cormack12
Gold Member
I've decided to fire up the PS3 again this week and I had a save file for Demon's Souls I started way back when. So I've just picked it up again, and am going to try and finish it. I'm curious how people piece the lore together, it's not exactly spelled out in these games. I don't just want to watch a video on youtube, I'd kind of like to see if there's one rigid thread tying it altogether, or whether there is rich interpretation as well. In short, I'd like to be interactive as I go through the game, rather than passive.
So from the intro and blurb and various snippets I've read on GAF the past couple of years, and with my own speculation this is what I have so far.....:
King Allant made his kingdom (Boletaria) prosperous with the use of souls (unsure how, not really explained, maybe he was dealing the Maiden in Black?). After some time, a mist settled over the Kingdom and cut it off from the outside world. This was because The Old One (TOO) had been awakened by Allant and was angry I guess? Speculation would lead me to believe TOO became aware of a void of souls (maybe the souls after death went straight to TOO and what Allant was doing was drying the well).
A number of demons were unleashed in Boletaria and harvested the souls of all the living citizens. Leaving them (citizens) in the state we find them in the game - bit confused at the moment as it sounds like it just turns them into madmen or hollows, but there are like skeletons enemies and flying stingrays etc. and dragons are mentioned too. Not sure if these are just minions of the damned?
A knight broke free of the mist and spread the fate of the kingdom which became a legend for other foolish/brave heroes to chase. A lot of people are mentioned here that also appear on loading screens, I guess some of these might be NPC's at some point. And this is where we, the player, come in.
So I'm not far in, I've defeated Phalanx and the Spider. I'm not sure if the places that exist now are what they used to be or just what they are. For example:
Shadowmen? Where are they mentioned, how do I find out more about them? Surely these flying things didn't exist before the scourge came? As opposed to:
Which seems much more straightforward, and of historic significance to the kingdom??
In the nexus I have some NPC's. Obviously the Maiden in Black - who is part demon I assume ('Touch the demon in me) - and seems benevolent, or at least open to acquiring souls through trade rather than murder or harvesting. Stockpile Thomas who seems to either have taken refuge or been kept in limbo since abandoning his family. There's the Monumental who wants us to lull TOO back into a deep sleep. A blacksmith - honestly can't remember how he got there. A woman that also sells me spells in return for souls and a guy who sells me miracles.
So, at the moment I'm in this line of thinking that makes me think we're kind of in a lesser of two evils scenario. These demons/part demons in the nexus will take payment of souls (harvested by humans), in return for prosperity, power or 'magic'. Other demons wake periodically, or are awakened by certain events and harvest souls by force and plague. This inflates their souls to immeasurable power and potency, which the player then has a choice to either spend back in the Nexus (trade in for greed, power etc.) or - speculation the player can ingest the souls, become more powerful and destroy the Nexus which is kind of a fragile veil between the worlds, assuming it is not imperative to exist?? It's like the humans are stuck between two sets of demons that just want souls, ultimately doomed by the passage of time with no way to break the circle.
So I'm still early game, but I'm hoping there will be speculation and bits and pieces I can follow as I play from this thread. I'm not overly fussed about spoilers, it's years old now - I'm just trying to get some structure and chronology to the lore/narrative. I'm sure there are some really well versed people on here about this stuff.
I'm off to bed now but will follow this with interest - if anyone replies!!!
So from the intro and blurb and various snippets I've read on GAF the past couple of years, and with my own speculation this is what I have so far.....:
King Allant made his kingdom (Boletaria) prosperous with the use of souls (unsure how, not really explained, maybe he was dealing the Maiden in Black?). After some time, a mist settled over the Kingdom and cut it off from the outside world. This was because The Old One (TOO) had been awakened by Allant and was angry I guess? Speculation would lead me to believe TOO became aware of a void of souls (maybe the souls after death went straight to TOO and what Allant was doing was drying the well).
A number of demons were unleashed in Boletaria and harvested the souls of all the living citizens. Leaving them (citizens) in the state we find them in the game - bit confused at the moment as it sounds like it just turns them into madmen or hollows, but there are like skeletons enemies and flying stingrays etc. and dragons are mentioned too. Not sure if these are just minions of the damned?
A knight broke free of the mist and spread the fate of the kingdom which became a legend for other foolish/brave heroes to chase. A lot of people are mentioned here that also appear on loading screens, I guess some of these might be NPC's at some point. And this is where we, the player, come in.
So I'm not far in, I've defeated Phalanx and the Spider. I'm not sure if the places that exist now are what they used to be or just what they are. For example:
Shadowmen? Where are they mentioned, how do I find out more about them? Surely these flying things didn't exist before the scourge came? As opposed to:
Which seems much more straightforward, and of historic significance to the kingdom??
In the nexus I have some NPC's. Obviously the Maiden in Black - who is part demon I assume ('Touch the demon in me) - and seems benevolent, or at least open to acquiring souls through trade rather than murder or harvesting. Stockpile Thomas who seems to either have taken refuge or been kept in limbo since abandoning his family. There's the Monumental who wants us to lull TOO back into a deep sleep. A blacksmith - honestly can't remember how he got there. A woman that also sells me spells in return for souls and a guy who sells me miracles.
So, at the moment I'm in this line of thinking that makes me think we're kind of in a lesser of two evils scenario. These demons/part demons in the nexus will take payment of souls (harvested by humans), in return for prosperity, power or 'magic'. Other demons wake periodically, or are awakened by certain events and harvest souls by force and plague. This inflates their souls to immeasurable power and potency, which the player then has a choice to either spend back in the Nexus (trade in for greed, power etc.) or - speculation the player can ingest the souls, become more powerful and destroy the Nexus which is kind of a fragile veil between the worlds, assuming it is not imperative to exist?? It's like the humans are stuck between two sets of demons that just want souls, ultimately doomed by the passage of time with no way to break the circle.
So I'm still early game, but I'm hoping there will be speculation and bits and pieces I can follow as I play from this thread. I'm not overly fussed about spoilers, it's years old now - I'm just trying to get some structure and chronology to the lore/narrative. I'm sure there are some really well versed people on here about this stuff.
I'm off to bed now but will follow this with interest - if anyone replies!!!
