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// The Roundtable Hold 
// Story: Elden Ring: The Deaths of Tirek 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
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Tirek found that he appeared in a large circular chamber that looked like something that was taken out of a castle or even a keep of some kind, after accepting Melina's offer to move out of the corrupted area he had been teleported to, and the first thing he did was take a look at the new area. He instantly found out why this place was called the 'Roundtable' Hold, due to the large round table that was sitting right in the middle of the chamber, with what appeared to be eight chairs around it and a number of weapons stabbed diagonally into it's center, with a large floating Grace above it. After that he discovered that there were four paths that one could take, one seemed to lead up to a large metal door that was no doubt locked, the one across from that connected to a balcony, another seemed to go to what seemed to be a library, and the last went to what he assumed was a smithy, based on the hammering noises. In addition to all of that he discovered something interesting, he was compelled not to do violence in this area, as if the force that ruled over the Grace locations was ensuring that this was a safe spot for the Tarnished.

As he thought about that he found several figures were already in the area he had appeared in, one was what appeared to be an elderly man, he was hunched over a little and used a staff as a cane, another wore rages and a wheel around his neck, a man in black regal armor with a red trim, and a figure sitting at a chair who wore a set of armor that was gold and silver intertwined together.

"Oh, this is a rare occasion... I can't remember the last time a Tarnished actually made their way to the Roundtable Hold." the elderly figure said, where Tirek noticed that he was wearing what appeared to be some sort of robe, likely due to him being a mage or sorcerer of some kind, though the other members of the area said nothing, either lost in their thoughts or simply waiting for him to approach them first, "Very well... as your senior, I bid you welcome to this safe place... you may let down your guard. However, a word of warning: you are a mere house guest, yet to earn your keep, and most of us will not offer any aid until you prove yourself."

"And here I thought this was a gathering place of champions, to gather knowledge and resources to accomplish each and every one of their goals." Tirek remarked, because he had been expecting to discover something here that might help him with his quest to gain power and make it so he could take down some of the other powerful monsters he had found since arriving in this world, all while he noted that the others simply shifted their heads a little while staying still, "Not an area governed by a tyrant who is willing to belittle any newcomers who manage to find their way here, making them feel like they don't belong and never come back since they don't meet your 'expectations'."

"Oh, are you aggrieved by the notion you are but a visitant here?" the figure inquired, almost as if he didn't care about his remarks or found them to be hilarious, even though he didn't laugh or even chuckle in his face, meaning he was focused on business and nothing else, "Then you would do well to remember the first words that Grace gave you when you were raised into your new life: 'Stand before the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord'. If those words hold any meaning to you, as they hold meaning to all Tarnished who have passed through these halls, you must follow the guidance of Grace, lay low the Shardbearers, and claim for yourself a Great Rune. Do so and the doors to the Roundtable's inner chamber will open, where you will receive the wisdom of the Two Fingers... once you have done all that, well, I shall give you a proper welcome to the Roundtable and welcome you as a true member of our order. Believe it or not, but I do have high hopes for each and every Tarnished I encounter..."

"So traverse the land, kill a Demigod, take their Great Rune, and then come back... I got it." Tirek said, as he figured that it wasn't worth him wasting time arguing with the figure, who wasn't even going to give him his name until he succeeded in beating one of the targets that was on his list, even though said list only had one target right now, "Well, I'm going to just explore for a few moments before getting back to the quest."

The elderly figure said nothing as he walked down the hallway and headed into what appeared to be his private study, as the door closed behind him and Tirek found a guy in skeletal armor standing outside it, like a guard or something, where he sighed and focused on the other figures that were in the chamber.

"Friend, I've never seen anyone challenge Sir Gideon like that." the man with the wheel around his neck said, meaning he could likely see through the blindfold he was wearing over his head, or a cloth that covered both the top of his head and the eye area, making him wonder about his particular fashion for a moment, "It makes things refreshing... oh, where are my manners? I am Brother Corhyn, a man of the cloth, and I teach incantations, one of the strengths given to us by the Two Fingers, while researching the secrets of the Golden Order... it is so that one day, if any of the Tarnished are able to become the next Elden Lord, I might be able to become a councilor to them and help them rule over men."

"Got it, you're seeking the secrets of the world, or looking for someone whose doing that." Tirek stated, informing him that he knew part of what Corhyn was doing right now, meaning he had to be waiting for some information to come in before departing for wherever the target of his quest happened to be.

"Say, you can still see the guidance of Grace, right?" Corhyn inquired, causing Tirek to raise an eyebrow for a moment, as he had figured that all Tarnished could see the golden light and it came as a surprise that some might not be able to see it at all, as if they were revived to be simple merchants or something, though he nodded his head to confirm that he could, in fact, see the golden Grace, "You do! That is most wonderful news... most Tarnished are blind to it these days, meaning
you are something of a rare breed. Well, now that we've established that, maybe you would like to learn an incantation of the Two Fingers?"

For the time being Tirek said he'd think about it, in fact he wasn't sure he had the material needed to cast the spells that Corhyn was selling, as he walked over to the gothic warrior that was standing near the few steps leading up to a balcony, who seemed to emerge from his thoughts as he approached.

"Ah, hello, you must be new to the Roundtable. I am... well, just call me Diallos." the warrior stated, where Tirek figured that whatever was on his mind was best left alone, something he shouldn't be roped into since it would only lead to him wasting his time no doubt, though before he could say anything the man sighed, "I'd tell you my house's name, and of the honor that such a name brings, but such a thing is worthless in the Lands Between. Tell me, have you seen a lady called Lanya during your travels of the lands?"

Tirek informed him that he hadn't encountered such a person, likely a servant of some kind, before leaving Diallos to his thoughts, as he had to be retracing his steps to track down the missing figure, before he turned to the other figure that was in the chamber with him. The gold and silver warrior told him that his name was 'D', making him wonder why he went with a single initial and not something other than his actual name, as in giving a fake name to those he encountered, and that he hunted those who 'lived in death', whatever that meant. He didn't seem to have any useful information for him, or at least for the time being, to which Tirek headed down the path that Gideon went down, confirming that he had gone into a study of some kind and that his guard said nothing as they stared at each other. He suspected the figure might become a problem in the future, as it seemed like Gideon was definitely planning on becoming the Elden Lord and he didn't want any competition, but for how he decided to play nice, at least until the figure left the Hold.

In addition to that he found a statue that resembled two elderly ladies sitting down, who seemed to be a merchant that could be interacted with, a lady in a black robe who sat in what appeared to be the only bedroom in this place, and, unless his eyes were deceiving him, a figure who looked like a Demi-Human.

"You're a new face... no matter, it's all the same." the figure stated, where he found that there were a number of small differences between him and the race that Tirek thought he might be, with the clawed feet, furred arms, the claws on his hands, and a few other features that weren't connected to the race he had encountered earlier, "Lay out your arms. Let's get smithing."

"I'm sorry... what are you exactly?" Tirek asked, as this was likely the first time he was meeting someone of his kind and it had shocked him a little, though it also made him wonder if this was what Varre might have been talking about when he mentioned his hooves and appearance.

"I am a Misbegotten, born of a punishment for making contact with the Crucible... the primordial form of the Erdtree, to put it in simple terms." the figure replied, almost as if he didn't care or had fully embraced that part of his life, though at the same time he continued to hit the anvil in front of him with a large hammer, confirming the fact that he was a smith of some kind, before he noticed that he was chained to this place, "My name is Hewg, in case you wanted to know. I can also see that you've noticed the chains... they're nothing special... I am a prisoner here, in the Hold, and these are my chains. I am condemned to reside here, in an undying state, smithing and improving weapons for you fools. That's really all there is to it."

"A prisoner? You mean to tell me the Tarnished do that?" Tirek inquired, though if that was the case it made him happy, as it made them eviler in his mind and he might go out and chain some useful individuals to benefit all of them, where Hewg stopped for a moment and shook his head, meaning he misunderstood something.

"No, the Tarnished don't enslave others... some might be the most vile sort, some might be cowardly, and others might do this for glory, but they don't do that." Hewg stated, though his tone informed Tirek that there was a chance that if some of the other members of his new kind did such a thing to the races of this land, to fulfill their dark purposes, he had no idea and wanted things to stay the way they were, in terms of what he knew, "Also, don't read too much into the chains... I have no grudge against you. My being a prisoner here is no fault of yours... besides, I don't mind the work I do...despite my differences, well, the weapons get stronger all the same. Given the amount of time I've been here, and the work I've done, my technique has never failed... besides, it helps me forget the terror I experienced in the past..."

Tirek raised an eyebrow as he left Hewg to his work, hammering away at someone's weapon, before turning to the last of the people he had seen, the black robed lady who called herself Fia, the 'Deathbed Companion', causing him to wish her well as he focused on other things, as he'd come back to her later. Right now the Roundtable Hold was nothing more than a safe haven for him to rest in, if he needed to escape the dangers of the actual world, despite the fact that, for the time being, he didn't have much to acquire from the others. In time he was sure that he might buy something from Corhyn or one of the others, since there was a chance that someone else might offer some sort of services, but that time wasn't now and he wasn't sure when it would be, so he focused on where to go next. He didn't want to return to the corrupted land he had been teleported to, so his only option was to return to Limgrave and hunt for more powerful creatures to slay as he accumulated strength and power for whatever the future held for him.

With that in mind he pulled out his map, finding a circle had been added to the bottom left corner to make the haven he had discovered, before Tirek focused on the ruined church and decided to start there for the time being, as there was more of the lake to explore and he was sure he would find something sooner or later.