Grigori

"Take up arms Arisen...for my kind do not heed the toothless."

'''Dragons are creatures wreathed in mystery. Though they appear a handful of times in the long history of the continent, it is unclear how Dragons were born and what causes their vicious attacks upon mankind. The small amount of knowledge gleaned from these sporadic attacks reveals little more than the facts that Dragons possess dreadful power and are intelligent enough to understand human speech. '''

'''Dragons appear without warning, sometimes by the dozen, others hundreds of years apart. However, each brings chaos and destruction to humankind and civilization alike without distinction or discretion.'''

'''Their actions are considered inhuman atrocities and given their high levels of intelligence, it is difficult to imagine their violence is without purpose or intent. Many times in the past, Dragons have brought the world to the edge of destruction, yet they have never completely eradicated humankind.'''

'''In every age that they appear, dragons commit a short-lived but ferocious assault upon the world. Then suddenly cease their attacks and fly atop a mountain or other visible location, as if awaiting for something. Given these strange actions, it is possible to think that the dragons are fulfilling some sort of role or duty, serving some greater function within the world, yet at present there is simply not enough evidence to formulate any sort of theory about the dragons’ purpose'''.

'''It is also certain from past records that the number of monsters in the world seem to sharply increase around the time that dragons appear. This could be nothing more than mere coincidence, but if it is somehow an effect of a dragon’s imminent appearance, then this would be another example of dragons’ peculiar place in the natural order of the world.'''

Tactics

 * The Dragon's heart is its main weakness. It must be exposed and exploited to inflict significant amount of damage.
 * If The Dragon decides to fly away and attack beyond the player's range, Ballistae located around the battlefield can be used to ground it again, but his heart must be hit for him to fall. If he is after the player it's not recommended to use the Ballistae as he will destroy them and cause damage to the player upon intending to use them.
 * Like the others of this kind, The Dragon cannot be defeated unless the final blow is landed on its heart by the Arisen.
 * The Dragon has a natural weakness to Dark based attacks so get a Mage with Dark Affinity, or play as a Mystic Knight with Dark Enchanter/Abyssal Trance and abuse it to inflict massive damage.
 * The Melee Vocations could latch onto the Dragon and just attack his heart from there, which is extremely effective. Be sure to keep a reserve of Stamina restoring curatives so, utilize this tactic, one can cling and hold on for a long time. It's easiest to climb up from the Dragon's two back legs, seeing as he does not attack with them. Also, be careful when positioning at his heart because he will attempt to pluck the player off and slam them into the ground, which deals a good amount of damage.
 * During The Dragon's fiery drive by, it is possible to latch on to him as he nears the ground (It requires impeccable timing). Upon successfully grabbing hold of him, Grigori will stop *High* in mid-air and remain in flight until the player fall off (which unfortunately equates to death). Instead climb and strike his heart (which will cause him to collapse to the ground; causing the player to land safely).
 * A very simple way to finish the dragon quickly and efficiently is to use the vocation Mystic Knight and use the Abyssal Anguish in conjunction with Abyssal Trance, or have a pawn cast Dark Affinity. The Dragon takes 130% of dark damage and therefore will take massive damage with the shockwave. It is also recommended to stock up on stamina recovering curatives in order to help grab onto The Dragon's chest for longer durations.
 * Another way to deal a good amount of damage is to grab on to the heart and climb to the most bottom left of it where The Dragon can't grab the player and hit the heart from there. If "sparkly yellowish orange blood" comes out then damage is being done. If enough damage is dealt he will stay on the ground. If the player has enough stamina curatives the player's legs will never have to touch the ground until The Dragon is defeated
 * Be careful when clinging to the Dragon when he flies up; the player could go with him and fall to their death, even if their stamina is full.
 * The Dragon's "ultimate" attack would be his fireball barrage. After a fairly long buildup, he releases a fireball that could one hit kill the player. After the fireball hits the ground, it explodes into three weaker fireballs. The main sign that he is going to use this attack is that his mouth will begin to glow white.

Important Note on Maker's Finger

Killing The Dragon with the Maker's Finger at any point will skip all cutscenes until the cutscene where the Arisen is reunite with their love interest. Doing so also means the player will not be able to collect any of the items that they'd normally be able to collect along the way.

Rewards

 * Receive the Godsbane (appears in inventory).
 * Receive a Crimson Dragon Scale.
 * All items currently equipped by the Arisen, regardless equipment grade, will become Dragon Forged (100%).
 * At the time of his death, the player will receive a weapon fitting the category of any and all weapons equipped by the Arisen.
 * Dragon's Dogma (Sword).
 * Dragon's Bite (Longsword).
 * Dragon's Vein (Daggers).
 * Dragon's Rancor (Bow).
 * Dragon's Blink (Longbow).
 * Dragon's Breath (Magic Bow).
 * Dragon's Toll (Mace).
 * Dragon's Repast (Warhammer).
 * Dragon's Nous (Staff).
 * Dragon's Wit (Archistaff).
 * Dragon's Aegis (Shield).
 * Dragon's Faith (Magic Shield).
 * Killing The Dragon with no weapons equipped (by punching his heart) will result in getting NO weapon at all, effectively wasting the chance.

REMAINING CONTENT BELOW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Story
The Dragon appears, creates an Arisen, then takes refuge in the Tainted Mountain, waiting for the current Arisen to eventually challenge him. You encounter him finally in the aptly named quest, "The Final Battle". Upon completing "Deny Salvation", the previous story quest, your beloved will disappear from the world, as he or she has been captured by the Dragon.

Upon reaching The Dragon, the Arisen is given a choice. The first is to sacrifice your beloved - upon doing so the Dragon will agree to leave Gransys for a time but eventually return some years later, and grant you immortality and Dukedom of Gransys as long as the Dragon remains alive. It is then revealed that Duke Edmund Dragonsbane took this bargain, and had lied about slaying the Dragon - those that gave their hearts to the Dragon remain immortal until the Dragon is slain.

Your second choice is to fight the Dragon. Your beloved is given the chance to escape as the room is destroyed, and you and your pawns escape its wrath to a more favorable location to fight it. Eventually the Arisen scales the Dragon, reaches the point where the Dragon keeps your heart, stabs it, causing you and the Dragon to tumble to the ground, where the battle is continued until the end. Once Grigori is slain, all remaining Arisen have their hearts returned to them and they become mortal once again - the Dragonforged turns to dust immediately, having escaped death for many years, whilst Duke Edmund becomes a frail old man.

Unfortunately, the Dragon's death does not mean the salvation of Gransys. The Everfall located beneath Gran Soren opens in its entirety, destroying most of the city and unleashing more ferocious monsters upon the world, as well as The Long Night, an eternally darkened sky. It's clear at this point that the death of the Dragon does not mean the end of the Arisen's challenging journey.

Trivia
(Some of the lore of Dragon's Dogma discussed here is based on fan speculation and theory, it should not be assumed as canon)
 * During Newly Arisen, if the player attempt to leave the Chief's room without choosing a vocation, Grigori will stop them, warn them against doing so, and will beckon the player if they stand around. He however, relents after stopping the Arisen three times, though they still must pick a vocation  to gain any abilities.
 * The Elysion refers to the dragon as "Grigori", a name which the Dragon also speaks during the incantations used to steal the player's heart. It is therefore assumed that Grigori is the dragon's real name.
 * The Dragon's language is Latin. Grigori speaks it during the first encounter with the Arisen, then later begins to speak in English. It could be interpreted as an ancient language in the Dragon's Dogma universe, known instinctively by Dragons - the unique Drake and Wyvern  (as well as generic dragonkin) speak in Latin, whilst the Wyrm  in Watergod's Altar speaks to the Arisen  mostly in English, referring to the player as a "fellow countryman".
 * Grigori is the name given to the angels referred to as "the watchers" in Biblical mythology. The Dragon's winged appearance, its resistance to Holy magick, and the image displayed in the loading screen (revealed in full during the credits) give it a strong angelic motif within the mythology of Dragon's Dogma.
 * The Dragon also bears a thematic resemblance to Grigori. It is the being that watches over the world, finding new Arisen as candidates to take on the role as the Seneschal. Similarly, an Arisen  that loses to the Seneschal  will fall from grace to don the form of a Dragon.
 * European Dragons have always been depicted as the ultimate evil, but have nevertheless always been used to transcribe challenges, or hardships. One example of this is the classic tale of a knight saving a princess from a dragon - this theme is referenced somewhat in rescuing the Arisen's beloved from the Dragon.
 * Killing the Dragon with a sword equipped will earn the titular Dragon's Dogma as one of the weapon rewards. With no specific uses of the word "Dogma" within the game, though its definition has an obvious relation to story, it's possible this weapon was imagined first and the choice of the game's title followed.
 * "The Dragon's Dogma", if the main theme song of the game (Eternal Return) is to be taken at any value, could also very well be the unspoken name of the cycle itself. The song refers to it as: "unbound by time, all-binding grand design", and "the cycle of eternal return".
 * Mortally wounded after the battle, the dragon tells the Arisen to seek the "truth you'll find staring back from this world's utmost depths." The lowest point of the Everfall, and for that matter, the world...is "Hope", with the Seneschal's Chamber likely beyond that once it is opened. A place only an Arisen who has proven worthy can even reach.
 * If the Arisen fails to defeat the Seneschal, the Arisen  will transform into The Dragon; thus continuing the cycle. This results in a "Game Over" for the player.

Quotes
The End at the Beginning Harbinger of Destruction Newly Arisen Deny Salvation The Final Battle
 * "Come, Arisen...forge in my fire the next link in the endless chain..."
 * "Now choose, flee or step forth. Take hold of what lies beyond. Claim mastery o'er the eternal ring!"
 * (Latin), no subtitles.
 * "If you would face me...take up arms, newly Arisen!"
 * "Take up arms Arisen...for my kind do not heed the toothless."
 * "Newly Arisen, walker of the path...take up arms. To me...come to me..."
 * "The rantings of an upjumped zealot make for tedious listening. His ilk serves no role in what is to come. Only my death will staunch the flood of destruction...a task still far beyond your means."
 * "If you would face me, seek me out and I shall allow it. But heed the zealot's lesson well- when the weak court death, they find it."
 * "Until then, I shall hold your little keepsake safe. Your Dragonforged will speak for my diligence in that. The choice falls not to me, nor to the whims of fate...it is yours alone."

Introduction Making the choice Battle
 * "What is your purpose here, Arisen? If you sought to live you had naught but run and hide yourself away. But then, tell me, child of man....what does it mean to live in truth? To wage war against the passing days? To pray to the unseen for a few breaths more? To raise grand cities from stone, and spawn new life in turn? Mankind has done this, yes, and more. But is the tapestry you weave truly of your own design?"
 * "Their kind is easy to fathom, they go on living from simple fear of death. But not mankind. Some welcome the end with arms outstretched, while others come to face death incarnate, arms in hand. I ask again, what is your purpose here Arisen?"
 * "One path to your survival, lies in my defeat. Still my heart, and you stay the coming end. Another path before you...is to offer up that which you hold most dear. Abandon all delusions of control."
 * "For the price of a single life, I shall leave this land in peace. As my "vanquisher", the duchy would bow to you. Wealth and power are sweet anodyne for heartache. You'll not gainsay my terms are more than generous. If it matters aught, the man who rules this land now won that honor through just such a bargain."
 * "The decision is yours, Arisen. Now.....choose!"
 * "Though I called you here to me, It was ever your own feet, your own will that brought you."
 * "And now again, the choice is yours, Arisen."
 * "Offer up the life of your beloved, here and now, and you shall live as sovereign of this land. Your heart will remain ever in my safekeeping, and with it your mortality."
 * "Take up your tiny barbs of steel and fight. And I shall respond with all of my being."
 * "Or, if you would stand against me now, as at the outset of your journey, I shall allow it."
 * "Then you will renounce your bond with this human and make an offering of their death? I shall not judge you, Arisen, for weakness is your nature as a child of man."
 * "I ask this final time. Will you turn and leave this place?"
 * "Doubt still holds you...hmmm. Very well. We have time, you and I."
 * "You would face me, then? Tis a fool's choice, Arisen. But better fool than craven. I knew your mind ere you came.... Still, I ask this final time. Arisen, will you stand and fight?"
 * "Your choice is made, Arisen! As you have willed it, so shall it be!"


 * "Show me your power, Arisen. Awaken now in full! Still my heart and lay open the path beyond."


 * "This is not fate, nor duty's call. This battle is your own, waged of your own free will."


 * "If you lack the strength to stay my fire....to stay the fated ruin...then all shall scatter as ash."


 * "Now, come, Arisen!"


 * "Heed well this place, Arisen. Know the frailty of the works of man. This hold once stood proud and firm...twas the foolish decision of a man too weak that brought it down."


 * "Fight! Cling to life!"


 * "Pitiable wingless human....return to the earth!"


 * "Your life...your very heart rests here within me!"


 * "Aye, reclaim that which you have lost...take back your life...the surge of blood that tethers you to this world...it awaits you, Arisen, yearning here within me..."


 * "The hour for turning back is past. The world will have its answer: you or me? Death, or life beyond!"


 * "If you would gain aught, give your all here and now! Such is the contest you have chosen!"


 * "Have you come so far to be stricken with cowardice, Arisen? You have chosen your path!"


 * "Aye, raise your weapon..your teeth of steel, your blood-red voice...show me your power Arisen! Prove yourself worthy of what lies beyond my corpse! Show that you possess the strength to still my heart. The will to do it. The soul!"


 * "There is naught beyond this moment for those who will not give themselves whole to their cause."
 * "Hollow vessel in the form of man, heed the will of your new master..." (When trying to possess a Pawn)


 * "Yes, this fire! This pain!"


 * "Slay me, and with me death itself. Stay the fires of destruction!"


 * "This battle you have begun, sits at the very heart of all creation. We are the axis about which the world turns, Arisen! Time itself flows with your footsteps!"


 * "Show that you possess the power fit to best me, or your world is forfeit unto ruin."


 * "Tis the will of the master that shapes the soulless pawn, you've trained them well, Arisen."


 * "Come, Arisen. If you are truly awakened unto the world, you shall weather the fires of perdition unscathed!" (When charging Flame Eruption for the first time.)


 * "Surpass me, if you would truly be the one to take up the endless chain."

Death
 * "Yes...I remember now. This sensation, this pain...I know it well. The hurt you visit upon me is the selfsame pain I once inflicted. This battle is mine, just as it is yours. It is aught I began long ago."
 * "The one you refused to offer up shall die as sure as the rest!"
 * "A false hope, fallen short..." (Player dies)
 * "Then I must seek another ready to awaken...ready to walk the path to its end." (Player dies)
 * "Ugh...stubborn child...whate'er meaning life holds...it makes men deaf to all reason. Heed me well, Arisen. In my death, you've won a future for this world....but what that future spells for you...for all men...is a truth you'll find staring back from this world's utmost depths..."
 * "Arisen! You have earned back...what is yours...your life belongs now to no other. You've won it by rights...it is yours to use or cast away as you see fit. Remember that..."