Elden Ring Lore - The Blind Swordsman

We love exploring the smaller pieces of lore of Elden Ring, and today we're diving into the story of a character we never actually have the opportunity to meet in-game. Who was the Blind Swordsman, and what was his impact on the Lands Between?
Become a member of the channel for early access to this video!
/ @square-table-gaming
Sources:
Elden Ring: amzn.to/3xo3xON
www.artpal.com...
Check out the Elden Ring art being created by Pat Gee who works on our Thumbnails! These prints make amazing gifts for Elden Ring fans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow us on Social Media
Facebook: / squaretablegaming1
Twitter: / squaretableyt
Instagram: / squaretablegaming
Twitch: / squaretablegamingyt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[@topcat59]

Honestly I like to believe that the warrior class is a descendent of the blind swordsman and is now walking the same path as their predecessor.😺

[@TheDevinMT]

What if it's the a sort of recurrence? The warrior is the blind swordsman, returned by grace and retreading the same path and relearning the original skill but long after the first visit. Time is convoluted after all

[@SoonToBeKing420]

​@@TheDevinMT dead ass about to say the same thing

[@SaintDamain]

What Devin said. Considering they said a Tarnished of no renown, I think the warrior class is canonically the blue dancer.

[@renegade6578]

Blind Swordsman Sigma grindset >shows up >Beats outer God >Trains the hardest demigod boss >Refuses to elaborate further >Doesn't appear in base game

[@hereticseraphim73]

I like the idea that the blind swordsman was a actually Malenia’s teacher, teaching her how to have the rot under control, not destroying her body. My idea is that the blind swordman did die but due to his connection to the fairy and the siofra river and the ancestral spirits (siofra literally meaning fairy and the river is a flowing, with the aisnel river essentially surrounding the lake of rot (where the rot god is sealed), with ainsel being a name usually given to fairies in Scottish/Gaelic folklore) we was able to die a natural death, that or he could have willing died or killed himself, seeing an eternal life as the greatest form of stagnation.

[@robertofernandez7178]

Yes, the Swordsman gave her the mindset and her borther gave her the unalloyed gold. Malenia does really owe everything to those 2. Personally,I agree with your theory that the swordsman willingly died because life is like a river. It must have a beggining and an end. An eternal life is a form of stagnation and decay. Tha main problems of the Lands Between come from eternal life or their refusal to accept death as a part of life. The Blind Swordsman and his phylosophy got over this problem thousands of years before the game.

[@OtherMomo]

I've got a hunch that there is a story attached to every starting class, whether it be the class being inspired by stories of old characters (like this one) or the class itself having a story that can be pieced together within the game, like hypotherltocally, the wandering vagabond looking for a master, ending up following Ranni and her scemes to usurp the tree in favor of the stars

[@Lazymindflayerwithcofffee]

Or propet who have burned the world for his belives

[@dillasoul2228]

They do, and theirs already content out explaining it

[@afrokoku-jin5161]

I believe the mention of the fairy is literal. I interpreted the fairy as a spiritual manifestation of the Ansel River. Like a minor outer god essentially or a kami within Japanese myths

[@kt2official597]

my personal theory is that he sealed the rot god inside of malenia and thats why he decided to train her when they met. he realized that was the child that he sealed the rot god into and trained her to keep it at bay. him being her teacher would explain why he's honored so much with the carriage

[@whatsnewbois9814]

This guy might be the next Artorias the abysswalker, minus the part where he becomes corrupted... What if he died from malenias Rot, given that he was always with her and training. Never noticing that it was slowly consuming him turning his blade foul... ending his legend in tragedy.

[@kieranstevens5535]

Or maybe he knew it was killing him but sacrificed himself so that his student, a once pitiful little girl, could continue to fight and get a chance at a proper life. I’m sure he was at peace knowing she carried on his legacy.

[@FlyingNova223]

You have forgotten a big piece of evidence about the god of rot: the lake of rot map. It’s description states: “*A great lake of standing water downstream of the Ainsel River. It is said that the divine essence of an outer god is sealed away in this land.*” Malenia is in fact not the outer god of rot.

[@square-table-gaming]

We did lay out 2 separate theories, one of them accounts for this.

[@FlyingNova223]

@@square-table-gaming Ahh, I am sorry then. I must have missed it.

[@hugeslingshot]

The "fairy" in the item description is possibly a reference to the Siofra River. The word "Siofra" is an Irish term for an elf/fae being. This could mean two things: the first is that the blind swordsman learned his techniques by mimicking the feel of the water flowing around him similar to how Helen Keller learned to sign "water." The other possibility is that the river actually has a fae or minor deity associated with it. In many mythologies, natural forces have spirits that manifest as otherworldly beings such as the fae in Celtic lore or the kamii in Japanese lore. (I can't take credit for the latter theory as many have pointed this out before me, but the first theory about feeling the water was something I coincidently came up with in the shower).

[@Sleepy12ftPanda]

When you fight Millicent's sisters, the Third one "Amy" wields two of these curved swords. That gives more evidence to the idea that Malenia was a student of the Blind Swordsman and passed his lessons on to her children.

[@JasonAGoode]

As I recall, after the Ring of Death was rune from the Elden Ring, you only became immortal if you were "blessed by Grace", which Marika was the bestower of. Only the demigods were actually immortal. Normal people still died, but their souls went back to the Erdtree to be reincarnated. The purpose of Erdtree burials and the catacombs was to ensure that happened. It seems like the Blind Swordsman had a very Eastern philosophy and tried to address the root cause (Rot) rather than mindlessly attack its temporary manifestation (Malenia). It's heavily implied that the Rot it dealt with was the same one that manifested in whatever the Scorpion's Stinger was carved from. It always struck me as weird that the Flowing Curved Sword doesn't give a bonus to the Immunity stat. It should also have a special interaction with the Blue Dancer's Charm, like a parry on par with buckler parry.

[@wolfiemuse]

So, my opinion is that, the blind swordsman DID train Malenia, and the “avatar of Rot” that he sealed was the vessel of an Outer God akin to Elden Beast, but for a OG of Rot instead. The Scorpion’s Stinger, found in the Lake of Rot, mentions that it was fashioned from a part of a sealed god. The text for the weapon isssss: “Dagger fashioned from a great scorpion's tail, glistening with scarlet rot. A ceremonial tool used by heretics, crafted from the relic of a sealed outer god.” So in my opinion there were once other vessels of Outer Gods that fought over control of the Lands Between, and there was a vessel of the God of Rot that the blind swordsman sealed in the depths. However, Malenia had already been born afflicted with the rot curse before he sealed it, due to mentions of him being her mentor. So she is still connected to the rot god whether it’s sealed or not and therefore still has her crazy rot abilities. It would make sense that he trained her because she obviously did not like the affliction she was born with, there is text details that she did go along with the attempts to cure the Rot with the needle, etc so he would have taken sympathy on her and wanted to help train her. The reason I assume he dies or is not seen in game is because of old age. We know the demigods live far longer than the average Lands Between-ite. I think it makes sense that way and adds to the tragic nature of Malenia’s character - she is taught by a blind swordsman who eventually seals the rot vessel, but she has already been afflicted so it’s too late. He teaches her how to deal with the rot as best she can, but he dies because she ages far slower than he does. She gets a needle from her brother who wanted nothing else but to cure her, but then her brother is stolen away from her. I really like Malenia’s character and think she’s a very tragic character. That’s my headcanon about it, at least. I think I remember the details right.

[@md.asifandaleeb6045]

I like the theory you gave. 1. Melania first fought the blind swordsman who wanted to eliminate the rot, so confrontation with Melania was inevitable. In that fight the blind swordsman died to her hands. Melania has never known defeat before facing us, the player. 2. Melania was impressed with his sword skills, but not necessarily saw him as her tutor. The fight took a toll on her, she was forced to bloom once. 3. Melania blooms second time with Radhan, third time fighting us, the player. 4. The blind swordsman may have told her in his last breath, how to control the rot inside of her, through honing her skills using sword.

[@chandusaha4864]

Your deep dive into the lore of the elden ring is just fabulous, and your voice is so soothing it just keeps me glued to the screen. Thanks for your hard work

[@alexandermorgan5958]

This was an interesting deep-dive into someone we never meet. However, there is a little more to this story than you mentioned in the video. The description of the Scorpion's Stinger dagger mentions that it crafted from the relic of a sealed outer god. This might have been the avatar of the rot that the blind swordsman fought, not Malenia. Furthermore, there is evidence in the game that the Lake of Rot was not always what it is now, and used to be home to Ancestral Followers. I think the implication here is that water from upstream was diverted to dilute the power of the avatar of rot, allowing the blind swordsman to slay it. His whole shtick is 'flowing water', and the outfit mentions stagnant water turning foul.

[@LloydsSky9]

Rat? you mean Scorpion. The Rot Outer God is in the form of a Scorpion. Scorpion's Stinger weapon item description: Dagger fashioned from a great scorpion's tail, glistening with scarlet rot. A ceremonial tool used by heretics, crafted from the relic of a sealed outer god.

[@Kris-wo4pj]

Also the rivers are named after celtic fairies. One means fairy and one is the name of a fairy in a king arthur story.

[@wolfiemuse]

Yeah, that’s the thing. I’m like 99% sure he didn’t fight Malenia, why would he fight who he trained ha

[@phyokyaw7447]

The fact that the prince’s travels brought him to the lands between and he taught swordplay to melania is mind blowing.

[@alexrocky9147]

Awesome video as usual! I think the blind swordsman didn’t seal away the god of rot directly but rather its (real) avatar which no one talks about: the great scorpion. After all the Scorpion’s Stinger, the main item protected by the pests at the center of the lake of rot, is said to be made from the relic of a sealed outer god. I think the scorpion was an avatar of the god of rot, in the same was as Rykard’s Serpent is referred to as a God Serpent. The blind swordsman must have defeated the Scorpion using its flowing sword (as flowing water can beat the stagnant power of rot, it’s natural opposite), effectively sealing the god of rot it served.

[@AegisKHAOS]

Never thought of that particular carriage in the snow field as a funeral procession. Either way, the blind swordsman is certainly worthy of respect.

[@VoidTower_]

Since the Night’s Cavalry serve Morgott, and he thinks of Miquella and Malenia as traitors, I think the Blind Swordsman may have died trying to protect the twins when the Shattering war began. Or maybe he died in Elphael trying to help Malenia when she first bloomed at the Haligtree roots near her boss room.

[@Vergillllll]

Greatest KZbinr ever

[@square-table-gaming]

We try haha

[@colddash5598]

This Guy and Miquela both may be the center point of the DLC… imagine if the blind swordsman was the one that felled the black (rot) tree strangling the other in the DLC teaser image🤷‍♂️

[@ElishaMunnerlyn]

For a blind swordsman build I think I should put bleed on the flowing sword

[@MrSmido1]

Oh u earned the subscription. Been watching most of your vids. And the blind swordsman story is probably one of my favorites in game

[@ninjachannel007]

I just the sword yesterday and strong attacks with it really make you feel like a water dancing swordmaster.

[@magicoddball1452]

I personally don't believe he's dead. If you compare how Zamor warriors and Malenia move, they hold their swords in a similar fashion along with the Zamor warriors having elegant-like movements. Not to mention Zamor Warriors also wield curved swords imbued with ICE and considering that he fights with "flowing water" could mean he branched off from his Zamor bretheren. Also in the Prosthesis-wearer heirloom the heights of Malenia and the Swordsman appear identical, and zamor warriors are quite tall aswell. Now Zamor Warriors live for EXTREMELY long periods of time, meaning there would be no way that he could've died from old age. Now the main two reasons I don't believe he's dead is because for 1. The swords item description says "Legends speak of a master of the sword garbed in blue, and his curved blade that was patterned after flowing water." doesn't say "this" it says "his" possibly refering to the true sword and this one is a replica. The real kicker is that during the Haligtree invasion with Millicent, invader Amy duel wields these swords! Meaning that in total: there are 3 swords when the fairy bestowed a singular "blade", and a bonus: it has A scaling in Keen instead of S.

[@symbiote3220]

Explains how tall he is in the prosthesis compared to malenia and the zamor

[@ashtonfeatherstoneandersen4783]

The fairy may exist and I have a theory that we actually see them in some form in game. The lightning orbs found by all the archtrees in Siofra and the Consecrated snow field have no lore at all from what I've searched up but some of them have Lightning orbs by them, I feel like a lot of the lore is inspired by FromSoft older title Kings Field and in that the fairies shared connections with the dragons and the ethereal tree, (you get the moonlight sword from a fairy chilling with a dragon god)later they were experimented on by the evil dragon god Seath and turned into dragon hybrids. Back to Elden Ring, I feel like the Dragon Kin Soldiers are the only other enemy that share the power of bluish lightning that the lightning orbs possess. Maybe the denizens of the eternal cities that followed the Moon spliced giant, dragon, and fairy DNA in experiments that resulted in the Dragonkin, and perhaps the Lightning Orb Sprites are the Fairies in an angered state. Even Dark Souls may of had "Fairies" or something similar akin to kodama or sprites in folklore, the guardians of the forest. The mushroom people of oolacile, even the talking cat. Seem to have that role so I can't see why Elden Ring wouldn't. The blind swordsman could have honed his technique by said archtrees underground, perhaps actually meeting a fairy who taught him how to defeat the rot outer god.

[@ashtonfeatherstoneandersen4783]

In fact, the lightning orbs in the consecrated snow fields summon the dragon kin soldiers to attack the tarnished further cementing my theory.

[@ilejovcevski79]

Had the dexterity talisman or its curved sword counterpart been found on Melenia, or close to her, then the hypothesis of the Blind one being considered a mentor by falling in battle to her would have more merit. But not even the talismans seem to indicate they were made or ordered by her. Instead, we find the former on what is apparently a homage to her, that at least to my mind, is a sign of the third person retelling the tale. However, the wings as mentioned do seem to imply the first blooming took place as a result of her training with the blind one. And the possibility of him dying as a result is clearly there. But there's nothing to imply it came as a result of hostility or aggression between them. What if, just IF, their training eventually my accident released the rot sealed for so long, and that the proximity to Melenia when in happened is what killed him? And that the rot he was fighting so hard to contain was eventually brought back to the world, thanks to him, even though indirectly? Of course, this doesn't explain or account how, when and where he sealed the ancient rot itself, but neither Melenia's encasement in gold account for it. So, an alternative proposal. As mentioned, the people in Elden Ring are immortal. And Melenia was born with rot. A rot, in a physical body. In a way, you can argue, the rot is contained in her. What if, the Blind one, found a way to contain the Original rot, and the result of that action was Melenia? Maybe infected as an already conceived babe, or somehow conceived as a containment for the rot? Either way, it would make the tragedy of her accidental slaying of her master and instructor even greater. As it was through his teachings that the Rot started to return to the Lands Between again. And that doomed Caelid.

[@robertsoto5713]

I think the blind sword guy was the one who cut off the scorpion tail weapon we find and sealed the rot god and kept an eye on the twins by being a mentor

[@RemWillOvercome-ie3ec]

I don’t know if you guys will see this. But I’ve been enjoying your videos so much this week that I broke my life long rule of not letting apps send me notifications. I 100% is the time say no. This is the first KZbin channel I’ve ever hit the bell. And the first time I’ve let an app send notifications. Thank you for the entertainment.

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you! We seriously appreciate the support.

[@blizzardgaming7070]

This guy js probably going to be the final boss of the DLC.

[@Douge11]

“Siofra” is an Irish word for fairy. Many theories draw this connection with the blue dancer charm and claim the blind swordsman as the spirit of Siofra river, much like the river spirits in spirited away. It also works in relation to Malenia, flowing water stifling rot

[@kaptainkirk4358]

Man u opened my eyes to the possibility that the blind swordsman maybe went to Mikalas tree and maybe they fought or trained there and that could be why his sword is found in the snow feild since its in a close area to the tree

[@ariel5301]

If we will indeed come back in time in the dlc I would like to have a boss fight against this guy!

[@Cirroyt]

I made a character a blind samurai that goes through the lands between finding a way to regain his eye sight but I never knew there was an actual blind swords man. Glad I found the outfit to 😂

[@kamuymamushi5877]

The serpent of abyss was sealed in Messmer's eye The gloam eyed queen is sealed in Melina's eye Both were done by Marika The Rot was sealed in Malenia by the Blind Swordsman But could it be that the Blind Swordsman was actually Marika in disguise all along? That's why no death of the swordsman was mentioned, he just disappeared

[@MarshallPFinch]

In Irish the word Siofra, pronounced something like SHEE-fruh, means elf or fairy. The Siofra river is therefore a fairy, or named like one, and is flowing water. Consider what would be there if there was no river. It flows into the great chasm below, but if the river wasn't there then stagnant water would be pooling, roughly under Caelid. Instead, the river pushes the rotten water very far down, and indeed we find a stagnant Lake of Rot later in our journeys. Is this the method used by the Blind Swordsman to seal the rot, or is the blind swordsman literally a river fairy, staying in river form to spare us all a terrible fate? I'm inclined to believe the latter , and it explains why his sword is no longer in his hands. He has none in his current form. The carriage is taking the sword slowly to Malenia.

[@spencersheahan9709]

Daniel Olmos's translation of Rykards song refers to a "timid dancer" ,which if correct, is almost certainly refering to the dancer. Fighting Rykard would certainly explain why it is that the Swordsman was even able to "die" as we technically fight him in the game. Perhaps he was not as perfect as we were led to believe and as a strong tarnished might've been attracted to Rykard's philosophy. It was only upon meeting his lord that he realized the immense mistake he made. While the video is no lomger posted I just thought I'd mention it as it would add a layer of tragedy and menace to Rykard's story and make fighting him just that much more intimidating as he might've defeated the guy who taught Melania.

[@spencersheahan9709]

Nevermind, the songs lyrics are mostly gibberish 😕

[@blizzardgaming7070]

​@@spencersheahan9709the timid dancer in the title is probably Tanith, a dancer from a foreign land.

[@spencersheahan9709]

@@blizzardgaming7070 I thought about that too but I doubted it because it describes the dancer being mortified by the actions of Rykard which in hindisght could be Tanith's horror that he fed himself to a snake but in the end the lyrics of timid dancer seems to have been mistranslated as another channel got the actual script and it really is just semi-random latin. The reason I thought it was the Blind Swordsman was because he was a dancer, like Tanith. It is technically possible that Tanith, being a dancer from a far away land, is the blind swordsman but I highly HIGHLY doubt that. Either way, the Blind Swordsman was probably not eaten by Rykard despite how much I would like him to have been.

[@symbiote3220]

I was about to say . The guy that clapped the literal god that choked out two demis is nothing far from the goat and biggest badass In TLB

[@hhowdy]

There are some things in this game that are so mysterious

[@StephanuSneed]

The Scorpion Stinger makes it clear that the original incarnation of the god of rot was a giant scorpion that got killed and the god was sealed.

[@colossaltitan3546]

Taking the story at face level, if the swordsman managed to seal away the god of rot, that could imply that every outer god is of a different level of power and influence. The Greater Will likely is one of the strongest due to its massive influence over pretty much the entire lands between, while other ones like the formless mother, frenzied flame, and fell god were unable to overtake it and were left to their own territories. Same way how the Moon presence in bloodborne can be argued to be one of the strongest great ones, having created the dream which could sustain a hunter who would go on to kill other great ones. But it itself is likely too weak to have a presence in the waking world and so has to use a hunter as its envoy. And I feel like Malenia wouldn't have killed her instructor. The swordsman was a warrior, and warriors must always remain nomadic and moving as explained in the warrior set. My take is that he simply moved on with his travels to places anew. The whole thing about still water turning foul is, to me, a metaphor for how he must constantly find new opponents to hone his techniques against lest he starts to lose his touch. It is implied that dying of old age is still possible. The Cane sword you find in Leyndell tells you that it belonged to an aged knight who "wished to meet his end with weapon in hand" despite his glory days being long past him. This being Leyndell, the capital and probably one of the safest and impenetrable places in the lands between (except that one time Gransax just Radahn'ed into the city walls), he very likely had nothing that could've killed him and expected to die of old age before the Erdtree called him back to its roots. From a gameplay perspective, the blind swordsman might be one of the greatest characters in terms of pure intention and good nature, but he was essentially the reason Malenia has waterfowl dance, and for that I will always see him as a villain xD

[@minespatch]

Have you explored Birac yet? Found out about the Prelate through Last Protagonist's unpatched stream.

[@square-table-gaming]

We talk about him in our video on the fire monks

[@phyokyaw7447]

That talisman looks like the prince from prince of Persia, the one with the light princess.

[@thegoldenbeetlei6710]

I really hope he is a dlc boss especially since his weapons is so disappointing

[@ienott]

I don't remember which creator brought it up, but they connected Siofra river, the damm in front of the lake of rot to the blue fairy story. I think it was through the name Siofra?

[@square-table-gaming]

It is, I just wanted to showcase his connection to rot

[@shaunflinn1002]

I like the battle theory! Very cool stuff

[@symbiote3220]

Well, now with the dlc we find thats indeed not miquelob lite

[@franciscolomeli8931]

I forgot where i heard it but someone said Siofra meant fairy which might imply the blind swordsman got his technique to seal the god of rot via the fairy river

[@MoreLoreThenThereSeems]

The fairy I would say is most likely related to the siofra river. As siofra is an Irish name that means fairy. Whether it was a fairy of the river, or the river itself was the fairy who can say, but it’s something like that I’m sure. It is a blade of flowing water after all.

[@darklordauron]

What if it was both tutelage and battle? That the Blind Swordsman trained Malenia but in his final lesson, she had her first bloom whether by accident or on purpose, and the Blind Swordsman gave her the knowledge she needed to control it. He knew that if she was struck down, the rot would just move to another host, one without the skill and strength to either push it back or harness it, so Malenia was a sort of gift to the world, the best host of the rot. He died making her capable in his final act. This of course implies that neither the bloom against Radahn or the bloom against our tarnished is intentional though. It means that the Blind Swordsman was blind not just of vision, but of knowing Malenia's weakness. She was not the strongest host, she would falter.

[@kalemnir]

Heard a crazy theory that Gowry was this Blind Swordsman, and he didn't actually want to fight the God of Rot, just pretended to get closer to Malenia, brought her up so that later she could ascend to godhood.. I gave the author kudos for creativity, but IMO, it's nonsense. I tend to think the master helped Malenia fight and overcome her curse (that's what she wanted)... Never thought he could have died by her hand (not in my headcanons anyway!)

[@electricarrow4565]

Can you do falling star beasts or malformed falling star beasts next

[@SeanCrouch-w4i]

If Malenia bloomed in the swamp of aonia then who bloomed in the room just outside her boss room where you fight her, so there's two times and then the third after you beat her if she was the one to bloom in that room.

[@dracorex426]

Uh. There's an actual relic of the Outer God of Rot in-game. A stinger.

[@square-table-gaming]

yup! Definitely lends more credence to the first theory.

[@afrokoku-jin5161]

You did not talk about the scorpion dagger. It’s a part of the body of the previous god of rot, the one the swordsman likely fought initially. Also, if you look at the Dex talisman, it depicts both him and Melania practicing together as master and student. I don’t think it wise to disregard the item descriptions and depictions about the swordsman and his relationships. I think they’re quite literal and not figurative.

[@square-table-gaming]

We do discuss the talisman in the video. Specifically calling out its depiction

[@afrokoku-jin5161]

@@square-table-gaming I understand that, but y’all derived a different conclusion than what was depicted is what I’m referring to.

[@square-table-gaming]

@@afrokoku-jin5161 we offered 2 separate theories, one of them involves the depiction being literal

[@afrokoku-jin5161]

@@square-table-gaming I recant my accusations then👍

[@_Savage-]

Really cool video

[@dqdinh9426]

why do i have a feeling that Maliketh was a blind swordsman? Only their armors have a piece of cloth hanging in the back. Maliketh's attacks seem very similar to curved sword style to me and some attacks even look like he's dancing. Could he also be the blue swordsman that sealed away the rot god with destined death? Maybe the color of destined death coming into contact with rot is the reason why the word "scarlet" came into play... i'm just overreaching here hehe

[@The_Shadow_Man]

Love the video, Keep up the great work.

[@rmkutti1253]

Elden ring crab lore when

[@thesagepilgrim4441]

Just here to support

[@square-table-gaming]

Always appreciated

[@aryankala7858]

maybe the blind swordsman was just vergil lol blue cloths white hair op swordsman

[@LucarioNinjaa]

I'll be honest with the music, and the soft spoken voice, I kinda zoned out and haven't retained any information from the video whatsoever.

[@TiberiusRex182]

Isnt it also possible that The Blind Swordman IS Malenia? That she was, herself, thw flowing water that stagnated? Sealed the God of Rot within herself, thus “gaining wings of unparalleled strength”? Just a thought

[@blizzardgaming7070]

It's specifically mentioned in the prostheses wearer heirloom, that he was her mentor and a separate person.

[@Carrot-Man1876]

Greetings from the Carrot-Man 👋🥕

[@square-table-gaming]

Always good to hear from the Carrot-Man

[@MoreLoreThenThereSeems]

Is there anyway I could get the image used for the thumbnail?

[@square-table-gaming]

Our artist Pat Gee sells all of the thumbnails as prints on his artpal linked in the description. I don't think this one is on there yet but I can harass him to get it uploaded!

[@MoreLoreThenThereSeems]

@@square-table-gaming I don’t know if I would have the money to get a print of it but it would be super cool to see the full version!

[@square-table-gaming]

@@MoreLoreThenThereSeems Oh! This is the full version, it just doesn't have the text haha

[@MoreLoreThenThereSeems]

@@square-table-gaming yeah but it’s sort of like cut off at the bottom

[@NoName-ue8kk]

Yeessss!! Been spamming your videos!

[@pushpitkumar99]

The first interpretation sounds better imo. The prosthesis wearer heirloom speaks of their meeting as a scene from a heroic tale. This doesn't really sound like the Blind Swordsman met her on the field of Battle, rather he taught her to move like flowing water and prevent stagnation in order to overcome her rot. Also, Malenia's first bloom is cannonicaly in caelid as a ghost over the swamp of aeonia says "Sublime, I tell you. The very first flower of Aeonia bloomed on this very spot. Malenia may you blossom into a goddess." I believe the Blind Swordsman passed away on his own. The Night's Cavalry also served Morgott at some point, so it could imply that he wanted the hearse be transported to the Haligtree as a sign of respect.

[@Fingledoodler]

I honestly like to think Melania had the warrior as her mentor rather than being an adversary. It just makes her struggle much more heroic. How he was able to help her stave off rot for as long as she could. She is my favourite character so I would like to believe she had some good interactions in a mostly depressing tale.

[@kieranstevens5535]

I thought that the prosthesis wearer heirloom made it obvious he was Malenia’s mentor by straight up saying “Though born into the accursed rot, when the young girl encountered her MENTOR and his flowing blade, she gained wings of unparalleled strength.” His enemy was the God of rot itself as it embodied the antithesis of flowing, life giving water so he taught Malenia how to combat its decay and stagnation, sealing it away within herself. I think he looked upon her with empathy and pity, he gave her the strength she needed to live and together they overcame the rot.

[@tiyonbaret6914]

Hope we see this guy in the dlc, It’ll probably take place in Miquella dream, but elements of Melania story could come in where

[@thijmstickman8349]

If he was malenias teacher I feel like he should be a boss in the dlc. Like the hardest boss in any soulslike game throwing waterfowl after waterfowl at you. I wouldn't beat him but I think it would be cool AF

[@T.e.a.k]

Glad you covered this character! Interesting to me is that in the same cave you get the Blue Dancers Charm you can get the Shamshir. Millicent wields this blade and can use waterfowl dance with that blade which is special to her. Also, some second gen albinaurics wield the shamshir as well, if that has any meaning. (Also, Siofra can mean fairy or elf in Gaelic, so the fairy who gave the swordsman his sword was probably the river itself or some spirit of the river to combat the rot below.) Great Video!!

[@konger6069]

The flowing curved sword shouldve been one of the legendary armaments. You’re telling me a normal ass curved sword sealed away the god of rot? Unless its purposeful to show the strength/skill of the blind swordsman

[@irapaterson9609]

i feel like this character could be inspired by Syrio Forel from GOT

[@robertofernandez7178]

Honestly I think the Warrior class is the Blind Swordsman returned to life by Grace.

[@silvereloking6149]

The real Final Boss

[@janembajuice911]

I believe him "sealing the rot at the cost of his life" is metaphorical. I do believe that the blind swordsman did take Malenia under his willing tutelage. And is the through the way of the sword, and through the swordsman's influence, is what allowed Malenia to control the scarlet rot, and even teaching her to embrace its power. I think he lost his life because that's simply what happens to those who serve under her, as seen with the cleanrot knights. The blind swordsman was actively dying as he was teaching Malenia, and its likely that he knew this very well, thats why it "cost him his life". He saw a lost, misguided child, and though a demigod, it was someone he saw who needed guidance. Guidance that only someone like the blind swordsman was able to provide.

[@epiccthulu]

I feel like the Nox are involved. The current generation of Albinaurochs have weapons with ripples, and the Nox themselves have flowing weapons. The hilt of the Scorpion dagger looks Nox related, and we know they were interested in killing gods and making weapons out of bodies. Plus Astel goes to the Lake of Rot. I know it could all be coincidence but I feel like it has a place in the story

[@MoreLoreThenThereSeems]

All available information on the blind swordsman: “A cloth doll depicting a dancer garbed in blue. An ancient heirloom of some sort. The dancer in blue represents a fairy, who in legend bestowed a flowing sword upon a blind swordsman. Blade in hand, the
swordsman sealed away an ancient god - a god that was Rot itself.” - blue dancer talisman. “Armour of a nomadic warrior. The blue color of its fabric symbolizes brisk waters, as fluid and flowing as the sword in the hand of its wearer. Just as still waters turn foul, stagnation leads to decay. Warriors must remain ever-drifting.” - blue cloth set. *“Map of Lake of Rot and environs. A great lake of standing water downstream of the Ainsel River. It is said that the divine essence of an outer god is sealed away in this land.” - lake of rot map. “Legends speak of a master of the sword garbed in blue, and his curved blade that was patterned after flowing water. 
Strong attack unleashes a series of strikes akin to a dance, offering a glimpse into the legend.” - flowing curved sword. “It is said that a blind swordsman was the originator of this technique - the art of allowing one's opponent to strike so as to leave them vulnerable to a well-timed reply.” - curved sword talisman. “A talisman engraved with a scene from a heroic tale. Though born into the accursed rot, when the young girl encountered her mentor and his flowing blade, she gained wings of unparalleled strength.” - prosthesis wearers heirloom. “Dagger fashioned from a great scorpion's tail, glistening with scarlet rot. A ceremonial tool used by heretics, crafted from the relic of a sealed outer god.” - scorpion stinger.

[@josedorsaith5261]

The waist-hip ratio of the thumbnail raises.... questions

[@square-table-gaming]

He got them dancers hips

[@AwwGeeZ1983]

Makes you wonder

[@Daniel_Lancelin]

It would be awesome if we get to meet him in the upcoming dlc. I hope he would be a friendly NPC that assists you on your quest in a major way (similar to Hawkeye Gough from Dark Souls 1), and perhaps teaches you new ashes of war in his flowing-water style, rather than a boss (at least initially; maybe he battles you later on in order to test the skills of the Tarnished who vanquished his first apprentice).

[@ignitiongaming136]

Huh, i honestly missed this detail in my gameplay, and i am glad you informed me on him. Another theory i have been looking at is what i dub, "Beginning of Spirit Ash", Tying the Regal Ancestor, the Spirit Archers and Warriors found around the world, and Spirit Ash

[@DonnieMoats-b1b]

The scropin dagger is a piece of the god of rot

[@iRondanye]

Seems im first. 1st. Hell yah ❤❤❤❤

[@Poliswag7]

His sword is so fun to use the charged r2 is very unique

[@AkilBoatwright212]

Absolutely amazing topic of converstion!!

[@phyokyaw7447]

It’s almost the same with Prince of Persia, the blue dancer charm represents the light princess from that PoP game. The prince and the light princess sealed the god of darkness, Ariman.

[@TheHogfatherInvades]

The blindness of all time!

[@MoreLoreThenThereSeems]

The flowing curved sword we get in game is a replica based off of the legend almost certainly. Considering one of the sisters of Millicent uses 2 we know there are multiple.

[@symbiote3220]

That would be wild if TBS was the father

[@MoreLoreThenThereSeems]

@@symbiote3220 naw they came from the swamp

[@killervic7379]

Great work

[@jesusisunstoppable4438]

Great voice Great Narration

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you!