We need to talk about the Misbegotten. | Elden Ring lore

[@kitetales]

I FOUND THE DAGGER: studio.kzbin.infouIT-RMhxf_M/edit

[@nemo9864]

Erdtree: If they didn't want to be slaves, they shouldn't have been born.

[@kitetales]

I’m gilding you for this comment

[@larryjohnston9204]

@@kitetales I honestly can't tell if you meant "Gelding" or "Gilding" and it makes both of these comments so much better lmao

[@bungiecrimes7247]

They just like me frfr ong

[@mrjooxmanallah]

Sounds like America 😂

[@acksOldPeople]

In these fantastical worlds, it's the human element that keeps people coming back to the stories told in Miyazaki's games. Being ostracised for being ginger is just another example of his effortless weaving of real-world struggles into his work.

[@kitetales]

"Gingers have no souls" is the obvious message we've been missing all this time 😆

[@axemurdrer13]

@@kitetales they might not have souls but at least they have a lot of runes! XD

[@_CrimsonBlade]

no

[@yourdad5799]

@@_CrimsonBlade bro said no 💀

[@FarmerSlayerFromTheEdoPeriod]

Gingers are ostracised where you live? Those kissed by fire are blessed with beauty we say.

[@CodeNerdRudi]

When discussing the connection between smithing, hammers, giants, and the misbegotten I was expecting a reference to arguably the most famous smithing moment in Elden Ring. Radagon attempting to repair the golden order.

[@WAR3600]

Exactly, I don't think that it's a coincidence. He is like a divine blacksmith trying to repair the Elden Ring itself

[@PeachT87]

Radagon was a tailor, not a smith.

[@AlbertusSalvatierra]

I believe the giants themselves are cursed by their god - the malformed cyclopean flame deity of ruin. I would assume that is the case since their red hair is characterized as a curse, their purpose to harness the flame is a curse, and I can’t imagine having the likeness of your god growing out of your stomach to also not be a curse. Perhaps the Giants weren’t always “fire” giants seeing as they aren’t native to the mountains, and we do in fact find skeletons of giants in Caelid. Honestly feel bad for them ngl

[@kitetales]

That is a great connection, and if the growth was a manifestation of their god, that totally backs up an idea that the red hair curse would be a parasitic relationship, which supports the theory that Radagon was the humanoid manifestation of the curse Marika expelled from her body. Oh also I just saw an image while working on this, but the Trolls empty cavity looks like it sits right below where the nose of the face on the Fire Giant ends; like they carved out the face of their god when they betrayed the giants. Really cool detail I just never noticed!

[@psychoticbreaks167justletm4]

Worth noting here, Trolls have something in their chests resembling an old tablet wrapped in roots, suggesting less of a liberation and more of a new master.

[@lonelyshpee7873]

One thing I've always liked about Elden Ring is how some of the friendliest NPCs belong to the same species as enemies you fight. You've got Hewg, Boc, Iji, Rya, Alexander and I'm probably forgetting a few others. Really helps show the player that they aren't just monsters. Hewg really helped me see the Misbegotten in a different light.

[@kitetales]

I love that too. Hewg and Iji were among my favorites.

[@shmillbe3390]

I consume the runes of all, may the flame cleanse all

[@lp.shakur]

had that same thing happen to me in my ng+ run, you really don't wanna kill them, it's like, no my misunderstood thingies, chill, but they never do ☹️ so you know what's up 😂

[@Jack567898]

Gathlan Wheel? Gathlan deal!

[@ythandlename]

Gostoc is just a commoner servant but with one arm and the cynic attitude of a senior worker.

[@charlafox5701]

If radagon does have giants blood in him, it makes sense that he uses smithing to try to fix the runes that got shattered

[@kitetales]

Yes! He’d definitely know how to smith if it was in his heritage.

[@adrielortega7352]

But he is Marika...

[@AlbertusSalvatierra]

The story of Castle Morne is quite fitting tbh, given its past. It was an old castle situated upon the coast, from which a fearsome clan of warriors presided. Godfrey slew them all, and in an bid of revenge, the last standing warrior of Morne took the blades of his clansmen and forged a grafted greatsword. Though even in death, the blade of the rebel revenger was memorialized. And so it’s quite fitting for the leader of the Misbegotten slaves of Morne to acquire such a sword, and lead his people against their slavers. It’s also quite telling of Godrick. In a desperate attempt to cement his status as Lord of the region, he assigns a banished knight as commander and castellan of Morne, accompanied by a number of allied soldiers and various nobles likely affiliated with the golden lineage’s failed insurgency of the capital. But it all went to crap when the slaves revolted and killed everyone. And so the slaves that belonged to Godfrey’s descendent evoked the revengeful wrath of Morne’s troubled past, set into place then by Godfrey himself.

[@kitetales]

I think Morne has one of the most interesting backgrounds in the game. Would love to have learned more about its original residents that Godfrey wiped out!

[@matiasluukkanen7718]

No. Land of Eochaid was laid to waste by Marika's warriors when she established her supremacy and Godfrey conducted raids to neighbouring lands. Surviving member of the clan of Eochaid swore revenge, melted the swords together, and set sail to Lands Between to enact his vengeance. He built a castle in the southernmost tip of the Lands Between, expanding the castle layer after layer, until it became mighty defensive bulwark. The castle clearly is made to defend attack by land, not by sea, and has been steadily built from sea to inland to ensure foothold in lands between. This revenger was Elemer. Elemer was apprehended by Godfrey and taken to Shaded Castle, where he was supposed to be executed. But revenger was not killed. Maleigh Marais, as he was private believer in scarlet rot, was not the most loyal executioner. He or Golden Order confessors thought use for Elemer and wrapped the Eochaid armor in cursed briars, that in Lands Between indicate "a sentence of death" and kept him around. He was forced to become a clandestine agent, made to hunt the nomadic people that were suspected being infected by Flame of Frenzy. This enlisting of death-row criminals is common practice in Lands Between, as they are used as workers and warriors in clandestine matters, in case of thorn sorcerers serving Fire Monks, and Elemer serving Marais family. Briars mark them as criminals and might even compel them to succeed in their duties. Elemer was to serve, until at last he was to be released from this service by execution. Elemer became infamous as Briar Knight, his true identity as a revenger kept secret, hunting nomadic merchants to quell the Frenzied Flame. But when he was supposed to be executed at long last, something happened. Perhaps it was Shattering which weakened magical bonds of briars, or later in timeline when unconscious Malenia and her escort, Finlay entered Shaded Castle with detachment of Cleanrot Knights. With troops loyal to Malenia, perhaps Elemer was able to stage a coup and wrestle the control of the castle from Marais. Or perhaps Maleigh Marais was so smitten by Malenia, he tried to create his own rot swamp outside, leaving things like duty and his responsibilities, quite figuratively to rot. So Elemer is in all effect castellan now. Whatever happened, Elemer was nonetheless able to escape his looming execution, stealing the storied sword of House Marais, and wielding it with arts of Eochaid. Maleigh Marais was unceremoniously dumped from his own castle. We eventually finish what our ancestor Godfrey started, and slay the final surviving member of Eochaid, the same revenger who arrived to Lands Between so long ago, seeking vengeance.

[@AlbertusSalvatierra]

@@matiasluukkanen7718 I love how you just made all of that up. You can assert your own interpretation of the lore however you want, but what I just said can be pulled from the game word-for-word as well as observed. You have your personal correlations, I have my facts. It’s simple as that.

[@hobosorcerer]

@@matiasluukkanen7718 That's very interesting... but pretty much nothing supports the idea that the grafted greatsword or castle morne has anything to do with Eiochad.

[@lechaatr193]

Misbegotten are called « radagon child » in Japanese so I think you know what it means for your theory

[@kitetales]

Oh wow really?! Whew, then they did not get their daddy's genes!

[@AlbertusSalvatierra]

@@kitetales I think they were called that in 1.00 in an unused item description (Radagon Chimera) but not in Japanese. Just as the Nox were referred to as “Empyrean Family” or “Descendants of Marika.”

[@victorprati7908]

They're called like that in MODEL FILES not as in game. Kind of intriguing but very misleading

[@Trimondius]

@@kitetales Self incest usually lands you being an ugly looking sod,just ask malenia and miquella.

[@Psilo-gn1sx]

To be fair, even though they changed the file name, "misbegotten" literally translates to "bastard" in several languages

[@matiasluukkanen7718]

I think Misbegotten motivations and origin is curiously tied to Miquella's Un-alloyed epithet. Marika/Radagon is not a true 100% child of gold. She was not born of proper wedlock (as a Numen), or even as a child of copper, (Fire-Giants). Marika is not all that golden. She/he was divine bastard child (favorite trope of Martin's) of Numen, and horribly stunted Fire-Giant, Milos, creating child of gold and copper, in other words, an alloyed child. Gold that we refer as gold most often is just alloy of different metals, most notably, often copper and gold. 50-50 of this mix is called red-gold, evoking red nature of Crucible to mind. It often has impurities as well. Marika, the divine bastard child, reviled her fire giant heritage and tried to externalise and separate her Fire-Giant half as much as she could, so much so that she split into two. Fully divided in mind and deed, (but not in body which they share) into her Numen half, and Fire-Giant half. Godly schizophrenic. They are the same person, but Marika is the side this God wants to show to the world. Marika is Radagon. Radagon is Marika. The Alloyed Child of Gold and Copper. Miquella was directly born from Marika's Numen side, while Malenia is born from Radagon's Fire-Giant heritage. Miquella is thus truly golden. Miquella, in his declaration of Un-alloyed Gold, is saying that he wants to become Greater Will's true representative, because unlike Marika, his gold is pure and truly un-alloyed. He is truly a child of gold, not a hint of impurity found. However, Misbegotten are the children of Radagon. Because Marika/Radagon is/are responsible of the new births through Erdtree, sometimes Radagon's characteristics "ruin" the golden batch Marika oversees. Cycle of new births is much like metallurgy in Elden ring, and the nascent life becomes alloyed with beastial and vestigial characteristics. These are misbegotten, mistakes of Marika, who inherit Radagon's nature in opposed to Marika. Marika is mother to all humans, made in image of her. But Radagon is father to all misbegotten. When Miquella declared he would create age of un-alloyed gold, there is implicit meaning there would be no more Misbegotten around. Because again, misbegotten are born partially of devolution through Radagon, who is Marika. Copper-Gold alloy has impurities. So the misbegotten reacted in religious fervor against Un-alloyed gold. They formed a great crusade, led by Leonine Crusader brandishing Radagon's trademark sword. They intended to storm the Haligtree to put stop to Miquella's plans. Vanguard traveled all the way to Consecrated Snowfield, and managed to slip into Haligtree Town, (either by flying or by deception) slaughtering its people. But after seeing Haligtree was dying and rotting anyway, they were horrified by their actions and after massacre, are praying forgiveness from Marika/Malenia/Miquella statues. And remaining misbegotten camp in cave of the Forlorn at the Snowfield is full of despairing Misbegotten, their entire crusade fully for naught.

[@kitetales]

Okay, you’re hired. 😆 This was beautifully written oh my gosh!! This is an amazing theory and it makes so much sense. Best theory on the Radagon/Marika debate I’ve seen. Thanks so much for sharing this here!

[@daanthedoctor]

I must add that isn't what schizophrenia is, not at all. You're probably thinking of dissociative identity disorder, but that's still not quite the same as those two's situation, just similar in the way that it's multiple people in one body. But it's not a mental thing as much as it is just typical strange mythological god shenanigans.

[@sckecherten8304]

This make a insane amount of sense once properly know the lore

[@jackweaver1846]

While this is very convincing, and I agree with a great deal of it, I find some of your conclusions to be speculative at best. My main issue is your assumption that Milos is Marika’s father is, well, odd. All we know about Milos is that he was a giant of small stature. Certainly, this is not enough information to then say that he is the father of Marika. More likely, this is suggesting that he was the first of the trolls, and even that is sheer speculation. I think your theory is strong, the the inclusion of baseless conjecture stated as fact really brings it down a lot. You should state when you are speculating vs when you are stating confirmed fact, otherwise you will lower your credibility or misinform the reader.

[@CreativeUsernameEh]

Nah, Miquella is all about letting all flourish: misbegotten, omen, whatever. The Haligtree was for everyone outcast by the Golden Order. Unalloyed Gold is to REMOVE the influence of outer gods not to invite it: the needle is the only thing that cures rot or frenzy, so it would remove the influence of the greater will too.

[@jaycielle]

You've pulled together a ton of little details that made me go "hmm, these things FEEL connected but idk how or why" alongside another ton of things I never knew or noticed, and you've made a really satisfying tapestry of truths and theories, good job! I'd love to say I'm surprised but, to be honest, this is the kind of thing you nail in essentially every video - so instead, I'm just impressed, great work!

[@kitetales]

Thank you, Jay! I was excited at the possible connections with the sword and hair, but we're given so little to go on that I had a lot of assuming to do for this one, so I appreciate hearing it at least sounds like it fits together! :) Thanks for watching and for the kind feedback.

[@jaycielle]

@@kitetales You deserve it! All of these links hold up, and - as you know - the best possible result of Soulsbourne theories and videos is that they can stand on their own two feet, rather than be proven by the creator (Miyazaki is never going to do that hahaha) When Elden Ring came out, Vaati said he'd hold off on videos to allow new creators to have the space to truly flex their wings and create great content that wouldn't be overshadowed by a similar video he had that would get more attention purely algorithmically - you are such a brilliant example of that philosophy working and I'm glad to give you a compliment that you see in that regard! I still regularly think about your Dominula video when playing the game - there's details that suggest different ideas, but both their behaviour and that sorcerer hanging around outside the town are so compelling that I think of you regularly and am still not swayed away from your theory haha - thanks for the consistent satisfying brain-tickles!

[@hamsterhotep]

Somewhat tangential thought: The Crucible, very much like a blast furnace, was designed and used for a purpose, to craft the Ancient Dragons. Once they were forged, the crucible was left to its own devices. cooled, and the blending of raw vitality and life led to...by-products, lesser dragons and less desirable things. The slag. The misbegotten. There's probably more in this metaphor, but it's late, and I need to be up for work later.

[@TheRisky9]

Slag is metal that is oxydized under high heat and often mixed with other trace elements and impurities. Its brittle and often typically not suitable for anything.

[@hamsterhotep]

@@TheRisky9 Calcium silicate in an iron blast furnace, if I remember my chemistry.

[@TheRisky9]

@@hamsterhotep I just remember having to chip the crappy stuff off my welds. If I welded a bead and didn't chip off the slag, then tried to weld another bead over it, that weld will break.

[@jewelcloud836]

The lore surrounding Radagon never seems to end, he and Godwyn have the most mysterious backstories to me. Even more questionable and enticing than that of Marika or Ranni..

[@kitetales]

I totally agree. Radagon’s story captivates me the most.

[@cyborgcatrj6794]

I wondered about that at times, it’s also possible that given his nature Radagon was trying to integrate the Misbegotten into the Golden Order as he had with Caria. Since Golden Order Fundamentalism is rooted in breaking down and studying the Golden Order, he might have taken an interest in the crucible. Also given the large numbers of nameless demigods that were slain on the night of the black knives, it probably isn’t a stretch to guess Radagon and/or Marika could have had some misbegotten bastard children.

[@Xandros999]

Kenneth Haight certainly thought demihumans were redeemable. Not sure how misbegotten relate to demihumans. I Always kind of lumped them together as different kinds of demihumans.

[@cyborgcatrj6794]

It seems to be implied that demihumans are the descendants of the beastmen of Farum Azula, if not a separate race that has lived in the lands between alongside them and humans. Misbegotten may be born of humans like Omens, but I’m not sure about that. Given their features they definitely have ties to the Crucible.

[@bluhd2265]

​@@cyborgcatrj6794the demihumans are more like cavemen, they a very inteligent they just live like neholitic people. There is a reasin sorcerers from raya lucaria were teaching them sorceries

[@FugaxContrapunctus]

In regards to the Misbegotten Crusader at Cave of the Forlorn and how he could have been entrusted with the Golden Order Greatsword, I have a few interpretations: First off, the very title of this boss is pretty suggesting. We know as a fact due to Morgott's dialogue that the Grace-Given Omen King considered all other contendants during the Shattering wars, his own demigod brethren, to be traitors against the Golden Order. Including Miquella, whose rings of light incantations state that Radagon and his son exchanged these spells as gifts once Miquella decided to abandon Golden Order Fundamentalism, given that it could simply and bluntly put do nothing to treat her twin sister's cursed affliction, Malenia's scarlet rot. Could it be that Morgott too would come to see Miquella as a traitor sullying the Golden Order with his Unalloyed Gold, and thus, once the Shattering began, would have attempted to make war upon his province? It should be worth noting that reaching the Haligtree, as can be experienced in game, is no easy task. Both halves of the medallion are dispersed at way quirkier locations than their Dectus counterparts, and getting your hands on them involves defeating Gideon Ofnir's henchman Ensha first and then a ton more enemies before you reach Castle Sol for the second half. I doubt this had always been the case prior to the Tarnished returning to the Lands Between. As mentioned by the finger reader at Raya Lucaria's Bellum Road Gate, the one who wields the medallion needed to activate the Grand Lift of Dectus and reach the capital would be the new Elden Lord. Could it be that medallions could originally only be wielded by those claiming lordship over the lands beyond a Grand Lift? Another matter: why are the few Misbegotten present on Leyndell not in the sewers with the rest of the regal Omen? Whereas Morgott's dominion kept the Omen living their miserable existence underground, he seemed keen in letting the Misbegotten remaining in his golden capital stay on the surface relatively unchecked. This predicament could have been motivated by one main reason, most likely respect for the mandates of the recently disappeared Elden Lord Radagon. Finally, with the information, hypotheses and evidence provided and posited, I believe we can piece up a cohererent theory for the mistery involving the Cave of the Forlorn: Once the Shattering was set into motion, the Erdtree spurned all who attempted to enter from outside. Morgott would use this as his argument to become Leyndell's keeper and Guardian of the Erdtee, and would then wage war upon his demigod brethren. It is most likely that, just as the Elden Lord crown was shown to stay outside the Erdtree at the time of Marika's shattering of the Elden Ring, so could have been the Golden Order Greatsword. What if Morgott had entrusted a Leonine Misbegotten among the ones heading towards the Haligtree under Miquella's protection with this legendary armament to revolt against his new-found enemy, the Unalloyed? As stated above, only the Lord of a given land could wield its lift medallion, which in the Haligtree's case had one half stolen after Mohg kidnapped the ever-young empyrean. There's no way the Leonine Misbegotten Crusader could have gotten there otherwise on his own. After all, the entire Consecrated Snowfield us frequently stated to be "Miquella' secret land", inaccessible by any means other than the Grand Lift of Rold itself when using the "secret" medallion in question. I find it very likely that the Cave of the Forlorn is the only place where this crusaders either thought they could find refuge or establish a base of operations and then got trapped between giant crabs, land octopi and Theodorix, a magma wyrm in its full might, thus leading to the entire operation failing. Which would make sense considering that Morgott in all likelihood did not know what dangers awaited across the Consecrated Snowfield should one wander stray through the blizzard without any guide. Anyways, this is plainly put fully speculative and should be taken, like the vast majority of lore theories on Elden Ring, with a grain of salt. Also, mymost committed thanks to whoever is reading this for staying up until this point.

[@davidlow862]

On a side note, Kite has such a kind and reassuring voice. You're having a bad day, and you listen to her, and you find yourself thinking "Yknow, things are gonna be ok." :)

[@kitetales]

I appreciate that!! :')

[@robomonkey1018]

Agreed analysis and presentation also excellent.

[@kitetales]

Thank you! ❤️

[@jor8025]

Legit thought it was that one tts at first

[@foxyloxyBABE]

Agree with that david! 🥰 she has such a lovely voice

[@ChaoticChief117]

0:03 Yes, that was exactly what I was thinking

[@kitetales]

I knew it

[@eliasovesen1463]

Awesome video! Just one interesting thing I don't know if you missed is that the misbegotten are called "Children of Radagon" in the game files that the developers use. Which has to be taken with a grain of salt, as their story probably has changed since they named them that, but it's still an interesting connection.

[@kitetales]

Thanks so much! Yeah that’s definitely a good clue; I read an amazing comment yesterday supporting the theory that Radagon has the ability to create life so would line up with them being his children per creation.

[@Thebdippy]

Marika hittin the omens and misbegotten with that spiritual non-compete clause smdh 😔

[@victorprati7908]

That fight against a Crucible Knight and a leonine misbegotten in Red mane Castle (not in Radahn festival mode) is another cool hint about their connection.

[@kitetales]

Yes! That’s another great connection of note.

[@davidlow862]

I missed you guys. You're positivity is a ray of sunshine in a world that needs every bit of it.

[@kitetales]

Aww thanks, David! It's been a rough year so far; I'm glad to kind of getting back to making things. :)

[@davidlow862]

@@kitetales oh I'm sorry to hear that. I pray thing are better now, and that this still pretty new year will have blessings in store for both of you :)

[@yengereng9962]

on the subject of that winged misbegotten dagger. it looks extremely close to the cinquedea wielded by the high ranking clergyman of farum azula with the main difference is the absence of the five finger decorations. makes me think that the misbegotten and the beastmen are closer than i thought, especially since it is thought the five fingers celebrated beastmen intelligence granted upon them.

[@kitetales]

YES!!! I thought the same thing! I ended up cutting it out though when I overlayed them and the shapes didn't line up... I thought the blade was too ornate compared to the Cinquedea, but I'm glad you see that connection too!

[@yengereng9962]

@@kitetales glad our thoughts sync up haha! though they may not exactly line up, i still personally think it could be significant, as the dagger couldve had a more traditional shape but instead has more or less the same blade profile of the cinquedea, could maybe hinting at some kind of evolution or past collaboration between beastmen and misbegotten? especially since youve made the connection of misbegotten possibly being linked to dragons, and that beastmen worshiped dragons (well ancient dragons but dragons nonetheless lol).

[@Xandros999]

Ooh.. the golden order greatsword is even more like a cinquedea. That was made from a moonlight sword consecrated to the erdtree faith. Five finger blade.... 2 fingers + 3 fingers.... I don't know if it means anything. The Golden Order certainly has excised aspect thought to be impure and seemingly retains not the bestial aspect of the five fingers that signified the intelligence granted to beasts, but certainly the human aspects. Perhaps the Greater Will has similarly excised impurity from itself, that is of course the 3 fingers. Please excuse my rambling stream of thought. I'm not convinced of these things, it's just interesting to think about.

[@GruesomeLue]

It was a metaphor for how we treat gingers all along!

[@SaxSlaveGael]

Very late to this one, but have you ever considered the connection of the Misbegotten to Vargram the Raging Wolf? The raging wolf armor set is uncannily similar to how the misbegotten looks. And just like the Misbegotten, he wields the Godslays Greart Sword. Another legendary weapon, and the misbegotten seem to constantly get their hands on these legendary swords. Considering the trailer materials always feature the raging wolf set, it surprises that there is very little lore exploration amongst the community around the mystery of vargram. Anyway just thought I'd share. Absolutely love your content Kitetales.

[@rodithsoreyes6173]

Very well thought out and easy to understand

[@kitetales]

Thank you very much! 😊

[@zynosgd9982]

All the cool lore and awesome video aside, that was a sick Melina impression!

[@kitetales]

Haha thank you!! She rocks the creepy whisper voice!

[@movespammerguyteam7colors]

It’s confusing, the Dark Moon Greatsword is the Carian King’s Badge of Office. Radagon reforged his sword to symbolize the bond between Caria and the Golden Order. The strangest part is how the Golden Order Greatsword ended up where it did, maybe when Radagon returned to the Capital to serve as Elden Lord Marika demanded he dispose of what was essentially his wedding ring to Rennala to prove his loyalty to her. It is possible that Radagon gave the sword to Miquella as he seemed worthy to carry on the lineage of the Golden Order as the sword is found in Miquella’s protected territory. And it also sounds like Radagon was cursed with red hair in retribution for his actions in the War against the Giants as it is believed that Marika and the Giants cursed each other via magic.

[@jackweaver1846]

The last part of the comment, about Radagon being cursed by the fire giants, is really what I have believed since my first play through. My interpretation, which may go into a bit too much speculation admittedly, is that Marika had always been a rebus, and that she disguised herself as a man to fight alongside the tarnished and Godfrey in the war against the giants. The mimic veil is called “Marika’s mischief,” so the connection to Marika and the changing of one’s form as a disguise is textual. We also know that she was at the mountaintops during the war since she gave her speeches at the churches there. So then, she fights the giants and wins, cursing the last giant to tending the flame for eternity, and in return, her male half (which would have been the one that she was using at the time) was cursed with red hair. I think this curse actually led to the division between Marika and Radagon, in terms of ideology at least. I picture pre-curse Radagon to essentially just be Marika but with male features, representing the warrior half to Marika’s scholarly half (as seen by the effects of their respective seal talismans). But after the curse, Radagon became a separate entity with his own thoughts and ambitions. Let me know what you think.

[@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962]

I just wanted to point out that the Misbegotten are not unlike Caliban in Shakespeare's The Tempest, and the faces of the Misbegotten seem to be based on Gustave Dore's illustration of Caliban. The Tempest takes place on a magical island that once belonged to a dark goddess/sorceress (like the Gloam-Eyed Queen) who was Caliban's mother. Caliban also is traditionally depicted with fur and scales and such Crucible-like features.

[@kitetales]

This is the kind of insight I love to hear!

[@jonarhax3388]

I like the idea that radagon is the dad of the misbegotten and they're all inbred, since they weren't always beastlike so they reproduced on their own and stayed this way

[@kitetales]

Radagon siring thousands of inbred children is nightmare fuel

[@codyperry3450]

Your videos are great, keep it up !

[@kitetales]

Thank you!

[@plasticreplica]

I actually thought the great hammer was radagon's. He is a smith and if we think of him as a descendant of the giants and all that self hate and repenting to the golden order it can be an interesting theory

[@Xandros999]

There is some material that refers to him as being a "champion" I think at the outset of the 1st Liurnian War. It's not on the sword monument though.

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

While the Misbegotten Dagger doesn't really line up perfectly with it, and definitely isn't the same model as it, its the same general type of dagger as the Cinquedea (which is a dagger/short sword type who's name is more or less a slight alteration of what would translate to Five Fingers (Cinque = 5 and dea is close to dito, which means finger)). Since the Cinquedea was a model of shortsword/longdagger that was used as a self defense weapon by commoners, and the dagger they have works perfectly well as one, it could just be that this is traditionally the type of dagger that worshippers of the Erdtree give graceless servants or people of low class who may need to defend themselves. Or they stole them from people who were allowed to own swords but were still on the lower class. The reason I say this is because the Cinquedea in Elden Ring is also the weapon of Guranq, the alter ego of Maliketh. It could have either been given to him or he took it up after he sealed away his sword inside himself and didn't want a fancy weapon so he could pose as Guranq. Which would either mean that they are a popular commoner's weapon, or that they are weapons given to beast-people in Erdtree society, and Maliketh's Black Blade is basically just the same design modified to be longer and have a different crossguard

[@kitetales]

Love this explanation of the dagger, I didn't know it was a commoner's weapon! That definitely fits for them. Love the things I learn from you guys. 😊

[@sturmmagnunstein1008]

The Omens and the misbegotteens are also resistant to holy damage ingame. Their connection to the crucible is unquestionable.

[@TonkarzOfSolSystem]

I think it’s worth noting that red tinged gold is the colour of the crucible. Leonine Misbegotten are red and gold in colour. Additionally they have enhanced misbegotten features. I think Leonine Misbegotten have come more fully into contact with the crucible and as a result more fully live up to the potential of the misbegotten.

[@aranthos]

If this continues I’m not gonna be able to kill anything in ER without feeling serious amounts of shame Edit: this channel definitely deserves more subs

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much for watching!! 😄

[@bungiecrimes7247]

Nah fuk them. they attack, you're allowed to give them a good head splitting wack.

[@diaperbuster]

When I first played this their appearance scared me, now I just feel bad…

[@kitetales]

Don’t worry, what they lack in looks, they make up in body count

[@michaelcoleman5030]

I'm only halfway through the video but I had a bit of a revelation (and this might be in the video idk cuz I'm paused) It would make sense if the misbegotten were reborn like this. Radagon gives Queen Rennala the rune of rebirth but it's kinda corrupted? Or maybe not being used correctly. It would make sense maybe that during the time of the Crucible, that the misbegotten were reborn by the crucible to have features that resembled the divine at the time, which had been dragons. It may also be worth noting that if I recall correctly, the Elden Beast, sent by the Greater Will, eventually became the Elden Ring which housed all of these runes. Maybe the Elden Beast swallowed the attributes and the doctrine of life that the Elden Ring later became. The runes don't seem to be fully intact when the Tarnished attains them which yeah could be because the Ring has been shattered, but maybe their power also became Tarnished when these life attributes were stolen from the Crucible by The Greater Will

[@rainmancw9022]

Someday the actual lore book is going to make it to the market. I love world building. Much respect and gratitude for the heroic time and effort you put into this whole endeavor. I can only imagine the lengths it took. Good job

[@samf.s.7731]

Fingers crossed, there's a second strategy guide and an official art book coming out this year. I think I'll get both. But I really want that lore book. Even if it's just the stuff in the game already.

[@ChouxThePastry]

Really intriguing video! Just a question, have you ever seen the brick hammer as possibly being associated with Radagon? We know he's pretty handy with a hammer from his bossfight, as well as the fact he reforged his sword, as well as the fact he was a champion! That coupled with the fact it needs the strength of a Giant to wield it, helps paint him as a champion of laborers rights before he became a lord, which i think aids his connection to the misbegotten. And i think it falls under his beliefs as well, of conjoining things that oppose the Erdtree, like what he did with Raya Lucaria, as opposed to outright killing entire races like Marika. Really good video though!

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much! Okay I have to say, I did wonder if Radagon may have been the owner but dropped that theory because I didn’t know if it fit, but your explanation is amazing! I can totally see this as a possibility and it seems like a character that George RR Martin would create. This is such a great theory!

[@getsuryu7227]

I always thought that Roderika was the forgiveness the Hewg was promised by Marika.

[@samusamythest7946]

Fox that they were once revered as incredibly Divine and are now incredibly and unjustly mistreated, reminds me how people with mental illness used to be oracles - their cultural role was to be one who speaks to the gods, bridging us to Them.

[@lexmortis5722]

My precious children of Radagon, finally getting the credit they deserve! Edit: Grace has existed before the greater Will made contact with the lands between: The Helphen leads warriors to their afterlife with a red grace, in an age long past before the erdtree. Excellent observation of the Iron Greatsword and the Radagon Statues, not many people notice this. I shall now lay out my wildest Elden Ring Theory (take it with a big grain of salt): There was a multidimensional great tree, the Greattree, like Yggdrasil from norse mythos (Elden Beast Bossroom shows many Erdtrees, like antenna or conduits for the power of the greater WIll into multiple worlds). The Fell God is the first outer God to enter into the Lands Between and burned down this tree. The tree itself is divine in nature, all life giving, therefor it didnt burn down completely, but turned into a wooden coldren. The crucible, from which all sentient life in the lands between came from (excluding the dragons, those are timeless in their origin, another story entirely). From this bubbling pot of ever melting divinity, a single champion arose: Radagon, cursed with the law of regression, ever to strive for completion in his understanding of the principles of the world, but always losing himself in the process, with the power to unite all principles of the world, his essence is divinity itself. Along with him came the Missbegotten and all other life, which is now fundamentally cursed with the law of regression: animal aspects and the spawning of multiple horns on randomly born animals (including humans) and in its purest form, the omen curse, able to cut off the befallen victims of any control form the greater Will (the consionces of the universe itself). The curse came to be thanks to the flame of ruin, a flame able to reduce everything to its basic components, able to burn everything including the divine (but not killing it, that requires the combination of the rune of death and the flame or ruin = blackflame) burning the perfect lifeform: the world tree "Greattree". Marikka would be cursed by the greater Will with the law of causality, that everything is linked together and cannot be parted from another, giving her the ability to create an order that could include all principles, be it magic or lighting or fire or even rot and death themselves. Thats why the flame of ruin is discovered in the study of the Golden Order and why Raddagon was able to turn a starlight/moonlight sword into a golden order sword. Everything is literally connected in its origin and can be combined in unfathomably many ways like a mosaic of divine power. As the ancient dragonbolt pot states: the residual power of relics is a purely natural phenomena. Divinity never disappears but can be reduced to mere remnants, with the ability to resurface completely. The Missbegotten probably were adopted by the Fire Giants, if they could survive the harsh cold mountains, until Marikka came and enslaved them along with the Trolls. Master Smiths like Hewg the Chad could have been able to forge weapons of divinity like the Godslayer Greatsword (probably the thing that Hewg made to get imprisoned) or the Bolt of Granseax (made by dragons) and even Moghs Spear. This gives plenty of reason to enslave them all, but keep 1 alive and relatively sane in case all goes south.

[@tristanneal9552]

Could Radagon himself have been the owner of the Brick Hammer? The laborer who led the uprising became a "champion", which is the word always used to describe Radagon. Only someone with Giant's blood could lift it, which would explain Radagon's red hair. And we literally see him use a hammer both to repair the Elden Ring and as his weapon in the final fight.

[@kitetales]

I’ve seen that suggested! I like that theory for sure

[@Pkasso89]

This is a damn good video. Well done

[@kitetales]

Thank you very much!

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

Reminder that I think is pretty fucking important for this theory and I'm 8:03 in and haven't heard it yet: Radagon is implied to have forged the Rune of Rebirth, which is in the amber that Renala holds and went delusional over. Which definitely means he could have had the skills to create other forms of life.

[@kitetales]

Oh yeah that is a great point! Someone else said that they're called his children in the Japanese translation, that totally fits.

[@dragonshake7798]

All i won’t now is a self insert dragonhearted crucible knight fighting for omens, misbegotten alike there rights and to be part of the golden order. under oure great omen king Margott the fell, (and the primordial crucible.) Fixing the system.

[@babablacksheep7167]

It feels similar to how Judaism, the original Abrahamic religion, was largely replaced by Christianity and it's new dogma. Those who still clung to the old belief were oppressed and scorned by the new one.

[@swamphearts3104]

Yeah but judaism came from the levatine peoples who Israelites slaughtered and took their god and made it monotheistic.

[@Mae_Dastardly]

Misbegotten with the cabbage patch kid faces

[@kitetales]

Oh my gosh can’t unsee it

[@Z.776-axl]

That dagger the Misbegotten weilds looks like the Cinquedea.

[@Shaa-Gi]

Such a relaxing voice, makes me sleepy but the subject is to interesting to fall asleep

[@kitetales]

Thank you! 😊

[@buttbuttwhat1]

Beautifully written script and beautifully edited video. Great vocal cadence as well. I never even my much thought into the misbegotten, but this makes so much sense.

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much for the kind feedback! I especially appreciate the comment about cadence; that’s one of the things that can either make or break narration for me when I hear it, so that’s meaningful to hear 🥲

[@parkave2406]

All are unified in death. It’s why I chose to not discriminate throughout the game.

[@JH-gg8je]

Why not try to make a video of the alavaster lords (the tall guys that look like dark elves)

[@kitetales]

Oo this is a great suggestion, thank you!

[@shogomakishima7224]

When we translate "Misbegotten" directly from Japanese we get "Hybrid". If we look very closely at the murals of Farum Azula we will see that some of them show creatures similar to the winged misbegotten. Personally I think they are just humans mutated by the powers of the Cruiible.

[@kitetales]

Oh nice I hadn’t heard that was the translation from Japanese!

[@warlordjr.jr.]

The Misbegotten and Omen became reviled soon after Godwyn's death, not with the establishment of the Erdtree. The Golden Order alignment with the Ancient Dragons came through their innate connection to the Crucible, and their shared traits were seen as divine as well. These were the traditions that established the Golden Order under Godfrey, Marika, and their son Godwyn. Soon after Godwyn's death the one that connected, Radagon's purist fundamentalism became the norm, and all overt connections to the Crucible became points of persecution. Godwyn was the single advocate for all that the Golden Order would turn against; afterwards Miquella and Malenia were separated from the Golden Order. Misbegotten, as well as the Omen, have the mixed blood of all life including Giants and Dragons. All living aside from Albnaurics have the same source in the root system of the Tree, but the Shattered Golden Order betrays the shared history of life, while also sealing away Death to create an endless enslavement state.

[@zaubergurke5468]

I dont know why but in my mind, the leonine misbegotten are crucible knights that where stripped of their armor. After Godfrey lost his grace, the crucible knights clearly split, with some staying loyal and others leaving. But something tells me that it wasnt just a sudden split, but that they left one by one, as each of them was an individual, a champion in his/her own right. So since some of them where despised because of their closeness to the crucible, whos to say that some loyal crucible knights where not outfitted with weapons to ensure their loyalty, only for them to keep the weapon when the abuse and mistreatment reaches its limits? or some secret mission, issued by their new elden lord from which they never returned? My only problem is that i seldom see mentions of both radagon and crucible knights, so you certainly have to cross some bridges to get there, but i dont know. The fact that both crucible knights and leonine misbegotten have a similar moveset consisting of these wide sweeps and stomps also ticks me somewhat off, as i connect especially stomps heavily with the fighting styles of both godfrey and crucible knights. Seems odd that leonine misbegotten do that too.

[@kitetales]

Oo I like this theory! This is also backed go by a pair of fighters at Redmane, a Crucible Knight and a Misbegotten.

[@selenagamya1612]

What do we have here? A lore video, featuring pleasant voiceover and tasteful cinematic gameplay shots, and a small following? I think you're gonna go far, honey! Subbed!

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much!! :)

[@ouroboros7209]

Just throwing this out there, completely oblivious to the finer details, but hewg might’ve crafted the black knives which killed godwyn. I’m certain it’s far fetched and could be easily disproved, but on the slight chance I thought it was worth mentioning. It would explain Marika’s punishment for him, as he would’ve proven himself capable of creating a “god slaying armament” evidenced by the fact the dagger felled a demigod. Again, a mere shot in the dark.

[@kitetales]

I love this theory!! No one has mentioned that yet and it sounds like it fits the story perfectly.

[@SuperSoundtracks]

I'm sure that dagger is the same as the sword they wield, only ground down to a much smaller weapon to be wielded by the winged misbegotten to be easier to carry when flying.

[@emeraldoracle8706]

The lore is just amazing and I would have never seen the complexity and the interconnectivity without these wonderful videos, thank you!

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much!!

[@lastsigil7241]

Good work! 👍

[@kitetales]

Thank you! 🙏

[@N1tr063nFr05trhym3]

I just realized the design of the Troll's Hammer is the eye of the Fire God with a braid of hair as handle. That's so f**king cool.

[@Charnel_Heart]

My theory on the brick Hammer was that it belonged to Radagon, who was a failed rebel forced to fight in Godfrey's gladiator arenas, and upon sufficient victory was "inducted" (read: had a compelling and overriding edict placed upon him like Hewg) into the golden order. From which he eventually merged with Marika, warred with Caria, and the lore as we know it proceeded. I think this because Radagon already fights with a hammer to deadly effect, so the brick Hammer being his fits. But also because as smithing and crafting are sacred to giants (or perhaps due to said brainwashing edict), Radagon sought to REPAIR the elden ring after Marika broke it. Radagon's unique great rune is even as much a lattice resembling skilled labor as it is a net designed to bind him to Marika's will. His devotion to the Golden Order is so single-minded that the only comparable case I could find was Hewg, who I viewed as being magically compelled or brainwashed by Marika.

[@MKF30]

Wow very interesting, Kit is like a walking encyclopedia with Elden Ring lore! And I nearly dozed off because your voice is just so relaxing. ☺ Hope everything is better for you!

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much, man! Yes things are a lot better now, glad to be working on some things again!

[@SonicSanctuary]

i feel so bad for them... but then also remain angry about that poor blind girl... they didn't have to do that... i could never forgive that.

[@kitetales]

Yeah she didn't strike me as having "abusive master" energy... They could have spared her. :(

[@angbald]

When destroying a system of oppression there are no innocents. She was a part of the system.

[@SonicSanctuary]

@@angbald I disagree.

[@kitetales]

@@cavemancult1999 dude you need to calm the fuck down. I’m “literally trying to justify slavery”?? Sign offline, you clown.

[@kitetales]

@@cavemancult1999 you know instead of attacking people over ELDEN RING, you should call your senators and congressmen and ask them to take a stance against slave labor that America turns a blind eye to. Put your gamer rage to actual use.

[@KebehQuaa]

I had to pause for a moment at the Brick Hammer description as I had a (possible) realization. What if the labourer turned champion was Radagon himself? Suspected descendant of giants, famously known as a champion before becoming elden lord, and seen using a hammer as one too. Marika could have seen this devout former rebellion leader with giants blood as a a possible future threat (especially after his union with Renala) and chose to assimilate him, using his influence as a champion of the people as an asset to strengthen the golden order. Anyways, thank for the great video! very insightful, now on to watch your other ones.

[@squidhierarchy4050]

Do you plan on covering Goldmask at some point? I’m curious to see your thoughts on him and his ending.

[@kitetales]

He’s not on my radar but he’s an interesting one! I feel stumped sometimes when it comes to topics because I feel like so many people have already covered them, and better than I could.

[@VorpalSmilodon]

Unfortunately Hewg probably couldn't have been the wielder of the brick hammer, as he never became a champion. It seems more likely that it was Radagon.

[@timelineenjoyer]

Really wish they included aspect of crucible wings for full crucible knight cosplay

[@velvetisis]

Knowing Radagan is also Merika, I wonder if he was an attempt by Merika to 'purify' herself of any trace of the crucible.

[@marcusdaloia2974]

...It was assumed that Morgot and Mohg's Omen traits were from Godfrey, being that it was only his children that were Omen, but what if it was purely from Radagon? We know that "Marika" had a beastman half-sibling but what if it was actually _Radagon_ that was Maliketh's half, or even full, sibling?

[@10hawell]

You forgot to mention that Giants, Trolls, Misbegotten and Radagon all had among them/were blacksmiths showing that crucible was connected with craftsmen.

[@kitetales]

That was the last chapters in the video

[@nickmurray2390]

I really like this theory, a lot of the common interpretation in the community right now feel so very off nobody is talking about the myriad of things in the game that doesn't fit in with them. However I do not think misbegotten are a race that has existed, something occurred to these beings. If you put a lot of Godfreys march together you come to see a direct contradiction in the lore, It is both told to us castle morne was assaulted by Godfrey, but item descriptions also point to him being the wielder of the morne great sword. The grave on the coast, or big ass stone, is much more than a mere monument. There is also a massive amount of lore with the demi-humans and people ignore what is going on there, these lands are not a landmass we are seeing time being twisted and even possibly copying the same lands at different times.

[@happynihilist2573]

The Tarnished Archaeologist has an interesting theory about the crucible being a coniferous Erdtree from witch the great underground root system originated but was cut and the current Erdtree was grafted onto the roots He believes the Misbegotten originate from when the graft was struggling to asstablish itself wille the Omens are the result of the original plant starting to take over again

[@SuperGamerules]

Im so glad I found this channel. Im gonna binge this whole weekend

[@kitetales]

Yay!! Thank you so much! 😊

[@SuperGamerules]

@@kitetales Nah thank you! The depth of your research (really is graduate thesis level you aint lying), the way the footafe is captured, the tone you manage to set and most of all a soothing calm voice that reminds me of every good teacher I ever had. Btw I listened to this vid again while fighting Malenia and I won! That means you helped me win! Now which ending do you think I should go for this time?

[@kitetales]

I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me such nice feedback. It's definitely encouraging to keep the same level of editing! And yay that's awesome! Now if only I could beat her... gave up after like 20 times!

[@SuperGamerules]

@@kitetales Never give up, never surrrender! I have full faith that someone of your caliber and capability will persevere. I took exactly 78 tries before I beat her the first time! (I kept a logbook with a death counter and everything!) Looking forward to your upcoming projects, Im sure they will be every bit as riveting and breathtaking as this. If I could humbly make a request to you to cover Shabriri in a video, (he vexes me like crazy) to hear what you think he did, what you think hes about to make us do and what we should do with him, I would be most obliged. Thank you for making these videos. Its amazing seeing such passion in them.

[@Cman04092]

At first i hear that "we've all ben sleeping WITH the misbegotten" and not sleeping on the mosbegotten and i had to go back to relisten. I was a thrown off there for a second, lol.

[@kitetales]

Oh don’t disbelieve there is someone out there with a Misbegotten kink

[@Cman04092]

@@kitetales oh I'm sure there are plenty, lol. Tbf, they are kind of the ultimate furry, considering they have multiple animal parts mixed all into one.

[@euterpe_exe]

The reason the Misbegotten are found at the Haligtree is because it's meant to be a haven to those who have been rejected by the Golden Order

[@LloydsSky9]

I've done some digging & it seems as though Radagon is a former Leonine Misbegotten Laborer turned Warrior/Champion... His story begins around Castle Morne & ends with his defeat to Godfrey. He was then given leniency by Serosh for his might. He was able to Rebirth himself into a human with the Amber Egg that he gained under mysterious circumstances, the one Rennala holds. His origins are more of a hidden story with slight clues in item descriptions. They will MOST DEFINITELY open up his story in an extended DLC though!

[@kitetales]

This is probably one of the most creative theories about him I’ve heard! I absolutely love it. I just can’t wrap my head around Marika calling him her other half though; that’s the one thing that just seems so intimate between them, that and the fact he brought the Golden Sewing Needle to the Caria Manor.

[@LloydsSky9]

@@kitetales Yeah, it seems as though he was always a separate entity & Marika needed a New Champion after Godfrey. Their merging is a story element that adds mystery, but its just the truest form of Grafting that Godrick attempts to emulate. The Golden order simply amalgamates defeated parties into their ranks like the Roman Empire. Another addition to the connection of Radagon, Godfrey & Radahn is Radahn's Quote of "I was born a champion's cub. Now I am the Lord of the Battlefield's lion." is an indirect hint. He hails to the might of Godfrey and you will fight a Leonine/Crucible Knight duo on his castle grounds. This put my questioning of everything to shame.... Why is their a Leonine fighting beside a Crucible Knight for Radahn? They must both know of the connection between Godfrey & Radagon at Morne or a truce was struck behind the scenes. I do also believe Radahn was a Golden Order Loyalist of sorts, using simple Gravitational Magic as his connection to Rennala, but also having an immense amount of Strength to emulate Godfrey & Radagon. Halting the stars was his betrayal of his Carian Lineage.

[@LloydsSky9]

@@kitetales One more thing, the Blood Star & Flame of Ruin seem to have a connection hinted at the Mountaintop of Giants with the Blood Witches & Fire Prelates. Mogh & Morgot have this so called Cursed Blood as the Omen, the Misbegotten have this Cursed Blood and so do the Red Haired Giants...

[@ChartreuseDan]

Has anyone ever seen a childhood photograph of ex-PM of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson? You have now 0:00

[@kitetales]

Dude 🤣

[@ChartreuseDan]

@@kitetales Am I wrong though? 😅

[@Falx415]

I liked the theory that Hewg was the leader of the rebellion and that's why he's enslaved as punishment. But the item did say the wielder rose up and became a Champion, and there was also something about requiring the strength of Giants to wield it. A hammer is also Radagons weapon when we face him. I propose, perhaps Radagon was this laborer who led a misbegotten rebellion, but in so doing he was recognized and made Champion, I could see him being enslaved for having his red hair. Perhaps his being made Champion wasn't out of recognition for his abilities, but simply a manipulation to quell the uprising? Make them think they were listening and going to change, that through Radagon change could come from within the society, only for him to be swept up in the ambitions and politics of the Golden Order by being ordered to assault Raya Lucaria. Just a theory.

[@kylehibshman6619]

The dagger wielded by the winged misbegoten looks a bit like a cinquedea. Like a more historically accurate version of Maliketh's knife. Could be a historical tie between the misbegoten and beasts/golden lineage?

[@leatmoaf7889]

Hell yeah I’m glad to see you’re getting back into making videos I missed listening to them

[@kitetales]

Man Leat I missed you specifically, man! Ready for some Hogwarts Legacy videos? 😆

[@leatmoaf7889]

@@kitetales most definitely ready for Hogwarts legacy might watch a couple of your videos before purchasing he game

[@delananixon8410]

Does the sword for the misbegotten match the dagger like does the handle match cuase they could just be using broken down versions of the sword

[@adamkorzon2972]

Those statues with the guy holding the sword are from an earlier time the crucible or even before it.Elden jhons time.

[@andysux1]

That's why I didn't care after killing the elden beast. And setting the world ablaze afterwards.

[@mhiggs8001]

Thanks for this, it’s neat to hear someone else’s thoughts on this guys. Also, I love this cave! 6:38

[@mckinneym.2743]

So first your theory around hewg is borderline genius Ive always been fascinated by the crime that landed him such a harsh sentence. Second, I'd recommend three other lore youtubers who really helped expand my mind on the subjects of elden ring and touch on some of the specific topics you brought up. First among them is the rising star tarnished archeologist who, in his three part video series, discussing godfrey, puts forward the theory that the statue you see in game that he calls the "sage statues" actually far far predate radagon and in fact were a part of the empire that godfrey and then marika would build on top of; hes got one of the most unique aproachs to lore discussion Ive ever seen by way of looking at the trends and history of culture and architecture to help understand the games lore. Second is the sleeper hit Quelagg, an absolutely amazing lore theorist who also really amazingly builds connections, especially through history religion and science. She's amazing, and she has tons of videos discussing her interpretation of the many different colors of elden ring and especially the red to gold connection; on the topic of giants specifically, she has a vid in which she gives some pretty amazing evidence for the giants having been the creators of the divine towers and alot of the oldest structures in the lands between (like the pillars that hold up the land) unfortunately I cant quite remember what vid that was and her vids can run hour+ on occasion. Finally, the only souls lore youtuber that's production value and presentation skills can challenge vaati is smoughtown, Ill be brief as possible, but his theories regarding the primordial crucibal and specifically mohg and morgott are excellent. Sorry for the long comment loved the vid!!

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much for the comment and the channel recommendations! I've heard so many people mention Tarnished Archeologist regarding the statues so I am definitely going to have a check out their channel!

[@mckinneym.2743]

@KiteTales & Flex I love this games world so much, and your video and perspective were really awesome, so I cant help but be excited at the idea of people looking at these different perspectives and throwing in there own 2 cents.

[@Cha05typhoon]

First time finding your channel and was a very quick sub. Well researched and thorough video and an extremely soothing voice! Looking forward to going thru your catalog and any future videos!

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much! I appreciate that! Just get ready for some extreme diversity in topics if you go through my channel 😆

[@makoto1234]

this is gonna sound weird but i am super jealous of your voice, I wish mine sounded like that 😅

[@kitetales]

Awww you’re so sweet! I bet you sound lovely.

[@bughunter94]

those vids are awesome

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much!! 😊

[@skuruhai001]

I would also add that there is a fight against a Crucible knight and Leonine at the Redmane castle. Other than that this is an amazing video that changed my views a bit, I have seen Tarnished Archeologist take on a topic similar to this one but this video blows me away and connects everything perfectly

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much for watching! And yes that fight with them at Redmane is more confirmation about their connection for sure.

[@eclipzex77]

A theory I've heard is that of the Brick Hammer actually belonging to Radagon. He is described many times as a Champion, he wields a hammer during his boss battle, and given that he reforged the sword Rennala gave him we can assume that he has some smithing abilities too.

[@kitetales]

I’ve seen that mentioned but I just don’t know if Radagon was ever a laborer, seems like that’s a post that would be beneath him if he was split from Marika.

[@logancade342]

Could the Misbegotten be literal bastard offspring of Radagon? Perhaps the interbreeding of Leonine Misbegotten dilutes the "Radagon-ness," resulting in less humanoid features, less red hair, etc. Also, interesting dagger. Looks to me like a broadsword or possibly a greatsword of some type that has been filed down and sharpened into a dagger, probably after having been broken. It could be a sign of them using their expertise in smithing to make due with what's available to them until the bitter end.

[@kitetales]

Oooo I don't like that imagery of inbreeding Leonine Misbegotten-- it's so good though but it creeps me out! Also I love that take on the dagger as them fashioning it to workable weapon.

[@OfficialChrissums]

A few things you misinterpreted imo: The statues of the man with the sword and book arnt radagon. Tarnished Archeologist has videos explaining them, but they are from before Radagon existed. They only apppear on structures that predate him. Also the sword he turned into the golden order sword is the moonlight blade, or at least A moonlight blade if not the exact same one since obviously there is still one that we can get in game. I cant remember specifically where it says this but it is a thing. I think the misbegotten are the product of Marika experimenting with various power sources to create her clone radagon. Hes a mix of energies from the crucible, the giants, the silver tears of the nox, etc. Theres a bunch of links between radagon/marika and alchemy, so it makes sense that he would be an alchemical mix of various powers and magics. That is the only explanation for his origins that explains his red hair, his link to the misbegotten, as well as his links to the albinaurics

[@kitetales]

Interesting observations for sure! Thanks for sharing!

[@augustmarstella3573]

I’m sorry but some of these character designs in elden ring look terrible. These just remind me of that weird kid from the wild thornberries. Those stupid T. rex crows from Caelid look really stupid too. It’s either goofy designs like this or designs so cluttered you can’t really tell what’s going on. Not saying there aren’t really good designs but there are some glaringly dumb ones

[@kitetales]

Oh my gosh DONNIE!! Yes! Now I can't unsee it.

[@Virgust.]

We also see Radagon using a hammer when we fight him

[@miomio6890]

For someone who championed the very reason why Misbegotten are treated poorly, the Golden Order he remained loyal go even despite Marika, it would be reasonable to assume he hated his red hair exactly because of this similarity. It puts him too close to the children of the Crucible, the "inferior species" his Order wishes to erase. It's effective in painting him as the true "monster" instead of the Misbegotten, for championing something so cruel, and unfair as that treatment and torture of everyone that is 'other'.

[@velvetisis]

Red gold is also gold with a significant amount of copper in it, and the beast men of Farum Azula were undoubtedly a copper age civilization.

[@kitetales]

Oh my gosh that is such a great analogy!!

[@LeifMaelstrom]

You're adorable voice paired with the fairly horrible lore of this game is a delightful combination. Thanks for making the vid.

[@kitetales]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@ENALDOm]

It's amazing how Elden Ring is able to blend alchemical symbology with the lore of The Lands Between