THE (MOSTLY)

COMPLETE LORE OF

ELDEN RING
PART 1
 I II

INDEX CHAPTER III:

THE PLAYABLE CHARACTER

 The Tarnished
INTRODUCTION  The Withdrawal and Return of Grace
 The Setting

CHAPTER I:
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE GAME WORLD CHAPTER IV:
THE GOLDEN TREE
 The Elden Ring
 The Runes  The Erdtree
 The Grace  The Role of the Erdtree in Births
 The Crucible
 The Greattree
CHAPTER II:  When the Tree Burns
THE TRUE GODS OF THE WORLD

 Marika’s Origins CHAPTER V:

 The Holy Mission FIRE AND DEATH
 Marika’s Plan
 The Relationship Between Marika and the Greater Will  The Symbolism of Fire
 The Deathroots
 Godwyn the Golden
 The removal of the Rune of Death from Elden Ring
 III IV

CHAPTER VI: INTRODUCTION

MELINA

 Character Overview This document compiles the passionate deductions, studies,

 Her Mission speculations, and research of the most passionate part of the Italian
 The Gloam-Eyed Queen community, which has taken inspiration from the work of Sabaku No
Maiku. After a year of continuous, we have been able to gather
everything that can be considered 100% true and indispensable for the
CHAPTER VII: comprehension of Elden Ring's lore. In this document, you will find
nothing but the truth, except for well-informed speculations where it is
RADAGON OF THE GOLDEN ORDER
not possible to provide a concrete and proven answer or where
 Marika’s Other Half conversation can be stimulated. It is a sincere act of love towards the
 Two is One masterpiece that has kept us glued to the screens of our game consoles
and the entirety of its international community. If you are hungry for
 Radagon and the Giants
lore, you have come to the right place.
 The relationship between Radagon and Marika
 The Golden Order Fundamentalism
 V

}°{

"Per chi conosce la lore, per chi la sta scoprendo, per chi la scoprirà."
 1 2

The Elden Ring arrived in the Lands Between at the dawn of time, with
CHAPTER I: the sending of a golden meteor by the Greater Will; this meteor
contained a beast [1] which later transformed into the Elden Ring that
THE FOUNDATION’S OF THE we now know, as specifically stated in the Japanese description of Elden
Stars [2]:
GAME WORLD
"Once upon a time, it is said that a great will [the Greater Will]
sent a single beast to the void along with a golden meteor, which then
THE ELDEN RING became the Elden Ring" (fun fact: the Incantation itself in Japanese is
called エルデの流星, which means "Erude’s [Elde’s] Meteor").
The Elden Ring (エルデンリング Eruden Ringu) is the most
powerful Rune of the Lands Between, the guarantor of the natural
order of the world. It is the pillar upon which the life cycle that
characterizes nature itself rests, its living, dying, and changing. The
[2] かつて、大いなる意志は
structure of the Elden Ring can be modified by whoever possesses it,
that is, the god of this world, and, through the removal or addition of 黄金の流星と共に、一匹の獣を狭間に送り

Great Runes - elements of which the Elden Ring is composed - it is それが、エルデンリングになったという

possible to modify the "law" (from the Japanese 律 ritsu, "law", "rule"),
which we will refer to as It is not clear how this metamorphosis occurred, but we can imagine
"Order", and the nature that a similar process happened to what we see with other Tarnished
that depends on it. ones like Goldmask [3], Dung Eater [4], and Fia [5]: upon their death, they
give rise to their own Mending Rune.

The Elden Beast shown in

the Elden Remembrance
[1]

[3] Mending Rune of the [4] Mending Rune of the [5] Mending Rune of the
Perfect Order Fell Curse Death-Prince
 3 4

It could be thought, therefore, that the Elden Beast reincarnated into But how can we be so sure that the Elden Ring is the foundation of life
the Elden Ring after its “death”, and that the creature we face at the end itself? Isn't it simply something that the Greater Will sent to the Lands
of the game is nothing more than the manifestation of its beastly form Between to "mark its territory"?
(since the Elden Ring literally springs from Radagon's body at the
In the early days of the community, the theory was very popular that the
beginning of the Second Phase of the final boss fight), somewhat similar
Elden Ring was a parasite sent by the Greater Will to colonize the Lands
to what happens in Dark Souls III, when the personification of the First Between. The theory became so popular that many fans now took it as
Flame, Soul of Cinder, attempts to defend its integrity like an harmed confirmed, almost as a matter of fact. This theory, actually, at a cursory
animal, only to be "tamed" by the player who is free to make of the glance may also seem quite credible, considering that Elden Ring often
world's order what they will. We will indeed be able to trace several deals with cosmic elements and space creatures and therefore one can
similarities between the two narrative universes of which Hidetaka really come to think of the title as a sort of video game set in a medieval
Myazaki is the mastermind in (almost, excluding DS II) every aspect, context with sci-fi elements (such as a "star war" between higher beings
both among intellectual properties and among the different authorial in the "void" stated in the previous description). Even the term used to
touches that he leaves in his works. However, we will discuss about the refer to some divine forces in play, the "Outer Gods" (of which we will
details of this interpretation later on, specifically in the "Radagon of the talk later), immediately recalls the concept of Lovecraftian deities (in
Golden Order" Chapter. Japanese too) and reinforces the idea that the game is to be understood
as a genre that blends fantasy and science fiction.
However, the more one delves into the descriptions and narrative
aesthetics, the more one can understand how the theory not only
cannot be confirmed but also appears fallacious when compared to the
objective information that the game itself offers. Specifically, there are
various in-game proofs that underline the importance of the Elden Ring
in the Lands Between not as a tool of control, but as the foundation of
everything.
First of all, there is the Shattering: both the Two Fingers and Melina
speak of the need to have an Elden Lord who can put things back in
order, just because life in the Lands Between has literally gone to ruin.
If Elden Ring had simply been a mere tool of the Greater Will, its
shattering would not have represented such a terrible event for
everyone. In fact, at the time of our arrival, people do not die naturally
and, with the breakdown of the system, there is no longer a stable
natural law.
 5 6

Furthermore, the information that Ranni's quest provides should also There is also another clear proof of the Elden Ring's importance in the
be taken into consideration: while she explains to us the plans she has functioning of the Lands Between: if it were not the fulcrum of natural
for the world that will come when we become Elden Lord and her order, then the act of removing the Rune of Death from within it should
consort (the "Age of Stars" ending), the Moon Princess [6] states: not have had such impactful consequences. And yet, under the Golden
Order, death does not exist and is not contemplated as a natural
"I wanted to talk a little more about my rule. My rule is not
process (except in the form of "return to the tree"). And this, let us
golden. It's a rule of stars, moon, and cold nights ...I want to keep it far
repeat, is because the Destined Death was removed from the Elden
away from this land... Even if life and soul coexist with the rule, it would
Ring. Some might argue that the influence that the Elden Ring reserves
be better if it was far away. [...] That's why I abandon this land with my
on the Lands Between could have been established only after this
rule."
hypothetical "parasite" arrived on the earth, but even this claim has no
We believe it is not necessary to remind you that Ranni is the figure who validity, because the game shows us that the Elden Ring existed in the
opposes the control exercised by the emissary Fingers of the Greater Lands Between since the era of the Ancient Dragons, well before
Will the most, and yet she does not speak of further destroying the Marika and the Erdtree, when Placidusax was Elden Lord. So no,
Elden Ring: instead, she decides to take it with her ("my rule" means Placidusax was not a "sort of" Elden Lord but he was factually and
objectively one.
"her version of the Order", her version of the Elden Ring) and move
away from the Lands Between, solely because it is not possible to sever In short, all the evidence collected leads us to the conclusion that the
the bond between the first rune and the life it has generated. Indeed, Elden Ring is not an alien force, but the fulcrum of the entire Lands
those who obtained the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending were able to see Between and the origin of almost every civilization or creature that
with their own eyes what happened when we decided to just burn resides here. If you want more evidence, there are the well-known
everything... Clearly, it is not possible to separate life from the Elden dialogues of Hyetta and the very first trailer, which illustrates the role of
Ring. the Elden Ring very well with phrases like "that which commanded the
stars and gave life its fullest brilliance" (in Japanese, "that which
regulates the flowing stars and sonorously (?) illuminates the flame of
life") or “Take their torment, despair. Their affliction. Every sin, every
curse. And melt it all away. As the Lord of Chaos. No more fractures...
no more birth...”.
もう少し、話しておこうと思ってな

私の律について

私の律は、黄金ではない。星と月、冷たい夜の律だ

…私はそれを、この地から遠ざけたいのだ

生命と魂が、律と共にあるとしても、それは遥かに遠くにあればよい

[...] だから私は、律と共に、この地を棄てる
[6]
 7 8

THE RUNES it is evident that the Runes are the "souls" of this game and, after what
we just discussed, we could even say that souls are to runes as the First
The Runes are the embodiment of Grace that flows through the Flame is to the Elden Ring.
Lands Between and resides in the eyes of its inhabitants.
But there are also differences, of course. The first difference lies in the
The Runes share many similarities with the souls in Dark Souls: just like mere aesthetic aspect: if the souls were associated with the figure of
these, they represent the core of the laws of life and the basis of the fire, the Runes are instead linked to the concept of gold and, above all,
universe itself. Specifically, they embody the power of life, which can of a sprout. Often, in fact, the Runes are capable of producing branches,
be used to enhance our attributes. This last feature is fundamental for plants, or leaves, and within the world of Elden Ring this phenomenon
us as Tarnished but it also demonstrates why we, as such, are different demonstrates that: "The Runes still hold the power of life within them",
from the inhabitants who reside in the Lands Between and why Runes as mentioned in the description of the Golden Rune (3) [7].
are so special there. Having a Golden Rune within oneself means being
blessed by Grace (which is the life at “its fullest brilliance”) and, [7] ルーンは今でも、生命の力を宿している
consequently, it also means having qualities superior to those of a
common human being. This explains why most of the inhabitants of the
Lands Between are taller than us. In fact, returning to the similarities
with the souls in Dark Souls, just as the most powerful souls can make
you stronger, a higher-level Rune means having within oneself a higher
concentration of Grace, and therefore more “strength” and “vitality”
(not in-game but lore-wise). We will have the opportunity to explain it
better in the next paragraphs, but this implies that Runes, Grace, and
"life" are concepts strongly linked together. However, the comparisons
with the souls in Dark Souls are not done, because Runes can also
manifest qualities related to their owner, as demonstrated by the Great
Runes of the Demigods (although, unlike the Souls series, Great Runes
in this game don't undergo significant changes in shape from one to
another, this is because they are not innate and personal to the
Shardbearer as the soul is in Dark Souls’ characters: during the
Shattering, Demigods took possession of one Great Rune each and
battled each other to conquer the others'; however, Great Runes can
still be influenced and may present mutations) or the Mending Runes.
But a Rune can also maintain a dominant principle even without an
owner, if strong enough, such as the Rune of Death (a bit like the Lord
Souls and, specifically, the Dark Soul). We are repeating it endlessly, but
 9 10

As Miyazaki said in an interview with Edge Magazine, the figure of the Therefore, the Runes manifest plants and roots, spreading life and all
plant (more specifically of the tree) was, according to him, perfect to the aspects that derive from it. This phenomenon also occurs in the case
indicate a natural law that applies to everything, namely the process of where a Rune is linked to one of these specific aspects of life: this is the
birth, growth, and death: case of the Deathroots (the responsibles for Those Who Live in Death),
which are nothing but ramifications of the fragment of the Rune of
"In Dark Souls, the tree motif was present, but fire was the most
Death, spread through the roots of the Erdtree when Godwyn the
distinctive visual element of that game. And for Elden Ring, the tree is
Golden was buried under it.
obviously more apparent in that respect – the Erdtree. [...] this tree with
golden glowing leaves is something that fits my ideal for something The second difference, on the other hand, is that, if in Dark Souls souls
that represents the world physically. [...] And the tree really fits the bill are fundamental to keep a body alive - so much so that, if removed, one
nicely for that because the tree is something that’s alive, it’s something dies permanently - the Runes do not.
that grew, it’s something that will eventually wither and die. And this
We have several examples of "Graceless" beings who, despite the
really fits the role of something that can then bestow this order, control
absence of Runes, live peacefully like anyone else: among these, there
these rules and enforce these rules on the world. Because these too are
are the Albinaurics, the Omens and, above all, the Tarnished. Therefore,
things that will grow and will change and will wither and die as well."
the Runes seem to be actually a kind of "plus", not dissimilar to what
[Hidetaka Myazaki, Edge Magazine (#367; page 60)] souls were in Demon's Souls: in the title of the distant 2009, in fact, the
souls were not guarantees of life, but of thought and, if removed, one
did not lose life, but the ability to think, and one became a wandering
zombie at the service of demons. It can therefore be imagined that the
Runes perform a similar function, although they are not linked to the
concept of thought: they could be the manifestation of life in its purest
and most crystalline form, almost like a kind of "code" that every living
being possesses at its core, from animals to people. In the end it could
be said - but this is speculation - that the Runes not only are the power
of life in itself, but also what guarantees a living being the potential for
evolution, perhaps making it stronger, more vigorous, and predisposed
to improvement.
In short, Runes are what makes it possible for the Elden Ring to give
life its "fullest brilliance".
 11 12

THE GRACE It is never explicitly stated in the descriptions, but we can deduce that
the one who becomes the deity of the Lands Between - that is, who
Grace is the blessing of life that was brought into the Lands inherits the Elden Ring - also exercises control over Grace. After all, it
Between in ancient times when the Elden Ring developed with the fall was Queen Marika who took it away from us (making us Tarnished), so
of the golden meteor. logically we can assume that she was always the one to give it back to
us as she had promised, judging by what her echoes tell us.
As previously mentioned, Runes, Grace, and life are intertwined
concepts: in the world of Elden Ring, life finds its maximum expression
in the so-called Grace, a golden energy that, regardless of the form it
O locus ille,
takes, guarantees life at its peak. Not by chance in the original version
Grace is called 祝福 shukufuku, which means "blessing" or "celebration Beatus quondam nunc deminuit
of joy" and it is also no coincidence that Melina tells us that the golden
Nos destinatae matribus,
glow that guides us in our adventure is "the blessing of the Golden
Tree" both in Japanese and in the English adaptation. Let’s say it one Nunc fiunt turpes.
more time: Runes, Grace, and life are intertwined.
Ploravimus lacrimavimusque,
Although after the Shattering of the Elden Ring it seems to have spread
Sed nemo nos consolatur.
widely thanks to the sprouting of the Erdtree, Grace resides in almost
all inhabitants of the Lands Between, even those who theoretically Aureum cui irascebaris?
seem to be in opposition to the Greater Will, such as the Nox - as
evidenced by the fact that every mob, if killed, drops runes to be used
as an enhancement or trading commodity, and by the fact that even the Alas, that land, once blessed, now has diminished.
scales of the Ancient Dragons, creatures predating the Order of Marika,
were covered in gold. We, [betrothed] destined to be mothers, now become tarnished.

In addition to taking the form of runes, Grace can manifest itself in other We have lamented and we have shed tears but no one consoles us.
shapes, including the "drops of the Erdtree’s sap" (quote from the Golden One, at whom you were angry?
Blessed Dew Talisman) and the beam of golden light that guides us on
our journey, as well as brings us back to life at the beginning of the
game. Note also how, within the beams of golden light, there are small
golden leaves dancing in the air, further evidence of how the Grace of
the Lands Between and its life-giving power are linked to the figure of
plants and leaves.
 13 14

Although information about their land of origin is almost non-existing,

CHAPTER II: the Japanese culture offers some more context: the term used for
"otherworldly people" mentioned in the brief presentation is indicated
THE TRUE GODS OF THE by the term 異界の民 ikai no tami, which is used in Japanese to describe
WORLD people who are said to be from another world or dimension. These
characters often have unique appearances or abilities that set them
apart from the other characters in the story. In fact, the concept of
異界の民 ikai no tami is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, with various
MARIKA’S ORIGINS legends and stories featuring these otherworldly beings: these stories
often explore themes of the supernatural, mystery, and the unknown,
Marika, the Goddess of this world, belongs to a particular type of men,
and serve as a way to help people understand and cope with the
the Numen. In Japanese, they are referred to as 稀人, which can be read
mysteries of the world around them.
in two ways: marebito, meaning "rare person", "exceptional individual";
and miren, which means "genius" or "prodigy". Of the two terms,
marebito seems more correct as it is likely used to refer to legendary or [8] 異界の民の末裔とされる、稀人の外見
exceptional individuals who come from a different land or culture. It
皆長命であるが、産まれる者はごく少ない
may be used to convey a sense of awe or mystique around these
individuals, and suggest that they possess rare or extraordinary Furthermore, the original term used to
qualities that set them apart from others. Although, while marebito describe them in the same menu is 稀人顔
could still be used to describe an entire race of people, it is more kiribito-gao, a specific Japanese term used to
commonly used to refer to individual exceptional people rather than an describe a distinctive facial appearance that is
entire group. If one wants to refer to a specific race of people, there are thought to be characteristic of the kiribito, a
other more appropriate words in Japanese such as 民族 minzoku or legendary race of people who are said to be the
レース rēsu, both more commonly used. This could imply that the descendants of those from another world, and
Numen don’t belong to a proper "race", but rather they are casually so the theory of them being a proper group of
born from commoners who happens to have some specific people with the same characteristics is confirmed. Moreover, the facial
prerequisites. In any case, the description of this specific Origin in the features associated with 稀人顔 kiribito-gao typically include a high nose
Base Template [8] menu reads: bridge, deep-set eyes, and prominent cheekbones; some people even
"They are said to be descendants of otherworldly people, the believe that individuals with these features may be descended directly
appearance of the rare individuals - all of whom have long lives - but the from the kiribito or have some kind of connection to them.
number of those born is very small".
 15 16

The Numen preset in the character creation menu shows us exactly this THE HOLY MISSION
aesthetic, creating an undeniable and indissoluble bond between the
game world and this specific Japanese folklore. Why doesn't Marika The Two Fingers are the emissaries and prophets of the Greater
have these physical traits? Well, the probable answer might disappoint Will. As the Two Fingers Heirloom Talisman [9A] states in the Japanese
someone after all this excursion into Japanese culture, but it's probably version of the game:
due to the Japanese obsession with always portraying the female "The fingers have no voice, yet they are eloquent. The fingers
gender as beautiful even when it shouldn't be: it's their recognized kink. writhe persistently, spelling out mysteries in the sky", which means that
For example, the First-Generation Albinaurics are unrecognizable from the words of the God need to be further interpreted by the Finger
one gender to the other, where the men are curved, old, skinny, dressed Readers, old women in charge of translating the "words of faith" to the
in rags and almost completely unable to defend themselves, while the commoners. So, the Two Fingers more than anyone else should know
women are young, beautiful, lethal archers, and dressed to the nines the direct will of the, precisely, Greater Will. But no. They believe that
with shining armor: on one hand, you feel sorry for the males, on the was the Greater Will who gave us back Grace, but as we progress
through the game, we discover that the "Outer" God is now out of the
other hand, you don't know whether to be frightened or excited by the
picture, in the sense that, as the introduction itself tells us, it has
females (just kidding, of course).
abandoned the Lands Between and its inhabitants, leaving everything
Getting back to the serious side, the only testimonies of creatures and everyone.
coming from outside the game world of Elden Ring are the Meteoric
Beasts, the Alabaster/Onyx Lords, and (the) Astel(s), all of which we will
discuss later on. Thinking that the Numen are related to them makes
one scrunch their nose a bit, although if you think about it, the Lords
[9A] 指は声を持たず、だが雄弁であった
have a humanoid appearance (that also has a hint of elven) and the
meteoric creatures (whether you believe in the Astel species and the 指は執拗に蠢き、空に神秘を綴った

"space insects" theory or not) show a skull that resembles a human one.
The question about their true characteristics arises spontaneously, and
it's something we can only speculate about.
The idea that our mission is blessed and desired by the Greater Will is a
conviction matured by the old Two Fingers of the Round Table, who
think that the divine entity is still observing and protecting the world.
However, the moment we reach the Erdtree and it denies us access, the
Fingers are shocked and try to get in touch with the Will itself to get
explanations. The fact that they will not receive an answer makes the
total absence of the Greater Will during recent events quite obvious.
 17 18

Even Gideon Ofnir, according to the description of Lord's Divine MARIKA’S PLAN
Fortification [10],
So, if Grace is guided by the Queen itself, then what are her
"After a long conversation with his two fingers, Gideon realized
purposes? This is indeed a very good question.
that everything had already been broken a long time ago, even the
trembling, aging Fingers and the Golden Tree", and that there is nothing Unfortunately, we cannot offer a certain answer since what we know
sacred in our mission: in the end, we are only trying to save what can about Marika the Eternal are only scattered fragments of information
be saved, in a world adrift. here and there among the descriptions and official sites. Some believe
that our actions are part of some plan imagined by Marika herself, and
thinking so is not entirely wrong. After all, if Grace has called us back, it
means that the goddess wants us to return to the Lands Between.
Not to mention that, judging from the echoes that Melina perceives
二本指との長き対話の後、ギデオンは悟った inside the "Queen's Bedroom" Site of Grace, Marika sounds quite
すべて、とうの昔に壊れていたのだ resolute in her choice to break the Elden Ring. Let's not forget about
老いさらばえた震える指も、黄金樹も
[10] the blacksmith Hewg, forced by the Queen herself to forge a weapon
that, according to her will, should have been able to kill a god like her.
With this information, it is quite likely that she had some kind of project
Unfortunately, the game does not confirm whether the Greater Will in mind.
can actually control Grace or not, but what we know with absolute However, we must not take for granted the idea that the queen was
certainty is that the divine entity has now gone and, therefore, is to lucid in her actions.
be excluded from any post- Shattering speculations. However, we
In the Story Trailer, Ranni tells us that, following the Night of the Black
know of another entity that seems to be capable of controlling Grace: Knives, Marika "was driven to the brink". In Japanese, Ranni goes even
none other than Queen Marika, who, despite being reduced to a further, stating [11]:
broken shell, is still the ruling deity. It's no coincidence that in some
Grace sites, we Tarnished can perceive some of her echoes and "When the Rune of Death was stolen and Godwyn the Golden
understand them thanks to Melina. became the first demigod to die... Queen Marika must have gone mad".
This sentence also puts an end to the theory that Marika herself could
It is very likely, if not certain, that the Grace guiding us back to the have sent the Black Knives, just because they and the Queen are both
Lands Between "beyond the sea of fog" is precisely an emanation of Numen (稀人 marebito, "rare individuals") and were close to the Queen
the Queen's will. herself.
Therefore, we cannot exclude the possibility that her actions were
dictated by simple madness. Judging from her echoes, Queen Marika
 19 20

seems to be a very fierce and ruthless figure in protecting her If we also assume the theory that the Gloam-Eyed Queen was one of her
interests, between power and family. It is therefore not absurd to Demigod children, as the Black Flame Ritual Incantation [12] suggest us
think that the psychological weight and sense of failure in seeing her saying, quote:
own son die, together with other Demigods belonging to her family, "She led the apostles, the Queen of the Night. It is said that she
and the total collapse of the system established by the Erdtree with was a chosen divine being" (where "divine being" in Japanese is 神人
the subsequent appearance of the Deathroots, must have driven her shinjin, that in the English adaptation is translated with "Empyrean"),
to madness. then Godwyn would not be the first of her offspring to be buried by
Marika (although we cannot be 100% certain of the death of the
Godskin’s Queen, we believe that being defeated by Maliketh at full
power does not leave much room for the possibility of her survival.
However, we will discuss her in more detail later on).
Anyways, we should not underestimate the weight of being a goddess,
which undoubtedly confers immense power but leaves you with a
burden that you will have to carry forever on your shoulders: possible
empires that will try to usurp the throne, betrayals, internal struggles...
perhaps even removing the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring could
have played a role in damaging her psyche, since as long as she has it in
her body, the Elden Ring and the vessel goddess are the same thing, so
a modification to the first influences the second. It's no coincidence
that, in the introduction, Marika is shown with (subtle) cracks on her
arm and shoulders.

[11] 死のルーンが盗まれ 黄金のゴッドウィンが デミゴッド最初の死者となったとき …女王マリカ

は、狂ったのだろう
 21 22

And indeed, she gains nothing from her actions since, apparently, even THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARIKA
by fixing it together with the Elden Ring, the Queen remains a stone
corpse; she does not benefit from the new Order we have created but AND THE GRATER WILL
remains a partially destroyed empty shell.
This is a delicate point that could be misunderstood. Many still
In short, our guide could be only what remains of the last wills of a mad think today that Marika wanted to challenge the Greater Will, but is
queen. that true? Not necessarily. This is also one of the earliest theories that
spread during the first days of the release, but, just like the idea that
Perhaps this is why many, including Roderika, refer to Marika as the one Grace is the guide of the Greater Will, this theory contradicts what the
who cursed us: because, in this case, we would find ourselves in this game itself shows us.
desperate situation due to the imbalances of a mad goddess who, when
things were no longer going according to her plans, decided to break the Although there is evidence that gods and Empyreans must fit into some
system that she herself created. Perhaps it is for this reason that sort of system regulated by the Fingers (and therefore transitively
Gideon, when he saw the "queen's last will", was frightened and saw in controlled by the Greater Will) the game never shows us an act of
it "an unacceptable end". coercion towards Marika or other Empyreans. Queen Marika makes
choices that are deliberately hers, from declaring war on anything that
A goddess who is "no better than men", both executioner and victim, breathes to removing the Destined Death from the Lands Between;
who sacrificed herself for herself, cursing the entire world. from sending her first husband out of the Lands Between to taking
Radagon as her second consort: all choices that Marika made on her
own.
Marika's freedom reaches such a level that the goddess even broke the
Elden Ring without even fearing that someone would stop her (but
rather being punished only after the fact). At first glance, these do not
seem like the actions of a prisoner of her role, rather it seems that, as
long as there is an established Order in the Lands Between, the Greater
Will leaves enough freedom of government to the god in charge.
Some believe that the Greater Will is in conflict with the Outer Gods for
control of the Lands Between, but here too, we must remember a crucial
detail for understanding the divine dynamics of this work: among the
Empyreans, there is a candidate for the title of goddess, Malenia, who
has the Scarlet Rot in her body, an Outer God that is in absolute contrast
[12] 使徒たちを率いた、宵眼の女王 to the Golden Order desired by the goddess "in charge" by the Greater
彼女は、指に選ばれた神人であったという
Will, yet it does not flinch.
 23 24

We know that one becomes an Empyrean when chosen by their It can be imagined that the same thing would probably have happened
respective Two Fingers, which is like saying that the Will itself, through to Ranni if she had tried to kill her Fingers before the Shattering. It
its emissaries on earth, confirmed Malenia among the candidates. therefore seems that the Greater Will only intervenes (or rather,
intervened, since it has now abandoned the Lands Between) when its
In short, it seems that the Greater Will is not as tyrannical as it is
emissaries are in danger of "life". But apart from this specific case, it
depicted.
does not seem to interfere in the choices of the god in charge, as long
The only cases where we see the Will react angrily to someone's actions as there is an active Order that keeps things in order.
is towards the Nox, whose "high treason" (大逆 taigyaku, quote from the
Therefore, it is clear as the sunlight that the Greater Will has abandoned
Japanese description of the Fingerslayer Blade [13]) was the attempt to the Lands Between, but when? and above all, why? Unfortunately, we
kill their Two Fingers, the same thing that Ranni is trying to do (and
are not given a way to know with certainty, but it could be
even in that case it is called "high treason"), and towards Marika,
hypothesized that, given that the last time we know it "clocked in" was
punishing her only after having shattered the Elden Ring but we have no
evidence to show that their relationship did not go smoothly until when it crucified Markia [14] (assuming it wasn't the Elden Ring - and
then. therefore the Elden Beast - itself inside her who did it) just after she
shattered the Ring, the Greater Will may have left precisely because of
the reckless act of the Queen and immediately after this.

[14] Marika crucified inside the Erdtree

The Fingerslayer Blade [13]

 25 26

The Long March led the Tarnished to expand into the outer lands,
CHAPTER III: forming countries and societies such as the Badlands (in Japanese "land
of the barbarians"), Kayden (the mercenaries we encounter in the Lands
THE PLAYABLE CHARACTER Between are either descendants of the first ones who arrived in these
lands to fight for the local lords and/or the Demigods, or they have been
here for so long that they received the Grace’s blessing before our
arrival. In both cases, this would explain their sizes and the fact that
THE TARNISHED they drop runes upon death), the Land of Reeds (the Japanese uses the
kanji 隻狼, the same as Ashina in "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice", which is
A Tarnished, in Japanese called 褪せ人 asebito (which means
interesting), etc.
"faded"), is an inhabitant of the world outside the Lands Between and
a person in whom no Grace resides. Unlike Dark Souls, very little is actually known about the outside world,
but thanks to the Confessor Set [15] (密使 misshi, "spy", "assassin") we
The Tarnished were born when Queen Marika removed the Grace from
know that a Church dedicated to spreading the teachings of the Two
her first consort, Godfrey, and the warriors who fought alongside him
Fingers has been established there (and that it drives away the
during the conquest campaigns: when their last enemy fell and the
Prophets when they speak of a certain fire that will one day burn the
Lands Between fell entirely under the authority of the Golden Order,
Erdtree). We can therefore say that the purpose of the Long March, all
the king and his men found themselves without Grace and the Queen
in all, was achieved.
commanded them to leave the Lands Between and reach a distant land,
to "seek conflict, to live and then die". That is how they became the first
Tarnished in history and, with Marika's promise that one day they would
regain their "long lost Grace" and the possibility of returning to the
Lands Between, they set sail for the outer lands and began what
descriptions define as the Long March. If the reason for this exile is not
explicitly stated in the adaptation, the Japanese text comes to our aid:
in fact, the Long March in the original is called 長生 chousei, a term that
can be translated as "long military expedition" or "great military [15] Confessor’s starting Set
expedition".
Therefore, although it is never explicitly stated, the purpose of the Long
March was most likely to conquer the outer lands and expand the
Golden Order's dominion beyond the Lands Between.
 27 28

For obvious reasons, every Tarnished descends from the first Elden THE WITHDRAWAL AND THE RETURN
Lord and his army, so much so that the description of the "Warrior"
Origin (in the Character Creation Menu) explicitly tells us that "[...] they OF GRACE
were all warriors once". But in "recent" times, the Tarnished are also
Astrologers, Sailors, Nobles, etc. As of now, the outside of the Lands As for everything related to Marika and her plans, unfortunately,
Between is, in every way, inhabited and populated. we do not have certainties regarding the motivations that led Marika to
remove the Grace from Godfrey and his soldiers, but if we want to
After the Shattering, Grace returned to the Tarnished, giving them a hazard theories, we can think that the main reason why Grace was taken
specific mission: to stand before the Elden Ring (and so to repair it) and from them was for fear that it would somehow be stolen by their foes.
become the Elden Lord. Like the Chosen Undead in Dark Souls, guided In short, Marika wanted to avoid the Grace falling into enemy hands.
by a prophecy towards "their destiny", the Tarnished reach the Lands
Between to claim the throne, inevitably having to challenge the Among the starting gifts we can select in the Character Creation Menu,
Demigods who currently possess the major fragments of the Elden Ring, the so-called "Keepsakes" (形見 katami, "memento" or "souvenir") give
as well as being hated and despised in the Lands Between, seen as us the opportunity to choose the Lands Between Rune, which not only
inferior and persecuted in the worst ways. Why are we considered as provides us with an important description to understand the nature of
such? Well, as we have mentioned before, those who are Graceless (or the Tarnished, but also subtly emphasizes that runes are physical and
who have always been so until then) have always been persecuted: tangible objects that can be carried around (although, in our case, they
even the Omens and the Albinaurics have now obtained Grace, yet the do not reside in our bodies because we are Tarnished).
formers are still confined in the sewers of Leyndell, and the latter are This demonstrates that Grace can exist outside of the Lands Between,
massacred and enslaved even during the events of the game. and if we consider the fact that we find a lot of Golden Runes on corpses
and uncovered tombs, it may even emanate from the bodies of the
dead. With a similar phenomenon, who's to say that Grace wouldn't
have spread to the external lands, absorbed by soldiers, animals, and
other creatures? Queen Marika already has enough to manage in her
empire and certainly does not need a "second Lands Between" to add to
her list of problems: Grace belongs to her and her alone (keep in mind
that this is pure speculation). Or there may be another answer, but we
will discuss about that when we will end up talking about Radagon of
the Golden Order.
So, why do we have a Lands Between Rune among the Keepsakes? Does
this not contradict what was just said? Not necessarily: it is possible that
the Lands Between Rune is an excess of Grace that we acquired when
 29 30

it gave us life again. In gameplay, it manifests as a consumable, but Lore- In the Cinematic Intro, a statue of Marika is shown inside the catacombs
wise we can assume that it is already within our body. where some Tarnished were buried; moreover, among the Keepsakes in
the Character Creation Menu, we can select objects and items that date
Alternatively, it is indeed a remnant of Grace that we, as Tarnished
back to the period after the exile of the Tarnished, such as the
protagonists, obtained outside of the Lands Between. In the original
Bewitching Branch or the Golden Seed; Goldmask and D themself are
descriptions of the Sacred Tear [16], it is explained that they are, quote:
Golden Order fundamentalists, a doctrine that arose only after the exile
"The Blessing of the Golden Tree, enshrined in churches of Godfrey and his fellows. All of this demonstrates that there have been
throughout the various places. Only its scant remnants remain. During commercial and cultural exchanges between the Lands Between and
the era of the Golden Tree, spreading the faith was its essence. Once, the external lands over time.
there was undoubtedly a genuine blessing to be found there". Taken as
Therefore, it is not excluded that some of these items have ended up in
such, we can assume that the description refers to the churches "of the
the external world through some kind of trade or by pure chance (like
various places" within the Lands Between (as we see during gameplay),
the Golden Seeds [18] mentioned earlier that, according to the
but the description never mentions the island itself: who's to say that
description, "When the Elden Ring was shattered, these seeds flew from
"of all lands" does not also refer to the external world? It may seem like
the Erdtree, scattering across the various lands" and, as stated in the
a trivial reasoning but it is important for the purposes of the discussion.
small description of the Keepsakes, "washed ashore from the Lands
Furthermore, since between").
there is evidence of
[16] 各地の教会に祀られた、黄金樹の恵み Alternatively, our discussion may simply be of no value: as far as we
the existence of
know, we may have obtained them upon our arrival in the Lands
その僅かに残った残滓 "churches outside
Between (even though they are called "Keepsakes", which suggests that
黄金樹の時代、布教はその要であり the Lands Between,
we already had them with us, at least since the moment of our death).
かつては、そこに確かな恵みがあった dedicated to the
teachings of the
Two Fingers" (as
described in the Confessor's Set), who's to say that these cups [17] The Flasks of Tears
containing Grace were not the metaphorical Bible of some kind of
"missionaries", brought to the "savage" inhabitants of the external
lands to show them how beautiful, good, and generous the Golden
Order was? Moreover, in Japanese, the name given to the Flasks of
Tears [17] and the Sacred Tears themselves is "Holy Grail" (from 聖杯瓶,
"Holy Grail bottle" or "Chalice bottle"; and 聖杯の雫, "Drops of the Holy
Grail").
Golden Seed [18]
 31 32

THE SETTING CHAPTER IV:

The Lands Between are - making yet another comparison to Dark
Souls (since Miyazaki likes to repeat some concepts) - the Lordran of THE GOLDEN TREE
Elden Ring, a legendary place where the first ancient civilizations reside
and where the inhabitants are blessed by the Grace of the Erdtree (and
therefore of the Elden Ring). A sort of Eden on earth, at least for those
who are blessed. It seems to be separated from the rest of the world by THE ERDTREE
a "sea of fog" that surrounds the island and probably makes it difficult
to find for anyone trying to reach it - and this, we note, could make the The Erdtree (黄金樹 ougonju, "golden tree") is a gigantic golden
call of the chosen Tarnished Ones appear "divine" in the eyes of the tree, sprouted from the Elden Ring itself.
population of the outside world, since they would be seen as the chosen As explained in the previously, Runes possess the power of life, which
ones who have the possibility of reaching the magical and legendary manifests mainly in the form of plants, leaves, and roots, and the Elden
Lands Between, land of the Goddess and her Demigods children. Ring, which is the Rune above all others, clearly produces plants and
To close the topic, we would like to leave you with a gem from the flowers of superior size and power. Therefore, instead of sprouting
original text regarding the Lands Between: in Japanese, it is called "normal" golden plants, the Elden Ring manifested an entire golden
狭間の地 hazama no ji, which roughly translates to "land in the middle" tree.
or "land between things", hence the term "Lands Between." However, Unfortunately, we do not know when the Erdtree was born, but we
狭間 hazama can be literally translated as "Interstice," and this know that at the dawn of time, in the age when the Ancient Dragons
represents a sharp reference to the Interstice of Berserk (狭間の世界 ruled the world and Deathbirds tended to the dead, it did not yet exist,
hazama no sekai), which is the dimension that lies between the astral so it is something that the Elden Ring produced only later. The Erdtree,
plane and the physical world. If we want to indulge in wild speculation, as a probable spontaneous creation of the Elden Ring, produces and
we can theorize that the "Interstice" of Elden Ring is called that because releases Grace in two ways: through the rays of light emitted from its
it is the point where the cosmic world and the concrete world meet, branches (which heat everything as if it were the sun) or through its
since many meteorites and star creatures fall there. blessed resin; the latter in particular played a central role in
establishing the success of Queen Marika's reign, because it was thanks
to these drops of Grace that the goddess brought her and Godfrey’s clan
to ascend to the title of Goddess and Demigod (yes, it is finally
confirmed and 100% certain: Godfrey was, along with his offspring, the
first of the Demigods. Here is on quote the description from Godrick’s
Great Rune [19]: "The King of Elde [Elden Lord], Godfrey, and his
descendants, the Golden Clan, were the first Demigods"), as well as to
spread the consensus and support of the common people.
 33 34

It is never explicitly stated, but various clans and groups vied for control Grace’s Blessing flowed copiously for the well-being of the Golden Clan
of the Erdtree (as the various names of the various catacombs of Altus, and their subjects while it lasted. It also appears that the inhabitants of
such as Auriza and Windham, suggest), and among these, the clan of Altus are "special" compared to others because they have a higher
Marika and Godfrey prevailed, conquering the Altus Plateau and the concentration of Grace than the inhabitants of farther regions (which
Erdtree that grew lush there: after all, "At the beginning, all were could be the reason for so much contempt and a sense of superiority
enemies of the Golden Tree. Through countless battles and victories, it towards creatures that have not been directly blessed by the Grace of
the Erdtree).
became the law" (from the Japanese description of the Protection of the
Erdtree Incatation [20]); proof of these conflicts lies in the giant tombs
located near the Hermit Merchant’s Schack and the Outer Wall
[19] エルデの王、ゴッドフレイとその子孫たち
Battleground Sites of Grace in the Capital Outskirts, identical to the one
located inside Castle Morne: these tombs probably belong to the clan 黄金の一族は、最初のデミゴッドであったのだ

of the one who attempted to take revenge on Godfrey (This is

suggested by the Japanese descriptions of the Grafted Blade
Greatsword and the Sword Monumet outside the castle. "This is [...] a
great sword of revenge that bears countless sorrows and angers[...]
Once upon a time, the hero of a fallen country, who had survived alone,
gathered all the swords of the warriors of his clan and continued to
fight"; "[...] The hero of revenge fights alone / and is defeated by King
Godfrey"). Additionally, there are mentions of the ruins of Wyndham, そのはじまりにおいて、黄金樹の敵は全てだった
the likely name of another clan or people subjugated to Godfrey's rule.
数知れぬ戦いと勝利によって、それは律となったのだ
[20]
Moreover, the fact that Serosh went from being called the "King of
Beasts" to the "Regent Beast" may imply that Godfrey defeated him in
battle and enslaved him to his rule too. After all, beasts follow
champions and rulers. In short, as stated in the Japanese description of
the Elden Lord Set [21]:
"The beginning of the Golden Tree was intertwined (?) with war,
and Godfrey was the king of the battlefield".
Considering how the inhabitants of the Altus Plateau still feel special [21] 黄金樹の始まりは、戦と共にあり
today as "born at the foot of the Erdtree", we can assume that the early
ゴッドフレイは戦場の王であった
periods of the tree's life were characterized by more abundant Grace
than the subsequent periods, or rather "for a fleeting moment". So, the
 35 36

This period of maximum fertility, often referred to as the "age of "[...] Is it not trivial, such as the issue of Radagon? The Golden
plenty," unfortunately did not last long and ended soon after the Tree and the Golden Rule [Golden Order] are right before us. What could
establishment of the Golden Order, as we previously said. Specifically, we possibly be uncertain about? Oh, what could we possibly be uncertain
given that all the Erdtree Incantations (note how in Japanese they are about!"). Furthermore, it is not clear whether it could still produce
named as 古い黄金樹の祈祷 "Prayer of the ancient golden tree") that Grace, even in small quantities, or whether it had stopped producing it
describe and exploit the healing and vital power of Grace show the seal altogether.
of the Crucible [22], we can comfortably say that this era of fertility
ended when the Crucible became the current Erdtree.

The Blessed Dew Talisman

[23]

[22] An example of the Crucible Seal on the

Blessing Boon Incantation

It can also be theorized that, to address this lack, the Golden Order used
the burial beneath the Golden Tree as a method of sustenance for the
tree itself. In fact, the dead are buried in catacombs built near the roots
of the tree so that it can absorb the corpses and, above all, suck their
Grace. So, the dead serve as fertilizer for the Erdtree, so that it can
continue to produce its precious blessed sap, albeit in smaller
quantities than before, always well-nourished (and kept in stasis thanks
to the seal of the Destined Death). But this is only a theory, as it is often
emphasized in the Japanese description of the Blessed Dew Talisman[23], [24] [...] ラダゴンなど、些末なことではありませんか
which states: "[...] it is said that the drops of divine blessings were
黄金樹は、黄金律は、我らの目前にあるのです
endless during an era of abundance. However, that was only a brief
何を迷うことがあるでしょうか
period, as the golden tree transformed into a symbol of faith". Brother
Corhyn [24] confirms this in one of his dialogues in Leyndell in the おお、何を迷うことが！

Japanese version of the game (when Goldmask ignores the Erdtree in

order to concentrate on Radagon’s Secret:
 37 38

THE ROLE OF THE ERDTREE IN BIRTHS Furthermore, the fascinating method of communion between Lansseax
and her knights could be used as an argument to support the theory that
This argument enters the realm of speculation since no in-game passion, and possibly even procreation, was not foreign to the Capital
detail confirms or denies whether the Erdtree plays any role in the and neither was to Dragons.
reproduction among the denizens of the Lands Between. This idea has
probably spread in the community due to a theory by "The Tarnished
Archeologist": according to the content creator, the Erdtree may have
played a fundamental role in births during the Golden Order,
generating infants through the drops of the tree and making
reproduction redundant. The evidence in favor, according to the
content creator, is mainly a dialogue of Melina [25] and an image
portrayed in the portals of the catacombs, where the tree absorbs the
dead through its roots and then releases new individuals from its
branches.
[25] "Your seamster, Boc... I see him crying, from time to time. I think he
However, it is a very shaky theory because the reported evidence is not
misses his mother. He wants someone to tell him he's beautiful. Does
solid enough and can be interpreted differently depending on the
being born of a mother... Mean one behaves in such a manner?"
context.

Furthermore, nothing in-game confirms that the tree was involved in

the process of childbirth, and in fact, if it had been, it would not explain
why there is a risk of giving birth to an Omen, from common people to [26] Page Ashes
noble families. Shouldn't they all be born with Grace? And how do we
explain the condition of the Pages and the Vulgar Militia, discriminated
because they are short and thereby singled out as having less Grace in
them? (Evidence provided by the Japanese description of the Page
Ashes [26]: "Simply by being born small, one becomes a pageboy"; and
by the Japanese description of the Vulgar Militia Ashes [27]: "[...] those
with small statures were often subjected to disdain [...]") Therefore, this
theory should be taken with a grain of salt, and until a DLC changes the [27]
Vulgar Militia Ashes
game and offers us new information about it, it should be considered as
just a theory and must not be took as granted.
 39 40

THE CRUCIBLE The Crucible was "akin to life” according to the Japanese description of
Siluria’s Tree [29] ("The original form of the golden tree is akin to life, and
the spear, modeled after its crucible, carries ancient sanctity within").
The Crucible (in Japanese 坩堝 kanka) is, according to the Japanese
This suggests that, at that historical moment, the tree was a container
description of the Crucible Axe Set [28], "the primal golden tree", ("The
of power and energy from the very first life that, in the world of Elden
axe adornments are a symbol of Knight Ordovis and his subordinates,
Ring, coincides with the existence of the Ancient Dragons. In fact, the
and embody the power of the primal golden tree, the Crucible of Life,
Incantations known as the Aspects of the Crucible manifest body parts
strengthening the prayer of the Crucible’s many aspects [the Aspects of
and characteristics typical of Dragons, such as horns, tail, wings, fire
the Crucible Incantations]").
breath, feathers, and scales.

[28] 斧飾りは、騎士オルドビスと
黄金樹の原初は、生命に近しく
その部下たちの象徴である その坩堝たる様を模した槍は
原初の黄金樹、生命の坩堝の力を宿し [29]
古い聖性を宿している
坩堝の諸相の祈祷を強化する

In short, it is a phase of the Erdtree that

occurred during its first days of life. Many have theorized that it was an This is a very interesting detail to
element foreign to the tree or even a primordial form from which it emphasize because the description of
originated, but in reality, it is the Erdtree that we all know; it simply had the Crucible Sale Talisman [30] states that:
a different appearance. The link between the Erdtree and the Crucible
is not only confirmed in the descriptions (which use "the primal golden "In ancient times, there was a mixed scale talisman that was said
tree, the Crucible of Life” in a non-misunderstandable and unequivocal to have formed on the human body. This is a remnant of the primordial
way) but is also strengthens the Aspects of the Crucible Incantations, crucible of life, and is a partial atavism". Atavism is a phenomenon
which are part of the Erdtree Incantations category: the Aspects of the existing in our world, consisting of the reappearance of ancestral traits
Crucible, Elden Stars, Black Blade and the Incantations related to the in an individual that had disappeared many generations before, often
healing power of the Erdtree all share the same runic emblem on the considered as evidence of the evolutionary history of an organism. This
back of the sprite (or the “newer” version of it, that coincides with the phenomenon can manifest itself in real life through small (and
shape of the Ertree Seal and, therefore, symbolizes the Golden Tree), sometimes serious) anatomical characteristics, such as the so-called
irrefutable proof that they are linked. This demonstrates that, for a vestigial tail and the development of very large teeth reminiscent of
time, “Erdtree” and “Crucible” were two terms that referred to the those of primates.
same thing, an idea reinforced by the clearest evidence: the runic
emblem of the Crucible engraved on the round table of the Hold, a
building that dates back to the time of Godfrey.
 41 42

[30] 古い時代、人の身体に生じたという
原初の黄金は、より生命に近く
諸相の混ざった鱗のタリスマン
故に赤みを帯びていたという
[31]
それは、生命の原初たる坩堝の名残である

部分的な先祖返りであり、

What are the implications of this factor for the world of Elden Ring? It This last detail implies a difference between the current Erdtree and its
means that the habitants of the Lands Between are descended from previous stage, implying that at some point, the tree underwent a
beasts, more specifically from dragons: overlapping teeth, horns, change. In fact, there is now no red hue in the wood of the Erdtree. It
scales, and the like are indeed physical traits of Ancient Dragons, and is never explicitly confirmed, but it is almost certain that this change
the fact that these appeared on the bodies of ancient humans is not occurred with the removal of the Rune of Death which is not
accidental. Let's remember that "Draconian" exists among the Origins coincidentally red. This may have caused the tree to lose its red hue
in the Character Creation Menu, and this implies that, just as in Dark and assume an even more golden color, changing from the Crucible to
Souls, relationships between spicies can exist. And this does not stop the Erdtree. We also know that the tree is a product of Elden Ring, so
with humans since we see these physical characteristics in other if you change the structure of the rune, the tree is also influenced (as
creatures, such as bears with reptilian pupils, bats that have red and demonstrated by the breaking of the ring, which sends the golden tree
yellow fur inside their wings, or even snails, which are mostly snakes into ruin and forces it to shoot seeds in every corner of the world, or
with a spiral shell. The first stage of the Erdtree, the Crucible, was by the fact that the tree undergoes some aesthetic changes, albeit
therefore the ultimate manifestation of this vital power and included subtle, in each different ending of the game).
all of its aspects, hence the name "Crucible.This initial Erdtree was also
As we explained, the end of the Crucible also represents the end of
characterized by the fact that its "golden color was closer to life and
the period of abundance of the Erdtree.
therefore had a reddish tint", as stated in the Ordovis’ Greatsword [31]
Japanese description.
 43 44

THE GRATTRE In the original text, the locution "great tree" is actually used, with the
use of the term 大樹 daiju ("great tree"), but it is a nickname used to
As previously discussed, the "Greattre" it is nothing but a identify the Erdtree, and not another tree. Specifically, as noted by the
translation error, as small as lethal, from Japanese. translator and content creator Last Protagonist, 大樹 is used in the
original name of the Tree-and-Beast Surcoat [32] Chest Armor (大樹と獣
The original term used in all the incriminated descriptions is 大樹根 のサーコート), where "Tree" refers to the Erdtree, in addition to
daijukon, which is extremely vague and can be interpreted in two mentioning it in the description);
different ways.

- The first interpretation sees the two kanji 樹 (tree) and 根 (root)
read as part of a single term: in that case, 樹根 ukon would be
The Tree-and-Beast Surcoat
[32]
formed, which is a definition that actually exists in the Japanese
dictionary and is an ancient way of saying "tree root".
Therefore, 大樹根 daijukon should be translated as "great roots".
This option reminds us of Miyazaki's tendency to use outdated
terms in his descriptions, a characteristic of his renown
"grammar" (as Japanese fans call it), so it is the most likely
in a dialogue of D ("すまんな。今、君を弔うことはできん だが、死
interpretation.
に生きることはなかったのだ いつか魂は、大樹に還るだろう 黄金よ、この者
の魂を律したまえ"), where he states: "I apologize. I cannot mourn for you
now, but there was never a time when you didn't live in life and death.
- The second interpretation, on the other hand, simply sees the Someday, your soul will return to the Great Tree. O golden one, govern
two kanji 樹 (tree) and 根 (root) as separate and with their the soul of this person";
respective meanings: therefore, the whole thing should be read
as "roots of the great tree". "So, there is a possibility that the and finally in a dialogue of the Finger Reader Crone in Leyndell:
Greattree exists!" you might say... well, even in this case, the "[...] あんたにも見えるだろう？ 天を覆う黄金。光柱の出処たる大樹が 褪せ人
answer is still no. よ、その麓に向かうがよい", which translates in: "Can't you see it too? The
golden canopy that covers the sky. Follow the path towards the foot of
the Great Tree, where the light pillar originates. Even as it fades away, O
people, follow the path". In all three cases, the subject is the Erdtree.
For these reasons, we can definitively establish that the so-called
Greattree does not exist.
 45 46

Some might argue that in some descriptions, a period is mentioned the Deathroots [34A] ("On the night of the conspiracy, the stolen
where there was no Erdtree (i.e., the period of the Dragons) and that it Rune of Death appeared throughout the Rift as Death's Root, sprouting
might be an era where another type of tree, namely the so-called from the underground roots of the great tree, after it became the first
"Greattree", reigned. However, we don't think it's necessary to say that death of a demigod");
this is a huge leap and that, in this case, Occam's Razor ("all other things and the Deeproots Depths Map [35] ("The depths of the Golden
being equal, the simplest solution is usually the best") comes to our aid: Tree's far-reaching roots are the sources of the Siofra and the Ainsel, the
in fact, the descriptions of the Dragon Shield Talismans tell us about the two great rivers, and also mark the beginning of the great tree roots that
"era before the Erdtree", but they do not state "Era of the Greattree". spread underground in the gap").
Therefore, the only tree that is certain to be mentioned in the history
of the Lands Between is the Erdtree (excluding, of course, Miquella’s
Haligtree). In the end, we would like to add that if there had been [33] その根は、かつて黄金樹に連なっていたといい
certainty about the existence of a second tree preceding the Erdtree,
故に地下墓地は、大樹根の地を選んで作られる
there would have been many more in-game clues and certainly fans
would not have opened all these debates to decide whether this alleged
tree exists or not.

It is important to note, however, that this is not to dismiss the idea that
there was a tree before the Erdtree, and in fact, it is an option that can
陰謀の夜、盗まれた死のルーンは
be considered, given that Elden Ring unfortunately tells us very little
デミゴッド最初の死となった後
about the past of the Golden Order, and for this reason, anything is
地下の大樹根を通じて、狭間の各地に現れ
possible.
死の根として芽吹いたのだ
[34A]
However, until a future DLC puts an end to the matter, the idea of a tree
preceding the Golden One will remain just a theory with little basis and
nothing more, supported by an unfortunate translation of three
scattered descriptions, specifically:
the Root Resin [33] ("It is said that the roots were once connected
to a great tree, hence the underground tomb was built on the land of the
great tree roots");
[35] 黄金樹の、遥か深き根の底は

シーフラとエインセル、両大河の源流であり

狭間の地下に広がる、大樹根のはじまりでもある
 47 48

WHEN THE TREE BURNS on) which suggest, or imply, a sort of collaboration between the Fire
Monks and the Golden Order.
As the descriptions say, the Cardinal Sin is the act of setting fire
to the Erdtree. The reason why such an act is defined as such is obvious:
the Golden Tree is the cornerstone of the Golden Order and the main
symbol of the Golden Clan; burning it is equivalent to destroying the
entire system on which Marika's empire is based, as well as the main
object of faith in the Lands Between. With these premises, it becomes
obvious why Prophets, who announce the death of the tree consumed
by flames, are exiled and repudiated: the Erdtree it’s supposed to be
eternal, like its Queen, therefore the mere thought that it could die
[36] 迫害され、だが預言を翻さなかった彼に
cannot bear. However, the reason why these prophets see the Erdtree
catching fire is not so obvious, and analyzing the evidence that the game 祝福の導きはもたらされた 以来、
offers us, we can reach some rather dark conclusions. We are told in the
description of Corhyn's Robe [36] that "Since he was persecuted but did
not deny his prophecy, he has been guided by blessings ever since": this
means that, even if Corhyn intended to do everything possible to
support the Golden Order, he never denied his vision and probably
carried with him the terror that it emanated. Yet, Grace still guided him
towards the Lands Between.
Perhaps the conclusion we will offer you may seem risky, but given that [37] 信仰の果てに火を見出し
this is what the Prophet Blindfold [37] states in Japanese, 故に迫害され、故郷を追われた

"Blindfolds of the prophets, who found fire at the end of faith, 預言者たちの目隠し

therefore persecuted and driven from their homeland", and that is

presumed that this faith is towards the guidance of Grace and the
Golden Order, couldn’t we say that the vision of the golden tree in But let’s not think about that for a second and let us ask to you, could
flames is part of the mission that we must fulfill? After all, Grace (which there be a desire for destruction driven by lucid madness in the
we want to remind you is linked to Marika's will) continues to guide us
Queen's will?
even after the tree has rejected us, leading us to the Mountaintops of
the Giants where the Forge of the Giants resides. This theory could be "Queen Marika was driven to the brink". Could this really be the answer
emphasized from the countless descriptions (that we will analyze later to these mysteries? The floor is yours.
 49 50

In any case, there is another question that we must answer, namely how it is possible to interpret and even convey some energies or entities of
do the prophets see the Erdtree in flames? It is never explicitly stated, nature, and the Prophets fall into the category of those who can do so.
but for some individuals it is possible to perceive energies and forces in
the surrounding environment, traces and presences that may belong
to echoes of the past, creatures present in the vicinity, and even divine
entities.
The Fingers are the shining example of it: these creatures are capable [38] The Spirit Calling Bell
of communicating with real divinities, then elaborating on the content
and reporting it to other inferior creatures (through the interpretations
of the Finger Readers, mostly). But we also have examples of this with
other characters such as Goldmask, who is able to perceive both Marika
and Radagon within the Erdtree; Melina, who perceives and is able to
report the echoes of the Queen; the scattered Finger Reader Crones
throughout the Lands Between are able to read our future by showing
them our fingers.
It's as if the world and the forces that permeate it can be distilled into
precise formulas and languages, facilitating a better understanding of
the content of those forces. We have examples of this with the Spirit
Calling Bell [38], which allows Spirit Ashes to be summoned by its tolls,
[9B]
or with Roderika herself and the practice she carries out to help us on The Two Fingers Heirloom Talisman
our mission: the so-called Spirit Tuning or, in Japanese, 調霊 chōrei. In
the description of the Two Fingers Heirloom Talisman [9B], we are told
that they could "spell out" or "weave mystery in the air" and the Coded
Sword [39] found in the true Round Table Hold is really interesting for us:
"this sword was made of a series of secret characters without substance,
which functioned as a blade" (Considering that they are called "Runes,"
it is possible that the Golden Runes contain the "code" in which the
Grace of the Lands Between is written. But it's just a theory). And just
as many examples can be made with the magic that is used with the
release of a runic symbol (whenever an Incantation or Sorcery is [39] 実態のない秘文字の連なりを刃とし
performed, we are able to see its runic emblem), or even with the corpse
wax fingers that we can use to help or invade other players. In short,
without dwelling too much on the discussion, in the world of Elden Ring
 51 52

CHAPTER V: THE DEATHROOTS

So, if the Rune of Death manifests as fire, then why does its fragment
FIRE AND DEATH scattered among the roots of the Erdtree manifest as Deathroots? That
is because that fragment, without a container and not being the original
Rune of Death, is subject to the laws of Marika's Golden Order, where
death is not part of nature. It's a "bug," so to speak: in a world where
THE SYMBOLISM OF FIRE only life exists, paradoxically, death also generates living beings. This is
In Elden Ring, flames are a symbol of destruction and the end of the reason why the creatures that derive from it are named as "Those
life. While roots and plants are a metaphor for birth and growth, flames who live in Death" (死に生きる者 shiniikiru mono, literally "those who live
signify the end and destruction; it is no coincidence that the power of on the brink of death" or "those who live as if they were dead"), and not
the Rune of Death manifests mainly in the form of both the Black Flame. "Undead." There is also a concrete possibility that the Deathroots are
We also have many examples of flames associated with death: the nothing more than the deadly mix between Godwyn's soulless corpse
spectral flame of Death Birds was used in ancient times to burn the and the fragment of the Rune of Death itself, and that they have
dead, the power of the Giants that can burn the Erdtree is the Flame of become an extension of the demigod's body and, as such, also behave
Ruin, and the power of Frenzy, which puts an end to every element of according to the Golden Rule as previously stated.
life, takes the form of yellow fire with red edges. Even Helphen is
Another question that may seem trivial, but is actually the exact
referred to as "The tree of the lamp that serves as a guidepost for the
opposite, is how these Deathroots can reach all the Lands Between?
dead in the spirit world" (Japanese version of the Helphen’s Steeple [40]).
So, a "tree of lamp", therefore with fire, therefore of death. And how are they connected to Godwyn? The Deathroots [34B] are able
to spread so much because, as we have seen previously,
In addition, we also have to include the light-
purple flames of Saint Trina among the examples: "The stolen Rune of Death appeared throughout the realm via the
while sleep is not death, we know that there is a roots of the underground great tree, and sprouted as the Root of Death
correlation between the dream world and the after becoming the first death of the Demigods"
world of spirits, and
[40] 霊界において死者の道標となる灯火の樹
the flame that induces
sleep emphasizes this
connection. Finally, the connection between flames and death is
highlighted by how the use of fire is considered a taboo in the Golden [34B] 盗まれた死のルーンは
Order. Furthermore, Marika's Order does not contemplate death.
デミゴッド最初の死となった後

地下の大樹根を通じて、狭間の各地に現れ

死の根として芽吹いたのだ
 53 54

However, this happens only and exclusively because the soulless body GODWIN THE GOLDEN
of Godwyn was buried right under the golden tree: in this case, we
could even hypothesize that it is the Deathroots themselves that are First and foremost, we need to clarify a huge translation error
the cause of the end of the Erdtree's abundance period, and that they that has devastated the entire Western community: there are no other
are, to use a term that the community likes very much, "parasitizing" it. soulless demigods outside of Godwyn the Golden. Confirmation comes
Moreover, we have all seen the condition of the Deeproot Depths. What from the correct translation of all the descriptions which state Godwyn
would happen if these Deathroots managed to emerge from the ground as such, like the Mausoleum Surcoat [41], which in Japanese reads:
at the foot of the golden tree?
"In the circle coat, the bell of the mausoleum is depicted. It
From here on, I, the translator of this text, take full responsibility resounds constantly, as if mourning for the soulless demigod", while in
for the following theory as it was not present in the original text: from English it states: "The surcoat depicts the
the previous reflection, we can deduce that the black tree seen in the mausoleum bell, which rings in constant
teaser image of the DLC is precisely a kind of "Godwyn's Deathtree" mourning for the soulless demigods".
that, in Miquella's dream world (or it could even be the "everyone’s
dream world", but we know little or nothing about this different plane
[41] サーコートには、霊廟の鐘が描かれている
of reality to speculate any further in this sense), has definitively
bloomed and is subjugating the gold-leaking Erdtree. All of this would それは、魂なきデミゴッド [Tamashii naki demigoddo]
make sense since the Deathroots seem to come precisely from the still-
を悼むように ずっと鳴り響いている
living but soulless body of Marika's favorite son. Why should all of this
happen? Well, Miquella cared deeply for his lost brother and, as a
defender of the oppressed, he may have tried to give him a "true death" But let us give you the proper Japanese lesson: in Japanese, plurality is
in the dream world, and perhaps, the situation got out of his control. I solely inferred from the context of the sentence or the use of
apologize, I have taken the liberty to "throw the steak in the midst of a quantifiers such as numbers or words like "many" or "few"; in the
hungry crowd". Of course, this is pure speculation that only time, and absence of explicit indicators of plurality in the original Japanese text, or
the DLC, can confirm or deny. In any case, I leave the floor to you other contextual clues, it is not possible to determine whether the
regarding this matter. original statement refers to a singular or plural Demigod and, in all the
descriptions, there is no literal transcription that explicitly indicates a
group or many "Soulless Demigods". Therefore, in such cases, the
translation must be based on the translator's interpretation of the
intended meaning of the text, taking into account any relevant
contextual information. If the translator believes that the context
suggests the statement refers to a singular demigod, then the singular
form "Demigod" should be used in the translation; if the context
suggests that the statement refers to multiple demigods, then the plural
 55 56

form "Demigods" should be used. In this particular case, if the context Moreover, since Ranni already achieved his goal by "severing" the
does not provide any clear indication of whether the statement refers Cursemark of Death only in his half-brother's body, why would she
to a singular or plural demigod, then the translator may choose to use want to kill more members of the Golden royal house?
a more ambiguous phrasing in the translation, such as "mourning the
soulless demigod/s" or "mourning for soulless demigod/s", to avoid Having clarified this, we can proceed by saying that by now we all know
making an unwarranted assumption about the intended meaning of the condition of the poor Golden Prince: he was the only reknown
victim of the Night of the Black Knives, in which only his soul was killed
the text. In short, 魂なきデミゴッド tamashii naki demigoddo could
thanks to a Black Kinfe imbued with the power of the Rune of Death,
technically be singular or plural, depending on the context in which it
and is subsequently buried under the roots of the Erdtree. Therefore,
is used, additionally, the use of the plural noun "demigods" in the
Godwyn should be "dead", perhaps not in flesh, but almost everything
English translation is justified just by the usual usage of "demigods" in
that refers to him is related to someone who is no longer alive (or at
the English literature. Therefore, to convey the meaning of the original
least not alive as defined by common sense) and, from the information
text accurately in English, the plural form "demigods" was used in the
we have, we know for sure that he has not moved from his burial place,
translation. So, let us provide the correct context: we have no reason
since he is still there. Yet a single description says the opposite, that of
to believe that there are "more" or "a group" of Soulless Demigods.
Luthel the Headless [43], which reads as follows:
How can we be so certain? Simply because we would have heard much
more about a "massacre of demigods"; instead, Godwyn is the only "When the soulless demigod, whom the Lutheran martyr [Luthel]
victim of the Night of the Black Knives that we have heard of. sacrificed herself to defend, was reborn, she was granted the gift of
Furthermore, in order to become Soulless, a Demigod must be killed reincarnation as a hero".
with a weapon possessing particular powers, of which we have
knowledge only and exclusively of the Black Knife, wielded by the
eponymous Black Knives, who have had a difficult time in the capital as
told by the Sentry’s Torch [42]:
[43] ルーテルが殉死し、守り続けた
"The torch given to those who protect the golden tree is imbued
with a special prayer, [Incantation], which reveals the hidden figure of 魂無きデミゴッドが再誕した時
the assassin lurking in the veil. The golden tree and the blessed king are
prepared, so that the night of conspiracy may never come again". 彼女は英雄として、還樹を賜った

[42] 黄金樹を守る者たちに与えられる松明

その炎には、特別な祈祷が施され

ヴェールに隠れた刺客の姿を見出せる。
This can imply many things and certainly, being a description that
mentions the hypothetical resurrection of Godwyn, it cannot be
黄金樹と祝福王は、備えている
dismissed outright, but must be taken with a grain of salt: we have no
また再び、陰謀の夜が訪れぬように
idea which events have been cited, it could simply refer to the fact that
 57 58

he is still alive in the flesh, but we cannot say for certain (and then, in which Godwyn is found (and in which Fortissax is too) is something
Luthel died defending him from whom?). There are really too many that often appears in the works of Myazaki, characterized by stagnant
variables at play, so we should not take anything for granted and wait water, infesting insects (cicadas, drain flies, centipede, etc.), deep-sea
for the DLC to possibly explain something more about the Golden creatures, and generally, everything related to still and swampy bodies
Prince's (recent and distant) past. of water and to the decaying process. This is the concept behind the
stagnation of time and space in the Dark Souls series, and therefore we
Instead, one thing that we can state fairly confidently is that his dragon
believe that the fight against Fortissax (in an arena from the sky
friend, Fortissax, is dead.
punctured like a corpse infected with maggots) takes place in a kind of
"After the Golden Godwyn became the Dead Prince [Prince of stagnation, whether it be of time or of reality itself, a phenomenon
Death], the Ancient Dragon continued to fight against death with his caused by the interaction with a being in that highly advanced state of
companion. However, victory eluded them, and all that remained was corruption and whom is possibly the source of that corruption. This
corruption" (From the Japanese description of the Remembrance of the could also explain how Mausoleums work lore-wise, given that they are
Litchdragon [44]). surrounded by countless spiritual headless soldiers, which are themself
some sort of memoriy of their past, so the wandering tombs could
concentrate, in some way, that kind of power, which we can then utilize
to duplicate our enemies’ remembrances.
Something else that corruption in Japanese culture evokes and could
explain is the siren-like appearance of the Golden Prince's corpse, with
a body that is slowly transforming into what appears to be a Basilisk, a
[44] 黄金のゴッドウィンが死王子となった後 creature similar to distorted and corrupted frogs capable of exhaling
the Death Blight, is immediately explained. In fact, it would be more
古竜は、その友の内で死と戦い続けた
accurate to say the opposite, that it is the Basilisks that recall Godwyn's
その戦いに勝利はなく、ただ蝕みだけがあった physical features: the demigod's eyes are identical to the false ones of
the Basilisks; his slender arms resemble in every way the creature's
front legs; finally, the mermaid-like tail that Godwyn is developing
We fight the Ancient Dragon in his corrupted form only through Fia,
strongly resembles that of the bajirisuku (バジリスク, the Japanese name
when she comes into contact with Godwyn's corpse, but the true
Fortissax has lost his battle long ago. But if the Dragon is dead, how is of the creature).
it possible for us to face him and make him drop his Remembrance? There are various symbols associated with the figure of Godwyn: The
It could simply be the last image that Godwyn has of his friend, and we Eclipse, which, according to the Japanese description of the Eclipse
fight in his thoughts, or, as would be more plausible following theory, in Crest Greatshield [45], is
his dreams. But to us, this question has much more interesting and
complete answer: it is due to Japanese culture. The state of corruption
 59 60

"The sun, eroded and losing its color, is the guardian star of the
soulless demigod, which is kept away from the death of destiny [Destined
Death]";
[46] 魂無きデミゴッドが眠る、さまよう霊廟
the Wandering Mausoleums, where the "soulless demigod" rests (The
wandering mausoleum where a soulless demigod sleeps, and the 蝕まれた太陽は、その象徴であるという

corrupted sun is said to be its symbol; from the Eclipse Crest Heater
Shield [46]);
the Headless Soldiers who defend the Mausoleums; after all,
"a spirit temple is a mortuary chamber for the soulless demigod,
and its soldiers are martyrs who took their own lives by beheading" (from
the description of the Mausoleum Soldiers Ashes [47]);
the Death Birds, as stated in the description of the Mausoleum Knight
Armor [48]:
霊廟とは、魂無きデミゴッドの霊安室であり
"The feathered crest on one's back originates from a bird of
death. It is a curse that allows one to remain on this earth as a spirit after [47]
その兵は、自ら首を落とした殉死者である
cutting off their own head and dying as a martyr"; and finally, everything
related to Deathroots, Death Blight, and Those Who Live in Death, as
all of them refer directly to Godwyn’s corruption and stagnation of life
and death. And the only person responsible for making all of this
possible is Queen Marika, the Eternal.

蝕まれ、色を失くした太陽は

魂無きデミゴッドの守護星であり
[48] 背中の羽飾りは、死の鳥に由来する
彼らを、運命の死から遠ざけるという
[45]
それは、自ら首を切り落とし、殉死した後に

霊としてこの地に留まるための、呪いである
 61 62

THE REMOVAL OF THE RUNE OF DEATH Let us not forget about Remembrances, which prove that even after the
Shattering, resurrection through the "memories" (追憶 tsuioku) of the
FROM THE ELDEN RING
Erdtree is still possible. So, immortality is still a present factor, and we
So, why did Marika decide to remove the Rune of Death from need to free the Rune of Death to restore the normal cycle of life and
the Elden Ring? death according to the Golden Order (cycle which we will then modify
again in any case in all endings, except for the "Age of Fracture" and the
Simply because she could. She was the goddess, after all, and if she had "Age of Order" endings).
the opportunity to rearrange the Elden Ring as she preferred, why not
do it? It is possible that the experience against the Godskin, who hunted Furthermore, according to an interview with Miyazaki, the player
and skinned "Gods" (神 kami "god", "deity"; in all descriptions where it character in Elden Ring is immortal, and this immortality is granted by
Grace, which brings us back to life every time we are killed. However,
is mentioned, it is never specified what is meant by "kami," even though,
it seems that this immortality is only granted to those who can still see
as we well know, there are different levels of divinity in the world of
it, as among the NPCs that we can kill, there are also Graceless ones,
Elden Ring), could have actually made her think about the enormous
and they do not return to life (presumably because they are no longer
risks of Destined Death in the Order, so she decided to remove it
able to see it). While this is certainly an advantage for us, it is not
permanently.
comforting: in a world where death does not exist, there are fates far
But then, if death has been removed, then why can we kill NPCs and crueler than being killed - such as becoming the grafting of a madman,
Demigods? becoming food for a giant snake, being consumed by the Flame of
Frenzy, being consumed by the Scarlet Rot, and so on.
Although Marika removed the Rune of Death from the Order of the
World, she did not eliminate the concept of "death" since resurrection
through the Golden Tree is one of the precepts of the Golden Order,
and that is why Catacombs are built near its roots. However, the
concept of immortality cannot be ruled out, especially considering the
existence of Demigods who are alive and (almost all) well despite their
apparent age. Therefore, it is possible that the Shattering of the Elden
Ring messed up the system: as a result, although people live in a state
of eternity, due to the broken Elden Ring, the Golden Order is
malfunctioning, and so you can kill them with a sword even if they
would live an unnatural eternal life: that's why most of our enemies
appear to us as hollow, slender, and/or even in the grip of desperation.
 63 64

Although never explicitly stated, Melina's mother is clearly Marika,

CHAPTER VI: even though her conception may not have occurred in a normal way.
Melina tells us that "she was born at the foothills of the Golden Tree",
MELINA which implies that she is a sort of creation of the Queen, rather than a
true daughter; if she were an actual daughter of Marika, who existed
before our arrival, many NPCs would have recognized her and even
considered her a Demigod like Malenia or Radahn.
CHARACTER OVERVIEW
This obviously does not happen, and in fact, very few NPCs know
Melina is one of the many spirits that inhabit the Lands Between, not Melina. Even Morgott has no reaction when we summon her against
so different from the spirits that we can summon in-game through the him, and the Two Fingers and Enya at the Round Table Hold do not
Spirit Calling Bell, that Ranni gives us, from the Ashes Remains. But wonder who brought us there. No one talks about her.
unlike regular Ashes, Melina exists with Grace and is bound to it, to the
extent that she can only manifest in its presence and cannot move Its unnatural birth is also implied when the girl expresses her perplexity
away from it. In fact, the only time in the story where she has a certain about Boc's behavior, who cries thinking of his mother: she wonders if
degree of mobility is in Leyndell Royal Capital, where the source of having a mother entails experiencing such emotions. The fact that the
Grace itself resides: Queen Marika, sealed inside the Erdtree. Melina spirit cannot move outside the "range" of Grace, moreover,
will be our travel companion for much of the game, playing a support demonstrates her special condition and further links her to the will of
role similar to that of the Fire Keeper in DS III or the Doll in Bloodborne: the Goddess (Grace is Marika's, remember). And her ability to perceive
in fact, she will assist us by playing the role of our Finger Maiden, the echoes of the Queen represents further evidence; not to mention
provided we take her to Leyndell where she can discover more about her power to transform our runes into strength, without being a true
her origins. In fact, Melina does not remember her identity, and the Finger Maiden.
only information she remembers is related to her mission:
Melina is therefore a product of Marika, perhaps not consciously
"The reason why I continue to live, burning with a fierce passion created, but created nonetheless. Many fans have also considered
and existing as a spirit, that was supposed to be bestowed upon me by another possible proof of her connection to the queen in her internal
my mother through the Golden Tree" (かつて、黄金樹で母から授かったは name files, which is "Marika's daughter." Although this is a proof we can
ずの、私の使命を 焼け爛れ、霊の身体となってまで、生き続けている理由を). add to the list, it remains to be taken with a grain of salt because in
Towards the second act of Elden Ring, she will finally have obtained her Japanese, her internal name is 娘マリカ musume Marika, which could
answers, but unfortunately, she will not share all of them with us. We be more accurately translated as "Marika's girl" or "Marika's daughter",
will only be allowed to discover one: her mission is to burn the Erdtree. or even "Lady Marika". Despite this small detail, the proof still stands.
The rest we know: once we reach the Forge of the Giants, she will
immolate herself to set fire to the tree, or alternatively, we will prevent
her from burning and do it ourselves (thanks to the Flame of Frenzy).
 65 66

HER MISSION THE GLOAM-EYED QUEEN

As we said before, her mission is to set fire to the Erdtree, and just like We have now reached the peak of speculation. Unfortunately, we do
the visions that the Prophets have, it makes evident the Goddess's will not have a definitive answer, but while waiting for a DLC, we can
to destroy the symbol of her own Golden Order; further proof that the speculate and talk a little about it. The theory that Melina is the Gloam-
will of Marika and the guidance of Grace are more the result of the Eyed Queen has become one of the most popular in the community
queen's madness in the "last days" of her empire than part of a well- thanks to the Lord of Frenzy Ending, whose last cutscene shows the girl
conceived plan. Therefore, it could be said that Melina is the opening her left eye, which had remained closed until then, and
embodiment of Queen Marika's will to destruction. Not surprisingly, revealing a pale purple pupil (together with her hair, which has turned
Melina becomes aware of the flame. darker); this detail, combined with her dialogue where she states [49]:
"I will definitely make it there and show you the death of destiny
This could also explain why Melina herself firmly reiterates her will to
[Destined Death]", naming Destined Death, has convinced many fans of
pursue her mission after remembering it, "regardless of my mother's
the idea that she is either the Queen herself or a figure linked to her.
will" (quote from Japanese): while Marika's desire is dictated by mere
resentment and destructive outburst, Melina decides to sacrifice If we add the possibility that the Gloam-Eyed Queen was one of
herself because she wants to, aware that her sacrifice will not be in vain Marika's children (which is not confirmed, beware!), since "it is said that
and will lead to the birth of a better world. That is why she accepts her she was an Empyrean chosen by the Fingers", it would somehow
fate willingly. explain why Marika recreated such a being in the form of Melina: the
goddess, in her last moments, was recreating the image of her
If we were to deny her this role by becoming avatars of the Flame of
hypothetical daughter who had to be killed by Maliketh. Furthermore,
Frenzy, we would not only take away her chance to free herself from
it is no coincidence that Melina's task is to burn the Erdtree, the
her horribly burned spirit, but we would also go against the hopes she
cornerstone symbol of the Goddess in the Lands Between, an act that
has for the world, becoming the champion of a force that brings only
suits an anti-divinity figure very well.
death and destruction. In short, she would hate us to death.

[49] 必ず、辿り着いてみせる ...そして貴方に 運命の死を

 67 68

As you can see, there are many clues that point towards this Both the Gloam-Eyed Queen and the Godskin employed a power known
interpretation, but at the same time, they also highlight some evident as Black Flame (黒炎 koku-en) during these hunts, a fire that possessed
gaps that expose unanswered questions: for example, if Melina is the power of Destined Death. It also seems that there was an alliance
actually the Gloam-Eyed Queen, why has no one recognized her as between the Godskin and the God-Devouring Serpent (神喰らいの大蛇
such? kami kurai no orochi) of Gelmir, evidenced not only by the visceral
Moreover, it is us who are theorizing a family relationship between the hatred (hunger in the case of the serpent) both factions have towards
Gloam-Eyed Queen and Marika the Eternal, but what if it were not the the "Gods", but also by the presence of a Godskin Noble and its monks
case? What sense would it make, in that case, to manifest a person with within Volcano Manor; moreover, Godskin Apostles can extend their
the image of your bitter enemy? Also, nothing about Melina's torso and limbs as if they were snakes and the Nobles show a
appearance suggests a connection to the Godskin. In short, the theory serpentine tail (We do not know with certainty if this hypothetical
has some charm, but it is not solid enough. alliance has been in place for such a long time, but it is an option to be
taken into account).
It is also probable that the change in the girl's appearance in that fateful
cutscene is due to the release of Destined Death: let us remember that The Godskin’s challenge against the Golden Clan’s army surely ended
Melina is a product of the Grace of the Erdtree, a tree that changed when Marika sent Maliketh to defeat the Gloam-Eyed Queen and then
when the Rune of Death was sealed. Consequently, even the probably, with her death (we believe that being defeated by Marika’s
emanations of her Grace could be influenced by this factor and, in Shadow at full power does not leave much room for the possibility of
Melina, this manifests itself with the closing of one eye. It is no her survival, not even considering the potential problems that she could
coincidence that the one that opened has a golden pupil. Releasing the have created if her life was speared), the Goddess decided to remove
Rune of Death, it is possible that her eye would have opened anyway, the Death Rune from the Elden Ring, so that death (and therefore the
even if we had not pursued the ending of Frenzy. Black Flame, that lost its powers) would no longer be a problem for her
family and her terrifying enemy would be remembered as the last of the
In the end, the matter is still very hazy. Until the DLC is released - or dead; such was the terror that the Gloam-Eyed Queen instilled in
until objective evidence is found that favors one theory over another - Marika's heart.
anything is possible.
The end of this war unquestionably marked the beginning of Marika’s
But who exactly was the Gloam-Eyed Queen? Golden Age.
The Gloam-Eyed Queen was an Empyrean, leader of the Godskin who This event is very interesting to analyze, because the fact that the
challenged Marika and the Golden Clan. She was the one who started Gloam-Eyed Queen was an Empyrean (therefore chosen by her
what descriptions define as the "divine hunt" (神狩り kamiakri), which respective Two Fingers and therefore accepted by the Greater Will) not
involved hunting down what the descriptions just refer as "Gods" (神 only brings to the table the probability that she was a relative of Marika
kami, whom we theorize are the members of Marika's family) and (sister, daughter, or other), but also suggests that an Empyrean does not
wearing their skins. necessarily have to wait for the end of the current god's mandate to
 69 70

ascend to the throne: Empyrean and Gods can also go to war with each [50] [...] 最も古い使徒たちであり
other.
人ならぬ諸相を、その身に宿しているという
The war against the Godskin took place during the period between the
War of the Giants and the campaigns of Liurnia, and the evidence in それは黄金樹の原初、坩堝にも似ている

favor of this placement in the timeline is the existence of the Fire Monks
during the period of the divine hunt (Blackflame Monk Amon Ashes)
and the link between the Godskin and the Crucible exposed in the
description of the Godskin Noble Set [50] ("[...] the oldest apostles who
are said to have taken on various non-human forms. This is reminiscent
of the primordial state of the Golden Tree, akin to a crucible"). Another
proof could be the existence of Colosseums’ gladiators, known for their 蛇は、黄金樹の反逆者であるとされ
armor adorned with snake figures: "The snake is regarded as a rebel [51]
against the golden tree, and people took pleasure in seeing it suffer" 人々は、その傷つく様を喜んだ

(From the Japanese version of the Duelist Helm [51]). This is clearly a
reference to the war against the God-Devouring Serpent of Mount
Gelmir, and the fact that these gladiators were part of the fights
consecrated to the Erdtree as the Ritual Sword talisman’s Japanese [52] かつて黄金樹に捧げられた闘いの
description [52] states:
儀式の剣を模したタリスマン
"The talisman resembling the sword used in the battle dedicated
王配ラダゴンの時代、捧闘は廃れてしまった
to the golden tree in the past. During the reign of King Consort Radagon,
dedication fights fell into disuse. The fighting arenas remaining 各地に残る闘技場は、その名残である
throughout the country are remnants of that tradition"; this also implies
that their role was established when Godfrey was still Elden Lord.
The conclusion of the war against the Godskin was the moment that
likely marked the end of the Crucible of the Erdtree, as evidenced by
the change of the runic emblem, which passes from that of the Crucible
(inside the Round Table fortress) to that of the Erdtree [53].
This moment also marks the entry of Radagon onto the scene.
[53] An example of the change of the runic emblem;
from Crucible (left, Blessing of the Erdtree), to Erdtree
(right, Golden Wrath)
 71 72

CHAPTER VII: is not just "Radagon of the Golden Order", but 黄金律、ラダゴン:
"Radagon, Golden Order". It could be a title that wants to make us
RADAGON OF THE GOLDEN understand that, at that moment, Radagon is guarding the dying
Golden Order within himself (since he is now the God, together with
ORDER Marika, guarding the Elden Ring), but for many Japanese fans this is a
clue that suggests how Radagon is the result of the creation of Marika's
Order, almost as if it were a new entity that arose as a result of this
modification. After all, one of the theories circulating on the web is that
MARIKA’S "OTHER HALF " the name Radagon derives from "Radigan", an Irish name which is the
shortened form of Ó Reachtagáin "descendant of Reachtagán", a
As we now know very well, Radagon is Marika. However, personal name from a diminutive of reachtaire "steward administrator"
understanding how and why Radagon is Marika, is a different story. The or reacht "law"; if this was really the case, the idea of Radagon born as
mysteries surrounding Radagon's origins are still debated within the a consequence of the creation of the Golden Order would fit perfectly
community, but we will take the opportunity that this question offers with his name. It could even be the evidence that, at the point of our
to try to provide an answer, based on what the game shows and says arrival, Radagon and Marika are no more, and what we fight is an empty
about him. shell controlled by the Elden Ring itself (this would explain the name
According to the Sword Monument near Bellum Church [54], in "The First of the bossfight), that floods outside Radagon’s corpse (when entering
Battle [campaign] of Rienié [Liurnia], in which Radagon with Red Hair second phase) and transforms into the Elden Beast, which grabs the
Becomes a Hero", so we know that his "birth" dates back to the post- dead God and turns it into the Sacred Relic Sword [55], as its description
Crucible period, after the end of the war against the Godskin. We can states: "The sword born from the body of a god who was supposed to be
therefore hypothesize that his creation derives from some internal immortal".
change in Marika, probably due to the seal of Destined Death. Let us
remember that Marika is a goddess as the Vessel of the Elden Ring and,
as we see in-game, every change suffered by the ring is reflected on its
bearer (see Marika and Radagon ending up in pieces after the former [54] 第一次リエーニエ戦役
broke the Elden Ring - or, as mentioned earlier, the same image of
赤髪のラダゴン、英雄となる
Marika shown in the Cinematic Introduction, where we see her having
subtle cracks along her arms and shoulders). It could therefore be said
that Radagon is the consequence of the removal of the Rune of Death,
[55] 永遠に死ぬことのないはずの
manifested in Marika immediately after she sealed it: the color of his
red hair could suggest this. Furthermore, the Japanese text offers a 神の遺体から生まれる剣
rather juicy detail, to be taken with a grain of salt, but which we would
not exclude from the discussion: the name of the final boss in Japanese
 73 74

As for the "how", it could be theorized that his appearance is a result of However, there is one thing we must consider, that is the expression
the so-called Great Rune of the Unborn, located within Rennala’s 我が半身よ waga hanshin yo ("my half-body"), that in Japanese has a
Amber Egg. Now the Rune is guarded within the Egg, but it is still a Great clear meaning: it is a poetic way to refer to one's spouse or romantic
Rune, a fragment of the Elden Ring: if it was already inside the Amber partner. It emphasizes the deep connection and unity between two
Egg that Radagon gave to Rennala before becoming the second Elden people who are in a relationship. The origin of this expression is not
Lord, it means that the rune was already with the Champion of the clear, but it is believed to have its roots in ancient Japanese culture,
Golden Order before the Shattering. where the concept of the "soulmate" was highly valued. In Japanese
folklore, it was believed that every person has a soulmate, or "ikigami,"
Since only Marika can remove or add runes, as the Goddess, it is likely
who is their other half and completes them. In the literal sense of
that Radagon obtained the Great Rune from her - it is true that Marika
describing the other half of a person who has been physically split,
and Radagon are the same entity, but we also know that, as she herself
我が半身よ waga hanshin yo may not be the most appropriate phrase
says [56]: "You are not me yet. You are not a god yet [...] My other half!";
clearly, Radagon did not have the same control that Marika exercised in Japanese. So, to say "half of a person" in Japanese in a literal sense,
over the Elden Ring. One possible option is that Radagon had this you could say 半身 hanshin, or to say that a person has been split into
fragment of the Elden Ring with him from the beginning, that is, from two halves, you could say 半身ふたつ分かれる "hanshin futtobun ni
when he was created. So, following this theory, the Rune of the Unborn wareru". Therefore, we do not have direct confirmation that Radagon
is the Rune with which Marika gave him form, in order to remove him is literally a "piece" of Marika, since she describes him as her partner
from herself and make of him a different being. (as well as "dog of the Golden Law" in the same dialogue). It is possible,
therefore, that Radagon was simply a great leader of the Golden Order
who climbed the social pyramid, given that Miriel is astonished at how
"a mere hero" could replace Lord Godfrey at the side of the Goddess:
the fact that our beloved turtle dog recognizes Radagon's role as the
"champion of the Golden Law" and not as a construct of Marika
certainly gives food for thought. But it also plausible that Miriel doesn’t
know everything as he is not omniscient: after all, he states [57]:
"However, when the first king of Elde [Elden Lord], Godfrey, was
banished to the rift, he abandoned Lady Renala and returned to the
capital of the Golden Tree, where he became the consort of Queen
Marika and the second husband. He then became the second king of
Elde, but no one knows why Lord Radagon abandoned Lady Renala or
how he, just a mere hero, was chosen to be the king of Elde." and he
neither knows what the Radagon’s Secret is.
[56] お前はまだ、私ではない。まだ、神ではない [...] 我が半身よ！
 75 76

So, the fact that ラダゴンとはマリカである Radagon to wa Marika de aru TWO IS ONE
("Radagon is Marika") could also imply that he indeed was nothing more
than a construct. It really depends on the interpretation given to it. In any case, even if it were confirmed 100% that Radagon is an
"artificial" creation of Marika to whom a Great Rune has been manually
Nonetheless, something that sustains the "clay man" theory is that, assigned, does it make sense for the Second Elden Lord to leave it as a
unlike the other Great Runes whose power and appearance have been gift to Rennala, who, if we embrace this theory, would be supposed to
distorted by the Demigods (due also to the fact that, let us remember, be a mere pawn to keep under control of the Golden Order by Radagon
no Demigod was assigned a rune, they took them by force during the himself? Paradoxically, the answer could be yes. After all, the Great
Shattering), the Great Rune of the Unborn remains unchanged, to the Rune of the Unborn was what kept him separated from Marika, and
point that we don't even need to access its Divine Tower to unlock its depriving himself of it could have been the event that made their union
blessing: in simple words, also its ruling concept has remained as a single being possible. So, it is almost certain that Radagon was
unchanged. We can be certain, therefore, that this Great Rune created by the Queen herself.
embodies the process of rebirth and (in a way) reincarnation that
involves life in the Lands Between. Furthermore, there may be the hand On why would she create the Red-Haired Champion, although, there
of Miyazaki behind the specific choice of the term 我が半身よ waga are no clear answers: it may be that Radagon could have simply been a
hanshin yo: as we mentioned earlier in the case of Greattre, the product of Marika’s ambitious expansionist plans, which she later
Japanese author likes to fish in the sea of absurdly archaic and complex decided to exploit in order to become Goddess and Elden Lord of her
terms, even for the native consumers (who, moreover, make fun of him Golden Order all together: after the war against the Godskin, there was
for this). Therefore, the choice of a locution that can be literally still the whole Lands Between to conquer and an extra general wouldn't
translated as "my half-body," although normally considered only have hurt to the Golden Army; considering that Radagon became crucial
metaphorical, could be precisely the concept that the Game Director for the victory against the Carians, achieved through a marriage and a
wants to convey, since it would not be the first time something like this non-belligerence pact, and that her first husband Godfrey had already
has happened. given her everything she could ask for (on the one hand even too much,
since their union had produced two Omens like Mohg and Morgott, and
on the other hand too little, since Godfrey could in no way grant her
the title of Elden Lord), let's say that another meaning could be given
to the "revocation" of the Grace towards the First Elden Lord and his
[57] …しかし、最初のエルデの王、ゴッドフレイが狭間を追放されたとき army.

彼はレナラ様を捨て、黄金樹の王都に戻り、女王マリカの王配、二番目の夫となり
In any case, things did not quite go according to plan, as Radagon
…二人目の、エルデの王となったのです
maintains his own will even though fused with the Goddess (he, in fact,
does not always share the Queen’s ideas, as stated in the description of
そして、誰も知ってはいないのですよ
Marika's Hammer [58A]:
ラダゴン様が、なぜレナラ様を捨てたのか

いえそもそも、一介の英雄にすぎなかった彼が、なぜエルデの王として選ばれたのか
 77 78

"A hammer said to have been crafted in the rarefied lands beyond RADAGON AND THE GIANTS
the chasm, wielded by Queen Marika in her attempt to shatter the Elden
Ring. Radagon, on the other hand, sought to repair it with the same The hypothesis of a connection between Radagon and the Giants, as
weapon", and the two, in some abstract way, manage to bring forth two well as the theory of the curse of red hair cast on Marika, are issues that
cursed Demigod twins, Miquella and Malenia. Perhaps it is the have arisen from the description of the Giant’s Red Braid [59A], which,
unnaturalness of the conception conditions that make the two with its last paragraph, has brought a lot of confusion to the community
Empyreans affected by divine curses: Miquella cannot age, while her
debate. In the official English translation, it states: "Perhaps that was a
sister Malenia's flesh is consumed by the Scarlet Rot, an Outer God who
curse of their kind", almost suggesting that the Champion of the Golden
"has chosen her" as its Vessel.
Order is of the same race as the worshippers of the "corrupt ancient
To arrive at these conclusions, to complete the puzzle piece by piece in god of flame". Unfortunately, even the Japanese text does not help in
this way, makes us realize how strongly these characters are derivative this case because the last line simply states a vaguer "Could it have been
of J.R.R. Martin's narrative, especially Marika, the true villain of the the curse of the Giant?" - without specifying whether "Giant" (from
Elden Ring story; a character who fully embodies the human desire to 巨人, "kyojin") should be understood in the singular or plural.
command everything and everyone, the desire and satisfaction of
holding the world in the palm of one's hand, only to see it fall apart We therefore have to proceed logically and deductively, and, thinking
and slip away like desert sand through her own fingers, due to her own about it for a moment, we can dare to say that both theories are
faults. Who wants too much, grasps nothing. unlikely. For example, Radagon's connection to the giants just because
of his hair color seems out of place since the character appears in the
story starting from the First Campaign of Liurnia, which is
contemporaneous, or immediately after, the War of the Giants, and
therefore (probably) following the war against the Godskin. How can we
be sure of this sequence of events? Well, let's simply analyze the facts:
after defeating the Godskin, the Queen wants to secure the remaining
territories of the Lands Between, but also shut down the last possible
threat to her kingdom: the Flame of Ruin, the only thing that, so is told,
can burn the Erdtree. To do this, she needs two armies to march
simultaneously, thus her husband and Elden Lord with his followers
[58A] 狭間の外、稀人の地で作られたという石槌 (and his order of Crucible Knights) to the North against bigger threat,
女王マリカが、エルデンリングを砕こうとし
and the "newcomer" Radagon to the South against the Carian Royal
ラダゴンが、それを修復しようとした得物
Family; this would make sense in terms of timing, given that the First
Church of Marika is located in the Mountaintops of the Giants and the
Second next to the Highway towards the Grand Lift of Dectus: once the
 79 80

red-haired enemies are defeated, Godfrey would return to Leyndell The theory of the "curse of the giant" cast on Marika also seems
with new orders, since Radagon was busy marrying Rennala and sealing unlikely: according to this theory, based on both the descriptions of the
the alliance between the Golden’s and Carian’s, and therefore the Lord Giant’s Red Braid and the Remembrance of the Fire Giant [60] ("The Fire
would have departed towards Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula, Giant is a survivor of the Giant War. When Queen Marika learned that
where the Third and Fourth Churches of Marika would then be built. the fire in the kettle was eternal, she cast the curse of the seal. “Oh, little
Keep in mind that this is a theory, so even stating that the War of the giant. Live on as the eternal guardian of the flame”."), the Fire Giant, to
Giants happened before the one against the Godskin is an excellent avenge his fallen comrades and their condition of imprisonment, would
hypothesis that, unfortunately, like the one mentioned above, we have cursed Marika by dyeing her hair red, so that she would carry a
cannot confirm 100%. This doesn't change the fact that claiming that sort of "Scarlet Letter" on herself. However, even in this case, the theory
Radagon is a giant would not make sense in terms of timing, as well as makes little sense, given that curses are showed to us as quite
diminish the narrative impact that the secret of his statue in Leyndell destabilizing and difficult-to-bear physical conditions (as we see, for
represents: discovering that Radagon is a Giant would be much more example, with the Omens). Moreover, if we want to be honest, what
shocking than finding out that his person coincides with that of the kind of curse is dyeing someone's hair a different color? For someone
Goddess (his creator): why would a kindred of the Giants betray them who has exterminated your race and imposed eternal servitude on you,
and turn his back on them in such a way? Why their sizes are so it seems like a rather light punishment.
different? Why is a "curse" mentioned in the description? Why doesn’t
he have a hole or a face in his torso like the other Trolls/Giants? The day
all these questions will be answered and explained with in-game facts,
therefore proving that Radagon is indeed a Fire Giant, we will apologize
火の巨人は、巨人戦争の生き残りである
and disappear forever.
釜の火が不滅であると知った時

女王マリカは、刻印の呪いを施したのだ

小さき巨人よ。永遠の火守りとして生きるがよい
[60]

Yet, in the Japanese description of the aforementioned Giant's Red

Braid [59B] ("Giants all had red hair, and it is said that Radagon despaired
[59A] The Giant’s Red Braid
over his own red hair. Was this the curse of the giants?"), the term 呪い
noroi is used, which means "spell", "hex", "jinx", or "charm". So, in the
context of this sentence, noroi is being used to refer to a literal curse or
a malevolent spell. To indicate a form of curse in a metaphorical way in
this context, it would be more appropriate to use terms such as:
 81 82

祟り tatari - which refers to a "curse" or "hex" that is believed to cause THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
misfortune or calamity upon someone. It can also be used to describe
a "vengeful spirit" or "malevolent influence" that is believed to haunt
RADAGON AND MARIKA
a particular place or object; It is important to specify that, despite Radagon being most likely a
呪縛 jubaku - that refers to a "curse" or "spell" that is believed to bind construct of the Queen, he seems to be capable of experiencing
or restrain someone, preventing them from living a fulfilling life. It can emotions and affection. Therefore, he is not the stereotype of a cold
also be used to describe a "psychological burden" or "mental block" and detached robot that one might deduce by following the theory of
his creation at the hands of the Goddess. That being said, although both
that prevents someone from achieving their goals or finding happiness.
are part of the same entity, Marika and Radagon have different
personalities and points of view. This is probably due to the fact that
Radagon was a pure "golden" being when he set off for Liurnia, but
upon his return (many years later among the sorcerers and after having
three children with Rennala), he experienced something that no one
[59B] 巨人たちは、皆一様に赤髪であり had experienced before, and from this stems his desire for
comprehensive knowledge (which we will discuss further later on). The
ラダゴンは、自らの赤髪に絶望したという
most explicit proof of their divergences is the already mentioned
それは巨人の呪いだったろうか
description of Marika's Hammer[58B], where it is said that the Queen
used this weapon to shatter the Elden Ring, while Radagon used it to
However, we need to take this information with a grain of salt: as we
try to repair it.
have previously discussed, Miyazaki seems to enjoy playing with his
native language, so we may just be overthinking, and the description However, there are other more subtle elements that demonstrate their
simply indicates the irony of fate that saw Radagon's hair and their different personalities: for example, the First Campaign of Liurnia is the
resemblance to the hair of the Giants. Furthermore, given his captivity, only war action that is renown ended with peace treaties, and,
the Fire Giant is not in a position to curse anyone, we don't even know coincidentally, it was "Radagon's debut war". If Queen Marika - a.k.a.
if he is capable of cursing someone in such a way, whereas Marika can. Marika "Either-you-are-with-me-or-against-me" the Eternal (given the
Japanese dialogue of the "spoken echoes" in the Grand Lift of Dectus
There is another important reflection that can be made regarding these
Site of Grace [60]; "The Golden Tree rules over all. Choose wisely: will you
particular coincidences: does the description of the Braid want to draw
become a part of our order, or will you remain an insignificant outsider,
a comparison between the condition of the Fire Giant and Radagon's
powerless and living on the fringes?") - had personally led the armed
role as the "leal hound of the Golden Order"? After all, just like the
forces against the Carian’s, we strongly doubt that things would have
Giant, Radagon had red hair and was subservient to the Goddess's will.
ended so peacefully.
 83 84

In general, Radagon shows a much more diplomatic and milder attitude But the definitive proof of their divergent actions is found in the very
compared to the Goddess, so much so that even his children seem to events of the game: Marika's Grace leads us towards the Erdtree, while
have a very good relationship with him: both Rykard and Radahn Radagon's Seal bars the way, creating the Impenetrable Thorns that
celebrate their father by adorning their knights' helmets with red prevents us from accessing the interior of the Golden Tree and reaching
decorations to recall the color of his famous braid, and Miquella himself the Elden Ring. Furthermore, we can notice not only that both have
initiated a gift exchange between him and his father, all concerning different visions, but also that the two do not look like they are part of
Incantations (whose nature and school of belonging we will discuss a single being, due to their opposite characters: Radagon seeks
later). completeness, both in thought and at a practical level with the creation
of new Incantations, while Marika is a fanatic of her order (as we would
say by antonomasia); Radagon pursues peaceful and intellectual ideals,
based on mutual study and understanding, while on the other hand, the
Queen does not hesitate to sweep away anyone who does not see
Marika’s Hammer
[58B]
things her way and immediately deems them as an enemy; Radagon is
faithful both in love and in faith, so much so that he reluctantly leaves
Rennala but leaves her with nothing less than the Rune that gave him
form, and he would remember her through the Golden Order
Greatsword[62A] (in fact, "It is said to bear the likeness of a great sword
presented to him by his first wife, Lenala [Rennala]": as we well know, it
was tradition for Carian princesses to give a sword as dowry[63], which
will indeed happen to us if we decide to become the groom or bride of
Ranni; the same tradition Radagon fulfills for his new Queen), while the
Goddess does not falter for a second to send Godfrey overseas and to
reunite, even sentimentally, with her "other half"; Marika is volatile in
[60] 黄金樹は、すべてを律する。選ぶがよい
her mental health and acts impulsively, while Radagon maintains
reason, wants to keep the Order as it was and tries to repair the
我らの律の一部となるか？それとも律の外にあり… mistake of his second wife. In short, it is clear that there is some
何の力も持たぬ、辺境の傍流となるか distance between the two, but it seems to be somewhat reconciled by
the marriage itself, as we have no evidence to the contrary. Of course,
Marika wants to remind us (and Radagon) of the champion's role when
she calls him "dog of the Golden Law", emphasizing that the Queen is
the one who commands the two. Furthermore, the title he is often
 85 86

designated, "Consort King" (王配 ōhai), really exists and indicates the Now the question is: did Radagon take offense? Although the answer
sovereign of a kingdom who has assumed the position after the death may be obvious, we have no idea. Nothing in the game suggests that
or abdication of the previous king but is not part of the royal family there was animosity between the two: even the divine missions, which
(that is, he comes from another kingdom): in political terms, this meant Soreseals [64] and Scarseals [65] were given directly by the goddess, at a
that the consort king had less weight than the reigning queen and could certain point began to be bestowed by Radagon himself, evidently with
not make significant decisions in the conduct of government alone; this a joint decision or at least Marika's consent; in the Lands Between,
is evidence that the wife dictated the law at home (a bit like it happens churches are being built in honor of the Consort King, including the
to all of us). Church of Pilgrimage, suggesting that Radagon created this type of
veneration or at least made it official; the very presence of the Golden
Order Fundamentalism alongside the cult of the Erdtree among the
faithful is proof that two different ideas - which, however, come from
the same source (the Golden Order) - can live in harmony with each
[62A] そこには、最初の妻レナラから贈られた
other, without one pursuing or clashing with the other.
大剣の面影があるという

[64] Marika’s Soreseal

歴代のカーリア女王たちが

その伴侶に贈るという月の大剣

「伝説の武器」のひとつ
[63]

"One of the 'Legendary Weapons' is the

Moon Greatsword, said to be gifted by
successive queen regnants of Carlia [Caria]
to their partners."

Radagon’s Scarseal
[65]
 87 88

How such an important piece of the lore, being the Golden Order THE FUNDAMENTALISM OF THE
Greatsword, is found in a nameless and meaningless cave in the
Consecrated Snowfields wielded by a Leonine Misbigotten? Probably, GOLDEN ORDER
the creature stole it. Within the Frigid Outskirts Snowfield, there are two
The Fundamentalism of the Golden Order is a doctrine, a branch of the
carriages pulled by Trolls, and inside the crates they transport are the
faith of the Erdtree, presumably founded by Radagon (as suggested by
Saint Trina’s Torch [66] and the Flowing Curved Sword [67]: the former is
the description of the Golden Order Greatsword [62B]), which aimed to
linked to Miquella's eponymous female alter ego, while the latter was
study the founding rules of the Golden Order.
likely the weapon of Malenia's sword master; both items are linked to
the prodigious twins. The fact that these precious objects were being As we explained earlier, Radagon is a sort of scientist, thanks to his stay
transported in caravans in the area where the access to the Sacred Tree among the upper ranks of the Carian monarchy, and Fundamentalism
resides, may indicate that they were supposed to be taken to Elphael, is nothing more than a conjunction of the scientific study methods
where they would have likely been kept safe; it is therefore deducible learned in the Academy of Raya Lucaria and the Carian Mansions, and
that the Golden Order's Greatsword was among them. Perhaps the the almost infinite power of the Leyndell Golden Tree cult.
weapon was retrieved in time by Miquella, before the other demigods
For this reason, the Japanese description of the Golden Order Seal [68A]
got their hands on it, and apparently a chimera still managed to steal it.
tells us that "Fundamentalism is both scholarship and faith".
But this is just a theory.
[62B] エルデンリングを模した光の大剣

黄金律原理主義を掲げた王配ラダゴンが
[66] The Saint Trina’s Torch
象徴として鍛え上げた「伝説の武器」のひとつ

"A greatsword of light modeled after

Elden Ring. One of the 'Legendary
Weapons' forged by King Consort
Radagon, who upheld the principle of
Golden Order as a symbol."

The Flowing Curved Sword

[67]

原理主義は、すなわち学問でもあり
[68A]
 89 90

It may seem strange to compare Fundamentalism to a kind of scientific The Prayerbook of the Golden Order Incantations [70] itself
branch, as the Oxford Dictionary definition of "fundamentalism" (called "Golden Rule doctrine", or "Principles of the Golden Rule", in
defines it as "The practice of following very strictly the basic rules and Japanese) is described as "The Prayer Book of Golden Rule Principle, a
teachings of any religion", which is the quintessential anti-scientific difficult academic book that records the fundamental theory", and the
attitude. And indeed, what we see with D and Corhyn is not far from this Pulley Bow [71] ("A longbow that combines a pulley and spring
interpretation: the two NPCs are faithful to the principles of the Golden mechanism. The highly advanced mechanics and complex design were
Order. created by a genius who studied the doctrine of the Golden Rule")
mentions notions such as design and mechanics, which have nothing to
However, Fundamentalism was likely not founded with this dogmatic
do with conservatism and dogmatism. It is no coincidence that all the
spirit (and maybe with a different name too: naming it this way could
Golden Order Incantations require both with Faith and Intelligence
be a method to recognize the difference between this school of spells
(with Law of Causality and Law of Regression requiring only INT), as
among the others, given that no NPC ever mentions the name
stated in the last paragraph of the Golden Order Seal [68B].
"Fundamentalism of the Golden Order"): this is evident from the
outrage that Goldmask feels towards the hunters of Those Who Live in
Death: according to the original description of Order Healing [69],
[70] 黄金律原理主義の祈祷書
"The Golden Masked Lord greatly lamented the hunters. It is very
easy for scholarship to become fanaticism. Foolish good people only その根幹たる理論の記された難解な学術書

desire absolute evil. Is that what the principle of the Golden Rule is?".

滑車とばねを組み合わせた長弓

高度な力学、数学による複雑な機構は

[69] 金仮面卿は、狩人たちを大いに嘆いた [71]

黄金律原理主義に学んだ、ある天才の作という

学問が狂信に変わるのは、実に簡単だ

愚かな善人どもは、ただ絶対悪が欲しいのだから

そんなものが、律の原理であるものか
[68B] 原理主義は、すなわち学問でもあり

"Both intelligence and faith serve [are needed]

to correct [to correctly perform the] prayer"
 91 92

Rather than the absolute observation of precepts, here with So, it can be interpreted in different ways, given that in Japanese the
"Fundamentalism," we mean the study of the literal "foundations" of subject is often implied, left out or left unspoken: it depends on the
the Golden Order, at least in its original intentions; an element of the context. The absence of the subject is not necessarily replaced with "I";
lore that cannot fail to evoke the image of the intellectuals of the it can be inferred from the verb ending or particles used in the sentence.
Lutheran reform period (16th century), who were largely men who Specifically, in "黄金律の探究を、ここに宣言する" the subject is not
studied Theology - or were pastors themselves - and approached the explicitly written, so it can be interpreted as "I declare" or "We declare",
big questions of life through a new and more open-minded faith and depending on the given context. Looking at this sentence only from the
putting into logical practice the laws of God; the reference (like much lexical point of view and without any further information, it is
else belonging to Western culture in the game) is almost obvious. And impossible to determine who the subject is, and whether it is singular
just as in that case, Fundamentalism aimed to explain the natural laws or plural. However, we have some further context to give, but in order
of the Golden Order through the scientific method, so that everyone to accomplish this we need to answer a crucial question: Marika and
could understand the internal functioning of their faith. Such is the Radagon share the same body, or are they separate? It is certain that
message that emerges also with the echoes of Marika within the Minor at the beginning they were separate, since Radagon was alone in
Erdtree Church [72], or perhaps it is Radagon speaking? Or, even both Liurnia for quite some time and the echoes of the Queen in the First
simultaneously? After all, the Japanese translation of the Church of Marika [73] state: "Warriors. My king, Godfrey. You have fought
aforementioned dialogue, "[subject] declare [poss. pronoun] pursuit of well, following my guidance, to reach this point. At that summit, let us
the Golden Rule here. Knowing the rightness that ought to be will destroy the giants, seal the fire. And then, let us begin. The era of shining
strengthen our faith and our blessings. The days of blind faith in our life. Raise the Elden Ring and our Golden Age shall begin!", as if she were
happy childhood are over. Comrades, what hesitation is necessary?" physically speaking in front of them; furthermore, the Japanese
never explicitly states the subject speaking. description of the One-Eyed Shield [74] reads: "That is the evil god that
was once worshipped by the giants, and it is said that Queen Marika
defeated and vanquished it", suggesting the presence of the Goddess in
the war (keep in mind that both descriptions don’t explicitly state that
Marika was there, both could be talking about metaphors or her
presence through Grace, we have no way to know for certain the
correct interpretation).
[73] 戦士たちよ。我が王、ゴッドフレイよ
[72] 黄金律の探究を、ここに宣言する
導きに従い、よくここまで戦ってくれた
あるべき正しさを知ることが、我らの信仰を、祝福を強くする
あの頂きに、巨人たちを打ち滅ぼし、火を封じよう
幸せな幼き日々、盲信の時代は終わる
そして、はじめようじゃないか。輝ける生命の時代を
同志よ、何の躊躇が必要だろうか！
エルデンリングを掲げ、我ら黄金樹の時代を！
 93 94

the latter is "Regression is the attractive force of meaning by which all

things tend to converge towards the immutable"; It refers to the idea
that everything in the world goes through cycles of birth, growth,
decline, and death, and then returns to its original state, only to begin
[74] それは、女王マリカが討ち取ったとされる the cycle again; This principle is often associated with the Buddhist
concept of samsara, which refers to the endless cycle of birth, death,
かつて巨人たちが祀った悪神である
and rebirth that all living beings are believed to go through (in
Japanese philosophy, the principle of regressivity is seen as a
fundamental aspect of the universe and of human existence, and it is
However, it is very likely that upon Radagon's return to the Capital, the often used to describe the cyclical nature of history and the human
two joined together in the same body, as a sculptor managed to experience). These two concepts demonstrate how Marika's Golden
uncover Radagon's secret and hid it in his statue in Leyndell. Or perhaps Order works: a static natural order where the cycle of existence runs
the union occurred just before the shattering of the Elden Ring, in a perpetually and everything is held together by the cause-and-effect
final desperate attempt by the Ring itself to "reunite the pieces it had law, without any way to interrupt this golden machine.
at hand", although this seems like a less likely option. Therefore, now
that we have found a possible answer to our mystery, the dialogue at
the Minor Erdtree Church may have been spoken indistinctively by
Marika or Radagon, but the way it is written suggests that the two were
already united in the same body when it was spoken, something that [75] 回帰とは 万物が不易に収斂しようとする、意味の引力である
was unfortunately lost in the English adaptation.
Returning to the core of the chapter, the two "key fundamentals" of the
Golden Order, according to the Fundamentalists' studies, are the Law of
Causality [75] (因果性原理 principle of cause-and-effect) and the Law of
Regression [76] (回帰性原理 principle of recurrence): the former is
"Causality is the attractive force of meaning, which interconnects all
things into a chain of relationships"; it refers to the idea that every event
or phenomenon has a cause-and-effect relationship: in other words,
everything that happens has a reason behind it, and every action has a
consequence (this principle exists in the real world too, and, not
coincidentally, is widely accepted and applied in various fields, 因果とは万物を関係性の連環となす、意味間の引力である
[76]
including science, philosophy, and law);
 95 96

But then, what is Radagon’s position? If he created the But why does it attack us first? Shouldn't it be happy, since we are
Fundamentalism, wasn't he also a fanatic of the Golden Order? trying to "fix" it? It is important to remember that it is still a wounded
beast, as evidenced by the tear on its belly (a probable physical
No, he wasn't. Let us remember that loyalty to the Golden Order does
transposition of the shattering of the Elden Ring caused by Marika's
not necessarily mean religious fanaticism. Moreover, as some fans of
Hammer blows). Certainly, we can't just go in there and expect to
the community see Radagon as a devout follower of the Order, nothing
interact with it freely; first, it needs to be "calmed down" or, in our case,
in the game suggests a hypothetical fanatical streak. As explained
"tamed", just like you would normally do with a wounded and unruly
before, the title of "dog of the Golden Law" that Marika uses to describe
animal. It's no coincidence that before leaving Radagon, the beast takes
him does not refer to his extreme devotion, but rather to his position
refuge in his body, using it as a shell and as protection against our
in the hierarchy established by the Queen herself. Moreover, as
attacks. In fact, the sound effect that our strikes make when they hit the
discussed earlier, the Fundamentalism of the Golden Order that he
Final Boss is very similar to the sound of breaking glass, underscoring
represents and supports is the complete opposite of a fanatical current.
the Elden Beast's state of fragility and therefore explaining how we can
Therefore, there is no evidence that Radagon was a fervent supporter
even hope to defeat a being that normally would be out of any possible
of the Golden Order, let alone of the Greater Will (which, just to point it
conception of power, to use an euphemism. As we said at the very
out, is never even mentioned by a faithful like Corhyn, in any of his
beginning of this document, this is very similar to what happens at the
dialogues). Why does Radagon use only his Faith-based powers in the
end of Dark Souls 3, the fight against the incarnation of world’s Order
Final Battle? Because what we fight, as already mentioned before, is not
itself, which became so weak that we can now dare to try to vanquish.
Radagon himself, but the Elden Beast/Elden Ring which uses the corpse
of the God as a shell, only to show itself at the start of the second phase
and turn the lifeless body of the former Lord into its sword.