Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-24459775-20140315020817/@comment-114.77.245.220-20140507040915

A little input on myself. As far as I know, the curse of undeath is created purely due to the flame lingering in twilight (as in, its dying). Either rekindling the flame or letting it die would end the curse. However, since the flame inevitably dies out yet again, the lands have been going into a cycle - Fire, embers (undead are born), someone rekindles the flame, another age of fire. Also given that everyone you talk to in DS2 are explicitedly from distant kingdoms, you can also conclude that this effects the whole world of Dark Souls 2.

Now, as for where Drangleic is... I think its quite clear. Its literally on top of the Kiln of the First Flame. At least, that's what my impression of the throne of want is - that its where the first flame is kindled and where the bonfires link to. Now, if Lodrain was on top of the Kiln of the First Flame or not is something else, as the only way you got to the Kiln in DS1 was by one of the serpents taking you there (curiously, through a dark abyss, which you travel through in the opening cinemac...). As for all the items indicating what is foreign or from this land or that, its quite possible after many, many cycles of fire and twilight (as its hinted at), those items/cultures and what not could have migrated to different areas.

As for the cyles, I think its something like this. Twilight (the Eternal Age with the Everlasting Dragons), The Age of Fire (somehow, light is born which creates duality, fire and darkness, presumably I think both the fire AND abyss were created at that time). Then the events of Dark Souls 1 as the fire fades for the first time, leading to the unknown amounts of rekindling by undead as it fades time and time again, all to prolong the age of fire. Presumably, if the Age of Darkness ever comes about and the fire is fully snuffed out, the cycle will end (maybe) and something new would come instead of endless repitition. (Its not clear if the Fire could spontaneously appear in the Abyss, as it did during the Twilight).