More like rad-b-gone lol

Tomura likes me best cause I got the coveted Frenzied Flame ending in Elden Ring

When a character has covered eyes in any way but lower side of the face is visible (and especially if they are smiling), it sparks SO much yearning in me. Nothing against eyes (what a BB fan thing to say xD), but this is just... so appealing? Basically if Bloody Crow and Annalise only had upper side of their faces covered, I'd simp. If Micolash had his eyes covered? There would be no survivors

WHO IS THIS SAULTRY LITTLE BINCH

ok this is my extremely unpolished breakdown of MESSMER THE IMPALER from the shadow of the erdtree trailer

The first thing that stands out about this dude is that he’s wearing EVERY possible symbol of treason against the Erdtree: SNAKES and FLAME

Messmer has snakes on his sigil, helm, and 2 snake friends who have dragon wings. Volcano Manor is known for its statues of winged serpents, but the wings are feathered, not dragonlike. these snakes are bright red-orange and are very unlike the Great Serpent we all know and love, who has a heavier build and is blue-grey in color. 

Regarding snakes as symbolism, the Duelist Helm description reads,

“Bronze helm decorated with innumerable snakes. Worn by gladiators who were driven from the colosseum. The wearer becomes a slightly easier target for foes. The snake is viewed as a traitor to the Erdtree, and the audience delighted in seeing these bronze effigies beaten and battered.”

We can bet that whoever is associating themselves with snakes is a confirmed Erdtree hater (Rykard, hello!!!) or perhaps, this dude could even be part of the reason why snakes are considered traitorous in the first place?

In addition to us seeing Messmer wield fire, this line from the trailer (which I think is spoken about Messmer but not by Messmer) implies that he’s known for his fire: “Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death. In the embrace of Messmer’s flame.” 

It’s well known that flame is in many ways a taboo power; particularly the flame of the Fell God, which has the power to burn the Erdtree (the cardinal sin). Messmer’s fire is weird, in some ways it reminds me of the Rune of Death since it starts out black and turns red, but it’s also far too orange to simply be the Rune of Death’s power. 

There’s also this description of the DLC: “The Land of Shadow. A place obscured by the Erdtree. Where the goddess Marika first set foot. A land purged in an unsung battle. Set ablaze by Messmer’s flame.”

I’d guess that the Land of Shadow was the place of Marika’s first conquest, and perhaps Messmer either aided her in razing it or that’s just something he did later? 

so WHO is this dude????

for starters, his name is Messmer the Impaler — M like Marika! Melina, Malenia, Miquella, Mogh, and Morgott. seems to be a pattern...

He says in the trailer, “Mother, wouldst thou truly Lordship sanction, in one so bereft of light?” 

Whoever Messmer’s mother is, she is in a position to “sanction lordship” meaning to give official permission for a lordship to take place. that screams Marika — she is THE goddess, and is responsible for guiding Tarnished to becoming Elden Lord. I can’t think of anyone else who might be called Mother who is in such a position as to allow someone to ascend to the position of Lord. He's also sitting in the same type of throne that the demigods sat in that we see in Morgott's cutscene.

theres 2 ways to interpret this line: 

Messmer could referring to himself when he says this; as if he’s saying, would my mother truly allow me to become Lord even though I’m so dark and edgy?? in a kind of sarcastic way. the flames he produces start out black, and he’s covered himself symbols treasonous to the Erdtree. OR, he’s referring to us, the Tarnished, when he says this; as if he’s saying, would you really let a person with such little light inside them become lord, mother?? (rude!) I’d say we need more context to determine exactly what he means

ALSO, interestingly, his left eye is sealed shut… you know who else has their left eye sealed shut? THAT’S RIGHT… OUR FRIENDS MELINA AND RANNI

The scarseal and soreseal items of Marika and Radagon are also carved into eyeballs… could eye trauma be an empyrean trait?? could Messmer also be an empyrean, one who the current demigods didn’t know the existence of??? 

with all that being said, I really doubt that this guy is Rykard or Rykard’s child as I’ve seen some people speculate… these other clues in the trailer point towards him being another, separate demigod. so what do we make of all the similar imagery?? I think that Messmer might be working against the Erdtree toward his own ends, and he’s embracing similar powers that Rykard did when he turned traitor. 

who is he then? I think he’s a demigod child of Marika, and possibly of Radagon because of the hair (unless his hair color comes elsewhere? a curse?). I think he got banished to the shadow realm for treason reasons, given the heretical symbols. perhaps he was an empyrean with his own agenda who was disposed of by Marika, like the Gloam Eyed Queen? perhaps he has ambitions to return to the real world and become Lord, destroying the Tarnished who might take his throne?

I did this instead of sleeping I hope you’re all happy

A bunch of brainworms about dlc. Speculations, theories, my personal opinion, which I think I will stick to until the release of dlc.

Miquella.

(1) The main plot is that we go after Miquella. It is not yet very clear for what purpose and who sent us there, but judging by the voice at the end, it could be Ranni or Melina, or even Miquella himself. Voice is quite feminine.

(2) Miquella is likely to be our companion, as Melina was, or we will follow some messages from him, maybe meet his followers who will guide us, since the announcement says that we will be "guided by Miquella" and "meet others who follow in miquella footsteps".

(3) I'm not sure if we will have the opportunity to fight with him or not, but the last scene where we see the first shot of him where he's literally SHINING, can be both the ending cutscene of the dlc and the beginning of the bossfight.

(4) It's likely he will look the same with his first concept art appearence, because the hairstyle with braids and his skin, they are very similar.

(5) If this tree in the Shadow realm is the Crucible of life that I explain below in my theory, it is quite possible that Miquella came to this world for obtaining its power or something like that, it is also quite possible that he goes there because he knows that Marika has hidden something in this world, something very important.

(6) Overall, Miquella's trip to these lands seems like a pretty desperate move to me. He literally commits a very terrible sin by "divesting himself of his flesh, his strength, his lineage. Of all thing Golden". It sounds like he finally broke all his connection with the golden order and his family, including his blood connection with MALENIA that sounds crazy, and he also renounces his power, as I understand, magical and which is hidden in his blood. In my head, it looks very similar to what Ranni did, killing her body and moving her soul into a doll. It's just that Miquella killed his body or left it and moved his mind into this hidden world with the help of the power of sleep and dreams. I repeat, it seems to me some kind of desperate last step, perhaps he felt that his transformation was interrupted by Mogh and was no longer possible to complete because of his poisoned body, maybe he felt that his tree had died or something like that.

(7) Most likely, based on the words that Miquella is "awaits the return of his promised Lord", he cannot leave this realm on his own, either because he is captured by someone, maybe Messmer, either because his initial plan failed and he simply does not have enough power to return. So he's waiting for the promised lord. Here we have at least two options:

- This opens for us consort ending, but with Miquella, he will essentially be an alternative for Ranni, because he is also an Empyrean just with other purposes. And can replace Marika as a vessel of the Elden ring like Ranni. This is also supported by rumor that From software wanted to make another extra ending - the Age of Abundance, but either they cut it out at the end, or maybe abandoned the idea.

- I also saw the option that it could be Godwin as promised Lord, to whom Miquella could bring the true death, it can be the reason why he came to this world initially.

World.

(1) We are going into the world of shadows and it seems that this is not Miquella's dream or the Erdtree afterlife or something else, as many assumed earlier, but some kind of hidden realm that is not accessible to ordinary people and may be either under the map, or as some people suggest, either be at the intersection of all towers where we activated great runes, behind a large cloud on the map.

(2) Very important, some kind there once was Marika in this shadow realm, as mentioned in the summary of the game's plot in the announcement: " a place obscured by the Erdtree where the goddess Marika first set foot". Perhaps this world was her home before she became a goddess, or she ruled these lands before they were hidden, apparently during some kind of war: "a land purge in an unsung battle". It was quite possible that it was the war with giants, given some of the symbols hinting at it in Messmer + flame magic.

(3) Looking at the baldachin over the tree and keeping in mind its similarity to Marika's chambers in the capital before Morgott, I think that perhaps Marika herself made these lands forbidden or closed from others with this baldachin barrier, so the theory that Messmer may be an unwanted or forgotten demigod-child of Marika, left in this shadow world, as Marika's dark secret, has some basis. This is also hinted at a special dungeon in Leamgrave, Impaled Catacombs, thanks super lore guys in twitter!

(4) Speaking of the secrets of Marika, the tree at the center of this realm. I have a lot of thoughts about this. It may be wild, but I assume that this could be the Crucible of life or what's left of it. That golden liquid that flows down is the power of the Crucible that goes out into the world. In the Lands between, due to the overwhelming influence of the Erdtree and the Golden order, its power is almost not felt, and can only manifests itself in the birth of Omen children, but in THIS world, the world of shadows, we see signs of the influence of the Crucible: horns, spells and etc in almost all creatures. Thus, Marika could lock the tree in a separate dimension, hoping that it would soon die on its own and its influence would finally dry up, but it is still alive. Or, of course, it can simply be a reflection of the Erdtree in the dark world, if we consider the theory that the world of shadows is a reflection of the real world. I definitely don't think it's Miquella's tree, because it has absolutely no reason to be one.

(5) I also want to note the time in this story, chronology is quite a mess in Elden ring in principle, but according the trailer, a significant place in this shadow world is occupied by some faction associated with Saint Trina, and therefore with Miquella. That suggests that either Miquella came to this world quite a long time ago to be able to organize and build his own order or something like that, either time goes faster there than in the main game, which is quite interesting.

(6) Speaking of factions in this world, there are at least a few: the faction of Saint Trina (we saw a knight who fought with some kind of sleepy magic, although it could be a gravity spell because of lightning🤔) but there were lilies on his armor🤷), we also saw someone very similar to a Carian woman in a room similar to Raya Lucaria, more than that there are architectural elements of the Carian architecture and the architecture of Sellia, which means Kariya faction. Almost forgot, we also can see Moon in one shot.

Perhaps Messmer has his own faction, most likely ruling in this dimension. And also there are some coincidences in how the branch that the elderly man pulls out of his body looks, with the shape of candlesticks that some enemies fight with and the symbol on the black knight in the form of a pointed branch or rune. These all symbols are black and golden. Probably this is some kind of pro-erdtree faction, followers of the Great order and Marika. The color scheme echoes Marika and Maliket at least. From the voice lines we can assume that in this shadow realm there are followers or Erdtree faithful and those who opposite them, perhaps it can be even active conflict in present time and wars in the past.

Messmer.

I see for myself two working variants of his origin:

(1) Marika and Radagon. Since he has a rather distinctive appearance, the theory of butterflies in the game, where the smoldering butterflies actually refer to him, and not to Melina; more than that when he addresses to his mother and talks about Lordship, I don't think anyone other than Marika has the authority to make a man the Elden Lord; and in the scene with him, there is a statue of a woman with a child behind his back, the woman is difficult to see, but by the location of the bracelets on her arm, you can compare her with the statues of Marika in the main game;

(2) Gloam-eyed queen. The portrait of a woman with an elderly man refers to this, the woman in the picture with dark hair, she holds her hand on her stomach as if she is pregnant; Messmer has some similarities with the "children" of Gloam-eyed queen - the apostles; he uses a very strange black and red flame.

(3) The theories that Messmer is some part of Miquella or he himself look strange to me, considering that we have known for a long time from the main game that there was some other child of Marika that we don't know about, we just used to think this was Melina. According to the announcements, although indirectly, we can assume that this shadow world and Messmer existed for a long time, perhaps even before the birth of Miquella and Malenia, probably Messmer was exiled there for blasphemy or something like that.

(4) l also don't think Messmer is Miquella's son or Mogh and Miquella somehow had a child together. I think all the influence of Mogh in this dlc will be directly related to his influence on Miquella. I don't think he's affected the world around him, everything that happens in this world, I think should be the influence of the Crucible of life and Messmer directly, perhaps some other forces, but not Mogh.

I'm sorry all of this is such a mess, like in my head after trailer. I'd be glad to see your comment and theories too, maybe you can challenge some of my theories, it gives them extra development and I could add something later. So thank you for attention.

I like how the ‘Mad taint’ of the Great runes power doesn’t just make the demigods murderous, but instead affects them by enhancing their existing qualities in excess.

Godrick’s inferiority complex is enhanced to the point of him turning to grafting for power, calling himself ‘the lord of all that is golden’ to affirm his strength to himself.

Rennala had great love for her family and children, and this is ironically turned against her as she repeatedly births and rebirths the scholars, believing the Amber egg to be her ‘beloved’.

We have to speculate a bit for Radahn, but I think it’s likely that the rune enhanced his aggression and willingness to go into battle. I believe this because I think it would likely be a contributing factor into his battle with Malenia, and his earlier battle with Leyndell (that we see in the opening cinematic with him fighting Margit).

Morgott is a deeply loving and protective individual, even when those he loves do not deserve it. So he defends Leyndell, a city full if people that would hate him if they knew he was an omen, under an order that shuns his kind. He even goes so far as to defend the weakest demigod Godrick in spite of his disgusting grafting (which I believe he does particularly out of love for his family, perhaps subconsciously).

Rykard has a multitude of different traits that could be made excessive by the Great Rune. His innate cruelty (evidenced by the inquisition he controlled even before the shattering), his anger at the Golden Order (likely him projecting his hatred of Radagon for abandoning Rennala) and his desperation to gain enough power to fight back against the Erdtree (which eventually leads to him becoming impatient enough to feed himself to the God-Devouring Serpent).

Malenia takes immense pride in her skill with a blade, as this is what allows her to stand alongside her brother as his blade. It also gives her something to focus on besides the rot, even helping stave it off through the waterfowl dance. Additionally she is absolutely devoted to her brother Miquella and will do anything for him. It is a combination of these factors that I believe led to her conflict with Radahn and her unleashing of the scarlet rot. It is also why the dreaded phrase ‘I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella’ is the sentence she chooses to fixate on to help retain her mind from the rot.

Miquella is similar to Malenia in that he is absolutely devoted to his sister and finding a cure for her rot, going so far as to try and establish a replacement erdtree and embed himself in it to overcome both his and her respective curses.

Mohg is interesting because aside from his rejection of the Golden Order we know little of his characterisation before being enthralled by Miquella’s power and becoming obsessed. Although I speculate that he, much like Morgott, is a deeply loving person who unlike his brother chose to abandon those who clearly did not love him and give himself to the Formless Mother (I don’t think it is a coincidence that his mother Marika cast him aside and he chooses to serve a different, surrogate mother).

Ranni is a slightly ironic figure in this regard as her obsession is with freeing herself and the Lands Batween from the outer gods (as well as fulfilling her fate). But this obsession leads her to ironically abandon her Great Rune, which I believe allows her to play the long game and not get caught up in the shattering like the rest of the demigods.

I'm not accustomed to making requests (I'm embarrasingly new to Tumblr still) but I was wondering, are there any yanderes that would get worse after the reader returns post Godwyn's death / The Shattering? Like for example, maybe some Elden Ring yanderes were already overbearing before the Shattering occurs and their behavior only gets ten times worse once everything goes down. I bet it would be super scary for the dreamer too, because they've just returned and probably doesn't even know what happened while they were gone. You can ignore this request if it isn't interesting enough! To be fair I'm just rambling here, haha.

Don't worry about requesting, it's a little nerve racking at first, but you get used to it.

So there are some yanderes I think get worse post-shattering. These are namely Marika/Radagon, Ranni, and Malenia. For Marika/Radagon, you being gone so long affected them so much. They both tried constantly to find a way to bring you back, but their reasonings for why they think you left were very different. They both know that your powers played a role in it, but Radagon is much more aware of your aversion to them as time goes on. It wasn't as though Marika didn't recognize the change in behavior, she just didn't care. She believed showering you in gifts would be enough to quell you of your fears, but obviously that wasn't the case. Your disappearance is a big factor for Marika's choice to break the Elden Ring, the death of her son just being a nail in the coffin. If you somehow returned, I do think they'd be able to tell. Even while connected, even while stuck in the Erd Tree, they can feel a change in the air, you're home and they just long to hold you once more. I don't really know how "alive" they are, or if their body has just deteriorated after years of being kept away, but they will do anything to get to you, even siding with the Tarnished. They no longer care, the only thing that kept them going was you, the taught and memory of you, and they refuse to loose you again. Even if you've changed, gotten older, forgotten them, they do not care.

When it comes to Ranni, she has a lot of complicated feelings about reader. You're confused and scared about your powers and this world and to a sense, she can relate to you. She was once naive about her place in the world and she struggled to understand where she belonged. It's the realization that the Golden Order is archaic and should be replaced that makes her realize how useful you can be. You are the apple to Marika's eyes, and if Ranni were to take you, it be a much easier way to set her plan into motion. But of course she can't do that, because you disappear. I think Ranni spends a long time trying connect to you through dreams, but is unsuccessful. For a long time, she assumes you're dead, and even long after she's shed her old Empyrean skin, she still finds herself longing to find you. So when you return, she finds herself drawn to you once more. You're older, more mature, but very clearly shaken by something you thought was a dream. She and her group become a haven for you, protecting you from the evil this world has become, and Ranni finds herself one of the last few things from her childhood that isn't tainted. She has Blaidd, but her relationship with his is different, even if they did grow up together. You're honest, and normal, and real in a way she didn't know she needed. She promises to protect you from everything in this world until the time comes where she can bring on her Age of Stars, and then she will find a way to keep you by her side forever.

Finally we have Malenia. The twins relationship with you runs much deeper than the others. Miquella was the first one to meet you, he's the one who introduced you to his sister, and you were their first and really only friend outside their own family. When you disappeared Miquella was racked with so many emotions, and Malenia felt incapable of comforting him. You meant so much to him, and so maybe that's why he tried so hard to get you back. Malenia, after you left, neglected a lot of her health, and her brother had to watch the rot deteriorate her. She went along with her brothers plans to help her, but their was only so much she could do as she traveled all over the Lands Between to mitigate the strife between her siblings. It was a childish way to deal with her emotions, but as her brother got more and more engrossed in his work, she felt alone. All she wanted to do was see her brother again, her other half. She waited for him to emerge from his tree, and as the days went by, she found herself missing her childhood, missing you. But then you returned, you were back in the Haligtree, back in your bed, like the first time she met you. She found herself missing her sight for the first time in years, for she wished to see how you changed. But she moved past it, and promised you that Miquella would be here soon, and that he will be so happy to see that you've returned. She's so happy to have her family back again.

Now there are characters that become yanderes after the shattering. If were going off of this post I made a while ago, Fia would become yandere for reader as an extension os Godwyn's feelings. Blaidd might even be the same, where because of his connection to Ranni his feelings for you also become warped. I don't know, I think it's interesting.

Rennala’s Deception

            So this is something I’ve been turning over in my head for a while. This is going to be more of a narrative theory than a hard lore-hunting theory, but feel free to jump in if anybody sees something I missed.

Remembrance of the Rot Goddess

            Remembrance of Malenia, Goddess of Rot, hewn into the Erdtree. ... Miquella and Malenia are both the children of a single god. As such they are both Empyreans, but suffered afflictions from birth. One was cursed with eternal childhood, and the other harbored rot within.

            This seems to indicate that there is a genetic component to Empyrean status. That’s likely not the only factor -- most likely, all “children of a single god” are Empyreans, but not all Empyreans are “children of a single god.” But we can still confirm that Empyrean status is at least partially hereditary.

            We know that Ranni, the youngest child of Rennala and Radagon, is an Empyrean. By the time we finish the game, we, the players, know that she got it from Radagon’s side of the family.

            However... Radagon’s godhood(?) was a strictly kept secret within the world of the game. We get most of our direct information on Radagon from Pastor Miriel, and to hear him tell it, Radagon was just a guy. A general and a champion, yes, but it’s never suggested that he was anything more than a mortal man. In fact, Miriel seems to feel that Radagon married up when he married Rennala, and can’t fathom why he would leave her.

            So did it not raise any eyebrows when two (admittedly very talented) mortals had an Empyrean daughter?

            That was my starting point. And while I continue to believe that Rennala was mortal (possibly part giant, but still mortal), I don’t think that was the official story.

            I’m probably going to make a longer post on this later, but for now grant me the premise that A) sorcery originated in the Eternal Cities, B) the astrologers were descendants of the ECs who fled to the Mountaintops of the Giants after Astel ate their sky, and C) a contingent of astrologers eventually migrated to Liurnia, likely fleeing the early conquest of the Golden Order, and became the iteration of Glintstone Scholars we encounter in game.

            Again, probably going to do a longer post later, but for now I offer the location of the Stargazers’ Ruins, the Heretical Rise, and Founding Rain of Stars (all on the Mountaintops), and the Preceptor’s Set description.

Preceptor’s Big Hat

            Large hat with the movements of the stars drawn on the inside of the brim. Worn by the magic preceptors who served the Carian royals. ... Glintstone sorcerers are the descendants of astrologers, a fact that the Carians remain of aware of. Even if their fate has been long severed from the stars.

            Keep that in the back of your mind. Now, onto Rennala’s official origin story. A note -- all heirloom talisman descriptions cite a “legend,” or a “heroic tale.” I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the lore gained from these talismans being either distorted or embellished, as legends and tales tend to be.

Stargazer Heirloom

            A talisman engraved with the legend of a queen. Raises intelligence. The young astrologer gazed at the night sky as she walked. She had always chased the stars every step of her journey. Then she met the full moon — and, in time, the astrologer became a queen.

Rennala’s Full Moon

            Sorcery associated with the Carian queen. Uses the caster as a vessel to incarnate a full moon, then sends it floating toward foes. ... Queen Rennala encountered this enchanting moon when she was young, and later, it would bewitch the academy.

Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen

            Remembrance of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, hewn into the Erdtree. ... In her youth, Rennala was a prominent champion who charmed the academy with her lunar magic, becoming its master. She also led the Glintstone Knights and established the house of Caria as royalty.

            So we have a young astrologer. Most likely, either she or her family line originated from the Mountaintops. She discovered the Full Moon, and used it to bewitch/charm the Academy. She was also responsible for raising House Caria to the level of royalty.

            A quick tangent -- the Carian Filigree Crest references multiple Carian princesses. Unless Rennala previously had other marriages with other children, Ranni ought to be the only Carian princess.

            However, if we assume that the Carian’s previously ruled a principality, not the entire kingdom of Liurnia, everything slots neatly into place. The Carians were one noble family among many, Liurnia split between the lot of them. They were a matriarchal principality, thus making the current princess the highest priority for the knights sworn to their house.

            Now back to Rennala... I don’t believe that the Full Moon was an outer god, or a sentient entity at all. I believe it is a school of sorcery developed by Rennala, building upon the foundation of Carian sorcery (just as Miquella’s holly incantations seem to build upon Golden Order Fundamentalism, while not being associated with any outer god -- future lore post pending).

            However, I think Rennala presented the Full Moon as an outer god. Picture this -- Marika makes her debut on the Mountaintops, driving the astrologers to flee to Liurnia. She then proceeds to hit the kingdom of the Crucible so hard that Uhl flees to parts unknown and Placidusax picks up his capitol city and absconds to another dimension. Marika then sets her sights on Liurnia, dispatching Radagon.

            At this point, Marika is fully leaning into her rep the God Queen. Her age is inevitable, no one can stand against her.

            Except for another Empyrean, fighting to usher in her own age.

            Rennala, the inheritor of a tiny corner of a fractured and disorganized Liurnia, declares herself the Empyrean of the Full Moon. An Arthurian figure, she unites the scattered houses of Liurnia, raises up an elite order of knights, meets the Hound of the Golden Order on the battlefield... And wins.

            Rennala is now de-facto queen of Liurnia. The Glintstone Scholars come aboard, the Lazuli Conspectus the first and the most loyal -- they even take up the techniques of her knights. But she knows that, having no true god of her own, she cannot stand against Marika indefinitely. She and Radagon manage to work out a compromise. For a time, it seems everything worked out.

            Then her daughter is born an Empyrean. An Empyrean claimed by Manus Celes -- the Hand of the Moon.

            Rennala knows she made the whole thing up. There shouldn’t be a lunar outer god. Did she Tulpa one into existence? Did it exist all along, and she’s been taking its name in vain all these years? Did Radagon know? Is that what the secret of the Preceptors was about?

            Regardless, now it’s after her daughter.

            Of course we know that Radagon was the true Empyrean. He did not need Rennala to produce Empyrean heirs. But Rennala doesn’t know that. Ranni is the youngest. Radagon left after he had his Empyrean heir. Suddenly, Rennala’s breakdown starts to make a lot more sense.

Queen’s Robe

            Robe indicating the highest order of sorcerer. Worn by Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. When Rennala, head of both the Academy of Raya Lucaria and the Carian royal family, lost her husband Radagon, her heart went along with him. And then, those at the academy realized. That Rennala was no champion, after all.

Carian Retaliation

            One of the sorceries of the Carian royal family. Swing your staff to dispel incoming sorceries and incantations, using their power to retaliate with glintblades. This was the Carian royal family's secret means to prepare against the disloyalty of the academy. The moon and stars would one day go their separate ways.

            The Glintstone Scholars signed on with Rennala because they believed she could be their Empyrean champion against Marika. When she folded, they turned on her in an instant. The description of Carian Retaliation suggests that, to some degree, she always knew that this was a possibility.

            One cannot maintain a lie forever.

I'm so freaking tired to read comments about how Radahn actually beat and is stronger than Malenia and he holds back the stars and learns magic not to kill Leonard IN. EVERY. SINGLE. MALENIA'S. POST/VIDEO/MEME/EVERYTHING.

More often than not TOTALLY UMPRONTED.

Like, we get it, you Radahn's fanboys are irked your favourite character isn't the absolute best. So what?

The lore literally said "Malenia fought Radhan to a standstill" AND THAT'S THE END OF IT.

Yes, afterwards she bloomed, making Caelid what we see today, and yes, that made her pass out, and yes, she had to be carried away by Finlay, so what?

Literally how does that make her less then her opponent, who lost his mind and became a shadow of his former self?

Also, she gets insulted all the time because you all think she bloomed because she didn't want to lose, when actually WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY SHE DID IT.

Did she do it because she was desperate? Maybe.

Did she do it because her needle broke? Maybe.

Did she do it because she couldn't hold back the Rot anymore? Maybe.

We don't know how the Rot works.

What we do know is that her Cleanrots followed her with pride, at the point of CHOOSING TO DECAY to stand by her side. And I don't think many of them would have done that for a Demigod who would nuke an entire region without second thoughts or giving a damn about it.

We all saw how Godrick treated his people and the reputation and hate it gained him from the Lands Between.

(And the fact that Malenia, after being insulted by him and still even if it was her right to chose not to kill him should make you people ponder on what it says about her character. Literally why would she willingly cause such pain and distruction to innocent people when she didn't kill an horrible person like Godrick? When SHE HERSELF HATES HER ROT)

That's the whole point with George Martin.

The whole point with him and his books: in medieval times informations are unreliable, because some are made up, some are incomplete, some are missing, etc.

And that's the same thing for Elden ring, all informations and lore we have comes from dialogues and item's descriptions.

And ALL of them proclaimed the battle of Aeonia a tragic battle which ended in a STALEMATE.

Cry all you want about it, and STOP insulting characters other people like just because you don't like the lore.

Both Radahn and Malenia are impressive, not perfect, but certainly impressive characters and leaders, as both their armies followed them with pride.

There is literally NO POINT in keeping that discussion up. And there is certainly NO POINT in ruining all posts that celebrates Malenia FOR HERSELF, without even talking about Radahn.

SHOW SOME RESPECT.

THANK YOU KINDLY.

What are your expectations/theories for Messmer?

I have a few! I even considered making a predictions bingo on him specifically to check when DLC comes out! XD But overall the predictions resulted from me and @val-of-the-north bouncing the ideas around 🤔 I'll need to link a few of other posts here too to help clarifying some relevant topics!

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1) I think he is one of the children between Marika and Godfrey, or maybe even her first-born!

At first I was also thinking that him having red hair was a damning evidence that he had to be born from selfcest, like Malenia and Miquella! But Val brought this to my attention that in ER manga, which is apparently on a stronger level of directing than BB comics from my knowledge, Rykard is a blond!

So Val suggested that genes can work a funny way since Marika and Radagon are still the same person, and if Rykard got Marika's golden hair gene even from Radagon's body, the reverse is possible and someone in Golden Lineage could have red hair even from Marika! I also agree because Miquella is venturing into the Shadows Land presumably to discover Marika's secrets:

(Famitsu interview with Miyazaki, taken from this ( x ) post) But Messmer to me feels like he would be fully aware of every Marika's dark secret there is! I joke that he is very Lucifer-coded, but actually Satan-coded is a better comparison. He is the holder of "Hell", where the 'graceless' beings and those rejected by Golden Order reside, like that ancient Misbegotten(ish) creature! If he was the third sibling of this kind, why would he know more than Malenia and Miquella? (I mean, surprise me!) But if he had been there from the very start, carrying her (God's) punishment, then sure!

My other clue towards that is that he shares the "spartan" aesthetic in his clothes with Godfrey and his Duelists ( x ) (and actually Goldmask too)! This whole thing with leg wraps and waistwrap!

2) He is the first to historically partake in Dragon Communion, and the inspiration of Drake Knights

There are dragonic features about himself, the design of his armour and his snakes! Initially I thought of Dragonic Sentinels too, but their whole deal is to combat Granssax, who I concluded attacked after Farum Azula war and Placidusax' lord was fled. More than that, their deal is 'electric' line of dragons specifically, whereas Drake Knights and others who that partake in Dragon Communion are not picky! They eat dragon hearts to take their power, and that includes 'fire' line of dragons, like Greyoll and her spawn!

I speculate that he was the first person historically, with the bright idea of eating dragon heart to take its power, and this is where his fire powers came from. Fire is associated with heresy, but in his case it was both: assuming powers of dragons was heresy itself (so, before Godwyn made dragons 'friends'), but fire powers came from it! As a Demigod, he also did not meet the same miserable fate as Magma Wyrms! He had the privilege to really take something useful by being not mere mortal.

3) The snakes, therefore, are part of his body!

There are two of them, and I assume they're growing from the base of his spine and function like his tails! If Placidusax is anything to go by, this is part of him developing multiple heads but in the way that would not mess with his body too much. Funny enough, I had two dreams of Gwyndolin as a baby, and in both Gwyndolin as a child only had two snakes that did work as tails, so maybe I am biased!

4) Rotten Duelists also take inspiration from him

I am resharing the image by Val from a post I've already linked, but whereas they elaborate sign of Godfrey and hatred for the Giants in their design, the snakes around their arms and on their helmets are supposed to refer to Messmer!

I imagine Godfrey and Messmer being that super cool OG battle duo. Duelists feature two kinds of 'heresy' in their design - the snakes and the symbols of the Giants, and I assume they were proudly wearing these before being driven from the Coliseum! Back then symbolism of "taking power from the enemy" was something honourable, and so was what Messmer did - becoming 'sinful' to be the more powerful weapon of Marika was courageous and virtuous of him. So, snakes were also fine to proudly depict in the clothes! Until it was not:

5) He is banished for (attempted) burning of the Erdtree

This theory is coined in by @val-of-the-north! In this ( x ) post it is explained better, but in short, there are evidences that the big golden Erdtree we see is an illusion, most interesting one is ashes being all over Leyendell even before defeating Maliketh. So that's why it no longer is giving its blessed sap and is "only an object of faith" now, though its lower part is still physical of course. I agree with this idea!

I think he had to do something bad because of the huge sealed eye possibility! Ranni and Melina also have an eye sealed, and both are Demigods that had their 'privilege' within the Golden Order removed in one way or another. Messmer, on the other way, wows to burn whoever is devoid of grace, so I doubt that he would willingly divest himself of it! Whereas he's been heretical for dragonic powers and the 'Satan' to her system to take care of the 'sinners' from the beginning, but he got excommunicated from the family and likely erased from its records! Bonus points if Godwyn being the first in the Golden Lineage is just what they tell people now!

6) GEOOOOOORGGGEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

I've always had a feeling that whereas everyone is anticipating him to become the first true Soulsborne sexyman, something just has to put a dent in it. Just something to sour the character. I can't explain it, it is like sixth sense...? But I think I finally know what it is. During answering this ask, I payed attention how even with other things put in consideration, he still appears to be loyal to his mother and the purpose she intended to him. He speaks defensive against her letting the "unworthy" to become a Lord. Like... this is not necessarily something weird, it could just be strong loyalty even against his self-interest like what we see in Maliketh or Morgott, but there is just strange sixth sense about perhaps some Freudian shit going on in his head that I can't shake, and not anti-climatic one after what they did with Mohg.

7) Motivation for attempted burning of the Erdtree were themes of ambition and perfection

I will link a couple of posts (with pictures) in which I explained how Erdtree is itself a Crucible and how I theorise existence of Omens resulted in denying and loathing the thing ( x ) ( x ). They're not too long tbh, and in both I forgot to bring up the fact that Ancestral Followers worship Minor Erdtrees :') But the main point is, everything sacred will eventually rot and die, however, giving the way to a new thing to sprout from it, and that was something Marika was unwilling to accept. Erdtree and Golden Order, were supposed to be Eternal, like herself.

Marika made everything that reminded of the other side of life, like Misbegotten and Omens, illegal, and ensured immortality in the best way she could, but Messmer took it even further. He attempted to remove the 'life' aspect of the Elden Ring, to separate the sacred power granted to his mother and relatives from the earth. So, from from inevitable death, from ever rotting, from 'cycle'... from everything "imperfect", so it could be just the one perfect, pure, 100% spiritual thing in their hands. + I think what he did happened after Gloam-Eyed Queen fiasco, so that was another point in realising the instability and imperfection. + to draw from the previous point, he might have been really pissed at Greater Will itself on behalf of his mother.

Except, what he did was not something even Marika would agree to. Greater Will specifically sought this "imperfect" world FOR its "imperfections", to gain form and purpose through births and deaths and feelings and struggles from the amorphous empty cosmic state. It was suffering from its superiority, there was nothing to love or hate or want. It gives me the same vibe as how in BB, the Great Ones are willing to trade their perfection for simple joy of loving a child; they don't need to give birth since they're immortal and their genes are not in need of surviving, but there is just... nothing in this immortality. This is something Messmer would not understand. Sellen is another example of this mindset, aspiring for the things the "perfect" beings were willing to escape. It is always the case of 'greener grass' lol

But yes, absolutely no one appreciated the attempt to separate the Elden Ring from being rooted into mortal "flawed" things. I think he still thinks he is right, and that whatever little dialogue he will have should contain quite the vitriol.

8) In the second stage of his battle, he will become far more dragonic.

I expect at least something happening with the snakes akin to becoming his wings. Maybe he will even turn into a dragon, a two-headed one! + also if there is no particularly gruesome (lethal) visceral attack by his snakes I will rebel lol

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Soooo yeah... This isn't much, but my imagination is weak when I have limited information x) I have also seen an idea that the thing that pierces Marika's body might be his doing since he is titled the Impaler, but for now I think this is not the case! Her hammer is full of similar sharp shards of Elden Ring, so I think this is just another shard, or, perhaps, something Elden Beast threw at her. Red coloration comes from being bloodied! Marika was a mortal once, after all!

Rykard’s deadly machines have terrifying yet wholesome implications

Enemy placement in Elden Ring often has significant implications for the story and characters, and the iconic abductor virgins are my absolute favorite example of this concept. These machines of war crafted for Volcano Manor’s army are highly decorated with snake iconography: from the Duelist Helm item description, we learn that “The snake is viewed as a traitor to the Erdtree,” so it is immediately clear to enemy soldiers that these are weapons built for a war of blasphemy.

We learn from Patches that “long ago, they [the abductor virgins] were endowed with a spell of transposition,” and that the abductor at the bottom of the Raya Lucaria waterwheel has “its transpositional powers fully intact.” This implies that all of the abductors once had the ability to send their victims directly to Volcano Manor. Spreading his abductor virgins across the Lands Between gives Rykard access to a wide variety of victims. What did he do with them? It isn’t clear if Rykard had fed himself to the serpent before or after he dispersed his abductor virgins, but if he was already his snakey self, then it’s clear that these victims would’ve become snacks. And given that the area around the manor is called “Prison Town,” I think I know where they kept the snacks.

We find abductor virgins in these specific places:

- Volcano Manor

- Mt. Gelmir

- Sealed Tunnel, on the way to the Divine Tower of West Altus

- Caria Manor

- Raya Lucaria Academy

- Redmane Castle

- Caelid, near the Abandoned Cave

The abductor virgins originate from Volcano Manor. They are used in combat on the slopes of Mt. Gelmir, defending the manor from the Leyndell army’s assault. The Sealed Tunnel is on the way to the divine tower where we activate Rykard’s Great Rune, so I’d guess that he’s keeping this area under guard.

As for the other locations, what’s immediately obvious is that each place is where one of Rykard’s family members resides: Ranni at Caria Manor, Rennala at Raya Lucaria, and Radahn at Redmane castle. Like Rykard himself, each of them has been or is currently involved in a war.

CARIA MANOR

There is one abductor virgin patrolling the ramparts of Caria Manor. The Carians became embroiled in a civil war when the sorcerers of Raya Lucaria and their Cuckoo knights rebelled against the royals. Caria Manor is currently on the defensive after the Cuckoo knights attacked the manor. Ranni is still present at the manor and presumably assisted in its magical defense. We know that Ranni and Rykard have a degree of closeness and trust from the Blasphemous Claw item description, so it’s a natural conclusion that he would send his sister an abductor virgin to help defend their childhood home.

RAYA LUCARIA

There are two abductor virgins at Raya Lucaria. One patrols the central courtyard of the academy, and the other is found at the bottom of the academy’s waterwheel. This one is very out of the way; there aren’t any enemies down here at all. Since abductors are pretty useless without any prey to capture, I think that this one probably wandered down here by mistake and got stuck. This may be why its transposition power is still intact: it wasn’t using it, so it never wore off. I have absolutely no evidence for this except that it makes sense.

As previously stated, the Carian royals are in the midst of a civil war, so it is in Rykard’s interests to send weapons to aid his mother in recapturing the academy. The problem is, the sorcerers were able to lock Rennala in the library without much difficulty, so the abductor virgins just kind of wander around attacking anything in their path now.

REDMANE CASTLE

There is one abductor virgin inside the walls of Redmane Castle. Radahn famously fought against Malenia in Caelid during the Shattering, so it makes sense that he would be in need of weapons that could match the strength of the Cleanrot knights. We can surmise that Rykard and Radahn were close, because Rykard keeps a portrait of his brother above the fireplace in Volcano Manor’s main hall. I think Rykard would be more than willing to send Radahn a powerful weapon to help defend his castle.

ABANDONED CAVE

The abandoned cave is an interesting one… near the opening of the cave, there is a lone abductor virgin that has killed several of the giant dogs. Inside the cave, there are numerous broken pieces of abductor virgins scattered throughout the cave’s swampy insides. Since this cave is right on the edge of the Swamp of Aeonia, I think when Malenia bloomed, the inside of the cave got flooded with scarlet rot juice and most of the abductors inside got destroyed (except for the one that escaped). There are a lot of ways to interpret their presence here… Out of Rykard’s three family members, Radahn is the only one who was fighting an offensive war, so he would have required more weapons. I think the most sensible conclusion is that Rykard gifted Radahn a fleet of abductor virgins, but for some reason, they were stored in this cave, and were never used.

It’s interesting that Rykard would provide Radahn with weapons when their ultimate goals don’t seem to have aligned – perhaps Rykard didn’t care about that, since he’s still his brother? Or perhaps he didn’t care because it would gain him more victims to consume anyway? And perhaps Radahn guessed his brother’s sinister intentions, so he didn’t use them? Or perhaps Radahn just thought they were demented, so he only ever used the one to defend Redmane Castle.

CONCLUSION

The best explanation for the placements of the abductor virgins is that Rykard shared his weapons with his family in order to aid and protect them. At the same time, he gets to capture and devour those who would attack his family so he can absorb more and more power in order to ultimately devour the very gods. It’s a win-win scenario!

I don't trust that new character.

So, minor-ish Shadow of the Erdtree spoilers, though Elden Ring's Twitter itself officially posted the art.

Talking about this person here.

Their whole everything is very, very off.

Now, I will first note that a lot of their design elements are very specifically stuff associated with Miquella and Trina. Helixes and lilies and growing plants, along with the colors. (I should know. I spent way too much time screenshotting and looking at stuff in Elphael and the Haligtree lol.)

But it's the how that first set off alarm bells.

So, you see, Miquella's own outfits tend to be very simple when we've seen him depicted in statues, and in the other pieces of artwork. His followers wear some more complicated designs, along with certain items associated with him/implied to be his creations, such as the Pulley Bow and Malenia's prosthetics.

This design is far too overdesigned. It's so over the top and that's what's bothering me. Miquella's following and Malenia wear nicer stuff than Miquella himself, true, but it never is to this point. Mohg himself, while he has his ostentatious mantle, has some much simpler clothing underneath.

(Mohg seemed to key in on Miquella's distaste with showy stuff, too. He's the only logical person to have made the ring that the giant Miquella body is wearing. It's notably subdued compared to Mohg's taste for ostentatious clothing and seems more akin to the little flower buttons on Mohg's undershirt in its relative simplicity.)

There's also some oddities in terms of the details as well. The white cloak isn't pure white and has some almost purple undertones (more of a pink). We've seen this before, though- Dolores the Sleeping Arrow, wearing the page's armor, and it is similar in that it's almost a pinkish color instead of purple. (Who, mind you, is tied to St. Trina.) The sword itself has a crisscrossing pattern that is reminiscent of Radagon's seal.

There's also the implication that they are the one giving the dialogue to tell the player to go to the Land of Shadow, and narrating about what Miquella told them. Along with the implication that they're some kind of knight of Miquella.

First thing's first. Miquella never had any knights sworn to him specifically. All of the people in Elphael are specifically Haligtree knights and soldiers, not Miquellan. We do encounter a Miquellan Knight Sword, but it is explicitly labeled as not having a master. It seems awfully suspicious that someone shows up as what is clearly supposed to be a knight of Miquella.

Miquella also departed for the Land of Shadow alone. And everything in the world design seems to imply that he wanted to keep both his following safe (and probably the Mohgwyn dynasty, too, considering all the design overlaps in security), and to make sure nobody would actually follow him.

So this person miraculously shows up, knowing how to get to Miquella despite Miquella deliberately leaving alone, when everyone Miquella clearly cared for doesn't seem to know what's going on.

Second is how they know what they know. They talk as if they've spoken to Miquella, but that seems really fucking weird, doesn't it? If Miquella deliberately left the way he did, why would he just tell random people he met that kind of stuff? Too much of it is raising red flags for that reason. He seems to have been very secretive in what he knew, like he wanted to fix it all without getting others involved unless necessary. He compartmentalized information quite a bit.

This makes sense, though, if it isn't something they needed to be told because they already knew it.

I think it's St. Trina, searching for Miquella, to get him to go back to his fate. A fate Miquella deliberately wished to abandon.

Blade Of Miquella Chapter 6: A Woe Worth Fighting For.

Summary: You and Wednesday's love is intertwined in every life. Warnings: ANGST! SO MUCH ANGST! SuicideVisions! MuchMoreEmotionallyDestroyedWednesday! Previous Chapter 👉 Here

Wednesday was standing in front of your grave and has been for the last 5 hours, she couldn't move, she didn't even try to move. "Be my love for this life," you asked, And she accepted. "Take my love for this life." You offered. And she accepted. So why were you gone? Why did fate steal you away, leaving her to navigate the void you left behind? "Be my love for this life," she whispered, her voice trembling with sorrow. "Take my love for this life." She took out the same pistol that was used to take you away from her. She aimed the muzzle at her heart. "One life with you, I couldn't share," she murmured, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Maybe, one death with you, I could." she smiled. She pulled the trigger. "WEDNESDAY!" you screamed as you woke up, "Relax, that wasn't your Wednesday." you heard a voice, your vision was blurry, and it took a while for your vision to clear out when you saw Wednesday in front of you, No, it wasn't Wednesday, whoever this was, had a similar face like Wednesday, but dirty blonde hair and much paler face. "I am not your Wednesday either; I am her ancestor, Goody Addams," she introduced herself. You couldn't help but feel a mix of confusion and curiosity as you tried to make sense of the surreal environment around you. Everywhere you looked, there was nothing but a vast expanse of white, an otherworldly realm that seemed detached from reality. "What is this place?" you asked, your voice tinged with uncertainty. "It's a realm between your world and the afterlife, our world," "Owh" so you were dead. It didn't surprise you when you recalled the battle against Crackstone and the moment when you were struck by his hidden blade. The memories were clear up until that point, but beyond that, there was only darkness. At least you are free from that cursed being, Malenia. "Are you here to guide me to the afterlife Goody?" you asked. "If you want, yes. However, if you don't, you can return," Goody replied, her voice soothing yet mysterious. "Wait… I can go back?" The possibility surprised you. You weren't sure if you truly wanted to return, given the burden of your curse. A heavy sigh escaped your lips as you pondered the complexities of your existence. "What's the point of me returning? I will forever be cursed. Forever scared to even touch, forever afraid of HER…" Your voice trembled with a mixture of fear and frustration. Malenia seemed like an insurmountable obstacle, and you wondered if returning would only lead to more pain and suffering. "Maybe, or maybe she can help you." She said as some sort of portal opens in front of Goody. You see Wednesday holding your damaged body as if you were her lifeline, As you gazed at Wednesday through the portal, even after what Wednesday did to you, your heart ached for her, and a part of you yearned to reach out and comfort her. "An Addams don't feel until they meet the one who was created to make them feel," she said. "You were her's… In every life." You looked at her. "The dream you saw, of Wednesday joining you in death at your grave, wasn't a dream, it was… another life. It was another love." You felt a mix of awe and sorrow. To think that you and Wednesday had experienced such a tragic fate in another existence was both haunting and captivating. "A life where Thornhill's cruelty knew no bounds," Goody explained, her voice heavy with sadness. "But even in that darkness, your love for Wednesday remained unwavering. An Addams rarely opens their heart, but when they do, it's a love that spans lifetimes. I've never seen two lovers be so intertwined with each other. In every life…"

All of a sudden you were in front of another portal, There, in front of another grave, stood your own reflection, clutching the same pistol you saw in Wednesday's hand, The gravestone bore the name that was etched into your soul "Wednesday Addams, Terrifying Daughter and yet ever so loving Girlfriend." "Another life… another love." You whispered.

Another life, another love, you saw yourself with her, holding each other, sleeping.

Another life, another love, you saw yourself with her, holding each other, dying.

Another life, another love, you saw the whole world, taken by your Scarlet Aeonia, as you sat there in petals, holding Wednesday in your arms. Her body was taken by the Scarlet Rot, just as your mother's was, and then your eyes went to the knife in front of you. You didn't need to see the rest to understand what happened next.

And then, you were back in front of your own life, where Wednesday was holding you, Weems weeping behind her, Xavier running in and falling on his knees seeing you.

"Yes, Life will be hard on you, it always was, Your curse will be right with you, you might win over it, you might lose yourself in it again. But whatever happens, Wednesday will be right with you." Goody said before going through the portal to your body, "Whatever you choose, Wednesday will be right with you, even if it meant joining you in death, she is your soulmate of course," Goody said as she sat beside your body, opposite to Wednesday, she put one hand on your bleeding wound, and offered you the other, "So what do you choose?"

Wednesday needed you. The thought of a future without you was like staring into an endless abyss. You had never asked for anything from her, never demanded anything. You simply accepted whatever she was willing to give, patiently waiting for her to open up and let you in. And when she finally did, it was too late. The cruel hand of fate had ripped you away from her, leaving a void that seemed impossible to fill. The pain in her cold, stone heart was excruciating. It cut deeper than anything she had ever experienced, even more than the loss of her beloved Nero. She had vowed never to shed another tear after that tragedy, but now she found herself weeping uncontrollably, the tears flowing like a river of grief for you. She lifted you a bit up, placing her forehead against yours. In that moment, she pleaded to any deity who would listen, begging them to bring you back to her. She knew, deep down, that even if you didn't return, she would follow you to whatever realm you had journeyed to. In life and death, she was bound to you, her heart forever entwined with yours. In this final moment together, she wanted to give you the love you deserved, to let you know just how much you meant to her. Slowly, she leaned in, her lips meeting yours in a tender, heartfelt kiss. Your lips felt like delicate rose petals, soft and sweet, and for a moment, she could almost forget that you were gone. But then, she felt you kissing her back. In that fleeting moment, it was as if the world had stopped spinning. A glimmer of hope flickered in the darkness, and Wednesday clung to it with all her might. Could it be possible? Could you still be here, somehow, against all odds? Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled back, her heart pounding. She looked into your eyes, searching for any sign that you were still there, that you had returned to her. The uncertainty was overwhelming, but she dared to hope, dared to believe that you were not truly lost to her. She looked at your bullet wound, only to see it was gone. Then, she noticed the pale ghost in front, Goody Addams looking down at her. "Cherish every moment with her Wednesday," Goody said with a gentle smile before vanishing into a cascade of shimmering gold auras. As Xavier was busy calling an ambulance, Wednesday looked back at you. She would face whatever challenges lay ahead, for she knew that a love like yours was worth fighting for, A woe worth fighting for, even in the darkest of times. PART 7 👉 HERE

Just found your blog and binge read all ur theory posts, they’re great and I love your takes a lot- but I wondered if you’d ever thought about this: I don’t remember exactly when/where it’s stated (I think by Iji at some point in rannis quest line), but at some point it’s said that every empyrean was given a shadow (maliketh for Marika, and I guess also radagon? Or would he not count because it’s uncertain if he even existed at that point/the red wolves count as his equivalent ? Anyway that’s getting off track- and Blaidd for Ranni), and from those 2 (or maybe 3) it seems like the pattern is that these shadows are wolves/lupine. however there are two empyreans which I have never seen anything about having a shadow- miquella and malenia. Now I guess the lone wolf spirit ashes could be their equivalent/spirits of the guardian that was theirs at some point , but also I just am curious what you think about it. Did they ever even get a shadow? Again if I’m remembering correctly there’s some statues (I think in farum azula) that portray miquella with wolves? and the whole thing with the lone wolf spirit ashes being heavily implied to have been his. And if they never did get a shadow, I wonder why they didn’t? Or if at some point the twins did have one at some point but something happened when miquella abandoned fundamentalism- especially what with Blaidd being unable to stay free of the two fingers/greater wills influence by the end of rannis questline, if they did have one they likely would have shared a similar fate to blaidd- if miquella and malenia even had one in the first place, because if they did I feel like that would’ve been mentioned somewhere? And maybe it was written somewhere, but if it was, I haven’t found anything about it.

I personally have this headcanon that since Blaidd was a colossal failure on the Two Fingers part because of how attached and loyal he was to Ranni, that when the Fingers gifted Miquella and Malenia their shadow bound beasts they made them more Greater Will loyal and less intelligent, basically less like a person and more like a beast, so there's no room for friendship or attachment between the beasts and the twins. But whose to say what the truth is.

But no over all there is not a single hide-nor-hair of Miq and Mals beasts anywhere in the game, not even in cut content.

And like you said the only real indicator of a shadow bound beast (but tbh we dont even know if that girl even IS miquella) is the statue in Farum Azula and the 3 spirit wolves you receive from Ranni that Miquella entrusted to her:

Miquella is a utter mystery but the one thing that I have determined about him is that he knows more about what fate has in store more than anyone.

It cannot be just a coincidence that Miquella specifically gave us three wolves.

Bottom line is something happened to Miquella and Malenias shadow bound beasts, what exactly happened though cannot be determined since there is absolutely no evidence anywhere about them. But if I had to make a theory then it could've gone one of 3 ways:

Miquella with their masterfull skills of persuasion told the beasts to essentially disappear and never come back because Miq acknowledges that they could be a threat

Malenia did away with the shadow bound beasts, and by did away I mean kill. And maybe the beasts turned on Miquella when he abandoned Fundamentalism so Malenia had no choice to put them down 🤔

Miquella has known about the Realm of Shadow for a long long time now, and just like Queen Marika, he threw them into that world to be forgotten. And in the DLC we may be able to meet/fight them

A lot of stuff from @oldworldpoolhall, so settle in. Sorry this took so long.

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"Also your takes on Marika and several art and some… not so safe for work portrayal (ONE nsfw portrayal but it was so good i consider it close to canon) is making me want to make my own in regards to her relationship with the reader. I think like some of the earlier takes she was curious about you, you as a way to further cement her already founded rule over the lands between. A mysterious power, that’s what you were at first. But she did eventually grow to love you, especially if you interacted with her often and possibly called her out for her prejudice if you’ve witnessed it And like Idk it sounds better in my head but the thought that she grew to see you as endearing, someone who she is fond of instead of just an otherworldly guest. And well, she’s hurt by your accusations but she knows it’s true, she’s buried her omen children for being the way they were under the city she calls holy, under the city she built. My thoughts are a bit scattered atm but the main thought of this is that she eventually sort of inserts herself as a motherly figure. Because that’s what she was, a mother. A ruler first, a mother second. But a mother regardless. Marika subconsciously doing all she can to try and adopt you to the culture, to the way of the Erdtree, to the belief of fundamentalism. Is it a way to try and atone for what she did to her twins? For her children she could not help and keep because the tree and the age she herself ushered did not permit her to? Who knows? Again it’s a bit scattered in my head, but basically you’re the outlier. You’re like her, you’re not even from the lands between or anywhere else she knows, you’re no empyrean. She eventually realizes you are not under the will of the fingers at some point, maybe she sees you as her freedom, her only ticket to it when she begins to question the order she built throughout the ages. Even more bonus points if you’re capable of feats that no one there can do, maybe you’ve even subdued Malenia’s rot— though not freeing her entirely from it, you’ve helped save her from falling apart when her beliefs could not"

I do see Marika using reader as a way of making herself feel better for not being the best mother. I do think a small part of her loves her twins, but she has a duty as a god, and image to uphold, and I think with reader and Godwyn it's easier to uphold that image. When she realizes that reader isn't actually from the Lands Between she views reader as a way to reject the Golden Order without doing so outright, if that makes sense.

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"The only way I see it that the reader gets affiliated with the omens is by basically exploring too much of Leyndell, maybe they’d gotten too curious, this place couldn’t be all that sunshine and rainbows right? From the snobby nobles running amok the place, surely there must be something out there. And they do explore And they don’t like what they’ve come to find, they keep it to themselves for some time, hanging with possibly Mohg and Morgott— maybe just one of them if not both, and perhaps the other omens in the sewers they’d bring some food from the surface to. They keep their mouth shut, not really quite understanding why they all would be down here til the Fundamentalists or the believers of the Erdtree speak of Omens as curses. They begin to piece together things, that it was really just bad, and left a quite /sour/ taste in the mouth. Maybe Marika got a little too ahead of herself, a goddess she may be, but she’s not perfect. Not in the eyes of the reader at least. I feel like the admission to seeing all those horrible things are quiet. There is no yelling to be had, only cold disdain, and Marika’s cold glare against theirs as they try not to tremble under her gaze when they ask her how she could just do that to them, to the omens, to the children who did nothing wrong but simply be born with horns. It takes a while to shake her, and in those moments the greater will too began to dislike you. Not enough to kill you, not yet. Marika doesn’t really correct her way, doesn’t let the omen children out— what was she going to do? She was a woman of pride at the same time, she was a queen, and a puppet of the greater will. She does let you do things, let’s you help, let’s you go around and turn away from her beliefs maybe but not too much— maybe even warns you, digs her nails too deep into your shoulders as she hisses you a warning if you’re openly opposing to the prejudice. You have to understand that it’s how things simply work here. But eventually it sounds like she’s convincing herself more than she’s convincing you. You do end up gaining recognition as one of her children— it’s nothing new, she’s taken the others from the Carian lineage after all. You wouldn’t be too different. You’re recognized by her people anyways, but not the Greater will maybe."

Marika becoming defensive about the way she raises her children is very on brand not gonna lie. She doesn't need reader speaking out on why she does things the way she does. If reader does question her, it's probably the only moment when she wishes reader was a part of the Golden Order, maybe then it would be easier to raise you. Marika reminds reader that she is a god, and that she can do as she pleases, even if that really isn't the case.

Marika would be elated if people started viewing reader as her actual child, as apart of her lineage. I think she uses it as an opportunity to control reader a bit more, now that reader is in the public eye.

How do you feel about Godrick? He is seriously so unlucky being born frail and skilless in a family line where everyone must excell at either battle art or magic or both. But at the same time this kinda cringe that his fix on claiming what is "his" by heritage alone led him to literally stealing people's bones 🤦‍♂️ You are usually drawn towards "doomed by circumstances to have a corruption/damnation arc" characters so I thought maybe you had some opinions already?

I hinted at my feelings about this in DMs if I remember right, but basically, I do like Godrick and his story, his status and villainy, and his rather doomed beginnings. He intrigues me. He reminds me of a tiny sapling trying to be a grand oak, and despite his rather pathetic nature, he is unarguably terrifying in his pursuits for greatness. He tries so hard, and only gets more deranged in the process. I like that.

I like how brutal he actually is. He doesn’t even realize that he already has the boldness and power he needs. The scene where he hacks off his own arm to fuse with the dragon? Dude, that was metal…and he just did that. He has a spine. I don’t care what fucking Kenneth says or if Godrick got his ass beat by Malenia. That’s MALENIA. Kenneth spins a slanderous tale, but let’s be real, Godrick rules Stormveil, grafts himself into a monster, had the gaul to trash talk fucking Malenia, and self-mutilates like it’s nothing. He is insane and you gotta admire the obvious brashness and the minerals it takes to do any of that shit.

Now granted, I don’t think he’s worthy of too much pity either. Bro is unhinged and needs to be put down, but I like the inherent grim cycle being shown in how this character sees himself as lesser and goes way overboard to compensate, because…well…everyone sees him as lesser? He also doesn’t immediately pull me into brainrot despite his doomed character type because he does tend to have this humorous, almost pathetic side to him that makes me laugh a little too much.

Remember, as I said, I think you tend to gravitate towards more comedic villains while I am often in it for pure tragedy, but we cross paths with plenty of tropes. Godrick is a good example of this. He is tragically fucked up, doomed from the start, but he’s also pretty funny in some aspects. He is just so tryhard. It’s easy to see why though.

Anyway, I haven’t lingered on his story for long hours or whatever, but I have thought about the guy and I think he deserves a bit more analysis and understanding both from the characters in-game and the fandom lol. People tend to trash him too much before considering his rather sad tale.