Nov 25, 2025
Wizard
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Wizard
Interview with Kwangsam-Kim, Director Behind the Story Renewal
Q. Why did you decide to renew the story?
Black Desert Online is a game with awesome combat and a great degree of freedom in a graphically stunning open world. And over the years, we kept up with the fast-paced updates, continuously fixing issues that needed to be addressed, which made it difficult to lay out a big plan to create a major story. The world of Black Desert is vast and interesting, but its depiction became old fashioned. The plots began to conflict as we released more updates. Therefore, we started this endeavor to reorganize the plotlines and decided early this year to renew the story overall. You can say the newly updated main story leading up to Calpheon is just the beginning of this project. In other words, we plan on updating the story beyond Serendia-Calpheon continuously so that adventurers can enjoy the massive world of Black Desert as it becomes even more defined.
Q. What is the most crucial change you’ve made in the first half of the remastering process?
In Serendia-Calpheon, we focused on solidifying the world. We wanted to answer the basic questions our adventurers had since the beginning. For example, questions like: What do the Shadow Knights do exactly? Are all the Elionian priests crazy? Why are they trying to summon Kzarka? How did Kzarka end up in Serendia Shrine instead of Kzarka(Calpheon) Shrine? We haven’t provided all the answers to every side of the story because we need to save some for the twists and turns. But we gave enough so that people can pick up on the general direction of the story, while leaving out material to present in stories and side quests that will be added. Additionally, we tried to structure the plots so the users can feel like they are a part of the story as they encounter NPCs and communicate with them. We tried to maintain as much of the old world as possible while trying to share the world in more depth, as well as addressing various unanswered questions. This was to structure the stories leading up to Mediah, Valencia, etc. but also to preserve the memories and experiences in the original world of Black Desert Online. If there’s something particular in this renewal, it is that users can choose different paths in certain parts of the story. You won’t gain or lose out on any special items because of your choices here. This was done so that it will feel different whenever someone levels a new character. (One of the paths follows the old storyline, but the other paths are different). Each path takes a look at the world from the perspective of different NPCs and events. It will most definitely be enjoyable for adventurers that like detailed settings and stories.
Q. Will there be changes made to the previous stances of main characters? If there are new characters, please give us a simple introduction.
Secret Guards with Orwen and Edan, and main characters including Jordine were the ones taking the lead in a huge part of the storyline from Serendia-Calpheon. However, their importance may rise or fall drastically depending on the path you take. It’s not like the personalities of the different characters or the basic premise changed, but they will feel much different from before. For example, the way Orwen looks at you might be a bit different from before, believe it or not. Also, we added details to the characters and incidents that were only briefly mentioned before, to make them more dramatic. For example, in the tragedy that happened in Keplan, we will go deeper into the story of Oze that we briefly looked at in the previous story. Questions such as, what happened to Oze? What happened when the Petrifying Disease struck Keplan? Why did the lord and handmaid lose their minds? Where is Oze now? Not to mention, Illezra, the destroyer of Mediah, has finally appeared.
Illezra was continuously mentioned throughout the main story before, but never appeared in the gameplay. Now, you’ll get to see her at the beginning, on the opening cutscene. Who is this Illezra and how is she related to us?
What business does Illezra have in Calpheon?
Well this is for sure, She is a central figure that appears throughout the story and at its end. I don’t want to spoil the story so please try playing through it! Stay tuned for all the exciting stories about Illezra waiting for you in the game!
Q. What will happen to users who were on the previous main quests?
Those who were already on the previous main quests can continue with those quests. However, they cannot do the previous quests again from the start. Meaning, characters created afterwards can only do the renewed quests. While characters that already started with the previous quests will continue on. Try playing our new class Archer as he is released at the same time as the storyline renewal.
Q. Do you plan on remastering the later part of the story? If so, how are you scheduling them? (Black Spirit’s identity, details about the Valencia vs Calpheon, etc.)
The story renewal is still a work in progress. Next will be Mediah. Mediah will also have multiple paths, and we are working to create a concrete view. For example, who is Neruda Shen and what does he want? How about the prince of misfortune, Bareeds III? What is the Bautt Lithograph? Also, what in the world happened during the Three Days of Darkness? All these will be revealed in the next part of the story, Mediah. We are creating a long and dramatic story by completing each of the stories in Valencia, Kamasylvia, Drieghan, etc in order.
Of course, this will lead to the revelation of what the Black Spirit and Ancient Ruins are, and other mysteries.
Q. Last but not least: Anything to say to the adventurers who are enjoying Black Desert?
The renewal of the stories in Black Desert will continue. We hope you will be able to enjoy and take another step deeper into the world of Black Desert. Please enjoy it twice. No, three times! Since there are three paths.
Also, the second part of the renewed story, Mediah, is scheduled to be revealed early 2019. We hope you will look forward to it as well!
ahib dialogue in drieghan
Illezra
llezra is a powerful sorcerer and currently the primary antagonist in the main story. Her goals are unclear, but she has a knowledge of the secrets involving the Black Stones and the Ancients. Her story is the primary focus for Mediah and will continue on into Valencia. She describes herself as having lived three lives and died three deaths, whether those are factual or metaphorical is to be discovered. While her birthplace is unknown, she states her first home was Altinova, where she began to delve into the dark secrets it held involving Black Stones. Some incident caused her to be gravely injured there (she describes this as the curiosities she gained cost her the first "life."), and was found outside of Tarif with damaged hands. Some like Eckta, the soul bound to the painting outside of the inn, immediately told Ahon Kirus, the leader of Tarif, to turn her away. Ahon didn’t listen and couldn’t stand the thought of abandoning the woman, so Tarif took her in. (Year 273) She stayed in Tarif for some time, hoping it to be her true home that would accept her power. But the darkness she found in Altinova followed her, and she began to ask the people of Tarif questions that were forbidden among the Sorcerers. She spoke of Black Stones and what mysteries lied beyond the Black Desert, and who was calling her from there. She then unearthed Cartian's book (the Great Sorceress who founded Tarif) and gained some of its powers. The book itself is extremely dangerous and most can’t even begin to handle the spells within. Either way, Illezra obtained power from the book and escaped Tarif, killing (and in one case abducting) sorcerers/sorceresses along the way out, but herself also being gravely wounded (this may be where she lost her second "life", but no confirmation as of yet.). Her motivation behind this was unclear (as we know so far...), but it did seem to connect to the questions she was asking and her desire to find answers. After leaving Mediah, she gathered up various beings that she either mind-controlled or had willingly join her (There are cases of both. Wandering rogues were controlled by her, Barbarians of the Iron Mine willingly joined in after she said their God is with them). (Year 277) Following this, with the help of the Elric Priests she plunged Mediah into a supernatural event know as the Three Days of Darkness, where all of Mediah was under a blanket of complete darkness for three days. Altinova was no exception. With neither sun or moon offering light, the people of Mediah had to rely on torches to ward off the darkness. The darkness itself is said to have driven some mad, who ran shrieking into the pitch black never to be seen again. A sizable force of Sorceresses, Dark Chasers (Giants), Secret Guards, allied Dwarves, and various others set out to put a stop to her. Huge investigative units, magic used to heal those who’d been damaged/possessed, so-on and so-forth. Some years after the event of the Three Days of Darkness, Illezra and the Protagonist met in Valencia (how, we don't know yet) and some incident occurred where the Protagonist found their Black Spirit, they were knocked out cold, and Illezra escaped.
She caused massive disruptions in the world using the magic she’d discovered within the tome and other powers, including:
-Three Days of Darkness, in which Mediah was plunged into supernatural darkness. The darkness itself is said to have driven some mad, who ran shrieking into the pitch black never to be seen again.
-Some kind of geographic event which lead to the unearthing of Ancient constructs.
-Attempting to use the skeletons buried in Soldier’s Grave as an army.
-Working with the newly-deranged Elric Priests to summon the Skeleton King to further her power by channeling him.
-Killing the Mediahn royal family, the only survivor being Bareeds III.
-Rallying the Barbarians of the Iron Mine and telling them to destroy/siege Altinova. She mostly succeeded in what she set out to do, but then hit some bumps along the way.
- Taking Kzarka’s soul.
It was through Illezra’s attack on Mediah that people re-discovered Black Spirits as an Actual Thing to be worried about, they were simply legend before.
This is the story of Illezra so far, but what her motivations currently are and her connection to a Black Spirit is still yet to be discovered.
Some lore on Valencia’s Cokro Chamber:
- The Cokro Chamber (best translated to be the heart) was discovered or created around Edana’s time in his founding of Valencia. Something in that chamber gives the user the ability to create and mass control ancient constructs, and it may be where they all originated. We’re not at a point in the story where we know exactly what’s going on in there, other than how secret this place was kept and how well-guarded it was by the old Royal Family.
- Sometime before Edana’s passing, his Black Spirit was tasked as the guardian of that chamber, the only one being able to utilize it (being a key to it in a sense), and only him and whoever was of Edana’s bloodline was allowed to use it. Anyone who isn’t of Edana’s bloodline or that Black Spirit is killed inside the chamber.
- For a time, he and the secret chamber were guarded by the royal family and their castle was situated directly above it. This lasted for potentially a couple generations.
- Some time later, the Black Spirit was forcefully taken from this chamber and shipped away by cultists in a stone prison. Prolonged separation from that place caused him to loose his memory and sense of purpose to potentially insanity, making him resort to the default state of a black spirit. Not everything seemed to be lost to him however, as some powers and morals he possessed remained unique to himself.
- A new royal family arose, one not of Edana’s bloodline. Whether the events of the Black Spirit’s imprisonment and this happened together or after some time is to be determined, but the suspicions are there.
- It is unknown what the chamber was used for following this. There are theories the royal family attempted to utilize it and noticed the people they sent to investigate it were killed in the process, so they elected to not pass this knowledge down in order to ensure the safety of the family.
- The chamber comes back into interest around 50-60 years ago during the rule of Imur Nesser, who wanted the power to control the ancient constructs in the desert in order to take over the Western Continent. A sage told him the power lies in the Cokro Chamber, but his attempts to find what was in there were thwarted by the Aakman, the Guardians of the Ancients. They believed that Imur was simply using this for further bloodshed against Calpheon, and they were fundamentally against the power being used in that way. They warned him of repercussions if he attempted to take control of the chamber, but he did not listen.
- In his rage, Imur ordered a mass genocide of the Aakman. Only a few survived the bloodshed and went into hiding.
- Following the Aakman Genocide and Imur’s attempts to take the chamber, a strange and deadly disease began from northern Valencia and spread across the entire Western Continent, killing half of the entire population including Imur’s wife. Many blame the Valencians for what happened, but Valencia was not spared from this disease. Many of the Valencians blamed Imur in this thirst for power, and he believed this was a punishment from their god, Aal, for his genocide of the Aakman. Whether the events surrounding Imur’s attempted control of the Cokro Chamber and the Black Death were connected or not is still to determine.
- King Sahazad Nesser, Imur’s son, has no knowledge of the actual purpose that chamber holds for the royal family and who was meant to use it. All he knows is it’s important to him to find something in there that will prove his legitimacy. In his search for this, he reached out to the Aakman and gave them protection. Not every Aakman wanted to return however, only few did so.
- The entire royal family is seeking out some sort of “key” to the chamber in the attempts to prove their worth. What this key actually is has been lost to time, and they have no idea it’s the power of the Black Spirit.
- When the Protagonist is sent to the chamber and comes back alive, Sahazad tells them to seek out the key needed for the basement of the chamber, believing they have found “the one” to save the royal family. They’re instructed to go to Atosa, de-facto leader of the Aakman.
- Atosa recognizes you as the true ruler, as he can see the Black Spirit. He reveals that Sahazad has no idea that the true purpose of that chamber is solely for those with Edana’s bloodline, and he assists them in getting the key for it which is actually just granting the Black Spirit some of his old power and memory back. The Black Spirit is also able to resemble his old Ancient form once more and will eventually reach its completed state when he gets more power back. Atosa also states that the Protagonist will become their leader.
- When the artifact in the basement of the chamber is unlocked, a construct known as the Guardian of Edana begins to call to the Protagonist. Upon meeting it, it reveals that the Protagonist is of Edana’s bloodline and their Black Spirit marks the symbol of the true royal bloodline of Valencia. They are instructed by the Guardian to find more ancient artifacts and recover the Black Spirit’s former power which will lead to more answers surrounding the Cokro Chamber. It knows what’s in that chamber, but doesn’t think the Black Spirit and Protagonist are prepared to find out yet, mostly due to how the Black Spirit is still recovering his memories and powers.
- Edan gives the Protagonist a false key in order to trick the royal family. The story involving the Cokro Chamber leaves off here.
- There is far more in that chamber that we’ve yet to find out about. Somehow, the powers surrounding that chamber are also connected to the Hystria and Aakman ruins and potentially something more. For now, the story has just begun to unearth what’s in there, what will happen to the Valencian royal family if they’re discovered to not be legitimate, and when our Black Spirit will be at his former power.
also! if anyone has any bdo lore questions feel free to message/ask me, it’s one of my favorite things in the game to discuss o/
Prepare for Doom!
Some Doom lore to break your heart 💔
Knights of Dawn Lore
With the coming of the new storyline, we’ll be introduced to a new group. Here’s some of the lore on them from the Global Lab:
The Origins of the Shadow Knights:
The origins of the Shadow Knights can be traced back to a secret group known as the 'Knights of Dawn,' now long gone and erased from the history books.
The Knights of Dawn originally followed the teachings of the Ancient Light. Well aware of the existence of dark powers at all points throughout history, their mission was to track and keep such forces at bay.
(Calpheon Shrine was originally a temple of worship for believers of the ancient light and was once regarded as sacred ground by the Elion Church.)
Due to differences in terms of the specifics of doctrine with the Elion Church that worshiped Elion, the God of a light similar to that of the Ancient Light, they weren't publicly castigated by the Elion Church, yet were considered unsanctioned and de facto heretics.
The Coming of Belmorn and the Knights of Dawn
However, with the threat of Belmorn looming across all lands, the Knights of Dawn made their presence known to the world and formally requested assistance from each country to engage Belmorn through a coalition of their armies.
Despite these efforts, Belmorn who had fallen from battle did not simply disappear and managed to deal a substantial blow to the souls of the surviving Knights of Dawn.
Members of the Knights of Dawn stationed in the outpost erected to guard and keep the remnants of Belmorn kept away from the world began to slowly succumb to their curiosities of the dark forces.
(At first, the knights began to experiment with the dark force to gain a better understanding. However, they soon became seduced by its powers after they succumbed to its ability to make their wishes come true.)
The Downfall of the Knights of Dawn
On the other hand, having observed the might of the Knights of Dawn, each of the kingdoms began to exercise checks and balances against the Knights who were now exposed to the world.
All of this happened immediately after the last Master of the Knights of Dawn announced that the Knights would remain neutral and would not take sides with any particular country. Upon the discovery of records within the headquarters of the knights in Calpheon that the Knights of Dawn were planning to overthrow the country, the group was forcibly disbanded and the Knights Master who was attempted to resolve the matter was assassinated while in Calpheon. This was the final straw that eventually led to the dissolution of the Knights of Dawn and the coming of a purge paid in blood.
The Shadow Knights, The Fraternity of Light, and the Knights of Dawn
However, it wasn't that they all simply disappeared. Some of the knights converted to Elionism and became priests of the Elion Church. These priests formed the crux of the group that came to be known as the Fraternity of Light and became the most powerful group of priests within the Elion Church. However, questionable ties between the Fraternity of Light exist with another band of former Knights that came be known as the Shadow Knights. On the surface, they follow the teachings of the Elion Church. However in reality, they abide by their own secret doctrine that light and dark are one and quietly support the Shadow Knights. An extremely small number of surivors who had not forgone the teachings of the original Knights of Dawn became the Secret Guards who withdrew from the public and quietly sought out and became keepers of ancient knowledge. On the other hand, the knights stationed at the Watchtower to protect the seal of Belmorn managed to survive the Great Purge and self-proclaimed themselves as the Shadow Knights who began to operate within the darkness. With the passing of time, the Shadow Knights who once engaged in the study of the dark powers while attempting to keep themselves free from the whispers of darkness spilling out from the seal of Belmorn, eventually gained more knowledge of the origins of the dark powers through their exchanges and contacts with the Vedirs banished from Kamasylvia and eventually turned completely to darkness and gained eternal life through rituals learned from the Vedirs who taught them how to exceed the limits of their corporeal existence. They eventually succumbed to the endless whispers of Belmorn and became worshipers of Belmorn and Kzarka. However, they still manage to call themselves knights that worship Elion and the God of Light. "Light and darkness was one before, and it must become one again."