What’s up guys, I’m Dave Klein. Today, we’re gonna talk about the king who’s
kingdom would eventually crumble into a bed of molten lava. He himself transfigured into
a terrible demon – It’s time to discuss: The Old Iron King.
The Old Iron King reigned for a period in Drangleic, possibly before the kingdom was
known as Drangleic. Every indication is that he was a powerful, greedy, and cruel king,
who flaunted his wealth and power. “In the heyday of his land, the Old Iron King fancied
entertaining dubious and eccentric guests from faraway lands. Most of them were charlatans,
but amongst the riff-raff were true masters of authentic and refined arts.” “In the
Old Iron King’s great iron keep was a vast collection of weapons, erected as a display
of strength to the world. But they were lost when the king’s conceit doomed the castle
to sink into a lake of fire.”
He was known as the “Iron King” for his kingdom resided in a land full of iron, he
built a magnificent Iron Castle, and possibly for having an iron will. He built up a strong
Iron Castle of all of the materials found in the land. Remnants can still found as the
IronClad Soldiers, are a good source for Large Titanite Shards. These Ironclad soldiers “were
minions created by the Old Iron King, their life granted by an enchantment of souls.”
The Old Iron King had loyal knights to serve him, known as the Allone Knights. “The accoutrements
of the Alonne Knights, who served the Old Iron King, were created with an advanced casting
technique. The bonds of [these knights] who served the Old Iron King were mightier than
the land’s iron.”
During the Iron King’s reign, the Undead Curse began to spread. And, it’s my belief
that instead of being afraid of the curse, it seems the King chose to treat the Undead
as scum, and enjoyed torturing them and using them as his play things. He used the Undead
Copse as a hunting ground where “The Undead hunts during the reign of the Old Iron King
took place, and the cells in which the Undead were held still stand to this day. However,
the march of time has eroded away any difference between the captors and the captives.”
(That’s right, the Iron King would literally hunt Undead for fun.) He “led his best men
on Undead hunts, but their memories were purged in rebirth. The very men who were ordered
to hunt down the Undead were themselves hollowed, and found a kingdom of bone.”
The Iron King didn’t stop at simply hunting the Undead down however, but also seemed to
utilize his men to torture the Undead who they captured. Next to the Undead Copse lies
the Undead Purgatory, and I believe this can be associated with the Iron King. As a purgatory
is a place meant to cleanse and purify souls, it seems with what we know of the Iron King,
he would also put Undead here.
Roaming the Undead Copse are Torturers. Just by looking at their weapons, you can imagine
what sorts of things they would do to the Undead. Guarding the Undead Purgatory is the
Executioner’s chariot. “The chariot was created only to torment Undead, and it took
the form of a horrendous mad steed, a window into the soul of its master.” Its Chariot
Lance’s “perverse design mirrors the chariot from which it came, a merciless creation that
endlessly tortured the Undead.”
While the Iron King likely didn’t partake in the torture himself, I do believe in its
relative location to the Copse, the Iron King built the Undead Purgatory, and allowed the
actions to partake. Ironically, this sort of torture likely drove any undead closer
to hollowing.
Between the Undead Copse and the Iron Keep lies Harvest Valley and the Earthen Peak.
Atop the Earthen Peak resides Mytha, the Baneful Queen. Obtaining her soul reveals “The Queen
sought the King’s affection, even poisoning herself to attain beauty, despite the monstrous
consequences. All for the compelling madness known as love.”
Given her relative location to The Iron Keep, and that she sought a certain “King’s”
affection, I believe Mytha was in love with The Iron King, who did not return her affections.
“Mytha was the fairest queen in the land, until something unhinged her. Was it the poison
found deep within the earth, or the passion that consumed her heart?”
“Why do people try so hard to be beautiful? We cats are born beautiful, of course.
The human ego. How many ugly iron castles has it erected?
They don’t even see the folly of their ways. But that’s what makes watching human kind
so delightful. It reminds me of someone who lived long ago.
A vainglorious liar who ended up hurling himself into the flames.
Now he’s Icarous earth if I’m not mistaken.”
Upon defeating The Old Iron King in New Game +, players will be rewarded with the Old King
Soul. “Soul of the ineffable. This once-magnificent soul continues to exert influence over the
land, even after the eons have reduced it to these remnants.”
By trading the Old King Soul to Ornifex, players will receive the Dragonslayer Greatbow, and
for trading to Straid, they’ll receive Blinding Bold, “Crafted in ancient times by the God
of Sun, but later forbidden by the same deity. Was it to protect the world from hatred, or
sorrow?” This indicates The Old Iron King contains within him Gwyn’s Soul from Dark
Souls 1, reborn.
While the Iron King ruled for a time, it seems it was his own blind conceit that brought
about his end, but the tales vary. Was it a demon who brought about the demise, or the
weight of the Iron King’s giant castle?
“There’s good iron in these parts. An old king even used it to build a castle.
But the thing was too heavy, And it slowly sank into the ground.
Fires spouted from the earth, And…and the place turned into this.
At least, that’s what I’m told. Not a bad story, eh?”
The Iron King’s castle sunk into the lava, but it seems this event wasn’t until after
the Smelter Demon was created… by the Iron King himself.
“The Old Iron King’s life was taken by a mass of iron that had been given a soul.
Was this metal goliath there from the beginning, or was it a product of the king’s conceit?”
“The earth spouted fire, and a beast arose from the flames. The short-sighted king was
incinerated by the creature in one swing, and his castle devoured in a sea of flames.”
I believe the Old Iron King gave live to the Smelter Demon himself, but the Demon had a
will of its own, and struck down the king, which lead to the Iron Castle sinking into
the lava. (And, as we all know, the Smelter Demon doesn’t exactly fight fair).
The Iron Castle sunk into a bed of lava, and “The corpse of the Old Iron King became
a vessel that bred Ichorous Earth.”
So – what else can be said about the Old Iron King?
It seems he represented himself with a bull. Throughout the Iron Keep, multiple bull statues
can be found, including one giant bull statue outside of the keep. The statue grasps onto
part of the castle, almost as if its pulling the castle down into the lava itself. But
– what do you guys think of this hollowed out statue? Do think at one point it also
had life in it, and perhaps was part of what dragged the Iron Keep into the lava? Or do
you think it’s simply a monumental statue created by the Iron King in his own conceit?
Additionally, the doors of the Iron Keep can be matched to the doors of Sinners Rise, making
it possible the Sinners Rise was actually built by the Iron King.
-
Bull grasping the side of the Iron Keep, and what do you think the Iron King’s involvement
was – if any – in the creation of the Sinner’s Rise? If you’d like to see more
Dark Souls 2 Lore, check out my previous episodes. And – I’ll see ya guys next time. Peace!