Saint of Sinners
| The Saint of Sinners | |
|---|---|
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| OOC Information | |
| Class: | Fell Dragon |
| Theme: | Original NPC |
A Fell Dragon with deep ties to the history of the Rolance Empire. Though there have been multiple claims of sightings across Meribus and Glenwood, the Saint largely remains a creature of myth and legend. Often associated with tales of the fabled lost city of Lyonesse, the Saint of Sinners is considered a herald of calamity, and many who believe in the dragon's existence believe sightings of it are an ill omen.
Background
The Saint of Sinners is a legendary Fell Dragon from the lore of Rolance. While the myth surrounding it has spread to the neighboring kingdoms and even into the continent of Meribus, most stories about it inevitably start in Rolance, where it is the central figure responsible for the destruction of what most believe to be an ancient Rolance city known as Lyonesse.
Most classical stories claim the Saint of Sinners was called to the Lyonesse through the sheer volume of Malevolence in the city; its cursed flames twisted the land and its people irrevocably into an abyssal plain of fathomless horrors. None are said to have escaped the dragon's wrath, and afterwards, the beast disappeared as soon as it came, leaving Lyonesse decimated and forsaken by the empire.
Because of this, and because sightings of it have been so rare -- and the fact that the actual existence of Lyonesse itself is something of a topic of open debate among Lunar historians -- the Saint is seen by many to be more of an allegorical figure in Rolance myth, symbolic of the wages of human excess and sin, and the consequences of arrogance run amok. The more religious and spiritual believe the Saint is an agent of evil, a force of nature and harbinger of cataclysm that appears when man has fallen too deeply into sin.
Regardless, there has been no confirmed sighting of the Saint of Sinners since the supposed fall of Lyonesse -- though hunting for it has become something of a goal for some of Glenwood and Meribus' more daring thrill seekers and chasers of glory.
The Lost Land of Lyonesse
A city that allegedly once existed in the lands of Rolance. Believed to have been a thriving port city and one of the most populous regions of the empire in its time, the actual existence of Lyonesse is a subject of considerable debate among most scholars of Lunarian history. Tales of Lyonesse have become many and varied over the years, placing it firmly in the category of popular Rolance myth -- though by far the most popular and most often told of these stories is its legendary and tragic fall at the hands of the Saint of Sinners.
While there is no consensus on if or where Lyonesse truly existed, most historians agree its fall, if it ever occurred, likely took place some 200 - 300 years prior to present day. The most common variation of the tale positions Lyonesse as a large port city that dates back to the very beginning of the Rolance Empire that knew unprecedented prosperity; so blessed was the land and its people that many believed it to be one of Rolance's great wonders. The people of Lyonesse wanted for nothing, ever-protected by the Goddess for their devout worship. But, as the story goes, that prosperity bred complacency, and complacency eventually gave way to corruption and sin. Over the centuries, the people forgot the worship of Althena and fell deeper and deeper into a depravity of their own making. And so, as great a city of virtue as the utopian Lyonesse was, it was all the more terrible when it gave way to temptation and blasphemy.
Most commonly, the legends claim that Lyonesse's fall came from the weight of its own sins. The Malevolence that was created by the heresy and corruption of the entire city was so great that it stirred and summoned forth a great and terrible evil: the Fell Dragon, the Saint of Sinners. The Saint razed the city within a field of black flame, washing away the citizens of Lyonesse in its purging fire and twisting a once verdant and beautiful land into a vast blight. Stories vary about the ultimate fate of Lyonesse: some claim the dragon's wrath made it sink beneath the ocean, while others believe it was sealed off before its scourge could spread to the rest of the empire. None are believed to have survived the Saint of Sinner's rampage; and eventually, Lyonesse was simply lost and forgotten in the annals of history.
Because of the difficulty in proving its existence, most believe Lyonesse is a simple allegory created to warn against the risks of complacency as a source of Malevolence, and the consequences of falling into the corruption even too much prosperity can bring.
There are more than a few, however, who believe Lyonesse was a real place, seen by many as a lost wonder of Glenwood. Despite the uncertainty of its existence, it has been the goal of many an intrepid (and possibly foolhardy) explorer to seek it out, and to be the first to find the lost land of Lyonesse -- and uncover whatever secrets it might have in its cursed depths.
Soundtrack
- Saint of Sinners: Darkeater Midir - Dark Souls 3 OST
- Lyonesse: Dust to Dust - Masashi Hamauzu