Elden Ring - A horrible nightmare

Godwyn and Fortissax were inseparable companions in life, and, for better or worse, it doesn't seem like death has done much to change that.
Song used: Holy Forest - King's Field IV OST

[@ZullietheWitch]

There is also the possibility that Fortissax was always golden, making him a good counterpart to Godwyn, but it's never stated anywhere.

[@sydposting]

Lansseax has very distinct golden coloring as well, it may be a familial trait between them.

[@runningbeaner1]

Zillie you should do a video on the breakdown of each ending and what that means for the lands in between. I’m still of the opinion that Fia’s ending is pretty crappy, not as bad as Chaos, but comparable to Dung Eaters, and it’d be great if someone like you could do a nice lore dump on all of the endings.

[@SwedishMarksman]

Godwyn the "Golden" seems logical!

[@Gwenth]

From the Gravel Stone Seal item description: " *Sacred seal made from Gravel Stone thought to be an ancient dragon scale. Enhances Dragon Cult incantations of the Royal Capital.* *The worship of the ancient dragons does not conflict with belief in the Erdtree. After all, this seal, and lightning itself, are both imbued with gold.* " So, it seems Ancient Dragons always had a link with gold, since this seal is made of a dragon scale. It wouldn't be too far fetched to think that Fortissax, being as important as he is, and as close as Godwyn the Golden, had more golden tones than others. Plassidussax too, possesses some golden/amber-like scales and other assets, (and also golden flames akin to the Elden Beast's) and given it's Elden Lord title, it would also be plausible for Plassidussax to have been fully golden at some point.

[@scrubaatividya]

@@runningbeaner1 the endings are pretty self-explanitory and easy to read into, example being with basic endings such as Goldmasks ending "brings order" while Dung Eaters brings "plague/defilement", Chaos Flame ending ushers in control for the Frenzied Flame god while Ranni's ending blocks Greater Will's influence and allows everyone trapped by them/the Erdtree to finally move on from their unending torment

[@LindensTree]

It’s interesting how Fortissax has been able to fend off the death blight for so long even if he’s failing. A single ancient dragon fighting off an unstoppable infection that has spread all over The Lands Between at its heart

[@gmanGman12007]

I have no idea what this video is about but you lot seem passionate, would you mind filling me in to whats up with what I Just watched?

[@funwithoutpants]

Replace Lands Between with The Ringed City and you've basically got the description of Midir vs The Abyss.

[@MKsukkiiMiso]

@@gmanGman12007 Fortissax is one of dragons that attack Lyndell alongside Gransax. He was defeated ans spared his life by Godwyn. After that they became good friends. When Godwyn died, Fort tried to defend his friend from Death blight in his dream. But those death blight is eating him, still he remains side by side with his friend until he dies.

[@ziotheholy]

@@gmanGman12007 it's a bit much for anyone to catch you up with it in KZbin replies, but hopefully it'll suffice to say this is a lore video on a particular boss fight in Elden Ring, and examines possible implications of the enemy, map, and other design elements on the world and on other game elements.

[@HappyIsaac0420]

@@gmanGman12007 fortissax was beaten and spared by godwyn, they became companions, and when godwyns soul died, fortissax entered his dream to try and prevent the death blight from completely taking over. As you can see from the mutilated corpse of godwyn, it didn't work out so well.

[@jonlava173]

After this disturbing revelation, I feel sorry for Fortissax now. He must have been a magnificent dragon in his prime, now suffering from death blight. What a pair he and Goldwyn must’ve been. Another excellent video Zullie.

[@LindensTree]

The fact that he has fended off the deatblight at its core in spite of how it has seeped into almost every part of the Land Between is a testament to how powerful and loyal he is

[@aleisshiki3649]

Kinda makes me want to see a game with everyone at their prime..

[@MammalianCreature]

@@aleisshiki3649 People already complain about bosses now, they'd lose their minds if they had to fight prime Demigods.

[@HarryWuzHere]

you should try listening to the translated lyrics of his song

[@mausebas]

He was a dragon, they all deserve it.

[@Demokaze]

Interesting to note is that Maliketh's Black Blade looks like Fortissax's skin, black with hints of gold. And Placidusax's scales (the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones) are said to be capable of creating godslaying weapons. So perhaps Maliketh created his weapon with ancient dragon scales, and it turned black because it houses the rune of death.

[@kyrianasher5747]

I had this same idea about Maliketh's sword.

[@amanwithnoplan7648]

And wouldn’t you know, ancient dragons are found in the same place

[@dire2293]

pretty ⛹️‍♂️

[@sabastianleisek396]

Learning little bits about the lore here and there, and seeing the remnants of it spread thoroughly around the open world, really makes my excited for DLC. And almost all my favorite franchises have let me down when it comes to DLC, so it takes a lot to get me excited.

[@hookoffthejab1]

@@sabastianleisek396 fromsoft has a magnificent track record when it comes to dlc so I have high hopes.

[@luispoza7816]

The end of this video aged like good wine.

[@derflerp538]

I was hoping someone caught this around now

[@rahulgomes6488]

TAKE THE WITHERED ARM

[@clamzy7]

What?

[@kek848]

​@@clamzy7 the dlc has you step into Miquella's dream

[@Arnos-jt4qn]

@@kek848but it’s not a dream it’s a physical plain of existence

[@Scorch052]

The story of Fortissax was one of the saddest in the game to me. Knowing that he basically had to watch his best friend be twisted into a horrific abomination that was corrupting the entire world, and desperately doing whatever he could to stop it, however fruitless, just felt so utterly melancholy. Trademark From Soft storytelling.

[@darkhobo]

Except its actually Fortissax corrupting the world to stop Godwyn from True Death

[@gavo7911]

From what I understand, Ranni did this to Godwyn, right? She turned him into this abomination? If so, that makes her suddenly way less of a good guy in my eyes, that's pretty damn evil to do to someone.

[@Scorch052]

@@gavo7911 Yeah. Honestly most of the problems in the game stem from Ranni's divine fuckery.

[@Borr77]

​@@gavo7911 There was no other choice, in order to free the Lands Between from the presence of the gods and the greater will, she had to do that

[@marsinaresvt]

@@Borr77 She had to choose a kind-hearted hero to fuck over. Not the other siblings and step-siblings she had. Not the one that let a snake eat him, not the one that is currently rotting away. Oh wait, there are two of them who are rotting that are her siblings and step-siblings. She just had to choose Godwyn, whom everyone likes.

[@Aburaishi]

God, it felt so viscerally wrong to see the dream's skybox brought up into the overworld. Like a vision of what would happen were Godwyn's vile influence to spread through everything

[@spase667]

If you get the Dung Eaters ending, the sky looks like that.

[@wesspect]

alright who gave Gideon a behelit?

[@1umbreon4life]

I mean, in most endings we've done nothing to prevent this. Might've even spurred it on by killing Forty Snacks. Living-in-death Godwyn is easily the most threatening being in all the lands between, and we do almost nothing to keep his influence from expanding as time passes.

[@АлексейЮрловский]

​@@1umbreon4lifeno joke, the only hope of stopping this I see is using the proper rune of Destined Death on this living corpse, or at least the body killing part. He seems to be an uncurable disease on Elden Tree roots, and as long as it stands, the corruption will spread into every piece of the world Tree has access to.

[@mr.kittysavestheworld695]

@@1umbreon4life I don't like when games have things like this without some sort of resolution, or at least option for one, because it kind of makes your efforts feel a bit pointless. Or at least, diminishes the value of your success, because you know with absolute certainty that things are still gigafucked and you can't really do anything about it.

[@friendoftheoyster3906]

The gold underneath the dragons wings reminds me of various mollusk shells which have shiny colorful insides contrasting with the stone-like outside. Yet another connection to sea life

[@glowie5811]

There's a few environmental details that suggest life in the Land's Between originated from an aquatic common ancestor.

[@enderdefender7406]

@@glowie5811 Would definitely make sense, as the Elden Beast certainly seems aquatic to me.

[@CodaBlairLucarioEmperor]

@@enderdefender7406 Isn't the Elden Beast not really related to the natural life in the Land's Between due to its connection to the Greater Will?

[@enderdefender7406]

@@CodaBlairLucarioEmperor I'm pretty sure, since the Elden Beast is the Elden Ring and the Elden Ring colonized the lands between with life, that the life would be related to it. Just my guess though.

[@thewanderingobserver]

it's also a fun nod to the fact that back in the time of knights many would go out and crush mollusk shells and bring back the biggest pieces as "dragon scales" to show proof of mighty deeds.

[@ellabar252]

Called out the DLC spot on, a year ahead. Incredible

[@thecauldron2212]

This : )

[@YourVideosDogchitHeresWhy]

This is all she does 😂😊

[@coheteos]

Except the land of shadows doesnt seem to be a dream, rather a disconnected area

[@seedmole]

Ever since I first beat Mohg, it felt like his arena is supposed to serve as the entrance to a DLC location. I really hope we get to enter Miquella's dream in some way.

[@TOUGHEYES]

Go in armed.

[@timmywaye4302]

I was certain you'd have to jump off that balcony behind Miquella like how you left the painted world in DS1, or like entering the rom fight in bloodborne

[@lethallegend9883]

I’m sure we’ll be able to interact with Miquella’s elongated hand and enter through that.

[@xtremebud]

Well your hope became truth

[@kosmokoshka6232]

Well, that was kind of spot on, based on the new trailer…

[@HobeBryant]

It's really cool how much of Elden Ring has the same kind of eldritch horror as bloodborne if you care to look into it, that skybox is straight out of the hunters nightmare! It's neat to see the same ideas explored in a more "typical" fantasy setting where you wouldn't expect to see it

[@NCRRanger7753]

Agreed. A very The One Reborn kind of feel inside there.

[@CCSABCD]

Tbf all FromSoft games have the same recurring themes 🤷‍♂️

[@twolessba1087]

Elden ring takes inspiration from all the soulsborne games its like an amalgamation of idea and concepts mashed together. if you look for it you can see inspiration from demon souls darksouls 1,2 and 3 bloodborne and even sekiro.

[@fastenedcarrot9570]

Miquella's dream is going to make the Hunter's Nightmare look like a pleasant spring afternoon at the park.

[@HelixGuile4444]

Tends to happen when you reuse everything

[@realkingofantarctica]

The dream is drop-dead gorgeous. I was a little disappointed we couldn't see more of Deeproot Depths in this new light, as it's already the most underused and unimpressive part of the underground in my opinion; having it be almost fully corrupted by Godwyn and Deathblight could have been super eerie and give impending implications.

[@undeadhunter714]

You can actually glitch out of the boss fight to look around and let me tell you it looks gorgeous

[@rainreign696]

I agree, it's creepy and gross looking, but the weird sense of intimidation it gives is great atmosphere. I'm hoping when we eventually get DLC that's almost certainly going to be related to Miquella, that the inside of his dream looks similar. I'd love to explore a world with this atmosphere.

[@kadenmontgomery3091]

“Drop-DEAD Gorgeous”

[@kabershshkabersh4272]

Pro tip bro: ‘impending implications’ doesn’t mean anything lol

[@dx315]

I thought Deeproot Depths was a tiny bit underwhelming too until I did all of Ranni's quest and saw how much I missed there the first time haha

[@sup3rAVATARtlafAN]

Fortissax had one of if not the coolest looking fights in the game, everything felt like a movies climax it was so cool even though the boss was rather easy.

[@juggernogsoda3464]

The music slapped. It was like someone doing dubstep on a church organ

[@dragonlordplacidusax9413]

Poor guy was half dead already

[@christianlangdon3766]

The guy died for me way to quick it took until I was vastly underleveled and with a friend to have a real fight against the guy even than it didn't last long.

[@ronron5998]

He was easy because you skipped that zone and discovered him (too)lately

[@christianlangdon3766]

@@ronron5998 no even if you go early he is pretty easy I had +7 weapon and heated him handedly his cool factor is the only thing he has going for him.

[@cullenpinney2997]

It never ceases to amaze how detailed enemies are in these games especially the ones that are purposely in dark areas where its almost impossible to notice

[@ohshit635]

It feels like fromsoft knows there will be people like Zulli. In one of Sekiro’s endings you see Owl walking up to you with a mortal blade after you defeat Isshin but he sets something down right next to Isshin. In free cam you get to see what exactly he is carrying.

[@hoang2312]

@@ohshit635 I believe the plan was to include that in the cutscenes but they had to remove it due to gore elements, similar case with the baby ocelotte in ds3

[@Spewa-em8cm]

@@hoang2312 This is a reasonable explanation given Japans distaste for dismemberment/beheading imagery in video games.

[@childpeanut5095]

Godwyn is like the most despairing character in the souls series. Just so depressing to see someone so “perfect” turned to a cancerous nightmare

[@MightyGuts7423]

Straight out of hell..

[@NateTheGreat368]

Reminds me of artorias 😭

[@TOUGHEYES]

In essence, the Death of Godwyn has cemented the necessity for misogyny in order to keep the evil tall women from screwing over society.

[@theiberianbadger0123]

@@NateTheGreat368 at least you can put artorias out of his misery.

[@leaf_of_the_wind]

@@NateTheGreat368 honestly more horrible to me than what happened to Artorias. At least Artorias was allowed to die

[@Spookybluelights]

Poor Fortissax. ☹️ I just wanna give him a hug for holding out as long as he has.

[@iSheikah]

instead we just straight-up murder him, like everything else we encounter ;__;

[@darkhobo]

She*

[@MS-Melas]

No were mentioned that Fortissax is he or she, but i prefer he too, cause Lansseax is his sister and brother and sister dragon seems wholesome to me.

[@danielwoods3896]

Why do we even kill him to begin with

[@rohanshah7559]

Cuz he tried his best, but still lost to the death blight, and we're just putting him out of his misery now

[@KrisGrant-r5y]

Godwyn definitely is one of the most disturbing elements they've created out of all their games. It seemed so unfair and brutal how he was murdered, but the fact that his body continues on in such a horrific state is horror fuel. Our body is often considered the vessel of our souls, and part of me wonders if all this grotesque business with Godwyn's corpse comes from perhaps one of the developer's feelings of death. I thought about this when I saw the mounds of mulched up looking dead bodies in the underground tunnels with the ants. Each corpse rotting among the heap was a person; a newborn at one point that was loved and held, and had complex feelings, desires and ambitions. How awful it would be if one knew a person they loved so much in this world died in such a horrific way; their physical remains rotting and being feasted upon so indignantly by such disgusting creatures. No comfort of a proper burial or cremation. It's a tragedy all too real that Godwyn represents at least to me.

[@ThrottleKitty]

Every new thing I learn about Godwyn just makes me want to cry harder. I keep waiting to figure out he was secretly evil somehow, but no, it seems he was the one truly good soul in this world and he got what is perhaps one of the most upsetting deaths I've literally ever seen in fiction.

[@QrozOne]

If he wasn't evil, he sure will be if he returns.

[@Inshabael.]

@@QrozOne Or just utterly indifferent.

[@gavo7911]

And worst of all, Ranni did this to him, his own step-sister. For a character who's supposed to be a good guy, that's remarkably selfish of her.

[@zointisarenazi]

Reminded of story where i lived in iraq when USA started killen nuclear scientists they left one alive to scare others from becoming nuclear scientist by kidnapping him and inject him with such a fucked up chemicals that he became in bane and screaming everyday every min and going into the streets crying until he ko himself . Its such horrific story and i just said the tip . Because all his family got killed and only he lived 💔 .

[@diegoboulton5259]

@@zointisarenazi who the heck are you taking about?

[@crispentv5726]

Just wanted to say its crazy you predicted the DLC being in Miquella's dream. Down to the location we enter the DLC from. Well done.

[@dragonquest8ftw1]

Man, the more I keep finding out about the Deeproot Depths, the more I feel sorry for Godwyn and his companion, they really suffered a fate worse than death and worse off they were one of the few godly beings that don't deserve it

[@darkhobo]

Almost like its too obvious and there is more to it than just "believe whatever Rogier says is happening" huh? Nah. Dont think about it.

[@alfalldoot6715]

​@@darkhobo What?

[@darkhobo]

@@alfalldoot6715 Basically. Rogier is full of dookie. Everything he tells us is a lie to get us on Godwyn/Fias side. But nothing he tells us has any evidence. Theres no evidence Marika prefered Godwyn over any of her other children (in fact his lack of any monuments indicates he was DISLIKED by her)

[@fishpasteconsumption2998]

Gold is known for being 'uncorrputable' or 'permanent' because it can't tarnish. I suspect that's why Fortissax's flesh hasn't turned completely. It also shows how the player needs to dismantle anything gold for the natural order of death to return. Another small addition that connects this fight to the everpresent tree theme: some species of tree are known to collect gold at their roots or transport it into their leaves. Fortissax's fight against the rot of the Erd Tree taking place at the roots seems intentional. I wonder how much blight the dragon has held back? The death of Fortissax points to the theme above as well; by killing the gold dragon the blight can continue on it's natural course. I am no lore expert, though, so feel free to correct me.

[@beautifulmarcantel8143]

This kinda makes me hope that Godwyn’s Story will act as both the final DLC and finale for Elden Ring. His corruption slowly corrupting the entire Lands Between would be a horrifying sight, and maybe Miquella could be the key to curing Godwyn’s plague.

[@PokeKid297]

Or he could have been. Looking at his arm in the cocoon, he looks pretty corrupted too.

[@XDarkGreyX]

i wanted to say that you expect too much from FS, but.... hm, their track record, yeah why not

[@coolfishron6668]

Fuck it, both of them need a hug.

[@LanguidWyvern]

It'd be pretty cool if the eclipse plan that was created by Miquella to save Godwyn was put into action in a future DLC and then you get a duo fight of the two or something like that. A gank demi-god fight may be a bit too much but it would certainly be a spectacle

[@MangoMeoww]

Imagine the cutscene before Gael but it's rot.

[@Itsmesmoothy]

Bro predicted shadow of the erdtree that’s incredible 😂

[@coolfunguy4382]

The concept of entering someone's dreams is so cool and I'd love to see it explored more in the future.

[@SophiaLilithUwU]

Yeah i wish fromsoft made a game about dreams, nightmares and sleeping eldritch gods

[@thegk-verse4216]

@@SophiaLilithUwU Nah they'll never make this one, especially on ps4. If they did, it would definitely get a pc version :p

[@aliekexie8467]

@@SophiaLilithUwU Bloodbourne, youre literally talking about BB

[@SophiaLilithUwU]

@@thegk-verse4216 yeah that would be silly!

[@jupiterho11ow]

@@aliekexie8467 I don't know what you're talking about.

[@ChinaNumber1]

Well, bro might of been right at the end

[@Sweenis80]

Not gonna lie, these videos brighten my day way more than almost anything on youtube. I love the dedication to digging up anything and everything about what we know and even what we don't. the level of detail paired with the banging OSTs used just makes for serotonin in a video.

[@Featherogue]

Couldn't have said it better!

[@daeryxaqueryx]

Indeed. Zullie’s vids keep affirming to me that ER is just as deep as it is massively wide. So much detail to absorb!

[@Daniel_Lancelin]

The entire concept of a living body with no soul is terrifying to me. Can it still think? If it can, are its thoughts those of an intelligent yet sub-lucid being, or merely abstract and instinctual like that of an animal? It seems to possess no recollection or care for its previous life as Godwyn the Golden, no longer capable of doing anything but spread and corrupt its surroundings like a tumorous growth. Discovering Godwyn's current state was what ultimately turned me away from Ranni as a force for "good;" no matter how lofty her ambitions, how benevolent of a goddess can she be when she was capable of inflicting such an unimaginably cruel fate, and what's to stop her from such callous acts in the future?

[@Ember2168]

It's probably more like a brain dead state, your body exists and is still "alive" but what makes you, "you" no longer exists. It's likely the Erdtree is trying and failing to recreate Godwyn due to his missing soul, essentially malforming him, like damaged DNA.

[@S_F_Brew]

It also kinda turns me off about those who live in death and essentially the whole duskborn ending. If they are the same as godwyn, being infected by deathroot and having been shown to be nothing but mindless zombies really doesnt sell the whole moral dilemma of whether they should be considered ‘human’ like all the other races in the lands between

[@Daniel_Lancelin]

@@S_F_Brew Yeah, I agree. I feel like there should have been some sort of questline or maybe a friendly undead NPC to show us that Those Who Live In Death are sentient lifeforms capable of coexisting with humanity/the Tarnished, otherwise the whole "wE cAn'T PeRsEcUtE TheM, tHeY'Re JuSt LiKe uS!!!!" argument feels pretty nonsensical. I _guess_ Fia might technically be one of them since she uses the word "we" to refer to the undead when addressing the Roundtable Hold, but she could've just meant that they were kindred to her due to her loyalty to Godwyn. Hopefully the upcoming DLC will provide more context on the situation - Miquella is pretty closely tied to Godwyn, after all.

[@LiloDemon]

The Golden Flesh can be explained by physics. Gold is the metal with highest electroconductivity. As Ancient Dragons use lightning as weapon, it can help them to cast those lightning weapons.

[@ottovonbismuth]

On that point, there are actually golden goats outside of Leyndell that summon lightning when they flee They are near the Sainted Hero’s Grave

[@Quartzmage21]

Chemistry

[@crackerjack3445]

Y'all are nerds lmao

[@hayuseen6683]

Doubtful that's the reason - they're magic, it's better as metaphor. The Erdtree is also golden and infects things with its goldenness such as animals, plants, etc, like the rot, or frenzy. The outer powers are infesting the lands between, including the gold of marika's order. Even Glintstone seems to grow as a part of sorcerers.

[@JustinL614]

Gold is not the best conductor of electricity. Silver is the best and copper is second best. Gold is third as far as we know. Gold is just more useful in certain applications.

[@FourEyedTiger]

Man you nailed the DLC entry point!

[@rafaelcoelho1281]

I came back from the future to say that you were right and in a few months we'll probably enter Miquella's Dream. What a great prediction!

[@DS-tr6xn]

You predicted shadow of the erdtrees plot. It is indeed another god dreaming and it is is his dlc

[@kskiran08]

Everyday I'm amazed at what FromSoftware has created, I like to forget the whole game and start again. I only felt like this after finishing 'Breaking Bad'. Simply put, 'Masterpiece'.

[@untipo.]

Usually I don't replay a game and I don't rewatch film or series, but fromsoftware games are the only games that i finished over and over

[@RebelWvlf]

Bro, if that is his "dream", I dare not to imagine how his nightmares look like then.

[@ernanir8249]

2:54 well well well. Aren't you a prophet?

[@yuhboi6816]

In his house in the Nameless City, dead Godwyn waits dreaming

[@ghoulishgoober3122]

If we do get a Godwyn fight, 90% his current form is superficial. Within, his perception of himself is probably much more warped than the reality of it. When we fight him, his consciousness will be up and running again, and a powerful being such as he would have a tough time not unconsciously warping his body to how it "should" be, within.

[@TerribleWarden]

"O brother, lord brother, please die a true death." -Golden Epitaph

[@darkhobo]

Yes. Proof that Godwyn was the one doing this. And look at that. Godwyn has a hero's grave. Awful hard to build a Masoleum when you're at war. What is the headless knights mission? To stave off Death. Who do they serve? Godwyn. Therefore who is preventing Godwyn's death? Godwyn is.

[@alfalldoot6715]

​@@darkhobo Doing what?

[@darkhobo]

@@alfalldoot6715 corrupting the Erdtree. Creating Those Who Live In Death. He's not a victim. He is the victimizer. Rogier is the source of the info on Godwyn. But he gets his info from Fia. And Fia is actually Godwyns lieutenant. His right hand. His #2. She is also the Dragon Fortissax in Human form.

[@Mohamed-lh9hc]

​@@darkhobohe is like this because he died only in soul the item reference miquella praying for his brother

[@ramonyanez89]

The dream state reminds me of the Omen ending sky. Which seems fitting considering that while Godwyn is dead, he did not die a proper death. Which would perhaps also explain why the sky in the mended rune of death ending we don't have such a nightmarish sky? Either way it's wonderful to see Fortissax in some proper lighting. Love the work

[@nightscout9979]

It's possible that the sky is still messed up a la Fortissax's arena in that ending, it's just that the fog is obscuring it.

[@ianhoddinott9492]

The first time I entered Godwyn's dream I thought "Oh, cool dragon", without considering _why_ I was suddenly battling this dragon in a random dream. But since Fortissax is the only one holding back the death blight at its source, I assume that it's actually Fia who manipulates you into killing him and letting death consume the Lands Between in the Age of Duskborn ending. But since you can kill Fortissax, get any ending, and the spread of death isn't mentioned again, does this mean that Ranni can destroy the Death Prince in Age of Stars, or the fully restored Erdtree can resist the infection in Age of Order?

[@xZOOMARx]

I was thinking the same thing. It seems like we’re the villain in this case if we’re killing the last thing keeping the death blight at bay. Huge implications for all of the endings; perhaps the DLC will be a deathblighted Lands Between?

[@shalashaskaseven4841]

Eh, side quest, go finish the job, carve the other half, world saved.

[@Old_Joseph]

@@xZOOMARx actions that affect endings aren’t real unless we choose that ending. We are never told that fortissax is the only thing stopping the world from being consumed, but he was definitely in the way of Fia influencing the player to allow the world to be consumed.

[@hayuseen6683]

You reset the anchor of the world's basis and reform it to an outer power. You must free the deathblight to get the ability to instate that ending to make it the new anchor. The outer powers themself can't take over even if they continue infecting the world, only Fated can do that. But Fia is one of the few with a fate so arguably her plan is getting the player to open the deathblight gate and do the reset herself if the player doesn't play along.

[@Kuroganekisaki]

I figured the Ring being restored by any of the other endings would make the natural order strong enough to resist the implications of Deathblight, and Ranni probably has what she needs at her point in the ending to either permanently kill Godwyn or just ditch the Lands Between entirely

[@ZephyrusAsmodeus]

By far my favorite setting in Elden Ring, I've done playthroughs just to see it person again, the music, the boss design, that hellishly amazing skybox, all with Godwyn staring down at you with those lifeless eyes. I remember the first time doing that boss fight and just looking up as Fortissax jumped up and I paused to see Godwyn's inverted head looking right at me with that sky behind it and it struck me almost as hard as Fortissax did when he landed.

[@Evaille]

This video's speculation has aged very well.

[@sorchara9119]

Reminds me of a moon knight comic, Moon Knight (2014) Issue #4 "Sleep". A friend of a friend asks Moon Knight for his help. he studies abnormal sleep disorders, and his patients are becoming violent. They get trapped in a sleep state and when you finally manage to wake them up they are violent, and hysterical, all begging to go back to sleep. All accounts of the dream they manage to wrestle out of them seems to be describing the same dream among the dozen or so patients - which shouldn't be possible. Moon Knight arrives on the scene and goes to an unused damp part of the research clinic. He sleeps. He says he wants to face the enemy, to know him. He enters into the dream realm to confront whatever it is that's tormenting the patients. In this dream realm, it is full of mesmerizing, impossible landscapes, all with a recurring colourful mushroom motif. Very reminiscent of 60s psychedelica. He starts being tossed and thrown about this world, as it becomes hostile toward him. While he tries to get his footing, a lone ghost in patient robes begins to narrate his experiences. He asks, to nobody in particular if hes dead, or if hes dreaming that hes dead, and if he is dead, is he dead from dreaming? Mushrooms seem to spill out of empty eye sockets in his head. He is gaunt, and seemingly trapped, disorientated in this dream world. Moon knight wakes with a start and bee-lines straight to the scientist who brought him here. He grabs him by the back of his head and slams his face into the desk. The scientist protests, as Moon Knight drags him, insisting that whatever is affecting his patients is affecting him too and he needs to snap out of it. Moon Knight drags him into the unused closet, where he slept to enter the dream realm, and rips up the slightly damp floorboards. Out spills an enormous swarm of rats, to the scientist's horror. "Oh God no, how could you know?". The scientist, when beginning his research, was not receiving funds from the university, and so he solicited a homeless man to agree to take part in the trial while he waited on approval for his grant from the university. Unbeknownst to either the researcher, or the patient himself, he was suffering from a fungal infection in his brain. The patient died in the sleep state, and the researcher buried him under the floorboards so nobody would find him, and take his now approved funding. Moon Knight says that whatever he was pumping into him caused the fungus to aggravate and spread. His brain sporulated. He leaves, disgusted not by the dreadful sight but the actions of the scientist. "You've been breathing in his dreams". Highly recommended.

[@crookeddesk]

Reminds me of the Junji Ito Manga: "Nagai Yume"

[@Barryschitpeas42069]

Recommend? You just told us the entire plot start to finish 😂

[@sorchara9119]

@@Barryschitpeas42069 theres still the art, and the writing to appreciate lol its like a 18 page comic book

[@NuurbEnur]

At this point all these "revelations" almost feel like just a different way to play the game, if you get what I mean. The level of detail and information that you dont really appreciate during a normal playthrough is just amazing and truly deserves to be unearthed and shared. Great videos.

[@prawn1717]

It really is a different way to play the game. Some would say that Elden Ring's huge world hurts it, but I'd just have to disagree. I've come back to this game countless times to venture under Caelid for Maliketh's dagger, or to visit Malenia's isolated divine tower, or to find the golem that fell deeper than its siblings, or just to see jellyfish sisters reunited. There's replayability hidden all over the place because of videos like these.

[@BaconEater9045]

Wow great video as always! The skybox reminded me of the Dungeater’s armor and the ending you get when you do his quest the sky looks a similar grotesque pattern.

[@fullonsociopath]

"That is not dead, which can eternal lie And in strange aeons, even skies grow eyes. And you are still maidenless" - Godwyn, probably

[@evanhiltzik00]

I always thought the unique skybox in the Fortissax fight was really something amazing, especially after Radahn's fight didn't change the sky at all. What an amazing boss

[@khionewinter6843]

"hey fortissax have you ever tried one of these rejuvenating boluses?" "wow scrumptious tysm rawr"

[@theMelvinShow]

Damn, called the beginning of the DLC even before it was announced

[@Vaga-Bard]

Came to say that same thing.

[@Rohtix]

What a fucking chad among chads. With his friend till the bitter fucking end, fighting literal death itself. Fortissax is a fucking homie.

[@Sternertime]

This game keeps getting better and better

[@RobinTheBot]

I feel so sorry for him. He's trying so hard to save his master's dream, but maybe he doesn't know his master is dead...

[@ghoulishgoober3122]

His master is dead in the same way those skeletons covered in grimy dark vines are. They "live in death".

[@Noxturne09]

@@ghoulishgoober3122 except those skeletons don’t cancerously infect the entire land.

[@LanguidWyvern]

Was Godwyn his master? I thought they were just bros who came to an understanding after the war

[@TheSuperRatt]

They were companions. Friends. Not master and slave/servant.

[@TheSuperRatt]

@@LanguidWyvern No, it's never stated anywhere that Fortissax belonged to Godwyn in any way. That's just the fandom projecting "looks like animal, therefore must be unintelligent and property" onto fantasy creatures. The Ancient Dragons are sapient, and could even take human form to interact with humans. They were vastly intelligent and even smithed their own weapons (Bolt of Gransax).

[@Matthimeo]

Fortissax's design and music are some of the best in the game, I wish he had more health

[@eetfuk3571]

giving fortissax more health would be a hellish fight. he's one of the hardest gimmick fights I've ever encountered, and boy he's very very hard to deal with.

[@mellowmelly9258]

2:54 hey, nice prediction

[@kwekud.asamoah6439]

A year later watching this and after the Elden Ring DLC trailer. Zullie was right 🔥

[@TheDoomsdayzoner]

Zullie, when Shadow of The Erdtree is released be like: - "Somebody better pick up that phone, CUZ I F#$KIN' CALLED IT!"

[@kirkginoabolafia3650]

I absolutely loved the surprise of meeting this boss, because I initially entered the arena and saw a disappointing fight with Fia's simps and went, "wow what wasted potential for such a cool arena". Boy was I pleasantly surprised!

[@IronSoulElf]

1:44 I don't understand why they didn't make the end game just like that, AFTER YOU choose Fia's ending. Or the whole sky burning with frenzied flame after choosing the frenzied flame ending and so on...enemies can inflict death blight or frenzy flame depending on what you picked.

[@davidhong1934]

If you sides with Goldmask, everyone aggressively T-poses

[@IronSoulElf]

@@davidhong1934 they better add that in the dlc

[@TheSuperRatt]

God, imagine if you could play in the Age of Duskborn... Every enemy is permanently undead and refuses to die. Would be a nightmare. Frenzy Flame ending would be an eerie experience. Literally everything is dead, the world is empty and reduced to a barren wasteland.

[@rustyjones7908]

@@TheSuperRatt so Fia's ending is Dark Souls? Lol

[@IronSoulElf]

@@TheSuperRatt yep, the decision you make as an ELDEN LORD ACTUALLY has an impact on the world. Would be cool.

[@Lelama98]

Wtf you just guessed the new DLC 1 year ago

[@FenrisRM]

about the "pockmarks" in the sky. the first thought that came to my mind are about holes in the skin, created by the violently errupting dearhblight thorns. now with how the deathblight thorns are infested with insects, maybe deathblight errupted in the sky/dream itself at the beginning (maybe even the exact moment of godwyns death), releasing the insects all over the dream and infesting this horrible reality with the spawn of impurity that a rotting corpse would bring with it. after all this time, the roots of the initial erruption rotted away, leaving only these gaping wounds in the sky.

[@Mario-SunshineGalaxy64]

I didn’t even notice the sky during the fight, I was too busy getting my ass handed to me.

[@griffiththechad9483]

2:53 lol did Zullie call it?

[@MarcosAraujo-ps3od]

She did, but it's very common in the Souls saga to enter dream maps this way.

[@alessandroisaia1552]

Damn, it's incredible how the dlc never spoke to this or more info su godwyn

[@styrofoam4782]

Bro predicted the dlc

[@lucyx3008]

i must say, excellent timing on the video discussing dead royalty

[@AutistiCat2406]

this was one of the most informative and interesting videos yet! the gold flesh of ancient dragons is an awesome theory, the close look at all the concepts of death curse is very neat and repulsive at the same time too, i do hope to see dreams be a concept in the dlc

[@josetomascamposrobledano4618]

If you do the Dung Eater’s ending, you’ll see the same “sky” texture as in the fight with the Leech Dragon.

[@darkhobo]

Hmm... Why do you call her the Leech Dragon? Is that a non-english translation?

[@st.gennaro]

When Zullie uses the King's Field ost, you know the video is gonna be good

[@vagrantvienna]

This is one of your best ones yet. That skybox relocated to the overworld is some real nightmare fuel

[@eldenring_area]

Great job! Your name will live on in the history books. By the way you're inspire me to created video on my channel like you do.

[@whosdaman911]

So happy to see Holy forest getting some love!! One of my favorite game songs!

[@motojauntx]

Feb 24. Zullie called it!

[@leperface]

Zullie your vids bring me so much joy, thank you so much for putting out so much content. I love the souls series and you go above and beyond to share your love and hard work with everyone. Every day I see a new Zullie vid it turns my frown upside down.

[@scruffy2854]

2:51 Called it! Good work Zullie!

[@majorghoul9017]

I love how the horrific skybox of the nightmare pulls back even more of the Berserk inspiration this series is known for, as it along with the Dregs from DS3 heavily remind me of the Eclipse

[@stormheretic2538]

I think the gold coloring of Fortissax could be due to Godwyn's Death Blight as well as the original color of his flesh. Everything related to death blight has that golden tint, even the mist spells and basilisk spray. Godwyn The Golden did have some influence on how the appearance would manifest

[@colorpg152]

gold keeps everything from rotting even excrement, in the duskborn ending the sky still has gold in it, it almost looks like fia's mist, so i guess godwyn's rune seems to create the concept of life in death, in other words people still die but their dead state is the same as the alive state, they aren't immortal its just that death doesn't cause any real problem to them, presumably repairing his rune and fusing it to the tree prevents the thorns and the rotting from happening or at least i hope so

[@MagicMomotaros]

man I bet the DLC is gonna include a boss fight by interacting with Miquella's cocoon to enter their dream maybe.

[@eetfuk3571]

I mean. yeah. they created another questline from Varre to reach the Mohgwyn Palace immediately after Godrick without using the online mode and reaching the consecrated snowfield before unlocking the area. they definitely going for that Miquella's dream for DLC. I hope it deliver.

[@patrickjones8255]

The eyes in the skybox actually look very much like storms on gas Giants like Jupiter. Particularly with their streaming tails

[@cadlag35]

2:52 spot on prediction for the DLC

[@Primo_Luca]

The dreamscape always reminded me of that one MGMT video clip for the song "When You Die". It's so unnerving seeing death literally corrupt that being's mind. It's got that dark feeling of being somewhere you recognize but you actually don't, while the very landscape around you rots and dies, knowing that this landscape is probably your own mind being corrupted by death. Where there once was a beautiful or vivid remembrance of your life, now it's just death climbing it's way into your memories, distorting your very being like a digital archive being corrupted and deformed. It's like dementia on steroids, what a terrible state that must be for Godwyn.

[@dominikrafael3891]

Poor Fortissax fought till the end trying to fend off the deathblight :(

[@apex_xd8907]

i love the sky in the dream, its so creepy and makes you think the world is ending, i love that kinda stuff

[@Ell_Pacino]

I had such a visceral reaction to seeing the death blighted sky in the overworld Seeing it in that context really highlights it’s disturbing composition

[@tabpendragon4557]

I love how godwyn just keeps getting more and more interesting, thanks for showing us these tiny things

[@Dan-zc3ou]

I really hope that in another timeline Fortissax and Godwyn are happy together with tragedy, along with Lanseax and Vyke

[@sicillcol2979]

My first thought looking at that sky is how much it looks like the damage that was done to Stormveil Castle. With all the thorns growing over the castle it makes sense.

[@dr_gottwald8451]

All these details actually make me look harder for stuff when I play Elden Ring now. One thing I recently noticed was that the people hanging on those crosses of sorts, like Marika I think, are actually alive. You can sometimes hear screaming from them

[@dinorex3464]

A bit off-topic, but I love Fortissax design. The perfect contrast between his golden hue and the black color caused by Deathblight is visually stunning.

[@josephvenable688]

I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to fight fortissax and Godwyn at their prime, if that were to be something we could do in a DLC with weird time distortion stuff going on it would be incredible

[@PokeKid297]

I live and breathe for your videos. Only a few minutes long each, but I always get excited when I see new ones. You always find something new.

[@Minus_KD]

These videos never cease to amaze me, I hope Godwyn can get some better dreams because they did our boy dirty by killing his soul.

[@Mecceldorf]

The eyes of Godwyn are always watching. In the swamps, in the castles, even in Godwyn's own nightmare watching Godwyn.

[@alongfortheride1016]

1:42 suddenly we are playing Bloodborn again

[@jamesgrose510]

I'm so glad you could show me Fortissax since I could only see his legs before

[@notveryartificial4486]

Aight. "A dead god slumbers, and in his slumber there is a dream of twisted, alien lands." Definitely Lovecraftian vibes. The whole scenery... Unfathomable, incredibly alien, sickening, maddening sight. I'm in awe from how well it's done. A first-grade eldritch horror. Yeah, from what I've said so far, it's not hard to understand that Lovecraftian aesthetics of unfathomable are one of my passions

[@Featherogue]

You're not alone!

[@Zombiewithabowtie]

That is not dead which can eternal lie...

[@BigMuskachini]

in awe

[@d3nyd]

@@Zombiewithabowtie And with strange aeons, even death may die.

[@mistaboogie21]

Wow nostradamus over here predicted the dlc back in 2022. Respect

[@karolchruzik1919]

Pretty sure fortissax is already deadblighted when we fight him, hence the name lich dragon. Its a prelude to what death ending entails, creatures long passed away rising from the dead as zombies. Whenever something of their previous consiousness remain is arguable but I dont think so. Dont tell fia simps.

[@TheSuperRatt]

I think we can imply that the soul is the source of consciousness, and since Godwyn's brand of undeath is a "living" soulless husk, I think it's safe to say that Those Who Live in Death have no actual awareness, perhaps beyond base instinct. My evidence is that Ranni, who slew her flesh and now exists only in soul, still possesses her mind, whereas Godwyn only reacted instinctively, and many undead are simply content to remain buried underground until a living thing (us) comes close. In short, Fia's a moron.

[@Integritys_Sum]

@@TheSuperRatt Golden Order>fias idea

[@nightscout9979]

It seems that the Deathblight (and the Ghostflame tied to it) destroy the body and the soul, leaving each in absolute agony and turning them into monsters or making monsters out of them. The rancor spells use souls that were thrown in the Ghostflame, meaning that the Ghostflame only tormented and weaponized these souls, and when wormfaces aren't trying to gruesomely murder others, they're trying to bash their "heads" violently into the ground. The undead are thus weapons that try to brutally destroy themselves when they don't have anyone or anything else to brutally destroy.

[@m.ubaidaadam]

great video Zullie! but man a feel sorry for Godwyn and his buddy Fortissax, they never deserved any of this. almo the fact that he is still fighting the corruption at its source kinda makes me think Fia manipulated us into killing him so the corruption can spread in her ending.

[@guts809]

2:52 didnt this age well lmao

[@thatspookagain4030]

it aged perfectly

[@ItsDaBobby]

Zullie you have some of the best videos on this website. Thank you so much for all you do

[@owen-yl1uq]

It's stuff like this that makes me baffled as to how Fia's plan gets genuine support from the players sometimes

[@portalmanHUN]

I could understand if we saw a positive side of undeath but anything related to it has done nothing but try to rip my face off.

[@secondpath5148]

What do you mean? The age of the duskborn seems like a really good ending- the complete removal of immortality. Everything can now age and die without the erdtree. It's a restoration of natural order and the final death of the utopian Age of the Erdtree, which became a Dystopia due to the shattering.

[@owen-yl1uq]

@@portalmanHUN I suppose it's because of the wording and what we see in game. Those Who Live in Death are in a state of emotionless action and corruption rather than having a proper end.

[@SMT-ks8yp]

@@secondpath5148 then maybe the problem is in the Shattering? Was it inevitable?

[@rafsandomierz5313]

@@secondpath5148 Uh no? What Fia brings is just corruption, people can't die, their bodies age but they themselves can't, they live as skeletons forever they became immortal, while being consumed by the Blight.

[@Elementroar]

Maybe Fortissax losing his scales is why he’s especially squishy. His boss fight went a LOT faster than I thought a dragon boss fight would go.