Lore Predictions for Duskbloods

Duskbloods will likely make me pay hundreds of dollars for a piece of plastic which I otherwise would never be interested in. There, I've said it... I admit I am especially happy since it will feature PvP as a core mechanic - I've been an active invader in the Dark Souls games since nearly a decade, and Elden Ring pretty much abandoned the mechanic, which was quite upsetting lol.

As of today, we've only gotten one trailer, and one interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki (who's directing the game). However, many relevant details relating to esoteric themes and motifs common to other From Software titles can already be identified. In this post, I will provide my humble predictions for the game's story based on such details.

The game will be about superhuman vampire-like beings fighting for something called the First Blood.

''The game’s protagonists, or characters controlled by the player, are known as “Bloodsworn.” The Bloodsworn are a group whose members have achieved super-human abilities through the power of special blood. As a general concept, they’re similar to vampires (...)''

Could this First Blood be the blood of a primordial man? Of an alchemical magnum opus, a Rebis? Of men's god-like progenitor, like Adam before the fall?

And could the Bloodsworn be characters who've sworn to drink blood, as in, they've become part of some sort of order? Which may include an initiation ritual in which they swear their allegiance to it, and are ordained into it? Perhaps a king, a god-emperor or something may be behind this system; the ruling class being composed of vampires.

Esoterically, souls flow through one's blood, meaning a vampire is someone who drinks the souls of others through their blood to absorb their vitality and powers, their essence. In the context of a magical world like Duskbloods, the vampires are likely able to transpose the skills of the people whose blood they've drank for themselves. This is how the protagonists, the Bloodsworn, acquire their powers - that is, besides the ones they've developed by themselves. For instance, there's even a character that can transform into a dinosaur, meaning he likely consumed the blood of that creature (which was likely achieved through scientific experimentation, through alchemy).

There's one character who looks like a Jiangshi, a Chinese vampire. Perhaps she was reanimated through blood transfusion.

There's one character who seems to have been a prisoner who broke free from his cell; perhaps he was your typical serial killer vampire, your typical Greedy Undead, a man who hungered for souls and turned against his fellow men our of drunkenness. Perhaps a lowborn who wasn't part of the vampire order, an outsider of sorts. Or simply one who went too far, and/or targeted fellow members of royalty. He certainly looks a bit loony.

''I pray that you are able, carrier of blood.''

Indeed, by drinking one's blood, the Bloodsworn inherits one's legacy. It's possible, even, that something similar to the process detailed in Dark Souls occurs - that the inherited souls shape the man who absorbed them, twisting his personality or even physical form as a result.

There may be certain characters who are evil; who drink the blood of their fellow men by unsavory means; and others who've achieved their Bloodsworn status through morally good means, such as by drinking the blood of those willing to pass on their souls to them so they can carry out their will; others who've drank the blood of their enemies (like the Aztecs, who believed that by drinking the blood of powerful warriors, by eating their hearts, they could inherit their vigor); and even some who've become Bloodsworn through less personal means, such as through scientific research, as speculated above.

Perhaps our enemies will be men who were corrupted by vampirism; many of them sinners, the protagonist being like the Chosen Undead, who is sent on a quest to punish transgressors by Velka. Lesser enemies may be akin to hollows, men who had their blood drained, and so, hunger for life (their blood possibly darkened for this reason, as seen in the game's trailer). Some bosses may be manifestations of Outer Gods and alien creatures. Perhaps the final boss will be the ruler of this decaying empire, who's been twisted by the blood he drank - and by inheriting his blood, we'll get legitimacy to rule after him. Or perhaps it will be a Soul of Cinder type character.

A certain event, called the ''Twilight of Humanity'', is a central plot point of Duskbloods. The twilight is the period after sunset and before sunrise, when the world has become partially illuminated by the sun. The period before the dawn.

''In The Duskbloods, the Bloodsworn are competing for something known as “First Blood.” As human society reaches an end, First Blood flows in an event known as the “Twilight of Humanity.” The Bloodsworn are summoned to the Twilight of Humanity across a variety of different times and places in a bid to obtain First Blood.''

This twilight period is equated with the end of human civilization. Of course, this is very similar to the plot of Dark Souls, in which the time of day - called the 'Age of Fire' in that series - is equated with humanity's rule of the overworld, with the heyday of human civilization, while the night is equated with the Dragons taking over, and mankind having to live in confinement, within the underworld.

In this scene, we see a glass panel which portrays a Blood Moon - an eclipse, a highly symbolic astronomical event that, in fiction, often signals the coming of the Antichrist - and a man seems to be inheriting its power. Below it is a giant basin. Is some kind of special blood there? Either way, this piece of art is definitely a lore-defining moment - that man may have been the ruler, the king of the previous era, and the Blood Moon may be tied to an Outer God of sorts. An Outer God that may have provided mankind with the means to transpose souls through blood, perhaps? Or, at least, instigated it? Could this glass be depicting the origin story of this empire? Could this be the First Blood that was bestowed upon men at the dawn of this fading era? Could it have granted them the power to rule over their kin?

It's possible that the First Blood will dictate who gets to rule, or decide how this new epoch will be; who gets to become the archetypal Antichrist, or Christ, should they sacrifice themselves for the greater good, or etc. It is a rather safe bet to assume that at least some of the protagonists will have the choice of fulfilling the archetypal role of Christ or Antichrist, for that happens in every From Software title. Some will certainly wish to destroy the world; others may wish to save it - to keep it as it is -, others may wish to reshape it, perhaps abolishing vampirism entirely. Indeed, the game's name, Duskbloods, seems to hint at a new dawn that will be brought by the Bloodsworns.

We can be sure that this Outer God which granted men immortality is not selfless in his motive. It is (or they are), most definitely, a demiurgic figure; and the men who achieve immortality nurture it somehow.

''I give you my blood... I give you my life. Turn a wheel... and transport him to a night of moonlight. To humanity's very dusk.''

It seems that the game's main protagonist has inherited the will of a lady through her self-sacrifice. This lady wears a red dress, and asks of the man to ''transport him to a night of moonlight''. Could she be referring to her child? Perhaps, to her unborn child? And could her wish be that her heir gets to see this new age, and rule it - or that this man inherits the right to rule from her blood, from the blood of her unborn child, effectively becoming her legitimate heir? Is this woman a princess of sorts? A queen?

The man's hand is scarred with the Samsara; and the woman tells him to ''turn a wheel''. Could she be asking him to break a cycle of stagnation? When I first thought of this scene, the Curse of Undead from Dark Souls came to mind. The Undead are granted a twisted form of immortal life; instead of dying and having their souls be reincarnated, as would happen naturally, they gradually lose themselves, their minds, their memories, until nothing is left but a hollow husk - their souls having been transported to the sun as fuel. The Undead Curse is based on the prophecy of the Book of Revelation 9:6:

''During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.''

It is uncertain if ''turning the wheel'' is synonymous with ''breaking it'', as in, overcoming this stagnation; it may simply mean a reset.

Could the vampires be seeking to get rid of their tainted immortality? Some among them likely get addicted to blood, and thus, it is a matter of time until they turn to violence. It may be that this society has become depraved, with powerful, high-ranking vampires attacking, or perhaps systemically oppressing the common men, draining their lives for themselves. Perhaps some among them wish to break this chain.

And this is it for this post. Thank you for your continued support! I truly appreciate it. The next video will be about Ludleth; the script is nearly finished, though it will take a little while since I've got to record new footage for it.