The kingdom of Drangleic, once prosperous under King Vendrick, has crumbled over the ages. War between humans and giants, the king's unexplained disappearance, and the spreading Undead Curse have reduced the land to ruin. The player takes the role of an undead traveler who arrives in Drangleic seeking a cure for their affliction, drawn by the faint hope that something in this decaying kingdom might reverse the curse that condemns them to an endless cycle of death and hollowing.