Overview
Gian (also romanized as "Jian" in some sources) was the leader of the Greymanes and the person who unified the region of Pailune. Under his leadership, the Greymanes protected the innocent and maintained peace across a war-torn continent. He is dead before the events of Crimson Desert begin.
Gaming Trend described Gian's Greymanes as "renowned for their commitment to peace." To Kliff and his companions, fighting to uphold Gian's will means preserving everything they believed in: unity, protection, and resistance against destruction.
Death
Gian was killed in a devastating nighttime ambush by the Black Bears. The attack was led by Myurdin, the Black Bears' leader. Gaming Trend reported: "Following a devastating ambush by the Black Bears, the leader of the Greymanes, Jian, has been killed, scattering the ragtag group to the wind."
The ambush killed many Greymanes outright and scattered the survivors across all five regions of Pywel. This is the starting point of the game. Kliff, who barely survived the attack, vows to reunite his companions and rebuild the faction.
The Abyss mission
Gian was more than a regional leader. At the Library of Providence, the keeper Alustin reveals that stopping the chaos threatening the Abyss was once Gian's mission. Beings within the Abyss plan to bring "everything to nothingness." If they succeed, "all of the worlds will face annihilation."
This cosmic responsibility has now been passed to Kliff. The implication is that Gian understood the threat facing Pywel and was working to prevent it before the Black Bears killed him. Whether his death was connected to this larger mission, or just bad timing, has not been confirmed.
Relationship with Alustin
Alustin is an alchemist and the keeper of the Library of Providence, a place described as being "at the centre of all worlds" where "every book is a world." He is aware that the Abyss mission was previously Gian's, and he passes it to Kliff when Kliff visits the Library.
The exact nature of Gian and Alustin's relationship is not detailed in pre-release materials. Alustin also appears in Black Desert Online as an alchemist from Calpheon, which suggests a deeper lore connection across both games.
Legacy
Gian's death is the catalyst for everything in Crimson Desert. The peace he maintained died with him. The resulting chaos scattered the Greymanes, emboldened the Black Bears, and destabilized Pywel's factional balance. Kliff's journey to reunite his companions and rebuild the faction is, at its core, an attempt to preserve what Gian built.
But the story goes beyond revenge. Will Powers hinted that the Black Bears are not the real threat: "Getting thwarted by this other faction, the Black Bears, is the least of your problems. There's something much more insidious that's happening here that's risking the entire fabric of the entire continent itself." Gian may have known this. Restoring his legacy means confronting the same cosmic danger he was fighting before he died.
In trailers and footage
The January 2026 "Features Overview #1: Kliff and the Open World of Pywel" trailer addresses Kliff's fractured bond with the Greymanes, which stems directly from Gian's death. The 50-minute early gameplay video (September 2024) shows the encounter with Alustin at the Library of Providence, where Gian's mission is passed to Kliff.