What’s up guys, I’m Dave Klein. Today we’re going to talk about the sunken and
abandoned city, filled with poison and traps abound. A King whose worship and beliefs would
turn to nothing. It’s time to talk about: Shulva and the Sunken King.
“Legend has it that in the deepest reaches of the Black Gulch, behind a door locked from
the inside, is a magnificent city built for a great sleeping dragon.”
In ancient times, people worshipped dragons throughout the various lands that inhabited
Drangleic. We find multiple reliefs depicting people praying to the dragons, one in the
Shrine of Winter, another at the Dragon Shrine beyond Aldia’s Keep, and yet another one
deep within Shulva, the Sanctum City.
The Sunken King was one such worshipper of the dragons. Beyond the Black Gulch slept
“Sinh the Dragon, who [slept] in the lowermost depths of the land”.
“The King erected the Eternal Sanctum below the earth to worship the great dragon.”
He “erected a magnificent city, and the dragon slept soundly.” His followers were
Sanctum Knights, Soldiers, and Priestesses. The Priestesses “sang to preserve the dragon’s
deep slumber, but one wonders if a single phrase of their song ever reached the dragon’s
ears.” And his knights were guardians, who “were sentenced to eternal stewardship of
the Sanctum in clandestine ritual carried out in great depths” [Check description]
For a time, a society thrived and existed within the Sanctum. This society was focused
on rituals to worship Sinh and were known for their highly advanced craftsmanship. This
showed in the Puzzling Sword, a sword crafted with rare magnetic stones of remarkable strength.
“The development of sorceries was stunted in Shulva, as they were considered taboo.
Even so, there were some occasional gems created by a group of nameless enthusiasts”. As
it was the “Sanctum City”, and sanctum meaning “a sacred place, especially a shrine
within a temple or church” The majority of their buildings were created with the sole
purpose of worshipping Sinh, with structures including the Dragon Sanctum, Tower of Prayer,
and Priestess’ chamber.
And all was good in Shulva… until the arrival of Yorgh and his Drakeblood Knights. Like
the others, they too worshipped the dragons…. But they had a different belief, one focused
on blood. The Drakeblood Knights “came from a land long forgotten, and worshiped the blood
of dragons. [They] were led by Sir Yorgh in a siege of the Eternal Sanctum.” “To the
Drakeblood Knights, fresh dragon blood was sacrosanct. They believed that by obtaining
it, they could achieve a true understanding of life, transcending their own banal existence.”
In a way, the Drakeblood Knights purpose seemed to mirror that of Aldia’s… the quest for
knowledge beyond their own life, the quest to find the secret to the dragon’s everlasting
existence.
Yorgh and his knights invaded Shulva and “sought the blood of the dragon, Sinh.” In their
invasion, Yorgh succeeded in murdering the Sunken King, and “When Sir Yorgh faced Sinh,
the slumbering dragon, he drew blood with a flash of his steel, but Sinh responded by
spewing forth the poison that had long brewed within him, blanketing the city in a miasmic
cloud.” “The poisonous fog blanketed the city in death, and Sir Yorgh disappeared into
the Eternal Sanctum”, his decrepit corpse found within Sinh’s chamber.
With Sinh awake, the Drakeblood Knights became stuck in the Sanctum, and were poisoned with
the rest. “Sinh could bear its store of poison no longer. The rain of death toppled
the city, but restored the dragon’s purity.”
The poison was so potent, that it leaked out as far as into the Black Gulch. And, while
it’s not a fact – there is the possibility that it affected another nearby water source…
one in Harvest Valley, and was what eventually poisoned Mytha – The Baneful Queen.
The Sunken King and his people were left forever poisoned in their foolery, as a “race that
discovered a dragon, worshipped it magnificence, and perished by its side.” “And today,
no one even remembers the King’s name”…
But… there seems to be more to the equation. The question remains… what Elana, the Squalid
Queen’s involvement was. Squalid being ‘showing or involving a contemptible lack of moral
standards’. Elana was a “child of Dark” and
“When the Abyss dissipated, the things that called it home were fragmented and scattered
across the realm. Eventually, these pieces regained form, in ways that hinted at humanity’s
true nature.” Which, would seem to imply the humanity’s true nature is to be Squalid…
and contain an “insatiable lust for strength” Like Nashandra, Elana is also a fragment of
Manus’ soul.
Elana “rests besides the sleeping dragon of the Eternal Sanctum.
This child of Dark accompanies the dragon, slowly amassing souls in anticipation of the
coming day of vengeance.”
But the question arises… when did Elana come to the shrine, and how did she survive?
Elana is the Squalid “Queen”, implying she was likely married to the Sunken King.
If so, it’s possible she was the one who tempted and convinced the king to build the
Sanctum… so she herself could draw energy from it.
Yet… how was she spared the onslaught of destruction from Sinh? That brings the possibility
she arrived after the destruction of the land… so she could leech form the dead.
Another thing worth noting is that she summons a warrior resembling Velstadt - who gave himself
to “King Vendrick” in both life and death. According to Velstadt’s soul, “[he] was
always at the King’s side, as if he were his lord’s own shadow. After the King retired
to the Undead Crypt, Velstadt followed, never to return.”. The interesting dialogue here
being “his lord’s own shadow”. So – considering Elana, a dark being and another fragment of
Manus can summon Velstadt… this could indicate there’s a darker purpose behind Velstadt.
Alternatively, she also summons the dead, so it’s possible she can simply control
other death beings.
There lies another alternative… “Raime and Velstadt were known as the left- and right-arms
of [King Vendrick] until their wills clashed, and Raime was deemed a traitor.” Another
possibility being… this enemy who resembles Vesltadt… could be Raime.
In the end, a few questions still remain. Was the Sunken King tempted by Elana to create
the Sanctum City, or was it of his own free will? And, who was this Sunken King whose
name “no one remembers.”
Alright guys, that wraps up this Dark Souls 2 DLC Lore video. Perhaps some of these questions
will be answered in future DLCs to come – but until then, who do you think the Sunken King
is, if it even matters anymore. What do you think Elana’s involvement was – and what
did you take away from the warrior resembling Velstadt? And – speaking of fragments of
Manus… my buddy Terramantis did a fantastic video on Nashandra I highly recommend. Also
– the badass rendition of “Passage for a Monk” from King’s Field was remixed
by none-other than Hellkite Drake. For more Dark Souls 2 Lore videos, make sure to check
out my Dark Souls 2 Lore playlist, and hey! I have a new show! A super show! Check it
out for some fun times! Alright, I’ll see you guys next time. Peace!