Preface There isn’t much to say when the good times are good. More often than not, these eras of peace and prosperity are the prelude to inciting incidents and great tragedies. Rarely do we see them carry a tale, yet it is always when those peaceful days are no more that we long to have […]
Among the various schools of magic in Melfia, astrology might be the most idiosyncratic. Astrologists study the stars’ movements under the presumption that there are rules behind their alignment from which they can derive magic power. These heavenly bodies include the sun and moon based on the designs on their robes, which explains why we […]
Pharros is a curious character. His legend remembers him for trotting across the globe, leaving various contraptions in his wake. These mechanisms invariably involve a strange “face” — two round holes above a square one. The mouth to this face is where we insert the lockstone keys for activating the mechanism. The device then triggers […]
Amidst exploring the Ruin-Strewn Precipice immediately beneath Mt. Gelmir, we can come across a body carrying the Serpent-God’s Curved Sword, shaped after the snake worshiped in the land since long ago. This serpent god in question stands out for its longevity, apparently living eternally. When the immortal reptile is ostensibly killed during our boss battle, […]
Although now defined by Erdtree civilization, there was a time when Altus Plateau was rife with barbarians. A scarab rolls up Barbaric Roar at the base of Liurnia’s waterfall streaming from Altus. Another, invisible scarab stamping along the Altus highway amusingly collects Earthshaker, which uses blunt or otherwise inelegant weapons like large hammers and axes […]
Preface When first compiling my, very lengthy, analysis for Godfrey, I was amazed to discover just how much I kept coming back to characters and events largely unrelated to him. Despite him and Marika defining the world order, the Elden Lord’s rise and subsequent reign were very much informed by what came before. If not […]
Several characters mention the tomb of the gods beneath Yharnam. Although we cannot reach this graveyard by conventional means — through some path in the cityscape available to us — we are still able to explore the place via the Chalice Dungeons. These dungeons, drawing upon the concept common to fantasy RPGs rather than strictly […]
Preface FromSoftware is no stranger to magic kingdoms, or queendoms for that matter. However, these countries tend to have a simple, relatively bloodless history. “Simple” might still describe the Carian regime, with its one queen. Yet the tale of an organized Liurnian state is fraught with intrigue and power politics, the sorcery aspect almost superfluous. […]
Preface After analyzing Dark Souls for so long, I can’t deny that a conflict between dragons and gods feels familiar. But like so much of FromSoftware‘s lean on callbacks, the similarities end with the outline. The nature of both parties in this war and the worlds they exist in makes Elden Ring‘s crack at the […]
Although now a necromancer, Garris was once just any other sorcerer living in Sellia. Perhaps the man of reason had unconventional sympathies to his Erdtree’s overlords, given his known arts require faith. Maybe he even came from a faith background — his name is more accurately Gareth, (ガレス) a knight of Arthurian legend, and he […]
Lokey Lore 