Dying of the Fire
The strength of the first flame flickered and waned, and so too did the Souls of the Four Lords. Terrified of returning to the dark, the Lords attempted to kindle the first flame.
Desperate, the Witch of Izalith and her Daughters of Chaos attempted to recreate the first flame with powerful sorcery. But the spell backfired and corrupted the Witch and her daughters. The Witch of Izalith, transformed by the spell, became the Bed of Chaos.
In an attempt to aid the burning city of Izalith, Gwyn sent his army to relieve the ancient city, but it soon became clear that Izalith was lost. Upon their return, Gwyn’s mens’ armor were charred black – a stark reminder of their failure and an ill-omen of bad tidings yet to come.
Seeing no chance at hope, Gwyn divided his power among his children and left Anor Londo to journey to the Kiln of the First Flame, located at the heart of Lordran. There, Gwyn kindled the first flame by linking it directly to his very own soul, feeding the flame and keeping it alive.
But by defying the dying flame, Gwyn unknowingly unleashed the Undead Curse. The Curse takes shape in a human in the form of the Dark Sign, and it steadily decays the body, and upon death, the human is doomed to be reborn at a bonfire destined to roam the land without the reprieve of death. Over time, the undead begin to hollow, giving up humanity for savagery and animal instinct.
Villainized by what little humanity was left in the world, those cursed with the Dark Sign are sentenced to live out the rest of their lives in the Asylum, where they must die and be reborn until the end of the world.
