Long ago, during the Age of the Erdtree, Leyndell was assaulted by the ancient dragonGransax. This was the only time the walls of the royal capital had been breached, marking the beginning of the terrible War of the Ancient Dragons.[4] Godwyn was triumphant in a battle against the dreaded Fortissax and earned the mighty dragon's friendship in the process.[5] Their alliance ended the war and led to the establishment of the Ancient Dragon Cult.[6]
The cult worshiped the dragons and studied their lightning incantations. Their practices were permitted by the Golden Order as gravel stone, and lightning itself, were both imbued with gold.[7] The red-hued incantations were also taught in secret.[8][9] The ancient dragon Lansseax, sister of Fortissax, took a human form to commune with the knights as a priestess.[10]
Death[]
Godwyn is assassinated during the Night of Black Knives
Godwyn would eventually meet his end during the Night of Black Knives.[11] Seeking to be free from her fate as a pawn of the Greater Will, Godwyn's stepsister, Lunar Princess Ranni, stole a fragment of the Rune of Death from Maliketh. She imbued ritual daggers with the power of Death and gave them to the Black Knife Asssassins.[12] The assassins slipped into the royal capital and carved the half-wheel centipede into Godwyn's flesh as its counterpart was etched into Ranni.[1][13][14] Both demigods died simultaneously but in opposite ways. Ranni perished in body but not spirit and Godwyn's soul died while his body survived.
Erdtree Burial[]
Destined Death seeps from Godwyn's eye
Godwyn the Golden was buried at the bottom of the Erdtree's roots in the Deeproot Depths, below Leyndell,[15] but as he was lacking a soul, his body was unable to die a true death.[16] The influence of the Rune of Death seeped through the roots and sprouted Deathroot across the Lands Between, and gave rise to Those Who Live in Death.[17]
Fortissax entered Godwyn's death dream to fight against the Death within Godwyn, but was ultimately corrupted by the blight.[18] As the Deathroot spread, the roots of the Erdtree were disconnected from those below.[17][19][20]
The knights of Castle Sol and Miquella worked toward achieving an eclipse they believed would restore Godwyn's soul.[21][22][23] Former members of the Dragon Cult embraced Godwyn's death and became the Death Knights.[24][25] Godwyn downfall catalyzed the shattering of the Elden Ring and the subsequent Shattering War of the demigods.[26]
Prince of Death[]
Godwyn's deformed body at the Prince of Death's Throne
Godwyn's living body, lacking a soul and unable to die a true death, transformed into an unrecognizable aberration known as the Prince of Death. Its form multiplied and manifested itself across the Lands Between.[26]
The Deathbed CompanionFia was the guardian of Those Who Live in Death.[27][28] If she gathers both half-wheel centipedes—one each from the bodies of Godwyn and Ranni—Fia makes her way to the Prince of Death's Throne where the body of Godwyn is immured.[29]
Fia sleeps with Godwyn to transfer to him the strength of countless heroes and grant him a second life as the Prince of Death.[30][31] As a result of their union, Fia conceived the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince. She requests it be used to mend the shattered Elden Ring and usher in an Age of the Duskborn, introducing the principle of Life within Death into the Golden Order.[32]
↑ 1.01.1Tiche was one of the assassins who, on the night of the plot, imbued her black knife with the Rune of Death and slew Godwyn the Golden. She was the daughter of the Black Knife Ringleader, Alecto, and was killed protecting her mother during their flight from the royal capital. (Black Knife Tiche)
↑Finger Reader Crone (Deeproot Depths: "Ohh... Oh, Lord Godwyn... Such cruelty, such humiliation... My poor, sweet lordling should have died a true death. As the first of the demigods to die. As a martyr to Destined Death. But why must it yet bring such disgrace? A scion of the golden bough, sentenced to live in Death... How could such a thing come to be..."
↑A great ancient dragon, Gransax once rained calamity upon the Royal Capital—the only time in historical record that Leyndell's walls have fallen. This marked the dawn of the war against the ancient dragons.(Bolt of Gransax)
↑Sword Monument (Altus Plateau): "The Routing of the Ancient Dragons [...] Godwyn the Golden fought to the last, Earning the friendship of dread Fortissax"
↑Long ago, Godwyn the Golden defeated the ancient dragon Fortissax, and befriended his fallen foe—an event that gave rise to the ancient dragon cult in the capital. (Lightning Spear)
↑Sacred seal made from Gravel Stone thought to be an ancient dragon scale. Enhances Dragon Cult incantations of the Royal Capital. The worship of the ancient dragons does not conflict with belief in the Erdtree. After all, this seal, and lighting itself, are both imbued with gold. (Gravel Stone Seal)
↑A secret incantation of the capital's ancient dragon cult. [...] Spoken of in legend, red lightning is the weapon wielded by the ancient dragons. (Ancient Dragons' Lightning Spear)
↑Lansseax was the sister of Fortissax. It is said that she took the form of a human to commune with the knights as a priestess of the ancient dragon cult. (Lansseax's Glaive)
↑Rogier: "Someone stole a fragment of the Rune of Death from Maliketh, the Black Blade. And on a bitter night, murdered Godwyn the Golden."
↑Ranni: "I see. Quite the sleuth, aren't we. Indeed, I am the witch Ranni. I stole a fragment of the Rune of Death, and used it to forge the godslaying black knives through fearsome rite. I did it all."
↑Cursemark carved into the discarded flesh of Ranni the Witch. Also known as the half-wheel wound of the centipede. This cursemark was carved at the moment of Death of the first demigod, and should have taken the shape of a circle. However, two demigods perished at the same time, breaking the cursemark into two half-wheels. Ranni was the first of the demigods whose flesh perished, while the Prince of Death perished in soul alone.(Cursemark of Death)
↑Fia: "When Godwyn died, a hallowbrand scored his flesh. But another exists. Another mark in the shape of the half-wheel wound of the centipede. And I must find it. Before the time comes we receive our Lord."
↑It is said that this pustule came from the visage of the Prince of Death, he who used to be called Godwyn. As First Dead of the demigods, it's said he's buried deep under the capital, at the Erdtree's roots. (Prince of Death's Pustule)
↑A fetid, overgrown cyst taken from facial flesh. [...] It is said that this cyst came from the corrupted visage of one unable to die a true Death. Indeed, it comes from the Prince of Death, scion of the golden bough and First of the Dead among the demigods. (Prince of Death's Cyst)
↑ 17.017.1A source that gives rise to Those Who Live in Death. [...] On the night of the dire plot the stolen Rune of Death enabled the first Death of a demigod. Later, the Rune of Death spread across the Lands Between through the underground roots of the Greattree, sprouting in the form of Deathroot. (Deathroot)
↑After Godwyn the Golden became the Prince of Death, the ancient dragon fought long and hard against the Death within its companion. Alas, victory was never achieved and its only reward was corruption. (Remembrance of the Lichdragon)
↑Map of Deeproot Depths and environs. At the very depths of the Erdtree's majestic roots lies the source of the Ainsel and the Siofra rivers. Here too begins the network of Greattree roots that spread throughout the Lands Between.
↑Resin secreted from the roots of the Greattree. The roots of the Greattree were once linked to those of the Erdtree, or so they say, and it is for this reason catacombs are built around Greattree roots.
↑Ghost in Castle Sol: "Lord Miquella, forgive me.The sun has not been swallowed. Our prayers were lacking.Your comrade remains soulless...I will never set my eyes upon it now...Your divine Haligtree..."
↑A sword made to commemorate the death of Godwyn the Golden, first of the demigods to die. Infused with the humble prayer of a young boy; "O brother, lord brother, please die a true death."(Golden Epitaph)
↑Spirit of a headless knight who leads the mausoleum soldiers. Wields a lance enrobed in Death and hurls spectral lances at foes. Lhutel sacrificed her life so that in Death she could continue to protect a soulless demigod until their revival, earning her the hero's honor of Erdtree Burial. (Lhutel the Headless)
↑Golden helm of the Death Knights, whose own death masks served as the visards of their armor. Enhances skills and incantations of the capital's ancient dragon cult. The decayed golden wheel that adorns it represents their unbroken loyalty to Godwyn, he who became Prince of Death. (Death Knight Helm))
↑Golden armor of the Death Knights, adorned with an antiquated depiction of the Erdtree. Enhances skills and incantations of the capital's ancient dragon cult. These knights, once Godwyn's personal guard, quested to find their transfigured master's cadaver surrogate—for the coming age of the Duskborn (Death Knight Armor)
↑ 26.026.1Rogier: "The misshapen corpse under Stormveil? That is a sacred relic. Of the black knives plot. As that famed night of assassination is known. It happened during the Golden Age of the Erdtree, long before the shattering of the Elden Ring. Someone stole a fragment of the Rune of Death from Maliketh, the Black Blade. And on a bitter night, murdered Godwyn the Golden. That was the first recorded Death of a demigod in all history. And it became the catalyst. Soon, the Elden Ring was smashed, and thus sprang forth the war known as the Shattering."
↑Fia: "I am the guardian of Those Who Live in Death. They call me a foul and rotten witch."
↑Fia: " I see. Then you must kill me. For I am the companion of Godwyn, Prince of Death. I wished to be a mother to Those Who Live in Death. So it is, that any loathing, any hatred that overshadows them... I must bear, as a matter of duty, with my own flesh."
↑Fia: "This...is the other hallowbrand. How did you... Oh, my utmost thanks. With this, Godwyn can take his rightful place as First of the Dead. And claim a second, illustrious life. You are my-- our true champion. And though I can't be of any use to you... Can I hold you tight, if only for a moment?"
↑Fia: "I will soon lay with Godwyn. And it will surely stir within me. [The] new life of the golden prince, and first Dead of the demigods, as the rune of Those Who Live in Death. Please, do one thing for me. Brandish this child, my rune, and take for yourself the throne. Stay the persecution of Those Who Live in Death. By becoming our Elden Lord."
↑Fia: "I was known as a Deathbed Companion, where I come from. After I received the warmth and lifely vigour from a number of champions, I lay with the remains of an exalted noble, to grant him another chance at life. To do so is the purpose of my being."
