The Tarnished & Grace | Elden Ring Lore

[@notsmough]

Thank you everyone for watching this video on the Tarnished & Grace, let me know your thoughts below!

[@joepeluso4738]

Any kind of additional smough content is always welcome 💖 Great video like all the rest dude.

[@Vugen18]

Why do you have 2 accounts? is 1 gonna focus on something different?

[@Ron322]

Knowing what we know now, I'm convinced that The Long March was Messmer's Crusade against the Hornsent to secure Marika's ascension to Godhood that we saw in the DLC Story Trailer.

[@Atum_Kami]

Ironically the lore of the confessor, tarnished and numen is why my second playthrough was a numan confessor who loses faith in the golden order and throws the world into frenzy after discovering what marika did to both sides of his linage. He has a strictly faith and arcane with frenzy incantations along with golden order incantations, I see the difficulty of the enemies as the turmoil of his conflicting religious views.

[@Nemo12417]

One thing we now can say with certainty about Grace: it doesn't come from the Greater Will. The Greater Will has, at minimum, been absent from the Lands Between since the Shattering, and based on Count Ymir's dialogue, possibly even before Marika became the vessel of the Elden Ring. Someone else noted that most of the Guidance of Grace either points towards the main quest or shardbearers. The biggest exception are two instances of pointing towards Ranni's quest. It doesn't point towards the Frenzied Flame at all (unless you count the one time it points towards Castle Morne, which is sorta relevant to an NPC who is optionally tied to the Frenzied Flame), nor to the Dung Eater, Goldmask, or Fia. Since Ranni respectfully lays Marika to rest in her ending, this could indicate that Marika was controlling the Guidance of Grace. I suspect Miquella was originally intended to be the heir, as Tarnished Archaeologist pointed out with the art on the seal at the entrance to the Erdtree, but Marika may have changed her mind.

[@battlericky17]

This is great, these snippets into your deeper lore vids will only provide me with more company while i travel the lands of shadow

[@notsmough]

Appreciate that Ricky! Cheers for being here

[@samuel-jam]

Godfrey’s been my favorite Elden ring character since release, he’s very respectful and follows his heart

[@King_WhiteWolf]

Yup! He's my favorite from the game too.

[@joshuacollins9648]

I’ve always thought you should revisit old videos with new perspectives, I’m really glad you’re doing it!

[@gnm4]

Elden Ring lore vids are my fav from you and Hawkshaw. Glad you made another channel mate

[@WhoreForTheLore]

Now we just need to get Hawkshaw to make a Shawhawk side channel

[@kingkuna299]

If Godfrey simply said, "No, I don't think so." to being exiled. Who would've stopped him?

[@theonlyvampirateable]

This thought has me cracking up for some reason.

[@kingkuna299]

@theonlyvampirateable LOL it's a real thought. Especially since Radahn looked up to Godfrey and would probably stand by his side or at the least remain neutral between Godfrey and Radagon.

[@theonlyvampirateable]

@zayhendrix2617 I'm not gonna argue with a giant buff man with a giant axe and a lion on his shoulders lol you do what you need to, my guy lol

[@mrmagpie3637]

I think it was Godfrey's honour that made him leave. He left of his own loyalty to his Queen. But totally if he had said no I didn't even think Marika or Radagon would have been able to stop him.

[@EslytheCrow]

Loving this channel. Thanks for considering those of us who prefer short form but sweet Lore Videos

[@notsmough]

Im pleased to hear that! Appreciate you being here

[@boris-dragosani]

Grace is visually and functionally identical to wisps in germanic and scotish mythologies. With their arms pointing towards your fate. Its a really nice detail that ties a core mechanic back to the mythologies the world is based on.

[@noamias4897]

I think it's a smart brand and business idea to make this channel with more frequent uploads for the YT algorithm. Best of luck to you!

[@notsmough]

Thanks Noamias! I agree and great to see you here.

[@elijahherstal776]

Imagine waking up one day, randomly, in a tomb next to a dead chick. You go outside and get jumped by a spider made of children, then wake up in a cave. You go outside, and this sounds a lot like those places your crazy old grandpa used to talk about. The first person that you meet calls you an incel, the noble knight on horseback immediately tries to murder you, the locals look like zombies, people treat you like a leper, and everyone seems to act like you're there just to ruin the whole country and really you have no idea what is happening and you just want to go home. However, you end up meeting a chick that says something about being fingered, you meet a guy with a helmet beard made of ears, two mummified cat turds want you to kill the most powerful beings on the continent, but it's all kinda good because you marry a doll chick with four arms, beat up her mother, murdered the rest of her family and two best friends, and burnt down a tree larger than a skyscraper.

[@mannytprimeministerofthemanate]

Day 4 of asking the channel name to be changed to orenstville

[@sebastiancollins01]

That's actually pretty funny.

[@WhoreForTheLore]

Nah, m8. _Orensteinburgh_

[@WhoreForTheLore]

The "nstv" is just too fucking rough

[@machi7074]

​@@WhoreForTheLore sounds like a burger special combo served in Anor Londo

[@williamjohnson3474]

We are in your side!!! And we will never give in

[@NorthstriderGaming]

I'm still fascinated that it was not explained where the hell Marika picked Godfrey up from. We know from the DLC that Marika needed a lord for her ascension to godhood so he was around day one, but where exactly did she find him? Like Godfrey and his kinfolk were no ordinary people as their descendants have the power to kill the very gods.

[@noamias4897]

This video explores that topic and is great kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6WxpYWQbLOfoZY

[@WhoreForTheLore]

Fucking "picked Godfrey up from" 😂 I love that way of putting it

[@Writh811]

The game doesn't outright tell you but with a little detective work we learn he was most likely a Highland warrior. The Highland armor set explains they were a group who loved to hunt beasts, especially bears. The Glorified attire adds that those who successfully hunt bears wear red. When we fight the Red Bear bosses they use Hourah Loux's fighting style. The Bear Roar incantation has the same effect as Hourah Loux's roar though Loux does not make a bear head appear. Before Godfrey reintroduces himself as Hourah Loux he scratches his flesh covering himself in the RED of his blood (glorifying his attire). The new bear/beast claw weapon allows you to largely fight light Hourah Loux. Also the Highland armor set has a complimentary look to Godfrey's armor, Godfrey's armor looking more like a Highland King for obvious reasons.

[@rwberger6]

Honestly I like the theory that Godfrey is a "fake" elden lord, and the real elden lord from the start that was part of marika's godhood ritual was Radagon. This is because Messmer is Radagon and Marika's son (red hair and "M" name) and is stated to be Marika's eldest son. But Marika needed a leader experianced in battle and leader for her army for her plans to conquer the lands between, so she brought in Godfrey and made him her consort and defacto elden lord. There is even a talisman description describing Godfrey recieving the blessing of sap from the scadutree, possibly to compensate his strength for not being a true elden lord. This would also explain why once all the conquest was done and Godfrey was tarnished he was sent away and Radagon suddenly brought in.

[@ironbadger8985]

I think Godfrey settled in the badlands because it reminded him of Lingrave, not the other way around. Godfrey seems to be a highlander from the realm of shadow and was very much an adherent of hornsent culture, or at least revered the storm & divine beast at some point. Him wanting to settle in Limgrave is likely due to that culture being respectable to him. He took that culture and hawk reverence with him into the badlands.

[@PaisleySundance]

5:11 There’s a shipwreck visible from the beach west of the Isolated Merchant’s Shack in the Weeping Peninsula as well a ship’s worth of zombies patrolling that same beach.

[@ChanchoWins]

Hi! A comment regarding the "hero" set: While it makes sense to relate the blood line of Nepheli Lou to Limgrave, she tells us that her village was burned. Also, her set has references to the Fire Giants with the red hair and the chains, so my gues is that Hoara Loux tribe came from somewhere north, the frigid outskirts. I believe the tribe was called the Highlanders.

[@aboveaveragecat44]

Ah perfect timing I think I’m going to have myself a nap. The only thing to do really after a nice Elden Ring lore video

[@notsmough]

Hope you slept well!

[@WaterFlame3030]

I did not realize that this was actually you, Smoughtown, until I clicked on one of the vids. I'm actually wheezing at the name now.

[@se7enwonders]

Hello!! I am a huge fan!! I was wondering if it would be possible to put these ER vids on this specific channel in a Playlist? I love to listen while driving or working or even at bedtime! Sadly they won’t all play together without being in a playlist! That would be an amazing if possible!! TY so much for your hard work and incredibly awesome content!!

[@Velventian]

Minor mistake there in the video which actually fits into the lore, Gold actually cant tarnish in a chemical sense, when a metal becomes "tarnished/corroded" it oxidizes, one of the peculiar attributes of gold is actually that it rejects oxygen stronger than oxygen is attracted to it so gold cant really oxidize thus gold cant tarnish in a sense. So you can argue that the grace of gold actually protects someone from becoming tarnished.

[@flotots]

Man, I am so happy this 2nd channel exists

[@sinenomine3449]

Love the theorycrafting bro, amazing job

[@humanname5684]

I love these videos because of the awesome theories and they're so well put together. And the comments are peak

[@zeppie_]

Another banger 🔥✍

[@notsmough]

Much appreciated!

[@cjr1382]

The horah loux description in the remembrance is probably making reference to our fight with horah loux, the long march only ended when he finally lost to us

[@rwberger6]

Except we know Horah Loux/Godfrey died in the badlands. He and the other tarnished are literally dead in the opening cutscene and Horah Loux himself is literally crucified with his lion on a tree.

[@keiroty7187]

You make the tarnished seem like a witch hunt when they were chased out

[@KaneyoriHK]

I think about how the Tarnished, stripped of grace, exiled and yet a Tarnished is what brought about the new order and gifted grace. It's irony. And a pretty appropriate cycle.

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

Why is no one talking about how you can play as an ancient dragon pre dlc in the base game. Drawing connections with Plaucidusax which Godfrey probably respected

[@notsmough]

I do discuss this in my Ancient Dragon video on the main channel

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

@@notsmough what do I search

[@notsmough]

@@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY 'Elden Ring Lore | The Ancient Dragons' SmoughTown

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

@ I’ll see u there lol 🔥👀

[@timjohn1130]

More smough? Marika has truly blessed us with a true all knowing tarnished!!!

[@SerHalfrican]

Your content is great. Disguises? Not so much. Definitely IS Smough

[@protestantanon2534]

Epic fellow Tarnished

[@Arkeon77022]

Personal headcanon: Since the grace is everywhere (essentialy pointing to any route that will get you to an ending), I like to think its the Greater Will itself guiding the Tarnished. Like, it returned, and its decision was to find a random murder hobo to wipe the slate clean for a fresh start.

[@rwberger6]

Thats what I always assumed rather than it being directed by marika.

[@Motifcycle]

Smoughborhood

[@yudi-weiss3827]

So you're telling me the tarnished not only worshipped lions, but hawks too? Awesome

[@ziopera9601]

Hawk too, huh? Who could've guessed!

[@northerncricket5199]

Small correction, gold does not tarnish in real life; gold is an extremely non reactive metal and will not react with air or water to form an oxide layer. Silver, tin, aluminum, copper will tarnish, gold will not rust, oxidize or tarnish.

[@beardfistthegoldenone7273]

24 carat gold doesn't tarnish. Less pure types do. The golden order is mixed and will "tarnish"

[@rwberger6]

Yes, but we become tarnished after losing our "gold".

[@unnoticed9988]

Praying for a Vyke video

[@rwberger6]

Rather than descendants of the tarnished, I believe we, the player character as well as many others are those tarnished themselves returned to life after dying in the outside world. The main tarnished in the opening cinematic are all dead in their scenes. And the opening shows us lying down still in a bland wasteland (purgatory maybe?) and a bit of grace reaches us and we move again. Maybe some tarnished are simply descendants of the original tarnished, but pretty much every tarnished we meet or have reference to in game has lore placing them as one of the original tarnished or living in the lands between before.

[@elusiveDEVIANT]

The spirit tuner lady does not have grace. Its also never stated that all tarnished are dead. Theres active civilizations all over the planet that the lands between resides on. Her coming over in a boat is not inconsistent. Just tarnished who came over, got kidnapped by godricks soliders and that was that.

[@the13Pro]

Godfrey’s Clothes Remind me of Carian Household because of the Silver and Blue Combination. Also would you say Godfrey is Old ? His Hair is Grey and I really want to know what his Hair Color was in his Youth. Furthermore either the Carians, the Albanaurics and Farum Azula are Beast Related. And because of Miquella and Radahn, I can’t unsee the Godfrey Serosh parallel as if Godfrey had a similar Faith as Radahn

[@Shurashina]

KINFOLK 🗣️🔥

[@montizima]

THe Roderika statement does not conflict with Grace. The people from outside the Lands Between might have learned that the Tarnished could go to the Lands Between after death. So, Roderika, and those that followed her, offed themselves so they could make the journey.

[@paralam2175]

It's interesting there's a SPIRIT that talks about Godfrey's return at the end of the game. It's like, it's been some time betweem Godfrey's return and our arrival at the Ashen Capital. If so, why would Godfrey be there for so long? Did he lose his guidance and waited near Morgott's corpse for the final instruction from Grace until we arrived?

[@renem.9061]

This spirit and the one near the revengers shack i find especially interesting. Since they are referencing current events. From most spirit NPC I got the feeling they are on their spots for who knows how long and referencing their last thoughts before their death, as they are seemingly unaware that they are spirits. The game doesnt really provide how spirit NPC‘s fit into the world lore wise and why they are always accompanied with mushrooms. But those two spirits npc just decided to materialize themselves and to reflect on current events?

[@iedawahato]

NotSmough delving into the lore with the precision of Smoughtown. I am very impressed.

[@elijahgabrielnorma2756]

ily smo ❤

[@theredknight9314]

I wonder what lands they visited when they left. I wonder what is outside the lands between

[@mrmagpie3637]

At this point I don't recon anyone has "Grace" the grace doesn't even show you where to go they all point to different places

[@lunausagi8495]

Why would Roderika going to the Lands Between by boat be a conflict to Guidance of Grace pulling you there? Roderika never was blessed with any Grace. She was not pulled or beckoned to Lands Between. If you read her Hood’s description it mentions it is a parting gift for unwanted nobles sent away to die

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

Us proving to Godfrey is the same level of significance when you talk about what the fact that the Elden beast through grace lead you to fight every one including itself to usher in a new age All seeming like a punishment or a true abandonment Except Perfect Order ending Perfect order is golden order and also is the greater will But I feel like the greater Will is a split verse two gods that created the other outer gods

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

Anybody ever think that the “tarnished” were labeled as so because there state of being made people thing Godfrey and his clan were responsible for Marika being “no where to be found” Which would lead to the night of the black knives shortly after

[@rwberger6]

The night of black knives happened BEFORE the shattering and Marika disappearing from the public.

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

@@rwberger6 I need to see proof of that cause to my knowledge there is no clear time line in regards to that

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

@@rwberger6 like I get what you’re saying but I’m saying what if Marika being know where to be found was a accumulating situation

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

Meaning what if she was already gone…. Point being we think that the Night of Black knives lead to her shattering the ring What if she already gave up on the lands between So she already was hiding hence why people say she might’ve planned it Mind you we are humans she’s our god But we outta everybody knows the truth

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

@@rwberger6 so like all I’m saying what if she 1. Planned night of black knives 2. Went to hiding 3. When mission completed shattered the ring (cause she wanted to but also cause the outer god possessing her HAD to) Common interest for different purposes type of thing My whole ideology is that She planned that shit and she went rouge in the eyes of her/our outer god/main outer god Golden Order I say Golden Order might’ve had to which cause her to do it but what if (shattering the ring) was common interest but for different purposes For Marika, to preserve her and her people through her kids For golden order, MARIKA fukked up It’s plans to have Godwyn to be that God/consort that we see in shadow of the erdtree

[@BEETLEDJUICE]

The 1 boat, isn't that boat the boat we see in radahns arena?

[@Banuune]

13:42 WHY IS THE CONFESSOR STANDING ON THE RIGHT!? AAAAAAAH

[@justinmacdonald2102]

So this is making me think about certain characters like Anastasia who you fight a bunch of times but finally end up killing her. Would you reason that as us finally breaking her spirit and when she gives up she finally dies?

[@AeroZephron]

You gonna do some Path of Exile 2 Lore?

[@MHWdJ]

13:10 Not ancestors. Descendants. It annoys me so much that those two get mixed up all the time ***EDIT*** nvm. There is already a visual correction in the video. I listen to the videos, so I didn't catch it at first.

[@langstonsgaming3070]

What if there is a new game where it takes place where the tarnished fled to before some came back to the lands between and they know off the world before it was spit in the grace and shadow

[@renem.9061]

It always bothered me, that the intro cutscene named fia, dungeater, godfrey, goldmask, gideon and us specifically when so many more tarnished seemingly ressurrected/returned to the lands between. At first i thought those were the ones who can still see graces guidance and can revive, but during the game it turned out, thats not the case as everyone stay dead. Only 3 of those could produce a mending rune and not all of them were part of the roundtable so it cant be that. So what had they in common what made them so special to be mentioned? But even from this short list we are the only special one who still ressurrects after dying. So what makes the playercharacter this special? And if we are this special, why are we arriving so much later than seemingly everyone else? Especially why do we arrive at the church of anticipation when all others seemingly arrived per boat? Are we the last tarnished candidate there is and thats why grace is defaulting back to us? Why else is grace still reviving as even if we oppose the golden order/ fight and kill the elden beast or choose to host the frenzied flame yet everyone else just lose it for some arbitrary reason?

[@rwberger6]

Because they are the ones who play a major role in OUR journey to become elden lord. We were pre-selected to become the next elden lord, but to make it happen certain other things needed to happen and line up to get us to the capital, past Morgots seal, burn the tree to get past the thorns, release the rune of death, and of course make us strong enough to overcome radagon and the elden beast which would be standing in our way. They are important enough to be mentioned in the cutscene because they were necessary for OUR journey and growth, not their own.

[@saiuan4562]

i am confused. why have you made a second channel, for re-uploading clips from your longer videos?

[@dangerousfables]

Pretty sure this is new content.

[@Patchy_Skillz]

So what were the tarnished called before the Tarnishing?

[@danuole5974]

Would it be possible for a player tarnished not to be a mere decent of Godfrey's warriors but one of the original tarnished themselves? If Godfrey can return why not the other original tarnished!

[@criticalkel6045]

If Godfrey is guided by grace, why do we revive and he doesnt?

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

What if tarnished were hounded out because of being accused of killing Marika under the order of Godfrey in response to her shattering the ring

[@rwberger6]

The tarnished were sent away and Radagon brought in before the shattering happened. There is a pretty lengthy period of peace between the tarnished being banished and the shattering where Radagon ruled as elden lord and had kids with Marika. Marika disappears after she shatters the elden ring because she is taken into the erdtree to be punished for her crimes by the elden beast.

[@TyTy-kr3xo]

Gotta ask cause in pewdiepies no death run he showed we don’t die from the grafted scion it leaves us at one hp and throws us in the water

[@rwberger6]

Because the point of the grafted scion's is to capture tarnished to bring back for grafting for Godrick. Grafting works better if its fresh.

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

What if the two fingers came when Astel and Mytr came to lands between and corrupted ancient ruins of rauh leading to hornsent doing what they did

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

What if the two fingers we meet is actually betraying the rest of the fingers by not talking to us after beating Morgott BECAUSE it could no longer help us because it is not trying to commit a conflict of interest in the minds of us the tarnished when we find out that mytr is a child’ of the greater will that came here AFTER elden beast It only tells us enough to get to where all we have to do is commit cardinal sin

[@SirCowdog]

"Not smough" rofl!

[@ETERNALXGAMEPLAY]

What if the confessors are labeled as so because they know something that most don’t Maybe that no one knows Kinda like being a part of the cia but you’re osama 👀 What I’m saying what if they knew Marikas true nature That she is just a rouge vessel of golden order I feel like a lot of things are true while not being true at the same time And the lines are blurred because Marika and her story But in short I think she went rouge in the eyes of the outer god inhabiting her body Because of her actions while being in power She plotted night of black knives so that her offspring could live on since her people were killed by the creations of the golden order I feel like the crucible was the golden order’s other half because first off if nothing is being born than there is no need for order What if crucible is like a egg and golden order like sperm And this the other outer gods are born And one day Astel natural born of the void brought along outer gods that were inhabiting it’s own being The two main ones being formless mother and rot god And through their influence the hornsent commuted the original sin

[@ericsmith1517]

shame we couldn't fight serosh. he just gets splattered by lord thick thighs.

[@brianbrianbification]

Alt channel yooo

[@Governothing]

Is marika a grace of gold digger?😅

[@eliezertorres9236]

Short video lmao

[@bartmongiello]

Who is this ripoff of Smoughtown? 😊

[@francescofr9842]

For those of us still studying this masterpiece it's always a treat listen to your point of view 🫡

[@notsmough]

Really appreciate that!

[@dangerousfables]

Amazing stuff. I’m just finishing Sekiro for the first time. Excited to listen to your vids on that too.

[@jbowdensdeliveryservice845]

You are a work machine

[@soup7850]

Sure sounds like smough