Elden Ring Lore - Loretta, Royal Knight And Hero

Who was Loretta? Carian Royal Knight? Albinauric Hero? Both? In this Elden Lore we explore the history of Loretta, Carian Royal Knight of the Haligtree.
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[@caliaid]

so if you alter her outfit, it removes the lapis cape & raises Poise (rare, when altering armor and removing a piece to have a stat go up, instead of down). I like the thought that since the cape is described as her Carian pride, that shedding it (and living as her true self) raises her resolve/poise…

[@figo3554]

Loretta definitely deserved a video of her own

[@ulysseshusong]

Fun fact Lorreta’s helmet is based on the historical arching bascenet helm, my favorite helmet of all, also her weapon has some historical value as well, the weapon she has was used to an extent by uprising of people against the lord, they would take a normal farm sickle and move the head upright, making a formidable yet cheap weapon to make.

[@jamesnorman9160]

I bet the Albinaurics were overjoyed to find someone who wanted to aid them, rather than seeking to exterminate them just for the act of existing. But it's a shame that this is someone who went to all that trouble to find a new home for her people and to defend Miquella's dream...and we cut them down like every other challenger. But this is a game from From Soft, where you fight everything that stands before you, regardless of what their intentions originally were.

[@kingofstrangeness7014]

Her fault for attacking us🤷

[@xryeau_1760]

I wish we could tell Malenia where Miquella is...

[@CheeseBoat25]

​@@xryeau_1760exactly imagine befriending her and having Loretta and all the cleanrot knights and other soldiers found at the hailigtree go and storm mohg's palace to get him back

[@Ryan-cf7bf]

​@@CheeseBoat25ah if only. It seems quite likely though that Malenia has lost herself after releasing the Scarlet Rot. And Miquella is changed. Most of his knights seem maddened or quite literally ready to burst. The Haligtree is rotted. This is not a tale that has any happy endings.

[@Shadowcthuhlu]

If only we could put points in diplomacy

[@aneria-3561]

The more I learn about the tragic stories of albinaurics and Loretta, the more I love how deeply human they turned out to be. They might be one of the most touching people I got to interact with in video games, with the mutants and ghouls from Fallout. But giving them their own tragic heroes like Loretta made them truly heartbreaking

[@topcat59]

She likely left ranni and the Carian family do to guilt, since she is one of the only few Albinauric that was treated with high respect then most others and due to her being in this high position she never noticed the discrimination towards her people.🤔🐱

[@mr.carnage3451]

I really think that Loretta was a Carian Knight, and with her many battles against the Cuckoo Knights she had seen what the Cuckoos were doing to the Albinaurics; how they were just slaughtering them relentlessly. So she vowed to help the Albinaurics find a safe place for them to live, away from anyone who would think they were lesser beings. Then she found the Haligtree where anyone could live in peace. But when Miquella was kidnapped by Mohg Loretra knew that the Haligtree wouldn't last without Miquella. My theory, I know it's a big stretch to think that's what happened but I like to think Loretta is a True Knight with Honor. I don't know why she switched from Caria to the Haligtree but she might have liked their philosophy/ what they stood for better in the end.

[@sirapple2406]

She's most likely not an albinauric, My reason for thinking that is because we see in her animations that she can still move her legs and horseriding requires the use of one's legs to be feasible. Plus, the only link we really have towards her being an albinauric is her shield's description. I don't count her sympathy towards albinaurics as evidence because it's too much of a stretch, I can care about a person of any background, race, etc that doesn't mean I come from the same background, race, etc.

[@dracorex426]

She has red blood. She's human. It's possible that she's albino, but I haven't actually seen if there's any evidence of her actual skin color. The rumor came about because others could not comprehend the idea that any human could care about the Albinaurics like she did.

[@forsaken650]

Oh she was a formidable foe in both encounters. One thing I really appreciated about From SoftWare was how their lore design allowed content creators to create these videos. 😊

[@dorian1593]

I really love your “bit sized” lore videos. Sometimes I don’t feel Ike watching an hour long video about some dude who did something wrong

[@ultra824]

I really dislike the idea that loretta is an albinauric. I feel like it's more compelling for her to have taken on this task for a people not her own rather than acting at least partially out of self-interest. I do like the idea that she might have had a mundane disability limiting the use of her legs, which would lead her to feel a kinship with the albinaurics. It appears that the carians had a number of gen 1 albinaurics at their manor, so she might easily have heard of their plight and felt sympathy for them. also, her blood is visibly red when you fight her at the haligtree. The shield description explicitly describes the rumors of her being an albinauric as 'absurd' and it reads to me like something that someone would come up with if they can't fathom the idea of a human acting on the behalf of the 'impure' albinaurics

[@starkiller823]

I think Loretta left her position as royal Carian knight because after the shattering there was no Carian family to protect (Ranni was missing and Rennala was mentally broken and taken prisoner). According to the lore, carian house was probably the only one that protected the albinaurics (according to the troll knight sword and the fact that the albinauric village was right under the moonlight altar), and without them, the albinaurics were now within the reach of the cuckos, now sworn enemies of the Carians, perhaps all that motivated Loretta to seek a new horizon.

[@GothelGrigore]

Also, Loretta’s mastery resembles one of the alchemical symbols for silver, which is also a motif for albinaurics!!

[@TiberiusRex182]

I always found myself wondering where people like Lorretta, the knights cavalry, and the Kaidans get these horses. Especially Loretta considering her horse is about 3 to 5 times the size of most of the other horses we see in the lands between, and And that her horse was just as big from as far back as when Ranni knew her because that’s the same size the horse is in the apparition of Caria Manor

[@Icspiders247]

Bosses that are knights fighting on horseback are always awesome in this game.

[@elwynn9931]

The extreme leg plates on her set also point to her not being able to walk. Large plates like that are completely impractical for anything other than mounted combat, including walking. Nobody would wear such large pieces unless they had absolutely no reason to dismount, or are incapable of dismounting.

[@coroarc8423]

I think Loretta is one of Elden Rings best characters but I don't think that she is an albinauric. Wouldn't it be so cool if she is just an ordinary knight who wanted to end the mistreatment of the albinaurics? I think this would make her a better character because she (and probably Miquella) would be the only characters caring about the artificial beings.

[@soldierinsane2689]

Also I’m pretty sure she doesn’t bleed silver but I’m sure I’m wrong because people are convinced that she was albinauric

[@coroarc8423]

@@soldierinsane2689 yes she bleeds red and just because she is on a horse doesn't mean she can't walk. If you ever rode a horse than you will know that it is nearly impossible to stay in the saddle if you can't move your legs. These crazy jumps she does would be impossible. Therefore I am pretty sure she is human.

[@soldierinsane2689]

@@coroarc8423 I thought so, thanks for confirming. All the more reason to call the rumor absurd. The only albinaurics that bleed red are moghs dynasty and Loretta definitely wasn’t w the formless mother

[@TheRealUncannyValley]

Maybe she is half Carian noble, half albinauric 😮

[@AppliedGats]

I like the detail of Loretta’s spirit/ magic form being white, just like the rest of Ranni’s group and the other non hostile npc ghosts. Kind of implies she’s not always hostile or could be reasoned with. Mohg shows up red because of blood magic and sorcerer ghosts are blue carian magic. Morgott seems to be the only one who can hide his spirit color.

[@le0np0we]

It's mentioned in this RageGaming video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpLHnmuCmbt0jbc) that the altered Royal Knight Armor is the only altered armor that provides a stat boost, raising your poise +4. Even though Loretta's armor includes the cloak when encountering her at the Haligtree, the stat boost could suggest that when Loretta left her position in the Carian Manor (symbolized by losing her cloak), her poise is raised because of her determination to reach the Haligtree and save her people. She wouldn't be knocked down in pursuit of her goal. Great video, as usual!

[@wolfiemuse]

Eyyy, now the members videos show up on my notification feed! Dope. 😊

[@Okkusen]

I like the artwork you are placing in some video's. They give them the special touch

[@square-table-gaming]

Our artist Pat Gee is incredible

[@Okkusen]

@@square-table-gaming my compliments

[@hhowdy]

Bro, every time I have a suggestion to ask you for a video I just forget it and can never remember it again 😭😭😭

[@informationjunkie]

5:22 I don't get why this isn't enough for people. She can want to save the Albinaurics without necessarily being one herself. Her blood is red not silver. Tree Sentinels are also on horseback but are a single npc according to the game. The Night's Cavalry are the only large enemy who can split from their horses. Maybe them having 2 AI's was more trouble than just giving them 1. 7:00 Makes more sense. A great warrior teaching the downtrodden to defend themselves using horseback archery, her strongest discipline. 8:33 why would she not notice she has silver hair, eyes, skin & blood compared to everyone but the Albinaurics?

[@chandusaha4864]

You guys are awesome, making the thumbnail art and videos by yourself, thank you for all your effort

[@lapushka9388]

Albanaurics have always have ties with caria. Pidia is another example other than loretta, who’s working for caria.

[@hhowdy]

I REMEMBER ONE OF MY IDEAS a Devine Towers video

[@PlebIsland69]

Thanks for the video! Love Loretta and in my opinion one of the cooler looking bosses in the game

[@stevereeves6971]

I really like the idea of Loretta guarding Ranni and therefore being released from service upon her “death”. I feel like she is definitely an under-explored character. Also random but I wish there was more information about Finlay, who carried Malenia back to the Haligtree after the battle in Caelid. That must have been a hell of a journey in the middle of a war. Edit: just found your Cleanrot Knights video 😁 love the channel

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you! Glad you're digging it

[@luvlols4462]

Finlay is interesting because she only carries Melenia in the US translation. In other languages it says she died fighting Radahn. Not like the countless clean rots who died to him in the war, but she kept rising from death to keep fighting him until becoming ash. But that description makes it sound like she should be found in the war dead catacombs, not the haligtree.

[@kalebthehistorian5928]

​@luvlols4462 perhaps there were other cleanrots who survived and brought her ashes back out of respect.

[@anxyetas]

I love your content bro, keep it up

[@hungryboi3585]

So glad I’m early for one of your videos

[@AegisKHAOS]

I am always amazed at how much we can get while given so little. Two boss encounters, one merely an apparition, and yet we learn alot about Loretta. Personally on the side of her being a secret albinauric given certain details, but who knows.

[@sordschie3944]

Fated to fade away, nice one

[@Viley]

Good points, but she's bleeding red instead of sliver like albinaurics so she's not albinauric herself

[@square-table-gaming]

We believe the blood is meant to be coming from the horse but it's a valid criticism of the theory!

[@MarvelousChester-nr9xv]

Finally a lore video on lorretta i absolutely love the lore implications and design of lorretta

[@ViperRaiyu]

Maybe the Albina made the shield for her.

[@shadowededge]

What is Loretta was originally Torrents former master she summon a spirit to leave behind to defend a Ranni probably not true, but you can imagine

[@tenthshadow3764]

Finally one of the topics I want to know about Loretta.

[@terrariaarmy508]

There is one problem with her being an albrinauric: She bleeds red in the Haligtree. So it's impossible, as albrinaurics have silver blood. Likely she broke her legs terribly, or something like that and lost the ability to walk that way. Thus she got scorned by the other knights, and because of it she left when she did.

[@square-table-gaming]

We think this is a valid way of seeing things, but the blood coming from Loretta could also be from her horse as the majority of attacks that allow us to draw blood are at horse level.

[@terrariaarmy508]

@@square-table-gaming I made her bleed with the pulley crossbow after I used CE to freeze her AI. Still red blood.

[@kaptinkanoodle5039]

Ooh, a new stg video!

[@jackc4947]

I agree that she's likely an albinauric and you're probably right about her motivations, but I'm not convinced that she was ever ignorant of this fact. I assumed she always knew she was an albinauric and left to join miquella when it became clear that he was serious about giving albinaurics a real home. There's not any evidence either way so I assume she at least knew her own identity all along

[@karmenwinsteed6611]

Love the video

[@Sparkbomber]

Is she an Albinauric? Likely, though its possible she's a very much custom made one if that. And maybe her charge was Renna, who is still shrouded in mist and mystery. Alternatively, she could've become physically impaired due to other reasons or simply took on the Albinauric cause out of compassion. We don't know, but she's a damn fine addition to the game imo.

[@sk8legendz]

she's not Albinauric. *refer to Silver MirrorShield's Description* " The shape is said to imitate that of a sacred drop of dew, which inspired the absurd rumor that Loretta herself was an Albinauric." why would the rumor be absurd if she was not an albinauric? She was likely a Carian equivalent to a Tree Sentinel that felt pity for the Albinaurics. that is why she is never seen off her horse. the tree sentinels aren't albinaurics they're just mounted enemies. Now that being said I can't help but wonder if Miquella being on Torrent in the new DLC image and Ranni having known Torrent's former master, and Loretta going to the Haligtree doesn't indicate an underlying connection between Ranni, Miquella, and Loretta.

[@MrEpycon]

can you do the lore of the Carian knight ? I would be glad to see a video about them

[@square-table-gaming]

The specific carian knight we face is no one of note, but we are going to do a video on the carian knights as a group!

[@drakmendoa]

I am unsure if Loretta is an albinauric herself. There is also the possibility that she cares for the albinauric because the Carian royal family cared for them. We find albinauric soccerer in Carian Manor. So they clearly where not shunned and oppressed there but seen as normal people. Maybe Loretta tried to help the albinauric the way the Carians couldn't any more after what happened to Rennala. An interessting question for me is in that sense why Rykard hated the albinauric so much, that he let them be tortured in Vulcano Manor at such a big number and in such a degree that some even went mad. Rykard was also a Carian so he should have also learned that the albinauric are normal people. So where his hate comes from?

[@square-table-gaming]

I'm not sure if it's hate. Rykard was all about creating his own armies. It's possible the torture was more experimentation to craft the albinaurics into something he could use.

[@drakmendoa]

@@square-table-gaming Thats also possible.

[@ctyoro5086]

One of my favorite minor characters 🙌

[@Fingledoodler]

Great video again!! Thanks for continuing to give great content! Elden ring was my first dive into fromsoft games and i loved it but the thing that bothered me was why is everyone hostile that I actually would align with. I know maybe it's not in fromsofts design choice but I actually would like to have a choice with 1 or 2 bosses where you don't need to attack. Loretta is a great example of this. I wanted to help the albanaurics as much as I could and I think this would have been great place to add where if you hurt the albinaurics, she wrecks you, but if you are a friend she recognizes it and you don't have to kill her. I actually want some characters to stay alive so they can keep protecting things in the lands between that I also agree with, but then you take them out and remove the protector. I felt bad for having to kill some bosses, but not really having a choice in the matter. Can't wait for the next video as they always enrich the world I have grown to love!

[@darklordauron]

One aspect I don't see mentioned is that Loretta's moves, her love for her horse, her bow style, and her multi-arrow shot is very reminiscent of Radahn. I think that Radahn had a major influence on her training and perhaps a pre-insanity Radahn trained her to make her the best in her class.

[@jackeriksen6753]

Can it be Love, Protection, Hate and Vengeance in it's chaotic and focused form. That makes me tie Loretta and D? Or something along those lines? Sorry for duble post, had to think about this for a day :p I wonder if it's a 3'd aspect here as well? Makes it easier to determine their motives if I could figure out what they represent, They kind of stand out as opposite symbols in some way.

[@davidfrancisco3502]

The shield description feels like propaganda mixed with a passive agressive threath "Do not think about it and do not dare to ask questions".

[@Lilbird2fye]

Glad this was done I ran threw my first play through n I wandered why the real her was with melania n miquella

[@Billythetoaster2004]

She is kinda like Moses.

[@elwynn9931]

What if she's not an Albinauric, but rather was able to relate to them through losing her ability to walk? Then through that she gained insight into how they were being mistreated, and vowed to help them. It would make sense for her to then leave the Carians, as they were some of the worst perpetrators of that injustice.

[@Mhirin]

It's sad that all I can think of is how all these mounted enemies are adored and presented together with their horses, because it's how Fromsoft designed them But nobody else that I know of envisions having a cool character on an armoured warhorse Torrent because Fromsoft didn't design him like that... At least not yet. Not just that, I'm sure I'm the only one who's created a light-loaded tank in this game, simply after I thought of what potential 99 endurance with the great jar's arsenal and only one right-hand jack-of-all-trades weapon could have. Shared it with an Elden Ring content creator, he was like "Durrrhhh what's the point?? Medium-loaded or light-loaded glass cannon only!!" This has to be the most closed-minded, non-inovative, tribalistic and deceitful community I've ever foolishly decided to have any contact with.

[@square-table-gaming]

Think you might be talking to the wrong people man

[@AHawks]

I’ve always wondered who she was

[@SophiaLilithUwU]

tbh the description of the shield makes it all but clear that loretta is an albinauric to me, especially as somebody who devoured GRRMs books. The description of loretta's shield is so unmistakable in it's language that it seems desperate to convince you that loretta being an albinauric is a laughable idea. It belies an agenda behind the statement, imo. What that agenda is is of course up to personal interpretation, but for me, the fact that albinaurics are second, maybe even third class citizens of the lands between, reviled by everyone and everything paints a clear picture. The inhabitants of the lands between do not want to believe that an albinauric could rise to such a prominent position in society. A soulless, besmirched being is only good for groveling in dirt and the fact that one of them outranks many of them and is so distinguished would shake the racist, eugenicist values of the lands between to the core. So the implication that she is and does is absurd and laughable to them. Now of course it could also be true that Loretta is indeed human and only dedicated her life to finding salvation for a race that is not her own out of the goodness of her hand and too much time to kill. And that the rumor stemmed from people trying to besmirch her good name as a royal knight due to her association with lesser beings. I cannot dismiss the possibility entirely. However, i thinkt he fact that loretta's shield is shaped like a *sacred* drop of life giving dew, discredits that theory to me. If loretta was really concerned for albinaurics and their way of living she would not appropriate sacred insignia of them for her own armor and weaponry. Unless its a gift by the albinaurics to her, that seems just really disrespectful, especially since as a human, the life giving dew would be of no use, and thus of no meaning to her anyhow. Finally I also think that the story this was adapted from also points to loretta being an albinauric. I'm of course talking about the story of Moses. Moses was a Jew living among Egyptians, who rediscovered his true heritage as a Jew and led his people to salvation from persecution in a faraway land. Moses was not an Egyptian who really sympathised with Jews and discovered their land of salvation for them out of kindness. Granted, Moses wasnt a woman either, but taking essentially the same story beats and just swapping the gender of the central character of the narrative seems like far smaller stretch than changing the actual story beats, given it changes the nature of the story as a whole. Especially since GRRM grew up with 1960-70s feminism and loves having important women in his books. A little gender swap to make that happen seems like something he would do.

[@ivory867]

The only issue I have with her being one is she bleeds red instead of silver in her second boss fight if you get a jump attack or hit her legs you see red blood come out

[@jackeriksen6753]

I don't know if this means anything, but much like D she got multiple forms and the consequences are not optional for reaching a certain endings. (Unless cheesed, if there is any) Some times I got the feeling those characters symbolizes the ripple effects of a players choices. And Latennas quest is oddly similar to Fias at some points. I could be imagining, as I just can't put my finger on why. But I end up drawing parallells (Even if it might not be any.) ----- I'm unsure if it's a pure coincidence that D summoned a Spirit identical to my characters starter class(Gear) during a fight, and Lorettas horse got a move set that feels awfully like something Torrent could do. I'm rambling sorry as I just can't pinpoint the core of what makes those 2 characters so unique.

[@kalemnir]

Loretta is one of my favorites. She deserved a video of her own, absolutely! And you did it great. And an interesting theory, I like that. I can't decide for myself whether she's an albinauric or not. I think she can still use her legs prety well, but it's just a headcanon, not theory. One of my favourite fic writers made her a prosthetics user. It's quite sad Loretta doesn't have facedata, like Sellen or Ofnir...

[@sambaniang8144]

She is not an albenoric because her blood is red. You can see it in the video at 08:38. Sorry to debunk your great theory.

[@square-table-gaming]

That's the standard animation for causing the bleed status effect. Regular attacks that show blood come from the horse.

[@sambaniang8144]

@@square-table-gaming Hmmmm.... you mean only the horse bleed during the fight ? I don't know.. The albinauric that rides wolves bleeds white when they are hitted.

[@square-table-gaming]

@@sambaniang8144 it's a valid criticism of the theory for sure, but if you knock the albinauric off the wolf, the wolf will bleed red. We think the assumption of blood coming from the horse makes sense because the horse is enormous, unlike the wolves which are low to the ground, making it feasible that we're actually hitting the women, who also wear much less armor that Loretta

[@OlExtraRegularBass]

Every video you say "we would appreciate you subscribing" but who else is there but you.

[@square-table-gaming]

If you check out our other content, our artist Pat Gee does game reviews and streams, big booty does big booty boss battles, and we have a couple of people behind the scenes who we bounce content off of.

[@OlExtraRegularBass]

@@square-table-gaming Oh, my bad. Elden Ring is heavily in my feed so I only see these lore videos.

[@square-table-gaming]

All good. KZbins algorithm straight up doesn't show people our other content haha

[@OlExtraRegularBass]

@@square-table-gaming pretty wild. I think I've seen all of your lore videos, minus maybe one in between this one and the most recent upload. I'm going to rectify that right now.

[@ericp3985]

Goated channel, great host

[@square-table-gaming]

Appreciate that!

[@sueflewelling3657]

good video is it ok if I ask you a question

[@square-table-gaming]

Any time

[@sueflewelling3657]

​@@square-table-gaming ok a common trend of soulsborne games are that some of the legendary characters of the bosses are not at there prime and elden ring is no different out of all demigods we fight do you think got weaker like general radahn or stronger like godrick and some of there othere boss like maliketh?

[@square-table-gaming]

​@@sueflewelling3657 I'd argue all of them are weaker than they once were aside from perhaps Mohg and Morgott

[@beniron5807]

She could have been one but I think the story would be better if she was perhaps raised my one (hence her love for them) or just straight up decided that these people were her cause. I mean, isn’t it such a human thing to do “ oh she likes these repulsive people….I bet she is one of them!

[@Mistercodmobilefan8378]

I hope there's more of Loretta the haligtree knight cuz her bio is very interesting and the fact I died by her 5 times lol at the haligtree

[@knoheart]

It’s sad that we have to fight her ☹️ why though we’re not the bad guy

[@Carrot-Man1876]

Greetings from the Carrot-Man 👋🥕

[@square-table-gaming]

My liege

[@SterbsMcGurbs]

Love your delivery. I'd be cool listening to you read the dictionary

[@square-table-gaming]

Legit can't tell if this is sincere or not haha

[@SterbsMcGurbs]

@@square-table-gaming get your dictionary and find out lol

[@oliverfrench2847]

she could be an albanauric but i think more importantly the rumor raises a question. Do you have to be a part of a marginalized community to support them? the only true piece of evidence is that she never walks 😂 It’s interesting to see a lot of people assume that her dedication to the oppressed albanaurics means she herself is one. can she not be a virtuous carian knight ..?