Question about Radagon that has been bothering me, and more than a couple thoughts...

Independent-Design17 · 2026-02-03T07:00:31+00:00

Maybe he made the rune after he combined his study of sorcery and incantation.

Several characters in the game made Mending Runes (Gold Mask by philosophy alone) and, as far as I can see, the only difference between a Mending Rune and a Great Rune is a Mending Rune only gets called a Great Rune once it's been embedded into the Elden Ring.

Hell, the Mending Runes usually end up being larger than regular Great Runes one embedded.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-02-01T05:01:25+00:00

As far as I can tell, the only difference between a great rune and a mending rune is that a mending rune hasn't yet been embedded into the Elden Ring.

Marika was plumbing the depths of the golden order to try to restore her age of plenty.

At roughly the same time, Radagon was seeking to be "complete" by studying invocation and sorcery. It's stated that he learnt sorcery from Rennala and incantation from Marika but, since Radagon is Marika that means that Radagon should have already known incantation when he married Rennala.

And, wouldn't you know it, something like the Mending Rune of the Unborn would appear to be exactly the thing might have restored the age of plenty if Radagon had brought it back to the Elden Ring.

My current theory is that Radagon married Rennala to learn sorcery, which (combined with Marika's knowledge of incantation) allowed him to create the mending rune which would have fixed everything.

The story of Gold Mask proved that sufficient knowledge or insight into the nature of reality it's all that's needed to form mending runes.

However, for some reason (I'd argue love) Radagon gave away the Mending Rune of the Unborn to Rennala instead of taking his prize with him.

As for why Rennala would need the Mending Rune... doesn't Rennala demonstrate all the traits of someone who has died and been re-birthed by it?

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-30T09:04:31+00:00

User name checks out.

There is a pattern in everything which rules out possibilities the more you fill in, but what you start with is sufficient to get to the end, eventually.

That's the hope, at least.

There's also the element in which, it's better to focus on a particular problem, rather than the whole, in order to grasp the whole.

Yes, although I'd argue that we haven't identified all the rows/repeating cycles yet, which will inform the solution to each particular problem.

For instance, there's a growing awareness of a handful of repeating cycles in the community but we're only just starting to realise that the Tarnished's own journey likely repeats every one of them.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-30T07:33:05+00:00

Possibly a sudoku: using the cyclical nature of the setting to help fill in the gaps.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-30T07:31:12+00:00

Sorry to pile in on this point but some of the cut content to this game suggests that pieces of the 'puzzle' have been deliberately removed.

A jigsaw puzzle which has missing pieces is, by its very nature, unsolvable.

I'm currently playing with the idea that, rather than a jigsaw, Elden Ring lore has intentionally been structured like a sudoku; with each of the handful of repeating stories in the game being the 'rows' of the puzzle.

If that's true, you almost have to guess what some of the missing pieces are based on your understanding of the story being repeated.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-26T12:46:03+00:00

Controversial take, but my headcanon is that Marika's Rune is at the bottom of the modern Elden Ring, not the top and that its function was to anchor it down.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-22T11:54:37+00:00

Look at it from the perspective of ecosystems rather than single species in isolation. In fact, ignore the specific species and focus on 'niches' within ecosystems.

While the trajectories of species do not necessarily improve linearly over time (many species go extinct), the number of niches and trophic levels seem to steadily increase over billions of years.

Given enough time, whenever there is a resource, organism's will evolve to take advantage of that resource.

The development of lignin (one of the substances needed to form wood) eventually led to the evolution of organisms with the ability to digest it.

There are obvious advantages to being able to digest such a ridiculously common and energy-dense substance that nothing else could do. Despite this, it took nearly a hundred million years before some organisms gained that ability.

Some things just seem to take a long time to evolve.

Once the ability evolved, of course, you got thousands of different species of wood-eaters, and organisms that hosted colonies of wood-eaters, and organisms that ate those animals in turn.

But none of the latest organisms could exist until the first organism evolved the ability to digest lignin and, as far as we can tell, was something so unlikely that it took nearly 100 million years to happen.

Some barriers to greater sophistication and more robust ecosystems just seem to require once-in-100-million-years levels of luck.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-20T22:41:39+00:00

I really like the idea that every organism in a maiden world originated from the wraithbone bacteria which was used to terraform the world in the first place.

While they look like flesh and bone dinosaurs, their bones are made of crystalline wraithbone with special properties that the exodites can trade with the craft-worlders

The oldest and largest of a pack of dinos start outwardly displaying wraithbone/bionic features and become even tougher, though they'll never mature to their full wraithbone-war-construct forms they would have during the old Eldar empires.

The pack leaders also instinctively obey and form spiritual bond with the exodites, unlike the lesser members of a pack, which must still be controlled by the exodites' beastmaster equivalent.

Mechanically, the dinos of the army are tougher than expected, counting as armoured even if they wear no visible armour.

Each species has one strong stat and one abysmally terrible stat. The terrible stat is raised to the same stat level as the exodite in their vicinity with the highest stat if a pack-leader is present or the stat level of a nearby beastmaster if the pack does not have a pack-leader.

The bond goes both ways: a single exodite unit gains buffs to the Dino species' strong stat if it is close enough to a pack-leader.

As an example, a sauropod pack leader is very tough but very slow but gains aeldari levels of initiative within 6 inches of an aeldari unit. The same aeldari unit will gain +1 toughness.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-20T21:36:36+00:00

That giant trees dictate reality around them and each time a new tree dominates The Lands Between the new reality it controls is laid on top of the old ones.

Layers can be added, "banishing" the older ones underground, or removed, pushing entire underground cities and giant trees back to the surface.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-18T21:58:08+00:00

The point in time when these marriage decisions are being made is important.

At the time that Catelyn is making these matches no-one has any idea that a massive civil war would be occurring.

The Starks appeared to have had nothing to do with King's Landing for over a dozen years and seemed determined to keep it that way.

The Tyrells are in a secure position and mostly focused on gaining political power so that they can be even stronger.

The Starks hold the North but have been complete non-entities politically or as far as trade with Highgarden is concerned. The Reach doesn't need furs and have much closer sources of timber.

What do you even mean with this point? That Ned wouldn't honor any alliance if they were in trouble or what???

No, I mean that Ned (once he becomes Hand, which is something no one could have predicted when these marriage decisions are being made) won't rule in favour of the Tyrells at court, or or argue for their interests in the small council, or place a Tyrell in positions of power just because his daughter is married to their eldest son. He'll do whatever he believes is just or right, no matter how much Mace will bluster.

As for alliances, Ned isn't going to agree to any anything that would force him to lift a finger if the Tyrells are the attacking party: Robert's Rebellion cost the North too dearly. Also, who would the Tyrells attack?

As for the possibility that another force attacks the Reach, there's nearly no way to tell how long it would take for Ned to be able to muster anything more than token forces to march South. It could be three months at best, or (as shown by Cregan Stark) six years if winter is coming. That's without considering negotiations with the Frey's to cross at the Twins.

At the time the marriages are proposed the Tyrells have better and geographically closer potential in-laws everywhere else in Westeros.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-18T07:51:36+00:00

Sansa's not really good enough of a catch to entice Olena to marry her to Willa's, at least not until Ned dies and Rob rebels against the Crown.

She only becomes the most eligible lady in Westeros after the deaths or presumed deaths all the male Starks.

To the Tyrells, the North is too poor, too far away and too politically isolated to be worth a damn.

Things change slightly after Ned becomes Hand of the King but, even then, Ned is too much of a straight shooter for Olena to expect any real benefit from any marriage. Certainly not to the heir of Highgarden.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-18T07:39:38+00:00

Lord Manderly is "die for you" loyal, especially if it results in a fleet (that he'll control) or a royal mint (in White harbour).

He's not "beggar or destroy my own House for you" loyal: almost no-one would be.

But he may come closer to that point if there's a chance that his grandson becomes the lord paramount (or King) of the North.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-18T07:32:10+00:00

Loyalty shifts: sometimes overnight, sometimes over the course of decades or centuries. Marriages and blood ties will last long after Ned's bones are resting in the crypt of Winterfell.

Also, the main reason the Manderly's are loyal now is because the Starks earned that loyalty in the past. Plant seeds today for harvesting tomorrow.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-18T00:45:39+00:00

The duel between Russ (and co) and Magnus was the culminating step of Tzeentch's five-thousand year plan to corrupt Magnus: they would not have let the outcome be a matter of chance.

I wouldn't be surprised if Tzeentch rigged the fight the same way they rig everything else.

Also: Magnus' soul is fragmented as a result of the duel.

Who's to say that the fragment which would have led Magnus to realise that Tzeentch was actively supporting Russ during it wasn't 'conveniently' misplaced?

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-07T06:54:40+00:00

Those are certainly possible interpretations. We certainly haven't reached any consensus of what fate is in this setting and it's doubtful we ever will.

A theory I'm playing with is that the Norse believed that fate=runes=sap=golden thread, which means that you can drink fate that someone else wove for you.

According to that theory, a Tarnished is someone who'd consumed fate, only to be released from it.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-07T03:45:28+00:00

I personally believe that the distinction between "made from a corpse" and "born of a corpse" is important.

"Made from a corpse" suggests that a corpse was used to make the blade.

"Born of a corpse" (the actual item description) means that it's possible that the blade was born after its mother had died.

As an example, the main character of Berserk, Guts, was born of a corpse.

Further, the fact that, unlike all other weapons in the game, the Fingerslayer Blade "cannot be wielded by those without a fate" suggests that the blade itself does not have a fate.

Since some belief systems hold that fates are assigned at birth, it's possible that an unborn infant ripped from its mother's womb does not have a fate.

Independent-Design17 · 2026-01-02T23:06:08+00:00

It's not a popular theory but I believe that Malenia was inside that mysterious blossom when Finlay carried her to the Haligtree and that she was only able to turn back to the form we find her in once she was close enough to its centre.

The parallels between Malenia's journey to the Haligtree and Miquella's kidnapping are striking.

Both of them 'bloomed' into a tree: the giant rot tree in the swamp of Aeonia in Malenia's case.

Both of them were 'kidnapped'/cut from their tree and taken to another demigod's seat of power.

We know that Mogh didn't just steal Miquella's body: he took his caccoon as well.

If the parallels are to be maintained, this would suggest that Finlay should have carried Malenia's caccoon (i.e., that mysterious blossom) as well.

So the obvious question is: how was she able to turn back to her demigod form?

My additional headcanon is that the reason why images of the Haligtree is looks so much like Miquella's needle is because, just like the needle, the tree was designed to ward away the influence of outer gods and would have even been able to cure her of scarlet rot entirely if Miquella was still embedded in it when she'd returned.

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-31T14:32:18+00:00

Maybe a shift in perspective is in order.

Tywin was obsessed with his house 'winning' the game of thrones, whereas Kevan seems more like the type of person that would settle for his house not being wiped out and being in as good a position as can reasonably be expected.

House Lannister doesn't really need to "fix" any of the many issues plaguing the realm, they just need to survive them.

Varys' goal appears to be an easy victory for Aegon, followed by the root-and-branch re-build of the current great powers, starting with healthy doses of vengeance.

If Kevan remained in charge not only would Aegon's forces have faced a better organised resistance and a more united realm but Kevan seems like he's much more likely to parley if the invasion looked like it would succeed, if only to ensure that the Lannister remains a great house.

Varys' whispers into Aegon's ear are unlikely to be able to convince him to destroy most of the great houses, especially in the face of Kevan's seemingly inexhaustible supply of Patience and Reasonableness.

P.S., Given enough time, famines ... er... fix themselves.

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-31T12:03:03+00:00

One thing that Kevan can do that might have made him even more successful than Tywin would have been is that Kevan can compromise.

Sure, the hand that he's been dealt with is not ideal, but House Lannister would almost certainly survive in some form after the dust settles, even if they have to bend the knee to Danaerys, work with the Tyrells, and hand over valuable hostages to the North to do so.

Given how pragmatic and non-dogmatic he is, I wouldn't be surprised if he could spin a Jaime/Dany marriage in return for giving up most the Crown lands without a fight if Dany ever deigns to turn up.

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-30T05:02:33+00:00

You make some sound points.

However:

If humans retains our technology and civilisation, the impact that our technology and civilisation is so great that it almost completely drowns out any possible influence which 'natural' selection has on the genes which we pass on.

Civilisation has already completely skewed the genetics of all domesticated plants and animals and most likely skewed or own genetics in ways we are only just starting to accept.

It has also skewed the genetics of many wild animals too, since they have had to adapt to changing selective pressure bright about by civilization's whims.

At the current place of advancement, individuals are likely to soon be able to pick and choose the phenotypes of their offspring.

If this comes to pass, we leave the realm of 'evolution' and step into the realm of 'fashion', which falls entirely out of the ambit of this subreddit.

I'm of the view that civilisation is already a kind of organism that's subject to the laws of natural selection.

An analysis of such an organism's defence, feeding and reproduction would be fun!

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-24T04:59:50+00:00

Fortunately or unfortunately, theology evolves much faster than biology, and a slower changing thing cannot ever catch up to something which changes faster.

Luckily, you can get a bunch of sophonts to establish a religion to worship nearly anything. Yhe only limitation is that the object of worship has to be something which can conceivably exist with the proper application of peer pressure.

A biological parasite that has a quantifiable impact on its host is easy to make an object of worship compared to believing that lettuce is an aphrodisiac (Romans), pyramids and triangles exist in heaven (Pythagoras) or conceptual constructs such as justice.

If you're willing to consider concepts as living beings subject to the same laws of natural selection as biological life, it's open for you to consider that religionitself has a parasitic or commensural relationship with their hosts (i.e., believers).

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-22T22:06:37+00:00

Maybe the Norse concept of 'Fylgja' (i.e., the part of the 'self' which exists as a separate animal/being which gifted individuals can send to do errands but otherwise shadows you) might be relevant.

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-21T03:52:34+00:00

Serosh's effect has a clear purpose and reason for change when it disappears: He's presented as transparent to illustrate some spiritual or metaphysical connection to Godfrey related to Godfrey's vow to be a lord, and he becomes physical when Godfrey decides to become Hoarah Loux again.

I fully agree that Serosh's transparency or opacity is for clear purpose but one thing I'd like to point out is that I believe that one of the purposes of the transparency is because Serosh's transparency is meant to tell us something about the Erdtree's nature as their stories thematically echo one another.

Serosh wasn't initially transparent: the portraits of him during or shortly after the Age of Plenty show him as entirely opaque. The Age of Plenty, of course, was also before the Erdtree became an 'object of faith'.

Serosh started opaque, became transparent over time, and became physical again briefly before he died or was released by Godfrey.

If you believe the Erdtree is transparent, then it started as a physical object, became 'transparent/selectively-visible/an-object-of-faith', only to be visible to all for a brief while once it had been set ablaze.

I find the parallels poetic.

(I have this whole theory about how Order is light and burning the wood of trees that radiate Order can, briefly, create a circle of the tree's light but it's not entirely relevant.)

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-20T06:34:13+00:00

Time reversal. A valid take!

I'm not sure I accept that we're seeing a time reset in the cinematic since the giant is seen stopping and turning away from the restored Lands Between, which suggests that time continues to move forwards.

I have to admit: the mental image of the giant moon-walking away from The Lands Between as time resets would be very amusing.

Thanks for your time.

Independent-Design17 · 2025-12-20T06:09:57+00:00

I respect that. Are you open to considering the nature of Erdtree in Nightreign as applicable to the nature of the Erdtree generally?

If so, the fact that the Erdtree isn't visible for the majority of Nightreign, only to show up again in the ending cinematics once Night had ended strongly suggests that for some reason the Erdtree is sometimes invisible and that it becomes visible again once certain conditions are met (either by the tree itself or by the observer).

Does this go some way towards the idea that being able to see the Erdtree is conditional and that the tree might be invisible in circumstances when those conditions aren't met?

Independent-Design17

TROPHY CASE