At one time the Buddha was staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana. There the Buddha addressed the group of five bhikkhus:

"Bhikkhus, these two extremes should not be cultivated by one who has gone forth. What two? Indulgence in sensual pleasures, which is low, crude, ordinary, ignoble, and pointless. And indulgence in self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and pointless. Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One understood the middle way of practice, which gives vision and knowledge, and leads to peace, direct knowledge, awakening, and extinguishment.

And what is that middle way of practice? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samādhi. This is that middle way of practice, which gives vision and knowledge, and leads to peace, direct knowledge, awakening, and extinguishment.

Now this is the noble truth of suffering. Rebirth is suffering; old age is suffering; illness is suffering; death is suffering; association with the disliked is suffering; separation from the liked is suffering; not getting what you wish for is suffering. In brief, the five khandhas are suffering.

Now this is the noble truth of the origin of suffering. It's the craving that leads to future lives, mixed up with relishing and greed, taking pleasure wherever it lands. That is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving to continue existence, and craving to end existence.

Now this is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering. It's the fading away and cessation of that very same craving with nothing left over; giving it away, letting it go, releasing it, and not clinging to it.

Now this is the noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samādhi.

-Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.11, Dhammacakkappavattana (First Turning of the Dharma-Wheel) Sutta (Theravāda Canon)

Past Okina, Liurnia hadn't proven to be much of a threat. His travels northward were rather uneventful- prawn was eaten, giant lobsters were slain, (and then cooked)- the only real difference between it and Limgrave seemed to be the amount of seafood in his diet. His only real obstacle came in the form of a castle- the only way forward, it seemed. Perhaps a lesser adventurer would have entered through the door, working their way through the numerous defenders and guards that inevitably would be stationed there- but he was not an adventurer, he was a shinobi. Whatever purpose the castle was made for, it was almost certainly not for preventing passage northward- within minutes, he had scaled the wall with the help of his grappling hook and made his way to the top, looking down at what appeared to be a giant illusion technique- a shame he didn't have any snap seeds on him. There was no point in fighting something that wasn't even real- and so, he moved on.

Past the castle, several spires jutted out into the foggy blue sky- these clearly held some importance. His hand hovering over his sheath, he slowly walked into one of the towers. In front of him stood one of those accursed elevators- well, he hadn't died the first time. He stood on its center, and was brought up near the peak. A short walk later, and he had arrived at a peculiar sight- perched on a stack of books, a blue doll not much taller than Kuro sat. An artisan's latest piece? A part of this world's foreign magic? He knew not why such a thing was here…

A cold voice spoke- "What business hast brought thee here, intruding upon mine rise?"

His hand twitched, but remained above his blade- not yet unsheathing it. Someone was speaking through this doll- odd, but he had seen stranger. Still, they were not yet hostile, and he supposed he was at fault for invading their tower.

He attempted a stilted bow, "I apologize. I was unawa…"

She cut him off- "...Hast thou met a warrior by the name of Blaidd?"

"...I have." Were they the one he spoke of?

Wordlessly, they reached their hand (of which they apparently had four) behind their back, pulling back a large glowing rune. The doll tossed it into his hands, and he felt it dissolve into thousands of smaller runes.

A voice echoed from the doll- "He spoke highly of thee. Well, I believe his words were 'he was a bleeding heart who happened to be half-decent at swordsmanship', but that's high praise from him." The doll's face remained still- but the impression of a wistful smile appeared beside it. "Thou hast my thanks for rendering him aid. He is dear to me… that is to say, he is a valuable asset to my cause. It would be… very disappointing, to lose him." The doll attempted to maintain indifference- it was not convincing, even to him. "Blaidd has made clear thine dedication to thine lord, so I shall not be so base as to poach thee…"

The doll stiffened, its limp limbs growing taut- its head locked onto his swords- "It is improper of me, but may I make a request of thee? Would thou be so kind as to draw thine sword? I wish to… see thine swordsmanship." The last sentence was added on as an afterthought, as if trying to justify the strangeness of the request.

He looked on at the doll confusedly, but obliged the request. An air of dissatisfaction emanated from around it. "Hm, yes. Amazing… handwork. Truly, the mark of a master swordsman. Still, I am nothing if not thorough, and I have perceived that thou'rt a wielder of two blades. I shan't claim to see thy true abilities until thou hast drawn the other, as well." He slowly moved his hand downwards, and felt tangible anticipation in the room. He began to unsheath it slowly- a glint of crimson red shone.

"Stop." The voice's emotion was indiscernible. Wolf gazed at the doll with uncertainty. "Ah… just- the way thou begun to unsheath the blade is demonstration enough. Clearly, Blaidd was not incorrect to be impressed by thine skill. I deeply apologize if such a question is improper, but would thou mind'st telling me where thou acquired… those blades?"

The voice asked about both of the blades, but it was clear upon which their interest truly lied- either way, the answer was the same. "...A land you would know as the Land of Reeds."

"...I see." The voice was unreadable once more. "Even if thou'rt opposed to entering into the service of Ranni the Witch, perhaps we can come to an… arrangement, of sorts. If nothing else, I am a lady of means- I can be most useful to thee, and thou canst certainly be most useful to I."

Wolf looked at the witch carefully- "Can you provide a Great Rune?"

A faint face of amusement was visible- "Ah, thou dost not ask for little, do thee? I suppose skill such as thine does not come cheap. To enter Leyndell, I imagine? If so, I may have an alternative. 'Tis not a Great Rune, but a mark of similar power- it will fracture Leyndell's seal all the same. Still, such a reward dost not come easy- thou willst have to provide great service indeed before I provide thee with such a thing."

"What would you have me do?"

The spirit beside the doll smiled triumphantly- to have another capable warrior for her cause would be a great thing indeed! "I ask only that thou find'st a way to the lost city of Nokron, and retrieve a blade within. Alternatively…" The voice lingered on that word. "Thou canst give me the red blade thou hast there.

His answer was immediate. "No."

Ranni sighed lightly. "Ah, I thought not. Even so, it never hurts to ask. Then, to Nokron it is. Blaidd will provide thee with more details."

Wolf nodded and left the room- as he did so, Ranni began to mutter to herself- "It's not quite the same- not incomplete, but different. Body, but not soul?"

—

Blaidd, as it turns out, was far away. Very far away. In a well back in Limgrave, far away. Still, knowing exactly where to go made the route much shorter, and Torrent could seemingly run endlessly, requiring nothing except the occasional rowa berry (which Wolf would happily give him) to keep going. Soon enough, he was back at Stormveil- what remained of it, at least. A lot of the castle was stone, but enough of it was flammable that even from a distance it was obvious that some kind of major damage had occurred.

He grappled on to a rampart, and gazed down at what remained of the castle- not much. Ash and corpses- whatever few soldiers that may have survived saw little use in protecting a dead lord, and had long since abandoned their posts. Suddenly, a movement from below caught his eye- a person still walked here. He wore odd clothes, and an odder hat- it appeared the people of this land were fond of unusual headwear. He jumped down from his perch, and gradually approached him from behind- the man didn't seem hostile, but it was nice to have the element of surprise- just in case. Wolf tapped his shoulder.

The man jumped an impressive height- "Oh- GODS!" The man swiveled around to face him, looking him up and down- "Do you make a habit of approaching everyone you meet like that!?"

Wolf tilted his head- "...Kind of."

The stranger sighed- "Well, I would urge you to stop. What brings you here, anyhow? Scavenging, now that the place is clear? Good luck- damn fire burned most of the stuff worth selling." He let out a deep sigh.

"Why are you here if there's nothing left to find?"

"Well, dear stranger, I seek something a little more intangible than mere baubles- knowledge! I was in the middle of a research expedition when some ungodly conflagration took down the whole castle- I had no choice but to flee, and end my expedition before it could bear fruit! But it was a boon, in the end- I doubt the object of my search would have been lost in the blaze, and it's far easier to search when I don't have to worry about getting stabbed every few seconds."

Wolf still knew little of this world, so it wouldn't hurt to ask- "What are you researching?"

The hatted man put his hand to his chin, and gave a small smirk- "Oho? Inquisitive, are we? Well, my curious fellow, I am a researcher of Death. Those Who Live In Death, to be specific."

He looked at the strange man in interested confusion- death in this land was strange, and he would like to learn more about it. "Those who…"

The man gave a fully-toothed smile, seemingly eager to give an explanation at the slightest opportunity, "Ah, I apologize. The term might not be familiar to the uninitiated. As you likely know, Queen Marika rid the world of true death, and instead used the Erdtree to reincarnate souls. Yet, this was not the end of true death- A vile plot was hatched, resulting in part of the Rune of Death being stolen, and the killing of Godwyn the Golden. Such a death was incomplete, however- his soul died, but his body still festers- and it has corrupted, for lack of a better term, the cycle of rebirth. Those affected by this spreading corruption do not move on- but instead linger, as a rotting body and a wandering soul. Those Who Live In Death. I believe a node of this corruption exists under our very feet."

Beings unable to die… the idea was uncomfortably familiar to Wolf. Perhaps he had been brought to this world for a reason- he had been sent to give these poor beings release in order to make up for the bad karma of those whose lives he had ended early. "How would one end such a curse?"

The man's grin grew bitter- "Many men better than I or you have tried. It is a stubborn, invasive thing- worming its way to every corner of the land. Those Who Live In Death can be burned or destroyed, and without a body, the spirit tends to go back to the Erdtree- if it is not ensnared by the corruption again. To end the curse entirely, though? Such an idea would not be within the realm of men- but that of gods. But…" The stranger gave a suitably dramatic pause. "Godwyn bears a half-cursemark upon his flesh…I have theorized that such a thing represented his half-death. If such a thing were to be completed, perhaps his other half would die as well. Where one would find such a thing, or if it even exists… well, I haven't a clue."

Wolf raised his head thoughtfully, "I see."

The stranger regained his jolly tone and spoke once more- "You seem to have an interest in this topic- we're kindred spirits, you and I. Join me in my research, why don't you? The castle is empty- but who knows what lurks by the source of the corruption. Strength in numbers, and all of that. Ah- but how rude of me. Rogier, sorcerer- pleased to make your acquaintance." He reached out a hand.

Wolf grabbed the extended hand- "Wolf."

Rogier's smile was practically beaming. "Good. Strong name for a strong man. Shall we be off?"

He had grown used to traveling in silence, interrupted only by the occasional enemy and the light whinnies of Torrent. Rogier was the exact opposite- the man could talk for hours on any subject imaginable. Most of it went over Wolf's head, but company was welcome, given the days he had spent without hearing a friendly word at all. The two gradually descended into the depths- the terrain was precarious, but he had walked through worse. Rogier was struggling- but he was getting there.

Rogier yelled down at Wolf, who had scaled down a steep cliff- "Gods, man, where did you learn to move like that?"

Wolf answered straightforwardly. "My father brought me to the peak of a cliff in the night and told me that if I did not make it down by sunrise he would disown me."

Rogier's face froze- "Ah. I see. Well- hm." A pause. "...At any rate, it's quite impressive. Meanwhile, here I am, trying not to slip and d-" Loose rocks gave out under his left foot, and he promptly hugged his back against the rock face. "GAH! Oh, I'm not cut out for this…"

"Let me help." Saying this, Wolf launched his hook near where Rogier stood, aiming at a rock that was jutting out. The rope spun around the rock, and anchored there. "Does it look secure?" Rogier nodded, which was only visible to Wolf due to the movement of his hat. "Grab on to the rope and come down." It was odd- he had never used his grappling hook as a rope for someone else to hold on to- but then again, he rarely, if ever, worked alongside someone else. The next minute passed by rather uneventfully (for Wolf, at least) while Rogier slowly shimmied down the rope and tried not to look down at the drop that would most certainly kill him if he fell. Thankfully, he made it down safely, and their expedition continued.

Rogier raised his head- "Ah- can you feel that bite in the air? That's the Blight, my friend. Deathblight. We're close- I'd say stay vigilant, but I suspect that's hardly a problem for you."

The ground began to quake- and Rogier began to speak again. "Ah… I believe my theory may shortly be proven correct."

Wolf glanced around, hand on his sword- "That theory being?"

Rogier looked eager to explain, despite the possibility of danger- "I've suspected that these deathroot nodes may possess some form of primitive intelligence- or perhaps something like an instinct. Whenever a foreign presence is nearby, they form a defender in order to protect themselves. Being connected to the Erdtree, I believe these defenders may take the form of-"

A giant, wyrm-like creature emerged from the blighted ground below, a mixture of dull wood and pulsating flesh- it thrashed, and then let out a creaking wail.

"-an Erdtree Spirit. Hm. Seems I was right." Even as the slavering maw of the behemoth stood right before him, Rogier remained utterly consumed by his own intellectual curiosity.

Wolf felt a familiar fire eat at his core- he breathed deeply. Focus on the action- not the result. He could do that. Flame licked at his fingertips. Kusabimaru slid out from its sheath- a sound that brought him relief, despite the bloodshed that always seemed to follow it. As its head thrashed against the ground in an attempt to eat him, he unleashed a deluge of blue flame tinged with a deep red- he had lined his prosthetic's flame vent with lazulite, but it appeared the red from his flames of hatred shone through the hazy blue. The creature's head practically melted- wood turned to ash, and the pulsing ulcers on the beast crackled- all the while a few glintstone missiles hit it from a distance, courtesy of Rogier. Still, it was not done- not yet. It began to rub its head against the rocky ground, a desperate attempt to put out the flames. Wolf readied his prosthetic's axe- a weighty thing, even with his newfound strength. The hefty axe sunk itself directly into the beast's woody exterior- and it begun to thrash once more. The axe went flying as the beast swung itself- and Wolf along with it.

It did not have long to live- the flame eating away at every inch of its body made sure of that. Still, the kiss of death had not yet been delivered. His prosthetic still sunk into the thing's woody flesh, he allowed flame to course through his other hand and into his sword- only to plunge it directly into the spirit's skull. A scream like that of a tree snapping was heard- Wolf released his prosthetic, and the sword began to cut down its body. Like a knife slowly making its way through butter, the sword cut along the beast's entire length, ending only when Kusabimaru passed through its tail. Wolf flicked his blade, to clean it of the blood (or sap?) that it had accumulated on its way down.

"You're damn scary, you know that? I knew bringing you along was a good idea!" Rogier gave him several firm pats on the back, "Now- to research!" Rogier grabbed Wolf's arm, and attempted to tug him towards the Deathroot- Wolf obliged him, and let himself be pulled.

A warped face, made of a veiny, fibrous flesh lay before them, surrounded by imposing thorns- "Ugh… the Blight is strong here. Still, there is work to be done!" Wolf noticed Rogier's face had taken on an unnaturally pale pallor- near that of death. Wolf grabbed his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Wolf's voice was firm.

Rogier tried to wave Wolf off, but his voice was weak- "Yes, yes. Just… unused to the level of Blight here. Nothing to be concerned about, just let me collect a few samples…" He tried to move forward, but Wolf's grip on his shoulder prevented him from doing so. He looked into Wolf's concerned face.

"Bah, fine, you worrywart, I'll stay back. You seem to be relatively unaffected, so…" He gave Wolf a small knife. "Just cut off a few pieces by the eyes. That should be enough for samples."

Wolf nodded, and started walking towards the strange facelike root, following Rogier's instructions. "...Should I destroy it?"

Rogier let out a weak giggle- "Heh- it's not a question of should , my fellow. It's a question of can. For a thing named after death, it's pretty damn bad at dying. Still, if you really want to, take a shot at it."

Wolf unsheathed the Mortal Blade, and plunged it between the root's eyes- slowly, its veins began to shrivel.

Rogier's face gradually began to regain its color as the deathblight no longer affected him. With regained vigor in his voice, he half-spoke-half-screamed- "You have a fragment of the Rune of Death!?"

Wolf corrected his misconception- "No. It's from the Land of Reeds."

"Ah- well, I suppose they could have their own equivalent to the Great Runes. Still- you must be someone quite important indeed, to have possession of such a thing."

Wolf spoke flatly, "Not really."

Rogier gave him a familiar smile- "If you say so, my friend. Anyways, you've done a good thing here today. In a few years, the root may grow back- but until then, those who die here will be safe to return to the Erdtree."

Wolf looked upon the Mortal Blade in thought- "Could I do the same with the body of Godwyn- and destroy the Deathblight for good?"

Rogier gave him a shocked look- "Could you… Well, to be honest, I have no earthly clue. The Deathblight's primary function seems to be anchoring souls and bodies to the realm of the living- when you consider that the body of Godwyn is where the Blight is most concentrated, and that it already survived the Rune of Death once…" Rogier had a look of dismay- "...it's possible that even your sword there might not prove sufficient. Again- only speculation, though."

Wolf's face was steady in concentration- "You had mentioned a mark, of some kind. Do you know where I could learn more about it- or its possible location?"

"Well, the cursemark was formed on the Night of Black Knives- the assassination of Godwyn, that is. The only people who would know about it would be the Black Knife Assassins- who would almost certainly rather than reveal information- or the orchestrator."

Wolf was intently focused on Rogier's words "And the orchestrator is…?"

Rogier chuckled, "If you had just orchestrated the murder of the world's most beloved demigod, would you want your name attached to it? I should think not."

Wolf sighed, "...So you have no leads?"

"Afraid not, friend. Some of the demigods who knew Godwyn might, but I don't think any of them are too keen to speak about it. Starscourge Radahn's a rot-ridden husk, Praetor Rykard's on a megalomaniacal path to godhood, and Lunar Princess Ranni has all but gone into hiding."

Wolf gained a look of recognition- "...Ranni? I know her."

Rogier's smile was large and toothy- "Truly- you seem to be the answer to all my prayers, friend. I know we only joined together for the sake of this expedition, but can I join you for a moment longer?" A nod- Rogier's smile grew even larger. "Excellent! Now…"

"Do you think your grappling hook can get us out of this pit?"

–

Wolf had learned that his grappling hook could support the weight of two people, much to Rogier's dismay. Hugging Rogier to his side while he flew from cliffside to cliffside was apparently a rather harrowing experience for the man. Frankly, between the terrain and the tree spirit, he was unsure how Rogier planned to reach the root without him. After they had climbed up the pit and made their way through Stormveil, the two made their way to Blaidd, all the way in Siofra Well- thankfully, even a second rider didn't seem to slow down Torrent.

Wolf tried to initiate a conversation- "What do you think about the Erdtree's cycle of rebirth?"

Rogier looked confused- "What do you mean? …Ah, I see. You come from the Land of Reeds- I suppose the Erdtree must be odd, from the perspective of an outsider. Still, you ask me for my opinion about it… I see it as a fact of life. I avoid having opinions on those- they only lead to grief- no point thinking about what you can't change." Rogier adjusted himself on top of Torrent. "What's it like for you, in the Land of Reeds? Death, that is."

Wolf took some time to think of an answer, and spoke- "There is rebirth for us, as well. Not at the hands of a tree- but simply the world taking its course. I see the Erdtree's rebirth as… confining."

Rogier looked intrigued- "How so?"

"You are reborn in the same realm, in the same land, under the same rulers. From what I have heard, nothing seems to change. Buddhists seek to transcend existence- you seem bound to it."

Rogier nodded, "Transcending existence…an interesting term. What does that mean, to you?"

Wolf spoke as if quoting someone else- "No longer experiencing the impermanence or suffering of existence."

"Wouldn't that be the same as a true death?"

Wolf thought of Yura. "No."

"How is it different?"

Wolf paused for a few moments- "...One can reach enlightenment while still alive. They transcend existence, while still existing. Only after death do they cease rebirth. After their last death, they do not exist- but it is not death. I do not know how they are different."

"You strive for a goal you do not know the result of?" Rogier's question was without judgement.

"It has brought me happiness and release, flawed as I still am. It is enough." Wolf felt the fire in his body- it burned, but no more than any other part of him.

"Well, I guess you can't ask for much more than that." Rogier didn't say much after that, and the two returned to companionable silence.

A short while after, they had set camp for the night- the well was close, but it was dark enough out, and both Wolf and Rogier were getting tired.

Rogier broke the silence as they sat around the fire- "The Order had some interesting stories to try and secure more worship. Do you have anything like that?"

Wolf thought back to the Sculptor- "My teacher taught me a few. He didn't tell me the meaning behind any of them, though."

Rogier grinned at him, "Had to figure it out for yourself?"

Wolf nodded, "I only guessed at a few. Maybe you could help?"

"Let's hear it, then."

Wolf paused- "...I'm not a good storyteller." Rogier motioned him to continue. "A man gets stranded on an island. He's able to use grass and wood in order to build a raft, and it gets him to safety. Now that he is safe on land, he can choose to carry the raft with him, or instead, choose to leave it behind."

Rogier snickered a little- "That's the whole story?"

"It was longer when he told it," Wolf said. "I left out most of it- as I said, I'm not a very good storyteller."

"Is it a puzzle? Is there a correct answer?" Rogier asked.

"I don't know." Wolf shrugged.

Rogier stroked his chin, "Maybe it's about gratitude- since the raft brought him to safety, he shouldn't abandon it."

Wolf shook his head- "It isn't alive. It wouldn't feel bad if it was left behind."

"Ah, I don't know, then. Why don't we sleep on it, hm?" Rogier laid down, ready to pass out.

–

He ran into Blaidd standing outside of the well- "Heard Mistress Ranni was able to cut you a deal. Took your time, you did. And who's that you've got there?"

Rogier began to dismount Torrent- "Ah- Rogier, sorcerer- at your service, my canine compatriot."

"Oh- I like this one. Is he with Mistress Ranni as well? Haven't heard about him." Blaidd assessed the strangely-dressed sorcerer, and gave him a wolfish grin.

"Ah, well…" Rogier began to trail off, "You can consider me an… unofficial member. I hadn't yet gotten a chance to speak with her myself, but what better way to show initiative than to do service for her before she has even asked me to?"

Blaidd tilted his head- "Is he trustworthy?"

Wolf nodded.

Blaidd nodded in response- "That's that, then. I'm loath to admit it, but… Mistress Ranni could truly use some more help, as it is. Especially considering one of her helpers is a two-faced slimy bastard. Still, thankfully for us all, that two-faced slimy bastard is still of some use- it is due to him that I am able to say how we might uncover Nokron."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense," Rogier cried.

"Nokron is a city tied to the fate of our Mistress, as well as the stars- and so, in order to access the city, we must move the stars once more."

Wolf tilted his head in confusion, but Rogier gasped- "You couldn't mean…"

"Afraid I do. We have to pay a visit to Radahn. And unless one of you wants to try politely asking him to stop his gravity magic, we'll have to kill him."

Wolf finally spoke up, "...Where might we find Radahn?"

Blaidd grinned- "Only in the most pleasant environs of the Lands Between- that is to say, the deepest recesses of Caelid. Not goin' to back out now, are you?"

Wolf was not enthused. When asking Melina about Great Runes, she had briefly told him of Radahn- before he had promptly thrown out the idea of getting one from him. He had earnestly hoped getting his reward from Ranni would circumvent having to go out of his way to fight any more Great Rune bearers- so it was not fun to learn that he would have to end up fighting one anyway. He did not want to spend even more time just sitting on horseback to travel to another far away destination. He did not want to fight a fully-armored giant feral demigod. And he most certainly did not want to return to Caelid. Rogier interrupted his stewing-

"I'm all for positive thinking, but I think it's a bit of a stretch for the three of us to fight Radahn on our own."

Blaidd clasped his hands together- "Ah, it's a good thing we won't be, then. One of Radahn's former generals has organized a festival, of sorts… Every warrior worth their salt will be there- us included. Now, then…" Blaidd looked onward to the crimson wastes of Caelid that stood right before them-

"...Shall we be off?"