The Lore of Elden Ring's Cosmic Sorcerers

[@dr.veronica6155]

I always felt like the reason the sorcerors of the Academy "sneered" at Thops' theory of his barrier could pretty much be summed up with your explanation of magic "letting them throw rocks at each other and it was a big hit with everyone". It always really stuck out to me that the vasy majority of sorcery is pretty much another take on "magic used to hurt people", and the description of Thops' barrier being sneered at made me feel like they were looking down on it simply because it was an idea for a sorcery that didn't follow the same path of "deadly magic shooty beam" and was instead based solely around the idea of protection. It would also explain why it was worthy of a new Conspectus of the Academy, because it would be a new school of magic focused on protecting the caster rather than hurting somebody else.

[@samuelpando3886]

I think it was more the idea that Thops' barrier works on the theory that incantations and sorceries are fundamentally the same (hence why it blocks both) which was likely heretical. And besides, there are plenty of sorceries that aren't just a projectile.

[@Hat-Trick]

@@samuelpando3886 Terra magica for instance

[@sneezewax3567]

How did they kill Thops if he had Thops' Barrier

[@reap3rofd00m3]

@@samuelpando3886 The union between Radagon and Rennala likely unified sorceries and incantations, thus the spirit of the moon, stars, and erdtree were fused

[@dr.veronica6155]

@@sneezewax3567 I don't think they killed him, I think he died upon accomplishing his life's work, like most FromSoft NPCs. But if they did kill him, maybe they just surrounded him and headbutt him to death with their big funny hats.

[@jahmokaeperson4580]

That's why I love Elden ring and really any souls borne game. The more you learn about the lore the more of a badass you can feel like. Basically if you chose to be astrologer and got every spell in game, primarily the primeval ones, you're essentially the most powerful sorcerer to have ever lived.

[@derrikthegreat4133]

I never even considered this line of thinking, and I love it. gives a new level of depth to your journey

[@8pija22]

aw this is so nice ❤

[@CandyFarts_]

It’s kinda a mix of dark souls and bloodborne sorcery

[@guyinthechair5795]

@@CandyFarts_that was the eldritch runes right? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone go in depth on the lore there.

[@rainygamedays5873]

_That's literally exactly what I did and how I feel_ I love that I can be a pure mage if I want but I'm usually a battle mage and feel bad ass with my dark moon magic

[@AdmiralAwsm]

You touched on it with a fading wipe, but I find it extremely interesting that Lusat's crown is very likely an eye from whatever Astel is.

[@MHM21999]

It could also just be it’s brain, or both, it’s in the right position in it’s skull for that to be the case

[@RafaelSValerio]

Lusat indeed seems to be tuning with / turning into Astel's 'species', the eye could be an equivalent to the Fire Giant's eye linked to their outer god, so Astel & Co. would be coming as influence from a blue-eyed outer god maybe? The same way the Elden Beast came as a falling star sent by the Greater Will, so is this outer god of astrology sending Fallingstar Beasts to fully develop into 'Astels'

[@meganwynn372]

" With a fading wipe" owch.

[@Kodama666]

@@RafaelSValerio actually based on the names given to the fallingstar beasts and the astels, it is safe to assume that the fallingstar beast is actually the adult or "completed" form of these astrological creatures. The evidence for this is that the fallingstar beast near volcano manor is known as a "full grown fallingstar beast" also in the japanese translation of the game, instead of "astel, naturalborn of the void" it says "astel bastard of the darkness/void" implying that astel is somehow either mutated or not fully grown or was abandoned by its species. Further evidence is the white astels are also known as "malformed stars" implying that this bodyplan is not the intended bodyplan for this species

[@redredrumxo]

​@@Kodama666naturalborn is just another way to say bastard fyi

[@mikeredding4667]

The depths of Elden Ring lore never cease to amaze me. From the sorcerer enemies that you find being marked with the masks of their conspectus, to their location on the map, to the staffs that they use, the spells that they cast, and supporting enemies that accompany them. These are all things that you casually would not really notice, but once you know it all means, you can see how much this was truly planned out. Absolutely incredible.

[@mikeredding4667]

I wouldn't doubt it at all. There are so many little tidbits that make too much sense to not have been thought out. You can really tell there was a big time fantasy author like George R.R. Martin involved

[@eddardblackhart6305]

​@@mikeredding4667 the heavy amount of incest and family drama in the lore is a dead giveaway

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

It makes me wonder if Tite Kubo plays FromSoft games, since Bleach has similar levels of meticulous detail.

[@gatekeeper2]

Not only is it a really well written video. But Vaati always sites his sources, which make these much more trustworthy informational videos for those unfamiliar with Vaati and the lore of the lands between. Just something I really appreciate.

[@ulysses5340]

I definitely agree.

[@VTGN-II]

This wasnt always the case. He got in major controversy because he waa actually stealing other peoples content and either copypasting lines entirely or slightly rewording things without sourcing other creators back around bloodborne/ds3's time. Good to see how he's grown since then, but it did really rub people the wrong way on him.

[@ulysses5340]

@@VTGN-II are you serious? Can you elaborate more and provide a sort of evidence on the topic please?

[@VTGN-II]

​@@ulysses5340as for a source of evidence, you can simply google this and you'll see posts from 2015 talking about it and even forums that still hold that over him in recency as well. It's a very well known controversy regarding him. As to elaborate and give details, i really didnt look into it much. All i know is he got into major controversy and his patreon dipped around the time because he was alledgedly plagiarising other peoples videos and theories from forums without stating where he found them from, and a lot of people didnt like that since people felt like he was profiting off of other peoples hard work and passion for the series. What i personally remember is that a lot of his early bloodborne videos were wrong in information and missed a lot of details, which he took down later and revised though. That's fairly unrelated though, but i think that predates the drama, if you wanna link one thing to the other.

[@VTGN-II]

​​@@ulysses5340 well, i just wrote out a big message explaining a lot but i dont think it sent so now im just gonna sum it up. For a source, you can look it up, its still talked about today and forums can easily be found on google going years back. He got in some major heat for plagiarising a ton of forums and other youtubers and people didnt like that since he made money off of it. His patreon took a hit and his viewership fell off for a while. This issue was following up when he originally released his own bloodborne videos and theories which were half baked and both included misinformation and missing information, which was met with scrutiny, and was taken down and/or revised in the future. You're better off just looking it up and reading into it though. I didnt get too deep into it back then, i just kind of knew about it and personally thought it was scummy. But he has gone long lengths to try and rectify that in the present, and i respect him for that.

[@VaatiVidya]

Thank you for watching! I wish I had time to talk about the Town of Sellia, the Onyx/Alabster Lords, Hex sorceries, and the "golden" amber of the cosmos..but if I did, the video might become a bit too long and unwieldy. So these things will come up in future videos. Happy new year all, also. All the best

[@ChrisAssassin]

Can't wait to see the rest. Thank you Vaati

[@ivanvega3405]

Happy new year, hope to see all of it soon, i have much to learn from this lore :)

[@viniciusaraujolago]

Thanks for another video, I'm looking forward to watch it, hope you're doing well ^-^

[@viniciusaraujolago]

Last thing: PRAISE THE SUN \0/

[@dragonbreath7274]

Hey Vaati sorry to bother but I have to ask have you realized that the scar on Melina's eye is the hand of the elden beast?

[@KingJobber]

I think there is more to how we find Renalla than just radagon leaving her. She is obsessed with rebirth and has a baby cradle. I believe what really broke her in the end was the "death" of Ranni. It parallels the grief Marika had for her son Godwyn the Golden dying. Renalla most likely had no clue what Rannis plans were and is obsessed with bringing her back. Also her other two children didn't turn out to well in the end. Rykard was eaten by a serpent and Radahn was eaten away by rot. She seemed to love her kids.

[@luanandreas]

She probably knew Ranni was "alive", but the doll thing plus the fate of her other 2 sons might have broken her indeed. Radahn had the worst fate of all demigods (Godwyn ain't feeling anything at least) and Rykard is basically Satan

[@barubary218]

I mean Marika had her son killed so I’m not so sure that she felt to torn up about it

[@-SP.]

@@barubary218 Exactly the Black knifes were working with Marika since they are believed to be of the same race

[@michaelmendoza5934]

@@-SP.but they were contracted by Ranni, their knives where made by Ranni too. Whether Marika wanted her son dead or not she did express some level of grief

[@dirhammohamad3890]

@@-SP. i know what you mean but you can phrase it better bruh lol its like you say "if black knifes and marika were white's, so they MUST be working together". sounds so funny for some reason

[@DifficultGamerz]

Magic coming from the galaxy basically is so cool. It makes you wonder what kind of wacky shit might be out there in Elden Ring Space.

[@WrangleMcDangle]

wacky... or horrifying

[@Overlord81]

Or maybe even OUR space...who knows what we can do if in the future we will control the Dark Matter 🤯

[@joshwaterman5526]

Probably armoured cores

[@DifficultGamerz]

@Ivelios Xilosient Please no space insects that is too much nightmare fuel

[@Overlord81]

@@DifficultGamerz Well we have crabs an lobsters already, they are not that different. Personally I think crabs are more ugly than scorpions.

[@eagleeye5189]

It's really crazy to think about how powerful Rennala really is as a sorceress. The version we fight is only a projection created by Ranni, probably the most ideal version of her mother she can envision--but it's not actually her. It doesn't have her mind and agency, so one can only imagine how intensely powerful Rennala must have been before she lost her mind.

[@Insanepie]

The first phase is actually her it’s only the 2nd phase that’s the projection

[@NorsemenMead]

@@Insanepieyea but the first phase she just cradling a ember egg and doesn’t even pay you no mind

[@urboycorey1]

These are just incredible videos, every one of them. Beyond the exceptional content, I love how little filler there is. You get right to the point immediately and never veer too far away from the themes at hand

[@lincolnshaughnessy5568]

I remember meeting Selen on my first adventure through the Lands Between. Just a man with a heavy sword and heavier armor, a practicer of bonking. Though I was witless in the ways of sorcery and the stars, Selen, my dear Selen still saw potential in me. I had her back unto the end ⚔️

[@Aon_Duine]

Her story broke my heart at the end. She truly believed in us. She even told us that if we failed in our quest to become Elden Lord that would not matter to her and she would receive us as her student again in Raya Lucaria. She had our backs, she cared for us. One of the few that really cared alongside Blaidd, Iji, Rodericka, Hewg, Boc, Millicent and Enya. And all of them had grim fates. Everyone else gave a fck about our lives and were only using us.

[@CPSPD]

i thought that her stone crown was imprisoning her, and i thought that hitting her with a sword would set her free either by breaking the crystals or by breaking the stone crown. similar to alexander. whoops.

[@erictheredguy]

Yep I also thought repeatedly hitting her would help..whoops

[@1Rabih]

@@CPSPD 🤣🤣🤣

[@Bubble_Fett]

Same. I wish there was a way to free her fate from being turned into a ball and hardly able to speak, yet she still remembered her apprentice.

[@Retrovoider]

I love how you can feel the passion of creativity in Vaati's videos Especially at 0:41 with that camera turn

[@VaatiVidya]

Credit to Mispap1 for the visuals!

[@Retrovoider]

@@VaatiVidya you never disappoint bro, if it weren't for you, almost all of Elden Ring's lore would be lost for me. Thanks for the continued amazing videos!

[@marlutteyestrelt3441]

"Or, put another way, they formulate spells that let them throw giant rocks at each other, and it was a huge hit with everyone". The true craving to transcend our evolution comes from the passion to fulfill our most primitive desire to hurl rocks at each other, only changing the method. Its comical but its actually a fascinating idea implication considering how real human evolution of throwable weapons from hunting tools progressively became more complex.

[@dascreeb5205]

Amogus.

[@sneezewax3567]

Bestial sling > every sorcery (except carian slicer)

[@marlutteyestrelt3441]

@@sneezewax3567 As a lover of Bestial Incantations and someone who was saved by Gurranq's stone more times than I can count, I heavily agree. No space stone will ever beat the faith of the traditional rock.

[@joshuakim5240]

@@marlutteyestrelt3441 Earth rock > space rock

[@parkermaisterra8532]

"The Asgard would never invent a weapon that propels small weights of Iron and Carbon alloys by igniting a powder of Potassium nitrate, Charcoal, and Sulfur"- Thor StarGate SG1

[@holyhamuel1901]

happy to hear sellen could be getting her own prepare to cry, very excited for that! she's probably my fav Elden ring NPC

[@Cathart1c]

The thing I absolutely love about Elden Ring lore is that there is so much of it! And it's not as cryptic as Dark Souls one. So much of history, so much of political intrigues, factions etc. You can feel G. Martin's presence here. Fantastic job from you as well, looking forward for the continuation!

[@Phoenix_11_17]

I would love to see an extra piece on Thops, his discovery is insane for Elden Ring lore. The fact that he discovered that incantations and spells can be considered one connects all areas of the game into one origin

[@StephenOwen]

I feel like that’s building up to a talisman that unifies incantations and sorcery Imagine if that changed the scaling on weapons or requirements for spells?

[@Phoenix_11_17]

@@StephenOwen Radagon’s Icon is kind of like that since he learned both and it strengthens both but I get what you mean

[@andresmarrero8666]

How I understand it the primeval current shoots out from the crucible which in turn forms life starting with the stars and then the lifeforms themselves, and the crucible is the erdtree. It really is interesting how it all cycles back as one thing.

[@avakinzerochill]

@Andres Marrero huh? You think the primeval current comes from the crucible? Why?

[@andresmarrero8666]

@@avakinzerochill because the crucible is described as being the amalgamation or origin point of all life. Everything came from there which includes the stars as they are also a form of life. The similarities between glintstone and gold amber, the reality that incantations and sorceries aren't so different, and the time warping characteristics of dragon scales point to this in my eyes. There are even amber stars.

[@loomingmoon4682]

I always found Bloodborne unbelievably evocative due to the references to the cosmos, and the elusive nature of it, and I'm so glad Elden Ring trod similar ground once again; trying to imagine and comprehend the universe in Elden Ring whilst playing relative to the size of the Lands Between is some of the most awe inspired I've ever been in any piece of media

[@loomingmoon4682]

@Lee That's an interesting theory; my personal theory was that the warring Demigods and The Shattering acted as a parallel to some kind of abstract, intergalactic war that was occurring out in the cosmos between these Outer Gods

[@seek_pale_blood1908]

Yes. For me it is the best part of and the best thing about Elden Ring. I consider Bloodborne the greatest From's Souls game, and the main reason is exactly its lore, its ponderings on the universe/cosmos. And I am so glad they have continued to go in this direction in Elden, for the cosmos is the most fascinating in our very own reality outside of gaming. I wonder if From will ever go further and above Lovecraftian perspective of the cosmos as terrifying, and if the cosmos in the evolution of Elden Ring will at the end turn out to be something that should not be feared and that should be explored and studied up to its utmost dimensions, in search of the highest form of enlightenment.

[@silenthero2795]

@Lee I think that life itself in a planetary scale can be extremely rare in the cosmos and that's why cosmic beings vie for supremacy to get hold of them. Having beings like Radahn that can literally stop the whole universe from moving is something alien lifeforms would take great notice.

[@Majorblack]

@@loomingmoon4682 that’s so cool to think about.

[@chaosandbunnies8291]

@Lee Personally, I figure it's something akin to TV for the involved Outer Gods. They don't interfere because it's important, they interfere because they're bored, and the inhabitants of the Lands Between are the ones who have to bear the consequences.

[@Smilomaniac]

I love the Avian Marionettes. Nothing in the game has made me laugh as hard as when their wings 'malfunction' and they spiral out of control.

[@lainothefirst]

wait, that can happen? I dont think I ever noticed. That sounds funny as hell

[@Smilomaniac]

@@lainothefirst The machinery will loudly malfunction and the wings start to jerk around, then it’ll go into this wild spin. It’s a pretty vicious attack, I think it’s triggered by it having low health or suffering a heavy attack.

[@jackreacher7495]

@@lainothefirst All the marionettes do this when you hit them without killing them

[@dragonboy4614]

@@lainothefirst yeah they flail around on the ground, which can stunlock you. Really funny at the start and really annoying later 😅😂

[@the_furry_inside_your_walls639]

@@Smilomaniac It's any attack that'll cause the malfunction to do it, and all of the marionette soldiers do it They'll start flailing their limbs around like crazy and then fall to the ground, being stunned for a second or two.

[@parkeryourefired]

This makes me wonder: Did the Marika half recall the Radagon half for going “native” (so to speak) when he married Rennala, or was the marriage a combined strategic decision to play the long game and break Rennala (which ultimately caused Liurnia’s implosion to the benefit of the golden order)?

[@VaatiVidya]

That's definitely an interesting idea - that Radagon was a creation of Marika that ultimately went awry.

[@NetherStray]

I think it was strategic as a distraction at the very least for him to go there. Radagon is on the straight and narrow for the Greater Will no matter what, and I figure that's why Marika wouldn't have worried about it. Plus I kinda think he's a mimic tear.

[@MagiCaeGirl]

I absolutely do love these videos. The visuals are especially special to me as they really bring the stories and moments alive. An absolutely wonderful job on everyone involved in making these ♥

[@hotrodturtle]

I think the banishment of Primeval sorcery was due to Radigon's influence on Renala. The graven mass in Raya Lucaria is guarded by a single page, along with Azur's staff. The only other place in Liurna you find those enemies is in Caria Manor, right before Loretta's boss room, which is the path to Ranni. These pages are largely only found in Leydell, so we know they're loyalty is to the Golden Order. The very Order that both Ranni and Selen both are in defiance of. Just a thought.

[@euterpe_exe]

Primeval sorcery was banned because it turns you into a graven mass of heads lol

[@gilgameshashur4554]

The pages are there because they are loyal to the mages they once served, which is stated in an item they drop.

[@nationdemon]

your lore videos are outstanding. I really love them. Thank you for sharing all of this with us in such a great quality (pictures, texts and voice).

[@Kensei076]

That opening was amazing! Thank you for taking your time to make these. They have more value than TV ever could.

[@xpirate16]

The cosmos and Godwyn are 2 things that I really hope they delve into more with the DLC

[@daniredux]

The lore of the sorceries in this game is truly interesting. Thanks to both you and Mispap1 for doing this. Loved it.

[@Jamhatproductions]

I think we all very much appreciate the level of cinematography these videos have, the quality is just immaculate. I recommend these videos to people who have never even played the games, the storytelling and quality of the edit is just great.

[@aidenmclaughlin1076]

Sorcery is so much better in this game than dark souls just because it’s freakin space magic

[@Metphies]

Facts, also just feels more powerful, but that could be space placebo

[@cyrusmuller6502]

@@Metphies wouldn’t say more powerful just easier to spam

[@aidenmclaughlin1076]

@@Metphies It’s definitely more powerful, I went back and tried to do an intelligence build in ds3, but they’re so bad compared to Elden Ring that I had to stop lmao

[@aidenmclaughlin1076]

@@ackvendor I agree

[@disturbedmoo]

@Uzair Tajuddin not at all true. There are plenty of Fromsoft fans that would disagree with you. Thats your subjective opinion, and you're entitled to it. However it's hard to fully compare the linearity of dark souls with an open world environment like elden ring. Things like combat, weapons, enemies? Those are all individuals preferences.

[@ryanbrown8829]

Vaati always outdoes himself. It’s 50 seconds in and my eyes are watering from the music and anticipation I already know this is gonna be amazing

[@mackrankin9073]

Can we just take a moment and appreciate how much work Vaati puts into his videos. These could be full on documentaries of the lands between

[@marwanhamze6329]

Hat's off to everyone who worked on this brilliant video. Amazing summary with wonderful cinematics and music, which is making me hungry for more content about Sellia and other sorceries.

[@WonderWolf13]

I wonder... does this mean that when Radhan fought the stars, he literally fought them? Did he halt them with his martial and magical prowess? That might be the most impressive feat of any character in the lore. Imagine him taking on perfectly realized versions of Astel, all on his own. Dang.

[@davidhong1934]

Part of it seems to be a gravity well that forcefully locks meteorites in place

[@Reliken]

Zullie the Witch has a video exploring that you were maybe originally going to fight Astel in Radahn's arena...

[@Aon_Duine]

It could or it could not be. I don't think actually every star is like Astel, specially because Astel is a malformed star

[@spencerfoote6977]

He’s simply that guy

[@Csarci]

Im excited for the gravity magic and radahan video.

[@roofied_galahad1675]

Can't forget about Wilhelm, a man who glimpsed the primeval current, and yet is still fully functional.

[@CommanderNixon]

Something I never see talked about is Sellen mentioning that Glintstone is like the Amber crystals of the Erdtree, and that Glintstone was the remnant power of a living being. Which only brings me to wonder if there are more creatures like the Elden Beast, and that it had just killed the rest

[@TheTriforceDragon]

In my opinion, the Greater Will which controls the Elden Beast is likely nothing more than just the Outer God currently in control of the lands between. If so it would stand to reason the other Outer Gods might have similar servants or beasts, some likely even dead.

[@alfalldoot6715]

The rot outer god did have a giant scorpion form once before it was sealed away by the blind swordsman

[@anondescriptbullet]

The idea that while Marika Radagon was waging war on the followers of the other gods on earth, whilst meanwhile the Elden Beast fought a similar war against other avatars in the cosmos is so fucking cool NGL

[@animenerd4173]

i love how you play songs related to the night sky and the way you sound like a scholar apraising and observing is so great! anyways keep up the good work man love the content!

[@PB_Ramen]

CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THIS!?? Man, I have been here way too long. Yes, each year there has been development in the quality for sure but THIS!!!! Come on, I would watch this at the cinema. The dramatic video action with the music oh my god it's incredible! Love and constant support to you Vaati, please never stop providing us with amazing analysis, theories and content.

[@JK_Snacks]

To think the stars have this much effect on sorcery and lands of Elden Ring, and the fact that there is a demi-god that literally and single-handedly crushed one of these fate defying stars and halted the movements of all the rest of the them, hence the name star scourge, is an absolutely brilliant way to describe a characters’a magnitude of strength.

[@the_furry_inside_your_walls639]

It's less so his strength and more-so his vast intellect and power over sorcery. Don't get me wrong, Radahn is MASSIVE and STRONG, but you can't keep the stars in place with brute force. That man was incredibly intelligent and of a strong mind/will, so much so that even when he was driven to madness by the scarlet rot, he still continued to use gravity magic to keep the stars at bay, and most important of all... to keep his steed and closest friend from feeling burdened by his massive size and weight.

[@Aon_Duine]

@@the_furry_inside_your_walls639 This is a way better depiction of him. People tend to balance everything with brute force like if it was dragon ball or something. But yeah, exactly, stars weren't halted with mighty strength, but with high intelligence, they were halted with gravity magic, and sorceries can only be used with intelligence. I mean, his weapon even scales with intelligence, not only strenght!!

[@OnMyLunchBreak07]

But can he beat Goku?

[@cosseybomb]

@@Aon_Duine the strength of the mind is what drives the strength of the body..

[@johnmccarrick39]

Excellent job again Vaati! It's interesting how much deep seeded lore there is in this game, that's not just explicitly Erd Tree/Elden Ring related. It feels like the sorcery of the Lands Between could've been it's own entire game with how much content and lore there is around it

[@Aon_Duine]

The game has so many things that are cohesive and complete that it feels like of it were another company they would have made them DLC. Like the entirety of Ranni's quest which would include the entire underground section could have easily been a DLC. Even Caelid could have, or the Haligtree. This game is so complete

[@plipplop728]

@@Aon_Duine Or even if it's not DLC, other companies would milk it by making spin-off series or something. Sorcery, Primeval Current, Raya Lucaria and Carian Family, these can easily be a game on its own.

[@Cassidyhunt]

while waves of new fromsoft youtubers have blossomed, after so many years you still reign above all of them. A perfect connection of beautiful storytelling and thick atmosphere makes your channel a marvellous triumph that I really hope you're proud of. Thank you for an amazing video once again

[@empiricalsmut9419]

I just started watching these videos, and my god, I am stunned at just how much detail there is in these games. So many games and movies give the illusion of depth to their world, by adding interesting, strange features that don't actually have any canon reasoning behind them. The team at Fromsoft, Miyazaki and George RR Martin, really went so deep with this game, I am always finding out new things. In your first pass through the game, you'll see strange things like Crystalians hanging out in a specific spot, or a Demihuman Queen who casts some spells, and you might just think that the developers tossed some wacky stuff in to keep things interesting, but in reality, so many of these encounters have rich story background to them. And upon all that, VaatiVidya does the laborious task of researching all of these things, and pulling them together into a meaningful narrative. Great work!

[@limbobilbo8743]

I love using souls elements in my own worldbuilding. Things we can’t understand, forces that are far greater than humanity, the idea of neutrality rather than benevolence or malevolence and the primordial. Thank you for showing off these wonderful stories vaati

[@spiralistichope9216]

A couple of things that were not mentioned which surprised me: 1) The primal glintstone sorcerers, who are connected to the original astrologers that were located on the mountaintop of the giants, and are represented by the two jellyfish sisters Aurelia and Aureliette, and their small sidequest and the lore the Primal Glintstone talisman gives us which we acquire through their poignant little tale. Jellyfish usually represent souls (they show up in graveyards at night across the Lands Between), so the souls of these primal sorcerers still wander in the cold North, it seems. 2) The fact that Lusat was originally FROM Sellia, and more development about the connection between Sellia, Raya Lucaria, and the Eternal Cities. It is touched upon in the video of course, and I know the video would become too long if all this was explored as Vaati says at the end, but it just surprised me that it wasn't mentioned that Lusat was from Sellia, as I believe Sellen states this, calling it his "home" specifically. This shows another connection between the astrologers, Sellia in Caelid, and the founding of Raya Lucaria (Radahn being another link between them too). That being said, this was still a brilliant video with the usual wonderful Vaati production value! It's crazy that this is just one segment of the general lore and background history of Elden Ring's world, and yet 36 minutes somehow still feels way too short for the topic anyway!

[@SearingSeratil]

This video definitely deserves a part 2!

[@SophiaLilithUwU]

another interesting aspect is the fact that sellians are descendants of the nox and are allowed to be at raya lucaria, yet the albinaurics, a creation of the nox, are actually said to have their mortal enemies in sorcerers. I wonder if this hatred the sorcerers have extends to the nox and eternal cities as well? It get even more interesting if you consider that the sellian night sorceries are the tools for assassins that hunted other sorcerers. So maybe the sellians/nox are trying to undermine the sorcerers of the academy?

[@jackreacher7495]

@@SophiaLilithUwU Don't forget that the dark moon the nox worshipped might be the same dark moon that Ranni sees.

[@siddharthshishulkar8992]

I think he'll cover it in the future

[@spiralistichope9216]

@@SophiaLilithUwU I personally feel like the Albinaurics are actually created by the Carians BASED on the methods of the Nox, not that they are another direct creation of the Nox. The silver mimic tears are creations of the Eternal Cities, and that is what the Carians used as found knowledge from their excavations of the Eternal Ctieis such as Nokstella to conduct their own experiments and create the Albinaurics, though their methods were lacking and both generations of Albinaurics had genetic defects. I think Iji's comments on the Eternal Cities imply that Caria had an interest in Nox knowledge and excavation of the Eternal Cities going way back, while we were looking for Nokton he talks a bit about it if I recall.

[@xxzmaster04xx29]

One of my favorite parts of the lore is everything related to Liurnia. The aesthetics, sorcery, Raya Lucaria and the Carian Royal family. I am kinda bewitched by them.

[@KingKuma909]

Sorcery coming from the cosmos makes so much sense, even in real life, the stuff we see happen in space looks like magic

[@P4Trickster]

man i must say, this is the best video in term of content and edition to explain one topic of the game, magic, the edition over all, the gameplay and record of that is really amazing, really really good job.

[@seanburnham2142]

These videos are always incredible to watch. I've since stopped playing Elden Ring after 100%-ing the game but I always come back to discover more lore and back story from the one and only source like it, VaatiVidya. Thank you for your dedication and continued pursuit into the FromSoft library and for the incredible community you've helped foster over the years.

[@fragtore6457]

Elden Ring’s magic is the freshest in a long while and a first for Miyazaki to truly make smt unique with that topic.

[@evanvalance904]

Amazing visual presentation. Possibly the best yet. The narrative work combined with the incredible visual editing is a match made in heaven. This video was truly fantastic and deeply cinematic. Excellent work by everybody involved!

[@Ayrton_Chitwood]

Let me know what you think of this, Vaati. Honestly, I thoroughly believe that From Software has invented a brand new kind of fantasy sub-genre in Elden Ring. Utilizing elements of Lovecraftian Horror, Science Fiction, and of course Fantasy both Dark and High, they have made what I like to call Cosmic Fantasy. Elden Ring is a fantasy of epic scope, with a bygone, decaying world in which the highborn have been sundered, the common folk are desolate, civilization is in shambles, and yet war ravages across the land regardless, in wait of a savior or Armageddon. It's a familiar fantasy, but also one with remarkable possibility and unexpected (but very welcome) crossover into the supernatural, and the extraterrestrial. Demons and spirits litter the landscape, mutations and mutilation is rampant, and unholy beings and creatures of unknown origin rain down from the great beyond to sow havoc. Magic exists, but its power comes from the great beyond, and is executed in glorious displays of power and primacy. It's one of the most multifaceted worlds I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing, and it has widened my scope of imagination more than any open world game in the last decade.

[@BooksRebound]

I don't know if you're a big reader but if you are I highly implore you to check out Malazan Book of the Fallen. FromSoft games are the Malazan of the video game world. The book just drops you into the middle of a world and it expects you to catch up on the 100+ years of imperial history as you learn about this decades long military campaign to subjugate the empires third continent. The series has so so so many characters and it's very post modern in the narrative and how the story is told (jumped from one continent to another in the next book with a whole new cast) and the world is so massive and deep. It's written by an archeologist anthropologist who based the books on years and years of RPG campaigns he played in his original world. The lore is so insanely deep and even having read the ten books ten times now, I still pick up new details with every reread. It's a series truly unlike anything else out there. If you think Game of Thrones is epic, Malazan is way more epic in scope. It's incredible and a true gem. Check it out! Gardens of the Moon is book one

[@kacperdrabikowski5074]

Yeah, indeed. Also, From is so good at environmental storytelling that despite never playing the game and watching any in-depth lore videos, just a pure gameplay without context gives the sense of grand history and centuries of life and death in those places. You can tell at the first glance that Limgrave is peaceful, but desolate "post-postapocalypse", Caelid is seriously screwed up and Raya Lucaria is upper-class monument of academic excellence. But then there are all the little details and stories of individual people out there. You can get both a grandiose epic which calls for a quote like "You don't cast magic; you commit magic" (MandaloreGaming's review of Sacrifice) and tiny stories of literal trinkets, and with barely a single line of dialouge.

[@loomingmoon4682]

Bloodborne was just the tip of the iceberg when combining Lovecraftian horror with Gothic, and even then Lovecraftian horror was a byproduct of the Gothic movement anyway; not to discredit Bloodborne, it's still absolutely astounding what they achieved there, but seeing Fromsoft take all their favourite elements of their past games and unifying them **successfully** to create a world as utterly brimming with rich fantasy and cosmic depth as Elden Ring is just absolutely off the scale, I can't believe this game exists

[@frostr6]

@@loomingmoon4682 I started rolling my eyes when I realized they were cramming all Bloodborne's motifs (eyes, cosmos, dolls, blood, beasts) into Elden Ring, but the end result ended up being something really special. I really hope From has plans to build on or surpass what they've created here.

[@NottherealLucifer]

This isn't a new fantasy subgenre, not in the slightest. I love FromSoftware but "magic comes from space" and "gods exist" aren't new fantasy concepts. You're describing the basic story of all FromSoftware games and calling it a subgenre, its just a whole lot of sci-fi and fantasy tropes mashed together, not a brand new one. Play Dark Souls and you'll see it has most of elements you used to describe Elden Rings story, along with a lot more involving the universe and how its nature was perverted by the first sin.

[@Voidload]

Oh my god each one of your videos is so detailed and amazing I just love it. I am not sure if you realise how much better you make Elden Ring. And Elden Ring is insanely great experience by itself... I always need to watch them 2-3x because there is so much to take from them. Thanks so much, much love Vaati

[@ChuckEldon]

I've had this video saved to watch since it came out. Finally getting around to watch it. The editing is phenomenal as always

[@huguesdekker6883]

This was so entertaining to watch, and the effort you put into these videos really shows. Please, never stop making those, you're probably one of the best content creators out there.

[@Ledge.Limited.Collectibles]

Hi Vaatividya, I just wanted to say thanks for the soul arts book, so cool! As soon as I saw on your page that you had it available, you should promote that book more because if I didn’t look at your page I would have never known about it, just a suggestion because I know lots of others would like this. Another well made video right here👍

[@AmnesiacFizel]

I'm loving the fact that your production budget seems to have gone up, sick drone shots.

[@nickwhitegames]

Your cinematography is incredible. I will always watch your lore videos and have immense respect for your work.

[@jayaniee]

You have an amazing narrating voice. I hope if you’re ever done with Elden Ring you will continue to narrate for other games or just stories.

[@cookiemaddness]

I think it's important to note that the Astels probably aren't up in the primeval current as they're malformed starts. They are most likely impure off-shoots created by the current more akin to the smoke above the fire which is the primeval current. Considering that these horrific lovecraftian creaters are most likely just dregs of the current then it would truly be horrifying to witness in it's full form.

[@raymondjames8985]

After almost a year of hard work and digging into the deep lore it's good to see vaati cranking out great videos again. Keep up the good work!

[@envoyofrot7046]

Not only does Elden Ring have the coolest magic but it also has the coolest magic lore!

[@lexmat9870]

i just started playing elden ring. i’m new to this genre of video games but it’s so fun. the story is so complex and this youtube channel is my absolute favorite for lore and tips. it’s been a week and i’ve binged all of the videos for the elden ring series and i wait in anticipation for the next. thank you so much 🥺

[@steveyuhas9278]

I love vaati mostly for the reason that with every souls borne game I play, actually playing and beating the game is just the beginning. I have all the lore and analysis to look forward to which is equally as compelling as the gameplay and mechanics. Then I can approach the game yet again with new eyes and a deeper understanding and appreciation for the journey and the actions I take along the way. Vaati is almost single handedly making the replayability worth it for me and I appreciate everything you do. The love for these games and what you do really comes across in a big way watching these videos.

[@johanneshortstories]

Every vaati video as of late is cinematic gold. These are unbelievably well made.

[@aarondonnelly2344]

You make these games so much more enjoyable than they already are. I am a lore geek, but still...your videos are amazing. Ever since DS1. Absolutely incredible work, I cannot say it enough. Thank you for the hours of entertainment and deep dives into lore so that I can better understand the world I am spending 100s of hours in!

[@TheSchoolyD]

The primeval sorceries kind of remind me of magic in Fate franchise. Every mage studies his own field, and upon (supposedly) achieving the very top of their respective field (not just becoming best at it but deeply understanding the basics of magic system itself through theirs), they unearth an old ancient true magic, which is achieved by them glimpsing in the root of everything at the very moment they "get" it. After they do so, they usually disappear from the word, either literally or just transcending realities, with their fate being usually unknown. That particular magic and path to the root also becomes inaccessible for others. It has only been achieved i believe 5 times in Type-moon(fate) universe, and the magics that are known deal with space and time and parallel dimensions, the very foundations of worlds.

[@thatssosanya]

off the top of your head do you think it's been mentioned in stay night or zero anime? that's the extent of my exposure to fate and I'm wondering if I missed this concept because I love it so much

[@TheSchoolyD]

@@thatssosanya I think Fate Heaven's Feel touches on that, at least for second and third magic, so look there. But i believe most of this info is from Mahou Tsukai no Yoru, which hasn't been adapted yet. The concept of mages and how and why they do things also gets explored in Zero with Kiritsugu's father and in El-melloi case files. Kara no kyoukai is heavily focused on the Root and has an episode/movie that shows the lengths mages will go for to achieve it. IIRC Rin does explain mages to shiro in UBW, but it's barely touched upon in the anime.

[@cat_lord6415]

@@TheSchoolyD mahou tsukai no yoru does have a western relase, as witch on the holy night, a VN on switch/ playstation, so if you're up for reading you can learn more about nasuverse magic there

[@TheSchoolyD]

@@cat_lord6415 Holy shit i missed that, thank you very much man.

[@ignizxnr3021]

In fate grand order during lostbelt 5, goredolf or whatever he is named mentions that a basically super powerful mage gets locked up until he can qualify as a non threat to them or humanity overall, but he has to work for them rather than being free

[@crazedzealots]

It's so incredible the way you explain the lore of these Darksouls games. I bet the Developers themselves learn new things and connections from your video's.

[@sambeckettcat]

Imagine if casting that spell in the Belfry did something for the player, rewarding people for reading and correctly interpreting lore. I think stuff like that would really encourage more to dig into those descriptions and provide reward for doing so.

[@kriminal7009]

The camera work in this one is phenomenal. Seemless.

[@brokenbiscuit3609]

I absolutely love the astrology-magic route the game went in. Side note, I struggled with my fashion a lot in my playthrough cause I found that most mage armors just don't look really good. So in the end I just stuck with my basic Astrologer robes cause if I'm gonna get one-shot, I'll at least do it looking good.

[@bluegem8582]

absolutely basic, but I also personally love alberich robe (altered) with preceptor gloves and boots for a simple all black traveling outfit, definitely enjoyed using it when i was using sorceries more (the gloves mostly to cover remaining red jewels on it since i felt clashed with the blue magic)

[@NivRel]

It's Always cool for me when i Remember that rennala was quite surely the strongest human around, She outsmarts evewry magic user, even the cristalians themeselves, let's also remember that She stood up against an army led by demigods What we fight Is a Memory cast by ranni to protect her mother that now can't fight

[@travissims3715]

So I’ve just recently found Vaat. I go to sleep listening to his voice telling stories of all these games I’ve grown to love through hate for some areas or some bosses. He has opened my eyes in so many different ways through perspectives I never would have imagined. I have found this video from 4 years ago.. hear me out… have you done anything more or have gone up on further information with “The Thieves” of artwork? That little 3 minute segment in that video has me so pumped. I’m 32 years old and I feel 21 again ready for battle lmao Much Much Love Vaat, you’ve gotten me through the hardest times. I battle my own demons and your videos is something of surfing in the stars, I escape earth. Thank you brother.

[@Anon-me6gf]

Outstanding visuals and music choice, I was completely bewitched by your narration. Letting the music continue through the chapter titles is also a nice touch.

[@Mamadghodsiable]

FromSoftware: should we make high quality intro or lore video for this game ? Nah VaatiVidya will take care of it.

[@Detman101]

Another glorious entry in your collection of lore videos for Elden Ring. Thank you, sir. 💖

[@L0rdLexan01]

Something to also mention; the Primeval Current is not "just" for Sorceries. It's implied that Incantations take their power from the same place. This probably also explains why an Astrologer was able to manifest Founding Rain of Stars; he simply had enough faith to make it happen. The difference between Sorceries and Incantations are negligible, they are two sides of the same coin, both aspects of the stars in one way or another. All that matters is how you choose to apply yourself to making them happen.

[@Potato_tomato47]

Yeah the golden order was just from a golden star that crashed into earth meaning many incantations are from a golden star and the rot and pest incantations are from the rot god of course the blood flame is from the formless mother and the dragon communion seem like more of stealing the power beating in the heart of dragons instead of more traditional incantations

[@warriorwatch2406]

Well, not exactly. Most incantations are sourced from living entities (The Greater Will, Dragons, The Formless Mother, The Fell God, Etc..). Though the Outer Gods are implied to exist in space.

[@L0rdLexan01]

@@warriorwatch2406 Incantations aren't sourced from an Outer God, rather the Outer Gods function as channeling. When you pray to an Outer God, they shape the Primeval Current and grant you the ability to cast the spell for them-- that's why they require Faith to function, because you're asking a higher being for aid. Functionally, Incantations and Sorceries are the same.

[@warriorwatch2406]

@@L0rdLexan01 Is there anything that says the Outer Gods have any relation to the Primeval Current outside of also being in space? Just curious.

[@L0rdLexan01]

@@warriorwatch2406 I imagine the Primeval Current is not an actual, literal current out in space. Rather, it's a sort of metaphysical energy system that flows throughout existence. Though he was an Astrologer, he probably didn't literally see the Primeval Current in the literal stars, but rather came to an enlightened state of being through observing the stars, which allowed him to perceive the currents existence.

[@thezaher]

Your voice is so calming, I had a trouble sleeping last night, I put your video on and then slept like a baby.

[@LuckyOldSun.]

I was blown away by the visuals and the music. Especially in the intro! The story is on point and engaging as always! Thank you so much for the great video!

[@cameron818]

I can't get enough of your content! Thank You! I would love to see a video that covers the reason so many of these factions are located in different places. Some of them are located in very curios locations. Why is Azur where he is?

[@cyclonevan11]

Also, Karolos was the only sorcerer that had a car but was lost.

[@davidhong1934]

Too bad he was never offered an Accord

[@Claerwen101]

Elden ring theory: What if Melania and Miquella's curses, are not completely caused by Marika and Radagon being the same person. What if they are cursed because they are the only demigods (by my understanding) born after Radagon gave Rennala her great rune (Described as the "great rune of unborn demigods" in game). If the concept of unborn demigods was removed from the elden ring, that might have some serious consequences. I am not an expert though so i could be completely wrong.

[@Aon_Duine]

I can't talk for Miquella's curse because his is not explored that much in the game. But Malenia is explained as she was chosen by the god of rot. Both of them were empyreans, meaning both of them could become a god, they could become vessels just like their mother. Malenia was chosen by the god of rot and that's why she has that curse. Of course she doesn't want to be her vessel, she wants to be by the side of her brother and help him become the new god of the lands between, a god that has nothing to do with the Golden Order and the Greater Will. That's why Miquella created the unalloyed needle, to appease Malenia's curse, to keep the God of Rot at bay. In fact, Malenia is aware that the curse might kill her. When she uses the scarlet bloom for the first time (this was against Radahn) she was sure that she would die there. And while the bloom didn't kill her, she was completely knocked out, and she was in a coma for a long time. She only survived because one of the cleanrot knights carried her from Caelid to the Haligtree. She could have died at the hands of Radahn there while unconscious, or any of the redmaynes could have seen her lying there and taken her life, or a wild creature could have eaten her. So yeah, that is the explanation of her curse

[@jasN86]

Wow. That Lusat Comet Azur graphic where you're almost traveling through it, woah! The entire production was top notch. Please keep this up!!!

[@Spectre94951]

I'm always stoked when these videos come are posted. There's a lot of small pieces of lore to sort through in-game alone.

[@cloudcultdev]

This was so incredibly well done! You’re team is amazing at putting together the lore and the visuals are stunning! What mod is used to create these sequences…I would love to explore the world is such great detail! It’s too bad that ER doesn’t have an official picture mode. 🙁

[@Randybobandy024]

Almost one year later and we still gather to listen to Vaatis beautiful voice explainig Elsen rings lore We love you ❤️

[@toledochristianmatthew9919]

Vaati is basically the heart of the Souls community at this point. He has been doing this since ds1 days and it is because of him that many souls fans and content creators gathered around this community to express our passion for these games. It is also because of Vaati that gave these games the exposure they needed.

[@ShadowProject01]

His cinematic storytelling has come a long way too.

[@ericcooke2661]

Personally, I don't think it was the loss of Radagon that caused her to go innate. I think she lost confidence, yes, but the incident that broke her into a dreaming idle creature was the death of her only daughter. Thus, she now keeps making "sweetings" with the power of her egg, in a vain attempt bring back the one thing that was truly important to her.

[@pkunzel]

Amazing content as always. I prefer these longer videos because the story gets more immersive

[@Joey.Zevnik]

I appreciated hearing music from Guild Wars 1 in this video. Still my favorite MMO series I play to this day.

[@neerkum5428]

I wish we had more interactions with rennala, we pretty much run into all of her children and then her husband/wife, but never get to talk to her about any of that, she's key character that deserves a major part in the current story

[@luisignaciobruch7129]

We cant, she's insane now. Only speaking through lullabies and rhymes.

[@cuauhtemocguerrero6597]

Vaati what do you think about Radahn actually being on the same side as Ranni? Jerren says that Iji made the weapons of the redmane knights during Radahn's war against Malenia. Maybe Radahn was halting the stars to stop Ranni's destiny until everything was ready for her plot, and he was supposed to release the stars when everything was ready but he couldn't because of his madness, so the tarnished was sent to kill him. This is further supported because Blaidd doesn't go mad against Ranni until the stars are released (Blaidd destiny is to attack Ranni because she goes against the Golden order, but because their destinies are halted he stays loyal)

[@alejandrochavez213]

Underrated comment. If that is the ase, it would explai why Morgott called Radahn a traitor in his cutscene. And would also make that the 3 sons of Rennala were instrumental in the downfall of the Golden Order (since Rykard also conspired with Ranni to kill Godwynn). That would even explain why Malenia fought Radahn: if Radahn was part of the plot that killed her dear older half-brother (a theory vaati explores in the lore of miquella video), and Ranni's plot endagers Miquella's claim to godhood, it makes sense that Malenia would try to stop the mightiest of the conspirator demigods.

[@declicitous1763]

I say too much lore says otherwise to this, but is a nice theory

[@cuauhtemocguerrero6597]

@@alejandrochavez213 I had not thought about Malenia and that makes sense too!

[@kommo1]

Makes me think, that the Marriage between Radagon and Renala was just a ploy from Marika to break her undefeated enemy from within.

[@gabem.2795]

Loving the amount of Guild Wars 1 and 2 music in this episode.

[@brucewayne7773]

Geez, Vaati, seriously, how do you do it? You make such amazing videos man. Your research is so in depth and well put to use.

[@popcurn1]

Lets not overlook the fact that the Cuckoo and their namesake are most definitely a reference to the relationship of Radagon and Renalla, having been formed at the time of their splitting. The Cuckoo bird being known for "leaving its eggs in other birds nests and tricking other birds into raising its young" and as the origin for the term "Cuck."

[@NetherStray]

Bet the Knights of the Cuckoo are Radagon's own forces, really since there's no reason to think his forces ever actually _left_ Liurnia. I mean, he's kind of the cuckoo bird in this situation. Left Rennala with his kids to raise.

[@samikel1159]

i still cant accept radagon being the same person as marika.

[@theredknight9314]

25:20 dang. Didnt realize she was cute

[@thebirdintern7488]

glintstone is such an interesting premise. In my mind it's a simple metaphor for "all that glitters isn't gold." It has that glint, it has that luster, but it will consume and destroy you. Usually, that metaphor isn't physical but here it is.

[@TarnaxTheBarbarian]

Honestly, I always thought those half bowls channeled and collected starlight, eventually crystallizing it. I could never think of another purpose for them.

[@nuggetmaster5181]

nice try, but you're actually wrong. *pushes anime glasses up* cosmic sorcery was actually created by me ! baka!!!

[@Aearewn]

first

[@VaatiVidya]

to get this ratio

[@Wadam101]

Second?

[@tomato6553]

@A roasted

[@Aearewn]

​@@VaatiVidya you killed me bro :'(

[@LEGION_REAP3R]

The Waffle house has found its newest host.

[@Gentlemen364]

that guild wars soundtrack at the very end caught me off guard. nostalgia hits hard.

[@MortarMike]

I gotta say, your collection of B-Roll footage for this video is superb! I'm thoroughly impressed. You absolutely nailed this.