Edric's art journey

The term “demon” is often associated with physical transformations that does not conform to the norm. Demons are often unsightly, malformed and grotesque. Yet many do not consider the state of the heart of these beings, for sometimes, their hearts are closer to humans than one might think, and perhaps, even kinder. The denizens of Izalith are considered to be all demons, for legends say that the mother of all demons reside there, and from her, sprang the first demon. There was a mighty demon I encountered within the lower depths of Blight Town, her upper body was a beautiful woman, dark haired, with unblemished complexion, and her lower body was a hulking, monstrous spider form, with a gaping jaw bigger than a lion’s. Her expression was emotionless, tired but focused and determined. Despite having a human face, there were no conversations exchanged during our encounter, no communication. We fought furiously against each other, and she fought like somebody protecting her territory. Yet upon victory and progressing further within her domain, I discovered a similar demon, but frail in appearance and gentle in her movements. It was only after interacting and listening to this fair lady that I understood the spider demon I killed earlier was Quelaag, her sister. And for all the ferocity she fought me with, she was fighting it to protect her fragile sister here, a being of pure kindness cursed with a demon form, who was also blind and unaware that she is conversing with the very murderer of her sibling.

Oh how I could wish, that I had not killed Quelaag, and removed the one precious being from this fair lady! But she striked, and I must return it. Why didn’t she tell me, I endlessly pondered, for she could avoid this meaningless confrontation and avoid death! So I did the only think I could think of, by pretending to be Quelaag for the fair lady, and offering her some humanity essence that I have left, out of guilt. And yet I was still a fool, blind to an even bigger tragedy that awaits me. Beyond her domain and into the demon ruins, lies more of her siblings who have turned into a monstrous lava demon, keeping watch of his sister’s tomb. An as I progressed through this precarious mission into the Lost Izalith and laid my final strike against the Bed of Chaos to claim the Lord’s soul, it finally dawned on me the enormity of my sins, and the errors of my accusations. Here lies her mother, who lives as an insane malformed entity, dead. And here lies her brother, who mourned over her beloved sister’s tomb, dead. For Quelaag, there was never a need for question, she was the only and last bastion for her family, she cannot give an inch or any possibility for any outsider to present harm for her family. Everyone else is immobile and helpless, even her brother, who has turned in a giant lava demon, is endlessly mourning for his dead sister. The possibility of somebody tricking her and entering the domain to kill members of her precious family unguarded is a thought she cannot entertain, one which could have possibly happened to her dead sister. And look at what happen, here I am, the being that went pass her, and indeed, I killed her entire family. And yet I have the audacity to ask “why didn’t she tell me?”, for ‘this’ is why. If telling me will not halt me from taking the Lord’s soul for my mission, why should she say anything then? From the moment somebody entered her domain, she already understood what must be done, there is no need for speech. Thus, strike she must, not out of malice, but out of her love to protect her family. 

Hope you like the story! If you do, please follow me on instagram.com/edricluffie ! 

Obviously, I’m kinda worried it doesn’t turn out well, so I’m trying to post some of the art done here, and hoping I will get some useful feedback. 

For those who are interested in the stories that I wrote, here is one for the Nameless King: 

An immortal god desires no true heir, for if he is able, he will rule forever. Every children that is born from Gwyn, is meant to serve a purpose in establishing his kingdom. Such was the vision of Gwyn and the 4 Lords, that they would carve their divine empire to every inch of the world, and rule unopposed for eternity. But Gwyn is neither omnipotent, nor omnipresent. To establish his vast kingdom, he needs to be able to reach out and counter his increasing opponents. And thus a son was born, molded for the very purpose of war. Taking up the mantle of God of War, he grew up to be fearsome and powerful, wielding the same lightning powers that Gwyn use to eliminate the dragons. He also fashioned himself a unique weapon, that serves to destroy the dragons even more efficiently, which was soon adapted by Gwyn’s own personal knight, Dragonslayer Ornstein. Together, they were a force to be reckoned, vanquishing opponents in the far corners of the world as if Gwyn himself was there. Yet, beyond the foresight of the gods, the God of War turn against his father to protect the very beings he was made to destroy. Rumor has it that his betrayal happened when he met Kalameet the Ancient Dragon, as both of them were later seen side by side destroying Gwyn’s army and anything that threaten what’s left of the dragons. Gwyn was furious, that his most powerful general is now his enemy. It wasn’t because of his kinship, that Gwyn did not kill his son, but because of what he has become. The God of War possess almost the same power that Gwyn has, or perhaps even more powerful for he has been molded by numerous battles, and he has the almighty dragons to aid him. Besting him is a big gamble that Gwyn will not risk, and even victory might cost a very high price. And thus the safest choice was to cast him out, if he can be restricted to a limited boundary beyond the kingdom, then his influence and capacity to retaliate will be severely limited. The God of War was also wary of the consequences of retaliation. While he is mighty, the dragons are endangered, and his numbers cannot compete with the entire army of the gods. Thus both made the silent agreement of not stepping over the boundaries and stayed within their domain. In act of fury and pettiness, Gwyn erases every single trace of his son’s presence from the kingdom. There will be no mention of him in any records, and no image of him shall remain. Since then, Gwyn never had another son. And the god of war became, the Nameless King.