Bandai Namco is offering a $10,000 grand prize to the best fan interpretation of what’s really going on in Dark Souls‘ story.

Aside from its complex combat system, one of the first things fans think about when they hear the name Dark Souls is the series’ convoluted lore. If you’ve spent any time with the game or have found yourself wading around the various Souls wikis like I have, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Contrary to most games in this day and age, the series doesn’t sport an in-your-face narrative, but instead nestles lore descriptions deep within item descriptions and NPC conversations. As a result, the community is often divided on the meaning of said descriptions.

With Dark Souls 3‘s April 12 release edging closer, Bandai Namco decided to bank on the confusion by launching the “My Dark Souls Story” contest back in December. Basically, what they wanted from fans was a video explaining their own interpretation of the Dark Souls Story. The Prizes? $10,000 to the  best submission, a Red Knight statue to the runner up, and a Lord of Cinder statue to three third place winners. The contest has since ended, which is unfortunate if you had your heart set on entering. On a more positive note, the conclusion has gifted us with several choice submissions, like the hilarious one above, posted by Nerdy, Inc.

What we love so much about that one, is how it was framed as an “educational” mockumentary. After giving a general overview of the series’ premise, the fictional archaeologist Bartholomew Underhill used the game’s soapstones as a means to prove his theory that the chosen undead (a.k.a. player character) had help on their treacherous journey. As any Dark Souls fan knows, he’s referring to the messages/hints you’re able to leave for other players throughout the world. See what else ensues in the video above.

Curious to see who wins? Bandai Namco will be notifying winners “on or around” February 16!

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HT: Bandai Namco

Image Credit: Bandai Namco