Who Velka REALLY Is - The Hidden Secrets of Dark Souls

[@SwevenHannibal]

The crow people might drop souvenirs of reprisal because they were themselves blades of the Darkmoon back when Velka worked alongside Gwyndolin who were then banished to the painted world after the occult rebellion

[@Piratadoidao]

This.

[@ReturnoftheLightning]

“Souvenir of Reprisals” are just ears taken off by traitors, rng aside, that’s just you taking the ears of the crowmen.

[@SwevenHannibal]

@@ReturnoftheLightning Or the crowmen had the souvenirs on them from back when they used to cut them off other people, as crows don't really have human ears

[@witalian1]

@@ReturnoftheLightning No. The ears have been taken from sinner slain by the blades of the darkmoon. The crow people have them because they used to be blades of the darkmoon.

[@julianadams3710]

@@ReturnoftheLightning The Crowmen have bird heads, they don’t have their own ears.

[@FriedrichVonSpietz]

I always thought that Velka being Gwyn's wife would make sense. She was against the linking of the fire, and he was for it. He did it without her approval and so they went apart and became opposing forces. The sons of Gwyn stood by their father's side, while the daughters were put in distant planes of the story. The first son of Gwyn grew appart of their cause as well, leaving Gwyndolin to his own in Anor Londo. Gwynevere is nowhere to be seen, and Filianore is confined to an endless sleep until we find her. Dark Souls - Prepare to Family Counseling Edition.

[@hugofontes5708]

holy shit, this demands at least some graphics

[@Piratadoidao]

Velka is somewhat related to dark. Gwyn feared dark too much for me to believe he would marry someone so close to Darkness. But Gwyndolin being related to the "Darkmoon" really makes us think. Like Faraam/Gwyneve - were more like their father - Light power And Gwyndolin/Filianore - More like their mother - Dark power But then there's Yorshka, which I can't really believe she's Gwyn daughter. For me looks like a child from Priscilla and someone(probably Gwyndolin) but why does she call Gwyndolin her brother... I don't know.

[@hugofontes5708]

@@Piratadoidao might be a blood related brother, might be a brother in some other sense Guess we'll have to wait for more hypothesis

[@gilvanmessem5335]

@@Piratadoidao There is no evidence that Velka is linked to the Dark since Dark is the human essence and not a Divinity one

[@corpus1]

​@@Piratadoidao Maybe Gwyn started out being relatively okay with the dark. (Or at least tolerant of it.) We see a statue of him crowning what appears to be the pygmy in the Ringed City. Maybe he did at some point have an abyss wife. (And made hybrid children, possibly in an attempt to merge the two powers? Or control it at least.) It was only when the fire started to fade he got scared and tried to delay the inevitable, leading to a nasty divorce and subsequent rebellion. (Which would naturally lead to an more hard-line stance against the dark.) Would be pretty cool for him to have some character development through his tenure as head deity, instead of being static throughout.

[@ProfDriftwood]

I would suggest trying to get direct translations of the items associated with Velka from the Japanese Game. VaatiVidya has found many details missing from the English translations this way, and given this is one of the most ambiguous yet prevalent characters in the Soulsbourne Series, it would not surprise me to find that some of that stems from a poor translation.

[@hopebringer2348]

It was actually Lokey. Vaati just made the video

[@embargovenom9948]

>VaatiVidya has found lol, Vaati only uses other people's resources. He can't even read japanese himself.

[@ProfDriftwood]

@@embargovenom9948 Didn't mean to give Vaati excessive credit. Though I do maybe recall some of the specific items he looked at being translated at his request. In any case--the point remains the same. I think would like it if Max found a translator to examine the Velka items.

[@iMiTCHELL1]

@@ProfDriftwood completely understand and agree with you mate

[@bigdumbfatcat2869]

The Souls community, for the longest time, has had this stupid idea, that the game was "Written in English first" and then translated back to Japanese for it's text. Even tho the very credits of the game feature Japanese translators. So the game is packed with mistranslations, and thus a lot of unnecessary confusion and misinformation has been spread already. Like the famous "Time is convoluted" line. Time is not convoluted, times is STAGNANT, there are no multiple timelines or whatever stupid garbage people thought it was all these years, past present and future are simply overlapping, due to the First Flame losing it's power.

[@joshmay2944]

This has to be the most mysterious yet prevalent figure in all of Souls...

[@rastabincoolie1]

Yeah max is pretty inconceivable

[@scratchguns]

She reminds me alot of Cypher in the W40k universe. Extremely relevant but pure speculation

[@joeclarke7982]

I'm loving your DS takes and theories. Velka has been the 1 character I've most wanted to get more concrete info on or possibly even see in game dating back to DS1. It sucks we never got anything in game but the theorizing is a ton of fun.

[@Rakshael]

When I picked up the Darkmoon Ring in the Catacombs, I looked up at the mother's statue holding her child above it, and from then on I've never stopped believing Velka was Gwyn's wife and the mother of his Children. However, I do not believe she is a human because she is called a "god," rogue though she may be. In Dark Souls, god clearly refers to the race of well-proportioned Giants of which Gwyn, Smough, Gough, Nito, Witch of Izalith, Lloyd etc are all a part of. What is important to note is that not one of her miracles are dark-related, they are simply intelligence-based and not faith-based, showing that neither she nor her most highly ranked followers believe in the divinity of Anor Londo's pantheon. Rather, it's the Sable Church and Kaathe that take over her miracles and perpetuate them in Londor. What we see in DS2 is that she rebrands herself as Caitha, and her pardoner perpetuates the new identity for propaganda's sake. She does this because by DS3's time she has been in conflict with Allfather Lloyd and at best "removed" him from the scene (he's probably dead). This coincides with killing off the other gods and the DS1 pardoner's statement that "laudable is thy dedication to sin" after you kill Gwyndolin. She couldn't do these things with her name as Velka and must instead be known to the public by a new face, the goddess of tears. Noteworthy is that the tearstone rings are from Carim, even at the time of DS1, though their maker is not mentioned. Her support of the occultist rebellion seems distant and indirect, considering Hawkshaw's excellent explanation of that whole affair. What is clear is that the Blades of the Darkmoon are now lead by Gwyndolin, who has taken over since her schism with Anor Londo. This seems to also be supported by New Londo's existing statue of Velka, showing that she used to be venerated in the city, which was destroyed and had no opportunity for her worship to be removed, as other things were which we find in Ariamis. New Londo's proximity to Anor Londo doesn't lend itself to being an independent state from Gwyn's capital- after all, it's named the same thing and wasn't outside the reach of Anor Londo's power to seal it off and flood it. Kaathe seems to have been the prime actor here, not only corrupting it with the dark but also influencing the eventual fate of Carthus/Farron and the creation of Londor. The ultimate reason I also have a hard time with Velka being related to the Sable Sisters is that Velka very much has her own entire country and has wrested control of the entire Way of White by DS3's time. She's the main deity all over the Cathedral of the Deep (before it corrupted from a Way of White cathedral) and is extremely powerful within Carim. Carim continues to use miracles widely, and not the dark. The Caitha chime is *good for casting it,* but that's due to requiring high intelligence and is a closely guarded secret. The chime's description could go either way but using it for dark is cerrrrtainly not widespread, nor is it used for anything related to hollows or angelic miracles, both of which are Londor exclusives and quite prominent within Londor's magic. Now, how does Kaathe and Sable church fit into all this? How did they get Velka-style stuff and start using it? I think the answer is simple when you see one of the sisters clearly has infiltrated the painted world, or the painted world's second iteration as Ariandel. They found that stuff in Ariandel and it influenced their culture, combat, and magic. Does it mean Velka is allied with them or related to them? I find it a bigger stretch that ignores her status and goals by DS3's time. She never seems opposed to the Age of Fire, in fact, she benefits from it. She just seems hellbent on getting rid of her theological rivals. But heck man, maybe she was dead all along in DS1 as the smashed undead in the asylum with the bag over her head. lol great video

[@sr_samus3483]

Great video! Also the number 4 repeats with the soul of Nito, he has four "daughters" that appear in DS2, the Milfanito.

[@ozanozkirmizi47]

4 Knights of Gwyn...

[@azronger7214]

Four Kings of New Londo, Four Kings and Crowns in DS2...

[@joshmay2944]

Also 4 fire keepers at the beginning of DS2

[@TheAce5399]

@@joshmay2944 arent there only 3 and a maiden that takes care of them. More like a nurse than a fire keeper. unless you count the emerald herald.

[@pieth68]

@Josh May I believe that the old lady in the cgi cutscene is the forth one

[@gilvanmessem5335]

There is a lot of missing point in your theory, where it seems more like you want to fit (i dont blame you i do the same for my headcanons) this number 4 of sisters, but the Sisters of the Sable Church are here only since Dark Souls 3 and they are not godess. Velka is a far more powerful being than Sister Friede or Yuria are, since she can cleanse curses, twist the form of her followers into crows. Kaath is the leader of the Sable Church and there is three sister that serves him, New Londo served Kaath purpose too, the statue tho is hard to say, maybe they were venerating Velka before Kaath shows up or it is just a reused assets, but i wouldn't bet too much on it.

[@fuckedfromabove1969]

And dont forget the nature of curses in Dark Souls

[@doctorwhouse3881]

Yeah. The distinction between gods and humans (which yes, do descend from the pygmies) is pretty well cut.

[@10hawell]

Today my sister asked me if I wanted her to paint me a picture to my new apartment so i did some research on symbolism for inspiration and I found an infographic about Velka symbolism, and now you recorded something about it, fuck me, these coincidences are spooky. I always sensed that Velka was the mother of Gwyndolin and by the Gwynevere looks in ds3 maybe most of Gwyn's kids.

[@kescaremon2531]

I mean, when you think about it, I dont think Gwyn's wife and the mother of his children was ever brought up.

[@10hawell]

@@kescaremon2531 because Gwyn's "children" are once born of some woman and once are hollows from the beginning of the age of fire who got powerful shards of Gwyn's soul, depending on what is convenient for writers. Maybe some children were created and some were born but I don't think anyone knows the details.

[@embargovenom9948]

@@kescaremon2531 Filianore's internal name is "Wife", which implies she was originally designed as Gwyn's wife. There's also the detail of the japanese text specifying that Seath is related to Gwyn through the maternal line, so some deduce that Gwyn was married to Priscilla at some point.

[@ongka2000]

@@embargovenom9948 I don’t really think Gwyn only has one wife. He’s like Zeus of Dark Souls, and y’know he can’t really keep it in his pants.

[@escrivaodegalarran1098]

@@10hawell I can barely understand what you wrote in your comment, but I can address some of the things you mentioned. First, the god race and pygmy race aren't related in terms of biological origin, the gods exists in various shapes and sizes, while pygmies are all humans that if lost control of their humanity, deforms into something else. Nothing is really know on lord Gwyn's wife from in game sources, no direct mention whatsoever, what we can theorize, however, based on things from dark souls 3, like the reference to the angels, the white ring you're born with and the angelic heresy act created in lothric by the one who was supposed to inherit the fire, is that Gwyn's first born, the goddess of fertility, is called like that because together with her husband, she gave birth to most of the variations of gods post age of fire, as in the beginning, there was only the semi-giants (specially tall gods), and the average sized ones, like Ornstein and Arthorias. The winged knights, and others are probably descendants of the god race, and while some retained their ancestral's features, others lost them for varying reasons, like abyss corruption, deformity born of experimental magic, like chaos flames SORCERY, a reference to king's raid or maybe a society pre-age of fire, as Izalith already existed before the lord souls were find amidst the first flames. This in the end alludes to other things as well, such as the soul being the source of the curse and blood (as in Bloodborne) being the cure as it's the true defining human characteristic, due to original souls having attracted the soul devourer, which eventually swallowed demons souls protagonist that carried them all within him, and when the soul devourer died for reasons unknown, he erupted in flames which compressed his soul devouring essence into the four lord shards and much smaller versions of it acquired by other pygmies eventually know as pygmy lords, meaning that the undead curse can be summarized as a soul that caves in to it's devouring nature and consumes itself.

[@PavltheRobot]

I just started replaying Dark Souls once again, great timing with a content like this! 👍

[@Ar1AnX1x]

didn't know robots can enjoy dark souls too

[@PavltheRobot]

@@Ar1AnX1x At least my synthetic body shouldn't allow me to become hollow. In worst case scenario my memory can get corrupted and I will go insane like Big Hat Logan

[@james240878]

Honestly just the canonical summary part of this video already blew my mind, and it makes so much sense now that Velka rose up against Gwyn. Perhaps in disagreeing with Gwyn’s prolonging of the age of fire, Velka became a goddess of sin, or was labelled as such by Gwyn and the way of white. To Velka, rekindling the first flame was a sin, but to Gwyn welcoming the age of dark was a sin - it’s very morally relativistic. Perhaps Velka and her followers were then sealed away in the painted world for their betrayal. I remember hearing that Kings historically would sometimes imprison their queens and force them into becoming a nun if they themselves wanted to remarry but didn’t want to resort to execution. I can’t confirm that though, but it would make sense in this instance.

[@hugofontes5708]

suddenly, what Priscilla says makes a bit of sense, and why everything in that painting is trying to kill us

[@guesswho1047]

@@hugofontes5708 Which part of what she says?

[@hugofontes5708]

@@guesswho1047 whatever it is she would possible want to send as a message to humans. Say, possible reasons undead are actually being picked up at a cliff by the asylum

[@julianadams3710]

The game literally refers to Gwyns linking of the fire as “The First Sin” so it would make sense for her to seek out a righteous punishment for that.

[@Br0kenMask]

the crow enemies in the painted world might have the souvenirs because they collect those themselves. The souvenirs are supposed to be severed human ears

[@hugofontes5708]

I assumed that too Velka reports the sinners, gwyndolin sends the blue boys blue boys turn in chopped ears, crow demons send them to Velka as the crow demons serve velka, I figured they just wanted the ears or were the couriers between gwyndolin and velka

[@sunbro6998]

Really good Max, thank you!

[@andrewgardner58]

Interesting video I love speculating about dark souls lore.

[@vanjaarsic1616]

What I find intersting is how that statue in painting holding child is not the only one in DS1. There is also one on the sunlight altar which I believe depicts Gwyn's wife holding baby Nameless King. The same statue appears in church of undead parish and a tomb where you get Darkmoon Seance Ring. And there is one in Firelink Shrine but I'm not sure who the baby depicts.

[@sirdanielfortesque5812]

If you look carefully some of the statues differ with the mother being crowned and the statue placed on Anor Londo architecture styled bases. The question is who are the different Mothers and which child are they each holding? And the chamber behind the Firelink Shrine statue is fascinating, apparently it was the birthplace of Gwyn's first born, and Andre was supposed to push the statue aside and reveal himself to be the first born Son in an earlier version of the game, it would at least explain his Godlike strength and how he can send you straight back to the bonfire in one punch!

[@highbrednxtus]

Praise the sun EDIT: Wanted to watch this due to watching the Ashen Hollow's videos, even more interested after learning you based your video off some of his theories. 👀

[@gilvanmessem5335]

My favorite theory is that Velka (moon) was one of the wife of Gwyn (sun) and she's the mother of Gwyndoline, with his snakes features like the statue standing behind Father Ariendel in DS3. For me she wants to preserve the age of fire so she did created this prophecy (because remind that its a crow that get you to Firelink shrine in the first game), and for that she needs this Chosen One that hunts gods (as a reminder, Nito and Izalith are gods too so are their souls). In the Ariendel's painting crow people for the vast majority wants the flame back too.

[@ilregiallo4151]

Recently, a new theory has become popular, and this theory sees Priscilla has Gwindolin's mother. Priscilla has dragonblood, and snakes are imperfect dragons, this explains why the prince has snake-tentacles. This also explains the relationship between Yorshka, Priscilla, and Gwybdonlin: she clearly call Gwyndolin "brother" (Priscilla is their mother) Both Gwindolin and Priscilla shares powers related to illusion. The "Lifehunt Scythe" created with Aldrich's soul (who consumed Gwindolin Soul) shares the name and the appeareance of Priscilla's Scythe (its description too contains a reference to Priscilla). This theory would also explain the pricne peculiar body. I like the idea of Velka as one of Gwyn's wife, but not as Gwindolin's mother

[@hugofontes5708]

the crow sending undead into Lordran is also the only way to end the age of fire, because for that one needs to get to the first kiln and kill gwyn I think she just keeps picking up new hollows and gwyndolin+frampt co-opted that with the whole "chosen undead" scheme. if velka is an exile, it makes sense that her version of facts gets erased over gwyndolin's

[@gilvanmessem5335]

@@hugofontes5708 It is a very complex subject because we all know that by bringing the chosen undead to firelink shrine have more chance to the flame be relinked than not. Why is it so important for the "Dark side" to have someone having the souls of the lords to begin the dark age, since the dark age just require the flame to fade, so doing nothing might be better.

[@hugofontes5708]

@@gilvanmessem5335 gwyn did get the time twisted real bad, I'm not sure the flame just fades out on its own if left with gwyn still linking it

[@gilvanmessem5335]

@@ilregiallo4151 But who's Priscilla daughter of then ? it would be weird and incestual if Priscilla had an affair with Gwyn, not impossible in the Dark Souls lore but still. Velka is affiliate probably with the moon as Gwindolin is and they share the same covenant but Gwindolin is more faithful of Gwyn than he is with Velka.

[@tapeleg2000]

The best new ds take in years.

[@danielwheels9529]

No one has lore dived into the painting room in irythyll It has paintings that connect all 3 games and NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THIS

[@embargovenom9948]

What are you talking about, there's been plenty of discussion over this.

[@Dravianpn02]

I've seen it in a few lore videos also.

[@dlbyrd-gasca2730]

200K subscribers! 🤗

[@maxderrat]

W00000! Let's party!

[@dlbyrd-gasca2730]

@@maxderrat Make a video! 🥳🍾🎆🎉🎊🔥

[@lordofPockets]

i can get behind this interpretetion of Velka!

[@TechNinjaSigma]

This Theory is incredible! it's definitely pretty solid! nice work!

[@MrGodKratos]

i dont remember why i subscribed to you but im glad i did. also i thought stay yellow is a reference to the king in yellow xd

[@maxderrat]

Oh? Who is the king in yellow, if you don't mind me asking?

[@samppi3027]

Hastur The king in yellow is a Cthulhu mythos character not sure if that's what he means though

[@ozanozkirmizi47]

@@maxderrat Must be "Xanthous King, Jeremiah" from Lordran or "King in Yellow" from Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

[@MrGodKratos]

its the name of a book by robery chambers.

[@djak4768]

@maxderrat - if you haven't already (I'm 3 years late to this party), I'd definitely recommend you sniffing around the mythos of the Yellow King - Robert W. Chambers took some inspiration (and locales) from Ambrose Bierce's work; namely Carcosa, Hastur, and expanded on it in his 1895 book The King in Yellow, which somehow became part of Lovecraftian lore (I forget exactly how, I'ma which stories, etc.) BUT it's also been highly influential and used as recently as the 1st/best season of True Detective. As a fellow heathen brethren enjoyer of esoterica and all things occult, I think it's up your alley.

[@theodorewattz]

Pretty interesting theory! Velka is definitely the most interesting and uncertain character in souls.

[@DreamskyDance]

6:18 - as far as i remember ( it was a few months since i played DS1 ) Painted world of Ariamis is a prison of a kind. So those in there maybe are not Velka's followers but ex-followers that betrayed her or their promises to her in some way. I understand description on the book of the guilty more like she is universally punishing for sin even if sin is against her enemies. Like don't disrespect Gods or covenants, she may be against them or some covenants but rules are rules and with Gods's sins she will deal, it is not on humans to disrespect them or dispense justice if not guided and chosen to do ( ...and after being chosen being flown off of undead asylum as a "chosen undead" )... ( same as you are a murderer and go to jail if you murder a murderer...) I agree with this theory in major extent, connection to other three sisters from the stable church is a bit flimsy because Velka is mentioned in first game and others seemingly do not exist yet...and also in second game there are four distinct sisters with manus soul shards but Velka is mentioned sepparate...that should be more looked into. Also in ringed city arent those giant enemies summoning called adjucators or judicators...something associating with justice as far as i remember..and isnt whole theme of inhabitants being kinda punished ( all those sculptures of rings on their backs .. and all else ) ... kinda interesting given that that city is where Velka's daughter is. Anyway..i like your theory...at least in my observation through playing it is similar to that... Thank you for pointing to ashen hollows videos, didnt knew about those ones, ill listen to those theories as well...

[@Avaloon7]

Agreed on the whole "connection" part. I mean if velka is one of the sable sisters which was present in the first game then there has to be a connection with others(manus)

[@SpectroRetro]

Dude your content is fire!

[@nicholashall3117]

Why is Velka giving me Loki and Bartleby vibes from Dogma? Especially Loki in that movie, previously punished the "guilty" against God.

[@lucamckenn5932]

The trickster God archetype. The most famous being Prometheus, tricking Hephestus into borrowing his fire, only to deceive all of Olympia by giving it to man. May have misremembered a few details but that's what Velka is meant to represent in real life mythology in my opinion.

[@stuartroom3171]

Great job max, i rly like this theory. In addition to your theory i personally like the idea that she is strongly associated with the witch of izalith for multiple reasons -she is a witch, a term very synonimous with izalith and its culture -the izalith staff in dark souls 3 specificaly boosts dark dmg, and was used for witches -yuria uses a katana, something also strongly associated with izalith, like the existance of the chaos blade. If we assume everything in your video is correct plus my believes, yuria is connected to velka, and velka is to izalith -the witch of izalith had daughters of chaos(who where sisters to one another)at almost the top of the izalith society, and the sable church of londor has the three sisters at almost the top aswell(kaathe being at the very top) if we assume velka was one of the daughters of chaos(or maybe a priestess or a daughter of one of them), she had a very good chance of becoming a goddess with alot of influence after gwyn commited the first sin. As a daughter of chaos she might had a chill time already connecting to the other gods establishing her pressence, and then later when gwyn commits the first sin she can fill in the gap of punishing sin, something that the world might thought was missing. I would even go as far as say she might have had a hand with the pact gwyn made with the demons after the war, maybe the marriage of velka and gwyn facilitaded the negotiations alot, saving the demons from total destruction. After that she could have been already associated with a person known for a strong heart for justice, and after her husband left her to go commit the biggest sin ever, she fully gives in to the concept of punishment, ascending to godhood. Other than that i strongly recommend you to watch hawkshaw, a souls youtuber who talks about the ploting against the gods in one video and makes a strong case of who are the actuall players in that plot and what moves they made. I love it that you are all out on souls theory, ive been a theory junky for feels like years now, So if you have any questions im sure i got the time and resources to help you out aswell. That goes to anyone else who reads this comment aswell. Praise the sun, everyone!

[@ryan94d16]

Damn it max you’ve done it again. Mind BLOWN.

[@roshan6999]

I'm happy to see this community still stay fresh and relevant It's a testament to how strong and rich the lore is And how much substance can be gained from the soulsborne series

[@mrtoxicwasteland]

You have the most wise perspective on this games lore, I deeply appreciate your framework of analysis. I believe this is much more than a theory, it's more like our first rational step towards understanding this enigma woven into the games narrative.

[@Umiedo]

This is so good, absolutely top tier lore analysis. Whether you go balls deep in with alchemy or do a good classic story reading you manage to shine this games lore in a new and interesting light. Always psyched for your soulsborne videos. Would love one about Sekiro someday!

[@adrianvilla8099]

you mad lad i love your theories

[@idolatrystudios]

Wow this theory gives the Usurpation of Fire ending even more weight, which is awesome! Great video Max!

[@magisterludi4347]

Very insightful! I like to imagine that Velka is the symbolic manifestation of the unseen Old One of Dark Souls. The real Velka's messianic sacrifice cements her as a sort of Maiden in Black, ensuring that no manner of mythical occultations laid down by the Lords can ever truly stagnate the natural cycle and shirk the curse of karmic justice. What we reap she shall sow. So no matter what pomp of psychotic cause you chose... all your trials amount to gathering twigs for the crow.

[@sirdanielfortesque5812]

Yeah that definitely sounds like head canon, actually more like Dark Souls copy pasta. What you wrote there reads like a whole load of nothing.

[@sirdanielfortesque5812]

And the fact you just changed parts of it by the time i'd written a reply really does make it seem like you're making this up as you go. How does any of that make sense in your head?

[@magisterludi4347]

@@sirdanielfortesque5812 You, you. Give me, warm. Give me, soft

[@listerinemouthwash415]

Ty for the labels at 13:08 , lol. I was a bit confused at first

[@comradecatbug5289]

Okay, there's a lot of stuff that references Velka that you didn't mention. 1. Velka has strong connections to Carim - One of the few (2 confirmed, 1 suspected) characters from Carim we meet openly worships Velka (Oswald), and the other one (Lautrec) clearly follows the path of sin. The third one (Chester) is treacherous and shady as well. I think it's quite safe to say Velka is worshipped in Carim. 2. Stronger connections to New Londo (& Carim) - On the roof of the highest building in New Londo, there is a parrying dagger, which is a favorite of the swordsmen of Carim. Very close to it, you can find a Rare Ring of Sacrifice. This also strengthens the connection between Velka and Carim. - One of Lautrec's companions is clearly the third sealer of New Londo (Crimson set, Tin Banishment Catalyst, Heavy Soul Arrow). More connections between Carim, New Londo and Velka. - On top of the big building in the lower part of New Londo (where you encounter the first Mass of Souls) there is a decoration that looks a lot like a crow's talon. 3. Big connection to Gwynevere, supporting the theory of her being Gwyn's wife - In the room you loot after illing Undead Prince Ricard there are two chests, which contain a Rare Ring of Sacrifice and a Divine Blessing. Huge props for making Dark Souls lore videos in 2021.

[@thedanielstraight]

I truly enjoyed this, I like the way you think, sir! I think this fits. It also makes me think about an allusion to Eileen from Bloodborne. She was tasked with slaying hunters who become beasts themselves. Crows also have a lot of symbolism and meaning attached to them, across many different cultures. Pagans associate them with luck (both good and bad), Scandinavian traditions associate them with Odin. Others believe they carry souls to the afterlife. Great video Mr. Max, it has me thinking.

[@dextroier1]

New Londo was literally built by Anor Londo, it wasn't meant to be a counterpart to it, just another city for the human demographic.

[@core-nix1885]

Fingers crossed that this is a banger... Here's hoping!

[@Maxbeedo2]

Velka was super interesting in DS1 but was barely referenced in 2 and 3, so little that it felt more insulting than anything when they did reference her. The problem with making everything about "cycles" as they did later on is that the individual figures of those cycles are diminished to where almost none of them actually mattered. Instead of expanding on previous references of gods and kingdoms, they just made new ones, and sprinkled in old references without expanding on them. I much preferred the single-game cohesion that Demon's Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro had towards lore, as things got really messy by DS3 and I ended up resenting that game for not tidying things up more.

[@eldritchtoilets210]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one thinking that.

[@mrtoxicwasteland]

Finally somebody posted a down to earth video on velka. I've always believed she was reflected in ds2 as the "kings dark wife" so to speak, Along with the ashen daughter and the ivory king, I truly believe this to be the case and have since vaati released his gwyn episode 2 years ago Bravo on finally seeing the full picture my friend. I need moreeee

[@pbevins4341]

Love your analysis videos, keep up the amazing work!

[@balaam_7087]

Been awhile since I delved into Souls lore, so forgive me if this has an obvious answer. Elephant in the room here: Velka is definitively referred to as a “Deity”, whereas I don’t recall Yuria, Sister Friede or Liliane are ever mentioned as gods. So I don’t see how this theory works. As far as I know no normal person can ascend to godhood in these games either; it’s a state of being, their nature, not a title or bequeathment. So unless there’s dialogue or an item description proving Yuria and the other sisters are gods, this theory probably isn’t accurate.

[@corpus1]

Ascending is all a matter of perspective. Your dog might regard you as a sort of "deity", conjuring up food without hunting, opening doors as if by magic, etc. The way I see it, Gwyn and the others came to be known as "gods" simply by becoming unfathomably powerful via absorbing the Lord souls at the dawn of the Age of Fire. They were most likely of the same "primordial human" species as the pygmy and the rest of the characters of DS before that. So theoretically, anyone can become a "god" if they just become powerful enough to qualify. (It's anyone's guess how Velka got her power. I'm partial to the idea of she herself being a shard of Manus.) On the other hand, I agree that Friede and Yuria don't seem much like gods at all. I'd say it makes sense that they have somehow absorbed the church of Velka at some point, given the resemblance of their dresses to the old pardoners and their access to the same miracles (though that could also simply be explained by trade, it's not like servants of the dark can't use miracles of the gods and vice versa), but the whole 4 daughters = 4 sisters, with Velka being one of them doesn't make much sense to me. I rather think Velka is either dead, with her adherents continuing the fight, or she's in hiding and fighting a shadow war against Gwyn and his ilk via knowing or unknowing proxies. The real question is how the primordial serpents factor into all of this, since their division mirrors that of Velka and Gwyn if the foundation of this theory holds.

[@balaam_7087]

@@corpus1 I respect your opinion in any other context, but as far as Dark Souls lore is concerned I’d have to still disagree. The ‘gods’ referenced in these games are indeed different by their very nature. Deities specifically are always deities in each souls game, and there are (to the best of my knowledge; could be wrong-if so point out example please) zero instances of a non-deity achieving deific status anywhere in the DS trilogy. Supporting evidence is found in both the Four Kings and Seath’s back lore. They’re respectively given Lord Soul shard(s) and elevated to titles of rank like King and Duke, but not a change in substance. They’re still not considered gods. Gwynevere, Gwyndolin etc are indeed gods/goddesses, owing to their birthright lineage, but nowhere in the series does there exist a character not born a true god who becomes one. You’d have to look at a completely different game (Bloodborne) to find an example of a character who legitimately ascends to a higher state of being. So I’d again be inclined to disagree with the thought that ‘theoretically anyone can become a ‘god’ if they just become powerful enough to qualify’-if that were true, Seath certainly would have qualified, as would Manus (who is never referred to as a deity), and technically so would we at the end after we defeat Gwyn and have proven how immensely powerful we are. None of the above has any link to Deific status. I believe this is not the case at all and that being a ‘god’ in the DS universe is, again, a fundamentally different state of being as opposed to something which can be earned/given. I do have to say I enjoyed the theory, even if I cannot commit to it in principle. There were definitely elements I *do* believe make sense and could be possible, if not entirely. Also, thank you for your reply-it feels good to get into a deep discussion on souls lore after all these years!

[@balaam_7087]

@@corpus1 I reread my comment and realized the opening line may be taken negatively. I apologize, and please let me clarify. I *respect* your opinion regardless of whether it’s right or wrong, based off the fact that it is your own and it is not morally offensive in any way. What I meant was that I’d *agree* with it in other contexts, but not in this particular one. Sorry for the initial poor wording.

[@FriendlyDarkwraith]

I see that you also believe Manus to be the Furtive Pygmy. It definitely makes the most sense when you think about it.

[@moomoomoo001]

I like this theory and this type of content a lot. I'll say I have one reservation with the particularities here: Why would Velka be the sister of the three sisters of Londor, if they are merely humans/undead, and she is a Deity? How would the three sisters have survived until the end of time unhollowed when human/undead heroes of the past and even the Gods are long gone? I could see Velka being their Deity or ancestor or something, but so much time has passed (a thousand+ years I believe at least, 100+ years from the linking of the fire to the time of dark souls 1), but sisters? They aren't even half-deity, how do you get a full Deity and three humans/undead to be sisters?

[@TheAce5399]

I thought about this too and when he brought up the Ring of Sacrifice, I thought the three silhouetted would be the three human sisters. I also would like to know how Kaathe and Velka relate to one another. Were they allies who wanted the same end goal but wanted it through different means? Were the competing against one another to see who could bring about the age of Dark? And Gael must be connected to them as well somehow. He's on a mission to accumilate the dark soul together so a new world can be painted. Velka herself was possibly banished. Her followers and the occult were for sure. They were locked away in another painted world. There are so many connections here that want to be pieced together, but just aren't. We're missing something. I think it would make a lot of sense that Kaathe and Velka worked together somehow and the three sisters were humans working for Kaathe. Their end goal was to bring the age of dark, but eventually Kaathe's Darkwraiths became scattered as we see them in Dark Souls 3 being all over the world where the abyss is densely populated. However, they either hallowed or became few in numbers that Kaathe had to resort to the three sisters. Where do we find one of those sisters? In the painted world.

[@nopurposeposting1548]

i dont remember from where but i heard fillianore at one point regarded as gwyn wife, maybe from data mined files, false translation from japanese, or the dev decided to change it into daughter. But perhaps i remembered wrongly

[@israel6223]

i havent even watched it yet and im already stoked

[@FoxyGrandmeowmmy5598]

Another great video to spend the afternoon Wonder what sort of videos you can make if you played xenogears

[@lanc782000]

This is for me the best one I've heard to date

[@flynntaggart8549]

you should check out cruelty squad. it's an immersive sim where you go through each level with the goal of assassinating specific targets. it's kind of like deus ex but with more focus on combat than dialogue, but there's actually an awful lot going on in the background behind the gameplay itself in that game and i haven't seen many people really analyze it. also, tbh, i thought it would be funny to watch you suffer through acclimating to a game with such a... unique aesthetic, let's say.

[@raiuricauaramos2893]

Great video! Two of the best things together (your channel and dark souls). I like to think that Velka went against the gods because Gwyn aligned with Seath. Maybe Priscila was one of the sisters of Velka, or her daughter (since Seath experiment with maidens). That would also explain the connection between Havel and her.

[@AsadAli-tt6vw]

Not a coincidence that the boss you fight before fillianore is called halflight...

[@kamantariq2513]

Before i played the dlc for ds1, i had settled with Velka being the Pygmy. She has the power to silence the magic of the other gods, she was involved in sin/ punishment. She was the counter to the other gods. Despite the lore ds1, ds2 and ds3, i still hold this true. Manus may be her spouse, the pendant is the symbol of thier bond. And prisila is her daughter mixed with Seathe's experiments. Priscila has the power of lifehunt. A OP version of life drain skill the darkwraiths use.

[@devinwatson2396]

Only mystery that comes close to this one is how did big hat logan get his name…?

[@gore_connoisseur4646]

great video. i think the your take makes sense. with her being close to gwyn maybe she saw the atrocities he committed and decided to rebel against him to make him pay for what he did

[@rafaelbordoni516]

Four is also a culturally charged number in Japan, widely used in many other series of games, books, anime, you name it. The nature of godhood in Dark Souls is also worth analyzing, like, most times a deity is a being linked to the lord souls, either directly or by being an offspring of a lord, while other times they seem to have nothing to do with them, like Velka, Father Lloyd and whatever it is that the Church of the Deep worships.

[@mikeclarke3990]

Well about deific status "The hunting Goddess Evlana was no goddess at all, but rather a brave and highly skilled bow huntress. Long after her demise, the passing of lore transformed her into a deity." So who knows...

[@SkunkFarmer420]

New Londo was a kingdom given to the four human kings by gwyn for their loyalty and help during the war of the ancients, but it’s interesting to hear about it being tied to velka as well

[@pwegulian]

I think that velka is more likely the mother of the 3 sister as they are described as 3 daughters in the dark blade item description and there is no mention of their lineage anywhere.

[@maxderrat]

Fair enough. It's not impossible for her to be the mother... and it's not like I haven't heard that theory. I just haven't seen any evidence that supports it. The evidence I HAVE seen suggests that women associated with the dark can be born asexually, like the four sisters of Dark Souls 2 being born asexually from pieces of Manus' soul.

[@SweetWitchNerd]

I've also heard that Velka could be responsible for the prophecy of the Chosen Undead, using her crow to break undead out of the asylum and bringing them to Lordran, using us as a means to the end of punishing Gwyn for The First Sin and bringing forth an Age of Dark, centered around humans and their Dark Souls

[@nailin18]

Yeah, I agree that Filianore is the main reason behind the falling out between Velka and Gwyn, and Filianore is a key part Gwyn`s plot to prevent the coming age of Dark, and that being the First Sin. The fact that Gwyn was willing to give away their Daughter being the breaking point for Velka. I do believe Velka is the mother of just one of Gwyn`s children, that being Filianore. My reason is somewhat flimsy, like you pointed out Velka is described as raven haired and when we meet Filianore she`s the only one of Gwyn`s children with raven hair, though I think Gwynevere and the Nameless King have the same Mother, and I think Gwyndolin is Priscilla`s son, which makes Velka seemingly protection of Priscilla fascinating, perhaps she finds kinship in both being victims of Gwyn machinations.

[@vivecthepoet36]

I was just going to say someone should link this to Ashen Hollow, you mad bastard!

[@wolfstrogen]

alsanna's incarnation in dark souls three may well be karla, who is a child of the abyss, and she is found near the profaned capital, a place associated with dark oracles

[@Andros-0]

Not pressuring you btw :D How is the Berserk read/new video going?

[@ignatius7812]

Jake! I love the ashen hollows vids.

[@jonnymario771]

We probably have not evidence supporting it, but I love the "Izalith is velka and pigmy" theory. Thats my headcanon xD

[@jacobfreeman5444]

I think this is simply too neat. It wraps up too many loose threads at once That said I still like it for how it stimulates the imagination.

[@greenhowie]

Hm. Wonder how the giant crow and the invisible nest-traders fit into all this... really interesting, good lore mining.

[@clarkkotte3069]

I love your reviews and thank you for getting away from the JLP analysis on this one.

[@vde1846]

To anyone interested in the plot against the gods, I can recommend Hawkshaw's video on the subject: "Rediscover Dark Souls Lore: Ash Lake, Havel and the Plot against the Gods" It is very in depth, but well worth the time of any lore enthusiast.

[@snowdrifter6187]

The more I hear the cycle of 4 the more I link it to the curse in the legend of Zelda binding the 3 together always.

[@catseyekit]

I've been considering these ideas for awhile. There are a lot of parallelism between the characters and symbolism of dark souls 1 that parallel Taoism, particularly the concept of Yin-Yang and how gender plays a part in it. Gwyndolin, who is presented as a mix of genders with the moonlight imagery as well as the development notes where Gwyndolin picks up where Velka leaves off with the Darkmoon covenant leaves heavy suggestions to me that Gwyndolin was her child. It also suggests that DS1 is a game ultimately between Gwyndolin trying to preserve his father's legacy (maybe out of grief) and Velka's attempt to destroy it since both have ties to primordial serpents you encounter (one who leads you to Anor Londo and the other who can be found in New Londo) and stand at either side of Taoist principles (in particular rectifying the first sin by letting nature take it's path in deteriorating what Gwyn built). Lots of loose ends I haven't fully had a chance to put together, but go along like lines you've presented. Only point I'm not sure I agree on is the sister angle, as I think the women of the Sable Church were women Velka swayed to her side who agree on the goal but not approaching it by the same method. Yuria wants to work with you to turn to the Dark Age while Friede thinks the answer is to kill you. Also note the scythe, similar to Priscilla's. Other leads that I think matter but not sure how is what Velka's game is with the paintings and the half dragon children that are associated with them. Even Gwyndolin has serpents for legs so hybrids are important somehow. Maybe even suggesting the affair with Seathe or at least an alignment with what's left of the dragons who'd also see Gwyn fall. Occult magic and who can use it suggest some important leads, which include Priscilla and the danger she posed to Gwyn, (the possible family connection being how Gwyndolin protects her and Yorshka in DS3 when the idea of them can threaten the gods). In a lot of ways I think that poor Gwyndolin got caught between the two figures in their life and is coping the only way they know how; by holding on to what's left of their shattered home.

[@ignisspiritustenebris7137]

You should do your next souls video on the painter from The Ringed City DLC of Dark Souls 3. Her presence and dragon-like appearance is worth exploring. Many believe her to be the daughter of Priscilla.

[@JEEBUSxHIMSELF]

yes... YES. Its all coming together...

[@gozinta82]

I personally think that it holds its water. To me, it seems like the 3 games are essentially history repeating itself throughout the ages, each game being separated by centuries, if not millennia. It appears that no matter what is done, the cycle is inevitable. Regardless of who tries to control it.

[@Jarmister]

I like the idea. That if Velka at some point was against Gods, it is fitting for her followers to be called Crow Demons. If we are with number 4 what about 4 Kings they have shard of Gwyn Soul. Where did you would fit in timeline existing of New Londo i think that it existed before Gwyn rekindle the first flame. The first thing that comes to me when I think About 3 sisters from ds3 is that they are her daughters of Velka. Or all 3 are Velka. Like Mórrígan (Phantom Queen) in Celtic mythology shows up many times in correlation with 3 sisters as one of theme or all 3 called Mórrígan.

[@hannahshark8080]

The Ashen Hollow has entered the chat. Edit: Oh, you two are friends and talked about this? I love it when my favourite youtubers work together ❤

[@JPMgeo]

A solid theory man. I always thought it was very telling that there is no mention of Gwyn's wife throughout the series, despite how an incredibly important figure she must have been.

[@CosmicPotato]

Plot twist: Velka was actually Eileen the Crow

[@hugofontes5708]

a crown from a foreign land punishing hunters who become addled with old blood makes sense

[@Dunge0n]

More akin to Maria. An expert swordswoman making sure Old Lords are held accountable for ghastly sins, even her own kin.

[@jokerzwild00]

It's a good take, but honestly I don't think papa Miyazaki went that deep with it. I think he had some vague notions of these off-screen personalities and locations but since they were basically just extra zest for the main course I don't think he actually had anything that solid in mind. Maybe I'm wrong and he had this whole detailed world mapped out? I think he was mostly concerned with what we actually see though. So in short, I don't think we will ever have any true answers to these questions because I don't believe the creator actually ever fully developed them except as a little background flair. Great video, thanks for the content!

[@silent_stalker3687]

Hawkshaw did a very great video series on dark souls that you may find more interesting- especially regarding the demons

[@ideal_meat]

I like to think that Velka came out unscathed after the plot against the Gods because she works from the shadows and is kind of the one who pulls the strings in DS1 (i don't think the crow is Velka or anything like that but the crow symbolism is kind of impossible to point out) i think this also might be why the blades of the dark moon still kind of function. The DS2 connection was pretty amazing, too, certainly something most people overlook considering her diminished presence in that game

[@evanhenry7630]

It’s not a Crow it’s a Raven. “Cornyx favored the use of raven feathers. Ravens are said to have once been Firelink messengers, guiding the undead to the land of ancient gods.”

[@TheAzmdain]

She is the gloom eye queen

[@Karadras1178]

Hi Max, good video, it's a solid interpretation. It'd be awesome if you decide to go deeper on the topic. Maybe explore the connections between New Londo/Londor/The Ringed City ? Also, I couldn't refrain myself to ask, after seeing your Chrome bookmarks. Do you speak french ?

[@agopessimist1335]

Very fascinating and original takes by you and Ashen Hollow! Although I do have some questions regarding them. If i remember correctly, Elfriede is specifically stated to be the eldest of the THREE sisters of Londor (Eldest to Yuria and Liliane) who in turn founded the Sable Church. If Velka is indeed their sister, then why is she not the eldest then? As a goddess of Sin, Velka should potentially be the eldest among them. But then again, there are a lot of similarities between Velka and the Sable Church. You already pointed out a few suggestions in your video, but there is also the added detail that Yuria is wearing a mask shaped like a crow in DS3 (like how crows are a symbol of Velka). Also you forgot to give any mention of Kaathe in your video, since he has such a pivotal role in DS1 and is actually mentioned in DS3. Kaathe also wanted to have the Chosen Undead usurp Gwyn and his Age of Fire, like Velka, and the Sable Church, specifically Yuria, is trying to fulfil Kaathe's dying wish (In the English version, when you kill Yuria she says, "Kaathe, I have failed thee" but in the Japanese version she says, "Kaathe, you're dying wish..."). Kaathe tasked the Chosen Undead to become the Dark Lord by letting the Flame die, and he is technically the first character to point out Gwyn's First Sin, before even Aldia, by mentioning how Gwyn has shepherded humanity and denied them their rightful Age of Dark by Linking the Fire. Now that we know the cyclical nature of Dark Souls due to Gwyn's sin, Kaathe's goal of bringing in the Age of Dark is impossible since DS 2 and 3 pointed out that the cycle of Fire and Dark will occur again and again, burning the world into Ash just as we see at the end of the Ringed City before Gael's boss fight. Only the Unkindled can usurp the fire now that the First Flame is at its lowest point and the Lords of Cinder have abandoned their thrones. Me personally, while the idea of Velka being one of Gwyn's wives is plausible since the hair color and pattern do match (though if I remember correctly, if you datamine the game, then it reveals that Filianore was actually once meant to be Gwyn's ACTUAL WIFE, not his daughter like in release), the idea of Manus having 4 children being Velka, Elfriede, Yuria, and Liliane doesn't quite add up. Manus is Primeval Man, either THE Furtive Pygmy, or one of the Pygmy Lords from the Ringed City. He is not one of the gods, despite potentially grabbing a Lord Soul, and thus cannot have a child who is a god, namely Velka. Velka is a GODDESS, not a child of Pygmy or humanity, and the Gods are collectively a different race of people compared to the Demons, the Dead, the Giants, or Humanity. If Manus or the Furtive Pygmy had a child with a god, then technically all the other Sisters would be gods as well, just as how Gwyn's children are gods. Elfriede, Yuria, and Liliane are all Hollowed humans (you can look at Yuria's model and she has the same Hollowed model as Anri), and a God cannot obtain Dark Sigils or the Dark Sign which can make them Hollow since they do not have the Dark Soul or Humanity in them. It's far more likely that the three Sable Church Sisters are either the children of Velka or followed Velka's teachings, just as they follow Kaathe's after his death. Maybe Velka and the other gods have died by the time of Dark Souls 3 since Gwyndolin is killed and eaten by Aldritch, The Nameless King is killed by the Ashen One, Gwynevere is likely either dead or would have died by the Ringed City DLC, and Filianore is killed when the Ashen One is moved forward in time. And I wanted to give a slight correction to a point you made in the video. You mentioned how Manus never drops a Lord Soul upon death since he was fragmented into the Dark Sisters Nadalia, Nashandra, Elsanna, and Alanna in DS2, but technically the reason we don't get the Dark Soul upon his death is because the Dark Soul was divided into Humanity and passed down to other Pygmy Lords and Manus' descendants who would become Humanity. The Dark sisters are simply fragments of Manus that formed after he died. Still, your video was really interesting and I like your original theory on who Velka really is! Hope you keep making lore videos and analysis of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Demon's Souls, Sekiro, and Elden Ring in the future! Also, I was wondering if you would ever be willing to analyze the movie Angel's Egg? I recommended this movie a few times in your previous Dark Souls videos, and it seems like just the kind of film you would love to analyze. It's a movie by Mamoru Oshii (same director as Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell: Innocence) and it is filled with religious symbolism and themes that you love to analyze in your videos. It also served as inspiration for Dark Souls as well in the Ringed City DLC!! It would serve as a nice addition to this video since you discussed Filianore, and it genuinely is a really good (if very artsy) film! Definitely give it a watch!!!

[@lazy2452]

this was such a great video, just a little nitpicking tho: I suspect New Londo was less likely a rebellious breakaway civilisation from Anor Londo and more like the Ringed City; on the surface Gwyn supports the human city but he's secretly arranging failsafes to contain and suppress humanities darkness. It seems unlikely that a human civilisation following occult worship would have built in a device to flood their own city if they believed in what they were doing, that seems more like something Gwyn would have had put in place out of fear of humanity giving rise to the abyss. also the fact that the Four Kings have a bequeathed shard of Gwyns soul implies that the cities were allied before Kaathe arrived. Perhaps it was indeed always a human city associated with Velka, but Gwyn was forced to save face to humanity and tolerate it's existence for the time untill he had a good excuse to flood the city.

[@Eldagusto]

New Londo was founded while in the favor of Gwyn and not as the start of a new Paradigm. We see this in Gwyn carving a portion of his soul and bequeathing it to the four kings

[@maxderrat]

That's actually a good point, and I'm sorry I made that mistake. I still think it works on a symbolic level though.

[@fatal_error_3]

I believe that Velka is another shard of Manus, who then sought Gwynn, like the other shards of Manus each sought their own king. All reasons you mention from 11:28 hint more in this direction than to the Londor-sisters. Velka even has her own element (Sin), like each of other shards have. Similar pattern. I assumed that she got expulsed because she had sinned (!) by having a child from someone else than Gwyn, but your explanation (revolt against Gwyns prolonging of the cycle) is better.

[@KanonMulticraft]

The First Sin was the Gods' creation of the Seal of Fire, the brand and curse upon Humanity that manifests as the Darksign.

[@tavastian3288]

Velka being Gwyns 1st wife was one of the first theories on Velka. I think Vaati theorized about it🤔

[@coreyrachar9694]

damn, I like this theory quite a bit.

[@citodenlotaren7165]

Well, yes, Vow of Silence actually was created by Velka, but Dark Blade from DSIII is Dark Weapon from DSII, and it's description says itself: "Felkin the Outcast applied his art to transform Magic Weapon into a hex ..." What about Dead Again? This spell similarly is firstly appeared in DSII, where discription says: "Hex that casts a dark flame upon corpses, causing them to combust violently ...", what is more like black flame of Friede. Besides Yuria sells Untrue Dark and White Ring's, which referring to DSII rings. And finally Darkdrift - katana which used Yuria and wich discription says: "A cursed sword with an unseen blade, the choice weapon of Yuria of Londor. Yuria, a mentor of the Sable Church and accomplished swordswoman, is said to have claimed a hundred lives with this weapon. " - is actually a katana owned by Agdayne in DSII: "Katana of Grave Warden Agdayne ..." While Londor is lands of hollows, in DSIII we have a piece of Lordran, captured by Aldrich, Salivan and "Church of the Depths" which using own spells. Meanwhile in other side we have a free from religious competition Kingdom of Drangleic, where inhabit Fenito and Milfanito caring for Hollows, and inhabit Hexers, creadted most of the Londors Sable Church spells. Not even to mention the Usurpation of Fire, which is the very third path that Aldia spoke about and along which Yuria led us entire DSIII. So it's more like Drangleic is Londor, rather then *input your favorit location name* is Londor.

[@t6y6fihu8hy9jjuhi]

This theory about Velkar being a daughter of chaos is originally from the Channel Yoshimitsu, I recomend checking out his video, he uses the original japanese text that is way more clear about Velka. About this symbology of 4, this is part of the asian folklore, Fromsoftware uses a lot of japanese and european foklored mixed together in their games, this symbology of four is a reference to the four guardians/four gods in the asian mythology. We can also see this pattern in the first Dark Souls with the original four lords, where each one represented the disparity of each other, with Gwyn being Light, Pygmy being Dark, Nito Being Death and Izalith being Life. Disparity was the main theme of DS1. The four great souls influencing the main bosses in DS2, being souls of the lords of DS1, are also canon, is not a mere reference, Shalquoir makes it clear that those 4 great ones were reincarnations of the old lords from DS1 and Seath, those are actually the same 4 great souls offered to the lords vessel for the rite to open the portal dimension to the kiln of the first flame.

[@yukiutaware1064]

Velka is a fascinating figure

[@brandonmorales8615]

Max Derrat, it's a shame we never have met at the same space/time.

[@ThiagoCRocha-fh6lg]

It makes a lot of sense, actually. The Pigmy kings in the ringed city are were manipulated by Gwyn to maintain the Curse and thus Maintain the Linking of the First Flame. We Need someone to try and END this whole thing. All games point to someone Guiding the Player to that choice. Kathe in the First Game, Aldia in the Second Game and Yuria in the Third. If Velka is Related to the First Pigmy or IS the Furtive Pigmy it solves all the questions. Either Velka is a Daugther of The First bearer of the dark soul and they plot all of this to end the Age of Fire. Or Velka IS the furtive Pigmy and Her three sisters kept the legacy and plan. The Painter then can be her daughter or Her "offspring" (like the queens are from Manus) leading to the Next step in her plan, The Girl even instructed Gael to colect EVERY FRAGMENT OF THE DARK SOUL. This makes a lot of Sense when we place it with everything else.

[@dorkmoonblade4315]

A lot of this theory hinges on the idea that Velka and Gwyndolin as hostile in DS1, as supported by the theory that Gwyndolin rewards you to kill Velka's Crow Demons in the Painted World. But the item you get from killing Crow Demons is a Souvenir of Reprisal - the lore of which is that it is the stripped ear of a sinner. The Darkmoons hunt down sinners, and then strip their ears as a warning to others. From what I can see Crow Demons don't have ears and I always assumed that they carried these Souvenirs because they themselves had stripped the ears of sinners themselves. Furthermore the Book of the Guilty makes it very clear that Velka is working with Gwyndolin in the present tense, and considering that the Book is a usable item that can lead to players being indicted and invaded by the Darkmoons, means that Velka is very much still keeping track of the book's records. This is an interesting theory but I think it is far more likely that DS1 Velka never plotted against Gwyn in any respect, and was merely another agent of the status quo that worked with Gwyndolin to preserve the reign of the Gods.

[@pabloraulpereyra4948]

Cool vid!

[@FoxFireUnlimited]

I'm pretty sure I remember FROM/Miyazaki confirmed that Manus wasn't the Furtive Pygmy.

[@wjs9215]

Just a hunch, but the kanji for "4" is "shi" which also means death. Like check Death's HP in many Castlevania games; it's 4,444 (shi shi shi shi x shi). Also, death, darkness, cold, female, and regression are all aspects of yin, while life, light, heat, male, and progression are aspects of yang. I'm surprised you didn't bring this up, Max. It's classic eastern symbolism.