Please don't pay attention to the cringe RU-vid title, I'm testing something. Hope you guys enjoy this analysis of the DLC reveal. I cannot wait for more info... Surely it won't take months right?
Its worth noting that the image's landscape also isn't comparible to any regions we find in-game, with mountains stretching off into the distance, rather than an ocean (very reminiscent of Dark Souls 3's map). There are some details in the DLC Art which draw ties to the Lands Between, though. The endless fields of grain are similar to the early concept art of Altus Plataeu, and the exact phantom gravestones in this picture can be found scattered across Altus's massive graveyard, as well. However, the ruined archways in the DLC Art also feature a basic helix pattern on their sides. This same helix pattern is visible just below the depiction of Trina, on the model of St. Trina's torch. This all suggests a location that kind of does and doesn't exist in the lands between, so a dream or spirit world seems plausible
An interesting theory i have is the Erdtree represents duality. Life and death, light and dark, blooming and decaying, etc. Maybe the two fingers and the three fingers are/were one being too, but split up. Duality is always a big theme in Fromsoft games.
I love how we probably all think of the Spirit world as a dark place with nothing but ghosts, meanwhile FromSoft just makes it super abundant with golden crops everywhere. Looks like a pretty pleasant place to be tbh. I can't wait to dive in and explore!
I agree and think that we’re probably going to get a dlc focusing on the spirit worlds,though the exact nature and corporeality of what these may be seems elusive as of now. One piece of imagery I would like to note is the golden fields of wheat.This has as you mentioned connotations of abundance but there are additional associations with the idea of fields of plenty.In multiple mythologies,fields of gold are supposed to make up the underworld.Most notably are the blessed afterlife of the fields of Elysium from Greek mythology which are described as having bountiful fields of gold.I quote from Hesiod-“happy heroes for whom the grain-giving earth bears honey-sweet fruit flourishing” and Pindar-“flowers of gold are blazing”.And this is also present in Norse mythology which is particularly interesting given Elden rings prominent links to that mythos.The Fólkvangr,ruled by the goddess Freyja was a resplendent meadow where half of the dead heroes would be transported.Given these have clear connections to Miquellas themes of abundance and the presence of ghostly gravesites and weapons,I think we’re at a place closely connected to the underworld here. I comment on these connections because I believe they are important to understand the nature of this piece of concept art.In Greek mythology,the underworld is often described as being under the earth in a very literal fashion and I think a similar thing might be going on here.I’ve read the theory that the tree we see in the background is in fact the roots of the current erdtree seen from upside down and I think this is correct but that this is the spirit world of those areas rather than a physical place. To conclude,I think what we’re seeing here is a component of the spirit world,most probably closely associated with the Helphen,located under and on the other side of the plane of the lands between.In the background we can see the shadow form of the roots of the erdtree entwined with the Greatree which is in even worse shape than it’s real world counterpart.It is entirely possible that the lens of the spirit world reveals the true nature of things we cannot see in the corporeal lands.Maybe this is somehow the soul of the Erdtree and the ‘real’ form is merely showing symptoms of a a far more sinister illness.Miquella is probably traversing this plane is search of the Helphen which is a separate area.Perhaps he may even wish to cure the Erdtree as has been speculated and has realised this is only possible in the spirit world. Sorry for the wall of text lol Thoughts?
Very well put. I had no idea about the similarities with mythological versions of the underworld! I definitely think that in this DLC we will get to see the dire state of the situation and what we saw in the lands between were just symptoms of the illness
Hey I just wanted to touch on something relating to the tree shown in the DLC announcement and the Erdtree At the base of the Erdtree is a depiction of it’s creation (the big broken slab you walk through to enter radagon boss arena), it shows a already existing tree grafted in three parts with the Eldenring newly attached to the roots at the boarder of the bottom third, with the trail of its path shown to pierce down through the top trunk and emerge out the bottom of the main trunk, I think the top third is the “shadow of the Erdtree” seen in the DLC image, damaged by the comets passing and devoid of its own light, we all agree it’s probably spirit world/afterlife stuff so I think that the top of the original tree was the Helphen, and that the rune of death, that thing which must never be let free because it would bring ruin to the Erdtree, yeah that is what was up there causing the red glow mentioned in the Helphen’s steeple Of course this would also mean that the red lamplight would be devoid of its red source and with the eldenring attempting to take destined deaths place I think that is what grace is, the “lamplight” of the Helphen with a new source of power (this one approved by the greater will) and not yet returned to the afterlife
I feel like if the DLC picture was the spirit world, then the obvious answer to what the tree was would be the helphen tree, but at the same time it's very obviously one tree with another wrapped around it. I don't think either of them really look like the helphen steeple, if anything the color scheme and the decay of the trees is a dead ringer for the deathroot. Although, maybe the deathroot and the helphen are one in the same? The deathroot could be the helphen tree invading the physical/living world through godwyn, and what we are seeing in the DLC picture is the helphen strangling another tree. Maybe the erdtree exists in both the spirit world and the living world, and the helphen strangling the erdtree is what caused the age of plenty end. what do you think?
It's certainly a possibility. Personally I also believe the erdtree exists in both worlds and this is the shadow version of it. Deathroot is over taking it in the spirit world and the deathroot in the real world is just the symptom.
You know what’s funny my buddy and I were coming up with names for the dlc before the official name dropped and we both agreed that shadow of the erdtree would be dope we both like shadow of war and Mordor so that’s how we came up with the name
Wait, could the spirit wolf ashes be Miquella's shadows like Blaidd and Malekith? That would make sense as to why they're part of the care package Ranni gives you
Y'know.... If Miquella was super close friends with his half sister Ranni.... That does kinds lend credence to the idea that he's a bad person deep down. Some of the items can easily be read as implying his manipulative nature.
I definitely agree about the focus on the spirit world. One thing I find strange is the Ranni and Miquella implied connection. Lots of people are saying that Miquella must be the former master of Torrent that Ranni mentions when she gives you the whistle ring. She says she was tasked by that master to find you and therefore presumably Ranni and that master are on amicable if not friendly terms. However, the eclipse and epitaph sword all point to Miquella trying to either kill Godwyn's body, so he dies a proper death, or perhaps even resurrect him. But it was Ranni that orchestrated Godwyn's killing in the first place, she deliberately targeted him. So why would Miquella and Ranni be on good terms? Why would he have given Ranni Torrent's whistle ring? Ranni has a completely separate agenda with her Age of Stars plan, which must be at odds with Miquella's Haligtree and Unalloyed Gold plans. If it is true that Miquella is Torrent's former master and gave the whistle ring to Ranni, I can only think that either Ranni was like 'sorry for killing our brother, I owe you a favour you can call in any time' and passing on Torrent was that favour, or Miquella was in the disguise of St Trina and perhaps bargained with Ranni that she pass on the whistle ring in exchange for some sleep magic knowledge (hence how she puts Kale and his donkey to sleep). Whether Ranni would be fooled by the St Trina disguise or not, I'm not sure. But it will be fascinating to find out if Ranni and Miquella did make a deal about Torrent.
You do out the finger on the important thing about miquella being torrent's master. It could imply that he was potentially in on the whole plan. Maybe the goal was always to bring back the sacrificed demigods? We will have to wait and see.
Ranni scheme murders, lie and manipulate amongst others things, she cannot be trusted, especialy at the begining. Her giving you those gifts are for her own plans and not Miquella who's been missing for ages now.
There is a lot of things you are missing. Ranni said she orchestrated the black knives and endowed then with the rune of death. She never claims that godwyn was her target and there is not even a reason to target Godwyn. You're missing the reason godfrey was exiled and why Godwyn was killed when she was targeting merika. The plan was to kill merikas soul hamstringing the golden order. There is a big reason godwyn was basically perfect but his younger twin brothers were omens. It all has to do with the fly in the mixture
@@Chessheromusic Quote from the Cursemark of Death description: 'This cursemark was carved at the moment of Death of the first demigod, and should have taken the shape of a circle. However, two demigods perished at the same time, breaking the cursemark into two half-wheels. Ranni was the first of the demigods whose flesh perished, while the Prince of Death perished in soul alone.' Surely you don't think that is a coincidence? That both the assassins and Ranni just happened to start carving at the same time? What evidence is there that Marika was the target, I don't remember any item descriptions or dialogue that suggest that?
I like the idea that the Erdtree is already dead and the one we see is just its spirit form (the remnant of the original, organic tree is able to be seen and is that sliver of nongold). Having the original already been burnt would also explain all the ash, as well as Miquella's "need" to supplant it with his Heiligtree. I would not be surprised if the dark trees of this are not the Erdtree and deathroot, but Miquella's Heiligtree growing from the Erdtree.... But in spirit form, as both already have died.
I feel like the dlc will be a overhaul dark reskin of the base game map n with all the graces red with different soulless Demi gods reborn & when u go to where u find Godwin he will be awake instead of sleep
love your videos, i think the eternal city god and the god of the nox is the elden beast and the beast got trapped inside the tree which is why the nox chair has the same symbols of the elden beast's wings. also the elden beast appears to have some space effects like astel.
No this isn't the future BC there is more of the erd tree there then is on the present- This is BC there is very little bark or wood left. Mostly a gold apparition of symbol of faith at this point. This is not the erd tree but whats in the shadow of the erd tree. Miquella used a minor erd tree to create the halig tree This is the past of miquellas creation of the halig tree Its where from soft will throw the curve that the halig tree was never meant to be an erd tree it was meant to be a vessel to house miquellas curse
