There's not a lot to read into about the Wormfaces, so let's read a lot out of one of the few details we have about them. Song used: Tower - King's Field IV OST
The first time I looked into the mouth of the female Wormfaces, I was in the paused freecam, so I hadn't expected to see anything moving. It made the discovery of the writhing clump of worms inside it much more revolting, like it violated the laws of reality.
@Zullie the Witch since you’ve had time to digest and explore Elden Ring, what is your overall opinion on it, and what’s your ranking of the game in the SoulsBorne series? I’m curious what your overall opinion on each game is really. Thanks for the video!
I think it's also worth mentioning that they seem to always be coughing, which makes it seem like the worms are maybe a parasite that had been "uprooted" perhaps from corpses in the erdtree roots and the rest of the body is a host that is extremely ill and without their own will anymore. that's just how I saw it when i first heard the coughing in the distance.
In french when we use the word "déraciné" for peoples, it has a really deep meaning. It has the notion of being deported or casted away, but more than that it means that every ties that bounded him to his homeland has been severed. It's not just like homesickness. Someone who has been "déraciné" usually suffers deeply from it, almost like a physical wound. Thanks for your videos Zullie ! You're the best !
@@jannafrancis7452no hard evidence but I think they’re the humans who came after the Beast Men civilization, or the ancestors of those humans… the more modern inhabitants of Farum, until Godwyns Death Blight (which you find in Farum too) raised the Beast Men back to life and infected the living humans with worms, turning them into Wormfaces... I think the Wormfaces we find in the Altus Plateau are essentially refugees who fled Farum due to the blight infection and hostile Beast Men.
@@jannafrancis7452 I dont know if in english we can use the the adjective "uprooted" for someone. Like "He has been uprooted from his country" If it's not the case, that could explain why they used the french term, 'cause the double meaning of "déraciné" ads a tastefull and dark ambiguity. "racine" also meaning litteraly "root" like tree roots. Are those things are naturally/unaturally born from the roots of the Erdtree ? Were they forced to flee their country and came to the lands between a long time ago ? (the word "déraciné" could make perfect sense in that case) Or are they like travellers from a distant land ? Like the DS3 Londor's Pilgrims who had a similar posture, elongated neck and frail bodies. They seem to be especially sensitive to Godwyn's influence, is that because they are born directly from the roots of the Erdtree and are "connected" to it in a sense ? We know that the rotting corpse of Godwyn is right beneath the Erdtree, touching the roots even. If they are a litteral "part" of the Erdtree, that could explain why they seems so corrupted. Or are they sensitive because, coming from a distant land, the Grace never touched them and they are essentially "Godless" ? Or cursed in a way ? In that case we can imagine that they have no "divine" protection to counter the influence of Godwyn. Lastly, the fact that we can find some of them in Farum Azula implies that, in any cases, these creatures have been there for a long time. Maybe they were even servants of the thrones at some point ? Some of em atleast ? The golden cloth that they wear in Farum Azula could tell us that they were a part of a religious order of some sort. Dragons ? Marika ? the Erdtree ? It is more than likely that Farum Azula was considered a sacred land, but were they priests ? Sacrifices ? Their roles are unclear, to say the least. Enough speculations, we will likely never know for sure. Taking place in another dimension i doubt that the dlc will bring us answers for these guys but why not ! In any case, thanks for reading me, and sorry for the potential mistakes, english isnt my main language.
@@falsetear5292 We do use the term "uprooted" to describe people in English, but I think it has a more mild or neutral meaning to it (at least in the US, and it probably varies by culture and region). If somebody has been "uprooted", it usually means that they have severed their connections to a previous part of their life or had their life thrown into some kind of upheaval that forced them to move or change, either by their own choice or not. It has a generally negative connotation to it, but not severely so. Somebody who moves out of the town that they grew up in to someplace new can be considered to have been uprooted as much as somebody who was moved to someplace else as part of an aid program after a disaster. It has a close connection to "transplant" - you might uproot your life to get away from a toxic family environment, or to move to a new town as part of getting a new job, and that makes you a "transplant". Just like moving a tree to a new location by digging it up and then replanting the root ball in new soil will allow new roots to form, you would make new friendships and connections in the area that you now live in. By comparison, "déraciné" seems closer to exile, outcast, or refugee. A more severe term that implies a much deeper hurt than simply leaving old ties behind. Those 3 imply a sense of permanence, like a severed connection that can never be mended, whereas somebody can be uprooted and leave, but they can also return at any time.
A peculiar yet disturbing detail I noticed on them is that they "shrug" every now and then. Now, if you've ever met someone that had or had yourself been stung by a botfly and got a "torsalo" (warble fly for most americans) then you'll know how it feels to have a larvae stinging in your body. That quick shrug is exactly the kind of reaction that you'll get when the thing moves. Which, totally makes sense since they have larvae on their faces.
This is why this game is so beautiful, so life like. The more you know, the more you spot and the worse it gets. A little bit like understanding the things in lovecraft's world vs no insight and it's just fighting monsters or goes over your head thus no fear. Also, excellent writing paradigm to follow, that of the 20s where people like Huxley introduced realism, having shit based on and work in conjunction with reality, wonderful anchor and brings people in easier - only requirement is to be a human really to start enjoying. Unlike other classical writings that are based on disconnected, proprietary abstract matters - like reading Shakespeare or Arthur Miller, their notions about values and feelings don't always translate across borders let alone within borders and their subcultures. I'm just glad someone like Miyazaki has a voice, too rare for that side of humanity to have any prominence.
Well, I just learned that there's a north american equivalent to the Botfly that affects humans. I could have probably lived the rest of my life happily without that knowledge.
I definitely think they're corpses "uprooted" from their proper resting places. The deathblight, worms and their clothing all indicate to me something that was already laid to rest, but came back.
the truly puzzling thing however is the fact that they have strong holy resistance, something which all Undead (including the Deathbirds) are very weak to
@@goldenbrandon1716 Yeah, on top of the already existing zombie hoards. There's a whole lot of different kinds of undeath in the lands between and already burried, sanctified bodies getting corrupted and uprooted by Godwyns deathblight is just one of them.
The way the ones in Farum Azula are dressed seems especially like some kind of burial garb. They're wrapped like mummies, and cultures all over the world adorn their dead with precious jewelry and medallions. I think this is definitely the most likely theory, also supported by the way the worms are burrowing into their faces which is something I never needed or wanted to know lol
When you think of it like that… it really gives new meaning to when you see some of them mourning at grave sites…. Maybe those graves that have them so grief stricken are their own O_O!
The Wormfaces are also one of the few enemies that seem to interact in a more complex way than group patrols. While you can't tell what they're saying, they do seem to converse, with some in Altus Plateau feeling like they're laughing, one crying in front of a gravestone, and just random noises that go back and forth like a conversation. I'm really hoping these things get expanded on. Also I never want to see under their hood again.
This is why I think that they are probably disturbed graves that have been burrowed into by the worms. So terrifying and interesting. I'm absolutely getting cremated now.
i also noticed how some of them in the mist forest at the plateau are almost worshiping the Small Erdtree, the female is literally bowing in front of it with some other males, and in fact the usual defenders (the "tree" guys that have poison attacks and come underground) are chilling literally at her side. This plus everything you mentioned AND the conecction with "dead" things (aka deathblight) heavily implies that they where either humans that came back twisted (as everything that "death" touches) or where somewhat human and just came back even more changed (Like for example the giants and trolls) I wish we could have some other random female-mini boss in some key area to further tie in their lore, but i guess this is all we will have for now. At least is mroe than the chained guy in Oolacile
The males aren't really all that aggressive either, sometimes I can walk past them without them really bothering me, and they lose interest quickly even when they do agro you.
Your discovery about the name meaning "uprooted" makes me think you're onto something with a connection to Godwyn...we see his corrupted form down in the Erdtree roots, and if the blight spread from there, it could have infested some corpses that were laid to rest at the base of the Ertree. My theory is that the worms in the soil were corrupted, growing to huge size. They were able to reanimate and mutate buried bodies, merging with them like a parasite. The reanimated person has vague memories of both human and worm, which is why you can see some of them crying at graves...possibly their own graves. The shawls they wear look a bit like burial shrouds.
I feel like the smaller worms aren't just merging with the body, but perhaps even transforming it somehow. The elongated, finger-like neck and the tubular mouth makes it seem as if the wormfaces might be undergoing some sort of painful mutation into worms themselves. Big worms to decompose a big tree?
I've also always interpreted the sounds and movements they make as one of extreme pain, and this seems to prove it in a sense. I have no idea what the whole story is, but from the behaviors exhibited, it's felt to me always that the Wormfaces are very much being actively hurt by what is apparently some sort of parasitic infection. It definitely feels to me they used to be human.
the Wormfaces remind me of the HP Lovecraft story "The Festival" which mentions towns people being crooked and wearing cloths over their heads. IIRC its revealed that worms ate the body fo a wizard and learned his magic, which they use to move the bodies of the dead. The ending passage is particularly interesting: For it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil-bought hastes not from his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; till out of corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.
Man, it's no wonder Lovecraft got so popular. The phrasing of that excerpt is beautifully horrific, especially the second half of the last sentence. "...things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl." Perfectly conveys the unnatural nature of what he's describing, it's brilliant.
I think you cracked it. The reference seems really obvious if you know the source material. Thank you for sharing this, I did not know about this particular Lovecraft story. I suppose Wormfaces are then bodies of the dead, reanimated/warped by the deathblighted maggots/worms that originally ate/gnawed the corrupted body of Godwyn and became undead themselves?
@@matiasluukkanen7718 I think it's the worms specifically animating the bodies. I also think it's why the crabs are so absorbed in eating above him that they don't aggro.
@@abyss5600 The best lovecraftian game in existence bloodborne was made by fromsoft so its safe to say that they are interested in the subject matter I hope we get another lovecraftian game from them in the future.
I was actually drawing a wormface when I noticed that their necks are eerily similar in structure to a finger, complete with "knuckles". I would've written it off, but considering the importance of fingers as a motif in Elden Ring, I feel like it's worth pointing out.
There are a number of finger readers that seems to have lost their Two fingers, kinda implying that they have died possibly after the shattering. Maybe these are somehow related to the dead fingers
Regardless of where they come from, there's no such thing as a restful burial in this land, you see uprooted corpses everywhere, would hate to be buried here.
I just noticed last night that Farum Azula also has Godwyn roots in it somehow. I would have assumed Faruma Azula was in the sky and outside time before he was killed, but maybe not? There's a lot to unpack in that area.
Godwyn roots? If you refer to deathblight spikes, then those could simply be there due to the destined death rune of maliketh which resides there. If not, I don't remember them being there
@@gOOLY no, like the root clumps you can find in the environment that have his eyes and parts of his face on them. If you've never noticed before, boy are you in for a treat!
@@Spelonker those same roots can be found in the catacombs closest to the weeping peninsula's erdtree. I don't know anything about that catacomb's lore (can't even remember the name), but it might be worth looking into.
They are also instinctively attracted to Godwyn it seems, since the location they find eachother in is exactly on top of his tomb on the map. Or maybe they are just following the mother who herself is a follower of Godwyn ? The name mother could is also reminiscent of Fia in more ways than one. I do also find interesting that the rest in Farum Azula are interacting with the only place we can find water there. It’s even more interesting considering Godwyn and other mariners seems to have close ties to the sea.
Without water... there is no cycle of time? The dryness of Farum Azula symbolizes that it's a place outside of time? Cool. (At least it's not a swamp )
whats interesting to me is that the large wormface in farum azula appears to be bowing before the glovewort pickers bellbearing, glovewort is seen growing all over the underground areas and in catacombs filled with the dead, so perhaps theres some connection there
The wormfaces have always fascinated me, especially the fact that there are seemingly no references to them in all of the item descriptions. I really do hope that they, as well as the Deathbirds and the Twinbird, are explored more in a possible Godwyn DLC.
I doubt Godwyn himself would appear, as his soul has met destined death, but I suspect a DLC exploring how death works in Elden Ring is coming. We have so many questions about the death birds, the godskin apostles, and the gloam-eyed queen, as well as the mysterious kindling maiden.
Def godwyn related. I assumed at first deathbirds were fallingstar aliens but since they use the same magic that Lionel uses (considering he’s a champion of Fia who serves death) there’s definitely a connection. My theory is they protect points of the earth where death grows underneath. As for wormfaces I believe that they’re transformed by something pertaining to the death rune considering you can find them in Farum Azula, where maliketh and the death rune are. I think they transformed from being in its presence and the ones not on farum azula are ones who came in contact with death roots and were unwillingly turned into godwyns thralls. Some even carry larval tears (change who you are) and can be seen sobbing, implying they don’t want to be what they are and long to be normal again.
The female Wormface is nightmare fuel. She catches up to the player just by walking. The most terrifying horror element is a giant as fast and capable as you are, add a face full of worms and my soul tries to leave its body every time I have to fight one!
@@mercylavigne Nah, Fire Giant lacks her speed. Wormface could have been one of the tougher enemies if death blight was more dangerous or her moveset was sped up a little. Underrated enemy if ever there was one
Why are the females so much bigger though? I know some reptiles, insects and fish females are bigger, but if they used to be human. Doesn't make a lot of sense.
@@DakkaSap I would imagine encountering one of these in a catacomb with tall ceilings but trap doors that close when entering. Or it could be like falling into one like the asylum demon rematch
The ruins nearby are called the "Woodfolk Ruins" which makes me wonder if they might have been a type of forest people who were adversely impacted by the Deathblight as the whole valley is shrouded in a dark fog. Additionally, the other ruins nearby are the Writheblood ruins, which reminded me of a quote from Yura when you encounter him at Raya Lucaria Academy. He complains about feeling things crawling inside his head and says, _"Wretched worms, leave me be…"_ Yura is from the Land of the Reeds, and at the East Windmill Pasture, the body tossed in the fire with the Navy Good specifies that they were expatriated royalty. I wonder if the lands outside the capital used to be where migrant populations lived after arriving. All the insane, dancing Dominula women are taking part of rituals killing people, so there's definitely a hint of the same xenophobic attitudes that echo how the Tarnished are treated. It's especially interesting that they're dressed in more luxurious garb in Farum Azula. I'd always assumed they were there because of the Rune of Death, but it makes sense that they may have originated there, and wound up displaced.
The lands outside The Lands Between are mentioned to have been founded by the tarnished after The Long March so it makes sense there would be xenophobic reactions to them. It's also worth noting that the navy and crimson hoods were gifts for people that could see grace as they would then be sent to The Lands Between to follow the guidance, sometimes it was a lie used to dispose of people too as was the case with everyones favorite spirit tuner.
These things freak me out more than any other enemy in the game. From their disturbing appearance, to the freaky sounds they make, and the frighteningly quick way they move and chase you down.
I know right? If they were slow moving they would just be gross, but the fact that they zip across the ground towards you makes them incredibly freaky.
Out of all the creatures in Elden Ring, these things always the freaked me out the most for some reason and that BIG wormface thing is f*cking terrifying.
Their haunting sound is sooo creepy in headphones. It's like listening to the gurgle of a living corpse trying to speak, idk how else to describe it. Hearing them cry or laugh just adds to the wtf factor
@@mallowmallow2070 yeah, I heard the gurgling in the distance and found it REALLY disturbing. Following the sounds to discover these things in a misty forest was just horrifying 💀 I didn't know there was a big one either, that would have scared the shit out of me 🤣
They also seem to be in deep sadness or sorrow, they sound like they’re crying, some of them are found in front of tombstones in a sort of mourning pose
Yeah, I've seen them hunched over corpses crying. Makes me think they're a cursed people and kill on accident with their death blight only yo be grief-stricken
@@totalgarbage2053 my fav mouring enemy(ies) are the banished K and stormhawk at stormveil. They are both sitting next to another dead hawk. Makes the hawks seem less like tools of war (rats during the plague) and more like allies in battle (horses or the lions in game)
There’s also that one Bloodhound Knight guarding the corpse with the Gelmir Knight armor on it. The description of the Bloodhound Knight armor that drops from the same knight says that they wordlessly choose their masters and then serve them for life with unbreakable loyalty. It seems that Gelmir Knight was the Bloodhound Knight’s master. In fact, nearly every Bloodhound Knight in the game is found guarding the corpses of their presumed masters, remaining by their side even in death, withering away with them.
I wonder if they're mourning over their own grave, or something, mourning their eternal sleep is interrupted by eternal torment as a horrendous creature
These things are some of the only enemies I actively avoided in my first playthrough. The first time I saw one was near the Mt Gelmir minor erdtree, and it popping out of nowhere with it's bizarre design and ability to inflict Deathblight made me stay far away. Later finding the ones on Altus Plateau, in groups no less, and eventually finding tons of them in Faram Azula gave an even more otherworldly quality to them that only a few other enemies in Elden Ring evoke; the air of something that shouldn't exist but does, created intentionally despite the obvious defects, similar to the Grafted enemy types.
Oh my god the level of detail From puts into their character/enemy models is next level. The fact that you can remove clothes that should always be on in the main game and see the burn holes/pock marks in their skin is incredible to me. They didn’t have to do that but they did..and that makes me continue to respect the devs and Miyazaki more and more
There are worm faces of all sizes found without clothes in the base game. Not to discredit fromsoft, though, as they probably would have put bare models in anyways
That’s just how you build a model. Lots of game developers do this, this isn’t exclusive to FromSoft or a testament to their “level of detail”. The games are notoriously unrefined in terms of detail. Lots of different concepts blended and unconnected into one game.
@@lorencelaflair4306 What? My point is that this is the industry standard, nothing special to FromSoft. Stop praising them for doing what everyone else is doing.
A detail that helps point to the uprooted Erdtree burial concept is that they fairly often drop sacrificial twigs, which allow you to avoid losing your souls once per. That could also imply that these wormfaces may be "sacrificial" beings themselves - like maybe they were substituted for another's soul to revive them.
One of Miyazaki's inspirations was a manga with an immortal samurai and bloodworms that are bred to be as close to humanity as possible, so that someone infested with them cannot be easily killed. The worms essentially sacrifice themselves in this way, as you imply. Edit: the one-armed samurai was actually from a different character that directly inspired both this manga, Blade of the Immortal, and Sekiro - see my later comments.
I would like to point out that the male wormfaces can be seen wearing something similar to the cloak of the guilty (the hood with thorns around the neck), and a lot of items related to banishment and thorns. the symbolism of thorns seems to be an overall representation of heresy in Elden Ring. so perhaps instead of being peacefully displaced, the wormfaces were instead wrongfully banished.
I think it's more likely that the wormfaces in Altus were aristocrats on a pilgrimage to the Erdtree. The cloaks look a bit too high-class to belong to criminals. And there are a lot of hearses that have been ambushed by Omens at the start and some that have crashed over at the broken bridge leading to these woods. If they escaped there perhaps it's something they ate that turned them this way because Godwyn's corpse appears to have corrupted some of the ecosystem. Also, deathroot has somehow made its way to Crumbling Farum Azula (near the crucible knight's location and later).
@@Demokaze considering how the female version seems to be a bit more important or elegant, it’s possible the female was infected first, or created the infection inside herself considering how she is more powerful, and spread it to the others.
I thought they were the minor eardtree guardians that got tainted by Godwyns corpse. -The forest is directly above the deeproot dephts. -the guardians wear fine clothing too -the wormfaces are always encountered near minor eardtrees and deathblight, also in farum azula.
From my perspective, I think the “uprooted ones” who were removed from their proper place and made to exist somewhere improper are the worms, who would much prefer to be living in the dirt or in a corpse rather than a living thing.
the most curious hint towards their nature to me is that the biggest worm face (the Farum Azula one) is found slamming his head down on the ground repeatedly. it’s not exactly a breakthrough discovery but it seems to me that their existence is suffering
One of the coolest things about Elden Ring's success to me is that all new people get to discover Zullie and and all the other insanely talented people who disect the souls games
Yeah, Elden Ring is the first Souls/Borne game I've played, and because of it I've found creators like Vaati Vidya and Zullie that make me appreciate the game so much more! As well as the other Fromsoft games.
@@adsasfasfasfsddddddd Wasn't that a few cases over 4 years ago he apologized for? I mean still kinda sucks, but people can make mistakes and own up to them and given his recent track record, I don't really mind watching or supporting him. Feels unfair to define someone by a single years old mistake, because I certainly wouldn't want to be defined that way lol
@@adsasfasfasfsddddddd idk I remember there were some statements back then but either way, afaik he has since been more thorough in citing sources of inspiration etc. At least I'm not aware of recent examples of anything of the kind 🤷
Zullie, I want to let you know that without your videos, I never would've discovered the incredible music of King's Field. I always assumed the King's Field games were like the Souls games, with little to no music playing in the background, but thanks to you using many of the tracks from King's Field IV in your videos, I not only learned that I was wrong, but also I was introduced to a new soundtrack with a vibe like no other I've heard as of yet, and I really really like it. Having new music in my life is also very important for me. A small part of my disabilities is that I always have music playing in my head involuntarily. This may sound nice, but my mind usually latches onto one song and plays a part of it on repeat, so having plenty of new music to listen to helps me keep from becoming tormented from listening to the same thing in my mind over and over again, and you're responsible for introducing me to King's Field IV's music, so I'm very appreciative for this reprieve you've given me, even if it ends up being brief. Thank you for everything you do, including the music you use in your videos. I wish you well. Don't you dare go hollow.
I find these to be some of the most interesting enemies. It’s curious that you first encounter them around a minor Erdtree, and one of the closest ones to the Erdtree itself, no less. Or the detail of Goldmask being first encountered overlooking the forest atop the broken highway. Another item of note is that the one found south of the enchanted tower can be seen mourning what appears to be a very human grave. They are a distinctly Bloodbourne styled character, and the Deathblight they possess is the single biggest clue. My guess is they are a consequence of Godwyn’s death and the poisoning of the Erdtree roots. Perhaps they are the end result of the corpses we see fused to the roots in the boss rooms of catacombs.
My theory is that since Godwyns body is right under that minor tree area, the wormfaces that fell from Farum were attracted there. As a result, they gathered around the minor erdtree and killed / ate the Avatar. That's also why Leyndell soldiers are seen attacking the wormfaces.
Maybe Goldmask being near them is meant to imply that the beginning of Goldmasks's diasgreement with Golden Order was seeing how pitiful the beings associated with deathblight are, and that the hunting promulgated by many Golden Order zealots was going nowhere.
@@blacksunserpent its not direcrly under the capital, its under that forest. Deeproot depths RIGHT side is under the capital, but godwyn is in a northern area.
The one wormface I saw first was the naked lonely giant "female" (as the info in files suggests) between many giant corpses crucified upside down, right in front of small, filled with sickness erdtree. While I was suprised and disgusted by some things and moments up to that point, meeting this creature, standing alone with it's abnormal body felt like another level of disturbing. I wouldn't call it even scary but I just didn't want close to it, I didn't feel like that since the first playthrough Bloodborne, but even here it was different, maybe even more powerful because the game really makes huge gaps between these really body horror filled enemies with some nice looking fantasy. Somewhat these corpses around it seemed almost like a camouflage, and adding to that almost upside-down anatomy of a Wormface - huge head, tiny limbs - I wasn't even sure what I was looking at. And when it started to move, it didn't get any better. These things look and act like they are in pain. The screenshot I took of that place is one of my favourites - it feels out of context more like a horror screenshot more than anything. It seems that each From Software game tackles it's disturbing themes differently. While Bloodborne is very well, Lovecraftian as we all know, the disturbing creatures in ER play with less used elements. They look kinda like those medival old pictures of weird creatures from times when people didn't exactly knew how to draw animals that exist or had a wild imagination of things that didn't, but now put into life and full three dimensions, sprinkled with Hieronim Bosch like weirdness. There is also a lot of misproportion and usage of human body elements that we know from previous games as well. Wormfaces and their tiny limbs and huge heads filled with parasites Astel and his weird combination of somwhat human anatomy but also celestial like parts and elements that don't feel like they belong on Lands Between Fallingstar that while also alien in nature, reminds me of those very classical mythological hybrids where elements of few animals or things were very visible despite their combination I just... love how From Software takes even some well known things and just makes something new and interesting out of it. Their creature designs never dissapoints and you are almost always certain that each of their games will have a creature you never imagined seeing before.
The hung upside down Wormface was my first one as well, so I was mentally thinking of them as the Hanged Man until I read the Wormface name on the wiki. Miyazaki does love some Tarot imagery, and Elden Ring gave him a lot of opportunities to flex it.
My guess is that they're followers of Godwyn, it would make sense as to why they're in Faram azula. Godwyn became friends with the dragons, and his followers probably followed to help venerate the dragons equally. AND, Godwyn was one of the most beloved demi-gods, so, his followers would also be pretty high up on status too, hence the embroidery. Once Godwyn died, they fell into mourning, just like how a lot of them in the world seems to be weeping over something. They tried to follow him in death the same way Godwyn went out, "uprooting" themselves from the natural order but it ultimately led to them being cursed and deformed. Now, all they can do is wander aimlessly and hope that something happens.
@@Molotov_Milkshake yes actually, his friendship gave rise to a treaty with the dragons. Hence the dragon cult within the ranks leyndell Knights, and Lansseax herself coming down to earth to greet potential students.
The first time I saw one in Mt. Gelmir I was freaked out, I thought they were already horrifying but seeing them under their hoods is even worse. Really hope they get expanded upon along with the other death-related creatures and content.
When you think of them as corpses uprooted from their resting places… it really gives new meaning to when you see some of them mourning at grave sites…. Maybe those graves that have them so grief stricken are their own O_O!
Good worms are often praised in horticulture, since they improve the soil so much, and thus lead to much healthier trees. Maybe these guys used to be some sort of especially exalted priesthood or religious order before The Shattering, and the actual reason they attack Tarnished is because they're-technically-rebels and upstarts against the old orders of things? Could see that as a neat twist being semi-saved for the DLC/s, given these guys fine clothing, and how at least one of them even tend to a Erdtree that somehow lacks a spirit guarding it. That spirit being somehow banished or bound is the obvious conclusion, of course... but what if that tree is the one that feels at peace and calm among all the others because its rites are still being performed by its chosen?
I was going to write about worms being good for trees. Perhaps these creatures were humans who tried to ascend into tree spirits, but instead turned into these worm monsters as a symbolic way to "feed" the trees? Another interpretation could be that they were dead and buried, being eaten by worms underground, but they got revived (against their will?) and the worms followed, hence their link to deathblight
@@Kenddamus Continuing thematically off of the worm connection; Worms and similar animals eat things that are already dead, so it's kind've ironic that the wormfaces inflict DEATHblight on a LIVING thing. I might be grasping at straws here, but It's a neat way to further the wormface's Inhuman traits and how they pervert the natural order of things.
@@RashFever26 Not even necessarily corrupted. This got me thinking, what if they are just another one of the many orders of funerary priests that have been uprooted by the Greater Will's quest to standardize religious practices.
Glad im not the only one who thought that. The moment I entered the forest and heard them, I thought for some odd reason I actually stepped into a bingo hall from the early 90s.....
The sounds they emit have been mentioned in the comments but one of the great little touches I found was overlooking the valley from the eastern cliff side. The fog moves in and masks the view but very very faintly you can hear the crying and chittering from below. I figured maybe there was one right below me that I got within range of but there wasn't, it was a conscious effort from the devs to put that sound in when you're standing on that overlook.
Worms are good for a healthy top-soil, maybe they're a variant of the Erdtree Guardians that became influenced by the deathblight and became horribly cursed? Guardians themselves could be normal humans that were blessed by the erdtree/erdtree avatars, but the uprooted could be their counterpart for those who serve the deathblight. Then again, we don't see any around the deathblighted areas so it's unclear. Amazing how many different enemies fromsoft crammed into this game that just leave so much to the imagination!
i got the feeling that the hole forest was cursed somehow after godwyn'ss death. its so eerily dark when the rest of altus is pretty bright (yknow with the erdtree and all lol) i have no idea how that would happen, but maybe godwyn spent a lot of time there. that might explain the Mirage Rise there as well, a secret place to observe the target of the black knives. this is all just random spitballing of course ^^;
I always figured that the Erdtree Guardians were just plant people, like the Avatars and the trolls/wood giants, since nobody ever seems to think it's worth mentioning that fully a third of the living people on this planet are some kind of tree, I though that was normal, but then I remembered that it's stated that nobody knows where the Erdtree Avatars came from, only that they will protect their chosen Erdtree with their life. What if a wormface is the transitional state between an Erdtree guardian, and an Erdtree avatar? Like, if that's how they get so huge and hollowed out, and learn to handle a staff.
If we get a dlc all about Godwyn and the realm of spirits we only know from the description of Helphen’s Steeple I’m sure these guys would play a much more important role
This always happens in every FromSoft game. The most interesting and horrifying enemies are modeled and animated so skillfully... and then get not one single tiny mention in the entire lore. Not even the slightest implied hint about what they are. Miyazaki doesn't have a story for these guys. Every detail about them is the work of extremely talented modelers and level designers, which is what's on display in Zullie's video. So I wish fans would stop bending over backwards to fawn over the guy who can't be arsed to write a single sentence offhandedly acknowledging their existence.
@@CheshireCad The visual story telling is strong enough to not warrant words. Miyazaki likely oversaw and approved most if not all enemy designs in the game so I see no issue.
@@Jormyyy It should also be considered that the Death-related types have no need for a written history. Or in the context of the whole series, that Miyazaki considers that some mysteries should never have a clear written answer. I'm inclined to agree.
@@Jormyyy - In a vacuum, there's nothing wrong with a mystery with no clear answer. It's a staple of the horror genre, because it adds to the intrigue. But it quickly gets old in a series that actively encourages fans to 'figure out' the lore. Which some very vocal fans have taken to the extreme by assuming that every single detail, including any *lack of detail*, was meticulously and deliberately placed, all as a part of a perfectly complete master story that only Miyazaki knows. Which, honestly, is more of an insult to Miyazaki than I could ever write. Projects this huge are *hard*, and always run out of time and money faster than expected. Which is something that FromSoft has always struggled with, sometimes more obviously than others. So assuming that the resulting deficiencies were a deliberate choice, just makes him sound like a crappy storyteller.
As a wise man once said "I don't know where I want to be, but I do know that I don't want to be wherever wormface is" Also with all the horrible abominations that live in the lands between, I'm starting to think the Flame of Frenzy may be the actual best ending
Flame of Frenzy is the nihilistic fuck all of this ending. There is no guarantee that the new world born from the ashes would be any better, just that the Erdtree, Greater will and the entire Golden legacy would be wiped off history and the world will start anew. It might be better or it might be pure chaos. Nothing is guaranteed.
@@subparticle8995 The Greater Will would, if the plan works as intended, rejoin with the frenzied flame (and everything else) to return to being the One Great. It would just be the One Great again, no chaos memes or anything about it. And presumably, the One Great would remember the mistake it had made in the first place and not split itself in half like an idiot again. Reducing it down to nihilism is just doomer memes as a viewer and ignoring lore. (That said, its entirely possible the frenzied flames plan fails and the One Great can never be reformed).
@@Xeronoia I really do hate when people call it nihilsm It just proves they don't even know what the word means and thinks anything that sounds remotely negative equals nihilism
@@latel4544 i really hate when people hate when people are using words they think are the wrong way to use, but not really....maybe a sliver...not enough to warrant whining about it lol submitting to a chaotic god of madness, destruction, blah blah etc. so that the world can be fucking nuked killing untold millions of innocents...cause "this universe is just so hard and like....full of despair..and all these bigots... who are lit-relly worse than murderers and ray pests btw.....its just unfixable.....almost meaningless" (saying this in a gay emo voice) idk man sounds pretty nihilistic
Love these types of vids!! Visually breaking down the plethora of intriguing characters in the souls universe!!! In gameplay on ps4 it is a blur, so to see all the detail is tops
For some reason I always associated these guys with sunflowers. They look like wilting sunflowers in monstrous form, and the first group I encountered was near a large field of them. Perhaps their holy resistance and the use of sunflowers in holy recipes is no mere coincidence?
BB has the lumenwood flowers hosting parasites. They look like sunflowers. There is definitely of a theme of “what is considered holy is actually monsterous” in Miyazaki’s games. “God” in DeS is actually just the Old One. The worship of the Great Ones in BB. The HMGS in BB seems to have afflicted Ludwig with some kind of supernatural parasites and/or it gives off harmful magical radiation.
I'm gonna guess part of this association comes from the fact that they're found near a minor erdtree where tarnished golden sunflowers are found, though I don't recall picking any in that area
i can't help but feel like these guys' connection to the erdtree is unarguable! although it's not normally the first thing i'd think of when looking at them, they do resemble wilting sunflowers in a way! this wouldn't be too much of a stretch, considering they often grow around minor erdtrees and are relevant to the tarnished. its a holy connection
That's got a lot of meat on it. Especially since "tarnished" in ER can mean "vilified and banished through no fault of their own." Perhaps the Wormfaces are holy sunflowers with a tarnished name.
The most incredible thing about them is the audio. Just them being in the area gives another layer of ambience that is unparalelled. The snifling constantly , the coffing and then here and there one of them proper gags, then there is this strange almost laughing sound in between, Myazakis team made the nr 1 unparalleled sound you DO NOT want to hear in a forest at night. It also gives unsettlingness to killing them, as you hear less and less of this ambience sound with them gone, but you will still hear it in the back of your mind.... Forever.
Once again, thank you for your service Zullie. Plunging into the depths of the Wormface’s face worms to seek the truth behind it all. That’s the most fun part of FromSoft lore, dissecting it piece by writhing piece.
I think it’s pretty interesting that they’re worm-based rather than tree-based, implying either a connection to filth and digging in the mud, or hidden helpers of the Erdtree who work below the ground (metaphorically) Hard to truly tell what their purpose or goals are
I feel like they were assistants to the crucible (more specifically the great-wood that the erdtree became a parasite to). This would explain their "banishment," and their potential origins in farum azula, a land from before the erdtree's existence.
Considering the ornament of the Farum Azula ones, I am fairly convinced they are Erdtree Guardians that got deathblighted. Rather than growing out of their back the tree overtook them from within. Another branch of their fate, the others being Miranda flowers and minor erdtrees.
But Faram Azula predates the Erdtree. If they were honored priests in the Age of the Crucible, Marika's Age of the Erdtree would have made them obsolete. Perhaps that is why they are uprooted. Like the crucible knights, the beastmen, and the misbegotten, they are cast out and dishonored now that Marika has no further use for them.
I'm a bit of a lurker but I have to say, these are wonderful. I adore your lore videos, you put so much effort in despite the length. I truly hope this is working well for you as I don't know the statistics, you deserve all good things!
These became my favorite and most feared enemies in the game when I encountered one. With the Altus Plateau having such emphasis on soldiers and cavalry all around, delving into that misty forest with those same soldiers teaming up against a lone Wormface, along with my getting Deathblighted for the first time, that encounter left an unforgettable impression.
Something that immediately struck me was the pockmarks on their neck look reminiscent of eyes, looking like the outline of an eye socket with the tear duct on one side. With a lot of the other eye imagery in the game (Such as runes gradually forming into an eyeball the larger they get) it was interesting.
I surmise that they’re Woodfolk, potentially another remnant of the Crucible. They were attendants of the tree long ago, but became infested with blighted worms and were banished for being unclean.
The Wormfaces in Altus near a Minor Erdtree wear cloth that looks a lot like what the Erdtree Guardians wear. I assumed those ones were corrupted Guardians.
I still remember falling down into that forest that's crawling with them in Altus Plateau for the first time. It was at about 1 in the morning and I was alone in my room, and it was night time in game...just hearing their gross, otherworldly voices and the ambience of the night...What an introduction to them for me. >_
If I remember correctly, the large boss one (at least) has high holy resist. From usually has strengths/weaknesses make sense as a part of their storytelling; the dragons of the Dark Souls world were vulnerable to Gwyn's lightning and therefore yours as well, for example.
I could definitely imagine them being a sort of accidental amalgamation of the deathroot originating from Godwyn and corpses from Erdtree burials as pointed out in the video. Meaning the affected roots infested buried humanoid corpses and transformed them into undead root-monsters with the worms that crawled through them in death grown into their reanimated flesh.
We know that Godwyn befriended Fortissax during the War of the Ancient Dragons, so the whole Godwyn/Faram Azula seems to make a lot more sense by association. No idea as to why they are cursed though.
They probably got infected by the deathblight roots with eyes found all over farum azula, a land outside of time. Maybe godwyn isn't the first soulless being. After all, how could ranni have known what would happen when she died at the same time as godwyn, without consciously recreating a past ritual?
@@hewithdarkwings well, you are capable of killing maliketh, returning to the bestial sanctum, and finding gurranq alive, and vise versa. While there's still like a 1% chance that maliketh and gurranq are two wholly separate beings, the fact that maliketh's dialogue changes based on gurranq's interactions sort of disproves this. That sort of the basis for believing that "time is convoluted" in farum azula.
@@ethanwashington6789 given that Bernahl isn't always at Farum Azula and how ruins having been thrown into the Lands Between (see Ruin Fragment and Ruins Greatsword descriptions) and that some reverse time stuff happens when entering Placidusax's arena I think it is just where he is that exist outside time (the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone can be interpreted either way). I admit that the Gurranq is weird and he definitely is Maliketh but I am not convinced that isn't just there for the sake of allowing you to complete the questline. It could also be something similar to Mohg the Omen (the music for which is called Omen Illusion in the soundtrack) he doesn't die when Mohg, Lord of Blood does.
@@hewithdarkwings it's sort of unspoken lore that the omen (at least the sons of godfrey) can project themselves to other places. Take both of margits interactions outside stormveil and leyndell for example. This would explains the "omen illusion" technique. However, maliketh/gurranq is an entirely different situation, as there is no reason to believe gurranq is a projection. I instead think that either, (a) gurranq being alive after maliketh's defeat is due to developer oversight and rushed development, similar to half of the game's questlines being unfinished upon the official release, or (b) gurranq simply HAS to stay alive for entrance to future dlcs planned around either Deathblight and/or the Crucible, both of which are closely affiliated with gurranq. Until either of those theories can be confirmed, we just have to assume that farum azula uses the classic "convoluted time" excuse.
Excellent content, I’ve been so impatient for VaatiVidyas uploads, your bite sized content has been satisfying the Vaati cravings. Keep up the good work.
Zullie, THANK YOU FOR NOT ENTIRELY CAPITALIZING THE TEXT IN YOUR THUMBNAILS, LIKE THIS. But in all seriousness, your descriptions are always a treat to read, and therefore your videos a pleasure to watch too! You're a great writer, and the care you put into it is evident. Keep it up.
I love your videos they are short, precise and straight to the point while being full of explanations, unique and the music is always of great taste! Thank you for doing this
I had never heard of King's Field before your video from a few uploads back... that game has got some of the greatest VGM I've ever heard. Thanks again for sharing and for these unique looks into the lore of the Souls universe
Saint riot put me on to your channel some years ago and your videos have just gotten better and better since I subbed. You’ve really blossomed into one of the best channels on RU-vid and my become my favorite souls-tuber. Please keep up the good work!
The thought of these things having once been human is genuinely horrifying. Fantastic Fromsoft design as usual. Thank you for bringing these disturbing details to light
I can’t really put into words why, but for some reason the wormfaces don’t gross me out like this sort of design usually would? their design feels almost endearing to me in a way. I think its the shawl, because it takes it from like, just a “worm monster” to a ✨worm monster that wears a fashionable lace shawl✨. That and the fact that they seem to have quite the social lives between themselves, too. I wanna know what the worms are talking about !!!!!! (Though, gotta say, i didnt even know they had the weird hole mouths until this video and i think i preferred not knowing)
I've had a theory floating around in my head for while regarding Farum Azula and it's connection to Leyndell. Via the Ruin Greatsword we know that Astel or another gravity related meteor struck Farum Azula and shattered it. Astel then stole the sky of one of the Eternal cities, likely the unnamed one in deeproot depths. However, I find it strange that there is no impact crater for the fallen Astel to enter deeproot depths in Leyndell. My theory is that Farum Azula used to reside where Leyndell is now. It was struck by Astel, shattered, *uprooted* via gravity magic and flung into the sky. This could be why wormfaces are found in both areas, because both areas were originally one.
I think Farum Azula was either connected to or actually on Caelid. The architecture around Greyoll's Dragonbarrow, and especially the Bestial Sanctum is identical. The sanctum being the obvious choice of the two not only because of the more complete structures but also the connection with Gurranq being a Beast Clergyman (which seems to be what Maliketh is or is masquerading as). I can't imagine they'd have those two very obvious connections for no reason.
Now THIS is a really cool theory. Also, since the gravity magic in this case was unintended by Astel's crash, that would explain why farum azula is crumbling: the gravity magic is incomplete
@@OllyDee123 I think the bestial sanctum is more-so supposed to remind gurranq (aka maliketh) of his home in Farum Azula, hence its location surrounded by dragons. Dragons only moved into the dragonbarrow during the times of the shattering (as stated by the map description), because they were dislocated from their original habitat by a certain scarlet rot nuke. It's possible gurranq was dislocated by the shattering as well, given how far away from his half-sister he is.
They definitely have some connection to Godwyn, as the only two places theyre found (Mt.Gelmir aside, I feel like larval tear enemies are too unexplained to really consider) are in the Altus forest, directly above Deeproot Depths, and in Farum Azula, where an infection of Deathroot has clearly taken hold
The Larval Tears are actually probably pretty simple. They are creatures that either came to the Lands Between on a falling star or were created by the denizens of the eternal cities with the goal of creating there very own Lord. They mimic lifeforms in which they come into contact with. Some of the "mimics" have even made their way to the surface. We run into them mimicking various creatures trying to blend in and when we attack them they transform into creatures they've encountered that are better suited for combat. We see them transform into War Lions, Wormfaces, Runebears, giant Lobsters, Giant black rolling spheres, and even a grafted Scion. It could even be more sinister than just mere mimicry. There's no lore to suggest this other than perhaps the cut mimic questline found in the game files but these creatures may even be looking to replace the lifeforms native to the Lands Between that they mimic and dwell amongst. In the cut mimic tear questline the mimic "Asimi" eventually tries to kill us and take our place as Elden Lord. Think of it kimda like an invasion of the body snatchers type of scenario.
@@kalzero3319 it wouldnt surprise me if the eternal cities (banished by the erdtree btw) were trying to secretly re-invade the hierarchy of the surface. Just add that to their long list of heretical schemes.
@@ethanwashington6789 That's actually a pretty interesting theory. We can't know if they had a purposeful wider reaching plot to replace all life but given what they were made to do they might have just done this naturally over time due to their programming/inherent behavior.
Ever since I discovered your channel I’ve been patiently awaiting this video because I’ve always been particularly fascinated by these mysterious creatures and it’s even crazy seeing how usually in depth you can go- unable to find more. They really didn’t leave much clues behind these it seems
Considering how everything that is linked to Godwyn gets something related to deathblight and they are called uprooted I think it's very plausible that they were disturbed or couldn't join with the Erdtree at the moment of their death.
Not sure if anyone noticed but there is a item that correlates to these enemys called the Staff of Loss... it says that the people who use it attempt to gain more discovery by throwing away what they have(ascenticism), it also boosts invisibilty sorceries as well, if you look at there hands the hold the sane staff and because its foggy and hard to see might imply that hidden aspect Now this is just a guess but being uprooted, having worms eating your crooked and "warped" body(like a tree) while also having a connection to Death, Im assuming they found a way to completely(or partly?) remove themselves from the erdtree and that whole cycle of remebrance and rebirth because to me thats what all of that implies especially if there throwing away everything for religious purposes
My first thought upon encountering them during my maiden playthough was that they reminded me of Sligs from Abe's Odyssey. Awesome video as always Zullie, thank you!
The flesh sacs in the dungeons and surrounding the roots always reminded me of eggs, and Farum Azula could have been more held together by the time Godwyn died, so maybe these sacs "hatched" at a time when it was more accessible to Farm Azula? Or maybe the wormfaces are products of the era of the Crucible, where they are similar to what we see with the Seprent God curved sword and how sacrifice was commonplace, so they were sacrificed to the worms and brought back to life when the Shattering happened, as I highly doubt Altus would let these wander freely in their neighboring forest. I personally think they are the product of Crucible era sacrifices or other forms of Crucible life, and the death of Godwyn spread to their burial sites and resurrected them, which could explain their Deathblight abilities and sounds of pain and moaning.
Hi Zullie :) thanks for the explanations in the video, also your description of "déraciné" was very accurate (I'm french). I find the wormfaces scary but a part of me wonders if they suffer, like other creatures like the humans trying to become dragons that you describe in your video "Elden Ring - The Agony of Immortality".
Remember, that Godwyn is below the erdtree, which is a parasite on the lands between. Currently that tree sucks up the deathblight Godwyn emanates, resulting his mark on random objects and crabs. If these guys are disturbed from their erdtree burial it could be due the death cursed them, and they are in a hollowic malformed (thus the appearance) state just like Godwyn is.
Hey. I discover that the '' ghost'' you see before the Tree Spirit on Volcano Manor where you found the Minor EerthTree. He transforme to a WormFace when you come back in his location. PS : I love yours videos and sorry for my bad English.
