The Monumental

Original PS3

General Information

The Monumental is the last surviving harbinger of its kind. They are a vessel-race endowed only with prophetic knowledge and lacking all consequence of emotion or personal-thought. It seeks to aid the adventurer into lulling the Old One back to sleep.

Location

• Nexus

• On a balcony high above the archstones, sitting in front of a lit candle.
• The cutscene after talking to the Maiden in Black shows the path to get to him.

Tendency Events

• Pure White Character Tendency

• Gives the Friend's Ring - Must have previously answered 'Yes' to its question about helping lull the Old One back to slumber.

Interactions

• After defeating the first boss in Boletaria Castle, you must talk to him and unlock the other 4 Archstones before the Maiden in Black will give level upgrades.
• Whether or not you answer "Yes" to The Monumental's quest does not affect the outcome of the game, nor does it have any effect on your character (besides the ability to obtain the Friend's Ring).
• Cannot die

Dialogue

All dialogue text is © Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Tutorial intro

Brave soul, who fears not death.

I shall guide you…

So that you may lull the Old One back to slumber.

After beating Phalanx (1-1)

We have long awaited you, slayer of Demons.

I am one of the Monumentals.

We preserve the fabric of reality.

There is something thou needst to know.

Once, we too, a scourge of Demons faced.

In the distant past,

under a benevolent rule the world was united, owing to the Soul arts.

Until a lust for power caused the awakening of the Old One.

Across the land seeped a colourless Deep Fog,

and the world faced extinction at the hands of the Demons.

Thanks be, we were able to lull the Old One back to Its slumber,

yet only after the loss of innumerable souls,

and half the world, lost… erased by the fog.

In order to mend the fabric of what land still remained,

we entrusted six elders with six precious Archstones.

One to the king of a small yet diligent land,

one to the king of the burrowers underground,

one to the wise queen of the great ivory tower,

one to the chieftain of lost and ill-fortuned souls,

one to the shaman of the tempest-worshipping shadowmen,

and the last to the great giants of the Northern Lands.

The Archstones were placed at nodes across the earth.

We contained the Old One inside this Nexus, and banned the soul arts.

Finally, we became Monumentals; half-living sentinels of the fabric of reality.

Alas, the other Monumentals have perished, and only I remain.

Text: By the power of the Monumentals, the four sealed Archstones have been released.

Now it is your turn.

You must lull the Old One back to Its slumber,

and seal It away for all eternity.

If not, the Deep Fog will absorb all that we know.

Have you the strength to accept this mission?

Yes

Yes, we are fortunate indeed to have you.

Now, go forth, and destroy every last Demon.

The Old One, without Demons to feed it souls,

will a new servant seek, and lure you to its bosom.

We neutralised the Old One, and banned the soul arts.

Then we spread the Archstones, and in order to mend reality, Monumentals we became.

However, man's memory of history is o'er short,

and before long he repeated his mistakes.

The Monumentals perished, and the Archstones were long forgotten.

And the short-sighted King Allant once again aroused the Old One.

No

Yes, I see. That is unfortunate.

You should know that you will be imprisoned in the Nexus forever.

Just like the poor candle maiden.

You must destroy all the Demons if you wish to be freed from the curse of the Nexus.

The Old One, without the Demons to feed its souls,

will seek a new servant, and lure you to its bosom.

You must lull the Old One back to slumber, for your own sake as well as for ours.

After answering 'No' and beating two Archdemons?

You must despise me. But remember, we Monumentals, too, are trapped within this Nexus.

For we prevent your world from breaking apart at the seams.

Please forgive me, but I wish to concentrate. 'Tis no easy task, being a Monumental.

After answering 'No' and beating three Archdemons

…… (silence)

After beating an archdemon?

Have you received assistance from the Candle Maiden?

She is a prisoner of this Nexus.

It is her duty to lull the Old One back to slumber.

That is why she helps those who hunt Demons, and that is why she has become a Demon herself…

A soul is the essence with which living things comprehend the world around them.

When one loses the Soul, one loses the mind; a land barren of Souls is absorbed by fog and banished to the infinite darkness.

The Old One is a bottomless pit of Nothingness, with an insatiable appetite for the souls collected by its faithful Demons.

The Old One's very nature cannot be fathomed by the living.

The soul arts shall be lost once the Old One is lulled back to slumber.

A soul is the essence of thought which is latent in all living things.

You must never forget…

The power that you now enjoy contradicts the essence of the soul, for it stems from Demon magic.

After ?

Have you visited the Pantheon at the uppermost floor?

The Pantheon honours those like yourself who sought the Demon souls.

Perhaps one day your soul, too, will be honoured in that same fashion.

That is the most we can do to give you thanks.

To give thanks to the brave and honourable warriors, who must fight to reverse our sins…

After beating all demons

You have destroyed all of the Demons. You soon shall hear the call of the Old One.

Then, the candle maiden shall guide you below the Nexus, where the Old One awaits.

She will lull the Old One back to slumber. That is, after all, her purpose.

When giving the Friend's Ring (Pure White Character Tendency)

Take this. It will be of help to you on your quest.

When trying to kill him/her

Laughs

Cease, you are wasting your lifeforce. I am a Monumental. You cannot harm me.

Voiced by: Aditi Tanna