Story: The Celestial Tarnished
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 1: Tarnished Are We?
- Edwyn Loux -
I looked around the dark void in confusion.
A moment later my surroundings shifted, now I was in a room of some kind, a throne room going by the throne in front of me and the lazily smirking man on it.
I looked around the room in wonder, there were high vaulted ceilings stretched above, adorned with intricate frescoes depicting scenes of myth and legend, the designs almost seemed to come to life.
The floor beneath me was made of some kind of marble, likely hopelessly expensive going by the blatant luxury present in this room.
Then there was the long red carpet that I was currently standing atop that led straight to the foot of the throne.
The throne itself seemed almost magical, it had that aura about it, there was an ouroboros symbol at the top of it, the image of a snake eating its own tail.
Then there was the man himself, he was by far the most handsome man I had ever seen, and even if I was straight I could admit that. He white hair that seemed to glimmer under the light, blue eyes that shone with an almost ethereal brilliance, but the most striking feature of his was his sclera, it wasn't white like what I was used to, no it was black.
"H-Hello sir." I said while scratching my cheek.
It didn't hurt to be respectful, I had no idea what was going on, and the man in front of me might have the answers I was looking for.
The man raised a brow. "A respectful one, those are rare."
"Indeed Master." An enchanting feminine voice spoke out.
My eyes widened in shock as a beautiful woman with bluish-purple hair appeared next to the man. She stood behind the man's throne and looked at the man with what I could only describe as a loving, yet submissive look.
She was dressed in a maid's outfit, one that her voluptuous body filled out amazingly. Once I got a good look at her face I could feel my jaw drop, she was just that attractive.
The man nodded lightly. "It seems you are somewhat cultured, now listen closely, I'll be giving you a few options."
I nodded, knowing when to shut up.
"That's a useful skill to have." The man laughed.
Of course this being could read my mind.
"Indeed I can. Now you died in a not so fun way."
I clenched my fists as the memories came back to me, dying in a not so fun way was a very light way to put it.
I felt the phantom pain of a bullet going straight through my chest.
I got murdered, plain and simple. Wrong place, wrong time. I was at a gas station looking to buy a snack when some dickheads came and held up the store. Of course, like the sane man I was, I obeyed their commands and got on the ground.
Unfortunately that didn't turn out well for me, the cashier had the bright idea to whip out a pistol, unfortunately for the cashier the men were able to shoot first, the cashier was the first one dead, and as the only other person in the gas station the men had the bright idea to get rid of all witnesses since they already had one body on their hands.
And now here I am.
"And now here you are." The being repeated. "I'll make this quick, as I said, you have a few options, I plucked your soul out of the cycle of reincarnation randomly, if you choose to reject my offer I'll let you be on your way and move on to the next soul."
It did ease me somewhat that I would have a choice about what would happen to me.
"Option one is of course rejecting me, since you are someone of no renown you'll get the standard reincarnation experience everyone else does, your soul wiped of its memories as it moves on. The next option is what I like to call the isekai experience, you'll be either reincarnated or transmigrated to a world of my choosing, I will also grant you a single boon that you have no choice over." The being then spread his arms wide. "Now pick and choose."
I gulped. This was something straight out of a shitty isekai anime.
The being nodded. "That is the vibe I was going for."
Ignoring the fact that this multi dimensional entity knew about anime I focused on the options being presented to me.
The phantom pain of being shot made itself known once again.
One thing I knew for certain is that I didn't want to be weak anymore, experiencing death once was enough for me, and the fact that such an injustice was done to a guy like me, someone who hadn't really ever done anything to deserve death was off putting.
I did not deserve to die, that's something I knew, and yet I still died, I don't know if I could have changed things but what's done is done, all I want to do now is make sure that something similar doesn't happen again, at least not without me struggling against that fate.
And like hell I'd want to reincarnate the normal way, I didn't want to lose my memories if I didn't have to.
"It seems you have made your choice then."
I nodded.
"Excellent, I already have a world in mind. Now let's hope you do better than your kin." The being said as he held out his palm towards me, a glowing luminescent light floated its way towards me before entering my body. "You mortals truly have some of the most intriguing ideas, I wonder how the Celestial Grimoire will do in the hands of one such as you, do keep in mind the Celestial Grimoire can be a tad… unbalanced."
Celestial Grimoire Online.
I ignored the words that appeared in my mind all of a sudden.
Did he say my kin? Are there others like me out there?! And Celestial Grimoire, what is that?
"You will be getting five free rolls as a freebee as well as one perk of my own choosing, after that it's up to you to unlock more rolls." The being ignored my question and continued. "Each time you make an accomplishment of some kind you will be granted points which you can spend to purchase perks that you roll."
The being then snapped his fingers, and somehow for a singular moment I could feel the enormity of the being I stood in front of. "I made you a little playground, a tiny multiverse for you to mess around in, one that is isolated from the rest of my Creation, think of it as my investment in you, besides I wouldn't want you getting wiped out too early, Megumin does like to have fun with those I have chosen."
Before I could even comprehend what the being was talking about I was engulfed in light.
I could hear the being laughing ominously. "Good luck Tarnished, for you will need it. We will meet once more if you decide to become Elden Lord in one way or another."
Everything faded to black as I appeared back in the void and took a moment to understand what just happened.
Tarnished? What did that mean? It did sound somewhat familiar.
I shook my head, I could worry about everything after I have more information. Going by what the being said, the being created a multiverse with a snap of his fingers, I'm guessing I'll be sent to one of the worlds there.
I'll have to get situated since I have no clue if I'll have clothes, money, or even weapons if it is a fantasy world, after that I can worry about why the title Tarnished sounded so familiar.
I didn't think it was a bright idea to question the all powerful being about all of that, but I was beginning to regret that decision.
Starter Rolls will be incorporated into your 'backstory', as will certain types of rolls.
Creator chosen roll will be given now.
[Tarnished] - 300 CP
Ah. Poor, brave Tarnished. Once a man like any other, now raised from the peaceful repose by the Greater Will's unrelenting demand for a new champion to become Elden Lord. It matters little if you were noble, commonfolk or brigand in life; the darkening of the golden hue from your eyes will signify to all that you are a wanderer on a seemingly hopeless quest, suffering a loss of communion with the Erdtree. Perhaps, only just perhaps, you are among the faintest and most distantly related descendants of Marika and Godfrey's bloodline-though with little to show for it, save perhaps some faint affinity for the arts of war.
Not all Tarnished are so favored, but it seems you are one of the lucky few to yet benefit from the Guidance of Grace: The divine revelation provided by the Golden Order, and perhaps the Greater Will that guides it. In your travels through this reality, you will come across tiny golden rays of light guiding you to your destiny as Elden Lord-resembling both a droplet in form, and a bonfire in ambience. Resting at such a site will restore both your body and focus (vital for casting magic of all sorts from this world) as well as cleanse you of all but the most dire of status effects. Do not fear poison, curses or raggedly bleeding wounds while in the presence of such a beacon-though richly embedded corruptive forces of directly divine power such as the Frenzied Flame will not be so easily quelled. Moreover, certain potions are miraculously refilled at such a site:
-The Flask of Wondrous Physick, filled with crystal tears that normally amass at the roots of minor Erdtrees capable of laying all manner of boons on the drinker.
-The Flask of Crimson Tears, which wondrously heals the drinker even in the heat of battle.
-And the Flask of Cerulean Tears, which restores focus similarly.
Die in battle, and should you have the resolve to return you may resurrect at the last Site of Grace you rested at. The Site's soothing light also permits you to expend Runes in order to strengthen yourselves overall over time, and focus your mind on magic or Ashes of War to better wield in battle. The potency of
The flasks can also be increased or altered with Sacred Tears-faint vestiges of the Erdtree's blessings in the past.
It costs 200 CP to gain the mantle of Tarnished in this world, but for 300 CP you may keep all the benefits of the Guidance of Grace for yourself. In future worlds the Sites of Grace will continue to appear along with all they provide, this time leading towards what events, individuals and locations of great importance to the world instead of the Elden Ring.
I gasped as decades worth of memories flooded my mind, I remember fighting alongside Lord Godfrey as we slayed all of the Erdtree's enemies, I remember slaying all the Fire Giants bar one, I remember the joy I felt when fighting alongside my comrades, killing for our home.
I also recall the feeling of my Grace being torn from me by that wretched wench. I remember being forced out of my home by that very same wench, ordered to fight and die in lands far away, she had said to keep our blades sharp for one day she would have need of us once more.
Truly a cruel goddess she was, to think she could throw us away and then call us back like dogs but she was a goddess, that was to be expected of her, not to mention she had the power to do so.
I was one of Lord Godfrey's men and had worked my way up in the hierarchy until I became his favored Lieutenant, and so I knew that he bore the wench no ill will, he seemed to genuinely care for the woman and was accepting of her actions, perhaps he knew something I did not, but she would always be the wench in my eyes.
Now I was a Tarnished, and us Tarnished were built different, common diseases didn't get to us and we had a far larger lifespan than most others, Tarnished died more in combat then they did any other way.
And so I fought, and I fought, making a home for myself in the Badlands alongside Lord Godfrey, or rather his former name which he had taken up once more, Hoarah Loux's side. I was always growing in skill until I was second to only Hoarah Loux himself.
At that point I had accomplished what I could, I made a home that would last, and so I wished to be felled in honorable combat like the meathead I was. Hoarah Loux's honorable Axe is what caused me to meet my end, though I gave just as much as I got, I still remember the proud smirk on his face as he ripped my weapon from his torso.
Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly according to my new memories, I had the same name in the Lands Between, the same face as well….
Perhaps the multiverse theory is true then?
It does not matter anyway, I can't afford to care about that at this point. I could tell all of this was laughable above my pay grade, it was better to just go with the flow.
The memories that had merged with my own seamlessly were most definitely influencing me, years of fighting and bloodshed had steeled my nerves, I was far calmer than I was before, I was panicking earlier as would any sane individual, but now all I could feel was at ease, I had survived far worse than merely being homeless.
According to my most recent memories I have been brought back to life without my consent (not that I was complaining) and ordered by divine commandment to seek out the Great Runes the wench's children possessed and mend the Elden Ring to become Elden Lord.
I'm sure my former self would be quite angry at having his death casually violated even if he expected it, he already disliked if not hated the wen– Marika after her betrayal, but I was not him, it was more accurate to say that I was him but he was not me, even if his memories did influence me we were different in the end. For one I sure as hell wanted to live.
At this point I was fairly certain I would be going to the Lands Between now, the being even said he would meet me again once I became Elden Lord, a title I was now very familiar with, just as I was the title of Tarnished.
I knew how the Order of the Lands Between worked quite well, as well as the history of the Lands Between after personally living there for so long, and the history I remember matches the vague memories I recall of a certain video game I had heard of, a game called Elden Ring.
I never played the game, nor did I know all that much about it, only some vague details, I was more of an anime fan myself.
Such as how it was made by a man notorious for making incredibly difficult games. I also knew the general premise was that a character of no renown or relevance in that day and age would somehow manage to reach the peak of the world, something that was a recurring theme in all of the creator's other games, or so I had heard.
In the case of the Lands Between, I'm guessing that means becoming Elden Lord which aligns with what the being said.
I was going to a world I once thought of as fictional, how quant.
Much of the history I knew did not matter anymore at this point, such as the fact that the Erdtree was not always present in the Lands Between, no life already existed at that point.
I knew from ancient history that the original tree that was worshiped was the Great Tree, it was primordial power incarnate and all life in the Lands Between originated from it.
The Erdtree however was different, according to my memories it was striked out of history what exactly happened to the Great Tree, but with the knowledge I possessed from my life on Earth, I had a suspicion that the Great Tree never left the Lands Between, no, perhaps the Erdtree was a parasite that took over the Great Tree and leached on its power.
Perhaps that is what made the Lands Between so important to various higher powers I now knew existed.
When I thought back to that being all I could do was be in awe of all the power he must have possessed, with the added perspective of my new memories, I could only categorize him as someone on the level of the Greater Will at minimum.
He was likely well beyond the Greater Will, if what the being said was true, that he created an entire multiverse in the snap of a finger, then his power must be well beyond the Greater Will, since if his words were true that would imply he created the Lands Between, possibly including the Outer Gods that influence it.
Such thoughts would be practically heretical in the Lands Between, but I cared for that no longer.
I did not know if I even wished to become Elden Lord, though perhaps that choice was taken from me if I wished to meet the being once again, he did say he would meet me once I became Elden Lord, however he did not say that I must become Elden Lord, only that he would meet me if I did.
Did I even care to meet him once more? I was grateful for the second chance at life, and these new memories of mind did instill a sense of gratefulness for the being in me, but in the end what would the purpose in meeting the being once more be?
Perhaps I could learn more about my circumstance, about why he reincarnated me, but in the end I did not care much for that. I suppose I will just see where fate leads me.
To become Elden Lord I needed to gather fragments of the Elden Ring and then mend the Elden Ring making it whole, once that was done if I wished to continue along that path I would bestow the Elden Ring upon Marika and become her Consort.
As a Tarnished I had at least that much information granted to me.
I did not think Marika made for an able ruler, not with how the Lands Between turned out, but the current state of the Lands Between was quite horrid.
I would have to explore my options further.
It also seems that my own vocabulary has been somewhat altered due to the memories that have merged with my original memories, even within my own thoughts I find myself thinking differently, yet thankfully through some manner of magic I was able to remain the dominant persona, only influenced by the memories when things important to them were brought up which is a good thing, I don't wish to speak in old english.
Commencing Starter Rolls.
[Starting Equipment] - Free (Elden Ring)
All men have a past, whether embraced or turned away from. You now possess a set of equipment from whatever past you had before coming to the Lands Between. Whether it was as a warrior, vagabond, confessor, or something else, you will at least have a set of clothes and a reliable weapon, as well as a peculiar bell.
With that I at least won't start with nothing, I'll be able to use the equipment I had gathered in my tenure as a soldier, which while not the best in the lands is more than enough to start with.
[Sorcerous Adept] (Elden Ring) - 300 CP
Intellect, abstract reasoning and all the other scholastic arts are those most treasured by the sorcerers of Raya Lucaria-all talents you have in spades. Not only is your mind powerful enough to withstand the scholastic rigors needed to comprehend, grasp and properly execute various sorceries beyond the common ken of most of your kind, but you are also a gifted wielder of sorceries by the standards of your kin. Some weapons in this world are also more effective in your hands, and perhaps due to your grasp of the underlying principles it seems your sorcerous learnings have made it harder for you to be damaged by hostile sorcery. Naturally this comes with a great deal of knowledge about history, studies about the traditions inherited from sorcerer to sorcerer and insight into the history of this world-but surely the power to blast away your enemies with a barrage of falling glintstone stars is more relevant here?
Memories flooded my mind once more as history was changed to fit my story.
I recall requesting a leave of absence from Lord Godfrey's side to further my arcane knowledge in the hopes of becoming more valued and powerful, I did not have meager ambitions after all.
Lord Godfrey approved thanks to the various merits I had earned, at this point I had yet to become as valued as I once would by Lord Godfrey, but perhaps he saw potential in me.
I then remember learning at the foot of the Queen of the Full Moon, Rennala herself, the moon she conjured was truly a wonder.
After she was wed to Lord Radagon an alliance between the Golden Order and the Academy of Raya Lucaria formed, it was thanks to this connection that Lord Godfrey was able to put me a foot in the door, at that point it was up to me.
I even studied alongside legends such as Lunar Princess Ranni herself who was just coming into adulthood. My talents were nothing compared to hers, but I was still amongst the most talented to ever attend the academy. I imagine this perk had something to do with that.
I had made no complaint as rigorous studying was demanded from me, for I knew the magical knowledge would one day prove useful, and such thinking was not false. I could recall vividly how after I left the Academy of Raya Lucaria once I was deemed a sufficient scholar. I left to return to Lord Godfrey's side, I used the legendary glintstone sorcery I had learned to further progress his conquests, as we were ordered by Marika.
I possessed the knowledge to be considered fairly proficient in the art of glintstone sorcery, and I quickly integrated glintstone sorcery into my own combat style after some experience, something 99% of the other scholars present at Raya Lucaria were unable to do.
Most scholars studied magic and could perform spells, but were unable to truly make use of it in combat.
The memories of my fight against Hoarah Loux had changed, now I remember that I had not merely wounded him, no I caused him to lose an arm before being felled.
Glintstone sorcery had upped my combat power significantly. My mana pool and comprehension ability were high enough that I could cast with one hand and attack with a blade from my other hand.
[Dark Moon Greatsword] (Elden Ring) - 600 CP
A Moon Greatsword bestowed by a Carian queen upon her spouse to honor long-standing tradition, and is one of the legendary armaments in the Lands Between. Ranni's sigil is a full moon, cold and leaden, and this sword is but a beam of its light. By raising the sword aloft, bathing it in the light of the dark moon, the magic attack power will be enhanced and imbues blade with frost, while charged attacks can release blasts of moonlight.
I gasped as by far the most significant change was made to my own history.
This change may not have been the largest, but it was most definitely the most significant, the feelings blooming in my chest would say that much.
Was it this history altering perk that allows for a commoner such as I to become the beloved of a Princess? Nay, I liked to think that it just brought out the possibility for Ranni and I to become something, rather than anything more nefarious. It created the possibility by arranging events in a certain way, but in the end it was up to us how things progressed, that is how I saw things.
The Dark Moon Greatsword was a weapon a Carian Princesses bestowed upon their chosen beloved, since these perks are altering history itself, I now have the memories of the whirlwind romance between the Lunar Princess Ranni, and I, Edwyn Loux, adopted son of Godfrey.
I remember that while learning under the Full Moon Queen Rennala, I learned alongside her own daughter, Lunar Princess Ranni.
I still remember the first time I met her, when Queen Rennala first introduced us, I remember her beautiful red hair is what first caught my eye, not her towering height.
After that Queen Rennala took me on as a personal student due to my talent which was a change when compared to the previous history.
In my first meeting with Lunar Princess Ranni I had attempted to flirt with her due to a flight of fancy, of course I made a fool of myself, but that seemed to be enough to catch the interest of the sheltered Lunar Princess.
Looking back at it, what I did was incredibly foolish, Ranni could have just as easily demanded my head for my daring attempts if she wished.
We were both quite young and inexperienced, I had been fighting my entire life and had not even reached two and a half decades, while she had been sheltered in a magnificent palace her entire life and was unused to my brute ways.
I was no noble and such a thing showed in my roguish courtship attempt.
At the very least my attempt at flirting with her daughter seemed to amuse Queen Rennala enough for her to take a more direct approach with me. I always had potential, in the previous version of history Queen Rennala offered to take me under her wing in a more intimate fashion as teacher and student, however that was on the condition that I swore my service to the Carian Royal Family, something I could not do as I was duty bound to Lord Godfrey's side.
I was not the most talented to ever exist, but I was greater than 99.99% of sorcerers.
In the new version of things, Queen Rennala accepted me as her daughter had shown some interest in me. Queen Rennala did not teach me all she knew as she would have if I swore to serve the Carian Royal Family, but she taught me enough which I remember being very thankful for.
The Full Moon Queen was a generous teacher to those she valued.
A small fond smile graced my face as I thought back to my experiences after meeting Ranni. We would often be made to study together by Queen Rennala which now looking back on it was either the Queen's attempts to tease her daughter, or the Queen's attempts to further bind me to the Carian Royal Family, there was a scheming mind beneath all the beauty she possessed.
We studied under the light of the Dark Moon for nights upon nights, sorcery was a passion for both of us, for me it was a way to grow more powerful and find my place in the Lands Between, and for Ranni it was something she loved with all her heart.
I suppose that's where the difference in use laid, sorcery was a means to an end for me, but for her sorcery was the end, but our differing perspectives were not enough to dim the spark between us.
After months of studying together as commanded by the Full Moon Queen, eventually something did develop between us.
I could fondly recall meeting under the light of the Dark Moon secretly as Ranni would lead me around to the secret areas of Raya Lucaria, I remembered how I would warn her that she would get us in trouble, yet she would never heed my warnings, she was always a mischievous one, Blaidd was always quite upset with us like the overprotective brother he was, I had missed that man, his loyalty to Ranni was something to be admired.
I had not taken Ranni's chastity at this point in time, however we had experimented as young lovers often do, it was quite the interesting experience being the shorter one in the relationship as Ranni was over 7 feet tall, but I did not mind, I had no other experience to base our own relationship on after all.
However in the end our illicit relationship was discovered by the Full Moon Queen herself, thankfully however things did not become as bad as they could have thanks to Ranni's own pleading.
In the end Queen Rennala demanded that we be wed if we wished to continue our courtship, of course I did not have the status to marry a Princess. Ranni said she cared not for my station for she bore me love, but I did not wish to disgrace her, so I went to one of the only people I felt I could rely on, the Elden Lord, Godfrey, himself.
The man himself was fairly amused at my situation, and he was always one to do first think later, it seems I had endeared myself to him as he adopted me right then and there, changing my fate forever more as I became the adopted son of the Elden Lord, I become an adopted Demigod, but a Demigod nonetheless for a time.
Thanks to becoming the adopted son of Godfrey I had received the status I felt was required to marry Lunar Princess Ranni, but that was not all I gained.
I met with Marika the Eternal as she looked upon me with amusement, however in the end she did not protest against her Lord's decision.
I remember sparring with Godwyn the Golden as the brothers we were, the man was as mighty and honorable as the legends said.
I received a residence of my own in Leyndell, and had the option to live in extreme luxury if I desired.
I had men of my own that were loyal to me, my existence had become rooted far more deeply into the history of the Lands Between all due to this one single change.
I soon finished my studies in Raya Lucaria and returned to my Lord Father's side, though I visited Ranni often, too often according to her brothers.
Despite my Demigod status, I could admit seeing the over 20 foot tall Radahn staring me down was quite intimidating, of course I never let that stop me.
At the end of my stay at the Academy of Raya Lucaria I was considered an expert of glintstone sorcery, and was fairly well experienced in carian sorcery, cold sorcery, as well as hints of gravity sorcery.
I had yet to glimpse into the primeval current however which halted me from truly reaching my peak, and yet even then I was more than powerful enough to make my place in the Lands Between, as all Demigods had, my sheer will and hard work enough to propel me to heights most would never reach.
I had gained many experiences as a Demigod, and yet that did not change my overall fate, in the end Ranni and I's relationship was doomed to tragedy.
Ranni and I would continue our courtship with the intention of being wed for years, our relationship had progressed significantly over time even as Ranni bloomed from a young girl into a woman who's might was matched by few.
I had to hold a laugh back as I remembered how Ranni would act, in public she would act somewhat cold, she always took her role as a Carian Princess incredibly seriously, or at least that's what she said, but I knew she was just shy as behind closed doors she was incredibly affectionate and practically putty in my hands. Those were truly good times.
But in the end, my Lord Father still had his Grace stripped from him, as did I later on.
Marika still ordered us to make the trek to lands beyond the fog in order to keep our blades sharp for she would call upon us once more.
However I did not leave without a parting gift from my beloved, Ranni was heartbroken by what the Golden Order had demanded of me and my brothers in arms, and for all my power I was still helpless before the might of Marika the Eternal.
Ranni in a rare moment allowed her emotions to take hold as she had said she would come with me, I quickly made her forget such a stupid thoughts, Ranni had far greater purpose ahead of her, she had yet to even create her own Dark Moon sorcery and free herself of the chains she had felt closing in on her every single day.
She had confided in me that she resented that she was an Empyreon, that she did not wish to be a vessel for the Greater Will, but there was nothing I could do to ease her frustrations, the Greater Will was far above me.
In the end I knew there was a very low possibility of us ever meeting again, this was a version of me that grew up and fought in the Lands Between, he knew the pointlessness of trying to go against the Golden Order without enough power.
Even now I could only be in awe at the sheer power and influence the Golden Order commanded.
I remember that I was considering severing our relationship, for Ranni's own good if nothing else, however Ranni always did know me well, she had pleaded for me not to do anything foolish and instead insisted that we be wed, for she had made her decision and would not go back on it, she was stubborn in that way.
The look she had in her eyes in that moment still resounded deep in my psyche, the obsessive love she held for me that she always kept hidden from the public view, the love, the conflict, the heartbreak, I saw it all.
In the end, on the night before my departure we had wed, it was just the two of us but we were the only ones that mattered.
We consummated our marriage that very night, I could feel a slight hint of red on my face, that night was… something.
Ranni was incredibly wound up after so many years, it was safe to say that we broke the bed that night, and she was quite the kinky woman, her tastes varied quite a lot.
In the end I became Consort to the Lunar Princess, and Ranni became my wife, though none would know it. I received the Dark Moon Greatsword and passed her the Dark Moon Ring in turn.
The day after I was stripped of my Grace and Demigod status as Godfrey lost the position of Elden Lord.
We were forced to leave the Lands Between on boats and venture to a land beyond the fog so our blades never dulled.
I still remember the infuriating words of the wench to this day.
"My Lord, my Lord's son, and thy warriors, I divest each of thee of thy grace. With thine eyes dimmed, ye will be driven from the Lands Between, ye will wage war in a land afar, where ye will live… and die."
With that I became a Tarnished, I was no longer a Demigod of great renown, but in the end I did not lose the title that which I held most dear, I was the beloved of the Lunar Princess Ranni, and she had vehemently refused to change that fact.
In her own words our fates were now bound together by the stars for eternity.
With such an adorable lover it was no wonder that the thing that broke me apart most was leaving behind my beloved Lunar Princess.
I thought back to the rest of the wretched wench's words.
"Then after thy death, I will give back what I once claimed, return to the Lands Between, wage war, and brandish the Elden Ring. Grow strong in the face of death. Warriors of my Lord, Lord Godfrey."
The woman wished for us to slave away in lands unknown, away from the peace we had fought tooth and nail for, all so that she could have a capable army.
She truly was a wicked goddess.
In the end I had at least thankfully gotten to take all of my equipment with me, I would have protested violently if I had to leave the Dark Moon Greatsword behind, and while some were more powerful than me, a full on rampage from one such as I would cause significant damage to the Golden Order, but thankfully my gear was still afforded to me.
I had brought my armor which was forged for me by Iji, the Carian Royal Family's personal blacksmith, my Dark Moon Greatsword, and the Carian Regal Scepter which was gifted to me by Queen Rennala once Ranni and I officially got engaged oh so long ago.
In the end I died in a similar manner, in a battle with my Lord Father as I had accomplished everything I set out to do.
There was zero chance of me being able to return to the Lands Between to be with Ranni until I was called back, the might of the Golden Order was supreme, as was the might of Marika the Eternal.
I had witnessed the battle between Marika and the Fell God which changed the very landscape, maps had to be redrawn due to the effects of their battle, and Marika came out on top.
At the end of my life I was a mighty figure matched by few due to the resources and talent afforded to me, and yet I still fell short when compared to the power I witnessed the wench throwing out on that day.
In the end I wished to slumber until I would inevitably return in the hopes that I would be able to reunite with my beloved.
The fight with my adoptive father went quite a bit differently than it did in the other histories, my might was far greater than in the others due to the resources and wisdom I had access to.
Using my Dark Moon Greatsword I drew upon the Dark Moon's light, blasting my adoptive father with the Dark Moon's eldritch light.
I called upon the vast repertoire of sorcery I held as well as my martial prowess. In the end our battle shook the lands itself as mountains were torn asunder.
In the end our battle ended in a draw, with me landing a fatal wound on my adoptive father, and him killing me.
I shook my head. In the end that was the past, what was currently dominating my thoughts were the feelings that were filling my chest. I don't think I have ever felt so giddy before in my life, it was hard to describe the feeling.
I seriously had the whole fairy tail romance experience.
Good job me!
I couldn't separate the experiences between the multiple sets of memories at this point, and I didn't wish to either. Perhaps if I truly tried I could separate the emotions and experiences but I would not do such a thing.
In my former life on Earth I was merely a cog in a cogwheel, I had my role in society, I would get a job, get a wife, have children and die, that was it.
But this new life of mine was so much grander, it was filled with hardship but in the end it felt far more rewarding than any experience I had on Earth. I cared for the family I had on Earth, and yet I still desired the life I remember living.
I could genuinely feel the love I held for Ranni, the joy I felt in those memories.
Shit, I was a husband!
And yet I knew things were dire in the Lands Between, the knowledge I possessed now told me that the Lands Between were in disarray, the Elden Ring was shattered, multiple factions now existed with many vying for the power of the Elden Ring.
Things would be different now, Ranni was powerful, however a part of me was still terrified at the thought that she was long gone. I had been waiting for this moment for centuries, for her to be gone now would be heartbreaking.
I clenched my fists. In the end I could only learn more after I awoke in the Lands Between, thanks to my vast experience I had learned to control my emotions and focus them elsewhere so Ranni wouldn't constantly be on my mind.
[Chilling Glare] (Hades) - 300
Demeter was once a happier woman and it gave her blessings a warmth akin to summer's sunshine. But now they have only a chill and bitter bite to them. Those who strike you will feel its nip, not as strong as it could be, but it is a cold that lingers and slows the motions of your enemies.
That lingering chill seeping into the bones of those who attack you has grown fangs with a fearsome bite. For the moment that the chills from this counterattack lasts, it will continue to slowly wound them from the inside out.
History altered once more as I felt the gentle yet cold warmth of a woman worlds away seep into me.
I remembered that I always had a high affinity for cold sorcery, my chill encompassed entire armies at once at one point in time, thanks to this I learned far more cold sorcery at Raya Lucaria, and yet I was still Tarnished, yet I was still exiled, this amount of power was not enough to stand up against Marika the Eternal.
[Sun Princess Ring] (Dark Souls 3) - 200 CP
"Ring associated with Gwynevere, princess of sunlight and eldest daughter of Gwyn, the First Lord. Gwynevere left her home with a great many other deities, and became a wife and mother, raising several heavenly children." A ring "scavenged" from the "abandoned" city of Anor Londo where Aldritch now resides. Those who wear this ring feel subtle warmth, and acquire moderate yet noticeable regeneration that repairs their body over time.
A ring appeared on my finger as I suddenly remembered finding a mysterious ring in the underground portion of Raya Lucaria. I could feel a subtle warmth emanating from it as well as a feeling of care emanating from a being worlds away.
I smiled fondly as I remembered discovering the ring with Ranni by my side. She had made me take the ring for my own safety even when I offered it to her.
Truly she was too good a woman for me.
Starter rolls complete.
I suppose it's time for me to venture the Lands Between once more, with that last thought I felt myself blacking out.
I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
I have a discord server, come hang out if you want! /VxR5Gn72Fp I also have a channel in Shiro's Gaming Omniverse.
Links: /theogbasilisk
Beta Readers: LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord) Kakukami
Author's Note:
I have caught the Elden Ring bug, what can I say, the game is great. I also yoinked the Celestial Grimoire idea since it seemed neat, I did take some inspiration from Shiro's own Celestial fics with the whole altering the backstory thing for the first few rolls. This is a pretty different style of writing than I'm used to as well so let me know what you all think about that.
As you can see, Edwyn's backstory was altered a lot, he had become someone of significance in the Lands Between without even knowing it lmao. Ranni is younger so of course her personality will be a bit more different, she hasn't been steeled from centuries of loneliness yet, and she doesn't have a set goal in mind at that point.
Also Ranni is best waifu!
The history behind Edwin and Ranni will be gone into detail in another chapter.
Our Tarnished is also a Demigod through adoption due to the history alterations, I thought it would make things a lot more interesting, though he is merely one Marika saw amusement in so she decided to allow him to keep his status, it's not like he would be around for long in her eyes after all.
This chapter has been pretty much an info dump but I tried to make it interesting so hopefully you guys enjoyed the lore being expanded upon, I did enjoy writing it all. Now I don't know everything about the Elden Ring lore, it can be quite complicated after all.
Anyways, thanks for reading, peace.