A Confluence of Time: Transposing Lothric
May. 26, 2016A Confluence of Time: Transposing Lothric
“The flow of time itself is convoluted, with heroes centuries old phasing in and out. The very fabric wavers, and relations shift and obscure. There’s no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact.”
Solaire’swords are now iconic for Dark Souls enthusiasts. Although they are commonly thought of as a way to explain multiplayer in lore terms, they are also fundamentally tied to the nature of the First Flame; the origin point of the series. The quote gives us our first impression on how time affects Lordran, and a clue to the method of storytelling inDark Souls 3, the closing chapter of the series. In order to begin the process of piecing the story together, we need to understand how time, and its spatial relationships, are affecting the current state of the geography in the game. During our progress through these lands we find people, places and events that seem to be decontextualized. Why is Anor Londo hovering above Irithyll? Who is the final boss, and why do we have 3 different versions of Firelink Shrine? All of which leaves us with some important questions to sort. By exploring the space/time distortions in Dark Souls 3 we can clarify how the fading First Flame affects the people, and places, we discover on our journey through the lands surrounding Lothric, while also forming the context for the final conflict of the series.
Then Fire appeared. Out of nothing it caught in the fog, and the disparate chaos of the First Flame suddenly filled the universe with life. The duality of nature has taken root, and with it everything that once was immortal is now subject to the laws of time. After the conflict between the everlasting stone dragons and the Lords of the Flame were resolved, a new age began; the Age of Fire. However, life is a tenuous thing, and so it seems is the First Flame. Bound by its own intrinsic nature, the fire is always fading, and as the fire fades, the ashen fog of eternity seeps back into the universe, creating an unnatural conflict between two states of being: time, and timelessness. What results is a transposition of space/time. Reality warping back in on itself, folding space, and creating havoc with the linear quality of time’s progression.
We need to take a moment to define these two states in conflict, before and after the First Flame. The Age of Fire brought life and the structure of reality. Time, being that which governs space, and ultimately mortality, exists in a linear format. At least that is how we perceive it living in a three dimensional space/time universe. Our reality, our lives, in all their ignominy, exists as points on a line, and we move along that line from child birth to middle age to our quickly approaching end. When we look at the stars, we are not only perceiving a thing vastly far in space, but a thing vastly distant in the past. From here to there it is our fleeting exposure to time travel.
In the age of Ancients, the universe was a four dimensional structure and time was non-linear. If we represent the progression of our lives as a time line, with events being marked as points on that line beginning at one end and ending at the other, then in order to represent four dimensional space/time you would take that line and connect the end with the beginning to form not only a circle, but a sphere. As such, the events of your life would no longer be on that line, but within the sphere; layered on, under, and inside themselves.
This is an important distinction to be made because,as we will see, Lothric has many spatial anomalies, and multiple references to periods of time occupying the same area. The many callbacks to the original Dark Souls, once put into context, also gain appropriate relevance. Not as simple ‘fan service,’ but as both a way to integrate the lore from the previous games and also to exemplify how, with the death of the first flame, space/time has begun to distort and fold back in on itself. It recalls Solaire’s words about heroes phasing in, and out of time.
During the opening cinematic, our narrator tells us of Lothric, “…where the transitory lands of the Lords of Cinder converge.” The different time periods where the Lords of Cinder have linked the Flame are naturally in flux. Anytime the universe becomes destabilized due to the fading flame a Chosen Undead arises to fill the vessel of themselves with Lords Souls; literal cinders of the First Flame. In the ultimate sacrifice they immolate themselves, which sparks the Flame, bringing light, and disparity, to the living. Unfortunately, this is a finite process, and the Flame must be re-linked periodically. The epochs of 4 powerful Souls who once linked the fire are moving towards Lothric. However, the fifth Lord of Cinder, the twin princes of House Lothric, watched the fire fade. Now in an almost grand gesture of course correction, Castle Lothric has become the epicenter for these converging histories.
The idea that the lands which comprise Dark Souls 3 being in movement through time is later reinforced byCornyx the Pyromancer. He repeats the idea from the prologue, “… the lands of the Lords converge upon Lothric. The home ofPyromanciesdrifts comparatively close, as well.” Time is transient, and in flux. That which gives space/time its structure has become increasingly thin, resulting in a conflux of epochs. With the primordial flame in its death throes the nature of reality has deteriorated to a point of impermanence. The idea is further emphasized by theFirekeeper, who repeats almost the same exact line. This repetition by the developers, at the beginning of the game, demands the player to consider the nature of Lothric in relationship to the lands of the Lords of Cinder.
Farron Keepprovides interesting clues into the progressive distortion of space/time and also includes one of the more emotional encounters of the game. As you sludge your way through another Dark Souls poisoned swamp level, you come to a little piece of land against the Keep’s back wall. A family of mushroom people from Lordran’s Darkroot Garden are caught in a state of petrified repose. Large containers, stained from continuous bailing, are scattered about. The scene paints a picture of a failed struggle to rid Darkroot Garden from a vast amount of toxic matter. One would think that a gradual influx of the fetid waters would have been manageable, however, bailing tends to only occur when water rises suddenly through a whole or break. Whatever happened, happened quickly, and not over centuries of disregard.
On the other side of Farron Keep we find evidence of a previous iteration of Darkroot Garden, Oolacile. The raiments of Dusk and an Oolacile scroll reside next to what could be Elizabeth; the matronly mushroom that guided the Chosen Undead through the first Dark Souls DLC. In the DLC we accessed the Abyss through Oolacile, so finding the Abyss Watchers on the other side of Farron Keep’s walled fortification shouldn’t be a surprise. Factoring Oolacile with the mushroom people from Darkroot Garden, the Abyss and the Keep itself, the area becomes a jigsaw puzzle of time iterations, and spatial complications. Farron Keep seems to have been folded into Oolacile, and Darkroot Garden, with the ramifications being the relative proximity of the Abyss causing a fetid swamp. An unfortunate circumstance for the families of mushroom people. The area in general creates a much needed melodrama by giving the destabilization of time and the nature of reality personal consequences for the beings that inhabit this universe.
Further evidence of Lordran’s confluence into Lothric comes later in the game when we discoverAnor Londositting aboveIrithyll. Although Anor Londo seems almost rubber stamped onto its new location, much is missing. Not only in terms of the rest of the city, but gates and buttresses are gone, and the hallways are sealed off. The grounds of the church are frozen. Anor Londo just doesn’t belong here. The whole context is entirely alien. Of course, some of its current state comes fromAldrich’spresence, and simple game design, but the most egregious violation (and praise be the holy sun) is the night sky. Twinkling above the now frozen city, the sky’s presence feels tactile, like a blanket of eternity. You’re placed, almost literally, with your head amongst the stars. Its inclusion above the iconic city gives one the sense that although Anor Londo has been pulled from Dark Souls 1, the city we are experiencing in this game is a different beast. The guts and ephemera, running down the walls and flooding the church, squelch beneath your feet which sets you to rights. This is Aldrich’s home now, and not the sunny gold glory of Lordran.
Considering Aldrich’s moniker of god eater, with his new seat in a city of the gods, the night sky takes on symbolic notes of eternity. Could this area be beyond the Age of Fire? A timeless place of the Gods? Given the religious context ofPontiff Sulyvahnand Anor Londo’s placement, it is a realistic question, especially given FromSoft’s use of skies as lore signifiers. If you have experiencedBloodborne, you know the importance of the sky to understanding the lore for the game. Bloodborne used the sky as a way to mark the progression of the night. This was achieved through notable visual cue’s. Dark Souls 3 uses a similar motif to represent different phases of the fading First Flame. Oddly enough, the first iteration seems to be inArchdragon Peak, which bears a traditional sky with a moon and sun. This familiar firmament is a touch disarming in its normality, however, it’s also what draws your attention, and could lead one to believe this area takes place soon after the fire has been linked.
The next phase comes upon our entrance into Lothric. The sky is pale and withdrawn, as if the very substance of the light has been drained and the world it shines upon faded and thin. After beating your third Lord of Cinder, the sky changes into an apocalyptic nightmare. Blood reds, bruised purples, and burnt oranges color the looming sky, heavy above your head. The First Flame dripping its last vestigial life force into nothingness. By the time you reach theKiln of the First Flame, space itself has become transposed, and the end is nigh. The sky is bruised with purples and blues. Eternity is creeping in and the Age of Man, possible. Finally, at the back of the Consumed Kings Gardens, hidden from prying eyes, you gain access to the Untended Graves. The world here is dark, and the Age of Man has been fully embraced. The Fire has been usurped, andChampion Gundyrguards this new epoch. Regardless, if this was FromSoft’s intentions, the idea is compelling and a notable story telling method. Using the sky as a dramatic device works well for this kind of narrative because it’s a constant reminder of what’s at stake.
The world we find in Dark Firelink is stark, and lonely, and even the lone Handmaiden warns us that we can lose ourselves in this darkness. The game is showing us the real consequences of not linking the fire, making our end game choices that much more tangible. Ludleth, after acquiring the Eyes of the Fire Keeper, says, “The eyes show a world destitute of fire, a barren plane of endless darkness…” and later, “Ahh. Found her, did we? And the black eyes that shimmer within, I see? Tis as if it were but yesterday. We did all we could to spare her from them. Much has happened since. Mayhap I should apprise thee… Of what the thin light of these eyes might reveal to the eyeless Firekeeper. Scenes of betrayal, things never intended for her ken, visions of… this age’s end…” Both pieces of dialogue seem to refer to events from ages past, and ages future. ‘Now’ has become a tenuous place to be. Very little of the game actually seems to take place in any current time frame. Instead, Firelink Shrine is not only acting as a HUB for game mechanics, but as a HUB for the confluence of space/time. As the epochs of the differing Lords Of Cinder move towards Lothric Castle our Firlink is attached to it by means of a spatial bent. A crude analogy would by a cosmic black hole. Lothric Castle would be the singularity, the lands of the Lords of Cinder would constitute an event horizon, while Firelink, and its different iterations, would make up the particle jet. Over many different linkings, the Shrines become refuse once they have served their purpose and could be why we see the ruined Firelink at the end of the game.
The important thing to note is Firelink not only transports us to various areas of the game but becomes a means to transport to different Ages of Champions. We see three iterations of Firelink Shrine in Dark Souls 3. One dark in the past, one bright in the centre, and one broken for a new beginning at times end. Firelink Shrine isn’t physically connected to the world; temporally, yes, but it takes a space/time shift in the back of Lothric castle to access an Age past. Firelink Shrine, unlike many of Dark Souls 3’s destinations, is not viewable from any one place in the world, and other than Lothric, we don’t see any one place from Firelink. This was not an oversight. The fact that you can see only Lothric from the Shrine underscores its importance to the game’s narrative structure.
In each world, events need to be coalesced, and Lords brought to bear for their responsibilities as a Lord of Cinder. The cursed twin princes were supposed to be this Ages champions, but they forsook their holy duty, thus the castle as a convergence point, and it’s serving as an epicenter for a culmination of events. Later in the game we see Butterfly Pilgrims making their way towards Castle Lothric, floating through the forest fire orange sky. An apocalyptic vision of end times. The dark sign/First Flame hovering like a great planetary body, a magnificent father, and an omen of finality. All the while, the Pilgrims are swimming gracefully to a point somewhere above the cursed brothers, Lorian and Lothric’s bed-chamber.
A core concept of the game tied metaphorically to time distortion isSoul Transposition. We find aTransposing Kiln, then deliver it toLudlethearly in the game. There are a few subtle differences in the meaning of transposition, but the basic definition is to transport, rearrange, invert, and/or transfer. All of these meanings figure in, one way or another to what the item does. However, it also works as a meta symbol for the games narrative structure, and ultimately it defines the end game conflict. This is most evident after being transported to the Kiln of the First Flame. Here we are confronted by a jarring image; Lothric has become a giant fucked up Jenga game, and someone just lost. Pieces of the city have been rearranged in a seemingly chaotic and misplaced order. Turrets, churches, and bridges erupt from the hillside randomly, and without a logical structure. The confluence of time has reached an epicenter, the First Flame is almost extinguished, and the flame has faded to such an extreme that space/time itself has lost its mathematical order. This is the logical end to the destabilization of time.
The final boss, waiting for us in the middle of the Kiln, mirrors this same coalition. He has become transposed from all those that have linked the flame throughout the ages. It’s almost as if the entire Dark Souls universe has been filtered through a funnel into this particular place and time. During the second half of the boss fight, we have come full circle to where the series started, when Gwyn, the original linker of the flame, takes over the fight. Upon our victory, now truly the Champion of Ash, the one and only Lord of Cinder, we have a final choice to make. Do we recreate the First Flame and start the whole chain of linking from the beginning or do we embrace the darkness and introduce the Age of Man?
Whether one believes a time convergence to be the major cause of the geographical anomalies and the final state of the lands around Lothric, it’s difficult not to take the idea of confluence and transposition into account for how the game operates and creates conflict. My goal in writing this essay is to contribute on a topic that is already being discussed, and one that seems to have merit. My hopes are I offered an idea or two which helps clarify the lore or, at least, gives someone an inspiration to further explore. Time distortions have been brought up in reference to how Dark Souls works since the original game came out, and yes, it has been looked at as the easy answer for the unexplained or unsolvable. However, whileDark Souls 1gave us a meager inference without much corroboration, andDark Souls 2expanded on the idea with a few more debatable references, the final game of the series lays it bare from the opening cut scene. In the end, it’s all about the journey and without fire, there is no ash.
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Neoloki
I make lore-ish videos on YouTube for Bloodborne and Dark Souls. Dabble as a word cobbler. Other than that, just an old man hiding from an interesting life.
YouTube: https://t.co/7LlFlUIJLH
So shy.
Thanks everyone for all the great comments. I am more than a little surprised at the positive reaction the article has gotten. Since I’ve written this a number of different ideas have accord to me that seem egregious in being left out. I am working on a couple videos, right now. One being a Siegward movie, and the other will be a more abstract piece on the oddities of the game. Hopefully after, I can revisit some of these ideas that have relevance to the theme of the article.
I want to address a couple things brought up in the comments:
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My intentions in writing this article weren’t to offer some profound insight into the game, but give an overview of how Dark Souls 3 is framing its world and lore. Many of these ideas have been talked about before and by more eloquent people than me. It seemed appropriate, however, given the lore was just beginning to be parsed, to offer a summary.
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I wavered on the jenga game sentence for quite a while. I actually was going to take it out because it didn’t really fit into the tone of the article, it was amusing at the time I wrote it, then in the course of editing it was forgotten.
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My time analogy of a straight line and a sphere was the best I could come up with, without just copying someone else, to describe, in visual terms, the difference between three dimensional space and four dimensional space, and how time functions differently in each. In general, 3D time is linear and 4D time happens all at once, with no beginning and end.
Thanks again for all the great comments, and please leave anything you think of if you have just read the essay. I really enjoy reading peoples thoughts.
Cheers!
That is a very good lore post.
Here’s a remark though.You say the primeval form of time is a sphere and new time is linear.I have only enjoyed so much mathematical education but I believe the following holds true:Line –> Circle: This would make time cyclical, after a certain period it simply repeats itself.
Line –> Circle-shaped plane: If this happened than time would waver out into an infinite number of possibilities. These may be parallel, they may cross and they can even form bizarre squiggly lines that connect with various other timelines. Time however is not cyclical but linear. At least in most cases, it is possible for a line to form a circle within the plane. This would recreate the above situation.
Line: –> Hollow Sphere: You end up with a world similar to the above one. Time is a 2-dimensional plane but it’s curved and reconnects with itself. There are an infinite number of possible timelines but there are constrictions if the sphere is in some way finite in size. If it’s a small finite sphere then there may be only a select number of possible events, spread out over its surface. Inevitably any timeline must relive specific events but some timelines are longer than others. A short timeline passes through a select number of events and reconnects to it’s beginning. The longest possible timeline will pass through all possible events but is inevitably forced to relive events if it is continue.
Line –> Full Sphere: The same thing as above there are simply more possibilities and one extra dimension.
The point to all this theory is that “sphere shaped time” in no way opposes linear time. It just creates more timelines. There are actually more possibilities, more “life” in sphere shaped time than there is in the linear time of Fire.
One of the complaints I have about the lore is that it seems more focussed on twisting and convoluting time than it is on providing time with actual content or novelty. On the whole it feels like a lot of stuff “just happens”. This diminishes the Linking of Fire to forcing a mostly random (and mostly horrible) series of events to repeat itself over and over again. It makes on feel lost.
What a great read !! You, sir, have a new sub to your channel
Fun little read. I don’t think it delves much into anything new, but it’s a nice way for newcomers to get their bearings on what’s going on in this universe. I do appreciate the likening of Lothric to a singularity, that helps a lot with perspective.
I’m not feeling the profanity towards the end, it feels crass and doesn’t add impact. I mean, it’s not really a ‘fucked’ up Jenga game, that’s how every Jenga game ends. If it were my article, I’d edit it out, but otherwise this is well written.
Seemed like a pretty straightforward analysis.
As I’ve been saying since DS2 DLC, time distortion is just as important to understanding the world as Flame/Dark, as it is a direct result of the fluxing forces, and becomes more convoluted with every linking of the flame.
I’m falling asleep reading this piece.
It’s not because of the piece. The quality of its’ eloquence is second only to its’ content. Today wiped me pretty god damn hard. I’m gonna devour this after a nap.—-
Welp, that was a fucking masterpiece. This is by far the best interpretation towards Lothric having not properly linked the flame, and the ramifications of that choice in a manner that heavily, and deeply affects the wide range of the world.
very nice piece. i like your take on black holes compared to my thoughts on a total solar eclipse. hope to see more works by you
Really interesting and well conceived approach to the space-time topic. I appreciate the allegory to the singularity of black holes.
I disagree with some of your conclusions and such, but it was definitely well written. Refreshing to see something like that on the internet sometimes
Really well written. The only real critic I can make is that you completely forgot to mention the Usurpation.
Such a great read, mate. Really enjoyed this journey through ideas. Best dark souls 3 read yet.
That was really interesting, thanks.
Thank you, it makes all the work worth it hearing those compliments.
This is the best Dark Souls read I’ve ever come across. The interpretation is amazing.
Really interesting read! Thanks for sharing!
