In the dim, foreboding light of the chapel, nestled within the cold and desolate expanses of the Painted World of Ariandel, you find yourself standing at the threshold of an encounter that seems almost predestined. The air is thick with anticipation, and the weight of your journey thus far presses heavily upon your shoulders. As your eyes adjust to the shadowy interior, you spot a figure in the distance, an imposing presence seated atop a pile of rubble that was once part of the chapel’s majestic architecture.

Sister Friede, the reclusive and formidable protector of the Painted World, sits before you, her posture regal yet weary, as if the burdens of her choices and the solitude of her existence have finally begun to take their toll. Her scythe, a weapon that has spelled the end for many who dared to challenge her, rests beside her, its blade catching the faint light filtering through the broken panes above.

As you step forward, the sound of your footsteps echoing through the hollow chapel, Sister Friede raises her head, her gaze meeting yours.

She raises a hand, signaling for silence, her eyes never leaving yours. In this moment, words are unnecessary; the air between you is charged with the unspoken recognition of what must come to pass. Yet, there is a pause, a fleeting opportunity for reflection or perhaps a final chance to reconsider the path that has led you here.

“Welcome. To the painted world of Ariandel.” She begins, meeting your gaze through her hood. “I am Friede. I have long stood beside our blessed Father, and the rest of the Forlorn. But.. Forlorn thou seemeth not.” She stands up and walks over to you, stopping right into front of you. She’s a little taller than you. “Ashen One, I know not the missteps which led thee to this Painted World. But thy duty is all, and thy duty lieth elsewhere.”

She slowly unsheathes her scythe, but keeps it at her side. “Return from whence thou cam’st.” She mutters. Giving you a chance to leave. Giving you a chance to live.