I Actually Kind Of Like How Gen 1 Pokemon Handled The Elite 4. Having A Team Roughly Based Around The

ok first major thought about the trailer

If my theory that Melina and Ranni's closed eye/eye marking being the mark of an empyrean is correct then that means Messmer the Impaler could also be one as well due to his closed eye (he could also have a marking that's being obscured by the helmet in the trailer)

But the red hair also catches my eye, something that is extremely prevalent in Radagon's family, to the point where almost every descendant of his shares the same hair color. Except for Miquella, who's twisted form modelled by Mohg looks strikingly similar to Messmer's body.

It's really hard to get good shots of Messmer's body but I hope my observations are at least somewhat coming through. Now I'm not saying that Messmer is Miquella, but I do think he could be related in some way, possibly even being the personification of all the corruption from Mohg and the formless mother. We don't really know how Empyreans create offshoots of themselves but this sort of thing has happened before, mainly with Malenia and her daughters seemingly inheriting shards of her personality.

Anyway I definitely think Messmer is an Empyrean and possibly related to Radagon, but everything else is just a hypothesis at this point.

Just to add onto this, Messmer's name follow's the same naming conventions of the children of Marika (Mohg, Morgott, Malenia, Miquella, Melina and now Messmer)

Monster hunter wilds spoilers

Thinking about how there’s a possibility that Guardian Arkveld had Deviljho DNA in it.

It’d explain why it had this inherent, powerful desire to eat that other guardians lacked, to the point that it was able to teach itself how to with no outside influence and why when it did learn how to, it just couldn’t control itself.

And even if Guardian Arkveld lacked a digestive system like the other Guardians (which is unlikely because that food has to go somewhere and also unlike the other guardians it has/or grew reproductive organs), there’s a very real possibility that it would still suffer that same ravenous, environment destroying hunger that Deviljho possess.

There's also the fact that Guardian Arkvelds battle theme literally contains segments from Deviljho's own theme. This may just be hinting towards the thematic similarities between the two, but personally I think it could be read either way.

If this is true then... Holy fuck Wyveria really created the most aggressively violent and angry creature they could. Giving a monster Deviljho's aggression and ceaseless hunger with the ability to fly, tussle with every other apex predator in the area and with no way to satiate that hunger due to not physically being able to eat. They basically created a monster that's only goal is to kill everything it sees without need for rest or even stopping to eat.

Zoh Shia is their equal dragon weapon, but Arkveld strikes me as their attempt to create something that will kill as much stuff as quickly as possible.

You know you’ve fucked up when you’re sharing a kingdom with someone who literally infected 1/6th of the continent during a petty power squabble and you still end up being the most disliked demi-god in your family.

Like, Caelid's infection is literally at Limgrave's front door at this point and Godricks people still hate him leagues more than they dislike Malenia. How do you fuck up that badly lmao

Most hated demigod in lore

It just hit me that this mass bewitchment ability we see in the trailer is almost definitely an incantation, judging by what looks to be a golden seal in the tarnished's hand.

Which has got me thinking. Miquella has ties to both the bewitching branches ability and incantations, which means this is very likely an incantation connected to Miquella in someway, even possibly being a reward for his remembrance.

I'm not sure I like the implications that Miquella has a bewitchment spell that works on summons/spirit ashes that he could use against us in a possible fight.

Honestly I’m surprised by the amount of people who think Mohg’s character was at all reduced by the DLC— if anything, the introduction of a character like Ansbach and the reveal that he was bewitched adds a lot to his story.

I wonder if there’s any correlation between those who believe his character was taken away from and those who very staunchly believed that he kidnapped Miquella all on his own? Because in my personal experience, I’m someone who always thought it was more likely that it was either a mutual agreement or manipulation + bewitchment on Miquella’s end rather than kidnapping— otherwise, there’s a lot going on in terms of the environment and story details that just don’t make sense (IE; why is nobody at the Haligtree concerned about there being a kidnapping, and are simply waiting for Miquella to come back)! And also, since GRRM has a quote discussing how he’s not fond of the “here’s the good guys, they dress in white and look pretty while the bad guys dress in black and are ugly” trope, I would’ve been more shocked if that was played straight and it WAS a kidnapping.

Another thing, I fell in love with his character before I knew anything about his involvement with Miquella. Varré’s quest, the subtle buildup of his presence you see throughout the world of the game and the characterization it provides! As soon as I saw the Bloodroses for the first time, I knew he was going to be a favorite of mine. They alone clue us in on so much about him as a character, painting this mysterious Lord of Blood as a romantic, but morbid figure.

He has so much character without Miquella, he has a fully fleshed out backstory that I can’t help but to adore. Then, the DLC comes in and makes you confront any pre-conceived notions of what Mohgwyn was like prior to Miquella, it makes you ask what this blood cult was like before it got extra bloody, it makes you ask where this love for Miquella came from, and so on. I personally subscribe to “it was a combination of genuine manipulation from Miq’s end along with bewitchment— which played horribly well with Mohg’s idea of and need for love”, but there’s so many ways you can go about it! So many fun possibilities to explore that add further depth to these characters and their relationship!

So I find it surprising as hell that people would think the DLC took anything away from his character, when it really just fleshed him out further.

I’ve touched upon this in the past, but there’s a couple reasons I don’t believe the vow was mutually upheld by the end.

Radahn loved war and the glory of battle, but he was also a deeply sentimental person, as we can see with a lot of his history. He initially learned gravity magic so he could keep Leonard as his mount, and he later used that very same magic to freeze the stars in place to protect Selia. When he cares about something he cares hard and clings onto it as much as he can. And the battle of Aionia destroyed all of that. All that he held so dear that he challenged fate itself to protect it. It infected his horse and decimated Selia and all surrounding locations.

He desperately clung to life, even past the point of being driven insane by the scarlet rot. It’s possible to read this as him just wanting to be put down in a worthy fight, but personally I feel like it goes further. That motherfucker did not want to die.

Presumably none of Radahn’s followers had any idea about the vow with Miquella. On Miq’s side at least Malenia knew, but none of the Redmanes had even the faintest clue. Not even his closest allies knew what the fight was about, which is odd considering how glorious a final honourable battle for Radahn to become the lord of a new age would be. It was just kept incredibly secret for some reason. Even when it comes time for the Radahn festivals, they’re specifically to put Radahn to rest in an honourable duel. Not to uphold any sort of vow he might have had.

Going off of the previous point about their respective followers. The Redmanes and The Cleanrot knights fucking hate eachother, to the point where their spirits continue to battle in the wardead catacombs to this very day. This, to me, doesn’t read as a mutually agreed upon and honourable duel to the death. It comes off as there being extremely bad blood between the two groups. The malice between them is so palpable that they won't stop fighting each other even in death.

Radahn doesn’t really come off as being “present” in his promised consort bossfight. When it comes to every other major demigod in the game, they all have something to say. Every single one of them talks to the player before, during and after their boss fights. Radahn however, says nothing. He barely makes a sound throughout his entire fight. It’s like he’s just going through the motions. Like a spirit ash, or a puppet. He’s even able to make use of some of Mohg’s bloodflame abilities, which he shouldn’t be able to do if it was actually just Radahn.

Y'know, I've been thinking about the vow between Miquella and Radahn a lot recently, and I feel like I've come up with a possible explanation for why Radahn seemingly agreed at first but later backed out of the deal.

If Radahn truly did agree to become Miquella's consort, what are the chances that it was made under the pretense that he'd be the next elden lord in the golden order? Continuing the legacy and age of both his personal hero and father, alongside Miquella as the new god of the age, but things remaining overall the same.

Once Miquella became disillusioned with Marika's age and decided to do his own thing, and create his own age, Radahn probably lost interest in becoming his consort because he wouldn't be the lord of the age he loved anymore, infact he would be a major factor in it ending. Something that he historically does not stand for.

This probably lead to a disagreement between the two that lead to Malenia invading Selia. Miquella feeling betrayed because Radahn was now refusing to uphold his promise, and Radahn feeling betrayed because Miquella turned his back on the golden order he loved and was now trying to bring it to an end.

also ummm.... Maybe St. Trina? The area has the general color scheme of the sleep effect in Elden Ring, they're surrounded by Trina's Lilly's and the character in shot seems like they could be sleeping. They're also about the right size to be an alter ego of Miquella with the right hair along side it.

One thing I’ve been thinking about recently that I just cannot get out of my head is why Marika shattered the elden ring? I mean, it’s all well and good to just say “Oh it’s because she was driven mad by the death of Godwyn of course” but I just don’t think that’s quite right. Not only does it feel weird to assume the shattering was just some spur of the moment decision done in an emotional outburst when it was very clearly planned in quite a lot of detail but it also doesn’t really add up with the timeline since Godfrey was presumably sent out of the lands between long before Godwyn died and that seems to be a massive part of what Marika’s plan was.

I think I’ve come up with a semi possible alternative reason as to what could have driven Marika to destroy her own order.

Ok hear me out here.

What if she instead betrayed her order because of what happened to her omen children? I mean, think about it. They are still her children after all and she had to abandon both of them as infants to a life of hell because the greater will (or the golden order, could be both) doesn’t like Omens.

We know that the GW was a pretty controlling (and rather petty) god when it was in power so it definitely had the ability and motive to strong arm Marika into doing things she wouldn’t want to. Even if she did want to keep the twins with her, what choice would she have had with that sort of being looming over her head 24/7?

Imagine how much that would destroy your faith in a system. Her own children, subjected to a life of pain and ridicule because of the way they were born all because her god (or society) says so.

I find it hard to believe that she wouldn’t at least have some conflicted feelings over the whole ordeal.

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I think the biggest evidence I have here is the fact that the omen twins were not only gifted greatrunes upon the rings shattering (something only granted to Marika’s offspring) but Morgott was even ‘given grace’, which is something Marika has a lot of control over.

Even after being born omens and being abandoned early on in their lives Marika still considered them enough of her kin to be given a chance in the shattering race. Now you could argue that them getting their greatrunes was just a happy accident but I really don’t think the same could be said about Morgott being grace given. That seems like a very conscious decision.

We can even see that Godfrey himself had some sense of fondness (or at least respect) for Morgott from the way he holds and speaks to him in his opening boss cutscene, is it really so out of the question that Marika may have felt the same?

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TLDR

What if Marika having to abandon her Omen children because of the greater will and golden order was the catalyst that began her plot to shatter the ring and end her own order?

Recently I’ve been thinking about Radahn and how, despite his pretty major importance to the overall story of elden ring, we really don’t know that much about him. And judging from texts from the game, neither do most of the characters.

He’s the only demigod we meet who never speaks a word, item descriptions regarding him are rather vague with the exception of a few, his relations to his family are largely a mystery and it seems that even his own followers have very conflicting ideas of what he would have wanted.

We never get to hear what the terms to his vow with Miquella was like, we don’t even get to hear whether he agreed to it or not. All we have is Miquella’s account of the events.

Despite having grown up with him, Blaidd talks about Radahn like he’s some stranger he hardly knows of.

Jerren saw him as an honourable warrior.

Freyja saw him as someone who valued war over all else, no matter what side he fought on.

And Miquella saw him as a kind and compassionate figure and the most fitting choice as his king consort for the age of compassion.

This all makes me feel like he must have been an incredibly reserved person. That beneath all of that power, pride and lust for battle was someone who primarily liked to keep to himself. With the exception of the animals that he kept in his care.

Elden ring endgame spoilers

You guys wanna know what I think the scariest thing about Radagon is? It’s the fact that in the bossfight against him he fights us using Marika’s hammer. He’s not even using his own weapon. There’s a very real possibility that he may have never even wielded that hammer before in his life (except when he was trying to fix the ring) and he is still a terrifying force with it.

From what I’ve come to understand Radagon seems to actually prefer greatswords when it comes to his choice in weapon since he has pretty substantial connections to multiple greatswords in the lore. For example there’s the moonlight greatsword that he got from Renalla and also the golden order greatsword which he reforged it into. On top of both of these there’s also the form he takes as the sacred relic sword that the elden beast wields. These may seem like rather superficial details but considering that all the major weapons he has connections too are greatswords I feel that it has some meaning to it.

Even after being sealed away for centuries, having his body crumble to pieces, not being able to use his sorcery knowledge and quite possibly not even using a weapon that he’s familiar with or fond of he still wrecks shit when the time comes down to it.