Gravelord Sword Dance
Long ago, three brothers journeyed to Lordran in pilgrimage from the east. They wished to dedicate their life to serve the greatest of the three Lords, who had defeated the mighty Dragons. They believed that only the greatest of leaders was worthy to command them, and that only the mightiest of foes were worthy to battle with them. For these brothers were seen as the mightiest of warriors in their homeland, and they had dedicated their lives to the art of war.
The first brother was named Demil, and his allies called him Lightbringer, for he had converted the lands of the east to the Way of White. And his faith was unmatched among the mortals in the east. His weapon was his only his talisman and his unyielding faith, and his enemies were the pagans, and the followers of the occult.
The second brother was Menelag, known to his enemies as War-King, for he was a slayer of armies, and a vanquisher of demons. His weapon was the murakumo, and he fought not for glory or personal gain, but for the common men and women of his land, and the advancement of mankind.
The third brother was known as Sar Shaddowwalker, and he was a knower of secrets, a learner of the forbidden, and a master of manipulation. In battle he needed nothing but his tounge, for he was a commander, and a brilliant strategist. In peace he was the advisor of kings, and his brothers trusted his every word.
When the three brothers came to Lordran, they began to argue over which of the Lords they should serve. For the road ahead divided itself in three directions.
"Let us journey forward and upward" said Demil. "What greater purpose could we find, than in the service of Lord Gwyn? Let us join the army of Anor Londo. In the service of Gods we will protect the world from darkness, and we will smite their foes with their divine miracles."
"What purpose is there", Sar answered, "in crawling before old men on golden thrones? What foes does Lord Gwyn have that are worthy of our attention? A few blasphemers and the pitiful remnants of the ancient dragons? No, the Lord of Sunlight is not a ruler worthy of our service or our loyalty. A great warrior and leader he was in the ancient times, but a lazy and tired ruler the lord of sunlight has now become."
Menelag nodded.
"You speak true, brother. The Gods are proud and arrogant, they erect statues in their name, and make humans their slaves. They care little for the needs of the men and women in the cities beneath Anor Londo. Let us instead journey deep beneath the earth, and follow the rivers of molten rock to the mighty city of Izalith. In their ancient towers, the wise witch-sisters pass their ancient fire arts down to the mortals of the world. Their mother is one with the very soul of nature, she ruled Izalith with wisdom and kindness when Anor Londo was still nothing but a deserted mountain top. In her service we will aid the advancement of the human race, and bring forth a golden age! No greater purpose could we find!"
"Advancement you say",Sar Shaddowwalker mocked. "For millenias the flame-witches have ruled their city deep under the earth. What advancement have they brought, save the slow decay of their white stone towers? What true progress can fire bring, when there are no more arch trees to burn? Like a candle is put out when the day comes, so too will the ancient fire arts soon be obsolete, now in a time without enemies to incinerate. Wasted, our swords and shields would be, if we pledged our allegiance with the witches of Izalith."
"Only one Lord remains", Sar continued. "The one Lord whose task never ends, and whose mission will give us purpose for all eternity. For Gravelord Nito oversees all death. And as long as there is life, we will be needed in his service."
And the brothers agreed that they should serve Nito, the second Great Lord, for they could not bear to return to the east in failure. But they knew little about the Gravelord, save that He dwelled in the tomb of the ancient giants, deep beneath the earth.
So the three brothers dressed in their finest garbs, and laid down inside three stone coffins. For they wished to enter Nito's realm as the dead do, carried trough the Catacombs and buried within them, lest they offend their new master.
For five days the brothers remained in their coffins, silent and still. And on the fifth night the sound of heavy footsteps echoed trough the corridor, and the brothers felt their coffins being lifted and carried deep below.
And as one they opened their coffin lids, and beheld a great cave. And in the center of the cave stood the coffin of the Gravelord. And in it slumbered Great Lord Nito, First of the dead, bringer of disaster and disease.
And the brothers kneeled before the coffin of the Gravelord, and awaited his command. But Nito did not speak to them.
"Oh, Great Nito." Spoke Demil. "I and my brothers have journeyed to Your domain as the dead do. We are the mightiest of warriors in the east, and we wish to serve You, to form a covenant with You, so that our blades will serve Your cause."
But Nito did not speak. And Menelag spoke:
"Oh, Overseer of Death. We have realized the weakness and decadens of Thine fellow Great Lords. They have outlived their usefulness to mankind. We pray to Thee, allow us to become Your servants, to aid the only true Great Lord."
But Nito remained silent. And Menelag, angered by the silence of the Gravelord, rose to his feet and called:
"Why do You not answer us? Have we not come to You on our knees? Have we not explained our understanding of Your greatness? Did we not lie as the dead do, buried inside Your catacombs for five days and four nights? We have come here to serve You for the remainder of our lives! Why won't You answer us?
And Nito answered. From the buried bones beneath the earth, from the coffins of the Catacombs far above, from the very walls of the cave, a thousand dead voices spoke as one. And the brothers trembled in fear.
"HOW CAN YOU SERVE DEATH?"
Demil fell to his knees. " I will worship Your image, and abandon all other Gods. I will convert others to Your cause, and spread Your word throughout the world. Only to You will we pray, and only in You will we believe."
And Nito answered the first brother.
"WHAT WORSHIP DOES DEATH NEED? DEATH NEEDS NO TEMPLE, NO SHRINE, NO BELIEVERS. DEATH STRIKES FAITHFULL AND PAGAN ALIKE. THOSE WHO KNEEL AND THOSE WHO STAND. THEY FALL ALL THE SAME."
And from the ground beneath Demil Lightbringer, arms of the fallen grabbed him, and pulled him down beneath the rock. And Nito addressed the remaining two.
"THE FOOL IS NO MORE. LEARN FROM THIS, AND ANSWER: HOW CAN YOU SERVE DEATH?"
And Menelag answered: "I shall become Your blade, oh lord, and slay Your foes. Armies will fall before me, kings and priest will be put to my sword. The temples of the pagans that defy You will be erased, the statues of the worthless Gods will be torn down, and I shall bring you the trophies of the fallen, as proof of my dedication to You, my Lord."
And Nito answered the second brother.
" DEATH NEEDS NO BLADE TO AID IT IN ITS TASK, FOR DEATH IS PATIENT. GODS AND KINGS, PRIESTS AND PAGANS, NOBLES AND BEGGARS. ALL ARE NOTHING BUT WALKING BONES, WAITING TO TURN INTO DUST. DEATH DOES NOT NEED A BLADE TO CUT DOWN THE LIVING, FOR THE LIVING FIGHT AND DIE WITHOUT AID."
And the Gravelord let out a single breath. And Menelag became struck with Nito's disease, with the poison of Nito,the one that had infected the dragons in ancient times. And he perished before the eyes of Sar. And Nito spoke:
"THE FOOL IS NO MORE. LEARN AND ANSWER: HOW CAN YOU SERVE DEATH?"
And Sar smiled, and bowed before Nito.
" I will spread death among the proud and arrogant. Not by sword or by faith shall Your enemies fall, but by their own foolishness. For I shall lure them into the darkness, and they shall follow blindly. For they will look for fame and glory, and riches beyond their wildest dreams. But they will find only death. As I have brought You my brothers here today, so too will I bring the heroes of the world, and the worlds beyond it. For they believe themselves to be untouchable by death. I will prove them wrong. I will bring fear and mistrust into their hearts, and disaster into their homes. And they will seek me out, my Lord, and when they come to me as fools, I shall cut them down. And their death will be their own doing."
And Nito raised His greatsword, and touched the head of Sar with it.
"RISE, SERVANT OF DEATH."
And Nito fashioned a blade from the bones of mighty Menelag, and it was enchanted with the power of disease. And Nito said unto Sar:
"CUT DOWN THE PROUD WITH THIS BLADE, SERVANT. LET THOSE WHO SEE THEMSELVES AS POWERFULL FEEL THE MIASMA OF DEATH."
And from the rock beneath, He took the talisman of faithfull Demil, and He gave it to Sar. And Nito spoke:
"PRAY NOT TO THE SUN IN THE HEAVEN OR THE IDOLS ON THE MOUNTAINTOPS, BUT TO THE BONES BENEATH YOUR FEET. THEY WILL ANSWER THE CALL OF MY SERVANT, AND STRIKE THE ARROGANT WITH THE BLADES OF DEATH."
And Nito gave His new servant the Eye of death, Death's sacred relic, and the brother used it to spread disaster throughout the world, and to worlds and times unknown. And the foolish heroes of those distant places in time and space came to the brother in their quests for vengeance and glory, and were struck down by the might of the Gravelord Servant. And the Eye of death did multiply with each kill the brother made, and he offered them to Great Lord Nito, first of the dead, and became most respected in the eyes of Nito.
And when he died, mighty and feared, his bones became one with the Gravelord, one with the True Great Lord, who sleeps beneath the ancient catacombs, and oversees all death.
Call for the Gravelord Sword Dance, you who has sought out the Gravelord, and witness the foes of Death tremble in fear, as the dead beneath their feet raise their terrible blades and cut Death's foes apart. No faith is needed, for all alive believe in the might of Death.
Author note: Ok, Im finally done with this chapter. Tell me what you think in the coments. Did I portray the Gravelord Covenant good? It's not my favourite chapter to be honest, but I post it anyway so I can get started with the next chapter right away.
Coming up: Some healing miracles.