Well, I'm a sucker for cursed treasure in stories, what can I say?
Though it does raise an interesting point, and one I've always had a certain fondness for as a bit of fanon - it seems like every Shardbearer leaves their own mark on their Shard of the Elden Ring. Radahn's burns to purge the Scarlet Rot, Malenia's is clearly somewhat affected by the Rot, Mohg's is explicitly corrupted by blood, Morgott's is utterly focused on just making him as enduring as possible, Rykard's is very... snake-y, and does stuff similar to things associated with the Great Serpent.... so what does Godrick's do?
I've always liked to think that one of the reasons everyone points you to Godrick first is that getting that Rune makes you an inheritor to all his ambition, and his sheer undiluted scrappiness. Claiming that Rune makes you exactly the kind of Tarnished to go for the full set, not content with sitting around owning a castle doing nothing with your newfound power.
It's silly, but it was an idea I entertained for a little bit.
Ah, fair point - I suppose it's a few things stacked on top of each other. The guy was double-tapped at point-blank range with a pistol, after having exhausted himself on Margit, a castle, Telavis, and Godrick.
In the end, the guy can take an insane beating and has crazy stamina, but a pulverised brain just kills you dead.
Oh, Giantsflame and the Fell God are... well, very interconnected. Hard to say if there's anything else going on. But it seems like the unextinguishable fire in the Forge of the Giants is the biggest physical manifestation of that fell god, like the Lake of Rot for the Scarlet Rot. Maybe just an emanation of it, maybe it's the god's actual body, or maybe it's something else entirely.
Stuff with the giants is complicated by the lack of stuff said about them.
To clarify - just taking a break for my usual weekend, doing chapters on Monday and Tuesday as usual, then nothing from Wednesday until Monday the week after. Just a matter of work being busier.
As for fic recommendations... hm. Well, fanfic, I'd recommend An Imago of Rust and Crimson by EarthScorpion, which kinda got me into the idea of writing fanfiction in the first place. Kind of a fusion between Worm (albeit a very cyberpunk-y AU) and World of Darkness, particularly Mage the Awakening. But it's really not necessary to know the latter system, it's all broken down and introduced very well, nothing too overcomplicated. Heard very good things about Tilt by StoneAgeFantasy - though I've only read the first chunk. Unpowered Taylor tries to join the Wards because they pay well. Very funny.
As for regular-ass fiction, there are two books that just did good things for me that spring to mind immediately: Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake, which is honestly a massive influence on my own writing. Seriously, I've just ripped him off wholesale for one or two things, I really like his writing. And... well, non-fiction, but Hunter S. Thompson's 'Hells Angels, a Strange and Terrible Saga'. Which is this long bit of journalism on the Hells Angels motorcycle club, back when they were first getting famous. The other fic I write, Russian Caravan, has a massive biker gang as a major player entirely because I really got into that book. Arguably too much.
Good point about Telavis.
Now, a little bit of insight into some old plans - I thought about just making Telavis die permanently. Big sacrifice moment. But... well, I don't like killing off characters until I've had my fun with them, and Telavis still has a bit of mileage left in him, especially given some other important Crucible Knights wandering around.
So, just before I get the proper explanation laid out in-story: Crucible Knights, as mentioned earlier on, are very, very old, and are constantly warring with their own chaotic connection to the Crucible. Sometimes they fail, and just become slavering animals which cast aside all trappings of civilisation, abandon their armour, and go on their own way. Probably look similar to Misbegotten. Death is a test for them - if they don't have something to hold onto, they just... degenerate. Death gives them nothing to focus on but the Crucible, they need a solid anchor to stay stable. In-game, we fight Crucible Knights locked away for years, who just want a final fight to remember, or who have their duties eroded by constant entropy.
But yeah, Crucible Knights can come back, it's just trickier for them than most, and the longer they live the harder it becomes.
Oh, glad you're enjoying things! And the Angharad art is sweet as all hell - can't go wrong with a mad fantasy Welsh meth-head.
Well, I must say, the whole mechanics of Seluvis's puppetry are... interesting. I mean, he hijacks fate. Pretty bizarre, as puppetry methods go. But Pidia gets killed by his own puppets as well... and by installing a new mind into one of his puppets, it just breaks free immediately in Sellen's case... well, there should be some wiggle room for them to recover. Should be.
Well... thing is, Placidusax uses golden fire, like the Elden Beast does. And dragon worship is apparently completely compatible with the Greater Will's worship.
My interpretation is more about the progression of civilisation, the evolution of a species, the movement of order with it. I won't go into it too much here, given that it's... well, this is stuff about the Greater Will that Taylor will need to discover, so talking about it here would be a bit redundant. But I do have a thing to work Placidusax into the whole system. And, indeed, give him a role of sorts.
In a much more serious voice: FULL-MENTAL ALCHEMIST.
Well ain't that radical.
Now I know why I'm stealing the things, at least. I was just doing it out of obligation, but now I can finally afford food.
Thank you, kindly stranger.
Oh, Seluvis is going to get clapped. I can assure you of that much. There will be clapping, and it won't be congratulatory in nature.
And as far as arrivals from Earth Bet go... well, I only have a few in mind. Might add more as the situation demands. But you'll find out about which one had a run-in with the Ancestral Followers next chapter.
And this is why the lift is sealed. Because Morgott has enough problems without a shantytown of Tarnished waiting to shank the latest shardbearer.
Does kinda explain why in-game you don't see any major concentrations of Tarnished outside of the Roundtable Hold (where you literally cannot fight people) and the Volcano Manor (similar deal, and they're all Recusants sworn to a giant snake). The worst thing in the world for a predator is its own kind - because they're all competing for the same food source.
Not just leaving Runes, you're leaving an incredibly rare resource which comes from the damn stars.
The Tarnished is evidently honest to a fault.
It's one thing I like about canon Taylor - she's a bit of a dumbass. Wonderful at improvisation. Terrible when trying to be a normal human being, and terrible with long-term planning. And once she's made a mistake she'll triple down on it until people stop questioning her.
Makes her believable as a teenaged character, honestly. That and thinking 'mucho cred'. Or the Gregnancy thought, which I will never forget no matter how I try.
No, Taylor, no-one has ever thought 'that was the worst thing he could have said, except for 'I've eaten one of your hairs and am now pregnant with your child'. Taylor is the kind of person to canonically think about Greg mpreg fic.
She's a teenager. And it's funny to me.
To clarify, I'm fine. But my current job lasts until late 2024, when I head back to the UK and start hunting for a job there instead.
And there's absolutely no guarantee that I'll have the time needed to keep writing fanfic at that point. I'm kinda resigned to it, so unless I feel absolutely confident that I can keep writing regularly back home, I'll just cut things off on my own terms, instead of reducing my output to a disappointing trickle which tapers off like underwhelming flatulence.
So yeah, part of the reason I write as much as I do. Only going to be able to do so much before it becomes increasingly impractical to write.
FAQs
Can you meet Queen Marika in Elden Ring? ›
Players never really get to interact with her in the game, even once they get inside the Erdtree and see her. The way to find out things about Marika is instead through listening carefully to other characters, reading gear descriptions, and exploring the Lands Between while connecting the dots given.
What did Queen Marika want? ›As an Empyrean, she was gifted a shadow, her half-brother Maliketh. Desiring a world free of Destined Death, she removed the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring, and had her shadow Maliketh guard it, thus establishing the Golden Order.
Why did Marika shatter the Elden Ring? ›However, the death of Godwyn was incomplete, and his revive became impossible. Marika was in such a stalemate and shattered the Elden Ring as a last resort to end the Golden Order. Looking a little deeper, Marika shattered the Elden Ring in order to extract the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince from Marika herself.
Who is Queen Marika? ›Queen Marika is a background character in Elden Ring. Queen Marika the Eternal is the current ruler of the Lands Between, and the one who shattered the Elden Ring. She has many powerful Demigod offspring, who seek the Elden Ring's remaining power.
What is the hardest boss in Elden Ring? ›The list is unsurprisingly topped by the infamously difficult Elden Ring boss Malenia, whose encounter was attempted some 329 million times, thus accounting for 5.5% of all in-game boss fights the players initiated to date.
Is Melina a demi god? ›A demigod who inherited a fragment of the shattered Elden Ring.
Is Marika the good guy? ›Queen Marika the Eternal is the main antagonist of the 2022 action-RPG video game, Elden Ring. She is an Empyrean that ascended to rule over the Lands Between, under the Greater Will.
Is Ranni good or bad? ›Julianna Swickard of CBR also debated whether Ranni was good or evil, arriving at the conclusion that while she was morally grey as a character, her ending was the "best possible outcome" of all the game's endings.
Does the player marry Marika? ›By following in Godfrey's footsteps in Elden Ring, becoming Elden Lord, the player essentially becomes Marika's new consort, ruling the Lands Between in her name.
Is Ranni a god? ›She is a four-armed witch that happens to be the demigod daughter of Radagon and Rennala, making her the sister of Radahn and Rykard. Interestingly enough, she also happens to be an Empyrean, in spite of not being born from a single god.
Is Miquella still alive? ›
Mohg wished to have Miquella elevated to godhood with himself as Miquella's consort. However, regardless of how much blood Mohg tried to share with Miquella, Miquella does not respond to Mohg. From a lore perspective, Sir Gideon Ofnir has confirmed that Miquella is alive because one needs to be alive to slumber.
Does Melina betray Elden Ring? ›There's a way to do this after Melina sacrifices herself, but those who pursue the Three Fingers so Melina does not die will betray her trust. She will beg players not to seek out the Frenzied Flame, and she'll leave their side if they do.
Is Radagon actually Marika? ›In doing so, he discovered a secret - that Radagon is Marika. This secret was hidden within the statue, and is revealed by casting Law of Regression in front of it, causing the statue's form to change from Radagon to Marika. Radagon and Marika would go on to have twins: Malenia and Miquella.
How many husbands did Marika have? ›| Marika Rökk | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1930–1986 |
| Spouses | Georg Jacoby ( m. 1940; died 1964) Fred Raul ( m. 1968; died 1985) |
| Children | Gabriele Jacoby |
During her reign, Queen Marika the Eternal bore at least eight children. One of these was Ranni. Even among Marika's other demigod children, Ranni was special. She was an Empyrean—a person chosen by the greater will that had the potential to replace Marika as God-Queen of The Lands Between.
What is the saddest boss fight in Elden Ring? ›Mad Pumpkin Head. He's certainly one of the most obscure boss fights in Elden Ring when it comes to scope, but that's part of why the Mad Pumpkin Head is such a depressing character. There's more than one in the game, with one of them being in the Waypoint Ruins Cellar before reaching the sorceress Sellen.
What is Melania weak to? ›Malenia and her half-brother Radahn would eventually be the last two demigods left standing in the conflict. Their forces clashed in the Caelid Wilds, and the two fought a bitter duel for supremacy. In the midst of the combat with Radahn, the Scarlet Rot was unleashed by Malenia, resulting in her first bloom.
Is Melina a black blade? ›Razhork states that Melina's weapon is a modified Black Knife, but what is more likely is that the Black Knives were originally Blades of Calling before coming into contact with the Rune of Death.
Is Ranni the strongest demigod? ›Still, if Ranni was always the intangible, one-shotting demigod she is in Elden Ring, then she may very well be more powerful than Radahn and Malenia combined. In that instance, she's more than worthy of being considered the strongest demigod in the game.
Who is the evilest character in Elden Ring? ›
The worst of the demigods is Mohg, the Lord of Blood, because of how truly monstrous his selfish desires are. Mohg is motivated by his very specific wish to become the consort of a god, much as his father Godfrey was to Marika.
Who is the bad guy in Elden Ring? ›Radagon is a major antagonist of the 2022 video game, Elden Ring.
Who killed Godwyn? ›Godwyn the Golden was a demigod and son of Queen Marika the Eternal and Godfrey, First Elden Lord. In the "Night of the Black Knives" he was murdered by the Black Knife Assassins with the use of daggers imbued with the Rune of Death.
Is Marrying Ranni a good ending? ›Elden Ring has six endings, and Ranni's Age of Stars is the only true “good” ending, as it leaves The Lands Between better than it was found.
Does Ranni killed Godwyn? ›The reason Ranni had Godwyn killed was for a ritual. She wanted to destroy her body but preserve her soul in a doll. This way, she could escape her destiny and not be bound by the whims of the Greater Will like the rest of her family. It was this act that really made the plot of Elden Ring begin.
What do you get for killing Ranni? ›After Ranni vanishes, an item will appear where she once stood. Loot the item to acquire the Dark Moon Greatsword.
Do Marika and Radagon share a body? ›Having Two Souls and Minds in a Body
In summarize, Marika and Radagon is the same person but have two personalities. To use expressions fitting the world view of Elden Ring, Marika and Radagon have two souls and two minds in a body.
Godfrey was the first Elden Lord and husband of Queen Marika the Eternal. He was a mortal hero of legendary prowess who would become first of the demigods, but after achieving his crowning victory, he lost his grace. He was then exiled from the Lands Between and became the very first Tarnished.
Why did Marika create tarnished? ›It seems the reason Marika made him the first Tarnished was because he knew she planned to betray the Greater Will.
Are Radahn and Ranni related? ›Radahn was born the son of Radagon, a champion of the Erdtree, and Queen Rennala, head of both the Carian Royal Family and Academy of Raya Lucaria. He had two siblings, Rykard and Ranni.
Why does Rani have 4 arms? ›
With an inspection, Snow Witch Set armor that the doll wear, explains why the doll was modeled after the Snow Witch herself! It is also a powerful magic user and Ranni's secret mentor. The probable answer could be that the Snow Witch herself had four arms therefore Ranni's limbs are also four in number.
Is Maliketh a demi god? ›Other Members Of The Demigod Family
Maliketh is a half-wolf and is Marika's half-brother. According to the lore, he was incredibly loyal to Marika and was her sworn shadow much like Blaidd is to Ranni. He was put in charge of the Rune of Death, which would later have traces stolen by Ranni.
Her body was infected by the scarlet rot which caused cracks to appear on various parts of her body. The rot infested Malenia's eyes, leaving her permanently blind.
Why is Miquella in an egg? ›Miquella is actually supposed to stay hidden in his cocoon for the duration of Elden Ring's story. Miquella has locked himself within that self-made prison in the hope it will allow him to age. Both he and Malenia, a character some players will know very well, have been cursed to stay young forever.
Do you ever meet Miquella? ›Though players never see Miquella and very little is explained about him, his power and presence greatly influence the events of Elden Ring. Elden Ring features many NPCs and characters who help propagate the game's story and explain the lore of the Lands Between both before and during the events of the Shattering.
What kills Melina Elden Ring? ›Strategies for Beating Malenia
The Bloodhound's Step Ash of War is ridiculously good against Malenia as it lets players phase through her rapid moveset with ease, including the dreaded Waterfowl Dance. It's well worth respeccing to use this Ash of War when having a lot of trouble against this boss.
Someone Beat Elden Ring Without Talking To Any NPCs And It's Harder Than You Think. It turns out that you can avoid taking to Melina and lose out on so manty things in the process. We're way past the difficulty curve and Elden Ring is being beaten in every possible way.
What happens if you reject Melina? ›What happens if you refuse Melina in Elden Ring. Refusing Melina's offer in Elden Ring will block your progression in the game. Accepting her offer is the only way to level up in the game, and she's the one who will give you the key item Spectral Steed Whistle, which you can use to summon Elden Ring's horse Torrent.
Who is Radagon's wife? ›Radagon is a tall, fractured god wielding the hammer that shattered the Elden Ring, and is found in the Elden Throne. He was previously married to Rennala, but became Queen Marika's consort after Godfrey was exiled from the Lands Between.
Is Radahn related to Marika? ›Marika and Radagon's Background
Radagon is her second spouse and Elden Lord, a red-headed champion who mastered magic and incantations. All of this is well known and communicated to players early on, but what is less well known is the fact that Radagon and Marika are one and the same.
How powerful was Marika? ›
Although she is never fought, people speak much of Marika's power in the game. Furthermore, she has the power to shatter the Elden Ring itself, rending the laws that govern reality with her might.
Is Malekith Marikas brother? ›Background. Maliketh was the half-brother of Queen Marika the Eternal, a Numen empyrean who would ascend to godhood as the vessel of the Elden Ring. Maliketh was her sworn shadow, and was unquestionably loyal. On her behalf, he fought the Gloam-Eyed Queen, another empyrean, and sealed away the power of her Black Flame.
Is Godric related to Marika? ›Godrick was a scion of the Golden Lineage, tracing his descent from Queen Marika the Eternal and the first Elden Lord, Godfrey.
Is Godric the son of Marika? ›It is implied that Godrick is not actually a direct child of Godfrey and Marika, but instead a descendant as he is described by many to have a "distant relation" with "diluted blood." He also refers Godfrey and his lineage as his forefathers.
Does Melina open her eye? ›Elden Ring: Melina's Eyes
So too does Ranni the Snow Witch, and they each have a different eye closed. Melina will open her eye and reveal a dusky and murky dark blue, which many connect to the Gloam-Eyed Queen, under certain constants in the Lord of Frenzied Flame Ending.
Originally known as Lunar Princess Ranni, she was the daughter of Radagon, a champion of the Golden Order, and Queen Rennala, head of both the Carian Royal Family and the Academy of Raya Lucaria. She had two older brothers, Radahn and Rykard.
Is Melina and Malenia the same? ›Melina and Ranni are NPCs in Elden Ring, whereas Malenia is a boss, arguably the most challenging. Melina is the first to meet Elden Ring players in Limgrave and frequently appears when resting at sites of grace.
Where can I meet Marika Elden Ring? ›First Church of Marika is a Location in Elden Ring. The First Church of Marika is found in Mountaintops of the Giants, on the elevated ground of the frozen north-east lake.
Where are the Marika in Elden Ring? ›Elden Ring has four Churches of Marika, which are useful to find for their Sites of Grace and items such as Sacred Tears. These ruined churches can be found in Limgrave, the Altus Plateau, and the Mountaintops of the Giants.
How do you get the state of Marika Elden Ring? ›Stakes of Marika are statues usually found in locations where many enemies are present or just before boss doors. They serve as respawn points. Other useful statues found throughout the Lands Between include Effigies of the Martyr and Rebirth Monuments.
What happens if you touch Queen Marika? ›
Once you defeat the Elden Beast and touch Marika, you'll have the option to use the Mending Rune of Perfect Order to repair the Elden Ring. Select it to earn the Age of Order ending.
Is Marika good or bad? ›Queen Marika the Eternal is the main antagonist of the 2022 action-RPG video game, Elden Ring. She is an Empyrean that ascended to rule over the Lands Between, under the Greater Will.
Does the Elden Lord marry Marika? ›Marika was married to the first Elden Lord, Godfrey, but when he became Tarnished and subsequently exiled from the Lands Between, she took a new husband — Radagon. She married herself.
Is ranni a god? ›She is a four-armed witch that happens to be the demigod daughter of Radagon and Rennala, making her the sister of Radahn and Rykard. Interestingly enough, she also happens to be an Empyrean, in spite of not being born from a single god.
Was Godfrey married to Marika? ›Godfrey was the first Elden Lord and husband of Queen Marika the Eternal. He was a mortal hero of legendary prowess who would become first of the demigods, but after achieving his crowning victory, he lost his grace. He was then exiled from the Lands Between and became the very first Tarnished.
Is Marika a male or female Elden Ring? ›Elden Ring: Queen Marika and the Elden Ring
Marika is from the lands of the Numen, who—at least from what can be seen in Elden Ring—are all women. She's also an Empyrean, which means that she has the ability to become a God with the help of an Outer God.
Marika's Soreseal is found in the end-game area Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree. To get here in the first place, players must go to the Consecrated Snowfield after completing the Secret Haligtree Medallion, then head to the northernmost point to find a town trapped in an Evergaol.
What happens if you touch broken Marika Elden Ring? ›Elden Ring Melina ending
Once you've defeated the Elden Beast, walk over and touch Fractured Marika, choosing the option to mend the ring. The Tarnished will become Elden Lord and sit upon the throne.
What happens if you refuse Melina in Elden Ring. Refusing Melina's offer in Elden Ring will block your progression in the game. Accepting her offer is the only way to level up in the game, and she's the one who will give you the key item Spectral Steed Whistle, which you can use to summon Elden Ring's horse Torrent.
What is the hardest ending in Elden Ring? ›The most difficult ending to achieve in Elden Ring is the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending. To get this ending you need to undertake a pretty obtuse and esoteric quest, meaning you might not ever come across it over the course of your standard play.
Can you beat Elden Ring without Melina? ›
You may think this sounds easy, that you'll just miss out on a couple of side quests and vendors, righ? Wrong. ymfah states that they will only talk to NPCs that are absolutely required to progress the main story, but they also show us early on in the video that talking to Melina is actually optional.