Elden Ring Story Timeline

[@SmoughTown]

Happy 100k everyone! Thanks so much for watching, let me know your thoughts below!

[@Wolf-bz6kq]

I thought that for 100k you would've went with the Albanauric Bloodclot as the subject

[@SmoughTown]

@@Wolf-bz6kq Albinaurics arethe next video 🙌

[@talkingmudcrab718]

Congrats Smough! Well deserved!

[@SmoughTown]

@@talkingmudcrab718 Thank you so much!

[@Michael-dy7zp]

Congratulations SmoughTown on 100K! Your lore videos are definitely in the top tier of Elden Ring lore videos and you and VaatiVidya are my favorite lore channels for Elden Ring/Souls lore Content.

[@leviklopfenstein8158]

I still love the detail of Godfrey regaining grace when he lays Morgott to rest, as Morgott's body becomes the rays of grace, pointing Godfrey to his next objective, the tarnished player

[@averymccoytarnished6782]

I wonder if the grace pointing him towards us wasn't meant to guide him into fighting us, but rather in supporting us in our quest to become Elden Lord - maybe Godfrey misunderstood the guidance entirely! It doesn't make tremendous sense for the grace to be guiding us towards the tree and simultaneously trying to stop us.

[@leviklopfenstein8158]

@@averymccoytarnished6782 Then again, the tree is protected with impenetrable thorns earlier, so Grace has guided us in impossible tasks before.

[@averymccoytarnished6782]

@@leviklopfenstein8158 I don't see that as any more egregious than the grace guiding us to any other locked door. It points us to obstacles that must be overcome - and what greater obstacle could there be for the Chieftain of the Badlands than swallowing his pride and aiding the tarnished who murdered his son, and who seeks to assume both his mantle as lord and the marriage he once had?

[@Grayald]

Yep. A story of failed lords desperately clinging to the last bit of power they have to attempt to challenge arising Lord that surpasses them all. Godfrey was never the boss fight here. You were. Or something or other

[@Tcrror]

@@Grayald Personally, I love how nuanced the story is and I love how nuanced the lore is. Elden Ring does really feel like you're an outsider thrown into a battle that started waaaaay before you were ever thought of, and not only do you have to figure out what happened and what will happen, but you have to pick up the pieces of the past to make way for a better future.

[@Αστερίων13]

59:56 the war against the dragons happened when Godfrey was still Elden Lord: Vyke is one of the most ancient Tarnished we meet, and being a Tarnished he was of course exiled with Godfrey. Considering that Vyke was Lanseax most beloved knight and a dragon cult member, a religion established after the war against the dragons, Godfrey and his tarnished warriors were exiled after the war

[@Zifzi]

Very good point! Alternatively, Vyke may have been one of the first Tarnished to come back and may have joined the Dragon Cult in his quest. It seems like many of the Tarnished came back at different times and ingrained themselves in various parts of the Lands Between, so this is also a likely explanation.

[@blakebailey22]

@@Zifzi I agree with your assessment

[@danielboyd7810]

@@Zifzi I believe you are both right in the sense that Vyke was exiled with Godfrey following the war with the dragons at some point. Vyke returned after the shattering with the call of grace only to be seduced by the 3 fingers on his quest to become Elden Lord

[@thelionofjudah5318]

Godfrey never fought placidusax he only fought the storm hawk

[@swordierre9341]

youre assuming all tarnished were exiled with godfrey, when godfrey and his men were simply the first of many groups of tarnished. Tarnished were exiled for different reasons, and at diffrent times. Also the fact that Vyke uses dragon cult incantations ties him more to godwyn than godfrey.

[@aktriaz3766]

I don't think Radahn is loyal to the Golden Order specifically. My main evidence for this is one specific NPC; Jerren. Most of the dialogue I will reference is obtained by joining Ranni before reaching Altus, and clearing Redmane castle and talking to Jerren, which leads to a back and forth between Iji and Jerren, which ends in the Festival of Radahn being started without having to enter Altus. Although he is a commander for the Redmanes, Jerren is loyal to Caria, and goes as far as to hunt down Sellen when she attempts to expel Rennala from Raya Lucaria. He's on good terms with Iji, and Iji himself even made weapons for the Redmanes against Malenia's forces, commenting how they never degraded when faced with the scarlet rot. Seriously, read or hear the dialogue of Iji and Jerren. Radahn's combat with the stars is not difficult to explain, seeing how deadly Fallingstar beasts are. If conquering the stars simply prevents more Fallingstar beasts from landing, then that seems like a good enough reason to conquer the stars. Furthermore, in the exchange between Iji and Jerren, Iji comes to a realization that Ranni's fate is held hostage by Radahn; a revelation that all but says that was NOT the intended reason Radahn conquered the stars. That said, there is very little on where Radahn's loyalties are. He has a painting in Volcano Manor (which would be odd if he was allied with the Erdtree), and the previously mentioned link through Jerren to Iji and by extent Ranni/Caria. If he was allied with the Golden Order, you'd think he would be on better terms with Morgott, but like every other demigod he is rebelling. Personally, I think Radahn is very similar to Godfrey/Hoarah Loux was, being a warrior king who seeks to prove his might, which also explains his desire to adopt his imagery. I don't think he was someone with grand aspirations for how the world should be run, but he wanted to be the next Godfrey, in a sense.

[@nathangeorge6575]

I feel like that is a fair speculation. Thank you for referencing in-game stuff to make your point. I had a question for you, is there any portraits of Ranni pre-body-death in Volcano Manor? I was just curious if maybe they were holdovers from Rykard's pre-consumption days. If that thought holds no relevance, I'd love to know. I am currently in the process of my second play through.

[@miomio6890]

So glad for this video! Usually a timeline is a basic thing established in any fantasy universe...except Elden Ring where everything is old or oldER 😂

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks Mio! Enjoy!

[@darlingxluxii7977]

True! I always thought Elden ring was old enough but going in back is just insane haha

[@djenniomaricon]

Read LOTR and Book of the New Sun if you like worldbuilding like this :D

[@Beairstoboy]

In a game that focuses so much on the number of fingers, the cinquedea's symbolic meaning is really interesting. A being with five fingers, in other words having both a set of two fingers (representing the Two Fingers as a sign of order and unity) as well as a set of three fingers (representing the Three Fingers as emblematic of Chaos). It's interesting philosophically, because it implies Chaos and Order are both necessities of civilization in their own ways. Order on its own is far too stagnant, and so Chaos must also exist to encourage change and innovation.

[@WanderedIn]

The Elden Beast has five fingers - and five fingers means ‘intellect’ or ‘will.’ Two means guidance, and three means misfortune.

[@IndieGinge]

I find the dichotomy, and the theme of stagnation and a need for destruction to lead to rebirth to be resonant with FROM's usual themes as well, as well as the idea that a refusal to let go of life leads to corruption and misery. Undeath, Hollowing, The Wild Dark, Loss of Memory, The Deep, The Ashen world, The Rot of Ariandel, Dragonrot, miserable immortality, Scarlet Rot, Three Fingers, The Formless Mother. All these things are wildly destructive and miserable things that are part of the world created by an attempt to stop the world from turning, I think natural reactions to unnatural meddling. It's interesting, and feels resonant that when Demon's Souls and Dark Souls hit the West so many players began calling us the "bad guys" for destroying the remains of these empires, when I think you can see them just as much as finally being the thing that forces everyone to finally let go. It's a criticism of the culture in the west itself, let alone the rest of the world, that we don't know how to accept death or the release of control in the modern era. Wolf, Chosen Undead, Unkindled, Tarnished, we are an instrument of fate, and the only story choices we have, beyond who we kill, is if/how we continue the cycle, or if/how we end it. We must let go if we hope to see something else grow.

[@IndieGinge]

@@colorpg152 I am aware of the Shinto connection. The need to accept impermenance and death is actually a universalist idea, because we are literally all going to die and lose control. It's actually very clear when looking at the world rationally that we need to accept a lack of control, do we choose where and when we are born? If we are born? Disagreeing with religions is fine, lord knows I do, but c'mon man. Also, quick newsflash. Religion is not the origin of the people who control societies being shitty and getting other people to be shitty. The desire for more material things is. Powerful people can just coopt literally anything, including the human desire to figure out a way to feel connection to the world. Not taking sides for any religion, spirituality, agnosticism or atheism. Just want to put that out there since we're now back in 2007 having an epic atheist moment. Our world is made out of material things, look to those before you tilt at the windmills of ideas. Also, this is a piece of art we're discussing, so it's more useful to talk about what ideas it wants to express, and what aspect of the human condition it wants to represent and how we can see that reflected in our own world and lives so it can speak to us.

[@Tom_Fuckery]

@@IndieGinge I think the metaphor of the Elden Beast's cutscene captures the essence of religion throughout our history well. Regardless of your beliefs, God as a concept tends be a weapon of Order. And the forest of Erdtrees is a bit on the nose. It's not the first world to be absorbed and it won't be the last. Very fitting.

[@apolloisnotashirt]

that is beautiful.

[@talkingmudcrab718]

25:35 It's definitely possible the Beastmen created their weapons using cast methods instead of smithing. Two very different techniques whose products can still resemble one another.

[@SmoughTown]

100%

[@tripjones2178]

That and another common method of stock removal. Chiseling and grinding out of raw iron would make for quite the sight.

[@DakkaBert]

makes perfect sense as they are shown to primarily use pottery in other capacities, and casting requires a clay mold

[@grimecube]

Yeah, I like this idea. Considering that beastmen could also use lightning, they shouldn't have had any trouble melting the iron to cast it.

[@pigzy9807]

Notice that their weapons are iron which is not an alloy as well.

[@GamerKito]

I feel like this is one of those videos I'm going to rewatch so many times.

[@FabioDaFemboy]

Same here!

[@ThommyofThenn]

Watch according to your viewing style! That's great :)

[@kaiserdetectivegolden2735]

@@ThommyofThenn he is wrong though Malenia did beat godrick "the golden" not "the grafted"

[@aidenmclaughlin1076]

I love how you’ve re-enacted the events of the story, awesome work!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks Aiden! Was a lot of fun tbh

[@ThommyofThenn]

Isn't it neat? I love dressing up as different characters in games. I'm no cosplayer irl but it's great fun in game.

[@sly6759]

Hands down the best Elden Ring lore channel out there. I follow a ton of different creators aorund the game but your effort, theories and narration is unrivaled. Kudos and congrats on 100k, well deserved!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks Sly! That’s very kind! It’s been a journey

[@Etticos.]

It’s true. SmoughTown has really taken the place of Vaati as lore master for the Elden Ring era of Fromsoft. The work is amazing.

[@matthew7849]

Vaati-cels absolutely seething

[@Etticos.]

@@matthew7849 don’t get me wrong, I love Vaati’s work, he just hasn’t really gone after the ER lore content the way Smough has and there is nothing wrong with that.

[@Koyomix86]

@@Etticos. Yeah Vaati is great and he’s made some incredible elden ring videos like the frenzied flame one but Smough has truly delved into the depths of elden ring lore and made dozens of hours of content. He is definitely the best elden lore KZbinr.

[@eel-to-eel]

Collaboration!!! We love to see it!! I'm heading to graduate school for my Masters in archaeology next fall and I'm considering the Elden Ring lore hunt to be a preparatory exercise

[@SmoughTown]

Great place to start!

[@talkingmudcrab718]

Nice! Any words of wisdom for my son, who is considering going into paleontology when he heads off to college? I assume they are somewhat similar fields.

[@andrewbowen2837]

I've found it to be a fun experience, especially the theory side of things. I'm at SEAC currently actually

[@eel-to-eel]

@@talkingmudcrab718 I actually started out in paleontology, but got scared away by all the maths and switched majors. Prehistory and geology remain near and dear to my heart however- very happy to hear of an incumbent paleontologist. In terms of advice for your son: 1. Choose early an area of paleontology to focus on (it's a discipline with many potential avenues) and get to know the professors and graduate students who specialize in it. Not only are these academic connections vital for future success, but they foster immersion in the academic process! It's easy to feel overwhelmed at university, but having a clear idea of your interests and plenty of peers to engage with will help. 2. Stay physically active! While theory, computer renderings, and discourse may make up a good amount of what you'll do as a paleontologist, there is no replacement for getting out there and seeing/doing/digging it for yourself. Both paleontology and archaeology depend on practical fieldwork and there are many jobs available post-graduation for people willing to get their hands dirty! Strength and conditioning should be a requirement for both undergraduate fields in my opinion. 3. Don't be afraid of maths, physics, chemistry, other languages, etc. Even if you're not in a class getting graded, make it a goal to get past any anxiety surrounding these subjects. Whether it's by stopping by clubs after class or doing research on your own time, keeping or achieving some level of fluency in these areas will vastly benefit your scholastic career. Good luck to you and your son!

[@lihan1234]

this video truly feels like a culmination point of months of work and research from the community. i have enjoyed how accessible each of you have been able to translate all this info, into something greatly comprehensible videos and posts. i wanna thank you all for working this well together, and also for the solid presentations. I've been following your output since the game came out, have greatly enjoyed it ever since, and if you ever feel like moving to a different series / game etc. that you find interesting enough to make more videos about, then i'll be there.

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you so much, what kind words and is extremely humbling. I have such a love and passion for this game it has been my honour to do content for it. Thank you for your support, means a lot

[@daniell1483]

Maybe I've read Martin's works too much, but I can't help but see his fingerprints all over the story. He loves writing about what he calls Interregnums, times where any consistent authority has broken down or is breaking down, such as in Game of Thrones or the Shattering. He has a fascination with celestial objects being living creatures of great power, as with the Volcryn in Nightflier and as with the Elden Beast. He likes the imagery of men intertwined with trees, as with Miquella and Bloodraven. Elden Ring's lore feels almost like a remastering of all Martin's favorite motifs and themes.

[@REDinitial]

You can definitely see his vision sprinkled in there. Same with the influence of Berserk. A lot of concepts and imagery are straight from Miura's Berserk from the use of causality, determinism, meddling gods enacting their will via chosen ones in the physical realm, the fingers, the world tree etc. I'm glad two of my most favourite things in the world can be thus married.

[@bartholomewa4087]

Also Farum Azula is just valyria. It experienced a doom long ago and had literal dragon lords.

[@REDinitial]

@@bartholomewa4087 I mean...and Valyria is Atlantis, so the concept is not in any way unique to ASOIAF. A lot of Martin's ASOIAF worldbuilding is inspired by real world history and myths - others are straight up homages to other fantasy and horror works (he likes his Lovecraftian callbacks).

[@jackieparmz]

@@REDinitialthe best part is that From actually finishes their stories.

[@ElektelStar]

To be honest in the first 50 hours of the game I couldn't see Martin anywhere aside the naming convention but the more I discovered about the characters and places and the history of the world, I could see his brand of story intertwined with world

[@cfh23666]

Having the whole timeline laid out really puts some gravity to the situation the tarnished walks in on. Still makes me wonder where ol patches fits in all of this. And hoping there is more to his story.

[@rodrigogrover3322]

Thanks for be so awesome,friend!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much dude! Much appreciated

[@AlbertusSalvatierra]

To boot, the Banished Knights too served the Storm Lord. Oleg and Engvall were known as Wings of the Storm. And, interestingly enough, Stormveil, Farum Azula, and the dragon religions were all closely tied in cut content. Stormveil was essentially a settlement of exiled warriors of the Capital who partook in the faith of the dragon, in hopes of reaching Farum Azula one day. To me, I sort of just saw it as, after the Storm Lord was overthrown, all of Limgrave moving forward would be passed down unto Godfrey’s kin since his conquest left it lordless - hence Godefroy, who left Stormveil to siege Leyndell, and Godrick, who claimed it after the second siege and he who would appoint the Banished Knight Edgar as Castellan of Morne.

[@draghettis6524]

And, even later, hence Nepheli

[@AlbertusSalvatierra]

@@draghettis6524 Despire not being a member of the Golden Lineage, it’s kinda funny she’s more of worthy leader than its own immediate heirs. To boot, she’s got that whole storm thing going on, so it could honestly be better for the hawks and knights that had once served the Storm Lord prior to Godfrey.

[@LunaPendragon1988]

One of the insane things to realize is how long it takes for a tree to grow in real life. If the crucible was when the erd tree was sprouting from it's trunk and Godfrey was around for that.... if the erd tree grew instead of magically bursting up to it's gigantic heights, then that means he's OLD AF! Like I know they're all immortal, but that is still a extremely long time.

[@nathangeorge6575]

Eons have passed as the great tree then the crucible then the erd tree grew. It makes you feel small.

[@deadlyjax624]

I love listening to your content during my long work shifts. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@SmoughTown]

Have a good shift!

[@alanbgeiss]

You’re a lore god. Thanks for everything you do, good sir.

[@miomio6890]

This is the kind of collab we needed! It was a treat to see the tree of my favourite lore creators together 😁 thank you!

[@andrewvellos9735]

I really like the way you bring the community together by paying respects to other creators in your videos. Its cool cuz I love watching their videos, as well. Much respect, Smough! Keep it up, and stay lovely!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much Andrew! It's my pleasure, just love this community!

[@johnapple6646]

Unreal that this is basically a documentary and it's the length of a movie

[@SmoughTown]

Spent more time studying the game than anything at school haha

[@johnapple6646]

@@SmoughTown if only Eldenringology was a real field of archaeology!

[@nathangeorge6575]

​@johnapple6646 it is for Tarnished Arhcaeologist. I hope that guy gets paid. These guys deserve it for the work they put in to educate us plebs.

[@feralbunnydonut8495]

What timing! This just made my drive to work 1000% better

[@jstar3382]

I just realized another connection Radagon has with the Giants. Forging with a hammer. Marika and Radagon had some sort of struggle trying to break or fix the Elden ring and Radagon was attempting to reforge the ring, acting as a smith. More fun connections

[@entysing6780]

Happy 100k you mad lad of a 🐐! It's been a pleasure to accompany you on this journey. Incredibly excited to see what you do over the next 100k! Absolutely love the Collab! Three genius minds of Elden Ring brought together for a monumental task.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much bud, i've really appreciated your support. Here is to the next milestone!

[@entysing6780]

@@SmoughTown Cheers 🍻

[@CLNAW]

excellently done as always.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much for the generosity Nawas!

[@Scarecr0w_ofWaaagh_strawpies]

Truly there is no other like Radagon his theme is iconic almost makes you feel like his boss was made special regardless of if he was part of Marika or perhaps a numan male he's still one of the coolest. When I fought radahn there was fear but with this guy just awe.

[@SmoughTown]

Agree - such an epic final confrontation.

[@KennyCastellon]

I wonder how much if this lore is fan made and the creators just smile because why not makes sense ...good stuff man

[@whatsnewbois9814]

Ah nothing beats the waiting time for the DLC than watching my favorite lore channels make greate Content together

[@WelcomeToTwinklePark]

Deeproot depths: When I saw those roots in the dim, dusty underground, that odd orange/yellow light from unknown sources shining long black shadows on the ground, how they showed up out of the dark below from origins unseen and reached up into parts unseen, I felt a little frightened that something was in that dust and dark watching me and at any time would come at me. It made me feel small and meek in a world far more terrifying than any outer god or boss we face. It was some pretty amazing level design

[@HenryGreenEngine3]

I am so glad someone decided not to jump on the bandwagon of Storm Lord Placidusax and give the TRUE Storm King his rightful respect. Bless you man

[@emilybroderick2421]

Honestly I wish more games would take this approach to their timelines and lore. Maybe not to the same extremes as FromSoft, but enough to add some refreshing ambiguity to things. I also just generally wish games indulged in risher, weirder lore overall

[@SmoughTown]

Same, it makes it more mythological, deep and rich

[@IndieGinge]

I think it has a lot to do with Miyazaki not having a background in gaming tbh. The medium ian't inherently flawed, but the landscape is artistically impoverished because of several factors, and if it's always been your bag then you'll be writing with gaming and its tropes in mind, not creating a resonant story. It's like how the other Miyazaki - Hayao - trash talks modern anime for knowing too much about anime and not enough about life. Good art starts from trying to capture life, and FROM is exceptional in that they're capable of doing that AND create something very, VERY fun.

[@ne0nmancer]

@@IndieGinge Exactly, game writing has become too derivative, they just take inspiration from one another without bringing new stuff to the table.

[@kylefernandes5311]

Me and the boys, when Smough drops peak Elden Ring lore.

[@Blessed_V0id]

Whoa, I hadnt realised Tarnished Archeologists style. Thank you for teaching me, and for being the only YTer to ever persuade me to make two subs You guys need a course XD

[@nicolaswilke176]

These videos are crazy detailed and well made. Another Home run!! I am always eager for more.

[@wpb5876]

What an incredible feat it is for the community to put a video out like this! Amazing and insightful as always. It’s fascinating to see how ideas, and timelines have evolved since the game first launched. Certainly my perception of the timeline has changed a lot, and even more so after watching this video. Thank you as always!

[@jarvii6837]

These videos always make my day

[@battlericky17]

CANT WAIT WATCH THIS TONIGHT!! Commenting to keep the love flowing

[@SmoughTown]

Enjoy Ricky! and have a great weekend

[@battlericky17]

@@SmoughTown you as well!! Watching now!

[@SylviaGuest]

Hey, I absolutely adored this video, it's a fantastic distillation of an incredibly complex timeline, and sheds light on many of the more obscure aspects of the game. I have one question, regarding when Mohg kidnapped Miquella (1:16:16); would it not make more sense for Mohg to have kidnapped him just before the shattering? We know that Godwyn's death was not the primary cause of the Shattering as it happened "long before the shattering of the Elden Ring" (Rogier). When we tell Gideon of Miquella's location, he ponders: "perhaps the Queen's sorrow was justified..." Is it possible that Miquella's kidnapping was the final straw for Marika? Regardless, this slight alteration in the timeline also explains why Malenia marched to caelid and fought Radahn, as the Heart of Aeonia (where she succumbed to the scarlet rot) is less than 50m from Miquella's womb in the dynasty mausoleum. While this could be coincidence, I highly doubt it. It seems far more likely that Miquella was taken before the Shattering, and Malenia's march was part of a hunt, scouring the Lands Between for her infant brother. Regardless of what you think of this theory, I really enjoyed your video, and look forward to your next upload!

[@SmoughTown]

100% agree the theft of Mohg could have happened at that stage and has always been in the back of my mind as to why Malenia would march there! Glad you enjoyed the video my friend!

[@krishnansubramoni7801]

One of the big things I find really curious about the history of Elden Ring is, why Godfrey was not mentioned at all in either of the Liurnia wars. Considering the battle hungry person he is, and considering Marika supposedly wanted to conquer Liurnia, you'd think Godfrey would be there. Heck considering Marika's and Godfrey's combined might, they, might have even won. This leads me to believe that Godfrey and the Tarnished were exiled before either war. It makes too little sense otherwise.

[@S2Pot_Gaming]

Really good video! The only part I question is the section on Radahn; I still find it hard to believe he worked against Ranni. There is evidence to suggest that Ranni and Rykard worked together, at least at one point, and further evidence that Radahn and his siblings cooperated on some level: the dialogue Jerren and Iji have about each other, as well as the presence of abductor virgins in caelid, do not suggest siblings that are against each other. Specifically with Iji/Jerren dialogue and the discussion about Iji’s forged weapons for Radahn’s soldiers resisting the scarlet rot.

[@gerald8543]

Love the Video!!! The only thing in my personal opinion would be if you showed a map occasionally, possibly at the end of each chapter to show the areas* mentioned during the timeline. To help visualize the progression.

[@AlbertusSalvatierra]

Honestly, if I had to have any sort of film series or show - maybe make it like an episodic series that undergoes time jumps detailing the story starting from Marika’s reign to the Shattering War. It would help flesh out people like Marika or Radagon, or even Rykard and Godrick and so forth. Godefory too. Lots of opportunity on that sort of narrative.

[@deliriushunter]

Jooo i can't believe this, nearly one and a half hour of content, thanks so much!

[@kittyvalbuena182]

WHOOO BABY THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITIN’ FOR

[@SmoughTown]

LET'S GO!

[@VVabsa]

Hell yea, I was waiting for a timeline vid!! Nice one.

[@Freezaen]

Many lore nerds take Hyetta at her words and yet she's the only character to ever mention this "One Great". I'm really curious to know what the original Japanese version of her wording is and whether the "One Great" is blown a bit out of proportion.

[@bazah23]

Obviously cus she’s the only one who mentioned it

[@isaiahgarcia7456]

I think that it’s prudent to take whatever is said by characters associated with the frenzied flame to be manipulation with a kernel of truth at the statements core with the occasional outright lie. The idea that all life sprung from one source is rather well supported by a multitude of items, specifically items associated with the crucible. Therefore, the idea that even before the crucible their existed a singular “great one” that encompassed all life is not unbelievable. The problem with what Hyetta is saying is that she frames the fragmentation of life in a starkly manipulative fashion. She states that when life was fragmented that “affliction” “despair” and other such negative concepts were born, conveniently leaving out that those words have no meaning without their more positive opposites. What does affliction mean without health or a base state to compare too? Or despair without happiness? There is more to this but if you look into anything said by shabriri or Hyetta through this lens it’s rather obvious to see the dishonesty.

[@theforgottenscribe]

​@@isaiahgarcia7456 I would like to point to other real world beliefs, such as from Ancient Greek Religion. According to the tale of Pandora, there were no concepts such as suffering or disease among humans until she was given that which she must never open. The concept that happiness and enjoyment once existed in bliss without suffering to be found exists also in the 3 most recognized Modern Religions. This is in part that Chistrianity and Islam spawned from Judaism in some fashion, but the fact the concept was found amongst Greek religion suggests it was not entirely an uncommon belief. The belief is not manipulative, but rather the expression of the inherently flawed nature of the world and its inhabitants. Yes, suffering and other such negatives are given definition by their positive counterparts-and in turn the positives are best defined when contrasted with their negatives. This doesn't really argue anything. It's more the notation that sometimes concepts are best understood when you understand whether or not they present.

[@xavierthomas5835]

​@Starlight Shadow The problem as I see it isn't simply that they omit all the positive natures of fragmented life. It is that they are manipulative by nature. Surely to them it is a great thing that the world be erased and everything returned to zero. They also, however, don't care about anybody who might disagree. A common line of succession with these great forces is they are not beings who argue with people. The frenzied flame isn't trying to get its followers to dialogue and learn a better way. It just wants ti watch the world burn. Such a destructive power let loose on nothing more than its or its followers word that this is the way its supposed to be? A chaos indeed, but at least order cares about some beings. Chaos cares for absolutely nothing, so all are easily discarded.

[@Cas-ed9ob]

Probably because she's the only one, other than shabriri, that is associated with the frenzied flame. It would make sense that there was once one entity, that had maybe split, and everything is going to shit, so the frenzied flame is trying to burn everything down and return it to it's normal state, where everything is one again.

[@O-M-0]

I wonder if the existence of the Bloody Helice and it's unique skill "Dynast's Finesse" suggests a connection between the Dynast and the Formless Mother. Perhaps she has been hanging around those ruins for a long time before Mohg found her.

[@jackweaver1846]

The sword is stated to be used by servants of the lord of blood, so it’s more likely that the dynast in question is Mogh, not that of the ancient dynasty. I wish you were right though, cuz that would be badass

[@aggersoul23]

Man... Words literally cannot describe how much I love you. You are the only reason for keeping my enthusiasm and joy still unmatched and up & running for ER... Thank you, deeply. You deserve much more

[@SmoughTown]

Wow, thank you my friend - that really means a lot to me. Appreciate the support and more content soon!

[@mionmayu6241]

Wow this was absolutly amazing like watching a movie really, explaining to me in details what id see only in pieces playing the game.

[@gamerocker525]

He’s finally done it. I’m so excited for my Elden Ring ASMR session

[@SmoughTown]

Haha! Enjoy Chris!

[@ThommyofThenn]

I never realized how actually sad Godfreys story is. I would love playing a game where you play as him. Maybe kind of a GoW style game

[@sinisterwombat3128]

I'm not sure if he belongs in a locust infested scifi setting tbh

[@ThommyofThenn]

@@sinisterwombat3128 I assume that's some GoW reference

[@samueltitone5683]

@@sinisterwombat3128 I assume OP meant God of War and not Gears of War.

[@nathangeorge6575]

​@@samueltitone5683I'd be willing to bet he did but holy hell is Gears a good series.

[@tripjones2178]

Great work dude! It's amazing what you have managed to accomplish. Your contribution to the community is incalculable.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much Trip, just love the community and the game!

[@cheddargobIin]

Congratulations on 100k, Geoff!

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you so much!

[@clevey]

One of the best lore videos out there. Should be used as a benchmark for current lore knowledge

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers dude, that's high praise

[@iorveth1790]

I've been waiting for this one thanks Smough

[@SmoughTown]

Hope you enjoy my friend

[@FabioDaFemboy]

Been waiting for this one!

[@SmoughTown]

Hope you enjoy bud!

[@ALaz502]

The premier soulsborne lore guy right here. And that's not a controversial opinion. Delighted to listen on a long flight.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much bud, have a pleasant and safe flight

[@ultra824]

i kind of suspect that mogh somehow framed radahn for miquella's abduction it both gets the heat off of himself, _and_ causes massive bloodshed in caelid, which is notably almost directly above the moghwyn palace grounds, which surely helped him establish a foothold for the formless mother in the area

[@sanityplusmilkshakes]

So many fascinating perspectives have been introduced to me by this single channel. Nothing but respect for those who use their platform to bolster others.

[@braedenbumaro828]

What a wonderful timeline! The events fit together well and make sense, with a few very small exceptions. Brilliant!

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you so much!

[@TommasoFirmini]

Hooooo boy Here we go, one rabbit hole I'm more than ready to dive into Keep up the great work smough!

[@aerodynamism5438]

>Well-known father of content creator Quelaag Ah you, cheeky bastard

[@SmoughTown]

[@irving9509]

Bro you and your friends are legends making this video. One of my all time favorite series.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks bud

[@hugoguzman4985]

I think Radahn studied MUCH earlier than the Night of Black Knives, since I'm fairly certain he studied just to keep riding Leonard. I also think the Starscourge Conflict happened at the request of either Radagon, or Marika herself. The last time Marika faced an Empyrean, it caused the Godskin Apostasy. With Radagon, Marika now has THREE Empyreans, at least two of which are her own children. We know Godwyn's death motivated the Shattering of the Elden Ring, so Marika was probably unwilling to kill her own children, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. The most effective way to stop them from forcing her to kill them would be to arrest their destinies, and thus she/Radagon sent him to stop the stars. If my theory is correct, this probably happened not long after Miquella and Malenia's birth. In fact, we never find out what precisely caused Miquella's curse. Suppose stopping his destiny had unintended consequences...

[@miimiibeschde4818]

FALSE Radahn learned Gravity magic because He got too big and we can see that morgott Beat a younger radahn in the shattering war

[@judalove6707]

Been waiting patiently for this timeline video

[@SmoughTown]

Hope you enjoy Juda!

[@judalove6707]

Thanks Smough

[@judalove6707]

Must have more lol

[@PaszerDye]

The fact that Zamor was known to be adversary to the Giants since 'time immemorial' could mean that their rivarly was known since then & that the Zamor eventually followed them to the Mountaintops to finish them off.

[@papagutsuperfan_9928]

my first every elden ring lore video and this was amazing

[@bryangibson6211]

The quality of your videos is absolutely outstanding! You’ve got MAD talent

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks Bryan, that's super kind of you to say

[@bryangibson6211]

@@SmoughTown You are my main source of Elden Ring lore, I can’t play the game right now because I broke both my hands, but your vids allow me to still feel apart of the community. I can’t thank you enough for doing what you do smough

[@golDroger88]

I haven't watched this yet and I don't know when it was written but I think Martin just had an interview where he said some events of the story take place 5000 years before the game begins.

[@SmoughTown]

Indeed! We have included this

[@ninhyu1123]

YESS!!! I’ve been waiting for this one c:

[@MorizonPlays]

I have a slightly different theory for the godskin apostasy: I would place it at the same time as you have, but I dont think the gloam-eyed queen was involved because i believe melina is the gloam-eyed queen and also a daughter of Radagon and Marika. Rather, after the godskin apostles were defeated, the rune of death was sealed and the remaining apostles went into hiding. When Melina, an Empyrean, turned against the golden order, she rallied the remaining godskin apostles and became their gloam-eyed queen in an attempt to reclaim the rune of death from maliketh. However, she was defeated and her gloamy eye sealed by maliketh's beastial symbol. When Marika lost faith in the golden order, she "revived" Melina in her bodiless form and sent her to play the role of maiden for us because she knew Melina had it in her to burn the erdtree. Additional thought 1: This would also explain why Melina's closed eye can be opened again if she is still alive after Maliketh is defeated. Additional thought 2: The snow witch could either be Melina, another form of Melina after her defeat or another sister of Melina because Ranni's doll form is modeled after this witch and looks very similar to Melina. The snow witch was heretical and a secret mentor to ranni, so it could be that she gave ranni the idea to steal a fragment of the rune of death, which matches Melina's goals.

[@brentgarrison6245]

Except that Gloam Eyed Queen is explicitly the mother of the Godskin Apostles, who lovingly swaddled them upon their births. So she comes first, pretty directly.

[@MorizonPlays]

@@brentgarrison6245 that is true, forgot about the swaddling cloth. That just makes me more confused who Melina is. She is apparently an empyrean and daughter of Queen Marika, but Ranni doesn't mention her as one of the offspring of marika that were selected to be empyreans. Could she be the very first child of queen marika, perhaps even before she married godfrey?

[@brkfstfd]

@@MorizonPlaysshe is pretty heavily implied to be a secret sibling of Malenia and Miquella. Probably younger. All 3 butterflies in the game refer to these 3. Her ultimate purpose as the kindling maiden is the burn the Erdtree and it does seem that she was used in both burnings - including the first one, however many years before, which was the shattering. She forgets this purpose until you finally bring her back to Leyndell and get to the entrance to the inner Erdtree itself and she can’t go inside (to where she was born) because it is blocked by Radagon’s thorns. Then she remembers the purpose Marika gave her and we are off to the Flame of Ruin and then Farum Azula to complete her task actually burning the tree. During that scene if she is used as kindling (you don’t have the FoF) you can see that her clothes are covering her heavily burn-scarred body. Wounds from the Shattering. I’ll admit there is something interesting about the art for her eye and she is involved in sending us to Farum Azula to unlock death so the fire actually burns the Erdtree instead of just perpetually hanging out on it. If there’s some connection to Malekith, Destined Death, Godskin Apostasy and their GE Queen, we just can’t really work it out yet. We’ve got too little info to go on.

[@a_jerry808]

amazing and big ptops to tarnished and hunter for the assist. If more collabs happen i would love to see it.

[@SmoughTown]

Just both top tier creators

[@Endra88]

Shout out to you and all soulborne creators for researching and compiling lore explanations for these amazing games. Without all of you, I'd only have a generalized idea of what's going on.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much Andre! It's my pleasure

[@sadhomie9294]

Thanks for this amazing vid. So far, its the only media that's helped me relax during my bout with covid.

[@SmoughTown]

I'm sorry to hear that, I wish you a speedy recovery and glad to hear my videos are bringing some comfort.

[@SkepticGamerNerd]

Awesome video! I definitely think your order of events makes a lot of sense and the quality of your content is excellent as always. I was hoping the guide would at least give a basic time-line but we haven't even gotten them in the States yet 🙃

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you very Brandon!

[@MicheleSollazzo]

Elden Ring or not, I love so much that there are creators out there willing to focus on long content like these, not caring at all about the most recent trends (i.e. Stories, Shorts, TikTok...)

[@emanuelelamattina4264]

About the ruins greatsword: the piece of ruin was hit by a meteorite, not the entire farum azula fron which the ruin originated. As a more proof, the sword is the only ruin to have gravitational powers. All the other remains of farum azula, do not have. Have to see what the japanese says

[@laddiquintanilla300]

What a well-crafted video! Beautiful implementation of evidence and admirable collaboration

[@SekiroDubi]

Oh boy, I was looking forward to understanding what the modding was about :D

[@SmoughTown]

Hahaha! Hope you enjoy my man and thanks for the guidance

[@Cedwig234]

dude, what an awesome video! the zoom ins on the items ur quoting makes it a lot easier to follow!

[@robertroy7818]

I need a vlog of Smoughtown, Lore Hunter, and Tarnished Archeologist sitting on replica Erdtree thrones and just talking shop.

[@LightAndDarkMdness02]

55:00 And here's where I begin to disagree. There is no proof Marika and Radagon were always one. In fact, all of the evidence points *against* this fact. Radagon's red hair being compared to that of the Giants, and the fact that Radagon had no knowledge of incantations before marrying Marika seems to indicate that he was a separate individual. If he *was* always Marika, why would he need to learn incantations? The item description specifically points out that he had to learn both sorceries and incantations. The only evidence whatsoever that Radagon and Marika were always one is an off-hand line from Pope Turtle that all the Demigods are direct descendants of Marika. HOWEVER! He is the only character that states this, and other item descriptions point out how Radagon's children were elevated to demi-god status, and that they were considered Marika's step-children. Miriel says they're all direct descendants because that is easier than saying, "Oh they're all Marika's descendants except for Radagon's first children with Rennala. Those are her step-children, but they're ridiculously powerful anyway so there is fundamentally no difference between them anyway." Ranni was not picked because she was of blood relation to Marika. If that were the case then all of the children of the Golden Lineage would have been Empyreans, along with all of Radagon's other children. You have to believe that Ranni is actually the daughter of Radagon and Marika, yet never refers to Marika as such and considers Rennala her mother-to the point she tries to kill you if you mess with Rennala. Furthermore, Godfrey himself is counted amongst the demigods. Does that mean he is of blood relation to Marika? No. It's clear demigod is simply a term used to describe Marika's family, be they her descendents, her husband's descendants, her husband, etc. Finally, Marika is quoted in her own words telling Radagon that they are yet to be one, and that he is yet to become a God. She is clearly saying here they are two separate individuals. Also, you ponder as to why Godfrey is absent from all the lore about Carian/Golden Order war. The answer is that he was *already* exiled by this point. It's weird to me you have this assumption he was around during this time, when no evidence points to this, and the lore specifically states he was exiled fairly early into the Age of the Erdtree. So, who do I think Radagon is? He's obviously inspired by Thor-a half giant who hated that side of his lineage and went on to become a great warrior to prove himself a noble person. From what we actually know of Radagon, ignoring all speculation, that lines up pretty well. The Golden Order saw a use for him and elevated him as their symbol in a time of great need. Along with typical Japanese influence, Lovecraft, and alchemy, there is very clear inspiration of Norse Mythology at work here. Marika herself is analogous to Ymir or Odin, being a mix of the two as a character. Like Odin, Marika even fears the end of her reign (Ragnarok) and plans in vain to stop it. The Erdtree is very much akin in imagery to the World Tree. The God-devouring serpent... Do I need to go on? I feel like this is a part of Elden Ring's mythology that is really slept on by both the Eastern and Western community.

[@AeneasReborn]

Blud wrote a novel

[@one-eyed-dragon]

Great vid Smough, once again i have nothing to add... except that the arrival of the Numen may be a lot older than you think... perhaps they could have been the precursor humans similar to the dragonfolk? I need to look more into that. Anyway, cant wait for the next one! (and you know how much I mean that hahaha)

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh defo could accept that tbh - It was a difficult one to place tbh. Thanks as always for watching dude, means a lot!

[@rissanewcomb3661]

Oh hell yeah, I'm never this early - perfect day for another video

[@SmoughTown]

I hope you enjoy Rissa, thanks for the early enjoyment

[@Conzort_1]

AMAZING WORK!!!! If you collected your lore scripts into a book, I would buy 4 of them. 😍😍😍

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much Teylor! Super kind

[@spaceorochi]

Great video and congratulations for the 100k subscribers! Kudos to Tarnished Archaeologist and Lore Hunter too. This is going to be a cornerstone of lore speculation from here on out.

[@ickyvicky]

This makes me think now that Renna may have been the gloom-eyed queen who wanted to separate from the tree, failed & would pass on her knowledge to Ranni.

[@jolteontrainer]

YOOOOOOOO LETS GO MAN!!! I definitely want make lore or elden react videos and study them in real time. This game offers so much

[@SmoughTown]

LET'S GO!

[@kaewierdoni4640]

The only detail I think I'd change is that the Zamor knights came from the same land the Fire giants did and thus chased them to the mountain tops as the Zamor knights are the giants ancient enemy and the giants aren't explicitly from the lands between

[@iggyzeta9755]

I propose that the Zamor knights were servants or allies to the ice dragons and their rivalry with the fire giants is because the ice dragons were supplanted. They just kept fighting after their masters were fled.

[@GhostlyNomad130]

This videos quality is LEGENDARY! A testament to the care, attention and effort that went into this. 👏 Bravo!

[@JingliYuu]

Ah finally a true story of the Lands Between how a certain individual to change the very foundation of order. You're a true fellow indeed. Now am confident to pass down the title of the all-knowing to you. You deserve it...

[@SmoughTown]

Even Gideon making me cry today. Thank you Sir!

[@JingliYuu]

@@SmoughTown You're always welcome my fellow. You deserve every bit of it you're dedication into pursuit of knowledge is commendable indeed.

[@SmoughTown]

@@JingliYuu My man

[@zigzakz]

Good video man, congrats on 100k.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks Zak, been a ride!

[@smokingbobs1344]

Well that´s nice

[@desenhoerpg]

Just Finished. Amazing job. Congratulations.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks bud, really glad you enjoyed it

[@PureConsoleGamers]

After hearing your theory about Farum Azula originally being a part of the bay area, looked at the game map and noticed that the negative space in the center of Farum Azula almost matches up EXACTLY with the land mass the Bestial Sanctum rests upon, including the 2 bridges that extend from it! pretty damn cool.

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh agree!

[@sk8legendz]

an elden ring movie could probably do well tbh. such an aesthetic story and setting.

[@jacksonbenincosa3759]

I've pondered this as well, I feel as if it would do well as long running TV show, I've even thought about the idea of a voiceless protaganist in cinema, a voiceless main character going the trials and tribulations of the a soulsborne setting, approaching enigmatic and tragic characters, floatinng through a dreamy narrative, even dying a million times like in the games.

[@colt4505]

For that to be true they'd have to have a story that makes even a little bit of sense.

[@sk8legendz]

@@colt4505 plot wise we'd be left with questions for sure but aesthetically and thematically I think it'd be pretty damn cool

[@Ethan-ct7uk]

Kadokawa getting involved with from software so that's like a 90% chance of a future elden ring manga or anime

[@excaligaming2435]

dear god, no. there is not a single movie or series that accurately depicts and/or comes close to the quality of the original product.

[@Nathan_Coley]

Congrats on 100k!

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers Nathan!

[@peterf9006]

Been watching since the Blasphemous lore days. Great to see you succeed like this. Keep up the good work!

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers Peter, appreciate the long term support!

[@hassaan3861]

I know I'm late to the party but THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO MY REQUEST AND RAISING THE VOLUME A BIT TO CATER FOR MY HEARING DISABILITY. ❤️

[@SmoughTown]

Most welcome dude! Will continue to try and improve the audio! Enjoy!