Born in Sellia, Hugues left home to study and become a Haima battlemage at Raya Lucaria. And yet, according to the description of his ashes, this sorcerer dedicated to quelling conflict ironically came to seek it after a point. Why? We need only see how Hugues is imprisoned in the Sellia Evergaol, overlooking the town […]
Preface Open worlds present many more possibilities for environmental storytelling, both on a micro and macro level. Every tiny detail peppered across the vast map can build cohesive narratives on such a grander scale, you can really appreciate the history being conveyed while remaining subtle enough for players miss. Yes, picking up on the patterns […]
No one should expect to see a talking turtle as a pastor, but Miriel doesn’t even try to explain himself. The priest of the Church of Vows simply goes about his business, leaving questions to why he received his miter. This especially when the church was constructed specifically for Rennala and Radagon’s wedding. In all […]
Dispersed across the Lands Between lurk the Bloodhound Knights. Despite the name, they prove human, not hound. Close inspection of the warriors reveals hands with long, sharp nails but no fur, as well as feet standing on tiptoe in boots far too long for them regardless. Their weaponry adds to this impression, wielding a curved […]
For all the wildlife populating the Lands Between, none leave as much of an impression as the runebear. The size of ten brown bears, this hulking mass of muscle and teeth knocks over trees in its rampage, sprinting after prey at ferocious speeds. Its claws smash through the earth, and its literal bear hug crushes […]
Seeking the origin of the world’s current plights, Rogier studies the Night of the Black Knives. The event which ended the peace and prosperity of Radagon’s reign occurred under a cold fog, a Bandai Namco Entertainment article claiming that it was actually the middle of winter. Rather amusing, since the mastermind behind this grand conspiracy […]
Preface While all the focus is rightfully placed on the demigods, Elden Ring has a rich history which began only after their epic had more or less concluded. Liurnia is unique in how it brings that part of the tale to the forefront, which goes a long way to justify the sheer scale of the […]
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 One of the benefits to Director Hidetaka Miyazaki expanding his formula for Demon’s and Dark Souls to an open world is the exponential potential for environmental storytelling. While many of the new details offer only vague insights into the general area, the wars impressed me with just how much we can pinpoint over a […]
Preface Rarely are “the good times” the most interesting part of a story, and Elden Ring is no different. Much of this period in the setting’s backstory is simply stacking the building blocks to be knocked down by subsequent events. What little conflict can be mined is narratively flaccid, with hardly many tantalizing secrets to […]
Lokey Lore 