Old Icelandic word for an ale attributed to the Gods; a rare and potent drink which possessed magical powers. Reference: brushwood armor set description, large brushwood shield description, ring of great strength description, great sword description, Dregling Merchant dialogue, Biorr dialogue, Ostrava dialogue, Narrator dialogue #: NPC18 Name: Dregling Merchant World: Boletarian Palace Narrative: For further information see E01 He can be found hiding in the first 3 areas of the Boletaria Palace: behind a barricade in the 1st area, at the northern end inside the bridge in the 2nd area, and in the small house with the red-eyed knights near the locked gate in the 3rd area. Only one dregling has managed to maintain his sanity from a steady stream of Demon Souls, acquired by trading items he scavenges from corpses to Demon slayers passing through the castle. As he is one of the few characters who was sane and escaped capture / death during the entirety of the scourge, he has a wealth of first-hand information about the current situation in Boletaria. Origin: For further information see E01 Reference: Dregling Merchant dialogue #: NPC19 Name: Executioner Miralda World: Boletarian Palace Narrative: Miralda is King Allant's executioner, wears a hood, binded cross armor set, and wields a guillotine axe. She can be found by obtaining pure black or white world tendency and entering the execution grounds on the left side near the beginning of the first area of the Boletaria Palace. King Allant's blood-thirsty executioner is the only named NPC to be immediately hostile to the player in pure black world tendency AND pure white world tendency. Before the scourge, she was known throughout Boletaria for her lunacy and beautiful voice. She appears fully covered head to toe with scrap of black leather and wields an axe especially designed to decapitate foes in one strike. She commands the black phantoms of those poor souls she has executed and they protect the execution grounds. She is quite powerful, defeating / imprisoning the witch Yuria, and may have killed Vallarfax (brother of Biorr) as a set of brushwood armor is found at the base of her tower. Origin: "Mira" means "she stares at intently or aims," or "she admires." "Alda" is Icelandic and refers either to a wave (as in the sea) or a smooth edge. So "Miralda" could mean "one who aims a smooth edge," the guillotine. It may instead refer to a Cuban tale from the 1800s, "The Justice of Tacon" in which a noble bribed soldiers to abduct a beautiful, poor, virgin maiden; Miralda, under false pretenses. The noble has been long suspected of abducting young woman to deflower and then kill them. When the vile act is discovered by General Tacon he passes judgment that now that Miralda's reputation is ruined the noble must marry her. Under protects, he marries Miralda and then afterward is immediately executed by the General's men so that his wealth and estate transfer to Miralda. The tale was later adapted into a play by an American writer who inserted the character Cecil, an old woman who went stark- raving mad when her daughter was abducted (the noble was suspected) several years prior. Now she wanders the market murmuring about vengeance against the nobleman. Reference: binded cross armor set description, guillotine axe description, Yuria dialogue, Miralda dialogue #: NPC20 Name: Old King Doran AKA Last Hero AKA Everlasting One World: Boletarian Palace Narrative: Old King Doran wears his one-of-a-kind Ancient King's Armor and wields a soul- form version of the Northern Regalia. Once the Mausoleum Key has been obtained from Ostrava, he can be found in the 1st area of the Boletaria Palace behind the Red-eyed knight. Old King Doran, known in legends as the Last Hero or the Everlasting One, is the founder of Great Boletaria and resides in the royal family mausoleum below the Boletarian Palace. He is a demigod charged with protecting both the royal family and the sword Northern Regalia which is the fusion of the otherworldly swords Demonbrandt and Soulbrandt. It is unknown who forged the Northern Regalia but legends say It was left in the world at the same time as the Old One for malicious purposes. Though Doran wields a soul-form version of Northern Regalia, the physical sword was split in two. The white blade Demonbrandt which "banishes that which befouls man" grows more powerful the purer the soul who wields it and was left behind in the crypt by King Allant. The black blade Soulbrandt which "banishes man himself" grows more powerful the more demonic the soul who wields it and has not left the hand of King Allant since he gained knowledge of the Soul Arts. A soul-form version of the black blade is later held by the False King Demon doppelganger. If the player proves they are worthy by besting Doran in combat he will allow them to take the sword Demonbrandt to aid in the quest to defeat King Allant. Origin: A regalia is an emblem / symbol of royalty, like a crown or scepter, literally meaning "things pertaining to the King." So the Northern Regalia sword is a symbol that the wielder rules over the Northern kingdom of Boletaria. On the butt of the mausoleum key which opens King Doran's crypt is the carving of 3 interlocking rings called "Borromean rings." This symbol has had many meanings throughout history, for some Christians it represents the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit. In other cultures it has represented the 3 areas of the Earth: land, sea, and sky. The Celts believe a similar symbol (3 interlocking knots) represented the 3 cycles of life: life, death, and rebirth. The character Doran may be named for the Ben Doran AKA Beinn Dorain, which means "hill of the streamlet," and is one of the most recognizable mountains in Scotland. Reference: mausoleum key description, demonbrandt description, soulbrandt description, northern regalia description, eternal warrior's ring description, ancient king's armor set description, Ostrava dialogue, Old King Doran dialogue #: NPC21 Name: Filthy Man World: Stonefang Tunnel Narrative: He can be found near the start of Stonefang Tunnel and in the second area of the world in the same cavern as Patches the Hyena. A sleazy merchant who has thrived by stealing goods from the excavators as they are too concerned with mining to notice or care. He has maintained his sanity by trading those stolen items to would-be Demon slayers traveling through the mine. He knows the location of the crystal lizard nest in the mine, but will not divulge it to the player, perhaps he learned its location from a barbarian near Stonefang. Like Scirvir, he is too scared to enter the twisting tunnels below the main mine. Origin: N/A Reference: Filthy Man dialogue #: NPC22 Name: Blacksmith Ed World: Stonefang Tunnel Narrative: He can be found in the first area of Stonefang Tunnel by continuing straight outside, past the pit of lava to the right and the doorway on the left, and riding the elevator down to his workshop. He is an eccentric, ill-tempered master blacksmith and the last sane townsman left in Stonefang Tunnel. Ed is able to do advanced weapon crafting and, with the heat generated from the Demon soul of Flamelurker, bless weapons with the spirit of mature Demon Souls. His physique and voice are nearly identical to Blacksmith Boldwin because they are twin brothers. Boldwin is quite strong, but pales in comparison to Ed who is supposedly stronger than some Demons. Like Ed, he carries a Hand of God (likely a family heirloom), a fist weapon worn by the legendary warrior "Big M" to slay dragons with his fists. While Boldwin has only small patches of scales on his skin, the majority of Ed's body is covered in scales indicating he is much further along in the transformation to a scale-covered Demon. If Ed stays, there is a high probability he will share the same fate as the rest of the Excavators. His obsession to continue working the forge, not even stopping when talking to the player, mirrors the scale miner's single-minded quest for ore. Origin: N/A Reference: hands of god description, Blacksmith Boldwin dialogue, Blacksmith Ed dialogue, iron knuckles description, Stonefang Tunnel archstone description #: NPC23 Name: Scirvir the Wanderer World: Stonefang Tunnel Narrative: Scirvir wears chain mail chest armor, leather armor on his hands and feet, wields a short sword, and casts spells and miracles with a talisman of beasts. He can be found by taking the right fork at the start of the 2nd area of Stonefang Tunnel and carefully dropping from ledge to ledge down the shaft in pure white world tendency. Like many wanderers, Scirvir was probably once a warrior of the Church, evidence of which is his use of the miracle regeneration, and the chain mail he wears. Perhaps he lost his faith when he came upon the Talisman of Beasts, an amulet in the shape of the Old One, which has the power to cast magic and perform miracles; proving that God and the Old One are one in the same. He is an inquisitive man, who has a delight for the strange, and asks the player to search for a legendary blunt sword, forged specifically to kill dragons, in the Dragon Temple in the deepest part of the mine. He wishes to see with his own eyes "The arts of swordsmanship applied in a perfectly useless manner." Origin: Scir AKA Skirr is an Old Icelandic word which means "clear" or "shining." Vir AKA Verr is an Old Icelandic word which means "man" or "warrior." So his name could mean "pure man" or "warrior of light." Reference: wanderer class description, chain mail armor set description, talisman of beasts description, dragon bone smasher description, Filthy Man dialogue, Scirvir dialogue, Stonefang Tunnel archstone description #: NPC24 Name: Former Royal's Wife AKA Once Royal Mistress AKA Singing Lady World: Tower of Latria Narrative: A female vendor who appears to have endured horrific torture; her face and hands (and likely more under his dress) have been horribly mutilated. In addition her eyes are closed and she bleeds tears indicating she is probably blind. Perhaps her eyes were plucked out as a part of the torture. She can be found in a cell in the first area of the Tower of Latria, listen for the singing to locate her. This former wife of royalty is also a prisoner in Latria's dungeon but has much better accommodations than the other prisoners. She has a variety of goods left over from when she was royalty and offers to sell them to the player to gain souls and maintain her sanity. It is from her that the player learns much of what has transpired in Latria since the coming of the Deep Fog. To pass the time in her cell she sings a haunting melody. There is speculation about who might be her husband. Some thought she might be the wife of Lord Rydell, but he states that his wife is dead. Some suspect that she was the Old Monk's mistress and when the Queen found out about their affair, that was the reason she banished him from Latria. That theory would explain why she receives preferential treatment in the dungeon once the Old Monk returned. Another theory is that since both the Liar and the Once Royal Mistress know the truth about the Fool's Idol that they may have once been married until he began to serve the Old Monk. Still another theory is that the Once Royal Mistress IS the Queen of Latria, but that the horrible torture has caused something of a mental breakdown. Subconsciously she knows she is the Queen, but consciously she is meek and speaks of the Queen as if she were a different person. Origin: N/A Reference: Former Royal's Wife dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue, Tower of Latria archstone description #: NPC25 Name: The Liar AKA Coherent Mage Prisoner World: Tower of Latria Narrative: The player meets a coherent prisoner on the balcony of the Fool's Idol's church who promises that he will cause no trouble. The magical seal on the floor he is conjuring is remarkably similar to the paralyzing seal the False Idol casts during the boss fight. He is a liar, as soon as the Fool's Idol is defeated he will laugh and the spell he has been casting will resurrect the boss. The Royal Mistress warns of this "I know the truth, the church Goddess may die, but never for long." Kill the Liar to prevent the Fool's Idol's resurrection. As he is the most powerful of the mage prisoners he was likely a royal of very high status before he was imprisoned. Since both the Liar and the Former Royal's Wife know the truth it has led to a theory that the Liar was once her husband. Perhaps after the jailing of the Queen's family the wife took the Queen's side and the Liar sided with the Old Monk, resulting in a falling out. Another possibility is the Liar could be serving the Old Monk in order to bring comfort to his wife, the Singing Lady, and she is speaking metaphorically that she is no longer married as the Liar has twisted into a being that is no longer her husband. It is unknown if after the Old Monk was banished the Queen took a new husband. If she did, another possibility is that the Liar is her soul-starved widower. Origin: N/A Reference: Former Royal's Wife dialogue, The Liar dialogue, Sage Freke dialogue, Tower of Latria archstone description #: NPC26 Name: Lord Rydell AKA Little Allant World: Tower of Latria Narrative: The player first encounters Rydell after he is dead, his soul form is locked in a cell on the west side of the 2nd floor of the first area of the Tower of Latria rattling the bars and crying out in anguish. He was likely injured in battle by the arrow firing machine which guards the main path to the Idol's church as that is where his Clever Rat's ring is found. His signature weapon, the Phosphorescent Pole, was smashed and he was imprisoned and left to die in his cell. Rydell carried a pair of matching rings. When he is near death, one grants him greater protection and the other grants him immense power. That Rydell was known by the nickname "Little Allant" and is similar in age to the King indicating they are related, most likely brothers, with Rydell being the younger of the two. That certainly explains why Ostrava, son of King Allant, would have so many keepsakes from Latria (his armor, sword, shield, and brass telescope), as Rydell would be the Prince's uncle. He is best known for stealing the Phosphorescent Pole, a magically enhanced staff weapon, from the Witch in the Sky. It is of particular interest the degree of malice of Rydell's imprisonment as even in death he is not allowed release from the dungeon. Some type of spell by the Old Monk or the Fat Ministers has caused his soul to be drawn to and imprisoned in a different cell after he died. The key to the cell was hidden well atop one of Latria's towers to ensure he would never escape. One theory is that Rydell is the new husband of the Queen of Latria and that is why the Old Monk, who was her former husband, wishes Rydell so much suffering. His title "Lord" is a generic substitute which can be used in place of an official title (Earl, Marquise, Viscount, etc.). If he were the husband of the Queen, Lord could have been used instead of King to avoid confusion with King Allant. That the Queen had the power to banish the Old Monk would seem to indicate that Latria is a Matriarchy, in which a woman is the ultimate authority, and another reason why Rydell would have a generic title of Lord. The "little" part of the nickname "Little Allant" may also refer to his subservient role in his marriage to the Queen. Another theory is the corpse with a silver bracelet in the room with the prisoner horde is Rydell's wife. The silver bracelet was worn by a "daughter of nobility" and it is found in the room directly adjacent to the bridge guarded by the arrow machine. It is on this bridge that one of Rydell's rings is found. It is possible Rydell attempted to hold back the Demon horde on the bridge while his wife escaped, but ultimately he was caught and she was surrounded and killed in the dungeon. Origin: Ryd AKA Ryo is an Old Icelandic prefix which means "rust-colored." Ell is Latin for the pronoun "he." Also to consider the pronunciation of the name adds a Y- sound "rid-e-yell" and in some areas of the game it is spelt "Rydyell," which is closer to the way it is pronounced. So his name could mean "Rust-colored (red) man" or the "Rusty one who shouts." Reference: phosphorescent pole description, silver bracelet description, clever rat's ring description, dull rat's ring description, Lord Rydell dialogue, Former Royal's Wife dialogue, Tower of Latria archstone description #: NPC27 Name: Graverobber Blige World: Shrine of Storms Narrative: Blige is a scavenger much like Patches the Hyena, searching through dead and forgotten lands for treasures buried with the dead. When the player first encounters him he has fallen for a trap laid by Patches and become locked in a jail cell in the hidden tunnel which bypasses the Vanguard in the first area of the Shrine of Towers. Once freed, he will sell the items he has acquired. Blige fills in much of the back story of the level, that it was once a shrine to men who worshiped death and storms, but was abandoned long ago Origin: N/A Reference: Graverobber Blige dialogue #: NPC28 Name: "Sparkly" the Crow World: Shrine of Storms Narrative: At the highest point in the Shrine of Storms is a tree with a large bird's nest (climb the stairs near the entrance to the hidden tunnel which bypasses the Vanguard). Inside that nest is the unseen, second merchant of the level, a bird nicknamed "Sparkly" for its desire for shiny objects. Place an item she desires on the ground and the next time the player returns to the level, the item will be gone and a different item will be at the base of the tree. The most common item traded by Sparkly is white arrows, those arrows are fletched by using the feathers of the white hawks which circle Sparkly's nest and fly around other areas of the Shrine of Storms. The shaft of a white arrow is carved from gnarled wood of the trees of the Shrine of Storms, a white bow is carved from this same type of wood. Origin: N/A Reference: white bow description, white arrow description, Sparkly the Crow dialogue #: NPC29 Name: Satsuki World: Shrine of Storms Narrative: Satsuki wears shaman's armor and wields either the hiltless katana or the Makoto if it is handed over to him by the player. He can be found at the very beginning of the level in pure black or white world tendency. In all but the pure tendencies, Satsuki will lurk atop the first wall with the arched doorway at the start of the level. Upon reaching pure white world tendency he will descend and promise Demon Souls if the player acquires the katana sword "Makoto," a weapon he claims belongs to his father. The Makoto is a cursed weapon of folklore which slowly devours the lifeforce of the user and inflicts wounds that will never heal. It is said the Makoto draws warriors to it in the hopes of picking a new master when its old one falls. Upon handing the weapon over to Satsuki the dialogue he speaks implies that it is not a keepsake of his father, but that he has tricked the player into acquiring the legendary weapon to satisfy his own lust for power. If the player returns to Satsuki wielding the Makoto he curses the arrogance of the player as he believes that he is the only worthy owner of the Makoto. In both cases he will attempt to kill the player, either to test the power of the weapon or to take the Makoto from the player's unworthy hands. In pure black world tendency, he will attack the player with a hiltless weapon, but will take no damage from wielding it. Satsuki wears Shaman's clothing, garb of the heretical shaman in the Valley of the Defilement indicating that the clothing does not originate in the Valley, but from elsewhere. Perhaps heretics (spiritually unclean), and not just those physically deformed were cast into the valley. In which case Satsuki escaped that fate somehow. Origin: Satsuki is a Japanese word which can means "May," "blossom," "moon," or "hope." Makoto is a Japanese word which means "true sincerity." Reference: shaman's clothes armor set description, hiltless description, magic sword "Makoto" description, Satsuki dialogue #: NPC30 Name: Filthy Woman World: Valley of Defilement Narrative: She can be found above the room of rats in the 1st area of the Valley of Defilement and in the second area of the world just past the entrance to the shanty town from the poison swamp. Much like in the land of the blind, the man with one eye is King; in the land of the wretched and the diseased, a shrill harpy is desirable. Before Saint Astraea came to the Valley, the Filthy Woman was the most beautiful and desirable of all the females. After Saint Astraea and her knights came to the Valley, the outcasts paid little attention to her and that has shaped the Point-of-view of the Filthy Woman. She calls Astraea hateful names and believes that things were better before Astraea brought her "foulness" to the Valley. She sells the armor and weapons of all the Priests and Temple Knights in Astraea's entourage who were killed as well as the warriors of the Church who entered the Valley after the scourge to confirm the rumors that Saint Astraea had become a Demon. The Filthy Woman will often attempt to guilt the player into purchasing items by mentioning her unseen, sick and hungry child. Her general demeanor, detectable bias about Astraea, and the fact that her child is never seen has lead many to believe that she is lying about having any children. Though Astraea came to the Valley on a mission of compassion, the Filth Woman claims she looked at her child with disgust. If this is truthful statement, it is likely that her child is one of the heretical shaman. Origin: N/A Reference: Selen Vinland dialogue, Filthy Woman dialogue, Valley of Defilement archstone description #: NPC31 Name: Selen Vinland AKA Selen of the West World: Valley of Defilement Narrative: Selen wears dull gold armor and wields the sword Blind. She can be found in pure world tendency in the second area of the Valley of Defilement just as the player exits the swamp water to cross over into the east half of the swamp using a walkway (by the Giant Depraved One). As soon as the player gets past the large fence which divides the swamp, drop back down into the swamp and look for the camp fire. She is known throughout the land, much like her younger brother Garl Vinland, as a courageous and upstanding knight of the Church. Selen is adorned in unpolished, gold armor which signifies her high rank, and like her brother's dark silver armor, offers great protection from the evils of magic. Like Saint Astraea, Selen and Garl Vinland hail from the Western Highlands. Selen has come to the valley in order to tell Garl Vinland the last words of their recently deceased father as well as to give him their father's ring of Devout Prayer. A ring of Devout Prayer is a symbol of very high status in the Church, indicating that their father was a very important cleric, possibly a Saint like Urbain. If the player brings her proof that Garl is dead, the Crest of Vinland, she will turn over her father's ring in exchange for the crest. She wields the weapon called Blind, a Vinland family treasure, which uses an illusionary, weightless blade that bypasses shields and armor to directly strike the enemy's flesh. Origin: Selene, Goddess of the Moon, whose Greek name means "brightness," wore upon her head wore a crescent moon which looks quite similar to the shape formed by the wings on the dull gold helmet. Selene later became synonymous with the Goddess Artemis, a virginal huntress. Reference: ring of devout prayer description, dull gold armor set description, blind description, dark silver armor set description, crest of vinland description, Selen Vinland dialogue, Valley of Defilement archstone description =============================================================================== 2.)MENTIONED CHARACTERS =============================================================================== #: MC01 Name: Geri Narrative: He is a friend of Sage Freke and known throughout the land as a crafter of magical items. Most of the rings which offer protection from the various dangers (such as disease, fire, and bleeding) were crafted by him. The player's light source, the augite of souls which hangs on their belt, was also crafted by Geri and will change colors depending on the type of souls in the area. It is believed that Geri's workshop is likely beyond the Deep Fog otherwise the player would not have been able to acquire the augite. If Geri is of similar age to Freke, it is possible that over his life he has crafted so many items that they have spread beyond Boletaria, in which case his shop could have been in Boletaria. Since Freke resided in Latria before the scourge and he has in his cell a keepsake of Geri (his stiletto), his workshop may have been in Latria. Geri may be dead and his corpse somewhere in the dungeon. Origin: In Norse mythology Freki and Geri, known as the "Ravenous Ones," were wolves who always accompanied the supreme Viking god Odin into battle. At the conclusion of the fighting, the hounds were known to roam the battlefield to greedily devour the corpses of the fallen. Reference: ring of disease / flame / gash / poison resistance description, ring of magical dullness / sharpness description, augite of souls description, geri's stiletto description #: MC02 Name: Vallarfax AKA Younger Twin Fang World: Boletarian Palace Narrative: Vallarfax, the younger of the two, and Biorr were brothers known as the Royal Twin Fangs. They were both members of King Allant's round table of knights when the Demon scourge came to the Boletaria Palace. Unlike his brother Biorr who had only mastered the sword, Vallarfax was skilled in combat and possessed a brilliant mind, "sharper than most scholars." The placement of Vallarfax's ring of great strength would indicate he was defeated at the Blue and Red Dragon's roost in the first level of the Boletaria Palace. The unique purple flame shield found near the ring in the dragon's nest may have also been wielded by Vallarfax. Unlike Biorr who was merely imprisoned, Vallarfax was likely put to death, presumably by Executioner Miralda, and his body dumped down her tower; where a set of brushwood armor is found. Another reason why many believe Vallarfax is dead is Biorr speaks of his brother not in present tense, but past tense ("he WAS a brave and mighty knight," and his mind "WAS sharper than most scholars"). This narrative would seem to be at odds with Ostrava's tale (which says he was "lost") and the prologue which states Vallarfax escaped the colorless fog to inform the world of Boletaria's plight so there are many theories to reconcile the discrepancies. 1.)After warning the world of the Demon scourge he journeyed back into the colorless fog where he was defeated and put to death. 2.)Vallarfax is not dead, he lost his ring in the dragon's roost as he fled the palace and the Brushwood armor at the base of Miralda's tower belongs to someone else. 3.)The real Vallarfax is dead and a Demon doppelganger, much like the False King Allant, is the one who escaped the colorless fog. If the last explanation were true, False Vallarfax's mission would be to lure both honorable warriors seeking to free Boletaria from the scourge as well as more unsavory individuals who lusted after power with the tales of the "enticing power" of Demon Souls. It would be the Old One's hope that among those lured to Boletaria, one, the player, would be a suitable replacement for the failure that was King Allant as the prime servant to the Old One. Origin: Vallarfax is a combination of two Old Icelandic words, "Vallar" meaning "field" and "Fax" meaning "Mane." When combined together it means "field's mane," which is a colorful expression for "the Forest." "Vallar" may also be a variation on "valor", boldness is the face of great danger, as they have the same pronunciation. Fax is Latin for flame or firebrand. A firebrand means both a torch as well as one who encourages unrest and strife, a troublemaker. So his name could mean "a shining beacon of courage" or "one who encourages bravery." If one subscribes to the doppelganger theory, fax could also refer to facsimile; a copy or reproduction. In which case his name could mean the "one who has the false appearance of bravery," or the "copy of one who is brave." Reference: brushwood armor set description, large brushwood shield description, ring of great strength description, purple flame shield description, Dregling Merchant dialogue, Biorr dialogue, Ostrava dialogue, Narrator dialogue #: MC03 Name: Wife and Daughter of Stockpile Thomas World: Boletarian Palace Narrative: Thomas and his wife and daughter were residing in or near the Boletarian Palace when the Demon scourge arrived. Thomas went mad with terror and abandoned his wife and daughter rather than fight to protect them. When he regained his senses, he found himself in the Nexus being cared for by the Maiden in Black. His wife is of unknown age, but Thomas describes his daughter as being about the same age as the Maiden in Black, if she were still alive. Since the Maiden in Black has the outward appearance of late teens / early twenties and Stockpile Thomas describes his daughter as "young," it is possible quite a deal of time as passed between the Boletarian Palace falling and the player arriving in the Nexus. The player finds two corpses suspended by chains from the side of a tower. On one corpse is a jade hair ornament, which identifies it as Thomas's daughter, and the other wears raggedy robes and carries fresh spice. Since they are chained next to each other, it is assumed the second corpse is the wife of Thomas. Fresh spice is sweet smelling so it is possible she carried it as a type of perfume. Fresh spice is also consumed to regain MP so she may have been a magician. It is unknown why the Demon's singled out Thomas's family to be hung as most corpses are just left on the ground. Perhaps it is because they are woman as most of the Demons and corpses left on the ground are men. Yuria also received special "attention," locked away in a tower by herself and violated by the Fat Ministers. It is possible Thomas's wife and daughter suffered those same indignities before they died. Origin: N/A Reference: old raggedy robes armor set description, fresh spice description, jade hair ornament description, Yuria dialogue, Stockpile Thomas dialogue #: MC04 Name: Grandfather of the Worshipper of God Narrative: Since his granddaughter resided below the Boletarian palace, he likely lived and worked in or near the Boletarian palace. All we know for sure is his residence was not Stonefang Tunnel as the Worshipper stated he often "visited" Stonefang Tunnel. At the mine he indulged his hobby, amateur rock collecting. He collected dozens of rocks of "all shapes and sizes" though most had no material value. The sole stone of value he uncovered was a pure faintstone which he gave to his granddaughter. The pickaxe the Worshipper carries likely also belonged to her grandfather. Origin: N/A Reference: pickaxe description, Female Worshipper of God dialogue #: MC05 Name: Legendary Big M World: Stonefang Tunnel Narrative: The Hands of God fist weapon mentions there was once a strongman who killed dragons with his bare fists. His God-like fists earned him the nickname "Legendary Big M." In the Flamelurker's chamber there is a corpse which carries two hands of God, it is believed to be the corpse of Big M. As Blacksmith Ed and Boldwin each carry a hand of God, they are believed to be descendents of Big M. Another theory is that Ed was Big M when he was younger. Since the Flamelurker fights only with his fists, some believe that Flamelurker is the corrupted soul of Big M. Origin: May be a reference to the anime "Big O" which features a mech of the same name that attacks primarily with very powerful punches. Reference: hands of god description, Blacksmith Ed dialogue, Blacksmith Boldwin dialogue, Stonefang Tunnel archstone description #: MC06 Name: Burrowers World: Stonefang Tunnel Narrative: In the time before the First Demon Scourge of Boletaria, the ancient Burrowers are the ones who dug out Stonefang Tunnel, the elaborate Tunnel City below the smithing grounds, and created the Temple of the Dragon God at the base of the mine. Unlike the current Excavators (the Burrowers descendents who mine their ancestors tunnels for ore), the Burrowers were led by a King. The Burrowers were pagans who believed the huge dragon skeleton at the base of the mine was a God which caused the bones of dragons to become the flaming ore dragonstone. So worried were they that the Dragon God would be reborn that they molded an elaborate temple to both appease and seal in the Dragon God. As an added precaution the Burrowers constructed two large magically enchanted harpoon guns on either side of the molten pit and forged the Dragon Bone Smasher, a weapon capable of slaying dragons by crushing their bones. Also sealed in with the Dragon God was an ancient fire Demon. The Demon may refer to Flamelurker or it may just be the Burrowers' explanation for the unseen force that caused rock to become molten lava. Origin: N/A Reference: dragon bone smasher description, dragonstone description, Scirvir the Wanderer dialogue, Blacksmith Ed dialogue, Filthy Man dialogue, Stonefang Tunnel archstone description #: MC07 Name: Queen Yormedar World: Tower of Latria Narrative: Since the archstone was given to a Queen in the distant past and the Queen of recent times had the authority to banish her husband from the land, it is presumed that Latria is a matriarchal society. For crimes unknown, the Queen of Latria banished her husband, the Old Monk, from Latria. His crimes are described as "depraved" leading to speculation that he was having an affair or already conducting inhuman experiments. He returned to Latria with foul Demons in tow which he used to conquer Latria, murder the Queen, and imprison her family in the dungeon. It is believed that the Queen and those locked in the dungeon are of the Yormedar royal line as many of its treasures are spread throughout Latria. The Queen was a gifted sorceress and it is likely much of her soul was used in the creation of the Fool's Idol as the puppet has a mastery of many magics. The Fool's Idol is an artificial doll crafted in the Queen's image and controlled by the Old Monk. Its purpose is to deceive the prisoners into thinking the Queen is still alive. The belief that the Queen was alive gave the prisoners hope, quieted any insurrections, and lured prisoners to the church in order to worship the Fool's Idol and seek redemption from her. The act of "redemption" meant being taken above by gargoyles up the tower in the church. Below the Old Monk's tower, the prisoners' souls would be stolen and their flesh twisted in the Old Monk's experiments to create new Demons. Origin: N/A Reference: soul ray spell description, silver catalyst description, silver coronet description, silver bracelet description, royal lotus description, Former Royal's Wife dialogue, royalty class description, Tower of Latria archstone description #: MC08 Name: Husband of Royal Mistress World: Tower of Latria Narrative: The female vendor in the dungeon of Latria mentions that she was once the "wife of royalty." The phrasing indicates that her husband was of noble blood and she is only royalty by marriage. She also never outright says whether her husband was killed or if other circumstances ended their marriage. It is possible her husband is of no consequence but there are many theories linking her to various other characters in Latria. Since the Royal Mistress has inside knowledge about the Fool's Idol (facts not known to most of the other prisoners), that it is an imposter and has the ability to resurrect, it is likely that her husband was one of fairly high station. If he is alive, possibly he is one of the prisoners who know magic such as the groups of four which hold the massive chains in place or the Liar who resurrects the Fool's Idol. There are some who think her husband was Lord Rydell, a relative of King Allant (most likely a younger brother), as he would certainly have high standing in Latria, however Rydell mentions his wife is dead. Another possibility is her husband is one of the corpses lying around Latria such as the silver coronet corpse in the dungeon or the wielder of the rune sword and shield which fell to his death in the upper Latrian towers. Another theory is that the Royal Mistress is the former Queen of Latria. Her face and arms are disfigured which means she may have been tortured or subjected to the Old Monk's experiments. All that stress and pain could have caused her to lose a grip on her sanity, causing her to give herself a new, timid persona. If that's the case then her husband was the Old Monk. Origin: N/A Reference: silver coronet description, rune sword description, rune shield description, dull rat's ring description, clever rat's ring description, Former Royal's Wife dialogue, Tower of Latria archstone description #: MC09 Name: Wife of Lord Rydell World: Tower of Latria Narrative: Nothing is known about the wife of Lord Rydell other than she is dead and that a keepsake of hers (not an item the player can pick up) is on Rydell's corpse. As Rydell is related to King Allant it is possible Rydell married the Queen of Latria after the Old Monk was banished. That would explain why the Old Monk goes to such lengths to torment Rydell (he kills him then somehow imprisons his soul form in another cell). It is possible his wife is one of the corpses around Latria such as the silver bracelet corpse on the first floor of the dungeon or the corpse with the witch's hat across from Rydell's cell. Origin: N/A Reference: Lord Rydell dialogue, clever rat's ring description, dull rat's ring description #: MC10 Name: Witch in the Sky Narrative: All we know about the Witch in the Sky is the single line "one of Lord Rydell's most storied exploits is his theft of this weapon from the witch in the sky" and that she was the previous owner of the phosphorescent pole. One theory is the Maiden in Black is the Witch in the Sky as the Nexus floats in the air, it is adorned with many statues of robed women and women carrying a polearm, and the Maiden in Black states she has "always been here" in the Nexus. The pole she uses to light the candle also is quite similar in shape to the phosphorescent pole. Origin: N/A Reference: phosphorescent pole description, Maiden in Black dialogue #: MC11 Name: Soul Industry / Society Member Narrative: There is a masked society which regularly meets in secret to discuss the Soul Arts and how to best harness souls. They embrace the Soul Industry, the trafficking of human and demon souls. Their power comes from the wealth they gain in their illicit dealings as well as their keen understanding of magic. An example of this magic power is the epee rapier each of them carry. These harmless, ceremonial blades have been imbued with an intense flame which easily scorches flesh on contact. In place of a shield they wield a dagger which is most adept at parrying the blows of their opponent. Part of their wealth is used to hire mercenaries and clans of assassins who have been instructed to silence all who would oppose the Soul Industry or who are attempting to defeat the Old One. Should the Old One be defeated, the Soul Arts would once again be lost and with it their source of revenue. The highest ranked members of the society wear luxurious, black and gold robes and a gold mask. Mephistopheles is one of, if not the, supreme leader(s) of the masked society. The Soul Industry has a particularly strong connection to the Tower of Latria as the corpse of one member is found in the dungeon (rogue's clothes & parrying dagger), the corpse of a few others were inside the demonic womb beneath the Old Monk's tower (epee rapier and gold mask), and one of their assassins, Yurt, was found by the player locked in a cage. This implies Latria was either the base of the masked society's operation or one of their meeting places. The base of the Old Monk's tower, where the womb drops, resembles a "sealed chamber" (one of the society's meeting locations) so it could be the Old Monk was a member of the Soul Industry and that is the reason he was banished from Latria. Origin: N/A Reference: shotel description, parrying dagger description, gloom armor set description, rogue's clothes armor set description, gold mask description, epee rapier description, ring of avarice description, Mephistopheles dialogue, Yurt dialogue #: MC12 Name: Father of Satsuki World: Shrine of Storms Narrative: If we are to take Satsuki at his word that the last wielder of Makoto was his father, then the corpse which is impaled on the rock in the pit where the player meets Urbain would be the father of Satsuki. In pure white world tendency, the corpse will fall from the rock to the ground. In any world tendency, the Makoto is guarded by a nameless black phantom which wields a hiltless katana in one hand and a standard uchigatana in the other. The black phantom is likely the dark soul of Satsuki's father though his father was probably not the previous owner of Makoto. The black phantom uses a hiltless sword, not Makoto, and there is a corpse down in the slug den which also carries a hiltless sword. If the players does not hand over the Makoto to Satsuki, he attacks them with a hiltless, a weapon that would likely also be used by his father. If the players does hand over Makoto to Satsuki he ponders aloud if the sword could be "as deadly as the rumors claim" which implies he has never been in the sword's presence. All which points to the wielder of Makoto not being Satsuki's father. If the corpse of Satsuki's father is even at the Shrine of Storms, it is most likely the one with the hiltless sword in the slug den. Reference: hiltless description, makoto description, Satsuki dialogue #: MC13 Name: Makoto Narrative: Makoto is the name of a giant of folklore, but it is not from Boletaria. Origin: Makoto is a Japanese word which means "true sincerity." Reference: magic sword "makoto" description, Satsuki dialogue #: MC14 Name: Shadowmen World: Shrine of Storms Narrative: See also D4-1, D4-2, D4-3 Long ago, the Shadowmen, a tribe of very tall, pagans barbarians, built the Shrine of Storms on an island to worship storms and death. Though the shrine still remains, all members of the tribe either died out or abandoned the island ages ago. It was the Shadowmen's belief that by appeasing the storm beasts (and their master the mythical Storm King) through a ghastly ritual they would bring forth rain. Shadowmen who died would first be brought before the Adjudicator, the judge, to determine if they would go on to the next phase of the ritual. If the warrior was deemed unworthy, his body would be consumed by the obese creature under the control of a golden crow. For the next phase of the ritual, the corpse is laid on the Shadowmen's Shrine during a storm to be mourned by the tribe and purified by the rain. Overlooking the exit from the chamber is the body of the Old Hero, a blind warrior from long ago who with the help of his crystal blade survived for years by luck and acute awareness of his surrounding. The final phase of the ritual is to offer for consumption the purified remains of the "hero of storms" to the Storm King and his storm beasts in the valley just beyond the Shadowmen's Shrine. The valley is dotted with dozens of stone monoliths and is believed to be where the spirits of all the Shadowmen's ancestors dwell. Origin: N/A Reference: adjudicator's shield description, Graverobber Blige dialogue, Shrine of Storms archstone description #: MC15 Name: Vito the Moonlight Knight AKA "Bito" Narrative: One of the high-ranked knights of the Church which ventured to the Valley of Defilement. It is unknown whether Vito accompanied Astraea on her pilgrimage or if Vito arrived after the coming of the Deep Fog when rumors spread that Astraea had become a Demon. The epithet "Moonlight Knight" comes from the large sword of moonlight, a transparent blue crystal sword, one of the few Revelations from God, which Vito wielded in battle. Vito's weapon is found deep inside the Giant Slug's nest in the Valley of Defilement. Next to the nest is a corpse with a legendary hero's soul, this is believed to be the corpse of Vito. Also nearby is a giant slug which has swallowed a set of dull gold armor, leading to speculation that Vito may have been a female knight like Selen Vinland. Origin: V's and B's (among others) are commonly interchangeable / mixed up in Japanese / English translations. Though the weapon description refers to the owner of the weapon as "Bito," it was meant to be Vito. Vito is an Italian name and is believed to originate from the Latin word "vita," which means life. Also of interest, "vito" is a conjugation of the Latin word "vitare" which means "I shun" or "I avoid." Vito may be named for the martyred Saint Vitus, who is the patron saint of actors, dancers, and epileptics. He protects against lightning strikes, animal attacks, and oversleeping. The Sword of Moonlight has its origins in From Software's precursor series to Demon's Souls, King's Field. It was featured in King's Field 1 as a weapon belonging to the final boss and reappeared in various incarnations in future King's Field titles. The weapon is also featured as the powerful Moonlight blade in From Software's Armored Core series. The weapon has also appeared in From Software titles which followed Demon's Souls such as the spiritual successor series, Dark Souls, and their Legend of Zelda homage, 3D Dot Game Heroes. Reference: large sword of moonlight description, Saint Urbain dialogue, Patches dialogue #: MC16

Name: Risaie of Istarel AKA "Lizaia" Narrative: One of the high-ranked knights of the Church which ventured to the Valley of Defilement. It is unknown whether Risaie accompanied Astraea on her pilgrimage or if Risaie arrived after the coming of the Deep Fog when rumors spread that Astraea had become a Demon. The weapon Risaie carries is Istarelle which means "instrument of Istarel" and is likely named for Risaie's home town / kingdom. Istarelle is a short spear of hard oak covered with engravings that is one of the few Revelations from God. Its holy power protects the wielder from poison and plague. The weapon is found stuck in the ground, absent corpse, surrounded by 3 Giant Depraved Ones. It is believed Risaie was defeated and the corpse fell down into the Leechmonger chamber below. Origin: L's and R's (among others) are commonly interchangeable / mixed up in Japanese / English translations. Though the weapon description refers to the owner of the weapon as "Lizaia," it was meant to be Risaie. Risaie is the plural form of the Italian word "risaia," which means "paddy." A paddy is a flooded parcel of land which is primarily used to grow rice. Istarel is the Elven God of forest creatures in the "Fighting Fantasy" series of role- playing game books by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone (which the director of Demon's Souls mentions is a source of inspiration), but it may just be a re- arranging of the Jewish land of Israel. Reference: istarelle weapon description, Saint Urbain dialogue, Patches dialogue #: MC17 Name: Holy Warriors of the West Narrative: As Astraea, Garl Vinland, Selen Vinland, and Father Vinland (an important cleric) all hail from the Western Highlands (an area not visited by the player) it is believed to be the base of operations of the Church of Boletaria. The highest level of clerics (such as Father Vinland and Saint Urbain) serve as spiritual leaders, speak to God, pray for the safety of the holy warriors, and perform great miracles; they do not take up arms in conflict. The next level down are the high-ranked knights, commanding officers of the Church. They likely devise a plan of attack and lead priests and temple knights into battle. Selen Vinland definitely fits into this category as she wears dull gold armor which signifies high rank. Saint Urbain refers to Vito the Moonlight knight and Risaia of Istarel as having similar rank as Selen Vinland so they would also fit into this category. High rank comes with it the privilege of wearing armor which grants great protection and wielding powerful, ancient weapons which are ofte