Your remarks about the meaning of the word “empyrean” meaning “the highest high, the brightest light” are most intriguing. I am reminded of a line the character Melisandre says in the _A Song of Ice and Fire_ series: “The brightest light casts the darkest shadow.” Soooo … what form _would_ Miquella’s shadow take? 🕯️👀 I like huge 8-course meals. I also like snacks. So, whether they’re long or short videos, your content is always tasty. 🫡😉 Thanks.
Much appreciated, regardless of length! I'm beginning to form a general theory for the DLC. We know a couple of things about Marika: 1. She arose to power by bestowing the blessed dew/sap of the Erdtree in the age of plenty. We see an alternate way of harvesting that golden sap in the shadow lands. This could be a strong motive for her to hide what's going on here from her followers. 2. Marika had her shadowbound beast seal away the rune of death, but seal it away where? Perhaps just within that jewel on his hand, but we know a piece of it was stolen from him. So he very well could've hidden it elsewhere before that. Maybe he and other shadow beasts are literally bound to the shadow lands and he originally saw them as the perfect place for the rune. This has some interesting implications. For one, maybe denizens of the shadow lands can die a true death. And with that, it begins to make a lot of sense why Miquella would devise a mission to travel there, since much of his plans revolve around letting Godwyn die. Stelas of him with the needle staff also show him surrounded by undead. Another implication is if he or the tarnished can find the rune of death in the shadow lands, would that affect the Maliketh fight in some way? There might have to be very limited interaction between the two lands to keep the base game story on its rails.
I think ‘Shadow’ is such a beautiful word in Elden Ring. So many interpretations, so many layers. I think, among most other examples, Shadow of The Erdtree is literally meant to represent Marika and Malikeths relationship. Marika using her *shadow* to lock something away. The Shadow Lands will be a reflection of this, where this ‘Land of Shadow’ is in the Shadow of The Lands Between (Marika’s kingdom) - meant to lock away the secrets of the Golden Order and Marika. What connects these themes and concepts is the Rune of Death (which is also referred to as a ‘Shadow’). I think the Rune of Death will connect the basegame’s lore and the DLC lore together, to reveal secrets of its removal - which would, in turn, probably shed light (pun intended) on some Gloam Eyed Queen & Godwyn lore. This next part is basically speculation, with no concrete evidence btw: but I personally think one of the secrets is that Marika is the Gloam queen (or atleast, the shadow aspect of Marika), given their polar-opposite iconography. I think it also reinforces Malikeths insanity, having to defeat Marika’s true identity, the Gloam Eyed Queen, and sealing this shadow aspect away. We know from Ranni’s quest that Birth-sworn shadowbeasts grow insane in the face of the “betrayal” of their empyreans
Hey LoreHunter, Thank you for the videos! They help me get through this long wait. I've started to think about those veils, in one picture where there's the hedgehog enemy, it looks like one of those veils reaches all the way to the moon. It would be incredibly cool if you could actually travel along that veil. But well, you never know. Thanks once again for the videos. :)
I really like this idea of taking concepts, theories and ideas that we were previously solid on, taking a second glance at it and trying to see if anything changes now that we have a bit more information from the trailer. Maybe going through items and dialogue containing the word “amber” could be next? I’ve been thinking about Rennala’s egg lately, namely, if it was made from the amber in the land of shadow and brought over
Someone on Reddit I can't remember their name pointed out that the snakes on the garb of the depraved perfumers shows either two smaller snakes or one two-headed snake similar to messmer's snake, which we all previously thought depicted the great serpent from rykard
I personally find short videos enjoyable since i can enjoy them in my typical work day, regardless we luv ya lore hunter!! Thank you for helping the wait be less agonizing 😂
Am I the only one who felt like shadows would randomly move over me while in the open world? Like there were clouds but when I looked it was just the tree with unwavering branches?
Food for thought and speculation. If Marika shadow os maliketh and he said himself she deceived him somehow , then why hasn't he attacked Marika then ? It's theory that Marika was questioning ot maybe outright goin against the greater will but her shadow never attacked her like bhalidd did running for instance. Idk maybe I'm getting it wrong tho😊
8:00 Vargram also wields the Godslayer Greatsword when you fight him as a part of the Volcano Manor quests. Could this imply that he wanted to be a Shadow of the Gloam-Eyed Queen, seeing as he’s wielding her very own sword?
It wouldn’t surprise me if Torrent turns out to be the Shadow of Miquella. From the beginning we knew that Torrent ‘chose’ us. Conveniently he is key to making sure we can get anywhere and everywhere (except where he seems to be unable to go - maybe lore reasons as well as mechanics?). He would be a convenient set of eyes and ears for one watching the Tarnished from afar. It would be interesting if Miquella had been watching us through Torrent all along as we made our way around the Lands Between.
Ranni and Melina not only acknowledge that Torrent is his own person but I feel like they also respect his choices, like he has some sort of authority in matters involving the tarnished he chooses. Melina questions whether you’re strong enough but she doesn’t object to it. If you attack Ranni, she comments on your behaviour but she accepts that this is what Torrent chose. He’s not the only intelligent animal in the land’s between but i’d say hes one of the few to earn the respect of _the demigods_. Him potentially being Miquella’s shadow bound beast connects a lot if dots here!
The first words spoken in Elden Ring are "The fallen leaves tell a story" and they have stuck with me all throughout my time thinking about the lore of the game. Those words seemed especially prescient when I came across the leaves/plants in the Eternal Cities. Many of the small bushes and trees look silvery, which lines up well with the theme of the areas but there are also many that are a deep black color. It seems to me that the black color was painted or something because you see black puddles all over the place and some of the flora is only partially covered in the stuff. There is definitely a story there but what could it be? The black substance was always an enigma to me but all this shadow business in the expansion makes me think that there might be a connection. What is the purpose of the black substance? Was it a failed attempt to further separate themselves from the Lands Between using some sort of "shadow?" Was it done by the Golden Order just because the plants were silver? Am I just crazy?
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Your remarks about the meaning of the word “empyrean” meaning “the highest high, the brightest light” are most intriguing. I am reminded of a line the character Melisandre says in the _A Song of Ice and Fire_ series: “The brightest light casts the darkest shadow.” Soooo … what form _would_ Miquella’s shadow take?
🕯️👀
I like huge 8-course meals. I also like snacks. So, whether they’re long or short videos, your content is always tasty. 🫡😉 Thanks.
Much appreciated, regardless of length!
I'm beginning to form a general theory for the DLC. We know a couple of things about Marika:
1. She arose to power by bestowing the blessed dew/sap of the Erdtree in the age of plenty. We see an alternate way of harvesting that golden sap in the shadow lands. This could be a strong motive for her to hide what's going on here from her followers.
2. Marika had her shadowbound beast seal away the rune of death, but seal it away where? Perhaps just within that jewel on his hand, but we know a piece of it was stolen from him. So he very well could've hidden it elsewhere before that. Maybe he and other shadow beasts are literally bound to the shadow lands and he originally saw them as the perfect place for the rune.
This has some interesting implications. For one, maybe denizens of the shadow lands can die a true death. And with that, it begins to make a lot of sense why Miquella would devise a mission to travel there, since much of his plans revolve around letting Godwyn die. Stelas of him with the needle staff also show him surrounded by undead.
Another implication is if he or the tarnished can find the rune of death in the shadow lands, would that affect the Maliketh fight in some way? There might have to be very limited interaction between the two lands to keep the base game story on its rails.
I think ‘Shadow’ is such a beautiful word in Elden Ring. So many interpretations, so many layers.
I think, among most other examples, Shadow of The Erdtree is literally meant to represent Marika and Malikeths relationship. Marika using her *shadow* to lock something away. The Shadow Lands will be a reflection of this, where this ‘Land of Shadow’ is in the Shadow of The Lands Between (Marika’s kingdom) - meant to lock away the secrets of the Golden Order and Marika.
What connects these themes and concepts is the Rune of Death (which is also referred to as a ‘Shadow’). I think the Rune of Death will connect the basegame’s lore and the DLC lore together, to reveal secrets of its removal - which would, in turn, probably shed light (pun intended) on some Gloam Eyed Queen & Godwyn lore.
This next part is basically speculation, with no concrete evidence btw: but I personally think one of the secrets is that Marika is the Gloam queen (or atleast, the shadow aspect of Marika), given their polar-opposite iconography. I think it also reinforces Malikeths insanity, having to defeat Marika’s true identity, the Gloam Eyed Queen, and sealing this shadow aspect away. We know from Ranni’s quest that Birth-sworn shadowbeasts grow insane in the face of the “betrayal” of their empyreans
Hey LoreHunter,
Thank you for the videos! They help me get through this long wait. I've started to think about those veils, in one picture where there's the hedgehog enemy, it looks like one of those veils reaches all the way to the moon. It would be incredibly cool if you could actually travel along that veil. But well, you never know. Thanks once again for the videos. :)
I really like this idea of taking concepts, theories and ideas that we were previously solid on, taking a second glance at it and trying to see if anything changes now that we have a bit more information from the trailer.
Maybe going through items and dialogue containing the word “amber” could be next? I’ve been thinking about Rennala’s egg lately, namely, if it was made from the amber in the land of shadow and brought over
Someone on Reddit I can't remember their name pointed out that the snakes on the garb of the depraved perfumers shows either two smaller snakes or one two-headed snake similar to messmer's snake, which we all previously thought depicted the great serpent from rykard
Oh yeah! Quelaag or Kosmos mentioned that as well.
I personally find short videos enjoyable since i can enjoy them in my typical work day, regardless we luv ya lore hunter!! Thank you for helping the wait be less agonizing 😂
Short videos, long videos aside, I'm here for the cardigan. ❤👕❤
the shadows are one with their counterpart, not just close or loyal, they are a part of them, I think blaidd sais this is some way
Am I the only one who felt like shadows would randomly move over me while in the open world? Like there were clouds but when I looked it was just the tree with unwavering branches?
If Malenia is not the shadow of Miquella, I hope to see them in the dlc
Lol. Melania is the sword of miquella. Lol.
For the Algorithm 😊
Bro looking like Frank Herbert.
Lol 😂
Food for thought and speculation. If Marika shadow os maliketh and he said himself she deceived him somehow , then why hasn't he attacked Marika then ? It's theory that Marika was questioning ot maybe outright goin against the greater will but her shadow never attacked her like bhalidd did running for instance. Idk maybe I'm getting it wrong tho😊
Do you think Godwynn will have some insane mind blowing part in this DLC?
He seems excluded from the trailer content.
Godwyns inclusion is tied to what you think Miquella’s motivation is
I like it when you make the videos.
8:00 Vargram also wields the Godslayer Greatsword when you fight him as a part of the Volcano Manor quests. Could this imply that he wanted to be a Shadow of the Gloam-Eyed Queen, seeing as he’s wielding her very own sword?
I literally heard this somewhere yesterday, that maybe he was being the shadow of the GEQ.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Torrent turns out to be the Shadow of Miquella. From the beginning we knew that Torrent ‘chose’ us. Conveniently he is key to making sure we can get anywhere and everywhere (except where he seems to be unable to go - maybe lore reasons as well as mechanics?). He would be a convenient set of eyes and ears for one watching the Tarnished from afar. It would be interesting if Miquella had been watching us through Torrent all along as we made our way around the Lands Between.
Ranni and Melina not only acknowledge that Torrent is his own person but I feel like they also respect his choices, like he has some sort of authority in matters involving the tarnished he chooses. Melina questions whether you’re strong enough but she doesn’t object to it. If you attack Ranni, she comments on your behaviour but she accepts that this is what Torrent chose.
He’s not the only intelligent animal in the land’s between but i’d say hes one of the few to earn the respect of _the demigods_. Him potentially being Miquella’s shadow bound beast connects a lot if dots here!
The ring gesture is like when you make eyes in shadows
I like videos.
1st
The first words spoken in Elden Ring are "The fallen leaves tell a story" and they have stuck with me all throughout my time thinking about the lore of the game. Those words seemed especially prescient when I came across the leaves/plants in the Eternal Cities. Many of the small bushes and trees look silvery, which lines up well with the theme of the areas but there are also many that are a deep black color. It seems to me that the black color was painted or something because you see black puddles all over the place and some of the flora is only partially covered in the stuff. There is definitely a story there but what could it be?
The black substance was always an enigma to me but all this shadow business in the expansion makes me think that there might be a connection. What is the purpose of the black substance? Was it a failed attempt to further separate themselves from the Lands Between using some sort of "shadow?" Was it done by the Golden Order just because the plants were silver? Am I just crazy?
Bless youuuuuuu !!! Longest 108 days of my life
HUNTER! FORGET THE TRAILER! REVIEW THE INVENTORY!!! PLEASE RE-EVALUATE EACH ITEM!
Fyi i just jumped into my level 149 and went to Staff of the Guilty and WWWWOOOOWWW.!
For context, LORE
For context Messmer+