Elden Ring; Stories of the Lands Between

Chapter 1: The Tarnished Awakens

The Lands Between. A vast domain ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal. The Lands Between and everyone in it was blessed by the Erdtree and the fabled Elden Ring. The land was not the same after the events of the Shattering. The Shattering began after the Ring was broken by non-other than Queen Marika herself after the death of her son, Godwyn. The Greater Will and the Golden Order were tied together by this Ring; breaking it severed the connection, and the Lands Between lost a portion of its power. As the Ring was shattered, Radagon, the masculine aspect, and King-consort to the Queen tried to repair it simultaneously. His efforts proved futile.

As punishment, the Greater Will sentenced Marika and Radagon inside the Erdtree. They were bound together, a punishment fit for their actions. Since the destruction of the Elden Ring, the Erdtree's blessings and connection to the Greater Will were eliminated. After an untold number of years, the Tarnished were beckoned by their once-lost grace to rise and restore the Elden Ring.

The Tarnished rose from their grave, memories of the past flooding back. It had been tremendous just how long before the Tarnished was awoken; now, they had a task to fulfill. Looking around, they noticed a large room. No light was lit, not even the light from the moon in the sky above. They begrudgingly stepped onto both legs, their armor and equipment weighing them down just a bit.

The Tarnished walked to the only thing that wasn't obscured in darkness, the big wooden door shutting them into whatever grave they were laid to rest in. With unknown vigor, the door was pushed open, the creaking of splintered wood croaked as the moonlight finally entered the awakened's vision.

Upon finally seeing the outside world, the memories became clear once again. The shattered Ring, the death of a prince, the carnage and rampage. All hell broke loose as the people under the Erdtree's protection had lost hope for the Lands Between. That is why the Tarnished was summoned. To bring back order into the now chaotic world. They stepped out into the cold stone path, muscles aching from years of slumber. It was dark, a little before midnight at most. The Tarnished took in their surroundings. The room from which the awakened left was actually a chapel. The chapel stood on an isolated land, with a bridge connecting two separate segments.

The Tarnished walked around, taking in the massive golden aura of the great Erdtree. No matter where you were, the Erdtree could always be seen. It made anyone feel protected as long as they could see it standing. The warrior relished in its golden glory, ready to set off on the quest assigned to them. Hand on its handle, the Tarnished pursued forwards, prepared to draw blade against any threat they crossed paths with.

After crossing the bridge, the Tarnished was met with an open area, the ground decorated with chiseled stone in the shape of a circle. A sudden screech filled the air with only one step toward the site. The warrior drew their blade, a trusty Uchigatana. The source of the ear-piercing sound made itself known as a giant creature with many appendages that landed directly at the supposed arena. The creature was unlike any normal animal or human, for that matter. It was a hulking beast with both a sword and shield at its disposal.

The Tarnished checked what they had equipped. In hand is a long Uchigatana, the weapon of a samurai. Armour covered their body head to toe, with no spots for any weapon to penetrate the skin. The creature had the Tarnished in its sights, and its swords swung around, ready to kill. As the creature charged in, the warrior readied their sword and prepared for the beast's attack.

It swung the sword down with strength unlike any man and clashed with the thin blade. The Tarnished was bent to a knee, and they put all their might into absorbing the blow. As the monster went for another swing, the brave fighter rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding a clean cut to their whole. As they recuperated, the beast attacked again and landed blow after blow on the Tarnished. The hero was defeated at the beginning of their quest with no room to defend themselves and no knowledge of how to save themselves. Darkness overtook them as the amalgamation of parts howled at its kill.