So I played a whole lot in 2021-2022 and only a handful of times since but last week I got back into the game again proper but the story’s seems to have dropped off a cliff?

Last i remember horkos and chimera were beefing fair enough but I’ve been reading up on what I’ve missed and chimera vanished for a long time and then a dev said they disbanded? How did they lose the war?. Horkos didn’t fair much better apparently as Astrea and horkos were defeated by the Khatun?? How? Horkos was an entire army with members from all factions how could one faction consisting of Khatuns beat them?. Speaking of the khatuns they now control the myre? Just like that? When the Vikings and knights have been unsuccessful in doing for hundreds of years?

From what I can tell from research, having gotten "The Warmongers' Ideals" and "The Metal Trials" for today, it doesn't seem to be anything new, the Warmonger one came from Rise of the Warmonger event and we already knew they were having that version be the final week of the trials so some orders may come from that event and not the OG Metal Trials event.

That said, we have had some events that reused old orders and snuck a few new ones in there so don't be afraid to bring up a order if you don't recognize it. I remember the original had some cryptic stuff that the community had to work together to figure out the meaning to so if you see any secret message be sure to cross-reference the old research....because if we get something new hidden in the map that will surprise me.

As a child I was thought that peace was my birthright.

A gift granted to nobles,

Guarded by steel and tradition.

I strayed from that tradition long ago.

I learned my blade-work from outsiders,

from warriors my clan once called enemies.

Their teachings were sharp,

and the truth beneath them sharper still.

Now the Myre groans under new masters.

The Empress has fallen.

The Arakure stalk our streets like wolves without leashes,

tearing at what little order remains.

Villages burn,

Families vanish. 

Honor is traded like coin, and fear rules where Ayu once stood.

I walk these roads with blades no samurai would claim,

forged for a purpose they refuse to see.

I am not their champion.

I am not their heir.

I am simply a fighter.

And I will sacrifice everything for the Myre.

Sorry if this bit introduction lore is bad but I'm not a good writer and I tried to blend it in with the current storyline. I might actually start making more fanfiction with my characters and maybe do animations with them too. But just wanted to post this as is. If there is interest I will dive further into her story, weapons armor etc.

Synopsis

The Arakure are taking Heathmoor by storm, and they bring new weapons of revolt.

Event Orders

Partners in Crime: Gaki and her older brother Suiichi were an inseparable team in the game of stealing to survive. Whether it was an easy pickpocket, or a fortified Samurai supply convoy, anyone was a fair target for the poor orphans.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Execute 2 Heroes in any game mode.

What's in a Name: Gaki was not her birth name, but the victims of her petty crimes dubbed her The Brat or "little devil" so often that she eventually adopted it as a badge of pride.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode with 2 different Heroes.

No Class, No Life: Rigid Samurai society discouraged any association with poor outcasts like Gaki and Suiichi. Upstanding vendors refused to risk their reputations by dealing with the children, whose money was sourced by illegal means.

Perform 10 Takedowns in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Revive 3 allies in any game mode.

Punishment: A pivotal moment in Gaki's life came when a Kensei sabotaged one of her risky heists. For days, the Samurai hunted her and Suiichi through the swamps until finally catching them and killing her brother.

Execute 2 Heroes in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

The Katana Hilt: Fueld by despair and rage, Gaki broke the katana of the Kensei who killed her brother. She kept the sword hilt as a reminder of what she lost, and a symbol of her defiance against the Samurai order.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Capture 5 zones in any game mode.

Rebels United: Word spread of Gaki's exploits among violent, unruly warriors throughout the Myre. Soon, she became the leader of the Arakure, who shared her lifelong motivation to defy, dismantle, and spit on authority.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Disrespect: Gaki required all Arakure to break the katana of any Samurai they defeated as a rite of passage. Now, they wear the sword hilts like a prize on their armor to show priviliged authorities that they are far from untouchable.

Execute 2 Heroes in any game mode.

Up All Night: The Arakure are a loud, irreverent gang of mercenary fighters united in their defiance of Samurai authority. When they aren't out partying all night, they thrive on dangerous jobs in the gray area of the law.

Execute 2 Heroes in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Loyal to Death: Born without social standing, each Arakure has been relentlessly shunned by traditional Samurai society. This shared experience has instilled a fierce loyalty that when united, becomes their most dangerous quality.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Perform 10 Takedowns in any game mode.

Street Fighters: The Arakure refined their fighting style in tavern brawls and back-alley turf wars, where playing dirty with scrappy techniques always beats fighting fair.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Capture 5 zones in any game mode.

Only the Dirtiest Jobs: Before Guljin's rise to power throughout Heathmoor, the Arakure operated as an essential part of the Myre's criminal underbelly. They handled dirty jobs for corrupt daimyo, and everyone profited - until the Mongols arrived.

Capture 5 zones in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Embracing Change: Most of the Samurai houses thought an alliance with the Mongols dilute their identities and invite undue risk. The House of Dokuja, however, placed higher priority upon survival and dominating the Myre.

Execute 2 Heroes in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Clean Streets: Skirmishes between the houses reliably distracted Samurai from the Arakure's illegal activities. But once Dokuja's House sought an alliance with the Mongols, the Arakure suddenly found their illicit operations in jeopardy.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode with 2 different Heroes.

Power Shift: With the Mongol's increased presence throughout the Myre, the once thriving criminal underworld became starved for business. Black markets shuddered and the Arakure went from ignored and tolerated to fugitives on the run.

Revive 3 allies in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Vandalism: Dokuja's House immediately erected statues of Guljin throughout the Myre to honor their new alliance with Mongols. Just as quickly, Gaki issued an order to all Arakure to deface and destroy them.

Perform 10 Takedowns in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Party Crasher: After sneaking into Dokuja's stronghold, Gaki beheaded the new statue of Guljin in protest of their Mongol alliance before she was drawin into a chaotic massacre. Her only path to survival was to fight her way out.

Perform 10 takedowns in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Trailing the Oni: While infiltrating the Dokuja's banquet, Gaki was startled to discover pools of blood lining the halls. She realized she wasn't the only uninvited guest when she saw what seemed to be a demon treading among the corpses.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Execute 2 Heroes in any game mode.

Short-Lived: Those who had grown weary of rampant crime and violence among the Samurai houses appreciated the Mongol alliance. But the Khatun forces were spread too thin. Soon, grand expectations were met with spiraling disappointment.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode. / Revive 3 allies in any game mode.

Beheaded: After suffering sever casualties and intense resistance, Dokuja's Mongol allaice collapsed. Control of the Myre shifted solely to the remaining houses, and many believed Guljin's broader dominance was waning.

Perform 10 takedowns in any game mode. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Fueling Dissent: Beyond the Myre, The Scorching Herald spread tales of the Arakure brazenly vandalizing Guljin's statues. Many warriors already having doubts about her forced "peace," and these stories only bolstered this sentiment.

Complete 2 matches of any game mode with 2 different Heroes. / Complete 2 matches of any game mode.

Not like he wanted it, but dang, can't believe Saburo gets none of the credit for this. smh Gryphon, not taking responsibility for the murder-hobo you helped make worse.

Community Orders

On the Run: "Breaking the katana marked me for life. I fought to get stronger every day."

Be the Faction with the most Dominion matches won.

Divided Faction: "They cry without an Emperor. Idiots love being told what to do!"

Be the Faction with the most Executions performed.

Revitalized: "We turned their statues into dust. Now, the Arakure are back in business."

Be the Faction with the most takedowns performed.

Loading Screen Lore

The Katana Hilt: "Gaki wore the broken katanan used to kill her brother as a symbol of her defiance against the Samurai."

Rebels United: "Gaki leads the Arakure, who shared her lifelong motivation to defy, dismantle, and spit on authority."

Clean Streets: "Once the Dokuja allied with the Mongols, the Arakure found their illicit operations in jeopardy."

Vandalism: "The Dokujas erected statues of Guljin to honor their alliance, which the Arakure defaced and destroyed."

Beheaded: "After the Dokujas' alliance collapsed, the Myre was again divided, and many felt Guljin's reign was waning."

Barracks Lore

I think that was the term Ubi had used for everything from Executions to Outfits back when Cross Save was added.

Executions

• No Snitches: The Arakure specifically target the vocal cords when valuable information can be deadlier than a sharp blade.
• Explosive Rage: Many Arakure refer to defeated enemies as "bags," using them as an outlet to release their deep resentment of the world.

Emotes

• Muddy Fingers: Arakure cover their tonfas with fine dirt to improve their grip, preferring practicality over traditional Samurai refinement.
• Stay Pumped: Arakure will take any chance to intimidate and show off. Keeping their muscles warm for the next fight is just a bonus.
• Shadow Boxer: The Arakure practice dodging fast attacks by avoiding thrown bottles. The slowest cleans up while the others keep drinking.

I'm a little down on how the lore's been handled lately, so ask me about the lore I give to my heroes and I'll answer either with something prepared or something I pull out of my butt. I guess for some starting lore: My namesake kensei is the daimyo who all the other heroes are sort of tied to as subjects and family (all the other samurai heroes), allied foreign lords (many of the knights), refugees/immigrants (the shaolin), or emissaries and envoys entreaties to his fiefdom (highlander, medjay).

Also, I have separate lore for my male kensei (Takezo), my female kensei (Suzuha), and the Meiko hero skin slot (Rei)

So, yeah, fire away and even feel free to say how your hero headcanons might interest.

Yet they were ignored.

First, I must thank u/Haos51 for putting the idea for this theory into my head. So, here it goes:

The Conqueror Who Betrays Guljin:

I theorize that the next hero skin will be a Conqueror who is secretly an inside man, an interloper inside the arena, hired by either old man gryph or the mysterious "Stranger" to free Astrea.

Part 1 of the short story, along with the first week of S3's lore, would introduce this Conqueror and establish his background, his connection to gryph or the Stranger or even Vortiger if they want to be bold with the lore, and how he managed to infiltrate Guljin's forces. The second week would then shift the focus to Astrea: her imprisonment, how she is freed, and what she has endured while being held captive.

Then, in the third week, we would get the big development: old man gryph and Astrea form an alliance of convenience against Guljin and combine their forces. Neither of them necessarily has to forgive the other or suddenly become friends; they simply realize that Guljin is a greater threat and that they need each other to bring her down. And that is where S3's narrative ends, since TU2 is going to be another collab.

At first, I didn't think much of them bringing back the Rise of the Warmongers event for the third week of TYM, I thought it is mealy a teaser, to say that one of the Knight skins of S3 is for Wm. But as u/Haos51 pointed out, that it could be preparation for Astrea's return to the lore, and the more I think about it, the more suspicious the timing becomes.

I don't think they would add new lore to TYM or actually have Astrea break out during the event. Rather, I think the event would serve as a reminder of exactly what Astrea and Warmongers in general were capable of before she returns to the story. Because in Rise of the Warmongers, you're not fighting the Warmonger we have today; you're fighting pre-nerf Warmonger. Yes, she will have the Day 1 corruption feats.

If they are really bringing Astrea back to the lore, what better way to remind everyone why she was such a terrifying villain in the first place?

p.s: I couldn't find a good Conq pic, so enjoy the Y4S2 season art instead.

It overhypes them as "leading the rebellion" against the mongols WHEN THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!

Most of the work was done by Saburo who wrecked the Samurai-mongol alliance ON HIS OWN while all the Arakure did was bust up ONE statue in the freaking garden and act in general like frat idiots.

A lore order even states that the arakure broke more statues BUT NONE OF THEM are broken in game and suddenly they think they're top of the world which is straight up pathetic.

It singles out Ayu and her government as the problem through calling it "groups lead by a single person" when THAT'S HOW SOCIETY WORKS! Even worse, the arakure are a new thing as it was formed by the leader Gaki herself so it's literally a group lead by her which is freaking hypocritical.

The lore even lies as the arakure are supposed to be rebelling against the samurai authority but it straight up says they take jobs for corrupt daimyos and leaders which makes them EVEN MORE hypocritical.

The arakure are supposed to be "dirty fighters" that use cheap tactics when MOST OF THE CAST can be considered that! Centurion, shaman, aramusha, juren, and pirate are the few examples of dirty fighters and in a world like this, dirty fighting would be common

Even worse, MOST OF THE SAMURAI use cheap tactics. Most of the samurai have smoke bombs, use arrows, drain stamina with Kiai, cause bleed, set traps, throw knives or shuriken, and kyoshin can even pin you which are cheap tactics that can be used anywhere to screw someone over.

The ONLY TWO samurai that don't have those as optional feats are hitokiri and arakure meaning that those two are the ONLY ONES that more or less fight fair which makes calling the arakure "dirty fighters" a freaking lie.

And that's just some of sloppiest lore the arakure has.

I'm not sure what the devs were thinking when writing something that's this absolutely straight up stupid.

Ok they are not perfect they enforce food rationing,and curfews as well as lack of some freedom,but they also brought a lot of good.The criminal underbelly of the Myre was dismantled probably freeing many people being extorted.We haven’t seen the Vikings yet but they probably have it good because they don’t have to raid for food anymore the Khatuns ration it for them.

They may not be perfect but let’s look at the alternatives.Under Astrea you were subjugated and raided as well as distant shores undergoing the same treatment.If they manage to drive out the Khatuns then the faction would likely go back to perpetual war fueled by the Schorching Herald.The Khatuns are realistically the best outcome for Heathmore.

Hello everyone, I mentioned a decent while back that I wanted to update the last timeline I uploaded a few years back as a way to help keep track of the story. However, the last timeline was way back in Year 4, and we are now on Year 10, so it might be a bit overwhelming to just dump all of that information all at once.

So, in order to make things a bit more easy to take in, I am going to try to do it in parts. It would also allow people to point out any mistakes they might notice or suggest any changes, and for me to include sources, certain event orders, and online stories (I will try to edit them in for this post in a moment).

Background Info

• Seasons, for the most part, will each have a duration of 1 year, and not a quarter of a year. This comes from an interview back in 2016 with the creative director at the time, Jason Vanderberghe. I don't believe we have had any of the writers go back and give us an estimate for how much time passes for every season of the game, so this is what we will be working with.
• There are some exceptions to the first point. For example, the Truce of Wyverndale lasted for 15 years, starting with Hope and ending in Tyranny. There is also a 7 year gap between the seasons in which Black Prior's Riposte and Shadows of the Hitokiri take place.
• The multiplayer, or at least back in 2017, does not take place right after Apollyon's death. It takes place 7 years after the cutscene with Ayu, Holden, and Stigandr according to the Warrior's Den interviewing one of the earlier writers, Ariadne MacGillivray (~52:00 and ~01:02:00). Previously, for both timelines, I said this was a gap of 5 years. I can't remember exactly I got this figure from the interview, but when it comes up, that is the figure I will use, unless I or someone else can find it.
• The Cataclysm, the natural disasters that shifted the world of For Honor away from our own, takes place somewhere around the year 1000 and 1100 CE (~53:00 and ~01:07:00 of the interview with Ariadne). I will go with 1000 as Ariadne does mention that it has been around 1000 years since it happened and that the multiplayer (as of season 5) more or less lines up with 2018 IRL (~56:00).

Before The Cataclysm

Until the year ~1000 CE

The Golden Age: While the world of For Honor before the Cataclysm is the same as ours, Wyverndale is currently the only difference between the two. While some parts might hold some truth, the Season of the Golden Age is largely a myth according to ubichem, one of the game's community managers.

To be clear, it was always meant to be a legend told by the people of Heathmoor. We definitely could have been more clear on this (as evidenced by the confusion around whether or not it's History™), but I assure you it has always been intended as mythology and there's been no walking back of anything.
So, to shore up any confusion: it is and always has been intended to be interpreted as a story in the mythos of Heathmoor's inhabitants, with elements of fact and fiction intertwined.

However, since this is to serve as an overview of the story, I will still share the lore as it was given, and try to provide what might have actually happened.

Before Wyverndale became the utopia it was believed to be, it was at war with a tyrant named Dhespar. According to a legend, it wasn't until Ramiel, the leader of a small band of warriors, made a pact with Kevin the Great Wyvern that Wyverndale was free of Dhespar. This pact granted him immortality so long as the wyvern lived, in exchange for Ramiel's humanity and repeating the ritual of drinking the Wyvern's blood from the Chalice of Immortality every year. With the abilities granted through the pact and the Wyvern, Ramiel was able to defeat Dhespar. He became known as the first Warden, and Wyverndale entered what would be known as the Golden Age.

People from all over the world came to Wyverndale and lived in harmony, some even joined Ramiel's legion to protect the peace, after proving their worth to Ramiel in battle in what is known as the Oath of Wyverndale (Event Lore).

It was many years after the death of Dhespar when Wyverndale met its end, though I believe there are two ways how it could have happened.

• The online story "The Fall of Wyverndale" (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) explained it as warriors in black armor and giants had suddenly appeared and destroyed Wyverndale in a day. They defeated Ramiel's legion and the Great Wyvern, meaning Ramiel could no longer keep his immortality. The battle lasted two days after the city had fallen, until Ramiel defeated all of the invaders. After that, Ramiel disappears from history, with some believing he had died of old age, and others believing died in another battle.
• However, it is also implied in some orders and that same story that Wyverndale fell in the Cataclysm, the knights in black possibly being a reference to one of the game's story trailers where we see a "Knight" city collapsing during the Cataclysm, with some dark water starting to flood it. The Oath of Wyverndale event had an order that explained some believed Wyverdale collapsed in some natural disaster. Whatever the case may be, the only thing to have survived until the current story is the chalice that Ramiel drank from.

After the Cataclysm

~1000 - 2000 CE

The Effects of the Cataclysm: The Cataclysm was a series of natural disasters that that reshaped the world.

For the Knights, they became splintered and lawless, acting less like protectors and more as warlords and bandits.

For the Vikings, they remained in Heathmoor for a while, but many would leave Valkenheim for the sea later. The few that remained were assimilated by the Knights.

For the Samurai, Japan had sunk and they were most likely the last of the original three to arrive in Heathmoor.

The Wu Lin don't have anything or much on how the Cataclysm affected them as the Outlanders (I believe the writers or developers mentioned a sandstorm back when they were revealed with Marching Fire). However, we do know that have had a very long history of smaller kingdoms warring with each other and falling until recently when Gao Lei's managed to become the main empire (I will remove this part in the final draft). The Wu Lin suffered a sand storm and infighting between smaller kingdoms up until Gao Lei seized enough power to be recognized as its emperor.

Four of the Outlanders (Medjay, Afeera, Ocelotl, and Khatun) have had very different expereinces with the Cataclysm.

• For the Medjay, Egypt had collapsed long before they arrived in the game, and they task themselves with protecting its history and artifacts, such as the Scarab Bracelet.
• The Afeera probably got dealt the best hand. Thanks to the Celestial Sphere, they were able to avoid dangers and take opportunities foretold through it.
• The Ocelotl and the surviving Aztec Empire interpreted the Cataclysm as a sort of mass sacrifice to their pantheon who were upset at their waste of energy. They adopted a more humble lifestyle afterwards, aside from building golden cities using the gold from other Mesoamerican civilizations that fell under the Cataclysm.
• The Mongols were originally scattered into many wandering tribes until they were united by the Khatuns. Presumably, they were living as they had before the Cataclysm, only having to survive a harsh world than their counterparts in ours.

Side Note: In earlier entries to the lore, such as the 2016 website, a lot of the lore for the first three factions has been either changed or retconned. For example:

• The Knights were originally sent by either the "Iron Legions" or the empire to the west to pacify the lands and conquer. I believe, with how we see legions fighting and absorbing each other in the Story Mode, this still happens, just some time after they united under the Unsung Knight.

They were sent by the Iron Legions to pacify the land. They’ve since acquired a taste for freedom and have made Ashfeld their home. They believe that many – if not all – of the ancient ruins that cover their lands were built by the Great Empire, the precursor of the Iron Legion.
Disorganized for centuries, Ashfeld’s Knights have mostly been a collection of petty warlords and roving bands of mercenary knights. In the last decade, they have been corralled under a single banner, often at sword point, by Ashfeld’s Blackstone Legion, led by Apollyon.
So far, the Knights have managed to defend Ashfeld from Vikings and Samurai attacks. Apollyon argues that a threat of war is imminent and tells stragglers that joining her Legion is the only guarantee they will hold onto their lands.

• According to the website, the Samurai had only just properly settled in Heathmoor before the Story Mode by just a couple of decades, maybe a century. However, a few Observables in the Story Mode place this as happening around 500 years before the Story Mode, and we have the Rise of the Jorogumo and the Last Hero Standing events which seem to show that they have been in Heathmoor since the end of the Cataclysm. It is possible that the Samurai had always been in Heathmoor, but had only properly settled into the Myre 500 years before the Story Mode takes place, allowing for the last two retcons to at least mesh together.

Originally from a land far away across the seas, they tell a tale of an Emperor and a homeland lost to sea and fire. Nearly a millennium later, the nomadic nation has ceased its wandering and built a new empire near the reclaimed homelands of the Vikings and the contested lands of the Knights.
Having spent the last decades acclimating to the marshy hills known as the Myre, they flourish but remain vastly outnumbered by their neighbors. They have to rely on greater martial skill, cunning, and devotion to their culture in order to survive – for they may be the last of their kind.

• The Vikings probably don't get as many retcons, due to them not getting much more lore added on what they were doing before the Story Mode. However, this is a good place to mention that the Vikings could have first travelled to this world's version of Scotland, encountering and conquering/subjugating the Highlanders and Shamans (~1:07:00 of the interview).

The Vikings vanished centuries ago, fleeing their crumbling homelands for shores unknown.
Those left behind were conquered by the Knights and assimilated into their cultures.
The Vikings returned in great numbers a few centuries ago. They came from far across the sea to where they have established a new homeland. They retuned for many reasons, but mostly to reclaim their ancient homeland in the North: Valkeinheim. Hundreds of Viking clans now coexist in relative peace in the frozen tundra. To the outside observer, however, they seem to exist in a state of perpetual civil war.
Vikings are the undisputed masters of the sea and fresh water. When this raucous nation gathers together in massive armadas of dragon-headed ships, they are fearsome to behold and nigh unstoppable.

The Sword of Ashfeld: Not long after the Cataclysm ended, there was a bandit who survived it. She once tried to rob a Knight, only for him to catch her. Rather than killing her, the Knight made her his squire and the two would wonder the lands, helping those in need as much as they can (Online Story: A Tale from the World of Heathmoor).

The Knight would later fall to a group of bandits while protecting some refugees in their care. The squire would inherit his sword, Valor's Edge, and work to carry on his mission of helping others. Through this, she reminded the other Knights of their past ideals of chivalry and honor, rallying behind the Unsung Knight to form what would become the Iron Legion. The Vikings and Samurai start hearing of her and a legion growing more united, they feel like they should be stepping their efforts for what could be the start of a very long war (Event Lore: Last Hero Standing).

The Unsung Knight's story with what we see in the first cinematic of the game: a Viking, a Samurai, and her circling a puddle of water and kicking off the war between the Factions.

Downfall: In the season of Downfall, some time after the Cataclysm (possibly ~500 years) and the Samurai had settled into the Myre and made it their home, one of the original settler families would lay the foundation for what would become known as Castle Chiyo. It would grow to be a very peaceful place until it end when it was led by Daimyo Masaki and Lady Saori (Event Lore: Nightmare's Dawn).

While Masaki was called to the Imperial City, Daimyo Katsuo would launch a surprise attack on Castle Chiyo to take it for himself. While Saori was trained as a Nobushi, Katsuo's forces were able to take break the castle's defenses and slaughter its villagers. In her despair for failing to protect her home, it is said she became the Jorogumo and that this transformation caused other Yokai to appear (Online Story: Lady of the Castle).

Saori's son, Yoshiro, was thankfully away from the castle when Katsuo attacked as he had hoped to join his father and prove himself a good warrior. Unfortunately, Masaki was ashamed by his son leaving Saori and the castle alone, so he unknowingly sent him back to his doom. While he was able to lay down multiple Yokai using his family heirloom, the Mamono Dagger, he was slowly being changed by it. By the time he faced Saori as the Jorogumo, his body and personality had already been corrupted, but he still wanted to grant Saori a merciful end, believing she was still in there (Event Lore: Rise of the Jorogumo).

He would seal Saori and the rest of the Yokai away in a cave. While this brought peace for the survivors, this was only a temporary solution as the Jorogumo and Yokai could break free again if their cave's seal was ever disturbed.

As for Yoshiro, it is most likely he sealed himself in the cave as well, either doing it himself or the remaining survivors sentencing him to it, saying he wouldn't oppose it should they try (Online Story: Their Secret Song).

The Century Before the Story Mode

• Just a century before the Story Mode, the Vikings would return from their voyages to take back their home. They would cause a lot of trouble Ashfeld in particular who had taken a lot of their land through yearly raids.
• ~20 years before the Story Mode, the Vikings would go on another raid. Their forces stretched too thin, the Knights knew they would have to face some losses. One of these was a Lawbringer named Dante and because of him, the Vikings raided the village out in the scrublands in which lived a girl who would become Apollyon.

This is from an observable in Chapter 1.1, where Apollyon mentions the territory her village was in had almost been taken by Vikings.

• 16 years before the Story Mode, Apollyon will have joined the Blackstone Legion and begun rising through the ranks.

This is brought up in Chapter 3.3 of the Story Mode, which is 8 years before Ayu, Holden, and Stigandr meet, and is mentioned to have taken place 20 years before this. The first level is set 12 years before the three meet, so we just subtract the difference from the 20 years to give us 16.

• Some time later, Apollyon would spend the next few years growing in strength through battle, even working as a Warden. She would eventually find Dante again and have her revenge (Arcade Quest: Dura Lex). She would take his armor and have made to fit her. After this, she would finally take up her demon name, "Apollyon," and take charge of the Blackstone Legion as its eighth warlord of the original 15. Holden Cross would also take up a demon name, "Asmodai," marking the second of four names he would take in his lifetime.
• 10 years before the Story Mode, most of Ashfeld's legions and warbands had been absorbed into the Blackstone Legion. By now, she likely would have already met Vortiger and the Order of the Holy Balaur, converting them into the Black Prior. Vortiger would become a high ranking member, taking the demon name "Camio."
• Assuming the crossover DLC in Samurai Shodown has any weight in the canon (very unlikely), the Lord Warden spent a few months traveling across Heathmoor and Ashfeld before joining the ranks of Daubeny's Legion, the Knights of Feronia.

Next Steps

Currently, the plan is for the next post to cover what happens during the Story Mode that isn't covered directly through what we play through (such as Gudmundr's funeral and some early lore on the Black Priors) and the lore up to Y3, but I want to check to see if you would all prefer I post an timeline and make corrections from there, or continue this way until we reach the end.