"Greetings. Traveller from beyond the fog. I Am Melina. I offer you an accord. Have you heard of the Finger Maidens? They serve the Two Fingers, offering guidance, and aid, to the Tarnished. But you, I am afraid, are maidenless.
I can play the role of maiden. Turning runes into strength. To aid you in your search for the Elden Ring. You need only take me with you. To the foot of the Erdtree."
Melina
Lands Between,
Limgrave, Church of Elleh
Jon Snow/Aerion Sand
He opened his eyes suddenly and took a deep breath. He was sitting at the Site of Grace in the Church of Elleh. Shocked, he began to examine various parts of his body with his hands, for although his body no longer felt any pain, his mind still remembered it. Shattered bones, torn muscles, and crushed organs.
Once he finally regained control of his senses, he opened the status window. However, terrible news awaited him there: unlike his earlier death, this time he had lost all his accumulated runes. "You foolish bastard," he muttered to himself. So many runes gone, and he had no idea where to find a Maiden.
He glanced at Kale, but what he noticed only now was that the world around the Site of Grace seemed to have stopped. At first, he didn't realise it because the merchant himself was sitting still, but when he looked at the blazing fire, instead of dancing flames, he saw only those frozen in time.
He leaped to his feet and left the Site of Grace, and suddenly the world came alive again. He looked around in amazement at the phenomenon.
"I see your meeting with Tree Sentinel didn't go as planned," Kale's voice came. Jon turned his head towards him, and after gathering his thoughts, he nodded with a weak smile. "Yes, it didn't go as planned, but at least that one's dead too."
His words clearly surprised the merchant, whose eyes widened slightly, and then he laughed lightly. "That's wonderful news, my friend. As per our agreement, you can buy everything from me at half price, now and in the future."
Of course, these words must have reminded Jon of the loss of all his runes, and his momentarily improved mood vanished. "Thanks, Kale, but that will have to wait, though. I lost all my runes when I died. I must acquire new ones first."
"Hmh." Nomad mused, "You know, I don't know how much of this is true, but supposedly those Tarnished blessed by Grace could recover runes lost after death... I don't know how that was done, though. You could try searching the place of your death, but first..."
Jon didn't hear the rest of the merchant's words, for he ran out of the ruined church and towards the spot where he and Tree Sentinel had fallen. But he found nothing there except a few birds of prey giving him wary glances.
The absence of his runes in this place didn't deter him, however. He finally suspected the runes might be on the beach below where they died. The only issue was finding a way down, as he didn't want to risk the two-hundred-metre descent without equipment and a belay. He wondered how he hadn't died instantly when they fell; he had then remained alive for a moment.
Meanwhile, he had to avoid those damned aggressive sheep, which were rolling around like crazy. What's worse, as it turned out, the path down was guarded by a true giant, even taller than Wun Wun. Who was also armed with a gigantic sword. Seeing this, Jon showed some common sense and made a tactical retreat, seeking a relatively safe descent.
He finally chose a spot where the cliff was the least steep, yet no more than forty metres high. Of course, further dangers awaited him at the bottom.
He saw strange, hairy, and dog-like creatures, resembling some kind of human-animal hybrid, which reminded him of stories he'd heard about the infamous Gogossos and the disgusting experiments the Valyrians, and later their descendants, conducted there.
Jon reached out to summon the Ornamental Straight Sword but then remembered another weapon he'd acquired, one he'd completely forgotten about due to his death and the pursuit of lost runes. He doubted he'd even be able to wield a halberd made of gold; it was too large, but he wanted to at least hold it in his hands out of pure curiosity.
So he thought of it, and of it being in his hands, and a split second later, it materialised, but much smaller than before.
While it was still incredibly heavy, and with his strength he wouldn't be able to swing it without tripping, let alone wield it effectively, it was sized to his height, measuring no more than 2.2 metres.
Golden Halberd
Weighty halberd forged of gold. Wielded by the Order of Tree Sentinels, heavily equipped knights. Deals holy damage.
A masterfully crafted weapon that lives up to its heft, but is difficult for one mere human strength to wield.
As he had thought, though deadly in the hands of someone much stronger, it was practically useless in his hands.
He sent it back to his equipment, summoned his sword, and then moved forward. When the beastmen spotted him, they immediately charged, uttering shrieks.
He parried the club of the nearest one, then cleaved its torso to the sternum. He jumped aside, avoiding the attack of the next enemy, whom he slashed across the face.
These creatures, though surprisingly strong for their small stature, possessed absolutely no fighting skills. Soon, another dozen fell at his hands. And then another seven, swarming near the spot where he had previously fallen. This brought his rune count to 12 180 which was already much more pleasing to the eye.
Having dispatched the beastmans, he could finally survey the area. The glint of a golden grace hovering above the ground immediately captured his gaze. As soon as he touched it, all the lost runes returned to him, totalling a huge amount of 74 400.
He recovered the runes. That went as he hoped, but the bigger problem was finding a Maiden who could transform these runes into his strength, presumably in some magical way.
When he returned to the Church of Ellah, it was already after dark, and Kale, under the watchful eye of his mount, was curled up asleep. It was then that Jon realised he wasn't the only one feeling tired and in need of sleep.
There could be several reasons, but he suspected that the Site of Grace not only healed wounds and removed fatigue but also refreshed mind and body. Regardless of the reasons, he was more than pleased with this turn of events.
Unwilling to wake the merchant, he decided to explore the area north of the ruined church, as well as the road leading to Stormveil Castle.
As he walked along the road, he regretted not having a torch with him, though he had to admit that Erdtree still cast enough light that he could tell which way he was heading.
Just before the road entered the forest, he spotted two moving lights, which he soon realised were torchlights. Two soldiers in the service of this Godric the Grafted were heading towards him, probably patrolling the road.
Although they were still probably 100 metres away, he had no intention of fighting two well-armed and armoured opponents at once. These weren't the beastmen, and he was still dressed only in his tunic and trousers. He intended to separate them first.
Dense bushes grew near the road, behind which he found the perfect hiding place. He grabbed two stones, half the size of his fist, lying by the roadside.
As the two soldiers passed him, engaged in conversation, though he couldn't say what the topic was, he threw one of the stones in the opposite direction. They stopped and immediately looked in that direction. A moment later, one of them moved in that direction.
At that same moment, Jon cautiously peeked out from behind the bushes and sneaked up on the second soldier, who must have heard him, because he suddenly turned around.
So he had no time to waste. His sword materialised in his hand, and he lunged forward, thrusting into his opponent's neck, piercing it through and through.
Immediately, the second soldier also turned and charged at him with an outraged shout. Jon wasted no time parrying his opponent's sword to the side, then, grabbing the soldier's sword arm, struck the man's head with his pommel, stunning him slightly.
He then severed the sword-wielding man's wrist and ended his life with a thrust into his chest, where his incredibly sharp sword tore through the chainmail beneath.
Both soldiers' bodies dissolved into a golden mist, which was absorbed by his eye, granting him 640 runes each. Furthermore, a tiny ball of light hovered in the place of the first slain body. When he reached for it, it disappeared in a flash of runes, and familiar golden letters appeared before him.
Godrick Soldier Greaves
Greaves worn by soldiers loyal to Godrick the Grafted.
Rust-worn and stained through unending conflict.
He stared at the greaves in surprise. So, could normal enemies and people, even though their bodies were disappearing, drop some of their items? That fact changed things completely.
"Sorry, Kale, but I guess I'll have to give up your chainmail. This one here is better," he said to himself, a small smile playing on his lips.
It was time to go hunting. He intended to acquire the entire set. Although the armour seemed worn, it was undoubtedly better quality than what Kale offered.
So he summoned the greaves from his inventory, and they adapted to his figure and were surprisingly comfortable. To someone watching from the side, he must have looked ridiculous wearing only a tunic from the waist up, but only for a while.
He intended to complete the entire set of armour before dawn, even if it meant eliminating every one of Godrick's soldiers from here to the castle. However, he wouldn't allow himself to be careless. He had too many runes in his possession.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hidden behind the trees, dressed in a full set of armour, he gazed down at the encampment of Godrick's soldiers at the foot of the hill. There were dozens of them, among them seven knights clad in exquisitely crafted armour. Although he had initially planned to give the camp a wide berth, the sight of this magnificent armour awakened something within him.
His reserved and cautious nature gave way to a desire for these items. He didn't know where it came from, but he noticed that this feeling had been with him since he arrived in the Lands Between. And it wasn't just for armour and weapons but even for simple plants.
When he gathered his first herb, a completely new chamber appeared in his inventory, now cluttered with various plants. The same thing happened with the runes, which he began to treat as his most precious treasure.
Sighing, he returned his eye to the telescope and surveyed the surroundings once more. To his left, the massive wall of the plateau stretched out, as high as a Wall. Between them, there was a gate about 70-80 metres high, with two even higher towers on the sides.
In front of the gate, about 150 metres away, was a camp set among some heavily ruined structures, of which only stone walls remained.
From the gate, a road led south—or at least he thought it was south—and disappeared into the distance. But what really caught his attention was safety. Not far from the gate itself was the Site of Grace.
For now, he would bypass the camp and try to get to the Site of Grace unnoticed. Returning the telescope to his equipment, he set off down the slope, keeping close to the plateau wall to avoid being noticed.
Less than fifteen minutes later, he arrived. Kneeling, he touched the glowing cave, and the world around them froze. With a sigh of relief, he settled back and closed his eyes, thinking about how to lure at least some of the soldiers out of the camp.
Suddenly, he heard a strange sound to his right, one he couldn't place. Where a moment before there had been an empty space, a woman now appeared, dressed in a black cloak with a hood pulled over her face.
Beneath it were high leather boots and a piece of something beige that could have been a dress or tunic.
The woman knelt and sat on her heels, removing her hood, revealing a beautiful face framed by light brown hair with a pink tint. Her right eye was amber in colour, but the other was closed, and a tattoo of a clawed hand ran across it.
He wondered if there was something wrong with that eye, or if, like he did with the Eye of Grace most of the time, she simply kept it closed.
"Greetings. Traveller from beyond the fog. I Am Melina. I offer you an accord.
Have you heard of the Finger Maidens? They serve the Two Fingers, offering guidance and aid to the Tarnished. But you, I am afraid, are maidenless. I can play the role of maiden. Turning runes into strength. To aid you in your search for the Elden Ring. You only need to take me with..."
The woman suddenly fell silent mid-sentence, for he had chosen that precise moment to open his left eye, wanting to examine her through it, hoping it would tell him more about her.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared right in front of him, her eyes wide, staring intently into his Eye of the Grace. Her hand hesitantly stopped a few centimetres from his face, as if wanting his eye.
"How is this possible? And wherefore thee?" she whispered quietly, as if to herself. Then Jon, frozen at the woman's sudden movement, lunged back, summoning the Ornamental Straight Sword. However, the woman made no further movement and remained in the same pose, only lowering her hand. Her behaviour was strange, but he understood it had something to do with his new eye.
Jon looked at her warily and said, "If you wanted to offer me an accord, then moving against me so suddenly certainly won't convince me."
As if recovering from the shock, she bowed her head and replied, "Pray, forgive me. I had no expectation of finding a Great Rune bound to a Tarnished, newly come to these lands, and least of all, this Rune."
Jon looked at her in confusion, "What are you talking about, my lady?"
She looked at him, probably realizing he didn't really know what she was talking about. "Ah, I see. Lock'd within thine eye lie the Great Rune of Grace, oft call'd the Great Rune of Life. A rune most fundamental to the Elden Ring, and which, by all accounts, shouldst now reside within the grasp of Queen Marika the Eternal, wheresoever she may be."
Jon was stunned. He knew what the Great Runes were; Kale had explained it to him sufficiently. That, and the fact that the entire war between the demigods, called Shattering, had been over them.
The fact that somehow one of them, and one that should have been in the possession of the goddess of these lands, had ended up in his possession was mind-blowing and deeply disturbing.
Actually, no, he knew who had placed the fragment of the Elden Ring in his eye. Greater Will, the inscription said, though it was a shame she forgot to mention that it was the Great Rune of Life. If anyone found out, they could very well become targets for the demigods.
He needed to gain power quickly. This Melina woman's offer was now not only tempting but practically life-saving.
He looked at the young woman more closely. "You said you could help transform my runes by force, but you didn't get to say what you expected in return. And does the fact that I possess the Greater Rune change anything about this agreement?"
Melina shook her head slightly, "Nay, not at all, good Tarnished. It doth but confirm my conviction that in thee I did choose wisely, and what I expect in recompense is that thou conduct me to the Erdtree itself."
Jon nodded, accepting the condition. "Agreed, I undertake to lead you there. However, I have one condition."
"Speak now, I bid thee. What is thy will?"
"I would ask you not to call me Tarnished, my lady. Call me Aerion, if you may." He replied. Not only was 'Tarnished' downright offensive to his ears, as he'd also heard enough of being called a bastard, but he hoped that once someone started calling him by his real name, it would be easier to reframe the situation in his head, where he still considered himself to be Jon.
"So mote it be, Aerion. Ahh, another matter. I bequeath to you this ring." she agreed, then holding out a beautifully crafted gold ring towards him. "Use it to traverse great distances. It will summon a spectral steed named Torrent. Torrent has chosen you. Treat him with respect."
Jon took the ring in his hand.
Spectral Steed Whistle
A delicate goldwork ring. Can be used as a finger whistle.
Sound the whistle to summon and ride Torrent, the spectral steed.
Upon his death, the spectral steed can be summoned again, but doing so drains from the Flask of Crimson Tears.
Jon smiled faintly. A spectral horse – that was truly convenient. Travelling through these lands on foot was arduous, and a regular mount would likely die in a fight with a stronger foe like a Tree Sentinel.
"Thank you," he turned to Melina. "He will be a great help, and I promise to take care of him."
Melina nodded in approval and then asked, "And now, shall I turn your runes to strength? Let my hand rest upon you, for but a moment. Share them with me, your thoughts, your ambitions, the principles you would follow."
Jon extended his hand to the woman, who took it in hers, and the world around him dissolved, leaving only the golden letters that formed his status window visible before his eyes, but with one difference. He could now change the value of his attributes.
His runes totalled an absurd 89,760, which he increased after defeating another 22 Godrick soldiers on his way through the forest.
Considering he only needed 336 runes to level up, whatever that entailed confirmed how significant that number was. He tried increasing his Vigor by one point, and his level automatically increased, simultaneously increasing the required runes for the next level up to 344.
He then increased it by another 10 points and so on, but at 30, it stopped and refused to move any further, as if there were some kind of blockage. He did the same with Mind, which also stopped at 30 points. However, he could only increase Endurance by another 6 points, as he had enough runes to advance to level 43.
He didn't confirm these changes but immediately reverted them to their initial state. It was better to distribute the increase evenly for now, as he didn't know how these changes would affect his body. If he increased his physical strength while ignoring vitality or endurance, wouldn't he be harming himself? Of course, that depended on the quality of the growth itself.
Similarly, developing his body while ignoring the intellectual and spiritual aspects, for which he clearly had a natural aptitude, would be not only a mistake but also pure folly. Something he would expect from Theon, but not from himself.
Name: Aerion Sand
Level: 1 → 43
Runes: 3763
Runes required to level up: 5689
(…)
Focus Points: 260/260
Attributes:
Vigor: 9 → 17
Mind: 18 → 20
Endurance: 10 → 17
Strength: 9 → 18
Dexterity: 10 → 17
Intelligence: 16 → 20
Faith: 26 → 30 (+10 from Eye of the Grace)
Arcane: 14 → 15
Resistance:
Poison - 9% → 17%
Scarlet Rot- 9% → 17%
Madness - 18% → 30%
Sleep - 18% → 30%
Blood Loss - 9% → 17%
Frostbite - 59% → 67% (+50 from Song of Ice & Fire)
Death Blight - 14% → 15%
Damage negation:
Holy - 14% → 15%
Fire - 59% → 67%(+50% from Song of Ice & Fire)
Lightning - 18% → 30%
Magic - 16% → 20%
Jon rose and clenched his fists, feeling strength flowing through them. He felt better than he had ever before. He stretched, his body feeling more supple, his muscles ready to burst with movement. His mind, too, seemed both clearer and more stable.
The only downside was that, apparently, as Faith grew, he became more sensitive to the presence of the Outer Gods, now sensing their gazes on him, similar to the feeling you get when you think someone is watching or following you.
He looked at Melina, who was watching him, and then turned to her and said, "Thank you, my lady. I feel absolutely amazing, as if I could wrestle with giants."
"Thou knowest naught, Aerion Sand. Thou mayst have grown a little stronger, but it is naught in comparison to the beings thou must confront if thou wishest to obtain the remnant Great Runes." Melina replied, a hint of disapproval in her voice. "General Radahn holdeth the very stars in check with sheer force of will and mighty magic, and Malenia, Blade of Miquella, the greatest swordsman in the Lands Between, is swifter than thine eye could follow."
Jon felt a chill run through him. True Demigods. These were the enemies he was about to face, or rather, everything was pushing him in that direction. His newfound strength didn't seem as magnificent as it had been before, and his momentary arrogance and intoxication with his own power had vanished forever. What he needed was a cool head.
He sat down again at the Site of Grace, across from Melina. The young woman continued to stare at him intently, as if trying to solve some mystery. When she finally spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen between them, her words shocked him deeply.
"From the beginning, Torrent sensed somthing unusuall aboute thee, somthing that set thee apart from the other Tarnished. However, I did not expect it to be the fact that the Greater Will had plucked thee like a sapling from another world."
"How?" was all he could manage to say.
Melina replied with the same impassive expression, "When i help thou transform thy power into runes, i am helping thou change thy most being, thereby gaining insight into thy thoughts and memories, yet above all, into whom thou forsooth are."
Jon took a deep breath; although this information made him angry and he would have preferred to find out sooner, he was well aware that the priority was to gain the strength needed to survive in a world that seemed to be becoming more dangerous with each passing moment.
Yet, alongside fear, a feeling arose within him that he initially couldn't identify. Only after a moment did he realise it was curiosity and a desire to delve deeper into this world and its mysteries. And above all, he felt a flame of ambition burning ever brighter within him. To prove to the world, and to himself, that he was more than a bastard.
He filed those thoughts away for another time, as he had many questions he wanted to ask his new companion. Kale, though helpful, had no detailed and certain information about the events taking place in the Lands Between, only general knowledge or rumours.
"Lady Melina, I am indeed not from this world; it is completely different from the one I know, which is why it is even more crucial for me to learn as much as possible about these lands."
She nodded slightly, then replied, "Then bid, yet know that the time I materialise is limited, for I no longer have my corporal body. I am what remains. A disembodied spirit."
This was another fact from this encounter that had truly shocked him. The fact that the woman was a spirit of sorts, yet could still touch him, was surprising, to say the least. However, he wasn't going to waste time asking her who she was or how it happened; that could come later, when they got to know each other better. Now, he needed knowledge of this world.
"Elden Ring. Who shattered it and why?" He began with the most important question, and Melina remained silent as if unsure how to answer or how much to tell him.
Then she spoke in a quiet voice, "It was Queen Marika who shattered the Elden Ring, and why? In despair over the murder of her beloved son, Godwyn the Golden, though with her, nought can be certain."
"Someone murdered the son of a goddess? The Demigod? How? And who?" Jon asked, genuinely surprised, though he understood that a mother's love for her child could drive her to even the most unlikely things. As much as he disliked Lady Stark, he had to give her credit for putting her children above all else and, when needed, walking through fire for them.
"You ask, who was behind this?" Melina said again, a hint of venom in her previously calm voice, "Ranni, the Witch. One of the Demigods, daughter of Queen of the Full Moon Rennala and Radagon of the Golden Order."
"Hmm. Kale, a nomadic merchant I met, told me about the complicated family ties between them. From what I understand, Radagon had three children with Rennala: Rykard, Radahn, and Ranni.
Queen Marika, on the other hand, had three children with the First Elden Lord Godfrey and three more, though only Godwyn was widely known. The remaining two twins were a well-known secret. Kale called them Omens, cursed and despised by the Golden Order. Their names were Mogh and Morgott, and the latter now rules Leyndell, the capital of the Lands Between.
Eventually, both Marika and Radagon pushed their spouses aside, and Radagon became the second Elden Lord, and from this union were born Miquella and Malenia. Twins.
This gives us nine Demigods, one of whom was killed. Does this mean that each of the others has a Great Rune, and I have to obtain them? All of them?"
Melina shook her head slightly, though he could see she was glad he knew at least that much and didn't have to tell him.
"There are ten demigods, because Marika and Radagon had two other children, now forgotten: a daughter whose name I do not remember, and Messmer, a son who is sealed in the realm called the Shadow Realm."
While the information itself was surprising to him, what caught his attention was the obvious pain in her tone when she mentioned it, as if she had some personal connection.
Not planning to pursue this topic, or this hidden realm, further, he turned the subject back to the Great Runes. "But what about the Great Runes? Every Demigod has them."
Melina, recovering, nodded, "Yes and no. One is in Rennala's possession, and the perpetual wink rune was in the possession of Maliketh, the shadow of Marika. Furthermore, I only know the seats of five Great Runes and I can only guess at the location of another one. Godrick hath one, and he shall be by far the easiest to defeat, yet I advise thee not to underestimate him."
Jon shook his head and said, "I didn't mean to. Even the weakest among the strong is still a challenge to all the rest. I understand Morgott in Leyndell has another one, and Kale mentioned that the last place Rykard was seen was Volcano Manor in the far northwest, where his forces were besieged by the armies of the Golden Order."