Lucian called for Selyra, and together they departed the Converted Tower.
Following the cliff beside the Moonlight Altar, the two stepped into the cold waters of Liurnia.
Thanks to her superior mobility, Selyra was spared the all-too-common "soaked companion" trope. By leaping from glintstone crystals to tree trunks, she easily kept pace with Lucian and Torrent.
Near the Converted Tower stood a small Erdtree, guarded by an Erdtree Avatar. Further up the hill lay the Evergaol of Adan, Thief of Fire.
Lucian mentally noted them both as future tasks.
He still intended to collect more Crystal Tears for mixing Wondrous Physick. He knew exactly what the nearby Erdtree Avatar would drop; the Cerulean Crystal Tear and the Ruptured Crystal Tear.
He'd used the latter often in the game's PvP, turning himself into a living bomb. Not anymore. He had no wish to blow his own guts out in this world.
The more valuable Tears came from the Weeping Peninsula's Avatar; the Opaline Bubbletear, which significantly negates damage, and the Crimsonburst Crystal Tear, which steadily restores HP for a time.
At present, Lucian only possessed the Crimson Crystal Tear, the Spiked Cracked Tear, and the Greenspill Crystal Tear—all brought back when his men descended into the Siofra through Mistwood. He had yet to actually use any of them. When the time came, he could ask Melina to help with the mixing.
As for the Thief of Fire, Adan, Lucian decided to release him later when he had the time. Perhaps Adan knew a way to reach the Mountaintops of the Giants. That would unlock both snowy regions of the map. Having him under his command might not be a bad idea either.
After all, Adan had stolen the Flame of the Fell God. His combat power was considerable, and Lucian could even learn flame incantations through him. If Adan proved useful, Lucian would see to it that he was spared from the frenzied Fire Monks' wrath.
When they reached the vicinity of the Village of the Albinaurics, Lucian asked Selyra to wait outside. He wanted to check on the situation inside.
Casting Unseen Form, he rode Torrent across the bubbling, poisonous marshes.
From a vantage point, Lucian observed the village. To his relief, it was in decent condition. Though the villagers were mostly elderly, infirm, or disabled—unable even to walk on their own, they were still alive. No massacre had taken place.
It seemed the Twinsage Sorcerers had not yet uncovered the location of the Haligtree Secret Medallion.
Still, the lack of bloodshed did not mean Lucian could rest easy. At any moment, the sorcerers might discover the information and dispatch raiders to seize the medallion.
He resolved to station observers nearby. Perhaps Nepheli could be assigned here, lying in wait to ambush any attackers. If she could be freed from her blind obedience to the sorcerers, so much the better.
Later, Lucian could also ask the villagers directly if they wished to follow him. Had they not long wandered in search of a home?
Stormveil, after all, was built on the principle of coexistence among races. Albinaurics would face no discrimination there. If they agreed, he could resettle them in his castle.
The more Lucian considered it, the more feasible it seemed. Why force them to travel to the distant Haligtree when Stormveil lay right at hand?
Aside from Latenna, who bore a sworn mission, no other Albinauric had a real reason to risk the journey.
And as for the sorcerers—though they sought the medallion, they would never go so far as to make war against Lucian if he offered the Albinaurics his protection. They were ruthlessly pragmatic.
Had not Ensha of the Royal Remains, fallen in battle during the game, only for the sorcerers to immediately abandon their pursuit of the Haligtree Medallion?
Lucian admitted he lacked such cold detachment. In their place, he might have acted personally.
Without revealing himself, Lucian departed the village.
On the road back to Stormveil with Selyra, he stopped by several ruins, hoping to catch sight of White-Faced Varre. Given his enmity with the Mohgwyn Dynasty, there was no chance of obtaining the Pureblood Knight's Medal from Varre now.
And with Lucian already having located the Consecrated Snowfield, Varre had outlived his usefulness. Better to remove him before he caused further trouble for other Tarnished.
But Varre was nowhere to be found. Instead, in one ruin, Lucian stumbled upon four Tarnished besieging a Royal Revenant.
The four were clad in mismatched gear, typical of scavenger Tarnished, yet their bodies gleamed with brilliant golden light. Around them lay countless revenant corpses. Only one Royal Revenant remained.
It reared up high, then lunged forward, flailing with its dozen limbs in a storm of blows. Its strikes came like a rain of blossoms, so fast they left afterimages.
A deadly flurry—an art that could smash a man into pulp with ease.
Yet a Tarnished bearing a massive metal tower shield leapt forward, blocking the assault. Gray light shimmered over the shield's face as he braced it against the ground. Under the might of Shield Bash, the revenant's storm of blows drove him back step after step, but could not break his defense.
From afar, an archer loosed a precise arrow that pierced the revenant's mouth and burst from its nape. But such wounds could not slay a creature that was no true lifeform.
When the onslaught ended, the shieldbearer shoved forward, staggering the revenant.
With a battle cry, a young spearman dashed in from the side, driving his weapon into the revenant's unbalanced body and forcing it toward their last companion.
The axeman had been waiting, stance low, his weapon gleaming with skill-light.
Ash of War: Spinning Slash.
The mighty blow bit deep into the revenant's torso, nearly cleaving it in two.
Pinned between spear and axe, the monster could scarcely move. The archer twisted his bowstring for extra spin, loosing another arrow meant to pierce its skull.
The revenant vanished in a blink, teleporting to the far side of the ruins—right near Lucian.
"Quick! Stop it!" the Tarnished shouted to him.
They must have sensed his strength. Otherwise, they would never have asked his aid, knowing they would owe him a share of runes.
Lucian had not intended to intervene, but since they asked, there was no reason to let the revenant escape.
He drew the Dragon Slayer Swordspear, raising it high. Thunder cracked down, obliterating the wounded revenant in a single strike.
The Tarnished froze, stunned by his display of power.
Lucian studied them in turn. Their skill was impressive, far beyond that of ordinary Tarnished. They had cut down swarms of revenants and even pinned a Royal Revenant without suffering serious wounds. Their discipline, coordination, and golden-tree blessings were flawless.
Who were they? Stormveil had no such warriors. If they were this strong, Lucian would surely know of them already.
And yet their gear was as ragtag as any scavenger's. Only the spearman was noticeably young; the rest were older, battle-hardened men in their prime.
Veterans, honed by countless fights, with reflexes born of life-or-death struggle. The most dangerous kind.
Those veterans, in turn, eyed Lucian warily. They, too, had seen his strength at a glance and quickly made the connection to the name whispered across the Lands Between:
The one who had defeated Godrick the Grafted and claimed a Great Rune. The Tarnished who restored the Storm King's legacy—The "Storm King" Lucian.
Not someone they could afford to oppose.
Feigning calm, they sheathed their weapons and nodded, keeping a careful distance.
Lucian put away his Swordspear as well.
They naturally brought up splitting the runes. Lucian didn't care about them, intending to give them all. But since they insisted on sharing, he didn't refuse.
After dividing the spoils, they waved farewell and quickly left, heading north. Perhaps toward the Altus Plateau.
Watching them go, Lucian frowned. Something about them was off. Not impossibly strong, but far too disciplined for common Tarnished. Perhaps they were newcomers, freshly returned to the Lands Between.
Still, he could not shake the unease, mulling it over all the way back.
As he reached Stormveil's gates, the realization struck him like a bolt. He slapped Torrent's flank, startling the steed.
"No… that's it!"
A faction he had forgotten resurfaced in his mind—
Elsewhere, far from Lucian's sight, the four Tarnished traveled in silence.
Once sure they were beyond his perception, their pace quickened to a run—an outright flight that lasted until dusk. Only then did they dare breathe easy.
The young spearman, restless with questions, finally broke the quiet:
"Master, that man was so strong! He even wielded lightning. Was he Sir Vyke of the Roundtable?"
The shieldbearer shook his head. "I once saw Lord Vyke with my own eyes. That was not him. Had it been, we would not have needed to flee."
"I believe that was the one we heard of on the road, the Storm King."
The scarred archer nodded in agreement. "True. He used no storm, but both appearance and might match the tales. That's why we had to run before he noticed anything."
The spearman licked his lips. "Is he really that powerful?"
His master's gaze hardened. "Do not even think it. You lack the vision to judge. We do not. Even your idol, Lord Vyke, would fall before him."
The youth scowled, stung, but dared not argue. Instead, he turned to the big, bearded axeman. "Uncle… is that true?"
The man spared him only a glance, unwilling to indulge the boy.
The archer chuckled, filling the silence. "Of course it's true. Lord Gideon himself gave orders to avoid conflict with that man. The Storm King harbors the ambition of a monarch, he is our king's rival. If our identities were exposed, none of us would have left alive."
Chastened, the youth fell silent.
But the axeman bristled at Gideon's name. "Tch. Only Gideon still skulks about in the Roundtable Hold, muttering riddles! The rest of the Roundtable Knights are gone, Bernahl even betrayed the Erdtree!"
He clenched his fist in fury. "That Erdtree was the very cause we once fought for! And now those who bore the greatest weight have turned their backs?"
The shieldbearer laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know your faith is true. But now is not the time for anger. We must make haste. Strange creatures already delayed us, and we cannot know what else lies ahead. Of the dozen vanguard parties sent forth, it seems only ours has managed to cross the sea back to the Lands Between. This mission cannot fail."
"Whoever rules Leyndell now must hear our report. We must steady the realm… until our lord returns."
The others fell into grim silence. Together they pressed on toward the Grand Lift of Dectus, bound for the Altus Plateau and the Royal Capital.
They bore news meant for one purpose:
To prepare the way for their sovereign's return.
Beyond the mists, their king—Godfrey—was reconquering the savage lands.
And when his war was done, he and his Tarnished hosts, joined by the conquered tribes, would march once more into the Lands Between.
Then the realm would fall again beneath the rule of the 'First' Elden Lord, Godfrey.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
[T/N: Crystal Tears in-game Description]
✵ Crimson Crystal Tear
Type: HP
Usage: Restores half of total HP
Location(s): [1] In front of the statue in Third Church of Marika. [2] Found on an altar guarded by enemies at the base of the Minor Erdtree in Capital Outskirts.
✵ Greenspill Crystal Tear
Type: Stamina
Usage: Temporarily boosts max Stamina
Location(s): [1] Mistwood: Found on an altar next to the Minor Erdtree in Mistwood along with the Spiked Cracked Tear.
✵ Opaline Bubbletear
Type: Defensive
Usage: Significantly negates next instance of damage
Location(s): [1] Weeping Peninsula, beneath the Minor Erdtree: Dropped by the Erdtree Avatar boss upon defeat.
✵ Spiked Cracked Tear
Type: Offensive
Usage: Enhances charged attacks for a time
Location(s): [1] Found on an altar next to the Minor Erdtree in Mistwood along with the Greenspill Crystal Tear.
✵ Crimsonburst Crystal Tear
Type: HP
Usage: Steadily restores HP for a time
Location(s): [1] Weeping Peninsula beneath the Minor Erdtree: Dropped by the Erdtree Avatar boss upon defeat.
✵ Ruptured Crystal Tear
Type: Offensive
Usage: Causes concoction to explode
Location(s): [1] Dropped by the Erdtree Avatar that resides in Liurnia of the Lakes. [2] Dropped by the Putrid Avatar at the Minor Erdtree in the Consecrated Snowfield, east of Ordina, Liturgical Town.
✵ Cerulean Crystal Tear
Type: FP
Usage: Restores half of total FP
Location(s): [1] One dropped by the Erdtree Avatar that resides in Liurnia of the Lakes. [2] One dropped by the Erdtree Avatar guarding the Minor Erdtree (Mountaintops East).