Upon reaching the throne, you don't find a majestic ruler. You find Vendrick hollowed, mindless, and wandering in a dark crypt. He stole something from the Giants to find a way to transcend the Light and Dark, but only succeeded in bringing ruin to his people.
You must defeat the four Old Ones—beings possessed by ancient, reincarnated souls—to gain access to Dranlgeic Castle . Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
In this version of the story, you aren't forced to simply sit on the . After defeating Nashandra (a fragment of Manus seeking the flame), you have the choice to walk away . Guided by Aldia’s philosophy, you abandon the cycle entirely, seeking a third way to exist—neither as a slave to the light nor a creature of the dark. Upon reaching the throne, you don't find a majestic ruler
Throughout your journey, a grotesque, fiery entity known as Aldia (the Scholar) appears at bonfires. He challenges your motives, mocking the "First Sin" (Gwyn’s shackling of humanity to the Flame) and urging you to find a path beyond the binary of "Link the Fire" or "Let it Die." The New Ending You must defeat the four Old Ones—beings possessed