Elden Ring Lore - The Fate of the Finger Readers

What are the Finger Readers? Why are so many of them strewn across the Lands Between? and why does Enia help us burn the Erdtree... Let's explore these malnourished women together.
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[@OG_McLovin]

People in my city must think I'm a finger reader because I always get shown lots of fingers when I'm driving.

[@ltrain420000]

Ha!

[@nothisispatrick6528]

Since we don’t have any real finger readers we will sadly never know what those fingers actually mean

[@spookieboogi6161]

Hahahahah

[@BetarayBillLover]

This is top 10 comments I’ve come across on youtube

[@heatrayzvideo3007]

😂😂😂😂 Good joke, I needed that after a tough day at work 😅

[@redheadsilver8041]

My interpretation: Enia is secretly working for Marika. At Marika's request she "nudges" us, through suggestion, into what we have to do to end the Golden Order, including burning the Erdtree, conveniently while the 2 fingers(Marika's 2 fingers) is focused on trying to contact the greater will.

[@brnecessities3335]

I like that suggestion that the Roundtable two fingers belong to Marika. I can’t really think of any other solid candidate for them.

[@redheadsilver8041]

@@brnecessities3335 It's my long standing theory that Marika wants to help us because we are stuck in a paradox. We help Marika in the past by helping her rise to godhood, in a time travel DLC. Marika in turn gives us all the tools needed for us to become elden lord in the present, infinite guaranteed revivals, torrent "sniffs" (identifies) us, the flasks, the spirit bell for the spirit ashes, the 3 wolves (they are important, something happened in the past between us, Marika and the wolves, they hold sentimental value). This is all one big conspiracy from Marika and those helping her, such as Enia, Hewg and maybe others, to free the LB, even at the cost of her life if necessary. I think she regrets everything and knows she failed. Hence, she is giving us everything and trusting our decision to choose the best path for the future of the LB.

[@NeoConker626]

This also works with Hewg tasked by Marika to forge us a weapon capable of slaying the Elden Beast.

[@BlueberryBatter]

I also think that Enia was/is Marika’s finger reader. If not hers, then, Melina’s. Though, I think that Melina is also Marika, the same way that Radigan is (a seperate, yet same, kind of deal, as a last chance effort to right what she realized she screwed up). Anyway, both Marika AND the Greater Will want for the Erdtree to burn, a wiping of the slate. Remove the symbol of The Golden Order, bring back death and the natural order of life, so to speak.

[@jonathanward1992]

Honestly Enia is my Tarnished’s grandma. The way she talks after the Two Fingers fucked off to talk to the Greater Will? Yes Ma’am, it will be done

[@British_Rogue]

We blindly trust Enia to be telling the truth. She could claim the Two Fingers are "saying" absolutely anything, and we'd have no way of knowing. The fingers could just be a complex fungus. Enia could be making everything up with no-one wise enough to correct her.

[@British_Rogue]

She doesn't even have eyeballs with which to observe the movements of the Two Fingers.

[@square-table-gaming]

Goldmask would know, wish he was more talkative

[@NickCombs]

Goldmask knows of their fickleness

[@podeshahejalol]

idk... sir gideon ofnir is there and I doubt she could easily trick him

[@jamesnorman9160]

I can't help but feel sorry for these ladies. Their entire purpose for existing has been taken away, so they're stuck reading the fingers of whatever Tarnished crosses their path, just so they can feel like they're fulfilling some sort of purpose. But while most of them are vaguely helpful, I like that one just before the elevator up to the Mountains freaks out when she realises what we're intending to do and warns us to stay away, because that is a huge sin against the Greater Will. I think that maybe the demigods killed their own Two Fingers, because it was probably the most direct rebellion they could do against the Greater Will while they fought to serve their own needs and desires. Or they were just abandoned in the wake of the Shattering, and they faded away after so long without being consulted.

[@darkflip]

The finger readers enjoy reading fingers like boob inspectors like inspecting boobs why feel bad for them?

[@fib900]

I think the finger readers outside of the Queen’s Bedchamber might have been like Enia: gain the Elden Ring by any means; however, Morgott is loyal to the Erdtree and Erdtree first. Morgott killed them because they suggested burning the thorns along with the tree.

[@KurwaRomek]

I always assumed it was the work of the Black Knife Assassin who's just chilling outside of Marika's bedchamber

[@ghosttimm420]

Great video! One of the main questions I've had since the games release was about all of the dead finger readers near the Queen's bedchamber, leading to the throne. I think your theory hits the nail on the head but, we'll never truly know for sure. Thankyou STG for your amazing lore dives!

[@AegisKHAOS]

Was definitely curious about what theories people come up with regarding those dead crones on the path to Marika's bed chamber. While I can see the black knife assassin we encounter being responsible, admittedly I have issues with the theory that Marika and Ranni colluded together given it comes off particularly messy without important details to fill in the blanks. Also, the fact Enia was the most lucid reader with the most free thinking of them all made me see her as a granny to the tarnished. Why she was dead when we burn the Erdtree while the rest of the readers remained alive, who knows. Probably has to do with helping us and succeeding in committing that 'cardinal sin'.

[@alexmorgan3525]

Who can say where the road goes? Where the day flows? Only time And who can say if your love grows As your heart chose? Only time

[@Dustywhoads]

"the demigods are each and all the direct offspring of Queen Marika" a crazy hint at the start of the game

[@MinimusMaximus]

Ayt, so the two fingers discovered Rani's plan, informed as many maidens as possible, to tell Marika of the plot, but knowing the two fingers very well, Rani ordered a black knight assassin to catch and kill them all.

[@adamblue2980]

I love the Finger Readers as characters. What do you think the implications are behind the design differences between Enia and the "roaming readers"? The readers we find out in the Lands Between have heavy rectangular charms hanging from their neck piece, which to me implies the burden of faith, similar to Corhyn and the monks of the Golden Order. Enia's neck piece is much more root like, and to me feels older and more esoteric.

[@raidynkokalis2735]

Man these videos single handedly saving my sleep schedule you and smoughtowns compilations are angelic!

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you!

[@daniell1483]

I don't believe Marika had anything to do with the Night of the Black Knives (she is said to have tried to protect the assassination targets, after all, and the loss of Godwyn seems to have been the straw that broke her faith in the Greater Will, thus leading to the Shattering), but we know Ranni used the assassins and was involved in the dark plot. Afterward, Ranni seems to have betrayed the Black Knife Assassins, which is why they hunt down Ranni's companions. So my guess is that the BKA who killed the Finger Readers did so as another way to try and strike at Ranni. While Ranni may not care about their deaths, it is unlikely that the BKAs know or care, as it seems they are striking any target they think may be connected to Ranni.

[@somnaire3418]

If you were to wait for even about 10000 moons to pass, that is 30~ years. Not a FUN wait but not entirely impossible for the undying Tarnished.

[@kyle857]

A moon is a lunar month. So 833 years or so.

[@joshuawilson9005]

I always wondered y they took out the ability to touch the two fingers when I first got elden ring u could touch the 2 fingers in the round table hold and get a small buff

[@ilejovcevski79]

A subsequent puzzle: If my memory serves me right, the other Readers don't fall dormant after the burning ,right? Only Enia does? What does this mean for the conspiracy then? Have the others lost their connection with the Tree all together then? So it doesn't affect them at all? Even after it's burning? The plot thickens!

[@Scadu_Orhyn]

I mainly took it as Enia being bound to the Roundtable, just as Hewg is. So when the Erdtree burns, so does Hewg and Enia

[@ilejovcevski79]

@@Scadu_Orhyn it could be. The roundtable that we operate from was bound to the Tree after all

[@travisf2240]

If you kill a finger reader you don’t need absolution

[@karmaotsutsuki771]

Something I dont understand is what the Elden Ring actually is. My theory is that its the building blocks on which reality of the lands between is built upon. But how come you need only 2 to rebuild it, and even when you go through the trouble of collecting them all from shardbearers, you still dont have ALL of them. (Rune of death, rune of the unborn and the rune that ranni apparently cast aside) Also I dont understand how marika destroyed it in the first place or why if before hand the components of the elden ring were spread around anyway. My theory is that either A. After marika shattered the ring, all of the childrens 2 fingers bestowed the runes onto them which led to the shattering war (I stand by this one because to activate the runes you have to find the 2 fingers) B. The Elden ring is able to exist and the runes are seperate entities that are inside of it. Marika spread the runes which got the elden ring to a point to where she could destroy it, which by exstension damaged the greater will, which is why she wasnt punished for spreading runes around. So to instead of reparing it, RECREATE, the elden ring you needed the runes. However it still makes me wonder if thats the case, is it that the GW would just take whatever they could, and deal with the rest later or is it a plot hole. But if B is right that would mean that its like a ring with a bunch of diamonds in it, each diamond a rune, even though the ring is missing diamonds, it could still be considered valuable just less so. If youve read this far give me a like and please share what you think. I love discussing theories 😊

[@square-table-gaming]

You should hit up the discord with this comment!

[@adamblue2980]

Something to consider as well is that each iteration of the Elden Ring we see ingame is less complex than the previous. Like a pruning or trimming of "excess" components as evolution marches on. Brings to mind the principles of regression and causality.

[@karmaotsutsuki771]

@@adamblue2980 i didnt think of that

[@bobbywalker2980]

They look like the guy with free levels in ds3.

[@tvbme438]

Enia is just mad she got fired without notice and has chosen violence

[@NeoConker626]

I dont think Marika ordered the slaying of the Finger Readers. Or if she did, she got that command out during her imprisonment. The bodies look fairly fresh. The Night of Black Knives was a VERY long time ago, for them to be laying there and not decomposed or reduced to runes. I dont have a concrete theory, but my general feeling was that they had gathered recently. Perhaps called by Morgott. The assassin had likely finished her work shortly before our arrival - i just dont know if that would be on Morgott's orders or if the assassin herself was perhaps gunning for Morgott, laying in ambush for us when we come traipsing around the corner after banishing Godfrey's shade. Edit: adding to that thought - I know Marika being in part behind the Night of Black Knives is a theory growing in popularity. But for the sake of argument, set it aside for a moment. What else do we know? Ranni was the primary architect, giving the assassins their daggers and coordinating the assassination so she could slay her own body at the right moment and free her soul from the grip of the Greater Will. She also murders her own Two Fingers in game. So I would suggest that Morgott had, with our Tarnished successfully gathering Great Runes and breaching the Royal city, recalled the crones to the Erd Tree. Either for protection or just to consolidate resources. And Ranni used the opportunity to set a Black Knife Assassin on the lot of them, as a blow to the Greater Will. And that assassin either was next going to take a pass at Morgott or was laying in wait for the Tarnished on their way to attempt to repair the Elden Ring - something Ranni wouldn't want. It's not until the end of her quest line that she can accept the Tarnished as her consort, and I think only after that would she trust the Tarnished to enter the Erd Tree and summon her to replace Marika and the Golden Order. Prior to that, Marika is COMPETITION. Again, I can't say there's no merit to the theories around Marika. But let us not forget that the majority of endings (outside of Rannis and the FF) involve us mending the Elden Ring, seemingly restoring Marika, becoming Elden Lord, and ruling over a new age. Slaying the Elden Beast and Radagon seems to have been enough to satisfy her - she sought to slip her leash, not flip the whole table like Ranni.

[@malbhet]

I bet Shadows of the Erdtree will be exactly what the name implies. Since the root of the Erdtree covers the entire map, both above and below, I'm betting the dlc will be the entire map but in a shadow world, each area will probably have different enemies and the boss areas will have new or altered bosses, like Malenia, Rykard ect.

[@sk8legendz]

Swear to God if there's a 3 phase shadow malenia I'll probably feed myself to a giant volcano serpent too.

[@brnecessities3335]

Join the shadow serpent king as famileeeee!

[@zerefdragneel5194]

Malenia phase 3,ok👍💀

[@darkflip]

Its supposed to be far in the past maybe we will get to see gransax

[@sugomaamogus1662]

There is no erdtree roots in land of miquella no catacombs no minor erdtree no TWLID so quit yapping there is nothing like this possibly happening

[@Game_Daily18]

Another banging watch 😊

[@sugomaamogus1662]

Not all finger reader are finger readers actually.....the one we find in deeproot depths is wet nurse of godwyn in his childhood.....that would explain the twin husk maidens too

[@jaysondowney7403]

Question do you think that since ranni orchestrated the night of black knives and that in leyendell we see many dead finger readers and that there’s a living black knife before morgott do you think ranni told them to kill the finger readers as well to possibly cripple the order even more

[@square-table-gaming]

I don't think that was done at the behest of Ranni. The assassins hold no loyalty to her after their leader was captured and her daughter turned to spirit ash. I doubt an assassin would continue to follow her commands and stay beside the bed chamber.

[@grossartus]

I was thinking about this while watching the video and im now at the part where it is explained 😂😂😂

[@grossartus]

I would like to know what happened to all those finger reader crones dead in the way to fight Morgott, why were they there? And why was a black knife assassin there?

[@square-table-gaming]

We talk about that in the video! Let us know what you think of our theory

[@grossartus]

@@square-table-gaming yes i was commenting while listening, my bad, great video ❤️

[@cyber5345]

why do the fingers and the elden beast seem to not be on the same page? shouldnt they have the same goals of the greater will? they seem to be at odds

[@sergeantsc00ps]

Unironically, Enia = Best Girl

[@SentinalhMC]

I find it very interesting that the Finger Reader in the Forbidden Lands says that unbinding Destined Death will "slay the world itself" something that obviously doesn't happen unless you inherit the Frenzied Flame. It seems the Finger Readers may have been misled, most likely intentionally.

[@adamblue2980]

Yeah, it seems that the "roaming readers" are specifically indoctrinated into the Golden Order more than Enia is. It feels like she has broader perspective and capacity for independent thought. I feel like she's probably the the founding Reader of the Roundtable Hold.

[@vin8754]

​@@adamblue2980I think it's more to do with the fact that she still actually serves a purpose and communicates with you and presumably other tarnished of the roundtable hold regularly. The other finger readers have lost all of their purpose in life with the death of the other fingers in The Lands Between, and therfore have probably gone without ant sort of interactions with others for decades, because what's the point in talking to a finger reader with no finger to read?

[@nbmoleminer5051]

I've always wondered why they have no eyes

[@SentinalhMC]

Perhaps a representation of the deaf (the fingers) leading the blind (readers)

[@the1384]

The Finger Readers look similar like First Generation of Albernaurics

[@soup7850]

it looks like rogier just grows like Mario getting bigger

[@darkflip]

Patches on the moon with dragon cult punishments in the dlc?

[@minespatch]

Wait, what?

[@darkflip]

@@minespatch ya the time traveling thing and the two moons give the chance for patches to like find somekinda secret treasure on the moon that has like a moon dragon gaurdian but you need to get it back from patches after he steals it obviously and it turns him into like a super powered wizard and after that you use the power to help the original snow witch crone that taught ranni. What you didnt read george rr martins elden zine series on his blog page?

[@Poisonedblade]

SO GOOD, this lore is!

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you!

[@Poisonedblade]

@@square-table-gaming You're welcome. Elden Ring has so much lore that is a mystery to the players. Imagine if it was ALL told through Kojima-Style Cutscenes. It would take 300 hours to finish the game.

[@MoonisHavn]

Great video.

[@square-table-gaming]

Thank you

[@woffydoggy686]

I can't stop wondering why Enia mentioned Gideon specifically as the chosen tarnished to get the throne if all are potential candidates. Maybe Marika decided this? But if it is this way... How did Gideon to ignore the order of the queen without consequences?

[@HumanB312]

The rest lost there grace

[@LoafofSourdough]

Babe wake up STG just uploaded

[@square-table-gaming]

Babe wake up, Loaf of Sourdough just commented and now I'm hungry

[@LoafofSourdough]

@@square-table-gaming Please don’t eat me 😭

[@travisf2240]

Too late nomnom

[@alexandermorgan5958]

Cool video.

[@DWN-024ShadowMan]

Thank you STG for another great video.I love this game so much it hurts everyday that goes by without any news of the expansion. I known it's gonna be great and will tie up a lot of loose ends. Hopefully Lord Miyazaki has compassion and mercy of all of us, his tarnished children and bless us with some news soon 🙏.

[@pedrohenriquesallesdeandra5505]

My theory on what happened to the two dead fingers in the divine towers: When the war of rupture broke out, the demigods began to use the power of their great runes granted by Queen Marika in the war, the two fingers, however, were still loyal the Golden Order and that's why they rebelled against the demigods, they took the power of the great runes and kept them in their possession, thus, during practically the entire war the demigods fought without their full power as it was deprived of them by their own two fingers As time went by, the great effort of power that the two fingers made to maintain possession of the great runes ended up killing them.

[@Asaj2002ERE]

Ngl lendyell finger readers could have been killed by Godfrey

[@TheBugGuy325]

Try attacking

[@square-table-gaming]

Nah I'm good just circling

[@arglebargle42]

I think the twin runes finger readers are the unresponsive twin finger readers and they are unresponsive because Mogh and Morgott are not worthy to be Elden Lord, so their two fingers and readers are nonfunctional. The mass of finger readers in the Capital implies a lot of demigods and maybe more runes. We don't know which two runes Vyke brought but I don't think they are ones available to us in the game.

[@square-table-gaming]

I completely agree about Vyke, though I do think it's possible each Two-Fingers were supposed to have more than one reader.

[@arglebargle42]

@@square-table-gaming In most cases maybe, but the Omen Princes are twinned very deeply like mirror images of D and his bro, if they can share a suit of armor then maybe the finger readers could share a 2 fingers. Their runes are meshes of each other and may indeed be a single rune split.

[@square-table-gaming]

@@arglebargle42 I apologize I actually really like that idea. The twins imagery in the demigods carrying over to their finger readers is a cool concept. The idea of Morgott and mohgs being innert is cool

[@robertsoto5713]

Ugh finally heard dlc is coming out in February for anniversary edition or some bs. They let it slip finally . Ugh been patient enough.

[@JCorLC]

You mean after Melina burns herself, we literally don't do nothing.

[@square-table-gaming]

?

[@JCorLC]

@@square-table-gaming you said we sacrificed her, but she did all the work.

[@square-table-gaming]

@scooterboysandgaming2540 We take her to the kiln and allow her to sacrifice herself rather than do it ourselves with the frenzied flame. I dont think you can split hairs between whether we actively throw her into the kiln or we allow her to burn herself. We're told the flame needs kindling; the Tarnished knows exactly what they are agreeing to.

[@JCorLC]

@@square-table-gaming yeah, but she literally puts you to sleep while she does it.

[@square-table-gaming]

@@JCorLC that doesn't really change anything

[@YATZIwastaken]

i wonder if the two fingers in the hold belonged to godfrey, explains why she is on the side of tarnished and is supportive of the burning since godfrey being exiled may have been seen as a sin and betrayal in her eyes. Its also possible all the dead finger readers are from morgott, trying to deny tarnished any knowledge or access to the erd tree