The evening air felt good as I glided through the air. Tracer flew overhead letting me know of potential dangers. It's been about four days since I've been top-side. I had been following the rays of gold I saw when I spoke to that masked individual. As well as doing some cave exploring, and overall getting used to my new surroundings. Why this grace was guiding me this direction I had no idea. But I felt that something or someone was out this way that would be more help than the white masked individual. It was starting to push well into the evening when I saw shapes in the distance. Small houses and buildings on the horizon. I picked up my pace to attempt to get there before nightfall.
I landed 30 minutes out from the village so as to not spook anyone and walked the rest of the way. Tracer landed on my shoulder as I walked, still keeping an eye out for possible danger. As I walked I made a quick note of some of the creatures I saw. Some were very clearly docile, others not so much.
"I need to make a new staff…" I said to myself as I got to this small town. There were several small huts and a few slightly larger buildings. If I had to guess, no more than 80 people lived in the town. A few people were still out and about minding their business. As I neared the center I saw another Grace site. And next to it an old crone sat atop a wooden chair.
"Oh young Tarnished… may I see your hands? To discern where grace is guiding you." The crone asked as I connected to the site of grace next to her. I figured sure why not, might explain a few things and how to get back home. I gave her my hand with my palm facing upwards. Her withered fingers were dry and leathery. It wasn't until then that I realized the crone had no eyes. Empty sockets surveyed the print of my hand before she began to speak again.
"Ooh poor boy… Plucked from your world by forces unknown and gifted grace to free these lands." She started as she 'looked' at me. "Yes… Out of place but not without purpose. The catacomb just north, it calls to you." She continued as one of her wrinkled hands pointed towards the hillside. "Two companions join you in your effort to claim the Elden Ring. Order and Perfection, Mending and Gold." She spoke as she neared the base of my hand. "But many hardships stand before you. The dusk's chill, the vile accursed, and the chaotic frenzy." With that she'd finished and unclasped her hands around mine. The reading was vague, but then again aren't they all.
"Dear boy, your future is full of adventure and difficulty. I shall answer any questions in regards to our world." She stated as I came to terms with being in another world entirely. Hearing her offer to answer my questions brought me back to the now. "Ok, I guess first and foremost. What's up with the big golden tree?" I asked, something about it made me want to just fly to it. "Yes, the Erdtree, The symbol of the Golden order and our current age. It is what blesses these lands." She answered as I thought of my next question. "OK, when I defeated a handful of enemies this weird energy flowed into me. What was that?" I asked as I cast mold earth to make a seat for myself across from her. "Oh those would be runes. A currency used here in the Lands Between. But they also serve the purpose of strengthening yourself. Typically it takes the assistance of a maiden." That response reminded me of the guy in the white mask. "Well what all is a maiden's job?" I asked, I knew I was missing out on some things. This was the second time a maiden was mentioned. "Finger Maidens are servants of the Two Fingers, speakers of the Greater Will. They offer aid and guidance to the Tarnished. As well as the strengthening I had mentioned." Her answer added another question. "Do you think the Two Fingers would be able to tell me why I got pulled here?" My curiosity of this world's religious hierarchy spilled out. The Finger reader just shrugged. "It is hard to say. I have no idea." She replied bluntly.
With my questions answered and direction given I take a seat at the site of grace. I was already used to channeling power within myself. So using these runes shouldn't be any different. I pulled out my three resonance crystals and began connecting with them. Each of them glowed faintly and began to hover around me. The finger reader just watched, a curious look on her withered face. As I focused I could see the mass of glittering gold specks within myself. My mind scape was a large platform floating within a Tempest. Several symbols representing the six primary facets of myself formed around the gilded mass of runes in a circle. Physical strength, Agility, Endurance, Intellect, Sagacity, and Presence. I was familiar with my mind scape. Every person with a capacity for magic had one but it was typically an empty expanse until they put in effort to make changes. I focused on the mass of runes and guided them to my Intellect and Presence. With the runes spent I stood up and started walking towards the nearby Inn. The finger reader watched as I left.
As I entered the Inn a few folks were sitting around enjoying a meal provided by the Inn. There was a humanoid woman at the front counter. "Hello sir, come on in. I have rooms, drinks and food. What can Lumera do for you, dear customer?" She spoke as I approached. "I just need a room for the night, maybe a few nights honestly." I spoke as I leaned on the counter. "100 runes for a day, 500 runes for a week." She spoke as she looked me over, I was not the normal weary traveler. "OK, a week should be fine." As I respond she holds out her hand to accept the runes. I hold my hand above hers and channel 500 of my 1300 runes into her. I received my room key and walked up to my room to rest.
Across Limgrave, a duo of Tarnished were traveling together. The younger of the two was in light leather armor, while the older gentleman wore heavier armor. The two of them came to the Lands Between together. They stopped at a Site of Grace outside of Stormgate.
The golden glow of the Site of Grace flickered softly against the encroaching dusk, a momentary respite in an unforgiving land. Garin removed his battered helmet, letting his silver hair catch the faint light. He exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed on the imposing Stormgate ahead.
"Kaelen, lad," he said, his voice low and gravelly, weathered by years of shouting orders and murmuring prayers. "Get a head count. We need to know what we're up against."
Kaelen, leaning against a weathered tree trunk with an air of restless energy, straightened up. His light leather armor creaked as he stretched, an eager grin spreading across his face. "Finally, some action," he said, unsheathing a spyglass from his belt.
"Action without thought is suicide." Garin replied curtly.
Kaelen rolled his eyes but complied, scaling a low outcrop to get a better view. He crouched, peering through the spyglass. "Couple dozen soldiers… and a Troll," he called back. "Not the friendliest gatekeepers."
Garin grunted, his expression hardening. "Stormgate's no place for heroes. We'll take another path."
Kaelen hopped down with a flourish, landing lightly on his feet. "You're always saying that. 'No place for heroes.' When does it become the right place?"
"When you're still breathing afterward." Garin said flatly, rising to his feet. He adjusted his pauldrons, his movements precise despite the weight of his armor. "A leader lives to make choices. A fool dies believing there were none."
Kaelen smirked, leaning on the hilt of his sword. "And here I thought we came to the Lands Between for glory."
Garin turned toward the younger man, his expression softening just slightly. "We came to find purpose. If that's glory for you, so be it. Just don't let it blind you."
Kaelen hesitated, uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, before nodding.
The duo hugged the cliff face as they stayed out of sight. After getting into the treeline they both feel an odd hum in the air. A lingering magic that felt alien to them. Kaelen felt a wave of excitement wash over him. Garin however was more wary.
"This definitely feels like magic. But it's no glinstone sorcery." Garin spoke as he inspected the area. Large scorch marks made in the grass and on the cliffside.
"Seems like whoever was out here had a run in with the soldiers." Kaelen added as he pointed out a couple of the scorch marks had outlines of people. As well as burnt and ruined bits of armor.
Garin nodded as he looked at the sunken footfalls in the mud. "And they managed to walk away as well. These prints go westward."
"Think it's another Tarnished playing with powers they don't understand?" Kaelen asked as he walked next to the old knight.
"I can't say, what I can say is we'd better catch them now and gauge if they are friend or foe." He answered as they walked.
After a good bit of trekking the trail ends. Like they vanished or took flight. Kaelen noticed first, the glinting helms in the bushes, peering from trees. They weren't the only ones to follow the trail.
"Five soldiers, hiding. Waiting to get the jump on someone." He whispered as Garin nodded.
"Well lad looks like this'll be your time to shine." Garin spoke as he readied his spear and old man noted his boy's eyes, Kaelen was thinking before a wide grin spread across his face.
"What if we let this trap go off? Let them come at us. They'll be overconfident, and sloppy when we swing back." Kaelen stated as Garin gave a nod. "Then I'll follow your lead." Garin replied as they moved in.
As the duo moved forward into the clearing the soldiers sprung from their hiding spots. "Fool tarnished, die!" Their leader called out as he charged Kaelen. The young Tarnished brandished his sword with a grin plastered on his face. Kaelen quick stepped around his attacker, using his momentum against him. Kaelen kicked their leader directly into Garin's waiting spear. In a blur, Kaelen dashed towards the next soldier that was caught off guard by the quick dispatch of their commander. His blade found quick respite between the plates of the soldier's armor and neck. Garin tossed the skewered through commander to the side. He was rushed by another soldier while the last one took aim with his crossbow. The rushing soldier faced a similar end as his commander. The crossbow fired only for the bolt to be blocked by a shield thrown by Kaelen. Garin planted his spear into the ground before casting Flame Sling at the remaining soldier.
The clearing now littered with bodies the two tarnished have a moment to breathe. The duo gathered some bolts and a map with a circle around the stormfoot catacomb.
"Looks like they were also following the mage." Garin spoke as they started the village Mistguard.
Another day's worth of travel and the duo arrived at Mistguard. Towards the center of town they found a site of grace as well as a chair that normally held a finger reader atop it. "Isn't this where they're supposed to be? What's the point of a reader's stoop if there's no one to sit in it?" Kaelen questioned as he attuned himself to the nearby site of grace.
After doing the same, Garin inspected the seat. Scorch marks and unlike the ones from earlier these were familiar. Left behind where the faint and fading embers of yellow. "Looks like the frenzy managed to lash out here." Garin spoke causing a Kaelen's bravado to falter a moment.
"Hopefully it didn't manage to take over anyone here." Kaelen added as he looked around, hand on his dagger.
Garin shook his head. "Seems to have only been a flicker. Don't let it shake you too much. Fear fuels it's fire." Garin replied as he placed his hand on his sword's shoulder. After a moment Kaelen settled and let out a long sigh. With both of them back on track they gave the village a once over to ensure there wasn't a lingering presence of the frenzy.
As they made their rounds some folks did come out to go about their day to day. Kaelen being the younger, less actively intimidating of the two approaches an older gentleman. "Sir may I ask what happened to your finger reader?" He asked as Garin let him take point. "It happened quickly, young one. A frenzied shade appeared and started attacking folks. And soon after a winged omen looking lad about your age fought it. He took it northward away from the village a few hours ago." The older gentleman spoke with both sadness and relief on his face. Kaelen looked over to Garin and the two of them headed northward.
After walking out the north side of Mistguard similar signs of struggle led a clear path to the catacomb. The familiar scorch of the frenzy and the controlled and alien power wielded by their potential ally told a story. Two forces hell bent on ending the other. The fight seemed to last another fifteen minutes at least until they were brought to the mouth of the catacomb where several of Godrick's soldier's bodies strewn about. The last thing the duo noticed was the large explosion of the cliff face that had a humanoid silhouette blasted into it.
The sound of a massive impact shook the air as Garin and Kaelen approached the burial chamber deep within the catacomb. The faint flicker of torchlight illuminated their path as they crept forward, following the unmistakable sounds of combat.
Kaelen's grip on his sword tightened. "You hear that? Something big."
"Stay sharp," Garin said, his voice low. His heavy boots moved cautiously over the uneven stone. "Whatever's down here isn't ordinary."
The duo pressed on until they reached the threshold of the burial chamber. What they saw made them freeze.
A towering Burial Watchdog stood in the center of the chamber, its mechanical movements jerky and unnatural, its stone body glinting in the dim light. The beast's blade-like tail lashed out, narrowly missing a figure who darted around it with fluid precision.
The figure—an ash purple-skinned Tiefling—moved like a storm given form. His tattered robes whipped around him as he unfurled a pair of large, leathery wings to propel himself out of the watchdog's reach. His hands glowed with a pulsing azure light, the runes etched into it flaring as he unleashed a torrent of crackling electricity.
The bolt struck the watchdog's side, causing it to lurch backward with a guttural, metallic roar. Yet the creature wasn't finished. It lunged forward with surprising speed, slamming a paw down where the Tiefling had been a moment before.
"He's quick," Kaelen muttered, impressed despite himself.
"More than quick," Garin replied, his silver hair catching the glow of the fight. "Look at his casting—he's trained. Controlled."
The Tiefling raised his free hand, conjuring a swirling orb of fire that erupted into a concentrated blast aimed directly at the watchdog's head. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing through its stony visage, and its movements became more erratic. But the creature didn't fall.
Instead, it leapt into the air with an unnatural grace, bringing its tail down in a deadly arc. The Tiefling countered by spreading his wings wide and surging upward, narrowly evading the strike.
He hovered there for a moment, catching his breath. His eyes—violet and glowing with power—narrowed as he muttered something under his breath. The air around him shifted, charged with energy, as he raised his staff high.
"He doesn't move like any of the sorcerers we've seen," Kaelen murmured, half to himself, as he watched the Tiefling summon a storm of crackling lightning that converged on the watchdog. The chamber lit up with a blinding flash as the spell struck true, the sheer force of the impact shattering the creature's stone body into rubble.
When the dust settled, the Tiefling landed lightly on his feet, wings folding neatly behind him. He leaned on a pillar for support, clearly exhausted but victorious.
Kaelen and Garin stepped into the chamber, their presence finally drawing the Tiefling's attention. He turned to face them, his expression wary but not hostile.
"Well," the Tiefling said, his voice tinged with dry humor. "I wasn't expecting an audience."
Garin studied him, his sharp gaze taking in the blood-streaked robes, the scorched edges of his wings, and the faint glow of residual magic around him. "You handled yourself well."
The Tiefling smirked. "I like to think so. Though if you've come to pick a fight, you'll have to wait until I catch my breath."
Kaelen held up a hand, a disarming smile on his face. "We're not here to fight you. We were tracking the signs of battle outside. We didn't expect... well, you."
"Lucky me," the Tiefling replied, his grin widening despite his weariness. "Y'vel. Sorcerer, adventurer, and apparently a magnet for trouble. And you two are?"
"Kaelen," the younger warrior said, offering a nod. "And this is Garin."
Garin stepped forward, his voice steady and authoritative. "What brings you to these lands, Y'vel? You're clearly not from here."
Y'vel hesitated for a moment, his violet eyes flicking between the two warriors. "I'm not exactly here by choice. But for now, I'd settle for a bit of company that isn't trying to kill me."
Kaelen chuckled. "Fair enough. You look like you've been through hell."
Y'vel's grin returned, lopsided but genuine. "You could say that. But I'd rather hear your story—assuming we're not about to be ambushed by anything else lurking in this place."
Garin glanced at the rubble of the watchdog and then back at Y'vel as the young tiefling pocketed a box of spirit ashes. "We'll talk outside. Let's move before this catacomb decides to bury us all."
Y'vel nodded, his wings shifting slightly as he straightened. "Lead the way, then. And... thanks for not attacking me on sight. That's been a bit of a rarity lately."
Kaelen smirked. "We're not savages."
The three of them made their way out of the burial chamber, the echoes of their footsteps fading into the stillness behind them.
