Prophecies

An unknown woman reading the Tome of Prophecies

Throughout time, there has been many people with the ability to foresee events, especially ones that made significant prophecies on both future events and people.

## **Prophecies of Catarinian Kings**

The Kings of Catarina throughout time have been gifted with the abilities of foresight and have made prophecies throughout, both minor and major, as well as some that have not yet happened. Many attribute this to the fact that the Catarinians were never originally branded with the Dark Soul and so it was assumed that the Dark Soul within them had some sort of power. But why this was just the Kings of Catarina is unknown, but its possible that it is because of the great soul that the Kings hold and pass down through the generations.

### Aldricius I of Catarina

Firekeeper Rhian Takes the Flame To Let It Fade as per the Ashen Ones Request

The first King of Catarina being Aldricius had a prophecy but knew nothing of its meaning at the time. He foresaw the coming of the Age of Dark, where the world would be plunged into darkness and that the Humans would be the powerful ones. ***This long foretold prophecy came true in 1699FY when the Ashen One let the First Flame fade.***

He also foresaw the sacrifice Gwyn made to ensure this would not happen and in turn his linking of the fire and kindling the first flame which prolonged its fading for a time. ***This prophecy came true in 251FA after Gwyn ventured to the First Flame and kindled it using his own body.***

Many also believed that the reason for the creation of the Great Wall of Catarina was because Aldricius foresaw a future catastrophical event. ***This was even more evident following the invasion of the Giants in 217FY in which the Great Wall was instrumental in the defence of Catarina.***

### Aldricius II of Catarina

Rather incredibly, the next King of Catarina to have a prophecy was Aldricius II like the first king. The prophecy he had was of a human, one that would journey from an asylum and succeed Lord Gwyn, witnessing his kindling of the First Flame and prolonging the Age of Fire even more. ***This prophecy came true in 284FY, when an Undead slayed the Demon protecting an Asylum and ventured forth into Lordran, eventually linking the fire, succeeding Lord Gwyn.***

The Bird of Firelink Shrine taking the Chosen Undead to Lordran

Aldricius' second prophecy however was not about the First Flame at all, apart from its timing, which coincidentally happened when the First Flame began to fade in 253FY. Following the War of Giants, which he fought in as part of the Great Siege of Catarina, Aldricius foresaw the return of the Giants in the form of a great invasion by the distant ancestors of those that fought in the original war, noting that an Aldricius will be on the throne when it happens. His vision was of a group of humans completely shrouded in darkness defending Catarina beside the King and the Sieg Knights. The prophecy was remembered as a Poem, going as follows:

'In echoes of the past they see

The war of Giants, as they flee

To conquer lands at their behest

as drums descend upon The Rest

The Storm King's sword, a blade of dread

With Countless Giants now lay dead

But vengeance is now theres to take

For cities will burn and the ground will quake

But the storm king's sword will kill once more

as bodies pile from ancient war

For Valor blooms upon the day

When the Wielders of the Dark will stay.

### Gunther II of Catarina

Gunther II of Catarina had a prophecy in 1368FY, with an unknown meaning at the time, that discussed that one chosen to become the next Lord of Cinder will refused to do his duty and as such will set events in motion, that will lead to a a mass resurrection of previous Lords of Cinder to then link the flame. It also speaks of another 'Chosen' one called the 'Ash' or the 'Unkindled' who will be brought back to seek out the First Flame and link it. It was also remembered as a poem called the Old Words Prophecy:

'When the Lord has abandoned his Throne

Resurrection of Yhorm the Giant

When the Linking of Fire is threatened

The Unkindled will rise to be known

and as such is a force to be reckoned

Those that were dead shall be woken

The ones who were unfit for cinders

The crowns that are ‘theirs’ shall be broken

 And the Ash, shall seeketh the embers'

***This prophecy came partly true in 1664FY when Prince Lothric refused the Throne to become a Lord of Cinder. This in turn led to Yhorm The Giants, The Abyss Watchers, Aldrich of the Deep and Ludleth of Courland to be resurrected to instead become Lords of Cinder. However all but Ludleth abandoned their throne. Many unkindled were then resurrected, including the chosen 'Ashen One', who brings back the Lords remains to their thrones, but instead lets the flame fade for the first time in history. This fulfilled two prophecies, the Old Words prophecy by Gunther II and the Age of Dark prophecy by Aldricius I. It is however important to note, that the prophecy came true because of the prophecy itself, as the firekeeper took the Old Words as great advice and instruction on what to do.***

## **The Bearer Of The Curse**

A Firekeeper from Astora, claimed that during a time of unrest and the flame fading, a Cursed Undead will travel from the lands of Lordran to Drangleic seeking out a cure for the Undead Curse, after hearing that the brother of a King, being Aldia, was creating a cure. The Firekeeper, forsook her birth name of Shanalotte and began going by the Emerald Herald, who travelled to Majula to await the Bearer of the Curse.

The Throne of Want located deep below Drangleic

***This prophecy came true in 637FY, when the Bearer of the Curse travelled to the continent of Dwyrain and subsequently Majula meeting the Emerald Herald, who tasks him with seeking out King Vendrick, as he is the key to the cure of the curse. The Bearer of the Curse however never finds a cure, because there never was one. Instead he discovers an ancient way to Link the Fire, hidden by King Vendrick and his brother Aldia, which in turn prolongs the Flame, but does indeed stop the curse for the time being, technically fulfilling the prophecy of the Bearer finding a cure.***

## **The Ashes of Ariandel**

Father Ariandel, a Corvian descended from the subjects of Velka, took many Corvians with him and

Father Ariandel and Sister Friede

entered the Painted World and began building it with The Painter. He became the Guardian of the Painting much like Priscilla and then went by the title of Father Ariandel. In 1619FY, when the painting began to rot, Ariandel lights the Painted Flame to allow the rot to be cleansed and the painting start anew. But soon after this he had a dream, about Unkindled Ash, much like Gunther II of Catarina. He visioned a great battle between two ashes inside the painting, that would determine the future of the painting. He also created a poem:

‘Two Ash at the toll of the bell’

‘Two Ash shall enter the Painting’

‘And these Ashes of Ariandel’

‘Fight over, flickering flames now waning’

‘When the Ashes are two, the flame shall alight, the world will be cleansed and the painting burns bright.

The prophecy becomes known as the Ashes of Ariandel prophecy.

***This prophecy came partly true when Elfriede, then going by Sister Friede, a resurrected Unkindled Ash (the first of the two ashes), ventured into the painting, advising Father Ariandel to stop the Painted Flame using his own blood and became chained over it, allowing the rot to continue spreading and causing chaos across the painting, twisting its inhabitants into deformed beings.***

***The prophecy becomes completely fulfilled after the Ashen One ventures into the Painting and indeed does battle with Sister Friede, following the Ashen Ones attempts to waken the Painted Flame. The Ashen One slayed both Friede and Ariandel, allowing the Painted Flame to begin cleansing the Painted World.***

## **The Age of the Deep Sea**

Whilst pursuing his quest to becoming the most powerful being on Solara, Aldrich had a vision of a Sea of Darkness completely encompassing the world, which he came to name as the Deep. The Deep in turn was classified as a corrupted and unnatural version of the Abyss, except that it is a sea of stagnated Human Dregs, parts of the Human Dark Soul that had ages of time to stew and accumulate into a great dense mass of matter, that would then sink to the lowest depths of the Earth, lower than the Abyss. The Deep would also give birth to abominations, worse than ever seen before, due to the horrific and twisted nature that the Deep had. Ironically he would be the reason of the Deep sea, because before he was a Lord of Cinder he was a cannibal and feasted on Humans and their souls, with guidance from three Archdeacons who in turn became his greatest followers. His strength from this allowed him to Link the Fire and become a Lord of Cinder. ***So this prophecy technically came partly true, with the fact that Aldrich himself created the Deep Sea, but not large enough to encompass the whole world.***