Dragon's Dogma
The game begins with a knight named Savan proceeding through a deep canyon and eventually a temple. After fighting a Chimera, he passes a set of doors leading to an unknown beast. The story then progresses a number of years until the next appearance of the Dragon, a sign of the end of days.
During its raid on the fishing village of Cassardis, a dragon approaches the hero of the story, telling them that he or she - depending on the choice of the player - is the "chosen one", and proceeds to tear out their heart. Due to having their heart taken, the hero is revived as an "Arisen," and is destined to find and kill the dragon that stole their heart. The Arisen proceeds to an encampment along the way to the capital, Gran Soren. During their stay at the encampment, a hydra attacks. The Arisen cuts off one of its heads, and proceeds to the capital with the head to be presented as a gift to the duke of Gran Soren. After reaching Gran Soren, and investigating a hole known as the Everfall, the Arisen works for the Wyrm Hunt, and proceeds to do various tasks, including uncovering a cult known as Salvation, who want the dragon, known as Grigori, to destroy the world.
After working for the duke, the Arisen is tasked with stopping the leader of Salvation, Elysion, who is attacking a castle. After reaching the top of the castle and defeating the attackers, Grigori arrives and kills Elysion, and it is revealed that Grigori has captured the Arisen's love interest.
The Arisen arrives at the Tainted Mountain to fight Grigori, and is presented with a choice, to sacrifice the kidnapped love interest, or to face the dragon. The Arisen fights the dragon, and stabs it in the heart. The Arisen recovers their heart, and goes back to Cassardis with his/her beloved. After a few days of peace, the Arisen treks back to Gran Soren. Along the way, several details are revealed. The sky has been blotted out and replaced with greenish gray clouds that rain ash, and all normal monsters have been replaced with much stronger versions. After the Arisen reaches Gran Soren, it is revealed that half of it has collapsed, leaving a gaping hole. The Arisen goes to meet the duke, and is surprised to see that the duke has turned into a frail old man. It is revealed that the duke made a deal with Grigori to make himself immortal, but without Grigori, the deal is now forfeited. The duke attacks, blaming the Arisen for his condition, but he is swiftly beaten. Guards arrive, and the duke accuses the Arisen of placing a curse on him and of making a deal with Grigori. The Arisen is then hunted by the guards. The Arisen is chased to the hole in the town, where creatures begin to fly out of the hole, with one bumping the Arisen into the hole.
The hole is actually The Everfall, a center for the strongest monsters in the world and a nexus that connects all worlds together. There the Arisen meets a pawn named Quince, who tasks the Arisen with collecting 20 Wakestones to unlock a portal. After unlocking the portal, the Arisen enters the portal and finds the Seneschal, the mastermind behind the workings of the entire world. The Seneschal is a mysterious being, covered in a glowing light and having two voices, one a woman's, and another a man's. After a short fight, the Seneschal is revealed to have been Savan, the knight at the beginning of the game, who defied Grigori after entering the temple, then chose to fight him and win.
The Arisen and their main pawn fight Savan, now known as the Seneschal, and his pawn. In return for defeating the Seneschal, he/she takes Savan's place, becoming a new fount of will to the world. Before dying, Savan reveals information about being the Seneschal, and tells the Arisen that he is not the only Arisen currently, as there are multiple universes with their own respective pawns and Arisen. As a result, he is only the Seneschal of this universe, though it is a bitter reward, as the Arisen cannot be seen by anyone in the world once they return from their throne. Using the Godsbane, a sword granted to him by Grigori and Savan, the Arisen stabs himself in the heart. The body of the Arisen and the main pawn are sent hurtling back to the world. The pawn wakes up on the beach, and it is revealed by the change in his/her voice that the pawn's form has changed into that of the Arisen. The pawn is then greeted by the Arisen's love interest, and they walk along the beach to Cassardis. If the player romanced Selene (who was earlier revealed to be a former pawn from a past Arisen, her grandmother, who had given Selene her body and will to allow her to live as a human), she reveals that the Arisen has given his/her pawn their will and body to free them from the eternity of a pawn's life.
revenge, cult