Preface
Thanks to the sheer scope of Elden Ring, it has become easier than ever for FromSoftware to hide its history in plain sight. So many crucial events go unmentioned, and none are as consequential as those establishing Marika and Godfrey as queen and king. But while the written narrative might have little to say of these happenings, there is still much that we can discern from the game world, and they help paint an epic picture of these two’s early days. Although it has caused me to suffer informational overload on more than one occasion, I can appreciate the developers’ commitment to letting this story speak for itself. All the disparate plot threads weave together into a majestic tapestry, and only a game this large and layered could present it like a half-buried remnant of a bygone era, ready for us to come dredge it up.
Marika Grows Up Empyrean
As the Erdtree reached maturation, the Greater Will decided upon a new god to act as the Elden Ring’s intermediary. The one chosen by the Two Fingers as Empyrean was, of course, Marika. This was at least in part due to her background. The god-to-be is also Numen, as elucidated in the Numen Rune’s description. Text for the black knife set also describes the woman’s close connection to her astral heritage. This is best demonstrated by Marika’s Hammer, which may also suggest that her family comes from a kind of smithing background. Aside from using the tool to break apart and repair the Elden Ring, the future queen also reaches out to Hewg to forge a weapon capable of slaying gods during her imprisonment. But whether or not the woman has any particular experience with artisanry, her history still begs the question of her birthplace. Where did this Numen queen come from exactly?
Considering the number of Nox already living around the Erdtree, Marika is liable to have been among their number. She certainly manages to coexist with them after ascending to godhood, and their unique circumstances explain her own. When the young Numen enters the pictures, she comes with an unusual bent for faith-based magic. This would be odd in most Eternal Cities with their focus on the arcane through the lens of intelligence, but not the nameless city beneath the Erdtree. They exhibit a greater acceptance for the faithful in their society, with Elden Stars showcasing the extent of that curiosity. The first Erdtree incantation requiring the most faith to cast implies that a significant fraction of the local Nox put a greater — if not exclusive — emphasis on that school of magic. They couldn’t understand the full nature of the tree, even as they studied from its roots, so turned to prayer; with enough sincerity, their appeals were answered. Growing up in such an environment, it is no surprise that Marika herself became accustomed to blind faith.
Spurring her on were sure to be the Two Fingers, whose movements inevitably gave rise to a Finger Reader in order to interpret them in detail. They imparted the language of faith for her to employ. With her destiny already written, it was incumbent upon the Fingers to prepare Marika for her role as the new god. Marika also had her ever-faithful vassal beast Maliketh behind her. Although the English description claims that he is her half-brother, gitei (義弟) merely denotes a person not related by blood who agrees to act as a younger brother — in this case, a stepbrother, just like how the term is localized in the case of Blaidd. Put simply, Marika was blessed with a loyal servant following her birth, the beast-man treated as a younger sibling as they grew up together. She was thus surrounded by constant reminders that she was to spread the holy power of the Elden Ring filtered through its new arboreal medium. She was chosen to impart Order to every corner the Erdtree touched, and these supporter were to help the young Empyrean along with that endeavor.
Needless to say, such an upbringing inflated Marika’s ego. In her adult life, the woman wholeheartedly embraced her role as god and demonstrated the drive to both acquire and maintain that level of power. This wasn’t without warrant. Her ambition and hubris were matched only by her cunning and charisma; without that, she couldn’t have built a kingdom which ultimately became the first continent-spanning empire. With her talents, Marika had no reason to question her selection from the powers on high. By divine ordination, she stood above the common man — who wouldn’t develop a god complex? If grace thrust her on this path, then the choice was easy: sprint straight ahead. She was born to be the god on this earth, and she had no intention of rejecting this calling. The Numen therefore put all her faith in the Greater Will and the Two Fingers.
That isn’t to say that Marika harbored no identity outside her persona of divinity. In fact, she possesses somewhat of a childlike whimsy. One of her capital’s secret treasures is an intricate veil which casts a simple illusion upon the user, allowing the person to blend into the surroundings as an appropriate inanimate object. This Mimic Veil has earned the name Marika’s Mischief, implying that she in particular played many a prank with the treasure. Perhaps her unusual childhood left her, in some respects, still immature, but it nonetheless proves that the god wasn’t humorless. At the same time, Marika’s public speeches as quoted by Melina present her as grave and imposing, so there is a certain duality to the mischievous woman. Indeed, such capriciousness betrays how the queen could be as quickly cruel as she could be kind, inclined to impulse at provocation — and impulsive actions often tend toward the extreme. Put another way, the god is passionate in everything she does, for better and worse.
These more childish elements to Marika’s personality also bring her childhood into question. How did being an Empyrean affect the young girl’s life? What about her parents’ lives? Outside of her stepbrother, we are given no indication of any prior family shaping the queen’s decisions at any point in her reign. Were they still around and simply uninterested in the perks of royalty above ground, or had they long since expired? If the latter, then it is possible that Marika was primarily raised by Maliketh and the Two Fingers, perhaps even a Finger Reader. However, this assumes that truly any and all her other parental guardians were all conveniently dead or wholly uninterested in the little girl. Regardless of her exact circumstances growing up, we can be certain that whatever family did exist for Marika had become a nonfactor in her life by the time she started pursuing her purpose as an Empyrean.
In the end, Marika would supplant the existing kingdom beneath the Erdtree rather than assimilate into it. The reason may be as simple as the guidance of grace, but this still requires motive on the Greater Will’s part. Perhaps it was impossible to make headway with the people controlling the Erdtree at the time. Those surrounding it were either partial to a past god or more generally concerned with the power of gold, so there may have been no interest in a woman proselytizing about a tree-specific Order. Even if they could be convinced, the Greater Will might have already forsaken them — mayhaps it didn’t appreciate the Sun Capital’s attempt to control the divine; if Ensha and his ilk wished to touch the sun, they best be prepared to get burned. Regardless, a new Erdtree capital was needed for Marika to become god.
Unfortunately for her, there was a problem: she couldn’t fight a war. All spells associated with Marika are healing incantations. The texts to both Blessing of the Erdtree and Erdtree Heal are found lying on the bed in the Queen’s Bedchamber, leaving no room to doubt their owner. She was learned and literate, but her faith could, at best, provide support, and this is assuming that she even knew these advanced prayers before becoming god. There are no offensive spells among Two Fingers incantations either, so there was no one to turn to for this woman of faith. Even if she did know some Noxian sorcery, that would still just leave her and Maliketh against an entire army. How were they supposed to topple an entire civilization? There was no getting around it; Marika needed an army of her own. However, longstanding relations between the Sun Capital and the Eternal City below made it unlikely that she could rally the Nox to her cause — at least so far as war was concerned. And so, the Empyrean secured her means to control the Erdtree from the unlikeliest of places.
Hoarah Loux Becomes Godfrey
When Marika rose to become god, she took Godfrey as her Elden Lord. There were several benefits to this choice. Like the queen, the king has no obvious preceding family to complicate her goals. They could act solely as a pair for their mutual benefit. However, her main reason for selecting the man as consort was due to his strength. His Elden Lord set references the Erdtree’s early days coinciding with war in its description. Protection of the Erdtree’s text similarly acknowledges how “all” started out as its enemy, only coming to govern the entire Lands Between due to countless victories in battle — and Godfrey was the king of the battlefield. He was capable of leading armies, inspiring morale, and overcoming foes who stood in Marika’s way. And he would do it without mercy.
One of the Golden Tree faith prayers. Thing considered the most superior of them.
Boosts all attribute cut rates except physical, including surrounding allies. Continue praying while holding and effect won’t activate.
In the beginning, all were enemies of the Golden Tree. For it became the Regulation through innumerable battles and victories.
Godfrey began as Hoarah Loux, a name he would take up again later in life. Whenever adopting this persona, the man is portrayed as less than regal; stripped down, bare-chested, unkempt. That is because in his time before being Elden Lord, Hoarah Loux was a simple warrior, defined by his ferocity evoking a wild animal. Like a cornered beast, Godfrey on the back foot unleashes a mighty roar before clawing and grabbing at us with his bare hands. In fact, he revels in relying on nature’s tools to him. When winning our battle in this form, rather than offering a pithy complement, Hoarah touts power as prerequisite to becoming King, acknowledging our worth if bested in this contest. In other words, the man who would one day be chief of the Badlands was your typical barbarian with atypical strength. In Hoarah’s world, might makes right, and raw, unbridled power was the only kind needed. This vicious fighting spirit that possesses him drove the warrior to become the supreme being on the Altus Plateau.
Talisman modeled on Godfrey, Elde King. One of the “legendary talismans”.
Enhances sorcery/prayer/battle art charge use.
Godfrey was a ferocious warrior. But when he swore to become a King, he shouldered Serosh, the Chancellor Beast, in order to suppress his ever-seething fighting spirit.
Luckily for him, there were plenty of foes for the warrior to prove his mettle against. If he could navigate the chaos, he could come out on top. To Loux’s credit, his will to fight did translate to the strength to win. By the time he assumed a crown, Godfrey had amassed an army under Marika’s banner and established the royal capital of Leyndell. This requires that he previously unite an entire tribe behind him, and we can infer which one. Just outside the city walls is the Auriza Hero’s Grave and Side Tomb. The foreign word presumably refers to the people buried there, the “auxiliary graves” (副墓) implying that they primarily consisted of brave warriors. And yet, there is no ruined settlement called “Aurezza” (アウレーザ) anywhere on the plateau, much less near the burial ground — only Leyndell. The name is clearly taken from the Latin aureum (アウレム) meaning “gold”. Auriza would thus be fitting for a tribe which brought about the Age of the Golden Tree establishing its kingdom through heroic battles.
As the final nail, there is how these tombs were furnished. The Hero’s Grave has a peculiar golden lighting from burning glowing white leaves like in Leyndell, with similar banners bearing the same Erdtree crest utilized by the capital’s armed forces. This confirms the tribe’s connection to the royal capital, and the effigies further tie the buried to Marika. Common to all Hero Graves are the statues of a woman in veil and tunic evocative of the Virgin Mary, a similar figure standing tall in the Auriza Side Tomb and other catacombs. Who would be depicted as a holy woman, if not holy mother, in a place of Erdtree Burial except the Erdtree capital’s Queen? But the Auriza Hero’s Grave features another such statue, this time with the woman brandishing a spear covered in foliage. Why portray the Numen reliant on a barbarian to win her wars as a warrior herself? Because it shows solidarity with the real heroes. They were one in wanting to claim the Erdtree, so their god stands with them as an equal even if only providing support from behind in actuality. They are her spear with which to smite her foes.
In this case, their foes were the Sun Capital and its Farum colonist allies. Needless to say, the barbarians led by Hoarah Loux managed to destroy the metropolis and wipe out its population. This was probably no easy feat, given the technological disparity between the two tribes. But with the powers of grace and the Two Fingers on their side, the savage warriors prevailed over the likes of armored knights. The moats around Leyndell’s walls do hide a scarab rolling up Prayerful Strike — an ash of war empowering “barbaric” armaments with the Fingers’ sigil — and the odd bloodrose — proof of the bloody aftermath. The lone survivor of this massacre had the chance to collect weapons from fallen comrades, so the bodies were likely left out to rot at least until all the fighting had concluded. By the time the relentless barbarians had finished, there were none still aligned with the Sun Capital to mourn the dead save the one. If there were survivors besides the future hero of Morne, they assimilated into the ranks of the Farum colonies. For all intents and purposes, their nation was lost.
That left only the Fortified Manor and its garrison. Hoarah led his warriors in presumably another assault on the castle now incorporated into the new royal capital. The circumstances likely drove the Farum colonists to desperation. Leyndell’s Pagan Quarter is mainly filled with misbegotten, many of these “hybrids” (混種) supplicating the local graves and saint statue. If they feel such a deep connection to the dead buried there, then those are probably their kinsmen, ancestors — fellow citizens of this district. Certainly, the winged misbegotten ashes note how they are slaves from birth in their description, opening the possibility for multiple generations who didn’t necessarily share that fate. Moreover, it claims that their form mixing aspects of various animals is punishment for coming in contact with the Crucible. As aspects of the Crucible incantations showcase, the power of the original Erdtree can generate various animal traits. We likewise see the hybrids’ feathers, furs, and manes possess a red hue either in part or in full, potential signs of absorbing too much life energy.
Ashen remains harboring a spirit. Summons winged hybrid spirit.
Spirit that possesses the aspect of wings, so shoots arrows while flying. The hybrids are considered to be beings punished for coming in contact with the Crucible, and are congenitally slaves, the corrupted.
In short, a number in the Fortified Manor seem to have turned to the Erdtree for power. Perhaps in their despair at stopping the barbarians’ rampage, they fell back on that newly matured medium of gold as their last hope. However, whether spurned by the tree itself or simply failing to properly channel its power, they merely turned into hybrid abominations. They are no less intelligent, as demonstrated by Hewg. This explains why we see the misbegotten led by the rare leonine variety more often than not — the lion hybrids possess a yellow coat akin to Serosh, so the other slaves default to their judgment, a carryover from their race’s time as human colonists. And with that continued clarity of mind comes bodies with hardy scales, dexterous wings, and bestial strength. Even if this wasn’t the result they had intended, the “punished” colonists nonetheless gained new power for the fight to defend their home. Alas, it wasn’t enough to stop the Auriza, and Hoarah Loux finally cleared their own access to the Crucible.
With the base of the Erdtree secured, the warrior had delivered the Empyrean the Ring required to ascend to godhood; what better for a man’s proposal? However, Loux’s strength would nonetheless be tempered going forward. When he vowed to become a King, he was also swearing to conduct himself as would be expected of one. In this context, those expectations would be coming from his wife, a Numen who had grown accustomed to a certain standard of sophistication from the people she lived and worked alongside. And Hoarah wanted Marika for, if nothing else, the promise of more power as a ruler. In classic fashion, the wild man needed to be tame to win the object of his affections. That meant not only dressing and acting with the proper regal etiquette, but also suppressing that unrelenting drive to fight. As detailed in the description for the Beast Crest Heater Shield, the lion depicted on the heraldry would caution a warrior to not become drunk on the passionate fighting he engaged in.
Metal-made medium shield. Easy to handle compared to a kite shield.
It is said that the crest’s beast suppresses a warrior’s excitement. Fight passionately, but don’t get drunk on it.
For that reason, the husband to the divine adopted the Germanic name Godfrey meaning “peace of God” and shouldered Serosh as his chancellor. Just as Godfrey’s Icon depicts the lion whispering in his Lord’s ear over the shoulder as the man stares at his idle hands, the Chancellor Beast was a constant guide advising restraint, to hold back his power for a more opportune moment. This is why the talisman improves the strength behind charged attacks, and why Godfrey feels the need to kill the lion spirit lurching over his back when reembracing his old identity during our battle. The man knows that Serosh has “looked after” him this entire time since first becoming Elden Lord, yet he still wants him to stop, all so he can drop the “pretense” of good manners in this critical moment. Without his chancellor constantly by his side, Godfrey would all too easily slip back into his old habits. And as far as the barbarian was concerned, the old lion would always have his ear so long as it remained in the king’s best interest — as was the case when he hoped to court Marika.
Enough already. You have looked after me all this time, Serosh.
The good-mannered pretense stops now.
It might sound odd for the Beast King to lower himself to the role of a prime minister, but the lion probably accepted the appointment in exchange for his life. Serosh’s face bears scars proving that he took beatings in battle. As its lord, he had most likely confronted Hoarah Loux during the assault on his castle, only for the old king to lose against the young warrior. Perhaps it was at Marika’s direction, or perhaps the golden lion himself sued for peace. Either way, in sparing his life, the barbarian gave Serosh the opportunity to be recruited as an ally in their new Order. The Beast King, with his incredible wisdom and years of experience, would be an asset in building the kingdom to come, and he had seen Hoarah Loux’s potential as the next Elden Lord. This was the perfect chance to break old ties and carve out a place in the new era.
Indeed, Serosh’s submission to Godfrey had apparently become the model for others to follow. The Ruler’s Mask is more accurately worn by a “feudal lord” (領主) of a small province in the larger kingdom. It portrays the lord as an “old sage”, (老賢) the same term used to describe Serosh in the description of the Golden Beast Crest Shield. The complementary Ruler’s Robe also overlays the standard Upper-Class Robe with a blue overcoat, mirroring how Serosh rests his form upon Godfrey’s flowing blue mantle. What does it say then that the faith-boosting mask’s wisened and wizened visage denotes the ideal lord; someone competent yet unthreatening to the central government? Godfrey desired his retainers place their faith in their King, to support but never to supersede him. He wanted them to know competence but preferred they never put it to use challenging his authority. They might counsel him and, in some sense, rule through him, but it was always at the king’s discretion. And old Serosh was the first to be defanged, setting a high standard for Godfrey’s human vassals to meet.
Mask modeled on an old sage. Apparel of feudal lords of small provinces. Boosts faith.
It is considered to denote the ideal for being the feudal lord. A wise and fanglessly soft person; for the center of power, that is the most convenient.
Shield of dull gold engraved with a beast crest. Light and easy to use among the greatshields.
That beast is probably the Golden Clan’s guiding old sage, Serosh.
Robe of feudal lords of small provinces. The blue overcoat is proof of the status to be the feudal lord.
Emblematic of the Beast King’s rapprochement with the new Elden Lord, Godfrey received an axe to match his title. The fact that Hoarah Loux swore to behave as a proper king upon both shouldering Serosh and owning this “royal axe” (王斧) already suggests a connection. However, the metal and tentacle pattern on the ax head is the same seen on the iron weapons forged by the beastmen. Furthermore, the Stormhawk Axe acquired at the Fortified Manor features the same pattern, proving that the Farum colonists stationed in the castle were no strangers to fashioning such weapons. Therefore, the king’s axe was likely Serosh’s gift to Godfrey. Taking up this more refined armament was the first step in Hoarah Loux joining civilized society and proving his sincerity to both the Empyrean and Beast King. With that, the compact between all three parties was sealed and the new kingdom could begin, thus a doubled-headed axe became the symbol for the mighty clan of Godfrey going forward just as the golden lion had become the symbol of the War Lord himself.
My Horse for a Kingdom
Thanks to the amicable resolution with Serosh, the Fortified Manor was allowed to remain standing, thereafter incorporated into the newly established royal capital. In fact, it received a few personal touches from its new owners. Yellow trees join the red ones in the manor quarter. White stone flower planters backdrop benches in the castle courtyard as well as throughout the streets of Leyndell. The interior has also undoubtedly seen some added decoration. For example, we can find various portraits related to the kingdom throughout the building. The foyer balcony hangs the Elden Lords on one side and the god and her sacred tree on the other. Godfrey and Marika’s portrait likewise hang in the first-floor dining room. The servant quarters in the opposite wing, meanwhile, prefers landscapes of the Erdtree and Leyndell. Then there are the green banners with tree crest used by Leyndell, two hanging in the hall preceding the dining room. As to why the castle manor received so much attention, it is because the royal couple made it their initial headquarters.
At the heart of the Fortified Manor is its round table on the second floor. Stuck into the center are a number of weapons seemingly derived from trees. All of them are swords except for a singular axe, which has come to symbolize Godfrey. In all likelihood, this is the barbarian’s old weapon his metal axe was modeled after. This thereby implies that Hoarah Loux and his presumably best warriors sat at this table. Their blades converging in a circle demonstrates their solidarity, the round table evoking Arthurian legend in particular. The same can be said about the neighboring audience chamber, its central chair identical to the Elden Throne and flanked by Leyndell’s tree banners. Out front, the manor keeps plenty of horse stables, perfect for garrisoning equestrian warriors — in other words, knights (騎士) in the most traditional sense. With all certainty, the barbarians were vowing to become a king and his faithful retinue. This castle is where Hoarah Loux formally took up the mantle of Elden Lord, becoming his palace as they planned to unite the plateau under Marika’s new Erdtree Order.
Proof that the manor was more than a meeting place is found in the second-floor bedroom in the east wing. The chamber is well furnished with fixtures common in Leyndell, including potted plants otherwise only decorating the dining and servant wings downstairs, and nowhere near to the same extent. Why the interest in foliage? Because the owner had it to thank for her position. Hanging opposite the fireplace is a large portrait of Marika flanked by tree banners. The other walls hang similar paintings of the Queen or her royal capital. And in the corner lays more art of the God’s three most valuable things: the Erdtree, her first consort Godfrey, and her second consort Radagon. Who would this room belong to except the Numen of the Erdtree vain and conceited enough to embrace deific status? The developers even placed a mirror for changing appearance, including sex, in that same room of the Roundtable Hold, an obvious reference to her dual identity as Radagon. This place was Marika’s bedchamber once upon a time.
If that is the queen’s personal quarters, then its counterpart in the west wing may have belonged to Godfrey. Although no hypothetical bed yet remains in that chamber, it would have likely been cleared out to make way for all the books and shelves now combed by its latest occupant, Gideon the All-Knowing. Even then, some of the shelving might predate him. Rather than more barracks storage, the west wing as a whole serves as an extensive library — and the barbarian would have much reading to catch up on to become a civilized Lord. Additionally, the chairs in this wing are unique in featuring tree imagery instead of the hawk imagery used everywhere else. Why the distinction unless thorough use of this wing dates only to the Erdtree kingdom’s era? At the same time, we do see some weapons still hanging above the fireplace, associating the private chamber at least with a military man of some kind. Meanwhile, the library wing features portraits of Marika, contrasting the portrait of Godfrey outside Marika’s chamber. Taken together, and this was clearly Hoarah Loux’s quarters as he worked to become a king worthy of his god.
With the kingdom still in its infancy, it is only natural for the new royalty take up residence in existing shelter — especially since its previous leonine owner was now their vassal. As to the exact nature of the new Erdtree kingdom, we need only examine the sigil on the round table that Godfrey and his best knights swore upon. Emblazoned at the center is a flourishing tree with plenty of roots and verdure; at its center, the Elden Ring. The top half simultaneously resembles the crest for the Erdtree Seal, which depicts the tree as an abstract cross with the Elden Ring at its crux. While we see the cross sigil used by the faithful in general, the flourishing sigil is consistently used with “old” Erdtree incantations, including “aspects of the Crucible” prayers; the distinction is highlighted in the menu graphics for scrapped prayer books, each sigil complemented with gold and reddish color schemes respectively. Furthermore, with exception to the entryway, all corners of the room erect the golden flower picker statues, representing man first taking hold of the Erdtree. And so, this round table displays the symbol of the Crucible, which is fitting considering that King Godfrey’s Knights of the Round Table were most likely the original Crucible Knights.
This order of knights served the first Elden Lord specifically and wielded the early Erdtree’s power. Their incantations allow them to briefly manifest the various animal aspects it blends, while their reddish gold weapons and armor possess its holy power which augment those same prayers. The swords in the round table suggest that the order started out with nine, but cut descriptions for their equipment affirm that they ultimately number sixteen, all of whom we can encounter in the flesh or spirit. The two primary knights were Ordovis and Siluria, each with their own particular fashion and fighting style for their subordinates to imitate. The lion’s share of the order followed Ordovis, wearing axe head ornamentation representing their allegiance to Godfrey and wielding a sword and hornshield. The rest followed Siluria, wearing great tree ornamentation representing the Crucible and wielding a similar tree spear with a larger emphasis on faith. But regardless of their specific bent, they undeniably embraced both their Elden Lord and the Erdtree’s initial form.
One of the old Golden Tree prayers.
Generates a loud throat pouch and breathes fire breath while walking. Hold use to make time breathing longer.
It is one of the aspects of the Crucible, the power of life which is the origin of the Golden Tree. Once, life was blended together.
Helmet of the sixteen old knights who served Godfrey, the first Elde King.
The helmet ornamentation is the symbol of the knight Ordovis and his subordinates.
Vessels tightly bulge with the power of life’s Crucible, the original Golden Tree.
Perhaps the most obvious example of the whole order’s allegiance to Godfrey is their stomp technique, rupturing the jagged earth with the force of a single foot. Their king can perform similar earth-shattering stomps, so they probably all received personal training from their lord — who better to teach them how to fight? Both kinds of Crucible Knights also possess a mantle of white beast fur, presumably taken from old Serosh or one of his lions-turned-guardians for the new kingdom. Clearly, the axe and tree knights share a vested interest in the symbols of Godfrey and his clan. At the same time, the Ordovis knights’ cloaks, the Siluria knights’ gold back ornaments, and the hem to Godfrey’s cape all feature the same “old” design according to earlier iterations of the Crucible knight armors. Accordingly, it depicts the “Aspects Herb” (諸相の草) referencing the various Aspects of the Crucible incantations. In other words, this is a symbol linked to the original Erdtree, bringing all three parties back around to the source of their holy power. No matter which, every Crucible Knight were sworn to Godfrey and the arbor even he served.
Chest armor of the sixteen old knights who served Godfrey, first Elde King.
Harbors the power of life’s Crucible, the original Golden Tree, so vessels tightly bulge.
The pattern on the torn-up cloak is an old design called Aspects Herb.
Chest armor of the sixteen old knights who served Godfrey, first Elde King.
Harbors the power of life’s Crucible, the original Golden Tree, so vessels tightly bulge.
The gold ornaments worn along with white beast fur is an old design called Aspects Herb.
To sum it up, Godfrey’s kingdom began revolving around the Crucible expressed through the lens of faith. The Erdtree Bow and Greatbow’s description affirms that faith and battle went hand-in-hand during older times, which we see not just with the Crucible Knights but also the Tree Sentinels. These knights are, as the name suggests, guards in service to the Erdtree. Few earned the privilege to wear the large “crest” derived from the tree on their helm, but those who did became heavy cavalry acting as a golden rampart against its foes. Aside from holy halberds and greatshields we see them wield in battle, the Tree Sentinels were also probably equipped with Erdtree Greatbows; we acquire one along with their armor by destroying traps in their form riding a chariot. Destroying three such chariot traps in the Auriza Hero’s Grave further rewards Holy Ground, an ash of war for consecrating land to defend with a Crucible sigil that heals and raises defense for those inside its boundaries. This, combined with the sentinel statues erected in the Fortified Manor’s foyer and flanking entry to the round table, proves that the order is contemporary with the Crucible Knights.
Greatbow engraved with a Golden Tree design. Weapon made to accompany “Golden Great Arrows” when the faith coincided with war in the Old Age.
Scales arrows’ attack power also with faith and demonstrates its true worth when using arrows of the holy attribute.
All these knights relied on faith in the Erdtree for their holy weapons and magic, with the smaller bows and accompanying golden arrows likely seeing currency among the common soldier based on the description to the Arrow’s Sting Talisman. The Erdtree’s power was not understood yet nevertheless venerated, with Marika becoming the face of this holiness. Portraits in the Fortified Manor commonly portray Marika with her arms outstretched in front of the Erdtree, superimposing herself over the trunk with wide canopy; it also evokes both her Elden Rune and the Erdtree cross sigil. Unarguably, the Numen was considered a god on account of the Ring harbored within the tree, so its steward naturally worked to become synonymous with the true divinity. The Erdtree Greatshield depicts a woman sitting under a large tree while a man with a sword nobly addresses her. Whether intended to represent Godfrey or the generic man of war, it is obvious that he is acting to defend Marika and her Erdtree. The entire kingdom and its army existed because of them. Of course, they sought their divine favor.
With Godfrey’s tribe establishing a settlement at the foot of the Erdtree, it came time for the Auriza to begin burying their veterans. More than likely, the hero and auxiliary graves served as the first major burial ground for the fledgling royal capital. Aside from their proximity to the city’s side entrance, the hero graves in particular are heavily associated with the Crucible. The chariot traps with the aforementioned rewards are located in the Auriza Hero’s Grave, for instance. In a similar vein, Ordovis and a Siluria knight ultimately take up post as gravekeepers, implying that they bear a deep affinity with the heroes buried there in particular. One of the corpses even possesses the Crucible Feather Talisman, considered a sign of holiness in the days before civilization. Skeletons in the area also bear the Scripture Wooden Shield blessed with a “holy” cipher of presumably the Two Fingers. Taken together, all the warriors who contributed to the founding but fell were entombed in these two catacombs.
Talisman of feathers blending aspects said to have generated in the body of man in the Old Age.
Enhances rolling evasion but damage received also becomes greater always.
It is a vestige of the Crucible which is life’s origin. It is partial atavism and was long ago considered a holy visual, but in the wake of civilization, it is treated as corruption.
Soon enough, however, a separate graveyard was set up for either Auriza non-combatants or outsiders in general. The Leyndell Catacombs are situated beneath the royal capital’s sewer system, accessed via a hidden passage under one of the veiled holy women statues. This implicates its creation incredibly early in the city’s urban development. Sure enough, a Crucible Scale Talisman hides inside, meaning that at least some of the dead buried there are roughly contemporaneous with the other two catacombs. The area is likewise home to a Haligdrake Talisman, evidently belonging to one of the dragon worshipers who had been opposed to the holy powers of the Erdtree. However, a local spirit-caller snail will summon the soldiers of the present-day. We can thus be certain that any resident of Leyndell not applicable for burial elsewhere on the plateau has instead been interred deep below the city since its earliest history.
Being some of the first Erdtree Burials in her kingdom, it should come as no surprise that these tombs have Marika’s personal touch. Both the Auriza Side Tomb and the Leyndell Catacombs possess a particularly confusing layout, using layers of identical arrangements to chambers and — in the former’s case — teleportation magic to trap graverobbers in an endless maze of déjà vu. While not as extreme, the Auriza Hero’s Grave does employ similar deception tactics, having lamps cast summoning circles to ambush the robbers with chariot traps they can easily be sandwiched between; new ones always appearing just after narrowly getting past the previous. No other graveyard demonstrates anywhere near this extent of playfulness, and Marika proves herself to be a bit of a prankster. And why not have fun at work, too?
Indeed, the Queen’s Bedchamber shows that she was quite the busy bee, stacks of tablets and heaps of scrolls littering around the stone couch she lounged upon while handling the day-to-day affairs of her subjects. In the course of this work, she need organize a government to help execute her royal decrees. Among this bureaucracy are officials wearing a blue uniform, tasked with the unseemly work which can’t be performed at a desk. Whether it is keeping watch over concerning persons, putting the condemned to death, or enacting unsightly ceremonies, they do all their queen’s dirty work under the table while her radiant image remains untarnished. But when it comes to enacting god’s will on her behalf, it was important to also establish a formal clergy and propagate the faith. One aspect to this are the women permitted to become Finger Readers, though not strictly interpreting the Two Fingers. These finger-reading priestesses have instead become a common sight within churches and along highways, analyzing the digits of congregants and passers-by. In this way, clerics, too, assisted in managing the realm.
Grubby blue robe. Apparel of government officials bearing grim duties.
Surveillance, execution, gruesome ritual. But people do depend on the darker duties.
Of course, the god queen wasn’t exempt from the quid pro quo in politics. To attract and motivate vassals, the formation of an aristocracy is inevitable. The Lands Between harbor no shortage of nobles from the Erdtree capital. As typical for aristocrats, they often engage in honor duels using thin thrusting swords. Most of these nobles wield high-valued gold estocs, and a chest in a camp filled with their ilk stores away the Great Épée made for particularly brutal death matches. Clearly, their pride translates into luxury. Even their travel attire is lavish, with fashion trends tailored to familial status as much as individual taste. The long cowl and gown is currently in vogue for the elderly in particular, while the feathered hat and coat are preferred by families descended from knights. That in itself reveals the kind of persons honored with hereditary status. Retainers who distinguished themselves, whether civil or military, were granted special favor by the royalty, with which they would use to continue supporting the realm for hopefully years to come. Put simply, Marika handled all domestic affairs in the burgeoning capital while Godfrey was out fighting to secure their hegemony over the wider plateau.
Kiss the Ring
While Godfrey and Marika were laying down the foundations for a country, the other Farum colonies were sure to take notice. They had only so long before the fate of the Sun Capital and Fortified Manor were known to their kindred, and retaliation was guaranteed. It was incumbent upon the Elden Lord to continue fighting for his burgeoning civilization’s survival. That meant bringing the entire plateau under one banner. Naturally, the Greater Will agreed. From Melina’s quotations of Marika, Godfrey had been guided by grace in all his battles before finishing off the fire giants on the Mountaintops. This leaves no doubt that the king built up his army knowing the threat they would have to face next. The brief reprieve lasted only until the enemy mobilized. Now Leyndell was the one defending their doorstep. But this time, the king would fend off the attackers and take the war to them.
As evidence to some of these early battles, we find a more conventional graveyard in the middle of the Capital Outskirts. Nearby, opposite side of Leyndell’s outer wall, is another such boneyard giving rise to Those Who Live in Death. These skeletons all wield war glaives save for one, an executioner using a long-handled axe more resembling a hatchet — the concave curve to the blade perfectly suited to the roundness of the human torso it was used to bisect. According to the description of this “torso-cutter great hatchet”, (断胴の大鉈) the executions primarily concerned remnants of a defeated army. From this, we can infer that the dead in these random graveyards are combatants either slain in battle or systematically killed after being captured and presumably interrogated. And most likely, these battles were between the forces of Leyndell and the Farum colonies, before the royal capital erected its ramparts clearly delineating its territory.
The nomadic merchant in the region sells the Tree Surcoat not belonging to a specific army but nonetheless depicting the Erdtree. Based on the description, this specific design was beloved in the Lands Between at least once upon a time. In other words, the nonstandard crest was probably used by soldiers in an earlier era, lasting until the Erdtree kingdom grew to dominate the entire continent if not longer. The merchant also possesses the Red Crest Heater Shield in his inventory, notable for the crest representing red wings emblazoned on its face. This is highly evocative of the wings Ordovis knights can manifest via their aspects of the Crucible incantations. That indicates that the shield’s previous owner was affiliated with the knights mastering reddish gold, meaning a member of Godfrey’s army. Taken together, the merchant has collected some of the legacy of Godfrey’s war in this central region of Altus.
In that case, we can see how these battles extended to the northern ridge of the plateau. From the glaive and executioner skeleton graveyard, we can come across another such burial ground along the cliff just around a corner, with a coffin cemetery in the fields a little farther down the slopes. Following this path inevitably leads us to the Highway Lookout Tower now in ruins, proof of the dragon worshiping garrisons’ defeat. The fighting may have extended as far as the Bridge of Iniquity given that both Dominula and the Writheblood Ruins keep their own graveyards; admittedly, it is possible that these simply buried civilians in the postwar era. Whatever the specifics, the north was ultimately subjugated. The grain village had probably been a priority for the barbarians hoping to feed their burgeoning city. The area’s relative isolation with only a small fortification keeping watch left it an easy target for the neighboring kingdom. Even without the guidance of grace, it was a natural first choice. And once Godfrey captured the land, his army could muster the supply lines to campaign down west.
The king’s march would take them all the way to Lux and Wyndham. And with the army so far from home, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they established a new base of operations. The Shaded Castle was built in the same Norman style as the Fortified Manor. This suggests that, while it has been under the care of the Marais family for generations, it was actually made by Farum colonists; we do find some of their weaponry in the ramparts’ stores. Still, there are several oddities with its design. For one, it is large for a fort defending nothing of strategic value at the dead end of the valley dividing Altus from Gelmir. It is also too far to provide support to Wyndham at the opposite end; why not fortify the village itself? Instead, the castle is placed purely to withstand a siege, the plateau’s precipice preempting assault from behind while the valley funnels enemy movements to just the front. Because of that setup, the knights constructed a citadel encased by double ramparts. Yet, no other fort in a similar position follows this convention. Rather, it resembles modern Leyndell.
Without a doubt, there are various details which connect the castle to the new Erdtree culture. The citadel’s outdoor flooring mostly employs stone tiles engraved with a crest modeled on the Erdtree cross, the same used to pave the highways to Leyndell. The Erdtree engraved above the various gates might be justified as part of the Farum colonists’ culture, but the inclusion of the cross incorporating the Elden Ring is decidedly not. The golden-leaved trees exclusive to the citadel courtyard might similarly be later additions by Erdtree faithful captors, but the same cannot be said for the graveyard. The small cemetery belongs to the equally small town housed within the ramparts, featuring flower-top graves. Essentially, those living and buried in town throughout its history have been worshipers of Marika, not animals.
In short, the Shaded Castle was most likely constructed by Godfrey, using the Farum colonists already defeated for expertise and labor. The Fortified Manor’s original garrison were Serosh’s comrades-in-arms, so the Beast King likely negotiated for their lives as part of his agreement with the Elden Lord — someone had to have forged Godfrey’s new axe, and they could be put to good use as captives constructing such fortifications. It was made a castle town to facilitate the Elden Lord’s army along with the day-to-day affairs of a headquarters; the king’s home away from home. It was couched so deep into the valley to serve as the ultimate shelter in case the western campaign turned for the worst; hunker down with no retreat. The double ramparts proved so successful that they later informed the construction of Leyndell’s defenses as the city continued to be built up. This was the beginning of the Erdtree kingdom conceptualizing its own style of stronghold. Of course, Godfrey’s soldiers didn’t come all this way just to be on the defensive. They inevitably pushed out to expand their kingdom’s border.
First was the Old Altus Tunnel. The presence of both a Boltdrake Talisman and the Great Club within the mine are telltale signs of conflict between the Farum colonists and Godfrey’s army. The club is a dead branch of the Erdtree converted into a simple and effective, if barbaric, blunt instrument. For that reason, our faith can be used to draw out the holiness within the wood. And the most notable application of this holy power is in its skill, Golden Land — after crashing the weapon into the ground, we gather energy to unleash as a flurry of golden darts. The importance? The skill generates the Crucible sigil, indicating that both the art and the holiness within the club is leftover from that era. This makes the club the perfect weapon for one of Godfrey’s barbarian warriors shortly after taking control of the Erdtree’s vicinity. In that case, its presence in the tunnel is the legacy of a battle against the dragon worshipers. Securing a steady source of smithing stone would be needed for the battles ahead, and the tunnel is the area closest to the Shaded Castle. This presumably made it the rising power’s first target.
Thick, hard, giant wooden mass. Strike weapon not requiring dexterity. Barbarically smashes enemies with all one’s might.
Damnable enough, it is said to be the dead branch of the Golden Tree, so never breaks and is also tinged with the holiness.
Next was the village of Lux. The present-day ruins store the Ritual Sword Talisman used by gladiators in the arenas, the largest of which sits in Leyndell where we find the Ritual Shield Talisman. We can thereby determine that Lux contributed arena fighters to the luminous capital, and they date to Godfrey’s era. Other than the tree reliefs on the doors, the buildings employ mainly lion imagery, including the beast crest. The talismans are clearly modeled on a Crucible Knight’s sword and shield, meaning that the ritual combats performed at the arena probably involved reenacting the knights’ victories — hence the unharmed reenactor is better at dealing and taking damage with the corresponding replica. Gladiatorial combat also ended with the reign of Godfrey’s successor, so the Lux must have been recruited before then. And gladiators are typically slaves or criminals. The scars on the duelists’ backs are proof of many lashes to make them compliant; the corpse carrying the Ritual Shield Talisman outside the arena similarly wears a criminal’s hood, as does the one sitting nearby with the Star Fist used in ignoble mens’ duels.
Iron ball fist tightly covered with iron spikes. The iron spikes have a bleeding effect.
It is said to have been used in ruffians’ duels.
Therefore, the Lux were most likely prisoners of war in this initial sweep over Altus. Unlike the other settlements on the plateau, Lux keeps no graveyard for Erdtree Burial in its vicinity. This makes sense for a village established by sorcerers from the lowlands at first, but it is unlikely to continue under Marika’s regime. It is possible that the dead were simply buried at the Wyndham Catacombs, with no great roots near enough for a closer alternative. But then why the presence of gladiators, who were reassigned to catacombs after the arenas were closed down? With the village in ruins and their demi-human allies since moving in with their queen, the only time for Lux to be populated with duelists is before they were brought to the colosseums. In other words, they may have been trained before being forced to abandon their homes. Perhaps the tribe chose to submit rather than fight, prompting Godfrey to show them mercy; in lieu of their lives, they gave up their freedom. This would leave no dead to bury locally and no living to stop the collapse in infrastructure. If so, then Lux was likely first to fall.
Of course, forcing the tribe to fight for the capital’s entertainment could only come after pacifying the region. Wyndham still sat next door across the valley. With the village as a foothold to mount an invasion and no chance of being flanked from the valley, Godfrey and his knights could finally capture their main prize on the western front. Wyndham wouldn’t make it easy. A scarab in the Seethewater River next door rolls up Barrage, an ash of war for repeatedly firing arrows in rapid succession. Meanwhile, another scarab in Lux has collected Shield Crash, an ash of war for rushing offensively while defending against enemy onslaught. No doubt, charging up the narrow, rocky terrain to the high ground is not an enviable position for any army. Godfrey’s troops were constantly pelted by arrows with nothing but their shields for cover. Between the rain of enemy fire and the climb, it must have been a slow slog up the cliff. Still, they pushed through and ultimately captured the village.
Once again, those warriors who didn’t fall in battle and faced capture were systematically killed, as were presumably many others. It is no accident that the Marais clan were executioners for their entire history as lords of the Shaded Castle. The robe worn by the family head is blue government official attire but with additional black mantle to denote lordly status for his ugly official work. Certainly, there were many in positions of power or related to them who might entertain rebellion if they were left in charge of the sizable village. As the several knights guarding their catacombs showcase, Wyndham especially concerned the kingdom. Indeed, the owner of the Lightning Scorpion Charm hid behind an imp statue seal when his talisman is typically used by assassins. Rooting out these potential insurgents was important for long-term stability of the realm. As reward for managing the cleanup of Godfrey’s war, the first head of the noble House Marais earned stewardship over the Shaded Castle — not like the Elden Lord would be living there for the foreseeable future.
With Wyndham and Lux both dealt with, the Erdtree army likely pushed beyond to the Seething River leading to Fort Laiedd. Looking at the size of the graveyard to its left, the garrison didn’t go down without a fight. We similarly cannot rule out conflict at the Hermit’s Village afterward due to the coffin cemetery preceding the huts and shacks. In fact, Godfrey may have continued the fight all the way to the peak of Mt. Gelmir. But if so, it ended relatively quickly. The snake is regarded as a traitor to the Erdtree, requiring they first be on the same side at one point. This rebellion must have also occurred during Godfrey’s era, since snakes came to ornament the gladiators’ armor so the audience could enjoy watching them beaten and battered. And so, the serpent-worshiping pagans must have come to some sort of accord with the Marika faithful during the kingdom’s formative days marked by these conquests.
We can see the results of their alliance in the Hermit’s Village and Dominula. The blue mantle worn by the young maids for their cannibalistic festivals incorporates elements of the Erdtree cross in its details. Meanwhile, the green cloak worn by many of the older women features the complete cross, with more elements seen at the hem of both their ceremonial dresses. On that subject, the crosses erected in Dominula for their festivities resemble Marika’s Elden Rune manifest in her eye seals. The male spirit there likewise attempts to dissuade the revelers from eating him by claiming that his flesh is corrupted, a strictly Marika faith concept — why bother with the obvious lie unless he had reason to believe they would consider it? From this, it is clear that there was religious syncretism for those caught in between the two cultures. Rather than discard their pagan beliefs and practices from the volcano, the villages merged them with ideas from their new overlords. And rather than exterminate this heresy like other animal worship, the Erdtree kingdom has allowed it to persist. Why? Because relations with the snake halted any such efforts.
… Eek… I can hear the song of the festival…… No no… don’t skin me… My hide is corrupted…
However, there is no denying that the volcano natives were in league with the Farum colonists, who were at war with Godfrey. There could be no peace between the two parties without settling that issue. In that case, perhaps the natives quickly bowed their head as a vassal state in exchange for maintaining independence, offering the colonists they harbored as a show of good will — how fitting for the serpent who would later betray this new ally. The village is home to a sizeable graveyard, and the only living remnant of the dragon worshipers is one wyrm who retreated deep into the magma. Between the fortifications and the geography, Gelmir was the most difficult land to capture outright, so these terms would be tempting. Vassalage would also explain why Gelmir’s culture was treated so differently from the Lux with regards to their surrender. Regardless, they did reach some diplomatic resolution. And with that, the Elden Lord finally united Altus Plateau under Marika’s banner.
So Night Follows Day
Although the unification of Altus was a domestic conflict, rarely do the side effects of such wars fail to spill over. On the western ridge of Liurnia resides the Caria Manor, (カーリアの城館) a Norman-style “castle manor” like the Fortified Manor; only with added gothic elements. Moreover, almost every one of its gateways features the Erdtree crest like Castle Sol and the Shaded Castle — this despite the Liurnians following principles opposed to the tree’s Order, as Rogier notes. The castle chapel likewise lays out a red rug with the golden beast crest decorating each end, more lion imagery incorporated into the wood architecture. Although this is common to chapels in similar castles, this one doesn’t enshrine a statue of Marika, but rather glintstone. That being the case, why use Serosh’s symbol? It only has meaning to the highlanders. Another oddity is the graveyard in the middle of the manor among the clifftops. This doesn’t bury the royal family since they have their own cemetery outside the manor walls. Neither are the dead respected given the number of living jars in its midst, proof of collecting the flesh for some purpose. They are unrelated to Caria.
All of this together indicates that the Carians didn’t build the manor but took over an existing Farum colonist facility, adding their own personal touch. But unlike the Volcano Manor or the Sun Capital, this foreign influence was unlikely to be part of a collaboration with the dragon worshipers. The manor’s current owners became a royal family thanks to the heroics of their queen, Rennala. But a hero requires a villain. Who did the Full Moon Witch prove her strength against when establishing her house as royalty? Perhaps the soldiers and knights who built the castle that royalty since occupies. The lunar tribe already had their place atop the Moonlight Altar, so there was no need for a new dwelling further north. However, if it was the boons of war, then there is great significance for a hero declaring herself Liurnia’s queen to take up residence there — it certainly sends a message.
Recollection of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, engraved in the Golden Tree.
Can acquire the owner’s power via the Finger Reader. Also, can use to acquire vast runes.
In her younger days, Rennala was an excellent hero. For she charmed the academy with moon sorcery, became its leader, led the Brightstone Knights, and established Caria as a royal family.
In short, the Caria Manor originally belonged to Farum colonists from Altus, constructing the castle on the northern hill as a base of operations for a conquest down south. The manor’s location just below Altus and Gelmir is sensible for migrating colonists after first coming down from Altus. The fact that it is a castle rather than a village betrays their expectation for conflict with the locals. Unlike Castle Sol, the other colonies developed no meaningful relations with the lowlanders, so came down with hostile intentions. They would simply take over the sorcerers’ home just as Godfrey was taking over theirs. In fact, Godfrey’s conquests on the plateau were presumably the reason for the sudden invasion. As is so often the case, displaced people groups seek asylum in other lands to escape the ravages of war. The manor’s builders also wouldn’t be the first to try fleeing to safer ground.
We encounter the magma wyrm Makar at the top of the Ruin-Strewn Precipice. This fervent adherent of dragon communion was thus probably a Farum colonist from nearby Wyndham or Laiedd. If so, why linger there instead of bathing in Gelmir’s magma like the other two atop the plateau? Due to fear, in all likelihood. Godfrey’s takeover and brutal methods for the subjugated fighters presents the perfect excuse for cowards to escape with their lives. And with nowhere else to go, these feckless warriors would inevitably head for places where no one would bother to look, like remote caves or abandoned ruins. In other words, Makar might be at his area because he has been hiding out in the dark, dank ruins where he ended up transforming. Down there he was able to mostly avoid dealing with Marika’s followers for the longest time. Regardless, it proves that among the few soldiers not captured or killed, some did look south for an exit.
Put simply, there were probably a good number who saw the writing on the wall and chose to abandon the plateau rather than face certain death. With no other place to fall back to, this group from Wyndham or elsewhere migrated down to the lowlands. But whether out of desperation or hubris, they resorted to force against the locals — In fairness, this was apparently incredibly successful. Despite its highly defendable position, the Academy of Raya Lucaria was still merely an academic institution. The sorcerers lacked the history of violence and conflict to prepare them for such an incursion. An organized and well-equipped army presented a very real threat, enough for the bookworms to simply fold if the invaders reached their doorstep; we have already seen the same happen to the Lux. Whatever the specifics, things were at least uncertain enough that the academy was looking for guidance from someone.
In stepped Rennala, a witch whose full moon makes its victims more vulnerable to other sorcery. She presented a power which could tip the scales against their newfound foe, and that caught everyone’s attention. Charmed by her magic, the sorcerers agreed to follow her lead through this crisis. Her plan wasn’t simply to let her be the vanguard for their counterattack, however. Rather, the woman would be leading a number of her own knights into battle. These Glinstone Knights were sorcerers who swore fealty to Rennala’s moon and so received the power of swordsmen. Not only did they train their physical prowess with the blade, they also advanced their magical prowess in that regard. Carian Greatsword and Slicer allowed them to manifest a blade at will to suit the situation. Carian Phalanx enabled waves of tiny glintstone blades in a circular formation to keep up the assault between their sword swings. Even their swords, being embedded with glintstone, could act as a catalyst to manifest a magic greatsword, which only grew larger the longer they waited before the swing.
It is no surprise that such a skill came to be called “Great Caria” (グレート・カーリア) and symbolize the royal family. With arms and armor, they had the strength to compete in a melee against even the most experienced warriors. The description to the knight’s sword confirms that their order never numbered as many as twenty, but their individual ability was more than a match for an entire army; true grandeur. With the Full Moon Witch fighting alongside maybe a handful of them in battle, the Farum colonists were decisively pushed back and ultimately defeated. And taking full advantage of that situation, Rennala claimed their castle manor for Caria and established her house as royalty lording over the Liurnians. Whether or not everyone was enthused about this development, they didn’t have much of a choice. The witch showcased her strength and became a hero to the academy. Now that same hero was in the position to continue the castle’s incursion with the support of even stronger knights. It was either accept Carian rule or die.
All of this, of course, was concurrent with the battles happening on the plateau. Considering Liurnia’s continued relations with the astrologers back home on the Mountaintops, the sorcerers must have been at least vaguely aware of the conflicts plaguing Altus. And if Liurnia wasn’t aware of the details before, they most certainly were after the Carian reorganized them into a kingdom. By the time that Godfrey’s war was over, two royalties had gained hegemony over two of the Lands Between. The power dynamics on the continent had shifted, and both sides needed to recognize where they stood in the mix-up.
Storm Clouds Ahead
Once the plateau was unified, the time to deal with the losers was at hand. Those prisoners of war not put to the sword or forced into the arena were punished with a different form of slave labor. Stormveil Castle is another area of chiefly Norman construct populated by Banished Knights and exile soldiers, like Castle Sol. Furthermore, it is where we can acquire the Manor Towershield, implying that the garrison has some connection to Leyndell’s Fortified Manor specifically. In other words, the warriors are likely the former comrades whom Serosh bargained for mercy. After helping construct the Shaded Castle, they took up station down south, far and away from the Erdtree. And they were not initially there of their own volition.
The Banished Knights are so named because they have lost their homeland. Such “lost land” (失地) knights and the exile soldiers joining them are named for being sent to a penal colony — a “land of exile”, (流刑地) more literally. The only land where we can encounter these soldiers alive, however, is in Limgrave, specifically Stormveil Castle. In fact, the Banished Knights were sent to a “frontier land” (辺境の地) according to descriptions for their armaments, and Limgrave is on the frontier. The Fringefolk Hero’s Grave south of Stormveil buries its knights and soldiers, as evidenced by the ghosts manifesting inside; if the dragon banners hanging on the walls weren’t already a clue. The wandering painter likewise dubs his landscape of the tomb backdropped by Stormveil as “Prophesy”, implicating the crypt as the future to all its heroes. The term for “fringefolk” (辺境) is frontier, and this borderland terminology also gives away where they were sent from. The southern region is remote relative to who? The people up north.
Solid full-body armor that covers the whole body. Chest armor of Lost Land Knights who lost their homeland for some reason, or misdeed.
They are all matchless men of valor. That is precisely why they were conferred as knights despite lost land.
Thing covering damaged chest armor with dark red-colored cloth.
Armor of soldiers sent to a land of exile.
High-quality halberd engraved with an old design. Given to knights who lost their homeland for some reason, or misdeed.
It is said that many of them were sent to a frontier land and took root in that land with despondency.
Although this in itself doesn’t tell us when they were exiled and by who, the neighboring Chapel of Anticipation sheds light on this front. The chapel sits on a steep island just off the coast of Stormhill. If we approach the cliff closest to the hill, the ground collapses beneath our feet, highlighting the foundation’s volatility. A church just outside the castle walls opposite the chapel has similarly half-collapsed into the ocean with the ground beneath it. More than likely, this anomalous second house of god provided the means of transport across to the island, physical or otherwise. Time has not been kind to these parts and so masks the more direct connection between the castle and chapel. Still, the chapel and adjoining cemetery bear many of the same architectural hallmarks as Stormveil. While the lion and hawk imagery in the cemetery courtyard can be linked to the exiles’ heritage, the Crucible sigil floor relief cannot, as can’t the massive statues of Marika and an Erdtree Sentinel.
Marika once proclaimed the Erdtree as the new Order for all, offering a choice at either becoming part of her kingdom’s Order or becoming a powerless “side stream” (傍流) of the frontier. This statement obviously follows the unification wars since she doesn’t yet consider land beyond the plateau to be within the bounds of her Order — Melina’s spirit sense fittingly places her at the Grand Lift of Dectus linking Altus to the rest of the lands below. The references to the frontier and a side stream, or flow, bear similarly obvious connections to Stormveil’s troops; the earlier term for “exile” (流刑) more literally means “punish by flow” whereas the river allusion harkens to the united plateau’s new “upper class”, a colloquialism of “upstream”. (上流) Rather than have a place on Altus as part of the upper or lower class — which is another colloquialism for “downstream” (下流) — they would be an underclass, an irrelevant side branch in the proverbial river flowing from the Erdtree capital. This was the Queen sending off the pagan warriors her King defeated to set up a penal colony in Limgrave.
The Golden Tree regulates all. Choose. Will you become part of our Regulation? Or will you exist outside of the Regulation… and become a side stream of the frontier, bereft of any power?
The option for clemency if they agreed to assimilate was probably provided at the behest of Serosh. They played their part during wartime, so why not return their liberty for continued service like him? Some did take up the offer. The one home we can explore inside Leyndell’s Upper Quarter is decorated with the same Farum colonist arms and armor, except gilded to match the other golden furnishings. The implication is obvious: the dwelling belongs to those who chose to integrate into capital society. This wasn’t without additional duties, since their residence is uniquely linked to the city ramparts with stores of old equipment within certain sections — they were expected to be first to defend the walls, lay down their lives before the Auriza. Whether their personal motivations were the same as Serosh, there were defectors willing to embrace this new Erdtree Order. But many more refused abandon their heritage even as they lost the “will” (失意) to continue fighting. These despondent troops were thus displaced to the sparsely populated south.
The same is true for the misbegotten among them. Although we find a fair number of hybrids in the Pagan Quarter, we encounter far more outside the walls of Leyndell, particularly on the frontier. They too seem to have received the same ultimatum, with similar results. Yet for the crossbreeds willing to bow their heads, the royal capital was apparently willing to overlook their refusal to abandon old customs. Recall that the Auriza venerated such visual elements as holy, especially feathers and scales like our misbegotten. If their transformation was punishment for experiencing the Crucible’s power without a mediator like Marika, then they have paid for their crime. That just leaves the fact that they do present a holy visual, something the founders of the new kingdom would deem worth preserving — at least until civilization developed and they became “corrupted” to enslave. And so, the hybrid pagans were given their own residential district in a corner of the city farthest from their old Fortified Manor, while those too proud to bend the knee joined their human counterparts as penal colonists.
Notable is Marika’s choice to pass over Liurnia for colonization. After recent events, any settlement was liable to cause friction with the locals. This would make conflict inevitable and conquest of the territory up front preferable. But the Queen’s kingdom was still fledgling, her limited forces already occupied with securing their new holdings; trying to annex nearly twice that landmass would only leave them overextended — and this isn’t even accounting for the strength of the enemy, who just proved themselves in conflict with a shared foe. The god had neither the military capacity nor the will to invade the west. Her attention was occupied elsewhere. If she wanted to expand, the rural grasslands were available. Still, the fact that the penal colonists had safe passage through Liurnia suggests that the new Erdtree kingdom did establish relations with the academy’s own new royalty.
Indeed, the bridge to Raya Lucaria from the direction of Altus Plateau must have been built as a result of the two opening diplomatic talks. The road from Stormveil to Leyndell overland is primarily paved with Erdtree cross tiling. The stretches between Raya Lucaria and Dectus as well as Dectus and Leyndell are additionally ornamented with the flourishing flower picker statues — perfect to project the Crucible’s continued flourishing by unification wars’ end. This leaves no doubt that the highway was built early into Godfrey’s reign. That fact is particularly relevant when the bridge to the academy from the Bellum Highway is paved with the same Erdtree cross tiles, unlike the Academy Gate Town bridge. Raya Lucaria didn’t have transit from the plateau, especially heading south beyond Gate Town, before Marika banished an entire army. The bridge was therefore constructed to facilitate this exodus and future trade routes as part of Liurnia building broader relations with the newly united region of Altus.
The Carians were predisposed to accept, given the circumstances. Having just wiped out a band of Farum colonists themselves, bitter sentiments were sure to still be fresh in every Liurnian’s mind. And now, a foreign queen was offering to have more of these marauders paraded through their territory in chains. What could be more humiliating for their one-time invaders? There were doubtless many who approved of the opportunity to jeer. The one countervailing reason was that the proposed penal colony might be used as a base to attack Liurnia. But if nothing else, Marika was presenting herself as a friend to Rennala. And so long as the sorcerers controlled the supply lines, they had leverage to limit the possibility of another surprise invasion. In the end, the young queen agreed to allowing foreigners set up a colony on Stormhill.
As to why Marika wanted to occupy land further south to begin with, she was in all likelihood simply taking a precaution. Just as Raya Lucaria gave her kingdom free passage down south, it could give an enemy — namely Farum Azula — free passage up north to the plateau. This concern is showcased in the Grand Lift of Dectus. The sheer scale and elaborate decoration, particularly with the plethora of Tree Sentinel statues, projects strength; anyone entering the plateau from the lift would know that they would face the kingdom’s full might if they threatened the Erdtree. And at the center of them is the statue of Marika holding her spear, which adorns the entire length of the highways between Raya Lucaria and Leyndell. The message is clear: the Erdtree’s mediator will not sit idly by. Whether or not that threat of retaliation could be substantiated, it nonetheless conveys the fear of possible invasion. It was thereby better to cut off an invading army closer to the source, and the penal colony on Stormhill created the ideal choke point to facilitate that cut off.
The only possible downside would be the native wildlife. However, the stormhawks probably didn’t care about humans settling the land — as we can see for ourselves, the high towers make it even easier for the birds to perch. If the raptors could live with lesser hawks and wolves in their territory, they could adapt to the penal colonists. As a result, the despondent slaves were free to build their castle and everything surrounding it. Conditions were still brutal, given the size of the graveyard around the Chapel of Anticipation; featuring the flat-top headstones indicative of pagan burial. The Banished Knights wear scarves around their heads to rebuff the cold winds on the hill, so one can only imagine how heavy and biting was the gale while the stormhawk king yet lived. Even when the birds were not actively hindering construction, the storms were sure to cause countless deaths from accident or illness.
The one saving grace for this misfortune was that the dead were given their proper respects. Besides those buried at the Chapel of Anticipation, brave heroes of the unification wars were provided their own tomb off the hill. The farther distance from the castle necessitated a settlement to prepare the bodies for burial, explaining the myriad of coffins in the Gatefront Ruins. Following the dirt road from that mortuary town to the hero graves has us also pass the Church of Elleh. Lacking any sort of idol, this church was more likely dedicated to consecrating the dead before burial. However, the building presumably only came later in this funeral system. After all, the reason to believe that the first heroes buried there must have been veterans from the plateau is because of the chapel already existing deep within the actual tomb. Beneath the flat-top graves of the Stranded Graveyard, this church dedicated to the Erdtree queen in the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave is where we can loot Erdtree’s Favor. The talisman depicts Marika early in the Age of the Erdtree, an age she was very much about to begin.
Lokey Lore 