Board Thread:Dark Souls II/@comment-46.64.182.203-20140312230146/@comment-24734681-20140924074846

Ok here's my take on this. The Ornstein fought in lord ran and drangleic are both the same being, except the one in Drangleic is merely a hollowed version of Ornstein. You all seem to forget that even the lords of Lordran can hollow as well as humans, so what is there to say that Gwyns 4 Knights couldn't hollow as well. The curse of undeath is a cycle, you die and you lose your soul(s) and begin to lose your sanity. The Ornstein in Lordran drops is soul when killed after Smough, whereas his soul is absorbed by Smough if killed first. This means that possibly after the chosen undead leaves Anor Londo, Ornstein could possibly have returned as a hollowed version of himself, no memory of his past or who he was before his death. He would've then possibly set out on his own journey, only to end up in Drangleic, or the land that it was previously known as. Fast forward to Drangleic when Vendrick is the ruler after the war with the Giants. Drangleic was a kingdom well known for its dragonrider Knights, Ornstein being a Dragonslayer, may have by this time began to regain his memory, through effigy or humanity or othermeans it is unknown. But imagine being in his perspective, remembering his title and prowess of Dragonslayer only to find yourself in a kingdom that tames and rides dragons, I think Ornstein will have started doing what he does best, killing dragon mounts before being taken to Vendrick and Nashandra. This is where I go off on pure speculation but I think that Ornstein may not have remembered his name but his title. Nashandra being a fragment of Manus, may have remembered Ornstein from Oolacile, but seeing him in this state may work to her favour, she pardons Ornstein, now known as the old Dragonslayer, but through unknown uses, possibly Aldia, removes the Lightning powers Ornstein had, and reinvigorating him with the Abyss' dark magic. The King sent Ornstein to Heide, which bore striking resemblance to Anor Londo, bringing back more of Ornsteins memories, thinking he is in Anor Londo he goes to the Cathedral in Heide, standing gaurd there to protect "Gwynevere" only allowing Blades of the Darkmoon, or the Blue sentinels passage. After Drangleics fall, Ornstein still guards the cathedral, having now regained his soul and ring, but like the old Knights outside his armour is worn and aged throughout the years, it's once golden shine now a dull silver. When we traverse Drangleic and arrive in Heide, which has now been consumed by the sea. We encounter Ornstein in the cathedral, only this time no Smough is there to aid him, and once again he is slain.

Now this is where I go into Demons Souls lore here, when you die you become a soul form (Hollow), die in soul form and you become a red phantom (A being in full hollowed state) only acting on instinct and raw power to reclaim what is lost. I'm not saying Ornstein will return, maybe he's fully hollowed and left Drangleic or not. But he isn't dead, the curse sees to that and the cycle will continue again.