Dark Souls III by Homer

by brathosan

Homer's poetic masterpiece unfolds in the shadowy landscapes of Dark Souls III. The epic narrative follows the Lords—Nito, the Gravelord of death; the Witch of Izalith, pyromancer supreme; and Gwyn, the Sunlight Lord—as they battle the encroaching darkness. Amidst gods and mortals, the Furtive Pygmy's legacy, the elusive Dark Soul, shapes the destiny of humanity.

3. Prologue III: The Rise and Fall of Flame

Sing, O Muse, of the fading flames that marked the twilight of the Gods, and the rise of the power of Dark, where mortals, the Children of Night, would find their strength swelling even as the divine radiance dwindled. The prophecy spoke of a day when the celestial deities would vanish, leaving only the all-encompassing embrace of Dark.

The desperate Witch of Izalith, in a folly born of desperation, sought to resurrect the First Flame within the sacred confines of Izalith. Alas, her noble pursuit birthed calamity—the Chaos Flame and the twisted Bed of Chaos, grotesque reflections of the once-pure Fire. The fair Witches, once guardians of the flame, were transformed into monstrous figures, and from this unholy event, demons were birthed. Pyromancy, a consequence of the Witch's sorrowful endeavor, spread its corrupting tendrils, reducing the once-vibrant Izalith to ruin, a realm now veiled in chaos and scorched by unrelenting fire. Only Quelana, untouched by the cataclysm, emerged as the lone survivor, passing the sacred knowledge of pyromancy to her chosen disciple, and thus it spread to the Great Swamp. Gwyn's valiant knights, defenders of the light, embarked on countless forays against the demonic horde.

In a bid to avert the encroaching shadows of the Age of Dark, Gwyn, the Lord of Radiance, embarked on a sacrificial journey. Leaving Anor Londo guarded by the stoic Silver Knights, he led a host of his warriors to the Kiln of the First Flame. There, in a blaze of noble sacrifice, he kindled the dormant embers within, becoming the living tinder that rekindled the First Flame. The searing conflagration consumed him and his loyal warriors, leaving in its wake the enigmatic Black Knights and the Lord of Cinder, restoring, if but momentarily, the Age of Fire. Yet, despite this valiant effort, the flame's vitality once again waned, casting the world into the shadows.

In the evolving saga, a new remedy emerged—a ray of hope in the form of the Undead, those touched by the essence of Dark, resilient against the clutches of death.

Kaathe, the ancient serpent, spoke with unadorned truth: "After the advent of fire, the ancient lords found the three souls. But your progenitor found a fourth, unique soul. The Dark Soul. Thus began the age of men, the Age of Dark." Gwyn, recoiling from the impending eclipse, resisted the natural order by sacrificing himself, holding back the Night. Kaathe, serpent of wisdom, implored an Undead warrior to defy the waning Lord Gwyn, shatter the illusions, and become the Fourth Lord, heralding the Age of Dark.

The Furtive Pygmy, harbinger of the Dark Soul, bore forth humanity. As the celestial Flame flickered, the divine Lord Souls withered, while the Dark-born mortals burgeoned in power. Gwyn, fearing a cosmic upheaval akin to the Gods' triumph over the Everlasting Dragons, chose to link the fire, delaying the age when the Dark Soul would reign supreme.

In the tapestry of these turbulent events, the Dark Sign manifested upon men, branding them with an unbreakable connection to the flame. In death, they found themselves reborn at Bonfires, stripped of their Dark Soul, their Humanity. Those bereft of purpose and the spark within descended into the realm of the Hollow, trapped in a ceaseless cycle of madness.