Elden Ring FULL Story Explained | Lore Recap Before DLC

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you everyone for watching my Elden Ring Story Summary - this has been my most ambitious video to date, so would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

[@templarkid.]

Thank you for making this!

[@SmoughTown]

@@templarkid.my pleasure! Thank you so much for watching and the support

[@lukasebass]

@@SmoughTown to add on to my GEQ comment, I think this still could fit within your Melina=GEQ narrative, and the possible reason GEQ was repurposed instead of outright destroyed is because the GEQ is in fact her twin sister. There’s also the fact that the only two we know of to bear the title “Queen” is Queen Marika and the Gloam-eyed Queen, further showing this special duality they seem to share that only twins seem to have in game. I think there are too many things that point to this twin duality they seem to have, from a Queen of Death vs. a Queen of Life, Artificial beings embraced (GEQ Apostles) vs shunned (Golden Order), even down to aesthetic (GEQ Dark hair, dusk eyes, white clothes vs Marika Blonde hair, Golden sun eyes, black clothes). We also know Ranni, Miquella and Malenia are the only Empyreans of Marika’s age, meaning the GEQ was an Empyrean of the previous one, which is when Marika also was. There’s also the fact we only know Empyreans to have familial ties, and all the Empyreans of this age are siblings in some form. This strongly implies the fact that GEQ and Marika were both Empyreans of the previous age means they had to be related in some form, and are siblings. I find the notion that the GEQ is her Numen twin sister makes too much sense! Hopefully we find out more about her in DLC. I’d love to see you play with this train of thought, whether in a video or as a response comment! Again great video and you’re the reason I got into the lore!

[@cmdrpsychostickz]

What if the elden beast is the "God that fled" that placidusax is waiting for because Marika captured through dragon communion? Especially since there's a dragon cult and the mountaintop of the giants does look like a "holy crusade" battlefield where the exiles get sent banished to return so the horrors could never be witnessed

[@Didymus20X6]

27:30 - AND THEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED! COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE!

[@BaalFridge]

My dad's cat passed away yesterday, she had cancer. 2h30 minutes of Elden Ring lore is a +9 flask for my mind today. Thank you so very much.

[@SmoughTown]

I’m sorry for that my friend. Sending you and your dad my love ❤

[@rk800android]

I'm sorry for your loss :(

[@BaBy_ShoWeR]

Sorry for your dead cat! Sorry for your dad! Hope he lives a lot longer than the cat!

[@BaalFridge]

Thank you everyone

[@bazuso___]

Sorry to hear this buddy

[@OldManMcLoyf]

I’m glad you blew up after Elden Ring, you cite other KZbinrs a huge amount in your videos, shows you’re a stand up guy.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks my friend - that's really kind, I'm just so lucky I get such kind support

[@MrTavrosNitram]

​@@SmoughTown The only bit of luck was from the algorithm picking you up. Everything else is your own. We didn't stay because of the luck

[@SmoughTown]

@@MrTavrosNitram Cheers bud, appreciate that as I still get the old self doubt now and again. Far too kind

[@WhySoSeriousSenpai]

Blew up trying to make sense of the game and it garbage story

[@jacobhafar538]

@@WhySoSeriousSenpaihow do you have nothing better to do than this lmao, go outside

[@shawnwilcowski]

The community surrounding this game is amazing and full of thousands of insights a single person may never find , such an amazing flow of information and knowledge

[@Crit-Multiplier]

this is what the internet can be

[@SalFettucini]

It’s like the evolution of Tolkien enthusiasts, with the community capability of the internet. Lore has never been more alluring than it is today. FromSoft’s lore is also top tier.

[@WhySoSeriousSenpai]

Elden ring story and lore is trash…so you’re telling the demi all participated in the shattering or what so they can become their mother consort? Cause being elden lord really is..lol who wrote this trash

[@Definitely-dr.bright]

@@WhySoSeriousSenpaieveryone can have opinions even if there bad ig complicated ≠ bad

[@WhySoSeriousSenpai]

@@Definitely-dr.bright cry

[@jacobsnyder6481]

I work a double today, I prep meat and vegetables and have had nothing to listen to recently, I’m glad this came out, thank u smo.

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure - hope the double goes well and that this video helps a bit!

[@jacobsnyder6481]

@jessiesewell4076why you gotta be a turd?

[@AC-hj9tv]

Boss chef gettin it

[@jacksonbenincosa3759]

hell yeah I've worked in prep too, stay strong king

[@andreclark6219]

Ayeee!! I'm a sous chef at a sushi bar so I feel you on the veggie & protein prep 😮‍💨

[@sudoggs]

Marika cursing the singular giant and calling him a "trfling giant" is not only an oxymoron but also shows how she views the eternal flame. Though it is anything but trifling, and the flame would go on to be a pivotal aspect of changing the Lands Between when we finally burn the Erdtree.

[@TOUGHEYES]

That Giant had the last laugh in the end. He had the High Ground.

[@alexanderdumas-]

Probably also very ironic Godfrey wielded the axe the very thing that cuts down trees

[@wtf_is_this_handle_shit]

​@@alexanderdumas- Well theres different axes for different things. His is specifically a battleaxe.

[@revalone3944]

this is what i always wanted from someone just a basic rundown of the lore without going into why bungus scrungus knife had a relation with the fart of the gold wings

[@gunnarschlichting9886]

But then you won't understand why hoity toity mcloity is a distant cousin to spoopy, squire of scrungles!!!

[@angbald]

Not knowing the Blungi of Atarey means you might as well not even have played the game. It's crucial to understanding the Bobness of it all.

[@LeBungus]

Don’t talk about my knife like that

[@P33CEGAWD]

😂😂 Truth

[@leonardo9259]

PREPARE TO CRY and it's a 50 min video on how sad and tragic is that Mcshithead the third had to outfart the ancient goobers to save his princess Ms Mcdoodoo Williamston who is also his dad and his distant cousin but also his enemy at the same time

[@jamesmurray8572]

Help me some guy gave me a talisman and now I’m underground and everything is covered in blood and the birds are weird and I’m scared

[@alisonxra]

Enjoy it 😊

[@Yal_Rathol]

drink the red stuff, nothing bad will happen

[@jimboslice7687]

I'll be there soon, hope ur okay

[@robinolsson7003]

Just shoot the bird from the ledge a few times. Fat coinpurse ahead.

[@justicedemocrat9357]

Try to stick the talisman up your butt and pray to the erdtree

[@polarfoxpat3657]

Oh boy, a 2 and a half hour long lore video, I know what to watch this evening

[@pep1878]

I am a casual player who never played a souls game before or barely any game at all, after 1,5 years and almost 150hrs i am still at 30% in elden ring. I never bothered understanding stats or using anything in my inventory, only thing i bother looking for online are your lore videos about a character after i defeat it. Very pleasing

[@MystikalDemon]

Smough, you're an absolute legend. To see how fast you've reached 200k subs after just hitting 100k not too long ago, it's just beautiful. Almost a decade of making lore videos for us to enjoy. With the DLC coming out, I'm not only excited for the game, I'm also excited to see how your channel continues to grow and develop!

[@SmoughTown]

Really appreciate the kind words my friend ❤️the support I get always humbles me - thank you so much and hope you enjoy!

[@McChickenJOI]

hard agree, i remember finding his videos after i'd first played ds3 (probably like 2016?) and it's so cool seeing him (and lore youtube in general) blow up like this

[@borisdragosani7584]

At 17:23, you mention that Elden Beast and Plasidusaxu breathe golden fire. They aren't the only ones. The Tree spirits also breathe golden fire (when they aren't corrupted) and Melina's Blade of Calling flings golden fire. The ulcerated tree spirits are interesting as well, since they are Modelled after Níðhǫggr in Norse mythology and are primarily found around the Erd Tree's roots, the Erd Tree and Minor erd trees, which is where Níðhǫggr lives. Níðhǫggr eats the roots of Yggdrasil in Norse mythology, and is seen as evil, but in game I think they serve as a tree pruner. Eating diseased erd trees, and gnawing at the roots to support new growth for erd tree burial. Totally a crack pot theory, but I think it fits the world pretty well.

[@SmoughTown]

You are absolutely right!

[@ronaldpadgett2580]

I think you're a fuckin genius

[@borisdragosani7584]

@@ronaldpadgett2580 if you like that observation, look at my comment on the Fextra Life Channel's video "Elden ring shadow of the erd tree story trailer." I make a comment that discusses more of the norse influence in the game

[@RogerBackman_Legend]

Putrified tree spirits are therefore any tree spirit whom ate deathroots which are attempting to interfere with erdtree saplings. Our first putrified tree spirit is in the basement of the castle castle, right before we find the first face of Godwyn's death growth.

[@maxderrat]

Thank you for this. I wish I had time to go back through Elden Ring all over again before June, but life isn't allowing me to do that. This is a great resource.

[@SmoughTown]

Hey Max! Awesome to see you here; been a massive fan for years. Currently working through your aion series - incredible!

[@timdiggity]

Two of the best channels on KZbin right here

[@maxderrat]

@@SmoughTown THANKS MAN!!!!!!! Wow!

[@maxderrat]

@@timdiggity Ayyyyyyyy

[@theprophet4660]

Truly an Alchemical union

[@SwedetasticGames]

Something worth pointing out, in regards of evidence that Godwyn's death clearly triggered Marika to shatter the Elden Ring, is that Godwyn and Ranni are pretty much one for one lifted from the tale of Balder (the God of Justice, who glowed with his own soft golden light due to his beauty) and Loki (half-Aesir and half frostgiant) from Norse mythology. Balder found a way to become invincible to forestall the prophecy of Ragnarök, and seething at this Loki, through cunning, learned that there was one exception: the mistletoe plant. So Loki tricked one of the other Aesir to use a mistletoe arrow during an event of Balder showing off his invulnerability for entertainment of his fellow gods, resulting in the instant death of the God of Light. The despair and dismay consuming the Aesir at this allowed Loki to innitiate the events of the Ragnarök prophecy. Godwyn: fair, the most beautiful, the most just, and the kindest of the demigods. Ranni: his half-sister, strong ties to ice magic, scheming, able to be ruthlessly cruel, pulling strings and using deception. Marika: falls to despair at the death of her favorite child and the betrayal of one of her alter-egos offspring, initiating the Shattering and the resulting cataclysmic wars and tectonic changes leading to the remnants we Tarnished return too.

[@Vindold]

I'll correct you, if I may: Balder isn't God of Justice, he is a God of light, peace, beauty, joy, of all what is good, he is sort of solar god, like Freyr, reason why Freyr took place of Balder(in reality different tribes got different gods, later tribes unite, that's why Aesir & Vanir exist in the same pantheon also war between them etc). It isn't Balder who found a way to become invincible, it was his mother, Frigg, who made everything, except mistletoe, to swear that they will not harm Baldr, Loki knew about mistletoe, and tricked blind God Hodur so that Hodur kill Baldr and it's not Loki's plan to initiate Ragnarok, it's just an events caused by inevitable turn of the weaving wheel.

[@ieuhwbwnwosisbebsjksjsnsnsj]

this hurts my head lol

[@eldric.stoneskin]

I think the Dragons representing Dinosaurs in the real world is fascinating, and is furthered by the fact that we still find the remains of Dinosaurs here on earth, who ruled before mammals in a wild kind of order, and have become fossilised and therefore turned to stone A perfect parallel with the Dragons we find in the Lands between, who also ruled the lands between before the Golden order or “civilisation”, with their remind also having turned to stone as well

[@tsriftsal3581]

Yeah but they still exist in the game and chickens only have the most perfect tracking system... Oh. They still exist. Chickens have insane tracking ability.

[@TheMetacognologist]

Its actually a common trope or motif in mythology and fantasy rpgs that uses a dragon, lizard, or reptile species which built a pre historic advanced civilization beyond what was capable in the current era. Chrono trigger had the dinosaur civilization in the ancient past for example. Dungeons and dragons has a similar concept with the Sarrukh Empire of lizard men etc etc etc, the more you look around the more you'll find examples. A lot of it is just referencing various myths from around the world that also hint at this concept.

[@CarelessVagabond]

Im an old-school Dark Souls vet... your videos are my bedtime story, brotha. I appreciate you for your work on Fromsoft games. They're my favorite and so are you..

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers my friend - super grateful to have you here. Much love

[@HavensTales]

The statue at 25:52 could also possibly be the narrator and the one who summons the tarnished back per Marikas will.

[@MortonFMurphy]

I really love this, I've been trying to place that character for a long time

[@joelhughes9615]

I think the point of highlighting that Radagon was a mere champion is to force us to ask why Marika would choose Radagon as Elden Lord. The game gives us the answer by pointing to Radagon's red hair in nearly every description of him and the telling us through the Giant's Red Braid that red hair is a characteristic of the Giant's, and further that all Giants have an innate connection to the Fell God and rhe Fell God wields a power of destruction. Marika's previous husband was able to become a new person by gradting two preexisting individuals into one - so it is with Marika and Radagon. Marika notes a champion with red hair and already considering that she may eventually need the power to shatter the Elden Ring, if she remains unable to produce an Empyrean heir, marries and becomes one with Radagon. This gives her first another shot at producing direct heirs, second access to Ranni as a viable heir should this fail, and lastly a power she has never had before with Radagon's blood now flowing through her own veins. We need the flames of ruin to burn the Erdtree - maybe Marika needed to draw on the destructive power of the Fell God to shatter the Elden Ring. This is desperate strategy for Marika and a tragedy for Radagon, who wasn't selected as Elden Lord for his zeal or loyalty but rather the thing about himself he appears to be most ashamed of.

[@frankiemercado684]

2:21:28 I think the text is more literal. Bernahl lost faith after his maiden sacrificed herself to the Flame of Ruin. He likely cared for her very much as a companion, or maybe his simple honor as a knightly hero made him find this act revolting, especially since, to his knowledge, it was what Marika and the Greater Will wanted

[@dumbsterdives]

i think as an addendum to this, his maiden and all finger maidens dont have a vision of fire like Melina does, so it may be a situation where the tarnished were meant to be doomed the moment Radagon barred the way with thorns. Without someone like Melina, the Erdtree couldn't be burned even if a maiden threw herself to the flames. The one potential contradiction is that we do find Bernahl in Farum Azula, implying he might have made it there, but this is after we've opened the way ourselves, so he may have followed us in.

[@VLimit11]

Just got through the video now since I was lucky enough to have an entirely free afternoon today. Incredible stuff, and that shoutout is, of course, massively appreciated 🙏 Looking forward to seeing your analysis of the DLC once that's out!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks brother - and thank you for all your incredible content. Your Vyke and Flame videos are still ones I often go back to!

[@subject8776]

Looking forward to the analysis of the DLC AFTER I have played it blind

[@stampede274]

My personal theory on Marika and Radagon is that they were once one person, split off into two, and then later re-merged.

[@calebgraham3334]

Radagon is Marika[s] mimic tear, which is controlled by the Greater Will through its host.

[@rexwest4532]

@@calebgraham3334This is just pure speculation.

[@stampede274]

@@rexwest4532 In the absence of concrete information all we can do is speculate

[@herenyahope8745]

This has always been my opinion. Logistically it would make no sense for Radagon to be able to be Rennala’s consort raising his kids at the same time Marika is in Leyndell ruling if they still shared a body. There had to be a time when they were separated otherwise people would think it’s weird the Queen keeps popping off to Liurnia or Radagon is always heading off to Leyndell

[@stampede274]

The DLC seems to confirm my theory with St. Trina

[@mikaelbubbles185]

1:48:18 Actually i think the reason that the broken needle of malenia is under the scarlet bloom is because when she stabbed herself in her fight with radahn, she was actually breaking it in order to release the scarlet rot. This would also explain why it's broken into two pieces when we find it.

[@lukasebass]

Great video! While I agree with a lot stated about the GEQ, I wanted to offer some counterpoints thoughts on her place and role in the timeline, and suggest that she actually was NOT chosen to replace Marika as theorized in the video. Arguably the most important event in recent history in Elden is the sealing of Destined Death. Something to be noted is that Enia explicitly states that the sealing of Destined Death is the CATALYST of the establishment of the Golden Order. This means that while DD was still in the Elden Ring, Marika was not yet a god. This is actually further indirectly stated through descriptions of Maliketh. As you say, Fromsoft do not make mistakes in the way they word their descriptions. When giving context to Maliketh’s actions in regards to the GEQ and the sealing of Destined Death, this is the only time (or one of) that Marika is explicitly referred to as an EMPYREAN, indicating that at the time of the GEQ, Marika was still only an empyrean with Maliketh as her shadow, whom she only needed to seal Destined Death. All of this tells us that the time of the GEQ predates the Golden Order entirely and her defeat was TANTAMOUNT to the creation of Marika’s order. GEQ was not made to replace Marika, she was most likely in COMPETITION with Marika to establish her own order, an order of Death. We can get even more specific of when the GEQ was active through the description of the Nobles, where the Crucible is explicitly referenced. I think this is a nod to the fact that the empyrean GEQ and Marika era likely took place during the Age of the Crucible. To address the Black Blade incantation, the creation of this still fits within this timeline since Maliketh sealing DD within his blade is what kickstarted Marika’s age, and having this ability would firmly of course place it at the beginning of Marika’s age. It’s also important to note that it’s explicitly stated that Maliketh didn’t seal DD within his body until after it was stolen. However at this point the Golden Order had been going for quite some time, which means it indeed was sealed within his sword before. The implications of this being that Maliketh was sucha unit that he likely defeated the GEQ with his original bestial abilities and ferocity. However he did it we do know that he defeated her without DD, since he did not seal it in his blade until after her defeat. Marika’s order never had the DD in the Elden Ring, so Maliketh must have sealed it a long time before the Night of the Black Knives, after all, if it wasn’t sealed, why would Ranni and the assassins even have to steal it from him in the first place? If DD wasn’t sealed then there would be no need to steal fragments of the Death rune and imbue it into knives. Based on this and what I do agree with in your videos, I want to enter the realm of full speculation. Given the symbolism and dualities of Miquella and Malenia, Mohg and Morgott, and the history of the Numen and Nox, i think it is extremely possible that the GEQ in fact was Marika’s twin sister and was in the running for godhood but ultimately lost. As seen by many, GEQ ideology and movement seem to be a direct dual counter to Marika’s, an age of Death and Impermanence vs an age of Life and Abundance. The only perfect dualities we see like this are within the twins of the game. I also think the choice words of having GEQ be DEFEATED instead of outright KILLED is possibly telling, as we know Marika is not above ruthlessness given her treatment of the Giants. This can imply that Marika possibly had some sort of a soft spot for GEQ since she is in fact her sister, even though her opposite. I think at the time of Blackflame Monks, the GEQ movement was already finished but the blackflame itself persisted, just without its true power. However the monks seem to be more concerned with the flames themselves rather than the foundations of their power, so it’s likely they were still enthralled regardless of DD getting taken away from it. Now as to what “gods” the GEQ and her apostles were the death of, I think is intentionally left ambiguous or we will find out in the DLC, since this seems to be a bit of an origin story of Marika’s and the GEQ/DD is a fundamental part of it. Perhaps it was other empyreans/ “god” candidates in the running?

[@lukasebass]

@SmoughTown to add on to this I think this still could fit within the Melina=GEQ narrative, and the possible reason GEQ was repurposed instead of outright destroyed is because the GEQ is in fact her twin sister. There’s also the fact that the only two we know of to bear the title “Queen” is Queen Marika and the Gloam-eyed Queen, further showing this special duality they seem to share that only twins seem to have in game. I’d love to see you play with this train of thought, whether in a video or as a response comment!

[@blcyogurt8044]

@@lukasebass This theory really changed how i look at the events of the story, and i really enjoy this version of it, i hope you are right and we learn more in the DLC. Thanks!

[@lukasebass]

@@blcyogurt8044 Thanks! I think there are too many things that point to this twin duality they seem to have, from a Queen of Death vs. a Queen of Life, Artificial beings embraced (GEQ Apostles) vs shunned (Golden Order), even down to aesthetic (GEQ Dark hair, dusk eyes, white clothes vs Marika Blonde hair, Golden sun eyes, black clothes). We also know Ranni, Miquella and Malenia are the only Empyreans of Marika’s age, meaning the GEQ was an Empyrean of the previous one, which is when Marika also was. There’s also the fact we only know Empyreans to have familial ties, and all the Empyreans of this age are siblings in some form. This strongly implies the fact that GEQ and Marika were both Empyreans of the previous age means they had to be related in some form, and are siblings. I find the notion that the GEQ is her Numen twin sister makes too much sense! Hopefully we find out more about her in DLC

[@WhySoSeriousSenpai]

Elden rings story is trash i dont know why people act like it isnt…if this marika god stole death causing everything in the land between to come back to life then how come the demi god never come back to life when we kill them? Would getting back destined death and defeating maliketh be the very first thing we do? Trash marika be radogonnis the dumbest thing ever

[@1SaltyPito]

I agree with marika battling GEQ before marika was a god. They were in competition for sure, but i would go a step further and say that GEQ was winning. I believe GEQ is the one that burned the initial erdtree, and this may be what spawned radagan. Look at GEQ knights with animal parts like the wild crucible. .GEQ was fighting for the crucible while merika was fighting for the erdtree. The fact that GEQ burned the original tree is what led to such harsh consequences for the giants when their fire was discovered.

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

A wonderful video! One thing I'd like to posit - it's more likely that Ranni knew of the Black Knife creation ritual because of the Carian's implied connections with the Nox. It's implied that the Nox of Nokstella, at some point, took the Ainsel River to its final basin (where we fight Astel) and built an elevator up to the surface. They built the Moonfolk village and the Cathedral of Manus Celes, and these were the preceptors to the Carians on the western side of Liurnia. This is why Carians are so noteworthy for Moon worship and why Ranni's Dark Moon is so similar to the Nokstella Black Moon, and why Ranni is continuing the Nox's legacy to find a Lord of Night.

[@ZugzugZugzugson]

Smoughtown > Any other towns

[@lovelycrimeboy8368]

I can't do artwork without my +2 hour video essays. Thank you for your work!

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure! Delighted to be part of your creative process

[@TheWhiteOcelot]

Awesome work dude. Hard to believe such a massive and expansive world can be so in-depth and so intricate, but also make perfect sense and translate in so many ways to the patterns of our own world and civilizations. Thanks so much for this!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks buddy! Genuinely such an incredible world - appreciate the support ❤️

[@theiberianbadger0123]

I would love if after completing shadow of the erdtree, something happens to malenia where she has a 3rd phase and blooms a third time and brings about her true horrifying god form.

[@Krissyd215]

Halfway through and I swear you never miss. I could listen to this lore over and over on your channel lol. The way you tell the stories, they stay just as exciting, like I'm hearing it for the first time again😂 Can't wait to see what the dlc is gonna give us. Excited for your lore videos on it

[@SmoughTown]

Really appreciate the kind words, thank you so much - Much more to come!

[@rationalideal]

Real quick, on the language of “ golden star bearing a beast, which became the Elden Ring” I think it’s plausible to believe that the term “ which” could be referring to the star and not the beast. Logically, the Elden Ring was shattered and scattered. Due to the law of transitive identity, that means the Elden Beast was shattered. But we see in the game that the beast is not scattered. So, I think it proper to assume that the golden star of the Elden Ring, not the Beast. Thoughts?

[@Ashmodath]

The Elden Beast does actually have a large wound in its chest, which seems to correspond with the damage dealt to the Elden Ring

[@raulperez375]

Awesome, now I can fail to comprehend all Elden Ring lore in one convenient video!

[@TRACTOOOOOOOOOR]

Crazy how far we've come with the lore on this game. Amazing work as always!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks my friend!

[@Leah-xv6cn]

I've basically only watched Vaati until this video. It's cool seeing other theories, I really appreciate how much you watch other content creators and blend their ideas into your own and deliver quality theories with good backing!

[@matteoflamigni550]

At this point this is definitely one of the best general overview on ER Lore around, if not the best. Your readiness to value the work of others and to change and adjust ideas over time, and take even unresolved doubts into the mix with honesty all beared fruit, and well-deserved aknowledgement. A very pleasant listening.

[@SmoughTown]

Much appreciate that my friend, really kind of you to say. It's wild how much my ideas have evolved over time and that is in no small part due to other creators.

[@Volnas97]

Come to think of it, correct me if I'm wrong, but I find it pretty ironic how Ranni went through so much effort to escape her fate of becoming god and head of an order, just to fulfill it in the end, just with different order, but I don't think Greater Will cares about what order is at power. Or at least that's what I got from her ending.

[@CABALlc1]

I've NG+'d the game many times and now after watching this I still have no idea what the story in the game is.

[@Darfail]

Makes sense.

[@lukaskarim8802]

Literally same bro

[@exnecross3141]

This isn't really the story of ER, this is the history of its world. The story is quite simple; you're an outcast who is destined to become elden lord. Any good fantasy setting needs to have history this deep to become a believable world. Just look at LOTR.

[@downtownfridays8953]

Story: kill everyone. Become king.

[@whateverjustposting]

ive ng++ pretty much every souls game and yah i dont really understand the story of any of them either, despite watching many of these lore videos

[@Practicallypreposterous]

I like how the blue dancer is tied to an abandoned red lake, while the red dancer in the DLC trailer is found in a blue area with stranded ships. I think the conceiling effect of the veil is much more abstract than many of us assume

[@theslyredfox7919]

So ancient dragons could and DID take the form of other beings that were human like, to "commune" with them. I think ancient dragons in the form of beastial women, were commanded by the greater will to breed with beast men to create the draconic species that later evolved into humans. Also isn't it funny that after this evolution started, ancient dragons DEvolved into lesser dragons like they lost a piece of themelves. All commanded by the greater will of course, but I don't know why. Thoughts?

[@luteisland]

You’ve given me a lot more of an understanding that i could’ve hoped for. between you and vaati, you’ve made elden lore my favorite lore of all time.

[@SmoughTown]

Humbled to hear that - thank you so much and I hope you enjoy the DLC when it comes out!

[@keanuwilliams2641]

My Saturday is Complete Thanks Smough

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure - enjoy it my friend

[@techtrek31]

Incredible work. It's crazy how I spent ~ 200 hours in this world, mesmerized and enchanted and yet apparently had only the most trivial understanding of what the hell was going on. This has me so excited for the DLC and to boot up this game for the first time in a year - thank you so much!

[@joncarter3761]

lmao Elden John, what a great name for such a mysterious figure! I am hoping we will find out some more about the first human civilisation though in the DLC, maybe they were banished to the land of shadows once the Golden Order took over?

[@troybaker9302]

This was truly one of the greatest videos on Elden Ring I’ve watch. You can really see the effort in your videos, and to top it off, you constantly credit other creators for their amazing work as well. Keep up the amazing work! Can’t wait to see what else you have in store for us!

[@SmoughTown]

Wow thank you so much! Means the world to hear that - I will do and cheers for the support!

[@twizttiez4910]

I’ve yet to play elden ring, I’m a completionist through and through so I’ve been stuck on so many other games. Your channel has not only helped me understand the lore more but also come to be fascinated with it. I really appreciate the content. Keep up the great work!

[@thatguywesmaranan]

what's this? a smoughtown video to listen to after coming home from a night out with friends? excellent...

[@SmoughTown]

Hope you had a great night with friends and that you enjoy the video!

[@caligulasMobster]

Lets go Elden Ring recap before Shadow of the Erdtree.Watched on the release of the DLC

[@joeahonen2363]

Gonna have this on constant replay until DLC drops

[@SmoughTown]

Appreciate that my friend. Enjoy!

[@Giffsen]

Great video as usual. Thanks for the upload, man. I'll keep watching this every now and then to keep things fresh for when the DLC comes!

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure my friend, thank you so much for the support - means the world to me

[@smokinbonez420]

cant wait to fall asleep to this for years to come, cheers!

[@SmoughTown]

Enjoy!

[@wimmywozzle778]

"There are a number of important pieces of lore to be found within these few sentences" - direct quote from SmoughTown's very soul No hate at all, I love your vids to destined death

[@SmoughTown]

Haha much love! ❤

[@newtypeshawty]

Been waiting on this one forever 🙌🏾

[@SmoughTown]

Let’s go!!!! Sorry for the wait

[@zauvimoo]

Same dude love when slough uploads so much

[@EchoedMemories]

I could literally listen to this guy do eldenring documentaries all fucking day.

[@SmoughTown]

means the world my friend - thank you!

[@monstyn]

It’s quite simple.. followed by an over two hours of explanation for the tip of the iceberg that is the entirety of the lore of Elden Ring ….. bravo sir!! praise fromsoft, praise the Elden ring, the sun, and praise berserk❤

[@SmoughTown]

Hahaha thank you my friend! Yeh the video defo ended up being longer than I intended.

[@estephaniaramirez8955]

saving this video for when I clean my depression room

[@whatsnewbois9814]

The Stars will align and we will find our answers in the land of Shadows

[@SmoughTown]

I’ll see you there!

[@Sorrowdusk]

*ONLY 2.5 HOURS* After 32 hours of lore in 3 vids, this video is magnificently concise.

[@iwouldcryifihademotions6966]

WOOOOOOOOOO ELDEN RING LOREEEEEEE LETS GOOOO

[@michaelterry9099]

I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hop on KZbin to see you drop a video. Keep it going Smough, we love your content!

[@SmoughTown]

That means the world to hear that. Thanks so much! I will do

[@Big_Daddy953]

Holy moly 2 and half hours 😢 Guess i'm not watching Netflix tonight 😂😂 The work you do is immense. Thanks for the content you've been providing. It's always top notch

[@SmoughTown]

I appreciate that my friend - means the world. Apologies for the delay on this one!

[@Big_Daddy953]

@@SmoughTown no apologies needed. Take as much time as you need

[@Elden_Beastie]

You are delivering this juicy lore with such quality that even the All Knowing would be jealous😅

[@SmoughTown]

[@cheesytoast210]

SMOUUUUGH you are the BANE to my sleep. Love the vids !

[@SmoughTown]

Hahaha my apologies! Hope you enjoy this one

[@VIGINTITRES341]

Okay, now this is a bit random and off topic, but I have a major theory about the Greater Will. So a long time ago, a famous psychoanalyst named Carl Jung believed that all minds are connected by a collective unconscious separate from reality. I believe that the maybe the Greater Will is the collective unconscious of the Lands Between. Or maybe, he is the “Kami” or natural representation of a collective unconscious. Since SmoughTown touched on the Outer Gods being similar to the Japanese Kami in previous videos, I believe the Greater Will being the Kami of the collective mind force of the inhabitants of the Lands Between fits. As we see with the Nox Mirrorhelm item description, it is apparent that, to defy the Greater Will, they stopped it from getting into their heads and blocked their own access to the Collective Consciousness. Maybe the reason for the “election “ of Elden Lords and Gods is because of the public deciding it. Who knows what this could mean for the structure of the Lands Between! But, that’s just a theory. Let me know if you like this or not! I love your channel and your videos!

[@why7868]

Awesome video ! Im SO GLAD you started pausing for comas and for periods instead of speed reading / run on sentences.

[@frostb1041]

Workin the night shift and stumbled across this video, thanks for making my break a peaceful one

[@thekraken4886]

This will get me through the rest of my workday. Thanks Smough!!

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure! Hope work goes well! Thanks for the support

[@Shaun_cpt]

I thought this was going to be a slog to get through. But it flew by quickly. Super comprehensive and easy to understand. Great summary to prep for the DLC

[@SmoughTown]

Really appreciate that my friend! Glad you found it enjoyable

[@christophertriplett757]

Love your lore videos!!! In my head cannon, I thought of the golden star the Elden beast came in on was like a giant golden seed. I always thought of the crucible as the seed of the Erdtree. Then at the end of the war of the giants it actually sprouts out of the ground and the age of the Erdtree begins. I was wondering what your take on this was.

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you so much! Yeh tbh I imagine it in a similar way!

[@oneshotwonder3099]

The hints to the new story r all over how did I not see it 😂 amazing video

[@itzamedio5427]

Uploaded on a Saturday! Now I dont have to lie to my boss about my suspiciously long "lunch breaks" anymore! 😂

[@SmoughTown]

Hahah! Glad the timing suits! Enjoy!

[@leone9482]

This is the best recap on KZbin Ever i looked up a lot and none came close to this ,, thank you mate that was some solid work there 👌

[@eamsamaraka486]

"the prophet despaired" the statue holding the tablet... is that the prophet?

[@SmoughTown]

Hmm - defo a possibility, nice catch!

[@sandermerisalu9080]

Hey, I just thought of something cool. The ancient dragons possess all of the aspects of the crucible. Tail, breath, horns and wings. Just a nice correlation

[@SpaceDoggy777]

Another home run 👏🏻 Thank you for your efforts, good sir!

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure - thank you so much, glad you enjoyed

[@Siisjoonperkele]

There are so much deviations depending on the player's insights. Fromsoft are masterminds in this level of world building. The sheer amount of theory crafting and driven community is amazing, i am eagerly waiting what the dlc will tell us and what stuff is not so apparent.

[@T2revell]

At work and I don’t care. Gonna ignore customer customers and listen to this

[@BradleyZS]

If we assume that Messmer is also a child of Marika and Radagon wouldn't the Radagon persona have to have existed before this (otherwise Messmer would known about). My thought is that Radagon may have been the original persona who became Marika when he communed with the Golden order - that the golden hair is akin to the golden scales of the dragons and is something attained due to the connection with a god and thus the ability to become an Elden Lord. As with the beastmen, the intelligence is bestowed upon a creature by a God (and which probably require runes to establish a link which is why Erdtree burial is used, to take the runes of the dead and not let them go to other gods). So when ruling, Marika is the persona used for the greater intelligence, but when combat is needed Radagon comes out. If a large amount of runes is required to make an order of a particular outer god, then it could be assumed that a lot of killing was done during the crucible in order for a singular order to take hold. So for Marika to take control (or to come to be) Radagon would had to have been the one to do this killing as he came out in the times of war and to stop you at the end of the game. This is much like Godfrey giving way to Hoarah Loux, the latter being the true form which is unleashed when his bound beast is killed for it contained his bestial side. Similarly Marika has her own beast which may have been to suppress Radagon and the violence within him.

[@Satchel_Gizmo]

YOOOOOOOOOO HE DROPPED IT 🗣🔥

[@SmoughTown]

❤ took me long enough! Thanks for the patience and hope you enjoy

[@justinjohnson6481]

One thing I’ve always thought and never heard mentioned is the fact that a crucible in smithing is a vessel used to melt metals into a liquid form for casting. Being what we know about the fire giants I think that the “great forge” is much more significant than a fireplace. Not to mention the usage of a crucible to create alloys, or mixed metals. Much like amalgamations of life in its primordial form.

[@callmeknightsky]

welp i wanted to go grocery shopping, workout, and maybe read a book in the next 2 hours. oh well then-

[@SmoughTown]

Hahaha! I’m sorry! Hope you enjoy!

[@palatonian9618]

(haven't played through dlc yet so no spoilers there please) I don't know if anyone versed in the lore will see this, but could the golden order have been formed by putting the rune of death in Melina/gloam eyed queen and then when she rebelled it was sealed in Maliketh?

[@PenOfEvil]

Your videos inspire me.🙌

[@SmoughTown]

Too kind my friend ❤️

[@pavelalexandrovich166]

Woahhh. Miquella's prayer to Godwyn takes on a whole different meaning after the DLC. Perhaps Miquella first wanted Godwyn as his consort before his assassination, and afterward prayed for him to die normally so Miquella could have his soul like he had Radahn's.

[@Carlen56]

Just finished my first play through after 35 hrs, now I’m gonna watch this so I can appreciate my second playthrough even more.

[@christiangreaves3911]

Wow. I still don’t understand this story at all. It’s one of the most convoluted stories I’ve ever seen.

[@jackieparmz]

It’s better to think of the game as having a complex history rather than a coherent story. The “story” of the game is pretty simple; you’re a Tarnished, and you have come back to the Lands Between to attempt to become Elden Lord. What you learn along the way enriches your journey and provides context to what’s going on around you, but it ultimately doesn’t affect your story… get to the Erdtree, become the Elden Lord, and restore Order.

[@aaronarceneaux1564]

The story is your journey from the first steps to the elden throne, everything else is the history of the world it takes place in

[@bayouboigaming]

The world was built by GRRM and the actual plot was written by fromsoft. What GRRM said is he created the histories of the families as if they were heroes or just not evil, and then fromsoft took it from there.

[@Telecaster324]

Don't deep dive into lord of the rings my guy

[@stefanjackson1127]

I think Miquella and Messmer are supposed to represent the Lovers Tarot card as being Twin Flames. When you look at the image on the card it has 2 trees (the tree of knowledge which is abundant, and the tree of life which is dying). There are 2 people, each standing in front of a tree. The card has a serpent and flames on it, as well as a deity presiding over everything. The cards themselves have a reverse in meaning, a "shadow". UPRIGHT: Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices REVERSED: Self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values. Maybe their unification will create some form of balance. There is also the idea of a fake Twin Flame, so maybe Miquella felt drawn to who he believed to be his Twin Flame - Messmer, and was gravely mistaken.

[@RossAshmore]

Thank you for cooking for us as always Geoff! Looking forward to watching this tonight!

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers as always Ross - apologies for the wait on this one!

[@RossAshmore]

@SmoughTown No need to apologize, you can't rush art!

[@MrHabenero]

This video was very thorough and it went over a lot, and I'm not trying to downplay how well this insane amount of history and information was articulated... but after having watched this... I feel like the lore of Elden Ring is even more confusing to me now then it was before I tried to understand what this story was actually all about. lol

[@samk522]

Where did the albinauric bloodclot running gag begin?

[@SmoughTown]

Hahaha - very early on, I think in my first 3-4 videos I just made a comment about how I always seem to mention the item description

[@chez1241]

I remember all this back when I was 18 in as a senior in highschool. I was luckier than most since I lived in the country outside cuero on a ranch. For my family it was actually nice with the snow and such and my dad used to live in Alaska so he knew how to handle the cold. We would collect water by boiling ice scicles on the stove and using camp stoves when the power was out. We would get power about 3 hours a day due to re-routing power in the power grid. All our pipes froze up so we only had water for one day from our sinks and showers. The rest of the time I was wrapped up in warmups and a hoodie and winter socks and I either played on my phone or read books. We never ran out of food because we'd just heat up frozen deer meat and we never had a shortage of drinking water because we'd boil snow and stuff. Our only real problem was the water pipes getting broken and we didn't get them fixed until that may and until they were fixed we had to temporarily reroute our water through some DIY pipes through our small guest house. All in all, I'm a minority but I liked all the snow and stuff but I realize how lucky I was that we had plenty of food and know how to handle the cold.

[@fachasaurus]

Who's here after watching the new Shadows Of Erdtree trailer that dropped today?

[@chancemorse6705]

anyone putting 35 + hrs into elden ring lore is a fricken awesome demigod of a creator in my book subscription earned 10 fold man, much appreciated 👏 and well done🎉

[@PapaBlake]

You are probably my favorite elden ring lore KZbinrs thanks for the vid

[@mikedabro1084]

I lost the plot 5 min in.

[@Duv1995]

Amazing vid, I'm still watching it bit by bit as I wait for the DLC. In the meantime, I wanted to share my thoughts about humans and how they are born in the world of ER. My theory is that, similarly to real life, humans in ER originate from beasts, not dragons, hear me out: - Demihumans are very similar to monkeys, also their name suggests that they're a possible link between humans and animals - We already have a case of species from different geological eras coexisting at the same time (dragons, beasts, humans), so it wouldnt be a long shot to see humans and their more primitive cousins living in the same world and time - Human bone shards found withing beastman skeletons as you said in the vid - As for the dragonkin humans my guess is that they are just the child of a human and an ancient dragon who took a human form, and their shorter lifespan might be a result of their mixed blood, but I dont believe they are the ancestors of the whole human race Oh and there's another thing I wanted to point out regarding the five fingers: the elden beast is the first ever lifeform with superior intellect, and it has in fact five fingers, a trait passed down to the ancient dragons who in turn possess them! humans are just the last ones to inherit this trait that originates from the elden beast itself!

[@constantine-p3p]

bro thanks! i just got this on fathers day, my son bought it for me and demanded i play it, but i dont know anything about the lore. game is fucking beautiful! i cant imagine this world before the shattering, its crazy to see all the broken giant castles and stuff.

[@jimmyjab8090]

The word Crucible comes from the Medieval Latin crucibulum, which meant “pot used for melting metals” literally a melting pot, maybe the age of the crucible is just that a melting pot of life,conflict, death, evolution there is also the saying “forged in the crucible of adversity” something that has been tested or crafted through hardships or intense scrutiny. The age of the erdtree is the end of life’s evolution the tree of life is transformed and marika ends all death and by doing so prevents evolution of life.

[@Hexmoneyman]

I think Melina might be an alter ego similar to Saint Trina and Miquella. Her original body was burned, yet she didn't even know why.

[@oliviermillour7974]

Thank you SmoughTown for this thorough, expertly crafted telling of a mysterious and enthralling lore. Elden Ring is one of my favorite games ever, and you have breathed new life into its depth and genius. Perfect for the upcoming return to the Lands Between. Cheers to you!

[@rynob356]

Wow just wow. Great work. I didn’t realize I was even that interested before watching all 2+ hours of this!

[@pablojoel3217]

Great video. Keep up with the great content. I wanted to see it all before I prep for the DLC. I have a question, though: Did Maliketh sealed Destined Death after defeating the GEQ or after Ranni stole a fragment of it?