Let's Play! Elden Ring -52- Castle Sol

[@jeremykscott]

Dave, have you noticed that we actually do run into many members of the Original Roundtable Hold including Istvan, Vargram, Wilhelm, Lionel, and Alderich, BUT have you noticed the members that we only find the bodies of (Lionel/Lyndel, Wilhelm/Hermits Villaige, Alderich/Leyndel) their bodies are emolated, still crackling with fire...JUST like the body you found the Eclipse Shotel upon...I truly wonder who that was, and if they were 1 of the champions we fought in the Fia 3 on 1.

[@alexthebasilisk]

Niall will actually despawn his adds when you get him into phase 2. I usually just try to blitz him down to half health as quickly as possible.

[@jeremykscott]

Glad you said this! My play style is twin flails and up close aggression is key to not dying fast!

[@MadDannyWest]

Niall offered his blade pegleg to malenia and she was like "Uh... no thanks, im good, just watch this medallion piece for me." lmao

[@yingtao6927]

Isn't the eclipse related with the mausoleum knights? I remember the mausoleum knight in front of the black knife catacombs dropping a shield saying something about the eclipse being their crest or something.

[@jeremykscott]

I kind of remember the eclipse symbol on their capes too. Think you might be on to something if we are both correct in our remembering.

[@yingtao6927]

@@jeremykscott I looked the item descriptions up. The eclipse crest heater shield that can be found in the weeping peninsula says "The sun in eclipse is said to be the symbol of the Wandering Mausoleum where the soulless demigods slumber." and the knight in front of the black knife catacombs can drop the eclipse crest greatshield says "The eclipsed sun, drained of color, is the protective star of soulless demigods. It aids the mausoleum knights by keeping Destined Death at bay." So clearly connected to the mausoleum knights and they're also connected to the death birds because their armor says "The wing-shaped ornaments on its back evoke the Deathbird." So Miquella's comrades the ghost talks about are the soulless demigods slumbering in the walking mausoleums. The eclipse being their protective star sounds like another outer god.

[@jeremykscott]

@@yingtao6927 dude...this really leads me to think that Castle Sol may have been the home base for the Mausoleum Knights where they performed the beheading ritual. Not only are your item descriptions leading me there, but also the fact that the Mausoleum Knights also use a spear i fused with death that has the same black and gold flame as the shotel. This could be why the mausoleums in the snow field don't really need protection in the same ways the ones in lower parts of the world do.

[@jeremykscott]

@@yingtao6927 homie the full hour and a half I got to play today I farmed that gear! I love this idea, and I'm so happy you found that stuff to post the descriptions!

[@michaelthomasshields]

The lands between are the world painted by the little girl from the DS3 DLC - Change my mind.

[@jeremykscott]

Not going to lie, there was a little happy child in me that walked off the field when the painting didn't take me somewhere....

[@jeremykscott]

The Gloam Queen being Empyrean and chosen by the Fingers...Marika, and every single image of her is imprisoned on her own symbol which is the shape of the Rune of Death (which is also on the back of the chairs the Ferrymen sit on in their boats), and Her Shadow (appointed by the 2 Fingers) is the only person known to, other than the Gloam Queen have any possession of the Rune of Death....seriously, Marika Is The Gloam Queen. I promise you. This is also why Melina is what she is as her daughter. When you start thinking that everything Marika did was to destroy the Greater Will's hold over the world and free herself by any means necessary a lot of things begin to make sense. Namely that this would be a good argument for Godwyn being set up...The 1st King of Death, buried in the roots of the Erdtree, and infecting the world with DeathRoot sure sounds more like a plan to bring Death back to the world than it does to set Ranni up as an heir, and I hardly think she would have left her body for low stakes.

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

I like this observation of the Tibia ferryman and the rune of death, I haven't caught that!

[@jeremykscott]

@@elizabethcassidy8082 after Dave got us looking out for Crucibles I realized a couple things which is actually what really sank me into this theory of Marika/Gloam Queen. 1: Is Marika's symbol being the same as the Rune of Death, and how often that symbol shows up around Death related characters, but not necessarily Those that Live in Death. And 2: There has been only 1 true Crucible in the whole game so far, and that's the home of the Flame of Ruin. All the others are Half Crucibles, which makes an Arc yes, but more importantly, there is a major important Half Crucible in Marika's Bedroom, and another of equal size in the Carian Manor. Jist more of that 2 parts/Sun-Moon/Bluesilver-Gold Symbolism to think about 😆 🤣 😂

[@jeremykscott]

@@elizabethcassidy8082 the other thought that I have on the Marika issue you may have less trouble getting into is that I have also been thinking a lot of the possibility that Marika actually was who everyone thinks she was, she actually took part in the war against the Giants (or at least came in when it was over) and literally consumed the majority of power from the Flame of Ruin, leaving it only embers which she locked the power inside of the last Giant...and thats how Radagon was born. Whatever she consumed, like...the war is done, Godfrey loses his Grace and she sends him and the Tarnished away, and what she ate becomes Radagon, and being male develops an obsession for stealing the secrets of the Moon too, and attacks Liurnia, coming down from the mountains with a golden host that may well have been what was left of the crazy warriors up there...including Numen? maybe.

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

@@jeremykscott So consuming the Flame of Ruin making Radagon, I really like that theory! I'm currently listening to Dave's Radahn lore, and it really explains Radagan's red hair and Radahn's Massive size! You are right, it is a very digestible theory for me, even in my mushy brain state. 10/10 work!

[@jeremykscott]

@@elizabethcassidy8082 realistically inside of what the majority considers mostly solid, there still doesn't seem to be a reason Radagon just sort of...pops up. I have some other ideas I'll post when Dave gets to Farum Azul, but let's just say...I have been thinking a great deal about our talk of the different races in the character creation...and how they might relate to the idea of Dragons taking human form!!! 😀

[@skookathing]

you getting the altered banished knight armor on your first try makes me so mad, it took me 3 hours with 259 discovery to get one

[@ApenBaard]

I got one from the first one I fought in stormveil xD Im just past this whole area and at the haligtree right now and have 3 of em already xD pretty sure my item discovery is like 100 :p you had some bad luck!

[@jeremykscott]

I still haven't gotten 1 and I farmed them up to the Captial. Well. "Farmed". Skooka is dedicated af...I call it after 40 minutes or a level.

[@jeremykscott]

@@ApenBaard just out of curiosity do you have a very high Arcane? Or you got them good good farm buffs?

[@ApenBaard]

@@jeremykscott That increases discovery too. So no, like I said, my discovery has been around 100 for most of the game. I did respec my arcane up to 20 recently but most of the game it was just the starting stat. Never remember to use buffs either. I did remember to use the item chicken maybe twice in 150 hours and both times I got exactly 0 interesting drops haha xD Edit: to be more precise after having checked, my discovery has been 112 most game and now its 120.

[@jeremykscott]

@@ApenBaard that's why I ask ya lucky bastard. I'm wearing the Mimic Helm and I only use O Flame, and Beast Vitality for buffs when stuff starts getting at me! You got some good pulls! I'm jealous over here!

[@jeremykscott]

It seems like the prisoners we find in Castle Sol, whether commoner, or Albinauric, are of similar pilgrimage to the Haligtree, but it would seem like Castle Sol is intended to be the last stop for anyone uninvited after the secret passage to the tree was cut off. Still, very strange that there are many followers of Radahn here, and I wonder if this was always the original purpose of this castle, as part of me thinks we have good evidence Radahn's deal is sealing off the fate of others, maybe this was his way of making sure Malenia and Miquella stayed out of sight and mind.

[@pkunkle2550]

Re: 36:30, "the sun has not been swallowed". I wasn't able to find a citation for this, but in Eastern traditions, solar eclipses were believed to be caused by a dragon attempting to devour the sun, which people would pray to avert. The ghosts seem to be referring to an inversion of this: they are praying for the dragon to be successful, and that the sun stays gone. They seem to believe that such an event would resurrect Godwyn, (almost certainly who is meant by Miquella's "comrade"). The theme of eclipses is also likely another one of the many inspirations taken from the manga Berserk.

[@HaitaniMasayuki]

"The sun has not been swallowed" ...? Is there even a sun at the sky? It seems like the primary light source is the Erdtree. Strange world with two moons, but no sun. Or is it maybe always too cloudy?

[@ApenBaard]

Thats why it seems to me that one of those moons isnt actualy a moon but the extinguished sun or something like that.

[@skookathing]

marika wants people to go to the erdtree when they "die," and godwyn directly conflicts with what she wants. so it makes sense that she was the one that plotted out his death with the black knives.

[@jeremykscott]

Do you think this is any foundation to question the motivations of Marika as supportive of the Golden Order created by Radagon, Senator? How about the idea that Marika was this Gloam Queen character? Any comments as to Her actual age, sir? Sir?! SIR?!?!?!

[@ApenBaard]

If the veteran prostheses description isnt missing the word "was" before "offered" it implies nial tried to trade his own prostheses for the lives of someone elses imprisoned knights to lead as his own. But seeing as he still has it that means the offer was rejected ....so did he exchange something else? He clearly seems to lead spirits of dead knights.... Almost seems more likely to me HE was offered the prostheses for taking the lives of imprisoned knights, simultaneously clearing out the prison cells and maybe creating soldiers to protect the mausoleums as some other people here have mentioned seems to be implied (but then it kinda feels like nial should be summoning those undead mausoleum knights instead of banished knights. )

[@jeremykscott]

Wow this has me really thinking about not only the dragon that Dave noted on the Banished Knight Helm, but also their relation generationally maybe?? to the Exhile Knights? It's really strange we see them around so many "exiled" or "dedicated to ruin" commanders of great respect through the generations. I'm going to mull on your comment this is a really great observation. I gotta think 😆! This is a cool idea!!

[@jeremykscott]

Oh yeah, sorry I missed that bit about poison and Rot. Still...even then it begs the question, chicken or egg...Malenia birthed the God of Rot...or Marika has a really messed up mailman??? Whatcha think 🤔

[@jeremykscott]

Ya'll Friday nights are so on fire for the best Comments of the week! Everyone lights it up with some good ideas on Friday! Have an awesome weekend everyone!!!

[@elizabethcassidy8082]

You are correct, Sol = Sun in Latin. There's a lot of irl lore that deals with the combination of the sun and the moon. But for Elden Ring Yingtao has already outlined the in-game lore. I'm not against thinking of the eclipse as a crucible, for what is it but the mixing of opposites. Intriguingly, an Eclipse could also be a dark moon. However many turn the moon a nice... bloody... red. Eclipses are said to be the sun being swallowed, and combined with the idea of the eclipse staying the hand of death, the idea of the eclipse resurrecting things makes sense. As to why Miquella... I do not know yet

[@jeremykscott]

I'm wondering if the eclipse as the dark moon had anything to do with the strong implications the Mausoleum Knights have to DeathBirds, which also to me implies they were part of the same religion in which priests would sacrifice themselves to live in death within the Wings of the Death Rite Birds...both have a strong synchronicity in religious right, and symbolism. Ghost flame and the Deathbirds seem to be a Rite of Purity, culling the weak and old, while the Knights seem to be a similar Rite, but to protect the most godly of death rites (intriguingly enough all mausoleums are close to where we encounter a Deathbird *the 2 without bells in Liurnia not withstanding*)

[@jeremykscott]

Has anyone thought about the Gold and Black Flame of Death that seems to stem from Godwyn as the Prince of Death? Odd that it shows up with the Mausoleum Knights...and I'm starting to think they may not be as old as they appear. I'm playing with the idea that the headless Demigods in the Walking Mausoleums are all those who died during the Shattering. Perhaps only after things had devolved into so many failed directions did the Greater Will lose its faith in the Demigods? Hmmmm.

[@nonimport-ante]

i think godwyn has been dead for at least a human lifetime(probably several) just because how wrecked everything is

[@jeremykscott]

@@nonimport-ante I agree! I think it's probably ok for us to assume that 1 or even multiple centuries passed from his death from when we enter the game!

[@jeremykscott]

Fun fact: Boreas is the name of the Greek God of Wind, and Borealis is Latin for Northern!