The secret story behind the Crucible | Elden Ring Archaeology Ep. 7

Elden Ring Lore: Who was Godfrey before he was Elden Lord? What is the Crucible? The inception of the Age of the Erdtree and the Legend of Godfrey are not as straightforward as they seem. Join us as we explore the Fortified Manor and its many layers to uncover the secrets of Leyndell’s founding and Godfrey’s role in those early days of conflict. What we found may surprise you.
#eldenring #eldenringlore #godfrey #crucible #tarnished #tarnishedarchaeologist
Gameplay footage/music credit: Elden Ring, Dark Souls 3, Dark Souls, Bandai Namco and FromSoftware.
Parthenon reconstructions:
www.AncientAthens3d.com
/ ancientathens3d
Music (other): Monastic Choir of the Valaam Monastery, Kevin MacLeod "Temple of the Manes", Alex Roe Abyss Watchers remix.
Creative Commons and stock attributions:
Image credits:
Windsor: Ввласенко
Parthenon recreations: ancientathens3d.com
Hagia Sophia Julien Maury, BuxeHD, İlaydaozcan, Antoloji. video Miklos Kiss
Parthenon: Phanatic
Basilica Cistern Kurmanbek
Castle Raglan: Philip Halling
Conway Castle: Paige Taylor Evans
Pallas Athena Fountain, Vienna
Edwards round table: David Spender
sword table: Maleah Jacobs
Arthur Head: Peter Paschten
Lancelot manuscript, Gaultier Moap, 1470: Evrard d'Espinques
Sigils: 0ne-Eyed-Dragon
Excalibur: King Arthur and Excalibur, Louis Rhead, 1923
Lancelot and Guinevere, HJ Draper, c. 1890
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall: Kerry Garratt
Artognu stone: Роман Рябенко
Copicing: Cat James, Naturenet, Vmenkov, Rosser1954, Overlangbroek, Jaemsri praikajee, Olena Ukhova
Contents of the Video
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00:00 Intro
00:55 Chapter 1: Legend: Artorias, Arthur, Godfrey
05:55 Chapter 2: The Fortified Manor
22:08 Chapter 3: Godfrey's Round Table
31:13 Conclusion

[@SmoughTown]

The best Elden Ring Creator out there, thanks so much for your tireless work dude

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Hah, "tireless" says the guy who just made a timeline of the entire game! Glad to see you here my friend. It was a pleasure working with you.

[@DylNewman]

You’re both genuinely my favorite lore KZbinrs of all time. Both of you deserve every view.

[@coroarc8423]

absolutely. you guys both are very crazy and do amazing jobs!!!

[@tarenmauga9582]

That compliment from SmoughTown is epic. Both yall are the reason I love Elden Ring lore so much. Keep it up.

[@SithMirth]

Totally agree. I've been bingeing these essays. They are amazing.

[@rabsrabble5415]

By far the most scholarly and well presented lore content for the souls games out there at the moment. I gain a new appreciation for the design's attention to detail and our world every time I watch one of your videos. Bravo.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Thank you!

[@teensith]

I LOVE Arthurian myth so I'm so happy to finally see someone covering it in relation to Godfrey. I always did suspect that the Fortified Manor was the "first" settled area in what became Leyndell. Not just the architectural difference, but the main road in the city leads from the Grand Lift of Rold to the Manor and the in-game map suggests that everything has been built around the Manor, not the pathway to Marika's Bedchamber

[@hansnorleaf]

Marika is a god (maybe a living god like ancient Egyptian rulers, but a god none the less in the eyes of her people) so naturally it must be hard if not impossible for people to reach her abode.

[@BlankPicketSign]

"Iconographic Stratigraphy" what a BRILLIANT term! I will use it often!

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Excellent. Now it's official.

[@KnightLincoln]

The lore of badlands and early Erdtree is some of the most interesting. I think Godfrey's bloodline is linked to Crucible, which made him perfect Elden Lord candidate for transitory period of Erdtree's age, marriage of old and new powers.

[@noahwysocki1233]

While the swords in the table are definitely related to Godfrey and the Crucible Knights, something interesting is that there are only ten swords, while there are sixteen total Crucible Knights. This would suggest that during the height of Godfrey's reign it was possible to be uplifted to the status of Crucible Knight, but such promotions did not share the same ritualistic significance as the initial pledging of blades. Furthermore, only nine of the Crucible Knights wield swords, which may be significant when contrasted with the ten swords in the table. However, Siluria is specifically referenced as one of the two most honored Crucible Knights, and it's possible she took up her spear after the pledging, while the rest simply took up newer, more ritualized swords modeled after the one Ordovis(the other most honored) wielded. The fact that the remaining six Knights all wield Siluria's Trees could suggest several possibilities; that these were her company, or that she was the one in charge of uplifting new Crucible Knights and they were not allowed to wield the greatswords of their seniors, or that Siluria somehow became the more popular of the two and as such the new members intentionally modeled themselves after her. Another possibility for the discrepancy in swords is related to the strange places some of the Crucible Knights are found. One is locked in an Evergaol, two are dead, and three are down in the Eternal Cities, which are specifically mentioned as places of banishment, and overall makes six potentially disgraced or otherwise incapacitated Crucible Knights whose weapons may have been removed from the table for these reasons. There are even several scars in the table itself that do not line up with the angles of the weapons currently embedded in it, that could also imply removals. The difference in number between the swords in the table and the Crucible Knights is going to bug me until I have answers.

[@BossSaucer_7132]

This series has given me more details about elden ring i couldn't even imagine

[@big_sis_moon]

Yours is without a doubt the best Elden Ring content on the internet. Keep up the amazing work!

[@khungreen9773]

Completely agree - just on another tier

[@cobracolautti3746]

Deserves way more subscriptions. Awesome content.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Not sure about "best", but we are very happy to contribute to this wonderful community. Thanks for your support!

[@saedt]

@@tarnishedarchaeologist No no, definitely the best.

[@beansnrice321]

I've always loved the rich inspiration behind the soulsborne series and it's nice to know the Elden Ring is no slouch in that department. It may even be the richest game lore yet!

[@ahbooza]

It makes sense now that our Roundtable Hold is modeled after Godfrey’s. Marika expects Godfrey to return to the Erdtree (and he actually did), so she made the base of the Tarnished the very first base of his kingdom. Almost like a nostalgia bomb for Godfrey to rally his people to “brandish the Elden Ring” like the good old times. Maybe she expected him to be one of, if not the first Tarnished to arrive. Turns out Godfrey just kinda walked into Leyndell alone (and very, very late) and probably never even seen the “new” Hold. Goofball.

[@kevinlasher2812]

Seriously, I'm upset you don't get 1 billion views every video, this shit is so, so good. Smough, Zuli, Ratatoskr, hell even Vaati are all great, but in time I look forward to seeing you tie it all together.

[@riccardomazzaro1901]

To be completely honest, Vaati has done a lot of mistakes when it comes to spreading common misconception of the Elden Ring's lore, like the one that considers the Erdtree a sort of alien parasite that infected the Crucible.

[@JustinZode]

Love them all except for Vaati. His work has proven to be derivative (perhaps even plagiarized) and if you listen to the episode of Bonfireside Chat he appears on, he barely even responds to questions and the hosts have to prompt him, and he doesn’t have anything to add on the spot. I dare say it’s not his work, as opposed to the wonderful things we see from TA, SmoughTown, Zuli, Ratatoskr, and Crunchy.

[@Wellgee]

​@@JustinZode He doesn't give a good interview, thus he must plagiarize his work. That is certainly a take. Not a good one, but a take nonetheless.

[@lasarousi]

I only watch this channel because all the rest you mentioned are full of click bait, simplification and unpopular takes to drive views. They don't trust their content so they depend on staffing with memes and jokes. I rather this channel has kept it's obscurity rather than leaning into crap and sensationalist takes like the others.

[@ittapupu7406]

@@lasarousi This reads like someone that is very envious their "art" isn't going anywhere, and you're projecting your insecurities on other content creators. "Former asshole, focusing on my art now." Former, eh?

[@NobodyYouKnowBud]

How are you not more watched? Your explanations and tie-ins to real life legend is nothing short of amazing.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Thanks!

[@SolidAlloy2]

Not just Elden Ring, but your knowledge of the narrative design of Dark Souls 3 is staggering! I've never heard of the explanation on the bronze nails in Cathedral of the Deep before, and now such a great insight into the lore of the Abyss Watchers. After you finish with the Elden Ring lore, I would love if you made a series on Dark Souls 3!

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Careful what you wish for...

[@remilenoir1271]

​@tarnishedarchaeologist Do you plan on doing it at all ? I see you'll be doing it with Bloodborne. It would be interesting to also see what you can do with Ds3.

[@Florin_Neagu]

I have always affirmed that the so-called dark souls historians (namely Vaati) are nothing but hacks who, at best create narratives lacking any substance, and at worst outright lie. TA's analysis on DS3's Abyss brings an entirely valid perspective to DS3's world.

[@NickCombs]

The Arthurian legend also makes sense when linked to the dew of the Erdtree being collected in grail-like chalices and their role in rebirth.

[@Golden284-fan]

Aw man you've done so much for the From lore community. You've enhanced the story so much. Now elden ring's world is quickly becoming my favorite, and I'm so excited for what the DLC will bring as well as more of these videos. After all that's done I'd love to see you what you could do with the lore of DS3. I'd always thought that statue had been of a young pontiff Sullivan because of the sword but it being Lothric makes so much sense and is making things so much clearer. Love your videos thank you. 😊

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

We plan to keep going as long as it's fun and feasible. Re: DS3 and the statue, exactly! Isn't it interesting that it's Prince Lothric with Sully's sword. Hmm....

[@TheRealTetro]

@@tarnishedarchaeologist Not only Sully's sword but also his very same bracelets. Considering Lothric is meant to have his own sword and does not wear bracelets, I've always been of the opinion that this is indeed a statue of Sulyvahn, in his preceptor to Lothric days. But I concede this is not necessarily the most solid theory out there.

[@ianwilliams2632]

Elden Ring's world is awful. It relies too much on old FromSoft tropes and shallow real-world allusions. It's not self contained and hyperfocused like Souls. Far too sprawling, too many suggested themes without resolution, a real waste of potential. It actually bothers me that people think it's so good. I can't see it.

[@novastatus7118]

O😥😮😢😠😠😠😤😢🤬🤬🤬🤯🤯😥😮🤯😅😮o😅

[@CapitanSonaglio]

Can't wait for the next video. This approah to (souls) games lore, which prioritize considerations based on cultural and historical references, is just my dream coming true.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Thanks. It's been a lot of fun for us too.

[@hansnorleaf]

It is kind of fitting that Godfrey's (presumed) daughter Nepheli takes over the throne at Stormveil and that she must receive the ashes of a hawk to regain the courage to do so.

[@mermanhellville]

As someone who has a lot of historians and archeologists in my family, I love to see someone on here approach ER lore from this angle. It makes the world all the more understandable and 'real' and so much more can be deduced from the environment itself, beside the item descriptions and dialogues. I was messing around Leyndell just yesterday and pondering the different architectural styles, coincidentally, so it's a treat to see you post this video now :p Keep up the good work, man

[@michaeljohnston8891]

This might actually offer a plausible explanation for what all the white, petrified trees all across the Lands Between are. We often find Ancestral Followers nearby, further reinforcing their connection to the crucible

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Interesting idea!

[@michaeljohnston8891]

@@tarnishedarchaeologist another thing: I remember it was Zullie, Sekiro Dubi, or some similar channel that pointed out that the geography of the Mountaintops of the Giants almost resembles a giant, petrified tree in its own right. About a year before the game released, an early concept of the map got leaked, and the Mountaintops are more reminiscent of a huge snowy mesa or tree stump

[@varden506]

This. This is what lore analysis should be. It’s great to hear a recap of the facts like most other channels do but to have someone take the time to investigate, analyze and pinpoint real life examples that tie the story together better than anything else I’ve seen so far is so enjoyable!

[@DylNewman]

Literally watching your vid with Smoughtown as this was released. I love you guys so much.

[@launcelotdulake8075]

This channel is easily one of the most useful Elden Ring resources out there. All the new context from real history and myth adds so much depth to the lore. Can't wait to see what else you have in store for us!

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Thanks! We enjoy bringing in the IRL references too, so we’re glad people seem to enjoy the combination.

[@kreadapelu8813]

Yes please. Your Gardener Statue explanation is superb. And also all of the other stuff. I would like to think those weapons were actually fancy magic wood kind of like that Lazuli sword or whatever, would make a fun idea. Also, great explanation there for the Great Tree/Erdtree issue that is clearly visible in the actual tree. Makes the appearance of the trees make more sense. Although there are depictions of three intertwining plants and the Church of the Erdtree place has three growing in one spot but still might not be exactly conflicting… I am desperately waiting for the rollback of time on the giant architecture that seems to literally support the whole of the lands between.

[@fiahpoa]

It is such a thrill that this channel even exists. You truly have a talent for uncovering lore that most people would miss. I can't wait to see more. (Also I've looked to see if you have a Patreon - you should make one, I'm sure tons of people want to support your work!)

[@Fullmetalnyuu0]

I second this

[@HANKTHEDANKEST]

HOW DOES THIS CHANNEL ONLY HAVE 23K SUBS??? This is University-level Elden Ring education--I feel like I'm auditing some lecture for fancy kids after degrees, but nope, just a humble content creator making great stuff for our edification. Cheers to you, TA.

[@LastProtagonist]

Good stuff. In addition to the "Saint's" depiction in RTH, the bridge leading up to Leyndell's Eastern Rampart also depicts them and has a different style of masonry. The "highway" from Leyndell to Castle Morne also shows a depiction of the ER that doesn't match any we see in game, save Farum Azula's proto-ER perhaps. For your next few videos, I'd also recommend checking out the "chloranthy" aka chrysanthemum symbolism that appears in Leyndell and Farum Azula as well. Also, nice work on bringing attention to crown sprouting. The depiction of those older statues has always bothered me, and now I have something tangible I can turn to to explain them. I'll need to stew on it a little more. Much appreciated

[@sidewaysfcs0718]

I've noticed that in fact almost all of the roads in the Lands Between feature that Elden Ring sigil with the four-fold symmetry, that is cleary more similar to the central four runes of the Farum Azula Elden Ring. Since we know this ancient road system used to connect the Eternal Cities when they were above ground, it's clear to me that at that time in the past, the road system was much simpler than today and did not feature this Elden Ring sigil, since the Eternal Cities did not worship the Great Tree OR the Elden Ring, and since Stormveil and Morne didn't exist during the peak of the Eternal Empire, i think the ancient road system was subject to rennovation and additional sections being built later. Once the Eternal Cities's people started to slowly convert to the religion of the Great Tree (as seen in the Church in lower Leyndell's sellian quarters), i think the newer sections of the roads were built, along with the castles of Stormveil, Morne, and newer sections of Leyndell (Roundtable Hold) during the peak of the Great Tree era, when Serrosh and the Stormlord ruled over the Land Between, possibly as envoys of the Ancient Dragon civilization and using the Farum Azula Elden Ring, which would then make sense for them to add the four-fold ER symmetry tiles on the road system.

[@EldenStarsofRuin]

Goddamn these are some spectacular lore videos. Instant sub.

[@SolidAlloy2]

Thanks, this was so thought-provoking! The visual narrative of Godfrey is clearly taken from the Arthurian myth, but the story does not fit at all. A barbarian who invaded the lands of a fallen empire after a cataclysm, founded its own empire on the ruins - it looks like the inspiration for this was Charlemagne. You mentioned Leyndell is inspired by Constantinople. Interestingly, there was a marriage planned between Irene, the first empress of Byzantium, and Charlemagne. It did not happen, but it looks like the lore of Elden Ring reimagines what would have happened if the marriage had been successful. Started off as an alliance of two equally powerful empires, Leyndell eventually assimilated the Godfrey's empire because it was more advanced culturally. Such a change from the notion which I got from the first playthrough, that Godfrey was just a champion/warlord who caught Marika's eye. If we draw the connection between Godfrey and Charlemagne, then the fallen empire whose lands he adopted must be something akin to the Roman Empire. The Uhl civilization has more Greek/Hellenistic vibes to me, not the Roman ones. They pioneered the worship of the Great Tree as told by The Tarnished Archaeologist in one of the previous videos. The next civilization which built Stormveil Castle and Fortified Manor must have taken over Uhl and adopted their religion and culture to some degree. They are two different civilizations but the worship of the Great Tree is what connects them. The architecture of the castles does not look Roman at all, but as with Godfrey, the visual narrative may be different from the lore and be inspired by different things. There is the Leyndell Collosseum though, standing at the foot of the Erdtree, and was most likely built when the Great Tree still stood there. Also, the hawks in Stormveil Castle may be an allusion to Aquila, a prominent symbol of eagle used in ancient Rome. This is a huge stretch though, so I'll be waiting for the second part of the video to confirm this or suggest something different. Hope you expand more on the history of the Stormveil civilization and its symbols: hawk and the sculpture of Saint. There's much less known about this civilization even compared to Uhl.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

We have a lot of thoughts on this excellent post. Hopefully we'll answer some of these question in the next video, which will have a lot to say about Stormveil.

[@ultrabear1583]

I thank you for delivering such a splendid video to the lore community, it is so well edited and commentated. I agree with every point you made in this video, and I especially appreciate the amount of efforts you put into delivering these observations in such an elegant form, you come to many of the same conclusions I had, but I can't make such great videos. Moreover, this video greatly broadens my knowledges and perspectives on real world inspirations of western history, archaeology in relation to environment design and lores. Many times when I tried to share these observations and conclusions, it often gets ridiculed by other people because they cannot understand. Again, I'm so glad you deliver these observations to the community. Here, let me add some of my takes too: 1. At courtyard of the fortified Manor that leads to the divine bridge, notice the color of leaves remains red tint, color of the crucible. One possible explanation to this is that Gransax's massive body blocks light from the Erdtree, makes plants at the courtyard unaffected by Erdtree's influence and maintain its primordial color. It reinforces the idea that the fortified manor and divine bridge structures belong to the ancient Erdtree/crucible era. 2. By looking at the old districts of Leyndell which now get destroyed and covered in ashes, I think the ashes and ruins of those areas are caused by the calamity of Gransax once brought upon, the building styles also indicate they predate the modern Erdtree era and some parts even reminiscent to the Eternals' style at Sellia and Ordina. Signs of flame-treated walls on the fortified manor also suggest the disaster Gransax once brought. Judging by the disconnection of Leyndell's closed front gate to the rest of the city, I think the "moat" behind Leyndell's front door was once a landmass too, now sinks underground and possibly becomes the nameless eternal city.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

You've got a keen eye my friend. We were wondering whether to put "Lower Leyndell's" Sellian architecture into this video, but it was already too long as is. Rest assured, though, it's coming soon. The Lower Capital Church has some very interesting details...

[@siddhantshrivastav]

Thank you. I'm so very grateful to have you. You've become the foremost authority on Elden Ring. Please keep it up. I can't go on without your content any longer. 😛

[@DasBaumable]

Since GRRM is always inspired by real world history when doing world building, I cannot imagine a better approach to bring us insights about Elden Ring lore than what you're doing here. Absolutely fantastic stuff, thank you.

[@BlankPicketSign]

This is one of the best Elden Ring videos I've ever seen! THANK YOU!!!

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Thank you!

[@philipjacobsen6550]

best fromsoft content on youtube by far

[@justinjohnson6481]

The problem with this quality of content is that I just want to absorb it all like a damn Hoover and it’s just too rich for me to actually retain everything in one sitting. Amazing job as always.

[@hiddenshadow2105]

On a note of Arthurian legend: I think that Marika is strongly paralleled not exactly or only to Guinevere but to The Grail itself. She is associated with sacred chalices extremely strongly (sacred tears, erdtree talismans) and is metaphysically (and probably physically) represents the well-being of the land.

[@Circadian_Wolf]

Not only that but like the grail she grants eternal life, by plucking the rune of death from the Elden ring.

[@Aceius]

Finding the Roundtable Hold in Leyndell for the first time was one of the best experiences I've had in gaming. Made even better by the fact that I found the side entrance first so when I first walked in I hardly recognized it. Walking into the next room and seeing the anvil, something in my mind suddenly clicked and I realized I needed to pay attention.

[@tlozfreak888]

It's mind blowing to think that, not only did the devs clearly INTEND at the least a significant portion of the conclusions drawn, their work makes it come across to a fairly coherent degree. The design documents for their games must be insane.

[@sablemae8853]

Finally a video about sir chadfrey

[@colindruce-mcfadden9026]

So, a couple things: Excalibur is not the sword in the stone. Also, Arthur unified the chieftains of England under his banner. It might be that the crucible sprouted as many would-be lords as the Great Tree did saplings. If so, each would have likely wielded a unique weapon befitting their status. At this time they may have been peers, who could have sat at the round table emblazoned with the Tree/Crucible crest. That these weapons were thrust into the table shattering the seal, with Godfrey’s axe pointing the way to the throne, likely signals the end of the crucible and the forming of the crucible knights from the would-be lords as they pledged to follow Godfrey. This would then signal the beginning of the Erdtree era as Godfrey joined with Marika at the dawn of the time of plenty.

[@phoephoe795]

Worth noting the Frenzy Flame ending shows the Erdtree as a broken stump. That (giant) broken stump has the same silhouette as the tree branches on the base of those statues.

[@TheAtomkilla]

I absolutely love how you're doing these. Your take is always fresh and well thought out. I wish you could go back through previous From games and analyze them in this manner too, once you're done with Elden Ring.

[@idlemindedmage6925]

This is phenomenal. I love your academic and careful examination of commonly overlooked details. I've already learned so much and will be happily binging your videos. Thank you!

[@agressicum]

For sure it's solves a lot of riddles I noticed during playthrough. Thank you very much for your brilliant work, waiting for further videos!

[@awayman]

Just incredible work. Riveting. Amazing. So thankful for what you’ve shared. This video is the best yet.

[@botero01]

Excellent, Elden Ring deserves and demands this sort of content.

[@Doubtkiller256]

something I didnt see mentioned in the video: The statue discussed in ch. 3, in particular the trunk with all the sprouts growing out of it, looks distinctly similar to the burned husk of the Erdtree during the Frenzied Flame ending. Its really interesting that you draw connections between this statue and the prior/transitive form of the Erdtree! Makes me think harder of the implications of the Frenzied Flame ending

[@labshire]

Incredible video. Looking forward to part two

[@Fullmetalnyuu0]

Every single one of your videos blow my mind repeatedly, this is some INSANSE work you're doing and I practically cheer when I see you've uploaded

[@dmmax18]

I LOVE that you structure your videos as lectures. It brings so much seriousness to them.

[@Rekennnnn]

Cannot wait for the next video. Thank you!

[@pritzi101]

Excellent, as always. A video from you is always exciting to see. The best at this, no competition.

[@theknightowl1040]

Truly incredible work. I get chills. Thanks for the great video

[@retineo716]

Your videos are so very well done. Made my night! Thank you for the hard work.

[@jimb.598]

This lore and architectural analysis is on another level. Well done!

[@johndeighan2495]

I'm full of admiration for the lucidity and depth of your analysis. Bowled over, to be honest! Very well produced too. Excellent work!

[@cory113425]

Making me ask questions I didn't even know I had, very cool video! Having the historical parallel adds so much depth to everything and even MORE room for speculation.

[@pierpaolomercurio]

I'm binging all the elden ring videos while re-playing the game in waiting for the dlc. I adore these.

[@joemcgonagle7177]

Learn so much from this channel. Never realized the ax in the roundtable. Thanks smoughtown for introducing your viewers to this. Definitely a great companion channel for tons of info

[@justinvanheerde4338]

Wonderful video! Thank you!

[@r.p.193]

Amazing video. Its shocking to see how the Arthurian legend is so well weaved. Always thought it would be related to Godfrey somehow, but the crucible link left me speacless. I cant wait to see the next episode!!

[@stourn2399]

oh man if you could do a 3 hour vid, I will be there baby.

[@jorgwei8590]

Your stuff is really blowing my mind-with your ability to draw that much out of the game, and with the fact that From is putting so much in in the first place. It's really really really impressive.

[@wowwow1691]

I can't wait for your next video! Please! You are the only creator that is making any progress with the story. The value of your input cannot be overstated

[@SquatsAndOats2plate]

I happened upon your channel thanks to SmoughTown recommending your video on Farum Azula and I must say your historical/archaeological/architectural approach is not only a fresh angle, but an invaluable one. It's what I love about "Soulstube", no matter if it is Datamining, cultural studies, musical theory, lore presentation or Art our community benefits immensely from people contributing and applying their real world trades and skills to it and grows richer in insight and knowledge by the minute. I find it funny that at first people were joking that GRRM barely contributed to this game aside from giving his initials to the main rune bearers and some cursory world setup, but transforming the Arthurian Legend via Godfrey has his handwriting all over, since he is a self-described history nerd that used many real world historical/mythological occurrences and events as heavy inspiration for his cultures, characters and battles in ASOIAF. Looking forward to more videos!

[@wpb5876]

Fantastic video as always! The amount of detail FromSoft goes into their world building continues to astound. A small detail, which others have no doubt discovered. There are 9 swords thrust into the round table and there are 9 crucible knights spread across the Lands Between. I only discovered this after watching this video, so thank you for letting me feel like a novice archeologist lol

[@Deadgye]

I think this is the first episode of the series so far where I personally believe practically every conjecture made is backed up by enough corroborating trustworthy evidence that they can be taken as facts rather than conjectures.

[@rachelsongedits]

Incredible work! Educational, informative, and engaging. Can't wait to see more! :D

[@BatMatou]

You are a genius !! Cant wait for the next videos ! Thanks !

[@kasiahmura2816]

This is so absolutely amazing. There's plenty of lore creators on yt and a lot of redditors with their own theories (and to not discredit them, they also have some good ideas, its a lore community, not a competition) but through the use of references to real world history and by paying special attention to the environment, only your videos make the lore actually stick together in a way that is coherent and believable.

[@adamblue2980]

Excellent video, as always. I so appreciate the work you put in to share your thoughts and help me better appreciate this incredible game and series. Love your channel!

[@gluelake]

Im in awe. Cant wait to see part 2!

[@nineleafclover1477]

Great video! Your scripts are well written and well researched. Showing the side by side real-life inspirations with the in-game counterpart really drives home your points. This channel's unique visual approach to understanding the lore is a huge wealth of food for thought for the community. Looking forward to the next one! Also, great segment in SmoughTown's video

[@riccardomazzaro1901]

I always considered the Erdtree the "outer layer" of the Crucible, which is the actual, material tree beneath the golden veil. Like the architecture of the subdued kingdoms, even the Crucible was covered by the insignia of the Golden Order: in a way, it connects to the concept of "out of all the different sprouts, only the Golden one was chosen" because the Golden Order won the war and defeated its opponents until only the reign of Marika was left. While the cult of the Crucible was once sacred, under the new reign it became heretical, since the Golden Order would never celebrate the possibility of existence of something different. The Crucible, the representation of the metamorphic nature of matter, changing and shifting at all times, was antithetical to the deterministic doctrine of the Golden fundamentalism, founded on regression and causality. The flame of the Giants burns the Erdtree, NOT the Crucible: after you release it, the tree itself doesn't go down in flames (like it does in the Flame of Frenzy ending), it only loses its Golden aura, replacing it with a burning one. It destroys the symbol of the Golden Order, which was defined by its Golden Erdtree AND by the absence of death (the other thing which symbolically burns down the Erdtree after you release, ending the Golden Order once and for all), but it doesn't destroy the material core of the world, the Crucible, which is what you do only if you become the Lord of Frenzy, denying the possibility of the world becoming something, destroying all differences, stopping the birth of something new from happening. The Three Fingers are fundamentally opposed to the Crucible, to the possibilities which come from the differences between things, and therefore the metamorphosis of things: they regret the choice of the Greater Will of causing that "clinamen", of separating different things from the single one that was before. From this point of view, it only becomes more suspicious that Marika didn't actually kill the Fell God and left one single Giant alive in order to protect that flame. Why would she need the power to destroy her own order? Why does the Grace, a representation of Marika's guide lead us to committ a cardinal sin? Why does Melina realise that the one purpose of her entire life, given to her by her mother, was to burn in order to release that flame? But that's just a theory. A GAAAAAME THEORY! Thank you for reading.

[@GrandStyles]

Brilliant work as always. Looking forward to the next chapter!

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Appreciate the support!

[@am-180]

YESSS so excited when you upload! no ones doing it quite like you!

[@Alex-mn1fb]

ughhh... Love these lore videos of yours. I wish I could travel to the future and binge watch the entire playlist you will probably make by then. 😋 Cant wait for the next one. Always on point with your parallels to our own worlds history, mythology and architecture. I was mind blown once more with a few things you pointed out. I got the parallels between The Roundtable Hold and the Arthurian Round Table in game, but I always saw Godfrey as a Hercules expy, due to his strength and Lion imagery, but Arthur ??? It totally makes sense. And the minute I start to think you are stretching it a little too much for it all to fit, you floor me with Ordovis and Siluria!?!? Iron Age tribes if Britain 😱😊

[@spacemanspiff5322]

Excellent work, yet again

[@sartavin]

Every time I finish watching one of these, I want to load up an new playthrough. Excellent work, especially the stuff regarding the tree coppicing.

[@GtheMVP]

This is fantastic man! I love dissecting the lore/world building of From Soft games. Their art team, along with environmental storytelling is second to none. The ridiculous amount of love and attention to detail gives the world of their games so much depth. It's nice to have someone with your archeological background helping to spot things too. Your presentation, coupled with your keen eye, makes these videos so damn captivating. Great work!!

[@Vegan_Chef_J]

legit makes me feel like my eyes dont work at all...

[@deanski96]

Another great vid man. Learn a lot from your content. Keep it up 👍🏽

[@swamashijudbedolofritt4448]

This entire video gave me the chills. Wow

[@jaken_ya]

Thank you for your high quality content as per usual.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Writh811]

This is an incredible analysis and the Crucible explanation made my jaw drop. Now I'm itching for the follow up!

[@CharlieKellyEsq]

How have i just now stumbled upon your work? This is all incredible, I'm binging this all day

[@justin8865]

Yesss Ive been waiting!!!! You and queelag have the best lore interpretations imo.

[@j_orpz]

Your analysis is incredible and insightful, thanks!

[@Norightnowrong1]

Damn I can’t wait to see your post dlc lore videos

[@brendanxtrom]

These are all so amazing. It’s hard for me to believe that all of this was so deliberate. The amount of work that went into this game just seems impossible to me at times.

[@wyattmorelock5832]

I want to get that bronze axe so danm bad! Another amazing video T.A, thank you for your continued quality and insitful work!!

[@Throne6810]

This a great channel I can’t believe I just tuned in! Thanks for sharing!

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Welcome!

[@bojaylabrum9608]

Truly grateful for and amazed by the amount of love and care that goes into your content. I dont know how your channel has managed to elude me for as long as it has. Im fairly new here though Im not new to Soulsborne as a whole. Ive been debating starting another playthrough of Elden Ring in anticipation of DLC release and I must say that your content has heavily contributed to that. Thank you for what you do. Im late to the party but happy to subscribe. Excited for what the future holds for you and your channel.

[@UltraStarWarsFanatic]

Brilliant. Your work really is on a different dimension compared to the discourse that can be found anywhere else.

[@Necrapocalypse]

I can imagine Godfrey seated at the round table with his knights during council meetings (especially war councils) because that's more conductive to discussion than the throne room setup. The throne room would then be used to receive visitors in a more official and lordly manner.

[@TheApollo90]

Once again another fantastic video. Really excited for next video as I noticed the downfall of the Moses like figure/claymen was missing from the timeline video. Would really like to know what happened to them to end up how they did.

[@danielchincoyarodriguez9532]

Man, I just discovered your videos and I must say they are amazing. The amount of work you put on these must not be understated.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Thank you!

[@HeyGuy4321]

2:41 That scene is so epic!! Ive never played Dark Souls but this makes me want to for damn sure

[@doubleh3978]

7 videos into your channel and you quickly became my favourite Elden Ring lore youtuber. Man even the legend himself Vaatividya should pay respect to the true archaeologist. I love your way of taking lore from the environment.

[@Eagle_SFM]

Just watched your entire series in one sitting on Thanksgiving. Amazing. Liked, subscribed, bell clicked, and looking forward to the notification.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Wow. Have not tried that yet. Glad you made it through! See you at the next one

[@TH3KILLINGFROST]

I've only just found your channel after recently getting into Elden Ring but loving it so far. Very different take on lore than most but so interesting. On a side note.. I love how when watching with CC on it has you referring to the nerd tree, herd tree and archery within about 2 sentences. Ha! Off to binge more. Ty