Lahn will be soon be added to Black Desert Online NA/EU, and the pre-Awakened Lahn's lore was released on the official BDO NA website; what we have here is the translated game lore behind Lahn’s Awakening. It is connected to the pre-Awakening story, so make sure you read that first before reading this!

“Blood can only be cleansed by blood…”

Rain fell from the sky like streaks of silver from a dark abyss. A woman of clear divinity was veiled within the downpour, her white sleeves smeared with mud and her breath coming out in sharp and heavy gasps. 

Her own memories were muddy as well, filled with faint recollections of harsh and rigorous training. From the depths of her mind came flashes of ill-defined desires, now merely blurred reflections on the keen edge of her Cresent Pendulum. The weft and weave of the martial arts were sewn into her very bones; every strike and swing of the Pendulum was executed as naturally as a breath.

This deadly art was the only link to her past, a past she yearned to uncover.

She tried to reach into her hazy memories, but her fruitless efforts only left her in distress. A drop of blood ran down her chin as she bit her lip in frustration.

One of her steps twisted in the wet dirt and she fell to the ground, mud splattering across her cheek. 

From within the haze of her blurred vision, she could suddenly make out a pair of thick armored shoes. The metal was engraved with Oriental symbols and characters only found in a far-off place; such patterns should never be seen in these lands.

A low voice reached her ears. The voice was that of a man’s; mysterious, yet familiar.

“You display such a smooth dance and yet let yourself be distracted? I thought I taught you better than that.”

When the woman looked up and locked eyes with the man, the sound of the rain faded into the distance, and time itself seemed to have brought itself to a halt.

All she could hear was the resounding echo of her heartbeat.

Líng líng xiāng¹!

As the man’s voice finally set in, it called forth a flood of memories from the back of her mind. The man should have been dead, watching over her from the other side, and yet here he stood before her, unharmed.

“How could I, the huì cǎo², not grieve when you, the lánhuā³, are mourning like this? Did you not believe me when I said that no matter where you are, I would always be there with you?”

Líng líng xiāng held his gaze on the woman for a moment before opening his mouth to speak again.

“The devotion we had for our country was undeniable, and yet they repaid our loyalty by aiming a million spears at our backs. Their greed turned everyone against us, and only the two of us survived. Now we, the pure-hearted, are the only ones who can save this depraved world and protect the lives of the all those who are suffering.”

The man who had sacrificed himself to save her had returned. She continued to stare at him.

Líng líng xiāng reached down, offered his hand to the woman on the ground, and continued speaking.

“This path will be difficult and riddled with obstacles. However, together, you and I can easily make it. As I was searching for you, I felt the power of a divine artifact sleeping in this western land. Its power should be enough to help us to reach our goal. Now, come with me.”

The woman had nothing else left to think about now; she nodded and took Líng líng xiāng’s hand. And then she followed her divine power wherever it led her.

After many days, they reached the source of the power and found two old blades stuck deep in the ground. In the eyes of ordinary people, the blades would seem to be merely two old pieces of steel, but the woman could feel the tremendous and powerful energy overflowing from the blades. This was no doubt a divine artifact, just as Líng líng xiāng had said.

If only she could get her hands on those blades! Then she could bring those traitors down to their knees and build a virtuous world, just like the one she had learned of and dreamt about as a child!

She reached out, intent on taking hold of that power, a power that could change the world. But as she grasped the hilt in her hand, the sky went black; dark clouds twisted above her and a deep thundering rang through the air.

A dark mist began to crawl up the woman’s fingers, but she was oblivious, caught in confusion from the chaos unfolding around her.

The woman’s eyes darted about in panic, until they landed on Líng líng xiāng. He stood there, reflected in her gaze, a sinister smile splitting his face.

“Hahaha, you foolish, dull-witted woman! Did you truly believe that dead man had returned? Or did this armor I dug up from Líng líng xiāng’s grave blind your eyes? I had him taken from his grave and mounted his head in the city for all to see, and now I am about to get your head as well! Once I have split your neck, my name shall live on forever! My accomplishments here will be honored by my descendants for all time!”

The betrayer! How could she have forgotten his face!

The man’s body, which she once believed to be Líng líng xiāng’s, began to melt away into a black energy, slowly revealing its true, monstrous form.

For a brief moment, she lifted her Crescent Pendulum to defend herself, but a pain shot through her. Her Pendulum clattered to the ground as she clutched at her chest as if trying to rip the pain away with her bare hands. 

“For thousands of years, many have tried and failed to awaken the Blood Flow Blade, and yet now, you have succeeded. It was quite a pain guiding you all the way here, but for this, it was worth it! Blinded by your own lust for power, you tried to take the blade for yourself. It is only a matter of time before your pure energy is tainted by the blade’s power! Your body and soul will soon be corrupted, and the sated Blood Flow Blade will be mine for the taking…”

In that instant, the woman’s Ancient Blade came flying and struck the betrayer right between the eyes.

By now, the dark mist was spreading across the woman’s face.

The betrayer did not fall to his death; instead, he pulled out a black stone he had kept hidden and swallowed it with a sneer.

“As expected, I should say. It seems I have underestimated you. You didn’t just awaken the Blood Flow Blade, you devoured its soul! What wonderful prey you are! You become more enticing by the minute…”

An ominous energy began to gather around the betrayer’s body, and his armor ripped apart as his muscles twisted and pulsed to inhuman size. In that same moment, the woman’s mind was suddenly drowned in chaos. All of her reasoning and logic vanished, overwhelmed by an all-consuming rage and a desperate desire for power and destruction.

I will destroy everything that lies before me. Anything that gets in my way must die.

The monstrous abomination swung its claws forward, and they made a thunderous clang as they met the woman’s Ancient Blade.

The betrayer mocked the woman, trying to create an opening for him to land a fatal blow, but his slander was in vain. Despite all of his strength and cunning; despite the dark power that fueled him; he knew he could not win now that the woman had the Blood Flow Blade in her hands.

Even with all the dark energy he had accumulated over the years, his power was no match. All he could do was desperately curse the woman as he was driven back and beaten down.

The woman cut a fatal wound into the betrayer’s stomach, and he fell to the ground, spitting blood.

“Take a look at yourself! You have become quite a monster as well! Even you cannot keep your heart free from darkness! Even after all that pride and piety you had in your purity, this is the inevitable end! Now that the Blood Flow Blade has chosen you, the only path left is the same one Líng líng xiāng took -- to hell!”

After hissing these words, the monstrous betrayer disappeared.

What did I just do? Was it truly the betrayer that led me all the way here, or was he just a twisted illusion created by my emptiness and rage?

With a pained groan, the woman stood up, still holding a blade in each of her hands.

This was how the Blood Flow Blade, the ancient weapon said only to be wielded by evil beings, Awakened in this continent after thousands of years.

On that day, the rain fell like streaks of silver from a dark abyss...

A terrible cackle rang out through the valley, overpowering the crackling of the blazing fire. The fields were dyed almost red by the flames, and the grass lay flat under piles of soulless corpses.

The woman looked down upon the devastation she had caused, a sinister smile splitting her face.

The warm scent of the orchids was consumed by the cold iron taste of blood, which darkened the ground to sheer black. Fire reflected in the thick pools, and it seemed as though even the blood was burning.

Wounded and weeping, people clung to the hem of the woman’s dress as they begged for mercy. But her gaze held no compassion, and with a sweep of her Blood Flow Blade, she slew each and every one of them; her pure white cheeks were stained crimson with blood.

Her true nature had been stifled all this time, suppressed by her strict royal upbringing and the high expectations of those around her. With the Blood Flow Blade now in her hands, those shackles were shattered and cast aside.

The woman moved on to her next destination, her expression almost serene. Her sharp, ear-piercing laughter stabbed through the valley.

“Blood can only be cleansed by blood.”

1) Líng líng xiāng = Chinese way of reading 零陵香, which means ‘Lysimachiae’, referring to Yeung Reung-Hyang.
2) Huì cǎo = Chinese way of reading 蕙草, which is derived from 零陵香.
3) Lánhuā = Chinese way of reading 蘭草, which means ‘Orchid’, referring to Lahn.