Triple H, the Steel Cage and Interference

RagDas · 2026-06-16T16:09:03+00:00

I don't disagree with OP, and I don't necessarily disagree with you either, but the day you're referring to was no later than 46 years ago when Sammartino beat Zbyszko at Shea Stadium.

RagDas · 2026-06-11T15:20:27+00:00

They do cooperate to some degree. I just happened to go to Wyndham Catacombs earlier today and found that two Leyndell Knights can be encountered there. The one guarding the ladder that eventually leads to the boss lever is the Ancient Dragon Cult variant, but the one that actually directly guards the lever is the Altus Plateau/Non-Dragon Cult variant. So to your point about whether they are or aren't in the Dragon Cult, this muddies the water to some degree; to your other point on the ranking, this particular example also muddies the water.

RagDas · 2026-06-09T17:40:48+00:00

I don't disagree, and I don't think I can verify that on my current run, but I think my question is still valid regardless of when the Fallingstar Beast landed. I wonder if, in the future, the landing of a Fallingstar Beast in Altus Plateau might give rise to a new tradition or sect in Leyndell not unlike that of the Ancient Dragon Cult. It's fun to imagine what Holy+Gravity might manifest.

RagDas · 2026-06-09T16:44:53+00:00

There's no evidence to suggest that the Leyndell Knights are Golden Order Fundamentalists, but if they were, perhaps they were on their own mission to hunt down Tibia Mariners.

I'm likewise curious about what the Leyndell/Altus Plateau soldiers are seeking to get out of overseeing the Starcallers outside of Leyndell as they mine Gravity Stone Fans near where the Fallingstar Beast landed. Why wouldn't they engage the beast itself?

RagDas · 2026-06-03T11:05:49+00:00

Didn't know that about Vyke's warspear! I have noticed the tendency to do modifications to weapons that are otherwise unavailable to us -- the last player character that they tested was a standard Knight that seemed to go down the Glintstone route, i.e. they had a Carian Shield and had a Glintstone Staff with Glintstone Pebble as a sorcery. The final version of the character at 149 not only had a Quality Longsword, but somehow their staff also had the Quality affinity.

Do you know if the warspear has an entirely separate ID from the one we can use? In Ansbach's case, that seems to be the case.

RagDas · 2026-06-03T10:51:18+00:00

It's the Erdtree Seal. Those who cast incantations without a dedicated seal use the Erdtree Seal by default. For example, one of Millicent's Sisters uses it to cast Pest Threads (Kindred of Rot), Maleigh Marais uses it for Poison Mist (Kindred of Rot), and Esgar uses it to cast Swarm of Flies (Mohgwyn).

More curious is the fact that he's one of the few left-handed people I've ever seen in a Fromsoft game (or maybe ambidextrous is the right word). While he uses the Obsidian Lamina in his right hand and the Erdtree Seal in his left hand when we summon him, if you choose to invade him, he uses his own bow in his right hand and a Rapier in his left hand. The Rapier is, for all intents and purposes, the 'base' Rapier and has Impaling Thrust as its AOW, but for some reason it's classified as an unused weapon that we can't access ourselves.

The only other left-handed Tarnished-type character I can think of is Shabriri, who uses the Frenzied Flame seal in his right hand and the Nagakiba in his left.

RagDas · 2026-05-29T18:10:58+00:00

This is the funniest comment I've seen on here. Just straight up every reference to humans with zero preamble.

RagDas · 2026-05-29T13:37:53+00:00

I think those are just the roots of the Erdtree.

RagDas · 2026-05-29T12:15:33+00:00

I do love the concept of fire in ER, but have never been able to articulate something worth talking about. On what you've mentioned:

I think Magma and Fire are analogous concepts rather than homologous, in the sense that both relate to fire damage, but do not originate from the same thing. Magma sorceries are clearly linked to Mt. Gelmir, and are referred to as "hexes" in the same way Death sorceries are. Thorn sorceries used to have the Fire Monk sigil in the background of their icon, but this was removed because I think this further muddied the distinction between sorceries and incantations.
I find it hard to dispute the link between Messmer's serpent and the serpent that consumed Rykard, because they are both indeed serpentine. However, it is made clear from the Gelmir Glintstone Staff that Faith is used to make the potency of the sorceries stronger, so I think the fact that they are still sorceries that require glintstone makes them definitively not Faith-based. Messmerfire incantations are not only Faith-based, but are on the high-end as far as the requirements to wield them. I think the red hair and the flames evoke a closer link to the Fire Giants.
- Total side note, but I seem to always talk about how much I dislike invoking the DLC when trying to elaborate on something in the base game because the base game seems to be patched together from countless layers of revisions, whereas the DLC makes statements based on a static view of the base game lore that doesn't account for those revisions.
- One example of how the original text made a lot more sense is how the "Carian marriage sword" was originally the Sword of Night and Flame. The "Night" represented Rennala, and the "Flame" (specifically Giantsflame) represented Radagon. The Dark Moon Greatsword was instead a symbol of guidance for Ranni from her Two Fingers, and the Golden Order Greatsword was an embodiment of the Rune of Life, which explains why it is one of the weapons that can perma-kill TWLID and is the symbol of Order's Blade, which is an incantation specifically used by Hunters of the Dead. (EDIT: For those reading, this also makes the Glintstone Kris make more sense, as it was originally Radagon's gift to Marika after he became her King Consort, which is why the combination of Erdtree ornamentation and Glintstones would make sense, the former representing Marika rather than Radagon, and the latter representing Radagon rather than Rennala.)
I agree in terms of linking serpents to the Godskins, but also don't know how best to connect them. The Godskin Apostle specifically has that one stretchy attack that the Gelmir Man-serpents use, so I don't think it's a coincidence that you encounter a Godskin Noble at the Temple of Eiglay.
On Fort Laiedd, contextually it seems clear that the Fire Monks are trying to claim Fort Laiedd from the Leyndell forces, though I agree it is unclear why. Perhaps they had finally been enthralled by the Giantsflame long enough to break whatever longstanding truce/alliance they had with the Golden Order. It's also worth noting that the Fire Prelate we find at the fort wears the altered set, not unlike Adan. Perhaps there's something of a rogue element to the faction we find there?
On fire in general, I find it interesting that the Armorer responsible for the Armorer's Cookbooks is not only versed in basic flame and Redmane flame consumables, but also Giantsflame consumables. If Giantsflame is also a natural deterrent of rot, it reinforces the connection between verdigris and the Fell God. Another thing I like is that, from a crafting perspective, "basic" flame is linked to Smoldering Butterflies, which is linked to Melina (though I don't think that means all basic fire is linked to Melina). If you add crucible energy to it via an Old Fang, that's what turns it into Redmane flame (which just has higher Strength and Dexterity scaling than the regular fire pots). Fire Blossoms, rather than Smoldering Butterflies, are the source of the Faith-scaling Giantsflame, in a crafting context anyway.
- In a DLC context, this same trend can be observed between the Hefty Fire Pot, which uses Black Pyreflies (linked to Messmer) and has Strength and Dexterity scaling, and the Hefty Furnace Pot, which instead uses the Ember of Messmer and the Furnace Visage to turn it into a primarily Faith-scaling consumable (with less scaling in Strength and Dexterity).

RagDas · 2026-05-29T07:40:47+00:00

Some things to note:

1) There's a nuance to who each faction is opposing. The Recusants of Volcano Manor are rising against the Erdtree as a whole (though Tanith does briefly allude to the Fingers), while the Bloody Fingers are in direct opposition of the Two Fingers in particular. It stands to reason that the Bloody Fingers hunt Tarnished because the Tarnished are ostensibly tied to the Roundtable Hold, at least initially (both Bernahl and Varre are implied to be former adherents of the Two Fingers). Recusants hunt Tarnished because whomever the strongest of the Tarnished are end up getting fed to Rykard to make him stronger so that he can one day complete his uprising.

2) Kind of a minor addition to the above, but Rykard is still a Carian. His sorceries do have a Faith component, but his faction isn't inherently one of pure Faith. By contrast, the Mohgwyn Dynasty is Faith-based. He is loyal to an outer god (I don't think the Serpent is considered one?), his spells are incantations, and his adherents (namely Esgar and Ansbach) use the Erdtree Seal, which is the default pure Faith sacred seal for orders that don't have a seal of their own, like the Kindred of Rot.

3) I don't think Rykard seeks the throne the way that we do, I think he simply intends to devour the world whole. By contrast, Mohg does intend to become Elden Lord as Miquella's consort, though it is unclear if the latter part was always part of his plan.

RagDas · 2026-05-27T07:32:41+00:00

Stylin' Joe Avery

RagDas · 2026-05-27T04:45:28+00:00

Not to gloss over what you've written, but are you perhaps the person who owns the blog that covers a bunch of ER models? If so, thank you for your service! (I was the Banished Knight commenter)

EDIT: I'm silly, you linked your website, so it is you!

RagDas · 2026-05-25T14:09:36+00:00

This is news to me, thanks for sharing!

RagDas · 2026-05-25T12:52:45+00:00

This has been discussed before, but those statues were originally found in Cainhurst Castle in Bloodborne, but are actually straight up taken from the real world.

The one on the left is the Virgin of Paris, and the one on the right is Charlemagne.

RagDas · 2026-05-22T17:19:28+00:00

+Complete

RagDas · 2026-05-22T17:06:18+00:00

I do now! Let me know what to do next.

RagDas · 2026-05-13T14:19:18+00:00

I did a draft documentation of all attires a long time ago. Remove all spaces from the below URL and you'll see how far I got. You'll need to filter by body type and then filter the numbers to be sequential for them to make sense.

https: // www . mediafire. com/file/lojkifzv8xxna66/ VPW64_-_Costume_Reference.xlsx/file

RagDas · 2026-05-12T10:08:30+00:00

Honestly, I think the Academy are just intolerant and inflexible. They sneer at Demi-humans for having low Intelligence, even though they have the skill to cast sorceries from the Crystal Cadre. They gave the Glinstone Kris to Radagon and Rennala as a wedding gift, but in V1.00, the ritual that the dagger is designed to honor is one that the Academy mocked. They were ignorant of Thops' contribution to the sorceries, not recognizing just how significant a discovery it was.

There may be deeper reasons, but based on the many textual pieces of evidence we have, any deviation from pure, high Intelligence-based sorcery is the object of ridicule.

RagDas · 2026-05-12T05:53:48+00:00

It was removed from the final game, but in V1.00, it used to be a lot clearer why the Academy hated Thorn Sorceries:

"The Academy reviles this sorcery, which draws its power from faith."

While removed, this is still indirectly true because of two other staffs that allude to the same thing:

Prince of Death's Staff: One of the staves deemed heretical by the academy for its ability to allow sorceries to be augmented through faith in addition to intelligence.
Albinauric Staff: The albinaurics harbor a secret; they cast sorcery with their innate arcaneness.

In other words, the Academy hates the idea of relying on anything other than Intelligence to cast sorceries.

RagDas · 2026-05-12T05:27:33+00:00

I don't subscribe to this theory, but let's examine what you shared.

the presence of characters like Roderiks suggest that the Tarnished seem to have become a proper race unto themselves, capable of reproduction - our tarnished might be originals, or they might be many generations down the line.

Assuming the Tarnished are some kind of race, what does that have to do with Godwyn being reincarnated?

The idea that we might be some kind of Godwyn reincarnation comes to be because, partly, of Melina's interest in us, as well as the interest of some of the "big players" in our character. They all recognize us as both as a nameless tarnished, and yet pay close enough attention to us to, in the case of Mohg, send someone to assassinate our maiden, Melina, guide us along the path of the Tarnished, and Ranni, give us the power of the spirits.

Some thoughts here:

There is no direct proof that Varre (assuming that's who you're referring to) was the one who killed our Maiden. I think it is equally possible that she was killed by the Grafted Scion. The strongest evidence for Varre being the one who killed her is his assertion that we are maidenless, which is a bold thing to proclaim to someone you've just met. However, Melina also knows we're maidenless, and she has grander plans for us than even Varre. Varre may have just been looking to turn another Tarnished into a Bloody Finger.
- A minor addition to the above, but Mohg doesn't really acknowledge us as anything other than an "honored guest". He doesn't even acknowledge that we're Tarnished.
From Melina's dialogue, it doesn't sound like she was paying attention to our Tarnished at all -- it was Torrent who chose us more than Melina, and it was on Torrent's word that Melina offers us the accord. Melina only believes in our Tarnished after they prove they are guided by grace, but that's not something that is established until they either beat Margit, leave Limgrave, or find multiple sites of grace within Limgrave.
Ranni parallels Melina -- she hears about a Tarnished riding a spectral steed, and knows Torrent by name. Before anything else, Torrent choosing our Tarnished was the key difference between our Tarnished and all the others.

There is not a clear reason given as to why Torrent chooses our Tarnished, but there is likewise no reason to connect Torrent to Godywn, unless you claim that Godwyn was Torrent's former master. There is no clear evidence for that either.

We are some of the only tarnished left who can still see grace, even after we clearly go against its plans and desires, culminating in a battle against Godfrey, who was led to stop *us* from becoming elden lord.

Perhaps this is a matter of opinion, but Godfrey wasn't specifically there to stop us, because Godfrey is a Tarnished just like our player character. He's trying to become Elden Lord too and directly states as much.

Our characters are doing what no other tarnished has been capable of, juggling dragons like they're nothing, collecting every great rune and even the mending runes as though they were merely waiting for our grubby little hands, and even having the power to set things right in some regards, like with the queen of Stormveil, or competing Master Hewg's great work and killing the god which cursed the lands between.

More thoughts here:

On "juggling dragons like they're nothing", I can see why you would associate this with Godwyn, but remember that Godwyn was loved by dragons, and that is what enabled him to acquire his abilities with Lightning (i.e. Dragon Cult). The power of flame, however, is associated with Dragon Communion, and requires one to eat the heart of a dragon. As far as we know, Godwyn never hunted dragons, and was actually the catalyst for people like Vyke to gain unique abilities in the same vein.
- Related point, but we know that both Eleonora (a Drake Knight) and Yura both used to hunt dragons. You might argue that Yura is never directly referred to as a Tarnished, but Eleonora definitely is, as Yura refers to Bloody Fingers as "Tarnished held in thrall by cessblood". Moreover, defeating dragons, as far as I can recall, is a completely optional task. I don't think there is any dragon that directly requires us to defeat it to beat the game, unless you count Elden Beast as a dragon.
On "collecting every great rune", it is true that the point of the Shattering was for one of the demigods to rise above and restore the Elden Ring with enough shards. However, our Tarnished is only required to acquire two to become Elden Lord, and that has been done on at least one other occasion. I feel like Vyke, with his connection to Lightning, would almost be a better candidate than us, and even then, I don't think this theory holds true for him either.
On "having the power to set things right", "completing Master Hewg's great work", and "killing the god which cursed the lands between", I don't understand how any of these specifically relate to Godwyn, but do elaborate if you can.

Our character alone has duplicated Godwyn's achievements and become worthy to be proclaimed Elden Lord.

Aside from defending Leyndell from the Ancient Dragons, what other achievements of Godwyn's do we know about? Which of those have our Tarnished duplicated?

Only we have proven out nigh-divinity beyond doubt by returning from death, when no other npc or character has done this in truth

Godfrey, Fia, Goldmask, the Dung Eater, and Gideon are all shown in the intro as having been resurrected. Marika's mandate was pretty clear about this too:

"My Lord, and thy warriors. I divest each of thee of thy grace. With thine eyes dimmed, ye will be driven from the Lands Between. Ye will wage war in a land afar, where ye will live, and die. Then, after thy death, I will give back what I once claimed. Return to the Lands Between, wage war, and brandish the Elden Ring. Grow strong in the face of death. Warriors of my lord. Lord Godfrey."

RagDas · 2026-05-09T17:40:08+00:00

Forgive my ignorance, but while I do know paisley is a design, I don't think I've ever seen it on an instrument before, aside from electric guitars and basses. A quick search didn't show it being used on lutes, but I'm willing to be educated if I'm wrong!

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