Let's Play! Elden Ring -49- Fia's Questline

[@EredinLore]

27:15 - Dave, I have watched your content for nearly 10 years. As Alex mentioned, (thanks Alex) you and Marcus were the voice of Dark Souls for me. Your work on DS2 was my favourite during that time. Anyway, funnily enough our series has been running almost perfectly parallel to each other. Our Radahn fight was even the same episode, what are the chances? We’re both still blind and will probably be the last people to complete ER lol. I highly recommend you premier or even livestream (if possible) some future episodes. The engagement and interaction it adds between you and your community is excellent. If you’d be up for it, I’d totally love to collab on a lore video - seeing as we’re going at the same pace within our playthrough’s. Please check out my Castle Morne lore video if you’d like to get a sense of my presentation, narration style. Hearing you mentioned my name is insane, but I’m going to stop ‘fan girl-ing’ now to save myself from any further embarrassment. All the best, Eredin

[@DaveControlLive]

Hey dude! Sorry it took me so long to get back to you! Yeah - I’d be happy to do some sort of collab if we can figure something out. :)

[@alexthebasilisk]

@@DaveControlLive Woohoo :)

[@EredinLore]

@@DaveControlLive Apologies Dave, I left my Discord but the message has disappeared? I’ll message you on Twitter

[@jeremykscott]

I keep thinking about this old Game Theory video that supposed the reason all the characters from Star Fox had metal legs was to reduce the amount of blood needed to circulate in the body, and thus in theory could help the pilots perform high gravity maneuvers. The Albinauric's blood seems similar to Mercury, which is a heavier metal, and would have a very hard time circulating in a ventricle system. This could explain why the first generation of Albinaurics can't use their legs, and the second generation seems prone to blood corruption.

[@alexthebasilisk]

The Lake of Rot is a very interesting area from a lore perspective. The Blue Flowing Swordsman (Malenia’s master) basically soloed an Outer God and sealed it away. Malenia was likely afflicted by that same outer god after its physical form was sealed away. Likely also not a coincidence that The Swordsman became her master. The area also builds on a prevailing theme throughout the game contrasting flowing water (purification/progress) vs stagnation (corruption/stagnation)

[@jeremykscott]

With all the talk of political marriages, and in my opinion, one of the cooler lore stories in the whole game of the Blind Swordsman, the Rot is a totally anomaly. We have zero reason to think in essence that Malenia was not unlike the other Daughters of Rot, and was simply the Child found in the rot after the battle to seal the outer god. With all the talk of blossoms coming from death, and that rot is in itself the first stage of rebirth...I genuinely question if Malenia is an actual child of Radagon/Marika...and not just the most dangerous enemy kept closest.

[@alexthebasilisk]

@@jeremykscott Interesting idea, although Malenia’s red hair certainly has parallels to Radagon’s appearance. Then again the Scarlet Rot is red too 😂 she may have been “born of a single god” but not the one we think

[@jeremykscott]

@@alexthebasilisk see I can't shake that feeling!!! Like the Daughters of Rot are literal "Clone Blossoms" meant to do the same thing that Malenia is meant to: Bloom and Spread the Rot. And like I said...the Daughters of Rot themselves are totally born out of the actual Rot pools, and if that's too speculative...we know for fact the Pests come from Rot...so Rot definitely can breed life in this world!

[@jeremykscott]

@@alexthebasilisk plus think about this: How Radagon/Marika would it be to adopt this child for no other reason but to incentivise your super smart, manipulation is his super power son into not destroying or betraying the Order??

[@jeremykscott]

"Yeah kiddo this is your Twin Sister, she needs your help, you can't just leave."

[@tommyrobin82]

Hey Dave - I think you missed two small areas in Deeproot. First is a cave. In the valley area far to the west, there is a cave on the eastern wall. Second area you missed was up above - check the map and look for the the black hole at the top of the waterfall. You can get up there, I think from the tree roots...and that black hole is a cave you can drop down.

[@Pegas105]

The Silver tears (?) remind me of the Phalanx from Demon's Souls

[@alexthebasilisk]

Yup, I think it’s supposed to be a callback for sure

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

Noooo how dare you upload at 10:00 EST! No matter, I'll watch what I can and finish up tomorrow. I must say that I am fascinated by the cuckoo theory for Ranni, with her perhaps being born out of the amber egg. It's fitting in a way, especially how it seems that Ranni, in a sense, chose her mother Rennala and the path of the night sky.

[@jeremykscott]

Dave! I just realized! The Lords came from a Meteor crash. The Dragons floating great place was destroyed by a meteor crash. The Alabastor Lords are gilded in silver. The Onyx Lords...Gold. I genuinely think an assault from the stars is what predicated most humanoid life in the Lands Between, and landed Death down unto the Dragons. I just have to build a timeline in my head for my own understanding, and this just seems the most logical answer given the context we have from actual items.

[@jeremykscott]

With Iji telling us that Blaidd can't help himself, and he will essentially be commanded by the 2 Fingers to kill Ranni for her treachery, I think youre spot on that what we fight is a sort of forced invasion from Blaidd. The Baleful Shadow clearly has less control, as we have seen Blaidd fight competently and clear headed, and the Shadow seems feral. I feel like Blaidd is just compelled by the 2 Fingers against his will.

[@alexthebasilisk]

Manchurian Half-Wolf vibes for sure

[@alexthebasilisk]

I can’t recall, did you go back to Azur/Lusat to get their sets if you sided with Sellen? If not, definitely check those out and then check out Alberich’s modified headpiece as compared to Azur’s/Lusat’s.

[@alexthebasilisk]

Regarding the Marika/Radagon thing, there is one church where Melina says that Radagon has “yet to become her” but that meaning is pretty ambiguous For Ranni doing the “you betrayed me” stuff, I think that she is trying to push those close to her away since she is convinced that her journey will need to be alone from this point on. The Dark Moon ring was locked in the chest since she was convinced that she would need to be alone. On why Godfrey was the Elden Lord instead of Marika, I do have some thoughts as to why Godfrey was the Elden Lord and not her but it’s definitely a bit of a spoiler best saved for end of game. :) Godwin’s corpse looking kinda scaly may be because Fortissax’s corpse may also be “hewn into the Erdtree” in that spot and maybe they kinda fused together as the deathroot spread. Based on the “sax/seax” names, I think it’s likely that Gransax, Lansseax, Fortissax, and Mr. Secret Boss are all part of the same lineage of dragons On premieres, there is from my understanding a setting to allow live chat replays that you would be able to enable on your end. Anyone watching the video would be able to see the chat as it was during the premiere under the setting.

[@jeremykscott]

I was thinking about this!!

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

Oh maybe she said "you betrayed her" because you refused to part ways with her. Ranni commanded you to leave and yet you followed her.

[@jeremykscott]

Or maybe she has a little bit of her manipulative mother's tendency to guilt the right person into the right job at the right time???

[@RIDDLE0MASTER]

42:42, regarding "inseparable twins" - doesn't one of the D brother have a conjoined twin as part of himself? I always thought that is the reason of the two headed armor.

[@jeremykscott]

Never thought about how strange it is that the Silver Tears explode into lightning. I wonder if this implies that a silver tear was somehow infused with the remains of a dragon to create the DragonKin Soldiers?

[@alexthebasilisk]

But the real question is why is it real Lightning if the Dragonkin only knew the cold lightning? 🤔

[@jeremykscott]

@@alexthebasilisk the description of the frost lightning seems to imply it was a spell learned by them...so maybe it was something they had, but bc they didn't actually know what a dragon was supposed to be, and were locked underground, the Nox just did their best??

[@alexthebasilisk]

@@jeremykscott Yeah I’m not completely sure. I just remember running into the Lightning blobs and being like “wait a second!”

[@ApenBaard]

Wow i didnt notice the sky being so crazy when fighting fortisaxx myself, it almost looks like the inside of a brain of something. Also, poor D's twin, he killed himself thinking hed fullfilled his purpose but he was already too late.

[@jeremykscott]

The realm of Godwyn's dream has me asking some questions for sure! And I agree, D's story, given the context we have is mysterious and tragic. I think there could be a lot more to it in an update or DLC, but as it stands I think it's very odd that we find his brother in Nokron, implying that was their original route into DeepRoot, which is interesting in that it explains a lot as to why he and Rogier fell out. They were friends fighting the same fight until D withheld Rogier from viewing the half of the Hollow Brand that he and his brother had found. I mean all around, a really tragic story, as is Rogier's. The idea of being 2 people with only 1 soul seems like a nightmare honestly, I hope we eventually get more insight into this concept.

[@jeremykscott]

Dave! I would love if we all could chat in real time together, but I am on the east coast, and you on the west, as well as everyone on here, who I genuinely want to thank for all of your comments bc they have made these playthroughs that much more special to tune into, are kind of spread out. I would be down for a Premiere Stream, but we should try and make sure it's a time where all of us can be there for as much of it as possible! (Even though we all know you would upload the stream for comments after you did it!)

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

I think how people have seen that I comment a LOOOOT, I like the idea of a KZbin premier a bit. However I cannot say I'm fond of it occurring at 10:00pm EST. I have no idea if you are able to suss out what is the ideal time zone to include the most people. Maybe it could be a hoot for the Finale or the penultimate episode.

[@alexthebasilisk]

I am also rather verbose haha. I make my comment, think of something else based on what Dave says and then go back and edit it lol

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

So I watched a bit of SmoughTown's video on the Primeval current and that is informing my thoughts here. The Alabaster Lords were created by a meteor strike, yes? Sellen and primeval sorcerers believe that glinstones are a sort of amber, preserving the "vitality" of the stars. Ergo, A meteoric glintstone could strike alabaster depositing life into it. Hence an affiliation with Carla and the Academy

[@jeremykscott]

I totally did not think of the idea of the stars giving life themselves. In theory, if glintstone is an element of the Lands Between truly infused in a sort of...birth, from the Meteor strike that could actually explain some things! What a great thought! Imma sleep on this one!

[@vitodeturo5620]

There is a mushroom armor that can help with the rot

[@ridzuanonestyle6231]

Just giving my 2 cent, maybe godwyn have those scale because of fortisaxx entered his body and they kinda fused

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

What a brainwave, i like that theory!

[@alexthebasilisk]

Yup I agree. See above. :)

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

Another thought, you know how you wondered who was running Leynndell while Merika was Radagon? Why not Godwyn with assistance from Morgott. I also really like theory that Godwyn's body is contorting in death, perhaps interacting with the crucible.

[@alexthebasilisk]

With the mistreatment of the Omen by the Golden order and with Godwyn such an integral part of the Golden Lineage, I'm not sure that I can see Godwyn letting Morgott out of the Shunning Grounds. I think Morgott emerged after Godwyn died and Marika disappeared since he was basically the last one left and there was no one to keep him imprisoned.

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

I only now realize why Fia comments on our warmth. God, was she forced to become a necrophiliac?

[@alexthebasilisk]

I believe she said her duty was an honor in her culture, so unless she is misleading the player (very possible) it seems she does this of her own free will. What is interesting is that we find Lionel’s set near a bed in Leyndell. Likely that she laid with him as well

[@jeremykscott]

Excuse you: Necro-Fia-ac

[@jeremykscott]

In non-dad joke though, it does seem like that is exactly what the DeathBed companions are...or rather, more creepily, somewhere in between that and a vampire, bc they steal the essence of great warriors in order to give it to the people they sleep with.

[@roshar5366]

I got the impression that a demigod could become an empyrean by being sponsored by a god. Ranni is the chosen of Rennala's god, the moon. I kind of thought Fortissax might be the one who killed Ranni due to the condition of her body. But nothing I read backs that up. Just seems more epic than her just killing herself and somehow knowing how everything would turn out.

[@jeremykscott]

I reach for reasoning as well, Nick! What I do agree with you on, is the suspicious nature of Ranni "destroying herself". As I have said before, I don't buy the logic behind her assertions of doing that deed in sole order of being free of the Greater Will and 2 Fingers because she, as of this playthrough clearly!, is not free...so either the procedure went wrong, or we are all missing something!

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

While I don't think you're wrong, the fury Ranni has towards the 2 fingers and being an Empyrean strongly implies that her original "sponsor" was the Greater Will. Perhaps after her death she made contact with the moon

[@jeremykscott]

@@elizabethcassidy8082 I feel like we get enough to suggest that Ranni was intimate with the moon as a child although I don't think it's ever directly stated. It may just be my impression. I definitely am in agreement that her original "sponsor" (love that) was the 2 Fingers. They were definitely the ones who were attacking her free will.

[@alexthebasilisk]

@@jeremykscott Aren't Empyreans explicitly stated to have been selected by the Two Fingers somewhere? I vaguely remember reading that. Basically they are all competing to be deemed the next emissaries of the Greater Will, so it seems odd to me that the Greater Will would allow its next emissary to be nominated by another Outer God. As for Ranni, I think it's interesting that she never references or displays any affection towards Radagon at all, despite her corpse appearing to bear his trademark red hair. I would imagine this is due to him being instrinsically linked with the Golden Order, which she wants to rebel against.

[@ApenBaard]

Lol radagon left for sigarettes and never came back, leaving rannis mom devastated and alone with ranni. Yeah, really odd of ranni to not have affection for radagon :'p Unless....wait....do we actually know if radagon left renalla before or after godwyn got killed?

[@nonimport-ante]

if merika was an obedant pawn why did the greater will want to replace her

[@jeremykscott]

Has anyone given thought to the idea of the BloodHound Knights being actual Beast Men? Their armor, and their loyal dog like nature sure fits the bill. If they were...it would make sense too. A sect of beast men selected by the 2 Fingers that only the best of which (or possibly hybrids like Blaidd) got elevated to the level of protecting an Empyrion as their Shadow? That being said...why doesn't there seem to be a shadow for the other 2 Emoyrions???

[@alexthebasilisk]

To me, they are each other’s Shadows perhaps. There definitely seems to be a connection between the beast men and their use as Shadows given the other Shadow we encounter in the game (more on that later). It is said the Bloodhound Knights choose their own masters on their weapon iirc. I wonder what Darriwil did to be branded a traitor

[@jeremykscott]

@@alexthebasilisk In the seeming creed of their knighthood I would say, betray his masters, however...to get Blaidd specifically and purposefully wronged? Dude...I dunno...I would say maybe take a master that may have wanted Ranni dead? Although there is this to consider Evergaols: the only other place we see the color purple is in the waters beneath Godwyn...and the Eternal Cities. I have a feeling like Evergaols are something that could be tied to Ranni and Rykard, considering everyone we have encountered in them is a species or creature that existed when they did.

[@alexthebasilisk]

@@jeremykscott hmmm maybe just a widely applied but infrequently used way to imprison severe criminals in the Lands Between? Since they are in Limgrave and Weeping Peninsula as well.

[@jeremykscott]

@@alexthebasilisk that's what I'm thinking is their purpose! Yes. But I also think that they might be tied into the realm in which we encounter Fortisaxx (sp. Sorry 😆).

[@alexthebasilisk]

@@jeremykscott Well to avoid spoilers, we know based on a certain Lord Contender that the Evergaols exist out of time (i.e. the version of him in the Evergaol is the version prior to the version that invades us). With that said, the interaction to enter the Fortissax area is described via the interact button as being a dream/nightmare. Perhaps the Evergaols are an isolated patch of Void in a pocket/parallel dimension? Would explain the gravity worms that are always around.

[@nonimport-ante]

as for ranni's teacher being her sister she's call a crone. Rennala is not immortal so how could her child be older than her?

[@nonimport-ante]

i think radagan married rennala because merika somehow expelled/separated from him, hooked up with some barbarian, and sent him off to deal with the mages while Godfred took on the really dangerous enemies including the giant that rad had already failed to beat. like "i don't need her i'm gonna bang a hot queen And bring them into the fold"

[@jeremykscott]

Dave, would you consider doing an "annual" (weekly, monthly, whatever works best inside of your super busy schedule) address the comments sort of episode? Would that alleviate the relentless nonsense of organizing across time zones doing a live episode, and give you more space to do what we as fans have all come to know as the best playthroughs in the Souls series? I mean, c'mon...like more than half of us including me have told you we either thought you came before, made better content, or at least compared you to ENB...your content is epic, and none of us want your boss sauce content being beleaguered by having to keep running back to us. We know you see us. We love your community, and as far as most of us are concerned, my guy, you are the community we want to communicate with. I would rather ask the community and you as a creator, of you all would like to do more of like...a monthly meet up (not that by any means we should stop our absolutely amazing comments section *welcome Nick!*) just to suss out our little stuff. Man I know Elizabeth, Alex, and I just jump on these episodes like the fresh episode of the Office 😆 and all of us need to have a good time to equalize our ideas! I've said too many times, there are some really terrific thinkers on here, and Even if I haven't said a name I love all you guys, all of you put a lot of thought and care into how you're contributing to a really great creator's thoughts! I would just love for all of us to have, yknow, more of a place to go, so maybe Dave can spread his time more evenly, and all of us can be heard!

[@alexthebasilisk]

Aww thanks Jeremy. Definitely it's all about what Dave wants and feels comfortable doing. :)

[@HaitaniMasayuki]

About the Baleful Shadow... I saw several theories about that guy so far. At first I thought I got invaded by Blaidd, but maybe that's just somebody disguising as him? Another assassins of the Greater Will? On the walls of Seluvis' Tower there also lies a wolf mask that looks almost like Blaidd's head. Maybe there are assassins creeping around that try to deceive Ranni and her gang with those disguises. .... also is it just me or does it sound like "Blaidd" is often pronounced as "Blaivv"? It sometimes sounds like a V-sound :D

[@ApenBaard]

Its welsh. In welsh a double d at the end of a word gets pronounced as a "th"-sound.