Even if beckoned by the guidance of grace, war between the Erdtree kingdom and the fire giants was inevitable. The description for Fire’s Deadly Sin explains how burning the Erdtree is, naturally, the first cardinal sin — what greater sin is there than to destroy the divinity which your kingdom was built around? For Godfrey and Marika, there couldn’t be a more existential threat than fire. But with the fiery pagans on Mt. Gelmir pacified, there was only one flame in the region left to be concerned about: the Flame of Ruin. As we experience on our journey, the destructive flame of the Fell God holds the potential to burn the Erdtree. Therefore, even if the giants who controlled the flame were not hostile to the kingdom, its continued existence would always be conditional on the race’s magnanimity. Neither King nor Queen climbed their way to their positions to simply become vassals to fire giants. Moreover, there was reason to believe that hostilities with the giants would flare up in the foreseeable future.
The giant spirits summoned at Wyndham imply a grisly fate for those present during the unification wars. This is reaffirmed by the Stonedigger Troll in Limgrave Tunnel. Wielding the giants’ hammer in the image of their god as a mining tool, this troll shows clear affinity for his culture. And yet, this variant has a huge gash in his head, depriving him of one eye. According to a note from the nomadic merchants, this scar is an old wound and so less likely to be the result of mining. In other words, the troll has probably been made a manual laborer for the tunnels because of brain damage suffered as a result of some conflict, thereby incapable of more intelligent tasks. And considering his location, this conflict was most likely the one to unify Altus — in other words, the lesser giant is a survivor from the plateau, banished to the frontier with the humans where he was ultimately relegated to be a miner. If so, then it was only a matter of time before the reality of their fate was noticed by the giants back home. This would certainly provoke outrage and, likely, retaliation, putting the Erdtree at risk.
The corpse carrying a Flamedrake Talisman on the road to the Mountaintops says it all. There was no way around it; Leyndell’s first priority after conquering the dragon worshipers was eliminating the threat from the neighboring mountaintops. It is for that reason that the giants are regarded as the Erdtree’s mortal enemies worshiping an “evil god”. (悪神) Marika’s particular hatred for them is evident in her intimate involvement in the ensuing war. Melina senses the Queen’s words concerning the forthcoming conflict at the site of the First Church of Marika before the giants’ summit, and the One-Eyed Shield likewise credits her specifically with slaying the Fell God in its description. As a god herself, this was personal. She could not suffer a threat to her Erdtree, her source of divinity, and the god’s fear of this very possibility is evident in her kingdom’s treatment of their lesser cousins.
Bronze medallion modeled on a roaring giant. Enhances roars and breaths.
In the Old Age, giants were the Golden Tree’s mortal enemies. It is said that their thundering roars laid waste to nature, caused avalanches, and turned flames to storms.
Without exception, all trolls have had the Fell God’s face on their torso replaced with a tablet bearing a cross vaguely evocative of the Erdtree’s signature icon. Perhaps the tablet serves as an amulet to stave off the deity’s influence. But regardless of its exact purpose, clearly it was part of an effort to deprive the troll of any flame. From the stone-digger troll in Limgrave Tunnel to those currently in service to Caria, none could leave the highlands without being first cut off from the Fell God’s blessing. Before the war had even begun, Marika understood the danger of the Flame of Ruin and worked to eliminate it posthaste. It is no surprise that she personally oversee the campaign — she wasn’t about to be blindsided after just propping up her still fledgling country. Her husband might be lord of the battlefield, but the queen needed to see this through, for her own peace of mind more than anything.
Once the army was ready for the snowy excursion, they set out to cross the Forbidden Lands from the eastern Divine Tower’s bridge. Right from the start, they were met with resistance. Scattered across the entire way are the remnants of Banished Knight armaments, implying that Castle Sol had deployed troops to assault Leyndell, and likely had been for some time since the Fortified Manor was conquered. The Farum colonists up top had no doubt quickly realized the disruption to their supply lanes and how their brethren were under assault. This left the castle to try and liberate their lost land, but to no avail. Godfrey’s forces pushed the soldiers back at every juncture, driven to die or rout. The loss of their masters in the narrow pass below may be the reason for the stormhawks in the wild around the Zamor Ruins. Either way, once the Erdtree army finished crossing, the time came to climb the mountain.
After reaching the top, the march on the giants first stopped at the village of Zamor. The sword monument dedicated to the war notes it as a battle of heroes. This obviously encompasses Godfrey and his knights still operating out of the Fortified Manor, where heroes gather as the Manor Towershield’s description elucidates. But the Zamor are also famed as heroes of the Giant War according to text for their equipment. That being the case, they were probably recruited as Godfrey’s army was passing through. After all, the giants had been their village’s mortal enemies since long before the Erdtree. The fact that their hated foe consistently rebuffed them without wiping them out conveys how little they were considered a threat. If the Zamor wanted to destroy their age-old foe, they needed help. Thus did their and the Erdtree army’s interests converge. The Zamor knights would join in on Godfrey’s campaign.
Next, the military’s march took them to Sol. The Erdtree coalition forces marched north along the western end, building a road of stone blocks on the cliff bridging across the gaps between mountaintops. The obvious plan was to march across the northern peak and mount a surprise assault from a better vantage point, taking the path through the Ancient Snow Valley Ruins up to the Freezing Lake. But there in the valley, we see the remains of a battle, two graveyards set up along the cliffside further into the valley. It appears that there was a small skirmish concentrated around the first leg of the march — all the leftover armaments for Farum colonists. Castle Sol does have a corpse harboring a Cerulean Amber Medallion, the description of which associates it with the era of Godfrey. In short, Sol fell under Leyndell’s influence sometime during his reign. If nothing else, this proved that the garrison would continually harass the Elden Lord’s forces every step of the way. And if Sol was enmeshed with giants, then conflict couldn’t be avoided. Taking a small detour to besiege the castle was now guaranteed.
Map fragment of the Mountaintop of the Giants, western part.
The western part of the mountaintops is the land of the march for the Giant War. For they built a toothy Summit road into the cliff wall and advanced beyond the snowy depths untrodden.
After heading up to the Freezing Lake, his army could loop back around atop the valley and take the long pass down to the castle. This explains why the graveyard for humans and giants through that pass is so extensive — there is even a coffin cemetery set up behind the actual castle. Niall’s forces were decimated, his face heavily battle-scarred; he was forced to surrender. Unfortunately for him, however, Marika wasn’t interested in offering clemency this time. Remains of Sol’s battles are also present in front of the Stargazers’ Ruins, meaning that the castle was defending the village from conquest as well. The two parties are neighbors connected by the same valley-top pass and share good relations with the fire giants. And as seen with the later genocide of the giant population, the Fell God and anyone associated with it was to be destroyed. The graveyard behind the ruined village says it all. Not even two little girls, Aurelia and Aureliette, would live to see the stars. No man, woman, or child was spared Marika’s wrath.
With the god on crusade having her army destroy all in their path, Niall’s last hope was to appeal to Godfrey, and so he beseeched the King to take the commander’s own right leg so that his knights — and presumably the soldiers under them — would be spared. Although this offer might sound odd, recall that the Banished Knights learned how to enwreathe their bodies in gale winds like the stormhawks; Sol is even still home to a few such hawks along with a Stormhawk Axe. In offering part of his body, Niall was offering a share of his power, which we see surpasses his knights in the commander’s boss battle; the lightning he generates is only otherwise witnessed in the Stormhawk Axe’s Thunderstorm skill. It was a treasure the royalty might find useful one day and a sacrifice the warrior Godfrey would respect in the moment. Add in wise Serosh’s input, and it is easy to see why Niall’s bet succeeded.
Thing where you put the prosthetic leg fitted with a blade on your fist and wield it as a weapon. Tinged with the power of lightning.
Niall, veteran commander of Sol, beseeched that the lives of his defeated army’s knights be spared in exchange for that leg and later led them, a Lost Land army.
Castle Sol was captured, but the defeated army were allowed their lives. Niall continued to lead his men, crafting a bladed peg leg to replace the one he lost — based on the lightning imbued into the weapon, the grizzled old veteran still gets plenty of mileage out of it in battle. They were apparently even allowed to remain garrisoned at the castle with their war hawks and wolves. The only difference now was that they were officially “lost land” knights, deprived of their freedom over the territory called home. Their every action was now subordinate to the Erdtree royalty. For example, like the penal colonists of Stormveil, Sol’s men were probably drafted to construct the Guardians’ Garrison, another Norman fort at the opposite end of the Mountaintops conveniently preceding the giants’ summit. If the Zamor contributed to Godfrey’s army willingly, the Sol were pressed into service. At the very least, their dead too were respected with a proper burial, including their giant comrades — and whatever Marika’s objections to this event, she wouldn’t show that race such mercy the next time.
Finally, the Erdtree coalition marched east, apparently stopping on the far side of the frozen lake. There, with clear view of the Flame of Ruin’s summit, the Queen addressed the troops. After congratulating Godfrey and his warriors for their battles thus far, she declared their intention to exterminate the giants and seal their fire for good. Given their location lies so close to the path up that summit, the army likely made camp to prepare for the assault. The giants had evidently not noticed their movements across the mountains. Time was of the essence, but they still had the initiative. This explains taking the opportunity to quickly construct a small fort further up the narrow path, creating a home base to fall back upon. This was likely where the army finished preparations, forging new weapons with the local smithing stone; heavy boulders also contributed to their Giant-Crusher, the inhumanly strong heroes ready to smash oversized bones with the colossal hammer’s full weight. These actions in plain sight of the summit didn’t go unnoticed if the coffin cemetery between the church and fort are any indication, but the giants still failed to fully mobilize before the army could launch the war proper.
Warriors. My King, Godfrey. You have followed guidance and fought well so far. Let us destroy the giants on that summit and seal their fire. And then, shall we not begin it? The age of bright life. Our age of the Golden Tree, hoisting the Elden Ring.
The campaign faced difficulties right from the very start. The massive chain we follow to bridge our path to the summit may have still been available during the war. But however Godfrey and his warriors managed to get across, the cliffside graveyard at the other side suggests that establishing the foothold was a costly affair. At least at this point, the Erdtree forces developed the means to mitigate the giants’ literal firepower. Flame, Protect Me is an incantation used by the heroes fighting alongside Godfrey in the war, praying not to their golden tree but to that which beset them itself. Whether the army had devised this spell well in advance or simply improvised a desperate plea in the heat of battle, it proved to be a welcome defense against the flames conjured by their archnemesis. In the end, the Elden Lord’s army did establish their foothold, proceeding to take over the summit inch by inch.
Although the fire giants were no doubt a formidable foe even caught unawares, the human heroes found a just as unexpected ally amidst the fighting. The sword monument reveals that the trolls defected, the lesser giants siding with the Erdtree during the war. This betrayal was perhaps a long time coming. We see that one of the old trolls distinguishing themselves as a hero in the war, Theodorix, ended up succumbing to dragon communion, implying an interest in fire power even if it meant becoming a wyrm. In that case, his jealousy at his “betters” hogging the Flame of Ruin couldn’t be more blatant with his betrayal. The trolls were tired of being fodder shielding a flame they would never work firsthand. So, when the enemy victory proved viable, the trolls all chose to be on the winning side. To have them verify their sincerity, the face of the Fell God was removed from their guts. But once the Flame of Ruin was purged, the trolls were accepted as fellow fighters.
With the trolls’ help, the fire giants were defeated and systematically slaughtered. Their long-frozen bodies have all been impaled on their summit or at its foot near the Zamor village. Each has a briar stake run through the face of the Fell God on his body and continuing to grow from the inside out; some have lost entire limbs as a result. Since Marika is the one slaying the Fell God, this brutal execution was undoubtedly her handiwork, ensuring none of its influence remained anywhere in its worshipers. The unused stakes around the Guardians’ Garrison do indicate that they were created and distributed from that fort, the logical operation center through the postwar period. The Church of Repose enshrining Marika’s statue was likewise built on the summit, implicating the god’s personal involvement in granting them eternal rest up there. This explains why the fire giants were made a public example on isolated mountaintops. By impaling them in this manner, they could be monitored for any reaction from the wicked god. In the end, the god only continues to live on this plane thanks to the last giant.
After smothering the Flame of Ruin in the giants’ cauldron, Marika saw that it still smoldered. Therefore, rather than seal the flame away forevermore, the Queen opted to eternally seal access to it instead. To that end, she left one giant alive. Based on the description for the giant’s remembrance, Marika considered the giant “little” (小さき) in some sense, so she may have taken a newly orphaned juvenile as a slave. Indeed, of all the giants to let live, a child would possess the least knowledge about the Fell God’s flame and how to use it against the Erdtree. Moreover, a young giant would last longest in the role she had planned for him. Either way, he was cursed to act as eternal keeper of his race’s cauldron. This was accomplished by way of a “seal”, (刻印) the same term for Marika’s engraved eye seals. There are no obvious marks on the giant’s body, but the boss model does lack detail in the eyes. With that in mind, Marika probably used similar magic to compel the ignorant, impressionable giant’s obedience, only ever seeing his duty to her as an eternal fire keeper.
Recollection of the Fire Giant engraved in the Golden Tree.
Can acquire the owner’s power via the Finger Reader. Also, can use to acquire vast runes.
The fire giant is a survivor of the Giant War. For when she realized their cauldron flames to be indestructible, Queen Marika applied the curse of a seal. “Little giant. Live as an eternal fire keeper.”
One of the prayers directly wielding the power of fire giants.
Flares up fire pillars in succession in your surroundings. Fire pillars further increase by charging.
The fire giant was defeated despite borrowing the power of the evil god. It was also the end of his lonely curse continually living as an eternal fire keeper.
With that, the fire giant was left to constantly watch over the forge, his full-grown body in the present-day showing signs of frostbite and broken left leg as he lugs around the cauldron’s lid. He might be permitted the basic necessities and minimal care for himself — such as the splint for his leg using the bone of his kindred — but he must be constantly checking to make sure the smoldering Flame of Ruin never flares back up again. The curse didn’t stop the giant from using the powers of the Fell God, as demonstrated in our boss battle. However, those powers would only be used, ironically, to keep the deity’s flame sealed away. No doubt part of the reason that the giant survived was another bout of Marika’s mischief. The Queen may have been caught off-guard by the immortal nature of the destructive flame, but she wasn’t about to simply allow another god derail her plans. She always had to have the last laugh.
With the flame dealt with, it came time to bury the dead. Catacombs were set up on the neighboring mountain, hero graves on the peak and a standard tomb lower down. The latter was likely made with the help of surviving astrologers. The Giants’ Mountaintop Catacombs can be divided into two sections. The main section has the typical Marika touch: layers of identical chambers which loop around to prank the would-be graverobber. For an added twist, this area filled with traps and misdirection harbors poisonous land squirts— including a surprise giant one — despite the species not being native to the highlands. Most likely, these were imported from Liurnia just for Marika’s little prank. But odder still are the pair of imps throwing magic pots, along with spellcasting burial watchdogs either decorating the walls as statues or guarding the deepest, hidden section of the crypt. For a tomb yet burning ghostflame, the signs of sorcery stand out. Why did the culture of faith employ sorcery for this tomb? Because the builders were from the nearby astrologer community.
The graveyard behind the Stargazers’ Ruins proves that there were survivors allowed to mourn their dead like at Sol, and they too would presumably enter into bondage. They seem to have been afforded the same treatment as the Farum colonists at Sol. The Albinaurics in the torture chamber plus the Cerulean Amber Medallion empowering focus — a stat primarily utilized by spellcasters — suggests that the surviving stargazers were made to move in with the castle garrison rather than rebuild their village. Taking that into consideration, it would be no surprise to see their labor aid in constructing a nearby catacomb. It also explains why the smaller, hidden section to the tombs is much more conventional in design. Perhaps mischievous Marika devoted too much of her energies to purging the Fell God. Whatever her reason, she shared this “creative” endeavor with those vassals who had yet to prove their worth to her kingdom.
The hero’s grave, meanwhile, was left to Marika’s priests. The text for Flame, Protect Me is acquired off a corpse perusing the archive behind the entry chapel section of the tomb complex, presumably one of many holy texts preserved on those shelves. Likewise, the more conventional design of the hero graves is draped with banners featuring the Two Fingers sigil. Considering that not one but two churches would be built in the wake of the war, the clergy’s long-term presence on the mountaintops was guaranteed. And why include such facilities in the catacomb of champions unless the clerics were heavily involved? Perhaps the queen had devoted too much of her energies to the catacombs and execution of the giants. Either way, we can infer that the god’s retinue of holy men handled construction on her behalf. At least when it came to maintenance, they weren’t alone — one of the veterans of Zamor remains behind as his fellow heroes’ gravekeeper. But in the end, they were the primary stewards.
After the matters were settled, it was time for the Erdtree coalition to return home. Some of the Zamor, doubtless grateful for the destruction of their mortal enemy, decided to continue serving in Godfrey’s army. Two more old war heroes can be encountered outside their beloved winter, one on the plateau. What reason would they have to leave the village, which remains populated even now in ruins, unless they had hoped to personally repay the Elden Lord? Most trolls also went with their new comrades beneath the snow-topped mountains. Some elected to remain on the summit while Theodorix began hunting local dragons for their hearts, ultimately making his den as a magma wyrm at the bottom of the frozen river’s waterfall. Regardless, each was awarded a golden sword as a goodwill gesture from the kingdom, which a troll still remaining with the Erdtree kingdom has kept close on his back even as the gold film is starting to peel with age.
Sword given to the giants who sided with the Golden Tree in the Giant War in the Old Age.
The giants who have now lost their intelligence carry the shabby sword whose golden film has peeled off close on their back even so.
This goodwill extended into their integration into Erdtree society. There is a Stonedigger Troll in the Old Altus Tunnel, visually identical to the one in Limgrave. However, this troll’s battle scar and resulting brain damage probably came from the war with the giants, hence his assignment to the plateau’s older mine. Indeed, although the boss visibly wields his kind’s hammer, we can find the weapon on a human corpse elsewhere within the tunnel. Defeating him instead rewards the Great Club. Moreover, the battle begins with the troll facing away from us, initially obscuring the hammer. Altogether, the simple-minded giant looks to have discarded his old weapon denoting faith in the Fell God for the branch of the Erdtree he now serves — the developers simply didn’t allocate the resources to reflect this in their existing boss model. In that case, it is telling that this troll has found work after suffering such grievous injury for the human kingdom. No matter the condition of the veteran, all had a place in Marika’s Order.
But even ignoring the mentally impaired, the description for the Troll’s Golden Sword still admits to the race losing intelligence since. Certainly, we see the race used as beasts of labor or shock troops, but never citizens, priests, or aristocrats. They might not have been belittled in Erdtree society but they weren’t welcome to share in the fruits of civilizational development either. Time and devotion out of gratitude has made most trolls helplessly dependent on the kingdom, the generations reduced to not even question their current station. Perhaps the olive branch to their kind was a cynical ploy to inspire such loyalty — the gold on their gift sword as superficial as the token shows of kinship. If so, then the trolls traded one abusive taskmaster for a more subtle one. Marika was not about to let her prejudice against giants go simply because they defect, and her typical trickery worked. To this day, those rebellious giants’ descendants cling to the Erdtree whose kingdom treats them worse than ever. A troll stares at the tree from the perfect spot on the summit, next to the sword monument dedicated to the war. As the stele and Marika resolve, the days of the giants were behind them; ahead was a new Erdtree age.
Lokey Lore 