[DS2 Lore Talk] The Old Iron King and his Iron Dragon

[SilverKnight]

If anyone here was fond of reading itme descriptions of every item they picked up, I'm sure they have read the description from the Tower Key from the Iron King DLC.

The key mentioned that the Old Iron King once tried to create a Dragon with the iron he has. Thing is we never get to see this dragon... Or did we?

This idea crossed my mind in a while back thinking "Okay, so the Iron King was killed and somehow managed to transform into a colossal fire monster that looked like the Balrog from LOTR"

What if the Old Iron King boss that we faced in the Iron Keep is that Dragon?

It has the characteristics that make a dragon. From its wings, to the growls and roars it makes which is similar to what the Guardian Dragon makes. It also uses fire based attacks.

The lore behind this could be mere speculation. The game suggests that the Smelter Demon killed the king, but it is possible that this dragon killed him instead and used his souls as a vessel.

Any thoughts about this?

[Bird of Few Birds]

I didn't know Dragons had such amazing abs.

[Uottafac]

Originally posted by super scare:

I didn't know Dragons had such amazing abs.

LEL.

Still that wasn't a dragon, but a demon.

[SilverKnight]

Originally posted by super scare:

I didn't know Dragons had such amazing abs.

It is artificial and "crafted".

Or a way for the Iron King to create a power figure similar to Eygil's idol.

Originally posted by Phantom:

LEL.

Still that wasn't a dragon, but a demon.

We'll probably not know for sure. Sometimes DS2 isn't clear on origin stories.

[Justinyl]

He probably fused with his so called dragon creation

[ShinkuTear]

"Key that opens the door to Brume Tower. Long ago, the tower used to produce a seemingly endless supply of iron. The King used it to create iron soldiers and an iron castle. Legend has it he even tried his hand at forging a dragon out of iron." Tower Key.

"Great hammer forged from the soul of the Old Iron King. The tip is formed of molten rock. The corpse of the Old Iron King became the vessel that bred Ichorous Earth. The heavy rock tip is formed of cooled magma, with a still-smoldering core. Strong attack releases its inner power." Iron King Hammer.

"An ultra greatsword forged from the soul of the Smelter Demon. Its blade bears the strength of terrible flames, a latent power unleashed by a strong attack. The earth spouted fire, and a beast arose from the flames. The short-sighted king was incinerated by the creature in one swing, and his castle devoured in a sea of flames." Smelter Sword.

"Ultra greatsword crafted from the soul of the smelter demon. It's blade is imbued with a great flame. Use the strong attack to unleash its latent power. When the old king acquired the power to grant life to heaps of iron he molded a great array of metallic automatons. The iron monstrosity itself was perhaps one of the king's puppets." Aged Smelter Sword.

"Soul of the Old Iron King, who succumbed to the flames that swallowed his castle. The Iron King's flesh was charred, and his soul possessed by the things that lurk below. Use the special soul of the Old King to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth." Old Iron King Soul.

"Soul of the Smelter Demon, that haunts the castle that sunk into a pool of iron.
The Old Iron King's life was taken by a mass of iron that had been given a soul. Was this metal goliath there from the beginning, or was it a product of the king's conceit?
Use the special soul of the Smelter Demon to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth." Smelter Demon Soul.

My guess based off of these descriptions. The Iron King tried to make a Dragon out of Iron. In his attempts, he created the Smelter Demons. At some point, something decided to throw the entire castle into a sea of lava, struck the king dead, possessed his soul, and transformed his body into what we fight.

The 'thing' might have possessed the Iron Dragon that OIK was making in order to deal the deathblow, and fused it with OIK to make the boss.

[SilverKnight]

Originally posted by ShinkuTear:

My guess based off of these descriptions. The Iron King tried to make a Dragon out of Iron. In his attempts, he created the Smelter Demons. At some point, something decided to throw the entire castle into a sea of lava, struck the king dead, possessed his soul, and transformed his body into what we fight.

The 'thing' might have possessed the Iron Dragon that OIK was making in order to deal the deathblow, and fused it with OIK to make the boss.

It could be possible that the Iron Dragon is partly responsible for the sinking of the Iron Keep too.

Also possible that the Iron King used the Old King Soul to give the dragon life

[Hunubul]

Well it's great people still think about things like this. And I found nothing against it. As he probably didn't succeed in making a dragon, his vessen could be a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up beta version. The OIK could have used the OK soul, or maybe the OK soul found and made the OIK and the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up beta-dragon his own.

[Urizen]

what about the things that lurk below? shaloquoir refers to the same thing when she talks of the OIK

[SilverKnight]

Originally posted by RustNick29:

what about the things that lurk below? shaloquoir refers to the same thing when she talks of the OIK

Shaloquir could be referring to what lurks beneath the lava.

Or the Old King Soul.

Or perhaps something we can't get a clear description of.

Originally posted by Ponion:

Well it's great people still think about things like this. And I found nothing against it. As he probably didn't succeed in making a dragon, his vessen could be a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up beta version. The OIK could have used the OK soul, or maybe the OK soul found and made the OIK and the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up beta-dragon his own.

I just liked DS lore. Tales about rise and fall always interest me.

It could be any of the two scenarios. Though I personally believe the Old King Soul was used to give life to the Iron Dragon and it consumed the Old Iron King. Item descriptions did mention he was struck down and killed by something. Then said he was swalloed by the flames.

[Urizen]

after he was swallowed by the flames he went deep beneath th earth, where he met something/one which changed him to ichorous earth. makes me think we are missing a piece of the puzzle.

[Jack Randall]

The corpse of the Old Iron King became the vessel that bred Ichorous Earth.
Meaning when he succomed to the flames was found there by Gwyns soul ,which was more powerfull and merged with him creating that deamon.The Ichorous Earth is born from the dead body of the OIK.It is him tranfrormed ,becouse of the soul he found lurking beneath is actually Gwyns soul and he possesed him.Transforming it into that creature.
Reason for that is that in NG+ you find Gwyns soul in the Ichorous Earth besides the old iron king's one.-Meaning they merged in that body.

[Hunubul]

Originally posted by Dworkin Barimen:

The corpse of the Old Iron King became the vessel that bred Ichorous Earth.
Meaning when he succomed to the flames was found there by Gwyns soul ,which was more powerfull and merged with him creating that deamon.The Ichorous Earth is born from the dead body of the OIK.It is him tranfrormed ,becouse of the soul he found lurking beneath is actually Gwyns soul and he possesed him.Transforming it into that creature.

No, that's the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up english translation. In japanese, it sound like the OIK was swallowed by something there that looked like ichorous earth. I'm not really sure, but the point is, the ichorous eartth was already there, and OIK was swallowed by it.

Also noone said it's not a beta version of the iron dragon OIK wanted to create. What you said doesn't rule out this speculation anyway.

[Jack Randall]

Ok i miss understandet you in first plase,i will try to explain it better .

OIK tryed to create a dragon,but in the Smelter Demon soul description and GS description is stated that he is the one that OIK created instead and was killed by(well not clearly but one could asum that since its the last OIK creation).Then he sunk his castle.OIK body stumbled on that thing that was beneath the earth and still after eons exorts power over the world.The Old King Soul.They merged in the body of the OIK ,regardles of the translation this much is clear.Ichorous Earth is referense to that body ,that we fight,you may say OIK was half way succesful ,somehow due the way it looks meaning the wings and such.I never said i try to rule out anithing i just point out to this.That the Old King Souls who is most likely Gwyns soul had interfeared with the OIK atempts.And here is where things get weird ,spoiler alert btw : The DLC Smelter Demon,and in particular his GS description :
"Ultra greatsword crafted from the soul of the smelter demon.
It's blade is imbued with a great flame.
Use the strong attack to unleash its latent power.
When the old king acquired the power to grant life to heaps of iron he molded a great array of metallic automatons.
The iron monstrosity itself was perhaps one of the king's puppets."

WTF does that even mean and ,was that his first actual atempt and in what?Why are they the same,and they bouth look like the OIK demon/dragon thing.Whats is the conection here ?Why didn't Gwyn afect him,if we take that the second one is afected by Gwyns soul,thus the diferent properties.WTF as a whole.

[SilverKnight]

Originally posted by RustNick29:

after he was swallowed by the flames he went deep beneath th earth, where he met something/one which changed him to ichorous earth. makes me think we are missing a piece of the puzzle.

Yeah, this is something that needs to be filled out.

Now I wondered if the thing that "lurks below" could be the iron dragon (or something else) as the Smelter Sword description said that a beast rose from the flames.

Originally posted by Dworkin Barimen:

Ok i miss understandet you in first plase,i will try to explain it better .

OIK tryed to create a dragon,but in the Smelter Demon soul description and GS description is stated that he is the one that OIK created instead and was killed by(well not clearly but one could asum that since its the last OIK creation).Then he sunk his castle.OIK body stumbled on that thing that was beneath the earth and still after eons exorts power over the world.The Old King Soul.They merged in the body of the OIK ,regardles of the translation this much is clear.Ichorous Earth is referense to that body ,that we fight,you may say OIK was half way succesful ,somehow due the way it looks meaning the wings and such.I never said i try to rule out anithing i just point out to this.That the Old King Souls who is most likely Gwyns soul had interfeared with the OIK atempts.And here is where things get weird ,spoiler alert btw : The DLC Smelter Demon,and in particular his GS description :
"Ultra greatsword crafted from the soul of the smelter demon.
It's blade is imbued with a great flame.
Use the strong attack to unleash its latent power.
When the old king acquired the power to grant life to heaps of iron he molded a great array of metallic automatons.
The iron monstrosity itself was perhaps one of the king's puppets."

WTF does that even mean and ,was that his first actual atempt and in what?Why are they the same,and they bouth look like the OIK demon/dragon thing.Whats is the conection here ?Why didn't Gwyn afect him,if we take that the second one is afected by Gwyns soul,thus the diferent properties.WTF as a whole.

I don't think the Smelter Demon was responsiblefor sinking the Keep under lava. Seems impossible for it to drown the entire keep single handedly. :|

The Aged Smelter Sword tells us more of how the Old Iron King was able to give life to more Automatons. Automatons meaning something like robots. The Turtle Soldiers are one of those automatons including the Smelter Demons. Perhaps even the Alonne Knights are also hollow husks since they don't moan in pain when hit.

The Smelter Demons could be some of the Old Iron Kings' first few attempts before he made the Dragon and may have repurposed them to tend the fires of the King's Smelters to produce raw iron (I think it makes sense since they can both cover themselves in fire and appear to be "disabled" when not active).

[Jack Randall]

Well not quite,one is fire based and his sword points towards a specific event.The other one is magic based and its sword just points out that the king was creating things around giving them souls.
And again you underestimate the efects of a Lord Soul,it is said that it influenses the world around it even after eons had reduced it to its former state.Further down the lane on the fire gs the description reads :
An ultra greatsword forged from the soul of the Smelter Demon. Its blade bears the strength of terrible flames, a latent power unleashed by a strong attack. The EARTH SPOUTED FIRE, and a beast arose from the flames. The short-sighted king was incinerated by the creature in one swing, and his castle devoured in a sea of flames.
Effect: special attack (strong attack)
And the description of the kings soul sais his body was possessed by the things that lurk bellow.
This happaned in the same time his death ,the sinking and the merge into the demon/dragon thing we fight before the primal bonfire.
And all is linked by the Old King Soul.Influensed by it.