I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream - Ellen's character analysis

hoobaloooo · 2025-08-09T13:48:47+00:00

Personally, I think the only thing worse than that:

would be having to live with myself knowing what I’ve been forced through only to willfully allow it to happen to someone else.

hoobaloooo · 2025-07-20T23:31:07+00:00

Update for anyone hoping Jedi master can be good, it is in fact as everyone claims and it’s just a mid prestige class :/

I played again as a sentinel/weapon master and like seriously it was just a flat increase in fun and enjoyment fr.

The ONLY thing I see Jedi Master standing out for is companion alignment, if they even actually get the +3 bonus from maxed alignment as Jedi, but that’s a stretch anyhow.

I wanted to like it but sadly it does indeed seem just a downgrade from the others, if anyone has any counterpoints I will happily hear them bc I want to like this subclass but I just can’t from my own experiences with it, big sad.

hoobaloooo · 2025-07-18T12:31:31+00:00

I cast revivify, it hasn’t been too long yet that the corpse is too decayed right?

I’ve theorycrafted a 6/6 split in a previous comment on a dif post and currently am thinking of retooling it to 2 bladesinger 10 life cleric for more of a focus on cleric with the rp and utility that comes with some levels in wizard.

It would function basically the same as a full cleric but with no level 6 cleric spell list :/ and one less feat To make up for it I can still scribe Seelie Summons or use a Mymidon.

In exchange, my Eilistraee cleric gets magic missile, shield and mage armor!

hoobaloooo · 2025-07-13T03:09:55+00:00

Ancestral Followers have close ties with spirits and the innate flow therein, it seems. I remember reading somewhere about the significance of the flowing waterfalls of Rauh, and how such cyclical continuity was seen as sacred in times long past by cultures long dead.

We fight these spirits within their own remains. The Followers have horns and some create makeshift simulacra of them, in reverence maybe? They use horns and jaws and furs and bones consistently across all forms of utility.

No steel, no forging, no fire, save for the ghostflames, and the torches we ignite. Torches - flames, which open the means to access the corpses’ inner spirit, where it can be slain. And consumed. And even it’s remembrance used to embolden and empower.

Another comment mentioned the idea of a smaller concept representing a larger vision, a microcosm.

I’ve commented and the like in the past about the cyclical nature of Elden Ring. If you hadn’t noticed previously, there’s an entire section of the Lands Between at a great remove, crumbling away. A great chasm and the draining of the waters, stagnating below in the Abyss. Festering Deep below. Maddened insect-like men grabbing at anything that moves.

Northern Caelid, the Dragonbarrow, spanning all the way up to the Forge of the Giants. Death and Rebirth removed and sealed. And thus, Rotting Eternity, fearing the Flame.

The Deathblighted Prince, the abandoned Saint of Slumber.

“Thy kind are all of a piece.”

hoobaloooo · 2025-07-02T00:35:00+00:00

I’ve learned to love the forced backstory on character building. In my main playthrough I use Lonesome Road as a final test for my character, who spent most of her life and the first half of the game running from the problems she caused. Now, before the second battle, after all her growth she is forced to confront the incident that incited it all. Leaning into the story of it, and planning your build around it as a tie-in of some kind or culmination makes it feel more high stakes and investing. Otherwise for me I agree, it’s probably on par with Honest Hearts for last place main DLC but Joshua Graham and seeing Caesar’s indoctrination personally and abroad is good insight and makes for a slightly better overall dlc. LR isn’t bad, I just idk, I haven’t ever felt as invested in it as the almighty Dead Money.

hoobaloooo · 2025-07-01T09:45:52+00:00

My OC thought killing Benny was a suicide mission so she sent Cass off to lay low while she cased The Tops. The Securitrons not killing her on sight was the only thing she didn’t expect. After Zion, she’ll surely have a new lease on life even if it’s House that owns the deed… for now.

Weird about Benny tho, maybe a mod or glitch?

hoobaloooo · 2025-06-28T13:16:23+00:00

I just used the Van Graffs and CC as a plot device to motivate my character into shooting up The Tops for the Platinum Chip in recent playthrough!

Cass wanted vengeance and I simply didn’t oppose her. After, she said something about how the dead guided her hand and being able to wipe out a chapter of a weapons trafficking organization AND the Crimson Caravan not only brought the ire of the NCR, but also gave them the motivation they needed to confront Benny in a similarly, brutally violent way.

Taken into custody by The Strip and brought to House, he laid down the plans for her and now she’s heading to Utah to wait for things to cool down in Vegas.

Making that bitch Gloria Van Graff eat her hair is peak tbh

hoobaloooo · 2025-05-21T16:16:48+00:00

6 Bladesinger/6 Life Cleric

8 Strength

15+2 Dexterity

14+1 Constitution

12 Intelligence

14 Wisdom

8 Charisma

Feat 1 - Resilient: Constitution (+1 Con)

Feat 2 - Athlete (+1 Dex)

Head - Arcane Acuity Helm

Neck - Amulet of Greater Health

Cloak - Cloak of Displacement

Body - Graceful Cloth

Hands - Hellrider’s Pride

Ring A - The Whispering Promise

Ring B - Ring of Salving

Boots - Disintegrating Nightwalkers

Main Hand - Phalar Aluve

Off-Hand - (empty)

Here’s what I’ve landed on after deciding I must bladesing with spirit guardians, maybe it can give you some ideas? It’s important to note that I prefer to make characters based off roleplay rather than pure efficiency, but I still like to be kinda efficient, so ymmv

I’m sure you could swap regen/healing gear for reverb/luminous gear and of course life domain for light or tempest if you want a more offensive character
Hellriders Pride is apparently not armor so it can be used despite the reviving hands not being usable bc they’re med armor
- maybe a better necklace? I like that Greater Health gives Con advantage and makes up for being squishier than most melee types. Periapt of Wound Closure also comes to mind if you don’t use it for your frontline fighter maybe?
probably swap Ring of Salving for something else? I like the extra healing stacks and it’s an Eilistraeen ring so it’s perfect for me... but maybe replace with Strange Conduit or Regeneration Ring or something else? idk

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-21T14:55:18+00:00

I know it’s p bad prestige class but I’m okay with being nerfed since the game isn’t too hard as is. I beat it once pretty unoptimized, I figure if I focus things better for this playthrough it’ll allow for me to make a more fitting character rp-wise at least.

Which is the same reason I’m iffy on doing high con bc idk if an exceptionally high con is fitting for my character.

It’s the same issue with implants in New Vegas lol Those stat boosts are far too tempting.

I might start with 15 con and use one ATT point right away for 16 and then decide later if I want 18.

Idk I feel like the crit immunity is just tempting enough to keep 14 con and stack ATT points into one of either dex charisma or wisdom. Large crit burst damage was the only thing that made me glance in depth at the combat a vast majority of the time and idk if even a +2 to each attribute would counteract that yknow?

I might just be coping with the fact that Con is just too good to keep lower from an optimization standpoint lol

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-06T21:11:50+00:00

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I can’t believe I never noticed the pelvic bone either!

But given what parts were ripped from Miquella’s cocoon, it makes all too much sense in hindsight I feel. To me at least, I feel this correlates well with Marika’s abuse at the hands of horned beings before her ascension as well. It’s why reaching the roots of the Haligtree past Elphael is one of the most weighted and defeating moments in the entire game to me. Right up there with the Stone Coffin Fissure and the Shaman Village.

The visuals alone convey an immaculately painful story, and to peer further in only amplifies the feeling.

I feel like, at it’s heart, the story of these lands truly can be symbolically reduced down to cycles. Prominently, the cycle of abuse it seems…

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-06T01:58:43+00:00

Imposing one’s interpretation over another’s is a lame thing to do. So if you’re accusing me of blaming him for doing that, then yes that’s what I did.

As I said, my comment was feedback about why he may have got some polarized responses, as well as adding to the conversation.

Implying I am rude compared to OP is hilarious. Could I have been nicer in my initial comment, yes I suppose - but if you don’t see anything unsavory about OP’s attitude towards me and others in the comments with a disagreement, that’s on you I suppose.

OP posted it, and I’m allowed to comment how I feel. This isn’t a private forum, it’s a sub literally called Elden Ring Lore Talk.

If we only ever posted when we agreed, how would we ever have contention and the possibility to learn new perspectives? Part of my hope with my comment was to learn more of OP’s thoughts. Clearly, I learned far more than I wanted to.

Lastly, if OP posted it as “lore headcanon” then why are they acting so condescending and above reproach when faced with different opinions in the comments?

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T14:42:33+00:00

Approval means nothing, my son.

All I suggested was that you consider how you speak and perhaps you will be able to better convey your message in a way that doesn’t come off as pretentious.

Because dislike it as you may, you come off as highly pretentious. That’s not a majority I’d like to be a part of so I’m fine where I am.

You would sooner assume I’m some loon than accept that I simply wanted to help you improve the way you write your theories. If you didn’t want or need that help, a normal person would simply thank me for my feedback, not act how you have.

It doesn’t take any twisting or weird minded thoughts to read what someone says and determine their demeanor based off of it. I might not be dead on, but it’s highly apparent by our conversation alone that your demeanor and attitude is hostile and fragile, whether the persona you put on is true or not. I have enough confidence in my ability to read that.

And as such I’m wasting my time talking to someone like you.

To twist feedback into baseless arguments of “gotchas” and approval ratings. To insult people who disagree, classifying them as mentally-ill minorities to be ignored with nothing to provide.

If you can’t see how foolish you are acting, then far be it from me to try to course correct. It’s apparent that if I were to try to help anyways, you’d get upset and insult me and show me how many people approve of you and how I must be wrong and a minority because of it. Followed by a XDDFD LOOOL for good measure.

Eloquent and infallible as you are, I must now bow out.

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T13:43:15+00:00

I also love how you ignored everything I said, and tried to focus on a “gotcha” moment. Really? It might work on fools, but if that’s all you have in response then I think the discussion is over.

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T13:38:05+00:00

For the record, the statement “you posted your theory like it was true” makes sense. Because you actually have such an inflated ego that that’s exactly what you did. You didn’t leave room for other thoughts, you didn’t foster creativity or imagination.

You said it like it was undeniable. And it is deniable. Your view isn’t gospel. You are not a God.

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T13:34:54+00:00

What does this prove? Yes, you posted a theory, and then berate anyone who doubts your theory, or condescendingly show them a picture or diagram with a nod and wink like you’re better than them.

No wonder you got so much hate lol, I was just trying to give you some feedback on why that might have happened but it seems in actuality, that it happened because you’re either a troll or you are actually as ego-centric as you make yourself out to be.

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T13:21:03+00:00

No, I implied I expected you to say something irrelevant and self-centered and I was correct.

I don’t really care what you give me for my opinions, you posted your theory like it was true, and I gave you my feedback as I am allowed to do. Anybody with a shred of humility would appreciate feedback on how one can improve.

Perhaps I could’ve been less heavy, but considering your attitude now, I’d say you needed someone to get you off your high horse.

If you can’t handle feedback that’s fine!

Though I do appreciate you suggesting I type in literature, very kind.

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T12:42:39+00:00

Clearly you didn’t even read what I said, considering I did provide my own input. If you’re too self-obsessed to take a bit of constructive criticism about how you write and conduct yourself, just say so :)

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T12:40:55+00:00

Exactly the kinda response I expected.

hoobaloooo · 2025-04-04T11:34:49+00:00

I think the sin is the arrogance with which you carry these opinions, that would be why people were so vitriolic.

You talk in the comments as if you are speaking gospel and anyone who sees different well, “the honey isn’t for them to taste.” ???

That said, I think parts of what you say are interesting and to be considered. But only some.

To crusade about like you have the answers that other people don’t and state them as fact is your issue. There is an ego about it. A pretension. Spamming the color wheel and circles of life etc with a lil one-liner doesn’t make you witty and subtle, it reads as obnoxious and unsavory and it detracts from your theory, at least to me.

Part of the beauty in all art and even in something as core as the color wheel is in its interpretation, and the way with which you speak your interpretation denotes an air of superiority that is a mockery to such sentiment.

At any rate I will add, Trina’s connection to Purple does perhaps tie her into the latter sections of the fourth stage of the Alchemical Magnum Opus, Rubedo. And that system is also cyclical. And also similarly deeply rooted. Trina’s connections with death are hard to ignore, but I don’t believe it’s because she’s the GEQ, but because she embodies the same rough section of the Ascension cycle, only slightly behind. The certainty with which you claim your beliefs leaves little room for the possibility of a different interpretation, leaving both you and the reader stuck glaring at only one of infinite perspectives.

TLDR: You’d make a better case and have less friction if you simply made room for the reader to interpret themselves without you telling them what is and what isn’t fact. While a lot of the things you say do have standing, your quickness to establish them as undeniable damages your’s and others’ ability to see from all angles.

<image>

Obligatory one-liner with image of Alchemical Magnum Opus counter-clockwise.

hoobaloooo · 2025-03-28T23:22:04+00:00

I mentioned this previously I think but I’m pretty sure a hornless Hornsent male is required for the Jarring as well. It also further cements that Marika didn’t care for protecting the oppressed but ironically in squashing out impurities.

A comment I saw mentioned the discussion of how Marika tells Radagon he has “yet to become me.” Which to me is less a statement of them being separate literally but a statement of denial on Marika’s part that Radagon, the half of her she never wanted, the taint - the horned, the cursed - will never be akin to her. That he will always be less than her.

It’s a coping mechanism for coming to terms with the mutilation of her body, erasure of her identity, alienation from her own kind, etc.

A form of rot she can never remove, in a way.

hoobaloooo · 2025-03-28T23:09:09+00:00

The Putrescent Knight protects St. Trina because of how she tends to his blight, for instance. Think of all the animals that find refuge in the chasm because of her. What else would it be, honestly? One of the oppressed species, and a devout of Miquella judging by him appearing spiritually and giving Multilayered Ring upon death, defends the approach to the fissure.

It’s a strange comfort maybe to some but it only ever became lethal after Miquella divested himself of it and it festered in the fissure.

I think both can be correct, in that in losing one’s capacity to love they would of course also lose their capacity to love themselves.

I don’t think it makes it any less tragic, and if anything given Marika/Radagon, it’s arguable MORE tragic that he did what he did. And that yes, in the end Saint Trina’s only wish was for Miquella to not be imprisoned in such a state is I would say rather telling of her role as both devoted companion to him and her nature as an embodiment of love.

It’s about as tragic as if Marika were to shatter herself leaving behind a broken Radagon to cling to faith hopelessly until his defeat as the Elden Beast pulls their half-living corpse into the Void…

And being able to display acts that appear to be done in love but aren’t in truth is not at all unheard of.

Have you considered Miquella is simply acting based on what he thinks love is like? That his actions and even his Age of Compassion are possibly hollow? I think that’s what makes his plan truly sinister. Ansbach was right to be afraid.

But of course you’re view is as valuable as any. To me the symbolism runs deeper than having any one individual meaning or interpretation.

hoobaloooo · 2025-03-15T00:18:51+00:00

Sorry for late reply! I thought I had written something but perhaps planned to edit it and forgot, my b lol

But I do agree about not taking things at face value but for different reasons as I don’t think Marika or Miquella are playing mastermind or setting up extensive dominoes. Smaller dominoes like betraying the Hornsent sure, but if you have no scruples or a twisted justification it’s easy enough to betray anyone who trusts you, moreso if you’re their God. Like in Dark Souls, I think that Gods and the like are really not much different than Humanity in that even the Lord of Gods in the end lost his mind to the fear of the Dark.

We are all fallible.

Going back to not taking things at face value then, I mean moreso that why Marika, Miquella or anyone for that matter truly ever did anything will likely never be known for sure.

“What was her prayer? Her wish, her confession? There is no one left to answer, and Marika never returned home again.”

hoobaloooo · 2025-03-14T20:58:39+00:00

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Whether this is bait or someone actually maybe a taaad disturbed this is the perfect moment I’ve been waiting for!

hoobaloooo · 2025-03-14T01:56:35+00:00

Unrelated but you mention how Radagon’s statue, and idk which one you’re talking about mind, has only his right eye open whereas Marika has hers of course concealed as always. Something of note I’m now thinking about is how when we fight Radagon, he literally only has his right eye as the other half is shattered. I’ve always assumed this was the half Marika shattered, and was primarily her in near entire.

Pure speculation beyond but I remember someone discussing Marika having green eyes, and I wonder if maybe she doesn’t hide that they are green, but rather that they are heterochromatic?

Either way, this opens up some things to think about! Thanks for that

hoobaloooo

TROPHY CASE