Elden Ring Lore - The Fall of the Preceptors

[@alexandermorgan5958]

I thought the statement in the description of the Mask of Confidence was meant to read in such a way as to imply that Radagon wanted his own affairs with Rennala to be kept private, not the other way around. It would make some sense, but Radagon wanted to keep all his skeletons in the closet. That being said, cool video. I have an idea for a video on an enemy that might have almost no lore to it, but you could probably wring some out. The Demi-Human queens are simultaneously more intelligent than the other demi-humans but also more feral. Is there some reason for some of them to blow their corks halfway through the fight, while others maintain usage of spells?

[@_nick.._.liachnis]

I wonder if Seluvis' true end goal was to expose the Golden Order through puppetry. Perhaps, enthralling a descendant of Radagon would prove that the might of the Preceptors had survived. Perhaps, Ranni was the perfect target due to being a demigod as well as ea descendant of Carian royalty and so Seluvis could mock both by turning her into a puppet.

[@Echo_ohc3]

If the amount of care fromsoft put into the crucible knight's lore is anything to go off of, I would be very suprised if we don't see at least one more preceptor in the dlc.

[@drewjohnson-85]

I think it’s possible given that Miquella appears to be the focus of the game and the Miquellan Knight's Sword and the Carian Knight's Sword are intentionally made similar in the game, and that’s only the beginning of the similarities between Ranni and the twins. If I’m right then both thematically and lore wise it would make sense for a preceptor to be in the DLC, thematically it continue these similarities, which it is my belief that are present because the DLC will end with a new ending where the Tarnished and Malenia are consorts and become the gods of the age of the Haligtree or something similar, so it would be appropriate to have a counterpart to Seluvis in the twins service, and lore wise someone had to have taught the residence of the Haligtree to make those swords.

[@drazzytime9353]

Did we see any more preceptors in the dlc?

[@Echo_ohc3]

@@drazzytime9353 Nope :P

[@Hoarahchadtheallgrabbing]

I wished we saw more preceptors in Carai Manor and Moonlight Altar, or traitor preceptors in the Academy or in any dungeon in Liurnia. Sadly, there are only two preceptors in the game and one of them is a puppet 😥

[@tripjones2178]

I made my mage a Preceptor

[@Pizzifrizzo]

A bit of an odd request, but, as a long time viewer of yours, who's been particularly impressed by your theory on House Hoslow's origins, I'd like to see a video on the various Hero's Graves and Evergaols, and who they've been built to host!

[@square-table-gaming]

I like this idea, maybe a series like the tarnished files. "Prisoner's of the Evergaols"

[@Pizzifrizzo]

@@square-table-gaming I quite liked "The Tarnished Files"! I'll be there to watch your Evergaol series, if you indeed will make one!

[@Pizzifrizzo]

@@square-table-gaming Oh, if I may add a pet theory of mine: I find it most interesting that an Ancient Hero of Zamor is imprisoned in the Weeping Peninsula and drops Radagon's Soreseal. Given its proximity to Radagon's Church of Pilgrimage, I think this is a hint that Radagon has indeed something to do with the Fire Giants, and that that ancient Hero of Zamor tried to assassinate him after the war, feeling betrayed by Radagon's position in the Order, explaining his presence this far south! P.S. This also adds to the various circumstantial hints that Radagon may have been originally from Limgrave and may have been the Hero of Morne, before becoming Marika in some way. But that's a whole other can of worms.

[@minerman60101]

6:53 This animation of Seluvis leaning over at you is so disconcerting in all the right ways.

[@Carrot-Man1876]

Greetings from the Carrot-Man 👋🥕

[@square-table-gaming]

My liege

[@drakmendoa]

It pretty much shows how long and widespread Marika has planned out her schemes. She knew that not only Rennala was a threat to her goals, but the whole Carian royal familiy and the entire order. So they all had to be destroyed. That also shows that Marikas plans reach even far further back than the shattering or the assassination of Godwyn the golden, who I theorize was also a threat to her plans due to his openes to new ideas and peaceful approach as seen with him befriending the dragon he fought to protect the city and then integrating the dragon cult and sorcery into the golden order. Same goes for Ranni, as seen in several black knife assassins killed by Rannis loyal servants and even Blaidd who not only got copied in trying to assassinate Ranni but was also driven mad due to his connection into the greater will, who at this point was also merely more than a puppet of Marika. Because Marikas schemes maybe started the day she set a foot into the lands between.

[@efaristi9737]

You really think that Marika was manipulating the Greater Will?

[@drakmendoa]

@@efaristi9737 I am pretty sure of that. For example, look at the tarnished. Marika send them away and prophesied that they would some day return in her name. She is the one who gave the Tarnished their grace, not the Greater Will. The Roundtable Hold and the Finger Maidens were an attempt to bring the Tarnished in line of the Greater Will, but even that was foreseen by Marika and sabotaged. We see dozens of Fingerreaders killed in the royal capital and Melina makes it very clear that she was sent to us by Marika herself. So why not more of the Finger Maidens? Even the loyalty of the last remaining Finger Maiden in the Roundtable Hold, Enia, is to question. Because as the two fingers in the Roundtable does not get any answer on his question why the entrance to the erdtree is sealed, she is the one suggesting to burn down the Erdtree. She and all the other Fingerreader clearly stats that this is clearly against the Greater Will and would be the first cardinal sin. But she, and later also Melina, are still suggesting to do this behind the back of the Greater Will. So when it is not what the greater will wants, who other then Marika would want that? I even start to believe that this is what Gideon found out and therefor stop any Tarnished in reaching the Erdtree.

[@efaristi9737]

@@drakmendoa How do you know she's the one that gave them their grace? Beside, how could she gave them back their grace if she was imprisoned? She was barely alive when we found her. I am not convinced that Marika is the one that took back the Grace. In fact, i'm convinced that the Greater Will has foreseen the fall of the Golden Order and the end of the Age of the Erdtree, it's not like this kind of thing didn't happenned before. And he ordered Marika to banish the Tarnished as a last resort, a last dish to restore the Golden Order and his rule on the Lands Between. As for why so many fingerreaders and maidens died, you're right on that, i'm sure she ordered their death somehow. They are tools of the Greater Will and Marika literally rebelled againt it by provoking the Shattering so it make sense that she would do everything she can to hinder the Greater Will tentatives to restore its influence. Godwyn assassination was of Ranni doing alone, nothing suggest that Marika has anything to do with it. In fact, if she didn't wanted the influence of the Dragons and the Carian family teachings in her Golden Order, she could have simply refused them. You think Godwyn could have forced her to accept the dragons sorcery if she didn't wanted to?

[@drakmendoa]

@@efaristi9737 We know from Marika herself (through Melina) that she was the only one ever given and taken grace from the Tarnished. We see it even at the Guidance itself. It points not to every runebarer, but it points towards the forge of the giants. The place the Greater Will definitely doesn't want you to go. That Marika can be reached even in her prision we learn from Gideons helmet description. The glazed into the will of Marika and shuddered in fear. So she can be reached, why not the other way around? The banishment of the Tarnished was also clearly an act of Marika herself, not the greater will. That is pretty clear from the dialogue. As Marika did several things that were not in the Will of the Greater Will like letting her shadow kill the Gloam-eyed Queen, an Empyrean so person that was chosen by the Greater Will to be an successor to Marika. Ranni says that it was not only her plan, that there was another party involved. The black Knifes are not belonging to Ranni, as we see they tried to kill her on several occasions. And all we know of the Black Knifes strongly points towards Marika. They are Numen like Marika, they stole the rune of death from Malekith and it's remembrance tells us: "Maliketh was a shadowbound beast given to his Empyrean. Marika's sole need of her shadow was a vessel to lock away Destined Death. Even then, she betrayed him." And even the armorset of the Black Knifes says: "The assassins that carried out the deeds of the Night of the Black Knives were all women, and rumored to be Numen who had close ties with Marika herself." And on top of that in the Church of Pilgrimage we can find a spirit that says "The mausoleum prowls. Cradling the soulless demigod. O Marika, Queen Eternal. He is your unwanted child." And the only soulless demigod we know is Godwyn. I think Godwyn did not force Marika to include the Dragons Cult into the golden Order. I think he directly went to the Greater Will to force his mother doing that.

[@efaristi9737]

@@drakmendoa The Gloam-Eyed Queen has nothing to do with the Greater Will and the fact she was a Empyrean doesn't mean she was in cahoot with it. In fact, she was likely a threat to the Golden Order and the Greater Will if she served another Outer God. So killing her would be very much a thing the GW would approve. Black Knifes are assassins, literally knifes to hire, anyone who pay them could get their services. And if Marika was involved, do you think Ranni wouldn't have mentioned it? That bit about Malekith is indeed suspicious but why would Marika steal Destined Death? Couldn't she order her shadow to give it to Ranni? Close ties because they are Numen like her or because they work for her? Is he? There is severals wandering Maussoleums, not one. Did Marika made seven of them for the only child she lost at the time and was not actually completelu dead? And they were not made preremptively for the others demi-gods that we know because there is 9 of them but only 7 maussoleums. So the question is, is there/have been other demigods we don't know? There was apparently another Godrick before Godrick the Grafted who is only a descendant of Godwyn. So maybe thoses maussoleums and that quote are not about Godwyn. There's something that could prove that? the Two Fingers, who need thoussands and thoussands of years to contact the GW, and Marika are the only ones to have a direct connection to the Greater Will so unless he did talk to the Elden Beast, which is the vassal of the GW, there's no way Godwyn could have simply ask.

[@MarshallPFinch]

Radagon didn't prevent the preceptors from speaking. After all, Seluvis wears the mask and can still speak. The mask is symbolic. It is a *reminder* of their role as confidantes. It is worth mentioning that the "sewn" mouth of the preceptor mask uses Radagon's trellis, the same criss-cross pattern seen behind his statues, at the door of the Erdtree, and on the ground when he slams his hammer at us. There's no reason to think that there were ever more than a few preceptors. After all, there were never more than a few Carian princesses and princesses, up to two princes and three princesses by some theories. No order of preceptors, with its own governance, would make sense. This was just a job held by a few. There's no reason to think that preceptors are the sole store of any specific spell. After all, if every teacher in real life suddenly vanished then it would be a terrible loss to the field of education but it wouldn't likely result in the loss of any of the knowledge they were teaching. Professionals in various fields would still have the knowledge.

[@square-table-gaming]

In the video we don't claim that they literally cannot speak. Only that radagon force them to wear these masks as a reminder to keep the car and family secrets or else. There is absolutely been knowledge lost throughout history due to the loss of civilizations and their teachers. The idea that puppeteering for instance, dies with the carian preceptors is absolutely true if our tarnish never learns the practice or chooses to share it with anyone

[@HEEGOTBOD1ED]

Thops barrier is NOT meager. it’s said to be worthy of its own conspectus.🔥

[@maximedaunis8292]

I love that sorcery and ash of war, also their color remind me of Ludwig's sword

[@square-table-gaming]

You are correct! Check out our video on Thops!

[@levampblaze6312]

What about the connection between Gideon and seluvis and that puppet archer?

[@square-table-gaming]

All being saved for the Seluvis video since it has nothing to do with the preceptors as a group

[@levampblaze6312]

@@square-table-gaming noice .i get my theory book ready then :)

[@ethanwintersseveredhand]

Finally precetors is out! I can never get enough of these arts btw, arts in your videos are amazing!

[@square-table-gaming]

That's all Pat Gee our artist! If you had anything you wanted done in his style he takes commissions.

[@ethanwintersseveredhand]

@@square-table-gaming thank you, that's good to know!😊

[@whatsnewbois9814]

Fun Fact about Sellen: When you find her real body in the Weaping Peninsula you can kill her but she will just revive again until Radahn is killed and the stars resume their movement... . . . Mmmh, why is that? I thought the stars only guide the fate of the Carians, unless...

[@kenanperez3151]

Sellen is implied as a carian. She uses the carian glintstone staff and the witch's painting in the debate parlor holds a scroll with carian sigil printed on it.

[@maximedaunis8292]

Maybe a discarded heir? A first child of Rennala?

[@whatsnewbois9814]

@@maximedaunis8292 perhaps a Sister? Why would they name one of the rises after Selivus? Let's asume the 3 sister were Sellen, Renala and Rena. Renala would give her Tower to Ranni, Rena is most likely another Carian and Sellen would bring shame to the Carian Family with the graven school mass. It must have started around the time Jerren joined Radahns Army

[@a.r.h9919]

Truly love the seluvis mystical design like a harbinger of the cosmos

[@Cleptomancer]

There is evidence that puppetry existed with the Nox as well through their twin sisters ashes. I think this may predate the preceptors of Caria.

[@sk8legendz]

Any interest in covering the mystery behind the Divine Tower in Caelid? The godslayer great sword weapon of the gloam eyed queen being buried there and guarded by the Godskin Apostle? I was there again today and couldnt help but wonder if theres a connection between the carians and the godskins. Godskins found in Radahns tower and Rykards manor and Iji being killed by the black flame i think indicate some manner of connection

[@berylman]

I was hoping there would be a way to turn the tables on Seluvis and make him your own puppet and then become the true Master of Puppets *insert Metallica guitar riff*

[@armorris82]

Radagon canceled the preceptors.😅 I don’t know why I find that so funny.

[@Mistercodmobilefan8378]

Dang the lore of the preceptors is a crazy lore! But man radagon doesn't want the preceptor to spread of what kind of magic or secrets they're holding no wonder they're wearing that mask but then where did the preceptor learn magic from tho is it from rennala herself or from someone else

[@zenebean]

Radagon was so devious. All the things he did to the Carians to weaken them after marrying Rennala, just to protect his Golden Order. An Order that only considered his loyalty a tool in the end, and a failed tool as we see when he and Marika both end up imprisoned in the Erdtree

[@efaristi9737]

Why he gave thoses masks is open to interpretation. Keeping their matters private could mean the matters between Rennala and Radagon. + i have a hard time imagining Rennala would simply let Radagon shut down a vital part of Carian traditions.

[@zenebean]

@@efaristi9737 The "golden thread" seems to point at his secret of being one of the same as Marika. It does seem to me that Rennala was lovestruck by the guy, despite rather purposefully sabotaging her. I think her love for him blinded her to his true intentions. I think he at least loved her enough to not want any true harm to come to her, leaving the Red Wolf behind to help protect her

[@TroyTheCatFish]

This is truly the moment the Ring became Elden

[@ElimGarakSpoonHead]

As an Elden, can confirm.

[@ApeTogetherStrong]

As a ring, I can also confirm.

[@Toviyah1305]

As a Elden Ring, I can confirm

[@LoafofSourdough]

As neither a ring or an elden, I cannot confirm, but ever since I found this trinket in a tree people won’t stop begging me to be their lord. It’s very odd but I kind of like it.

[@rotcehlobo8311]

As both marika and radagon I can confirm

[@aaronsalinas3854]

There is a reason i think you can do to and from an ancient city of nox and they started puppetry and they worked with carions to make more in exchange for something.

[@nbmoleminer5051]

I often wonder at the significance of the Sun ib Elden Ring given it reappearing symbol on the Sun Realm shield, Goldmask, Dung Eater, Minor and main Erdtree Guardians.

[@nbmoleminer5051]

In not ib

[@AegisKHAOS]

Seluvis was useful for the Magic Scorpion Charm. After that, I want to punch him in the mouth. Also, Miriam was fairly annoying to deal with, especially with the tower turned upside down and gravity assists her work. :p Anyways, always appreciate your vids especially on things even the game gives little info on.

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you!

[@maximedaunis8292]

Seluvis expecting the daughter of Hoara Loux, warrior, and receiving the loathsome Dung eater instead^^

[@spencerpollock5688]

Giant ghost skeleton and the other normal skeletons explained please 👍

[@damcmadlad2975]

I think the reason Seluvis has such a high opinion of himself is because he's one of the last two presepters that has survived up to this point this has in turn boosted his ego as a survivor who thinks that he's neigh on invincible

[@Writh811]

This is a very interesting look at the Preceptors. Often when I see folks invoke the description of Radagon pretty much silencing them, everyone tends to think he was silencing them to hide his secrets. But it makes so much more sense that he is stifling the Carian teachings. As to the Preceptor in the study hall I think she is following general orders from Caria. Caria does seem to have been wiped out by the Cuckoos for the most part and I think that she is just still guarding her post waiting for orders.

[@square-table-gaming]

Radagon having them stay quiet about his secrets is certainly a factor, but when we lay out his effect on the Royal family we think it's clear he was sabotaging them wherever he could.

[@Writh811]

@@square-table-gaming It honestly leaves me speculating (Baselessly) that Ranni may have been old enough to understand what her father did to Caria and her family and that it was intentional. The Golden Order killed Caria's future, their culture, the mind of their Great Queen. So she plotted to kill their future on as many levels.

[@square-table-gaming]

@@Writh811 I don't think it's a stretch at all to think that Ranni understood what her father was doing. She very clearly is loyal to her mother above anyone else and straight up.murders her two fingers.

[@Writh811]

@@square-table-gaming Ya know, that may even explain the Black Knives in Ordina. They may have been trapped in the Evergaol version of the town during their attempt to reach Miquella and Malenia on the night of Black Knives. If we go with Ranni being on a blood feud; killing the cest-twins would really hurt Radagon, especially if it is Miquella.(Based on the Ring of light incantations they seemed close.)

[@alsimmonshellspawn6021]

The only thing elden ring is missing is werewolf and vampire lore

[@square-table-gaming]

We've got the magma wyrms that come from overindulging in dragon communion. That's kinda like a werewolf i guess

[@alsimmonshellspawn6021]

@@square-table-gaming doesn't look like a werewolf at all

[@Greaseball01]

Radagon's a real pos huh?

[@tHEsHINYsTONES]

Hello:D. is there any lore for godefroy the grafted? you get at least one very important item from him

[@square-table-gaming]

We talk about him in our godric knights video a bit. Unfortunately there's almost nothing concrete but quite a bit can be theory crafted reliably

[@mdrix74]

Thank you!

[@square-table-gaming]

You bet!

[@TheHogfatherInvades]

The mages of all time! I love the thumbnail art

[@RodDammit]

#1000 👍🏾

[@kendrickrochelanzot2053]

Ever thought about doing scions?

[@square-table-gaming]

Not enough there to support a whole vid but maybe alongside other info.

[@kendrickrochelanzot2053]

@@square-table-gaming looking forward to a general info dump, will it be like the tarnished files? Also thank you for taking time to reply

[@square-table-gaming]

@@kendrickrochelanzot2053 I think that's the format we'd like to use if we did a general monsters vid. Either that or an entire video about grafting where we explore the Scions.

[@DukeofDusk]

I remember when did my own digging and found out what a preceptor was thank you for this video

[@Fingledoodler]

Great video! I would love to see a full video about preceptor seluvis! Keep them coming!

[@umukzusgelos4834]

Radagon becomes increasingly more dubious the more one learns about him...

[@Okkusen]

Losing a purposes causes most "especially the comitted ones" to go into a depression or worse.

[@pedroguilherme868]

Could you do spirit springs lore?

[@square-table-gaming]

Nothing really to say, as far as we know they exist for gameplay reasons alone. You could make a case for them being remnants of the storm kings rule before Marikas conquest of the lands between.

[@pedroguilherme868]

@@square-table-gaming i see I couldn't find anything online, which probably means there isn't muxh lore to be found about it Thank you

[@killervic7379]

Great work as always

[@Jesus-Is-King19]

Favorite lore channel since DS3 Vatti

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you!!!

[@positivecontacts]

The preceptors haven’t been silenced, I mean Seluvis can talk, their sewn-mask surely just prevents them talking openly about certain “secrets” or topics. If they were silenced completely what would be the purpose? All the mages at the academy are allowed to carry on.

[@square-table-gaming]

Preceptors are not mages of the academy, they specifically study Carian sorcery. I think it goes without saying they are not literally silenced, only that they are barred from sharing the the royal families secrets with anyone.

[@positivecontacts]

@@square-table-gaming thanks for replying, I agree with that. I appreciate your channel, thanks for all the great content.

[@positivecontacts]

What do you think about the idea that the Rennala we see in game is an albinauric gen-1 clone? She’s giant, can’t use her legs and it’s maybe a reason why she can’t rebirth with the egg, she has no lineage from the Erdtree being made from silver. It’s maybe why it was safe for her to guard the great rune for Marika/Radagon, because the real Rennala has been replaced by “no champion”. Just thinking out loud, but I love the idea that her being love-sick for Radagon is all a ruse and actually she was taken out so long ago and maybe only the preceptors know the truth.

[@positivecontacts]

It follows a pattern of Marika subjugating her enemies but leaving one or more behind to run things for her. Placidusax was spared, the last fire giant was spared, maybe Rennala was spared, maybe she was always an albinauric. It’s hard to say how people procreate in the eternal cities because the silver tear looks like living mercury with an umbilical cord and the cut content larval tear looks much more insect like, like it could come from the ants. My thought this morning is that the breakthrough of the union between the houses of the sun and moon after Radagon and Rennala’s wedding could be a technological advance, a new way of making life that bypasses the Erdtree, Noxion silver tears (body) combined with Amber Egg processor (soul) to produce new life with a balance of both elements of Sol and Luna, yin and yang energy, with terrestrial and extraterrestrial comprehension. I think Marika used this process to make Radagon, Radahn, Rykard and Ranni. I know this doesn’t account for complicated individual characterisations of each of those mentioned but I like the idea.

[@square-table-gaming]

@@positivecontacts it's a really good theory, the only issue I have against it is that Ranni wouldn't waste her time setting up a Fail-Safe to defend a fake Rennala. She would definitely know the difference

[@samuelthestranger12]

Can you cover where the origins of incantations come from and who or how it was discovered? Also love your content man always look forward to new videos

[@SoldierOfGodwyn]

Always great to learn something new

[@TroyTheCatFish]

Fantastic Video as Always! :D