Sleep Story | The Flames Of Hope
Embark on a soothing journey through The Lands Between in this calming sleep story inspired by Elden Ring. We will follow a lone warrior known as the Tarnished as he encounters the mysterious Melina at a Site of Grace. Listen as her gentle offer of an accord leads to a destined path of guidance, purpose, and companionship across a realm of fading glory. This sleep story includes 30 minutes of narration with soothing music in the background that will continue to play after the story is complete. Music: Langvaga by Strom Binaural Schumann Alpha - Magonia By 369
Transcript
Welcome to Jane's Dreamy Bookshelf.
In tonight's sleep story,
We will take a journey through the lands between,
Inspired by the game Elden Ring.
We will follow a lone warrior known as the Tarnished,
As he encounters the mysterious Melina at a site of grace.
Listen,
As her gentle offer of an accord leads to a destined path of guidance,
Purpose,
And companionship across a realm of fading glory.
Experience the tender development of trust between this warrior and his beloved maiden as he seeks the path to become Elden Lord.
May these soft words guide you to peaceful slumber.
Let's begin.
The crypt's darkness parts like a veil as Aldrich opens his eyes,
His consciousness returning like distant echoes in a vast cavern.
He finds himself in Limgrave's Chapel of Anticipation,
Where whispers still linger in the musty air.
His armor,
Once gleaming with the pride of a noble house,
Now lost to time,
Bears the weathered patina of countless years past in slumber.
The mark of grace burns in his flesh.
He is Tarnished,
Called back from slumber by forces beyond comprehension.
As he steps into the light filtering through the chapel's broken walls,
Memories flood back in fragments,
A great shattering,
Kingdoms falling,
The loss of purpose that sent so many of his kind into exile.
The first sight of grace he encounters blazes like a beacon in the growing dusk.
As Aldrich kneels before it,
Warmth seeping into his cold limbs,
A presence materializes beside him.
She appears like mist taking form,
A young woman with hair the color of lavender ash,
One eye sealed forever closed,
The other regarding him with an ancient wisdom that belies her appearance.
I am Melina,
She says,
Her voice carrying the gentle strength of autumn winds.
I offer you an accord,
I can play the role of maiden,
She tells him.
Aldrich finds himself transfixed.
There is something in her presence that awakens memories of grace long lost,
Of purpose forgotten.
I can turn runes into strength,
She continues,
And I can guide you to the foot of the Erd tree,
Where you may challenge the demigods and perhaps become Elden Lord.
Aldrich considers her words carefully before speaking.
I am honored by your offer,
Melina,
But what do you seek in return?
I seek the means to fulfill my purpose,
So that a new order might rise from ashes.
I have long searched for someone worthy to accompany me on this path.
He nods slowly,
Then I accept your accord,
He says.
She speaks more of the path to become Elden Lord,
Of reaching the Erd tree that looms golden and eternal on the horizon.
But it is not her words that capture him.
It is a profound sadness that seems to dwell behind her visible eye,
The weight of destiny she carries like a cloak around her shoulders.
Through the mists of Limgrave he begins his journey,
Each step measured against the enormity of the task before him.
The tree sentinels' thundering hooves force him to learn humility,
While the ruins of a once great civilization teach impatience.
At each sight of Grace,
He hopes for Melina's appearance,
And when she manifests,
His heart lifts like a sword catching sunlight.
She tells him of Torrent,
Giving him the spectral steed as a companion for his journey.
Their fingers touch briefly as she passes him the whistle,
And Aldrich feels a spark of connection that lingers long after she fades away.
On Torrent's back,
He races across the wilderness,
But his thoughts remain with Melina.
Her gentle voice,
Her mysterious purpose,
The way Grace itself seems to flow around her like water around stone.
In Stormvale Castle,
As he faces the grafted horror that is Godric,
Aldrich finds strength not in the promise of glory,
But in the memory of Melina's words.
The Erd Tree governs all.
The clash of his blade against Godric's many arms echoes through the castle's halls,
Each victory bringing him closer to understanding his purpose and closer to her.
When he finally emerges victorious,
Melina appears to him again.
The pride in her eye makes his triumph complete,
But there is something else in her gaze,
A growing sadness that he cannot yet understand.
You walk a noble path,
She tells him,
As the winds of Limgrave carry the scent of coming storm.
But remember,
Tarnished,
That all paths to the Erd Tree demand sacrifice.
Aldrich wants to reach for her then,
To understand the weight behind her words,
But she is already fading like morning mist before the sun.
Left alone at the sight of Grace,
He watches the distant Erd Tree shimmer with its eternal light and makes a silent vow.
Whatever sacrifices lie ahead,
He will face them not just as a tarnished seeking the throne,
But as a man whose heart has found something more precious than lordship.
The road ahead leads to Lyernia's mist-shrouded lakes,
Where Academy sorcerers guide ancient secrets,
And the moon holds dominion over the knights.
But even as he prepares for these new challenges,
Aldrich's thoughts remain fixed on Melina's last words.
What sacrifice awaits?
What price must be paid for the crown of Elden Lord?
And why does each meeting with her feel both like a blessing and a slowly unfolding tragedy?
With these questions burning in his mind,
Aldrich mounts Torrent and rides towards the gates of Rhea Lucaria.
The spectral steed's hooves leaving no prints in the blood-soaked grounds of Stormveil.
Above him,
The Erd Tree's golden leaves seem to whisper secrets he cannot yet understand.
While somewhere in the vast lands between,
Melina awaits their next meeting,
A guide,
A mystery,
And increasingly the keeper of his heart's uncertain destiny.
The mists of Lyernia part before Aldrich like ghostly curtains,
Revealing a vast lake dotted with the ruins of a civilization that once dreamed of touching the stars.
The water reflects the eternal glow of the Erd Tree,
Creating twin golden images that seem to mock the very concept of reality.
Here in this land of sorcerers and secrets,
Aldrich finds his thoughts increasingly consumed by Melina.
At each sight of Grace,
He lingers longer than necessary,
Hoping she will appear.
When she does materialize,
Sitting beside him with that distinctive grace that seems both earthly and otherworldly,
His heart beats faster beneath his battle-worn armor.
She speaks of the old ways,
Of Queen Marika,
And the greater will,
But Aldrich finds himself studying the way the light plays across her face,
How her lips curve when she shares ancient tales.
Tell me about your dreams,
Melina abruptly asks him.
They are filled with you,
He admits,
Your voice guiding me through the mist.
You shouldn't let me become your purpose,
She warns,
Though her voice carries a warmth he treasures.
The Academy of Rhea Lucaria,
She tells him,
As the mists swirl around them like dancers,
Sought to understand the stars themselves,
But sometimes tarnished.
The greatest mysteries lie much closer to our hearts.
Her words carry double meaning,
And Aldrich wonders if she can sense the growing warmth in his chest whenever she appears.
Through the treacherous waters of Lyernia,
Past glintstone sorcerers and mad knights,
He carries her words like talismans.
Each victory feels hollow unless he can share it with her at the next site of grace.
In the grand halls of Rhea Lucaria,
Facing the full moon queen,
Rinala,
Aldrich discovers new kinds of magic,
Not the glintstone sorceries of the Academy,
But the subtle enchantment of a heart gradually opening to love.
Between dodges and strikes,
He remembers Melina's gentle warnings about the path ahead,
And each swing of his blade becomes a promise to protect not just himself,
But her as well.
The nights in Lyernia are long and filled with strange lights.
Glintstone stars fall into earth,
The eerie glow of ghost flame,
The eternal radiance of the Erd tree.
During these hours,
Aldrich finds himself speaking to Melina even when she isn't there,
Sharing his discoveries,
His fears,
His growing understanding of the lands between.
At times,
He swears he can feel her presence watching over him like a warm breeze in the cold mist.
At one special site of grace,
High in the manor of Caria,
Melina shares more of herself than usual.
I have a purpose,
She says,
Her voice carrying that familiar note of distant sorrow.
One that was given to me at birth,
As you do,
Tarnished.
Aldrich wants to tell her that purposes can change,
That destiny isn't a straight path,
But a winding road with many branches.
Instead,
He watches her profile against the misty night,
Memorizing every detail.
The way she holds herself,
Proud but never rigid,
The subtle movements of her hands as she speaks,
The depths in her single visible eye that seem to hold all the wisdom and sadness of the ages.
As he delves deeper into Lyernia's mysteries,
Each step taking him closer to the Altus Plateau,
Aldrich begins to understand that his journey has transformed.
Yes,
He still seeks to become Elden Lord,
But increasingly,
His thoughts turn to Melina's words about sacrifice.
What price will the throne demand?
What cost will the Earth Tree exact?
In the ruins of a church,
Surrounded by the singing of wraiths,
He finds an ancient prayer book.
When he presents it to Melina at their next meeting,
Her eyes widen with genuine pleasure.
For a moment,
The sorrow that constantly surrounds her lifts,
And Aldrich feels his heart soar.
He would search a thousand ruins,
Brave a thousand dangers,
Just to see that look again.
You understand more than most,
She tells him softly,
Her fingers brushing against his as she accepts the book,
But understanding can be a double-edged sword,
Dear Tarnished.
The word dear echoes in his mind long after she vanishes,
Carrying both warmth and warning.
As he prepares to leave Lyernia's mistrutted realm for the golden heights of the Altus Plateau,
Aldrich makes another silent vow.
Whatever understanding awaits him in the higher realms,
Whatever truth lies behind Melina's sadness,
He will face it not just as a Tarnished seeking glory,
But as a man whose heart has found its true purpose and the mysterious smile of a maiden bound to fate.
The golden expanse of the Altus Plateau stretches before Aldrich like a dream of ancient glory,
Its rolling hills crowned with earth trees that seem to catch and hold the eternal sunlight.
Here,
Closer to the capital of Lindell,
The air itself tastes of power and of burning.
It's in this realm of gold and grandeur that Aldrich learns the terrible truth that will shatter his world.
At a sight of grace overlooking the capital's massive walls,
Melina appears to him more substantial than ever before.
There's an urgency to her presence that makes his heart tighten with concern.
The Earth Tree,
She says,
Her voice heavy with purpose,
Must be burned and I,
I am the Kindling.
The words hit Aldrich like a blow from a giant's hammer.
He listens with dread as Melina explains her destiny,
To burn in the flames of the forge of the giants,
To set the Earth Tree ablaze so that a new Elden Lord might ascend.
Each word she speaks feels like a blow to his chest,
Each gentle explanation another wound.
No,
There must be another way,
He insists,
His voice rough with emotion.
I cannot let you sacrifice yourself for this.
This is my purpose,
She says,
Reaching out to touch his cheek when she sees the anguish in his eyes.
The purpose I was given when I came into being at the foot of the Earth Tree.
For the first time since awakening in the Chapel of Anticipation,
Aldrich feels truly lost.
The golden fields of the plateau mock him with their beauty as he wanders,
His mind racing with possibilities,
Searching desperately for another way.
He fights through the tree sentinels,
Battles past the draconic knights,
But each victory feels hollow now,
Tainted by the knowledge of the sacrifice to come.
It's in this state of desperation that he hears whispers of another path,
Deep beneath the capital,
In the forgotten depths where madness dwells.
There exists a power that could burn the Earth Tree,
Without requiring Mileena's sacrifice.
The frenzied flame calls to him,
Promising a way to save the one he loves,
Even if it is death itself.
When next Mileena appears to him,
Beneath a shadow of the capital's walls,
Aldrich can barely meet her eye.
She seems to sense the change in him,
The weight of the choice he's contemplating.
Why won't you look at me?
She asks him,
Her eye studying his face intently.
Because each time you appear,
I fear it might be the last,
Aldrich replies,
His voice rough with emotion.
Because the thought of you,
Burning for this broken world,
Tears at my very soul.
My sacrifice has purpose,
Dear Tarnished,
Just as your journey does.
She reaches out,
Her fingers almost touching his,
But stops short.
We cannot let our hearts overcome our duty.
What if duty itself is wrong?
He challenges.
What if there's another way?
Her eye softens then.
There are always other ways,
But not all paths lead to light.
Whatever you're thinking,
She says softly,
Whatever path you're considering,
Remember that some prices are too high to pay.
But Aldrich has already made his decision.
He loves her too much to let her burn,
Even if it means burning himself instead.
I used to dream of becoming Elden Lord,
He tells her.
Now I dream only of finding a way to save you.
Melina's response is both tender and sad.
Dreams can be dangerous things,
My dear Tarnished.
Sometimes love itself can blind us to the greater purpose we must serve.
Then let me be blind,
He declares.
Let me be foolish,
But don't ask me to watch you burn.
The descent into the depths beneath Lindell feels like a journey into his own heart's darkness.
Past the merchants driven mad,
Through the catacombs of the dead,
He makes his way to the door that will change everything.
When he stands before it,
Flesh bare to the metal's embrace,
The cries of those he loves echo in his mind.
But it's Melina's face he sees as the door opens and the three fingers reach for him,
Marking him forever with their cursed blessing.
The frenzied flame burns through him like a star going nova,
Filling every crack in his being with its chaotic purpose.
When he returns to the surface,
Changed and burning with inner fire as a lord of chaos,
Melina appears one last time.
The look in her eye when she sees what he's become will haunt him forever.
Forgive me,
He whispers,
But I cannot lose you.
But you already have,
She responds.
You would have the world burn,
She says,
Her voice thick with sorrow and disappointment.
I trusted you,
I believed in you,
But now,
She stands,
Turning away from him.
The words cut deeper than any blade could reach.
As she fades away,
For what might be the last time,
Aldrich reaches for her with hands that now carry the power to unmake the world.
But she is already gone,
Leaving him alone with the chaos burning in his heart and the knowledge that in trying to save her,
He has lost her completely.
Standing in the golden fields of the Altus Plateau,
Marked by the frenzied flame and abandoned by the one person who had given his journey meaning,
Aldrich makes a new vow.
He will find a way to cleanse himself of this chaos,
To prove to Melina that his love for her is stronger than even the madness that now courses through his veins.
Somewhere in the lands between,
He has heard there exists a golden needle that might just be his salvation.
Through the scarlet wastes of Caelod,
Aldrich makes his way,
The frenzied flame burning beneath his skin.
He finds Melisand at the Church of the Plague,
A proud warrior brought low by the rot.
Before helping her,
He remembers his last true conversation with Melina and how she told him that they cannot let their hearts overcome their duty.
Now,
As he helps Melisand stand,
Those words haunt him.
The proud warrior woman reminds him somewhat of Melina,
The same quiet strength,
The same burden of purpose.
Through their encounters across the rotting landscape,
Melisand shares her own tale of struggle against destiny.
Now in the heart of Caelod's corruption,
Aldrich helps Melisand fight her sisters,
Watching her struggle against the destiny that her bloodline has forced upon her.
After the battle,
As she lies dying,
She offers him the golden needle,
His chance at redemption.
You remind me of someone,
Melisand says weakly,
Someone who fights against fate itself.
Take it,
The needle,
May it serve you better than it served me.
With Melisand's needle in hand,
Aldrich makes his way toward the Forge of Giants.
The frenzied flame pulses within him,
Fighting against his every step.
At a sight of grace near the forge,
He remembers Melina's final words before his fall.
I see the way you look at me,
She had said,
The love in your eyes,
It both warms and terrifies me,
Because I know you would break the world to save me.
Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved?
He had asked.
Love should lift us higher,
She had replied,
Not drag us into chaos.
Remember that,
Whatever you choose.
Standing now before the forge,
The needle clutched in his hand,
Aldrich prepares for what must come next.
The flames await,
But this time,
He will be the one to light them.
Not to destroy,
But to protect.
And perhaps,
If fate is kind,
To earn forgiveness from the one person whose opinion matters more than all the thrones in the land between.
The Forge of Giants roars with ancient flame as Aldrich approaches.
The chaos within him wrestling against every step.
Here,
Where the fate of the lands between will be decided,
He remembers his first promise to Melina.
I will become Elden Lord,
He had sworn.
And I will be your maiden,
She had replied,
Her eye twinkling,
Until the very end.
Neither of them had known,
Then,
How bitter that end might be.
Now,
Standing before the forge,
Aldrich raises his hands.
The frenzied flame erupts from within him,
Setting the great forge ablaze.
As the flames rise,
He hears Melina's voice on the wind.
So you would do it yourself?
Spare me my purpose.
I would spare you everything,
He calls out to the empty air.
Every pain,
Every sacrifice.
The forge's heat intensifies,
And Aldrich makes his way to his final destination.
The heart of Caelid.
Each step brings back another memory.
What is love to a maiden?
He had once asked Melina at a quiet site of grace.
She had paused before answering.
It is like grace itself,
A light that guides,
That warms,
And sometimes burns.
And what is it to you,
Melina?
Not as a maiden,
But as yourself.
It is,
She had hesitated,
Her eye meeting his.
It is what I feel when you look at me as you do now.
Before Melina's flower,
Aldrich removes his armor.
The frenzied flame pulses beneath his skin like a second heart.
He holds Melisandre's needle above his chest.
The needle plunges deep.
Pain explodes through him like a thousand suns,
The frenzied flame fighting against his power.
As he falls to his knees,
Memories flood faster.
Tell me something true,
He had begged her once.
I never wanted to burn,
She had whispered,
And I never wanted to love a tarnished who would break my heart.
The chaos burns away,
Replaced by a different kind of fire,
Purifying,
Cleansing.
Through the haze of pain,
He sees a familiar figure approaching.
Melina kneels before him,
Her eye filled with tears.
You impossible fool,
She whispers,
Touching his face.
I told you I'd find another way,
He manages through the pain.
You crossed kingdoms,
Faced gods,
Embraced madness,
And pierced your own heart.
She says,
Helping him to sit.
All to spare me my destiny?
I would have done more,
He tells her.
I would do it all again.
She leans forward,
Pressing her forehead to his.
My dear tarnished,
My beloved fool,
You've carried such a burden.
You fought fate itself for love.
A smile finally breaking through her tears.
You found a way to burn the Urd Tree,
Without losing yourself to chaos,
Or sacrificing me to flame.
Around them,
The scarlet rot recedes,
As if Melisandre's final gift has purified not just Aldrich,
But the land itself.
Melina helps him stand.
What now?
He asks,
Looking toward the burning Urd Tree in the distance.
Now?
Melina's eyes sparkle with something new.
Hope,
Perhaps,
Or joy.
Now we write our own destiny,
Together.
Hand in hand,
They stand in the heart of a purified Caelid.
The Urd Tree blazing in the distance.
The future uncertain,
But full of possibility.
Aldrich,
No longer tarnished by fate or marked by chaos,
And Melina,
No longer bound to burn,
Face the dawn of a new age.
Together they walk toward the burning tree,
Ready to face whatever comes next,
Not as maiden and lord,
But as equals bound by a love strong enough to overcome even the most ancient of destinies.
You
