Empyreans, Order, and the Universe Explained (Elden Ring Lore 1)
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- There will be more, if you like.
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Chapter Select -
Act One, Order
00:29 - Part 1: The Basis
10:34 - Part 2: "The Lore of Elden Ring"
Act Two, Empyreans
26:48 - Preface
30:46 - Part 3: Three Basic Facts
49:25 - Part 4: What's So Special About Empyreans
58:51 - Part 5: The Works of Marika
1:36:06 - Part 0: Radahn, Heartbreaker
1:40:58 - Part Dragon: Faram Azula's Destruction
1:53:06 - Part 6: Malenia, and a little of Miquella
2:05:53 - Part 7: The Indifference Between Yellow and Red
2:14:45 - Part 8: Ranni
2:23:44 - Part Chaos
Act Three, The Universe
2:27:20 - Preface
2:28:17 - Part 9: Magic
2:38:32 - Part 10: What the term 'Primeval Current' Means
2:46:50 - Part 11: Addendum to Part 1
2:51:46 - Part 12: The Physicalizing of Souls: Ghosts!!!
3:15:00 - Part 13: Runes
3:35:23 - Part 14: Blood
3:47:11 - Part 15: Grace
Contact the Author -
/ tlgtw
officialtlgtw@gmail.com
Article Retranslating Ranni's Dialogue -
www.frontlinej...
![SomeoneNamedDean - EldenRing SotE [Part 16: Taylew's forge, Messmer's door, Hornsent doom, a ladder]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uxKxKh0wzbw/mqdefault.jpg)
- CORRECTIONS -
"What Defines an Empyrean" - Has been corrected (among many other things) in Episode 3: ruclips.net/video/8joKFwKSji0/видео.htmlsi=RodxcKfJDW8Bes5Q
Consider the corrections written in this comment effectively outdated.
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How the game defines what an Empyrean is will be reviewed in Episode 2. While I believed the other relevant topics might as well be background noise, it was dense of me to not at least refer to that so-called 'background noise' to show that I hadn't simply forgotten about it. If you doubt my claims at the beginning of Part 3, I hope you will stick around for me to revisit the topic more properly.
For the sake of future ease, however, I have made a write-out to account for such 'background noise' here, as follows:
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1. Malenia's Remembrance states that due to being the children of a single god (As indicated by the use of "as such.") she and Miquella are both Empyreans. (You will also note the use of present tense, to describe this. That is to say; 'being the child of a single god' is not the circumstance that results in 'becoming' an Empyrean. It is the circumstance that is 'being an Empyrean.' This will prove its own relevance later.)
2. Due to something that is not directly named in the passage of the Remembrance itself, that is specifically not 'being the children of a single god.' (As indicated by the use of "but." Which is the opposite to words like 'and' or 'also,' and is not interchangeable with them.), Miquella and Malenia 'suffered afflictions from birth.'
3. Malenia's Great Rune, stating that the Twin Prodigies were born from Radagon and Marika reveals what this 'something' was that resulted in Miquella and Malenia's disabilities. How it does this is as explained in the video itself.
4. In Ainsel River, Ranni explains that only she, Miquella, and Malenia, were able to 'claim the title of Empyrean.' Because they were able to claim this title--which, to recall, was something that only those three were capable of doing, that after literally making herself 'unborn,' as it so happens, Ranni stops being capable of doing--the Two Fingers selected them as potential successors to Queen Marika, becoming the new god of the coming age. Malenia's Remembrance explains how the title of Empyrean is capable of being claimed.
Why being an Empyrean was considered preliminary to becoming the god to succeed Marika, and how Ranni was the only other demigod capable of claiming this title prior to the death of her body, are also both as covered in the video.
5. The word 'unambiguous' does not mean 'not confusing' or 'obvious.' When something is unambiguous, it means that it is not possible for more than one outcome to be true. The word 'objective,' does not mean 'most true,' or, 'better than subjective.' When something is objective, it means that it is something whose existence is not altered depending on the observer. In other words, 'objective' is when something physically exists. Combining these meanings together is how I am able to say that the information presented by Malenia's Remembrance; that 'being Empyrean' is 'being the child of a single god,' is objectively unambiguous. As in, "by *all* the evidence that is physically present within the game, there is currently depicted only one way to accomplish 'being an Empyrean.' Being the child of a single god."
Why am I specifying 'currently depicted' here? Because, in the exact context where it is correct to state "The woman in the Mona Lisa does not have feet." Is the exact same context from where this video states "there are no other ways to be an Empyrean." Obviously, you do not need me to justify the conclusion that below the legs of the woman in the Mona Lisa, she would have feet there. But, as is apparent, they are not physically depicted in the painting itself. From this perspective, the only thing that exists past the edges of the Mona Lisa are the walls of the Louvre. This exact same line is what's being used to separate what information this show can draw conclusions from, and what information this show can't draw conclusions froms.
As referred to in the video itself: 'Canon,' information that physically exists within that work of fiction. And 'headcanon,' information that exists, not physically, but mentally within the reader's head. (With it also being noticed that, since the meaning of 'canon' comes from the meaning of the word 'physical.' On account of something being 'physical' having no automatic connection to that thing's value. Something being 'canon' will have no automatic connection to that thing's value, either.)
For an example of this restriction in practice, this is how where I brought up thematic parallels that I consider relevant to explaining Elden Ring's story, like relating medieval Scholasticism to Golden Order Fundamentalism, I avoid using such information as any kind of evidence for anything else.
6. With the game in its current shape, prior to the release of any DLC, it is worth recalling that the mysterious circumstances of Marika's birth and the identity of the Gloam-Eyed Queen are, quite literally **plot holes.** They are, where a narrative element has been introduced, when the information that would connect that element to the rest of the story is not depicted.
As the conceit this series is written around would necessarily include that I can't use plot holes for evidence, either. Marika's origins, and the Gloam-Eyed Queen's identity, are not currently able to corroborate, or contradict, with anything. This game isn't done yet. We wait with baited breath for such info to eventually be released. But as of right now, they are literal missing pieces in the puzzle of Elden Ring's story.
7. What is the correct answer to the following questions:
In lieu of how relevant they are to the topic of Empyreans, is it in-fact unreasonable of me to *not* fill in those gaps myself, and then use that assumed information?
Is the likelihood that being Empyrean isn't *singularly* attached to the condition as stated by Malenia's Remembrance simply so high, that for me to purposely not acknowledge it is just ridiculous?
If you, the reader, think that it is, the correct answer to these questions is 'yes.'
If you, the reader, think that it is not, the correct answer to these questions is 'no.'
I will reiterate in no uncertain terms, again, that the perspective by which the conclusions presented in this video are made, do not in any way whatsoever exist 'above' or 'automatically better than' literally any other conceivable method of narrative interpretation for Elden Ring. Every single idea that will ever pertain to this game's story contains exactly the same amount of material truth as every single other. Which is 0. Because Elden Ring is a work of fiction.
The using of this canonically-constrained premise is not, and will not be, something that can ever make this series tangibly distinct from any other Elden Ring Lore-related content. That I've explicitly described this premise in the preface to Act 2 itself does not change this.
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It was a legitimately foolish decision of mine to have not gone into further detail about the first of the Three Basic facts in the video. I am sorry. A better review of this content, as well as my other mistakes in Episode 1, (cause, while nobody's mentioned it yet, I ended up making a really bad one.) will be presented in Episode 2.
4:09:52 - There are typos. The item descriptions shown here are the placeholders that I should have replaced with the descriptions of the Memory of Grace and one of the higher level Golden Rune items.
//Also, for the record: I am a woman. You will refer to me as 'she' and 'her.'
there are more than three endings. i understand the three u mean are ranni, chaos and lord. but why exclude the other endings?
@@gygaxthecat2448 There are no other endings. Mending the Elden Ring gives you the Elden Lord ending, of which there are just four variants, because the most meaningful part, that they all share, is that the Elden Ring itself was repaired.
Like in Mass Effect 3, although the colours may be different, the events themselves are identical in each. This is why the game only has achievements for 3 endings.
Not "wrong," but I've read everywhere else that a common theory states Selluvis himself appears to be a puppet of Pidia, as he takes the same pose as one when he dies, while your video comments them having a non-aggression pact iirc.
Can you do a segment disproving/rebutting the "Ranni's Great Rune is on the Moon" theory? I see this floating around forums like Reddit incessantly and no one ever gives any proof. It's always just "well there is something that kind of looks like a rune on the moon and Ranni always talks about the moon so...proven"
@@AscendFromDarkness97 At the end of the day, that's no different than what my video is doing. People who like that theory are simply aiming at a different target than I am. I don't believe it's be necessary to try 'taking the idea down' or anything like that because I don't consider there to be any actual conflict. Doing whatever you like is exactly what I encourage at the start of Act Two and the end of the video itself. Same as the difference between people who use STR builds and people who use DEX builds, it's still just the enjoying of a videogame.
This is also why I spent so much time detailing what exactly *my* target is, specifically. So that people who just don't care about that goal as much as I do are able to tell.
Every time a souls game comes out, there's always a bunch of videos explaining the obvious and compiling it together, and then a few videos that start to dig a bit deeper. Then, months later, a massive video that goes way more in depth than anything else and sparks a whole new wave of discovery comes out. This is that video, I'll definitely be following what else you dig up.
If you feel that way than I recommend Hawkshaw's theory of color video. I never considered how important color was to elden ring.
@@mitchellzollinger1100 bro hawkshaw just tried to convince us red meaning health is actually lore and not a universally done visual cue in all of gaming ToT
@@sebakisniesebakisnie6109 It is true that red is the default color for health in most games ever, including all of King's Field and Souls/borne and Sekiro.
However, healing items in other From games weren't so explicitly labelled with the color red. Red flasks, red rowa berries, red invigorating meat, red arteria leaves, red talismans, etc. And then all the blue things associated with magic, and the physick flask even changes its function by mixing tears of all sorts of colors. The somber stones are drained of color. I mean you've seen the video so I don't want to just summarize everything it said, but there's so much repeated emphasis on color and hue throughout many aspects of the game, and the ways they are used both functionally and symbolically are mostly consistent.
Of course Bloodbourne had blood vials for healing, but them being red-colored wasn't pointed out anywhere or vital to their function, as seen with Iosekfa's refined yellow-colored blood vials.
@@AssailantLF fair, but to me this video is still reaching too hard for symbolism when all it boils down to is standard vodeo game color coding for health mana and stamina, which is to be expected for players to understand what each of the abundant items the game introduces do. And I say it as a big Hawkshaw fan!
@@sebakisniesebakisnie6109Ok, so you touched on 3 colors. There are many more and that Hawkshaw video goes into much more depth than just "Red = Health, Blue = Magic and Green = Stamina."
I believe he actually points that out, yet he also alludes to the fact that just because those are staples of video games meant for easily readable convenience, that doesn't mean there isn't more to them, From Soft being From Soft and their usually meticulous attention to detail would imply there is much more there.
I can see what he was saying, I would say that I don't remember a point he brought up that I didn't agree with.
Not saying I agree with every single, minute detail, yet I can safely say that I usually remember things I consider bullshit and I don't remember anything like that from his Color video.
Sometimes a color is just a color used out of convenience and sometimes it's a much deeper metaphor meant to imply much deeper connections between things. It could also be both.
Something underrated about this video specifically is that it's the 1st upload and it's a 4 hours plus long surgical analysis of the best recent game
Love it
Ranni was dead and busy 🤣
Also...
"What day is it Miriel?" Lost my shit
2 hour movie? I sleep.
4 video essay on a video game? IM AWAKE!
Fantastic video. You covered a lot of the same things I’ve talked about before, only more logically and eloquently, as well as some stuff I had never considered. I have a couple of thoughts:
1. Your initial explanation of the magic system and imagination and the GW is excellent, but I’d also suggest you can apply Occam’s Razor; there’s no need for the GW to have existed as a prior causal force to the magic system. If imagination and belief manifest directly in reality, the GW could just be the result of faith itself. This would line up with the Jungian idea of the collective unconsciousness which influenced Berserk and by extension Elden Ring.
2. There is in fact ambiguity in Malenia’s Remembrance in that it isn’t exclusive. In other words, it’s unambiguous that the twins were Empyreans because they were born of a single god, but that doesn’t necessitate that all Empyreans are born of a single god; that would be a false syllogism. In any case, I found your thoughts on Ranni and the egg completely convincing regardless.
3. After restricting yourself so strictly to canon, it struck me as odd you should leap to the idea that Melina is a demigod and probably Empyrean. Curious to know your thoughts on that.
4. You claimed the game say Radagon is an offshoot of Marika, but it doesn’t say that.
5. The point about the Draconic Tree Sentinels and the timeline was excellent, and I had not considered it nor heard it before. I wonder if shattering the Elden Ring, which commands the stars according to the (out of date) first trailer, allowed a star to fall and fling CFA into the sky, akin to the way the star bit the earth in Limgrave.
6. Regarding horses, Eochaid derives from a word meaning horse. In my video on the crucible, I explored Eochaid’s potential connections to the crucible, which might interest you. I also provided some context for the Gelmir Glintstone Staff.
Great stuff- I’m currently working on a script about the lore of the mechanics, and the way you put things has definitely helped clarify some thoughts. Will be shouting this video out. Once again, fantastic video.
Thank you! It's very honoring that another RUclipsr would consider shouting out my video, especially someone with so much more experience. You have my great thanks, and I'll answer your questions.
1. I don't believe there is any evidence in-game that the Greater Will doesn't actually exist, and I'm not sure what exactly you mean by 'prior causal force.' I personally expect the Greater Will is just gonna be revealed as some guy, like every other god in the game already is. When I said 'your will was what's greater' and so on in places like in Runes that's with common nouns. I copy the Greater Will's actual in-game name because it's so hamfistedly direct in regards to how the story criticizes the concept of forcing reality into appearing like your fantasies. (I.e. the Erdtree explicitly becoming 'the embodiment of Order' by killing everyone that didn't submit. As the game itself says, and even as Goldmask directly criticizes in Order Healing, destroying everything you arbitrarily don't like is the ultimate destination of an ideology that considers itself 'inherently greater' than everything else.)
I don't consider the content of works other than Elden Ring itself, and thematic parallels are in the eyes of the beholder, so I can't use them as any kind of evidence for something else. I do not believe applying Occam's Razor is currently suitable, as the story isn't actually finished yet. What appears like a lack of information now might actually just be planned for reveal in the DLC.
2. Malenia's Remembrance isn't the only point from which the first of the Three Basic Facts comes from. I will review this topic properly in Episode 2, but I will also just write it down here:
In Ainsel River, Ranni reveals that only she, Miquella, and Malenia were able to claim the title of Empyrean. And because they were able to claim that title, the Two Fingers selected them as potential successors to Queen Marika. As opposed to, for example, Godwyn--firstborn of the Golden Lineage, and unmistakably loyal to the Golden Order, but not an Empyrean, which is why he nor any other non-Empyrean was chosen as the potential next vessel for the Elden Ring.
Malenia's Remembrance shows why Ranni, Miquella, and Malenia were the only people able to claim the title of Empyrean. If Malenia's Remembrance was the only mention of what defines an Empyrean, you'd be right, but from Ranni's conversation we already learn that being Empyrean is incredibly exclusive, and great pains were taken in the process of creating the Twin Prodigies after Ranni. As such, in the context of the game, there is no ambiguity that being born of one god is specifically what defines an Empyrean. It was my mistake to have not brought this up as it was still relevant, regardless of if I considered it background noise or not.
3. Melina has Grace, so she's already a member of the royal family--a demigod. Further connections like Ranni being willing to run an errand for her at the start of the game, and so on as mentioned in the video, are why I'm certain enough of Melina's Empyrean status that I mentioned I'm betting on it, in the video itself.
4. The word offshoot was used for explanatory purposes, the nature of Radagon's existence is not given any kind of easy single name, but I had to use some kind of word eventually, so I used offshoot. I was inspired by Millicent.
Oh and about Eochaid and the Crucible. I agree that there appears to be a connection. As Ordovis's Greatsword also uses telekinesis to make a sword spin around, and is also orange. However, I don't currently consider it conclusive enough to mention. I am hopeful that in the DLC there will be more on Eochaid, and we are both proven right.
@@t-l-g-t-w Hey, love the video! Quick question about this comment, but it’s pertinent to the video.
You mentioned that you’re certain that being born of a single god is what makes an Empyrean, and you justified that by Ranni’s line that her, Miquella, and Malenia are the only Empyreans.
You then claim that Melina is a demigod since Ranni was willing to pass the Spirit Calling Bell along for her, but wouldn’t this mean that Melina is most certainly NOT an Empyrean? If she is an Empyrean, it would mean that Ranni has no knowledge of her, or that she is a Demigod but not Empyrean.
I don’t mean this as an attack at all, love the content and would love for you to make more.
That being said, I do agree and believe that Melina is (was?) an Empyrean child of Marika and Radagon, but by the logic of her hair color, code name “MarikaDaughter,” and the matching butterflies with the Twin Prodigies. Maybe she’s even just a straight up offshoot of Marika alone akin to Millicent for Malenia, since she’s so confused by Boc being “born of a mother.” As you’ve established in the video, Malenia and Miquella were natural births, so Melina shouldn’t be confused if she’s the triplet in this mix.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the above!
I agree with your mentioning of that inconsistency. But for that is why right now, Melina being an Empyrean is just my bet. Unless plans change, I will make a video going over my personal bets like these at some point prior to when the DLC actually releases. So I will go over Melina before she died in more detail there.
Great points. It's also worth noting that Malenia's remembrance is more likely than not mistranslated as highlighted by a lot of people. My bet is also that "Empyrean" is a title that is "earned" rather than being a condition of one's birth. It's who the Greater Will deems worthy of replacing Marika who has commited heresy in sundering the Elden Ring. It's worth noting that Marika herself didn't have any godly heritage, let alone being born from a single god. So it's clear that you don't need to be birthed of a single godly being in order to be able to hold Marika's seat.
Malenia and Miquella were chosen because of their innate, exceptional atributes and abilities, having only godly blood in them and Ranni was chosen due to her extreme intelligence, cunning and otherworldly magical prowess. Being able to cast insanely strong ilussions(Renalla's second phase) while not even being in the vicinity, or being able to INSTANTLY kill the tarnished if given Seluvis' potion, which no other being can do. Her proficiency with magic most likely comes directly from Rennala which, most people forget, was likely EXTREMELY strong before losing her mind and will to live. She was able to contend with Radagon himself, while having no "divine" boon of her own. If she lived during Marika's time, she probably would've been chosen by the GW in her stead as she probably was stronger than "base" Marika. That's why her children are so insanely strong and able to compete with Marika's and Radagon's. Hell, if Radahn wasn't such a balls first, single minded warrior and had a bit more wisdom he might've been chosen as the GW as empyrean. He fought Malenia, who used an Outer God's power to sacrifce herself and the land, to a standstill while heavily holding back himself, due to keeping the stars in place and not wanting to destroy his home and soldiers with overpowered gravity magic.
That's my understanding.
1:40:48 mate, this is the point when I subscribed to your channel. I love your personality on display here 👏
Probably the best, most complete Elden Ring video I have ever seen. You do more than just quote parts of the game, but go into detail and lay out how very fundamental aspects of the world work. Fantastic.
You got me hooked in the first 18 minutes. I for one enjoyed that you weren’t afraid to make assertions and take them to their conclusion, even when the conclusion lies beyond hard canon. I like that you made several fresh observations based on things many others have overlooked, first example being Ranni and the amber egg. And your comprehensiveness was entertaining to experience, it was like a guided tour of your mind. 😂 I hope you keep uploading videos, but either way this is a gem.
Thank you! I can fortunately guarantee there will be more. Production on Episode 2 will properly begin with the end of the holidays. And hopefully, by its script's completion, I'll have been able to obtain a real mic as well.
@@t-l-g-t-w If you'll forgive an unsolicited suggestion, I started by listening to the video during my commute and realized later that the silent sections consisted of headers, quotes or other important context. I think that reading the vital 'quotes and notes' aloud would be helpful for the listening audience, which is inevitable with longform videos.
You mentioned sequels a couple times in the vid and needless to say I'm excited. There's surprisingly few people making high-quality, longform ER videos like this, and I can only imagine how much work it is to put together, I hope you're proud of it. Cheers!
I love the idea of the Elden Ring as a Platform-as-a-service
Holy fucking shit-balls. So many revelations. So many things I had perceived erroneously… uprooted. So much smoke cleared. So many mirrors shattered.
The way in which you elucidate the underlying threads of the plot and the consequences of the many mechanisms at play in the world of Elden Ring is nothing short of dumbfounding. You’ve managed to not only divine truths that I have had yet to even consider; you’ve reconciled major discrepancies between what I felt I’ve been told outright vs what I felt I was being told subliminally. You have committed to words what I had considered utterly unspeakable.
But most importantly; you have inspired a new sense of awe in me. One that I had thought I wouldn’t get to experience again. Going along with you for those nigh on five hours instilled a sense of wonder that I dare to say may actually rival the visceral emotional experiences I had with my first playthrough of Elden Ring. I’m kind of reeling here, honestly. I think I’m being overly verbose because I’m trying to distill the essence of this feeling to convey it so that I may thank you.
I suppose that, instead of continuing on with my little tirade; I should do just that. So thank you. This is quite possibly the most influential piece of fan created media I have consumed on this platform. Between you and Tarnished Archaeologist I feel that I have been afforded the chance to experience Elden Ring in a way very similar to my first FromSoft experience (Bloodborne). I haven’t felt this level of creativity, nor been this captivated by my own imagination since 2015 when I first dipped my toes into these games. So again; I thank you. I am going to start this video again. I feel like I need to let some of the finer details really ferment in my brain case for a few days to fully grasp the implications that they assert.
Thank you. You are one of the reasons for why I burn. Reading this made my day. I'm incredibly proud to have achieved in making something that was able to affect you in this way, and I'm glad I was able to help you experience something in a new way that you enjoyed. You have nothing to apologize for in being verbose. And I know exactly what you mean, it has happened to me.
I love it when a souls lore video is posted on a new channel and the author sounds like a crazy person. Not even kidding, that's the best kind of lore content. Hawkshaw started exactly like that for example, and so did JSF :D Loved every 4 hours.
Hawkshaw has an amazing storytelling voice. Honestly can't get enough of it.
So refreshing to see a rigorously thorough internally consistent framing of the coherency of Elden ring lore. Watching this makes the stagnancy of most popular lore videos harder to ignore.
One thing i wanted to supplement your work with was that the narrative relevance of the puppets seems to be part of what makes the banished eternal cities eternal. Puppets make defense possible in perpetuity pending the age of the stars while also being a rejection of the golden order's colonizing ideology and domain over life and death. Would love to know whether you find this notion speculative or supported by your research.
How exciting to discover your channel and have new episodes to look forward to!
I adore that premise. Off the top of my head I can't think of anything that would directly support it, but if it turns out there is such evidence, I will put it into the show itself and mention you. Irregardless, I think that idea is incredibly compelling. I personally believe it.
Been revisiting different parts of this video every day since i first encountered it and the more complete my grasp is of what all is presented in the video, the more impressed i am by how air tight this lore breakdown is. I also feel like i have a deeper respect for the method you used for this series. Truly impressive stuff.
It honestly blows my mind how obvious things become after he brings them up and breaks them down. As if I should have come to the answer myself because it seems so obvious.
@@seyelk59 for sure. Also she*
Reading these make me very happy. Thank you. But I want to specify that the canon stuff I brought up is legitimately just an arbitrary limitation, there isn't any kind of unique strategy that's being used or anything like that, I'm just very meticulous.
@@t-l-g-t-w But it sets the foundation for any future take on lore.
@@seyelk59 Only for the people who choose to treat it that way.
Malenia's remembrance states that if one is born of a single god then they are empyreans, but not the other way around. One who is empyrean, isn't necessarily born of a single god. Perhaps one example of such an empyrean is queen Marika, though we do not know for sure I suppose.
very few lore vids ive seen achieve the intricate synergy between explaining the game mechanics & lore as concretely as u did here, & i think the very strict adherence to the text lent to that synergy. ideas like the rune cypher & remembrances being actual code that can be duplicated & reinscribed elsewhere is an apt reflection of whats literally happening to the code in the game when those game objects are referenced, so i had fun thinking abt how what u said literally happens during play. there are a few broader ideas i enjoy thinking abt that were only briefly or tangentially discussed here, like the theming of the overall floral motif & the historic involvement of various factions outside the royal families, like the giants & eternal cities. u presented a very strong argument for the logic behind the magic system & thoroughly convinced me abt the rune of the unborn as well as malenias relationship to her empyrean status. thank u ! now maybe i missed something abt how u determined the fingerslayer blade has something to do w death(blight) ? but besides that this is a very welcome collection to my elden ring lore playlist
Ranni's Two Fingers are marked with the half-wheel wound of the centipede after being killed by her with the Fingerslayer.
@@t-l-g-t-w u truly do have the eyes of snake
Just starting the video now but already I'm very pleased. I've conceptualized the mental power connected with magic in the same way as you but haven't heard another content creator express it. Thank you for putting the idea out there for people to find.
I'm very glad I was able to give you that satisfaction. I know exactly what you mean.
I think that's mostly because magic, miracles and everything in between have worked in the same way since Demon's Souls, and DeS is quite vocal about it.
Souls are what give beings a mind, and mind is what allows reality to exist, that's why when demons eat people the kingdoms are swallowed by fog, if there are no minds to perceive reality then reality simply cannot be.
He is clearly well versed on the occult. That's all I have to say.
Im under 40 minutes in so, so i apologise if this comes up later. But, regard8ng Empyreans, i think the reason you see arguments is that what you cited has a counter also within the narrative. Ranni expressly states Empyreans are selected by the Two Fingers. Likewise, Ranni herself is biologically Rennala's daughter, so, an Empyrean who doesnt stem from being born of just a single god. Ok, listened further as i was typing, and i see you ascribe to the egg theory for Ranni...i do personally think that counts as theorizing. The canon answer we were hand-fed was that the Two Fingers chose Ranni to be so. That is also why she was granted her shadow when she was, after this selection occured. We are told by two sources that Ranni is Rennal's child, three if we count Ranni herself. And Gideon says that Ranni cast off her great rune, so it is unlikely that her rune was the rune of the unborn, as that was given to Rennala by Radagon well before the shattering. It is very likely that one can be elevated to the status after birth. Similar to the weird status of demigod as well. A Lord ascends to demigod status through marriage. Rennala's children, while we know are born of Marika via Radagon, are described in the canon as having BECOME demigods when Radagon became Elden Lord (referred to as the demigod stepchildren). Radahn's rememerance: Radahn was amongst the children of Rennala and radagon, who became demigod stepchildren after Radagon's union with Queen Marika.
Cycling back to Malenia's remembrance - this is outside my pay grade, but ive seen a break down of the Japanese text, which on the surface reads very similar to the english. However, theres some lost in translation elements of the language that make it unclear if the intent was to state that one must be born of A god vs THE god (i.e. it isnt clear if the intent is that one must come from a singular god, or simply be the child of the main god to be a candidate).
I've barely begun this video and I'm already blown away. Gonna immediately binge all your content
finished this video now, going on to part two immediately! your observational abilities are unparalleled and in my humble opinion you genuinely belong in the pantheon of the most insightful and impressive soulsborne lore youtubers. You exist on a tier matched only by Sophie from Sinclair Lore and the Tarnished Archaeologist. Cheers!
Fantastic video, INSANE undertaking for your first video.
Hat's off to you my friend
This video is so cool. I usually watch it as I'm working or going to bed. Today, I had an insane craving for it, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I literally panicked. After almost 40 minutes of scrolling, I finally found it. It's so underrated. Hope you'll catch more attention soon, your content is great
For the first video you made (one this channel atleast) this is a certified BANGER.
Most of this video especially the aeoneia war part is like finding an apple somewhere and saying that you cannot conclude it came from a tree because the tree is not present. The lore is in the details
This is the video I've been waiting for, explained too well. And ACTUALLY OBJECTIVE, this might be the first time I've seen those words used correctly
i've been waiting for your video forever apparently, i think i just smiled for the first time all day lol
The intelligence vs faith dichotomy seems to be the Elden Ring equivalent of the real life conflict between materialism (matter being primary, thus science) and idealism (spirit/ideas being primary, thus religion), only in this setting, as you state, there is clear merit to the idealist (faith) position. Very interesting.
Just wanted to say I love this video even though I have yet to even reach the conclusion after months. It's the perfect video to relax to watch while I work and fall asleep too while learning lore in one of my favorite games recently. Your voice is very soothing and the way you break everything down, show your evidence, and dig deeper than almost any other youtuber on Elden Ring will reward you. Your humor is hilarious, and it makes someone like me who doesn't always view his own intelligence in the best light understand it. I'm constantly pausing to read the text and absorb your statements feels like I'm almost in a class again. Once again thank you, hopefully one day I get to your second video lmao. I'm actually bout to watch this again while I work. Nobody talks about how Ranni came from the amber egg, I barely hear anyone in the Elden Ring youtube community mention this. Or how the Great Tree and the Erdtree are essentially the same. My mind is always blown and each time I watch I understand a little better. Just thanks for your hard work.
This is the one comprehensive and complete lore I've heard. Nice job indeed
Is it possible that the total removal of souls from the Erdtree cycle (and thus cutting off that bit of power from the Greater Will) is what the Nox did that got them banished underground to begin with? Presumably puppets came around before the Ring was smashed up, and I could see total removal of the entire point of the Erdtree existing to be considered a grand treason.
Polytheistic gnosticism is an interesting setoff point for worldbuilding. Hordes of false gods attempting to claim primacy through mortal puppets in a setting is a good premise.
Thanks for all your hard work on this video! I really love elden ring lore, and I’m currently in treatment for drug addiction, and in here I have tons of time to kill, so long and in depth videos are so helpful to keep my mind occupied and not focused on fentanyl. I wish I could better convey my appreciation, but all I can do is thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Strength, brother! I was in a similar position last year, being in hospital for a month and rehab for another month due to severe injuries from a car accident. Elden Ring was my saving grace. It's rare to find a story deep enough to warrant so many hours of thought and speculation.
Super quality video. Everything well thought out and the visuals continuing throughout the ENTIRE video. Great work
Ok... I just fall upon a great realization that changed almost everything I knew about the game... and now I need to reorganize my thoughts.
Your series of videos (at least the ones that you call only the canon) would be of great help... so I'm going to watch 'em again.
Also, again, thank you for your great work! Is one- nononono, actually... IT'S THE BEST OF THEM ALL
Dude I can’t wait until you make another video. You’ve buffed me with 30% resistance to boredom at work, nice incantation 🙏
Such an awesome video from a small channel, definitly deserved a like and follow
I finally found a lore video that from an analyst who understands Ranni's origin. I was beginning to think no one else came to the realization that Marika had given her into Rennala's care.
When you get signed out and when you log back in auto-play got set back to on and you go to watch something and a *FOUR AND A HALF HOUR* long Elden Ring video comes on afterwards?
*Today is a good day*
Also, great to see an uploader encouraging their audience to correct them.
one major lore error. there are indeed 2 moons possibly 3. on the moon light plateu it is possible to see both rennalas full moon and rannis dark moon as seperate moons at the same time. And a talisman in nokstella refers to a 3rd black moon.
i have watched this video a few times and LOVE it, the sona you've added is so charming. i can only imagine how much time that took LOL
i'd love to see more from you, even if it isn't video game related! the longform videos rock!
I cannot describe how much those words mean to me. Thank you incredibly.
This is the best souls lore video I've ever seen and I've seen them all multiple times over many years.
Great work on this. Gave me lots to think about and answered a lot of my questions! Well done
I cannot express how impressed I am, this is magnificent
In particular I'm really happy that you were able to show how exactly Rani became/was born into being an empyrean. I had never received a satisfactory answer as to how Rani, as the daughter of two beings, could be an empyrean, this video solved that mystery for me!
The metaphysical explanations are in-depth and wonderful. Never really thought much of the magic systems in fromsoft games since the twist in Demon Souls.
The reason for the confusion around the wording of the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess is pretty simple. If we are ONLY talking Canon with no added imagination, reading it as 'Empyrean = Always born of a single god' directly contradicts how Ranni is explicitly said to be Rennala's daughter by multiple different sources:
Carian Filigreed Crest, Ranni's Dark Moon, Discarded Palace Key, Ranni's dialogue during Rennala's boss fight, Rennala's dialogue during her own boss fight, Iji's dialogue, Gideon Ofnir's dialogue, Rogier's dialogue, and Rogier's dialogue also has the bonus of laying out that she's specifically Radagon and Rennala's daughter.
If we are to only adhere to canon, with no added imagination, then the volume of evidence that Ranni is Rennala's daughter is overwhelming and unambiguously worded. We must accept that Ranni is simultaneously Radagon and Rennala's daughter and also an Empyrean despite not being born of a single god, while also accepting that Empyreans are born of a single god, and ALSO accepting that the Two Fingers select candidates for godhood. Obviously, all of this information conflicts, and so there's pretty much no way to reconcile it without utilizing some imagination. And I wouldn't mind the introduction of imagination into a lore theory because I believe some imagination being needed is inevitable, but I do have a problem with stating something to be objective fact while also introducing subjective interpretations.
Your concerns are accounted for in the video. Malenia's Remembrance and Ranni's Empyrean status have no canonical contradictions.
@@t-l-g-t-w The remembrance says they are Empyreans because they were born of a single god, but the statement does not exclude the possibity of someone being chosen. It does not imply it's the ONLY way of becoming an empyrean.
@@jeftecoutinho It is not possible to be 'chosen' to be an Empyrean. As Ranni herself states, only she, Miquella, and Malenia were able to claim the title of Empyrean. And because they were able to claim that title, the Two Fingers selected them as potential successors to Queen Marika. As opposed to, for example, Godwyn--firstborn of the Golden Lineage, and unmistakably loyal to the Golden Order, but not an Empyrean, which is why he was not chosen as a potential successor for becoming the next vessel for the Elden Ring.
Malenia's Remembrance reveals why only Ranni, Miquella, and Malenia were able to claim the title of Empyrean.
If someone has an adopted daughter, they are still considered to be a mother. The required origins of an empyrean are incontrovertible.
Halfway through. Truly a tour de force.
Don't want to rehash too much of what has already been said, but thank you for your incredible work and energy. For my money, the most thorough explanation of the game and story. I'm just ashamed it took me so long to get around to it all. I haven't been this immersed in a fantasy setting and allowed my creative mind to wander since I played Dark Souls ~10 years ago. Much love, safe travels, and kind regards
I’m only ten minutes in but this is already really well put together. Going to keep listening while at work. Hoping to hear some new perspectives on “madness”
4 hour long lore video? Hello good night sleep!
one of the best analysis videos on elden ring lore, great job, highly underappreciated
one of the best elden ring videos out there. great work!
Love the delivery and dry sense of humor. My adhd braid also enjoyed the rants and tangents. As a filthy causal whose never played a souls game, I didn’t exactly… get the most out of my gameplay experience. (If it wasn’t for the ability to bootycall randos with my magic fingers, I never would have made it through stormveil) but I absolutely fell in love with the lore. So this was perfect for filling in the cracks and revealing details I never would have pieced together myself. Thank you for your fantastic work!
Thank you very much! And don't sell yourself short, a winner's a winner.
@@t-l-g-t-w you rock, I can’t wait for the next video! Did you really record your audio on a ps5 controller?
Hand over heart, yes. If you happen to have one, consider trying it out yourself. The resulting experience is difficult to describe, but perhaps it could be equated to if you found out your RC car could climb up walls.
this just came up on recommended . thank you RUclips !😎
Finished a second viewing. Yes, I'm obsessed with Elden Ring lore, lol! I'll probably end up watching it one or two more times at least, though not today. I like your analysis of the way magic works and how it relates to all the story elements. Some wishlist items if I can suggest them for future videos is how sound plays a part in the magic system as we have bells and whistles and horns of various types that all do stuff magically. Another wishlist item is explaining "those who live in death" because we have multiple examples of it like wraith-callers, Fia, and potentially Godwyn if you choose that method of ER mending, but understanding the concept eludes me.
Love your video. Your audio low so I get to use headphones, but this video is gold
This video is absolutely nuts, I need the second one!!
Yo, I loved this!!! I listened all day while cleaning my apartment. You're attitude, and approach hits just right. Cheers mate.
This is really good, the section on canon was so refreshing given the way people often talk about it dogmatically
On Malenia's valkyries - even though you miscounted, you are probably right! We do fight 4 of Millicent's sisters, who probably already bloomed prior to our fight (Probably explains their aggressiveness, they are carrying out the vision of the "Order" of Rot, and Gowry mentions how Millicent, referring to her as a bud, will "outshine" them), the flower seen before Malenia's boss room could've been one of them. They are likely another instrument for the spread of Rot.
Also, great video, there are many points no one discussed before. Oh and the humour too, loved it. Referring to the Two Fingers as the ER's evil IT technicians got me.
Amazing work!
Had a wonderful time watching this.
Amazing video, editing and on-point theory making. I can’t wait for further delving into Miquella when the DLC comes out, as well as Godwyn’s story you mentioned. I never knew he was “stolen” from Auriza’s Hero Grave until now. It has deep implications.
Ancestral spirits actually being horses could be related to Farum Azula, unless those graves in FA are just strange looking beastmen
Wow enjoying this a lot. This will probably take a few days to finish.
Great video, can't wait to watch more!
Really loving this so far, however one major fault I have is leaving visual stuff to read instead of reading it to us. I listen to long-format videos while I drive for my job and it's hard to read anything on screen. With something this long the odds of me watching this again are slim to none even though I really want to enjoy the information you have in text only
your explanation of death blight makes so much sense
Great video. Your research and care of the source material shines through. Thank you
okay this video is the real deal. I'm amazed at how much you can figure out from just strictly canon. (also good to know that i got my PhD in the arachnid conspectus)
Every time you refer to the greater will as GW and the runes as code I think of Metal Gear Solid 2. Great work btw!
When is this channel producing a new video? The debut left me itching for more
I'm actually producing it right now
@@t-l-g-t-w 😳🥺🤓😭
So many of your observations here are really just reflections on the metaphysics and narrative elements of writing fiction. Of course, that you identify language itself as the thematic underpinning of Elden Ring should be no surprise. It is no secret that these games are "dungeons and dragons as a video game." And they seek to capture that element of roleplay, which is in it's best form an act of collective story-telling. I was face palming through the entire rant about how "runes" work, because of COURSE writing has the inherent power as the pure representation of meaning.
This deserves way more views man, quality stuff!
i had a 6 paragraph counterargument to the idea that the Great rune of the unborn was Ranni's Great rune with quotes and references, but then my cat caused me to lose all of it, so you win.
I will say, however, that even assuming Ranni's is the Unborn (which im convinced that it isnt) there are at least 3 great runes we don't see in game. the 2 possessed by Gideon, as stated by Enia, when you return to her with two of them, and Miquella's. And the Elden Ring clearly had more than we've seen as shown in Farum Azula.
Gideon's Great Runes are accounted for in the video, Miquella still has his Great Rune because he's still alive.
But the Great Runes themselves are not individual missing pieces of the Elden Ring, as if it was disassembled. They're just particularly big shards of the Elden Ring, like the largest pieces of a broken window. Mending the Elden Ring is returning that 'raw material' and reforging it according to whatever Elden Lord ending you choose, with the re-addition of the Rune of Death, and the brand new element of a Mending Rune if you chose to use one.
The shapes of the Great Runes we collect comes from the body of the Shardbearer themselves, after they've been inherited, and don't represent anything other than the state of that Shardbearer's body. The reason they all appear like the center pieces of the Elden Ring is to reflect how they came from the bodies of Marika's most immediate descendants--her direct children and grandchild.
Loved the video and the way you presented your thoughts, especially your method of inquiry.
I would like to add onto your observations on "life essence" or "immortal essence" with some of my own thoughts...
First of all, Sellen's quote on star amber and regular amber is slightly mistranslated. In the english version of the game Sellen says:
"Golden amber contains the remnants of ancient life, and houses its vitality,
while glintstone contains residual life, and thus the vitality of the stars."
The correct translation instead would be something like:
"Golden amber contains the remnants of ancient life, and houses its vitality,
while glintstone contains the remnants of the life of the stars, their vitality."
I think this paints a clearer parallel between the two types of vitalities, that of the stars and the Elden Ring. Ancient and Elden can be considered synonyms in this case, as supported by another of Sellen's dialogues:
"Do you recall what once I told you?
That glintstone is the amber of the cosmos, and sorcery is the study of the stars, and the life therein.
When you become Elden Lord, please illuminate me.
Lay bare the secrets of life which course the Elden Ring.
Next time, I will be your student."
We know of course that the Elden Ring itself comes from the stars, so the two actually have the same source. Also, both come in the form of tears ("Sacred Tear" and "Celestial Dew", which is "Star Tear" in the original Japanese), and both crystallize, in Amber and Glintstone respectively.
Another little rambling on Godwyn, and what it means to be dead in body and soul...
Runes are stated in the game to be "imbued with the power of life itself" (note that the kanji of power is the same of essence in Sellen's dialogue), and as presented in the video they seem to course through the medium of blood, which is why blood relationships are so important to begin with.
When people die in the Lands Between they are ideally buried near the roots of the Erdtree, so that they can be reborn. (This is the same thing that happens with the Tarnished, Grace is basically a shortcut.)
If you look at the Ulcerated Tree Spirits and root resin the reason becomes apparent: the roots carry blood. This is also why they can spread the Rune of the Death.
On the night of the plot, Ranni died in flesh and Godwyn died in soul. The flesh is a vessel for blood and thus Ranni lost her Great Rune, breaking free from the influence of the Fingers.
When Godwyn "died" he was buried near roots so that he could be reborn. Unfortunately, having died only in soul, the rebirth mechanism cannot work. Godwyn's body is alive and its blood contains his Rune, the Rune of the Death-Prince, which also spreads through the roots. This is why we see his face appear in Deathroot and beneath Stormveil (note that the latter also bleeds): they have become an extension of his body.
So my question would be: is immortal essence the collective vitality of body and soul together, or just the soul part?
My headcanon right now is that runes / sacred tears are the vitality of the body, and starlight shards / celestial dew are the vitality of the soul... would love to hear you thoughts!
Nice video dude keep up the good work
I really listen to this at least once a month
I've had this video in the back of my mind while playing the game ever since you released it. It's great! Maybe a bit long, but great. I wonder if the DLC has brought any evolution on these theories for you?
Infinite respect for you, what an incredible first video, watched it all and it was worth it. However one thing I would like to mention is the absence of background music in the video, I think that adding a background track would be very beneficial to your next creations.
Awesome video and I look forward to your uploads in the future.
My one point of feedback would be that I usually enjoy long form videos such as this on a second monitor or audio only like a podcast. As such the text only sections make that more difficult. I completely understand that you already put a shitload of work into this and that I'm asking for even more so feel free to disregard.
Game changer. Eagerly awaiting your next video.
This is an amazing video, worth multiple watches just to properly take in everything that is discussed, and I'm enjoying my current second watch !
One thing I'd like to propose as a possible explanation regarding the modern yellow gold Ancient Dragons have, rather than a more primordial gold is that this gold is similar to the grace given to Marika's warriors, and is similarly separated from the power of the rune of death, explaining their immortality granting properties. Maybe in the age of the Dragons, the power of the rune of death was solely channelled in the lightning the Ancient dragons wield. Admittedly, the only canonical proofs would be that dragon scales are associated with Immortality, that red lightning is described specifically as the weapons of the Ancient dragons, and Red being a common color associated with the rune of death.
Very enlightening! You gave me a lot to consider as I replay ER. Thank you
how does the clawmark seal scale our "trust" with strength? is it a might makes right type of ideology thing?
2:13:42 I think you are the first person I've seen express the same thought I had about the Elden Beast arena indicating a cosmic implication to the Erd trees rising into the cosmos, I think this was intended to be a nice nod to fans that there is a meta story here to be discovered, since the arch trees are present in Dark Souls and Bloodborne. I found it odd that the big lore creators never acknowledged it.
"Mohg was busy, Miquella is what Mohg was busy with", bruh 🤣💀
I just realized thanks to you that when Marika separated a piece of herself that is what became Radagon. That was the part of her that was not only cursed with the red haired affliction but was the part of her that was zealous in the upholding of the Golden Order. This is why the curse manifested into Radagon in the first place. That is the part of her that persecuted the giants, Radagon. That piece of her removed, she came to the opposite conclusion of Radagon. The Golden Order needed to go.
So runes are code? Does that mean that Volcano Manor incantations use Python?
Wow just wow great stuff!
When you think about it, the Frenzied Flame ending is literally the same basic idea behind the Human Instrumentality Project from End of Evangelion.
The only difference is that Shinji eventually is convinced to partially go back on Instrumentality, allowing anyone who still REALLY wants to live to return.
Returned to this to rewatch the Radahn, Heartbreaker bit again, and y'know what's even funnier? The fact that Thops, a normal human with a normal human lifespan, couldn't get back into Raya Lucaria because they shut their doors at the start of the Shattering. Like his very existence as a relatively young man confirms that the war couldn't have been more than a few years long tops, maybe a decade or two at most.
Is this true with destined death still confined?
Could somebody explain the Radahn bit to me? I’m still a bit confused over why him becoming the start-scourge in his youth is important and what it has to do with the “long ago” rant you had a few seconds later
Thank yo so much for this video. This was the type of in depth analysis I needed and loved to delve more about how a world truly works. I’m delving into my own World Building Project and this video will surely help. Thank you.
I would imagine that the connection of genes encoding physical traits of a person, and runes being literal metaphysical code of living beings is the reason bloodlines of different beings is so important.
This is one hell of a dissertation for your Elden Ring doctorate.
I THOUGHT I LOST THIS VIDEO, I COULDN'T FIND IT ANYWEHRE I GOT SO SCARED
I disagree with calling From Software unimaginative, they created a whole new genre of game. I also personally think that their work on BloodBorne and Sekiro really shows just how creative they can be.
I agree, that's why I never called them unimaginative. And then said that something's novelty has nothing to do with its quality in the first place, anyway.
Saying they use the same themes isn't calling them unimaginative, it's pretty much the opposite. The fact that you don't even realize how similar Sekiro and Bloodborne are says a lot about it, really.
Fromsoft has been making the "same game" since King's Field, and honestly that's pretty cool.
@@t-l-g-t-w you also said they weren't experimental, which might imply lack of imagination or laziness to some people. Most likely not what you meant, but I can get why someone would interpret that as calling them unimaginative.
I'd argue Sekiro and Bloodborne, and even Elden Ring, are pretty experimental for FromSoft compared to Dark Souls. Heck even Demon Souls and such are pretty experimental compared to Armored Core.
@@handtomouth4690 Novelty does not matter. There is no purpose in trying to measure it.
@@handtomouth4690 Doesn't change the fact that every soulsborne game they make is roughly boiled down to the same storyline retold with just slight differences. Doesn't mean they are bad but you play fromsoft games for the exp not the vocal story. That nuances of the lore is what makes it interesting, not the overall repetitive foundation. You can make something "safe" while also making it good, but that doesn't mean it's unique or has variety.
Damn, this is an essay LOL
I'll watch it later, but i like what i see here
Im gonna listen to this while trying to sleep
The Empyrean stuff is almost certainly off base. Its correct that the wording of the remembrance implies that all beings born of a single god are empyreans but it in no way implies that that is the only thing that makes somebody an empyrean.
In the same way I could say “This is a square, as such it is also a rectangle” that does not mean that the only way to be a rectangle is to be a square. It means all instances of category A (square) are inherently instances category B (rectangle).
All of this is also assuming the English translation is a perfect translation of the Japanese (with FromSoft it rarely ever is)
It's properly translated.
@@HeavensRipper-he4sz I mean the fact that Ranni exists and is an empyrean does imply that theres more than one way to be an empyrean unless you’re saying she was also a child of Radagon and Marika.
Im not claiming that it ISNT the only way Im claiming the language is way too vague to be sure. Especially if we’re trying to operate only on objective facts.
@@HeavensRipper-he4sz Funny, the same could be said of you
@@HeavensRipper-he4sz GEQ is also an Empyrean chosen by the Fingers.
As far as i know, Marika herself is just a common numen from outside the Lands Between.
I thought the Rune of Unborn was Miquella's and Ranni's is on the moon
After listening to your explanation of how spells are cast, I think I cane to an interesting realization. That being, Ashes of War are the martial equivalent to spellcasting since they require the same process to learn and enact. Why ashes of war require FP to use is because they also pull from imagining the technique from the user's memory by using their imagination and then reenacting it through their own willpower to make it a reality. Thus, Ashes of War can be learned through the exact same methods as spells and incantations can. This also explains how magical components of techniques can be used on otherwise ordinary weapons that don't inherently have such capabilities. Though, unlike spellcasting, the power of such techniques derives from the wielder's physique to determine the efficacy of it since physicality is the limiting factor to their ability to utilize it.
You're correct! Ashes of War legitimately are magic spells.
That's what's implied w the whetstone items being engraved w Code. As well as why ordinary sorceries like Glintstone Pebble and Carian Greatsword exist also as Ashes of War. In addition to weapons with sorcerous Skills like the Carian Knight's Sword still getting called catalysts, despite not literally being useable as Glintstone staffs.