Elden Ring: Putrefaction of Gold

The Serpent's Dance

It was raining again, as it almost always did on the Weeping Peninsula. It made it an ideal place for growing crops but not so suitable for comfort.

Still, Rykard looked north toward Stormveil Castle and wondered if his brother had executed his plan against Godwyn. Radahn never said precisely what he intended to do, but whatever it was, Rykard wanted as close to Godwyn's reaction as he could get without showing himself.

And Godwyn well deserved it. Ranni was too young for that level of intimacy and it showed in how confused she was over the whole affair. Such things deserved some sort of punishment, if only to make it clear to Godwyn that they did not approve she was treated in that way.

When Rykard and his men arrived at the catacombs, there was no certainty about what they might expect inside. These heretical cults were as unique in their resources and approach as in their belief. Each one touting some twisted new perversion of Marika's Golden Order.

This one had an odd obsession with death, that ailment that demigods such as himself were no longer vulnerable to. And with Marika's promise of grace, many might see themselves living lives far beyond what was natural or spun into something anew.

It was a terrifying ordeal for those who still experienced it, those who were known as mere mortals. So, they started to worship it like it was their own god. Either way it didn't matter their beliefs in the end.

Rykard rubbed his hands together in anticipation as the battering ram slammed hard against the wooden doors. He thought to remind his men that each heretic brought back alive was extra payment, but as Preator, favors were of more interest to him than any material gain. And many of those favors were best secured with bloodshed.

Such was necessary for the insurance of any robust regime.

The door splintered open, and Leyndell's knights rushed in. The battle echoed out through the chambers while Rykard waited.

The strategy was to overwhelm the heretics with numbers and prevent their retreat deeper into the catacombs where the traps might pose a danger to his own men. It was a small matter anyway, as it was a risk those who swore service to the Queen took on.

When the fighting went silent, Rykard was approached by Inquisitor Ghiza. The man seemed annoyed that Rykard chose to attend this invasion personally, as he masterminded the entire raid and conducted the investigation into this particular cult. To have the Preator himself make an appearance he interpreted as meaning that Rykard had no faith in his ability.

It wasn't personal. Rykard wanted to be somewhere nearby when Radahn pulled off his "revenge" against Godwyn. What better excuse than hunting heretics in a place where people started to lose their faith? He was sure Godwyn wouldn't like it, but this was for Ranni. While he was sure she would be a fantastic mother to her two daughters (and, to be fair, Godwyn would make a fine, supportive father), the tears she shed, Rykard couldn't get from his mind.

When Rykard entered the catacombs, the place was covered in blood with the smell of fresh death among the moldering bones of those long past. A few moaned as they lay bleeding out from their wounds.

There were a few detained that only suffered minor injuries. The soldiers shoved them up against the walls to tie their hands and feet together. One reported they intended to search the entire rest of the place but hadn't found the mechanism to open the door. They suspected it was behind the large fire-spewing traps, but they weren't sure it was worth the effort to find it.

There was a sure way these people conducted themselves. No one was "in charge," but Rykard could tell by a glance if someone was the "defacto" leader. This look was given by a middle-aged woman dressed in heavy armor that was rusted and pitted from years of use.