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Soul Edge
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Soul Calibur V
Ever the loyal servant, Voldo diligently obeyed the orders of his master, the wealthy Italian merchant Vercci - or so he believed. In truth, he served an illusion created by the cursed Soul Edge, at least until the deception was shattered by a purifying blow from Kilik's Kali-Yuga staff.
Back in his right mind - if one can call it that - Voldo decided to return to his duty as the guardian of the Money Pit, the secret underground chamber where Vercci had hidden his fortune.
But Voldo arrived to find that the storehouse had been ransacked by thieves. Using the keen sense of smell he had developed living in darkness, Voldo painstakingly tracked and killed the culprits, determined to recover every last piece of Vercci's stolen treasure.
Many years later the final bit of treasure was back in place, and the Money Pit was restored to its former glory. But Voldo couldn't escape a gnawing sense that something was missing. Something that had only barely slipped his grasp 17 years ago...
He sealed his master's treasure trove once again, and returned to the surface world.
He must find his master... His true master. He must find Soul Edge.
The cursed sword's lie had become Voldo's reality.
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Soul Edge
After the Discovery of the new world, Europ entered a new era of trade, art and wars driven by colonization and conquest. The time was right for merchants to make a fortune.
One such Italian merchant dealt with the invincible Spanish Armada and grew rich from supplying weapons. He became known as "The Merchant of Death."
"You will bring me the legendary swords, 'Soul Edge!'"
This merchant, named Vercci, heard the whispered rumors of "an object that would satisfy every earthly desire." He started a scheme to find the mystical weapons. Vercci's younger brothers opposed his plan. Strange how they were soon recruited into the army and out of his way. He promoted his right-hand man, Voldo, to lead the search instead. Vercci used every means necessary to track down "Soul Edge." Mercenary armies searched the land for him, and when that didn't work, cut-throats and pirates scoured the seven seas; but to no avail...
Growing furious with his aides, Vercci decided to lead the search himself and took his fleet to sea. He took his fleet around the Cape of Good Hope and headed east. Along the way, he aquiredrare exotic arms and riches at Easter ports. Then, he received the news.
"No! This cannot be!" In his homeland, war had broken out between the two great powers. The flames of war had finally reached the politically unstable Italy. Ironically, the target of these invaders was the "Merchant of Death" himself. To return would be suicide. Vercci's home had been seized and destroyed. All his wealth was gone. All he had left was his fleet and their treasures. His anger turned into real madness.
"I will not lose my treasure! They'll never find it!"
Vercci and his fleet sailed to an uninhabited island. His crew dug a massive pit. A vault, guarded with deadly traps, housed Vercci's remaining treasure and weapons. Voldo then executed the crew, lest they give away the vault's location. For his loyalty, he was sealed alive inside the vault. By the time the vault was finished and sealed, the "Italian Wars" had ceased. But Vercci never made it back to Italy alive.
Voldo went blind and insane from his years in the pit. His only reason for being was to guard Vercci's secret treasury. Only Voldo's talent for murder remained keen after all those lonely years...
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Soul Calibur
The Italian merchant Vercci had sought Soul Edge, yet he went to the grave without ever obtaining it. After Vercci's death, his loyal vassal Voldo became the guardian of the Money Pit, which was Vercci's treasure vault in addition to being his tomb.
Voldo had once attempted to fulfill his Master's last wish of obtaining Soul Edge and even ventured abroad in its pursuit, but he was unsuccessful.
While Voldo was guarding the pit one day, a trespasser appeared. Voldo had chased the woman away, but upon doing so, heard the familiar voice of his master.
"Voldo, that woman...She had the scent of Soul Edge upon her...Hunt her down, and bring me Soul Edge this time!!"
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Soul Calibur 2
Grace appears most purely in that human form which either
has no consciousness or an infinite consciousness. That is, in
the puppet or in the god.
-Heinrich von Kleist, Uber das Marionettentheater
Somewhere in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, there was a small island said to hold the treasures of a wealthy Italian merchant of death named Vercci. His riches were stored in a chasm known to thieves who schemed to plunder it as the Money Pit. Rumors circulated amongst them about the numerous traps that awaited foolish intruders and of the eerie guardian who watched over Vercci's fortune deep within the pit.
Although Vercci was renowned for saying, "There is nothing that I do not possess," there was one thing he desired more than anything...Soul Edge. Vercci tried everything within his powers to locate the coveted weapon- going as far as leading a fleet of his ships on an expedition- but ultimately failed. During his absence, Vercci lost most of his fortune to a war that broke out in Italy.
His possessions were the only things that mattered to Vercci. He took whatever treasures remained on his fleet of ships and hid it in a pit that he had dug with the help of his loyal followers on a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. Vercci rigged the chasm with countless traps in order to ward off treasure-seeking intruders. And for over twenty years, the Money Pit ensnared thieves who attempted to steal his treasure, just as Vercci expected.
There was a man who stood watch over the treasure- a guardian feared by all who dared to enter the pit. He was Vercci's loyal vassal. The man served Vercci on his expedition, helped dig the pit, and after his master's death, defended the vault faithfully. After years of solitude in darkness, the man lost his sight and sanity. He even forgot his name, which was Voldo. All of this must have been trivial for him, for his only desire was to serve his master's will by protecting the treasure.
But he had forgotten something. Something was missing.
In the silence broken only by the death throes of foolhardy intruders, Voldo slowly began to piece together what he had forgotten- Soul Edge, the treasure amongst treasures.
Voldo ventured abroad in an attempt to fulfill his master's last wish. He followed numerous leads, and he returned periodically to the pit to ensure the safety of the treasure and the working condition of the traps. The guardian focused solely on performing his duties.
One day, after Voldo chased an intruder away, he heard his long-lost master's voice. Obeying his master's orders, Voldo followed Soul Edge's aura emanating from the female intruder's sword. And after a long journey, he finally succeeded in bringing back a single-handed sword that emitted a strange aura.
Upon his return, Voldo found his master's pit flooded with seawater. Voldo sat quietly, barely moving, on his master's throne in the small chamber behind the statue of Vercci, which overlooked the treasure vault now covered by water.
Voldo believed he had found Soul Edge. He had obtained the one thing Vercci desired. Yet he did not hear the voice of his deceased master…
Four years passed, but it was as if time stood still inside the Money Pit. The guardian's duty of defending the Money Pit never changed. Voldo felt as though he would spend eternity in the silence of the pit, waiting to hear his master's voice once again.
But fate brought Voldo back to the present. When he defeated an intruder one day, Voldo found several metal shards that possessed the same aura as Soul Edge. And although each piece was merely a fragment, they seemed to radiate the same amount of power as Soul Edge itself.
Voldo finally understood why he did not hear his deceased master's voice. The sword he brought back was not Soul Edge. The guardian did not know whether or not the metal pieces were truly from Soul Edge, but he knew that the truth would be revealed if he searched for the weapon once more.
Voldo collected the fragments, placed them on the throne carefully, and then ventured outside. His mission was to bring Soul Edge- the weapon his master desired to the very end of his life -back to the Money Pit.
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Soul Calibur 3
Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness.
-"Past and Present," Thomas Carlyle
Obeying the orders of his late master, Voldo wandered the outside world in search of Soul Edge. Though unable to find the rare treasure itself, he did find several fragments that appeared to be pieces of the sword.
Returning to the Money Pit to offer up his findings to his master, Voldo was deeply hurt to discover that the vertical shaft had been ransacked in his absence. He emitted an otherworldly wail of indescribable sadness and begged his late master for forgiveness.
While inspecting the treasure, however, he discovered a new truth. The greedy thieves had taken the "false" Soul Edge he had obtained previously along with the fragments of Soul Edge he had collected. There was no sign that they had touched any of the other treasure...
This could only mean one thing--the intruders were seeking Soul Edge, just like him. If he could track down these people and force them to tell him everything they knew about Soul Edge, it would surely make his search easier.
Imagining his beloved master encouraging him and speaking to him with kind words, Voldo shivered with excitement. Of course, those thieves who had touched the treasure of his sacred master must die a fitting death. Voldo swore to punish them, and to recover the fragments of Soul Edge.
After resetting all the traps and preparing to leave the vertical shaft, Voldo sensed the presence of a new intruder. Until now, the numerous traps had stopped the thieves, but the incident this time had proven the danger of relying only on traps. He went out himself to meet the intruder, and punished him for his great sin with a painful death.
While disposing of the thief's body, he thought to himself in silence. Of all the treasures Master Vercci had sought, only Soul Edge was still missing. If only he obtained that, he would be able to dedicate himself to protecting the Money Pit. Thinking of this, a new fear washed over him. Someday, he too would leave this world, just as his master had. After that, how would he protect his master's slumber and treasure from the fools who would violate this holy place?
A successor was needed to carry on his will and protect the treasure. Someone devoted to serving the master and protecting the tranquility of the master's soul, just as he did.
Another guardian...Surely Master Vercci would approve of this idea. Feeling satisfied, Voldo considered this idea while preparing for his journey.
The guardian of the secret storehouse ascended from the dark abyss to the surface. In search of Soul Edge and his own successor, he wanders the outside world in silence...
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Soul Calibur IV
Voldo had infiltrated the ruins of Ostrheinsburg and arrived at last before Soul Edge. The cursed sword rested in the hands of the Azure Knight, sealed upon the castle throne. Seeing his chance to take the sword, Voldo took a stealthy step toward the motionlessknight.
Soul Edge, the world's last singular treasure. How Voldo's late master Vercci had longed to make it his own! In the years after his passing, Voldo had continued to serve his master, body and soul, and worked to fulfill his master's last wish. Now, at last, his search neared an end.
"Voldo," a voice said. A joly ran through Voldo as he held Soul Edge, for the voice belonged to his master. "Well done, Voldo. I am most pleased. But you still have another task ahead of you." Warmth welled up in Voldo's closed eyes; tears, which had deserted him long ago. Yes, he thought, I must protect Soul Edge, the peerless treasure you sought. Voldo had a new calling, and it filled him with such joy that a wordless moan escaped his throat.
And while Soul Edge managed to possess his heart, bending his firm sense of allegance to a new purpose, it could not change it. Within his heart, Voldo only saw and served one master; his beloved Vercci. Though his territory had changed from vercci's hallowed tomb to the dark capital Ostrheinsburg, his hunt remained the same: To destroy the "master's" enemies.
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