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[yournextflame]

What signals did Metyr receive from the Greater Will?

I’ve encountered numerous theories attempting to determine when the Greater Will abandoned Metyr and the Lands Between. Everyone seems to have their own take on it, but instead of just focusing on those moments of abandonment, why not dig a little deeper into how the Greater Will actually communicates? What kind of “language” does it speak, anyway?

The Mother received signs from the Greater Will from the beyond of the microcosm. Despite being broken and abandoned, she kept waiting for another message to come.

In Japanese, they use the term 波動 (hadō), which translates to "waves" or "vibrations." It gives this sense that there are fluctuating energies at play. Here's just one example of how this word is used:

(波動はカオスと秩序が入り混じった不変のダンスの中で続く。

Fluctuation continues in the eternal dance of chaos and order)

However, the most common meaning of the word usually refers to the physics, radio waves, 波動説 (wave theory) or 波動方程式 (wave equation). This 波動 concept is fascinating because it leaves the door open for interpretations related to physics, like wave theory and wave equations. You can almost picture it like Metyr tuning into a cosmic radio station, trying to catch those signals that travel through the expansive unknown of existence.

An interesting detail is that even though Ymir called Metyr "unsounding from the start," he actually couldn't communicate with the Greater Will at all, as Ymir's Maternal staff shows:

小宇宙を模したであろう水晶球は だが、波動を受信することはない The crystal ball, which is supposed to imitate the microcosm, but does not receive the vibrations.

Ymir's Maternal staff is very similar to Ymir's tail, however, while the ball (the microcosm symbol) of Ymir's tail is full of light and look like a modern representation of the Observable Universe, while Ymir's crystal is a pure black.

On the opposite side, the Fleeting Microcosm sorcery conjured by Ymir resembles the shimmering orb found in Metyr's tail, yet it exists for only a fleeting moment. This phenomenon seems to echo themes from the GW universe, reminiscent of a cosmic event akin to the Big Bang. The transient nature of the sorcery encapsulates the dual essence of creation and destruction, subtly alluding to the underlying reasons behind the Greater Will's absence. This fleeting magic serves as a metaphorical reflection of the balance between life and decay, suggesting that the very forces that govern the universe are intricately linked to the cycles of existence. The momentary brilliance of the sorcery, much like the Greater Will's enigmatic nature, invites contemplation about the inherent complexities of power, intention, and the profound mysteries that shape the cosmos.

Hyetta's dialogue, Ymir's reflections, and the descriptions of the fleeting microcosm all suggest that the Greater Will's interaction with the Universe was but a brief moment during its creation. However, there are still fluctuations that Metyr continues to receive.

What might these fluctuations be?

Even after the Greater Will's departure, the initial surge of creative energy might leave behind residual echoes that permeate the fabric of the Universe. A real-life analogue would be the Cosmic Microwave Background, the microwave radiation that permeates all of space within the observable universe (microcosm). Just as the CMB represents the afterglow of the Big Bang — an echo of the violent birth of the universe — Metyr's experiences can be seen as remnants of that primordial moment.

The fluctuations Metyr receives could be echoes of that primordial moment, much like the Cosmic Microwave Background enables us to witness conditions from long ago — around 380,000 years after the Big Bang.

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation is approximately 13.8 billion years old. Given that some descriptions portray Metyr as a not very intelligent creature — illustrated by phrases like "a tiny wart-like eye gazes vacantly into the beyond" —and considering visual cues that support this image, such as her having four fingers instead of the more common five, it's plausible that Metyr could mistake the remnants of gravitational waves (GWs) from events that occurred eons ago for actual signals. 

To put it bluntly, Metyr mistook the reflection in the mirror for the real thing.

To wrap up this post, I want to briefly discuss another pair of broken antennae: Two Fingers. Much like their mother, they appear to have struggled to establish contact with the Greater Will and grasp the bigger picture. However, I believe that despite being unfortunate offspring of a flawed being, Two Fingers genuinely endeavored to reach out to the Greater Will; the barrier lies in their language.

The furtive inscription appears to hang in the air; the language of light spoken by the Two Fingers (Cipher Pata)

Assuming that the Fingers use something akin to light waves for communication, it's no wonder they encounter difficulties in interacting with the Greater Will.

The Mother received signs from the Greater Will from the beyond of the microcosm

Microcosm refers to the part of the universe that we can see and measure from Earth, limited by the distance that light has traveled since the Big Bang, which occurred approximately 13.8 billion years ago. Because light travels at a finite speed (about 299,792 kilometers per second or 186,282 miles per second), there are regions of space that are beyond our observational reach.

As a result, the observable universe is approximately 93 billion light-years in diameter, encompassing all the galaxies, stars, planets, and other celestial objects whose light has reached us. This means we are seeing these objects as they were in the past, since light takes time to travel across vast distances. For example, if we observe a galaxy that is 1 billion light-years away, we are seeing it as it was 1 billion years ago.

Beyond the observable universe, there may be much more that we cannot see due to the limitations of our current technology and the stretching of space itself, which can push distant objects beyond our observable limits as the universe continues to expand.

What problems could arise in the world of Elden Ring if their universe is as vast as ours? This implies that the Finger Reader's suggestion that it would take thousands of moons for the Fingers to connect with the Greater Will was a significant understatement.

There is a theory that the Fingers were previously in contact with the Greater Will, and that the shattering of the Elden Ring led to a severing of that connection. However, according to the description of the Coded Sword, the Two Fingers maintained their stability for quite some time, even amid the beginning of the war between the demigods. This suggests that the Shattering was not the definitive event that caused their breakdown. As Gideon mentioned, they likely simply grew old, never truly functioning as intended, and merely created an illusion of interaction with the higher power.

Hidden sword once granted to the Tarnished of the Roundtableby the Two Fingers. A formless cipher comprises its blade, which deals holy damage no shield can repel. Champions would gather at the Roundtable Hold in days long past, when the Two Fingerswere masters of oration, their flesh yet full of vigor.

Well, this does contradict the Narrator's assertion that the Shattering war led to the eventual abandonment by the Greater Will. However, this raises a topic worth discussing in another post: how the inhabitants of the Lands Between might misinterpret the true nature and significance of events.

In fact, one could argue that another name for the Elden Ring could be Broken Phone: The Game

[yournextflame]

congrats on a solid read of Miquella pre-dlc that matched where the devs took him. You were absolutely right to underline failure leading to more desperate actions.

Thank you!

I think it was discussed before the DLC that Miquella’s plans often fail for various reasons, so the idea that the nascent child can’t emerge from his metaphorical cocoon has been a pretty common interpretation of his character.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the that theory, but some people were toying with the idea that Miquella bewitched Mohg, and look where we are now.

If anything, one of my more fringe theories about Miquella that turned out to be true is the idea that he never gave up on becoming a god. People seemed too eager to paint him as Ranni 2.0, overlooking how different their paths and experiences in the game were.

That said, while I still feel like Radahn’s staff came out of nowhere, I’m at least glad that my previous frustration with the biggest battle during the Shattering lacking a clear motive was addressed.

So, I might be among the few who think Miquella’s characterization in the DLC is fine, despite the lack of foreshadowing for the Promised Consort twist

[yournextflame]

Hey I read your tumblr post about the amber egg and I wanted to discuss with you about a possible theory that ties Rennala, Renna, Ranni, and Melina. Well right now its not much of a theory and a bunch of questions but consider this.. What if Melina is related to the Amber egg that he left behind as a parting gift to Rennala.

Hi! That's an interesting idea. How do you think the amber egg could be related to Melina?

After the DLC, I'm still unsure about the significance of the amber egg. It could definitely be foreshadowing the unsound mother theme we saw in Shadow of the Erdtree, where Rennala keeps rebirthing weak children, much like how Metyr produces malfunctioning Fingers. But that might just be part of it.

I have some theories about Melina being the daughter of Radagon and GEQ, so the amber egg could symbolize something like a reptile egg, aligning with your idea. I’d really like to hear your theories on this as well

[yournextflame]

One of Miquella's lines during the final fight has him promising us "a thousand-year voyage guided by compassion". This piqued my attention in particular because the wording is almost the same to Ranni's vows during the Age of Stars ending, "a thousand-year voyage under the wisdom of the Moon". All this makes me wonder about the Age of the Erdtree, and how some itens say the plenty it brought was soon over; what if it wasn't brief at all? What if the plenty of the Erdtree lasted exactly as much as it was supposed to - a millennium - and it only seemed brief for those who lived it because Marika and her Order stayed sovereign instead of allowing change to happen (the main plot really is Dark Souls on steroids, huh...)?

Yeah, I very much agree with what you said, and there comes +1 point to my current WIP theory that Miquella and Ranni may have conspired together to overthrow Marika at some point.

I think the Age of Plenty lasted just as long as it was meant to, but the Erdtree eventually overstayed its welcome. This could be attributed to the prolonged lifespan caused by the lack of death within the Order.

However, it's worth considering that all of this could also be steeped in poetic metaphor.

[yournextflame]

Does a Black Hole Want Anything?

Count Ymir is aptly named for the primordial giant of Norse myth who lived in a yawning gap before there was a heaven and earth, from whose flesh and bones the gods fashioned the earth, a jotun who himself was mother to generations of jötnar, which he first birthed from his armpits. For the high priest of Manus Metyr, the name is evocative. A broken mother, the birth of the world, the unreachable true essence, of which our physical world is only a simulacra. The count is a nice nod to some historical figures who forwarded the theory of the "big bang," echoing their proposals of an explosion that seeded generations of stars, and the crystallization of matter: "Long ago, we began as stardust, born of a great rupture far across the skies. We, too, are children of the Greater Will. Is that not divine? Is that not sublime?"

We are reminded of Lemaître's primeval atom, or the infinitely dense primordial singularity at the birth of the universe in Hyetta's revealed "One Great." From the first explosion succeeded generations of supernovae, our star the sun, life itself, and all else in the universe. Indeed, putting this summation of the big bang in the mouth of a priest gives a satisfying foil to the mediatory Two Fingers themselves. While they propitiated their God, signs from which might as well have been the pulse of the universe being pulled back together by gravity, Ymir focused his telescope on constellations further and further beyond the moon. The "lightless void," represented in the negative space in the relief on Ymir's hat, is his discovery: a black hole. While Metyr, a spaceborne, perpetually pregnant and birthing bundle of human fingers, and her progeny, conjured this same image as their communication with the divine, Ymir observed it, empirically.

[yournextflame]

Have you discussed what it really means to be a God in Elden Ring? That's one of the concepts that confuses me because of how differently it manifests with the different Empyreans. Would you be willing to share your thoughts on that?

Godhood is a social construct

It might sound like an exaggeration, but the DLC really appears to echo Goldmask's assertion that gods are no better than humans, albeit in a less metaphorical way.  When Count Ymir talks about us all coming from stardust and being children of the Greater Will, it gives off those Gnostic vibes Miyazaki likes. It's like saying everyone's got a divine spark, but some people think they're more special than others.

The Gates of Divinity's significance lies in their completely man-made nature, both in a symbolic and literal sense. They're not some ladder to the heavens handed down by the Greater Will; they're just this huge pile of dead bodies that's simply bigger and more effective than other dead body piles (like Sellen's experiments). If there's any genuine divinity in there, it's just borrowed from others.

Regarding Empyreans, I reckon their Shaman/Numen bloodline might give them a leg up genetically (not the best term for a fantasy world), making their flesh special and their spirits more in tune with divine stuff.  But, I'm not so sure about trusting Fingers' choices post-DLC.

It's a bit of a bummer that we haven't come face-to-face with any "traditional" Empyreans to figure out why they stand out (if they do at all). Miquella and Ranni ditched their Empyrean traits, Malenia's grappling with being possessed by Rot, and Marika's history remains veiled in secrecy. That's why I kinda wish we had that cut Age of Abundance, where Miquella seemed to ascend to godhood without all the extra hoops he had to jump through in the DLC.

[yournextflame]

Now that we have Count Ymir's storyline and everything related to Metyr, how do you think your conception of the Greater Will as a mindless creator force holds up? Has it changed your opinion of the Goldmask ending?

Ymir basically saying what Hyetta did, albeit in a more scholarly manner. Nevertheless, as previously mentioned, the concept of the Greater Will appears purposely designed to evoke debates similar to those surrounding the existence of God and the origins of the universe in real life. But, you know, in the DLC, the main theme is abandonment - from mortals dealing with family issues to followers feeling ignored by their gods, and Metyr just waiting for some kind of sign from the blind stars. In the larger picture, pondering the nature of the Greater Will doesn't seem all that important because it's likely not going to answer anyway.

As for Goldmask, Miquella ditched all sorts of emotions and ties that represented the doubt and fickleness of the gods, but it wasn't enough. I'm still scratching my head about what that means.

[yournextflame]

Elden Ring Theories: A Retrospective

So, enough time has passed for me to form my opinion on Shadow of the Erdtree and revive this blog. But before posting new theories based on the DLC lore, I decided to take a look at my old speculations and see how well they aged.

Does the Greater Will even exist? ✅ In this post, I compared the Greater Will to the Big Bang and suggested that it might not be an actual deity, but rather an attempt by the people of The Lands Between to explain the world around them: the creation of the universe, the fall of meteors, evolution, and the natural order. The Shadow of the Erdtree continues to present the Greater Will as a scientific concept described by the inhabitants of a fantasy world, allowing players to decide whether it’s a god beyond the microcosm or just an empty circle in Count Ymir’s hat, a mere projection of human imagination

The outer gods are natural forces. ✅ 🟡❔While the Greater Will's cosmic origin was emphasized even further in the DLC, the motives of the outer gods were tied even more strongly to earthly concepts. I have many thoughts about the outer gods and godhood in particular, but one of my ongoing ideas is that they manifest human emotions, given how perception and sacrifices shape reality in a material way in the Lands Between.

Elden Ring and Color theory: ✅🟡❔ While I disagree with some points I made in this post, many of my observations were quite accurate. One clarification I’d like to make is that the scroll sigils indicate the heritage of magic rather than its source of power. I also appreciate the DLC narrative that suggests all the differences are actually man-made.

Translation of Marika's echoes from JP, ✅ The DLC gives Marika such human and deeply personal motivations that reducing her to a mere puppet of an evil outer god feels like an insult to the collaborative work of GRRM and Miyazaki. I must admit that my initial reading of her character was too harsh; I even questioned why FromSoft would write such a one-dimensional character. However, I’m very glad that The Shadow of the Erdtree gave Marika awesome depth without depriving her of agency.

My musings upon Helphen's Steeple design and DLC predictions ✅ 🟡 Well, the Shadowlands are described as a place where all kinds of death come only to be suppressed, and the Shadowkeep, as pointed out by the community, very much resembles the design of the Helphen. You can even find Tibia Mariners' boats here. It’s not the exact version of the spirit realm I predicted, but it’s very close.

Small bonus: Even though I insisted that the DLC should be centered around the spirit realm, I pointed out that exploring Godwyn's story beyond what was shown in the base game is pretty unnecessary.

What's wrong with Ranni's Two Fingers? ✅🟡❌ Right direction of thinking, wrong conclusions. One of the biggest reveals of the DLC is that everything is wrong with the Fingers and their mother, Metyr.

Children of the Erdtree 🟡❔I'm not sure what to make of it. The DLC continues to toy with the Empyrean connection to plants, from the special properties of Marika's people's flesh to St. Trina being a literal flower, but it never makes any direct conclusions.

Bells and Bell bearings ❔ The connection does exist, but it should be explored in greater detail.

Candletrees, Miquella, Death and Sleep 💡❔✨ Now that the DLC has revealed Miquella's plan to replace Marika all along, it’s astonishing to realize that my earlier discovery about Necromancer Garris — who likely collaborated with the Black Knives — had Miquella's butterfly and candletree in his basement is actually quite wild

What is Crucible? 🟡❌❔Although the nature of the Crucible is still a mystery, I think my old theory that it was a different tree is not exactly right. I’ve even started to wonder if the Crucible and the Primeval Current are just different names for the same thing.

Some of my old takes haven't aged well, but if anything, I'm glad that Mohg isn't the "walking uooohh 😭💢 joke" I used to call him. However, my opinion on Miquella was surprisingly accurate. For two years, the fandom preached that Miquella wanted to abandon his godhood, making me seem like a major contrarian for insisting that godhood was still his ultimate goal (at least because it would be pointless from a writing perspective to create another Ranni).

I still believe that characters like Marika and Miquella are primarily vehicles to deliver Miyazaki's and GRRM's ideas regarding civilization development, human nature, religion, and philosophy. So, whatever faults they have are the faults of the concepts they represent. Nevertheless, *Shadow of the Erdtree* did an awesome job of elevating these characters from mere ideas to something more human and relatable.

My old description of Malenia is so relevant, it hurts.

Mohg, Radahn, Rykard and Snakes 🐍 Honestly, I'm not sure if Messmer was initially planned by FromSoft or created specifically for the DLC, but looking back, it's pretty funny that I noticed something weird going on between the demigod brothers and the serpents.

Elden Ring lore is a disaster 🤡 Elden Ring story is such lackluster that it was rewritten with the first day patch on top of the giant mountain of cut content. I’m not sure that DLC, if there will be any, can fix this mess or give any proper answers as it seems that writers got too much carried with the idea of making story as vague as possible.

Someone was overdosing on doomium.

To my surprise, the DLC managed to address most of my old frustrations. While I do wish certain things had better foreshadowing or were explored more, it still did a good job of filling many gaps in the base game lore that were making me frustrated. Looking back, I think some of my grudges over the lore were no less important than my theories because they served as a good indication that something was intentionally left unexplained. It seems that the gaps and ambiguities were not oversights but deliberate choices.

As I explore the new content in Shadow of the Erdtree and revisit my old theories, I will also share my thoughts on the new lore and its impact on the narrative. This fresh perspective has already sparked some intriguing insights, and I am eager to see how these revelations will reshape our understanding of the game’s world.

[yournextflame]

SOTE

Do you have any thoughts about Shadow of the Erdtree and its story now nearly 4 weeks after release? It seems the story presented has been very divisive and I wonder what are your thoughts on the matter.

Hey there! 🌿✨

Shadow of the Erdtree has certainly sparked a lot of discussion, hasn't it? Now that it's been nearly four weeks since its release, I still can't quite collect my thoughts and keep pouring essay after essay into my drafts.

The narrative direction has indeed been quite divisive. Some fans, like myself, are excited about the new layers of lore and the expansion of the worldbuilding, while others feel it strays too far from what they've come to expect, especially in regards to character writing. I can understand both perspectives.

To keep it short, I'm really enjoying the new lore centered around Metyr, The Greater Will, Fingers, and Ymir. This direction was hinted at since the base game, and one of my last theory posts on this blog pointed out all the parallels between how the Greater Will operates and how humans perceive and try to comprehend the cosmos.

The lore of outer gods, the rise and fall of civilizations, the whole "life and power sprouting from death" theme taken to a new level, and the way the game blends the differences between faith and intelligence, the crucible and the primeval current—this is all the stuff that particularly stood out to me.

When it comes to the characters, the DLC somewhat fixed a lot of issues with the sometimes flat portrayal of some demigods in the base game and picked up on narrative details that were often ignored. I'm glad that Mohg isn't a Disney villain anymore, Marika finally got a backstory that gave her much-needed depth without removing her agency, and Miquella is… well, as I've pointed out many times, he's certainly more complicated than the anime boy in a flower crown that the fandom wanted him to be, though now the fandom is flanderizing him in a different direction. Truth be told, a certain ending twist is my least favorite part of the DLC, but more on a technical level rather than thematic.

Overall, I think the DLC is far more enjoyable for people who viewed Elden Ring as a collection of Miyazaki and GRRM's thoughts on humanity, civilization development, religion, and other philosophical or even scientific topics, rather than a more classic character-driven story. For me, it was certainly good enough to reignite my interest in the series again.

[yournextflame]

Been brushing up on ER's story with the dlc date coming up, your takes (even when I'm unconvinced fully!) have been such a breath of fresh air.

I'm SO sick of seeing the word "parasite" thrown around in the community, or all the assumptions about the GW. Hope your health improves soon!

Thank you for your message and your kind words. I'm glad to hear that you've found value in my perspective on ER's story. It's been quite a journey diving into the lore, especially considering the size of the game and the amount of effort FromSoft and Martin put into it.

Looking forward to more engaging discussions about DLC and its evolving narrative. I feel myself a bit better and DLC rekindled my interest in ER lore ✨

[yournextflame]

After much introspection and soul searching I've turned over a new leaf and have decided to continue making poison swamps 😌

[yournextflame]

Elden Ring Sigils and Color Theory

Elden Ring magic sigils sorted by color. Long post about their lore, meanings of certain colors and what it can reveal about the story of Elden Ring under the cut.

Keep reading

[yournextflame]

Hi! Just wanted to say I really appreciate your ER lore posts; incredibly informative, well-written, and refreshingly balanced compared to most of the community (i.e. no "oh poor Marika is the victim of the evil space demon).

So, again, thanks for your contributions and have a lovely day!

Hello! Thank you for liking my blog, I took a break from writing due to my health condition, but messages like this are encouraging me to finish my drafts!

(my apologies to the people, who didn't get a reply, but I wasn't able to respond properly)

I felt like a lot of interesting staff is swapped under the rug in the moct common interpretation and decided to put attention to the aspects of worldbuilding that were commonly overlooked, I'm glad that you found my view on ER lore interesting!

[yournextflame]

Love how in artbook Malenia's knights are drawn in almost the same pose as Kindred of Rot.

Also, in my old post I suggested that outer god of Rot is represented by butterflies, but I forgot about description of Scorpion's Stinger:

Dagger fashioned from a great scorpion's tail, glistening with scarlet rot. A ceremonial tool used by heretics, crafted from the relic of a sealed outer god. A few minutes in google helped me to find this bad boy:

The Silurian Scorpion was a species of giant scorpion (arachnid) from the Silurian period, which hid under the sand and tracked prey by sensing vibrations. Silurian Period, in geologic time, the third period of the Paleozoic Era. It began 443.8 million years ago and ended 419.2 million years ago, extending from the close of the Ordovician Period to the beginning of the Devonian Period.

[yournextflame]

(if anyone has the book themselves and has the writing credits on hand, i would love to know the name of the author who wrote the lore sections (if specified) so i could ask them about this more directly)

people who have gotten advance or review copies of volume 1 of the elden ring books posted some of the lore sections, and out of curiosity due to the odd writing of them (which i'll touch on further down) i reached out to someone who wrote text for the book:

couple things to be assumed here:

authors are generally obligated to not discuss details for these kinds of projects (likely by FP itself)

strategy guide books are generally written by third parties, with game companies giving data to the publishing companies

because of their third party nature, strategy guides are not always reliable sources of information. this was a particular issue with the prima official guides made for ds3, with the collector's edition map even having wrong names for places.

this at least clarifies that the lore sections were the work of an author hired by FP. given the nature of the book of knowledge and miyazaki's own comments on his misgivings with lore answers for elden ring (i specifically recall he said he didn't want to publish notes on elden ring for fear of dispelling the mystery; if i can find the interview, i will add it here) it seems likely to me the book of knowledge lore is the result of that author's interpretation of the info they were given.

i have anecdotally heard people who worked on the ds3 strategy guide were "provided the full story of ds3 but signed an nda", but i was never able to find a source for this, especially given as (to my knowledge) the ds3 strategy guide does not have lore.

the book of knowledge itself also seems to directly contradict several things we're told in-game. it cites item descriptions directly like a lore essay (while also adding details that are never remarked upon anywhere), rather than presenting the facts straight, which also calls into question the validity of it as a "canon" source. of particular note is how the book refers to the greater will as a kind of extraterrestrial alien god, or representing the tarnished as agents of the fingers.

i will not deny there is still the possibility fromsoftware could have given them info to summarize, but it seems unlikely, and i encourage people to consider this less as a source of explicitly canon lore that's intended to add to discussion, and more a quick-start info section in a strategy guide for casual players of the game.

all of this taken in tandem, i think it can be agreed that the book is at least a very secondary source of lore unless or until dlc canonizes what's discussed in the book

[yournextflame]

@miquellas thank you very much! I hope you wouldn't mind that I post your answer separately for future reference regarding information from Strategy Guide