Elden Ring Lore - The Kindred of Rot & Their Mother 

I think Gowry is the scarlet rots version of Shabriri. A personality that can hop bodies when the need arises

Children of Rot: Oh cool they made a video about us! "The Children of Rot are disgusting." Children of Rot: 😯

7:22 you mean Finlay's march, pretty sure Malenia napped the whole way.

We need a scarlet rot ending. Take the dung eater away and give us a mending rune of rot

"With the third bloom, she will become a true goddess" 1st in Elphael, 2nd against Radahn, and the 3rd time against The Tarnished. Awesome.

I didn’t know Gowry was a pest until my second Play through and I didn’t know he’ll come back so that line “we meet again you and I theirs plenty of pests to choose from” brought shabriri chills down my spine

"Would you disown us too? As your mother did? We children of the scarlet rot? Millicent... Melania... Do you detest us so utterly?" I actually felt so bad for Gowry there, even factions like those who live in death or the misbegotten still have a god or protector they can turn to, but the kindred of rot have been completely abandoned

I don't remember who first proposed the following theory, but I like it: Millicent and her sisters are fragments of Melania's soul. Millicent is her willpower. This is why she has such a strong urge to return to her "mother".

I have a sort of pet theory that Gowry is the same kind of being as Shabriri, since both have the ability to possess others, or at least their bodies, and both serve outer gods. It may be that aside from vassal gods, lords, and maidens, there’s another kind of instrument of an outer god’s will, a mortal who becomes a sort of immortal, possessing prophet. Like I said, just a pet theory, but I definitely think the similarities between Gowry and Shabriri are worth examining.

6:37 I think this is a connection to the Nox. The hilt looks like something the Nox would make, and they themselves are heretics. I also think of the blue swordsman flowing weapon and wonder if he was taught by a Nox swordswoman. It would also make sense for Astel to come here if he was made in the Rot Scorpion’s image

Someone, I forget who but I'm sure someone else will remember and reply, pointed out that each of the Kindred that appears when you kill Gowry have a small bump on the back of their neck that looks similar to Zombie-ant Fungus (that is its actual name). This fungus basically hijacks the ants body and drives it around till it finds somewhere nice to die where the fungus can grow. So I think Gowry either is some kind of voice for the rot itself or he's a sorcerer who learned to control bugs with a combination of magic, fungus, and his mind.

You spoil us "Rotten" with all these excellent lore dives! Another Banger! Cheers mates!

A fun fact about Gowry is that he may be an expy of a character from Lovecraft's novel The Wisper in the Darkness, specifically the character of Henry Akeley. This is because in the game Gowry isn't really in front of the tarnished when speaking to them in the shack, he is using a Kindred as a medium to project his spirit or something from somewhere else. This to me is a clear alusion to how, in Lovecraft's book, the main character encounters Akeley he isn't really talking to him but to a creature called a Mi-Go pretending to be Akeley in disguise who is just sitting still in the room , jus like Gowry, in order to keep the disguise from being revealed. The Mi-Go by the way are fungal aliens that look like insects that may have served as inspiration for the kindred in Elden Ring and the Garden of Eyes in Bloodborne.

It would have been really cool if you could get different ending for the outer gods

"Why does a centipede-like creature fire threads as weaponry?" Its possible they use threads for the same reason the sacred relic of the Order of Rot is a scorpion's pincer; Its "needle" & "thread" imagery to convey the Scarlet Rot's connection to fate as presented in Elden Ring, which is represented many ways but one particular way is that of needlework/weaving/tailoring. Consider Queen Rennala's words to Princess Ranni, "Weave thy night into being". Consider Radagon's associations with needle and threads through his tailoring skills. Consider how he, at some point both a Lord & God, sits at the centre of a land stagnating in death unending and curses and how he alone is preventing anything from changing the current order by way of his cross-stitch sigil on the impenetrable thorns. Consider the real life mythology of the three sisters of fate and the needle & thread symbolism for fate in the real world.

I feel like aspects of this will be involved in the dlc

They look like silverfish to me, bit I've been told that they were based on Japanese house centipedes. Both insects that feed on decay.

Centipedes with opposable thumbs. Not just two thumbs either. Many, many thumbs! Makes you wonder why they aren't the dominant species in The Lands Between.

Something interesting occurred to me while watching this, and it's that ALL of Marika's direct children are cursed in some form or another, and only one of them (Morgott) does not have a status effect directly tied to them. Not any groundbreaking revelations, just something kinda neat I noticed.

My absolute fav lore channel. Thanks for keeping us going until the dlc!

As some have mentioned, I too wish for a rot ending. However, it makes sense its not in the game in its "current" form. Think about it, this game is already massive, and there's probably more than one ending associated with Malenia. My personal theory is that it all depends on Miquella and Millicent: If you betray Millicent, this opens up the rot ending, though you may have to do something in addition. But, if you help Millicent, potentially Miquella, and give Malenia the needle, she may return, cleansed of the Scarlet Rot. As for when they will add this? The DLC.

Lol I had no idea about Gowry. I've done the whole milicent quest twice, but never thought to go back to the shack. The more you know i guess

Margit can also project himself & from what gowry says he didn't always dedicate himself the way he does now.

The centipeople don't just worship at that one temple though - early in the game there's at least one place, near a mine, where they are worshipping at an altar. Does that altar match up with the symbols of the bigger temple? Did the kindred set up that mini temple or are they just using something that was already there?

For me the kindred of rot always look like shrimps or prawn.

I want a band T that says Kindred of Rot! And they are great musicians because of all them damn hands.

My first impression was the Children of Rot were primarily based on centipedes, was the have those thin,segmented carapace bodies and a number of limbs. Upon additional viewing, they are more an amalgamation of a handful of insects/arachnids. The pest threads are something like spider-webs, but also like threaded projectiles. Their mouths are ant-like mandibles. They definitely do have centipede-like bodies, and it seems maybe the shells on their backs could have somewhat vestigial wings folded underneath. They are certainly disgusting pests. 🤢

I hate being bombarded by pest threads.

crazy this came out today, i was just discussing these guys with my friend

Scorpions with rot, sounds scary

One of the most fundamental questions in 'Elden Ring' is: why did Radagon try to repair the Elden Ring? So simple, so important, and so far it's impossible to answer.

I actually love your theory on this gowry and the pest are so fascinating ! As well as the outer gods !

You've been amazing with ER Lore series. Please keep up, we love your content

IK just now realized that the pest thread incantation has a hint at Gowry being kindred of rot. At the end of the description, it says "Do you have an interest in rot incantations?" Which is exactly what he asks before teaching us xD Of course most if not all of us found out by walloping him over the head. xD You are probably right about the Gowry being able to take the body of a kindred of pest. That's why he says "We shall meet again you and i, there are *so many pests to choose from* So he straight up says that's whats happening.

Thank you as always for the content!

After completing character customization and exiting the chapel of anticipation we are agreed with a sight of the tree that I noticed was much different than others specifically when you exit into limgrave When you burn the tree with Melanie the tree sort of takes on this sort of spirit fire look around it and the tree when you exit the chapel of anticipation actually has a very similar look going on around it and almost as if there is a fire going on behind the tree but when you exit into limb grave it doesn't look that way so it's almost as if the first initial site of the tree is a sort of Nod to the fact we're going to burn it down maybe I'm reaching but it does look that way *keyboards busted and voice to text sucks sorry for errors*

Kindreds are my favourite creature in the game. I think they look alot like silverfish They are so cute! And their little crawly sounds are fun to listen to.

When he says its futile makes me think "you have no power here"

I wonder if Gowry is a type of sapient mold that uses the centipeople as a vessel for travel and propagation. When one of the things dies, he can just bring another one over to sit in the chair.

The pests possibly shoot out threads so they can thread all those extra hands and arms onto their bodies. Perhaps their god needs replacement parts so it's one of their "physiological" functions? It's a fascinating topic for sure.

I think the actual Timeline and Happenings in the war against the Giants would be a great topic, many of the Giants Look More Like they have been executed, did Godfrey fight, what about godwyn, when does it fit into the Timeline? Many questions to witch the answers, i feel, have yust been asumed instead of actually pondert, but maybe i yust watch the wrong vids

Can you make a vid about Millicent and her sisters.

They definitely look like prawn, which are arthropods (bugs) with numerous legs and a shelled exoskeleton.

They call it pest threads I call it finishing. Haha only incantation I can use.

I believe Gowry is simply using the pest as a avatar. While his real body is somewhere out of reach. Watching thing unfold. Plus Rot is spreading even with the Rot seal away.

The items descriptions never mentioned that the Kindreds were abandoned by a Outer God, only by their goddess. What reasons the Outer God of Rot would have to reject its own creations ? Malenia, on the other hand, is the Vassal Goddess of that Outer God, like Marika, despise her affliction and gave birth to the Kindreds with her First Bloom so the descriptions most likely refer to her. It's also never said that the Outer God of Rot is female, in fact, it's always refer to as male. 10:28 I think Gowry is actually the Outer God of Rot, taking posession of the Kindreds to speak to us.

One fascinating fact this video doesn't mention is that only while he's crying can you truly kill Gowry. Even if you follow his plan, he'll be dead when you get back. I personally am a believer that Gowry is an identity assumed by the pests for the service of Millicent's progress into becoming a rot bloom, and that it would explain why he dies when she's slain, and is killable when she aborts the transformation. If Millicent can't be used for their purposes, there's no reason to keep up the guise of Gowry anymore. An identity with no purpose need not be upheld. Or perhaps he does just project himself onto pests, and in his mourning, he doesn't bother with the spell. It's also interesting that the quote on Pest Threads, "Do you have an interest in Rot Incantations?" is the same quote Gowry gives us. Which, of course, may just be a reference to that, as if our tarnished were ruminating on what Gowry said while learning his incantations. Or perhaps, it's a common phrase among the kindred who pull others into their thrall, assuming that Gowry was not some one-off project of theirs. Using a common interest in spells to catch the likeness of potential new believers.

Omni-Man: BUGS Mark, THINK! .... You remember a Bug's life..?

As always another great lore vid

Mohg was born into the mire underneath the capital, not his dynasty, he found that later and created the blood mire you see there from the power the mother of truth released in his blessed/accursed blood.

they are either silverfish or bristletails, with many extra limbs

Been looking forward to this vid 😁

The scorpion was a god though, not a goddess.

the art is always so amazing

My. Dear. Lord. That. Thumbnail.

Third possibility The kindred each put on the mask of gowrey each one of them is a different kindred playing gowrey

Wait? Third bloom?? Does that mean malenia might not have died in our battle??

Malenia is the Manus of elden ring Millicent and her sisters are her fragments Rot is elden rings abyss

The kindred of rot are Caterpillars, that is why Malenia is cocooned in rot and emerges as a butterfly like form.

these beasts are the worst... I love them :D

I would love to see lore on Queen Marika and the Gloam Eyed Queen

Gowry sounds an awful lot like Jergal, I mean Withers.

Thats why he is sitting with his hands like that

Out of all of the Daughters of Malenia, Millicent is the one that follows in her Mother's footsteps directly: In the End of her Journey, you can protect her from her sisters and she will succumb to the Rot because she pulls her protective needle out of her body, BETRAYING her will grant her her first ''Bloom'' -> like Malenia will bloom again after the Tarnished defeated her in the Heart of Elphael, a large scarlet Flower will appear next to the Arena where you fight and defeat Millicent -> which i think (PURE SPECULATION ON MY SIDE) could lead to her being an exalted Warrior of the Rot equal to her Mother

You have a very nice and calm voice 😊

It could also be that gowry is a parasite

We only fight Melania 1 time. Her phase 2 is the rot godess. She will eventually lose her body completely to the rot.

To be honest the Kindred of rot don't really look like they resemble prawns to me or even Centipedes if you look at them closely they most closely resemble that of a Silverfish tbh. Or at least they look more like those pests to me apart from their extra legs/arms lining their bodies.

Can you do the Ancestral followers?!

Their like silver fish

great nick nocturne impression

I don't think gowry is being protected by the dog. I think he's just closeby councidentally. Not everyone gets attacked by the random monsters, a lot of npcs will get ignored entirely

> three fingers locked away by the golden lineage Source on this? Is there a video?

They are very interesting. They seem like aliens from a different frequency of reality

just to let u know it doesn't say "gaming" in Japanese. It says "Square Table Game" If you want to match the channel name, here's the corrected version. スクエアテーブルゲーム ----> スクエアテーブルゲーミング

They are actually my favorite enemy in the entire game.....and the most annoying in my opinion

Where are mikala and melania's shadowbound best men. Merica and ranni have them and are empyrean too so where are the twins's shadows. No one's ever answered that for me

Lots of bugs thrive around rotted fruits/plants/meats…even water, like gnats…it would make sense if they were “bug like” to worship their god of plenty, the rot god.🤷‍♂️🤔

Their mother is yours >:)

What does Gowry say if you kill Milicent?

Prawns are water bugs. They are arthropods, living beings who have an exoskeleton - tho these are a mixture of both, exoskeleton and yet hands and arms. Which is why I call them hand prawns. I love them. I want to be hugged by them. They're cute It's funny to me that miquella is a guy BC -a is usually indicating a feminine name.

Yee yee! Les goooo!

Shrimp is bugs

silverfish...

I truly loathed these things, and I have a high monster tolerance. I do not enjoy looking at them.

I smell a DLC, and it smells rotten

One day I asked a moot on tumblr about any theories or opinions on Gowry and she elaborated a very interesting post! From what I remember, he probably dabbled with death magic and was banished from Leyendell for this. In his exile, Gowry discovered Scarlet Rot, began to study and then to worship it. So... technically Gowry is like a priest of the Rot, I think. I myself thought of him as some scholar who studied the Rot and went too far, became too devoted. Not the collective mind of the pests. So yeah, his real body can be somewhere else... Maybe he has learnt to merge his mind with them somehow...

Great work as always. How about some Bloodborne lore? Keep it up.

Ah yes malenia's simps