Log 2
I'm not sure where I am. I stepped through the fog that led to the Lands Between, and a white light engulfed me. When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the middle of an old abandoned chapel. There's no one here but the corpse of a young woman, and judging by the state of her, she seems to have been killed recently, I had best stay on my guard.
Beside her was a message, written out in white light, and a strange severed finger that seemed to serve as the writing implement.
"Though the path be broken and uncertain, claim your place as Elden Lord!"
Was this message addressed to me, or was it merely a sign to any sorry soul who happened to pass through here?
I've stepped outside to find what remains of a war torn land. In the distance I can see the walls of what can only be the legendary Castle Stormveil, site of one of Lord Godfrey's most famous battles. Yet, the castle walls are nearly in ruins. So it seems the rumors of the devastation wrought by the Shattering were no exaggeration. If this is the state the castle is in, I shudder to imagine what the rest of these lands must look like.
But beside it…
I'd heard stories of the Erdtree in my youth, seen symbols and depictions of it all my life, yet not even the greatest of artists could do it justice. Its rays outshone the sun itself. Just looking at it let me believe, if only for a fleeting moment, that my journey here might not be so hopeless after all.
The ground here is littered with bloodstains, and they show me visions of those who came before me, and how they met their end. I'm not sure what dangers await me here, but there's little point in sitting around any longer.
I go now, in search of my fate. Whatever it may be.
Log 3
Well, it seems this journey is off to a delightful start.
No sooner did I step away from the Chapel than I was ambushed by some… thing. I'm not even sure what it was I saw. All I could make out was some kind of face and a grotesque mass of limbs. Whatever that thing was, it cut me to shreds before I even realized what was happening.
Yet the curse of the Tarnished lives on, it seems. Even though I'm sure I suffered a fatal wound, I awoke at the bottom of some old, damp cave, with a pair of strange flasks in my possession. I'm not sure who my mysterious benefactor may be, but it seems my journey hasn't come to an end just yet. I've found my way to a site of lost grace, as I've heard these lights are called, and resting near it seems to have healed my wounds. The Lands Between truly are a marvel. Now to find a way out of this cave.
Log 4
I'd heard about the gruesome fate that befell those who inhabited the Lands Between, but seeing it for myself was a different matter entirely. Those shambling, mindless creatures, wandering around with weapons in hand and attacking anything in sight like wild animals. So this is the result of the shattering of the Elden Ring. Cursed to live forever, until their bodies and minds withered away. I suppose I have that in common with them, at least. Can't even die right. Gives me conniptions.
I should take care not to end up like them. It's not as if I was planning on throwing myself to my death, but it's clear now that there are fates worse than death in this place. Just because I can't die doesn't mean I can afford to be careless, and pain still stings just as harshly to remind me of that.
Still, I ought to be grateful that my skills haven't decayed. I may not be able to bring down monstrosities with dozens of limbs, but it's reassuring to know that I can still handle myself fine against untrained commoners and foot soldiers. If only the rest of this journey were so easy. I've reached the end of this cavern, and found an elevator that seems to lead above ground. Hopefully I'll see the sun again before long.
Log 5
I've made it. I've arrived at Limgrave, taken my first real steps into the Lands Between. Wild as untamed as it seems, it does me well to know that not all of this place is a ruined warzone, though I'd be mad to call this place in good condition.
I've also come across a sane denizen of these lands for the first time. Though perhaps "sane" is putting it too kindly…
The man in the white mask introduced himself as Varre, and told me that I was maidenless and without hope. I'd heard people speak of the Finger Maidens and how they were meant to give guidance and aid to the Tarnished, but I assumed I would come across one on my own or manage without. It seems my quest for the Elden Ring has already gone sour at the outset.
Something about this Varre puts me on edge, makes my fingers itch for the hilt of my sword, but I'm certainly in no position to turn down any aid in this place. He told me to follow the rays of light that emanate from the Sites of Grace, and that they shall lead me on my way. At least I have a destination now, Castle Stormveil, where the demigod known as Godrick the Grafted awaits.
Hopeless as it may be, I suppose I have little choice but to press onward now. It's begun to rain so I've taken shelter inside this mausoleum that I came from for the time being. Still, I fear if I stay here too long I might come undone, so it seems the only path ahead of me is forward.
Though something tells me that knight in golden armor won't make things easy for me.
-Accolon of Elis
Since the very beginning of the game kind of has a lot of stuff happening all at once, I wanted to just get this section out of the way and post it quickly so that it isn't just one very long winded chapter.