Even when Erdtree Burial came to replace the old ways, the dead themselves didn’t change. They were still lost in the realm of the living and in need of guidance. Ushering them to their new resting place is Rosus, whose statue found all across the Lands Between always points to nearby catacombs. This isn’t the […]
Preface For all their simplicity, giants capture the imagination in ways even dragons cannot. Something so much like us yet still so alien in all their forms, they inspire both awe and dread, and invite us to ask questions about how we are perceived by creatures just as trifling and minuscule. And although Elden Ring […]
Common across the Lands Between is one statue depicting a cloaked man with a sword, the figure decorating bridges especially. The name of Saintsbridge in particular clarifies that this character is a saint — seijin (聖人) more literally referring to a “holy man” — and therefore carries the sword as some sort of warrior hero […]
When some of the Tarnished who left with Godfrey established churches dedicated to the Two Fingers, they obviously were spreading their religion in preparation for when Marika summoned them back as promised. After untold generations of building up support and resources, the church’s prophesy was finally fulfilled, and its clerics contributed their own to the […]
Onze appears to be the oldest demi-human to wield the binary stars, possessing liver spots on his head and sword arm in addition to the grey whiskers they all share. Nonetheless, he was the one vassal of Queen Marigga to achieve recognition as a master swordsman; even the skill for his peers’ blades is named […]
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 […]
When we come across an evergaol, there are always particular enemies flocking to it, day or night. From the name lookout stones, it is obvious that they are there for surveillance, hence most stand at attention with “searchlights” fixated on the jail. This makes the enemy a sort of prison warden, monitoring the magic seal’s […]
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 […]
Just as there are giants, there are also dwarves in the Lands Between. These men of small stature, only reaching up to a human’s chest, find it hard to subsist in this world of the tall. Being so short, there is little that they can do that the larger races can’t also, and it is […]
