Elden Ring's new story trailer is hiding something

What are you going to play after Shadow of the Erdtree?
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TIMESTAMPS ▼▼▼
00:00 Overview
00:55 The Beginning
12:03 A War Unseen
18:00 Miquella's Faithful
CREDIT ▼▼▼
►Thanks to ‪@quelaag‬ and Lokey (x.com/Lokey_DS) for helping me with some observations
►Thanks to ‪@mispap1‬ for the editing assistance
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SPECIAL THANKS TO
►Mispap1, for Lore / Prepare to Cry editing and footage - @mispap1
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[@VaatiVidya]

I didn't really want to gush about this during the analysis but goddamn the art design for that gate scene is insanely striking. So surreal

[@LestatdeLioncourt]

we have that same feeling and cannot wait for it!!!!

[@hiccup3.14]

Berserk but with better animation 🗿

[@frudthegamer1012]

Miyazaki's team always delivers on artistry For games Are art transcend

[@zenithquasar9623]

It looks just sooooo amazing!

[@kneau]

A scandalous affair.

[@ProfessorLink64]

Hiding something? Well we didn't see a poison swamp anywhere in there so that's certainly well hidden if nothing else.

[@Rooferguy]

Watch the first trailer there’s a swamp of some sort sadly 😔

[@ryu_san_]

Hiding some reskinned dog enemies I'm sure

[@sorcierenoire8651]

Miyazaki with his neverending kindness has decided to put Deathblight swamp in the DLC😭 wallahi we’re cooked

[@coreyjameshaims449]

Guys, It's obvious...we're going to get a "sleep" swamp.. hence the KO'd masked character. We'll pass out, get ganked & die Miyazaki design 101

[@WhoThisMonkey]

Deathblight rune bears that can fly.

[@unqualifiedprofessortanuki1757]

The way marika stands in between the two columns of Bodies looks exactly like how id expect someone staring out from inside the erd tree would look

[@user-lf5ev1hx1n]

Damn son, you called it. Spot on.

[@jeremyverbrugge5518]

I personally think its adult miquella and that when she died that she got rid of het curse

[@sebastianb.3978]

​@@jeremyverbrugge5518Miquella's a he brother.

[@ieatgluesoyoudonthaveto]

@@sebastianb.3978not always

[@TaskForce-ql3bx]

@@jeremyverbrugge5518isn’t Miquella in a permanent state of infancy?

[@charliec.-lite1466]

Is this the secret Marika wanted to hide? That it wasn't the crucible that birthed life, but life that birthed the crucible? Now I'm starting to consider that the Omen curse might be, in actuallity, the product of the collective lingering hatred of all those sacrificed to grow the Erdtree.

[@bonymacaroni3293]

fascinating theory! i like this

[@colorpg152]

this is how you people will find out she is the villain and the greater will was trying to help all along despite being cut off years ago by the nox

[@markhelsing8841]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 👍🏻 your theory Is perfection

[@FD3SA]

This is also quite literally the plot of berserk (Idea of Evil, don't google if you don't want deep berserk spoilers), which would check out as Miyazaki is a huge Miura fan.

[@Dastardly_Duo]

I wouldn't say that. They are literally killing Omen in the trailers. So the Omen were there before, if this is the creation of the Erdtree (which I think it is)

[@leoceanman3044]

Vaati: Finally, my 5.5 hr AC lore vid is out, maybe I can take a breather… From Soft on a Tuesday:

[@vando-nd8ly]

From soft so I heard you wanted to take a break,who the fuck said you can

[@titanfromday1]

To anyone reading this who hasn’t watched the AC6 video yet, PLEASE DO. It is by far one of the best videos Vaati and his team have ever produced. It isn’t nearly doing the numbers it deserves.

[@Ssosmooth69]

Miyazaki: Get the fuck up samurai, you’ve got some lore to analyze

[@lukasr1166]

I don't care about armored core and I'm not enough of a fanboy to care about it because fromsoft made it. No I will not play it. ​@@titanfromday1

[@hare75]

​@@lukasr1166Bloodborne pfp makes your comment irrelevant

[@LobosjrGaming]

IT'S HERE

[@spartacus778]

LET'S GO LOBOS IN THE HOOOOOOOUSE

[@Markersify]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@POAN117]

THATS WHAT IM SAYING

[@XSAGA87]

Finally!!!!

[@M.A.R.S.]

Lobos! Idk, Idc if you dont read replies, just wanna say you were may introduction to watching livestreams. I started with your Daughters of Ash mod for DS1! Love ya bro

[@Nakna_ankaN]

The line “…an affair through which gold arose and so too was shadow born” indicates that before gold and shadow existed as contrasting concepts they were one. I believe that Marika acting on behalf of the greater will, sealed off shadow from gold and what we see in the trailer is her in the process of closing a gateway between the two realms. The tree we see in the land of shadow is split down the middle and golden sap seems to be oozing from in. I believe that one faction wants to open this gateway, while another is trying to keep it shut and that the tree that coils around the split tree and that most people thought was trying to consume the other tree is in fact trying to pry it open or perhaps more likely keep it shut. We know the game world as the lands between, perhaps because it exits between shadow and gold. There is some cut dialogue from the Godrick’s dying monologue: “There is only one tree, and only its branches. That bathe in true rays of gold. Not the fool Omen King. Nor the rank malformed twins.” The trees he’ referring to must be the Erdtree and Miquella’s haligtree, suggesting then that at some point in the production of the game there may have been a third, TRUE tree and perhaps the line of returning together to our home bathed in rays of gold isn’t referring to Leyndell, but to a realm of gold where this third tree is located. Messmer being a child of Marika or Radagon seems all but certain and I believe him to be the firstborn child of Marika and Radagon. First, because all the other unions resulted in three children, and just like Malenia and Miquella, his name starts with an M, but also because there are three different types of butterflies; the aeonian that relates to Malenia and the nascent that relates Miquella, the smoldering then relating to Messmer and his flame seems like too good of a fit not to be the case. If this is the case then it would stand to reason that he is also cursed in some way and one thing I took note of back when he was revealed is how different aspects of him is very similar to other characters. His spear is very similar to Mohgwyn’s sacred spear, he has what looks like several small dragon wings and a large snake that is either coiling around him or is part of him. Could it be that his curse is that he is influenced by several outer gods at once, that perhaps several has within him, joined forces to oppose the greater will or that he is able to wield their power, while not be under their influences? Part of the description of Mohgwyn’s sacred spear reads; “…it is an instrument of communion with an outer god who bestows power upon accursed blood” referring to The formless mother, the dragon wings could be a sign of the god to whom Placidusax served as Elden lord, the snake is the serpent god and his fire could potentially come from the fell god. I’ve had a theory for quite some time that Marika herself became an unwilling participant in the golden order. That the seduction mentioned in the trailer refer to how the greater will seduced Marika in order to serve its purpose and that the manifestation of Radagon, was a means for the greater will to take full control. This would then be why Marika once she understood that she had been used, tried to shatter the Elden ring only for Radagon to try to repair it. Another strong symbolism of this is how the statues of Marika and Radagon differ from each other. Marika has her arms stretched out in the same pose that she is shackled inside of the Erdtree as if she is forcibly taking that pose, while Radagon takes it willingly. If the pose is a symbol for the golden order and the greater will and their relationship to it, then it would be a strong symbol of them relating to it in very different ways. The goal of the greater will is after all perfect order, but how can that be if it isn’t in full control. I believe that the purpose for the greater will with the different unions of Marika and Radagon, first with Godfrey, then Rennala and finally between the two different aspects of the same entity, was to produce a new even stronger Empyrean through which it could act. Once Marika understood that the greater will had been using her and was trying to replace her, she may have been involved in or even orchestrated the plot to assassinate Godwyn, since if his soul died and the body of Ranni died, neither would be a suitable vassal for the greater will to bend to its will. Mohg and Morgott would not have been options either on account of them being omen. Rykard was also part of the plot and may have been unsuitable because of how he had already started to stray from the golden order in favor of the serpent god. Why Radahn was unsuitable is harder to answer, but he idolized Godfrey and showed no true loyalty towards the golden order. Malenia was unsuitable because of her affliction of scarlet rot, leaving only Miquella, who once he realized that the golden order couldn’t heal his sister and how his love and empathy was in conflict with the golden order’s treatment of omen and the misbegotten also abandoned the golden order and perhaps made himself an unsuitable host through his departure to the realm of shadows. This obviously just a lot of wild theories and there are plenty of gaps and unanswered questions that remain, but it’s fun to speculate. Thanks if you made it this far.

[@rubythorns2349]

this deserves more likes

[@kartikr5922]

I ain’t reading all that

[@Metallic666A]

the same concept in dark souls... interesting.

[@calechipconecrimes]

​@@kartikr5922 tl;dr the greater will is a bitch

[@Jaebird2]

Just make a KZbin video or something cuz nobody gonna read all that

[@aldoleonardo220]

17:40 "When the Ashes are two, a flame alighteth. Thou'rt Ash, and fire befits thee, of course..."

[@granzon7396]

It feels like a last Firekeeper holding the last Firelink blade

[@chrayez]

I wonder if that female figure in the flames might be Melina 🤔

[@NarutoUzumaki-xp7nx]

Me watching the trailer - This makes little sense Vaati opening dialogue - Everything makes so much sense

[@genzo_-sensei5719]

Lmao

[@thomasnguyen5197]

Me frfr

[@LawfulBased]

I love how the Vaati breakdown is part of every trailer that FromSoft brings out. 🙃😁

[@luckskill6132]

Haha yeah

[@superguy183828]

Um actually, he's saying it probably *will* make so much sense after you play it, as in, it doesn't actually make much sense to him (relatively) yet, either.

[@_ONGBAL]

FINALLY!

[@XSAGA87]

Man, I've been waiting too Ongbal, great to see you here SoulsLord

[@fermyonds]

The legend!

[@Dyrock666]

Of all people…

[@Cometkreatura]

the man himself

[@Outofrealman]

We already what you will do

[@corpsehound]

A little pop etymology: Gloam is not a color. 'Gloam' is a verb meaning to darken toward night (and it's a noun, but we'll get to that in a bit). 'Gloaming' is a noun meaning twilight or dusk. So you could say something like, "Inside the portal shines a golden sky in opposition to the gloaming sky without." Consequently, in modern English, the Gloam-Eyed Queen should really be the Gloaming-Eyed Queen, but to make matters more complicated--'gloam' was once a noun meaning the same thing as 'gloaming'. But since the events with the Queen take place long ago, an archaic noun actually fits for her. Both 'gloam' and 'gloaming' trace back to Old English 'glōm', meaning twilight or dusk.

[@MoonBratStudio]

Thank you!

[@monoremu3200]

I'm smelling George's beard in this one Lol

[@DualWieldedEggrolls]

It took 7 days for the AC6 video to reach about 800K views. But it took only 2 days to reach 1M views on a trailer analysis. 😔

[@VaatiVidya]

Yep. It was always going to be that way. But the AC video was still more than worth making

[@xr3la]

The red gate of bodies is shaped almost exactly the same as the gate through which you enter the Erdtree. In game, you don't directly physically enter the Erdtree, but teleport via a golden seal. Leyndell and Altus have the iconic golden sky and clouds as well. This to me looks like the first scene takes place inside the Erdtree, physically, before the gate was sealed. And Marika is lifting the rune arc as to show it to the world outside. Also, the Erdtree absorbs bodies in current timelime, so it would not be surprising if it originally sprouted, or was built from a mass of bodies. And Miquella watered the Haligtree, another sapling of Erdtree, with his own blood. It all connects quite well I think

[@NihilistCrab]

If that's a key part of growing an Erdtree - is it possible that Mogh was somehow (likely unknowingly) feeding blood to the Haligtree? It's said that Miquella watered it with his blood since it was a sapling but to grow to the size it is surely more than just Miquella's would have been required.

[@Temessong]

@@NihilistCrab Or maybe Blood of an Empyrean is just a bit more potent than one would imagine, iirc the Haligtree existed in its current form already when Mohg came to kidnap Miquella, so I don't think Mohg played a part in that

[@ishi...]

I think it's shaped like one side of the hilt of the sacred relic sword, the other side looks like the shadow tree and the description mentions, sin, beginning, and stuff like that

[@mydrillasanjay5397]

​@@NihilistCrabI think the haligtree's massive growth is somthing to do with miquellas eternal youth thing he's got going on

[@kamuymamushi5877]

So Erdtree Burial for fallen Heroes But actually a mass grave for the loser of the War Fertilizer for the golden age

[@optimalrefundable]

the imagery of St Trina as the music swells is so damn majestic.

[@devinmarshall4287]

Ohhhh, majestic, a hunter is a hunter… even in a dream.

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

Definitely

[@linux4070]

I need st Trina to glorp and slorp on my shit insane-o style til I pass out from a seizure

[@eolendes6432]

I wonder if the Messmer guy has something to do with the Snake in the Volcano mannor. The whole "Sin" being linked to snakes is a recurring theme there and the flame he commands does look a lot like the reddish volcanic flame that Mr Snake uses.

[@thefruitman746]

1:47 pulls hair from what looks like... ...a corpse. Not my first thought 🙃

[@callumhilliard2207]

I wonder if Miquella wasn’t kidnapped by Mohg, but instead planned it with Mohg for him to steal him away. If Miquella found out/figured out it required a lot of bodies or blood to create an Erdtree than who better to help him with it than the blood lord himself, and it would makes Mohg’s proclamation make more sense when he says “this is the beginning of our dynasty” when it actually was, because they’re working together.

[@allimJ]

I very much agree. I always wondered why the strongest person in the lands between, who never knew defeat, isn't going to get him, no, she specificially says, she awaits him. Like, she knows where he is, she sits chilled in her chair, sleeping, waiting. Not bothered by anything.

[@theenderdestruction2362]

​@allimJ until the tarnished of no renowns crazy ass came in and started wrecking house

[@BababooeyGooey]

@@allimJ I really hope From Soft pulls a fast one on us this time and allows us to spare the life of a boss, and we can actually reunite the siblings when we achieve Miquella's ending. Maybe even try to rekindle the plan to bring Godwyn back from the dead. Maybe Miyazaki finally learned how to make at least *some* happy endings lol.

[@callumhilliard2207]

@@theenderdestruction2362 😂 Yeah your absolutely right. This might have taken years of careful planning and sacrifice all undone by an amnesic hobo who killed Mohg simply because we could.

[@wakingdragon7538]

Except the Remembrance of the Blood Lord reads as such "Wishing to raise Miquella to full godhood, Mohg wished to become his consort, taking the role of monarch. **But no matter how much of his bloody bedchamber he tried to share, he received no response from the young Empyrean.**"

[@jacquesbossou5484]

I've always found it strange how most people think that Miquella is inspired by Griffith from Berserk, while we literally have Marika in front of our eyes: using strong and loyal warriors, and mass sacrifices, to establish her order, based on a great tree. Miquella would rather use his own blood than people's lives to make his tree grow. I think Miquella is truly as kind as the characters in game say, and Marika is the one inspired by Griffith and his deceptions.

[@comictitan4509]

I had the same thought. Miquella seems to have bits and pieces of Griffith and Rickert especially but also Guts and Moonlight Boy sprinkled in, plus whatever unique aspects Miyazaki throws in, but Marika seems to be the chief Hawk of Light figure here, with Leyndell as her Falconia and the Erdtree as her World-Tree. Marika was the one who climbed a highway-mountain of corpses and sacrifices, covered in blood, to reach her own personal paradise where everyone worships her. Miquella wants to start an eclipse, he looks feminine despite being male, he has similar hair, everyone seems to love and adore him for no clear reason, but he also shares many story aspects with Rickert; Miquella, in his egg, was the one left behind, the one who did not share in the fate of the other demigods, and he lived in that "paradise" for a while before discovering the truth underneath it, the insane and dark things kept secret, and now he uses tools of his own making, at the cost of his own body, a body he no longer cares for, to presumably go against the kingdom? The comparisons aren't going to be 1:1 because Elden Ring is, after all, a completely different story than Berserk, but the similarities make it so fun to guess at their motives before experiencing the DLC ourselves.

[@TheSpawnfan]

Same, Marika fits the comparison with Griffith

[@JohnBadger17]

I'd honestly be more interested to see a truly *good* character in a soulsborne game. It'd be such a change of pace compared to the usual selfish motivations that I think it's even more compelling.

[@gavingibson9786]

for some reason marika being radagon reminds me of griffith as well

[@ndroidryan7659]

@@JohnBadger17well, Rya never had any evil intentions

[@TheTroupeMasterGrimm]

I’m not sure if it’s important, but the wall of bodies that queen Marika stands between is oddly similar to the designs found on Praetor Rykard. Not just the sword but the arms and bodies coming out of the snake portion of Rykard as well.

[@ubermenschen01]

Marika's outstretched arms and exaggerated posing while holding up the golden strands also forms her symbol literally with her body. Would love a print of the art, honestly, it's grotesquely beautiful and evocative.

[@HATEDMADNES]

It actually looks as though the dead lion dancers (in the wide shot) are actually 3 separate lion costumes with two operators per lion. Each cape has two spears holding them up, one body per spear.

[@psevdhome]

Good catch. I like to imagine they aren't even two people but rather a hideous amalgam of multiple human torsoes and bodies like the revenants and the grafted scions. I think the scions are created in imitation of these original amalgamations.

[@tylerharris4568]

It's stated that they are two omen in the lion costume you can see the feet which look like morgot's and omen we have already seen and the horns

[@nemesisundead83]

First 3 phase boss fight maybe

[@pollos1]

@@nemesisundead83fias champions technically

[@gunnarschlichting9886]

Lion Dancer Duo boss fight confirmed?!?!

[@jorgwei8590]

I think you are spot on with Miquella's realization of how much blood you need to raise an Erdtree. There is this massacre around Vulkano manner, and you can loot sacrificial twigs from the heaps of corpses. This starts to look a lot like what is going on in the realm of shadow. The fire, the mount of corpses feeding twigs, the serpent. I think the Great Serpent is very likely from the Land of Shadows, maybe in allegiance with Mesmer, maybe it's its own agent.

[@yoyothefool5607]

You think Rykard might have had suspicions about Mesmer? He seems to be a successor to him but disloyal to the golden order. (Even though Mesmer is literally a walking symbol of Blasphemy, I'm pretty sure he's still loyal. Just Marika doesn't want to acknowledge or remember him.)

[@TheCollapse410]

yea its also like the end of caves or dungeons where after beating the boss u see roots with corpses piled on them and notes that say try finger but hole by one of the corpses..... every time!!! BUT, why is it everyone's always dead? the beginning of elden ring shows all the main npc's dead and now they show the dragon dancer dead? is the land between a purgatory or a Valhalla where only warriors go and thats why theres no kids or abundance of women???? is that why its in between???

[@PatPeez]

would also explain why Marika suddenly wanted Erdtree burials, and if Vaati's theory that the crucible is literally just formed from corpses it would also explain why Erdtree burials were reserved for great warriors. It would also explain why the Jar Warriors seek bodies, especially strong ones, aside from the fact that its their task.

[@Xolcm]

Miquella was using his own blood to grow the Haligtree, so maybe he would have failed even if Mohg didn't abduct him.

[@Peptuck]

This would definitely explain why Morgott spent the majority of Leyndell's military might trying to destroy the Volcano Manor, if the Serpent was an agent of Messmer and the antithesis of the Golden Order and the Erdtree.

[@ColdFire_Sword]

I see a lot of people assuming that the tree we see in the trailer is some sort of corrupted version of the erdtree, but I noticed while watching the story trailer that you can see the erdtree in the distant background, behind the shadowy tree.

[@mackrankin9073]

It may have just been me, but when it shows the scene with the corpses on spears and fire behind, I hear a LOT of notes and vocals from what sounds like Abyss Watchers

[@arnokhachatourian8928]

That scene looks like Marika sealing off the Land of Shadow from the Lands Between like a fkin oblivion gate. Possibly with some sort of Griffith-esque sacrifice

[@abysswalker7794]

Something I have never see someone realized is that if Miquella left everything behind, even his fate then he left behind Malenia too, maybe that's why he left his blinding strength, that strength is his sword, that strength is Malenia, Blade of Miquella

[@invaderzam]

Yeah "blinding strength" was a weird thing to describe Miquella. He is many things but no one mentions his power or strength. And Malenia is partially blind due to the scarlet rot. But this leaves a scarier question. Malenia is incredibly loyal to Miquella. Why wouldn't he let Malenia in on his plans? Why would he leave her languishing, waiting for his return? Why would he... abandon her? EDIT: People, I didnt mean that Miquella isnt powerful. When Miquella is mentioned they mention his intelligence, faith, benevolence, the loyalty he inspires in people, efforts to save his sister, etc. His power as an empyrean is the last thing anyone remembers of him. There are no mentions of him ever using his vast power, probably because he has better tools at his disposal. So it is strange that the trailer explicitly mentions that, lest it be symbolic in someway.

[@THE_MOONMAN]

​@@invaderzam imo cause he's largely seeking options on how to save her. That's a lot of his whole inspiration as an individual, is to master the fundamental laws of existence, in order to find a cure for her affliction. And judging by how the rest of this is set up so far, he found out about the shadow world. I would imagine either while he was in his cocoon trying to grow the haligtree, and like vatii said, perhaps he found out what the true cost of a tree such as the erdtree would be, given he has a deep understanding of the order of things this would make sense. Or alternatively perhaps he found out about the shadow world from mogh, mogh after all, does have many connections to the shadow world indirectly. He's one of Marika's children, he's an omen, perhaps the formless mother has some connection to the crucible/shadow world. I hope we get a lot of info on miquellas journey up to this point, cause he's so mysterious so far. Very excited to see what fromsoft has been cooking

[@abysswalker7794]

@invaderzam Remember he made her the promise to come back, maybe when he found out the cure for her Scarlet Rot, ascending to God hood would have been his answer but if Malenia is already in game and we can kill her it means he already abandoned her, it reminds me a bit of like Artorias and Sif (Maybe we can get a extra cutscene or alt intro of Malenia is we kill/help Miquella before fighting her, just like Artorias and Sif, or Maliketh when you do his death root questline) In any case, of the lands between are disconnected from the land of shadow and the Knights you see In the trailer followed Miquella footsteps, why not Malenia? Who would be more qualified to help Miquella in his way in the land of shadow than the undefeated Malenia? It seems like he purposely left her behind, maybe he send her to beat Radan so the stars can move again and create a new fate for him and Malenia

[@nordlux7270]

​@@THE_MOONMAN Maybe he also didn't want to introduce Scarlet Rot to the Land of Shadow? I mean his whole thing is to purge the Outer Gods from Lands Between/that World, and it seems like in the Land of Shadow most have already been hunted down to the last stragglers by Messmer, so the only ones really left are Messmer/Golden Order(?) Allowing the Avatar of the Goddess of Rot to enter now would probably be a very bad idea, knowing how rapidly Rot can and will spread...

[@greyworld6242]

Hmm reminds me a bit of how Griffith views guts in berserk.

[@crimsonsoul1151]

So I was doing some recap of the elden ring lore with some of my friends and we notice something interesting. (Not DLC related) All of what can be considered the “Cursed children of Marika” seem to follow the naming scheme of their mother Marika, while the otherwise “healthy” children seemed to follow the naming conventions of her consort at the time. And I was beginning to speculate on whether or not that may have any wider lore implications. I find it more interesting in that the first two (Morgott and Mohg) seem to mirror the first issue with Marika’s ideal for the eternal golden order. That being the idea of a “before” with the twins bearing aspects of the crucible. Where the last set of twins (Malenia and Miquella) appear to foreshadow the end of her “eternal” age with Malenia symbolizing the Rot that was beginning to settle into Marika’s golden order, as it had to be changed from her original vision with every new ideology incorporated within; where miquella foreshadows the beginning of a new age which has been halted in progression by Marika’s eternal golden order.

[@chrayez]

All of the cursed children of Radagon/Marika have come in pairs. Before the DLC there was speculation that Melina was a secret triplet with Miquella and Malenia, but what if she and Messmer are twins? The flame, and the kindling it burns.

[@TonyValdezCeballos]

​@@chrayezI believe Melina and Messmer could actually be the Gloam eyed Queen's children who was seduced by Marika.

[@lucasscott8038]

When marika offers the runes, that sunset is the same one in the Elden beast arena

[@campbellmaggs4384]

Wild how much the shot of falling St Trina looks like the nascent butterfly ey

[@jajatodo2072]

Becouse you can create sleep pots and etc using those so it makes sence

[@SobeCrunkMonster]

@jajatodo2072 shut it little kid

[@campbellmaggs4384]

@jajatodo2072 yeah duuuude!!

[@MeraHarch]

I'm wondering why Vaati and people in the comments refer to this character as St Trina like we know it's him ? Is there visual representations of st Trina in the game ? Beside knowing that St Trina is likely Miquella, why would this character would be St Trina specifically? Besides from looking like a nascent butterfly, which is associated to both Miquella and St Trina.

[@yellowsaurus4895]

​@@MeraHarch the torch shown at 21:30. Ordinarily I'd also be skeptical of a theory with so little evidence but in this case i think it's almost certain

[@JSKWilson]

21:07 I think we've actually already seen five of these NPCs, not four! You didn't mention the martial artist with the black coat and flat hat who was seen in the previous trailer battling a knight... provided that was indeed this NPC and not a player wearing their clothes...

[@heavyburnman47]

We've seen 6 actually. The cloaked one 2nd from the right is who was standing in Mohg's bossroom at the start of the gameplay trailer. The hem of the cloak and the boots doesn't match Melina's whatsoever (Melina's cloak is a featureless wool cloak, and her boots are the Traveler's set boots) and we have to realize that for many players going into the dlc: Melina is a pile of ashes.

[@avtandiliphkhakadze9440]

Shit, good finds gents.

[@randomzeroname4274]

Also in the newest promotional image from fromsoftware we actually see the main knight with the helmet off and thier blade

[@Spookdookin]

Yes! I’ve dubbed him black belt Gotthard. I can’t wait for whatever that weapon is.

[@Godspeed45]

I think the beginning of the trailer is an offering that Marika is making to the greater will and the entrance she's holding it up in is the primordial crucible. The entrance she's at looks like the entrance we go into with the erdtree and she may have basically supplanted the crucible into what we now know as the erdtree. Basically I think the crucible was used as an incubator/shell for the the erdtree grew from.

[@Nunchchucks]

20:52 Band of the Hawk 😭

[@rigiotapo3685]

😭

[@Finn-mh8rv]

Oh god Judeau, why!!! 😭

[@MrCole62195]

That first part is some insanely heavy handed imagery for the birth of a new age

[@MonkeyDLuffy-fl3eb]

I've been waiting for this. It's funny how so many were too, seeing the comments for the trailers. You've become a central part of the Soulsborne franchise

[@eldrileka1652]

For real, when i saw the trailer drop i thought damn even vaati isnt safe from fromsofts schedule or random tuesdays

[@Romapolitan]

Become? There was a point where he was pretty much the only one that seemed to get recommended when you asked about an explanation of Soulsborne lore (eventhough there were many other capable people). I feel like Elden Ring really started to show us many new faces and made old ones more popular.

[@KuzImAzn]

@@Romapolitan Absolutely! Shout out to Smoughtown. They did a trailer analysis as well that is definitely worth checking out for those who havent already

[@MonkeyDLuffy-fl3eb]

@@Romapolitan True, he was a pillar already. But recently he has improved his work significantly, especially with the Armoured Core vid. That and the fact Bandai Namco made him the presenter for one of the Elden Ring trailers

[@Romapolitan]

@@MonkeyDLuffy-fl3eb Oh yeah, I saw someone react to his Dark Souls 3 videos and with his Hawkwood video you see the turning point where his videos would take the more cinematic approach he is known for today.

[@KeshinWings]

There's actually two rune arc shapes in that scene between the corpse piles - look at the shape the skirts are making below.

[@Uploaded1995]

Marika standing in a dark realm surrounded by bloodied bodies whilst claiming godhood has such "God Hand and the Eclipse"-vibes from Berserk. There is also just no way that Melina and Messmer both only having one functioning eye is coincidence.

[@elementoflight6834]

something that wanst mentioned: The roman looking soldiers of Messmers Army have a lot in common to Ds Twinned Armor, the helmet especially has the same kind of bronze faceplate and trimming.

[@yoyothefool5607]

Exactly, which reminds me how blind the D twins seem to be with the Golden Order.

[@enmaranadomusnavacrunatus3788]

also i don't want to get ahead of myself but if you look at d's helmet next to the mask of the womb omen thing that got revealed the other day.....?

[@ziomah8648]

I have been playing with this set lately, and while it may be a bit hard to spot due to wear, I think you can see snakes around the symbol in the cape.

[@brettmmontague]

Why is this exact comment pasted over and over again

[@cosigmatic6281]

Something I’ve noticed about the gate scene, is that the shape of it is near identical to the erdtree - particularly the odd section of the Erdtree that’s inexplicably a different colour. It’s always seemed weird to me that most of the Erdtree is gold and glowing, but there’s a random brown bit, that for whatever reason doesn’t burn like the rest of it does.

[@rueben225]

I've always thought that the current Erdtree wasn't really any kind of a tree at all, but an illusion or installation (religion and corrupt authority does this all the time) overtop of something like a gateway or portal, or a hub to other worlds that makes the Lands Between literally the lands between other lands. If I were telling the story, the power that was granted to Marika would have come with the cost of sealing the other lands off by putting a giant, power-sucking parasite tree overtop of that portal, and installing the Greater Will as the governing power while they feed on the golden sap of the tree. "You get power, we get control. Don't worry, we're nice, just do what you are told." Anyway, I'm off topic.

[@fearlessfinn5294]

the person sitting in the flames, gives me parallels of vyke on the cover

[@ShockBotz]

Awesome video, really helps set the tone coming up and So excited for the DLC. Don't comment often, but something I noticed getting geared for the DLC; Standing before the entrance to the Roundtable Hold in Lyndel, there are two statues holding spears with vines clutching and growing around them almost like serpents. The spear itself is similar to what I can see of Mesmer's. Nothing really to link anything but something I found interesting that I stumbled across.

[@johant73]

hearing your theory, i think marika tricked gloam eyed queen via radagon, then repeat the same with renalla. Messmer would be the child of that relationship. another wild guess is land of shadow were actually the "real world" and the deathless world is the world created via elden ring, messmer's war and tyranny was actually moving (plus resetting) all the souls into lands between, basically bringing everyone to live eternally in the "afterlife".

[@NickYarmey-uj3gd]

What if there’s a land of light (life) the same way there’s a land of shadow (death), and the lands between are literally between the two. And normally souls go from life to death, but Marika found a way to stop the dead from progressing all the way to death. Perhaps she made the lands between a limbo you never get to leave. This doesn’t totally make sense, but symbolically Limbo is literally a “land between” life and death.

[@aaronbarkley539]

I'm not trusting miquella, I believe that he will try to perhaps sacrifice us to create his own world where he makes it better than marikas

[@yellowsaurus4895]

​@@NickYarmey-uj3gd just read another comment suggesting the lands between exist as an interstice between the shadow realm and the land "bathed in rays of gold" that godrick refers to when he dies. It's definitely a possibility

[@bleedszn]

good looks shouting out Queelag, her vids are super in depth /helpful for anyone tryna get caught up on all the lore prior to DLC

[@RisqueBisquetz]

​@@konrad1916ooohhh a new type

[@casualenemy6608]

the gate both reminds me of the gate into the erdtree for the last bossfight, and the base of where the gate is located it mounts up slowly like the roots that stick out of the ground leading up to the actual tree

[@risqiayuswanto2357]

I love the veil-like sky that bound between the sky and the tree

[@Dinoenthusiastguy]

Fastest objects in the universe: 3) Photon 2) Tachyon 1) Vaati analyzing a new From trailer

[@eetfuk3571]

lad spotted a site of grace that is about a size of a grain of rice LMFAO.

[@obi-wankenobi5411]

Tachyon doesn't exist. It's a hypothesis.

[@eetfuk3571]

@@obi-wankenobi5411 hello there.

[@ShadmehR_23]

No.. Number 1 is Ubisoft making Bvllshit games😅

[@FractalParadox]

20:23 Instead of sites of grace, I think its very likely that those Miquella "checkpoints" are the source of the "new way of powering up" Miazaki talks about on the interviews. Everyone seems to assume you would get those power ups by defeating bosses, but I think these make a bit more sense. Like there's one upgrade checkpoint at each major dungeon, behind a boss fight, similar to how great runes and divine towers work.

[@TheRadioknight]

Or they are Key pieces like the Great Runes and we need a certain Amount to progress

[@mkv2718]

4:56 learned from the old “Solaire is Gwyn’s firstborn” days, huh?

[@Maleniabom]

Note, when you hear a crash, wind blow, and Elden beasts ost play, I’ve heard someone say that it must literally be when the Elden beast came down to appear to Marika

[@rueben225]

This would be excellent storytelling of the corrupt religion that is the Elden Ring/Elden Beast/Greater Will. Get the inhabitants of this world to fracture their reality and social structure through ages of conflict and deceit, Marika uses a Rune Arc (or a few?) to gain power, this allows the Elden Beast to come crashing down. She thinks she's getting godlike power (well, she does), but all she did was seal her fate as a puppet of the Greater Will.

[@AkioJunichiro]

My first thought at the start of the trailer with the mountain of bodies was ‘So that's how you make Erdtree’.

[@cymikgaming1266]

11:06 the red tinge in the gold could also link back to Marika/Radagon with gold being intertwined with red.

[@Arize20]

Dont know if this was mentioned anywhere, but the minor erdtrees are always surrounded by the jars. Except the ones in the mountaintops near the Haligtree. At first, I thought it was just the cold... seems there might be more to that

[@MatPlayingVidyaRPP]

"An affair from which gold arose... and so too was shadow born." I believe it refers to the erdtree itself arising as it grew, as well as it's shadow counterpart.

[@emdeejay7432]

I think it refers to multiple things that arose from all this.

[@MatPlayingVidyaRPP]

@@emdeejay7432 It could very well refer to both. Poetically and more literally. As the order that arose mirrors the tree itself. The tree leaves falling also being a sign that the age was fading.

[@rainy_7129]

That whole beginning scene is my favorite piece of art fromsoft has ever made.

[@dice5709]

yeah its out of this world

[@theepicsealshow123]

Marika feet in 4k 🤤 thank you Miyazaki

[@etinarcadiaego7424]

​​​@@theepicsealshow123 someone said it before I had to!

[@theepicsealshow123]

@@etinarcadiaego7424 a fellow intellectual with taste I see

[@Red_Eyed]

@@theepicsealshow123Feet confirmed. 10/10 expansion.

[@thehmongtroll]

WOOHOOOO!!!! I love your videos Vaati! It makes me feel and understand the story on a deeper level

[@CeleriaRosencroix]

10:36 Yes, I agree that that is likely a representation of the Crucible as the Erdtree is being grafted/formed into it.

[@spaciest]

Since Marika had her Radagon, maybe Miquella has his Trina. A separate half that exists to eventually make him whole, but unlike Marika he chooses to deny Trina and forge a different path?

[@Velshin1986]

And Trina might be Melina as well!

[@mydrillasanjay5397]

​@@Velshin1986or melina might be the gloam eyed queen's other half

[@subject_of_ymir]

​@@mydrillasanjay5397 Melina says " my purpose is given to me by my mother at the foot of the erdtree ".

[@modernwarhero8447]

He has a saint trina video

[@Velshin1986]

@@modernwarhero8447maybe saint Trina is also Melina and all of them are Miquella alter ego kinda like Marika and Radagon

[@granzon7396]

The Pre Erdtree veil is so mesmerizing, Also that blade 6:56 it reminds me of the Orphan's blade in Bloodborne, so much BB references.

[@anisoptera5832]

The potential connection to the omen is fascinating. The omen in the lands between are known to sleep and dream of something nightmarish with a tormentor (the omen killers wear masks meant to inspire the same fear). Given Miquella’s connection to sleep and the land of shadow, I wonder if they are dreaming of some ancient history as exposed by Miquella. Could the tormenter be Mesmer? Could it be Miquella? The lore and narrative style of these games is so much fun, the possibilities are endless.

[@Alam220696]

Just noticed that while all the warriors at the end of the trailer are facing one way, there's one furthest at the back who is not and has his back to camera. Interesting...

[@mrbkittle836]

I was thinking the same thing, it almost looked like Gideon the all knowing but I'm still not sure.

[@yaboihere494]

He's the edgy anime guy in the group that crosses his arms and grunts

[@eaGLeZFan97]

This trailer was incredibly evocative, especially the Marika and Messmer scenes. My hype for the DLC is now reaching critical levels.

[@Promachean]

yes! i love this Messmer theory. i've been thinking about it since the trailer dropped. it seems perfectly up Marika's alley to conceive a batshit crazy firstborn to help fight your wars.

[@ricardovela8273]

In the beginning, the corpse could be the nameless God that went missing

[@deadlycanadian05]

When u said Marika wanted no songs sung about this place or the war it made me think of the old singing bat enemies, and I think I remember their translated lyrics saying something like "golden one whom were you so mad at?" And that made me think what if they're referring to mesmers war

[@dippking4638]

That song is about the shattering.

[@deadlycanadian05]

@@dippking4638 ohhhhhh

[@levistogsdill638]

What I found interesting was the difference between narrators in the trailers. In the first, they considered Miquella’s charm as ‘terrifying’ and seemingly manipulative, while in the story trailer, he is considered ‘kindly’ and having sacrificed all for his journey. I think it’s entirely possible that the second narrator has a skewed view of events, as they have supposedly become a vehement follower of Miquella and were thus seduced by his charm.

[@Wawwior]

Or the other way around, first narrator believes in marika's grace, and therefor deems miquella a blasphemist.

[@tonylawson2222]

Can they both be right? Can what is good for us and our world, be bad, terrifying even, for him in his? Or vis versa?

[@Wawwior]

@@tonylawson2222 good thinking, also possible

[@teekay851]

Yeah my initial thoughts when watching the trailer was "I'm pretty sure Messmer has a different take on this..." It reads like a propaganda video: they are oh so bad and do such terrible things, they kill all these beings without you knowing, they do bad things to good people...but not US, we are oh so great and good and righteous, our quest is a noble one. Its really heavy handed, look at all the red aggressive colours and killing and "Messmer oh no Messmer bad bad bad"...and now look at us with our peaceful lake with a nice rune in it and all these peaceful colours, isnt this lovely?

[@ShadmehR_23]

​@@tonylawson2222no it cant be! cuz Its is right now.

[@SuplexOnTheBridge]

@VaatiVidya I believe you correct and assuming that it's Radagon holding up the remnants of the olden ring in the opening shot because every time Momma M has some serious ass kicking to do it's Radagon. We even see this in the final fight.

[@tsurokuro]

the moment I saw a new story trailer was released, I'd been waiting with bated breath for the corresponding Vaati video

[@ianprager4275]

What if Messmer is a child of the Gloam-Eyed Queen and Radagon - thus a child of Marika by proxy, who came to his mother’s (but not birth mother) side? I feel also like his flame, and the gateway of bodies, are connected to the “blasphemous” flame that Rykard sought to tap.

[@MrFallenone]

The fire is black before turning red as he summons it ...

[@StoneMuncher]

YOOOOOO THATS SUCH A VALID THEORY

[@actuallyidisagree6628]

I thought the same, since the coloration and viscera of the gate seems very close to the tendrils on the Blasphemous Blade

[@PoopTheNetwork]

The spears that messmer uses have the same kittle fleshy wigglies that rykards sword does also

[@ballzinyourjaws168]

I think the same thing Marika used radagon to seduce the GEQ and then had radagon betray her

[@piusdoe8984]

Love when creators actually show other creators channel when mentioning them. Increases chances of people actually checking them out and provides spelling of their names. Nice one Vaati

[@CatofTheRed]

I can't believe Radahn gets to pump Miquella's bussy as the final boss in Shadow of the Erd Tree

[@legolass0148]

0:28 "I hate it. I love it. Lets break it down." *Starts dancing*

[@titaniumteddybear]

I think that the glass shard description is a reference to the Erdtree: looks shiny and impressive from a distance but is ultimately more trouble than it is worth.

[@blenderguppy]

Marika's bracelet looks like a two headed snake sharing the same body with the heads located in different ends. This is reminiscent of the snakes of Messmer as they were observed to be sharing the same body as well and wrapped around him.

[@BesteKarabyk]

I really loved the video, don’t get me wrong when i say this; while i was watching and trying to keep up with the details you lay out nicely, couldn’t keep my eyes open!! And then i slept so soundly thanks to your beautiful voice. Sleepiness came over me so sweetly that i couldn’t stay awake :)) you have a very soothing and mesmerizing voice 🩵

[@borisstamatov4877]

Given the hidden eye of Mesmer, I think it more likely that he and Melina are siblings, both children of the gloom-eyed queen, and their father is Marika/Radagon.

[@yurifairy2969]

Could potentially hint that Marika and Radagon were less divided at that point, because Marika is the traitor and assumedly that means she was the one in the relationship with the Gloam Eyed Queen.

[@alextreides]

Yeah, I thought about Messmer being son of the gloam-eyed queen cause of the closed eye and the fact that his flames are both black and red, like a mix of giant's fire and godflame. He says "Mother" in the dialogue but I think he is referring to the gloam-eyed queen assassinated/betrayed by Marika. Maybe Messmer is just taking revenge for her death mother purging everything related to Marika and Miquella in that world.

[@Valkyrie649]

That is the worst theory I’ve seen

[@Valkyrie649]

Just cuz bro had a hidden eye that’s why u think that fr

[@alextreides]

@@Valkyrie649 imagine it's the correct one when the dlc comes out, that would be really funny.

[@kneau]

8:55 I see the reddish tint, yet we are first shown this hair being dragged across blood-soaked ground.

[@Kevvv890k]

ui this would make sense!

[@Red_Boar]

Yes

[@simonhogg5476]

The reddish tint i think is actually an artefact of the videography and its more like chromatic abberation.

[@kevinfortsch]

Also the fact the foraems are rather manly instead of feminine slender forearms.

[@monroerobbins7551]

3:18 plus the woman in the village seemed to be holding the godslayer sword, which is associated with the Gloam Eyed Queen. It may be that this war was partially against the Gloam Eyed Queen.

[@jonp2771]

Vaati, you missed something about the Erd tree roots. Other than the resin, there are literal bodies that are either absorbed or already apart of the roots of the Erd tree. Which makes it more sensical that the mountains of corpses we see forming the gateway are actually the forming the Erd tree.

[@Kvltklassik]

Personal theory: The imagery of Marika pulling out those golden threads has very clear references to lower regions of the human body. You'll note that Radagon's fractured body had the three rings of the elden ring in his chest. As you pointed out the upper arc is what Marika is crucified on. So where is the lower arc. Literally. Where on or about the body is the lower arc, given we know the rings are in the chest, and the upper arc is over the head. Following from that, where is Marika pulling these threads from, which represent AN arc, perhaps not the upper arc...

[@Kvltklassik]

I get that it's not a huge observation, and a bit crass at that. But we literally never see the lower arc on Radagon or Marika, just the rings and upper arc. And now we have a trailer showing AN arc being removed from a lower part of a body. Seems like a clear direct reference to this being the lower arc, though I have no idea what that means for the lore.

[@Justin9700]

It’s not crass. Bloodborne has tons of themes involving menstrual cycles and the like. One could even interpret the bloody gate at the beginning of this trailer as being vaginal.

[@bannedmann4469]

@@Justin9700I remember figuring out what kind of Blood we were getting from the ladies… Real Insight +1 moment.

[@ninakore]

It clearly looks like a vagina - either literally or symbolically - I don't know why people are weird about it. Symbolically it's the moment Marika 'gave birth' and began her Order.

[@tamar7065]

@@bannedmann4469 ...OH

[@thudnfer7151]

In the group shot, I think we've seen the Big Hat Guy before as well since he looks very similar to the guy doing the spinning kicks in the gameplay trailer

[@mentor9806]

The music with the gate scene is top notch

[@DJWax27]

being such a music nerd I immediately noticed the Elden Beast music detail about the trailer. Happy to hear you mention that and discuss it as well.

[@SemitoSolaris]

About the Crucible Theory @ around 11 min mark, they started piling corpses in Castle Morne too, maybe because thats how they did things before? The way the Crucible Tree was created

[@BackwardsPancake]

The whole thing also just flows really well with this game's constant stream of "subverted hyperbole" (Absurd- or metaphorical-sounding descriptions and titles being completely literal). What, you thought the crucible was some immaterial well of life energy? Nah, we literally need to run every living thing through a blender, so get to work.

[@WarMonger_the-One-and-Only]

Marika planting the Erdtree: "Hey guys, welcome back! On today's episode of 'Will It Blend?' we will be turning an entire city-state into a giant tree!"

[@dice6751]

Could it be that the corpse she was reaching into was a fellow numen, and the reason why they are so rare now is because she killed all of them, used their runes, and their bodies to make the erd tree?

[@DakkaSap]

you might be on to something there, numen are known for golden hair

[@MrFallenone]

Except all the Black Knife assassins are Numen and you can start the game as one.

[@blazingmonolith4323]

Erd tree Red tree Gotta be a connection!

[@dice6751]

@MrFallenone That's a good point that I didn't think of, maybe for the black knives, she kept them alive in order to use them, and for us, maybe we were outside of the land of shadow when it happened, or we escaped, who knows, but it's fun to speculate :)

[@davidfletcher5361]

Mr Vaati sir, I'd like to point out as well that we have seen the npc in the far back as well, I think he is the guy from the previous trailer with Gael's crossbow. And the hat person near the front was the person kicking the knight in the previous trailer as well.

[@CortesArts]

That Enotria game actually looks awesome, gonna try it out today. Thanks for being genuine with your sponsorships!

[@KABLAMMATS]

"let's break it down" **Cuts to vaati breakdancing**

[@ApetureTestSubject]

My feeling is that maybe Mesmer is the first born, but that either he rebelled or whatever Marika wanted him to do got way out of hand. Marika might have run away because of what she set loose in Mesmer. Perhaps that’s why fire is blasphemous in The Golden Order, and why Volcano Manor use it. It’s blasphemous because Marika doesn’t want anything to do with Mesmer. Also, I feel there’s some connection between the corpse gate, Rykard, the immortal serpent, and Mesmer’s snake motif. Perhaps Rykard is worshipping Mesmer in his blasphemy? Maybe the immortal serpent comes from Mesmer? All just guesses but I feel there’s something there.

[@paha4209]

It would pretty much fit the story of Lucifer rebelling against GOD and therefore being thrown into Hell as it´s warden.

[@pedroabreu005]

Rykard also kinda looks like the corpse gate. If that gate is the primordial crucible, could he be trying to make a "new" one? And if so, would that be the reason why he ia blasphemous? He is trying to usurp Marika after all, so it woukd make sense for him to have his own erdtree project

[@samgreen8582]

The red arm room at the beginning or pile o corpses room looks like the room you fight rykard in to me....

[@masonlee5980]

the helmet of messmers forces that is briefly shown look almost like they could be based on the crucible

[@HumanMordecai]

21:07 We've also seen the big hat Logan looking fellow in the previous trailer, the martial artist attacking the charcoal knights

[@Lankyleg]

Pretty sure that the one behind big hat has also been seen too, riding through the weird swamp on Torrent? Maybe a Torrent given for each follower of Miquella

[@PlatinumAltaria]

Miquella is abandoning his destiny in a similar way to Ranni: casting away her empyrean flesh and denying the will of the two fingers. St. Trina is that empyrean form, but unlike Ranni Miquella has two forms, two bodies, and so he doesn't need to do any black knife stuff. If you examine the endings of Elden Ring there's a lot of similar threads to Miquella's journey: the crucible, rejection of grace, trying to create a new, more perfect order, the omen curse, and the rune of death.

[@AneirinRPG]

Maybe a wild idea everytime he is reborn he can be born as a boy or girl the girl becomes St trina while the boy grows to be miquella himself maybe st trina is another god of some form

[@Poorcheeseboy]

All other empyreans are women. Only Miquella is the only exception. Like you said it could be that St. Trina is the part of him that makes him an empyrean. A rejection of his fate as an empyrean would be a rejection of her entirely.

[@AneirinRPG]

@Poorcheeseboy at the time, yes, I haven't seen anything saying that they must have been women ranni was next in line to become the new queen. Hence, she stole the rune of death and masterminded the night of black knives

[@txotxo-zj9qe]

Great video as always! This feminin figure we see at 1:15 must be the famously mysterious Gloam Eyed Queen, what you think? She is holding what looks like the Godslayer Great Sword. There is also the corpse from which the golden threads are taken at the beginning that looks covered in skin like the godskin apostles, and the mountain of corpses that seem to not have skin. Would also make sense to hear about her in the DLC if it is indeed based on the origins of Marika's powers

[@DedicatedSpirit8]

Now I gotta reload a save file... Good job 👍

[@AscendantStoic]

1-Melina was born at the the base of the erdtree! 2-She was burned and bodiless! (burned by whom, Messmer's flame!?) 3-She has a gloamy eye with a very clear indigo tint (gloam-eyed, also gloam means twilight sky which we see in this trailer) 4-She was given purpose by her "mother"! ("mother" here could be the gloam-eyed queen not Marika) 5-She wanted to restore destined death! My guess that all this time in the original game Melina was kinda in service of her mother the gloam-eyed queen goals (restore destined death and kill the gods), potentially she could be the daughter of Radagon and the Gloam-eyed Queen and she was helping us destroy Marika's regime also as revenge for what Marika did to her mother (the whole shape-shifting, affair and betrayal business she is known for, Ranni probably feels the same after what Marika did to her mother Rennala). Also the thing that Marika puts her bloodied hand into to pull the golden strings is most likely a Godskin Swaddling Cloth --> Sacred cloth of the Godskin Apostles, made from supple skin sewn together, the Gloam-Eyed Queen cradles newborn apostles swaddled in this cloth. Soon they will grow to become the death of the gods. You should thank Eugene the Author for figuring it was the Swaddling Cloth.

[@patrickkinnear8625]

Pretty unhinged ngl

[@AscendantStoic]

@@patrickkinnear8625 lols, you never know with Miyazaki XD

[@lili-jin130]

I agree with most of this, but one thing that confuses me is why Melina, if she is the daughter of the Gloam-Eyed Queen, can cite Marika's words.

[@AscendantStoic]

@@lili-jin130 Because she is also the daughter of Marika (as Radagon) same way Renni is the daughter of Rennla and Marika/Radagon .. so she can understand her message as well.

[@fdevaa]

Gloam Eyed Queen is likely Marika before she become a god. We do not know what purpose was given to Melina, but she wanted us to access the Erdtree, which would eventually lead us to essentially kill Marika. A task given purposely by Marika herself to the Tarnished. Hewg was enslaved by Marika to serve the Roundtable hold to forge a weapon capable of slaying a God, which is actually Marika herself :) Marika wanted the golden order to end, Radagon did not.

[@HoldMeForever]

It's a miracle somebody was able to make out the dialogue over the deafening music.

[@stan2139]

I would love for the Lands Between to be a limbo between the "Lands of Shadow" and the "Land bathed in rays of gold" that Godrick talks about in his death

[@geordiejones5618]

It's crazy how after two years no one has cracked what "The Lands Between" actually means despite it being introduced very early on.

[@porkt3887]

It would seem "Land bathed in rays of gold" refers to the glorified stories of the past of the Golden Order. Like the glorified image of Godfrey, who was in reality a barbarian tool of the golden order who himself was taken advantage of, and accomplishments attributed to him were embellished. Followers of the Golden Order yearn to return to a past that never existed, fabricated by the Golden Order. They resist change and deny forces beyond the Greater Will, such as Rot and Death. For example, Radahn is obsessed with this fabricated past, and wants to be like Godfrey. Radahn doesn't understand how impossible this goal is, his faith in the holism of the Greater Will leaves him unprepared for the Rot and he succumbs. But yeah, can't wait to figure out anything about The Lands of Shadow, that will probably make the true nature of The Lands Between much more clear.

[@stan2139]

​@@geordiejones5618 I have cracked it. It's the UK. The Lands Between is the UK and Leyndell is London.

[@amannamedsquid313]

Pretty sure that the "Land bathed in rays of Gold" that Godrick mentions is the Altus Plateau.

[@stan2139]

@@amannamedsquid313 Mist likely, but it would be cooler if it wasn't and blud was going delusional

[@F1shyBab1shy]

Another about the Gloam-Eyed queen, the throwing knives (in the trailer) have a little black flame particle effect after they hit the target, this may be useful info to have

[@centrifikal]

Thanks for all the lore videos. Also, thanks for turning me onto Enotria.

[@platypuspracticus2]

16:10 I think I gotta go with what Lokey has said on this and that the Lion Dancers are 2 people and I think the impaled guys prove that. What we have are 3 lion dancers impaled with the front dancers on one stake with their head and the rear dancers on the others with the cape stretching from head to tail.

[@orpheus3477]

No matter what the DLC will truly be about, this right now is the Golden Age of Lore Hunting. The daily bombardment with high quality vids and theories is just incredible. Man, it's great to be in this community.