Plot Twist:

Really not a fan of the elden ring convergence talismans that give you full immunity to certain status effects. It feels like they’re not particularly balanced well at all, especially when paired with spells that build up those status effects to offset all the positive effects they give, like the deranged fury incantation in the frenzied flame class. With the ability to nullify all madness build up it just becomes an incredibly powerful buffing spell with no downsides (which lasts for two minutes).

Not to mention how the rot immunity talisman completely trivialises areas like caelid’s swamp and the lake of rot, which is an area that’s actually worth exploring and spending quite a bit of time in now because of the changes the mod also makes to the area. Having full immunity to rot turns a very hostile and tricky area to traverse without taking too much damage into a much less interesting location to explore.

I could also go into how I think it effects the new bossfight "Scion of the rot god" but it's basically just my opinion on the rot lakes. By allowing the player to essentially "turn off" the boss' unique feature, it just makes it a far less interesting fight overall.

You might wanna check yourself first as I could totally be overlooking something, but if you're interested in getting into a soulsborn game, I've played elden ring a few times over and I can't think of anything that comes to mind when thinking of spiders.

Though there is an enemy called the fingercreeper (large disembodied hands that use their fingers to move around) which could still set off that same fear, but it depends on how close something can be to looking like a spider before it makes you uncomfortable.

God it makes me so upset that there's so many amazing games I'll never be able to play because I have insane arachnophobia to the point where I'll physically recoil and nearly faint/cry/or have a Panic attack at the mere site of a big spider.

Like I wanted to get into Resident Evil a little while back and bought the first game on switch. I decided to look up if this horror game from the 90s had spiders. Sure enough it did so that's 12 dollars gone and a game I'll never play. Still wanted to get into the series so I looked up what games did and didn't have spiders so I could filter them and play some, and just watch a let's play of others.

Every. Single. Fucking. Game. Has giant Tarantulas. Except for re2 remake and MAYBE re8 (heard conflicting sources). So I guess I'll just go fuck myself

y'know with all the courage motifs going on in deltarune, seemingly replacing determination for Kris I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that Kris' soul was actually a bravery one before we were super imposed onto them.

I think it'd be a pretty cool twist all things considered. We're so used to playing as a red soul so we don't question it, but in reality we have no idea if that was always Kris' soul. If it turns out that Kris' soul was replaced with ours then I wouldn't be shocked if it's a different type all together.

It's not really implied very heavily in lore but I've always subscribed to the theory that the greatrunes negatively affect their demi-gods, since most greatrune holders have been trapped into never ending cycles of trying to amass power/accomplish a specific goal.

Rykard, Mohg and Godrick are all similarly running in circles trying to gain power without actually doing anything with it and Rennala is endlessly trying to birth something before we take her greatrune off of her.

The only real exceptions to this are Radahn, because he's lost his mind, Malenia, because she's only just woken up for the first time since the shattering wars and Morgott because... IDK, I've got nothing for Morgott, he's just built different I guess. (Though you could argue that him hunting tarnished and perpetuating the status quo is his endless cycle)

All active people who own a greatrune shard, demi-god or not, have fallen into some sort of self destructive, never ending cycle.

fuck, if you really wanna push this theory Maliketh is holding a greatrune in the form of the rune of death and he's litterelly been stuck in a timeless structure for the entire shattering.

I feel like this is also implied because Ranni decided to cast aside her greatrune, this being significant because she’s the only demi-god who can actually accomplish their end goal by the finale of the game and isn't just running in circles.

Soooo that DLC announcement huh? Pretty cool. Very excited but oh my god that promotional image has so many implications.

Mainly, if that person riding torrent is in fact Miquella, which seems to be the running theory at the moment then it suggests that Miquella himself was very likely torrent's former master, which in turn implies a lot about certain character relations we didn’t know about until now.

The big one being that on top of Malenia, he was possibly also working closely with Melina and Ranni as well considering the two of them both have ties to torrents former master. Melina travelling with his old steed and Ranni being tasked with finding the steed’s new master and giving them the spirit calling bell.

It makes sense for Melina since she’s very very likely the secret, missing third child of Marika and Radagon, which could be a post all on its own, so her working with her two siblings isn’t that strange. (though I still wonder to what extent they’re related and possibly working together).

But the craziest thing to me is that this also implies that not only could Miquella and Ranni have been on good terms at some point in the past but also that they are still currently on good terms (even after what she did in the night of the black knives). At least good enough terms to trust her with the spirit calling bell.

Melina's possible connections to the black knives also makes this theory even stronger. If she was a part of the assassin squad then that means that Ranni stole the rune and Melina would have been one of the assassins that used it to kill Godwyn (and possibly other Demigods since he was only said to be the first to fall during that night). 

Hell if you wanna get real crazy we could say that Miquella helped to forge the black knife weapons, since he’d already done a lot of research into “anti god tools” with stuff like the golden needles. Who’s to say he couldn’t figure out a way to do it? But why would he do that? He’s about the only demigod who wouldn’t be ok with killing Godwyn but it’d explain why he was still on good terms with Ranni after the assassination. Could have been St. Trina for all I know.

(I know this isn't about comparing character morality but I really wanna write my thoughts down on this real quick, sorry) Honestly Ranni’s acts are significantly more justifiable than Godfreys. Ranni only did the bare minimum she needed to separate herself from the greater will and eventually overthrow it. She was desperate, and I can’t blame her because from the way she describes the GW it sounds like it’s hardly more than a controlling parasite. Bottom line is that Ranni wouldn’t have had to resort to doing the things she did if she was allowed even a slither of autonomy over her own flesh, and wasn’t predestined to become the GW’s puppet.

It's also important to note that the shattering and everything that came from it was mostly Marika’s doing. I’m not entirely comfortable with blaming her for every atrocity her children committed but she definitely has to shoulder a significant amount of the blame for the whole “ordering her insanely powerful family to fight over the titles they desire all the while giving them a massive power boost via the shards” thing.

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Godfrey on the other hand is absolutely batshit. I love him but the dude really needed to chill the fuck out. Even before he became Marika’s lord he was presumably a bloodthirsty warrior who would fight and kill anyone and anything he could. And after becoming Marika’s lord he played a pivotal role in the destruction of pretty much any society who fell outside of the GW’s very strict circle. And after leaving Marika with the tarnished they presumably went back to fighting anything and anyone they could find. He was the aggressor in every single conflict he ever fought that we know of. I'd argue that purely from a moral standpoint he's probably worse Radagon, who atleast attempted to find peaceful solutions to the wars he was waging. Which is odd because Radagon seems to be the more disliked out of the two.

“it’s fine and actually heroic to violently conquer nations and kill thousands just because their existence threatens your empire as long as it makes your empire prosperous and benevolent and benefitting everyone’s well-being! wait what do you mean the empire is slaughtering albinaurics and omen and making misbegotten into slaves”

Y'know I'm usually quite apprehensive to consider cut content as canon material... But I make an exception for Radahns cat and Rykards boyfriend. They're just too good not to have in the story and they're such minor details that considering them as canon effects nothing.

idc whatever the fuck else fromsoft cut or changed in elden ring I demand to know why this was changed:

LET THE MAN HAVE HIS CAT FROMSOFT PLEASE I BEG OF YOU.

Do they really have that of different goals? As far as I'm aware the only goals we know the GEQ had were to "raise apostles to slay the gods" and presumably to keep destined death unbound. This aligns pretty neatly with Melina's goals for us to take on the demi-gods and later to unbind destined death.

The similarities between them are even stronger in the FF route, where she threatens to come after us with the GEQ's own power (destined death). Following in her footsteps as a GEQ waring with a god. If she's not already the GEQ in some shape or form (either via the art of rebirth or her being created from what was left of the previous GEQ) then I do believe that she at least claims that title by the end of FF.

Out of curiosity, what are the major rebuttals to the "Melina = GEQ" theory?

Because honestly, the more I think about it the more it just makes perfect sense for her to be the GEQ, and I can't really think of any counter arguments that are all too convincing for me.

Queen Marika the eternal and the power of bewitching

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Y'know, it's interesting that Marika also seemed to have a similar "mind control" power that Miquella is often sited as having.

"The Empyrean Miquella is loved by many people. Indeed, he has learned very well how to compel such affection."

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While it's something that isn't heavily explored in game (to the point where I don't see anyone discussing it) Roderika theorizes that Marika cursed Hewg to eternally craft weapons for the remainder of his life. And it's straight up stated that this "cursing power" was used on the fire giant to force it into protecting the giants forge in the name of the erdtree.

"The Fire Giant is a survivor of the War against the Giants. Upon realizing the flames of their forge would never die, Queen Marika marked him with a curse. "O trifling giant, mayest thou tend thy flame for eternity.""

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So Marika definitely seems to have a similar power, possibly even being the person Miquella inherited his off of in the first place.

But could this go even further than just Hewg and the fire giant? How many others could she have cursed over the years? What are the chances that Radagon suddenly up and leaving his family to become second elden lord wasn't actually his decision at all? Miriel himself states that it's a ongoing mystery as to why Radagon would do it.(alongside why he was chosen to become elden lord at all)

"The mystery endures, to this day... As to why Lord Radagon would cast Lady Rennala aside... and moreover...why a mere champion would be chosen for the seat of Elden Lord"."

The thing I find really important is that the question isn't just about why he'd be chosen as elden lord, but also why he'd cast Rennala aside at all. To me, this implies that Radagon did indeed care for Rennala, to the point where even with the temptation of becoming the second lord of the order he loved so much, it still seemed strangely out of character for him to take that opportunity over his family. As if he would never do that.

That is unless, he didn't take that opportunity by choice.

Afterall, even after leaving Rennala, he still clings to the only thing he has left of her, the golden order greatsword. And on top of that, he left his red wolf to protect her from harm, and even gifted her the amber egg before his departure. (Though I'd argue that that did far more bad than good for her mental state.)

"Telltale signs betray that this was once the greatsword bequeathed to him by his first wife, Rennala."

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Ok so Radagon could have been cursed by Marika, and much like Hewg with his smithing and the fire giant with the forge, Radagon might have been cursed to protect the golden order as its elden lord, which would eventually backfire horrendously when Marika decided to turn against that very same order.

Admittedly I am kind of stretching here but everyone she cursed seems to be "cursed" with a specific goal in mind. Forge a god slaying weapon, Protect the giants forge. So it's not totally out of the question that she also cursed Radagon with the goal of "be the elden lord."

It would certainly explain why even after years trapped in the tree and barely even being alive anymore, he still fought tooth and nail to protect his order. He cannot give up because he's no longer physically capable of giving up. Much like Hewg and the giant. That is unless they die of course.

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But it could go even further than that. What about Maliketh? It appears he's just loyally following the orders of Marika but that's what it always looks like! It looks like that with Hewg. It looks like that with the fire giant and it looks like that with Maliketh aswell. Despite seeming utterly miserable both as Maliketh and Gurranq, he carries on following her orders for years.

We have no idea how long he spent in the Farum Azula. Time doesn't work properly there. For all we know, he could be the oldest being in the game by the time we get to him. And yet after all that time his resolve never wavers. Even after being "betrayed" by Marika.

"Maliketh was a shadowbound beast given to his Empyrean. Marika's sole need of her shadow was a vessel to lock away Destined Death. Even then, she betrayed him."

And much Like Hewg, Fire Giant and Radagon, Maliketh is also ordered to carry out a specific goal. Which is protecting destined death.

Forge the god slaying weapon.

Protect the Giants Forge.

Be elden lord.

Guard Destined death.

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Many people, including myself have sited Miquella's connection to the bewitching branch and power to "compel affection" as evidence that he might not be as benevolent as he seemed. But what if we've got it all wrong? What if we shouldn't be being suspicious of Miquella for having this power, but instead the person he inherited it off of?

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Now there is someone else that Marika may have cursed. Well, a group of someone's actually. I saved this till the end because it's the most "out there" part of this theory but...

Spoken echoes of Queen Marika linger here as well.

Shall I share them with you?

In Marika's own words.

Hear me, Demigods. My children beloved. Make of thyselves that which ye desire. Be it a Lord. Be it a God. But should ye fail to become aught at all, ye will be forsaken. Amounting only to sacrifices...

...What if it wasn't the power from shards of the elden ring that corrupted the Demi-gods and led to the shattering wars?

What if it was the power of suggestion? The power of bewitchment?

What if it was Marika?

Been thinking about HTTYD 3 recently (mainly about how much I dislike it) and man, it really is just the antithesis of the rest of the series isn’t it?

The whole franchise of HTTYD from the movies, to the specials, to the 2 TV shows is all about building the relationship between humans and dragons. It’s about them learning how to coexist and how to support each other.

1 was learning that coexistence was possible.

The first TV series was getting a deeper understanding on how to make coexistence work, and where it might not be possible in certain cases.

The second TV series largely built on this and also involved deeper conflicts with other human civilisations.

And 2 is basically the apex of everything they’ve learned. Where they’ve fully developed a symbiotic society for both people and dragons on berk and the only threats they really face at this point are from other, more aggressive and exploitative dragon users.

It ends with Hiccup becoming the chief of Berk and Toothless becoming the Alpha for the dragons.

That is until 3 comes along and basically says “coexistence is too hard, let's send every dragon in the world to a secret underground cave, sometimes the fight to exist is just not worth it and it’s better to roll over and give the oppressors and the extremists what they want”.

Which is a horrible message for the end of a series that largely revolves around how humans and dragons deserve to share the same space and that it’s possible for them to live harmoniously with one another.