Basilisk's Realm of Random Snippets

by theogbasilisk

This is just somewhere for me to post some random ideas that pop up in my head. These will be updated irregularly.

8. Snippet 2: Chapter 2

Story: The Celestial Tarnished

Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.

Chapter 2: First Steps

- Edwyn -

I awoke with a gasp. I blinked slowly as I took in my surroundings, I was laying on my back with my arms spread.

I clenched my right palm and felt the familiar grip of my beloved Dark Moon Greatsword. In my left hand laid my Carian Regal Scepter which was modeled after my mother-in-law's own staff.

My finger twitched, I could feel the weight of the Sun Princess Ring, its intricate design seared into my memory, and on my ring finger lied the Dark Moon Ring that Ranni had gifted me.

I clenched my palm around the hilt of the Dark Moon Greatsword.

My armor weighed me down, something I was not used to as in the past I had a physique that allowed me to withstand the weight of my armor with ease, it seems that I was no longer as strong as I once was, it was as if this body was no longer the one I had always had.

My armor was something that had been gifted to me by my mother-in-law and teacher, Queen Rennala. It bore similar designs to that of the Cuckoo Knights but it was different enough that no one could see the similarities. There was no house insignia, I had planned to have the crest of the Carion Royal Family, but I never ended up getting the chance.

From the information that I acquired, from what I understood the Tarnished that were revived were brought back to life beyond the fog and then made to travel back to the Lands Between with their original bodies on their lonesome, yet I do not recall making such a trek which is leading me to believe that I was revived differently from the other Tarnished.

Perhaps it was because my body was practically eviscerated in my battle with Lord Father? The Greater WIll, or Marika, whoever it was that brought me back to life did not wish to put forth the extra energy to bring me back in my prime? Was I truly but a footnote to them that I was not worth the extra effort?

My pride burned at the perceived insult but I took a deep breath. Becoming angry at the wench and an Outer God would serve me no purpose here, I had trained to the heights of a Demigod once, I could do so again, it was not like I was a complete weakling, if in my prime I could easily punch through steel, now I can do the same with great effort so not all was lost.

It was not like I was much of a physical fighter either, my Lord Father would easily defeat me if it was a contest of raw strength, no what I excelled in was combining the strength I did possess with my sorcery and agility.

The Dark Moon Greatsword was a weapon that rewarded magical knowledge as well as strength, in fact I would call myself a spellblade if anything.

My mana reserves however remained as vast as they always were, mana was a far more spiritual construct rather than a physical one.

In the end my power came from my seamless combination of magic and swordsmanship, the Dark Moon Greatsword drastically strengthened my combat prowess due to its own magical nature.

As for why my physical body is lesser than it was upon my death, my theory is that my soul was called back to the Erdtree, perhaps due to some special attention on the Greater Will's or Marika's part, and now I had been returned to life in a new but familiar vessel as the Greater Will or Marika had willed? Or perhaps even the mysterious being willed, the plans of those ascended beings were difficult to comprehend.

It was likely due to the Starting Equipment perk that I retained all my gear, so while it did waste one of my free rolls, I was thankful for it nonetheless.

What mattered most was that I retained my knowledge, my vast repertoire of sorceries, my expertise in wielding a blade, that was what mattered in these lands.

The Lands Between was a land that those who are weak can manage to make it to the top with sufficient skill alone, I suppose that was the charm of the Lands Between.

I was far greater than most as I was now even with a weaker physical body, my skill and sorcery alone would allow me to easily fell Fire Giants and Drakes.

Background Registered.

Feats Achieved: Join the army of Elden Lord Godfrey (50 CP). Slay multiple Fire Giants alongside Godfrey and his army (50 CP). Become a student of Queen Rennala of the Full Moon (150 CP). Gain Lunar Princess Ranni's Love (200 CP). Become a widely respected and feared Sorcerer of the Academy of Raya Lucaria (150 CP). Ascend to Demigodhood as an adopted son of Godfrey (200 CP). Gain Lunar Princess Ranni's Yandere Affections. (150 CP). Take the chastity and become the husband of Lunar Princess Ranni (200 CP). Become a Tarnished (50 CP). Cause the death of Hoarah Loux (200 CP). Indirectly cause the Shattering. (150 CP). 1,550 CP Total.

Celestial Points is it? It seems these points are what power this system the being gave me, I did not have much of an opportunity to investigate this odd power of mine, but these points seem to be an energy of some kind.

What an interesting power, it seems that I get these Celestial Points through making accomplishments of some kind? Causing the death of my Lord Father is what caused me to acquire the most points by far, he was a mighty foe that I had to die to slay, but the rest of my so-called feats have also rewarded me handsomely.

Also, what does it mean indirectly cause the Shattering? I played no part in the shattering of the Elden Ring, but I doubt the ability created by the being would make mistakes.

Just what had I done to indirectly influence the Shattering?

I am truly curious about the part I played in that catastrophic event, but thinking about it likely won't get me anywhere.

I focused back on the ability I had been bestowed with, it seemed to have a singular function, to bestow upon me abilities that I can purchase using the Celestial Points.

Truly something like this could only be the work of an eldritch being like the being seemed to be.

I was capable of reaching into my power, to prod it for details and this Celestial Grimoire feels nigh limitless.

From what I understood, excluding the Dark Moon Greatsword which was valued higher, the abilities I had drawn were among the weaker end, something that only made me smirk in pride.

Of course Ranni's gift would be highly valued, it was connected to the Dark Moon itself after all.

I felt that I had numerous rolls at my disposal at the moment, I had achieved 11 feats due to my backstory, so I would receive 11 rolls unless I reached 0 Celestial Points or decided to bank my points and skip the rolls all together. However if I do skip the rolls I would have to wait for another feat to roll again, and I would only be able to roll once if I receive only a single feat, thereby wasting my current 11 rolls if I skipped now.

For now I would roll, I had nothing to lose.

I felt my power reach out into something, once I felt it latch onto something it pulled something to the forefront of my mind.

[Divine Physiology (Unnatural)] - 50 CP (God of War)

Oh you are something different aren't you? Either through magic, training, or just good genes you are sturdier than most mortals and are highly resistant to normal diseases and poisons. A mundane weapon would injure you but it wouldn't kill you unless you stood still and took a stab to the heart or some similarly vital point, additionally you are able to move faster than a normal human.

I could feel that I had the option to reroll if I was not satisfied with the perk chosen, I could purchase the perk, skip the roll entirely, and lock the perk in the case where I cannot afford the perk but wish to purchase it in the future, something which does not apply in this scenario.

I already have a body far above the norm, if weaker than my body at its peak, however according to my power this Divine Physiology is merely laying the foundations for a higher tier perk which cannot be purchased without this weaker perk.

I am already capable of shrugging off most wounds, and with the help of the Sun Princess Ring I could even survive having my neck slit and heart pierced as long as I was careful, not to mention my speed was greater than the norm for a mortal, however investing in this perk now may pay off in the future. Perhaps it will even synchronize with my own elevated physiology?

Not to mention that it came from the God of War series, I was never much of a gamer but I do recall hearing that the deities in that game were capable of truly incredible feats, and while I would be no Greek, Æsir, Vanir, or Jotunn deity, this was merely the first step.

I projected my intent to purchase the power.

Purchased. 1500 CP remaining.

I sighed in pleasure as I felt my body change, it transformed into something different than I was used to, something… unnatural.

I gripped my Dark Moon Greatsword once more, and while my grip was still lesser than what it was in my prime, it had still increased in strength moderately.

It seems the perk had elevated my strength further than implied due to my already present strength. My armor no longer weighed me down as much. I had underestimated the value of this perk, I only purchased it due to the potential payoffs in the future and due to it being within my price range, yet it was already proving to be a useful boon.

My physical power alone would be more than enough to become an unmatched warrior back when the Golden Order was warring against the forces of the world, and that was discounting the sorcery and skill with a blade that I possessed.

How amusing, I was already one step closer to reaching the level of my prime self.

Yet I still had a feeling that I would require more power, I had yet to decide what my goal in the Lands Between would be, but I knew one thing, I would look for Ranni, anything other than that I can give further thought to later.

[A Learning Experience] - 100 CP (Generic Alchemist)

You are not discouraged by failure, your failures instead acting as a motivator to do better and helping you to learn a bit faster, roughly twice as fast. Additionally, any failures you make while learning or training will rarely result in significant injury and will never result in permanent injuries.

A useful perk that I will not say no to.

Purchased. 1400 CP remaining.

[An Instrument for Murder: Painter's Brush] - 200 CP (Avesta of Black and White)

Much like the Man-Murdering Demons, you also have found a tool that seems to fit your ideal for murdering. It may be an actual weapon, or just a regular item. It may have some special properties, such as a blade that it's capable to freely bend and move as you command it, or a saw that actually cuts through distances, but what's matters more is how well attuned you are to this item: you are capable of channeling any and all of your abilities to an increasing efficiency whenever you are using this weapon, and the weapon will survive whatever you use through it. You may import any item that you own on this option.

This will do quite nicely, anything that will make the Dark Moon Greatsword more powerful is nothing I would reject.

Purchased. 1200 CP remaining.

I gently channeled my mana through the Dark Moon Greatsword and felt my eyes widen when I realized just how easy it was. Before it was somewhat difficult to channel my own energy through it as the raging current within the Dark Moon Greatsword tended to be difficult to navigate around, but now it was as if the blizzard of power within was actively helping and coaxing my own energy elevating the power of anything I channel through the Dark Moon Greatsword in the process.

I will need to test further to understand just what the Dark Moon Greatsword was capable of channeling, could it perhaps act as a staff?

[Danger Sense] - 200 CP (Jujutsu Kaisen)

There is no lack of beings of overwhelming power in this world, those that even skilled, experienced sorcerers would be well advised to run from instead of facing head on. Yet such things aren't always obvious – appearances can often be deceptive. After all, who would guess that cute little octopus thing was secretly a special grade cursed spirit all along, or that blonde woman on a motorbike could create a literal black hole if she wanted to? To an extent, it seems like you can.

You've got an infallible sense for danger. Whenever something or someone that's genuinely dangerous to you is nearby, you'll know, no matter how they might appear or how much they try to hide it. It's as if you can sense an almost physical aura of menace coming from the direction of the threat, one warning you not to come near. You might not know exactly why they're dangerous, or even be able to perceive the source of the threat to your life through your normal senses, but you'll still be aware of it nonetheless. You can, of course, ignore this sense, and it will never debilitate you in any way or cause any emotions you wouldn't otherwise feel, though doing so will naturally be at your own risk.

Jujutsu Kaisen… now that's a series I am familiar with. Will this give me an affinity for jumping others?

This seems like a useful ability to have, I do not think many beings in the Lands Between could pose a danger to my current self, that is unless the power level of the Lands Between has skyrocketed greatly since last I was here which I doubted. Still not purchasing such a useful ability out of arrogance would be foolish.

Purchased. 1000 CP remaining.

According to my newfound Danger Sense there was no nearby danger, that was a relief to finally confirm.

[Elemental Evocation] - 200 CP (Generic MG)

Giving offense, defense, and crowd control in one package, you have the ability to manipulate and generate one element, like fire or metal. This starts with fairly basic manipulations - reshaping, splitting, merging - and a limited amount that can be generated or controlled -approximately a ball big enough to fit yourself in. Time and practice will allow for more complex manipulations, a broader category of what you can manipulate, and greater generation of your element.

Still, your element will have one area (offense, defense, or crowd control) that is comparable to the dedicated package, with the other areas starting weaker.

What an intriguing perk, I was always talented at cold sorceries, in fact despite my talent in glintstone sorceries I by far excelled at cold sorceries, to the point that even Ranni would get competitive.

I had even created completely new cold sorceries of my own in the past, with this perk my manipulation of ice will become practically second nature to me. I should not even need a focus of any kind.

Purchased. 850 CP remaining.

[Holy Sword User] - 400 CP

And also user of a lot of things, because your body just seems compatible with everything, only 1% of the world can use a certain power? Then you are guaranteed to be able to do it too.

Purchase instantly.

Purchased. 400 CP remaining.

My body was now compatible with everything?! This was an absurd perk, there were many settings where such an ability would be incredibly useful, in the Lands Between it was less overpowered than it could be, however it was still an immense ability.

Was I now compatible with the Elden Ring? Could I become its vessel and ascend to godhood like an Empyreon could?

That was the main reason I purchased it, for if I decided to pursue the path of gathering the fragments of the Elden Ring, then theoretically I could ascend into godhood just like Marika the Eternal had in ancient times.

The only downside to that was the influence the Greater Will would have over me, the Elden Ring was an artifact of the Greater WIll after all, it was doubtful that merging such an artifact with my being would not grant the Outer God some control over me, but perhaps I will roll a perk that may help with that?

In the end gathering the Elden Ring was a far off goal. If I decided to do so, I had other things I would like to do, such as discover the fate of my beloved. Sadly the information I possessed was not enough to discover my beloved's fate, I only knew the basics of the Shattering.

Marika broke the Elden Ring, and the Demigods fought for supremacy in the Lands Between were the two big events that I knew of, Ranni's fate was mentioned in none of that.

But she was a powerful and smart woman, if anyone could survive and perhaps even thrive in this new age it would be her.

[Cowl of Nocturnal] - 300 CP (The Elder Scrolls)

This hood is believed to have once been possessed by the Daedric Prince Nocturnal. Because Nocturnal is revered as the "Mistress of Shadow," the artifact is attributed with stealth and secrecy. Wearing it makes it impossible to discern your identity through observation alone. If you put it on in front of somebody, they would think you disappeared and were replaced by the infamous Gray Fox.

…This could prove useful, I did not know the true state of the Lands Between at this point, perhaps concealing my identity to start out maybe wise. Of course this has the downside of preventing word of my return from spreading which may make it harder to locate Ranni, if she heard of my return I have no doubt that she would find me as soon as she could.

I think I shall still wear this to start with, to gather information and such first, I am sure Ranni would not mind.

Purchased. 100 CP remaining.

I blinked as a rather odd looking mask appeared on my chest. This was quite… ugly, it did not fit with my appearance.

Thankfully I could feel that I could modify the cowl through the Celestial Grimoire. I closed my eyes and focused on the appearance I wanted, when I opened them a completely new mask greeted me.

I slipped on the mask, I couldn't even feel the mask anymore, I could completely forget that I was wearing this.

[The Black Cleaver] - 300 CP (League of Legends)

This ominous black greataxe is a Noxian treasure, and has passed hands from general to general many times across the years. In addition to being a mighty blade, the Black cleaver tears through armor as if it were flesh, surprising all those unfortunate enough to fall victim to it.

I had no need for another weapon currently, reroll.

[True-Guesser] - 100 CP (Marvel Primal)

You have the particular skill of knowing the true name of any person or entity you come across. By itself, this gives you no power over them, but it's very handy for spotting imposters or freaking people out the first time you meet them.

Purchased. 0 CP remaining.

I felt as the Celestial Grimoire automatically purchased the next roll. It seems that when rerolling it will automatically purchase the next roll, I will have to keep that in mind for the future.

Thankfully the perk I received isn't completely useless, it was a very specific ability that I do not see myself particularly needing, but perhaps one day it will prove its worth?

Now with these rolls done I could finally get a move on. Regarding my new abilities, I would need to train to truly master these new abilities of mine, thankfully [A Learning Experience] should assist in that endeavor.

With the Dark Moon Greatsword in one hand and my Carian Regal Scepter in another I stood up after who knows how long.

I attached my Carian Regal Scepter to my hip, all I would need for now is the Dark Moon Greatsword, not to mention I suspect that the perk that bound me closer to my beloved weapon also upgraded the Dark Moon Greatsword allowing it to act as a focus.

I looked down to my hip where a pouch hung, all Tarnished were afforded a pouch that was capable of holding far more than they looked capable of holding, merely by sticking my hand inside I could will any item inside of it into my hand allowing me to make use of the flasks I now had in the heat of battle.

Currently inside of it were the flasks that healed me and regenerated my mana, along with a few trinkets I had brought along with me to the Badlands.

Wonderful.

I turned around and spotted a stairway leading downwards. I spotted a spirit listlessly resting on a chair.

I shook my head at the poor sap. In the Lands Between death was… broken.

When one dies their spirit or soul would return to the Erdtree, the Erdtrees roots spread vast and would fertilize itself on the corpses of the dead, once that was done some would come back to life while those who lacked the will would become part of the Erdtree… permanently.

As for the spirits that still roam, they have yet to be called to the Erdtree and are still waiting for their day.

Then there are the undead which are beings that refused the call of the Erdtree, so they roam the Lands Between as corpses or skeletons.

The wench truly had no idea what she had unleashed by sealing death itself away, humans were not built for immortality and many had gone mad.

I sighed and turned back around, I walked through the double doors as I lightly twirled the Dark Moon Greatsword.

I decided to briefly explore the building I was in. I stepped forwards walking through the archway and raised a brow as I spotted what must be the so-called Grace.

I walked forwards and examined the mysterious blessing that Tarnished were granted.

I could feel the rejuvenation effects of being near the Site of Grace, resting here for mere moments would restore a Tarnished to peak health, I could only guess it was some sort of blessing from the Greater Will or the wench as no mere mortal could create something such as this.

I could feel the Grace guiding me in a certain direction, this must be the so-called Guidance of Grace, how interesting. I could also feel that I would be able to teleport back to this Grace if I wished to do so, so it acted in a similar manner to a checkpoint from video games.

Seeing the Greater Will and Marika create things like this really puts their power in perspective.

I looked to the right, it seems there was more of this building to explore but I could do so another time, for now I would follow the Guidance of Grace, I would not put blind trust in it but I must have been brought back for a reason, it would be foolish and counterproductive to lead me into a trap at this point.

I walked forward and got on the medieval elevator.

Once I had arrived at the top I walked up the steps and towards a door, I quickly opened the door and could only gaze into the horizon with remembrance.

No matter my opinions I could not deny that the Erdtree was a powerful sight, it could be seen from all around the Lands Between, it was truly the symbol of power for the Golden Order.

I ignored the grace in front of me and observed the masked man standing just by the grace. My [Danger Sense] wasn't going off at all so this man was not a threat to me whatsoever, even if one bore me no hostile intentions [Danger Sense] would still inform me if they were dangerous to me.

If [Danger Sense] gave me nothing, it meant that as the man was he stood no hope of proving to be a danger to me, at least considering combat alone.

According to [True-Guesser] the man's name was Varre.

I walked past the Grace and towards the man. He clapped his hands. "Oh, yes… Tarnished, are we? Come to the Lands Between for the Elden Ring hmm? Of course you have, no shame in it."

I rolled my eyes at the pretentious man, I already knew his type, so convinced they knew it all, that they were greater than others.

I brandished my Dark Moon Greatsword. "It is none of your business what my intentions in the Lands Between are."

The man raised his hands in surrender as he eyed my weapon with wariness. It seems he could sense the Dark Moon Greatsword's power, he wasn't a complete fool. "I mean no disrespect Tarnished, I merely wish to give you some advice. It seems you are unfortunately maidenless. Without guidance, without the strength of runes, and without an invitation to the Roundtable Hold… You are fated to die in obscurity."

"Ha! A maiden hmm? I do not need such a thing, my current power is enough." I was not merely boasting, after the perks I had received my power was approaching that of my peak once more, even with this discounted body.

My Celestial Grimoire could take the role of a Maiden in allowing me to grow more powerful over time, a Maiden would be helpful but by no means was one required.

"If you say so." The man responded with amusement. "I will look forward to hearing tales of you then Tarnished."

I rolled my eyes, the Cowl of Nocturnal I was wearing prevented him from truly knowing who I was.

From what I understood it veiled my true appearance and identity quite perfectly, not allowing one to discern my true appearance, making the mask I had designed the sole factor one could recognize me by.

It was slightly different than described by the Celestial Grimoire, however perhaps that was merely my power adjusting the mask based on my preferences.

I am guessing that Varre was able to discern my identity as a Tarnished based on my gear as well as my preparedness for combat, not to mention the place I had come from may be known as somewhere Tarnished often appear.

I ignored him and looked back at the Grace, it was guiding me towards the castle I could spot on a hill in the distance.

It seems that something relating to the Tarnished's quest of recovering the Elden Ring laid in that direction.

Perhaps visiting there will provide me more information should I be unable to find out more.

I would need to get a map at some point, I'm sure the geography of the Lands Between has changed since I was last here, though I had a feeling I knew where I was.

"Is this Limgrave?" I asked Varre.

"Hmm? Well educated are we? Yes we are in Limgrave." Varre responded.

I nodded in thanks.

Then the castle must be Stormveil Castle. I have been there in the past on multiple occasions, it was one of the seats of power of the Golden Lineage after all. I will have to visit there some time to see what Lord Father's Golden Lineage has made of it.

I raised a brow as I spotted a Tree Sentinel in the distance. The Tree Sentinels were basically knights of the Erdtree. Perhaps the Tree Sentinel would be able to tell me more about everything that's happened?

The Tree Sentinel eventually spotted me, the moment it did it began charging towards me. "Foul Tarnished!"

Perhaps there was an aura about me that simply told everybody that I was a Tarnished.

I tilted my head. "I have not done anything to offend you have I?"

He ignored my words and swung his ax down at me. I rolled my eyes and jumped out of the way with contemptuous ease.

I landed back on the earth with the grace of a feline. "If you will not bother explaining the reasons for your hostility then begone." I gripped the Dark Moon Greatsword tightly and then dashed forwards at speeds the Tree Sentinel was incapable of following.

I quickly dashed past the Tree Sentinel, cutting through his armor as if it were butter, severing his head. This level of armor was insufficient to block the Dark Moon Greatsword, even when my chosen weapon was not having any of my own mana channeled through it. The natural power coursing through the Dark Moon Greatsword allowed me to accomplish wonders, even in its base state.

The horse he was riding on neighed as the knight collapsed off the horse, yet it ran away, seemingly valuing its own life.

Ordinarily I wouldn't be as bloodthirsty, but the Tree Sentinel was practically asking for it, attacking me completely unprovoked.

However the fact that the knights of the Erdtree are seemingly hostile to me, a Tarnished does tell me much.

While the Greater Will wishes to see the Elden Ring mended, someone who has command over the Tree Sentinels does not wish the same, or at the very least they see Tarnished such as I in a hostile light.

I looked down at the corpse of the knight, the stump where his head once lied had frosted over, even without channeling any frost through the Dark Moon Greatsword, its affinity for the cold was so great due to its own natural affinity, and the [An Instrument for Murder: Painter's Brush] perk that further strengthened the affinity, to the point that any strike would cause some frost effects on its victim.

I could feel that I could channel more frost through the Dark Moon Greatsword if I wished, what I had just done was merely the tip of the iceberg when it came to the new upgrades on it.

I'm sure my earthling self would be quite horrified at what I had just done, but I was a changed man now, my backstory truly became a part of me, I was truly no different from Edwyn Loux, after the seamless merging of memories we were one and the same.

Feat Achieved: Slay a Tree Sentinel (25 CP).

[Enhanced Sense] - 100 CP (God of War) locked. 75 CP required.

You cannot see any better or hear any better, but your senses have been heightened in a particular fashion and the world around you is somehow clearer than it was before. You can now feel the nature of the world around you and the nature of things that would normally be hidden to your other senses through a new sense separate from all others you possess. You may feel the hidden flows of magic or divinity that permeates the world, beings, and objects around you.

That is a useful perk, it would likely work quite well with [Danger Sense]. Unfortunately I cannot purchase it at this moment, so I will lock it in.

I looked back at the corpse of the knight, it seems the knights of the Erdtree have grown weaker. With a flourish of my hand I cleaned off the blood that had been staining my Dark Moon Greatsword.

"It seems I will have to find information elsewhere." I mumbled.

I looked back to the Grace which was still guiding me towards the castle on the hill, I noticed Varre was staring at me.

Feat Achieved: Gain the interest of White Mask Varre (25 CP).

50 CP banked.

I ignored Varre and turned back around, there was a church very close by, I may as well check it out.

The Lands Between have changed much, examining the religious areas could perhaps tell me a little more about how the Golden Order is perceived by the general public.

I closed my eyes as I felt the runes of the Tree Sentinel flow into me. I would not be able to make proper use of them without a Finger Maiden, however I was still able to channel them somewhat, after all runes were still used in ancient times and Finger Maidens weren't very common.

Even without a Finger Maiden, if one was experienced enough they could channel the energy of the runes, this energy would course through your body, fixing any imperfections while also steadily boosting all of your attributes, whether it be your durability, your mana capacity, your stamina, your strength, your dexterity, all of which are fairly easy to understand.

But that wasn't all, runes could even influence your intelligence which would increase your ability to store, comprehend and memorize knowledge. Even your faith could be influenced by runes, the energy of the runes would draw you closer to your object of faith and make more incantations accessible to you. Then there was arcane which was basically how durable you were against magic and other similar things.

However everything would not be upgraded equally, the attribute that would see the most growth is what you already have the highest natural inclination for, in my case my mana capacity, my intelligence, my strength, and my dexterity would increase more than others due to my affinity, with mana capacity and intelligence at the highest followed by strength and dexterity.

So while channeling the energy of runes to upgrade yourself was possible, it was far from what the Finger Maidens could do since that allowed you to pick and choose what attributes you wanted to upgrade, not to mention manually channeling the energy of runes takes ages, what a Finger Maiden could do in an instant would take someone like me years to accomplish on my own.

I sheathed the Dark Moon Greatsword on my back as I made my way to the church.

As I entered the church I could only sigh at the conditions of it. I held no love for Marika but seeing the state of a church dedicated to the sole religious figure was telling.

The walls were torn apart, the grass was growing unrestricted, the pillars were in horrible condition, it was all around terrible, Marika would have smote whoever was responsible for the condition of this church back in my time.

I ignored the Grace after registering it for future teleportation. I raised a brow at the outfit of the merchant, he was dressed in a similar color scheme to Santa Claus.

Kalé was his name according to [True-Guesser, and he also posed me no danger according to [Danger Sense].

I approached the merchant who looked up from the fire in front of him. "Ah, you're must be a Tarnished no? Not many approach me these days other than you lot."

I nodded, seeing no reason to deceive the man. "Indeed, I am a Tarnished."

Kalé smiled. "It seems I still got it then. I can also see… that you're not here to kill me, I'm always open to new customers." Kalé laughed out.

The man clapped. "Excellent! Then why not purchase something? I am Kalé, purveyor of fine goods, though whatever charm you have to hide your identity might make it difficult to recognize you in the future."

I tilted my head. "Perhaps I'd be willing to take a look at your wares if you answer a few questions for me, I will of course compensate you for your troubles, as for the charm, I'd like to keep it on for now."

Kalé nodded. "Do what you will, as for your questions, of course I would be willing to answer your questions to the best of my ability in that case." Kalé responded.

I smiled from under my mask. "Excellent, do you mind if I sit." I said while gesturing next to him.

"Oh by all means! It's not often that I get company, that Tree Sentinel is always around scaring folks away! Bad for business I tell you."

I nodded. "I can imagine. I had slayed that very same Tree Sentinel just earlier so why not start from there, why is a knight of the Erdtree hostile to me, a Tarnished whose objective is to mend the Elden Ring?"

Kalé sighed. "Well that's a bit of a story, I do not know everything but I'll tell you what I do know."

"I would appreciate that."

I had a lot to ask Kalé, he seemed to be a merchant, and merchants were always well learned, they had to be if they wished to survive in this world, information was key when it came to good business.

"The reason for the Tree Sentinel's hostility to you is due to the Veiled Monarch of Leyndell, Morgott." Kalé started.

"Morgott? I have never heard that name before." I mumbled.

"Aye, neither had I until the Shattering, he came up all of a sudden and claimed Leyndell as his domain, Radahn himself contested against this claim and yet Leyndell remains the domain of the Veiled Monarch."

My eyes widened hearing what Kalé said. "Radahn failed?" I whispered.

Kalé nodded. "That's what seems to have happened."

Radahn was an absolute monster, his mastery over gravity sorcery was immense, to the point that I wouldn't doubt it if someone said he could chuck mountains at people at will, I could see that man pulling a Madara and summoning a meteor from space itself, the man was just that good.

Yet Morgott, this Veiled Monarch managed to at the very least fight that very same Radahn off and maintain his control over Leyndell?

It seems even now there were truly powerful figures around, even as I am now I wouldn't be certain if I could win against Radahn at his strongest, he was just that powerful.

I sighed. "It doesn't surprise me that he wouldn't accept Leyndell becoming the domain of some no-name man, he was a staunch supporter of the Golden Order if I remember right."

Kalé sighed. "Indeed, the Shattering changed things, such a massive change in the Lands Between hasn't been seen before since the first Elden Lord Godfrey and his Demigod son Edwyn the Mighty were exiled."

My lips twitched under my mask hearing that old title. Though that does bring back fond memories, I remember complaining to Godwyn about it, he just laughed and patted my shoulders saying I'd get used to it.

Coming from the man titled Godwyn the Golden I believed it.

Kalé sighed. "I suppose many things started changing from that moment forward, it was said that Lunar Princess Ranni's sorrow could be felt throughout the Lands Between, it was almost as if the moon itself stopped shining upon us from that moment forth."

Something ached within my chest hearing that but I pushed it down.

"Continuing on, the Veiled Monarch for some reason does not wish to see the Tarnished succeed in their god given mission." Kalé explained.

"I see, that explains that then. Thank you for the information, do you mind explaining more about the Shattering, my memories are a bit… scattered around that subject, start from the beginning if possible."

Kalé nodded. "Very well, I will start from the beginning then. Do keep in mind that I am not aware of everything that has gone on behind the scenes, I do not know anymore than anyone else."

I nodded. "That is quite fine, any information will be useful."

I still had quite a lot of information I was missing, I needed more information on the Demigods, on Stormveil Castle, and most importantly on Ranni.

"It all began with the death of a Demigod…." Kalé began.

My breath froze hearing that, I didn't have any information on the Shattering itself due to my odd placement in the Lands Between. Perhaps a normal Tarnished would have all the needed information shoved into their heads, but I did not, the only information I possessed was that the Elden Ring was shattered by Marika, the Demigods possessed fragments of the Elden Ring, and that once a Tarnished had two Great Runes they would head to Leyndell to be crowned Elden Lord.

As for the Shattering itself I had no idea what started it, I had no idea what the fate of anyone close to me was, I was fairly clueless all things considered.

When I was exiled there were only three Demigods, Godwyn the Golden, Messmer the Impaler and I.

I had no idea what happened to Messmer, he was once a comrade that assisted me in slaying the Fire Giants, but one day he was simply gone with no word from Marika as to where he had gone and if he would be back.

Messmer was an odd fellow, a bit too intense but he was an alright guy to those he considered comrades, he was damn powerful too, his flames were capable of scorching even the Fire Giants, beings whose entire being was centered around fire.

I knew more Demigods were born however I knew nearly nothing about them.

"Godwyn the Golden was the first casualty of the Shattering."

I sighed. "So it was him."

Kalé nodded along with me. "Indeed, Godwyn was beloved by many, his death was felt by all. I do not know how he passed, merely that when he did something in Queen Marika broke. She shattered the Elden Ring in her grief."

I raised a brow. That didn't sound like her, she did care for Godwyn, even I could see that but I didn't think she would shatter the Elden Ring for him.

"After the Elden Ring was shattered all of the Demigods acquired a fragment of it for themselves. Godrick the Grafted, the twin prodigies Miquella and Malenia, General Radahn, Praetor Rykard, and Lunar Princess Ranni."

If Ranni had a fragment of the Elden Ring that did give me hope that she was still alive, the Elden Ring when complete was capable of bending the reality of the Lands Between, the wench removed death itself from the Lands Between thanks to the Elden Ring.

"I have many questions."

Kalé sighed. "Well go on then."

"Since when were Radahn, Rykard, and Ranni Demigods?"

Kalé looked at me weirdly. "Putting off how casually you are calling those three, you must truly not know much then. You have not visited the Roundtable Hold have you?"

I shook my head. "Nay."

"I see, well then, General Radahn, Praetor Rykard and Lunar Princess Ranni were taken in as Demigod step-children after Radagon became the second Elden Lord and Consort to Queen Marika."

"Huh?" I was completely flabbergasted. Radagon left teacher to be with the wench? Just what was that man thinking?

"What about teac– Queen Rennala."

Kalé sighed in sadness. "She is still in Raya Lucaria to this day, it would seem she went mad after Radagon abandoned her."

"...I see."

That was another thing I would have to do then, I needed to check in on my teacher.

I had no clue what events transpired for Radagon to leave teacher, from what I saw he genuinely loved Rennala, but things change.

Hopefully Ranni wasn't too hurt by that, she was a strong woman.

"I'm guessing Malenia and Miquella are the children of Radagon and Marika's union?"

Kalé nodded. "That is correct. After the Shattering war quickly overtook the Lands Between, each Demigod created a faction of their own and vied for the throne. Battles ran rampant all over the Lands Between, everything was… broken."

I shook my head. "It seems the Lands Between have changed much since I've been gone."

"Indeed it has friend… indeed it has."

I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.

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Beta Readers: LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB99th Britannian Emperor(Discord) Kakukami

Author's Note:

Sup everyone, another chapter of a Celestial Tarnished, we finally take our first steps! The beginning portion was a bit of a drag since he did accomplish some feats in the past, but he did get some fun abilities which gave me a fun idea for how to meet Ranni.

We also see how OP Edwyn is, the Tree Sentinel that destroyed all of us noobs was one shot by him lmao. And now he is learning a bit more about what's been going on in the Lands Between.

Anyways, thanks for reading, peace.

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